Chapter 2405: Reorganizing the Family Business (II)

"Didn't the ancestral hall distribute grain for relief?"

"The Clan Leader is dead. The Clan Elders are dead or fled—there's not a single person who can make decisions. Besides, the clan was ruined terribly by the passing soldiers. Money and grain were all plundered. If the Australians hadn't arrived later to distribute relief grain, who knows how many would have starved." Chen Yue's voice was full of grievance. "And now Second Uncle has seized power and become the Manager of the ancestral hall. No one else's words carry any weight."

The Second Uncle Chen Yue spoke of was actually her biological father. But she despised and hated him, refusing to acknowledge him as family.

"What? Second Uncle holds power?" Chen Lin was shocked. Second Uncle had always eaten, drank, whored, and gambled—who knew how many scandals he had caused. Back when he worked at the weaving workshop, he had embezzled silk meant for delivery, ultimately forcing the workshop to pay damages to settle the matter and deeply embarrassing Chen Lin's father. After that incident, he was banned from the weaving workshop and given only a small monthly allowance.

Even with no elders remaining, surely anyone would be a better choice than this profligate!

Chen Lin's branch was one of three descended from the Chen family's eldest line—they were the direct bloodline. Though his father had never served as Clan Leader, he had always held the status of a Clan Elder whose words carried immense weight within the clan. The position of Manager had also always been his.

With Father gone, having a brother succeed as Manager would be considered orthodox. But Second Uncle was infamously dissolute and improper. What was the clan thinking?

"Why not let Third Uncle be the Manager?"

Chen Yue glanced around. "Let's discuss this later. You just arrived—go home and look around first."

Chen Lin was full of suspicion but knew his sister must have reasons for her caution. She was right—since he was back, he should see home first.

The three returned together. The scene was exactly as Chen Yue had described: walls toppled, buildings collapsed, devastation everywhere. The sprawling three-courtyard compound didn't have a single small room left habitable. The courtyard was pockmarked with holes of various sizes.

The family's valuables had been looted clean, needless to say, and most furniture and furnishings were damaged. Though these pieces weren't particularly precious, they had been passed down through generations—repaired, maintained, and added to over the years, accompanying the family day and night. Now only debris remained scattered across the ground. For unknown reasons, the marauding soldiers had smashed everything to pieces.

Father's favorite jasmine tree—once bowl-thick, filling summer with fragrance that drifted beyond the courtyard—had been chopped down at the trunk.

Surveying the ruined courtyard, Chen Lin sighed. Truly a catastrophe.

Chen Yue thought he was grieving over the family property and tried to comfort him: "Brother Alin, what matters is that you're safe. Now that Dad is gone, you're the pillar of this family..."

Mother had died early. Father never remarried—he had only one concubine, but she bore no children and had also passed away last year. After Father's death, the entire family consisted of just him and his sister.

The thought brought a wave of sorrow, and he asked, "Where is Dad's coffin now?"

"Dad's body was only found two months ago," Chen Yue said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "It was soaked beyond recognition. Third Uncle identified him by a seal he always carried... The elders said such a corpse couldn't be kept—better to bury it for peace as soon as possible. He was buried that same day."

Imagining his father's wretched state, Chen Lin wept uncontrollably. After a long while, he said: "Ayue, prepare incense, candles, and paper money for me. I'm going to pay respects at Father's grave."

The two went to the ancestral cemetery to pay their respects. Chen Lin saw the graveyard had also suffered greatly—the sacrificial vessels stored there had been looted, and doors and windows were all destroyed. His heart ached. After mourning and making offerings at his father's grave, the siblings rose. Chen Lin proposed visiting the weaving workshop, but Chen Yue shook her head:

"Big Brother, you'd best not go to the weaving workshop."

"Why? Was it destroyed too?"

"The workshop wasn't badly damaged—the soldiers only took the stock. The buildings and looms weren't much harmed. It started operating again a month ago..."

"Started operating?" Chen Lin was surprised. After the devastation, with everything needing to be rebuilt and clansmen struggling even to eat, where had the money come from?

Silk weaving required heavy capital. Purchasing raw silk required cash. Yet silk fabric sales typically weren't settled until festival seasons, when accounts were squared and funds returned. Since the soldiers had plundered the raw silk stock, how could operations resume without materials? Even if the clan paid to repurchase supplies, it was winter now—silkworms hadn't even started hatching. Where would cocoons and raw silk come from?

"How can they operate without raw silk?" Chen Lin turned to leave. "Let's go—I want to see the workshop."

Chen Yue grabbed his arm. "Brother! If you want to look, I won't stop you. But let me tell you a few things first..."

Chen Lin halted, sensing something was wrong. "Speak."

"Brother Alin, the weaving workshop is now managed by Second Uncle..."

Chen Lin started, then sneered. "That's hardly surprising. He's even become the Clan Temple Manager now." A thought struck him. "How did the clan elders let him become Manager anyway?"

Chen Yue looked around. Seeing the area was deserted, she pulled Chen Lin into the graveyard, found a secluded spot to sit, and whispered:

"Brother Alin... don't get angry. I'll tell you quietly—Second Uncle has allied himself with the Short-hair Thieves!"

"What?!" Chen Lin was stunned. "Is that true?"

"Yes!" Chen Yue nodded firmly and continued: "When the soldiers sacked Nansha, everyone scrambled to escape and scattered. I followed Third Uncle's family to Third Aunt's maiden home in Sanliang Market and hid for over two months. Later, the Australians posted notices saying Guangzhou Prefecture was pacified and refugees could return. Those without travel money could take free scheduled boats from major market towns. Third Uncle's family and I watched for several days. Seeing it was truly safe, we took the Australians' boat home together.

"Back in the village, we found seventy or eighty percent of those who fled had returned. Everyone was busy repairing houses and burying the dead. The Australians had also distributed some money and grain for relief. When Second Uncle was fleeing, he somehow encountered the Australians and obtained the official position of 'Liaison Officer' for Nansha Village."

"That's not an official position—it's just something like the Baojia headman."

"But he's used this 'Liaison Officer' title to throw his weight around. Because he can communicate with the Australians, the clan elders began looking favorably on him and let him handle matters. Before long, leveraging Australian backing, he demanded the clan make him the Ancestral Hall Manager. The elders were dead or fled; those remaining had no backbone. Under his pressure, they could only comply. Third Uncle disagreed and had a huge quarrel with him in the Ancestral Hall, then left the next day."

Chen Lin understood. His worthless Second Uncle had seized power amid the chaos. The weaving workshop had obviously been seized by him as well. Third Uncle was steady-tempered, the most composed of the three brothers. Since childhood, Chen Lin had never seen him lose his temper. For him to quarrel violently with Second Uncle and leave in anger, the cause couldn't simply be the Manager position.

"Where did Third Uncle go?"

"Third Uncle's family returned to Sanliang. They wanted to take me too, but with no news of you, Brother, I wanted to wait for your return. So I stayed."

Another problem occurred to him. "There's no raw silk on the market now. And Second Uncle never managed the weaving workshop before. Who's actually running operations?"

Chen Yue glanced around again before answering: "The weaving workshop is now managed by Short-hairs."

"What?!" This time Chen Lin nearly dropped his jaw. The Australians had come to the village to run a weaving workshop? This was beyond anything he could have imagined. "Real Short-hairs or False Short-hairs?"

"False Short-hairs—though actually they don't shave their heads. They all speak the Short-hair language and have shipped in many new machines—all on Australian boats! Second Uncle says these people all came from Qiongzhou Prefecture and are the Australians' capable lieutenants."

Just as expected! Second Uncle had no ability to manage a weaving workshop. If it fell into his hands, the only result would be embezzlement until nothing remained. That it could operate at all obviously depended on these False Short-hairs.

But what were these False Short-hairs doing, coming specifically to Nansha to take over a weaving workshop? For reeling and weaving silk, there were plenty of workshops inside and outside Guangzhou city. Why come all the way here?

His confusion only deepened. But with the Short-hairs now involved in the workshop, his chances of reclaiming it seemed slim.

"You mustn't clash directly with Second Uncle," Chen Yue warned. "He has Short-hair backing now—no one in the village dares cross him. Just a few days ago, Uncle Zhi from the Sixth Branch was dragged to the Ancestral Hall and beaten for defying him, then fined one dan of rice. Everyone pleaded for leniency, promising to pay after next year's harvest, before he was finally released."

"He's just one person. Does the entire village simply let him run wild? Even if the Australians support him, it's only a few False Short-hairs. I've encountered many False Short-hairs in Guangzhou—the Australians discipline their subordinates strictly and don't permit lawless behavior. These few False Short-hairs probably wouldn't dare openly back his abuses."

"That I don't know. The villagers are terrified the moment they hear 'Short-hair Thieves' or 'Australians.' Brother Alin, do you remember when the Australians besieged Guangzhou a few years back?"

Of course he remembered. Australian warships had sailed along the river channels, levying grain and supplies everywhere. Anyone who dared resist or disobey was slaughtered. Countless powerful clans and households had been ruined.

"...What's most infuriating is those outsiders who used to work at the weaving workshop. Now with False Short-hair backing and Second Uncle's enticement, every one of them has become Second Uncle's claws and fangs, acting like tyrants in the village. Now Chen family people actually dare not speak loudly."

Chen Lin fell silent. He had assumed that even with Father gone, the clan elders could maintain order. With the hundred yuan borrowed from his cousin-uncle, he could gradually repair the house, restore the weaving workshop, and reorganize the family business.

Now it seemed he had thought far too simply.

He considered for a moment and said: "Sister, I should still walk around the village and assess the situation."

(End of Chapter)