The System Granted Me Immortality, Yet My Rebellious Disciple Wants to Dig Up My Grave - Chapter 1:

Chapter 1: Marrying a Mute Wife

“Master, I hope you live a long and blessed life in another world.”

A lonely grave. A beautiful woman. Withered vines. An old tree. Dusk crows.

On the solitary grave stood a tombstone: Master Li Changsheng, passed away at the age of 44.

—Respectfully offered by your devoted disciple, Liu Chiyao.

The beauty stood tall and graceful, her long hair drifting in the wind. Her features were breathtaking, her figure poised and proud. She wore a flowing cyan dress that rippled gently, stirring the heart with quiet elegance.

Caw—

A strange cry cut across the sky. The beauty’s eyes flickered. She cast one final glance at the lonely grave, then silently turned and walked away.

The dusk crow watched her leave, spread its wings, and followed her into the darkening sky.

…

Soon, night fell. The cold wind howled across the barren land. The surroundings were desolate beyond words.

Gurgle, gurgle—

On the grave, a rat nibbled greedily at the offerings. Suddenly, its body stiffened. Its tiny head turned toward the mound of earth.

Without warning, a large hand burst through the soil.

Squeak! Squeak!

The rat’s eyes bulged in terror. In an instant, it darted away and vanished.

Another hand emerged, then a head. Finally, a thin, gaunt figure clawed his way out of the grave.

Li Changsheng brushed the dirt from his clothes and looked quietly at the tombstone. His gaze grew distant as memories rose unbidden.

He was a transmigrator. An utterly ordinary man who had received an equally ordinary Immortality System.

103 years ago, at the age of 18, he had transmigrated into this world. Back then, he had been brimming with ambition and confidence, determined to carve out a legacy and achieve great accomplishments.

Reality had been far crueler.

He had nearly been flayed alive by the Emperor of the Great Qian Empire, his tendons pulled, his blood drunk, his flesh eaten.

In response, he had slaughtered the entire Great Qian imperial clan alone and fled the imperial palace carrying an infant in his arms.

That infant was named Liu Chiyao.

Day after day, he watched Liu Chiyao grow. He taught her every martial art he had mastered, pouring his lifetime of knowledge into her so she could survive in this chaotic world on her own.

Li Changsheng had thought he would live to see her marry and have children.

Instead, Liu Chiyao kept asking who her parents were, who her enemies were. With no way to answer her without shattering everything, Li Changsheng had chosen to end his fabricated life early.

[Ding! Congratulations. You have raised Liu Chiyao to adulthood and perfectly concluded your fabricated life. Reward: 1 point of Immortal Power.]

[Ding! Congratulations. You have raised Liu Chiyao to adulthood and perfectly concluded your fabricated life. Reward: Lifespan True Flame.]

[Lifespan True Flame: At the cost of your own lifespan, you may strip an enemy of an equal amount of lifespan.]

Hearing the system notifications, Li Changsheng let out a long breath. After struggling for over a century, he had finally received his first Immortality reward.

Name: Li Changsheng

Age: 121 years

Natural Lifespan: Immortal and ageless, unlimited lifespan

Talent: Mortal

Level: First-rate Martial Artist

Abilities: None

Divine Ability: Lifespan True Flame

Combat Power: 121 points

Immortal Power: 2 points

Disciple: Liu Chiyao

Studying the system interface, Li Changsheng finally understood how the Immortality System worked.

As long as he accompanied someone with whom he shared a close bond through an entire lifetime and brought it to a perfect conclusion, he would receive additional rewards.

That person had to be someone intimately connected to him, such as a disciple.

Whether other relationships could trigger rewards, he had yet to test.

After casting one last look at his own grave, Li Changsheng turned and left silently.

…

Great Shang Empire, Imperial Capital.

The streets were packed with people. Crowds flowed endlessly in both directions. Shops lined both sides of the road, and vendors’ cries rang through the air. The city was vibrant and bustling.

“How is she a mute?”

In a secluded house, several burly men guarded the entrance. Inside, an old aunt counted silver coins in her hands, her face blooming with satisfaction.

At the voice, the old aunt looked up and saw a man examining a thin woman in tattered cloth. She was filthy, frail, and dressed in worn fabric.

“Oh my, even if she can’t speak, she eats little, works hard, and all her limbs are intact. Don’t be so picky,” the old aunt said smoothly.

“In these troubled times, with wars everywhere, being able to buy such a good woman who won’t argue with you is already a blessing. Be content.”

“If you’re not satisfied, the deposit won’t be refunded.”

Her expression hardened slightly. She walked over, grabbed the woman by the arm, and pulled her behind her. “If you add a little more money, I can find you one who can talk.”

Li Changsheng frowned faintly as he looked at the mute woman.

She was painfully thin. Her face was pale. Bruises marked her body in shades of blue and purple. It was obvious she had suffered abuse.

Her eyes were filled with fear and unease. Her body trembled without control.

“Fine,” Li Ergou said calmly.

He took a pouch of money from his chest and tossed it to the old aunt. “This one will do. We’re settled.”

“Settled, settled!” The old aunt beamed. She turned to the mute woman and said a few words, then gently pushed her toward Li Changsheng. “You wretched girl, follow your husband and live properly. You’re lucky to have met a good family.”

Li Changsheng said nothing more. He led the mute woman out, helped her onto a small donkey cart, and drove off slowly.

The Great Shang Empire lay over 5,000 kilometers from the former Great Qian Empire.

The once-mighty Great Qian Empire had already fractured into more than a dozen small nations. It was an era of chaos.

After wandering for three years, Li Changsheng had finally arrived at the Great Shang Empire to begin again.

The Great Shang Empire had a population exceeding 1 billion. The Imperial Capital alone housed tens of millions. It was the most prosperous supercity in the empire.

Yet in this retro world, with such explosive population growth, refugees and beggars filled the streets. Every year, people starved or froze to death. Famine and plague were everywhere.

The only reason such a population could exist was because this was not an ordinary mortal world, but a cultivation world.

Most cultivators served the court as officials. There were no sects here, only families and the empire. The imperial clan itself consisted of cultivators.

The cultivators of this world were highly exclusive. Centered around the empire, they monopolized all cultivation resources. Even if commoners gave birth to children with cultivation aptitude, they had no resources to nurture them. Only by attaching themselves to the empire, entering official service, and passing the imperial examinations could they gain a small share of cultivation resources.

As for ordinary mortals, they could only struggle to survive under the empire’s pressure, barely managing enough food to live.

Li Changsheng had been living temporarily on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital. He spent dozens of silver coins to buy a mute woman as his wife.

The reason was simple. He wanted to test whether marrying a wife could trigger an Immortality reward.

So he chose the Great Shang Empire as the place for this experiment.

His Immortality System gave no instructions. Discovering that accepting a disciple could trigger rewards had been something he figured out on his own.

“Hyah…”

On the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, a donkey cart moved slowly. A man walked ahead holding the reins, while a thin mute woman sat quietly in the cart.

The cart carried some coarse linen cloth, along with grain and vegetables.

Farther from the capital, the land opened into barren wilderness. There were no trees, only dry, cracked fields.

It was late autumn heading into winter. Everyone was busy preparing for the cold season. Idle mortals had to find work, or they might freeze to death in their homes during winter.

There were no televisions or mobile phones in this world. No airplanes, trains, or automobiles. No cheap, entertaining games.

Ordinary people exhausted all their energy just trying to survive. Being half full each day was already considered wealthy.

About 25 kilometers from the Imperial Capital lay a poor rural village. Remote and desolate, it had only a handful of households.

At the village entrance stood an old withered tree wrapped in dead vines. Beneath it was a broken stone monument: Li Family Village.

“We’re here. From now on, this will be your home,” Li Changsheng said calmly as he pulled the cart to a stop before a dilapidated earthen house.

“Hey, Li Er, where did you bring this woman from?”

“She’s quite delicate-looking, but too thin. Can she handle farm work?”

There were only a few families in the village. As Li Changsheng returned with a woman, the entire village gathered around.

He introduced the mute woman openly. When they heard she had been bought, several unmarried men looked on with open envy.

Li Changsheng had lived in the village for over a year. He was young and strong, and no one dared bully him.

The mute woman shrank under the villagers’ gazes, fear tightening her chest.

She knew she had been bought by Li Changsheng. The man looked gentle enough.

Even so, being bought was better than being beaten and cursed in that hellish place.

That very day, Li Changsheng invited the villagers to a simple feast.

The wedding feast was far from luxurious. Li Changsheng bought several kilograms of meat and cooked a large pot of meat soup, along with vegetables and a huge pot of rice. There were also several large bottles of poor-quality liquor. For ordinary commoners, such a meal might not even come once a year.

So Li Changsheng’s wedding was livelier than the New Year. Everyone in the village came to help. Some brought stored grain, others offered a hoe, an iron ladle, or grass seeds as wedding gifts.

From this day forward, Li Changsheng was a man with a household of his own.

The mute woman had no name, so Li Changsheng gave her one. He called her Ya Yue.

Early the next morning, Ya Yue woke before dawn and quietly began tidying the house.

In truth, there was little to tidy. In this era, every household was poor. The last of the rice had been eaten the day before.

The village had only one chicken. It was the crowing rooster, the village’s mascot. Every morning it crowed on time, and the middle-aged and elderly villagers would rise together to work in the fields. If there was no farm work left, they would travel farther out to gather dry grass and branches. They had to find something to do. Otherwise, they might freeze to death in winter.

Opening his eyes, Li Changsheng watched Ya Yue’s busy figure and felt a faint sigh in his heart.

In daylight, she looked thin and a little dirty. After washing up, however, her features were delicate and pleasant. Only her frail body betrayed her hardship.

With more than 100 years of life experience, Li Changsheng knew that if he could walk several decades together with Ya Yue and complete another full lifetime, he would once again conclude a fabricated life.

Now that he was married, he intended to live properly. He did not expect wealth or glory. He had no desire to attract attention. He only wished to spend a few quiet decades in this small village.

As for promotion and fortune, he would not even consider it. That would only disrupt his rhythm of life.

Just as Li Changsheng was about to rise, Ya Yue heard the movement and hurried over, her cheeks flushed as she shyly reached out to help him dress.

“I can do it myself.”

Li Changsheng sat up. Ya Yue immediately stopped, a flicker of worry and disappointment crossing her eyes.

“…Then you can help me.”

Li Changsheng was perceptive. The moment he saw her expression, he understood.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Ya Yue’s face lit with shy obedience as she carefully dressed him.

Seeing the worn, coarse hemp clothes on her body, Li Changsheng’s heart softened.

In this feudal era, ordinary people could not afford even one new garment a year. Some families shared clothes when going out and went without at home.

The rough linen garment Li Changsheng wore had been deliberately aged. In the past, he had possessed wealth and power. He had taken gold, silver, jewels, silk, and brocade from the imperial palace, but he had squandered or discarded them all.

Thus the common people labored year-round. In summer, they gathered weeds to stuff into clothing for warmth. That was one method. But in famine, even weeds would be eaten, leaving nothing to insulate against winter.

As for firewood, that was even less imaginable. In ancient times, firewood was an extremely precious heating resource, something only wealthy households could afford.

The mountains near the Imperial Capital belonged to landowners. They were guarded year-round by hired thugs. If commoners were caught collecting wood, the lightest punishment was a broken leg. The worst was being beaten to death and left in the wilderness.

“Stay at home. I’m going into the city,” Li Changsheng said before stepping out.

The donkey cart had been borrowed from the village chief’s family. He would have to borrow it again today. Each time he borrowed it, he owed three days of labor without pay.

At early dawn, Li Changsheng once again headed toward the Imperial Capital. In the city, he took out silver coins and bought a new set of coarse linen clothes and undergarments, along with thick straw-woven mats and various winter supplies. He purchased salt, soy sauce, vegetables, and coarse grains.

After all the buying, the entire donkey cart was loaded to the brim.

Li Changsheng naturally had money. He simply never displayed it to avoid being envied.

When he returned to the village, it was already evening. Villagers rarely lingered outside chatting. After a day of labor, the poor had no leisure to waste energy on idle talk.

At his door, Li Changsheng quickly carried the items inside.

As soon as he entered, he saw Ya Yue crouched under the bed, gripping a woodcutting blade and staring at him in terror.

“It’s me.”

Hearing his voice, Ya Yue scrambled out, her face flooding with relief.

“You must be hungry. Look what I brought you.”

From his chest, Li Changsheng pulled out a large oil-paper bundle, still warm. Ya Yue took it in surprise. When she opened it, several golden fried dough sticks lay inside.

Her eyes widened in shock. She wanted to ask something but could not speak.

Li Changsheng smiled gently. “Eat. I’ll tell you a secret. I actually have money.”

As he spoke, he placed several silver coins into her palm.

When Ya Yue felt the cold weight of the coins, she was even more astonished. She knew he had some money, after all he had been able to buy her. But she had not imagined he possessed this much.

Fried dough sticks were something only wealthy families could afford. Even they did not eat them daily. Perhaps a few times a year at most.

Holding the dough stick, happiness welled up inside her. She swallowed and, under the moonlight, reluctantly pushed it toward him.

Li Changsheng refused and urged her to eat. Only then did she devour it hungrily.

She had not eaten all day. Her stomach had long been growling.

Firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea.

Firewood was listed first, revealing how vital it was.

Ordinary households simply did not have firewood. Cooking itself was a luxury. There was no electricity, no coal, no oil. Making fire was extravagant. Even hot water was something only wealthy households could afford regularly.

Li Changsheng had specifically bought some firewood, along with oil and seasonings, to nourish Ya Yue.

“Why are you crying?”

Under the moonlight, tears streamed down Ya Yue’s face as she ate.

At his voice, she suddenly threw herself into his arms, sobbing silently.

It was the best meal she had ever eaten. No one had ever treated her this kindly.

For the first time, she felt secure. She would no longer starve.

From then on, Li Changsheng worked with the villagers by day and returned at night to eat better meals at home.

Soon winter arrived. Heavy snow fell in thick flakes.

For the Great Shang Empire, heavy snow meant a prosperous year ahead. It signaled abundant spring rain and renewed life.

But it brought suffering to countless poor households.

The village had just over 30 people. Within days, several had frozen to death.

Children feared the cold most. Once chilled, they fell ill and often died overnight. Even if they did not freeze, they might starve or succumb to sickness.

The snow outside piled higher than half a person’s height. People stayed inside, venturing out only when absolutely necessary.

Li Changsheng had stockpiled months of food a month earlier. There was enough dry rations to last. The house held straw, mats, coarse clothing, and a quilt. It was cold, but bearable.

“My child…”

“Stop crying. He’s dead. What use is crying?”

From next door came faint sounds of a woman’s sobbing and a man’s curses.

Inside, Ya Yue paused while chewing a flatbread. She looked toward the door, her eyes full of pity.

“Everyone has their fate,” Li Changsheng said quietly. “Countless people freeze and starve across the world. If we tried to save them all, we would freeze and starve too.”

He had lived over a century. He knew the world’s suffering better than most. He had seen too many partings of life and death.

He was not the emperor. Why burden himself with such worries?

Ya Yue said nothing. She looked at the stored grain in the room and felt a flicker of shame.

They had so much food, yet others starved outside.

But she had little opinion of her own. Her good life now was because Li Changsheng had bought her. Without him, she might already have starved, frozen, or been beaten to death.

…

The next morning, the snow stopped. Sunlight poured down, bringing a trace of warmth.

Li Changsheng stepped outside to clear a path. The house was still cold. He planned to buy another quilt and two cotton coats.

Before leaving, he instructed Ya Yue not to open the door for anyone. Only his voice should make her open it.

This time, he did not borrow the donkey cart. In such weather, it was useless. He would run.

With his physique, 25 kilometers was nothing.

In the Imperial Capital’s center, the atmosphere felt different. Streets were being cleared of snow. Some shops were open. There was still movement and life.

Coal was sold in the city. Due to technological limits and high cost, the poor could not afford it. Even the wealthy disliked it because coal was toxic unless treated with limestone to remove sulfur.

Li Changsheng’s immortal constitution made him unafraid of poison, but for Ya Yue’s sake, he bought a large sack of coal and some limestone.

He also purchased two cotton coats, spending over 100 silver coins.

When everything was bought, he carried more than 250 kilograms of goods toward the outskirts.

His strength was extraordinary. Even 500 kilograms would not challenge him. As long as he could grasp it, he could lift it with one hand.

Few people were on the streets in winter. No one paid him attention.

…

Bang, bang, bang…

In Li Family Village, Ya Yue hid inside the house, trembling at the urgent knocking.

“Ya Yue, are you home? It’s Aunt Li.”

Ya Yue recognized the voice. She tried to respond, but no sound came.

Bang, bang, bang.

“Ya Yue, my child is freezing. We haven’t eaten in three days. Aunt is begging you. Please, have mercy. Is there a bite to spare? I’ll kneel for you…”

Sobbing echoed outside. Ya Yue’s heart softened.

She looked at the remaining flatbread on the table. After a moment, she picked it up and approached the door.

Bang, bang, bang.

Ya Yue tapped the door. Aunt Li looked up and saw a large flatbread pushed through the crack.

“Bread! Bread! Ya Yue, thank you! Thank you! My child is saved!”

Aunt Li wept in gratitude, bowed repeatedly, then hurried home.

Ya Yue felt warmth at her small kindness.

But less than half an hour later, as she ate another bite of bread, the door suddenly crashed open.

“Bread!”

A burly man rushed in. His eyes gleamed fiercely at the sight of food. He lunged forward without hesitation.

Startled, Ya Yue dropped the bread.

The man grabbed it and devoured it greedily.

Aunt Li and her child followed behind him.

“So much grain… Heaven above…”

Aunt Li had never seen such abundance. The rice jar was filled with coarse rice. There were winter radishes, dried fruits, hard pastries, even candy.

In an instant, they rushed forward and began grabbing everything.

Ya Yue tried to stop them, near tears.

“You have so much food and would rather watch us starve? Do you have any conscience?”

She said nothing, only shielding the grain, but was shoved aside.

“Move! If you don’t share, and you dare block us, we’ll beat you to death!”

At those words, Ya Yue’s face turned pale. Her body trembled.

She had thought they would take a little and leave. Instead, they tried to take everything, even the quilt and straw mats.

Panicked, she tried to protect them. Without them, they would freeze and starve.

“Looking for a beating!”

Li Dazhuang kicked her hard, sending her flying. He moved to stomp her, but Aunt Li stopped him.

“Enough. Let’s go.”

If Ya Yue died, Li Changsheng would bring trouble upon them.

They fled with what they had taken.

Ya Yue lay on the ground, blood at the corner of her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

She thought it was over.

But soon, shouting erupted again outside.

Villagers poured in. Seeing the remaining grain and supplies, they rushed forward in a frenzy.

“Ya Yue, you’re too stingy.”

“We’re freezing and starving, and you won’t share?”

“We’re all from the same village. Can you really watch us die?”

“You dare resist? Asking for it!”

Several women shoved her down and began kicking and hitting her.

Unable to speak, Ya Yue curled on the floor, enduring the blows silently.

The fear of her past abuse surged back, suffocating her.

…

When Li Changsheng returned, it was already night.

“Hm?”

At his door, he saw footprints covering the ground.

His expression changed. He dropped the goods and rushed inside.

“Ya Yue!”

Inside was chaos.

For a moment, he thought thieves had broken in.

Then a shadow rushed toward him.

He froze.

It was Ya Yue.

Her body trembled violently. Bruises covered her. Blood stained her lips.

“Who did this?”

Killing intent flickered across Li Changsheng’s face.

Ya Yue said nothing, only sobbed and clung tightly to him.

“It’s alright. I’m here. Don’t be afraid.”

He calmed himself, remembering she could not speak.

“Who was it? Thieves from outside?”

She shook her head.

“The villagers?”

After a long silence, she nodded.

“Which family?”

Silence.

“Li Daniu’s?”

“Aunt Li’s?”

“The village chief’s?”

Seeing Ya Yue remain silent, Li Changsheng understood almost everything.

He stood up. Ya Yue’s expression changed in alarm. She hurried to block the doorway, refusing to let him leave.

“They can take the things. I don’t care. But they hit you. That I cannot accept.”

“Today I’ll listen to you. But tomorrow, I will settle accounts with them. Don’t stop me.”

Ya Yue lowered her eyes and said nothing.

Li Changsheng forced himself to calm down. He carried the goods inside, crushed the limestone, mixed it with the coal, and buried it in the snow for a simple desulfurization process.

All the food in the house had been taken, but fortunately he had bought more in the city.

That night, Ya Yue shivered from the cold for a long time before finally falling asleep from exhaustion.

At early dawn the next morning, while Ya Yue was still asleep, Li Changsheng picked up a woodcutting blade and stepped outside.

With a loud bang, the door of Li Daniu’s house next door was kicked open.

When Li Changsheng walked in, he saw Li Daniu clutching a flatbread and snoring heavily.

His wife woke in fright. Seeing Li Changsheng enter with a blade, she screamed and scrambled beside Li Daniu, shaking him awake.

“Brother Li Er, wh-what are you doing?”

Li Daniu’s eyelids twitched wildly at the sight of the blade. He scrambled up and offered the bread with trembling hands.

“Aunt Li’s family told us you had hidden a lot of grain. We… we were too hungry. We lost our heads. Brother Li Er, please, spare me this once.”

“Father… I’m hungry…” A thin, skeletal child whimpered in the corner.

Li Changsheng glanced over and his pupils contracted.

Beside the living child lay another small body.

Li Daniu had once had two children. One had frozen to death. He had not discarded the body.

“The child is dead. Why haven’t you buried him?” Li Changsheng asked calmly.

“If a child dies… he can be exchanged… for food.”

At those words, Li Changsheng’s heart jolted.

He understood at once.

This was the practice of exchanging children for consumption. When the poor had nowhere left to turn, they traded their dead children with others as their final ration.

The woman beside Li Daniu sobbed uncontrollably at the sight of the corpse.

“Brother Li Er, we were wrong. Take the grain back. Just please, for the sake of being from the same village, spare us this once. We won’t dare again.”

The entire family knelt, bowing repeatedly, begging for mercy.

Li Changsheng sighed inwardly. The pitiable often had something hateful about them.

He had not expected such a thing in Li Family Village.

Looking at Li Daniu, he asked coldly, “My wife was beaten. Who laid hands on her?”

Li Daniu’s face stiffened. His wife avoided his gaze.

Li Changsheng’s expression turned icy. He stepped forward and lifted Li Daniu with one hand, throwing him aside.

“Speak!”

With a heavy crash, Li Daniu’s 50-kilogram body was hurled like a toy and slammed to the ground, nearly knocking the breath from him.

“Please, don’t hit him! It was me! We women beat her together. I’m sorry! If you want to hit someone, hit me!”

The woman knelt, pale and trembling. The child cried louder.

“In that case, let the head of the household bear the punishment. Don’t blame me for lacking mercy.”

Li Changsheng’s face darkened. He seized Li Daniu again and delivered several slaps and punches. Li Daniu’s face swelled, blood flowing from his nose and mouth. He had no strength to resist.

Only when Li Daniu lost consciousness did Li Changsheng stop.

He did not use his full strength, afraid a single kick might kill him.

Without hesitation, Li Changsheng turned and went to the next house.

“Brother Li Er, we were wrong! Please stop! Please!”

Soon, the neighboring house echoed with desperate pleas, followed by sharp, resounding slaps.

Cries and screams filled the small village, spreading fear everywhere.

There were fewer than ten households. Li Changsheng went door to door, beating the men of each family until their faces were bruised and swollen.

At Aunt Li’s house, Li Dazhuang was tall and strong, considered powerful in the village. Yet at the sight of Li Changsheng, he trembled with fear.

He tried to exchange a few blows, but in the next instant Li Changsheng pressed him to the ground and struck him once. Blood flowed from his mouth and nose. He lost all ability to resist.

Aunt Li’s family had taken the most, so Li Dazhuang received the harshest beating.

Aunt Li knelt on the ground, crying bitterly and begging until Li Dazhuang fainted. Only then did Li Changsheng stop.

“Li Er, I’m the village chief. Don’t you remember I lent you the donkey cart… ah!”

The village chief’s family was relatively better off, yet they had joined the looting.

Li Changsheng had always been low-key and polite. But today they had bullied his wife.

This was merely a lesson. Fortunately, Ya Yue had survived. Had she died, the entire village would have paid.

After beating the village chief, Li Changsheng returned home.

At the door lay piles of dry rations, radishes, clothes, and quilts.

Ya Yue had remained inside as instructed.

Only when she heard his voice did she come out.

Her face was bruised but not severely.

She had heard the screams from the village. She never expected Li Changsheng to offend the entire village for her sake.

Soon, the women of each household returned the stolen items, crying and apologizing.

Looking at the pile in the courtyard, Ya Yue’s heart softened again.

She ran to the bed, lifted a brick, and took out over ten silver coins.

These were Great Shang silver coins. An ordinary family might not earn that much in a year.

She held the coins, gestured toward the goods, her eyes full of pity and inquiry.

“You mean we have money. We can give these things to them and buy more later?” Li Changsheng asked.

From Ya Yue, he felt a pure and gentle kindness.

She was obedient, thoughtful, skilled at cooking, and caring. In her presence, he felt a trace of conscience returning.

He admired her kindness and wished to protect it.

Ya Yue nodded shyly. She knew it was his money. Using it to help others embarrassed her. If he refused, she would accept it. She had no right to demand anything.

“Alright. We’ll do as you say.”

Li Changsheng smiled and agreed.

Since it had already happened, taking everything back might cause someone to freeze or starve. He had money. He would not suffer by giving these things away. He could simply buy them again.

When spring came, he could work and support the family.

That day, Li Ergou sorted the items evenly and delivered them to each household.

When villagers opened their doors and saw grain, coarse clothing, or quilts, they were stunned.

Seeing Li Changsheng delivering goods one by one, they lowered their heads in shame.

The next day, he bought medicine in the city and distributed some to each family.

After several days, Ya Yue’s injuries had mostly healed. The household restocked winter supplies. Li Family Village, thanks to Li Changsheng’s generosity, lived more comfortably.

When asked where his money came from, Li Changsheng explained he had found a piece of gold on the road and exchanged it for silver coins.

A month later, Ya Yue grew drowsy and tired. The experienced village women quickly recognized she was pregnant.

When Li Changsheng learned this, he was deeply shocked. He was going to have a child?

Since gaining the Immortality System, he had never considered continuing his bloodline.

In spring, he worked daily in the fields, feeling energized. From time to time, he bought fish or chicken soup in the city to nourish Ya Yue.

Life in Li Family Village was peaceful. After the beatings, the villagers both respected and feared him.

Each spring, imperial officials from the capital made their rounds.

Tax collectors began inspecting households and fields.

“Li Er, your household will owe one more head tax this year.”

At the village entrance, a tax officer holding a whip, accompanied by two guards, registered families one by one.

Seeing Ya Yue’s growing belly, he carefully recorded it.

When the child was born, the tax officers would return promptly to collect payment.

In the Imperial Capital, each additional child meant one more silver coin per year. Each person owed a head tax.

Beyond the head tax, there was land tax, the twin burdens crushing commoners.

One silver coin equaled 50 kilograms of rice. A poor village like Li Family Village could not earn even ten silver coins a year. After paying taxes and working tirelessly, they might save only four or five coins at most.

“It’s coming! Push harder! Quick, hot water!”

After ten months of pregnancy, the midwives bustled inside the house. Ya Yue could not speak, not even cry out. Li Changsheng paced outside.

The village women gathered to help. Their experience spared the cost of hiring an official midwife.

As expected, the tax officers appeared promptly at the door, waiting for the child to be born so they could collect their tax immediately.