Struggling in Despair

This time, utilizing the military arsenal to forge iron and manufacture weapons was imperative.

Returning to his residence, since Li Yi's courtyard was filled with female dependents, Buyan escorted him to the entrance and declined to enter further.

Hearing the commotion, Niang Niang stepped out, and seeing that Li Yi appeared heavily intoxicated, she hurried forward to support him.

Buyan bowed and said, "Madam, I leave the Commander in your care. I shall take my leave."

Niang Niang smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Commander Buyan."

Buyan bowed and departed.

Supporting Li Yi, Niang Niang reproached him gently, "Your wounds have not yet healed; why on earth did you drink so much?"

Li Yi smiled and replied, "Seeing Li Guo and the other lads all grown up made me happy."

"You, you are always causing people to worry."

Niang Niang's tone was one of reproach, but her eyes were filled with deep affection.

Perhaps due to his weakened physical state, Li Yi indeed felt somewhat dizzy.

Unable to support his weight entirely, Niang Niang happened to see Xiuniang walking out and quickly called out, "Sister-in-law, Brother Yi is drunk. Could you help me support him?"

"I'm coming right now."

Xiuniang hurried over and took hold of Li Yi's other side.

The two women guided Li Yi into the main hall, and Niang Niang turned away to pour a cup of hot tea.

Looking at Xiuniang, Li Yi asked, "Thank you, Sister-in-law. Are you still getting used to staying in Suijin Town?"

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Xiuniang smiled and said, "Thanks to the Commander's blessing, life here is much more pleasant than before. Not only me, but all the nurses are full of drive."

"That is good to hear. I was worried you might not want to stay here."

"The Commander jokes," Xiuniang shook her head. "The nurses are all deeply grateful to the Commander for allowing them to stay and for entrusting me to teach them medical arts and healing."

Li Yi smiled. "Since that is the case, I must ask you to teach them diligently. I will notify the Peasant Association to grant you the status of a manager, and the nurses will also receive a monthly stipend."

Xiuniang's body trembled slightly, and she quickly said, "Having food and shelter is enough; the Commander does not need to issue us monthly silver."

Li Yi shook his head and smiled gently, "Food and shelter are merely the basics; you all need to buy things for your daily lives as well. Besides, you tend to the wounded with meticulous care, and these stipends are well-deserved."

Women held a low status in society, and for the nurses to step forward and tend to wounded soldiers had drawn gossip and criticism even within Suijin Town.

Hearing Li Yi affirm their worth so sincerely, Xiuniang felt deeply moved, and her eyes grew slightly damp.

At that moment, Niang Niang entered carrying a cup of hot tea and smiled, "Since Sister-in-law is here, why not check Brother Yi's wounds so we can change his dressing?"

Xiuniang was naturally willing and immediately went back to fetch her medical kit.

The next day, Xiuniang went to the medical clinic with dark circles under her eyes.

For some reason, the moment she closed her eyes the previous night, visions of that stripped, muscular torso flashed in her mind. Recalling that low, powerful voice sent a warm surge through her body, making her feel flushed.

"Damn it! You lot are here just to wait on people, yet you're all thumbs! If you hurt me again, I'll break your legs!"

A ruffian soldier cursed loudly, sweeping a pair of tweezers and some linen cloth onto the floor.

A petite nurse stood trembling nearby.

Xiuniang stepped forward, picked up the linen and other items from the floor, and stared coldly at the troublemaking soldier.

The soldier glared back, shouting viciously, "Bitch, you dare glare at me?"

Placing the linen on the table, Xiuniang said coldly, "We came to the medical clinic to care for the wounded and save your lives, not to wait on you hand and foot. If you make trouble again, get out."

"Get out? You're telling me to get out? Bitch, who gave you such audacity?"

"My courage isn't large, but neither should you threaten me."

Walking among the injured soldiers, Xiuniang raised her voice and said, "Commander Li told us explicitly that we nurses, in healing the sick and caring for the wounded, are in no way inferior to anyone else. Yesterday, Commander Li appointed me as a manager, and all nurses will receive a monthly stipend. Whoever dares to bully us again can come with me to plead their case directly before Commander Li."

Hearing these words, the soldier's expression shifted, and a pang of regret pierced his heart.

He forced a bold front and said, "I shed blood in battle following the Battalion Commander; do you think I'm afraid of you?"

"Does getting wounded under my command give you the right to bully a young girl?"

Li Yi walked in, his brow furrowed as he stared coldly at the soldier.

Soaked in a cold sweat of sheer terror, the soldier scrambled to his feet, stammering incoherently.

Nodding to Xiuniang, Li Yi looked out over the crowd of wounded soldiers and declared, "In a major battle, countless men are wounded, crippled, or die from festering infections. If not for the meticulous care of the nurses, how could you recover so quickly? From now on, if anyone acts arrogantly and maliciously or insults the nurses, they are barred from entering this medical clinic and can simply be left to fend for themselves!"

With that, he glared at the sweating soldier and barked coldly, "Once your wounds heal, you will report for thirty military杖 (strokes of the heavy staff). If you dare offend again, you will be expelled from the Suijin Army and never employed again."

Shaking with fear, the soldier hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Rest assured, Commander, this humble one will never dare do it again."

"Then go apologize to them."

The soldier obediently stepped forward to offer an apology, then scurried away in disgrace.

Offering a slight smile to Xiuniang, Li Yi walked into the inner room to visit Feishanhua and Liu Zongmin.

The bullied young nurse approached softly and asked, "Sister Xiu, what is going on?"

With absolute confidence, Xiuniang smiled and said, "What else could it be? We care for the wounded, and the Commander is backing us up. If anyone makes trouble again, just scold them right back. Let's see who dares go against the Commander."

The young nurse broke into a lovely smile, nodded, and said, "The Commander is truly wonderful. He is willing to stand up for us women."

Watching Li Yi's retreating figure, Xiuniang thought to herself that the Commander was indeed wonderful—in ways the others could never comprehend.

Thinking of that strong, muscular body, her cheeks flushed bright red, and she quickly forced the imagination out of her mind.

Meanwhile, Li Yi walked through a corridor to a quieter room.

Liu Zongmin was chatting idly with Feishanhua. Seeing Li Yi enter, Liu Zongmin immediately stood up.

Li Yi pressed his hand down, signaling them to sit.

He looked at Liu Zongmin and said, "Your injuries are almost healed. In two more days, the able-bodied men selected by the various militia units will arrive—a total of one thousand men. You, Gao Jie, and Gao Laoshi will each take a third to train. Can you handle this?"

Hearing that he would be allowed to train troops, Liu Zongmin was overjoyed.

He nodded quickly and said, "Rest assured, Battalion Commander, I will train them well."

Li Yi smiled. "Don't agree so quickly. For this new troop training, I have a few specific tasks for you."

Liu Zongmin's expression turned serious as he listened attentively.

"In the battle of Longmen Town, firearms demonstrated immense destructive power, so I intend to train a specialized firearm unit. You need to select three hundred men from the thousand, requiring them to advance and retreat in good order, remain calm in times of crisis, and master firearms as quickly as possible. Furthermore, select forty physically powerful and exceptionally fierce men to serve as my personal guards."

Understanding the immense significance of these two forces, Liu Zongmin nodded in agreement.

Turning to Feishanhua, Li Yi said with a smile, "I have already reported your situation to Yang He, the Viceroy of the Three Borders. He will issue you a pardon and officially announce the disposition of your case. Rest easy and focus on recovering from your injuries."

Looking at Li Yi, Feishanhua asked, "Commander, once my wounds heal, this subordinate wishes to return to Qingjian to check on the brothers who fled. Would that be permitted?"

Li Yi nodded. "Naturally, you may go."

Having reassured the two men, Li Yi decided he wanted to check on Ganquan Lane.

Accompanied by Buyan on horseback, he soon arrived at Ganquan Lane.

Before even reaching the Li Family Village, he saw villagers in the fields carrying water to irrigate the crops. Water splashed across the paths along the way, instantly soaking into the parched earth.

Dismounting his warhorse, Li Yi walked toward the small stream that fed into the Wuding River. He noticed that the once-clear stream had dropped significantly in water level, exposing vast stretches of riverbed where children were wading through the mud to catch loach, having a wonderful time.

Yet their parents and grandparents, brows slicked with sweat and backs hunched, labored endlessly to irrigate the fields, as if carrying mountains upon their shoulders.

"Elder, how is the harvest looking this year?" Li Yi approached an old farmer who was resting and struck up a conversation.

Due to a lifetime of toil, the old farmer's skin was dark as bronze, and the deeply furrowed wrinkles on his face harbored the hardships of a lifetime. Waving a straw hat to fan himself, he stared blankly at his fields.

Hearing someone speak, the old man turned and glanced at Li Yi.

"With years of severe drought, the wheat failed to sprout properly early on. Now the water in the river is running short, so I'm afraid the harvest won't amount to much."

"Will the harvest at least be enough to fill your bellies?"

With a bitter expression, the old man shook his head. "In our Northwest, wheat yields are low—less than a stone per mu. After my family of twenty mu pays the official tax and we deduct the cost of seeds and farming tools, what little remains, even if rationed strictly, will barely sustain us for four or five months. There are still several months left with no grain in sight. And this is already considered a good year! In previous years, without the protection of the Peasant Association, there would have been numerous extra levies, plus high interest on debts, which would cost people their lives. Besides, if there's no grain to eat, this old man can at least borrow some from the Peasant Association and barely scrape through."

"Your family has twenty mu of land, yet life is still this difficult?"

The old man chuckled dryly and pointed toward the peasants laboring bitterly in the distance. "They have it much worse than us. Those people have very little land; in a bountiful year they might get by, but no matter how hard they strain their hearts and muscles or work themselves to the bone, they won't survive this summer harvest. They'll have no choice but to sell their wives and children and borrow usurious loans."

Watching the peasants toiling in the fields like walking corpses, Li Yi fell silent for a long time. He wondered if these peasants understood the harsh reality of their plight.

Yet when the realization struck him, he broke out in a sudden, cold shudder.

He suddenly understood that these people were not merely laboring—they were struggling in the grip of utter despair.

By the time he returned to the Li Family Village, a heavy weight pressed upon Li Yi's heart.

From far away, the sound of shouting suddenly echoed through the air.

Riding his horse up a hillside, Li Yi saw Li Zicheng and Li Zijing engaged in a fierce argument.

"The harvest this year is completely ruined! Continuing like this is pointless—why won't you understand?" Li Zijing said, his face full of anxiety.

"You're talking absolute nonsense! Do you know how many people will starve to death if the harvest fails this year? I've poured so much effort into this; I refuse to believe the heavens are truly blind!"

Furious, Li Zicheng roared, "I don't care! Get the villagers back down to the fields to work!"

"Second Brother, you've truly gone mad! Working the fields is utterly useless right now."

"If you dare say that again, see if I don't throw you out!"

Grabbing Li Zijing by the collar, Li Zicheng, who was quite tall, hoisted him right off the ground.

Li Yi quickly dismounted, rushed over, and pulled Li Zicheng aside.

"Eldest Brothers, what on earth is going on here?"

Looking furious and exasperated, Li Zijing snapped, "Second Brother's brain has been addled by farming! With the severe drought and the riverbeds practically dry, he's actually trying to drag everyone out to dig wells and irrigate the fields."

"Shut your damn mouth!"

"Our mother is your mother too; we came from the same womb," Li Zijing retorted without yielding an inch.

Li Yi now understood; the argument was over the drought.

Perplexed, he asked, "Didn't we dig irrigation canals and build waterwheels? Are they completely useless?"

"Waterwheels are useful enough, but there's no water left in the river! Digging wells to irrigate the fields sounds easy, but shallow wells five or six feet deep don't yield any water. To dig deep brick-lined wells—not to mention costing over a dozen taels of silver per well—how many mu of land can a single well actually irrigate? What bloody use is it?" Li Zijing snapped in frustration.

As a craftsman, he understood all too well that a severe drought was simply beyond human resistance.

Hearing these words, Li Zicheng slumped down dejectedly, his robust frame appearing suddenly fragile.

Li Yi and Li Zijing exchanged glances, both remaining silent.

Ever since returning home around the New Year, Li Zicheng had gathered the villagers to reclaim wasteland, borrowed money to plant crops, and with Li Yi's support, built water conservancy projects and waterwheels. One could say he had poured immense sweat and hardship into this endeavor over the past half-year.

Yet a single severe drought had completely wiped out all his efforts. Anyone in his position would find it unbearable.

Men being men, when words failed, there was always alcohol.

Li Yi fetched a few jars of distilled liquor, had Wang Sanniang whip up two simple side dishes, and along with Buyan, invited Li Zicheng and Li Zijing to sit down with him.

After three rounds of drinks, Li Zicheng began cursing the merciless heavens for inflicting drought year after year, leaving people with no path to survival.

As he cursed, tears began to stream down his face.

He had led the villagers in farming, toiling bitterly for over half a year, only for things to end up in this wretched state.

He had no way to face the villagers, let alone clear his own conscience.

Li Yi could only urge him to look past it, promising that after the summer harvest, he would secure an official post for him within the Suijin Army and urge him to stop fighting a losing battle against the heavens.

The men drank deep into the night, and finally, Li Yi returned to the old family estate to sleep.