Zhao Jinfa couldn't listen to this any longer. If these guys kept talking, Zhao Family Village would be in chaos tomorrow.

Who would have thought that these few quiet kids could know so much gossip about Zhao Family Village?

Whether it's true or not, a wife who has had her buttocks touched will definitely get a good beating if she's not divorced.

And then there's the affair between that cripple in the east of the village and that guy in the west; tomorrow, Zhao Family Village will either hold a funeral or a wedding.

With a loud shout,

"That's enough, Gou Dan, Zhu Zi, Ma Gen, Lao Nian, I really didn't expect you guys to be so good at doing big things quietly."

They've even started stealing from members of the Zhao family.

Have you forgotten who saved your loved ones when you went hunting in the mountains before?

When the refugees attacked the village, who was the first to fight off the enemy, allowing you to live such peaceful lives?

We finally got a few days of peace and quiet, and you all started having these wicked thoughts.

I really underestimated you guys. You're not that old, but you've done your fair share of bad things over the years.

The petty thieves, who had been scolded, also snapped out of their previous fear.

Looking up, I saw so many people outside the door.

Remembering what I had said before, I suddenly felt like I was doomed. How the hell was I going to survive in this village?

"Tie them all up and send them to the county government tomorrow," Zhao Jinfeng ordered again.

The men responded, and Zhao Qingshan promptly handed over the hemp rope.

Soon, the group was tied up like dumplings and carried out of the Zhao family's main room.

Zhao Jinfeng had initially been leading the way, but after thinking it over, he turned back and went to talk to Zhao Minggeng.

What have you been up to lately?

Why is the front door always locked? I've come over several times recently and haven't seen anyone at your house.

Zhao Minggeng scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly.

"Hehe, my dad said he plans to send all the kids to school."

If the family didn't have enough money, they would go hunting in the mountains every day.

If it's too far, we'll spend the night in the mountains; if it's nearby, we'll go home. I never imagined a thief would come tonight.

Zhao Jinfa sensed something was off no matter how he listened, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what the problem was. However, he could grasp the key words.

"What? Your father said that all the boys in your family should go to school?"

When did this happen? Your dad, that blockhead, has finally come to his senses.

You have no idea, back then your father was highly praised by all the teachers.

But I was just so unlucky. The first time I was preparing for an exam, I got food poisoning, vomiting and having diarrhea, and almost lost my life.

By the time I recovered from my illness, I had missed the exam.

The following year, while preparing to participate in the scientific expedition, he encountered a wild boar on his way home from the private school, fell into a ditch, and broke his leg.

Our whole family searched for him for most of the night before finally finding him in a ditch by the roadside.

The third year…

Zhao Jinfa's complaints went on and on, leaving Zhao Minggeng completely bewildered.

Even Zhao Qingyan, who had been exposed to various movies, TV series, and online novels from later generations, felt that this grandfather was a bit too fantastical.

I'm completely cursed; my exam luck is terrible.

Even screenwriters wouldn't dare to write something like that.

Mr. Huang listened with great interest.

"Hehe, I never thought that my old man was almost raped by the daughter of a bully back then, which is why he dared not take the exam again."

Why didn't that old man tell me this? I'll have to ask him later.

"If I ever return to the Zhao family's ancestral homeland, I can still help him get revenge."

Zhao Jinfa suddenly realized something was wrong. It turned out that in the middle of the night, these people had mistaken him for a storyteller.

"Alright, I won't waste my breath on you anymore. Come to my house tomorrow morning and come with me to the county government office."

Our village has been awarded the title of "Heroic Village" by the county magistrate, who also wants you to work as a clerk in the county government.

You were all out of the house at that time, so the magistrate waited for quite a long time in our Zhao Family Village.

So, you should think about it, kid, whether you want to become a constable.

I'm heading back now; I need to see how to deal with those kids.

Zhao Jinfa said to Zhao Minggeng.

Zhao Minggeng was engrossed in the story when the topic was suddenly changed. Before he could react, he blurted out a sentence without thinking.

"Didn't we say we'd send it to the county government? What's there to think about? We can just take it with us tomorrow."

Zhao Jinfeng angrily raised his hand to slap Zhao Minggeng, but then thought better of it and lowered it, remembering his granddaughter was watching.

"You brat, what are you giving me?"

"After sending it, what about the reputation of our Yingyong Village? What were they thinking?"

Zhao Minggeng lowered his head and listened to the reprimand, "Uncle is right."

Zhao Jinfa lost his temper and said, "Go back to sleep," before striding into the darkness.

Aoyama, who was in charge of closing the gate, scratched the back of his head.

"Third Uncle, what did Grandpa just say about our village being called a 'heroic village' now? Is it true?"

Zhao Minggeng glanced back at his nephew, "Guess," waved his hand, and then went to sleep.

Zhao Qianci caused such a scene at home tonight, and all the little schemes he had before have now been abandoned.

This is terrifying! I thought the whole family was away, but it turns out they were playing a game of "catching a turtle in a jar"—no, I mean "inviting the enemy into the jar."

Luckily, it was those unlucky guys who went first today, otherwise they would have been arrested themselves.

Inside the ancestral hall, a few petty thieves knelt trembling before the ancestral tablets, praying.

They were certain that something strange was going on at Old Zhao's house; it was definitely haunted.

A normal person's voice comes from one direction, but the voice from Old Zhao's house came from all directions.

The more the boys analyzed the situation, the more frightened they became. In the end, the four of them not only hugged each other, but also started wailing and howling like ghosts.

They climbed up to the entrance of the ancestral hall and banged on the gate; one of them even wet his pants.

The next morning, the moment the ancestral hall doors were opened.

The group of people, terrified by their own overthinking, crawled out of the ancestral hall.

When they were exposed to the sun, they burst into tears, thankful that they had finally survived.

The people who came to the ancestral hall today were all the clan elders of the village.

When dealing with mistakes made by younger members of the village or clan, the general principle is to handle the matter within the village or clan rather than sending it to the authorities.

The ancestral hall in Zhao Family Village faces south.

In the very center are the ancestral tablets of all generations, with a row of chairs on either side.

As the clan head and village chief of this generation, Zhao Jinfeng first offered incense to the ancestors.

“I am Zhao Jinfa, the 23rd generation descendant of the Zhao family, and I am deeply ashamed for disturbing my ancestors today.”

Unfortunately, a few unworthy descendants have emerged in the clan. Today, we must punish them before our ancestors. We hope our forefathers will not be offended…

After a long and rambling self-criticism, I finally put the incense sticks in the incense burner.

Elders, please take your seats.

"Regarding the specific reasons for inviting everyone here today, I believe you are all well aware of them. Zhu Zi... I would also like to ask everyone to share their opinions. Should we send him to the authorities for further processing, or..."

Before he could finish speaking, the parents of those boys knelt outside the ancestral hall and began to wail.