There are no formalities when it comes to eating here. People chat while they eat. After the meal, Zheng Shan said, "Yuan-ge's daughter-in-law, your fifth great-uncle and I will take you to the ancestral graves. We will burn some paper money for our ancestors and tell them that you have married into our family. We ask our ancestors to bless you and Yuan-ge with having a son soon."

Xu Zhi smiled and agreed. Over there, Granny Lu and Granny Wang had already prepared everything needed for tomb sweeping. Hong Gu, Qing Lian, and Hong Lian accompanied Xu Zhi. Qing Lian carried a basket containing offerings, while Hong Lian carried a basket containing paper money and incense.

The Zheng family's ancestral graves are located on a hillside outside Zhengjia Town. A winding stream flows slowly below the hillside, and a small stone bridge spans the stream. On the way up the hillside, you'll encounter some clansmen carrying farm tools who are busy with spring plowing in the fields on the other side of the stream.

Upon seeing the third and fifth great-uncles, the clansmen stopped to greet them respectfully, and stared at Xu Zhi and her group with curiosity.

Xu Zhi would just smile and nod at people, not really knowing what to call them. Sometimes her third uncle would introduce one or two and tell Xu Zhi what to call them, and Xu Zhi would just smile and call them that.

Perhaps knowing that Xu Zhi was Xu Rao's daughter, the third great-uncle's attitude towards Xu Zhi improved considerably. As they walked, he talked to Xu Zhi about things related to the Zheng family, and Xu Zhi listened attentively until they arrived at the Zheng family's cemetery.

This cemetery was built after the Pingxi Marquis's family rose to prominence. Even so, after more than a hundred years, the cemetery is still quite large.

Third Uncle took her to the cemetery of the Pingxi Marquis's family. Zheng Boyuan's grandfather, great-grandfather, and several generations before him were all buried there. Xu Zhi couldn't tell who was which generation, so she did whatever Third Uncle told her to do.

The third great-uncle and the old Marquis of Pingxi were cousins, sharing the same grandfather. Standing before his grandfather's grave, the third great-uncle said, "Grandfather, it should have been Yuan-ge who came to kowtow to you, but Yuan-ge is in Yuezhou right now, so I had to send his wife to kowtow to you on his behalf. I hope you will bless Yuan-ge with peace and that the young couple will soon have a son."

Walking back from the cemetery, halfway there, we saw several people standing on the other side of the small stone bridge. When the third great-uncle saw them, he snorted coldly and said to Xu Zhi, "See that? That's the patriarch of our clan. The patriarchs of our Zheng clan are all from the eldest branch. My grandfather was from the second branch, and the position of patriarch has always been held by the eldest branch."

Xu Zhi nodded. When they reached the small stone bridge, the clan chief Zheng Qingchun saw her and said to his third great-uncle, "Third Uncle, may I speak to you in private?"

Third Uncle said, "Just say what you want to say. I have nothing to hide."

The Zheng clan chief said, "Third Uncle, why are you taking Yuan Ge's wife to the cemetery? How can a lady go to a grave?"

Third Uncle said, “How could there not be? Back then, the Eldest Princess led a troop of women soldiers and fought bravely on the battlefield. Yuan-ge’er is now serving the country loyally, so why can’t Yuan-ge’er’s wife fulfill her filial duties in his place? You’ve come at the right time. I’m going to take Yuan-ge’er’s wife to the ancestral hall and write her name on the family genealogy.”

The Zheng clan chief said, "Third Uncle, this is against the rules. When a family marries a wife, the woman must personally bring her to the ancestral hall to register her name. How can a woman come here on her own?"

Third Uncle said, "You want to reason with me? Fine, then I'll reason with you properly. Yuan-ge'er is in Yuezhou now. Do you know why he's in Yuezhou? Yuan-ge'er is in Yuezhou on imperial orders. You want Yuan-ge'er to bring his wife here personally? What does that say about the imperial orders?"

The Zheng clan chief said, "Third Uncle, I know how you feel, but this is a rule set by our ancestors, and it's not easy to break it."

The third great-uncle said, "Rules are rules, but even outside the law, there should be leniency, let alone the rules set by a small family. Zheng Qingchun, I'm just telling you here so that you know that I am an elder of the Zheng clan. I have the key to the ancestral hall, and I can decide whether or not to open it."

Before Zheng Qingchun could say anything more, his third great-uncle turned around, his hunched back, and strode forward with his hands behind his back.

Xu Zhi didn't know what to say, so she gave Zheng Qingchun a slight bow and followed behind her third great-uncle.

Third Uncle led Xu Zhi directly towards the Zheng Clan Ancestral Hall. From afar, Xu Zhi could see a magnificent building standing on one side of Zhengjia Town. There were no other buildings near the ancestral hall. Upon closer inspection, she saw the words "Zheng Clan Ancestral Hall" written above the lintel of the hall. The door of the ancestral hall was tightly closed.

Ancestral halls are not opened lightly, except during festivals. Whenever an ancestral hall is opened, it means something is about to happen.

It seems that someone saw people walking towards the ancestral hall, and some people rushed over. By the time the third great-uncle opened the gate of the ancestral hall, quite a few members of the Zheng clan had arrived, but those who did not go inside stood outside and watched.

Zheng Qingchun had caught up from behind and followed his third great-uncle into the ancestral hall. Xu Zhi stood upright at the entrance of the ancestral hall without his third great-uncle's permission.

After Zheng Qingchun led several people into the ancestral hall, he saw that his third great-uncle had already taken out the family genealogy. He quickly stopped him, saying, "Third Uncle, this is really against the rules. If you do this, it will be difficult to handle all kinds of matters in our clan in the future."

The third great-uncle said, “Don’t talk to me about rules. Our ancestors left us instructions to restrain our clansmen and not to disturb our neighbors. They said that one tree cannot make a forest and that we should unite with our neighbors. How have you done that? You are now the tyrants of this area. Everyone who talks about the Zheng family hates you to the core.”

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!