Seeing Zhong Jingyi's ashen face, Liang Xunling immediately pulled Zhong Jingyi behind her, and then stepped forward to shield Xiao Yanbao behind her as well.
Liang Xunling was naturally very angry, and she saw more than Zhong Jingyi. The village chief did this not simply to mediate the grievances between the villagers and Xiao Yanbao, but for many other reasons.
In the past two days, he has earned a reputation among some villagers that he would do anything for money, and some people have even expressed their dissatisfaction with him. He is naturally aware of this.
Now he has the villagers obtain verbal forgiveness from the Li family, especially Xiao Yanbao, at a very low cost. This will not only win back the hearts of some villagers, but also block the Li family's reason for dissolving the foundation, although Liang Xunling and Zhong Jingyi never thought of it this way.
"Alright, as long as you've done your best and maintained this place well, let's forget about the past grievances!"
When Zhong Jingyi heard that Liang Xunling had actually agreed to their request, she turned around anxiously, wanting to speak. However, she fell silent as she turned away. What could she possibly say at this moment?
As long as I don't forgive them, these people will inevitably find ways to vent their anger at me for making them lose face. And where will they vent it? They'll definitely vent it on the graves of Xiao Yanbao's father and mother.
For example, doing something disrespectful in front of a grave, or throwing dead rats around like before.
That's enough! Let's leave it at that and consider it an act of charity.
Although she was frustrated by the good deed, and even though the villagers were working hard to move Xiao Yanbao's mother's coffin to Xiao Yanbao's father's grave as instructed by Master Xu, Zhong Jingyi suppressed her dissatisfaction and didn't say a word to the villagers.
Xiao Yanbao watched the busy villagers with a puzzled expression. Even when they dug up her mother's grave, a sense of grievance welled up in her heart. Although Liang Xunling had explained it to her, she was ultimately unwilling to fully forgive these two-faced and extremely snobbish villagers.
Just as Liang Xunling and Zhong Jingyi were wondering how to comfort Xiao Yanbao, all five older brothers present looked at Xiao Yanbao and whispered to her:
"It's okay, Yanbao. Only my mom and your mom have forgiven them. None of us, including you, have said we've forgiven them. We'll settle the score with them when we grow up!"
"Yes! Yes! When I turn eighteen, I'll come and settle accounts with those people, especially that one? You know, that one!"
When Li Mufeng spoke, he seemed to have forgotten someone's name. He turned around and looked at Li Fa, who was working hard to fill the new grave with soil, and suddenly realized.
"Him! Right? I'll definitely teach him a lesson!"
The other brothers looked at Yanbao quietly but firmly, promising that they would punish the bad guys in the village when they turned eighteen.
Little Yanbao counted on his fingers one by one, and the corners of his mouth gradually turned up. When he counted to seven, Little Yanbao grinned and laughed.
"Wouldn't that mean punishing them seven times? That's a bit too much. How about we punish them together when our eldest or second eldest brother turns eighteen?"
Li Muchen's eyes immediately lit up. He glanced at the villagers and said with a smile:
"Alright! Let's wait a few years, then the eight of us... no, by then little Mulang will be able to run and jump, so let's all nine of us come together and avenge little Yanbao!"
Hearing his second brother's words, Xiao Yanbao was overjoyed. At that moment, he saw his ninth grandfather leading seven or eight people from other villages to the grave with a huge stone tablet pulled by a wooden cart.
"Li Fa, Li Hu, you two come here and dig a foundation. From today onwards, you two must come here to offer incense every day for at least a month! Do you understand?"
Whether they had been reprimanded by the village chief before coming to the mountain or threatened with their wages, these two, who usually acted like tyrants in the village, obediently stepped forward and began digging the foundation for the stone tablet at Ninth Master's call.
Before long, the stone tablet was erected, and the new grave behind it exuded a peaceful atmosphere, as if Xiao Yanbao's father and mother were nestled together, looking at Xiao Yanbao with satisfaction.
After Master Xu lit several more sticks of incense, each nearly two meters long, all the villagers and members of the Li family knelt down in homage to him.
"Father, Mother! Yanbao misses you so much, but I have so many people who love me now. I hope I can see you again in the underworld!"
After Xiao Yanbao finished reciting these words, he saw that all the trees on the mountainside were swaying in one direction with the summer wind, as if they were nodding to Xiao Yanbao.
After all the ceremonies were completed, it was nearly 5 p.m. The village chief first asked the villagers to go down the mountain, and then brought Ninth Master to the side of the Li family. He still had the same kind and smiling appearance as before.
"Everyone, it's getting late. Why don't we stay another night in the village? I'll have someone prepare some local specialties, and we can celebrate the foundation's establishment tonight, shall we?"
Zhong Jingyi had long wanted to get away from this village chief who often used moral blackmail, so she wouldn't agree to stay another night. She immediately said:
"We're leaving soon, so let's skip the celebration and save the money for the foundation's work!"
The village chief, assuming Zhong Jingyi was unhappy because she wanted to use the foundation's money to celebrate its establishment, quickly spoke up:
"No! No! No! We won't use a single penny from the foundation tonight. It'll all be food made spontaneously by the villagers, right, Ninth Master?"
Ninth Master was unaware of this matter, as the village chief had not consulted him at all. However, seeing that Zhong Jingyi was somewhat dissatisfied, he nodded and began to explain.
"Yes, the villagers sent the food themselves, mainly to thank everyone for their efforts!"
Seeing that things were heading in the opposite direction, Liang Xunling immediately stepped forward with a smile and said:
"We won't stay in the village tonight. We've been longing to visit Master Xu's Taoist temple for a long time, so we'll have a meal there tonight."
Going to a Taoist temple? What kind of food do they serve?
Before the village chief and Ninth Master could react to Liang Xunling's words, the children of the Li family looked at Liang Xunling with shining eyes, and then turned to look at Master Xu and the young Taoist priest beside him.
"Then this old Taoist is truly fortunate. Please stop arguing. Let all of you have dinner at our temple tonight, and it would be best if you could set off again tomorrow at dawn."
Xiao Yanbao's five older brothers cheered when they heard Master Xu's words.
Meanwhile, Li Muxing, Li Mujun, and Xiao Mulang, who were being held in their arms, sneezed almost simultaneously. All three of them looked up at the mountain in confusion, wondering if they had finished their work.
End of this chapter
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