Chapter 480 Playing Along (Please leave a comment if you'll be writing the next book!)
It's only the beginning of December, but the cold wind is like a knife, scraping against people's faces and causing them a sharp, painful sensation.
Li Shiyue wrapped her black cloak tighter around herself and spurred her horse to gallop towards Lijiatun.
Behind her followed a squad of personal guards, each with a solemn expression, their swords gleaming coldly in the weak winter sunlight.
"General, we're almost there."
Sun Xiaoliu spurred his horse forward and whispered to Li Shiyue, "There's been a carriage following us. It must be heading to Lijiatun too."
Li Shiyue glanced behind her and said to Sun Xiaoliu, "My elder sister sent word that the clan chief, Li Youfu, and his eighth uncle both died before the New Year."
"Then," Li Shiyue turned her head, "it might be my second uncle from the prefectural city who rushed back for the funeral."
Ignore it and keep moving forward.
"Yes, General!"
Braving the biting cold wind, Li Shiyue and his group ran for almost half an hour.
Standing on the official road, Li Shiyue gripped the reins and gazed into the distance at the watchtower she had commissioned to be built at the entrance of the village.
In the blink of an eye, she and Li's mother have been in this village, originally called Liujiatun, for more than eight years, almost ten years.
Li Shiyue still remembers when the people from Lijia Village and Wangjia Village first arrived at Liujiatun, there were only three living people in the village: Old Man Liu, Granny Liu, and Little Chestnut.
Back then, this village was a desolate place. Now, standing at the crossroads leading from the village entrance to the main road, the first thing that catches the eye is the tall watchtower.
With Li Shiyue's keen eyesight, she could even see the guards standing on the watchtower, gazing into the distance at their group of horsemen.
Not to mention, once you reach the watchtower and head into the village, the two rows of shops lining the street are all open for business, even in the dead of winter.
"General, shall we go in now?" Sun Xiaoliu asked as he stepped forward.
Li Shiyue shook her head: "No rush, let's go after they start crying."
Li Shiyue dismounted and grabbed a handful of roasted beans from the pocket next to the saddle.
She ate one herself and then fed one to the little red horse.
Later, each member of their group took a handful of roasted beans from Li Shiyue's pocket to feed their own horse.
"General, are you really going?"
Sun Xiaoliu looked up at Li Shiyue's profile, swallowed hard, and then carefully said, "General, didn't you say that back then, they...?"
"It is precisely because they were unkind to me back then that I am even more determined to go."
Li Shiyue threw the few remaining roasted beans into her mouth, crunching them with a sharp glint in her eyes. "Just playing along, huh?"
If you're going to put on a show, you have to put on a good one.
I'm going to Jian'an, and I don't know when I'll be able to return home. My mother and the others will eventually have to live in the village.
Now that my elder sister has sent me a message, what difficulty is there in giving him a send-off?
Li Shiyue didn't say the rest to Sun Xiaoliu.
But in her heart she said to herself, "Besides, I'm not going to go up the mountain to kowtow, after all, their rule is that women can't go to graves."
I saw him off from the roadside; that's already a sign of my loyalty and compassion.
"If Uncle Wangshui and the others can see this scene I'm doing, that's enough."
As Li Shiyue was thinking this, a mournful sound of a reed pipe came from the village, and the funeral music began.
Li Shiyue straightened his cloak and remounted his horse: "Let's go, let's see the Li clan chief off on his final journey."
A mourning tent has been set up in front of Li Youfu's house, with white banners fluttering in the wind.
When Li Shiyue arrived on horseback with his personal guards, Li Shiyang and his family, who were kneeling before the coffin, were visibly stunned.
Li Shiyang's sister-in-law, Yu Zhenniang, was the first to react. She quietly tugged at Li Yueniang, who was dressed in mourning clothes in front of her.
When Li Yueniang turned around, Jiu saw Li Shiyue standing next to the little red horse by the roadside.
Upon hearing this, Li Yueniang exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Shiyue!"
Since Li Yueniang had already called out, Li Shiyang had no choice but to stand up. He looked at Li Shiyue, who had already walked over, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "General Li, you've arrived? You must be tired from your journey."
Li Shiyue didn't say anything. She cupped her hands in greeting to Li Shiyang and walked straight towards the mourning hall.
She took the incense from Li Yueniang, bowed three times to the memorial tablet, and then lit the incense. She turned to Li Yueniang and said, "Grandpa Youfu's long life is a happy one. Yueniang, don't be too sad. From now on, all the villagers and clansmen will be your relatives!"
After saying this, Li Shiyue raised her hand and patted Li Yueniang's shoulder twice.
Li Youfu ultimately did not live to see Li Yueniang get married;
But Li Yueniang is almost of marriageable age and is also a disciple of Jin Daping, the village doctor. She will have no worries about marriage or livelihood in the future.
Even if Li Youfu is dead, at least there is still her second uncle, Li Shiyang, who works in the county government of Sanshan County. Li Yueniang's future may be a little bumpy, but it will not be too difficult.
Not to mention, Li Shiyue's patting in front of the mourning hall at this moment was also a way of supporting Yu Zhenniang and her daughter Li Yueniang.
Even if other families in the village wanted to bully the mother and daughter, they would have to think twice.
Turning her head, Li Shiyue looked at Li Shiyang again, "Although I am no longer on the same page of your family tree, we are still connected by blood."
Today, as a junior member of the family, I've come to bid farewell to Grandpa Youfu!
The mourning hall fell silent.
Li Wangshui, Li Shiliang, and others standing to the side all looked over. The conflict between Li Shiyue, Li Youfu, and Eighth Uncle was well-known in the village at the time.
No one said anything, or rather, they didn't know what to say at that moment.
Li Shiyang's expression changed repeatedly. He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.
However, Li Shiyue didn't care about him. Having said what she wanted to say, she cupped her hands again, left the mourning hall, and walked towards the door.
As luck would have it, Li Shiyue ran into Li Wangming as soon as she stepped out.
Li Shiyue, who hadn't seen Li Wangming for over a year, was quite surprised to see the much thinner Li Wangming.
Li Shiyue didn't call out "Second Uncle" once, but just nodded as a greeting, and then walked to the side of the road without looking back.
Sun Xiaoliu and his men were waiting by the roadside with their horses.
Li Wangming paused for a moment, glanced back at Li Shiyue, and then walked into the mourning hall without saying anything.
After waiting a while by the roadside, Li Shiyue saw her mother and others walking towards her from not far away.
After Li Shiyue and her mother talked for a while, the sound of music and drumming started again outside the mourning hall.
The funeral is about to begin.
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