Chapter 60 Punishment
Expelled from the family genealogy, family property confiscated?
hiss--
The villagers present gasped in shock.
Those who are removed from the family genealogy are like rootless duckweed, no longer able to rely on the family's power.
Such people will not only be despised by others when they go out, but will also suffer bullying from outsiders. After they die, they will not be able to enter their ancestral graves and will become lonely ghosts without protection.
That's ruthless, absolutely ruthless!
These aren't brothers, they're clearly enemies from ten lifetimes.
The clan chief stared silently at Xu Laoda, his all-knowing eyes filled with deep disappointment:
“My eyes are not blind. Xu Guilian was the one who started the fight. You were the ones who shouted for Cheng Lin and his gang to be beaten and killed. You were the ones who bullied the weak with numbers. If you want me to uphold justice and punish the wrongdoers, then it is you three who will be punished!”
Xu Guilian was already married and was no longer under the control of the clan leader.
Old Xu's face turned pale, and he frantically grabbed the clan leader's trouser leg: "Clan leader, it's not like that, look at us, we're badly injured."
The clan chief sneered, "Your injuries are severe because you are less skilled!"
Old Master Xu choked, his expression flustered, unable to find a reason to persuade the clan chief.
Xu Laosan and the others also became anxious, like ants on a hot pan.
However, they were terrified of the clan leader. Seeing that the clan leader was not on their side at all, none of them dared to speak up in defense, and their eyes were filled with resentment as they looked at Xu Chenglin and the others.
Seeing that Xu Laoda and the others were speechless, the clan chief snorted and walked up to Xu Jinnian: "The academy exam is over? How confident are you?"
Xu Jinnian had no objection to the fair-minded clan leader and respectfully bowed in a junior's greeting: "Nine-tenths."
Ninety percent of the time, that was just modesty. Before Xu Jinnian went to take the exam, Master Jiang made it clear that he was ready and would definitely pass.
The moment Xu Jinnian received the exam questions in the examination hall, he felt absolutely confident.
"Good, good, very good!"
The clan chief stroked his beard excitedly, looking at Xu Jinnian with a gentle gaze as if he were looking at his own grandson: "I await your good news."
The two spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, and everyone present could hear them.
Looking at his cousin, who bore a striking resemblance to himself, Xu Huaining's eyes flashed with a complex emotion.
Soon, in front of everyone, the clan chief gave a final verdict on today's farce:
"The three brothers, Xu Chengcai, Xu Chengsong, and Xu Chengbai, deliberately caused trouble at their parents' graves, bullying the few and injuring Xu Chenglin and his companions. These three families must provide compensation as a punishment to set a good example for the Xu family!"
Xu Laoda and the others did not expect this outcome, and they were all gritting their teeth in dissatisfaction.
However, the clan chief had accumulated great prestige and was well-liked by the villagers. No matter how dissatisfied they were, they dared not say in public that the clan chief was unfair in his dealings, and could only swallow their anger and resentment.
The villagers who came to help but couldn't get any help were naturally not foolish enough to speak up for them. Their gazes were a mix of sympathy, schadenfreude, and mostly indifference.
When Sheng An and his group finally left, each of them carried a plump old hen.
The compensation was given by the three families of Xu Laoda.
The three families were heartbroken!
Before leaving, the clan chief earnestly instructed Xu Jinnian: "When you pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, remember to come back and offer sacrifices to our ancestors."
Xu Jinnian replied calmly, "Yes."
On the way back, Xu Jinnian rode a horse, while the others still rode in an oxcart.
The three Zhang brothers looked enviously at their cousin on horseback, coveting the majestic chestnut horse.
Xu Chenglin was very interested in the horse: "This horse is clearly a steed that can travel a thousand miles a day. Its market price should not be less than five thousand taels."
Having traveled extensively during his years away from home, he had seen a lot of the world. A BMW like this was a rare find, not something that money could buy.
"That's worth so much? I couldn't earn that much even if I slaughtered pigs my whole life."
Zhang Daikui's gaze towards the chestnut horse changed; he looked at it as if it were a moving mountain of silver.
"The teacher went to great lengths to buy Honghong, and he usually doesn't even want to ride it."
As Xu Jin stroked the horse's beautiful mane, his mind was filled with the sound of his teacher calling him "Bao'er" repeatedly.
"This horse is called Honghong? Your teacher is so good to you, he's willing to lend you such a treasure."
Xu Cuilian sighed sincerely, not daring to look at the chestnut horse for even a second, for fear that her gaze would be too intense and disturb this precious horse worth five thousand taels of silver.
The others nodded in agreement; if they owned a BMW like that, they certainly wouldn't lend it to anyone else.
Looking at the exceptionally handsome man on horseback, Sheng An was mesmerized, his gaze lingering on his side for a long time.
Xu Jinnian could not help but notice, and smiled slightly as he met her gaze: "An'an wants to ride?"
Sheng An snapped out of her daze and hurriedly waved her hand: "I don't want to!"
We can't afford to pay for damaging such an expensive horse.
Xu Jinnian saw Sheng An's concerns but did not force him: "The teacher has a horse at home. I'll borrow it and teach you how to ride it while we're not busy."
Sheng An wasn't particularly interested in horseback riding, but he knew that horses were the fastest mode of transportation in this era, and he might need them someday, so he readily nodded and said, "Okay."
The three Zhang brothers couldn't sit still any longer and pleaded eagerly, "Cousin, cousin, I want to learn too!"
Before Xu Jinnian could speak, Xu Cuilian slapped each of them: "What are you learning? Do you think your cousins are as idle as you are?"
The three brothers covered the back of their heads, looking aggrieved.
My cousin is very busy, but they're not idle either.
Every day, I get up before dawn to slaughter pigs and sell pork. In the afternoon, I have to walk a long way to collect live pigs. I can't even sleep in. How heartless must my mother be to say such a thing?
The group returned to the city chatting and laughing, their mood completely unaffected by the fight at the grave.
When they reached the fork in the road, the two oxcarts parted ways and went their separate ways home.
Upon seeing Grandpa Sheng and Grandma Sheng, the three of them tacitly avoided mentioning the fight, but the two elders of the Sheng family still noticed something was amiss.
Especially Sheng An, who was covered in dirt as if he had rolled in a pile of mud. The two elders weren't blind, so how could they not see it?
Moreover, Xu Chenglin had a noticeable bruise on the corner of his mouth, which clearly indicated that he had been beaten.
Seeing that he could no longer hide it, Xu Chenglin had no choice but to briefly recount the events.
The two elders were so angry after hearing this that they started cursing. In their eyes, Xujiaba had become a den of dragons and tigers.
After comforting the two elders, Sheng An was about to go to the kitchen to get hot water for a shower when Xu Jinnian had already prepared it for her and brought it into the room.
Seeing that she was about to take off her clothes and the man was still standing there motionless, Sheng An couldn't help but push him: "You're a scholar, don't you know not to look at what is improper?"
Xu Jinnian unusually retorted, "There is no such thing as 'don't look at what is improper' between husband and wife."
As he spoke, his slender fingers deftly untied the belt around Sheng An's waist, and with a startled and embarrassed cry from Sheng An, the thin outer garment fell into his hands.
Xu Jinnian had no other thoughts in mind. His gaze swept over Sheng An's body and he immediately noticed the bruise on her side, as if she had been kicked.
His heart tightened, and he gently stroked the person beneath his palm, noticing a tremor in their skin. A surge of tenderness welled up in his eyes.
Just as Xu Jinnian was about to speak, a soft "pfft" came from beside his ear, accompanied by his wife's barely suppressed laughter: "No, don't touch me, it tickles~"
Sheng An's skin on her waist is very sensitive. Sometimes when she takes a shower and touches a ticklish spot, she can't help but shudder.
When she was touched by another hand, she couldn't control her reaction at all, and her slender waist twisted like a pretzel.
Xu Jinnian was clearly taken aback. He paused for a moment, then quickly withdrew his hand. Seeing his wife laughing so hard she was shaking, he couldn't help but laugh too: "You take a shower first, I'll go to Rongchuntang to buy a bottle of medicated oil for bruising."
Upon hearing this, Sheng An quickly stopped her, saying, "No need. This little injury will be fine in a couple of days. There's no need to go through all this trouble."
None of the medicinal oils that can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis smell good, and she didn't want to be a conspicuous person, running around smelling of medicine.
Xu Jinnian, however, did not listen to her: "You don't feel it now, but if you don't apply the medicated oil, you will definitely be in unbearable pain tomorrow."
Sheng An was skeptical, but subconsciously rubbed the bruise on his side, hissed in pain, and quickly put his hand down.
This time, without Xu Jinnian having to say anything, she quickly urged, "Buy, buy, buy two bottles, Dad needs them too!"
Xu Jinnian chuckled and pinched her soft cheek: "Yes, ma'am."
Sheng An glared at him.
I used to like touching your head, now I like pinching your cheeks, what's wrong with me?
Xu Jinnian was very fast. Before Sheng An had even finished washing, he returned with two bottles of medicated oil and handed one of them to Xu Chenglin.
Xu Chenglin was very pleased and was about to ask his son to massage his back when he looked up and saw his son's hurried departure. He immediately laughed in anger: "You brat who's forgotten his father after getting married!"
Xu Jinnian ignored his father's complaints and had Sheng An, who was only wearing a backless bodice, lie on the bed while he opened the cap of the medicated oil and poured out a few drops.
In an instant, the room was filled with the strong smell of medicinal oil.
Sheng An sniffed, and asked uncertainly, "Will this smell dissipate?"
Xu Jinnian affirmed, "Yes!"
He used to practice martial arts and often ended up covered in bruises, requiring a lot of medicated oil.
Sheng An felt relieved and obediently lay on the bed, turning her head to meet Xu Jinnian's cautious face. Her heart softened a little.
This man is really handsome!
Not only is she beautiful, but she is also gentle, considerate, and knows how to take care of people.
Whether viewed from the perspective of his wife or his friends, he can be considered a perfect man.
Of course, no one in this world is perfect, but her filter for him has become so thick that she really can't see any flaws in him.
If you're going to nitpick, maybe it's because he's too pleasing to the eye, which might attract unwanted attention and annoy her.
Lost in thought, Sheng An suddenly felt a dull pain in her lower back, accompanied by an indescribable itch. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she let out a shrill laugh: "So itchy, haha—"
The eerie laughter carried outside, startling the three people inside the main room.
After learning the reason, they were all speechless.
Inside the room, Sheng An felt deeply embarrassed and quickly tried to salvage the situation by biting the corner of the blanket tightly, looking at Xu Jinnian with a resentful expression: "It's all your fault!"
Xu Jinnian said good-naturedly, "It's my fault, I'll make it up to you later."
Sheng An: "..."
How will you compensate me? With your body?
Well, it's not impossible!
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