Actually, Xu Changhuan was slightly wrong before. The reason why Xu Datou and Xu Cang accepted bribes from outsiders was not because they wanted to replace the main Xu family and take over the Xu family.
The current main branch of the Xu family is looked down upon by the branch families. They have nothing but an incense shop, and recently, fewer and fewer people have been placing orders. In addition, the other party told them that their clan leader had died outside long ago, and that the Xu family would be run by a woman in the future. What kind of future could they have?
These are also the main reasons why Xu Datou and Xu Cang ultimately chose to leave the valley after completing what the other asked them to do.
They felt that if they continued to work for Xu Changhuan here, they and even their descendants would live in this small mountain village for the rest of their lives, and would always be called bandits, with no hope of ever getting ahead.
They all felt that the Xu family would never return to its former glory.
As the sky began to turn purplish-blue, Xu Changhuan left the west courtyard, exhausted, to return to her own courtyard to rest. Yun Chang, worried about her, followed her back.
On the way, Yun Chang comforted her for a few words, saying that he would arrange for someone to verify the person behind the scenes, and that he had a general idea of what was going on.
Xu Changhuan nodded; she had a general idea of what was going on.
She just felt a little tired. When she heard Xu Datou and Xu Cang crying and explaining the reasons they had agreed to each other's terms, she was heartbroken. She hated them, but she also felt that it wasn't entirely their fault.
Yun Chang turned her head and looked at her somewhat sad expression. She raised her hand and gently patted her shoulder, saying, "Don't be too sad. Given your current situation, this kind of thing was bound to happen sooner or later."
"Have you ever considered that perhaps the revitalization of the entire Xu clan is not your responsibility alone, nor can you change the current situation of the Xu clan with your own strength?"
“I think your father thought of this, which is why he decided to go out and find out the truth about what happened back then. I just don’t know how much he found out or what he encountered.”
"And you, don't put too much pressure on yourself. I'll help you get to the bottom of this. As for the Xu family and their associates, I think this is a good opportunity to let you get through to them."
"Those who betrayed the Xu family, just expel them from the ancestral register and drive them out of the Xu clan. As for how they get civilian household registration after they go outside, that's not your concern. They were expelled from the ancestral register for doing something wrong. You can issue a notice to all members of the Xu clan about this later."
"As for the others, when the time comes, you will give them two options. If they want to leave the Xu family and live their own lives, you will distribute the family genealogy to them and let them go out and establish their own households."
“Those who choose to stay by your side will be easier for us to manage. We’ll discuss it with Xiaomai later; she has a way to help you lead everyone to make money and live a good life.”
"As for whether Xu's incense shop will continue to operate, how it will operate, and how the business will be run, you should discuss it with Xiaomai and ask her to help you find a solution. You will be her sister-in-law in the future, and she will definitely help you," Yun Chang said softly as she accompanied her back to the courtyard.
Xu Changhuan stopped and looked back at him. What she had initially found troublesome suddenly seemed less troublesome and less upsetting after his analysis.
"Okay, I understand!" Xu Changhuan replied.
"As for your father and your third and fourth senior brothers, you arrange for people to search for them, and I'll also send people out to search. Until we find their bodies, don't try to convince yourself that they're no longer alive. Perhaps they're somewhere waiting for us to rescue them!"
“Okay!” Xu Changhuan nodded, looked up at the sky and sighed, “Thank you. With you helping me think of a solution, I suddenly feel like I’m not so scared anymore.”
Upon hearing this, Yun Chang smiled and nodded. "That's right. You shouldn't shoulder all of this alone. You should discuss it with others. You haven't slept all night. Go inside and rest for a while. I'll go back and wash up, and then I'll have breakfast with you later."
"Okay!" Xu Changhuan waved at him, yawned, and went inside to sleep.
Yun Chang watched her go inside and close the door, and only after hearing the door lock did she turn and leave.
He returned to the courtyard that had been arranged for him, went inside to wash up, changed his clothes, and lay down on the bed to rest for a while.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw the sun had risen higher.
He quickly got up, washed his face, changed his clothes, and went outside. He saw his master practicing Tai Chi in the courtyard.
The two men's eyes met, and they both remembered that yesterday Old Yang had thrown Yun Chang next to Xu Changhuan.
Old Master Yang: "Hehe, my apprentice is awake?"
Yun Chang: "Thank you, Master, for throwing me out."
After they finished speaking, they both turned their heads away, feeling somewhat embarrassed, but also happy and touched.
Although they were mentor and apprentice later in life, they knew that the other truly cared for them as a mentor (apprentice).
Yun Chang took a few steps outside, then stopped and turned to Elder Yang, saying solemnly, "I will have to trouble you to look after this small village for the next few days. If any suspicious people sneak in, please tie them up in the woods and notify me. I will have my men arrest them."
"Alright!" Old Yang quickly agreed. He was happy to be able to help his apprentice. After all, everyone here treated him like an elder, and he was happy to use his abilities to protect the younger generation.
Yun Chang first went to Li Mai and Zhou Quan's courtyard, where she found Xu Changhuan already having breakfast with the couple.
He smiled, went over and sat down next to Xu Changhuan, asking, "Not asleep?"
Xu Changhuan shook his head. "I fell asleep, but I was woken up by a nightmare."
Yun Chang nodded. "What did you dream about?"
“I dreamt that my father was being interrogated by several people in a small, dark room, who demanded the Xu Family Incense Manual, but my father said he had never seen that thing before.”
"Those people didn't believe me, so they took out a big knife and chopped off one of his arms. I screamed in fright and woke up."
Upon hearing this, Li Mai exchanged a glance with Zhou Quan and asked, "Can you see anything else in your dreams?"
Xu Changhuan shook his head and whispered, "I couldn't see anything. I only saw my father tied to a pillar in a very dark room and being whipped."
Because it was a nightmare, she didn't tell Li Mai about it directly after she arrived. She only briefly told her about what happened yesterday and last night before Yun Chang arrived.
Li Mai frowned. Sometimes, blood relatives can sense when one of them is suffering.
She felt that Xu Changhuan's nightmare might not be a nightmare at all, but rather something that actually happened somewhere.
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