Qi Mingyu was still furious about the mess his parents had made.
But he didn't dare show it, and instead took out another one hundred taels of silver and handed it over.
"Clan leader, as you know, the autumn imperial examinations are coming soon, and I'm busy studying all day long, so I don't have any free time at all."
My parents also need the help of our clansmen.
This money is for rebuilding the house. I'll have to trouble you to rebuild it exactly as it was before.
Anything extra is for my parents' medical expenses and the wages for taking care of them.
As for my land, here's what I'm thinking. Since last September, I've troubled everyone quite a bit.
My family's land will be used for cultivation by the clan in the next year or two.
No matter how much grain is harvested, it all belongs to the clan.
When Elder Qi heard this, he felt that the man had both a conscience and no conscience.
He is said to have a conscience because he knew the difficulties of his clansmen and knew to bring money back from outside to repay them.
Not only that, but they also gave away the profits from the farmland where their family had not had to pay taxes for the past two years to the clan.
To say he has no conscience is to describe his attitude toward his parents.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it unfilial.
How good were Wenhan and his wife to him?
Before marrying into the Chi family, they had always had a difficult life.
Even so, they still gritted their teeth and supported him.
Just as he was about to get up, the elderly couple were injured by the earthquake. Not only did he not come to their side to fulfill his filial duties, but he also did not say a word when he went back to visit them.
Judging from what I'm hearing now, it seems like they're going to abandon them to their own people and leave them to their own devices.
At this moment, Elder Qi's heart was filled with complex emotions.
He hoped that there would be a promising young man in the clan who could protect everyone.
He also feared that such a cold-hearted person might do something outrageous and shocking if he were to enter officialdom in the future.
In that case, the entire clan might be implicated.
Qi Mingyu, unaware of the old patriarch's inner turmoil, saw him accept the silver note and remain silent for a long time. Being as astute as he was, he immediately added:
"Clan leader, the marriage proposal is the day after tomorrow. I won't be going back to the Zhong family these next two days; I'll go with you then."
It just so happens that I have some free time these two days, so I'll spend more time with my parents.
It's already February. Once the engagement is settled, the wedding will be in April.
I'll be going to the prefectural city in early June, so I won't be staying here for long. I'll come back whenever I have free time.
When Elder Qi heard that he wouldn't be going back for the next two days, and that he would come back when he had time, he was shocked.
Then, after carefully calculating the time he mentioned, I realized that he might not be as unfilial as I had thought.
Just as Elder Qi was about to say something, feeling somewhat comforted, he saw Qi Mingyu looking troubled.
Upon seeing this, his heart sank.
It seems he was overthinking things and put his mind at ease far too soon!
Qi Mingyu had a troubled look on his face, waiting for the old clan chief to ask him if there was something wrong, and then he would stammer out his purpose.
But the old clan chief was different from before; he showed no intention of cooperating at all.
Slightly annoyed, he felt that the 150 taels he had just given away were not worth it at all.
Thinking about what he needed to say and what he needed the other party to do, he could only suppress his displeasure.
"Chieftain, there's one more thing I need to trouble you with since I've returned this time."
The old clan chief stared intently at the person before him, until Qi Mingyu became somewhat uncomfortable, before finally speaking:
"Speak, what is it?"
Qi Mingyu took a deep breath and then slowly said, "Clan leader, Zhuang Zilan is not dead yet."
Everyone in Qijia Village knew that Zhuang Zilan had died.
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