Chapter 221

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Chai Zhongxiao felt something was off, but couldn't put his finger on what exactly.

The Chai family had an ancestral hall.

It had been abandoned for many years.

It was at the easternmost end of the village, right next to the village's small temple. Just half a mu of land, three thatched cottages, almost collapsing...

One could say there was nothing there.

After all, most of the ranking tablets inside had rotted, and the genealogy was actually only half left—the other half had been eaten by sheep...

The soil quality there wasn't good, so farming wasn't really feasible.

Besides, an ancestral hall is an ancestral hall; you can't farm on it.

Chai Mi wanted this, nothing more than finding a reason to delay repaying the money. After all, this time the township leader came, out of respect for her daughter and son-in-law...

She, Chai Mi, was afraid...

Thinking of this, Chai Zhongxiao felt immensely smug: I've raised a daughter who brings me honor.

But obviously, Chai Mi had no idea Chai Zhongxiao had so many thoughts going on.

After Chai Zhongxiao entered the house, Song Qiushui looked at Chai Mi with suspicion, even touching Chai Mi's forehead: "Sister, are you okay?... Last time you said you'd take this opportunity to really give Chai Zhongxiao a hard time, didn't you?"

Chai Mi smiled: "I used to think that way, but I changed my mind just now. I think... I can have Chai You De fight Chai Zhongxiao for me..."

"Ah..."

Chai Mi said lightly: "Making the old man and old woman become lonely widows is already half done. My second uncle and second aunt and Chai Zhongxiao's couple may not be like fire and water, but it won't be fixed in ten or eight years... Chai Chunfang probably has fallen out with Chai Zhongxiao by now. But Chai You De hasn't... my adding fuel to the fire."

"I don't understand..." Song Qiushui felt Chai Mi's words were a bit off: "My cousin sister Song Qiuping's reputation has been ruined by you, your second uncle's popularity isn't great now. Your old aunt is completely finished... your old aunt's husband, I don't take him as a person. Your third uncle and the old man turning against each other? I think that's hard..."

"So I need to add fuel to the fire... secretly telling you: there's treasure in that ancestral hall." Chai Mi had only heard about this herself.

In her previous life, many years later, after everyone got rich, when they renovated the ancestral hall, they actually found a gap in the wall, with some silver dollars inside. Although not many, it was indeed enough to let someone directly escape poverty and become well-off.

As for why no one had discovered it all along, mainly because who would tear down an ancestral hall for no reason...

That thing, once built, wouldn't move for hundreds of years; normally not tearing it down, you simply couldn't discover it.

"Hiss..." Song Qiushui suddenly became spirited: "Oh, you put it that way, I suddenly want to dig up our old Song family ancestral tomb..."

Chai Mi's face stiffened: "Don't... don't dig up the ancestral tomb..."

"The problem is my family doesn't have an ancestral hall..."

"That's no reason to dig up an ancestral tomb... can you still find an excuse to move an ancestral tomb?"

Song Qiushui chuckled: "I'll just tell my dad: I can't find a partner, it's my old ancestors' fault..."

Chai Mi silently gave a thumbs up, admiring Song Qiushui: You're really awesome, can't find a partner and start blaming ancestors from hundreds of years ago... why don't you blame Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum location being wrong, affecting your finding a partner... then Song Qiushui would have an excuse to dig up Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum...

"Don't mess around, your dad wouldn't agree. Your dad's permission can only dig up your grandfather's grave..."

"Uh... then my grandmother would tear my dad apart." Song Qiushui fell into melancholy: "Then how do I get rich..."

Chai Mi pouted, went into the house, took paper and brush, found Chai Zhongxiao, and had Chai Zhongxiao sign and press his fingerprint.

Chai Zhongxiao didn't hesitate at all, thinking he'd gotten a great bargain.

Chai Zhongxiao, as soon as he arrived, immediately showed off: I'm the head of the Chai family, I want to show I keep my word... ordering others around to do work everywhere.

Even because of this, he was arguing with Lao Liutou outside, one saying tables should be six, the other saying should be eight...

Chai Mi couldn't be bothered with these two fools, instead took what Chai Zhongxiao had signed and pressed his fingerprint on to the west room, and had her mother Su Wan hide it.

Su Wan didn't recognize many characters, so she asked: "What's this?"

"I had my grandfather give me the inheritance right of our old Chai family ancestral hall."

Su Wan frowned, not understanding: "What do you want this thing for? He doesn't manage it himself, why do you manage it? You're still a young lady, this thing should be managed by a man. Even if someone manages it, it should be your father managing it. But..."

Su Wan naturally knew the Chai family ancestral hall had long been in disrepair, not to mention it was a thankless job.

Chai Zhongxiao had always been blamed by the main branch of the Chai family, saying things like: shouting about filial piety in his mouth, but managing the ancestral hall himself, the ancestral hall has collapsed, he's just filial to himself...

"Don't they need to repair it during holidays and festivals? So troublesome."

Chai Mi didn't say too much to her mother, afraid her mother couldn't keep it secret, so she said: "Just right, nothing to do, repairing it at that time is fine. Anyway, hiring people to repair the ancestral hall doesn't require providing meals."

This job of repairing the ancestral hall was done several times every year, but every year it was done perfunctorily, causing that ancestral hall to be basically on the verge of collapsing.

Su Wan then didn't oppose it much, but looked at so many people outside with some doubt and asked: "I hear it's chaotic outside, does our family have so many relatives? I thought it would be ten or so tables, now... even the hardworking people have ten tables... what to do..."

The food Chai Mi prepared was at most thirteen tables, she hadn't expected so many people, couldn't help but have a headache: "If it doesn't work later, the hardworking people can just eat something casually, and make up for it afterward, there's no way... today I estimate there are many people, the food for those seated is enough to be scorching. Buying designated supplies definitely won't be rushed enough, there aren't that many ready-made... no, later just stew them a big dish to eat. Anyway, they're all individuals, can't say anything."

"It can only be like this."

Chai Mi came out from her mother's room, people were coming and going in the courtyard, Chai Mi specifically told her mother to stay in the room and not go out casually, so as to avoid too many people and messy hands bumping into children.

Afterwards Chai Mi found Chai Youqing who was cooking over the stove outside, Chai Youqing was still dressed like that, Chai Mi looked more and more displeased: "Dad, go change your clothes... there are so many people today. Also, don't be stubborn."

Chai Youqing originally wanted to speak, but was directly shut down by Chai Mi.

Chai Mi had long anticipated Chai Youqing's anticipation.

"The job of tending the fire, let others do it. You just wear clean clothes and stand at attention, go to the door to greet guests." Chai Mi instructed: "I heard the Xiangli Chief say, it seems someone from the township is coming, I don't know what the situation is, when the time comes no matter who comes, first invite them in, if they want to give gift money let them give it, if they don't want to give gift money, even if they're strangers, if they want to eat let them in, if they don't eat you also let them..."

First observe the etiquette, then talk.

Just as they were speaking, a tricycle stopped at the door.

Zhou Fang got out of the car, wearing a clean black short-sleeved shirt, long pants and leather shoes, and carrying a briefcase.

Chai Mi couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, and teased Song Qiushui beside her: "This guy is dressed up so nicely, if you didn't know you'd think he's a leader..."

"Hehehehe... but don't say, he indeed looks like that, this person is also quite good-looking... but..." Song Qiushui pouted: "I feel like he's missing a little something, he has a bit of a not eating worldly food vibe. Da Zhi looks more pleasing to the eye, durable to look at, and simple-minded..."

Chai Mi also felt Liu Zhijing was quite honest, even a bit simple-minded, not at all like his old father Liu Zhanggui.

Liu Zhanggui was a master of smooth talk and muddying the waters, getting along with everyone. But his son Da Zhi, on the other hand, was inarticulate to a fault, couldn't say anything right……

"Then today you'd better not let that simpleton get drunk. Yesterday you forced him to drink, he slept until four in the afternoon, heard he went home and kept sleeping, Liu Zhanggui said he nearly didn't make it……" Chai Mi said with a smile: "If he gets drunk again today, that wouldn't be good. With so many people around, him crawling under the table would be too embarrassing."

The villagers all knew Zhou Fang, so no one took him seriously.

Of course, no one treated him as human either……

Take Lao Liutou for instance, the moment he saw Zhou Fang he gave him a head-on scolding: "You motherfucker wearing this pretentious getup, you still have the nerve to come? You dress this clean, how can you work? You're a laborer, you're supposed to work, dressed like this you motherfucker can't work……"

Afterwards, regardless of what Zhou Fang thought, Lao Liutou decided: "Zhou Fang, you're not young anymore either. We live in the same village. Old man me has good intentions. Today I'll let you see the world. You go carry plates……"

This wasn't Lao Liutou deliberately messing with Zhou Fang, but genuinely for Zhou Fang's own good.

In the Northern countryside, in this era, whenever a family had an event, everyone scrambled to carry plates.

Especially young men.

Carrying plates is actually physical labor, dirty and tiring, but it lets you "show face".

Letting more people see you is also a kind of promotion for young men.

In this era there were no other communication methods to add friends. Ultimately meeting other girls mainly relied on the village elders' word-of-mouth reputation.

These old men and women or so-and-so would go to some family to give gift money or visit relatives, see a clean, upright young man, take a fancy…… maybe later they'd introduce a partner.

So Lao Liutou was doing it for Zhou Fang's own good.

Zhou Fang thus settled on carrying plates at noon.

A moment later, Zhou Fang walked over intending to say something to Chai Mi, but Song Qiushui glanced over: "Hehe. Whose young man is this, standing so upright. Tsk tsk tsk…… you with this little shirt, little leather shoes, even carrying a bag…… quite stylish. If you wore a little hat, you'd look just like an Italian handsome man from a movie. What, ran over here planning to mix in a partner?"

Zhou Fang was speechless: "Nothing else to wear, just dressed simply."

"Hehe."

Chai Mi laughed and pointed at Lao Liutou: "Lao Liutou arranged for you to carry plates. You ever done it? Don't let me down……"

"Relax, that won't happen."

"Then go carry plates later. Be quick on your feet." Chai Mi said, then asked in a low voice: "Township leader's coming. Won't have anything to do with you, right?"

Chai Mi, having lived two lives, naturally knew her own family had no such backing relatives. As for what Chai Zhongxiao said about some old aunt or such, Chai Mi didn't believe it at all.

Chai Mi knew Chai Chunwei and Geng Yanfeng were in the city, just a small section clerk and a small driver. At home they seemed like a grand Buddha, but outside they didn't even have as much authority as the Xiangli Chief……

Thinking it through, the only one who was familiar yet slightly strange, Zhou Fang, might have this capability.

But Chai Mi didn't dwell on this issue, just reminded Zhou Fang: "He's a leader after all. No matter what, you mustn't mess up the etiquette, don't act like you don't know the height of heaven and depth of earth."

Near ten o'clock, the gift-givers arrived in a steady stream.

Eight tables were set in the courtyard. Because the weather was too hot, waterproof cloth covered the tops so they wouldn't be directly baked by the sun, but it was still very hot.

But everyone was thinking of eating first, so they weren't too afraid of the heat. In the shed some drank tea, some ate melon seeds.

On the tables were melon seeds, peanuts, and some wedding candy as pre-meal snacks. Tea was poured pot after pot.

With many helpers, no one lacked for a bite.

Since Liu Zhanggui hadn't returned yet, Song Qingshan helped distribute cigarettes to everyone.

Speaking of banquets, the most expensive item is cigarettes. Most country folk usually smoke dry tobacco. Now that they've finally come to give gift money, there are rolled cigarettes, so naturally they'll smoke rolled cigarettes. Some even stuff them straight into their pockets. So Song Qingshan was busy as hell. One moment cigarettes were gone, next moment cigarettes were gone. He couldn't keep distributing nonstop.

"Uncle, don't busy yourself with this. The Xiangli Chief is busy greeting guests. You should go write the gift ledger. Let that who……" Chai Mi gestured toward Zhou Fang.

Zhou Fang came over.

"You follow the Accountant to record gifts. Know him……" Chai Mi pointed at Song Qingshan.

Zhou Fang nodded.

"Literate?"

Zhou Fang nodded again.

Afterwards Zhou Fang was arranged by Chai Mi to go record the gift ledger with Song Qingshan.

Right now Song Qiushui ran over to tell Chai Mi: "Chai Mi, that who…… your Second Uncle brought two boxes of gift cannons, carrying them over. And that who…… also came."

Chai Mi looked up. Chai You Fu held two boxes of gift cannons, the large kind, walking in front. Hou Bian him a girl wore a clean white dress, long hair flowing, staggering with each step……

Chai Mi nearly choked: "Holy shit! The sickly one's condition is getting worse and worse. This weak? You say she walks trembling like that, why even go out……"

The sickly one naturally referred to Chai Mi's "good cousin sister" Chai Min.

Chai Mi and Second Uncle had some conflicts in the previous life, but also some common ground — both families weren't too favored by Chai Zhongxiao.

So seeing Chai You Fu come, Chai Mi didn't find it too unexpected. Generally speaking, Chai You Fu would come today anyway.

"Second Uncle, you're here." Chai Mi greeted very enthusiastically, then turned her concern to Chai Min: "Cousin Sister, look, look…… you've grown into a young lady, more and more impressive."

"Cousin Sister is joking~"

"So you're on break today? Senior Year Three already, is the coursework tight? How are your grades? Do teachers and classmates treat you well? Keeping up with classes? Any puppy love? Homework finished……"

Chai Min's face was still smiling, but slowly turned stiff……

Originally today Chai Min came home to settle accounts with Chai Mi. Just because she wasn't home for a few days, her mother was coaxed by Chai Mi into hitting the old lady, losing face all the way to her maternal grandmother's home.

Result: before the confrontation could even start, she was stalled by Chai Mi's barrage of questions until Chai Min herself was at a loss……

"Hehe."