Chapter 318: Are You Here to Attend a Funeral?

Zhang Deben's family.

After the night‑watch Zhang Family Members ate their fill and drank their fill, they all went home to catch up on sleep, leaving another group of young Zhang Family Members to set up the spirit hall. Zhang Guihua originally thought that, once they had eaten and drunk, she would immediately rush to the dilapidated Mountain God Temple in Zhang Family Village to clean and redecorate it.

The Mountain God Temple in Zhang Family Village has existed for many years, but each time a natural disaster or human calamity struck, it received no assistance. The people of Zhang Family Village, while not going so far as to smash the Mountain God Temple outright, have all gradually stopped worshipping it.

Even the temple priest has left!

This caused the Mountain God Temple in Zhang Family Village to become desolate in an instant; if not for De Ben mentioning the Mountain God in his sleep, Zhang Guihua herself would have almost forgotten that their Zhang Family Village actually has a Mountain God Temple.

Before Zhang Guihua could rally everyone to leave and go to the Mountain God Temple to work, Li Ping was the first to speak, using the pretext of first interring De Ben to bring him peace, and persuaded Zhang Guihua.

Zhang Guihua could only give up on cleaning and redecorating the Mountain God Temple for now, and first help at home with the funeral affairs of her older brother.

"Hey, is anyone there? There's a guest; could you perhaps receive them?"

Suddenly, a dissatisfied young man's voice rang out from outside, startling the Zhang Family Members who were busy arranging the main hall, and they all looked up.

Outside, a carriage was parked, and a middle‑aged, well‑off couple stepped down; beside them stood a young man dressed like a scholar.

"Chengze, your cousin has arrived; why aren't you going to receive him?"

A Zhang Family Member teasingly said to the busy Zhang Chengze beside him.

"This place is left to you!"

Zhang Chengze's face was gloomy; judging by his cousin's tone, this was supposed to be a funeral for his father, yet it felt like a disturbance. If it weren't for fearing that his father's spirit would be uneasy, he truly wanted to beat that dog thing.

"Second Aunt, Second Uncle!"

Zhang Chengze briskly walked out, came to the group led by Zhang Guilian, called out, his gaze finally landing on the displeased Du Wenxuan, and said, "Cousin, you've come too!"

Du Wenxuan's face was full of sarcasm, disdainfully saying, "Who are you?"

He was born in the city from childhood; as soon as he could understand, he studied in the county school, where he mostly encountered wealthy families—there were indeed children of common folk, but he never paid them any heed.

He completely disregarded this cheap cousin Zhang Chengze!

"Speaking of which..."

He even complained about his mother, wondering how such a country relative could exist.

Moreover.

He hadn't forgotten that his father often told him that his elder uncle's family were treacherous wolves; when his elder uncle faced difficulties, it was his father who bustled about, and the beast skins from his elder uncle's hands were priced higher than those bought from other hunters.

Never imagined.

He never expected that these two cheap cousins, when taking over his elder uncle's affairs, would produce beast skins that in every respect could not match his elder uncle's; yet his father, considering them relatives and juniors, still purchased their skins at a price higher than that paid to other hunters.

But these two bastards, ungrateful treacherous wolves, still had the nerve to raise the price.

"Wenxuan, why are you speaking like that? Is it proper to talk to your own cousin that way?"

Du Guan barked coldly.

Although he said that, if one looked closely, it was clear that neither Du Guan's face nor his eyes contained any hint of resentment.

Prompted by Du Guan's glance, Zhang Guilian hurriedly asked, "Chengze, has your younger aunt arrived?"

"Second Aunt, the younger aunt's family—they arrived yesterday!"

Zhang Chengze said.

"Your younger aunt's family has all come, meaning your cousin Wang Ruhai has also arrived?"

Zhang Guilian's eyes instantly brightened. "Cousin Wang Ruhai..."

Zhang Chengze's complexion changed slightly; recalling what his younger aunt's family had said last night, he wanted to say something, but the words never left his mouth.

He could only shake his head in response!

He knew that his second aunt's family would come so quickly with the real intention of targeting his cousin Wang Ruhai; he knew Wang Ruhai had talent, otherwise he wouldn't have been eligible to go to the capital for the imperial exam.

Unfortunately.

What would disappoint his second aunt—no, what the Wang Family and even the Zhang Family find regrettable and are unwilling to believe—is that his cousin Wang Ruhai met an untimely fate while heading to the capital for the exam.

He just didn't know what reaction his second aunt's family would have upon learning this.

Hope...

They won't cause a disturbance!

A flash of fierce color flickered briefly in Zhang Chengze's eyes.

This novel you...

"Didn't come?"

Zhang Guilian's face was full of disappointment, and just as she was about to say something, a peripheral glance caught a relatively familiar figure; she quickly asked Du Guan and Du Wenxuan, "Wenxuan, do you see, is that woman the slut?"

"Second Aunt, you're supposed to be the elder; is it proper for you to insult a junior like that?"

Zhang Chengze's face remained sullen; he already harbored a bellyful of anger toward his second aunt's family and never expected Zhang Guilian to insult Liu Dongzhu, saying:

"Not to mention Dongzhu is Wang Ruhai's wife, she's your relative's daughter‑in‑law; even if she's a Zhang Family member, what do you mean by calling her a 'slut'?"

"Sure enough, she's that slut!"

Zhang Guilian snorted coldly, as if ignoring Zhang Chengze's words, hurried forward to the Liu Dongzhu cradling Wang Ping'an, and said harshly, "You slut, you're not one of our Zhang Family; what are you doing at our Zhang Family's funeral…"

"Slap!"

Before Zhang Guilian could finish speaking, her face was struck with a slap, the words at the tip of her mouth cut off, and she was then kicked to the ground.

The assailant was none other than the passing Zhang Chengyong.

Zhang Chengze, who chased after them, saw Zhang Chengyong violently assault Zhang Guilian and, angry, said:

"Chengyong, what's wrong with you? She's our second aunt; did you forget our father's years of teachings?"

Zhang Chengyong looked speechlessly at Zhang Chengze; had he not signaled with his eyes, he would never have raised his hand against Zhang Guilian.

Although.

After last night's incident, he had developed the urge to beat Zhang Guilian.

But.

Thinking about it is one thing, actually doing it is another.

"Big brother, this isn't my fault; if blame is to be assigned, blame second aunt for her disrespect due to old age—did what she just said even sound like human speech? She didn't even call Dongzhu a 'lowly person', she went on saying Dongzhu is an outsider, Dongzhu is an outsider—so isn't our little aunt's family also outsiders!"

Zhang Chengyong spoke sternly and righteously: "This matter, even if our father were still alive, he'd have to give me a thumbs-up and praise me—I hit the mark!"

"Chengyong, you're right!"

Among the women gathered together, an elderly old woman stepped forward—it was Cao Nainai, who had scolded Zhang Guihua the previous night, looking angrily at the dazed Zhang Guilian after being struck, speaking in a harsh tone:

"Not only was what she said correct, but she also hit the mark—I think she even hit too lightly. Who talks about their own nephew's wife like that? Or is she doing this at her own elder brother's funeral, what's on her mind, is she deliberately causing trouble?"

(End of chapter)