Chapter 479

「Auntie, don't be anxious—what kind of person is my uncle? You're not unaware. 」

「Not to mention you, I'm afraid even the whole Zhang Family Village, and even the villages around Shizi Ling, have all heard of it. 」

「Whether what my second aunt says is true or false, even a three-year-old child would know! 」

Liu Dongzhu let out a cold snort.

As for Zhang Guilian, this second aunt, she dislikes her from the bottom of her heart.

She hasn't forgotten that, when she was young, coming to her uncle's house as a guest, Zhang Guilian and even Du Guan, how they ignored her.

It's only when Wang Ruhai made a little progress that Zhang Guilan's family gradually improved their attitude toward her family.

Liu Dongzhu spoke again, saying:

「Letting my second aunt slander my uncle like this is to let the villagers around Shizi Ling know about the conflict between my uncle and this second aunt of mine. 」

「In the future, if my second aunt encounters difficulties, even if she kneels before my uncle, if my uncle and auntie don't help, I believe others won't say anything strange! 」

「If that's the case... 」

Li Ping thought it over, found Liu Dongzhu's suggestion not bad, but still had some worries, saying: "Just this way, really won't affect your uncle's reputation?"

「Auntie, you're worrying unnecessarily; my uncle's reputation used to be good, but that was his reputation as an ordinary person, which is different from his reputation now as the Lion Ridge Mountain God. 」

「As long as my uncle takes good care of the ecology around Shizi Ling, letting us in Zhang Family Village and the villagers around Shizi Ling live good lives, his reputation will naturally improve! 」

Liu Dongzhu smiled.

Actually, there's no need to worry; Zhang Guilian's wanton slander of her uncle will affect his reputation.

Even a sage whose name hangs in history will inevitably have a few bits of petty gossip; even if many people believe it, it still cannot affect his sage status.

Liu Dongzhu said with a cold snort:

「Auntie, you worry that my uncle being slandered by my second aunt will affect his reputation; it would be better to first consider that my uncle cannot withstand my second aunt's repeated pleas, agree to her, and beg for mercy for the Du father and son! 」

「If it weren't for my father's sake, and if it weren't for her being my second aunt, given what the Du father and son have done, not to mention me, I'm afraid the whole Zhang Family Village would have torn out their hearts; nowadays who knows how many people in Zhang Family Village have objections to lightly letting the Du father and son off! 」

Li Ping hadn't spoken yet when Zhang Chengze couldn't help but let out a cold snort, saying: "Dongzhu, rest assured, even if my father is soft-hearted, my mother—our whole family won't be soft-hearted; just having the Weixian magistrate help punish them is already considered lenient toward them!"

During this time, it's not that no villagers from Zhang Family Village have gone to the county seat; during that period they also inquired about the situation of the Du father and son, not only knowing how Wei Yuan punished the Du father and son, but also personally witnessed them, watching the Du father and son, under the escort of a county runner, doing one dirty and tiring task after another throughout the county seat.

The one who personally witnessed all this, on the contrary, felt not the slightest bit of relief.

What the Du father and son did is such that even killing them wouldn't be considered relieved; now making them serve like slaves, how could it possibly be relieved!

「Dongzhu, your uncle isn't base, after being insulted like this, how could he possibly still help her? 」 Although said that way, Li Ping knew in her heart that De Ben wasn't base, but in some matters he was even harder to tolerate than being base.

Not to say Zhang Guilian is merely slandering him; even if she goes overboard, at the critical moment he eight or nine times out of ten cannot withstand her pleas, and must help.

However, such talk naturally need not be said to a junior like Liu Dongzhu.

Li Ping changed the subject, saying: "Just Dongzhu, if it's as you say, we can completely drive her out; there's no need to let her slander here, affecting your uncle's important matter today!"

「Auntie, I actually let you let my second aunt continue slandering my uncle, and also have a purpose: I want to use my second aunt's slander to let everyone know that my uncle is not a good person! 」

Before Liu Dongzhu finished speaking, she saw pairs of strange looks; obviously they didn't understand her meaning, and if they didn't know her character, they might not just give strange looks but directly curse her, so she spoke again to explain:

「Auntie, you should know that my uncle is now the Lion Ridge Mountain God, not an ordinary person; his every move will be noticed by the people around Shizi Ling. 」

「If everyone regards my uncle as a good person, then whenever there's any difficulty they'll come to him for help; would it be good for him to help or not help? If he doesn't help, wouldn't someone talk behind his back? 」

Li Ping thought it over, found Liu Dongzhu's words very reasonable, the principle that kindness invites exploitation, which she knows, saying: "The principle is this principle!"

Leaving other things aside, just saying she has lived in Zhang Family Village for so many years, those shameless elements in Zhang Family Village, seeing her husband often help the old, weak, sick, and disabled, run to her house to mooch.

If it weren't for her being sharp-tongued and having scolded who knows how many people, the little family property they have would probably have long been taken away by those bastards mooching.

This novel you have arrived at

Not to mention sending Chengyong this lad to the Qingyang County martial arts hall to study martial arts; I'm afraid we can't even come up with the money for Chengze's wedding.

Seeing everyone fully understand her meaning, Liu Dongzhu also breathed a sigh of relief, and then continued speaking:

「Auntie, there's another principle: if my uncle is a good person, then whatever good deeds he does, others will just take it as a matter of course. 」

「But if my uncle is a bad person, even doing a little good will move people; by then my uncle won't need to do many good deeds, and who knows how many people will be willing to come offer incense to him! 」

Regarding incense, she understood from some miscellaneous books that it is not only key for deities to cast spells, but also key for many deities' survival; once incense is lacking, the best is to go to the Underworld, be reborn; the worst is to sink forever into endless darkness, ultimately vanishing like smoke.

"Li Ping, why are you still here?"

A surprised voice rang out, pulling everyone from their myriad thoughts; looking up, they saw Zhang Yongde return, and then saw him speak again:

"Whether you're here or not, a venerable gentleman has come to the county seat; he's also here to attend De Ben's god-ascension ceremony; please accompany me to welcome him!"

Zhang Chengze stepped forward, saying: "Village Chief, or should I go to welcome him?"

Zhang Yongde thought it over, then said: "Alright, then Chengze, you accompany me!"

Zhang Chengyong watched Zhang Yongde and Zhang Chengze walk out one after another from inside the Mountain God Temple, saying: "Mother, elder sister-in-law, younger aunt, younger uncle's husband, Elder Sister Dongzhu, let's not stand here either!"

In the midst of speaking, a group proceeded toward the inside of the Mountain God Temple; De Ben's statue—that is, the Mountain God statue—was walked past; after being reminded by some elders of Zhang Family Village inside, the other prominent people around all came over to greet.

(End of chapter)