Chapter 769 - 396: Face-slapping

Chapter 769: Chapter 396: Face-slapping

Seeing Li Gengtian nod, Li Mingtang could no longer hold back. He shot to his feet in a rage and said, "Changming, are you saying your father has lost his moral compass? You unfilial son! What benefits have they given you that makes you suck up to them like a servant? You all say the Zheng Family has helped everyone, but how have they helped? You make them sound like some great, wealthy clan, but weren’t they dirt poor not long ago? Could that workshop have been built by him alone, without everyone working together? And those acorn trees belonged to the village in the first place, not the Zheng Family."

Li Changming frowned at his words, but since the man was his elder, he couldn’t very well lose his temper. Just as he was about to explain things carefully, his younger brother, Li Changliang, cut in. Li Changliang didn’t care for such decorum. With fierce eyes and a loud voice, he declared, "My father came home last night full of regret! He said he’d done something to weigh on his conscience, which is why he sent my brother and me here today. Third Grand-uncle says the Zheng Family hasn’t helped everyone? Then what about Qingbei Village? Everyone can see what state Qingbei Village is in now, can’t they? Can they not find acorns on their mountains? Do their villagers not know how to raise pigs, chickens, or grow vegetables? Or are their pigs just uglier, so their pork won’t sell? Why is it that with only a river between our two villages, their people are now selling their fields and their children? Bullshit! If not for Qingmu’s family coming up with sausage and spicy cabbage, and then having the idea to lead us all in starting the workshop, and then the workshop selling for some silver, our own villagers would be selling their fields and children right now too."

Big Mouth Zhao chimed in, "If it weren’t for that workshop, we’d all be eating dirt by now—picked clean by that damn official. Of all the villages around here, only Qingnan Village has been left intact."

Li Mingtang said viciously, "That’s because our Changfeng is capable. It’s because of him that the people from the government office don’t dare come and make trouble."

Liu Sanshun asked sarcastically, "Third Grand-uncle, did your family pay less in taxes? My family didn’t get to skip a single cent. If we hadn’t gotten some silver from selling the workshop, we would have collapsed long ago."

Li Changxing spoke up coldly. "Everyone in the Old Li Family is happy that Changfeng became a scholar, but it would be best not to cause trouble for him. Third Grand-uncle, some things are better left unsaid—you never know what will happen if you boast too much. Wasn’t Yan taken away back then?"

Li Mingtang’s face instantly turned purple, and the color drained from Li Gengtian’s face as well.

From the beginning until now, Li Gengtian hadn’t said a single word, yet the room had already erupted into chaos. Qingmu and Huai Zi sat there without saying a word, coldly observing everyone.

The feeling of unease in his heart grew stronger. He suddenly slammed his hand on the table and bellowed, "Enough arguing!"

Everyone, young and old, stopped and looked at him.

But he stared at Qingmu and Huai Zi and asked in a low voice, "Qingmu, Huai Zi, what do the two of you have to say? Qingmu, this matter involves your cousin, after all. What are your thoughts?"

Qingmu looked at him, his face devoid of expression. "What does it matter what I think? If everyone was willing to listen to me, would this argument have even started? We are simple, law-abiding folk. We listen to the village chief and Mr. Zhou—whatever the village chief and Mr. Zhou arrange, we will do. Uncle Li is the chief of Qingnan Village, which makes you like our local magistrate. If the County Magistrate of Qinghui County gathered all the county’s citizens to debate every time an issue arose, can you imagine what that would look like? This has been argued about since yesterday, yet Uncle Li hasn’t said a single word. What are your thoughts, and what have you decided? Why don’t you tell us all!"

Li Gengtian’s face instantly flushed beet red. Then, seeing the strange looks the younger generation were giving him, his face turned deathly pale!

The room suddenly fell silent. So silent you could hear a pin drop.

Huai Zi watched Li Gengtian’s face shift between red and white and chuckled lightly. "We are honest, decent folk. We follow the rules in all things and don’t go looking for trouble. But, if someone tries to bully us, well, that won’t do." As he spoke, he shot a seemingly casual glance at Sun Jinshan.

Seeing his older brother’s awkward position, Li Gengdi quickly said, "The village chief wanted everyone to discuss it first, and then he would make a decision."

But no one paid him any mind—everyone had been discussing it for so long. It was time to hear the village chief’s thoughts.

Li Gengtian was filled with immense regret. ’Why did I let Third Uncle and Sun Jinshan stir up this mess? Now it’s impossible to clean up!’ Qingmu’s words had damaged the reputation he had spent years building, and his heart was a turmoil of complex emotions.

He was just about to announce that Laishou would remain at the school, and then find an excuse to explain things to Qingmu and the others to minimize the impact of the affair. But just then, he saw Scholar Zhou enter from outside. He had no choice but to stop what he was saying and welcome Scholar Zhou in.

Everyone respectfully bowed and offered Scholar Zhou a seat.

Scholar Zhou waved his hand. "No need for formalities. This old man just came to make a statement: Yang Laishou was personally tested and accepted by Mr. Zhou. That old gentleman has a keen eye for talent, so there is no question about his ability. He will remain and continue his studies. Any other prospective students must undergo a thorough examination to be allowed to stay. If there are too many, we will only be able to take the top few."