Li Tianjian's wife cried until she fainted and was carried back.
Li Sanjing and Li Manggu, with red eyes, handled the subsequent matters of the funeral banquet.
Li Shoutian was perhaps getting old; he got tipsy after just one cup and was supported back by Li Guangmao while drunk.
Zhang Anxiu watched in confusion and said, "Brother Guangmao used to love drinking, why is he drinking less and less recently? He didn't even finish half a cup today, right?"
Li Guangmao's love for drinking was famous in the village.
When he was very young, he had already drunk himself into having a bulbous red nose.
Now over forty, he actually drank less.
Chu Xun said, "Brother Guangmao is filial. He's afraid of dropping the Village Chief if he drinks too much, so he doesn't dare to drink more."
Zhang Anxiu then suddenly realized and turned her head to look.
She could vaguely hear Li Guangmao, who was supporting his old father back, muttering, "How old are you and you're still drinking? What if you fall?"
"Disgusted by your old man, huh? Then let go, I can walk by myself!"
"Co on, look at your legs shaking."
The forty-sothing-year-old man walked to the front, hoisted his old father onto his back in one swift motion, and walked steadily towards ho.
"Dad, you seem lighter than before?"
Watching the retreating figures of the father and son, Chu Xun felt heavy-hearted.
The Village Chief was getting old...
The year they fought for water, he had wanted to go along with the villagers.
It was Li Shoutian who blocked the courtyard gate and pushed him back.
"For the matter of snatching water, there are us holding the line, we don't need you. Go, go, go, stay honestly at ho!"
In the blink of an eye, that imposing man holding a wooden club back then had already grown old.
Lying on his son's back, his body curled up, extrely thin and weak.
Returning ho, Zhang Anxiu picked up a rag and stood on tiptoe to wipe the plaque on the lintel.
Wiping it every day had beco a habit.
Chu Xun stood to the side and saw a few white hairs at his wife's temples.
He walked forward silently and hugged Zhang Anxiu from behind.
Zhang Anxiu slightly twisted her body and asked, "What are you doing?"
Chu Xun buried his head in her hair and said, "Nothing, just missed you."
Zhang Anxiu was confused hearing this. She had been here all along, what was there to miss?
But she would never refuse Chu Xun, so she stood there, letting her husband hold her.
In her heart, she couldn't help but feel sweet.
Half a month after Li Tianjian's funeral, Li Shoutian ca looking for Chu Xun leaning on his crutch.
"Village Chief, why did you co by yourself without having soone accompany you?" Zhang Anxiu hurriedly ca over to support him.
In just half a month, Li Shoutian showed a bit more old age.
After being supported to sit on a chair, he said, "I am old, but I haven't reached the point where I can't move."
Chu Xun ca over and sat beside him, saying, "They all say people get stubborn when they get old, and I see you are about the sa. If Brother Guangmao knows you are running around alone, he'll complain again."
"That brat just got a grandson, how could he still have ti to care about ." Li Shoutian said this, but his face carried a smile.
Commoners who could have four generations living under one roof were not many.
And although he said this, in reality, Li Guangmao was quite filial.
Even though they had divided the family property, he would still accompany Li Shoutian for a al and a walk every day.
Chu Xun knew he was deliberately saying the opposite, smiled, and didn't chi in.
"Village Chief, will you eat here later? I'll go make so dishes to go with wine for you, and then call Brother Guangmao over," Zhang Anxiu said.
Li Shoutian didn't stop her, letting her go busy herself.
Anyway, coming to Chu Xun's house to freeload a al wasn't just once or twice. Grand Guest Chu had a large family business and cared even less about the trivial matter of adding two pairs of chopsticks.
After Zhang Anxiu left, Li Shoutian asked, "Have you heard? A major incident happened at the martial arts hall in the county."
"Cao Yuanhui, known as unparalleled in both fist and staff, was challenged by his closed-door disciple Song Jingmin, resulting in one dead and one injured."
Chu Xun frowned slightly upon hearing this, "Who died?"
"Cao Yuanhui," Li Shoutian said. "Although he was the master of the Zhenwei Martial Arts Hall, he was old after all. But I heard he held back a trick when teaching his disciple. Before dying, he used his trump card skill to severely injure Song Jingmin."
"But the Song family has earned a lot of silver these years and invited famous doctors for treatnt, so he shouldn't die."
Chu Xun's brows then relaxed. Li Shoutian found it strange and said, "Why do you seem to not want Song Jingmin to die?"
Song Jingmin was the martial artist who hacked Li Ermao to death and kicked Zhang Shigen to death during the fight for water.
Back then, Zhang Sanchun even wanted to go find Song Jingmin for revenge, but was persuaded and stopped by Li Shoutian and Chu Xun.
Zhang Anxiu had once privately told Li Shoutian that Chu Xun promised to help them get revenge.
However, Li Shoutian felt that ordinary commoners couldn't afford to provoke martial artists, so he never ntioned it to anyone else, and also told Zhang Anxiu never to tell anyone about this matter again, lest it bring unnecessary trouble.
Therefore, there were very few people in the village who knew about Chu Xun's promise back then.
But now that Zhang Anxiu was married to Chu Xun as his wife, Song Jingmin could be considered half an enemy to Chu Xun.
Logically speaking, he should hope for him to die.
"I hope he can live well, preferably living to a hundred years old, with many sons and grandsons," Chu Xun said.
Li Shoutian listened in astonishnt. Your own enemy, and you hope he lives to a hundred years old with many sons and grandsons?
If Zhang Sanchun and Zhang Anxiu heard these words, they would probably be angered to death.
If he hadn't seen Chu Xun say these words with his own eyes, Li Shoutian wouldn't have believed it no matter what.
Based on his understanding of Chu Xun, this was not a heartless and unrighteous person.
Li Shoutian couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you promise to help the old Zhang family get revenge? Although I think it's best not to do this, as we can't afford to provoke them. Even if you don't do it, no one can say anything. But these words of yours, I really don't understand."
Chu Xun opened his mouth and asked, "How many sons and grandsons does Song Jingmin have now?"
Although Li Shoutian didn't understand why he was asking this, he still answered, "It seems to be two sons, three grandsons, and one granddaughter."
"Two sons, four in the grandchildren's generation, plus Song Jingmin, that's only seven people."
Chu Xun's voice was sowhat deep, "That day, our village lowered ten coffins."
"Seven people, is not enough!"
As soon as these words ca out, Li Shoutian imdiately felt his blood run cold.
He suddenly understood what Chu Xun was saying.
Ten coffins, ten human lives.
Since ancient tis, paying back debts and paying with one's life for murder is an unchanging principle.
Chu Xun's aning was very clear. Ten people from Pinecone Village died during the fight for water, so Song Jingmin also had to produce ten lives to pay it back!
Li Shoutian gasped, "So you want to wait until Song Jingmin's family gathers ten people before making a move? Where... where do you get the confidence to do this?"
What Li Shoutian wanted to ask even more was, even if you have such ans, where do you get such a ruthless heart?
You dare to kill people?
And kill ten people at that!
Chu Xun naturally wouldn't explain his ans to him. In fact, up until now, he didn't have absolute certainty of accomplishing this matter.
So he hoped Song Jingmin could live well, live to a hundred years old, with many sons and grandsons.
When he reached the Foundation Establishnt stage, presumably the number of heads in the Song family would also be enough.
Many people in Pinecone Village might have forgotten about the fight for water back then, but only Chu Xun would not forget.
He knew that Zhang Anxiu hadn't forgotten either.
Every year when they went to burn paper and pay respects to Zhang Shigen, Zhang Anxiu would always look at him afterwards, hesitating to speak.
But after so many years, she hadn't ntioned a single word.
Like Li Shoutian, Zhang Anxiu also knew clearly that going to seek revenge from a martial artist now was equivalent to seeking one's own death.
She held the words in, keeping them in her heart without making a sound.
Chu Xun also held the words in, similarly keeping them in his heart without making a sound.
One couldn't ask, and the other couldn't say.
Only the Spirit Pearl Grass at the door accompanied Chu Xun in counting year after year.
If Song Jingmin died early, it could only be considered that this old thing had good luck.
If he wasn't dead by then, Chu Xun would have to settle this account properly with him.
What is owed to others must always be repaid.
[End of Chapter]
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