471: Chapter 560: Distorting Right and Wrong 471: Chapter 560: Distorting Right and Wrong This remark stirred sothing in Old Zhou’s heart, and he sighed.
Zhao First then asked, “How did the person die?”
Old Zhou lowered his eyes and said, “He ran into bandits in the mountains.”
“Why didn’t you go claim his remains?” Zhang Second said: “When soone is alive, they don’t return to their hotown, but after death, they should co back, shouldn’t they?”
“He’s in Liangzhou, and besides, this all happened three years ago.
Even if we went looking, we wouldn’t be able to bring him back.”
Zhao First looked at the Daoist in the courtyard and said, “But summoning his soul is useless too, aren’t all these Daoists frauds?
Instead of spending money on this, you might as well save it for the living.”
Zhao First had intended to build up his argunt a bit more, but since it had co to this, he just asked bluntly, “Why did you invite so many people?
I looked outside, and it seems like the whole village, both locals and outsiders, has co, hasn’t it?”
Old Zhou grunted in acknowledgnt.
Zhao First slapped his thigh and said, “Are you confused, cousin?
When did you beco so muddle-headed?
It would have been enough to invite just a few close blood relatives and the relatives from outside the village, maybe seven or eight tables in total.
Why did you invite even those distant relatives?”
Old Zhou snorted coldly in his heart and said neither softly nor harshly, “Aren’t the relatives you brought this ti the ones that can’t be found even if one takes twisted paths?”
Zhao First’s face darkened, and he said sternly, “They are your direct aunts and uncles.
Two generations up, everyone shares an ancestor.
Without them, would there be an aunt?
Without an aunt, would there be you?”
“I don’t know them,” Old Zhou, never one with thin skin, wasn’t afraid to say, “If it weren’t for cousin leading them here, I wouldn’t even greet them on the streets.”
Zhao First: …There was no way to continue this conversation today.
Seeing that he had been rendered speechless, Old Zhou then snorted in triumph.
He thinks I invited too many guests?
Hmph, do I not know that I invited too many guests?
But what could I do?
The whole of Qili Village knew about Zhou Yin’s situation, and almost every household had been involved.
Today’s event was like putting an end to it all.
Should I invite this family and not that one, or should I invite no one at all?
The Zhou family still had to carry on living in Qili Village; of course, everyone had to be invited.
When it was my ti to die, there would certainly not be such a grand arrangent.
Then, Dalang could invite a few close relatives, and ten or so tables would suffice.
Actually, I would rather invite the whole village once than invite the Zhao family ever again.
It’s said to be a close blood relationship, but in reality, there isn’t much affection.
Blood ties also need to be maintained by interaction.
Without interaction, how much affection can there be?
Between and the Zhao family, it’s an injury each ti we et; better not to et at all.
Old Zhou took out a smoking pipe but didn’t smoke.
Zhao First only fell silent for a mont before continuing to nag, “It’s not that I want to reproach you, cousin, but I know you’re doing all this because you feel guilty.
However, the man’s already dead, and no matter how grand your arrangents, he won’t see them.
It’s better to save the things for the living.”
“I rember how clear-headed Second Cousin was on this matter.
When he was little, he went to my house…”
“How little was he?” Old Zhou, annoyed, interrupted, “Cousin, I don’t rember Second Brother ever going to your house when he was little.”
“How could he not have gone?
The aunt took him,” said Zhang Second.
“Cousin, I’ve been aning to talk to you about this.
Even if you want to compensate Second Cousin, it should be in sothing substantial.
Now, what use is it inviting the whole village to eat?
What does that have to do with Second Cousin?
In terms of blood relations, my elder brother and I are the closest people to Second Cousin.
If you want to compensate him, you should first look after the living.
If you take good care of the living, would Second Cousin be displeased from the beyond?”
Zhao First nodded in agreent ti and ti again.
Old Zhou was astonished; the smoking pipe almost fell from his hand.
Manbao, who was beside him, was also shocked and called out, “So Uncle Little Silver isn’t my real uncle?”
Old Zhou turned his head and slapped Manbao on the head, barking, “Nonsense, he’s my real brother, how could he not be?
Cousin, don’t talk nonsense.
What do you an by saying you are the closest people?
What does that make then?”
“But aren’t you wronging him?
Apart from your family, aren’t we the closest to Second Cousin?”
Old Zhou “I…” and couldn’t say anything.
Zhao First said, “Cousin, don’t take offense at my frank words, but in my opinion, it was you who caused Second Cousin’s death.
How heartbroken aunt must be down there.”
“Exactly,” Zhang Second followed, “Our aunt doted on Second Cousin so much.
Right before she passed away, she told you to look after Second Cousin well, as well as our family.
But what did you do…
Zhang Second snorted and said, “No sooner had the aunt passed away than you had a falling out with our family.
We can let that go since we are outsiders to you, but Zhou Yin was your own brother.”
Zhao First nodded again, interjecting, “Our aunt and Uncle Zhou’s inheritance was half his.
They struggled all their lives, and if nothing else, they would have left sothing for Second Cousin’s marriage, wouldn’t they?”
“Even if they hadn’t left anything, you were supposed to raise him well.
My aunt married for you, so was it not right to raise your stepsister’s other son?” Zhang Second continued: “But what did you do?
Hmph, you married a vixen, and to think that you actually sold my aunt’s youngest son!”
Old Zhou’s hands shook as he turned the tobacco, eyes reddening, “We never intended to sell Second Brother…”
“You say so, but wasn’t he sold in the end?” Zhang Second cut him off, “You have so many sons, why couldn’t you sell any of them?
Even if that wasn’t an option, you still had a daughter.
Selling a daughter would work, girls are always worth more than boys.
But you were too reluctant to part with Zhou Xi and instead sold your own brother; Zhou Yin must’ve hated you to his core.”
“Right, otherwise he wouldn’t have stayed away from ho for so many years.”
The village chief, who was standing by, couldn’t bear to listen any longer and stepped forward, “Don’t talk nonsense.
It was Uncle Little Silver who wanted to leave on his own.
You all know well enough, that year the crops failed so badly that, had he not left, he’d likely have starved to death.
Many families in the village saw people starve to death.”
“Of course we know, because two people in our family died, but no one in his did!” Zhao First said, “Why did your family have no one die?
It’s because you sold Zhou Yin for grain to save yourselves.
If you hadn’t sold him, he wouldn’t have left ho and died abroad.”
Old Zhou kept his mouth tightly shut, and Zhao First persisted, “Who knows how much he resented you when he died.
So, when it cos down to it, the two of us brothers are the closest to Zhou Yin.
Do you think that by hiring Daoists for him and inviting the whole village to hold a funeral, he would forgive you?”
“You must be dreaming.
You could only make it up to the people he cared about while alive, and then his resentnt might lighten.”
Old Zhou hung his head in silence, while the village chief was clearly upset, but being a generation younger, so things were difficult to voice.
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