The noise was clamorous and chaotic.
Two tables had been set up in the courtyard.
Quite a few people had come, and they showed no restraint, helping themselves from every corner.
"Uncle, everyone outside says A Ji has struck it rich these past two years. How come your family can only afford to set out two tables?"
"Everyone's here to help A Ji take care of his funeral. How could we not eat our fill?"
"Why don't you bring out the money? I'll have someone go buy several pounds of wine."
"A Ji may be gone, but we're all of the same lineage. Don't worry, old sir. Everyone will certainly make his funeral a grand affair."
"The money for his wedding is useless now. Bring it out, old sir. I plan to have someone make him a fine coffin."
Several burly men were quite dissatisfied. Pointing at the old man crying his eyes out in the courtyard, they tried to "persuade" him.
The old man's hair was entirely white, his skin withered and parched. He had already cried until he was weak and barely had any strength left.
Beside him was a little girl who looked less than ten years old. Terrified by the scene, she was bawling loudly.
"Don't cry, don't cry. Your father is gone, so from now on, I'll be your father."
Just then, a relatively well-dressed man stepped forward and reached out to stroke the little girl's head, though his eyes remained fixed on the old man.
"Uncle, A Ji is gone. You need someone to support you in your old age and see you through to the end. I have a younger brother whom I plan to have adopted into your family. From now on, he can support you and see you through your final days."
"Xiao Li will be my own daughter from now on. When she's a little older, perhaps I can take her to the Inner City and have her serve as a maid in the Liu family. Maybe one of the Liu family's young masters will take a fancy to her and make her a concubine. You'll have plenty of glory in your old age, too."
He spoke gently, his expression mild and his tone calm.
The neighbors, who had originally thought the Zhou family clansmen were going too far, fell silent when they heard the name of the Liu family in the Inner City. Every word that had yet to leave their mouths was swallowed back down.
The other Zhou family clansmen all chimed in.
"That's right, Uncle. A Ping can support you and see you through your final days."
"Once he takes over A Ji's position and starts working at the Outer Southern Prefecture Office, your life will be as splendid as it used to be."
"A Ping is an honest boy, and with Brother An helping him, he'll definitely accomplish more than A Ji did in the future."
"Brother An is a member of the Liu family. Once his younger brother is adopted into your family, it'll be as though you've climbed onto the Inner City Liu family's coattails. You'll have burned incense for eight lifetimes, old sir."
The voices were clamorous and chaotic. The old man grew ever more dejected, despair filling his eyes.
The little girl wailed even louder, and the man named Zhou An began to look somewhat grim.
The hand stroking the girl's head gradually tightened, squeezing until it hurt.
It was noon, and the blazing sun hung high overhead.
Under the sunlight, the shadows of the Zhou family clansmen covered the old man and the little girl.
It was broad daylight, yet to the grandfather and granddaughter, it was dark, sinister, and terrifying, as if they were trapped in an abyss with nowhere to climb.
Just then, a voice came from outside.
"That's going too far!"
Lin Lei walked in, his expression slightly dark. "A Ji died defending the city last night. He died for all of us!"
His voice rang out forcefully as he said solemnly, "We live in Gao Liu City. The reason we can stand here alive today is because those who defended the city last night fought with their lives, battling the monsters and driving back the darkness!"
"They died defending the city, yet you people who received their protection want to eat his family out of house and home?"
"And as if eating them out of house and home weren't enough, you're even coveting Zhou Ji's post at the office?"
As Lin Lei's furious voice rang out, everyone's expressions darkened.
Zhou An cast a glance at those beside him, and the Zhou family clansmen immediately surrounded Lin Lei, all of them wearing savage expressions.
It seemed that a fight would break out at the slightest disagreement.
"Don't meddle in other people's business."
A burly man pushed his way forward and said harshly, "This has nothing to do with you!"
"How does it have nothing to do with me? A Ji died defending the city. I'm a person of this city, so how could it have nothing to do with me?"
Lin Lei had studied for several years and possessed a bit of backbone. Gritting his teeth, he said, "After you eat his family out of house and home today, how are Uncle Zhou and Xiao Li supposed to live tomorrow?"
"The pillar of his household died on the night he defended the city. Are you really going to starve an old man and a child to death inside the city?"
"You keep calling yourselves clansmen. Are you even human?"
As Lin Lei's voice spread, Zhou An's expression turned gloomy.
Someone beside him came over and whispered, "Brother An, his elder sister's husband is the headman of Sixth Street in the west. It won't be easy to use force."
Hearing this, Zhou An's expression eased somewhat, and he stepped forward.
"This brother, there must be some misunderstanding."
He cupped his hands in greeting, his expression gentle. "We came here to arrange A Ji's funeral. The man is gone, so we naturally have to give him a grand send-off, hold a proper funeral, and invite the clansmen to a meal. That's only right."
"The old man and the child are helpless and alone. I'm willing to have my younger brother adopted into their family to support them in their old age and see them through to the end. That's an act of kindness, too."
"Since he'll be adopted into the family, it's only natural that he inherit A Ji's post."
"By both reason and sentiment, all of this is entirely proper."
"But you're an outsider who came to cause trouble in their home. That's what's truly unreasonable."
Zhou An spoke with a serious, earnest expression. "Although you've misunderstood us and everyone's upset, considering that you're also thinking of my uncle's family, we'll let this matter go. I..."
His expression suddenly stiffened as he stared fixedly at the courtyard gate behind Lin Lei.
His face gradually paled, uncertainty and alarm flickering in his eyes.
Everyone turned to look and saw a young man slowly entering the little courtyard.
Although his features were handsome and refined, his clothes were plain. At a glance, he looked like nothing more than a poor family's son.
"A'Yan, what are you doing here? Go home first..."
Suddenly, there was a sharp slap!
It was extraordinarily crisp and loud!
The man named Zhou An had viciously slapped his own face.
The courtyard fell silent. Everyone was stunned, exchanging baffled looks.
"You..."
With a red handprint rising on his face, Zhou An hurried forward, his face covered in a fawning smile. "Do you still remember me?"
"..."
The atmosphere grew even more silent. No one spoke, and everyone stood gaping in shock.
Even Lin Lei could only feel that the man had suddenly gone mad. Perhaps some evil spirit had scrambled his wits the night before.
"You..."
Lin Yan swept him a glance and fell silent for a moment.
He vaguely remembered him. When he had visited Duke Lu earlier, quite a few people had gathered outside, all from the various factions in the Inner City.
This man was a steward of the Inner City Liu family's... attendant.
"We met outside Duke Lu's residence. You..."
Zhou An looked at Lin Yan, then at Lin Lei. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and slapped his own face again.
"This lowly one must have encountered an evil spirit yesterday. I was muddle-headed today and actually offended the two of you gentlemen. I truly..."
"The people you offended aren't just the two of us brothers." Lin Yan's expression was indifferent.
"Ah, yes, that's right..."
Zhou An spoke without thinking. He hurriedly pulled out his money pouch and shouted at his fellow clansmen nearby, "What are you looking at? Get down on your knees and kowtow to the old man! How much did you eat here today? Pay it back!"
He hurried forward and kowtowed, his heart thrown into utter panic.
Today, he had followed the old steward to visit Duke Lu and personally watched as every faction from the Inner City was turned away at the door.
Even the Prefectural Governor's Mansion had been no exception.
Yet this young man had been received by Duke Lu.
In Duke Lu's eyes, this young man seemed to carry more weight than all the Inner City factions.
Of course, it was possible there had been some misunderstanding, and the young man's standing in Duke Lu's eyes might not actually be that significant.
But he was still someone a lowly, insignificant servant like Zhou An could never compare with.
Moreover, he knew that all the Inner City families were currently investigating this young man's background. They were treating him with great caution and attaching tremendous importance to him.
If this young man rose swiftly through the ranks in the future, Zhou An would be no more than an ant, crushed with a casual flick of the other man's hand.
He sincerely kowtowed to Uncle Zhou.
Then he turned his head toward Lin Yan, his face full of trepidation.
"Get lost!"
Lin Yan's tone was flat.
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