Hu Family Kid Has Grown Up

"Old Clan Uncle, you can't bury Old Woman in the Old Fire Pit..."

The four brothers of the Cui Family persuaded the Old Clan Leader to the outside, finding a secluded spot. Several elders from the village also gathered around.

Facing the furious Old Clan Leader, the eldest Cui brother frowned and spoke, "The Hu Family isn't originally from our village. They've been here for twenty years and haven't married into our village. Old Hu Shan even married a woman from outside back then, and she ran off later."

"We know Old Woman is a good person, but do you think it's appropriate to bury her in the Old Fire Pit?"

"In the past hundred years, who have we buried in the Old Fire Pit? Weren't they all related, all married into our families?"

"..."

These words caused the Clan Leader to pause slightly, then his anger intensified. "The Hu Family's situation is indeed special, but how can you say such rubbish? In the past twenty years, haven't we received enough help from Old Woman for our village?"

"Wasn't it Old Woman who helped you recuperate when your grandmother had a stroke?"

He then glared at the others who had gathered. "When your little grandson had night terrors, wasn't it Old Woman who cured him?"

"And your family, during the famine, you couldn't control your hunger and ate Black Taisui. Who saved your entire family's lives then?"

"It was Old Woman who helped you perform the exorcism, and it was Brother Hu Shan who left the village and brought back grain from the city!"

"..."

The group felt ashamed by the Old Clan Leader's words and lowered their heads.

But the eldest Cui brother lowered his voice and tugged at the Old Clan Leader's sleeve. "Old Clan Uncle, don't speak so loudly."

"We know what you're talking about, but have you considered this? Old Woman was too powerful even when she was alive. If she's buried in the Old Fire Pit, won't our Ancestors be bullied by her?"

"Earlier, the Ancestors didn't acknowledge that Little Hu Ma, and Old Woman must be unhappy. Plus, with her abilities, if she enters the Old Fire Pit and doesn't get along with our families' Ancestors, what then?"

"..."

Such words, mysterious and profound, unexpectedly made the Old Clan Leader hesitate.

He hadn't heard similar reasoning from anyone else, but upon reflection, it seemed to make sense.

He opened his mouth, intending to curse, but instead asked, "Then what should we do?"

"We can't forget Old Woman's kindness."

Someone nearby said, "So, just prepare a good coffin for her. Bury her outside the village. At most, we'll remember to burn some paper and light incense for her during festivals."

"Burying her in the Old Fire Pit is absolutely out of the question..."

"..."

"Who are the people buried outside these years?"

The Old Clan Leader's face was filled with worry as he shook his head repeatedly. "It's not right, not right. Old Woman's grandson wouldn't agree either."

The most capable, the third Cui brother, sneered upon hearing this. "What does that brat Little Hu Ma know?"

"He wasn't an easy person even before. Everyone tolerated him because of Old Woman. Now that Old Woman is gone."

"If he's disobedient, drive him out of the village!"

"..."

"..."

Inside the house, Hu Ma, who was guarding Old Woman, heard Xiao Hong Tang's crawling report and his anger surged.

Having lived a second life, how could he not understand the subtext?

Those people, especially the Cui Family, weren't considering anything else. They were worried that if Old Woman entered the Old Fire Pit, it would affect the Old Fire Pit's protection for them?

He had been here for quite some time and understood some of the common sense of this world. Although they were all from the same village and their Ancestors were buried together, the people of the Four Great Clans in the village had many secret rivalries and disputes.

Many believed that the Old Fire Pit was spiritual.

It not only helped descendants ward off evil and illness but also ensured their peace, prosperity, and many children. Whichever clan had more Ancestors buried in the Old Fire Pit, the Old Fire Pit's blessings would favor that clan's descendants more.

Take the five Cui brothers, along with their numerous collateral relatives. They were a prominent family in the village.

However, the Clan Leader's Zhou Family had lived in the village for a longer time and had more Ancestors buried there, which was why the Clan Leader came from the Zhou Family.

Logically, the Hu Family only had Old Woman, so burying her would be insignificant. It would merely mean Hu Ma would receive some blessings.

But the Cui family worried that Old Woman was so powerful, one person could equal ten or a hundred. They feared she would help Hu Ma snatch the village's blessings.

He had no interest in these things and knew Old Woman wasn't really here. He was just following her instructions.

Even so, hearing these people's calculations, the fire in his heart couldn't be suppressed.

"Drive him out of the village?"

Just as Hu Ma was pondering countermeasures, he suddenly heard a loud roar from outside: "I'd like to see who dares!"

Everyone inside and outside the mourning hall looked up. It was Second Master.

He had just returned carrying a bundle of corpse-burning wood. He was already old, but his hearing was sharp. Coupled with the third Cui brother's loud voice just now, Second Master had heard it from afar and was enraged.

Without even unloading the firewood, he roared, "Your Cui Family is getting awfully overbearing now. Come, come, let me see the skills of you Cui brothers."

"Huh?"

Upon seeing Second Master arrive, the crowd immediately looked troubled.

Especially the Cui brothers, who usually acted quite arrogantly relying on their large number of clansmen and brothers. Not only did their family stand out in the village in everything they did, but even Cui Xie'er was someone who could rally a hundred responses from the children. Anyone else would have been slapped by now.

But when they saw Second Master, they felt a pang of fear. This elder not only had high seniority but also possessed martial arts skills that were the most renowned in all the surrounding villages.

The five Cui brothers combined didn't have the confidence to defeat Second Master.

Moreover, Second Master had been harvesting Taisui his entire life and knew the managers of the Blood Food Gang. He was precisely the type of person no one in the village dared to provoke.

The Cui family fell silent for a moment, not daring to reply. Second Master, meanwhile, strode forward and shouted at the Old Clan Leader:

"Brother, you've gotten senile, letting them spew such nonsense!"

"Our Great Sheep Village survives in the Old Yin Mountain solely because of the blessings of our Ancestors?"

"Then should the living just worship the Ancestors and not bother accumulating good karma themselves?"

"..."

As he spoke, he swept his gaze over the others, his eyes bright and burning like a furnace: "In our Great Sheep Village, how many families have benefited from the Old Woman's kindness? And outside, in the surrounding villages, aren't there many who have also benefited from her grace?"

"If you truly do something so morally bankrupt, how will other villages view us?"

"In the future, will our Great Sheep Village still have the face to establish itself in this Old Yin Mountain? Will we have the face to leave the village?"

"..."

These words struck a chord with the Old Clan Leader, who had been quite active moments ago and whose thoughts had begun to waver. They all felt a jolt in their hearts.

The Old Clan Leader also glanced at the Cui brothers, shook his head, and sighed, "What he says makes sense. Regardless, the Old Woman must be invited into our Old Fire Pit. This has nothing to do with whether a marriage was arranged or not. The Hu family are people of our Great Sheep Village!"

The other elders of high seniority also nodded in agreement.

The Cui brothers were clearly not entirely convinced, but seeing Second Master truly angered, they dared not say any more.

They quietly went to speak with the Cui family's Oldest Grandmother. This Oldest Grandmother, with a grim expression, was helped away.

The funeral continued as if the hushed discussions had never happened. By evening, Second Master and a group of the village's young people accompanied Hu Ma in keeping vigil for the Old Woman.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, someone rushed in from outside the village, saying, "Python Village, Raccoon Village, and the Old Liu Family from Eight Mile Shop heard that the Old Woman of Great Sheep Village has passed away and have come to pay their respects..."

The Old Clan Leader, startled, quickly put on his clothes to greet them. Recalling Second Master's words from yesterday, he broke out in a cold sweat.

Fortunately, they hadn't listened to the Cui family yesterday, or Great Sheep Village would have been in quite a predicament today!

Throughout this entire process, Hu Ma merely observed with cold eyes, not having a chance to say or do anything.

However, through this incident, he came to understand the warmth and coldness of human relationships in this village.

In the eyes of those people, the Old Woman had truly passed away.

And facing an elder who had helped so many people in the village, someone who had just passed away, people were already disrespecting her and even thinking of bullying her young grandson?

They were truly, endearingly simple and honest...

And because of the attitude displayed by those represented by the Cui family, he thought of the kindness the Old Woman had shown him before. The grief in his heart gradually turned into genuine sorrow.

During the entire funeral, because the villagers felt Hu Ma had just recovered from a serious illness and wasn't recognizing people well, and he was unfamiliar with outsiders, coupled with his young age and lack of understanding of the customs, Second Master and the Old Clan Leader took the lead. A group of neighbors helped out, keeping vigil, preparing food, and setting up the mourning hall, bustling throughout the day.

By evening, Hu Ma personally carried the Old Woman and placed her in the Old Fire Pit.

The cremation wood was lit, and flames erupted, with thick smoke billowing.

Hu Ma knelt before the Old Fire Pit. His furnace was now burning strongly, and he was no longer easily seeing ghosts.

But as he vaguely looked up, he could faintly see the Old Woman's figure appearing in the black smoke, smiling gently at him.

Behind him, a group of spectral Ancestors of Great Sheep Village huddled together, trembling.

Even though he knew the Old Woman was only temporarily leaving to attend to some matters, and it involved her remains, seeing her body being burned still caused an inexplicable pang in his heart. The smoke stung his eyes, and his eyelids turned slightly red.

The people beside him saw this and nodded secretly, sighing, "This Hu family kid has finally grown up."

"He knows how to care for the Old Woman now. It's not like the Old Woman doted on him for nothing..."

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