Chapter 425

As the saying goes, when people are dying, they would only say some kind words. But it didn’t apply to Ling Qiyun. The whole family’s calculation made Ling Chenglong and his wife lose the last slice of expectation for the family bond. At the very late night when the old man passed away, the old ma’am who had been ill in bed for long also died. As the news spread out, Ling Chenglong and his wife didn’t have any mood swing at all, and Ling Jingxuan only asked Old Song to send over some silver.

News that the old xiucai and his wife died on the same day one after another spread through the whole Ling village early the next morning. You could say they died a natural death. In villages, that was called a white happy event, so the funeral had to be grand and solemn. Although Ling Chengcai and others didn’t want to spend too much, under Ling Qicai’s supervision, soon the big mourning hall was built, not a single thing missed. After dawn, their relatives came for the condolences one group after another. Whatever kind of people they were when they were alive, now they were dead, no one would make trouble for them at such a time. Of course, the villagers wouldn’t offer gifts so generously like Ling Jingxuan who gave them twenty taels of silver. Most would just give five or ten copper coins to show their heart.

The old couple’s coffin should be placed at home for a total of seven days. The first few days were fine, Ling Chengcai and others didn’t play any tricks or what again, maybe they were truly sad, or maybe really got frightened by Ling Jingxuan. But on the day of carrying the coffin to the cemetery, the whole family, under Ling Chengcai’s lead, cried and accused of Ling Chenglong and his wife before the whole village, saying they could let it go that they didn’t come to see their parents off for their last journey, they didn’t even come to take a look, not to mention to do something for them, and cursing them for being so heartless and wishing they would have an unnatural death!

Ling Qicai immediately blackened his face, and even the old patriarch who presided over the funeral could not help puffing his cheeks. Others might not know, how would they not know? Didn’t they come when the old man died? Clearly it was because of them! Although none of them came, they let the servant sent twenty taels of silver! Even the whole funeral hadn’t cost that much! They called them unfilial?

“Shut up! If it hadn’t been that twenty tales of silver Chenglong sent over, how could you hold such a grand funeral for your parents? You should be crystal clear why they didn’t come for the condolences! My big brother has left you this big house and tens of mu of land, and some money. As long as you are diligent enough, you’d definitely live a comfortable life. Don’t always try to set your eyes on others. Nobody’s money is blown back home by the wind! Why should they take out theirs to feed you honey-mouthed but dagger-hearted ungrateful things?”

Afraid that they might really incite the villagers and those words could go into the ears of Yuehua Manor, Ling Qicai jumped out and reproached. He had really had enough of those people. Would they only be satisfied after making the whole village in no peace? What Ling Jingxuan was capable of still hadn’t let them learn to stay low? So stupid!

“Who wants his dirty money? Second uncle, you always try to speak for them. Have they promised you something?”

This was their last chance, so Ling Chengcai already had no time to care about if he would offend his second uncle. He directly stood up and argued back. Ling Qicai got so mad that he nearly passed out, only pointing at them with his trembling finger, “You, you…Really a bunch of ungrateful vile spawns!”

“Watch what you say! Do you talk to your elders like that? What’s wrong with Chenglong and his wife? If you hadn’t worked together to fool your parents, how could they have driven Chenglong and his family out? When they left, they even didn’t take a single needle away. After hearing their father was passing away, they let go of the past and still came to check on him. But what did you do? You again tried to use his filiality and forced them to support you after your father died! Why? Look at everyone of you! Where is your face? Saying my husband took money from them and speak for them? I think you only tried to slander my husband since you didn’t get any benefits from them! You shameless things! Dare you swear to heaven touching your consciousness?”

Seeing her husband getting dissed, the village head’s wife immediately jumped out and put all those things above the table. Now she had seen it through. Those ungrateful things were not worthy their good heart! And they could never expect them to lend a hand again! Anyway, their big brother and sister-in-law were gone, no one would say anything even if they distanced themselves from them.

Hearing her, those villagers instantly started to gossip. And those people who had seen that Ling Jingxuan and his family ever came when the old man died also spoke the truth. Those villagers even forgot they were on the funeral of the old couple, all criticized them with their fingers pointing at them. And those who helped with the funeral also quietly backed away, apparently trying to wash their hands of it. Ling Chengcai and his family now really panicked. The reason they dare make such a scene was because those things hadn’t spread through the whole village, so they tried to get the drop on. As long as they could force Ling Chenglong to stand out, they’d get what they wanted. But, unexpectedly, their second aunt-in-law who seldom talked before the public suddenly jumped out and said everything. And now, they became target of public criticism.

At the same time, in the study Yan Shengrui Ling Jingxuan shared, Ling Jingxuan was sitting before the desk reading books instead of lying in bed. Soon, Yan Yi suddenly showed up. With a faint glance, Ling Jingxuan put the book down and asked, “You’re having a quarrel?”

“Yeah, totally as you expected, Ling Chengcai and others were hurling curses at the mourning hall.”

Yan Yi nodded, he had admired their crown princess more and more. The development of things was like being designed by him. He said those people would make a scene today, and they really made a scene today. What a prophet!

“Hehe…A fox may turn gray, but never kind. People from that side should have arrived, right?”

Ling Jingxuan gave a sneer. Before, Considering the feelings of his parents, he did not let people know about what had happened that night, trying to leave a fig leaf for the deceased, and at the same time, he knew that as shameless as those people, they would never give up so easily. They’d definitely try to find another chance. And their only chance was the last day—burying the old couple. Only this day would the whole village come. So he had long made the arrangements, and sent Yan Yi to watch them. Facts proved that he really hadn’t underestimated their lower limit.

“Hm, I guess they are supposed to have arrived. Master Xuan, are you going to go watch it yourself?”

It would be a pity to miss it.

“No, it’s just a group of clowns, there’s no need to give them such a big face, if you are interested, you can go, and tell me about it for some fun later. Don’t let my parents know.”