Chapter 158

Chapter 158: False Peace

The four of them swept their eyes over the Yin family members who entered, and they immediately knew these people really were Yin Yong’s family. Faces that similar couldn’t be faked.

As the head of the household, Father Yin stepped forward. His voice was tight as he said, “Honored guests, I heard you’ve met my youngest son. Is he still doing well?”

Yu Qing Cheng frowned and replied, “Your son is still alive. He’s the one who sold Peach Source Village’s ancestral house to us, and he claimed all his family had died, so he left Peach Source Village to go make his way outside.”

The first to jump out was Yin Chuan. “Father, why are you asking about that wretch? He’s so vicious he even said we all died off. Is he even human?”

Yin Shan also frowned, clearly displeased. The wives of the two brothers were full of anger too. Anyone who got declared dead would have a bad expression. The atmosphere turned stiff.

Mother Yin’s face went pale. She muttered softly, “Why would Xiao Yong say that? Has he come to hate all of us?”

Yin Chuan immediately took over. “What right does he have to hate us? Did we ever deny him food or clothing? We even sent him to study for a year. He was the one who couldn’t keep studying and came home to farm instead.

We were also helping arrange his marriage. What else was he unhappy about? He stole the family’s hard-saved silver and ran off. We didn’t force him. But today I finally learned he stole the deed to the old house too. No wonder Father rushed to split the household. So he’d already expected this would happen.”

After Yin Chuan finished, he looked at Father Yin.

Father Yin sighed. “Honored guests, this old man failed to raise his child properly. That’s why he committed such a wrong…”

Liu Hao Tian didn’t wait for Father Yin to finish apologizing. He lifted a hand and cut him off. “Sir, your son did wrong. You can go catch him and discipline him if you want. We’re talking about the house. We paid one hundred taels for it.

From what you’re saying, you’re unwilling to give up the ancestral house. We won’t force you. Just return our silver. That request isn’t unreasonable, is it?”

Sharp intakes of breath sounded nonstop. Obviously, that amount was beyond what they could bear.

Father Yin said blankly, “Honored guest, our old house isn’t worth that much!”

Yu Qing Cheng said with a laugh, “But that’s the price your youngest son used to sell it to us. He even praised the whole Peach Source Village, saying it was a good place to retire. Otherwise, why would we have paid that price?”

Father Yin’s old face wrinkled like a chrysanthemum. Bitterly, he said, “Th-this… We’re just ordinary farmers. How could we possibly take out that much silver?!”

After a few words, the discussion fell into deadlock. One side’s stance was clear: either hand over the house, or return the silver. The other side didn’t want to give up the ancestral home, but they also didn’t have enough silver to pay the honored guests back.

The village head sighed and stepped in to smooth things over. “Honored guests, the old couple truly can’t produce such a sum. But you also can’t just watch them become homeless. I have a compromise. Would the honored guests be willing to hear it?”

Liu Hao Tian nodded, indicating he wanted to hear it.

With permission, the village head said, “Peach Source Village is large. The honored guests can choose another plot of land. The Yin family will be responsible for building you a new house. They’ll pay for all labor and materials. Once the house is built, we’ll register a new deed for you. The old house will remain with Old Mr. and Mrs. Yin. How does that sound?”

Yu Qing Cheng flicked her fingernail and asked, “How long will it take? We don’t want some shabby mud-brick house. We want a good brick-and-tile house.”

The village head calculated for a moment. “With your requirements, it will take at least a month to finish. Will you be staying here temporarily, waiting until the house is built and inspected before you leave?”

This time, Liu Hao Tian made the decision. “Fine. We’ll stay temporarily in the Yin family’s old house, and we’ll talk after the new house is built.”

The Yin family clearly relaxed. Building a new house was far cheaper than paying back silver. After that, they politely escorted the four of them back to the old house.

The whole group surged back to the Yin family’s old house. On the way, villagers who loved gossip asked about the situation. In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the news that honored guests had moved into the Yin family’s old house spread through the entire village.

Some villagers, curious, even went to the Yin family’s place to look at the honored guests.

When the group entered the Yin family’s old house, they met the Yin family’s youngest daughter and her husband coming out to greet them. Father Yin explained that his youngest daughter had happened to come visit them today.

The four exchanged a glance but didn’t ask more. After they went inside, Yin Shan and Yin Chuan prepared to take their leave, but Yun Xi stopped them.

“Please wait. Yin Yong has a message for you. Listen to it before you go.”

The two families had no choice but to stop. Yin Chuan snorted. “What good words could he possibly bring us? As long as he doesn’t come back to harm our whole family, that’s enough.”

Yun Xi smiled sweetly and said, “The one who harms your whole family has never been Yin Yong. It’s you. It’s your ugly, greedy hearts.”

As Yun Xi’s words fell, everyone’s expressions twisted for a moment, as if they couldn’t accept it.

Yun Xi didn’t care. She calmly told them about the Yin family’s deaths and exactly how they died, paying no attention to the fear and confusion in their eyes.

When Yun Xi finished, Yu Qing Cheng added a finishing blow. “You’re all dead already. Do you remember now?”

Father Yin and Mother Yin looked dazed. Yin Chuan, however, went insane and charged at Yin Shan’s son Yin Fan Si, cursing wildly. “You wolf-hearted bastard! You stole my treasure and got our whole family killed!”

Fan Si refused to back down. “You’re the poisonous one. You wanted to use our family’s lives to keep your rich life going. If that’s the case, why can’t I fight back?”

“Spit! You couldn’t stand seeing us live well. You were jealous, that’s why you did it. We already paid a price to live in luxury!”

Xia You immediately fanned the flames. “He’s right. He used his own little sister and little brother-in-law’s lives to buy that rich life. He didn’t target you.”

That made the bewildered Yin Hua Er and Scholar Xin explode in anger. They joined the fight. In an instant, the brawling and shouting in the Yin family’s old house drew even more villagers to come watch.

Liu Hao Tian flicked his sleeve and opened the courtyard gate, letting the onlookers stand right on the front line to eat the gossip.

But as time passed, the faces of those watching grew more and more ugly, and their figures started to twist. From the Yin family’s arguments, they learned they were all dead, all sacrifices made to fulfill other people’s wishes.

At that moment, the village head suddenly appeared before the four of them, his face full of fury as he demanded, “What are you trying to do? Why are you destroying Peach Source Village’s peace?”

“Peace? Everyone in Peach Source Village is dead. Do you really think there’s any point in maintaining this fake peace?” Yun Xi said.

The village head’s dark face instantly turned eerie. He said coldly, “Of course there is. The immortal promised me. As long as you’re offered as a sacrifice, Peach Source Village will still be the Peach Source Village it used to be!”

Liu Hao Tian shouted, “Stubborn fool!”