The Lin clan members were already turning back in small groups, with Lin Yuanshan dragging his reluctant nephew, preparing to descend the mountain.
"An'an!"
Lin You'an, who had been constantly looking back, suddenly heard a hoarse shout. He abruptly stopped in his tracks, looking into the dark forest with wild joy and anticipation on his face.
Finally, after about ten breaths, his sharp eyes caught sight of a figure rapidly sprinting towards them.
"An'an!"
"Mother!"
Crying out in delight, he broke free from Lin Yuanshan's grasp and ran towards Chu Chi, holding a torch, stumbling over the uneven ground.
Hearing the commotion, the Lin clan members also stopped and turned back. They were all curious about this sudden appearance of Lin Yuanzhou's supposed new wife.
But as she gradually came into the torchlight, revealing her blood-spattered appearance, everyone was frozen in place.
"Mother, who told you to run into the mountains? I was worried sick, you know? In the future, you're not allowed to—"
All of Lin You'an's scolding and lecturing were choked back in his throat.
"An'an, look, meat!" Chu Chi smugly swayed her body, and the unfortunate pheasant couple in her grasp swung lifelessly, giving everyone a pitiful greeting.
The mountain forest at night was eerily quiet at this moment.
The wild beasts in the mountains seemed particularly well-behaved tonight, not even a single howl could be heard.
Gulp~~
So the sound of swallowing saliva became particularly clear and audible.
If seeing her in this state was shocking and unbelievable, when they clearly saw what she was holding in her hands, all the men of the Lin family felt as if they were drunk.
"Good heavens, what on earth is this little woman holding?!"
"Seventh Uncle, it looks like it's a... it's a bear?!"
"No, she's also holding a wild boar in her left hand. Look! A bear in her right hand, and a wild boar in her left!"
Hiss~~
Everyone sucked in a cold breath as they looked at the petite woman, including Lin Yuanshan, who, despite being mentally prepared, couldn't help but rub his eyes in disbelief.
He knew this girl was strong, but he never imagined she was this strong!
Usually, when a grown man encounters a wild boar or a bear, he might not even be able to escape with his life. But look at this now!
"An'an, let's go home and eat meat."
Chu Chi revealed two adorable dimples, feeling like a competent mother for being willing to share food with her cub. She continued walking forward with her prey, and the dozens of men around automatically made way for her.
Lin You'an, snapping back to reality at her call, looked at the shocked expressions of his clansmen and frantically signaled to his uncle with his eyes.
Receiving the hint, Lin Yuanshan inwardly cursed, "Damn you, you little brat!"
How was he supposed to cover for this situation?
Lin You'an gritted his teeth and stepped up to do some damage control himself.
"Uncle, how do you think my mother's skills compare to her father, my maternal grandfather from the Chu family?
I heard from my father that my mother's father runs a martial arts school in Yingzhou Prefecture, right? They say Grandfather Chu's kung fu is excellent, and he's incredibly strong. Is this my mother inheriting my grandfather's ox-like strength? Uncle, that's it, isn't it?"
"..."
Lin Yuanshan's lips trembled violently, his shocked eyes conveying only one message to his nephew:
Lying through your teeth, doesn't your conscience hurt?
"Is that really it, Uncle?"
Urged on by his unscrupulous nephew's persistent questioning, faced with the clan members' shocked, confused, and somewhat fearful and wary gazes, Lin Yuanshan, who had already told a massive lie to the clan leader and elders, could only continue to embellish the story convincingly.
"Ah, yes! That must be it, without a doubt!
Your mother's father, that's my Uncle Chu, right?" The miserable Lin Yuanshan frantically fabricated a story in his mind. He cobbled together all the tales of extraordinary individuals he had heard from storytellers, trying to piece together a legendary master of masters, his nonexistent Uncle Chu.
"Indeed, the old man's kung fu is incredibly high, and his strength is tremendous. He could easily take on ten, no, a hundred men single-handedly!
Back when your grandfather was still serving in Yingzhou Prefecture, he was ambushed by bandits while escorting military pay. Just as his life hung by a thread, he was saved by your mother's father who happened to pass by.
That Uncle Chu of mine was truly something else. Wielding a golden-threaded ring blade that danced like a tiger in the wind, he single-handedly slaughtered a gang of fierce and vicious bandits, thus saving your grandfather's life!
From that point on, the two families forged a friendship, which later led to the betrothal between your father and your mother."
Seeing his nephew's satisfied expression and the clansmen's looks of sudden realization, as if everything now made sense, Lin Yuanshan discreetly wiped away the nervous sweat from his palm behind his back, out of sight from others.
Phew~
He had managed to patch up the story!
Lin You'an, ungratefully abandoning his uncle, scurried off to catch up with his mother.
Watching the joyful figure ahead, the boy sighed wearily. In the future, he should try to keep her within his sight as much as possible. She was too frightening.
After everyone returned to Lin Family Village, Chu Chi headed straight into the courtyard without looking back.
Lin Yuanshan stood at the main gate with Lin You'an, politely thanking the clan members one by one. He also invited them all to come for a meal at his house tomorrow, to thank them for their hard work and support throughout the day.
After seeing everyone off, with only the uncle and nephew left at the gate, Lin Yuanshan looked down at his nephew and solemnly instructed:
"Did you understand? Regardless of whether we managed to reclaim your family property today, since the clan members stood up for you, you must keep this favor in your heart.
It's not about repaying them immediately. When you don't have the ability to repay, you must at least show a grateful attitude. Don't give them any reason to call you an ingrate. Do you understand?"
This was how relationships worked within rural clans. Although they presented a united front to outsiders as one family, and would certainly help each other when needed, there were still distinctions of closeness within the clan, weren't there?
Even Lin Yuanshan had already separated his household from Lin You'an's family, let alone the other clan members. When gratitude needed to be expressed, it should be done.
Lin You'an, still a child, probably didn't understand these social niceties, so Lin Yuanshan was teaching him hands-on.
As the only male descendant of the second branch of the family, since he was unwilling to live under someone else's roof and follow Lin Yuanshan, he must be able to stand on his own two feet and uphold the family name. No matter how young, he was still a man.
As his uncle, Lin Yuanshan wanted to do his best to help his nephew establish himself. This way, when he eventually met his brother in the afterlife, he would have something to report.
