Mind reading saves the whole family; I'm firmly in the role of a charlatan.

Chapter 399: Kill but not bury

In the memory of the younger generation present, ancestral graves were mostly located in relatively remote mountains.

In remote areas, transportation is usually not very convenient, so Du Anrao and his group had already prepared to get off the bus and climb the mountain before they arrived.

Unexpectedly, the place they went to was indeed remote and sparsely populated, yet they drove straight up the mountain without any obstacles.

Perhaps sensing Du Anrao and the others' surprise, Xi Jingyue smiled slightly and took the initiative to explain, "This mountain is quite remote, and people from nearby villages generally don't come here unless there's a specific reason."

“In the early years, when land management was not so strict, the buying and selling of mountain and forest land was allowed. My great-grandfather took the initiative to buy this mountain. He also had this road built directly up the mountain, as well as the ancestral hall on the mountain, so that everyone could have a place to rest when they came to worship their ancestors.”

Du Anrao: "..."

[Such niche writing, I apologize for my intrusion. Good heavens, in this world, buying a house and a car isn't enough to satisfy the desires of you rich people? Just to hold a ancestral worship ceremony once a year, you buy an entire mountain and build a house specifically for people to rest in—how could you even think of that? I can't listen anymore, I'm starting to resent the rich!]

Xi Jingyue touched his nose guiltily, trying to explain: "This was all a long time ago, and it certainly wouldn't be possible now. This mountain used to be quite remote, but after the road was built, more people came. The journey and time from here to the other mountain have been greatly shortened, which has made it more convenient for the mountain people traveling between the two places. So when we're not here, the mountain people in the vicinity will consciously maintain the environment here."

Xi Jingyue's words were also intended to tell Du Anrao that their road construction was a mutually beneficial relationship with the mountain people who had dealings with the area, and that there was no such thing as them being a tyrant who occupied the mountains and oppressed the villagers.

Unfortunately, Du Anrao didn't understand at all, so he just nodded perfunctorily and moved on from the topic.

Xi Jingyue: "..."

Thanks to their proximity, Xi Jingyue's family arrived relatively early. When they arrived at the ancestral hall, only the second uncle's family, who were in charge of the ancestral worship this year, were inside.

Upon seeing Xi Jingyue and the others, the eldest uncle and aunt were taken aback for a moment, but quickly reacted and came out to greet them.

"Uncle, Aunt, Liang Xu, sister-in-law, and Jing Yue, you're all here. Please come inside and sit down. It's still early, and the others haven't arrived yet, so we might have to wait a while."

Grandpa Xi waved his hand and said, "It's alright, it's alright. You go ahead and do your work. We'll just find a place to sit. We're early. You go and prepare what you need later. Don't worry about us."

"Okay..."

The eldest uncle glanced at the young men following behind Old Master Xi, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes. However, he had other things to do at the moment, so he had to suppress his doubts for the time being, thinking he would find an opportunity to probe them later.

Although it is just a ancestral hall for resting, it houses the ancestral tablets of past generations, and the number of people coming to worship their ancestors increases every year. The entire ancestral hall is not only large, but also magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters, making it colorful and breathtaking.

When Du Anrao and the others first saw it from the outside, they almost thought it was an ancient temple hidden deep in the mountains, rather than a private ancestral hall belonging to a single family.

Besides the large area in the inner hall used to display ancestral tablets, there are several tea rooms around the ancestral hall for people to rest.

Grandpa Xi and the others casually chose a tea room that was relatively close to the hall and sat down first. Du Anrao and the others, as juniors and guests, silently stood aside and listened to the Xi family drinking tea and chatting.

Du Anrao didn't find it boring at all. He ate melon seeds while observing the Xi family, the eldest uncle's family, who were busy in the hall.

This sight startled Du Anrao. [Wow, this family is really something...tsk tsk tsk...]

Du Hexuan and the others stiffened slightly, but quickly relaxed, trying their best not to let Du Anrao see any clues.

However, although these people appeared calm and collected on the surface, they were already craving more and more after Du Anrao's repeated exclamations. They were itching to get their hands on this family's gossip.

Stop clicking your tongue and tell me what's going on with this family. It's driving me crazy!

Xi Jingyue was equally curious, but despite his curiosity, he didn't forget his business.

The moment he heard Du Anrao's thoughts, he immediately turned to observe the changes in the expressions of the two old men.

The two plaques that were obtained from Du Anrao were delivered to the two elders a few days ago and are now hanging around their necks.

However, no matter how much Ren Xijing stared at the two of them, he couldn't see the slightest surprise or confusion on their faces at suddenly hearing Du Anrao's thoughts.

This made Xi Jingyue both relieved and somewhat disappointed, as it meant that their previous guess was correct. To hear Du Anrao's thoughts, it was not enough to simply obtain a jade stone containing spiritual essence; she herself had to personally decide to give it to him.

The two jade pieces on his grandparents' bodies were bought with his own money, so they couldn't be considered gifts from a moral or legal standpoint.

Xi Jingyue: "..." For a moment, he didn't know whether to feel fortunate or heartbroken.

Only four people from Xi Jingyue's great-uncle's family came today: his great-uncle and great-aunt, their son Xi Jingyue's eldest cousin Xi Wuyong, and their eldest daughter-in-law Wu Qixian.

As mentioned before, Xi Jingyue's second and third grandfathers were both philandering playboys with several times more children than Xi Jingyue's branch of the family, making Xi Jingyue's family, who were virtuous and self-disciplined, seem like an anomaly.

This great-uncle perfectly inherited his father's fine traditions. Although he only had one wife, he had many mistresses and illegitimate children. However, while he indulged in these affairs in private, no one would bring them to the forefront.

Especially on such a solemn occasion as ancestor worship, if he dared to bring his mistress and illegitimate child to steal the limelight from someone else's legitimate wife and children, even though his ancestor had long since passed away and couldn't climb out of his coffin to break his legs, he would definitely become a laughing stock in the family.

Therefore, the eldest uncle only brought his son and daughter-in-law with him today, so there are only these four people in the hall.

Du Yuxi and the others scanned the four people with great interest, wondering who the gossip Du Anrao was talking about would come from.

Unfortunately, Du Anrao seemed to be just making a casual remark. He watched his eldest uncle's family nod repeatedly, but he didn't say a word.

Everyone: "..." No, how come you're killing people but not burying them? This is ridiculous!

Fortunately, it seemed that Heaven took pity on them for going up the mountain early in the morning to brave the cold wind, and that they probably wouldn't be able to hold on without some gossip, so it arranged for someone to walk right into the trap.

"Grandpa and Grandma, Uncle and Aunt, and Cousin Jingyue, you've arrived so early? And who are these people...?" Xi Wuyong's gaze swept over Du Anrao and the others, his eyes revealing a probing and calculating intent that seemed rather ill-intentioned.