CHAPTER 78: MUSHROOM VILLAGE 28

Wan Qian was not the kind of person who would blindly act like a saint. If she indulged the child in everything just because he was pitiful, it would only harm him in the end.

He still needed to receive some adult discipline, so that when he grew up and stepped into society, he wouldn’t do even worse things.

After saying this, Wan Qian held the memorial tablets in her arms and was ready to walk outside. When she passed the incense table, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

She turned her head and looked at the few sticks of incense left on the table. She remembered that during her earlier phone call with the village chief, he had said there was a type of incense that was a local specialty in the ancestral hall, and she could take some.

Looking at her hands, which were already full, she turned her gaze to Hao Shijun.

Hao Shijun instinctively stood up straight, even pulling his back straighter. But then he realized — why was he so tense?

Right after, Wan Qian’s voice sounded: "Mr. Hao, could you please help me take these incense sticks from the table? I still need them."

"Yes!" Hao Shijun responded immediately, then realized — why did he agree so quickly to Wan Qian?

However, before he could even think about whether he should really listen and pick up the incense, Xie Jia rushed over ahead of him, grabbing the incense sticks from the table. "I’ll help you take them."

Right after that, Xie Jia split a few sticks and handed them to Wang Hui, saying, "My mom will help take some too."

Wan Qian looked at Xie Jia’s action, a confused look appearing on her face. Just a few sticks of incense — did they really need two people to take them? Wasn’t that a bit strange?

Yet before Wan Qian could finish wondering, Fang Minglan, seeing Xie Jia’s action, quickly stepped forward and reached out her hand toward Xie Jia.

"So many — it won’t be convenient for you to take them all by yourself, right? Let me help you take some too."

Xie Jia stared at Fang Minglan for a few seconds. Fang Minglan’s face kept its polite smile, her hand suspended in midair.

Finally, Xie Jia pulled out one stick of incense and placed it in Fang Minglan’s hand.

Wan Qian: "???"

Is it necessary? Just a few sticks of incense and you need three people to take them?

Then, Wan Qian saw Hao Shijun scratch the back of his head a bit awkwardly and walk forward.

"Um..."

Xie Jia didn’t wait for him to say anything and pulled out one more stick of incense from the ones she was holding, handing it to Hao Shijun.

Are you serious? Altogether only seven sticks of incense, but they ended up being split among four people to take.

Wan Qian really couldn’t understand people these days. Had she fallen so out of touch with the world after being stuck on the farm for half a month?

Wan Qian couldn’t help but think that after finishing this recruitment, she must go out and take a good look around.

After all, the whole society talked about connecting with the world — her little farm might not be able to "connect internationally," but it shouldn’t fall behind modern society either, right?

Wan Qian held the memorial tablets to the door, where the middle-aged man was still waiting.

"Even if this ancestral hall is old and in disrepair, you can’t just let kids run around and play in here. Look at what they’ve done!"

Wan Qian showed the man the memorial tablets, her face full of anger.

"Kids don’t know better, but don’t you adults know better?

"And another thing — don’t think I’m just picking on a child! That child looked so skinny and small, malnourished, with an eye disease, completely pitch-black all over! It’s obvious you adults didn’t take care of him properly!"

"Where are that kid’s parents? If they can’t even look after their own child, how are they fit to be parents?"

Wan Qian rattled off her reprimand like beans tumbling from a bamboo tube, leaving the middle-aged man’s eyes blank.

The middle-aged man stared blankly at the spotless, brand-new memorial tablets in Wan Qian’s arms.

He reached out a hand, wanting Wan Qian to hand over the things so he could handle it, but Wan Qian was talking too fast and didn’t give him a chance to speak at all.

Finally, Wan Qian paused. The middle-aged man seemed to have finally found a chance to speak.

"These things..."

"Right, these are the things!" Wan Qian swallowed, moistened her dry mouth, looked at the middle-aged man, and added as a final remark, "If the people in your village have always been of this quality, then the matter of hiring workers can be put on hold for now."

The middle-aged man’s whole body stiffened. Everything else was one thing, but the matter of hiring workers was a big deal for the entire village. If the village chief found out he had ruined this, wouldn’t he skin him alive?

Thinking of this, the man’s simple, honest face showed clear panic and unease.

He immediately said to Wan Qian, "I’ll definitely take care of this properly! How about this — tonight you and the others come to my home, I’ll treat you to dinner and make up for it?"

Village Rule No. 3: "When villagers invite you to visit, please do not decline—they simply adore your company. However, do mind the etiquette: when visiting someone, bring a gift."

Before Wan Qian could even react, Fang Minglan, who recalled this rule, turned pale, a flicker of fear showing in her eyes. It was obvious — being invited as a guest was definitely not a good thing.

Wan Qian narrowed her eyes and glanced at the man.

Thinking carefully, the whole village was huge, but all the adults were off preparing for some festival during the day. There was no one left to look after the kids. And with the ancestral hall abandoned, it was normal for kids to sneak in to play.

She realized that she had been too angry just now and hadn’t thought it through. If she really blamed the man for this, it didn’t make much sense.

Wan Qian sighed. "Sigh... forget it, you..."

The man had been paying close attention to Wan Qian’s expression. Seeing her face soften, he let out a tiny breath of relief and quickly said, "No, no, no—please, you must give me this chance to make amends!"

Looking at the man’s earnest pleading, Wan Qian remembered that he was just working for the village chief too.

Sigh, why bother making things hard for the laborers? She nodded lightly. "All right, then."