Su Mengmeng tugged at the Clan Leader’s sleeve and said obediently,
“Grandpa Clan Leader, don’t be angry. Qing Bao Jie was just frightened last night. She definitely didn’t mean to refuse to kneel on purpose.”
“Look how sensible Mengmeng is! She’s even speaking up for you!” the Clan Leader said.
The clanspeople began murmuring among themselves, comparing the General’s two daughters.
Eventually, they all looked at Qing Bao with contemptuous eyes.
Su Xiao felt embarrassed and said to Si He:
“Si He, look at the fine daughter you’ve raised. Our Su Family ancestors have accumulated centuries of virtue in the Netherworld, yet Qing Bao, a mere three-year-old descendant, dares to speak disrespectfully to the ancestors. Bring her here!”
Unexpectedly.
Si He stood in front of her daughter, her eyes determined. “If Qing Bao says she won’t kneel, she must have her reasons. I’ll kneel in her place.”
She was still a daughter-in-law of the Su Family, so worshipping the ancestors was only right and proper.
If her daughter was unwilling, she didn’t mind kneeling once more on her behalf.
After speaking.
She immediately prepared to kneel, but was stopped by Qing Bao’s soft little hand. The toddler looked at her with wide, pleading eyes,
“Mother has already knelt for your own share. There’s no need to kneel for Qing Bao.”
Su Xiao felt his face burning with shame. “Qing Bao, if you know to care for your mother, then why don’t you kneel immediately!!!” Qing Bao declared once more, “I already said I can’t kneel. The Su Family ancestors don’t deserve my worship.”
As she spoke, her little eyebrows furrowed in frustration.
Why couldn’t they understand plain speech?
It was really annoying.
A whole crowd of people, actually bullying a toddler.
“Hahaha, you’re just a three-year-old descendant, yet you claim the ancestors don’t deserve your worship? You certainly think highly of yourself!” someone immediately laughed out loud.
“That’s right, in all my years, I’ve never heard of anyone who couldn’t worship their own ancestors.”
“General Su must be so ashamed to have a daughter like you!”
The clanspeople could no longer hold back and joined Su Xiao in criticizing Qing Bao.
Some of the kinder ones tried to persuade Si He, “You’re the child’s mother. If the child doesn’t understand propriety, surely you should. Make her kneel quickly, or this will become a joke.”
Si He remained firmly on Qing Bao’s side. “Since Qing Bao is unwilling, I won’t force her. Another day, I’ll come back to apologize to the ancestors on her behalf.”
Having finished the worship, Si He took Qing Bao’s hand to leave.
Unexpectedly, two soldiers Su Xiao had brought back blocked their path.
She turned to look at Su Xiao, the man she had grown up with, her face full of confusion and disappointment.
“What does the General mean by this?”
“Today is the most important day for celebrating my triumphant return and bringing honor to our family. Not just Qing Bao, but even if Yama himself were here, he would have to kneel before me.”
“Qing Bao, if you continue to be this unreasonable, I’ll have the Clan Leader strike your name from the family registry!”
The Su Family now had a great General, placing them far ahead of the surrounding villages.
In recent years, surrounding villages had been losing groups of young girls annually, yet Su Family Village remained safe and untouched – a clear sign of their profound blessings.
They absolutely couldn’t tolerate Qing Bao’s continued disrespect.
“But I am very sensible.” Qing Bao tilted her head in confusion.
Back in the Netherworld, the Old King Yama always praised her for being sensible, saying she worked diligently and produced quality work.
There wasn’t a single ghost who didn’t like her.
Even the three generations of Su Family ancestors down below had to treat her with utmost respect, occasionally even “bribing” the Little Judge with candies from the offerings.
Why is it that as soon as I returned to the mortal realm, the Su Family has been filled with nothing but malice toward me?
She had already warned them three times about the consequences, so why couldn’t they understand?
Qing Bao was growing impatient. “Then summon Yama up here. I’ll only kneel if he kneels first.”
She just didn’t know if the Su Family’s ancestors could withstand it.
As the crowd watched Qing Bao defy him, Su Xiao’s veins bulged, his fists clenched tightly.
The Clan Leader seized the opportunity to pull Qing Bao over. “Come here! What nonsense are you talking? Kneel down now!”
“Clan Leader, I’m only respecting you because you’re elderly. If I kneel and something happens, will you take responsibility?” Qing Bao’s arm was being pulled.
The adult’s strength was considerable, and it hurt a bit, making her frown slightly.
Si He abruptly pulled the Clan Leader’s hand away, the two of them almost coming to blows!
Su Xiao had reached his limit.
He scolded, “I am your father. Kneel to me first, then to the ancestors. Let’s see what could possibly happen.”
After speaking.
The female clansmen behind him stepped forward to restrain Si He.
Su Xiao’s gaze was cold and sharp, carrying a faint hint of murderous intent, as he dragged Qing Bao in front of him.
Pressing down on her small shoulders to force her to kneel before him.
Qing Bao glared at him angrily, her face full of defiance, refusing to be pressed down.
Su Xiao faintly felt it was strenuous, but how could he lose face in public? So he reached out and kicked the back of Qing Bao’s knees.
Just as Qing Bao was about to be kicked down.
Rumble—
Outside the Ancestral Hall, the weather suddenly turned, with countless dark clouds surging in, accompanied by deafening thunder, roaring like beasts toward the Su Family Ancestral Hall.
Su Xiao felt as if something had pricked his foot.
With a sharp pain, he hopped backward several steps, his face full of disbelief.
Had the lightning just struck him?
Qing Bao, looking wronged, clenched her little fists and stood her ground. “I told you I couldn’t kneel, but you just wouldn’t believe me!”
It was so infuriating.
It was bad enough that this father was terrible, but how could he lay hands on a child?
In her previous life, she hadn’t lived to this point, so she didn’t know Su Xiao would do such a thing to a baby.
It was really disgusting.
Fortunately, Qing Bao had been doted on by Old King Yama for ten years, so she didn’t shed any pitiful tears.
She secretly spat: Terrible father! Pah!
“Why has the weather suddenly changed?” Although the blind man couldn’t see, his own cultivation was enough for him to perceive everything around him.
He had a bad feeling. “The lightning struck General Su’s foot. Perhaps the ancestors truly don’t want Qing Bao to kneel.”
This was a small punishment for General Su.
The Clan Leader hesitated. “What reason is there for a descendant not to kneel to their ancestors? The weather was bad yesterday too; maybe what just happened was just a coincidence.”
Su Xiao felt he had lost face and quickly tried to save the situation:
“I wasn’t struck just now; it was just an old injury from the battlefield acting up. It’s fine!”
“Qing Bao, whether you want to or not, you will kneel today!”
He remained stubborn and unyielding.
Qing Bao knew that if she didn’t comply with their wishes, she probably wouldn’t be able to leave today.
The little one asked with determination, “Clan Leader, General Su, it’s you who are making me kneel. I’ll ask you one last time: if something happens, will you take full responsibility?”
“Nonsense! What could possibly happen? Let the ancestors come for me! You can have my position as Clan Leader, alright?” By now, the Clan Leader was completely impatient.
Su Xiao sneered and said, “I’ve killed countless people on the battlefield. If there’s any punishment, just bring it on. As a dignified General, how could I possibly be afraid?”
“Since you insist.”
Qing Bao’s small face turned serious as she reached out to take the incense offered by her clansmen.
Then she lit it.
Meanwhile, in the Netherworld…
Three elderly ghosts, who were supposed to be enjoying their afterlife in a blessed realm while waiting in line for favorable reincarnation due to their immense accumulated virtue, were suddenly startled when Yama arrived hurriedly with the two officials Ox-Head and Horse-Face.
With a single whip crack, Yama sent the three ancestral spirits of the Su Family into complete confusion!