Mo Yanshen looked deeply at Mo Dashan, mentally adding him to the "Refuse to Associate" list.
Feeling Mo Yanshen’s gaze, Mo Dashan’s heart trembled with the sensation of having lost something important. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Mo Yanshen shifted her attention to Clan Leader Mo Fang.
"Clan Leader, do you also believe that my family should pay this large sum of Silver Coins entirely?"
Mo Fang, looking at the weighty gaze of Mo Yanshen and then at the expectant faces of the clan members, only felt an unbearable dryness in his throat: "This... this..."
"Clan Leader, isn’t this what we had all previously agreed upon? What’s there to hesitate about?"
Seeing Mo Fang not speaking, Mo Shan’s complexion changed and he couldn’t help but urge him on.
Those few who had previously echoed Mo Shan, seeing the Clan Leader hesitate, did not dare to speak further. Others, who had been opposed to the idea from the start, stood mockingly on the side, thinking Mo Shan was utterly foolish.
Pressed by these urgencies, Mo Fang began to sweat profusely. He shouted at Mo Dashan, who was still chattering, "Shut up, I have my own considerations!"
After shouting, he forced a smile on his face and said somewhat nervously to Mo Yanshen, "This matter was just to give you an early notice, to let you prepare in advance. How could we make you pay all the Silver Coins? Postponing the building of the ancestral hall for a year or two is no issue, as long as you keep it in mind."
From the moment Mo Yanshen spoke, with Mo Qingze maintaining a silent stance, Mo Fang knew the matter was doomed to fail. Although it upset him, he also knew that this wasn’t Mo Family Village and that the Mo Qingze family was no longer as poor as before. Now, he must foster good relations and not offend them.
"Hmm, my father and I will definitely keep this in mind. When the time comes to build the ancestral hall, rest assured that my father and I will contribute money and effort without a second word, Uncle Clan Leader."
Mo Fang felt very satisfied with Mo Yanshen’s understanding, and his address towards him became much warmer.
How could Mo Fang not understand? A great relief spread through his heart, and his smile relaxed significantly.
"Now that things have been clarified, we should also be heading back. In the future, when you visit Liu Yang Village, come to my place as guests. We are relatives after all; there’s no need to stand on ceremony."
"Clan Leader is too kind, we will surely visit! But now that it’s almost noon, why not stay for lunch before leaving?"
Mo Qingze courteously tried to keep them from leaving.
Having just made a scene that left him red-faced, Mo Fang was too embarrassed to stay for lunch, and excused himself by claiming that there were matters to attend to at home, insisting on leaving.
While they were exchanging pleasantries, Mo Yanshen took a piece of cured meat from under the eaves, wrapped it in oiled paper, and handed it over to Mo Fang with a smile, "Uncle Clan Leader refuses to stay for lunch, but you must accept this cured meat. Otherwise, today, don’t even think about leaving our house’s front door."
The others, eyeing the cured meat weighing at least five pounds, were extremely envious. Mo Fang, however, could only smile wryly, accepting it with a meaningful glance at Mo Qingze. "You’ve raised a good daughter; I think, she’s stronger than you!"
The girl, knowing when to be firm and when to be gentle, had made it clear with the gift of the cured meat that they could take only when she was willing to give; without her willingness, no one could take advantage.
Far from being offended, Mo Qingze happily accepted Mo Fang’s praise, quickly turning into a chatterbox as he heaped accolades on his own daughter, as if he wished everyone to know her many virtues.
The person being praised kept her head down, pretending to be shy, but inside she breathed a sigh of relief.
Mo Fang was still a clever man, and dealing with clever people undoubtedly saved a lot of trouble. With this encounter, similar issues should not arise again!