Her plan was clearly to lure Chen Xiao out of the inner courtyard, but when she saw Chen Xiao striding towards her with a murderous look on his face, the little girl felt a chill in her heart as he was enveloped in his gaze. Her legs involuntarily went weak, and she felt as if Chen Xiao's eyes were those of a wild beast about to devour her. She instinctively screamed and turned to run away.
Chen Xiao ran to the door in a few steps and saw that the girl had already run away and slipped far away into the back of the corridor, where she suddenly whistled.
The whistle seemed to be a summons, and soon two sobs were heard, and two colorful shadows darted out from the back of the corridor.
The chubby girl almost ran away, but immediately realized: Why should I be afraid of this kid in the Xiao family! Feeling ashamed and angry, she immediately summoned her two pets.
The two pets rushed to the chubby girl's side, immediately blocking her way, baring their teeth at Chen Xiao, and arching their bodies.
Chen Xiao looked closely and saw that they were two mountain leopards!
This girl is truly wild; she actually keeps two mountain leopards as pets. Both leopards were hunted from the mountains when they were young and have been raised by the girl for two years. They are twice the size of ordinary large dogs, with strong and agile bodies and colorful leopard skins. When they receive their owner's call, their eyes gleam with ferocity as they stare at Chen Xiao, ready to pounce at any moment.
The girl was furious. She pointed at Chen Xiao, whistled, and yelled, "Bite him!!"
Although this leopard is not very big and may not be able to kill anyone, an ordinary person would be seriously injured even if they didn't die. This girl was so angry that she suddenly became incredibly bold and gave such an order, disregarding the old master's high regard for this outsider. As for whether the old master would punish or beat Chen Xiao if he was really hurt afterward, she couldn't care less about that at the moment.
Upon receiving the command, the two leopards roared and charged at Chen Xiao. Chen Xiao remained unfazed, standing there and coldly staring at the two leopards. Suddenly, a strange feeling arose in his heart. He glanced at the eyes of the two leopards, and when they rushed in front of him, Chen Xiao suddenly let out a heavy "humph".
That "humph" sound, when it reached the little girl's ears, felt as if a sledgehammer had struck her heart, or as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head in the dead of winter, causing her to shiver involuntarily.
Looking at the two ferocious leopards, they had clearly pounced on Chen Xiao, but suddenly let out a mournful howl, their front legs buckled, and they collapsed to the ground in front of Chen Xiao. They then pushed off with their hind legs, their heads buried in the ground, howling incessantly. Where was their former proud and arrogant demeanor? They looked just like frightened wild dogs.
Chen Xiao stood there, coldly staring at the two leopards in front of him. He let out a "whoosh," and the two leopards immediately jumped up, turned around, and ran away in a flash. No matter how much the little girl called out, they didn't look back and dashed away. Finally, with two thuds, they crashed headfirst into the courtyard wall, even though it was right in front of them! The two leopards seemed to be greatly frightened. How much force must they have had when they ran and fled at such a high speed?
Suddenly, blood splattered from the two leopard heads. Their skulls were smashed open, and they curled up on the ground, whimpering. Their bodies trembled a few times, and it was clear that they were about to die.
The little girl was so frightened that her whole body went cold, and she stared at Chen Xiao with a pale face.
As Chen Xiao stood there, his gaze swept over her, and the little girl suddenly knelt down on the ground with a thud, her pants soaked, she had actually wet her pants.
Chen Xiao snorted and said coldly, "So young, yet so vicious! It's one thing to raise such creatures, but to let them roam freely and hurt people! Kill these two beasts first, and if I see them again, I'll deal with you too!"
After saying that, Chen Xiao's anger subsided slightly. Without looking at the little girl, he turned and walked into the inner courtyard.
After Chen Xiao left, the little girl was overcome with fear and burst into tears, sitting on the ground.
Chen Xiao walked back into the courtyard, only to see Old Master Xiao standing in front of the side room corridor, leaning on his dragon-headed cane, looking at him with a strange expression.
Chen Xiao took a breath and forced a smile: "Grandpa, I'm sorry, I've offended the younger generation in your family."
The old man shook his head: "These kids in the family are spoiled a bit too much. It's good that you teach her a lesson. As for you... hehe, kid, I'm quite surprised."
With that, the old man stopped talking to Chen Xiao and let her go back to her room to rest. But when he reached the courtyard gate, he saw the chubby little girl sitting there crying loudly. The old man frowned, his brows furrowing slightly.
When the little girl saw the old man appear, she didn't even dare to cry anymore. She obediently got up, but her pants were wet, and she was too scared to move.
"Stupid girl." The old man's face was ashen. "Those guys didn't dare to come, so they egged you on to be the first to stick your neck out. Get up! We've spoiled you too much. Those two beasts should have been killed long ago! Go back to your room. For the next ten days, you are not allowed to step out of your room. Copy the family rules three hundred times in small regular script!"
The little girl didn't dare to breathe loudly, and she didn't even dare to look at the leopard carcass in the corner. She obediently ran away.
The old man looked up at the sky, then suddenly sneered and muttered to himself, "Hmph! My eyes aren't deceiving! The grandson-in-law I've chosen is no ordinary man! These kids are probably going to kick a hornet's nest this time! Hehe!"
Then he sighed again: "Alas... but how could the son born to that girl be an ordinary person!"
……
……
"What? Don't cry, tell me slowly? Someone in your family is bullying you? Ah...what!!!!!!!!!!"
In her excitement, Xiao Qing nearly smashed the phone, quickly grabbing it back: "Say it again! Who? What wild boy? What 'I won't marry him'! Tell me clearly! Say... he is..."
Finally hanging up the phone, Xiao Qing turned around, her face showing a mixture of excitement and surprise.
Old Tian and Shi Gaofei were idly fiddling with the machine when they noticed Xiao Qing's strange expression. Old Tian casually asked, "Little girl, what's wrong?"
“Chen Xiao… Chen Xiao…” Xiao Qing smiled bitterly: “Chen Xiao, we’ve found him.”
"...Ah!" Old Tian jumped up immediately: "Found it? Where?!"
“At…” Xiao Qing’s expression grew increasingly strange: “At my home.”
A feeling of utter absurdity welled up inside her.
Just now, a younger sister from my family who used to be close to me secretly called—it was that chubby little girl who provoked Chen Xiao. Although I told her not to tell Xiao Qing about this for the time being, that girl was bullied by Chen Xiao (that's what she thought), and she was indignant. She was also put in solitary confinement, so she simply gritted her teeth and told Xiao Qing.
Moreover… on the phone, the old man had already opened the ancestral hall, preparing to formally have Chen Xiao acknowledge his ancestors… and, I heard, it seems the old man's attitude is that he intends to have Chen Xiao acknowledge his ancestry as the grandson-in-law of the Xiao family!
Grandson-in-law...
Xiao Qing's face suddenly flushed red, and she didn't know whether she was surprised or delighted.
Chapter 261 [Kick That Kid to Death]
For a traditional, long-established family like the Xiao family, holding a clan gathering in the ancestral hall is no simple matter.
Even if the Xiao family of Lingnan is just a branch now, such a large family has a history of over a hundred years. Over the past hundred years, it has spread and grown in Lingnan. There are probably more than a hundred or even a thousand people with the surname "Xiao" on their foreheads. If you add those who do not have the surname Xiao but have integrated into the Xiao family through marriage and other means over the past hundred years, the number is even greater.
Although the influence of this traditional clan system is gradually fading with the development of modern society, Lingnan is, after all, the south, and the traditions of local clans are still deeply rooted. Within the Xiao family, there are three to five hundred people who are qualified to be included in the family genealogy and participate in clan gatherings, and whose names are recorded.
To hold a clan gathering at the ancestral hall, one must first calculate an auspicious day and then inform the clan members to set the date for the gathering. The Xiao family has properties in several cities in Lingnan, and it is impossible for all the members to stay in one place. Holding a clan gathering requires time just to notify the number of people and then make time for everyone to return to the old ancestral hall.
And this gathering wasn't just for one day.
Even though this clan gathering was convened on short notice and the process and steps had been streamlined, the first few days involved setting up decorated tents. The first day of the official gathering was the opening of the ancestral hall for ancestral worship, followed by a full day and night of continuous candlelight and a clan feast. After that, there was a clan assembly and a meeting of the clan elders. Besides these, there were many other tedious matters. For example, incense had to be burned, and a bath was required. Learned elders from the clan were invited to bring the incense, ink, and writing brushes that had been kept in the ancestral hall. During the gathering, they were responsible for taking notes, meticulously recording the entire process of the Xiao family's clan gathering—almost like an emperor's daily log.
Of course, the learned old scholars in the clan who were responsible for taking notes for the sect also had to receive a fee for their writing.