I trade in both worlds

Seeing that the clan leader was so insistent, Xu Xu could no longer refuse.

She thought about it and decided to express her feelings in a different way: "Then Second Grandfather, I want to donate the silver awarded by the court to the clan."

"The money for the banquet and the opera troupe will be paid from the reward money, which will allow me to show my appreciation."

The clan leader was stunned when he heard this. He looked at Xu Xu's determined eyes, and his heart was filled with great emotion.

"Good boy! It's enough that you have this intention. The clan has money, so keep your money for yourself and your children. The money this time will be paid by the clan, so don't worry about it." His words were full of love and admiration for Xu Xu.

Seeing that the clan leader rejected his proposal so firmly, Xu Xu felt a little disappointed, but he also knew that it was the clan leader's good intention.

She decided to carry the reward money directly to the clan leader's house later. It was too unsafe to keep so much money at home.

She turned and asked, "Second Grandpa, when are we going to start the buffet?"

The clan leader thought for a moment and said, "Let's prepare the food and invite the opera troupe in the next two days. We'll start the buffet the day after tomorrow."

"Let your second grandmother take charge of the banquet. She is a steady and reliable person and will definitely get things done properly."

Then the clan leader turned to Xu Qinglin and said, "Qinglin, you have to go and invite the officials from the county government and the gentry nearby in person."

"Go ask Mr. Li to help write the invitations and send them out tomorrow morning. The day after tomorrow we will set up a few tables and invite them to dinner. When the time comes, you can ask Mr. Li to accompany them. Don't be impolite."

Xu Qinglin nodded and agreed: "Don't worry, Dad, I will definitely get this done."

He was both excited and nervous. He had never thought that one day he would be able to represent Xuzhuang to invite those big shots whom he could only look up to from afar.

After deciding on the way to celebrate, the patriarch waved his hands, hummed a tune with joy, and walked home in 28-step steps.

Xu Xu followed behind the clan leader, who suddenly stopped halfway.

Turning back, he looked at Xu Xu and asked, "Why are you following me if you're not going back?"

Xu Xu stepped forward and said respectfully: "Second Grandfather, I have thought about it and decided to donate half of the 1,000 taels of gold awarded to the clan school, and the other half to expand roads and poor families in the clan."

When the clan leader heard this, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He thought Xu Xu was just casually saying that she wanted to donate to the clan, but he didn't expect that she really thought so.

He patted Xu Xu's shoulder gently and said earnestly, "Xu Xu, I am very pleased that you have this intention. But you have to know that this is a thousand taels of gold, not a thousand taels of silver. Are you sure you want to donate it all?"

Xu Xu shook his head, his eyes firm: "Second Grandfather, I know, but I understand more clearly that the power of one person is limited. Only by gathering the power of the entire Xu Village can Xu Jin and his team go further. And..."

After a pause, he continued, "Besides, I am a weak woman with four children. I cannot keep such a large sum of money. It is better to donate it. It will avoid attracting people's attention and causing trouble."

She is alone with four children and has a huge amount of money. Who knows what kind of evil things will be attracted to her? It is better to donate the money and gain a good reputation.

After hearing what Xu Xu said, the clan leader was silent for a moment. He looked at Xu Xu deeply and said, "Xu Xu, you are indeed a far-sighted and wise woman. Xu Jin and the others will not be inferior in the future."

After hearing what the clan leader said, Xu Xu smiled and said, "Then I'll get the money for you now."

After saying that, he turned around and ran to find Xu Qinglin to get the reward.

The patriarch smiled and shook his head, then turned around and continued humming his song as he went home.

The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight penetrated the mist, the bell of Xu Zhuang rang melodiously.

When the villagers heard the bell, they came out of their homes and gathered at the entrance of the ancestral hall.

The clan leader stood on a high platform, on the steps in front of the ancestral hall, with a sharp gaze as he looked around at the clansmen gathered below. There was an irrepressible excitement in his eyes.

He coughed lightly and cleared his throat, and his loud and deep voice rang out throughout the square: "Dear clan members, today I want to announce two things. The first thing is that yesterday our Xu family and Xu Xu received a reward from the emperor. This is an honor for our Xu family."

"To celebrate this grand event, the tribe will hold a six-day banquet starting from the day after tomorrow, and will also invite a troupe to perform for six days."

"We want to let everyone in the surrounding area know that as long as they come to Xu Village, they will have food to eat and wine to drink!"

As soon as the patriarch finished speaking, there was a burst of warm cheers in the square.

The villagers' faces were filled with indescribable joy and anticipation.

"Really? A buffet for six consecutive days? And there's a show to watch?" a young man asked excitedly.

"Of course it's true!" A middle-aged man next to him patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "Qinglin arranged yesterday to set up the stage today."

The clan leader waited until everyone had finished discussing their views, then he struck the gong in his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

He took a deep breath and continued, "The second good news is that Xu Xu donated all the 1,000 taels of gold awarded by the court to the clan."

"She is willing to use the money to support the development of the clan school, expand roads, and help poor families. She said that this is her way of showing her love for Xu Village and the Xu clan."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a burst of exclamations in the square.

The villagers talked about Xu Xu's generosity and selflessness, and their admiration for her was beyond words.

However, some people expressed confusion and questioned her decision.

"Is she stupid? She donated such a large sum of money just like that?" a villager whispered, his eyes full of confusion and regret.

"I think she did the right thing," another villager retorted. "How can a woman with four children keep such a large sum of money? It would be better for her to donate it and do something useful for the village and accumulate merit."

"But, that's a thousand taels of gold! It's not a small amount." The first villager still said somewhat unwillingly.

"Yes, but think about it, if the money remains in her hands and something bad happens, it won't just be a matter of money. The lives of the five members of the family could be lost in a matter of minutes." The second villager said earnestly.

Some people had just thought of matchmaking for Xu Xu and introducing her to a marriage partner, but when they learned that she had donated all her money, they immediately gave up the idea.

Xu Xu stood in the crowd, listening to the villagers' discussions, feeling mixed emotions.

However, now that the problem has been solved, she can continue to live her life quietly at home.