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"Ma Zhi, what are you talking about? You have nothing to do here, get out now!"

However, facing Ma Yongbo's roar, Ma Zhi not only did not retreat, but stood straighter. His voice was low but revealed unquestionable firmness: "Uncle, you almost risked your life to save everyone, and now your hands and feet are seriously injured. At this time, they are still pressing forward step by step. Aren't they pushing you into a dead end?"

There was deathly silence in the ancestral hall. Everyone recalled the tragic scene when Ma Yongbo was carried back to the village covered in blood and wounds. The rescue operation was so dangerous that it almost cost him his life.

Erhu's wife was very emotional, with anger and grief in her voice: "Ma Zhi, you are confusing right and wrong! When have we ever forced Uncle Ma? When Erhu was alive, he treated you like a brother. I never thought that after he passed away, you, the so-called good brother, would treat his widow and old mother like this. If Erhu knew about this, he would die with regrets!"

By the end of her words, her voice was choked with sobs and tears were falling like pearls from a broken string.

Just as the atmosphere was tense, the clan leader who had been silent all of a sudden shouted, "Enough!"

This sound was like thunder, which instantly silenced Erhu's wife, who dared not say another word.

The clan leader looked at Erhu's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law with deep eyes, and his tone revealed an irrefutable majesty: "It was a joint decision of the village to continue operating the weaving workshop. Business is inherently accompanied by risks and benefits. Regarding Erhu's affairs, the village will not sit idly by. Please go home and wait for news."

Erhu's wife still wanted to argue, but when she saw the patriarch's serious expression, she finally chose to remain silent.

The clan leader turned his gaze to Ma Zhi, and although his tone was somewhat stern, there was no hint of blame: “You get out too, there is no place for unruly children here.”

Although Ma Zhi felt mixed emotions, he still obediently left the ancestral hall.

"Is Steward Wang awake?"

The patriarch asked with concern.

"Not yet. Even the doctor can't make a definitive diagnosis."

Ma Yongbo's face was full of worry.

"The letter should have been delivered to Wu's Company. We need to calm down now and plan the next step. All the fabrics were lost this time. Even if we only have to bear part of the loss, it is still a considerable amount. The remaining money from the last sale of the goods will be used to fill this gap. We cannot lose our credibility, and we cannot give up cooperation with Wu's Company. As for the six families who died in the disaster, each family will be subsidized with 20 silver taels. In the days to come, everyone needs to help them and don't let them feel disappointed."

Ma Yongbo nodded in agreement, while the others looked at each other and no one spoke.

At this time, an elderly clan leader broke the silence: "Clan leader, the loss this time can still be remedied, but what about next time? If we encounter bandits again, what will our village use to compensate? I think it is better to close the weaving workshop."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire ancestral hall seemed to be shrouded in a thick haze and was dead silent.

"Uncle San, how can we close the weaving workshop just like that? If we close it, wouldn't that be playing into the hands of outsiders? Our ancestors in Majia Village have relied on weaving skills to make a living. If this skill is lost, how can we face our ancestors?"

Ma Yongbo paced back and forth anxiously, his anxiety evident on the surface.

"Even if the weaving workshop is closed, everyone can still go to the factory in town to continue working, and the craft can be passed down as before, right?"

Another clan leader said slowly.

"you you……"

Ma Yongbo stared at him in disbelief, his voice filled with obvious pain, "Uncle San, have you forgotten how the merchants in the city exploited us? Have you forgotten the suffering and humiliation so quickly?"

"The past is in the past. We can't stop moving forward because of the pain we've suffered. We can't take such risks again. It's better to be more stable. Everyone is safe and can provide for their families. Isn't this better?"

Uncle Ma answered calmly and indifferently.

Ma Yongbo looked around and read approval in the eyes of the other elders. He felt heavy in his heart as if he was being oppressed by a huge rock.

Village chief Ma also sensed the heavy atmosphere. This time, the villagers' confidence seemed to have suffered an unprecedented blow.

He spoke slowly, his voice full of tentativeness and uncertainty: "Does everyone think so?"

Everyone was silent for a long time before an elder spoke up to break the silence: "Village Chief, we really don't want anyone else to get hurt. Majia Village can't stand this. Living a stable life is better than living in fear every day."

This time, it was Village Chief Ma's turn to remain silent. His eyes revealed deep helplessness and thought, and he remained silent for a long time.

"Forget it, forget it. Since no one wants to do it, forget it."

There was a hint of fatigue and old age in Village Chief Ma's words, as if a few strands of white hair had appeared in an instant.

"Village chief, we should at least listen to the opinions of the entire village."

Ma Yongbo insisted stubbornly.

Uncle Ma interrupted, "Uncle Yong, there's no need to ask any more questions. We all know the answer."

"I disagree."

Ma Yongbo shook his head firmly.

Just as the debate was about to escalate again, Village Chief Ma made a decisive decision: "Then let everyone express their opinions."

Soon, men, women, young and old from Majia Village were called together, and the villagers privately speculated that this might be for the future of the weaving workshop.

With the appearance of Village Chief Ma, the discussions gradually died down, and everyone's eyes were focused on him, waiting for what was about to happen.

Today, when the warm sunshine just filled every corner of the village, the slightly heavy voice of Village Chief Ma penetrated the quiet air and gathered everyone under the ancient locust tree in the village.

There was a trace of undisguised worry between his brows. He swept his eyes across the faces of every villager and said slowly: "The reason why we gathered everyone here today is because there is a very important matter that needs to be discussed together. I'm sure you all know that a serious mistake occurred during the last transportation of our cloth. Not only did we lose a lot of goods, but our weaving workshop also fell into an unprecedented predicament. There are two paths before us. Either we grit our teeth and continue to stick to our weaving workshop and hope for a turnaround in the future; or we let it go, be well on our own, and find a stable job elsewhere. This is a difficult choice. I hope everyone can seriously consider it. How should we decide?"

As soon as the words fell, it was like a stone was thrown into the usually calm water surface, and ripples immediately appeared in the crowd. Whispers were intertwined, and everyone had a different expression, some were worried, some were confused, and some were determined.

Just as the villagers were talking about it, a simply decorated but elegant carriage quietly drove to the entrance of the village. It slowly stopped at the entrance of the village, but did not seem to attract anyone's attention.