The picture of his conception emerged in Li Yi's mind, which was also the life he wanted.

Everyone in the family has farmland and work to do. They get up to work every day and rest at sunset. They don’t have to worry about being hungry tomorrow or others bullying them. Such a life must be so happy.

The things he imagined were as beautiful as possible, and Li Yi didn't take them completely seriously. He just cheered himself up in his heart to increase his energy.

Randomly, he jotted down a rough outline of town planning matters. After looking at it from beginning to end, he felt quite satisfied.

Although the amount of work is huge for the people of Anxin, once it is built, it is unbreakable and enough for everyone to have a place to stay in this troubled world.

Living in a corner and living peacefully is the future that Li Yi has tailor-made for himself.

Time always flies when you are busy. Li Yi calculated the time and it was time to send the sacrificed hero to his burial.

Although the Black Panthers were well prepared for this raid and responded with all their strength, casualties were inevitable.

At that time, there were twelve people killed in the battle. Later, three seriously injured brave men died shortly after returning, so a total of fifteen brave men died in the battle.

These brave men were only around 20 years old, and there was also a 16-year-old boy. They fled all the way from the northwest to here. They were about to live a good life, but they died in the most critical battle.

The dead have passed away, but the living cannot forget their contributions.

So Li Yi asked the old patriarch to send someone to tidy up the deceased's appearance and build a coffin, waiting to stay overnight according to custom and be buried today.

This is all Li Yi can do. Although he wants to do more things, it is difficult for the living, let alone the dead.

After sorting out the drawings, Li Yi took a good bath, put on Wang's washed clothes, and rushed to the funeral.

Perhaps because it was about to usher in a sad moment, the sky that was sunny just now turned gray for a while, and the gloomy dark clouds made the atmosphere a bit solemn, and everyone's face was hardened.

Anxin is poor, so he keeps everything simple.

There was just a row of straw huts set up in the open space at the entrance of the settlement. The bodies of the fifteen deceased simply lay on the straw mats, and a small number were just placed on the hay.

Li Yi didn't say anything when he saw it. He knew that this was not because everyone was disrespectful to the deceased, but because they were helpless.

These hay are taken out from the hay nests of each household.

The living can endure it if they can, but at least the dead must go to another world comfortably.

There was still an hour left before the official announcement was made. The respected old patriarchs, Mr. Zhang and Mr. Zhao, had already arrived and were busy directing the young men to work.

Many Yongding's family members knelt beside the body and burned paper money into the simple fence made of mud bricks.

Some of them were sitting numbly on their knees, some had their heads lowered and didn't know what they were thinking, and some were talking to the corpse with sad faces, but none of them shed tears.

Maybe they have seen such scenes so many times and experienced them that they can't even shed tears.

Reality, this is reality. Although it is just a simple funeral, rough and simple, it has a shocking power.

The villagers who had nothing to do slowly gathered around and filled the open space. They were whispering to each other, looking at the corpses and interpreting the voices of the deceased with their pitiful understanding.

All the interesting stories and experiences are narrated in the mouths of these folks, telling the world and the people around them that this person has been here and lived here.

And these are not about status or wealth.

Li Yi didn't know why he felt so depressed. He thought it was because of the weather. The gloomy sky made him suddenly feel uncomfortable, as if there was an emotion gathering in his chest.

He walked forward unconsciously, and many people automatically moved out of the way.

The villagers didn't know what Li Yi was going to do and why he needed to be in such a hurry.

But Li Yi rushed in in a hurry, walked in front of the family members of the deceased Yong Ding, and suddenly became quiet.

He was facing an aunt in her thirties. The hardships of life made her look like she was in her fifties, old and withered, as if she had no life at all.

"Little benefactor..." Auntie's hair was gray and falling down in disorder. Li Yi could only see the numb eyes through the gaps between her hair.

She opened her mouth to call Li Yi's little benefactor, which is what most of the villagers called him.

But Li Yi now felt a ball of fire burning his cheeks, just because this aunt's son died in his battle plan.

He knew that what he did was not wrong, and that battle was the best he could do. Likewise, the entire Anxin villagers, including the mother who lost her son, would not think that Li Yi was wrong.

But Li Yi always felt that he was ashamed of this little benefactor, and he felt an indescribable but indelible sadness and apology in his heart.

He has trained Yong Ding's troops little by little. He can name each one and knows their character. Although he is the battalion commander and the instructor, he lives with Yong Ding.

They are brothers who depend on each other for life and death.

If possible, Li Yi would be willing to take the fatal blow for everyone.

But reality can never satisfy everyone. As long as there is a battle, casualties are inevitable.

Li Yi knew that he couldn't decide. He couldn't decide not to let Yong Ding get hurt, he couldn't decide not to let his brother die, and he couldn't decide not to let such a miserable mother lose her son.

But he wanted so much that everyone could live happily.

The villagers stopped talking, and there was only the sound of whistling wind, like everyone's breathing, and everyone looked at him.

Li Yi stood there, and all the villagers in Anxin spent this moment with the same mood.

Li Yi suddenly knelt down. He knelt down towards the numb and dull aunt, kowtowed and said softly, "I'm sorry."

In everyone's surprised eyes, Li Yi stood up, walked to the family of the next Yongding sacrifice, knelt down heavily, kowtowed, and said the simple but heavy "I'm sorry."

Under the gaze of all kinds of people, Li Yi felt as if he was in a trance at this moment. He couldn't tell whether it was reality or a dream. He could only keep repeating his actions under the control of his emotions.

Those who have family members kowtow to the family members of the deceased hero and say sorry; those who are alone kowtow to the body to apologize.

Even after kowtowing to everyone, the crowd was still silent.

They didn't know why Li Yi did this. Whether it was rules and customs or Li Yi's current status and prestige, he didn't need to lower his profile to do this.
Chapter completed!