Chapter 42 Leaving Sanquan Village (A Tiny Bit Scary, Not for the Faint-Hearted)

Chapter 42: Leaving Sanquan Village (A tiny bit scary, don't read if you're easily scared)

The wailing next door sounded genuine, as if terrified to the core, followed by Li Changxiang's harsh voice, "What are you yelling about? Shut your trap."

"Mom! There's a ghost, a ghost! It's Xiao Liu, Xiao Liu is back!"

Li Changxiang slapped Tian Xing across the face, "In broad daylight, there's no damn ghost. You're not afraid of the living, so what's there to fear?"

One slap wasn't enough, so she slapped him again, "Worthless piece of trash!"

She grew even more disdainful of her eldest son, and even more so of Zhu Ge'er in his household.

"What are you hiding for? There's a pile of dirty laundry, don't you know to wash it?" Zhu Ge'er didn't move, his eyes locked onto the big tree behind her.

Xiao Mei ran out of her room and said weakly, "Mom, I'll wash them with my sister-in-law."

Li Changxiang glanced at her, "You wash? You've given me a grandson and washed for the whole family, I don't care about that now. Get back to your room and rest, don't tire the baby in your belly."

Tian Wang tugged at Xiao Mei from behind, signaling her not to provoke his mother's bad mood. Xiao Mei looked back at Zhu Ge'er, only to see his eyes still fixed on the tree in the yard.

Almost every household in the village had fruit trees in their yards or outside, so in autumn, you could knock down a basket of fruit for the kids as snacks, and in summer, you could cool off and eat at a low table under the tree.

The Tian family's yard had a plum tree, thick and sturdy, planted by the Tian family's grandfather in his youth. In winter, the snow in the yard never melted; after each snowfall, they'd shovel it and pile it under the tree, so the next year's fruit would grow even more abundant.

These past few days, the weather warmed, and the snow pile showed signs of melting. On the ground nearby lay a shovel, its tip tinged with red. It seemed Tian Xing had planned to shovel the snow into the ditch outside, but for some reason, he'd dropped the shovel and started raving.

Xiao Mei followed Zhu Ge'er's gaze to the snow under the tree, where one side facing the yard gate had collapsed a little. She nudged Tian Wang, "Why don't you go shovel it?"

Tian Wang didn't move, pulling Xiao Mei behind him. It wasn't that he was being lazy; he'd inherited some of Li Changxiang's shrewdness and instinctively felt his big brother had seen something bad, so he stayed cautious and didn't go near.

Tian Xing clutched his head and howled like a ghost, but after being scolded by Li Changxiang, he went berserk instead. He picked up the shovel from the ground, eyes bloodshot, muttering curses under his breath, "Damn ghostly thing, I killed you once, I can kill you again. Get away, get away now!"

He raised the shovel and took a fierce swing at the snow pile under the tree. The feel was mushy and rotten, like shoveling into a pile of squishy persimmons. With another hard heave of his arm, a head, mixed with snowmelt and blood, flew up like a kite with a broken string and landed lightly at the front door.

Old Man Tian had come out to see what the fuss was about after hearing his eldest grandson's shouts, but as soon as he stepped out the front door, a black-and-red object came flying into the yard. He instinctively reached out with both hands to catch it—with a wet thud, the rotting head, softened by snowmelt, slammed into his arms. A few strands of hair, still attached to the scalp, peeled off from the impact.

The elderly man, over sixty, trembled as a thin, foul-smelling liquid mixed with urine dripped down his pant legs. His head tilted back, and he collapsed backward onto the ground.

The unrecognizable head was clutched tightly in his arms, as if embedded there.

Everyone in the yard froze. Tian Wang covered Xiao Mei's eyes, his voice shaking, "Go inside, don't come out."

Tian Xing stared at the headless body in the snow pile, then at the shovel in his hand. Trembling, he let it drop to the ground.

Zhu Ge'er suddenly started laughing, a sound more like crying. Though it was broad daylight, the Tian yard seemed shrouded in gloom.

Hearing Zhu Ge'er's bitter laughter, Tian Xing seemed to flip a switch. He lowered his head and collapsed forward, his head hitting the upturned shovel on the ground. The sound of flesh meeting metal echoed, and Tian Xing fell without a groan.

Of the two able-bodied people left in the yard, Tian Wang reacted first. He went to support his grandfather in the main room, shouting, "Mom, don't just stand there! Check on big brother!"

The old man was terrified, having wet himself. Tian Wang, suppressing his disgust, carried him to the kang, stripped him, and tucked him into the blankets. Feeling under his nose, there was still a faint breath.

Li Changxiang, snapped out of her daze by her second son's shout, rushed to check on her eldest. Tian Xing lay face-down by the snow pile, a pool of blood spreading beneath him, mingling with the melted blood from the corpse, seeping into the muddy ground.

She turned him over. Tian Xing's eyes were closed, a large gash in the middle of his head, blood flowing freely, smearing half his face.

No matter how wayward, he was still her son. Tears streamed down Li Changxiang's face as she pressed her sleeve against the wound, staining her arm red without stopping the bleeding.

Seeing Tian Wang come out, she cried, "Second son, hurry and fetch the doctor! Borrow the village head's ox cart! Go, now!"

Tian Wang looked at his brother's lifeless face, trembling as he reached a finger under his nose—ice cold.

"Mom, no need. Big brother... he's gone."

Li Changxiang's hand went limp, and she fell to the ground. Her eyes met the headless body in the snow pile. She gasped twice, rolled her eyes back, and fainted.

The Song family heard the commotion next door die down. Da Li spoke first, "Mom? Auntie, should I go check on the Tian family?"

He meant well, wanting to help, but Song Sixth Aunt forbade it, "Don't go. Who knows what they've gotten into? That crying was too eerie."

Song Tingzhou said, "I'll go find the village head and let him handle it."

Da Li added, "I'll go with you."

The two men left. Man Ge'er felt a chill down his spine and shrank his neck, looking at the thoughtful Meng Wan, "Aren't you scared?"

Meng Wan sighed, "It's not us who should be scared, but those who've done wrong."

Man Ge'er seemed enlightened, "You're right. Even if it's a vengeful spirit, it should go after those who harmed it."

The village head arrived with a feng shui master from the neighboring village. This time, with the Tian family in trouble again, not a single villager came to watch. A few hungry winter crows, drawn by the smell of rotting flesh, circled above the Tian yard, cawing mournfully.

Conversations next door were hushed, as if afraid to disturb something. Chang Jinhua and Song Sixth Aunt were especially cautious, shooing the younger ones inside while they did needlework and chatted on the kang. Meng Wan took the chance to teach Man Ge'er how to knead dough.

Having made youtiao so often, the motions were muscle memory. Meng Wan guided him step by step, his mind mulling over the Tian family's affairs.

He didn't believe in vengeful spirits; evil had its rewards, but there had to be a cause. He recalled Zhu Ge'er's rambling words and suspected he had gone mad.

Zhu Ge'er's parents had been cold, treating their children as commodities to fill their bellies. After marrying into the Tian family, he had a few good years, enjoying some warmth with Tian Xing, despite Li Changxiang's dislike. But after years without a child, Tian Xing showed his true colors.

At first, Zhu Ge'er felt guilty for not giving Tian Xing a child and envied Xiao Mei's boldness in befriending Meng Wan. When he heard Tian Xing targeting Meng Wan, he struggled but later told Song Tingzhou where to find him when he went looking.

He had a complex feeling toward Meng Wan—admiration, jealousy, a desire to befriend him, and a fantasy of becoming him. Meng Wan knew none of this; he had barely exchanged words with Zhu Ge'er.

Song Tingzhou and Da Li returned. The Tian family had plenty of men; Tian's eldest uncle had come back from the mountains, so it wasn't for outsiders to meddle. Tian's second uncle's family was large, and they were close to the eldest uncle, but the villagers were superstitious, and even close relatives avoided getting involved, fearing contamination.

"Tian's eldest uncle borrowed the village head's ox cart to fetch a doctor from Hongmiao Village. The old man's still alive, but Tian Xing's in bad shape."

Da Li spoke to Chang Jinhua and Song Sixth Aunt. Song Tingzhou stayed quiet, worried about scaring Meng Wan. He hurried back to find him teaching Xiao Man to make youtiao. Though Meng Wan's expression was grim, he showed no fear, which eased his mind.

"Tian Xing was so strong, and he's gone just like that?"

"People really shouldn't do evil, or they'll face retribution. Heaven is watching!"

The two women sighed, pausing their work.

After the doctor arrived by ox cart, Tian Xing's body was already cold. The old man could still be saved; after a few doses of medicine, half swallowed and half spilled, he remained unconscious. The doctor said even if he recovered, he'd never leave the kang.

Tian Xing died in his prime. Funerals in the Yu Kingdom were elaborate, and though the village simplified things, it still seemed complex to Meng Wan, a modern person.

Li Changxiang refused to admit her son died a violent death, calling it an accident, but she kept the feng shui master in the house, unwilling to let him leave—clearly afraid.

The Tian family set up a mourning hall, but at night, the family dared not keep vigil, hiring the feng shui master to perform rituals.

The feng shui master from Hongmiao Village only knew how to pick auspicious dates from the I Ching, not Taoist rites. But to earn the money, he had to improvise.

At night, a mournful wind howled outside, and Chang Jinhua was lightly snoring.

Meng Wan curled up under the quilt, only his eyes visible. Though he clearly didn't believe in ghosts or spirits, the Tian family's creepy vibe still got to him. He inexplicably felt as if someone was watching him from the shadows, even felt like waking Chang Jinhua to stay with him.

"With the bow and arrow, I'll feast with you. With wine and song, we'll grow old together. The zither and harp in harmony, nothing but peace and joy..."

The faint sound of reading from the small room chased away Meng Wan's fear.

He's still studying at night?

Meng Wan stuck his head out from under the covers and laid it properly on the pillow. Accompanied by Song Tingzhou's clear and pleasant voice, he inexplicably felt at ease. Sleepiness slowly crept over him, and as he drifted off, he thought he should tell Song Tingzhou to take care of his eyes tomorrow, since there were no reading glasses back then.

According to custom, the body was supposed to lie in state for three days before burial, but the Tian family, stubborn as they were, got scared too. After one night, early the next morning, they quickly got clan members to carry the coffin and bury it.

After washing up, Meng Wan stood at the door and could see the thin funeral procession. The sad cries echoed down the cold village road, slowly fading as they headed up the mountain.

He looked away and suddenly caught sight of a white figure on the wall next to the Tian family. Biting back the scream that almost escaped his throat, Meng Wan gulped and said, "Zhu Ge'er? Why are you sitting up so high?"

Zhu Ge'er had white mourning cloth wrapped around his head, waist, and sleeves. His face was pale, his figure thin, as if a gust of wind could knock him over, but his eyes were bright when he looked at Meng Wan.

Meng Wan found it hard to describe that look precisely—like he'd let go of something, but picked up a heavier load.

"I heard you're leaving?"

Meng Wan found it unbelievable. With something this big happening in the Tian family, how could Zhu Ge'er still be focused on his family's business?

He hesitated a bit, wanting to say something comforting to Zhu Ge'er, but figured it wasn't needed. After thinking it over, he just admitted, "Yes, we'll be leaving soon."

Zhu Ge'er had heard from the villagers that the Song family opened a food shop in town, so he figured Meng Wan was heading back there.

But—whether it was town or somewhere else, Zhu Ge'er's words had a hint of envy.

"That's great... Is it nice out there?"

Meng Wan's voice was lively, "I can't say for sure. You can only tell after seeing it yourself. But hey, people should always see sights they've never seen before."

Zhu Ge'er's voice was distant, "Is that so... Wan Ge'er, do you know my name?"

Zhu Ge'er wasn't asking about his nickname "Zhu," but his full name.

Meng Wan shook his head, "No."

Zhu Ge'er said faintly, "My name is Qu Zhu."

Meng Wan suddenly thought of that young man he'd never met, who died without a sound. "And your little brother? What was his name?"

Zhu Ge'er shook all over. He seemed surprised Meng Wan asked about Xiao Liu. His voice shook as he said, "He was my sixth brother, named Qu Xing."

Xing, a water plant you see everywhere, just like the least noticed brother in the family.

Meng Wan said softly, "Alright, I'll remember."

Today, they were heading to town to rent a carriage. Chang Jinhua packed up the new clothes that Sixth Aunt Song had helped make in a rush, and the family started packing up again. This time, they were truly going on a long journey and wouldn't be back for a while.

There were still a dozen or so cabbages and radishes left in the cellar, all given to Sixth Aunt Song and Second Aunt's family. The rice, flour, pots, and pans were stored in Sixth Aunt Song's new house, which had more space.

Zhu Zi drove the ox cart to the Song family's door to pick them up, taking a wide detour around the Tian family's gate.

"Auntie, I'm here. Need any help?"

Meng Wan and Chang Jinhua each came out carrying relatively small baskets, followed by Song Tingzhou with his book box and a bundle in his hand.

"No need, this is all we have. Go ahead to your Sixth Aunt's house first; she has more stuff."

Zhu Zi responded, "Alright, I'll head over there. You all take your time."

Sixth Aunt Song's house was similar to when they first rented a shop in town—the good thing was they didn't need to bring mats for the kang. The ones Second Aunt had made last time hadn't been brought back.

Sixth Uncle Song stayed home to look after the house. Since their son and daughter-in-law were doing business for the first time, Sixth Aunt Song was worried and wanted to go along.

Again, they loaded everything onto the ox cart while the people walked below, and the group gradually moved away with the cart.

Outside the low wooden gate of the Tian family stood a solitary figure, watching their receding backs until they disappeared.

In books, villains get their just deserts.

In reality, the vulnerable seek help everywhere.

Protecting your own rights is not shameful.

Onlookers who point fingers think they stand on a high moral ground.

Words turn into sharp arrows.

Morality flickers faintly.

Desire blinds the eyes.

Ignorance is the most rampant.

—End of Sanquan Village Arc.