In the early morning, Li Chaiyuan opened his eyes.
In this world, it is rare to feel more beautiful and comfortable than waking up from a good night's sleep.
If there is, it is to wake up and open your eyes and turn your head sideways.
Although the sun had not yet risen in the morning, there was already a ray of warm light shining into his bedroom first.
Ah Li didn't disturb the boy's sleep, she was standing in front of the drawing table, drawing.
The girl's long skirt with green patterns on a white background today gives people a soft and hazy texture.
Yesterday, I went fishing and temporarily changed a set of clothes, and although today's one is not yesterday's set, it is also a similar style.
In this way, Mrs. Liu expressed her stubbornness.
Li Zhuyuan woke up, then continued to lie on the bed, looking sideways.
When Ah Li dipped the brush, he turned sideways and looked this way.
The girl's bright eyes met the boy's gaze.
Li Chaiyuan was embarrassed to continue to stay in bed.
Get up and wash.
If nothing else, the boy should play chess with the girl next and wait for breakfast.
But today there was an accident, and there was more than one.
Li Chaiyuan went downstairs.
There are two coffins on the first floor, and every time Tan Wenbin and Runsheng come back, these two coffins are their beds.
At this time, Runsheng was standing by the coffin, looking at the situation in the coffin next door.
Li Chaiyuan came over.
As soon as I got closer, I sensed the strong resentment emanating from inside the coffin.
Condensed but not dispersed, stored but not released, like a cover used on the village dinner table to cover the food and block flies.
Tan Wenbin inside, his face was as white as if he had been pink, but his lips were particularly red.
Under normal circumstances, the coffin can already be carried out and buried.
Li Chaiyuan put his hand into the coffin, and his fingertips lightly tapped Tan Wenbin's eyebrows a few times, which felt cold to the touch.
Then go down, touch its snort, and the breath is like a gossamer.
It was bad and serious, but not dangerous.
Because when he came into contact, Li Chaiyuan sensed two resentful infants' trembling breaths.
It's like a child who has made a mistake at home, huddled in a corner, waiting in panic for severe punishment from his parents.
The two resentful babies should have woken up from the digestive state of eating and suffocating.
When he went to bed last night, Tan Wenbin sensed the recovery of their consciousness.
Then, Tan Wenbin took the initiative to make conscious contact with them.
From the perspective of an "old father", this move is very normal, just like opening the door to welcome his son back from school, opening his arms, wanting to hug them as usual.
But the problem is that after the two resentful babies ate and digested, they grew up and became heavier.
But neither of them nor Tan Wenbin himself did not have this awareness, or rather, they did not have a clearer sensitivity.
Tan Wenbin's active conscious contact with them is equivalent to actively picking them up and then ...... He dodged fiercely and tilted his waist.
His current state was a fake death caused by his body not being able to bear such a strong impact of resentment and ghost energy for a while.
If he was affected by other evil spirits, Tan Wenbin would have been more bad than bad by now, but fortunately, the two resentful babies already knew that they had caused a big disaster and had already tried their best to shrink their resentment.
Tan Wenbin only needs to lie down and sleep for a few days, and his vital signs will gradually recover.
Although he didn't do it intentionally, it was also a baptism of resentment for himself.
Their godson had a full meal, and he, who was the godfather, also went up and licked the plate.
After experiencing this time, Tan Wenbin, who woke up, will have a physique that tends to be a yin spirit, that is, the kind of person who is naturally suitable to be a blind fortune teller.
In the future, his perception of evil spirits, as well as the use of some techniques, including the most basic yin walking, will be smoother, after all, his body is more suitable.
It can also be regarded as a blessing in disguise.
It's just that no one dares to copy it, because as long as these two resentful babies have a trace of distracting thoughts or other intentions in their hearts, then Tan Wenbin will surely die.
The two of them now only need to gently hook their fingers to complete the "borrowing corpse to return to the soul" to Tan Wenbin.
Li Zhuyuan did not intervene.
He could forcibly separate the two resentful babies from Tan Wenbin now in order to be absolutely safe.
But he knew that Tan Wenbin would definitely not want to, he really trusted the godsons who had been with them for a long time, and he was really good to them.
Every time I read "The Book of Evil", I am cautious, and I will try my best to avoid possible risks in any risky move on weekdays, but my team mates are brave one by one.
To put it nicely, it is called determination and pioneering;
If it doesn't sound good, call those who don't know fearless, don't know what it means, and it doesn't matter.
But one by one, you have to wipe your buttocks yourself.
Li Chaiyuan looked at Runsheng.
Runsheng understood what Xiaoyuan meant, turned around, and ate it with some fragrant food.
"Brother Runsheng, help me find seven candles, and then set up a small offering table here at the head of this coffin."
"Okay!"
Runsheng immediately prepared the things.
Li Chaiyuan first pressed the ink with his fingers, drew lines on the coffin lid, and then placed the seven candles in the corresponding positions.
The arm waved over the candle, and all seven candles spontaneously ignited.
This is the "Seven Star Soul Lamp".
Helping Tan Wenbin stabilize his soul and mind can help him wake up and recover earlier.
Li Zhuyuan tapped his fingertips on the coffin lid and said, "Put the coffin lid on so that it won't be exposed and scare people."
"Okay."
Runsheng first carefully pushed the lid of the coffin, and after seeing that the seven candles on it did not move, he increased his efforts to let Tan Wenbin rest in peace.
At this time, Li Sanjiang yawned and walked down from upstairs to prepare breakfast.
Seeing this posture, he asked with some doubts: "What's wrong with lighting so many candles?"
Li Chaiyuan: "Brother Binbin heard that this method is equivalent to heating, and it will be more comfortable when you live in it a hundred years later."
Li Sanjiang: "Where is it?"
Li Chaiyuan: "The rich old people in the countryside over there in Jinling will do this."
Li Sanjiang nodded: "Okay, it's good."
In these two coffins, Tan Wenbin slept with Li Sanjiang's, and Runsheng slept with Uncle Shan.
Li Sanjiang: "Hey, where is the strong man?"
Li Chaiyuan: "Brother Zhuang went to Shigang to see his grandparents, saying that he was going to stay there for a few days, and he just went out."
"Oh, this is how it should be." Li Sanjiang lit a cigarette for himself, as if he remembered something again, and hurriedly said to Runsheng, "Marquis Runsheng, light candles on your coffin, and we will also warm the mountain cannon."
"Okay."
"Marquis Runsheng, what do you think of you, Uncle Li, I really remember that mountain cannon for all good things."
"Yes, yes."
"Knowing me is the greatest blessing in Shan Pao's life."
"Yes, yes."
"Hey, hey."
Li Sanjiang held a cigarette in his hand and waved to Li Chaiyuan: "Xiaoyuanhou, come here."
Li Chaiyuan followed Li Sanjiang and walked out together.
Runsheng first covered his coffin and placed seven candles.
He tried to imitate Xiao Yuan's previous actions, waving his hand at the seven candles and waving again.
Then silently took out a match and lit the seven candles in turn.
Immediately afterwards, he brought a small brazier and went to the corner to get some money from the stack.
Nowadays, the tickets of this kind of "Tiandi Bank" are still precious, and they are not used much in rural areas, so there is no inflation.
The face value is still 100 yuan, 50 yuan, and 10 yuan, and there are not many exaggerated zeros.
Runsheng found a small bench, sat down, and burned paper for Zhuangzhuang.
……
On the dam, Li Sanjiang said to Li Chaiyuan: "Xiaoyuanhou, my grandfather, I am going to Shigang Town in the morning, you ...... Do you have anything to buy, the grandfather will buy it for you."
"Master, I don't have anything to buy, I have food and drink at home."
"Oh, hmm."
Li Sanjiang originally wanted to take Li Chaiyuan to Shigang Town to win the prize, but there was an event there this morning.
But on second thought, I shouldn't take my children to play this kind of gambling thing.
In Li Sanjiang's creed, it is true that the money in his hand can be used to buy wine and meat and eat it in his stomach, and it is no different from using it for gambling and burning.
But he really couldn't hold back, thinking about buying a scratch, when he dreamed last night, he also dreamed that he had scratched it, he thought this was a good sign, a hint.
If you win a prize on the premise of nothing, it is gambling; If there is a clear dream hint to touch the prize, it is called buying.
Near breakfast time, Uncle Qin came back with a hoe.
When Uncle Qin left here because of the incident in Baijia Town, the grandfather regretted it for a long time, after all, Uncle Qin was really capable.
Even ordinary farmers would not go to the fields so early.
Uncle Qin will basically finish the work in the field in the morning and evening, and deliver the goods in between.
This kind of mule who will allocate his own time to work, Li Sanjiang simply doesn't like it too much.
However, in the past, every morning, Xiong Shan would come over with Uncle Qin for breakfast.
Uncle Qin went to the field so early, and he Xiong Shan was embarrassed to sleep in, let alone sleep in.
But this morning, I didn't see Xiong Shan.
Uncle Qin: "A Ting, I won't have breakfast, I have to go out."
After saying that, Uncle Qin rode his bicycle away.
Liu Yumei lives here, and some of her daily refreshments, tea leaves and custom-made clothes need to be picked up by Uncle Qin or Aunt Liu.
Not long after Uncle Qin left, Xiong Shan trotted over, as if something was wrong.
Li Chaiyuan walked over and listened to his whispered report:
"Brother Xiaoyuan, something happened to Lin Shuyou."
"What's wrong with him?"
"I'm a little unwell......" After a pause, Xiong Shan added, "It's my fault."
Lin Shuyou originally had a bed here, which was also a coffin, but the coffin was sold just the day before yesterday, and he ran out of bed.
Before Yin Meng made the new coffin, he had to go to the bearded man's house to sleep in a separate spacious room.
Li Chaiyuan followed Xiong Shan to the bearded man's house.
went up to the second floor, pushed open the door, and saw Lin Shuyou leaning on the edge of the bed with his stomach covered, with cold sweat flowing down his face.
After seeing Li Chaiyuan come in, Lin Shuyou shrank his neck, looking afraid of being scolded.
Before he went to bed last night, he sat down with Xiong Shan to chat, and asked Xiong Shan for a few Chenzhou Fu, wanting to paste it on himself to try out the effect.
He didn't have the courage to be confident that he could improve the system of officers and generals like Brother Xiaoyuan, he was just thinking about whether the Chenzhou Fu could be used together with the Qi Yi to improve his combat power.
Unexpectedly, this post was again a girl, and the boy quickly came and left quickly.
The Chenzhou Fu attached to his body also burned, and the whole person made a "pop" sound, jumping up and down, dizzy, and then began to vomit and diarrhea throughout the night.
He was a good martial arts practitioner and almost collapsed.
Li Chaiyuan walked up to Lin Shuyou and said, "Lie down."
Lin Shuyou lay down obediently.
Li Zhuiyuan put his finger on Lin Shuyou's eyebrows.
Xiong Shan stood next to him and said in a low voice: "I have only been shallow, and I have checked him several times, but I have never found any remaining talisman paper."
Xiong Shan believed that it was the Chen Zhou Fu that was disturbed, which had an impact on Lin Shuyou's body.
Li Chaiyuan moved his hand from Lin Shuyou's forehead to Lin Shuyou's abdomen.
"Does it hurt here?"
"It doesn't hurt."
"Does it hurt here?"
"It hurts."
"Did it hurt here from the beginning last night?"
"No, it seems to have changed the position, and it will be lower at night."
Li Chaiyuan nodded.
Seeing this, Xiong Shan breathed a sigh of relief, and then subconsciously asked: "The effect of the talisman paper remains here?"
Li Chaiyuan: "No."
Xiong Shan: "That's ......"
Li Chaiyuan: "You can send him to the town health center now."
Xiong Shan was surprised: "Send to the health center?"
Li Chaiyuan: "Well, he is acute appendicitis."
However, the triggering factors are not purely natural.
First of all, the Chenzhou Fu is a faction of its own, and it is not the same thing as the talisman paper that Li Chaiyuan used for Lin Shuyou before.
Secondly, Lin Shuyou forgot that this was not Li Sanjiang's house but a bearded house, and he actually dared to show off at Taolin.
This made it difficult for the White Crane Boy to handle.
Being admonished by his oath to the boy last time, the white crane boy neither dared to come down nor did not dare not come down.
Therefore, after finding out that he was not here and there was no actual danger nearby, the boy came to "rush down and up".
He came down, and He went away quickly.
This made Lin Shuyou unable to complain to the young man, saying that he did not come down.
This time, combined with the special effect of Chenzhou Fu, it was equivalent to severely upsetting Lin Shuyou's internal organs.
His body is indeed good and durable, but there is also a problem, which induces acute appendicitis.
Xiong Shan carried Lin Shuyou downstairs, ran out of the house, and cut off his appendix on his back early in the morning.
Seeing Li Chaiyuan coming back, Aunt Liu shouted: "Breakfast!"
Ah Li was already sitting there waiting for herself, and Chase Li sat down next to the girl.
Runsheng walked out, he had just saved more than 100,000 yuan underground for Tan Wenbin in advance.
However, after coming out, Runsheng looked around and said, "Where is Mengmeng?"
In the past, Yin Meng would get up very early every day.
After all, she can't cook, but if she doesn't eat on time, it will be too unsightly, especially since it is her master who cooks every day.
Li Chaiyuan's eyes fell on the west room with closed doors and windows.
Thought: There is another living treasure?
Li Zhuyuan stood up, walked to the door of the west room, paused, and saw that Aunt Liu was still carrying porridge outside, he knew that it was safe inside and the door could be opened.
Even, Yin Meng should be safe.
When they used to live in the grandfather's house, Aunt Liu and Uncle Qin would be very cautious, for fear of being backlashed by the grandfather's good fortune, and now they have a self who walks the river......
Moreover, when I was talking to the tablet yesterday, Aunt Liu next to me seemed to be injured.
So, they can only be more cautious now.
They will not show extraordinary coping methods when it is not necessary.
But Aunt Liu would definitely not sit idly by and watch Yin Meng die under her nose.
Without knocking on the door, Li Chaiyuan pushed the door directly in.
In the house, Yin Meng was in a coma, and there were dense jars and cans next to him, making Li Chaiyuan not know how to settle down for a while.
When Runsheng came to the door, Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand and motioned for him not to come in first.
Immediately, Li Chaiyuan bent down and carefully put away the poison bottles.
After taking care of the surroundings, he walked to Yin Meng's side and checked her condition, and found that her condition was very similar to that of the last time she was poisoned and unconscious.
Li Chaiyuan walked to a small basket, which contained some antidote bottles, the number of which was like "a drop in the ocean" compared to the poison bottles in the whole room.
Yin Meng only likes to study poisons, and is too lazy to make an antidote.
Li Chaiyuan found the bottle of antidote with the emetic effect last time, handed it to Runsheng, and told him to brew it with hot water, three times a day, to feed Yin Meng to take it, and by the way, he asked Runsheng to go to the health center and send some change of clothes to Lin Shuyou.
After doing this, Li Chaiyuan walked out of the west room, came to the well and squatted down, picked up the soap, and began to wash his hands over and over again.
Li Sanjiang asked with concern: "What's wrong with Marquis Meng?"
"I have a cold, it's not serious, Runsheng fed her medicine."
"Oh, this season, it is indeed easy to catch wind and cold."
After Li Chaiyuan washed several times, he still felt that it was not safe, so he simply went upstairs, got to the ground in the morning, and took a shower.
A person like him, even if he has just finished killing and dies, can sit down next to him to eat, and he doesn't feel unlucky.
But the poison of yin is different.
After taking a shower, Aunt Liu brought the reheated porridge.
When Li Chaiyuan took the porridge bowl, he asked: "What's the disadvantage of cold porridge?"
Aunt Liu smiled and said: "Anyway, you can't eat dead people."
Li Chaiyuan was relieved.
Ah Li handed over a peeled salted duck egg.
It should have been when I was waiting for myself before, I had nothing to do, so I simply peeled off all the eggshells.
Li Chaiyuan took a bite, feeling like he couldn't laugh or cry.
My team was almost wiped out collectively in one day.
This is actually an inevitable phenomenon, because their strength and development have reached a certain level, and if they want to pursue rapid improvement in the short term, it will inevitably be accompanied by greater risks.
However, they really can't continue to mess around, and their freedom is limited.
It's time to set a rule, you can allow yourself to have your own ideas, but before you try, you must first report to yourself and let yourself review it.
Thanks to this, we are now in a stage where there is nothing to do in the short term.
When Li Chaiyuan was eating, he saw that his grandfather was about to go out.
But as soon as the grandfather walked to the dam, he saw young people in their early twenties riding bicycles over.
"Uncle Li, Uncle Li."
"Are you?"
"I am from Sanxin Village, I am the third marquis of the Wu family in Sanxin Village."
The third marquis means that young people are the third oldest in the family.
"Oh, the third marquis, what's wrong, what happened?"
Li Sanjiang didn't know him.
Usually, people he doesn't know come to him for that kind of thing.
"Someone left at home and wanted to invite Uncle Li to take a trip."
This is business.
Li Sanjiang: "What number?"
Wu Jianhua: "Just today, Uncle Li, if you are okay now, come with me, and I will send it back to you."
"Today?" Li Sanjiang responded, "The little girl in the family has died?"
Under normal circumstances, only when a child dies will be buried hastily, and will not do anything for nothing.
"Hmm. My eldest brother's child died."
"That's it, I'll go."
Li Sanjiang turned around and looked at home.
Runsheng went to deliver things to Lin Shuyou after breakfast, Xiong Shan accompanied Lin Shuyou in the health center, and Uncle Qin also went out, and Zhuang Zhuang "went back to his hometown".
This house suddenly became empty.
Li Chaiyuan finished drinking the porridge at this time, stood up and said: "Master, let me go with you."
Li Sanjiang hesitated for a moment, he would not call Xiao Yuanhou to go out with him on weekdays, but this time he did lack a helper.
Forget it, it's not a complicated matter anyway, just deal with it quickly and get back to it.
"Xiaoyuanhou, let's go."
Wu Jianhua: "Let me give you a ride, sit on the front bar, Uncle Li, you sit in the back."
Li Sanjiang: "You have to take the guys, you can't take them."
Li Chaiyuan pushed out the tricycle at home.
After Li Sanjiang put the guy's affairs away, he said: "Xiaoyuanhou, come, you sit in the back, and I will ride, grandfather."
"Master, I can ride."
"Xikangzi, how old are you, your body is not good, don't use your strength, otherwise you will lose money in the future."
Li Sanjiang doesn't know how to practice martial arts, but in his long life, he has seen too many situations where he didn't eat well or did heavy work too early when he was a child, which led to problems when he grew up.
Li Chaiyuan was actually really able to ride, but he didn't fight with the grandfather anymore, and sat obediently in the back.
Wu Jianhua rode a bicycle in front to lead the way, and Li Sanjiang followed on a tricycle.
The two of them rode side by side on the side of the road without morality, talking by the way.
Li Chaiyuan faced the back and looked at the vehicle.
After some conversation and exchange, the situation of the Wu family was clearly explained.
The old man of the Wu family is called Wu Changshun and has four sons under his knees.
The eldest and the second child were born to the first wife, the eldest is almost forty this year, and the second child is two years older than the old, named Wu Youhou and Wu Yougen respectively.
The third and fourth children were born to the second wife married by Wu Changshun's first wife after his death, the third is Wu Jianhua, and the fourth is called Wu Jianxin.
The eldest Wu Youhou got married, but his daughter-in-law was pregnant three times, counting this time, he was stillborn twice and died once.
The second child, Wu Yougen, is also very old and has never been married.
Wu Jianhua said that it was because he, the second half-brother, had a dull personality, didn't like to talk, and couldn't talk to anyone.
The third child, Wu Jianhua, is twenty-three years old, and the fourth Wu Jianxin is twenty-one years old, both married, and Wu Jianhua's wife is still pregnant.
The reason why Wu Jianhua came to invite Li Sanjiang this time was not entrusted by his family, but by his father-in-law and wife.
Wu Jianhua rode his bicycle directly into it, and Li Sanjiang parked the tricycle on the road opposite the door.
When he got out of the car to pick up something, Li Sanjiang muttered: "This is really a stepmother and a stepfather."
Li Chaiyuan knew what the grandfather meant, the second child of the Wu family was just because of his dull personality, so he wouldn't be able to say that he couldn't be a daughter-in-law, if he wanted to say that the family had no conditions, but the third and fourth children born to his stepmother were so young but they were all married.
The young man helped carry things together and walked into the Wu family courtyard.
This is made up of an old bungalow and two new brick houses.
The third and fourth families live in a new brick house, and the old family and the second child, who is not married, live in the old house with two old people.
The child's body was placed in a cabinet in the house.
The child was three years old and died of illness.
Li Chaiyuan stepped forward and took a look, the child was relatively thin and had a defective appearance, which meant that he was born deficient, and there was a high probability that he could not conceive well when he was in his mother's womb.
The old man Wu Changshun sat on the threshold of the old house and smoked a hookah.
The second child, Wu Yougen, sat on the steps without saying a word.
The eldest Wu Youhou stood by the cabinet, looking at the children in the cabinet in a daze.
The child's mother was lying on the bed in the house, Li Chaiyuan glanced inside at the door of the room, the woman on the bed was very thin, and there was a strong smell of medicine in the room.
The couple was almost forty years old, and the dead child was only three years old, which was quite late in the countryside, and there were two miscarriages in front of them.
The couple has made great efforts for their children, but now, it has been completed.
Li Sanjiang held a peach wood sword, first scratched Wu Youhou's body a few times, and then patted him on the shoulder: "Mourning."
Wu Youhou sighed sadly, nodded reluctantly, closed his eyes, and said: "Probably, I just don't have this life."
Wu Youhou's wife was not asleep, her eyes were open, she should have just cried sadly, she had dried up her tears, and she was staring at the beams with a numb expression.
After the peach wood sword also scratched the woman's body a few times, he began to chant the sutra, mixed with several words of comfort.
Li Zhuyuan held a flag for the grandfather and followed the grandfather.
The function of this flag is the same as the peach wood sword produced by the furniture factory in the hands of the grandfather, and it is useless.
But after entering the room, Li Chaoyuan raised his head, followed the woman's gaze, and looked at the beams.
The woman just acted spontaneously in despair, but Li Chaiyuan really saw three black things.
Is it an evil spirit?
But it doesn't look like it.
shrunk into a ball and not formed.
Li Zhuiyuan's eyes were fixed and he looked at it carefully, this time, he saw it more clearly.
It was two small and one large three black shadows.
There are resentments and evil thoughts, but they are not enough to be evil.
This stage is like a bubble that keeps rising before boiling water.
This is also the reason why Li Chaiyuan was outside the room and failed to perceive their existence, because they were still in the embryonic stage.
Under normal circumstances, this is impossible, but the facts are in front of me.
Li Zhuiyuan quickly thought of the reason, Sanxin Village is relatively close to Siyuan Village where he and his grandfather live, which means that it is very close to the peach grove.
With it, other evil spirits nearby were naturally suppressed, either retreating or dissipating, and as for the unformed ghosts, they were almost impossible to form.
Therefore, these three black shadows in the room will not last long and will resolve on their own.
Of course, Xiao Huangying and Tan Wenbin had an accident on their shoulders, after all, they had the label of "their own people" on their bodies.
After being comforted by Li Sanjiang's sense of ceremony, the woman on the bed seemed to regain her composure a little.
She nodded to Li Sanjiang to express her gratitude, and then looked at Li Chaiyuan who was standing next to him carrying the flag.
The emotions in the woman's eyes were very complicated, it seemed that she saw her own child in the teenager, she had the opportunity to be a mother three times, but none of them could be long-term.
"Come on, Xi Ling, come here."
The woman waved to Li Chaiyuan.
Li Chaiyuan leaned against the bed.
The woman sat up with some difficulty, her clothes were very ordinary, she was not yet forty years old, but she already had a lot of white hair on her head.
She reached out and opened the bedside table, which contained a few pieces of cotton candy wrapped in shiny paper, she picked them up one by one, and then handed them all to Li Zhuiyuan.
Li Zhuiyuan stretched out his hand to take it.
Immediately afterwards, the woman took out a very wrinkled piece of money from her pocket and handed it to Li Chaiyuan.
Li Chaiyuan didn't reach out to pick it up.
The woman pressed the money into the young man's hand and said, "This is your first visit, so take it."
Li Zhuiyuan still didn't take it.
At this moment, Li Sanjiang, who was still performing the ceremony nearby, said, "Young Lord Yuan, take it."
Since the father and son weren't guests, they weren't supposed to take it. So Li Sanjiang decided to deduct the money from the "wages" later.
Since the grandfather had spoken, Li Zhuiyuan reached out and took the money.
The woman smiled, a look of relief on her face, a literal sense of relief.
"Ha, hum!"
At this moment, the old woman standing at the doorway uttered a series of nasal grunts of dissatisfaction.
Her name was Luo Jinhua, the second wife of the old man Wu Changshun and the biological mother of the third and fourth sons.
She had expressed her displeasure at the eldest son's wife giving him money.
Li Sanjiang glared back at Luo Jinhua, who was standing at the doorway. Damn it, who is this stinking woman showing her displeasure to?
But Luo Jinhua, fixed on her eldest daughter-in-law in bed, didn't notice Li Sanjiang's displeasure.
Li Sanjiang emerged from the room, set up the altar in front of the small cabinet, and continued the ritual.
Li Zhuiyuan stood by, helping carry the flags, pass the bowls, and carry the incense.
He was just helping out, leaving the entire ceremony to the grandfather.
Even when the grandfather gestured for him to place the incense in the burner, Li Zhuiyuan pretended not to hear and let the grandfather do it himself.
The grandfather's ritual was actually useless.
But the dead cannot be resurrected, so no matter how impressive your ritual is, it means nothing at this moment.
Still, the grandfather comforted the family, though some of them didn't show any sadness in their eyes when being comforted.
The old man also spoke to the child in the closet, telling him to walk carefully and slowly, as the road ahead was dark.
As he spoke, the woman in the room also got out of bed, leaning against the doorframe with her hand, watching the scene unfold.
Finally, the old man had completed the ceremony with perfect grace.
Li Sanjiang sighed three times, like a storyteller clapping a wake-up stick, reminding the host: the work is done, and it's time to pay.
Wu Changshun, the old man of the Wu family, put away his water pipe and went into the inner room.
Luo Jinhua glared at the eldest daughter-in-law standing at the doorway and also went inside.
Even the third son, Wu Jianhua, who had originally called Li Sanjiang to perform the ritual, lifted his belt and went to the porcelain jar to relieve himself.
Li Sanjiang sighed a fourth time.
Generally speaking, a deposit must be collected in advance for funerals.
After all, in every profession, there are inevitably "waiters."
But this time, mindful of his young son's infancy, he ignored the issue and settled matters first, allowing the child to rest in peace sooner and his parents to rest in peace sooner.
Who could have imagined that they would be faced with another money-collecting situation?
Li Sanjiang stood there motionless.
The eldest brother, Wu Youhou, ran into the inner room, looking for Luo Jinhua.
Soon, Luo Jinhua's shrill voice rang out from the room:
"I have no money. Where would I get it? How can I pay for your son's funeral?"
"Mom, don't you have all my money? All the money I earn from odd jobs and my second son's money from farming and selling grain at home, I give it all to you. We don't have much money around."
"You say you have no money? Then how can your wife still have money to give to outsiders? I saw it with my own eyes. How can you call that poor? I think she's very rich!
Bah, you useless loser, wasting our food!"
The eldest brother, Wu Youhou, turned pale with anger and walked out of the inner room.
The second brother, Wu Yougen, who had been sitting on the steps with his nephew's body, emptied both pockets and found some change, which he gave to his eldest brother.
But it was nowhere near enough.
The woman walked out the door, sat down beside the small cabinet, and reached out to caress her son's body.
Wu Youhou ran out of the house, presumably to borrow money from a neighbor.
A short while later, he returned with the money.
In the countryside, being able to borrow money so quickly signified good character.
Luo Jinhua emerged from the inner room, hurling a screech, "You borrowed money, pay it back yourself! Don't even think about using it from the public account!"
Wu Youhou ignored him, sorted the money, and handed it to Li Sanjiang.
Li Sanjiang could tell this family wasn't playing it safe to avoid paying for the funeral.
This was simply the way things were in this family.
Li Sanjiang pushed the money away, saying, "Your wife already gave it to you."
Wu Youhou: "That won't do. That won't do."
Li Sanjiang pushed Wu Youhou away in anger. He wasn't feeling pity for him, but rather anger at his lack of resolve. The fact that the family still had public funds meant the family hadn't yet been divided. This man was too shameless and useless. He still hadn't split up at his age. Li Sanjiang truly despised him.
"Little Marquis Yuan, let's pack up."
Li Zhuiyuan stepped forward to help.
While putting away the incense burner, Li Zhuiyuan noticed the woman leaning against the small cabinet, her eyes unusually bloodshot.
He stepped forward and, without hesitation, reached out and tugged at her eyelids. After a quick glance, he asked, "Did you drink pesticide?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Wu Youhou and Wu Yougen jumped up in panic and rushed forward to check on the woman.
The woman tried to push them away, but foam began to form at the corners of her mouth.
Wu Youhou quickly picked up his wife and carried her to the village clinic, with Wu Yougen following closely behind.
Luo Jinhua's eyes flashed with joy.
It wasn't Li Zhuiyuan who noticed it; the old woman simply didn't seem to be holding back.
"Oh, what a mess!"
Li Sanjiang sighed again.
At this moment, Luo Jinhua said to Li Sanjiang, "We need to bury it! Find a place to bury it quickly, so it won't bring bad luck here. Someone at home is pregnant, and we can't let this short-lived ghost get to us!"
Li Sanjiang wanted to give the woman a few good thrashings with his peach wood sword.
In theory, he should have been responsible for choosing a burial site for the deceased child, but he hadn't even taken the money for the ritual, so theoretically, the rest of the matter was out of his responsibility.
But looking at the child in the small cabinet, Li Sanjiang couldn't bear it anymore. He pointed at Wu Jianhua, motioning him to come over and carry the cabinet.
Wu Jianhua took a few steps back, clearly resisting.
"You invited me here, and I didn't charge you anyway. I can just leave!"
Luo Jinhua immediately pushed her sons twice, muttering, "Go quickly. At worst, I can come back and take a shower to get rid of the bad luck."
Wu Jianhua then reluctantly came over and lifted the cabinet.
Next, the rest of the Wu family followed them to the fields.
Li Sanjiang was from another village, after all, so he had to choose a spot within the Wu family's burial area. He couldn't just bury the child randomly.
After going through the whole process, the burial was finally completed.
Li Sanjiang wanted to leave quickly, so he walked quickly with Xiao Yuanhou in tow. They had to return to the Wu family's gate to get the tricycle.
The rest of the Wu family who had accompanied the child to bury the child lagged behind.
However, Li Zhuiyuan had excellent hearing, and even from a distance and in the windy road, he could hear their words clearly.
Wu Jianhua: "Mom, do you think she'll die?"
Luo Jinhua: "It was discovered too early. I don't think she'll survive. It's all because of that old man's mouthy little bastard Kangzi."
Wu Jianhua: "That's a shame."
Luo Jinhua: "What a shame! Even if she were saved, she'd be completely ruined. Plus, at her age, it's impossible for her to get pregnant again."
Wu Jianhua: "Yeah."
Luo Jinhua: "It was really hard to get a child, but it's a good thing she died. We just underdosed. If we'd overdosed like we did the last two times, we could have just aborted the baby. It would have been much easier. She'd have wasted years of our family's food."
The old man of the Wu family roared, "What are you two talking about!"
Luo Jinhua, far from being frightened, complained, "What's wrong? There's not even a ghost around here. Are you afraid people might hear us?"
Wu Changshun: "Stop talking nonsense out there!"
Luo Jinhua: "If the eldest child had been more sensible, he wouldn't have thought about having children all these years. Why should I do this?
Old man, I'm doing this for your own good.
The eldest is a loser, the second knows nothing but farming. The third is filial, and the fourth, who gave money to a state-owned enterprise, has a promising future.
Who do you think we'll rely on for our retirement?
Besides, the first two times the eldest's wife got pregnant, the fortune teller said it was a girl. I suggested giving her drugs to abort the baby, and didn't you agree? The baby that just died should have died in the womb, but it didn't. If the abortion isn't done, and a sickly seedling is born, who can afford to support it?
In my opinion, the eldest son is just messing around, worse than the second son. So what if he doesn't marry? The money from the land he farms will be used to support the elderly. When the children of the third and fourth sons grow up, won't they remember their uncles' kindness and continue to support them in their old age?
What's the difference between a nephew and a son? This good nephew is closer than a son!"
All these words fell into Li Zhuiyuan's ears.
After getting the tricycle, Li Sanjiang secured it and rode it away, carrying Li Zhuiyuan.
Li Zhuiyuan looked back, watching the Wu family courtyard recede. He knew what the three dark shadows were. They must have been the resentment fueled by witnessing their mother drink pesticide.
However, they couldn't take shape and would soon dissipate.
As they rode back to the road to Siyuan Village, Li Zhuiyuan said, "Grandpa, let me get off first. I want to go to Big Beard's house to play with Benben."
"Stay put on the seat, Grandpa will take you there."
Li Zhuiyuan said nothing more. After dropping him off at Big Beard's dam, Li Sanjiang rode his tricycle back.
The boy walked into the peach orchard. Benben was still placed in the small fence within the grove, playing with the peach blossoms.
Li Zhuiyuan picked up a peach branch and began to draw on the ground.
He mapped out the location of the peach orchard, the road and the river, the location of Siyuan Village, Shinan Town, Shigang Town, and finally, Sanxin Village.
The boy raised his foot and kicked up a pool of peach blossoms from the ground. The blossoms fell, completely covering the map he had just drawn.
Li Zhuiyuan picked up the peach branch and gently traced it. A small area of peach blossoms was lifted, revealing the location of Sanxin Village.
The meaning was simple: lift the suppression of Sanxin Village.
Deep in the peach grove, a faint voice rang out:
"Do you know that if you do this... you'll also be implicated..."
"I know."
"Why bother... There are so many such cases in the world..."
Li Zhuiyuan pulled the crumpled banknote from his pocket and slowly smoothed it out in his palm:
"I can't help it. I accepted their money."
(End of this chapter)