Chapter 77: Joyful Wedding, Mourning Cry 8 Part 1
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The six-story house belonging to the village head was originally built with the idea that it would serve as new homes for the younger generation in the family once they got married, so they left many rooms, preparing for the arrival of newborns.
But it seems that the younger generation in the family hasn’t tied the knot yet, and as a result, those rooms have remained vacant.
However, conveniently, because Jia Village is close to the highway, many vehicles and travelers passing through sometimes need a place to stay. So, while the village head was somewhat frustrated with his younger relatives’ lack of progress, he happily decided to open up the empty rooms in his house to these passing travelers.
So, the production team got lucky in a way. After all, with dozens of people, finding accommodation in another village might have been a challenge.
As the night grew darker, the guests in the living room were already exhausted from a long day of travel, and overindulging in dinner had left them feeling drowsy. Although they continued to interact and joke in front of the main screen for the live broadcast, most of them had already become somewhat blurry-eyed.
Especially Song Ci, the young man who hadn’t experienced much hardship, had his head resting against the sofa backrest. He responded with a mumble only when someone called his name, much to the amusement of those around him.
The village head also noticed the weariness of the guests, so he quickly smiled and asked the production team and others to go upstairs to rest. He mentioned that hot water and bedding were already prepared, and that he and his wife would be on the second floor if they needed anything.
Everyone smiled and expressed their thanks to the village head and his wife. Only the variety show celebrity seemed quite interested in the stories about the mountains that the village head had just shared. He seemed like he wanted to hear more and wasn’t satisfied yet.
“I didn’t know you were so interested in this.”
The third rate male celebrity, who was known for his work on television, was a bit surprised and casually said as they climbed the stairs, “My home is in the south, and I grew up hearing these stories. When I was young and wanted to go outside to fish or climb mountains, my grandparents would tell me these stories to scare me and keep me from going out.”
“You know these stories too?” the variety show celebrity’s eyes lit up, and he chuckled, saying, “Well, how about you tell me some of them later? I didn’t get enough of the ones the village head just shared, and I don’t want to disrupt everyone’s rest. Since we’re sharing a room, it won’t be boring tonight.”
The male celebrity didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry, “Are you asking me to tell ghost stories in front of our fans? Even though our show has trended multiple times because of the scary experiences we’ve had, and many viewers were drawn to it because of that, I think we can do something different this time.”
The viewers on the split screen couldn’t contain their laughter. The barrage of comments filled with “hahaha” scrolled by.
Although the village head’s house had more than a dozen vacant rooms, it was still not enough for the large production crew. So, the guests continued to share rooms, just like they did on their previous trip to Wild Wolf Peak. The variety show celebrity and the male celebrity decided to room together again because they got along well during their previous stay.
The production crew moved the live streaming equipment from the living room to the third floor, where the guests were staying. While adjusting the angles and equipment, the crew members chatted with the curious young people who had gathered around. In the midst of conversation, they began discussing the village head’s family and their situation.
The village head had a total of four sons. Apart from the second son who never got married, the other three have several children each. Their family can be considered as having a full house of descendants, and they were envied by many in the clan.
Within the clan, many people say it’s because the village head did good deeds in the past that his family has been blessed with four boys. Even though one of his sons remains unmarried, the rest of the families all have sons.
But when the village head heard these remarks, he retorted with annoyance, saying, “You’ve committed plenty of wrongs yourselves. Forcing the girls in our clan to marry is no small matter. Haven’t you heard of karma? You reap what you sow. If you ruin someone else’s life, don’t expect yours to be any better.”
The young men were stunned when they heard the village head’s words from his younger days.
One of them noticed and seemed pleased, saying, “Don’t be fooled by my grandpa’s smiling face now. He used to have a fiery temper when he was young. Otherwise, how could he lead our village to independence and establish the village committee? We even earned the title of ‘Civilized Village’ last year! Other villages in our clan are not the same. They worship their ancestral shrine every day and rely on their ancestors for everything. They don’t even have a village head.”
When it came to other villages, the young man appeared disdainful, saying, “They only know how to keep having children. If they can’t have a boy, they just try again with another wife. What kind of family planning is that? Besides, my Second Uncle chooses not to marry. What’s it to them? Why are they so concerned?”
The staff nodded in agreement.
Due to considerations for the program’s impact and camera setup, all the guests were accommodated on the third floor. The entire floor was filled with the sounds of the guests chatting and conversing, creating a lively atmosphere.
No one noticed Yan Shixun standing quietly in the corner of the staircase leading to the fourth floor, listening to the conversations of the crowd.
……
While the guests on the third floor chatted and laughed, creating an atmosphere akin to students on an excursion, the audience in front of the main screen couldn’t help but be entertained by the relaxed and joyful ambiance. In the meantime, Yan Shixun quietly descended to the backyard.
Since the village head’s sons had all gone to the city today and the young men had been drawn away by the broadcasting equipment of the production team, the living room, which had been lively just moments ago, was now eerily quiet, illuminated only by the harsh white light of incandescent bulbs, reflecting off the pure white tiles.
Ever since Yan Shixun had glimpsed the well in the backyard earlier, he had wanted to take a closer look. However, he refrained from acting recklessly due to the superstitious reactions of the youngsters.
As he approached the well, Yan Shixun finally saw the complete appearance of this well and confirmed his suspicions.
The well had eight sides, and including the heavy stone lid covering the well’s mouth, it had nine layers, symbolizing the cycle of reincarnation.
On the outer facade of the well, not only were there protective talismans against evil spirits, like the ones Yan Shixun had seen earlier, but on the side that had conveniently been in Yan Shixun’s blind spot, there was also an inscription of the entire “Transfer of Merit” sutra, written with powerful strokes.
“By decree of the Highest, free the lonely soul from suffering, ward off all ghosts and malevolent spirits, bestow blessings on the four realms.”
“Clear deaths and hidden deaths, settle grudges and wrongs, reconcile debtors and creditors, exact repayment of debts…”
Although there were eight sides, only one was the main side.
Inward for the benefit of the homeowner, outward for the sake of lonely souls.
And the main side of this well faced outward, directly towards the mountain.
Moreover, on this crucial main side, it gathered the power of the nine-layered cycle of reincarnation, but it did not employ powerful yet potentially harmful charms to the ghosts. Instead, it had chosen the sutra for the transference of merit.
Not to exorcise or harm the ghosts, but to guide them away and help them attain salvation.
Yan Shixun’s fingers, hanging by his side, curled unconsciously.
It seemed that the village head’s family had indeed encountered a ghost. Moreover, from what the youngsters had said about Yang Han’s sealed windows and the furnishings in Yang Han’s room, it appeared that this ghost might have been someone Yang Han knew during their lifetime.
Under the clan system, paternal authority was especially strong, with the father being the head of the family and his word being final.
Even though the village head might have progressive ideas, judging by the attitude of the youngsters towards him just now, he was still the one making decisions for the family. It was likely that he had overseen the construction of this well.
Having traveled with Li Chengyun since he was young, Yan Shixun had encountered many colleagues and was well aware of their methods. If there were spirits involved, the priority would be to exorcise them. They wouldn’t choose a gentle method like the transference of merit sutra.
The presence of the transference of merit sutra on the main side indicated the will of the homeowner.
In this case, the village head.
Yan Shixun recalled Yang Han’s earlier story about how the village head had protested within the clan when Yang Hua family faced trouble in the past. Even though he hadn’t succeeded, he had returned home to face his wife with a heavy heart, feeling regretful and sympathetic towards Yang Hua.
While conversing with the staff, the youngsters also revealed the village head’s disdain for a certain part of the clan. Moreover, even after many years, he still harbored ill feelings about what some clan members had done to Yang Hua’s family back then.
In light of this, when he got to know Yang Han and was shown kindness by the village head, he felt a sense of tenderness and a desire to help it attain salvation…
Amidst these tangled thoughts, the only person Yan Shixun could think of was…
Yang Duo.
Yan Shixun’s eyes suddenly darkened.
Yang Han firmly believed that Yang Duo would protect her sister. Yang Guang felt guilty towards Yang Duo, and Yang Duo harbored resentment towards Yang Guang.
Yet, after several decades, Yang Duo was still able to travel a thousand miles from the village to the coastal city. She possessed Yang Hua’s body, using her voice to express her grievances. She even disregarded Yang Hua’s declining health and made her resentful as well.
Not only that, but Yang Han and his family, who had informed Yang Guang back then, also incurred Yang Duo’s wrath. This terrified Yang Han’s descendants and forced the village head to build a Ghost-Dispelling Well to drive away Yang Duo.
Everyone’s reactions pointed to one person who had already died several decades ago: Yang Duo…
Carrying the chill of an autumn night, Yan Shixun returned from the backyard to the living room and headed straight to the second floor.
The village head was sitting alone on the small terrace of the second floor, puffing on his tobacco pipe with a gloomy expression. When he heard footsteps approaching, he turned around and saw Yan Shixun walking up from the first-floor staircase.
“Did you not go upstairs to freshen up, young man?” The village head was somewhat surprised, then quickly transitioned from his earlier solitude to a cheerful demeanor. “I didn’t see you during dinner. Were you hungry and went downstairs to look for food?”
“Just stay seated for a moment. My wife is downstairs in the kitchen, cleaning up the pots. She doesn’t know that there are some pastries in the living room cupboard from the last time my eldest son brought them home. I’ll sneak some delicious snacks for you.”
While saying this, the village head prepared to get up, speaking in such a friendly manner that it felt like he was treating Yan Shixun like a grandson with no sense of distance.
“No need to rush, please stay seated,” Yan Shixun reached out, gently pressing the village head’s shoulder to make him sit back in his wicker chair. Yan Shixun took a seat across from him.
“I actually wanted to ask you something. I didn’t expect you to be on the second floor, so I came up here.”
Yan Shixun said, not mentioning his trip to the backyard to check the well.
Before fully understanding the situation in the village, he didn’t want to reveal his true intentions.
Yan Shixun put on a concerned expression and asked the village head, “You see, our original destination was the Family Tomb Village further back. We wanted to experience rural tourism there. But there’s a roadblock on the way that’s cut off the path to the village. So, we had no choice but to stay overnight at your place tonight.”
“But the roadblock will still be there tomorrow, and our vehicles won’t be able to pass. So, I wanted to ask you, what’s the story behind that roadblock? Who put it there? Can we contact that person to have it removed?”
Upon mentioning the roadblock, the village head’s expression changed drastically. He went from being affable to disgusted. He paused his pipe-puffing motion. The muscles around his mouth twitched as if he were restraining himself from saying something offensive.
After a long pause, the village head, upon seeing Yan Shixun’s earnest and inquisitive gaze, raised his hand to tap his tobacco pipe and sighed, “The road… we blocked it.”
As expected.
However, Yan Shixun didn’t reveal any signs of recognition. Instead, he feigned surprise and asked, “Oh? Why? I thought someone blocked the road to extort money from travelers.”
The village head seemed reluctant to discuss this topic, but because of Yan Shixun’s last question, he couldn’t help but defend his innocence.
“It’s not about the money. If we weren’t forced to, we wouldn’t have blocked the road.”
“We, Jia Village, have been able to enjoy a better life earlier than other villages, all thanks to this road. If there was any other way, why would we do something like this? To compensate for the economic losses caused by blocking the road, all three of my sons have been working outside and haven’t come home for a long time.”
The village head sighed and said, “Ever since we blocked the road over half a year ago, we’ve had to explain to passersby repeatedly. The reason we offer free lodging is also because of this. After all, we did it, so we have to take responsibility.”
“It’s not that we wanted to block it, it’s…”
The village head hesitated for a long time, and his pipe had accumulated ash in his hand, as if this reason was difficult for him to articulate.
“Family matters should not be discussed outside, and those internal family issues should not be shared with outsiders like you. Besides, you probably don’t want to listen to an old man like me talking about these family affairs.”
The village head shook his head and sighed, “But in the end, our actions have affected your travel plans, so we owe you an explanation.”
“The truth is, it’s because of the village behind us, Wang… Family Tomb Village.”
The village head spoke of the village behind them with a hint of disgust in his eyes. “Although we belong to the same clan, because our Jia Village is blocked by the mountains and all the other villages are on the other side of the mountains, we were, in the beginning, the less favored and unpopular children of the clan who had to venture out from the mountains to find a livelihood and build homes together.”
“But the Family Tomb Village is different. There’s a small ancestral temple of the clan there. The previous clan leader used to live in Family Tomb Village, so they were highly regarded by the clan. But it’s also because of this, their behavior has always been like that, unchanged for many years.”
The village head sneered, “What they did… they’ve lost their moral compass, depleted their virtue! Anyone with a conscience wouldn’t behave like them.”
“We initially tried to reason with them, but they never listened, and their actions became increasingly outrageous.”
The village head’s lips moved, but in the end, he let out a sigh. His face, already adorned with wrinkles, appeared even older due to his troubled expression.
“They’ve gone mad. So, we had no choice but to block the road and cut ties with them.”
“Young man, you…” The village head looked at Yan Shixun, hesitated, and finally said, “Never mind. If you want to go to the village behind us, go ahead. Since you’re outsiders, and you’ll be contributing to their income, they probably won’t do anything.”
“When the road wasn’t built, we used to trek down from the mountains.” The village head pointed to the distant mountains behind the small building with his pipe. “Tomorrow during the daytime, you can cross over from the mountains. I’ll have Yang Tu guide you; he’s been fond of playing between the two villages since he was a child and knows the way.”
Having received the information he needed from the village head, Yan Shixun thanked him and went upstairs.
As he turned on the staircase, Yan Shixun noticed the village head’s face, which had once again become filled with worry, looking out the window as if contemplating something.
Yan Shixun followed the village head’s gaze but could only see an empty village road under the dim streetlights.
Was the village head waiting for something?
A hint of doubt crossed Yan Shixun’s mind, but he quickly went upstairs.
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