Wang Family Village is not too far from Li City. It takes Wang Dayong just over an hour to drive the ox cart into the village.
Sitting inside the cart, Qin Liuxi looked outside and thought that being close to Li City was advantageous for Wang Family Village. The roads and even the houses in the village were comparatively neat and new. The crops along the roads were thriving, and with mountains in the distance and moisture in the air, likely from rivers and creeks, the village, blessed with mountains and waters, indeed had good feng shui.
Upon entering the village, villagers greeted Wang Dayong, and one of them said in a hurry, "Dayong, you’re back. Hurry home; the Hu family brought a Divine Dao priest, saying they need to check on the situation with your father’s coffin."
"What?" Wang Dayong was startled. The Hu family was his stepmother’s family. Bringing a Divine Dao priest, who knew if they genuinely wanted to help or were up to something.
He then shouted loudly towards the back of the cart, "Master, hold tight."
As his voice fell, the bamboo whip landed on the ox, causing it pain and to rush forward with a trot.
Qin Liuxi had also heard the villagers’ words and arched her eyebrow—had someone beat her to the punch?
Knowing the way well is true for Old Ma and equally for oxen. Soon, the ox had taken Wang Dayong and the others back to the Wang family’s home.
"Master, we’ve arrived," said Wang Dayong as he got down to help, only to see Qin Liuxi had already leaped from the cart.
Qin Liuxi eyed the imposing house in front of her, adorned with white banners and lanterns for funeral preparations. Hands behind her back, she looked up at the house, and indeed, a thick and murky resentful energy loomed over it, yet luckily it had not turned into an evil spirit; otherwise, those handling the funeral or offering condolences would, more or less, have problems.
"Your family does indeed have some surplus wealth."
Wang Dayong rubbed his hands and chuckled, "My old man is the Village Chief of Wang Family Village."
Qin Liuxi showed a realization—"That explains it." No wonder the funeral preparations were so grand. Outside the house were tables and chairs; villagers who came to help or offer condolences looked curiously over and whispered to each other.
"Who is this? Didn’t Dayong go to the city to reorder a coffin lid? Why did he bring back two young men?"
"Could it be some friends of the village chief who knew about his death and came to offer condolences?"
"That can’t be. The village chief is the village chief; could he really know such distinguished young men? They look like the sons of some great family."
"Yes, yes, they have a different air than the children from our village."
Villagers Gou Dan, Gousheng, Ji Tou, and others of similar age to Qin Liuxi were somewhat jealous and yet disdainful. These delicate young masters, could they be as tough as them?
So pale-skinned, like young ladies, pssh.
But they did look genuinely noble and handsome.
Qin Liuxi, with her keen ears and sharp eyes, took note of all these comments and glances, and the corner of her mouth curled into a slight smile. This made it even harder for people to avert their gaze.
"Big brother, you’re finally back. Hurry inside. Mrs. Hu’s brothers have found a Divine Dao priest, claiming our house is unclean and haunted by evil," said a girl with slightly dark skin, wearing a mourning hat, hurrying out. When she saw Qin Liuxi behind him, she paused and, subconsciously, straightened her hemp garment, asking, "Who is this?"
"Cui Lian, this is..."
"I’m from Guan’s Coffin Shop," Qin Liuxi interjected before Wang Dayong could answer.
Wang Dayong paused, puzzled as to why she said that, but then he realized, yes, she was now the owner of the Coffin Shop.
"Oh, are you referring to Guan’s Coffin Shop that made my father’s coffin? Wasn’t it an old man? How come a young man has arrived?" Wang CuiLian said.
"Guan Lao has passed away. I heard from your elder brother that there was a problem with the coffin produced by the shop, so I came to have a look," Qin Liuxi said with a smile.
Hearing this explanation, Wang CuiLian hastily bowed to Qin Liuxi in gratitude: "Thank you very much. Big brother, please go inside."
Wang Dayong looked at Qin Liuxi, and seeing her nod, he quickly went inside.
Qin Liuxi followed, observing the layout and personnel of the Wang family.
As the village chief’s home, the Wang family indeed was more impressive than other households. Not only did they own cattle, but their house was a big one-story structure, squarely built with three main rooms, an east wing, a west wing, and a small side room. There was a large courtyard in front of the house, with a water well in the southern corner of the yard, and tables and chairs for people to mourn or conduct affairs.
Behind the Wang family’s house, they had enclosed an acre of land for growing vegetables, built a thatched cottage, and also had a firewood shed.
On the way here, Qin Liuxi had already discussed the current situation of the Wang family with Wang Dayong. Their birth mother had died six years ago, and less than a year later, Village Chief Wang took a concubine and remarried.
In this generation, there were four brothers and two sisters. The second brother had an unfortunate encounter with a tiger while hunting in the mountains and died without any children, so his wife remarried. The third brother was good-for-nothing and married a wife last year, but within half a year, they separated due to incompatibility. The fourth brother was born to the stepmother and is only four years old this year.
The two sisters were both married. The eldest sister married a peddler and followed him traveling North and South to do business, now settled down in the northeast. Their father’s death hadn’t even been communicated to her yet. The younger sister was the recently mentioned Wang CuiLian, sixteen years old, engaged to a family in the neighboring Tianjia Village. Her marriage was initially planned for just before the New Year, but now with her father’s sudden death, the wedding had to be expedited to happen during the mourning period.
The Mourning Hall was set up in the main room, where villagers who were helping out were looking around and discussing at the door. Inside the house, the noise was quite loud, accompanied by a faint sound of weeping.
Wang Dayong paid no attention to Qin Liuxi and hurried into the Mourning Hall.
Qin Liuxi also stepped forward, and since her attire seemed prestigious, people inexplicably dared not stop her, allowing her to easily enter.
In the center of the Mourning Hall, there was a red coffin displayed. The head of the coffin was pitch black from the fire oil and was damaged. In a place invisible to others, Qin Liuxi saw a short and plump old man in a shroud squatting on the coffin, pointing at someone and swearing vehemently. The words that came out of his mouth...
Qin Liuxi dug at her ear.
It didn’t cost anything to listen, and it was indeed filthy.
She followed the pointing finger of the unlucky Old Wang, her gaze landed on a young widow wearing mourning clothes and a mourning hat, face pale, looking ready to cry, pitiful and appealing.
It was true that people looked more attractive when in mourning. Mrs. Hu, dressed in mourning clothes, garnered sympathy from men, which was evident from the looks in the eyes of the men inside the room.
However, her facial features were such... Hehe, an old husband with a young wife, not exactly the virtuous type.
"Pretending, pah!" Wang CuiLian gritted her teeth and spat in disgust.
Qin Liuxi raised her eyebrows slightly; the Wang family was truly interesting.
"Third brother, what’s going on?" Wang Dayong pulled over his third brother, Wang Sanquan, furrowing his brows: "How could you let the Hu family call for some Divine Daoist? Why didn’t you stop them?"
Wang Sanquan’s gaze flickered as he replied: "Elder brother, everyone is already here. Let’s first listen to what he has to say. We can’t just let our father’s coffin remain unable to be buried, right? Maybe something is obstructing it."
Qin Liuxi glanced over, her gaze momentarily landing on his face, her eyes intensifying and her smile fading slightly.
"I curse your mother! It’s you, you unfilial son who caused my death, along with that cheap woman. You unfilial son, I’ll kill you!" The little old man lunged forward, swinging his hand through Wang Sanquan’s face.
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