When the old woman Wang climbed onto the kang bed, she held a drum and began rhythmically beating it, leaping around and muttering incomprehensible words; it was said she was conversing with the spirits, something only old woman Wang understood and was beyond ordinary people.
Everyone held their breath, nervously hoping that Xiaoxiao’s soul could be summoned back.
Suddenly, old woman Wang shouted loudly, but no one knew what she was yelling.
It was unclear when the bowl on the table had been prepared, but old woman Wang picked it up, took a big gulp, and then sprayed it onto Xiaoxiao’s face.
Xiaoxiao’s face was drenched in a blood-red color, horrifyingly so.
Seeing his daughter-in-law’s face sprayed crimson, Yang Ming’s eyes reddened with rage as he yanked old woman Wang over, bellowing, "What are you doing?"
Old woman Wang choked from being roughly pulled by Yang Ming, almost falling over, but Yang Ming didn’t care—he quickly took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped his daughter-in-law’s face, his expression full of remorseful regret.
Seeing this, old woman Wang angrily said, "You have disturbed the spirits, and now they are angered. At this rate, her soul will never return."
With that statement, fear clutched the hearts of the others in the room. Now what? If the soul of the third son’s wife could not be returned, old man Yang hurriedly stated, "Third son, step aside, do not disturb old woman Wang."
Protected by old man Yang, old woman Wang was rather smug as she watched Yang Ming, waiting for him to leave.
However, Yang Ming did not leave as she hoped and instead turned and glowered at old woman Wang, shouting, "Get out, get out now!"
This was the first time he had lost control and sworn; he was insane to believe in this babbling old witch, following his parents’ advice.
He wanted to slap himself, feeling terribly guilty towards his daughter-in-law.
Old woman Wang had always been respected around these parts; she had never been treated this way. Enraged, her face contorted as she screamed, "The spirits are truly enraged now. She is most certainly doomed to die—get ready to retrieve her corpse."
"Get out, just get out!"
Yang Ming continued to swear coarsely.
Fuming, old woman Wang left the house, and old man Yang followed, apologetically saying, "Old woman Wang, my son is young and foolish. Please, don’t take it to heart."
With a huff, old woman Wang snorted indignantly and then stretched out her hand, "Silver."
"Oh, oh," old man Yang quickly paid the silver, and then old woman Wang left.
As she reached the village square, she was surrounded by a cluster of villagers.
"Old woman Wang, what in the world happened?"
"Old woman Wang, has the Scholar’s wife been possessed by evil spirits?"
The villagers questioned her one after another.
Already upset with how Yang Ming had treated her at the Yang family’s house, old woman Wang saw this as an opportunity to vent so she began spreading rumors.
"The Scholar’s wife has been possessed," she declared, sighing heavily, "Her soul might have been recoverable, but the Scholar disturbed the spirits, now the Scholar’s wife might not make it."
While it had only been a conjecture before, now it was confirmed, and people began to worry that the Scholar’s wife was indeed doomed.
"Old woman Wang, could it be due to the conflict with the urn of ashes? Will there be any impact on other families?"
Upon hearing this, old woman Wang saw an opportunity to make money and responded, "It might slightly affect others, but with old woman Wang here, everyone can rest easy."
Hearing this, the villagers promptly bought protective charms from old woman Wang.