Free Web NovelChapter 42: Chapter 42: Farce
After fleeing back home, Wang Chuanbao never dared to go there again.
Even during the day, he was in a stupor, as if his very soul had been drained from him.
「The fourth night.」
The moment Wang Chuanbao closed his eyes, he saw the blood-stained white robe hanging from the tree, the head turning with stiff, unnatural movements, and heard those bone-chilling words that promised death.
He couldn’t sleep at all at night.
Time crept by, and a combination of extreme terror and exhaustion finally pushed Wang Chuanbao’s consciousness into a state of semi-delirium.
CLANG!
A violent gust of wind blew through the house, forcing open the broken wooden window that never closed properly.
A cold wind, heavy with the night’s dew, instantly flooded the room, making the strips of tattered cloth hanging inside flap wildly.
"Ah!"
Wang Chuanbao was jolted awake by the sudden noise and the blast of cold air.
He cried out in alarm, his terrified eyes locking onto the pitch-black opening of the window as he scrambled and crawled over to it.
With all his might, he slammed the window shut—BAM!—then fumbled frantically to slide the rickety wooden latch into place.
"It’s okay... it’s closed... it’s okay..."
He leaned his back against the cold earthen wall, panting heavily and muttering to himself in an attempt at reassurance.
But just then,
A chill wind swirled up without warning inside the sealed hut.
The room’s only source of light, the oil lamp on the table, began to flicker wildly.
With a PUFF, it went out completely.
Darkness instantly swallowed the hut.
"Light... light the lamp..."
Wang Chuanbao, trembling, fumbled for his flint and began to strike it.
Sparks flew.
The chill wind rose again, and a wave of terror washed over Wang Chuanbao, making the hair on his neck stand on end.
He twisted his head around. By the faint slivers of moonlight filtering in from outside...
’What was that?’
A vague, deathly-pale human silhouette was hanging from the rafters.
Long, disheveled hair hung down, obscuring its face.
A ragged white robe, covered in dark red stains, swayed gently and unnervingly in the windless dark.
And what made his heart stop in terror was that the hanging figure’s toes seemed to be pointing directly at him.
It was exactly the same as the one on the old willow tree by the stream.
’The life-reaping Hanged Ghost! It followed me home!’
"Hkk... hhhh..."
A ragged, wheezing sound, like air being forced through a broken bellows, escaped Wang Chuanbao’s throat. Immense terror seized his heart in an instant.
He tried to scream, but his throat felt as if it were being squeezed shut, and no sound could escape.
He tried to run, but his legs felt like they were filled with lead, pinning him to the spot.
His face twisted into an inhuman mask of terror. His body went rigid, fell straight backward, and the back of his head struck the cold, hard ground with a sickening thud.
「Another day passed.」
When Wang Shiming heard that Wang Chuanbao had fallen gravely ill and was bedridden, completely scared out of his wits, he too began to feel uneasy and paranoid—and this was the same man who had just been cursing Wang Chuanbao for being useless.
He tossed and turned in bed at night, completely unable to fall asleep.
CREAK...
With a soft creak, the wind nudged a window in the main hall.
PATTER... PATTER...
The sound of extremely light, extremely slow footsteps drifted from the direction of the main hall, growing closer and closer, as if heading straight for his bedroom.
The footsteps stopped just outside his bedroom door.
A dead silence fell.
Wang Shiming shot up in bed, his eyes wide, staring intently at the closed door, not daring to move a muscle.
Wang Shiming’s heart leaped into his throat. He held his breath and strained his ears to listen.
"Wang... Shi... ming..."
A cold, ethereal voice seemed to whisper right beside his ear, drilling clearly into his mind.
WHOOSH...
A cold draft gusted through the room, extinguishing the tiny flame of the oil lamp on his table.
"Ah—!"
Wang Shiming felt an icy chill shoot up from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, making his scalp crawl.
His entire body went stiff and fell backward, his head hitting the pillow with a THUD. The whites of his eyes showed as he passed out completely.
Wang Chuanbao’s crippling illness and Wang Shiming’s fainting spell were like two heavy blows, completely shattering the Wang Family’s schemes.
And so, this "farce" came to a close.
...
「Autumn.」
Heavy heads of grain bent the stalks low, rolling in a mesmerizing golden tide across the fields.
The six hundred and twenty mu of fertile fields finally welcomed the harvest season.
The Chen Family’s original two hundred mu of fields had recovered this year to a yield of seven hundred jin per mu.
The one hundred and twenty mu bought the year before had reached a yield of six hundred jin per mu.
The newly purchased three hundred mu, due to a shortage of high-quality seeds, a lack of compost, and sabotage from the Wang Family, only averaged a yield of about four hundred jin per mu.
’But, in time, all of this would improve.’
The granary was filled to the brim with sacks of plump rice, forcing them to clear out several rooms in the front courtyard’s wing to use as additional storage.
Amidst this profound joy, Chen Li’s home was swept clean, inside and out, and decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers.
Auspicious couplets were pasted on the doors, and a length of brand-new red silk was hung over the lintel.
Taking a concubine.
Taking advantage of the bountiful harvest, Chen Li prepared for Liu Yun’s formal acceptance into the family.
Though it wasn’t a wedding for a primary wife, the ceremony was still to be a grand affair.
Chen Li decided to hold a three-day feast and invite the entire village.
The moment the news broke, all of Lingxi Village was abuzz.
Everyone received an invitation, regardless of how close or distant their relationship with the Chen Family was.
On the first day of the feast, more than a dozen enormous iron woks were set up at the entrance to the Chen Family’s courtyard. Seasonal vegetables, fried tofu, and white rice were piled high as small hills, and there was no shortage of chicken, duck, fish, and pork.
Chen Li’s message was clear: eat your fill, there’s more than enough for everyone.
The Chen Family courtyard, both inside and out, was bustling with people.
Dozens of large square tables were filled to capacity. Latecomers simply took a bowl and found a spot, squatting or standing, gathered by the cooking stoves or along the courtyard walls, eating with gusto.
The villagers gazed at the tables laden with meat, inhaling the rich aromas, their expressions a mixture of envy, amazement, and awe.
The concubinage ceremony.
It didn’t have the same elaborate rituals as a wedding for a primary wife.
Mrs. Chen sat in the seat of honor in the main hall, with Chen Li and Song Ying standing to one side.
Liu Yun, dressed in a new, well-tailored, light crimson dress of fine cloth, looked exceptionally lovely.
Her eyes demurely lowered, she held a cup of steaming tea with both hands. She glided with graceful steps to Mrs. Chen and knelt elegantly before her. Her voice was soft yet clear as she said, "Mother, please accept this tea."
A genuine smile on her face, Mrs. Chen accepted the cup, took a delicate sip, and said, "Good, good. Rise. From now on, we are all one family." ƒrēewebnovel.com
Next, Liu Yun served tea to Chen Li and Song Ying in turn. "Master, please accept this tea."
"Madam, please accept this tea."
Chen Li nodded slightly as he accepted the cup.
Song Ying helped Liu Yun to her feet and drew an exquisitely crafted silver hairpin of antique design from her sleeve. The head of the pin was a small plum blossom, elegant and substantial.
"Sister Yun," Song Ying said, gently inserting the pin into Liu Yun’s dark hair bun. "Now that you have entered the Chen Family, we sisters will live together in harmony."
Liu Yun’s body trembled slightly. She curtsied deeply once more. "Yun’Er thanks you, Madam. I will be sure to serve the Master, Madam, and Mother with all my heart."
The ceremony was complete.
Liu Yun was now officially Chen Li’s concubine.
"Congratulations, Master Chen! Heartfelt congratulations!"
"Master Chen is a lucky man! The new bride is so beautiful!"
"And Madam Chen is so generous and virtuous!"
A chorus of good-natured praise and congratulations rose from the feast.
Among the onlookers, there were those offering sincere congratulations and those clucking their tongues in amazement, but there were also, inevitably, a few gazes filled with jealousy and curiosity.
But these were soon drowned out by the joyous clamor of the celebration.
