Chapter 149: ‘wedding’
The fallen ‘human pig’ looked at the old man in terror.
But what was even more terrifying was that he sensed the old man’s tolerance toward that girl.
Looking at the gunshot wounds and gold thread on the old man, there was no doubt it was the girl who did it.
“Why?”
The man asked uncomprehendingly.
Just an ordinary one, why would she receive such an honor?
The old man glanced at the man, and the next moment, the man slowly disappeared, as if he was being erased bit by bit, vanishing from this world.
The girl tilted her head slightly, her face showing confusion.
But suddenly, a smile appeared on the girl’s face. She looked at the old man, “I thought I’d never see you alive again.”
The old man clasped his hands behind his back, “Was it fun?”
“Not bad.” The girl playfully bit her finger.
Seeing this, the old man frowned, “I’ve told you, you’d better get rid of your bad habit of biting your fingers.”
“Oh, I know, you’re so annoying!” The girl looked at the old man somewhat impatiently.
The old man immediately fell silent.
“Alright, if there’s nothing else, you can go back. I’ll play by myself for a bit.”
The girl waved her hand, signaling that the old man could leave.
The old man looked at the girl for a long time, sighed, “Take it easy, don’t get trapped.”
“Okay, okay, you’re so nagging!”
Looking at the girl’s impatient expression.
The old man said nothing more, and his figure slowly disappeared.
After the old man disappeared.
The girl touched her chin and scanned the surroundings.
Suddenly, her expression became confused.
She scratched her head. What just happened?
“Dinner’s ready. Aren’t those three young men upstairs coming to eat?”
“I called them. They said they want to rest.”
“They must be tired from rushing without sleep.”
“Oh, okay. Then you take care of the child, don’t disturb them.”
Noisy voices and shouts rose from below.
Ye Zhen lifted the curtain and looked up.
It was his first time seeing such a scene.
Several people carried vegetables through the crowd, and after one round trip, the plates in their hands were empty.
According to the local dialect here, these people seem to be called ‘beating basins’.
“Ten people per table, no real difference.”
Fang Shiming looked up, “Did you notice any problems?”
Ye Zhen shook his head and walked back.
“No problems at all. In my perception, these people are just ordinary people.”
Ye Zhen sat down, “Very strange.”
“What’s strange about it.”
Fang Shiming was very calm, “Once we figure out what the ghost here is, we can naturally tell if these people are real living people or ‘dead people’.”
Having experienced much, they wouldn’t simply believe these were people.
Nor would they think this village was just one that might have a supernatural event.
Nothing can be taken at face value.
Otherwise, you’d die miserably.
The clamor soon passed.
But new clamor began.
After dinner, they didn’t disperse but gathered together for post-meal entertainment.
That is, playing cards.
This seemed to be the rural village’s form of group entertainment.
“They’re starting to play cards. Do we keep watching?”
Fang Shiming withdrew his gaze.
“Probably until around eleven.”
“No need.”
Lin Qian shook his head. If anything really happened, they could react quickly.
“Take a short rest, adjust your state.”
“Maybe nothing will happen today.”
A eerie place confirmed to have a ghost.
Now holding a wedding—what’s the difference from Yang Jian going to Fu Shou Garden and finding a funeral being held?
Just maybe.
The three were all waiting for the abnormal to occur.
Night gradually deepened, and the noise below slowly diminished.
Until it completely disappeared, falling into silence.
The villagers dispersed one by one.
Click, in the pitch-black room, sparks flickered.
Fang Shiming exhaled a puff of smoke.
He looked out the window. The rural village sky was so dark.
Just like being in a ghost domain.
He turned his head to look at Lin Qian and Ye Zhen.
The two hid in the darkness, faces unseen, like beasts lurking in hiding.
He smiled; he seemed to be the same.
Amid a miserable pig squeal, the three opened their eyes.
Lin Qian moved his neck, walked to the window, and pulled open the curtain.
Below was bustling with activity.
Several burly men were holding down a pig weighing two or three hundred pounds.
“First time seeing a pig slaughter. Very barbaric.”
Fang Shiming commented.
When the knife directly stabbed into the pig’s neck, blood mist sprayed, and the pig wailed and struggled loudly.
Fang Shiming couldn’t help but think of a knife stabbing into a person’s neck.
It seemed about the same.
No, not right. Pigs are tougher than people.
If a person is stabbed, they instantly lose all means of resistance.
The pig’s wails grew weaker, and the struggling noises smaller.
Soon, they released their hold on the pig and directly threw it on the ground.
The three watched with interest as the masters processed the pig.
Hot water with tiles could effectively scrape off the pig’s hair.
Soon, all the hair on the pig was scraped clean.
Next was gutting, cleaning, and dismembering.
The scene was somewhat bloody, but after watching it all, the three felt nothing.
“So simple and unsophisticated.”
Ye Zhen said.
Below was lively and noisy; as the sky grew brighter, more people came to help.
The scene became even more bustling.
The three watched the whole time.
After some unknown time, suddenly below stirred up.
Vaguely, it seemed the wedding procession had arrived.
Hmm?
“When did they set off?”
They hadn’t noticed anyone leaving to fetch the bride.
“Maybe they left at dawn, or perhaps they’ve been outside all along.”
“Let’s go take a look too.”
Lin Qian said.
Following the crowd of onlookers.
They arrived at a dirt slope, where they could clearly see that asphalt road.
The three stood on the field ridge, surrounded by quite a few people.
Mostly children, and plenty of young people watching the excitement.
Very lively.
After waiting about half an hour.
Suddenly, a procession appeared in the distance.
The procession snaked out from the road bend.
Leading was the suona-playing team, followed by the groom riding a horse.
Then came the long procession.
A sea of red.
“Chinese wedding?”
Lin Qian frowned slightly.
Fang Shiming’s gaze deepened. A Chinese wedding—this was not good news.
Ye Zhen looked curious and novel.
It was his first time seeing this kind of wedding.
It would be false to say he wasn’t curious.
“Very solemn.”
Ye Zhen touched his chin.
But soon he was puzzled, “Coffin?”
The front and middle of the procession were fine.
But at the rear, at the very end of the procession, they were actually carrying a coffin, and it was a red coffin.
Fang Shiming and Lin Qian saw that red coffin, their expressions turning grave.
“The problem will probably appear on them.”
Lin Qian nodded, “A red coffin means the bride never planned to die of old age.”
“There’s such a saying?”
Ye Zhen became interested.
He’d never heard of this.
Moreover, he didn’t know this Chinese wedding custom involved carrying a coffin.
From the surrounding villagers’ reactions, it seemed this was completely normal.
Even the children didn’t react much.
This suggested they were accustomed to it.
“In folk legends, the color of the coffin represents various meanings.”
“Coffins for dying of old age are generally black, and coated with big lacquer.”
“White coffins seem to represent dying young, red ones violent death.”
“Of course, customs differ by region.”
“But generally, normal people use black coffins, or unpainted raw wood.”
“But absolutely not red.”
Fang Shiming looked at the long procession: tall horses, ten miles of red finery, phoenix crown and rosy cape, the scene luxurious and grand.
If that coffin were changed to black, it would be a perfect Chinese wedding.
“They’re starting to scatter money.”
At this moment, someone in the procession carrying a basket suddenly took out a stack of money from it.
It was RMB.
But not wrapped in red envelopes, just scattered like that.
Bills danced in the sky then fell to the ground, inciting the crowd to scramble.
Suona sounds shook the heavens.
The surrounding villagers all moved, going to pick and grab.
The three didn’t move; not only that, they found it extremely strange.
Watching the villagers moving to follow behind the procession.
“Why does this feel like a funeral procession?”
As soon as he said this, Lin Qian and Fang Shiming’s gazes flickered slightly.
“Hey, hey, you three, isn’t that joke a bit too much?”
The three turned back instantly.
Only to see a ‘familiar face’ standing behind them, frowning at them.
“Oh, it’s you?”
All three recognized this person.
It was that woman they met at the airport earlier.
The woman on the same flight as Lin Qian.
The woman stared at the three unkindly.
Though surprised to see them here, after hearing their untimely joke, she just thought these three were very ill-mannered.
The three exchanged glances and shrugged.
They turned and left directly.
The woman’s face darkened, but she thought better of causing trouble.
These three didn’t seem to be here for the wedding.
As the procession advanced, they finally reached the destination.
The following process had no major issues.
It proceeded all the way to bowing to heaven and earth.
The three sat at the table, looking at the hall decorated extremely festively.
Two kindly elders sat high.
No accidents, no clichéd wedding grabbing plots.
It went on as usual.
“Seeing this bride brings back a bad memory.” Fang Shiming watched the bride being escorted to the room, his gaze flickering slightly.
“What a coincidence, me too.” Lin Qian nodded.
Both knew what the other meant.
Ye Zhen tilted his head looking at the two, “What riddle are you two playing?”
Lin Qian and Fang Shiming smiled, saying nothing.
They were talking about a bride too, but not a normal one—a ghost bride.
“I think you guys aren’t here for the wedding, but to make trouble.”
That woman from before sat boldly next to them.
At the same time, this table was soon joined by some young people.
Seemed to be friends from the bride’s side.
“What makes you say that?”
Fang Shiming looked at the woman, “We gave the gift money. How are we not here for the wedding?”
“Make trouble?”
Fang Shiming looked around, “We’ve been sitting here the whole time, didn’t go up front, didn’t make a fuss. How is that making trouble?”
The woman fell silent upon hearing this. Right, they’d been very well-behaved the whole time.
Making trouble—this didn’t look like troublemaking at all.
“Don’t stare at us if there’s nothing. We’re not good people.” Fang Shiming said with a smile.
The woman was stunned. Not good people?
Shouldn’t it be “we’re not bad people”?
What kind of statement was this?
Fang Shiming ignored the woman.
The banquet had started.
Having not eaten for a long time, they rarely picked up their chopsticks.
“Don’t say, this rural banquet tastes great.” Ye Zhen commented.
“Joking aside, the vegetables you ate were just picked from the fields, the meat you ate was just eating your vegetables.” Lin Qian said.
“Brother, you’re spot on.” At this moment, a boy wearing glasses spoke up.
His gaze glanced at the woman sitting next to Ye Zhen, revealing a smile.
“Rural food is basically all pure natural, no additives.”
“Absolutely incomparable to pre-made dishes.”
“Yeah, yeah, it’s my first time eating such fresh meal.”
A girl chimed in.
The table’s atmosphere warmed up.
“Brothers, are you friends or classmates of the bride?”
The glasses-wearing boy asked.
“Classmates, but not from the same school—inter-school dorm.”
Hearing Fang Shiming, the boy suddenly understood, “Oh oh, we’re the bride’s classmates.”
“And this lady?”
The boy looked at that woman.
The woman glanced at Lin Qian, Ye Zhen, and Fang Shiming, “Classmates, high school classmates.”
The boy pushed up his glasses, showing a look of sudden realization.
“I’m Fang Yuanshan. My uncle is Fang Shiming of Da Yun City’s circle of friends. I wonder if you’ve heard of him.”
Lin Qian and Ye Zhen’s gazes narrowed slightly, but they didn’t look at Fang Shiming.
That woman’s pupils shrank slightly.
“Your uncle is circle of friends’ Fang Shiming?”
The boy smiled, “You’ve probably heard of circle of friends then.”
“That’s right, Fang Shiming is my uncle.”
Ye Zhen elbowed Fang Shiming; Fang Shiming’s expression unchanged.
Ye Zhen understood.
The woman was somewhat skeptical.
“You don’t believe me?” The glasses-wearing boy looked at the girl beside him.
The girl nodded knowingly, “Yuanshan’s uncle is indeed Fang Shiming. If you know about circle of friends, you should know no one dares to falsely claim relation to Director Fang.”
Hearing this, the woman’s gaze shifted slightly.
She wanted to ask more.
But suddenly, someone approached.
It was the bride and groom.
They came to toast.
Everyone at the table stood up politely.
“Everyone, sorry for the poor hospitality.”
The bride smiled at them.
She scanned the people at the table, her gaze lingering on Lin Qian and the other two, then nodded.
“Eat well, drink well. I won’t say much else. No need for formalities between us—just eat and drink your fill, then head home early.”
The front part was fine.
But the latter part felt somewhat off.
Head home early?
What did that mean?
