Chapter 23

The woman he had seen earlier was now standing inside the archway, her umbrella gone, her hands clutching the porcelain vase.

At that moment, Xue Liangliang was astonished to discover that upon reaching the archway, not only did the pulling force of the water disappear, but the terrifying sensation of suffocation also vanished.

He immediately gasped for air, yet despite continuously performing this action, it yielded no results. His mouth and nose felt as if they were blocked, with no fresh air entering at all.

He suddenly realized that only his perception had changed; the reality before him remained unaltered. He was still at the bottom of the river. But how was this even possible?

He knew how to swim. As a child, he often played in the water and swam with his friends back in his hometown in Anhui. After university, he occasionally went to a swimming pool with classmates for a few satisfying laps. However, he didn't believe his swimming skills were so extraordinarily good that he could stay underwater for this long, well past his breath-holding limit.

He touched below his ears; it was still his normal skin, no gills had grown. He even looked back at what was behind him and further away, wondering if he had long since drowned, and if his current state was merely…

Xue Liangliang clutched his head, forcing himself to calm down. The methods that usually worked so well for him during exams and when reviewing design proposals now failed. His heart remained frantic, his body still trembled, and his teeth chattered incessantly.

He was terrified—terrified of the underwater environment, terrified of the archway, and terrified of the woman standing inside the archway holding the porcelain vase. He desperately wanted to escape, if only it were possible.

Just then, the woman moved, beginning to walk further inside.

Xue Liangliang didn't move. He dared not enter the archway, dared not actively explore the town. However, after the woman had created some distance between them, that terrible sensation of suffocation reappeared. Xue Liangliang had no choice but to stumble forward a few quick steps, and the suffocating feeling disappeared again.

He understood: as long as he was too far from the woman, that feeling would return.

The woman continued to walk ahead, and Xue Liangliang could only follow, entering the archway. He had no choice. For someone who had just experienced the despair of suffocation, to experience it again would be several, even dozens, of times more agonizing. Though there was no visible connection between the woman and him, it felt as if an invisible chain bound them, one end held by the woman, the other looped around his own neck.

Behind the archway was a continuous descent of over thirty steps. Xue Liangliang couldn't help but feel puzzled. Logically, unless specific terrain conditions necessitated such a design, most ancient villages or towns with archways wouldn't choose a layout that immediately descended upon entry. The ancients preferred to elevate the ground slightly, with the archway situated lower in front and the terrain rising behind it, which better emphasized its grandeur. Here, not only was the ground not elevated, but it was also deliberately excavated and recessed to such a large extent. No wonder the buildings in the town looked so hazy and obscured when viewed from the outside; half of them were actually hidden, with only their upper halves visible.

Furthermore, the design of the steps was also strange. Usually, the edges on both sides were smooth and flat, while the main central area consisted of steps for people to ascend and descend. Here, however, the very center was a large smooth surface, with the actual steps for walking located only on the sides—they were not only very narrow and small but also very steep. As he descended, Xue Liangliang sometimes even had to turn sideways, as if the path was designed for those with bound feet.

After descending the steps and reaching flat ground, his eyes met a stone-paved road that was not very wide, even feeling somewhat cramped. Moreover, these flagstones were not laid flat; they were all bricks laid vertically, with their narrow ends facing up. Doing so would not only consume more bricks but also increase the amount of labor required. Simultaneously, due to the erosion of time, even the best ancient roads would become uneven. But here, because of this peculiar brick design, it was impossible to find a flat spot for his feet to land steadily. With each step, only a small part of his foot could find solid purchase; the rest was in the air. He had to walk with extreme caution, as he could easily twist his ankle and fall if not careful. Fortunately, the woman ahead, holding the porcelain vase, was not walking too fast, so Xue Liangliang could still keep up.

After gradually adapting to the road conditions, Xue Liangliang began to observe the residential buildings on both sides. The houses were tightly packed, adopting the architectural style of a Jiangnan water town, with white walls and gray tiles. Between the entrance of each house and the road was a groove less than half a meter wide, covered by bluestone slabs, which seemed to be a drainage ditch. Xue Liangliang couldn't understand the purpose of a drainage ditch at the bottom of a river... unless this town had been submerged in the river later on. To the left of each house entrance was a niche, inside which a candle burned, emitting an eerie green light.

Initially, when he first entered, the doors of these houses were all closed. But soon, Xue Liangliang saw some open ones; inside, it was pitch black, making it impossible to see clearly. An unsettling feeling arose in Xue Liangliang’s mind, not from fear or oppression, but from a sense of incongruity, especially after seeing these doors.

After a moment's thought, he finally realized why: there were no thresholds at the bottom of these doors. Modern architecture had, of course, long abandoned thresholds, and people were accustomed to it. But the problem was that in traditional style buildings, where doors were often designed to be very tall and long, the absence of a threshold created a very discordant feeling. It felt too direct, too eerie, like a monster opening its mouth, filling one with dread.

"Ah!"

As he walked, Xue Liangliang suddenly saw a person sitting inside an open house on the right. He was so startled that he stumbled back two steps. This cursed uneven ground made him lose his footing and fall, landing in a sitting position directly facing that door. Inside the door sat an old woman. Her skin, perhaps due to prolonged soaking in water, was very pale and slightly swollen. She wore a blue padded jacket, as brightly colored as a burial shroud, but with a more elaborate design. Her head, neck, and hands were adorned with all sorts of jewelry. She simply sat there, as if she had been sitting for a long time. Thankfully, her eyes were closed.

"Hoo... hoo..."

If her eyes had been open, Xue Liangliang felt that he might have passed out from fright on the spot. Although his current environment and the guiding woman were already bizarre, the unique design of the houses combined with the people sitting inside created another, more impactful kind of horror within the already eerie atmosphere.

Xue Liangliang scrambled to his feet. The suffocating sensation showed faint signs of reappearing, so he immediately jogged forward a short distance, closing the gap between himself and the woman. In his mind, he could still see the old woman sitting in the doorway. Behind her, it was pitch black, with no furniture visible. This made the compact, two-story house seem like a tomb belonging solely to her—an open tomb.

So, this wasn't an empty town submerged in water. Then, were there people in the closed houses he saw when he first entered? As for the open houses where no one was visible, were their occupants... perhaps on the second floor? Thinking this, Xue Liangliang instinctively moved a little closer to the woman. Although he was also afraid of her, the thought that the houses on both sides were graves, and he was walking down a path between them, made the woman in front seem more comforting. At least, she moved.

As he walked, Xue Liangliang saw a second house with an open door and someone sitting inside. This was a young woman, wearing embroidered clothes, with her hair styled in a high, solemn bun. She sat there, hands folded on her lap, eyes closed, her lips strikingly red. After a glance, Xue Liangliang shivered and immediately averted his gaze.

Then, he saw a woman in a cheongsam sitting in a doorway. She had a slender waist and a seductive posture, her hands placed by her sides, and a faint smile seemed to play at the corners of her lips. It was as if she was silently luring him to step inside and converse with her.

Xue Liangliang noticed that the deeper he went, the more open doors there were, and the higher the proportion of women sitting inside. Since seeing the first old woman, he had already seen over a dozen women sitting in doorways. They were of various ages and dressed in different styles, but all were very formally attired, much like rural elders who prepare their burial shrouds and coffins before death, wanting to present their most dignified appearance at their funeral. This was their carefully designed... appearance after death.

Due to being soaked in water, their skin was very pale, excessively so. But unlike the extreme bloating and decomposition seen after prolonged immersion, they generally showed no deformation, largely retaining their original appearance from when they were alive. Even more baffling was that the deceased usually died from illness, injury, or old age, meaning their general state would not be good. Yet among them, even the oldest woman still retained a sense of composure. It was as if they hadn't succumbed to death when their lamp of life was extinguished, but had actively chosen to die even while still capable of living with composure.

To be honest, if they had presented various horrific death states, Xue Liangliang would have been less afraid. But it was precisely this deliberate atmosphere of "I've dressed myself up nicely and am sitting here for you to see, or perhaps, to watch you," that put him under immense psychological pressure. In a daze, he felt a loss of perception: was he observing them, or were they sitting in their houses, observing him?

In his stunned state, Xue Liangliang collided with the woman's back. The woman had stopped at some point without him noticing. From the impact, the woman didn't move, but Xue Liangliang fell backward to the ground. The woman didn't turn to look back but turned to her right, changing direction and walking further inside. Here, a crossroads appeared, with two small land bridges on either side, with no water flowing beneath them, purely for decoration and Feng Shui purposes.

Xue Liangliang scrambled to his feet and could only follow the woman as she turned. From this point on, all the doors of the residential buildings on both sides were open, and every single one had a woman sitting inside.

"Ah..."

Xue Liangliang felt his mind was on the verge of collapsing. Although all the women had their eyes closed, this persistent, dense "sensation of being watched" caused him immense pain and despair. He could only adopt the most ostrich-like approach: following behind the woman, head half-bowed, avoiding looking to either side. Though his peripheral vision inevitably caught glimpses, and his heart rate began to accelerate uncontrollably, he finally persevered. A normal person, coming here, would probably go mad. If Xiaoyuan were here, he would probably react differently from others? No, it's better if Xiaoyuan doesn't come here. He wasn't even sure if he himself would get out alive. No, he wasn't even sure if he was still considered alive right now.

Finally, the houses on both sides disappeared. Xue Liangliang pressed his hand to his forehead, breathing heavily. Even just this simple action was necessary now to alleviate his inner stress. Then, he quickly caught up with the woman. Without the terrifying gazes from the sides, he could finally lift his head and look forward.

Ahead was a small open area, where an ancient, unadorned building, distinctly different from the other houses, stood. It must be the Bai family's ancestral hall. Xue Liangliang instinctively paused. Should he go inside? Then, he walked forward. Why was he hesitating? As if he had a choice.

"Creak..."

The dark, lacquered main door of the ancestral hall slowly opened by itself as the woman approached. This ancestral hall, too, had no threshold. And upon entering, there were more descending steps, still with a large smooth area in the middle and only narrow walking paths on either side.

Passing through a not-so-spacious square courtyard, the woman continued to walk further inside. As Xue Liangliang followed her, his gaze was drawn to an old well in the very center. The well opening wasn't raised but sunken downwards, and the surrounding area also sloped downwards. This wasn't formed naturally over time; it was designed this way from the beginning. Around the well shaft were rusted chains. This made Xue Liangliang wonder if they were for people above to fetch water, or for people below... to climb up.

They reached the central location of the ancestral hall. The woman, still holding the vase, knelt down and went no further. Xue Liangliang approached her, moving to her side, and re-examined her. Why was this young woman, clearly dressed like a modern person and with a worldly air, here? And why was she so familiar with the place, as if she were returning home?

Should he stay here with her, or go further inside to explore? Using her as a center, he had a certain range of movement, but previously he had always followed behind her, never daring to go ahead. But he still chose to remain by the woman's side, not going anywhere.

However, gradually, the suffocating sensation reappeared. He began to feel unwell and distressed, instinctively grabbing his own neck. Yet, the woman was right there, kneeling diagonally in front of him, so why was this feeling back? Xue Liangliang moved even closer to the woman, but the suffocation didn't disappear. Had it become useless? He could not imagine having to endure endless suffocating torment in such a sinister and oppressive place. What kind of bottomless torture was this?

"Ugh... ah..."

Xue Liangliang also knelt down, groaning in pain. His consciousness blurred repeatedly, then returned to clarity. He hated this clear-headedness now, for it meant his mind was being repeatedly whipped and tormented. With a thud, Xue Liangliang leaned forward, falling sideways. Since there was no threshold, strictly speaking, half of his body had entered the central area of the ancestral hall.

At this moment, he suddenly noticed that the suffocating sensation weakened. After a brief hesitation, he immediately shifted his body further inside, and the suffocation decreased again. He understood: the woman holding the vase was no longer effective; the chain that bound him to her had broken, and a new chain was inside here!

He continued to crawl further inside until the suffocating sensation completely disappeared. He could finally stand up. Looking back, the outside of the main door was pitch black; only the woman holding the vase at the doorway was vaguely visible. Looking forward, he saw a large red coffin. The coffin rested on a stand, raising it higher, so even standing on tiptoes, Xue Liangliang could only vaguely see a bit of yellow lining inside the coffin; he couldn't see further unless he climbed onto the coffin.

With a feeling of trepidation, he slowly shuffled around the coffin, mentally preparing himself for something to suddenly appear. However, even after walking a full circle around the coffin, nothing terrifying emerged. Directly opposite the head of the coffin, where an altar table for ancestral tablets should have been, there was nothing but a Grand Tutor's chair. On either side of the coffin were blue brick walls.

The ancestral hall in the center of Baixia Town seemed too simple and desolate, like a house that had been built and decorated but not yet inhabited. But was that truly the case? Xue Liangliang recalled the women sitting in the houses he had passed on the way. If everyone died at home, then perhaps there was no longer a need to place ancestral tablets in the hall.

So, would there be a way out here? Xue Liangliang did not give up on saving himself. He vaguely felt that the way out might be within this ancestral hall. Next, he boldly expanded his search beyond just the coffin, feeling along three walls as he walked in a large circle. He even knocked on the bricks with his hand to see if he could find any hollow hidden doors, and he stamped his feet harder on the ground while walking, testing for any secret passages. Unfortunately, he found nothing. The area wasn't very large and was too empty; it would be hard to hide anything.

What about the ceiling? Xue Liangliang looked up. It was an ordinary old-fashioned ceiling beam design. He couldn't reach up to search unless he found some tools. But would he go into those houses to find tools? The thought of the women sitting behind those house doors sent a chill down Xue Liangliang's spine. To bypass them and rummage through their houses... he'd rather stay here.

"Hm?"

However, after completing a large circle and returning to the entrance, Xue Liangliang was surprised to find that the woman who had been kneeling there holding the porcelain vase was gone. The porcelain vase had also disappeared. This sudden change terrified Xue Liangliang again. The woman he had followed all this way was, in fact, the most familiar "thing" to him here. Her disappearance re-engulfed him in confusion and loneliness. He wanted to look for the woman, to see if she had moved to another spot or gone elsewhere. But just as he was about to walk towards the doorway, even though he was still some distance from it, the suffocating sensation reappeared! Yet, earlier, simply stepping inside the door had made it disappear.

Xue Liangliang took a deep breath of the non-existent air, then, gathering his strength, he rushed to the doorway. The suffocating sensation returned with a vengeance. He endured the pain and made it outside. Looking around, he saw no sign of the woman; she had truly vanished, she was no longer here. At the same time, the outermost main door of the ancestral hall, which he had entered earlier, had closed at some point. By now, he was at his limit; he didn't even have the strength to run into the courtyard. He could only quickly run back, his legs becoming unsteady, and he fell to the ground, his body feeling like a shrimp being constantly squeezed dry of its water. Finally, he crawled back to the coffin, the suffocation receded, and he found relief again. But when he looked up at the underside of the coffin, he couldn't help but wonder: was this truly salvation?

After recovering for a moment, he got up and tentatively walked sideways. He discovered, to his horror, that the moment he moved some distance from the coffin, the suffocating sensation returned, and even more rapidly and intensely. But previously, he had been able to walk along the walls and touch the bricks. This meant his range of movement had been further restricted.

He came to the head of the coffin and suddenly his eyes blurred; he thought he saw someone sitting on the Grand Tutor's chair directly opposite the coffin's head. But when he focused his eyes again, the person was gone. No, it wasn't his eyes playing tricks; perhaps elsewhere, but certainly not here! Xue Liangliang walked another circle around the coffin, then darted back to the head of the coffin. This time, he saw it: someone was indeed sitting on the Grand Tutor's chair, and that person... was himself!

Xue Liangliang clenched his fists. He felt he was on the verge of losing his mind. He couldn't understand why the person who looked exactly like him was sitting there. If that was Xue Liangliang, then who was he? He touched his own face, finding the texture no different from usual. After confirming he was still himself, he looked up again and found the Grand Tutor's chair empty. Although walking another circle around the coffin would likely reveal the person on the Grand Tutor's chair again, Xue Liangliang didn't have the courage to do it.

At the same time, he could no longer do so. Because the suffocating sensation reappeared, even though he was now supporting himself with one hand on the coffin, the suffocation still attacked. It was contracting. He felt like he was standing inside an invisible underwater bubble, and this bubble, which had previously been moving, was now shrinking. Once he lost its protection, he would never find another moment to breathe. Xue Liangliang began to press himself tightly against the coffin. He found that the closer his face was to the coffin, the weaker the suffocating sensation became.

But gradually, he realized it wasn't enough; the suffocating sensation continued to intensify. No, he couldn't, he couldn't let this happen... Xue Liangliang’s feet began to step on the stand below, and he grabbed the edge of the coffin with his hands, starting to climb up. Once on top, he felt relieved again. He had once more successfully escaped the pursuit of suffocation.

But when he looked down, his gaze instantly froze, his mouth dropped open, his arms went limp, and he fell down. He saw it: inside the coffin, a person lay! A woman dressed in red, with a red veil covering her head, and her hands placed over her lower abdomen! The pain from falling was secondary; the most terrifying thing was being re-engulfed by the suffocating sensation. Previously, Xue Liangliang could run outside to check for the woman's whereabouts, but now, it seemed he couldn't bear to leave the safe zone for even a moment. If it had simply been suffocation before, now it felt as if a pair of invisible, terrifyingly strong hands were gripping his neck tightly. He was no longer just enduring the agony of suffocation, but also the direct pain of his neck being continuously strangled and twisted.

Xue Liangliang immediately scrambled up, his feet again on the stand, his hands gripping the coffin's edge, pulling himself back up. Driven by immense pain and torment, he overcame his inner fear, solely for that fleeting moment of comfort. Although, this comfort would likely not last long. He tried his best not to look at the woman lying in the coffin. He shifted his gaze, from top to bottom, towards the direction opposite the coffin's head. He saw it again: on the Grand Tutor's chair, his own reflection reappeared. However, the figure on the chair was dressed differently from his current attire. The other wore a black tunic shimmering with luster, purple trousers, a hat on his head, and a red flower pinned to his chest. It looked very much like... an ancient groom's attire. Especially that face, identical to his own, made Xue Liangliang so terrified that tears nearly streamed from his eyes. At this moment, he felt that his reflection on the Grand Tutor's chair was even more terrifying than the woman in the coffin. So, he lowered his head and looked at the woman.

When he first entered the town, the women behind the house doors were, without exception, sitting. This woman, however, was lying down, and she lay in the most central, core position of the ancestral hall.

At this point, the suffocating sensation reappeared. Xue Liangliang felt like an animal being driven by a whip. Although he already had a guess, he still craned his neck, testing the varying intensity of the suffocating sensation by moving up, left, and right. Finally, he found that his guess was correct: safety could only be found by going into the coffin itself.

His hands gripped the edge of the coffin tightly, engaged in a final inner struggle. However, the ever-approaching and intensifying suffocation drastically shortened his hesitation. He used his waist strength, got one foot onto the coffin's edge, reached his hands down, and gripped the inner wall of the coffin. His original intention was to only lean his upper body in, keeping as much distance as possible from the woman inside. But he overestimated his current physical strength. When he finally managed to heave himself up, he lacked the strength to maintain balance or make any further moves. Instead, he lost control and tumbled completely into the coffin. He fell onto the woman. Her body was very cold and slippery. But this slipperiness was not conventional; it was more like a jellyfish or some kind of secretion, in short, causing extreme physical discomfort.

Just then, Xue Liangliang watched in horror as the woman in front of him slowly lifted her head. As she moved, the red veil that had covered her face slowly slid down.

"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"

On the archway of Baixia Town, the white lanterns on one side suddenly turned red. From that point, throughout the entire town, the candles in the niches by every house door also changed from an eerie green glow to red, radiating a festive air that was both sinister and chilling.

"Creak...""Creak..."

The tightly closed house doors slowly pushed open from the inside. And the women who were already sitting inside their open doors slowly stood up. Soon, women of different ages and dressed in various styles emerged from their doorways. They stepped onto the bluestone slabs over the drainage ditches and came to the roadside. They appeared from houses all over the town, then lined up, moving slowly at the same pace. Their converging direction was towards the ancestral hall in the town center. Although they all still had their eyes closed and none opened their mouths, rustling sounds continuously emerged throughout the town. At first, they were faint and disorganized; gradually, the sounds grew louder and more uniform. Finally, they merged into a single, unified sound, like a chorus chanting, reverberating above Baixia Town:

"Heavenly Official Bestows Blessings, Bai Family Seeks a Son-in-Law!"

***

"Hello, this is Li Zhuiyuan.""Hello, do you know Xue Liangliang?""Yes, I do.""I think I've heard your voice before. My surname is Luo. Have we met somewhere?""Are you Director Luo? I'm the child who was with Brother Liangliang yesterday.""Oh, so it's you.""Director Luo, has something happened?""Something happened to Liangliang. He kept muttering 'Xiaoyuan' while he was unconscious, and he also recited this phone number.""Brother Liangliang, what happened to him?""He fell into the water from a boat. He's currently in the hospital, and the doctors say his condition is very serious.""Can I go see him?""Yes, I'll send a car to pick you up right away. Please give me a specific location.""Shijia Bridge in Shinan Town. We'll wait for the car there.""Alright."

After hanging up the phone, Li Zhuiyuan immediately held up his arm and saw that the mark had already completely disappeared and hadn't reappeared. So, what happened to Brother Liangliang? Could it be that Lady Bai still held a grudge and came back to retaliate against him? But that shouldn't be; hadn't it all ended?

Li Zhuiyuan took out his pocket money and said to Aunt Zhang, "Aunt Zhang, I'll buy a pack of cigarettes for my great-grandfather, and some candy too.""Alright, coming right up... Here, just right.""Thank you, Aunt Zhang."

Li Zhuiyuan put the cigarettes and candy in his pocket and walked home with a solemn expression. He vaguely sensed that this incident must be related to Lady Bai, and not a simple case of falling into the water and losing consciousness. Otherwise, Brother Liangliang wouldn't have been muttering his name and phone number while unconscious and delirious. Most crucially, if the situation wasn't strange enough, Engineer Luo wouldn't send a car to pick up a child like him late at night; he must be very anxious too.

Back at the dam, Aunt Liu was clearing dishes and cleaning up, while Uncle Qin was chopping firewood—all chores delayed by watching the movie. The light was on in the east room, but the door was closed. Liu Yumei and A-Li must be inside. Liu Yumei's mental state had been very poor after watching the movie tonight. Li Zhuiyuan walked up to Uncle Qin and asked, "Uncle Qin.""Xiaoyuan, what's up?""If our family's soy sauce bottle tipped over, would you reach out to help set it right?"Uncle Qin: "...""The university student who stayed with us last night, he had an accident. He's in the hospital right now. I won't tell anyone about this, and I certainly won't tell my great-grandfather. So, Uncle Qin, can you help?"Uncle Qin felt in his pocket and pulled out some money. "Xiaoyuan, is it for his medical expenses? Uncle has a little here, and I'll ask your aunt for some more later, then give it all to your friend.""Okay... Thank you, Uncle Qin."

Li Zhuiyuan could only nod. It seemed he would have to wake his great-grandfather and ask for his opinion. However, his great-grandfather probably wouldn't have any solutions either, because that day, his great-grandfather had also shown apprehension towards Lady Bai, choosing to retreat.

Just then, the east room door was opened from the inside. Liu Yumei, now in her pajamas, walked out with her hair down. Her eyes were still very red."A-Li, you go with Xiaoyuan to the hospital to deliver the money.""Okay, I understand."Li Zhuiyuan looked at Liu Yumei with surprise. He had only asked tentatively, not expecting Liu Yumei to agree so readily this time."Xiaoyuan, wait a moment, Uncle will get the bicycle out.""No need, Uncle Qin. We'll wait on the bridge south of the village road; a car will come to pick us up.""Oh, alright, let's go then. If we come back late, your Aunt Liu will explain to your great-grandfather when he wakes up, don't worry.""Mhm.""Do you need to get anything?""No, we can go now."

Before leaving, Li Zhuiyuan bowed to Liu Yumei. "Thank you, Grandma." Liu Yumei didn't respond, turning and re-entering the house.

After Li Zhuiyuan and Uncle Qin left, Aunt Liu carried in a basin of hot water. After placing the hot water on the stand, she picked up a comb, walked to Liu Yumei's side, and began to comb her hair. The relentless wheel of time crushes everyone. Liu Yumei's hair was only silver-grey last year, but now, only the surface retained that color; when combed open, the hair beneath was soft white. As Aunt Liu combed, her voice became slightly choked.

"Why are you crying?""I'm not crying.""Hmph," Liu Yumei placed a cleaned ancestral tablet back in its spot."I want to know why you agreed this time. Even if Uncle Sanjiang doesn't know and it truly has nothing to do with him, Xiaoyuan lives here, after all, and he's still related to Uncle Sanjiang by kinship. What if...""Of course, I know 'what if'," Liu Yumei looked at the rows of ancestral tablets. "But I'm not in a good mood today, and I don't want to deal with any 'what-ifs' for now."Aunt Liu silently combed her hair, saying nothing further. Liu Yumei's voice suddenly rose, "What, has this old woman become so old that I don't even have the right to be willful anymore?""No, you do, you do!"Liu Yumei stood up, pointing at the ancestral tablets, her voice agitated, "These fellows, they took their fleet and just left, without a single word of notice. The whole family, no, both families, deliberately hid it from me! Well, they were all so generous, dying without a single one left. When they left me, an orphan and a widow, did they ever think of me? They didn't even want to leave a trace of their spirits, sacrificing them all, leaving me for decades to stare at these lifeless ancestral tablets, without a single person to talk to! Why should only they get to be willful, while I have to constantly stay here cautiously, terrified of making a single mistake that could lead to a reversal of blessings? This isn't fair..."

As she spoke, tears streamed from Liu Yumei's eyes. She leaned one hand on the altar table and covered her face with the other. Aunt Liu's heart ached terribly, but she didn't know how to console her.

A moment later, Liu Yumei lowered her hand, looked up again at the ancestral tablets, and smiled, "Heh heh, did you see that? Did you see? You're gone, and it hasn't been that long, but those white rats from under the river already dare to crawl ashore and sicken people." Liu Yumei's expression turned solemn, and her eyes became sharp. "Then I'll slap them back. Let them remember who truly controls the surface of this river!"