Chapter 640: Grandma

Seeing the old woman carefully scraping off the monkey skin stuck to another person with a stone, Yang Xiaohai's eyes widened. He never imagined that this emaciated old woman, who oddly enjoyed sucking on stones, was actually a mysterious and powerful expert!

"Hubby, someone's dead! Really dead, their brains are splattered out." Zhao Xiumei, standing beside him, hid behind Yang Xiaohai in fear. Although the Red-Robed Daoist had killed many people along the way, she still feared dead bodies, no matter how many times she saw them.

"It's alright, don't be afraid. Can't you see this old woman is a good person who kills evildoers?" Yang Xiaohai whispered comfortingly. Her actions reassured him greatly. It was unlikely that someone who had just killed an evildoer would immediately turn and harm ordinary people. Moreover, they had given her a bowl of red-oil wontons earlier; even if she didn't eat them in the end, there was still some goodwill.

Unlike Yang Xiaohai's composure, the others around them couldn't handle it. As soon as they saw a real corpse, they screamed and scattered, especially the previously dignified old Daoist, who yelled the loudest and ran the fastest. However, compared to the others, the three monkeys clearly had a completely different attitude. "Mom... chirping... Mom, Mom! Mom!" The two unskinned monkeys raised their hands, excitedly jumping and prancing around the old woman.

"Come, come, everyone, don't move, be good, let me see." Yang Xiaohai then watched as the old woman carefully used a stone to peel back the monkey skin from their bodies, separating them.

"What... there's a baby inside that animal skin! How frightening.""I heard Senior Sister Bai mention before that some people capture children, wrap them in monkey skin, and train them to act as monkeys. These 'monkey-humans' are many times better than ordinary monkeys. I thought it was just a story, but I never expected it to be real. Stop talking, let's quickly lend a hand."

Although he didn't have the courage to step forward forcefully at first, he could still do something to help improve the situation. The couple took out a basin of hot water from a nearby pot, washed a cloth in it, then carefully wrung it out to cool it down, and began to wipe the blood and pus from the three "monkey children." Although it looked painful, these three children hadn't worn the monkey skins for very long, so there was still hope for them.

As the three of them busied themselves, and as the three "monkey children" were clothed in Yang Xiaohai's large garments, they finally transformed from monkeys back into humans. However, their behavior still strongly resembled monkeys. It was clear they had been trained by the man for a long time, and full recovery would likely take a considerable amount of time.

Watching the old woman take out white cloth strips and wrap them around the "monkey children's" heads, Yang Xiaohai asked curiously, "Elder, what are you doing?"

"If you wrap this on them, their lives will be as hard as stone, and then, no one will dare to bully these three poor children."

Hearing this, Yang Xiaohai nodded knowingly. He thought it must be a local custom, probably similar to the belief that putting cinnabar on a child's forehead could ward off evil. He used to believe it, but now that he was no longer a child, he knew such things were deceptive. Cinnabar on the forehead couldn't ward off evil; only Senior Brother Li could.

"Hehehe... little one, you have a kind heart. Good people will be rewarded." The old woman gently patted Yang Xiaohai's head, then began to walk forward with the three "monkey children." Watching their four figures gradually disappear into the distance, Yang Xiaohai thought for a moment, then quickly walked towards his carriage. "Let's go. It looks like they're heading our way. We might as well give them a ride."

"This... this isn't good. That old woman looks strange," Zhao Xiumei said, a hint of hesitation on her face.

"It's fine. She might be mentally ill, but a mentally ill person isn't necessarily a bad person. Besides, traveling with such an expert will make the journey safer." He remembered that Master Lu had followed Senior Brother Li all the way to Daliang with this very idea in mind. Today, he was putting that lesson into practice. Furthermore, since she was able to rescue the three "monkey children" and even tried to restore them, she shouldn't be a bad person.

"Elder, please take the carriage. It's difficult for you to walk with that crutch. And it seems we're heading in the same direction." The ragged old woman initially didn't want to ride in the carriage, but Yang Xiaohai's earnest invitation was hard to refuse, so she eventually got in. Although there were four more people in the carriage, one was a frail old woman, and the other three were small children. Their combined weight was probably less than that of Gao Zhijian, who had been there before.

"Oh, little one, how old are you?" The old woman in the carriage, leaning against a hard flatbread, asked while staring at the back of Yang Xiaohai's head.

"Me? I don't know. No one kept track when I was little, so I don't know my exact age. I'd guess I'm at least thirteen or fourteen."

Hearing this, a trace of reminiscence appeared in the old woman's eyes. "Ah, if my two grandchildren were still alive, they'd be about your age."

"Elder, what happened to your grandchildren?" Yang Xiaohai, leading the horse, asked, turning slightly.

"My granddaughter was sold for two steamed buns, and my grandson... he was snatched away, boiled in a pot, and eaten. Oh, my poor child!" As the old woman said this, tears immediately began to fall, and the atmosphere instantly turned mournful.

"Mom, Mom?" One of the "monkey children" raised a wide sleeve to wipe her tears, but instead, she pulled him into her embrace and cried.

"Oh, hubby, this elder seems to be a person of great suffering," Zhao Xiumei whispered to Yang Xiaohai, then quickly got into the carriage and began to comfort the old woman by sharing her own past tragic experiences.

Under the comfort of the "monkey children" and Zhao Xiumei, the old woman gradually quieted down. Wiping the corners of her eyes with the thimble on her hand, she said, "It's alright. It's fine, it's fine. Now, with the blessing of Grandfather Shidu, he appeared to me in a dream. My grandson and granddaughter are doing well with him. When I die, I'll be able to see them, and we'll be a wealthy and prosperous family in the future."

Hearing this, Zhao Xiumei's eyes widened. "Is this Grandfather Shidu really so effective? Which Bodhisattva is he? Does he grant children? I should worship him someday too." Hearing this, the old woman immediately perked up. Crossing her legs, she began to boast animatedly about how powerful Grandfather Shidu was and how many benefits came from worshipping him. Yang Xiaohai's wife, Zhao Xiumei, listened with a mixture of belief and doubt.

After eating the wontons, no one was hungry. The carriage carried everyone along the dirt road, traveling for two and a half hours. They finally found a county town before dark, avoiding a night of exposure to the elements.

"Hubby, how do I look?" Hearing the voice, Yang Xiaohai turned around and saw his wife, Zhao Xiumei, with a piece of white cloth wrapped around her head.