After their plea for mercy, the two elderly folks gradually settled down.
They were dead.
Their eyes were wide open, eye corners torn, staring straight up at the ceiling;
Veins bulged at their necks, and the blood vessels beneath their skin appeared black;
Both hands and feet curled tightly beneath their bodies, as if bound by invisible ropes, their cries before death like the wailing of the condemned.
Doctors and nurses rushed in swiftly, but by then, there was little they could do.
Given the horrifying amount of blood loss and the state of the two elders, there was no point in attempting any rescue measures.
What followed was the dispersal of the bystanders gathered outside the ward, as the caretakers hurried in to clean the room.
The family members were summoned to the office for follow-up procedures.
Li Sanjiang looked at his great-grandson, confused, he pulled Li Zhuiyuan aside and asked, "Weren’t you supposed to be helping your grandpa with the river dredging? How did you end up here?"
Xue Liangliang quickly took out his student ID and handed it over, explaining, "Grandpa, I’m a student from Haihe University. Originally, I was working on the river engineering project and brought a sick classmate to the hospital. Xiao Yuan knows the way, so I asked him to bring me here. I've already talked to his grandpa about it."
"He knows the way?" Li Sanjiang pointed at Li Zhuiyuan while looking at Xue Liangliang, "He hasn’t been back to the city much since returning home, what route could he know?"
Xue Liangliang replied, "Actually, I really like this kid, so I thought of taking him out to have some fun."
Li Sanjiang took Xue Liangliang's student ID, scrutinized it carefully before returning it, seemingly convinced by the explanation. After all, these days, a college student’s status still holds considerable weight.
At that moment, the middle-aged couple who had been in the ward earlier walked out of the doctor’s office directly towards Li Sanjiang.
Li Sanjiang sighed at them and said, "My condolences."
Li Zhuiyuan guessed these were probably Sister Yingzi’s uncle and aunt.
However, now this couple didn’t seem too affected by their loss, or perhaps more immediate concerns weighed heavier on their minds. They each gripped one of Li Sanjiang’s hands, whispering and agitated, "Grandpa Sanjiang, please, save us, save us."
"Yes, Grandpa, help us, it’s really terrifying."
Li Sanjiang gave a quick glance towards Li Zhuiyuan, signaling for them to join him on the balcony on each floor to talk further.
Li Zhuiyuan didn’t insist on following. His third aunt was still going through the procedures in the doctor's office, while Sister Yingzi sat absent-mindedly alone on the long bench.
Having just witnessed such a frightful scene and experiencing the passing of close relatives, the blow was understandably harsh.
Li Zhuiyuan sat down beside her, offering comfort with words, while also inquiring about the sequence of events.
Yingzi’s grandparents worked at a private fish farming site, and half a month ago, during the dredging of the pond, a small coffin was unearthed.
The coffin was completely red, who knows how long it had been submerged below, but it wasn’t decayed at all. Instead, it was made even more vividly red by the soaking.
The old couple called their boss over, stating according to local customs, this small coffin should be consecrated with incense and then sent back to the river.
But the boss was an outsider, skeptical about these beliefs, and instructed two workers to pry the coffin open with tools.
Contained within was the body of a girl, around eight, dressed in a black cotton jacket with embroidered shoes, indicative of a winter burial. Upon opening, she appeared miraculously fresh, not a hint of decay.
Everyone nearly mistook it for a newly buried body!
But within just a few puffs of smoke, the once vibrant corpse turned ashen, the flesh rapidly decomposed, leaving just a skeleton wrapped in the black cotton jacket.
The girl’s remains were adorned with jewelry, a jade hairpin in her hair, rings on her fingers, and a gold necklace around her neck.
Besides, the coffin held a porcelain bottle wrapped in talisman paper, along with a black wood carving.
The carving bore a bold statement:
“This body suppresses evil spirits, aiding a virtuous ascension.”
And beneath were smaller characters and a signature:
“Whoever reads these words, shall not defile the body nor touch its contents, promptly reseal the coffin and send it to rivers to avoid great calamities.
– Lady Bai”
Yingzi’s grandparents urged the boss to quickly follow the instructions and re-seal the coffin before sending it back to the river. However, the boss was obstinate, certain the jewelry inside the coffin was valuable, and the porcelain bottle must have been an invaluable treasure, so he took everything. As for the coffin and the bones within, he simply dug a hole by the nearby river and buried them.
Then, the terrifying events began to unfold.
First, the boss mysteriously disappeared, then Yingzi’s grandparents started having relentless nightmares, encountering the girl's spirit vengefully. Subsequently, both fell ill and ended up in the town’s clinic, eventually developing a tendency towards self-harm.
One day when Third Aunt went home to fetch a meal, the grandparents asked Yingzi to get them crystal tangerines, sending Yingzi away temporarily, and secretly headed to the rooftop intending to jump, fortunately, at that moment, Great Grandpa arrived just in time to stop them.
However, after such chaos, the town clinic would no longer allow them to stay, afraid of the trouble it would cause should the elders really commit suicide in the facility, forcing a transfer to the city’s general hospital.
Yet, the elders’ condition worsened with time, requiring doctors’ sedatives and strict family supervision to prevent further self-harm.
Unexpectedly, they ended up dying in such a shocking and bizarre manner simultaneously.
After Yingzi finished recounting, Li Zhuiyuan asked:
“What about the two workers who helped the boss open the coffin?”
“Well… I don’t know, they never mentioned them.”
“Sister, initially your grandparents, were they somewhat clear-minded?”
“Except during their episodes, they were normal. Just fifteen minutes before they started vomiting blood, they were chatting with me about finding a partner after I get into college.”
At that moment, Third Aunt popped her head out of the doctor’s office, gesturing for Yingzi to help with some paperwork:
“Ying, come help Mom with the form.”
“On my way, Mom.”
Once Yingzi left, Li Zhuiyuan noticed Xue Liangliang sitting unexpectedly close, deliberately eavesdropping.
Upon catching Li Zhuiyuan's gaze, Xue Liangliang showed no blush, rather he seemed excited, "I heard it, you were deliberately probing."
“I was just comforting my sister.”
“Phew… you gave me a scare; when I heard those elders shouting 'Lady Bai' at the ward entrance, my heart leaped. I feared it was again due to me smashing the deity statue causing harm, or perhaps because I coincidentally brought the still-victim Zhao Hequan to this hospital today, triggered something causing their plight, alas.”
Li Zhuiyuan realized that Xue Liangliang had also noticed the engraving on the statue base.
“Brother Liangliang, rest assured, the timelines don’t match, and the ages don’t either.”
The coffin uncovered at the fish farming site was half a month ago, meanwhile, the smashing of the deity statue by Xue Liangliang and Zhao Hequan happened just yesterday, there was no link between the two incidents.
“The age, can we be sure about that?” Xue Liangliang questioned, “Back in the day, when travel and communication were limited, the figures created might not be accurate. Who’s to say, the deity we excavated might be based on a little girl herself?”
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head, “It’s not the same one.”
“Are you certain?”
“Uh-huh.”
Because he’s seen that woman. Although her physical state was very similar to the deity statue, with perhaps some exaggeration or augmentation, she could by no means have been an eight-year-old girl.
“But, they both call her Lady Bai,” pondered Xue Liangliang, “Could ‘Lady Bai’ be a generic title, like a professional group? Similar to how one calls any out-of-Taoist sect member a Heavenly Master from a certain mountain?”
Li Zhuiyuan nodded, adding, “Could be a surname as well.”
For some reason, the scene in the east room where Liu Yumei resided, with Qin and Liu family ancestral tablets filled in the spirit hall, flashed in Li Zhuiyuan’s mind.
“All with the Bai surname?” Xue Liangliang interlocked his fingers, “Quite plausible, referring to Lady Bai in the local dialect could indeed signify a woman of the Bai family, a respectful term for someone possessing skills.”
Li Zhuiyuan responded with agreement as his gaze drifted toward the balcony. Great Grandpa and Yingzi’s uncle and aunt were still in discussion.
Xue Liangliang softly nudged Li Zhuiyuan’s arm and cautiously asked, “So, about what your sister mentioned, do you have any other thoughts?”
“A lot of it was concealed or fabricated.”
“Yes, exactly.” Xue Liangliang regained his excitement, “You realized it too, right? The boss vanished, her grandparents were haunted by nightmares and abnormalities occurred in their bodies, yet in the recount, what about the workers who helped open the coffin, why aren’t they mentioned? Unless...”
“Unless, her grandparents were those workers opening the coffin with the boss.”
“Your sister was merely recounting what she heard from the adults at home, those elderly they just left, glossed over and embellished their involvement extensively.
After all, if they were truly as they claimed, why would they cry out for forgiveness before dying? It clearly shows they were aware of their wrongdoing; otherwise, they would have shouted their innocence.
Hence, amend the narrative: the two elders discovered the coffin, then called the boss to open it.
Or, possibly the boss retrieved the coffin, the boss didn’t intend to open it, yet the two elders urged its opening.
At the very least, they were deeply involved, far from being as reasonable and innocent as they claimed.”
Li Zhuiyuan blinked at Xue Liangliang.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Xue Liangliang waved his hand dismissively, “I never claimed to be innocent, but nevertheless, I smashed the deity statue for the construction project’s progress, not for personal gain. Engineer Luo explicated it clearly to that Lady Bai I encountered.”
“Brother Liangliang, there is another crucial point.”
“Xiao Yuan, what is it?”
“The fact that Sister Yingzi could relate the engraving’s words on the carving signified that at least she had seen a handwritten version.
But how could the two elderly folks, after having the coffin pried open, not only fully comprehend the inscription but also recite it verbatim, allowing someone to transcribe it?”
“Your point being...”
“Yes, they must have kept some items themselves. At the very least, that wooden carving is still in their home.”
Having heard this, Xue Liangliang nodded emphatically, scrutinizing Li Zhuiyuan. “Xiao Yuan, are you really just an elementary student?”
“Actually, I’m a university student by the unnamed lake.”
“Heh heh heh heh... cough!” Xue Liangliang, amused, coughed, patting Li Zhuiyuan’s back encouragingly, “Good, it’s commendable to have such ambition!”
Li Zhuiyuan merely smiled.
“Anyway, Xiao Yuan, have you heard of Lady Bai?”
“Brother Liangliang, I’ve stayed in Nantong for far less time than you.”
“Oh, right, then I’ll head to the city’s cultural and historical museum to see if there’s any record in the local chronicles.”
“Why are you so invested in this, with things resolved on your end, is it for your classmate?”
“Uh, isn’t it kind of expected?”
“I assumed you were quite displeased with him.”
“Whether I like them or not doesn’t really matter, each person chooses their path in life. I merely follow my judgment in selecting mine. Ultimately, history will determine who was right or wrong.
Alright, I should retrieve the report from the doctors now. If everything’s fine, I won't bother you then, I’ll go to the cultural and historical museum first.
You’re living in Shinan Siyuan Village, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Where do I get off? Since your great-grandfather is here, I won’t see you back home, I’ll come by tonight to see you.”
“Past Shijia Bridge, get off at the second lane and walk inside, then ask for Li Sanjiang’s residence.”
“People will know when you ask?”
“Uh-huh, Great Grandpa’s quite renowned in the village.”
“Alright, if buses stop running at night, I’ll take a taxi over.”
Then, curiously, Li Zhuiyuan asked, “Brother Liangliang?”
“What’s the matter? Anything else?”
“You seem to have quite a bit of money.”
Claiming to be from a rural area in Anhui, yet his attire and some lifestyle habits showed no signs of constraint.
“Oh, I’ve contracted two convenience stores and a stationery shop in the school. Plus, I teamed up with a few classmates to form a group, doing design projects with professors or from outside the school.
There’s truly more opportunities and easier ways to earn money in big cities and universities. It’s quite different when I was back home, without these resources, but now every month I’m able to send money back to my parents.
Technically, I didn’t have to attend this practical course, but I didn’t want to miss out on first-hand training.”
“You’re amazing, Brother Liangliang.”
“You’re smart too, little buddy.” Xue Liangliang bumped his forehead lightly against Li Zhuiyuan’s, and seeing Li Sanjiang and the others return, he got up and left.
“Great Grandpa.”
“That university student, he left?”
“Went to check on his classmate.”
“Hmm.” Li Sanjiang nodded, “Let's go.”
“Where to, Great Grandpa?”
“To fetch some things.”
Yingzi and Third Aunt stayed at the hospital to handle further matters, while her uncle Zhou Hai and aunt Chen Xiaoling led Li Sanjiang and Li Zhuiyuan back home, securing a motorcycle taxi from those waiting at the hospital gate to save time.
The rural house was spacious, with a courtyard facing an artificial river, beyond which a section towards the south revealed the river surface.
After entering the house, Chen Xiaoling fetched water while Zhou Hai took out a cloth bag, opening it to reveal a hairpin and a wooden carving inside.
Li Sanjiang picked up the wooden carving, frowning at the inscription.
Li Zhuiyuan leaned in, reading it out softly.
Matching Yingzi’s recount word for word.
“What folly... such folly...” Li Sanjiang chastised upon placing the carving down and patting his legs, “Life’s not so harsh now, is it? There’s always enough to eat and drink, why let greed blind your judgment?”
“Thud!” “Thud!”
Freed from the concerns at the hospital, Zhou Hai and Chen Xiaoling knelt before Li Sanjiang directly, almost kowtowing, pleading for his aid.
It turned out they too had started having those dreadful dreams.
Witnessing the old couple's fate today left them terrified close to breaking point.
“Come on, let's head to the farming site, still remember where the bones were buried?”
“Yes, yes.” Zhou Hai nodded quickly, “We personally dug the hole to bury them.”
“Ha.” Li Sanjiang chuckled dryly.
The farming site was close by only a quarter-hour’s walk along the riverbank.
It was a small operation, besides the boss, it employed only the two elderly, who were none other than Zhou Hai’s parents.
Thus initially, their narration to Third Aunt and Yingzi glossed over their own roles significantly, even contributing to an altered story for Li Sanjiang earlier.
“Dig.” Said Li Sanjiang.
“Wouldn’t it be better at night?” Zhou Hai inquired.
Though traffic was scant here during the day, there was still the risk of being seen.
Li Sanjiang nodded, “In that case, I’ll head back to the village for a nap, we’ll resume tomorrow. I expect you both to unearth the bones tonight, clandestinely.”
“No, no, that won’t do, Grandpa, I’m scared, I dare not.”
“You knew the fear!” Li Sanjiang nearly shouted, “Dig it up in daylight, that’s when you should dig, don’t wait till nightfall to make trouble for yourself!”
“Okay, okay, we’ll dig, we’ll dig.”
Zhou Hai and Chen Xiaoling each took a shovel and began digging.
Meanwhile, Li Sanjiang queried, “Since the boss disappeared, have you reported it to the police?”
“We haven’t.” Zhou Hai answered mid-shovel, “We didn’t dare, fearing the truth would come out, and we'd have to surrender the goods if we reported.”
“What about the boss’s family?”
“He’s from the south, came alone to lease this site, no family with him.”
Suddenly, Li Sanjiang whispered ominously, “You didn’t kill the boss taking his share for yourselves, did you?”
Zhou Hai immediately wailed, “Grandpa, I wouldn't dare do such a thing, truly!”
Chen Xiaoling quickly nodded in agreement, “We wouldn’t dare commit murder, not at all.”
“Uh-huh.” Li Sanjiang didn’t press further. He believed they weren’t that reckless, silently standing up, preparing offerings.
Li Zhuiyuan assisted alongside.
Before long, they unearthed the coffin.
One glance, and Li Sanjiang felt a slight relief—it had been encased and reburied. Inside, the skeletal remains were intact, undisturbed and not desecrated.
It was a misfortune amidst a greater fortune.
Li Zhuiyuan approached the coffin, inspecting the remains inside—surely a girl.
Subsequently, Li Sanjiang performed the ritual, then burned paper offerings.
Once the procedures were completed, Li Sanjiang asked, “Where are the other items, especially that bottle?”
“The boss took them.”
“Where does he live?”
“He stayed here on site, in that room. After he disappeared, we searched, and later with our parents falling ill realizing the items from the coffin were causing it, we went back to search again but couldn't find anything, not even the bottle.”
Li Sanjiang furrowed his brows, initially planning to return everything gathered back into place, perform a ritual, and once properly sealed, push the coffin back to the river, reckoning the matter resolved.
The wooden carving’s instructions were clear—having claimed at least two lives, likely three, venting their grievance should render them appeased.
Yet, returning everything was crucial; though jewelry might be overlooked, the talisman-wrapped bottle couldn't be omitted.
The carvings distinctly stated its use to suppress the evil spirit within!
Then, Li Zhuiyuan interjected, “Uncle, Aunt, did the boss have any other social connections here?”
Swiftly understanding the suggestion, Li Sanjiang pursued, “Yes, any other associates? I heard southern bosses tend to keep mistresses often.”
Chen Xiaoling shook her head, “None that I’ve heard of.”
But Zhou Hai scratched his head, “Maybe a couple, one being a widow residing in Jiuwu Port Town, the other being a singer in a city club.”
“Could you locate them?” Li Sanjiang asked.
Zhou Hai shook his head, “Merely mentioned during meals by my parents, but don’t know specific addresses, couldn’t find them.”
Li Sanjiang retrieved a cigarette pack, offering Zhou Hai one and said:
“Report it to the police, let them find these people.”
“What?”
“What?”
Both Zhou Hai and Chen Xiaoling were stunned.
“I said report it, report the disappearance, and this incident,” gesturing to the coffin, “Let the police locate and interrogate them, see if they have the missing items; I suspect that boss... isn’t coming back.”
“But we...”
"Grandpa, if we call the police..."
"You haven't harmed anyone, so what's there to fear! Even if I manage to get everything in this coffin back to the river without a hitch today, I'll still have you report to the police. Affairs like this, it'd be much better for the authorities to handle. You'll all be much safer, too. If you don't want to call the police, that's your choice. Just don't regret ending up like your parents did today."
"We will, we'll report it!" Zhou Hai made up his mind.
"Alright then, move the coffin and the offering table into the house. Until the authorities take over, keep the candles burning and don't let the incense ashes scatter. Make up for whatever you can. You all figure out the tasks among yourselves."
"Got it, Grandpa. Xiaoling, you go call the police, I'll keep watch over the offering table."
"Alright."
Li Sanjiang then sat on the steps outside with Li Zhuiyuan, smoking continuously.
"Great-grandfather, aren't we going home?" Li Zhuiyuan asked.
Li Sanjiang pointed to the house behind him. "If we leave now and Zhou Hai is alone with that coffin, he'll be so scared, he might even wet himself."
Pausing for a moment, Li Sanjiang continued, "Last night, I too had a dream."
"Hm?" Li Zhuiyuan finally noticed the gravity of the situation. "Great-grandfather, you dreamed as well?"
"In the dream, I was on the rooftop of the town health clinic, and a little girl stood before me, asking why I chose to help them. She said that since I interfered, I should die with them."
Li Sanjiang took a heavy drag from his cigarette and slowly exhaled through his nose, joking, "Damn, even I got scared by today's scene."
Li Zhuiyuan nodded in understanding. Today's events were indeed frightening. Moreover, he felt that the Bai Family Lady unearthed by the river workers and this little girl Bai Family Lady here seemed to be from the same family but had starkly different temperaments. The Bai Family Lady by the river was reasonable, accepting apologies, offerings, and listening to the workers' words. But this Bai Family Lady was much more ruthless, killing as easily as drinking water.
"Actually, what does this have to do with me? She blames me for coming to the clinic and saving those two elderly people. But I couldn't just stand by and do nothing, could I? Anyway, I've only been slightly involved. When the police arrive, I'll give a statement and with the official presence here, she's less likely to pursue me."
Li Zhuiyuan understood his great-grandfather's intention. It made sense; previous experiences with Little Yellow Oriole or the Old Cat Face Women were manageable, but this Bai Family Lady was indeed fierce, beyond his great-grandfather's control.
Reminded of something in the "Records of Strange Tales in the Martial World," Li Zhuiyuan recalled a case similar to the Bai Family Lady. It involved mystical practitioners using their own bodies as vessels to seek another path to ascend to immortality.
These entities possessed some skills and abilities they had in life, not as domineering as generals or warlords but more troublesome since they understood how the living might try to counter them. Considering the engraved line: "Corpse suppresses evil, merit aids ascension," it all made sense. Even if it lacked a physical form, it remained a problem to tackle.
Li Zhuiyuan thought his great-grandfather was right; it was indeed wise to call the police.
Soon, the police arrived in significant numbers. Due to the incident, which resulted in two deaths and one disappearance, although the elderly couple's death wasn't a murder, it was nonetheless a serious situation.
The police secured the scene, and Zhou Hai was temporarily held as a suspect.
Li Zhuiyuan accompanied his great-grandfather to the police station to give a statement. They only left by the time dusk had settled. Li Sanjiang even hugged the police station's entrance, as if trying to absorb as much official aura as possible, even going so far as to kiss the police station's sign. This display left the people in the security room staring in disbelief.
Nevertheless, seeing that he wasn't causing trouble, they pushed open the window and asked, "Old fellow, what are you doing?"
Li Sanjiang continued kissing while replying, "Expressing my respect."
Having done all this, Li Sanjiang didn't bother going back to the hospital to find Yingzi and her mother, nor did he accept Chen Xiaoling's invitation to stay at her place for the night. All Li Sanjiang wanted now was to return home.
Hiring a taxi was too costly at this hour, and no driver would want to take a trip to the countryside unless they were paid extra.
Li Sanjiang stood on the roadside, trying to flag down a tractor—an act Li Zhuiyuan thought would be as futile as finding a needle in a haystack. Just as he was about to sit and wait patiently, his great-grandfather managed to stop the second tractor, which conveniently was heading towards Shigang Town to deliver stone blocks.
That worked out perfectly, being completely along the way.
Great-grandfather shared a cigarette with the driver, waving for Little Lord Yuan to hop on.
As the tractor chugged along, Li Zhuiyuan sat with his great-grandfather at the back, enjoying the cool evening breeze.
Passing through the city, they witnessed its bustling life.
Midway, Li Sanjiang took a brief nap and, upon waking, cheerfully told Li Zhuiyuan, "Little Lord Yuan, your great-grandfather just dozed off and dreamed again. In the dream, I saw that girl, but it was blurry. She was talking, but I couldn't hear clearly. Looks like she's distanced from me, so your great-grandfather should be fine soon. Tonight I'll go home, burn some incense, and pray to the deities at home, completely sever this connection with her."
"Great-grandfather, you're amazing."
Li Zhuiyuan had once doubted Li Sanjiang's capabilities, but ever since Old Cat Face Women uttered "your great-grandfather already lent a hand," those doubts were dissipated.
Moreover, his great-grandfather always seemed to have a way to handle situations, and effectively so, each time.
"What's amazing about it, huh? If not for your grandfather, Lord Han’s sake, I wouldn't have come here. Not only am I embarrassed to ask for money, but I've also risked my neck for nothing. A real loss, all the way to my grandmother’s house."
"Next time, tell my grandfather not to..."
"Don't say that. It's not like every time we face such ill-fated dangers. Your great-grandfather makes a living doing this. I can't always expect to feast on grand meals; sometimes, there's a stone in the rice that chips my tooth. Sigh, I was planning to help you transfer fortunes after this, but now I don’t dare. She hasn’t fully left, and I don’t want you caught up in it."
Saying this, Li Sanjiang tapped the tractor's metal behind him, calling up to the driver, "Brother, can we stop at a little eatery up ahead? I'd like to buy you a meal."
"How could I trouble you?"
"Ah, why be polite? Stop up ahead, we’ll eat then continue."
"Alright then."
The tractor pulled up in front of a small restaurant. After getting off, Li Sanjiang ordered a half-kilogram of yellow wine, two cold dishes and two hot ones, and separately an egg fried rice for Li Zhuiyuan.
After finishing his meal, Li Zhuiyuan patiently sat nearby while his great-grandfather and the driver enjoyed their conversation.
Li Sanjiang even asked the owner to heat another half-kilogram of wine, while getting a can of a popular soda for Li Zhuiyuan.
"Pop!"
The sound of opening a can echoed.
Li Zhuiyuan sipped from the can. Li Sanjiang asked, "Does it taste good?"
"Yeah, it does."
"Shall we buy a whole case to take home?"
The driver chuckled, "Old fellow, you're really generous with the youngster."
Back then, soda in beer bottles was returned for a refund. While affordable, canned drinks were still considered a luxury by many parents.
"Of course," Li Sanjiang ruffled Li Zhuiyuan's head. "Earnings are meant to be spent on the young ones, not taken to the grave, right?"
He didn’t mention to the driver that this was his clan's great-grandson.
"That's true. My grandson is in high school, and I still need to keep driving to save up for his college tuition. As long as he gets in, I’ll find a way."
"Ah," Li Sanjiang sighed, patting Li Zhuiyuan's head. "Unfortunately, my grandson is smart but not so interested in studies."
Li Zhuiyuan silently took another sip of his soda.
As it neared eight in the evening, the meal concluded. There were no drink-driving checks back then, so the driver, with his face reddened, started the tractor again.
"Come on, hop in, let's head home!"
On the road again, Li Zhuiyuan gazed at the starry sky, wondering if Xue Liangliang might already be in Siyuan Village.
He thought he should inquire more about the deity statue by the river workers. Given that the coffin at Jiuwu Port housed a mystical being, what if the statue... too was one?
After all, while the current river was a new excavation, it was formerly a water pathway.
Li Zhuiyuan sensed the Bai Family seemed to have a penchant for such matters.
...
With Li Zhuiyuan away, Qin Li returned to her usual spot, seated on a bench inside the door, her feet on the doorstep, gazing outward.
Next to her, Liu Yumei spread out a piece of paper, drawing clothing patterns.
Her sketches were exquisite, and while not entirely professional by contemporary standards, experienced tailors would understand her work.
Her granddaughter, at an age of growing, needed new clothes every season. Liu Yumei’s favorite pastime was adorning her granddaughter each morning, brightening her day.
Suddenly, Liu Yumei sensed Qin Li's head turning, eyes fixed on the path through the wheat field.
Putting down her brush, Liu Yumei stood up.
In the distance, a young man in a blue shirt approached, carrying a stack of scrolls.
After observing him briefly, Qin Li withdrew her gaze, resuming her forward stare.
It appeared this young man was sullied, but not overtly so.
"Excuse me, is this Li Sanjiang's home?" Xue Liangliang inquired.
"Yes, it is. He's not home at the moment, and I'm unsure if he will return tonight. Are you looking for him?"
"I'm here for Xiaoyuan, Li Zhuiyuan. Does he live here too?"
Hearing Li Zhuiyuan’s name, Qin Li's gaze once again landed on him.
"He's not home either," Liu Yumei responded.
"He should be back tonight. I'll wait for him. Pardon me, where's the restroom?"
"Behind the house over there."
"Thank you."
Xue Liangliang placed the scrolls on the table, jogging towards the restroom.
These scrolls he borrowed from the literary and historical archives, where the safekeeping wasn’t stringent.
Liu Yumei casually opened a scroll, scrutinizing the passages marked by paper bookmarks and furrowed her brows. Her eyes narrowed as she muttered, “The Bai Family?”
Then, she covered the scroll again, resumed her brush, yet found herself occasionally distracted. She mumbled, “Why is Xiaoyuan involved with the Bai Family?”
Coincidentally, the distant sound of a tractor was heard.
Rather than alighting at the village road entrance, the driver took them directly to the doorstep.
After parting, Li Sanjiang led Li Zhuiyuan onto the yard.
Just as Xue Liangliang returned from washing up.
“Oh? What brings you here?” Li Sanjiang was surprised.
“Grandpa, Brother Liangliang is here to tutor me.”
“Oh, great, that’s wonderful. He can sleep in your room tonight. Young man, have you eaten?”
“Yes, I have, thank you.” Xue Liangliang quickly replied.
“Alright then.”
Li Zhuiyuan approached Qin Li. Standing, she held out her hand to clasp his.
Suddenly, her lashes fluttered and her body lightly trembled.
Li Zhuiyuan was taken aback. This time, even after holding hands, she continued…
“Ah Li, let go!”
Liu Yumei’s stern voice came through. Seeing Ah Li stubbornly holding on, she called to Li Zhuiyuan, “Xiaoyuan, let go!”
He withdrew his hand.
Ah Li then moved as if trying to grab his hand again.
"Goodnight, Ah Li," Liu Yumei coaxed her. "It's time for sleep. Tomorrow morning, we’ll read together."
"Goodnight, Ah Li," Li Zhuiyuan added after her.
Taking hold of the scrolls, Xue Liangliang said, "Come on, I discovered something incredible in my research."
Watching Li Zhuiyuan leave, Qin Li slowly lowered her raised hand.
Liu Yumei sighed, soothingly saying, “He’s better now, healthier than that young man.”
...
Inside the room, Xue Liangliang immediately noticed stacks of old books on the desk.
"Wow, what's with all these books?"
"This is my hobby."
"Really?" Xue Liangliang thumbed through the pages. "Xiaoyuan, if you're into this, you could pursue literature or archaeology in the future."
Li Zhuiyuan shook his head. "I don't think so."
He wasn't interested in being in the same field as his mother.
"What career path are you considering then? Perhaps something like mine—Water Resources at Haihe University?"
After a moment of contemplation, Li Zhuiyuan answered, "It’s not off the table."
Something related to water.
This university seemed fitting for his field of study.
"Then you'd better study hard; Haihe University isn’t easy to get into."
"Yeah, I know."
Certainly not a simple task, and unlikely that senior professors would allow him to transfer departments.
"Now, have a look at my findings. It's astonishing." Xue Liangliang spread out the scrolls. “The Bai Family really was a single clan name. Records from the Ming and Qing dynasties repeatedly mention the Bai Family, involved in exorcisms and calming chaos. But there’s no record of a Bai Family Grandfather, only the Lady.”
"Do they only pass down to daughters?"
"I suspect so, likely passing the title to daughters and bringing in husbands. It's rare in this area, though."
As Li Zhuiyuan studied the scrolls, he asked, “Brother Liangliang, continue.”
"The extent of the Bai Family's activities wasn't just limited to the current Nantong area. I suspect they surfaced throughout the north of Jiangsu Province and beyond. A key piece of information suggests their origins lie in Nantong. Look here, this passage mentions a Bai Family Town, probably their homeland, located west of the Isle of Immortals in the Eastern Sea."
"The Isle of Immortals?"
"Known today as Chongming Island."
“Then, does this Bai Family Town belong to Shanghai or Nantong?”
Chongming Island sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the river’s gateway. Most of the island belongs to Shanghai, with some parts extending into Nantong.
Deliberately, Xue Liangliang said, “The location described here is peculiar. It seems someone has studied it, but there’s likely recording errors. Tracing its directions on an old map, I found it seems…”
“In the river?”
“Yes, it would currently be submerged in the Yangtze River.”
“Was it misrecorded?”
“Yet, this is the only document I found stating Bai Family Town’s location. Then, an unusual pattern emerged.
“After the Yongzheng era in the Qing Dynasty, never again did local records mention Bai Family Lady.
“The Bai Family,
“The Bai Family people,
“The Bai Family Town,
“In historical documents, they vanished overnight…”
(End of Chapter)"