"When will this life ever end?"
After returning from the old fire pit, Hu Ma no longer had any thoughts of escaping.
Now, not only could he not think of running away, but he also had to stay close to the old woman every day.
Her casual words seemed to have subtly answered his doubts.
So, those torturous memories were just side effects of returning to the living world? Had the old woman really been saving him all along?
It seemed like she truly cared for him.
Every day, she watched over him.
Even when she went out during the day to collect the "Tai Sui" meat and couldn't take him along, she would have the little girl in red keep an eye on him.
Now, Hu Ma didn't know where he was or what era he was in, but he was certain that this world was filled with strange and terrifying things.
Not just at night, but even during the day, he often felt an uneasy, creeping sensation.
He felt relatively safe when he was near the old woman or inside that eerie house.
But once he stepped outside, or when the old woman was far away, or when the little girl in red wandered off to play, he would start feeling uncomfortable, as if something sinister was watching him.
When he turned around abruptly, there was nothing there.
Occasionally, when he zoned out, he would suddenly hear laughter behind him or feel a strange gust of wind.
It was enough to make his hair stand on end and leave him feeling unsettled.
In such a situation, not only was escape impossible, but he couldn't even gather any information from the villagers.
The people in the village seemed more afraid of him than he was of the evil spirits.
If the daytime was filled with paranoia, the nights were even worse.
The failure at the old fire pit seemed to have put a lot of pressure on the old woman.
Not only did she cut that strange meat for him to eat every day, but she also burned talismans on his body, lit incense by his bed, and chanted sutras in the outer room all night long.
Hu Ma felt like he was both awake and in a daze, often unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.
He wasn't sure if he was getting better, but one thing he was certain of: he was suffering from nervous exhaustion.
Day after day, the pressure kept mounting.
Hu Ma had a splitting headache and couldn't take it anymore.
One night, after being woken up by the noise, he quietly slipped out of his room.
He first poured a cup of water for the old woman and then cautiously asked, "Grandma, don't you need to rest?"
The old woman looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot.
She took the water and silently drank a sip before saying in a low voice, "You just focus on sleeping. The evil spirits are most active at night. I need to chant sutras to keep them away, or you won't even get a peaceful night's sleep."
"Ah?" Hu Ma was taken aback.
He hadn't expected this to be the reason.
A pang of guilt struck him.
"But what about you? Don't you need to rest?"
The old woman suddenly looked up at him, her eyes cold and piercing.
Hu Ma's heart skipped a beat.
Had he said something wrong? But during the day, she was busy with endless herbs, making paper figures, carving bone talismans, and going out of the village to collect the Tai Sui meat for him.
At night, she chanted sutras all night long.
Wasn't it natural for him to be concerned about her?
As he was nervously pondering, the old woman's gaze softened, and she said calmly, "I'm fine. Once I figure out a solution, everything will be alright. I already have an idea."
Hu Ma quickly nodded and returned to his room.
"Little Red Tang, Grandma said she has an idea. What is it?"
Since he had his own secrets, Hu Ma was afraid of asking too much and revealing something.
There were many things he didn't dare ask the old woman directly.
When he couldn't hold back anymore, he caught Little Red Tang and whispered his question.
In this world, most people were too scared to talk to him, but this little girl, who should theoretically be terrifying, was actually quite simple-minded and easy to talk to.
"Get married," Little Red Tang said with a giggle, her little head poking out from the beam, her two pigtails swaying.
"If you marry someone from the four major families, you'll become part of their family, and their ancestors will protect you."
"Ah?" Hu Ma was completely caught off guard by this idea.
He hadn't even gotten married in his previous life, and now he was being thrust into marriage here?
He felt a bit nervous.
"Who am I supposed to marry?"
Little Red Tang pouted.
"They picked someone from the Zhao family."
"The Zhao family..."
Hu Ma didn't know much about the Zhao family, but he vaguely remembered the old woman and Little Red Tang mentioning that in the Big Sheep Village, the Hu family were outsiders, a minor surname.
But there were a few major families who had lived here for generations.
These major families had many ancestors buried in the old fire pit, so they were most protected by it.
The children of these families were less likely to be harmed by evil spirits.
But the shock was too much for him, and he couldn't help but ask, "Is she pretty?"
Little Red Tang's eyes lit up with excitement.
"She's very beautiful, famous for her looks. She's the village belle."
"The village belle..."
Hu Ma thought carefully.
He hadn't been out much, but among the people he had seen in the village, most were dark-skinned and dull-looking.
The few women he had seen were short, dark, and dressed in bulky cotton clothes, not particularly attractive.
But every place had its standout beauties, and if she was called the village belle, she couldn't be that bad, right? A small spark of hope ignited in his heart.
He couldn't help but ask, "How old is she? Do you know?"
"She's not old," Little Red Tang said, tilting her head.
"She was only seventeen when she died."
"?" Hu Ma was completely stunned.
"She's dead?"
"Yep," Little Red Tang said cheerfully.
"If she were alive, marrying into your Hu family wouldn't help because there are no Hu ancestors in the old fire pit. But if you marry into her family, you'd get the protection of their ancestors, but then your Hu family would have no one left. So Grandma is arranging a ghost marriage for you. Once you're married, your wife in the underworld can protect you, and you can burn paper offerings for her."
"This idea was suggested by the clan leader not long ago. Grandma thought about it for a few days before agreeing."
"But the Zhao family is being greedy. They asked for a lot of betrothal gifts..."
"..."
"What kind of twisted logic is this?" Hu Ma felt his hair stand on end.
It was only then that he understood what the old clan leader had discussed with the old woman after the ceremony at the old fire pit.
But he had never been married in his past life, and now he was being forced into a ghost marriage? Even in his previous life, such a thing would have been unsettling, let alone in this world full of creepy stuff.
If he really went through with this, wouldn't he be haunted for the rest of his life?
He could let other things slide, but this was something he needed to discuss with the old woman.
He had to try to talk her out of it.
So he quickly grabbed a small stool and sat by the door, waiting for the old woman to return.
As dusk approached, the old woman finally came back.
She was leaning on her cane, carrying a large piece of meat tied with a hemp rope, swinging back and forth.
Hu Ma recognized it immediately—it was the Tai Sui meat, and it was even bigger than what he usually ate.
Had the betrothal gifts already been prepared?
"Um..."
Hu Ma stood up, about to speak, but when he saw the old woman's exhausted face, he swallowed his words.
He quickly helped her sit down and took the meat from her hands.
"Take a rest first."
He put the meat in the jar and poured a bowl of water for the old woman, handing it to her.
The old woman glanced at Hu Ma, slowly took the bowl, and sipped the water.
Her expression seemed complicated.
"Don't sit outside for too long. Even though you're much better now, you still need to avoid the wind."
After finishing the water, the old woman handed the bowl back to Hu Ma.
He wanted to pour her more, but she slowly waved her hand.
"When I took you to the old fire pit, the ancestors didn't recognize you. It's not their fault. The dead are just dead—they only recognize blood, not reason."
"Only when I die and you carry me into the old fire pit will our Hu family truly have a place here."
Hu Ma quickly said, "Don't say that, Grandma. You're healthy and strong. That's better than any protection."
The old woman fell silent for a moment, her eyes trembling slightly.
"Yes..." she sighed.
"This old woman can't go to the fire pit just yet, but you need someone to protect you..."
"The clan leader, afraid that I might lose heart, suggested arranging a marriage for you..."
"..."
Hu Ma's heart skipped a beat.
They were finally getting to the main point.
He hesitated, unsure how to persuade her to refuse.
Then he heard the old woman sigh and say, "I thought about it and decided to refuse."
"Ah?" Hu Ma was pleasantly surprised and quickly looked up at the old woman.
"Your body is weak. A ghost marriage would probably be too much for you to handle," the old woman said slowly.
"Besides, you're the last of the Hu family. We're counting on you to carry on the family line, to have sons and daughters. If you go through with this marriage, you'll either be stuck with a ghost wife for life or have to divorce her and remarry later. Neither option is reliable."
"So that's the reason?" Hu Ma felt a wave of relief.
As he massaged the old woman's shoulders, he said, "I'll listen to you, Grandma."
That night, as he drifted off to sleep, Hu Ma vaguely saw a slender young woman in a flowery red dress standing by his bed, weeping and wiping her tears.
"My family asked me, and I didn't want to marry at first, but your grandma offered a lot of betrothal gifts, so I agreed. But just as I was ready to climb into your bed, your grandma called off the engagement..."
"Your family is really bullying me. What will people in the underworld think of me now..."
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(End of Chapter)