Edited by Lord Immortal
He softly hummed an unknown tune to himself as the door was opened and then closed. Then came the scolding from Xie Mengxuan. Zhao Long and Zhao Hu were incapable of winning the debate, so they could only let her leave.
In the room, Geng Zhishan slightly inclined his head to hear the sounds from outside, and a smile crossed his face, ‘That’s my girl.’
He appeared as tender and soft as water. When he looked up, Uncle Luo was silently standing at the doorway. They looked at each other. Geng Zhishan wore a smile while Uncle Luo also raised his lips and turned away.
Having noticed something, Uncle Luo didn’t utter a single word. It seemed as if he and Gu Yusheng remained friendly on the surface but estranged at heart.
Geng Zhishan put away the copper coins and pieces of silver on the bed. Then he went to the kitchen. Was he really going to sacrifice himself to the Mountain G.o.d? He was not that silly, and a lot remained to be done. However, through this matter, he could give up his disguise as Geng Zhishan.
He already had the following plan. It was a pity that he could not give it away to her. Nevertheless, he was in a good mood as he had seen his girl anxious for him.
Small though the Zhoujia village was, thunder and lightning lit up the sky, with no signs of stopping. In the rain, Xie Mengxuan intended to ask a pa.s.ser-by where Aunt Cui was.
Everyone in the village knew her, but they all turned cold to her. In their view, since Geng Zhishan was unwilling to sacrifice himself to the Mountain G.o.d, he—together with her—became their enemies.
Xie Mengxuan was a bit anxious as she found no one willing to tell where Aunt Cui was. Standing in the rain, she looked at her wet dress and then took a deep breath. As long as she visited every family, she was destined to find her.
There was still a night before tomorrow. She wouldn’t believe that it was to be a destined failure.
Xie Mengxuan didn’t have a weak character. As long as she made a decision, she would try to achieve it with all her might. Afterward, from time to time, roars of anger came from each family in Zhoujia village.
Without a word, Xie Mengxuan would fling the door open to glance around. If she failed to find Aunt Cui and her family members, she would immediately turn away. At first, she looked for her in every household. But then, she picked the target family at random in case the others had figured out her intentions and aimed to hide Aunt Cui.
She didn’t find anything even after searching over ten households until she entered the Liang family’s house. There were only three people—a mother and her children. Staring at them for a long while, Xie Mengxuan was about to leave.
At this moment, Aunt Liang went forward. “Young lady, Aunt Cui is in the sorceress’s house, which is located in the east.”
She whispered in a low voice and then shut the door.
Eased up, Xie Mengxuan said in a gentle tone. “Thank you.”
She turned to the sorceress’s house without hesitation. The sorceress was having dinner with the Cui family. However, the village head had no desire to eat, so he sat there with a worried look.
Aunt Cui glanced at him with anger. “You’ll never be a high official. Look at you! You’re so irritating. Go away from the table if you have no desire to eat. Don’t be an eyesore!”
The village head trembled. “It’s wrong of you to do such a thing. That’s a life, after all.”
Aunt Cui put down the chicken wing in her hand and wiped her mouth smeared with oil. “What? It’s attributed to the Mountain G.o.d and none of my business. If this thing is done well, we’re going to live a wealthy life. If you find it unbearable, just go away. With my son and money, what should I fear? I’ll be happier when my son gets married in the future.”
When it came to the blissful life she had long been yearning for, she turned pleasant as if her dream had already come true. After a short while, she gave him the cold shoulder. “I’ve never lived a happy life since we got married. I’m burdened with the responsibility to support our family while you have a sullen face towards me. You’re a ‘real man’!”
Words came one after another from her mouth without any pause.
The village head didn’t have a silver tongue, so he could do nothing but endure her bitter reproach. With no guts, he just let out a sigh. “I’ve just said one sentence, but you have a lot to say in return.”
The sorceress had a drink of the yellow rice wine and said at ease. “Big Brother Cui, Sister Cui is doing this for you. Sometimes, a plot is needed to have what you wish.”
Having finished speaking, the sorceress drank the wine with satisfaction.
The village head had a look at the chicken, duck, and fish at the table. Under such terrible weather, they were eating the best in the whole village. Nervous though he was, he couldn’t refuse such a G.o.dsend. He took a deep breath and had a swig of yellow rice wine.
“Clash…”
All of a sudden, someone slammed the door open. It was Xie Mengxuan. With a dirty dress, she had a gloomy look on her face. She took off the straw cape and bamboo hat, then casually dropped them on one side, slowly stepped into the room, and glanced around at the table with a smile. “While everybody is suffering, what a leisure life Aunt Cui is leading!”
After wiping her mouth, the sorceress closed her eyes to pretend to be unreadable. Aunt Cui was still eating without sparing her a glance. Abiding by the propriety she had heard from others, she slowly put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and asked. “Well, who are you? Mrs. Geng or Miss Xie?”
Upon hearing her words, Xie Mengxuan raised her eyebrows. She went to the table, dragged a bench to sit on, and while staring at the sorceress, she said, “You really keep providence in mind even if you’re dining on meat and wine.”
The sorceress opened her eyes, but Xie Mengxuan continued. “If I cry ‘help’ aloud, can others in the village arrive in time to witness what’s happening here?”
“It seems that you have something to tell Sister Cui, so I’m going to discuss with the Mountain G.o.d about the arrangements for tomorrow. Goodbye.”
The sorceress was frightened out of her wits and hurried to run away.
It was well-known around the village that she was a vegetarian who had never had meat and wine. If others knew about what happened, they would no longer trust her, so her life would take a turn for the worse. She was not an idiot.
Looking at the village head and his family members, Xie Mengxuan chuckled and fixed her wet hair. “According to Geng Zhishan, the village head is the kindest one in the village. Beyond his wildest imaginations, it is actually you who wants to kill him.”
“There’s no need for more words, Miss. Xie. Now that we have done such thing, we are not likely to feel guilty to stop.” Aunt Cui sneered.
Xie Mengxuan was in a haze. “Aunt Cui, you seem to know a lot. What else do you know?”
“I just know a little about what you don’t want to expose to others.” said Aunt Cui. As a matter of fact, she only knew very little, indeed. Her words were meant to make Xie Mengxuan afraid.
Xie Mengxuan was well aware and chuckled. “You’re bluffing.”
“Why not have a try?” Aunt Cui quickly withdrew her hands from the table. Although a panicky look flashed through her eyes, she still wore a smile.
With no intention to be involved in an endless debate, Mengxuan slightly inclined her head. “To be frank, there’s no hostility among us. Although Geng Zhishan doesn’t have a close relationship with you, you are not one to kill him without any reason. Aunt Cui, tell me, who is the one behind the scenes?”