A New Day

Zheng Wuyou, wearing only thin pajamas, was already ice-cold from hands to feet, feeling like her body's blood supply couldn't keep up with the dropping temperature.

But the dark figure hadn't moved at all, just standing by the bed, locked in the same pose as her.

Zheng Wuyou's eyes were numb. Right now, the two of them were like playing a game of freeze tag—whoever moved was the bastard.

If she'd woken up in the middle of the night from a deep sleep, her mind fuzzy, she might actually have been scared into a cold sweat by the dark figure by the bed.

But who asked her to encounter it while fully awake?

Ghost Sister, could you at least be a little more professional next time?

Pick a better time to show up.

Zheng Wuyou couldn't hold the pose any longer and planned to scoot over a bit, revive her numb butt—fine, she'd just be the bastard then.

Unexpectedly, the dark figure made a move before her, stepping past her to sit down on the bed next to her.

Was Ghost Sister trying to steal the title of bastard too?

Zheng Wuyou helplessly watched the dark figure sit on the edge of the bed, suddenly bend down until it folded in half, then straighten back up.

Finally, it lay down next to Wansi.

???

Having seen every move it made, Zheng Wuyou was at a loss. Wansi was lying against the wall on the inside, not daring to move a muscle.

She'd told Wansi to lie down so she could hide properly!

Who knew this ghost sister came here to sleep!

The rooster's first crow finally woke the sleeping village. Zheng Wuyou, disturbed by the dark figure, had no mind to pay attention to the disappearing nursery rhymes or other strange things outside the window.

Her eye bags hung heavily on her face, her expression sour, like she was ready to blow up at any moment.

The rooster's second crow. Fish Belly White spread across the distant horizon, and the slanting rays of First Sun were climbing over half the mountain.

As light gradually filled the room, the dark figure on the bed collapsed like paper, eventually flattening into a spread-out black stain.

Like body grime left behind by someone who'd been lying there a long time.

The rooster's third crow. Exhausted Zheng Wuyou breathed a sigh of relief, hearing unsteady footsteps climbing the stairs outside.

The rising sun finally spilled through the window onto her face.

Worried that the dark figure might do something to Wansi and herself, Zheng Wuyou had held this position all night.

When light returned to the world, only a human-shaped black mark remained on the bed.

Curious, she reached out and touched it, finding that the substance left by the dark figure felt like ash that had burned out.

Zheng Wuyou didn't care if her clothes would get dirty when she collapsed; her tense nerves finally relaxed in that moment.

The Little Girl next door immediately rolled over to Zheng Wuyou's side and hugged her, silently burying her head in her shoulder.

After losing consciousness for over ten minutes, a knock from somewhere far away jolted Zheng Wuyou's brain awake.

Letting her short hair spread across the bed, she squinted blankly at the ceiling, eyes dry and head splitting with pain.

This was her weird symptom from pulling all-nighters.

Two sets of footsteps came from the end of the hallway to her door. Before the knock came, little Wansi jumped off the bed first and obediently went to lift the door latch.

The old man's cracked hand was still raised mid-air.

Miao Laisheng saw Zheng Wuyou collapsed on the bed through the crack in the door.

Last night had been a sleepless night after all.

Everyone regrouped in the Loess House from last night, patiently waiting for the special breakfast.

The room had no windows, only sunlight filtering through the irregular tiles overhead.

Beams of light scattered in dots across the table.

Except for Wen Dian and Guo Mu, who sat together and looked slightly better, the others all had sleepy eyes and exhausted expressions.

Dark circles were practically hanging down to the middle of their cheeks.

"This village is no place for normal people!" Sun Wu's tracksuit had several new tears, as if slashed by some sharp object.

Although Wen Dian and Guo Mu had rosy complexions, they both nodded in agreement.

Zheng Wuyou rubbed her temples painfully, trying to ease the discomfort.

"After you eat, take your things to Old Zhu's house. The wedding customs are many and complicated. Remember, don't break any rules."

The old man appeared at the door carrying a basin of the same corn mush as last night, not caring at all about the worried looks on their faces.

After setting down the corn mush, he left the room without looking back.

Seems like today he wasn't worried about them snooping around.

Miao Laisheng, silent as expected, placed the List on the table. A new line of text had appeared on it.

Knew they wouldn't get much leeway...

Zheng Wuyou helplessly picked up the List. It read: [Matchmaker Leads Two at Noon to Bow, Clan Custom How to Raise the Left Hairpin.]

Why is it a riddle again...

Zheng Wuyou's vision went dark. The shadow from last night had left her mind in chaos, unable to think calmly.

She could only hand the list back to Miao Laisheng.

Remembering the Wen Dian that the old man had coughed into the bowl last night, she couldn't stomach anything now. She pulled out her own list from the inner pocket of her Toothless Pajamas, intending to check her task.

"Matchmaker Leads Two at Noon to Bow, Clan Custom How to Raise the Left Hairpin? Another riddle?"

Wen Dian's despairing voice echoed Zheng Wuyou's own thoughts, ringing through the room and drawing everyone's attention.

Only then did the others take out their remaining lists.

Without exception, each one bore a new task, and all were the same sentence.

"It seems this task is the same for everyone..." Uncle Cai looked left and right, holding his list up to the light. There was only that one sentence on it.

"Mm, time to visit Old Zhu's family." Zheng Wuyou had no appetite for the corn porridge in front of her. After a few careless mouthfuls, she stood up to hoist the Wild Boar behind her, only to realize it was beyond her strength, so she left it to the freakishly strong Miao Laisheng.

The village chief had warned that wedding customs were numerous, and the sentence mentioned clan customs...

This meant the task was tied to the local traditions.

Conveniently, she also wanted to know what kind of custom last night's White Candles and nursery rhyme counted as.

Arriving at the wooden door of the Main Hall, the scene outside was no different from yesterday.

Except for the two Big Red Lanterns hanging in front of Old Zhu's house, along with the pasted Red Couplets.

"Doesn't feel like they need us, either. The lanterns weren't up before we came." Guo Mu's burly frame nearly blocked a small portion of the doorway. He was chewing on a piece of dry grass he'd found somewhere, his mouth working lazily.

"On your way here, did you see the White Candles and Yellow Paper scattered everywhere?"

Zheng Wuyou looked around. The large amount of Yellow Paper that had rolled with the wind last night—not a single sheet remained...

She had seen it clearly last night, so how could everything vanish without a trace by morning?

"White Candles and Yellow Paper everywhere? Wouldn't those two together start a fire?" Guo Mu turned his head, chewing the dry grass sloppily in his mouth before spitting it out far away.

Weren't those two items used when worshiping ancestors?

Everyone knew to keep them far apart during rituals.

If they were scattered everywhere here, half the mountain would have burned down by now.

Guo Mu's offhand remark made Zheng Wuyou suddenly feel that the shadow reduced to ashes this morning was no coincidence.

He was right. Last night, the Yellow Paper had been everywhere, yet there wasn't a single stray spark...

So had she overlooked something last night?