They Really Know How to Bully People

"When will these days ever end?"

After returning from Old Fire Pit, Hu Ma no longer had the slightest thought of running away.

Now, not only could he not think about escaping, he had to stay by the Old Woman's side every day, never leaving her for even a step.

The Old Woman's unintentional words seemed to have faintly untangled his doubts. Those torture-like memories were merely a side effect of returning to the world of the living—had the Old Woman truly been saving him all along?

It seemed she really did treat him well. She watched over him every day. Even when she went out during the day to cut Tai Sui Meat and would not let him follow, she had that little girl in red keep watch over him.

He still did not know where this place was, or what dynasty it was, but he was certain that this world contained far too many bizarre and terrifying things. Forget nighttime—even in broad daylight, he often felt a prickling unease in his heart.

He was fine as long as he stayed beside the Old Woman or inside that gloomy house.

But once he stepped outside, moved farther away from the Old Woman, or Xiao Hong Tang ran off too far while playing, he began to feel uncomfortable all over, constantly sensing something watching him with a cold, sinister gaze.

Whenever he spun around abruptly, though, there was nothing to be seen.

Sometimes, when he happened to zone out, he would suddenly hear a burst of laughter behind him, or feel some strange wind sweep past.

It made his hair stand on end and left his soul unsettled.

Under such circumstances, never mind running away—even trying to find someone to ask about the situation was impossible. Whenever the villagers saw him, they seemed even more frightened than he was of Evil Spirits.

And if being constantly suspicious and jumpy during the day was bad enough, the nights were even harder to endure.

Failing to worship at Old Fire Pit seemed to have put the Old Woman under considerable pressure. Not only did she cut that strange meat for him to eat every day, she would occasionally burn talismans on his body, light incense at his bedside, and at night mutter scriptures in the outer room without stopping until dawn.

Hu Ma felt as if he had become clear-headed, yet also more dazed than ever, often unable to tell reality from illusion.

He could not say for sure whether he was better now.

But he was certain of one thing: he had developed neurasthenia.

Day after day, the pressure mounted. Hu Ma's head ached terribly. Once, after being awakened again, he could not hold back any longer and quietly slipped out of the room.

He first poured the Old Woman a cup of water, then cautiously asked, "Old Woman, don't you need to rest?"

The Old Woman looked up at him. Her eyes were full of bloodshot veins.

She still accepted the water, silently took a sip, and said softly, "Just sleep well. The Evil Spirits grow fiercer the deeper into the night it gets. I need to chant scriptures for you, so they won't dare come near. Otherwise, I'm afraid you wouldn't even get a peaceful night's sleep."

"Ah?"

Hu Ma had never expected that to be the reason, and guilt rose in his heart. "But then... don't you need rest?"

The Old Woman suddenly looked up at him, her gaze extraordinarily cold and shadowy.

Hu Ma's heart gave a small jolt. Had he said something wrong?

But during the day, she had endless herbs to prepare, paper figures to make, bone talismans to carve. She also had to leave the village once every day, going who knew where to cut Tai Sui Meat for him. At night, she had to chant scriptures all night long. Was it not only natural for him to say he was worried about her?

Just as he was growing anxious, the Old Woman slowly withdrew her gaze and said blandly, "Old Woman is fine. It'll be fine once I think of a way. I already have an idea."

Hu Ma hurriedly nodded and returned to the side room.

"Xiao Hong Tang, Old Woman said she thought of an idea. What exactly is it?"

After all, he had a guilty conscience. Hu Ma was afraid that saying too much would expose him, so there were many things he did not dare ask the Old Woman.

Whenever he could no longer hold it in, he would catch Xiao Hong Tang and whisper his questions to her.

In this world, no one else really dared speak to him. This little girl, who should theoretically have been quite frightening, was instead simple-minded and easy to get answers from.

"Getting married..."

Xiao Hong Tang grinned as she poked her little head down from the rafters, her two horn-like braids swaying. "If you marry someone from the Four Great Clans, then you'll become one of the Four Great Clans' people. Of course the Ancestors of the Four Great Clans will bless you."

"Ah?"

Hu Ma had never imagined that would be the idea.

He had not even had time to get married in his previous life, yet after coming here, he was going straight to the final step?

He immediately grew nervous. "Who am I marrying?"

Xiao Hong Tang pouted. "They picked someone from the Zhao Family."

"The Zhao Family..."

Hu Ma did not know what sort of people the Zhao Family were, though he had vaguely heard the Old Woman and Xiao Hong Tang mention that within Great Sheep Village, the Hu Family were outsiders, a minor clan. But there were several other major clans, whose families had lived here generation after generation.

Such major clans had more ancestors buried in Old Fire Pit, so they received Old Fire Pit's greatest blessings. Their children were thus less likely to be harmed by Evil Spirits.

But the shock was simply too great, and he subconsciously asked, "Is she pretty?"

"..."

At that, Xiao Hong Tang became even more excited. "Very pretty! Famous for being beautiful—the flower of the village."

"Village beauty level..."

Hu Ma thought about it seriously. He rarely went out, and among the people he had seen in this village, most were dark and grimy, dull and slow-witted. There were occasionally a few women, but they too were short and dark-skinned, dressed in baggy padded jackets and trousers, with nothing much to speak of in terms of appearance.

But every place had a few exceptional ones. A woman who could be called the flower of the village could not possibly be too bad, right?

His thoughts stirred a little, and for no reason at all, he found himself looking forward to it.

He could not help asking, "How old is she? Do you know?"

"She wasn't very old."

Xiao Hong Tang tilted her head and thought for a moment. "She was only seventeen when she died."

"?"

Hu Ma was completely dumbfounded. "When she died?"

"Yeah..."

Xiao Hong Tang said happily, "If she were alive and married into your Hu Family, there still wouldn't be any Hu Family members in the Old Fire Pit. But if you married into their family, you'd receive the ancestors of the Old Fire Pit's protection—except then there'd be no one left in your Hu Family. So Old Woman is helping you find a Ghost Marriage. Once you're joined in a Ghost Marriage, your wife down below can protect you, and you can burn paper offerings for her."

"It was an idea the clan leader and the others came up with not long ago. Old Woman thought it over for several days before agreeing."

"It's just that the Zhao Family is a little greedy. They asked Old Woman for a whole lot of betrothal gifts..."

"..."

"What kind of fucking ghost logic is that?"

Hu Ma practically bristled on the spot.

Only then did he understand what that Old Clan Leader had said to Old Woman after paying respects to the Old Fire Pit.

He had never married in either of his two lives, and the first time he did, it was going to be a Ghost Marriage?

Even in his previous life, a ghost marriage would have made anyone's skin crawl. Let alone in this world, where there were so many ghostly things running around.

If he really went through with it, wouldn't she cling to him for the rest of his life?

He could muddle through other matters, but he had to talk this one over with Old Woman first—try to change her mind. Anxious, he dragged over a small stool and sat by the door, waiting for Old Woman to return.

It was nearly dark when Old Woman finally came back.

She leaned on her cane, carrying a huge slab of meat tied up with hemp rope, swinging back and forth at her side.

Hu Ma recognized it at once. It was Lord Tai Sui's flesh, and a larger piece than what he usually ate.

Had the betrothal gifts already been prepared?

"Um..."

Hu Ma stood up, just about to speak, when he saw the weary look on Old Woman's face.

The words rose to his lips, then he swallowed them back. He hurriedly supported Old Woman and took the meat from her hand. "Sit down and rest first."

He put the meat into the vat, then poured Old Woman a bowl of water and brought it over to her.

Old Woman glanced at Hu Ma, slowly took the bowl, and drank bit by bit. Her expression seemed somewhat complicated as well.

"You shouldn't sit outside for too long. Though your body has mostly recovered, you still need to keep out of the wind."

After finishing the water, Old Woman handed the bowl back to Hu Ma. He wanted to pour her more, but she slowly waved her hand. "I took you to the Old Fire Pit before, but the ancestors wouldn't acknowledge you. You can't blame them for that. The dead are the dead—they recognize kinship, not reason."

"When I die, and you carry me into the Old Fire Pit on your back, only then will our Hu Family truly have its footing here."

Hu Ma hurriedly said, "Don't say that, Old Woman. It's better for you to stay healthy than for any blessing or protection."

Old Woman fell silent again at those words, and her eyes seemed to tremble.

"Yes..."

She sighed before saying, "This old woman can't lie down in the fire pit just yet, but you need someone to watch over you..."

"The clan leader was afraid I'd become disheartened, so that day he gave me an idea. He wanted to arrange a marriage for you..."

"..."

The moment Hu Ma heard that, his heart jolted. At last, they had reached the main issue. He was just hesitating over how to persuade her to refuse—

When Old Woman sighed and said, "I thought it over and decided to refuse."

"Huh?"

Hu Ma was unexpectedly delighted, quickly looking up at Old Woman.

"Your body is weak. If you entered a Ghost Marriage, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to endure that ghost woman's torment."

Old Woman spoke slowly. "Besides, you're the last of our Hu Family. In the future, we'll have to rely on you to spread branches and grow leaves, to have sons and daughters. But if you entered this marriage, then either you'd spend the rest of your life guarding a ghost wife, or you'd have to divorce her afterward and marry someone else. Neither is reliable."

"So that was the reason?"

Hu Ma immediately felt relieved. As he massaged Old Woman's shoulders, he said, "I'll listen to you in everything, Old Woman."

That night, after he fell asleep, he vaguely saw a young girl with a slender figure, dressed in bright red floral clothes, come to his bedside. She wept and wiped at her tears as she said, "When my family asked me before, I didn't want to marry you at first. But your Old Woman gave so many betrothal gifts that I agreed. I'd already gotten ready to climb onto your kang bed, but then your Old Woman called off the marriage..."

"Your family is bullying me. How am I supposed to face the people down below..."

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