Sure enough, Hu Miao shook his head. "No, it's sesame seeds."

Several people gasped instantly. Wasn't this sesame-faced man the fierce corpse lying in the coffin?

Mingzhuo remained unfazed, showing no surprise whatsoever. "That's why Hu Shengnan was able to successfully complete high school and take the college entrance examination."

Hu Miao nodded and continued speaking.

If Hu Shengnan's family was an oddity in the village, then Hu Mazi was an oddity in another way—he had been to prison.

It is said that he stabbed someone outside, and after being released from prison, he returned to the village to make a living by fishing. He did not marry or have children, and lived alone.

He has a long scar on his face, which I heard was from when he was slashed in a fight. He also lost an eye, which makes him look scary. All the children in the village are afraid of him.

Only Hu Shengnan was bold enough to talk to him. The villagers all said that this was precisely why Hu Mazi had bad intentions.

He sponsored Hu Shengnan's education, but he never had good intentions.

Some people say that Hu Mazi's money came from dubious sources and that he must be dishonest.

But this is just a later, definitive conclusion. Hu Miao remembers that at the beginning, all sorts of rumors were directed at Hu Shengnan.

The villagers said all sorts of hurtful things, cursing Hu Shengnan for being a prostitute, otherwise why would anyone kindly sponsor her education?

She must have seduced Hu Mazi. How despicable! How can a woman like that be allowed to study?

Every time Hu Miao was disciplined, he heard the example of Hu Shengnan, saying that Uncle Cripple was too ashamed to show his face, because he had given birth to a shameless and arrogant bastard who was ruining the atmosphere of Xianyuan Village.

Back then, getting into university was a very difficult thing, and everyone was certain that Hu Shengnan would not be able to get into university.

When Hu Shengnan's university admission notice arrived, the villagers were furious. Their own sons hadn't even passed the exam, so why had she?

The village chief was delighted and made an exception by opening an ancestral hall for Hu Shengnan to offer sacrifices to their ancestors. She was the first female college student in the village!

But the villagers were indignant. How could they be willing to accept that the people they had trampled underfoot were about to soar to great heights?

In just over ten days, Hu Shengnan's family experienced a series of bizarre events, including theft, slashing of fishing nets, and smashing of windows.

One early morning, the villagers found Hu Shengnan lying naked on Hu Mazi's bed, covered in marks and barely alive.

Another group found Hu Mazi by the lake and beat him severely with a carrying pole.

Those people said maliciously, "So you didn't sleep with her before, Brother Ma? But you can't force yourself on her."

This incident is a scandal in the village, and the village chief suggested that the police not be called and that it be handled internally.

The result of the settlement was that Hu Mazi compensated Hu Quezi's family with 300,000 yuan.

Three hundred thousand was a huge sum of money 24 years ago. No one knew how Hu Mazi could have so much money, which seemed to further confirm the rumors that he was dishonest.

Hu Mazi's leg was broken, and his house was forcibly taken over by his cousin.

They built a small shed, about the size of a toilet, next to the house, threw Hu Mazi in, and left him to fend for himself.

One day after that, Hu Miao passed by that house and saw a pair of eyes looking at her from inside the dark room. Hu Mazi waved her over in a hoarse voice.

Hu Miao suppressed her fear and went inside, smelling a very unpleasant odor in the room.

Hu Mazi asked her how Hu Shengnan was doing now, and whether she was alright.

Tears immediately welled up in her eyes, and she said fiercely, "You hurt her so badly, how dare you ask me?"

Hu Mazi was silent for a moment, then fumbled in his pocket and took out a cloth bag, wrapped in layers of cloth, inside which was ten thousand yuan.

He said to Hu Miao, "Son, you're in your final year of junior high. This is the money I've saved for your high school tuition."

He also said, "You must study. Only through education can a girl have a future."

Hu Miao was convinced that he was being charitable, so she took the money without hesitation and hid it away without telling anyone.

Later, she went to see Hu Shengnan again.

Hu Shengnan was seriously injured and spent a long time in bed recovering before she was able to get up and move around.

She became quiet and reserved, but her eyes were resolute. She said, "You don't need to comfort me. Nothing can defeat me."

When Hu Miao finally left, Hu Shengnan gave her her high school textbooks and notes, saying, "I'll be waiting for you in the city. Don't give up."

The person who kept saying he wouldn't give up was found to have drowned himself in a lake a few days later.

The faith that sustained her in her youth was completely shattered, so one morning, Hu Miao left Xianyuan Village with 10,000 yuan in cash.

He endured all kinds of hardship and suffering, gradually transforming himself into the invincible person he is today.

“Shengnan is much more capable than me. I can establish myself in the city, how could she be doing poorly? I don’t believe Shengnan would do something like this.” Hu Miao wiped away her tears.

Mingzhuo took out a tissue and handed it to her, "You were actually pleading for Hu Mazi, right?"

Hu Miao lowered her head, tears streaming down her face. She had actually suspected something for a long time, but she had never dared to say it.

"After Sister Shengnan drowned herself in the lake, Uncle Mazi committed suicide by cutting his wrists. I was the first to find out. There was blood all over the place. When the fortune teller came in, she was so scared that her legs went weak and she said it was a curse."

Later, the bloodstains were cleaned up, and no one mentioned the curse again.

Ultimately, the village concluded that Hu Mazi committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

But Hu Miao was full of doubts. She didn't believe that this was the truth. So when she heard that Hu Mazi had become a vicious corpse, she decided to tell Ming Zhuo what happened back then.

She thought that since this young girl could even deal with the sorceress, perhaps she could uncover the truth and bring peace to the departed souls.

This story is heavy, and the people who left were not in a good mood.

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