1 Wake
◎Breathing in the darkness◎
On the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Ji family was overjoyed.
The sky is getting darker and another heavy snow is about to fall.
A simple wedding sedan stopped at the gate of Ji's house. The sedan bearer went to knock on the door. After a long time, the door slowly opened and two old women walked out. They looked arrogant and stared at the small and broken sedan, sneering at the same time.
The accompanying bridesmaid bent down, lifted the curtain and said to the bride inside: "Miss, we have arrived, please get out of the sedan chair."
The old women walked to the sedan chair and reluctantly helped the bride up. When they saw the bride's dark yellow and skinny hands, they couldn't help but look at her with disgust.
If the eldest son was not seriously ill and had not much time left, it would never have been her turn as a peasant girl to bring happiness to the eldest son.
The two old women looked at each other, each pulled out a handkerchief from their body to wipe their hands, and then changed from supporting the bride to directly pulling her sleeves.
They walked very fast, completely ignoring the people with veils behind them. Shu Yao was pulled by them on both sides and almost turned sideways. When she crossed the threshold, Shu Yao was tripped and almost fell to the ground, perhaps because the two women did something intentional.
She heard a burst of laughter, took a deep breath, lifted her veil, and glanced at everyone with a cold look in her eyes.
There were more than a dozen maids and servants gathered at the door, all covering their mouths and laughing. But when they saw her lift the veil, shock flashed across their faces. It was unbelievable that the bride actually lifted the veil herself. She didn't take their eldest master seriously.
When the two old women saw such impolite behavior, they immediately put their hands on their hips and started lecturing her.
Shu Yao folded her arms and raised her chin slightly. Her face showed no trace of the inferiority and timidity of a peasant girl. She directly interrupted the old woman's scolding and said, "Lead the way."
The two maids glared at her. Just as they were thinking of how to make things difficult for her, a servant hurried over, his face filled with panic, his words barely articulated: "Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Yang, quickly go to the backyard. The eldest... young master, the eldest young master..."
The two maids frowned and said, "Speak slowly, what happened to the eldest master?"
The servant gasped for breath and finally pieced together a complete sentence: "The eldest master is gone."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present changed their expressions and ran to the backyard, leaving Shu Yao standing there alone.
She looked up at the sky full of white snow and felt a sigh in her heart. It took her less than a day to go from a newlywed to a newly widow.
In one day, the red silk in the mansion turned into white gauze, and the whole house was filled with an air of death.
Shu Yao was stripped of her red wedding dress and put on an extremely rough coarse cloth mourning dress. The guests had already left, and she was alone in the mourning hall. In front of her were two large mahogany coffins, one for her husband and the other for her father-in-law.
When Mr. Ji heard the news of his son's death, he was so anxious that he couldn't catch his breath and passed away.
The only people left in the mansion were the old lady who was over eighty years old and the frail and sickly second son.
It was late at night, and the cold wind from outside kept blowing in through the cracks. The pair of white candles on the altar flickered. She sat cross-legged on the cushion, staring at the dancing candlelight, lost in thought.
She transmigrated into a sweet romance novel she had never read before, where she was a pure passerby and didn't even get a vicious female supporting role.
The system binds her to Passerby B, allowing them to live and die together and sign a contract.
That passerby B was her brother-in-law, the second son of the Ji family. Rumor has it that he died before the first two chapters. She held her forehead and sighed, thinking that it was not easy to survive. Moreover, she had to accumulate trust points with him until it reached 100% before she could leave the world of the book.
Could she complete her mission on a cannon fodder who hadn't even survived two chapters? She felt the future was bleak.
At this time, her stomach growled at an inopportune moment. The old lady said that she had killed her own son and grandson, so she refused to eat her. All the offerings on the table were removed, as if they were afraid that she would steal some. Fortunately, she had secretly hidden a steamed bun in front when no one was paying attention.
She took out the dried and hard steamed bun from her sleeve, broke half of it and chewed it, and put the other half back into her sleeve.
Chewing the hard and cold steamed bun in her mouth, she sighed. If she had not been tied to the second young master of this mansion, she would not have suffered humiliation here.
Just as she was thinking, there was a sudden noise outside, followed by the creaking sound of a wooden door, as if someone was pushing the door. Shu Yao immediately became alert and looked around vigilantly.
The mourning hall was very large, and the places not illuminated by candles were pitch black, so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of you. She swallowed the steamed bun and finally felt a little scared.
A few dark shadows appeared on the window. She took a deep breath and her heart beat faster. The mourning hall was not a very clean place to begin with. Could they be ghosts?
She closed her eyes and her breathing quickened.
When she opened her eyes again, the shadow outside the house had disappeared. She breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to lock the door, but just as she reached the door, she heard a few noises coming from outside, accompanied by intermittent low coughs.
Her heart tightened, and driven by curiosity, she slowly opened the door and carefully stuck her head out to look, but the night was pitch black and she could not see anything. A cold wind blew in instantly, and she closed the door.
When closing the door, the steamed bun in her sleeve was unfortunately thrown out. Shu Yao was stunned and silent for a while. She silently picked up the pair of candles on the altar and went out. However, a crow flew over from somewhere and flew over the candle wick, and the candle went out.
There was no choice but to squat down and feel around on the ground. The ground was covered with snow and her fingers were frozen red.
On the steps, she touched something cold and soft. She poked it and found it was a little hard. She was delighted, but just as she was about to pick it up, she found something wrong and touched it carefully again.
No...it was a human hand. She stepped back in fear.
In the light of the white snow, she saw a dark shadow slowly standing up in front of her. It was more than a head taller than her and looked like a man from its figure. She swallowed, turned around and ran, but the road was slippery and she accidentally fell backwards.
The people behind her dodged to the side, and she fell awkwardly on the snow pile. She choked on the snow and couldn't stand up for a long time.
But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. She happened to touch the half steamed bun. Before she could be happy, the person next to her quickly picked up the half steamed bun and walked away.
Shu Yao was anxious. She stepped forward and grabbed his clothes: "Brother, how about we each take half?"
He stopped, turned around, and looked down at her.
Shu Yao couldn't see his appearance clearly, but she felt the temperature around her had become a little colder. She shivered and let go of his hand.
In the darkness, he coughed twice, his body swaying. He supported himself on the door panel with one hand and slowly slid down to sit on the ground, breathing slightly. Shu Yao naturally noticed that something was wrong with him. She stepped forward and wanted to take the opportunity to snatch the steamed bun from his hand, but was tripped by his long legs stretched on the ground. She fell towards him uncontrollably and sat in his arms.
Their bodies pressed together, and the temperature slowly rose.
The worst thing was that her lips quickly rubbed past his lips and finally stopped on his earlobe, their breaths intertwined.
One second, two seconds...
Shu Yao's cheeks flushed red, and she hurriedly climbed up from him, not forgetting to snatch the steamed bun from his hand, then ran into the mourning hall without looking back and locked the door.
Sitting on the futon, she patted her cheeks to calm herself down.
Why did she feel like a pervert when she touched a stranger's hand and kissed his mouth for the first time she met him?
Outside, the wind and snow were raging. The young man struggled to stand up, holding on to a pillar. He wiped his lips vigorously with his sleeve until they bled. Only then did he stop. The bottoms of his narrow eyes were as dark as a pool, and the sharp features on his face contained endless coldness.
He dragged his sick body and slowly disappeared into the night.
…
On the second day, the Ji Mansion's mourning hall was crowded with people who came to pay their respects.
There were patches of snow outside, and the melted snow had formed crystal clear icicles under the eaves. It was a cold and windy day, but the group of people inside the house were talking animatedly.
"What's the point of going to the wedding? Now look what happened, the person is just gone." A woman in a blue thick flowered jacket and a mourning shirt outside, with her hands on her waist, spitting everywhere. After she finished speaking, she seemed to feel dry in the mouth, so she picked up the best Biluochun tea and drank it all in one gulp.
"Alas, the eldest son of the Ji family is really a man of bad luck. The new bride he just married is also a jinx." A middle-aged man with a pointed chin and monkey cheeks in the crowd quickly echoed.
Speaking of the unlucky star, everyone in the mourning hall looked at Shu Yao standing in the corner.
Facing countless gazes, she lowered her head and remained silent.
The woman glanced at Shu Yao from side to side, then snorted: "You're not even two ounces of bone." Only the face is worth looking at.
Shu Yao was too disdainful to argue with her. She half closed her eyes. She didn't sleep well last night and was very sleepy now.
Seeing that she ignored her, the woman took two steps forward and said, "To tell you the truth, sister, you won't live for two days."
After hearing this, Shu Yao's sleepiness disappeared a lot.
The woman chuckled and said, "Because of you, the eldest son got into trouble, and Master Ji also died. Do you think your fault is serious?"
"I won't beat around the bush with you. You will be buried with the eldest young master the day after tomorrow. Go to the underworld and serve the eldest young master well."
Shu Yao rubbed her temples and felt a little headache.
Before she married in, the eldest son of the Ji family was already at the end of his strength and died just as she entered the house. She hadn't even said that she was unlucky, but now she wants to follow him. Look, does this sound like something a human being would say?
Shu Yao glanced at the group of people in front of her, and saw that they all had mocking expressions as if they were enjoying a good show.
How many people actually came to the Ji Mansion to offer their condolences? They were all distant relatives who came to try to make money.
There was heavy snow outside. Shu Yao was wearing the thinnest coarse linen clothes and was shivering with cold. She stood aside with her head down, and everyone thought she was just scared.
It wasn't until she heard the sound of crutches outside the house that her emotions began to brew.
In just three or five seconds, his eyes were already misty and hot tears slid down his cheeks.
Before anyone could react, she threw herself in front of the mahogany coffin, crying and snotting, her heart broken.
"My husband, why did you leave like this? What will I do if I am left alone?"
Shu Yao looked sad, her tears fell on her clothes, leaving large stains. When the cold wind blew, she shivered.
She gritted her teeth and continued crying.
The system was a little embarrassed and reminded: "Master, you are crying over the wrong coffin. You are crying over your father-in-law's coffin, while your husband's coffin is another one."
ah?
Shu Yao sneaked to the second coffin while no one was paying attention, continued wiping her tears, and looked even sadder.
The sound of crutches outside the door was getting closer and closer. An old woman with gray hair and a jeweled headband walked in proudly, supported by her maid. She looked around, her slanted eyes shining with brilliance, and there was not much sadness on her face. She walked indifferently to the main seat and sat down with an arrogant look on her face.
Next to her was an older man, also with silver hair and wrinkles on his face. He sat below the main seat, exuding majesty.
As soon as they appeared, all the mourners fell silent.
When everyone was silent, only Shu Yao sobbed.
The old lady frowned, looked at her coldly, and cursed: "Depressing thing."
Shu Yao was not angry either. She looked up at the old lady. Yesterday she secretly heard the old lady complain that the second young master was a burden. It seemed that the old lady did not want to take care of the second young master.
If she offered to take care of the Second Young Master at this time, perhaps she would not have to be buried with him, and the Second Young Master happened to be the one who was going to be bound to her.
Kill two birds with one stone.
"Madam, my husband and father-in-law died suddenly. I am naturally extremely sad."
The old lady looked at her with contempt: "You are a jinx. My beloved grandson died just after he entered the mansion. Within a day, my son also passed away. You are truly the nemesis of our family."
Shu Yao wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve and stated her purpose: "My poor brother-in-law is sick and helpless. I am willing to take care of him for the rest of my life." After that, tears fell like pearls.
Everyone present was more or less moved.
System: [Master, your acting skills are quite good.]
Shu Yao: [Don't you even consider what my original profession is?]
If it weren't for the book she traveled through, she would probably be standing on the podium for Best Actress.
But the old lady was unmoved. She had already planned to give all the second son's property to the eldest son, and then she would go to the old man's house to enjoy her old age. As for the little grandson who was sick all year round, she didn't want to take care of him and let him fend for himself.
On the other hand, the old man sitting below was moved. He twirled his gray beard and said to Shu Yao, "It's amazing that you are so thoughtful."
Shu Yao sniffed and nodded slightly.
The old lady looked at the old man who had just spoken and said, "Third Uncle, this girl is very unlucky. I have planned to bury her and Dalang together, so that they can be considered as a perfect couple."
Third Uncle was shocked. In the Ji family, there had never been a rule of burying living people with the deceased. He couldn't help but retort: "This is not right."
The old lady snorted softly, "Third Uncle, please don't interfere in our family affairs."
Shu Yao pinched her palms tightly and said at the right time: "My uncle is weak and sickly. I don't know if others can take good care of him. He is the only blood of the master left in this world."
Hearing her say this, the Third Uncle slammed the table and said: "I don't agree with human sacrifice. It is detrimental to our ancestors. It just so happens that this girl is willing to take care of Erlang. I think we should let her stay."
The old lady was not to be outdone. She narrowed her eyes and said fiercely, "This girl must be buried with me."
Shu Yao frowned.
Third Uncle stood up and pointed at the old lady. "Last month, a new bride was buried in Qinghe Village. Unexpectedly, two months after the burial, strange things happened frequently in the village. Children fell ill every few days. Tell me, is this revenge on our descendants?"
When everyone heard him say this, they were suddenly a little scared. Their descendants must not be in danger, so they all started to dissuade him.
The old lady looked very unhappy.
Third Uncle continued, "Shu girl is also a poor person. She was sold here by her uncle and aunt. Let's not continue to torture her."
Someone spoke up from below: "Third Uncle is right, Old Madam, let Miss Shu stay. It will just be a matter of having one more mouth to feed."
Seeing that everyone agreed with him, Third Uncle felt more confident: "It's decided. Miss Shu will stay and take good care of Erlang." He is the oldest elder in the clan, so he does have some power.
Shu Yao wiped the tears from her face and kowtowed to her third uncle: "Thank you, third uncle."
The old lady was so angry that the wrinkles on her face were shaking and her teeth were chattering. She looked at Shu Yao fiercely, and felt a breath stuck in her heart, making her feel uncomfortable.
After all, Third Uncle was the most prestigious person in the clan, and she didn't want to upset him over a little girl. However, she couldn't swallow this anger. She poked the ground with her cane and asked loudly, "Where's Second Young Master? He didn't even come to offer condolences when his own father and eldest brother passed away. How disrespectful!"
The servant in the mansion replied, "The second young master is unwell and has been bedridden for the past two months."
The old lady seemed to have finally found an outlet for her anger: "This is outrageous! You guys have to carry him here."
Shu Yao straightened her clothes and stood up. The show was over, and she quietly retreated to the edge of the crowd.
Outside, the snow began to fall again, and she felt a little excited. What did this second young master look like? She couldn't help but look towards the door.
【Author’s words】
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