Chapter 15 The path a woman carrying firewood can walk is too narrow.
After becoming a ghost, Cao Fang's hearing and sight became sharp. She heard the barely perceptible exclamation and looked up to meet Zhong Ying's surprised gaze. She was overjoyed and flew over, saying, "Yingni from her uncle's family, how come you can suddenly see me? You couldn't see me before."
Zhong Ying was still in shock.
Another female ghost from the Tonggan production team turned out to be her aunt?
Remembering what she had just said, Zhong Ying snapped out of her daze and immediately glanced at Li Linshi, hoping that the ghost hadn't taken her words to heart, otherwise things would really get out of control. What should she call the ghost husband of her uncle's deceased wife in the underworld?
Zhong Ying walked a little further away, out of Zhong Ni's sight, before whispering to Cao Fang, "Auntie, why are you still here? I thought you had already gone to be reincarnated."
It was only when Zhong Ying saw the female ghost that she remembered her from the original owner's long-sealed memories, because so much time had really passed.
If you do the math... it's been sixteen years already.
When Zhong Ying thought of her aunt, the first thing that came to mind was her mother's words, "Your aunt has a hard life."
In my memory, "Zhong Ying" was a little girl a year older than Zhong Guoqiang is now. However, during that period, a series of events that could be described as life-changing events occurred, leaving deep marks on her memory.
First, in the winter of 1951, my uncle's two older brothers secretly went up the mountain to find food without telling the adults. However, they encountered wild animals. In their panicked escape, the two children slipped and fell down the mountain, losing their lives.
It was after this incident that Old Man Zhong and his elder brother's families fell out.
Zhong Qiushou had two sons, one nine years old and the other seven, who were both in need of care, but they suddenly met with misfortune. In his grief, Uncle Zhong began to resent his younger brother's family. In addition, there was a daughter who had died young at the age of one. Of Zhong Qiushou's four children, only his youngest daughter, Zhong Ni, remained. On the other hand, his younger brother Zhong Chunsheng's family had a son and a daughter who were both alive and well.
Because he was not doing well himself, he couldn't bear to see others doing well. Zhong Qiushou darkly hoped that something would happen to his younger brother's son, Zhong Cheng. He even tried to trick the five-year-old Zhong Cheng into going with him once, but fortunately, he was held back by Zhong Ying, who was crying and making a fuss, until Deng Xia came back.
When Deng Xia saw that this heartless bastard was about to take her child away, she was furious, and the two families broke off relations completely from then on.
Cao Fang, who was pregnant at the time, was heartbroken over the deaths of her two sons. She also had to persuade her husband, who had gone astray, to come to his senses, and take care of her youngest daughter, Zhong Ni, who was crying in fear due to the somber atmosphere at home. Exhausted both physically and mentally, Cao Fang went into labor prematurely just after the New Year, and suffered a difficult delivery. In the end, she gave birth to another son for Zhong Qiushou, but she herself died.
It really has been sixteen years.
Remembering the conditions for the ghost to be scattered, Zhong Ying was secretly alarmed, "Auntie, are you really alright after staying in the human world for so long?"
After a person dies, time acts like a gradually taking effect anesthetic, slowly healing the pain in the hearts of loved ones and numbing memories. As the grief fades, so too do the memories of the deceased.
Just like Zhong Ying, if she hadn't seen Cao Fang's ghost again, she would never have remembered this aunt who was buried deep in her memory.
If unrequited love is like the kite string that holds a ghost's existence, Zhong Ying couldn't imagine how many strings were still holding Cao Fang. Her uncle? What kind of loyal person could someone be who would harm his own brother's son?
Her cousin, Shuanzhu, from her uncle's family? He had never seen his mother since birth. Even though he heard people talk about her from time to time, he probably only felt gratitude towards the mother who risked her life to give birth to him, but couldn't imagine who she was.
It's likely that only Zhong Ying's cousin, Zhong Ni, whom she just met, still remembers this mother.
“It’s alright,” Cao Fang said casually, clearly having often heard these words of advice not to linger in the human world. She just smiled and said, “I can’t leave now.”
Cao Fang remained in the world after her death, her only worry being her two children.
“Your uncle is no good. My daughter is pitiful. She lost her mother and her father doesn’t care about her. She has suffered a lot since she was little, raising Shuanzhu alone.” Cao Fang said with a forlorn expression. “I’ve watched the two children grow up with great difficulty. Shuanzhu is at least your uncle’s only son now, so I don’t have to worry about him much. The only one I can’t let go of is my daughter Zhong Ni. I’ll go and reincarnate after I see her marry a good man like your father and your brother.”
Zhong Ying fell silent. At this time, rural women could only hope to be reborn into a good family if they wanted to change their fate. The paths available to women were too narrow.
"Auntie, I won't chat with you any longer. I'll come find you again when I have time. I need to go back and watch over my daughter. If there's another snake or something in the grass, at least I can hold it down." Cao Fang smiled shyly, much like her daughter. "Maybe I was working hard before I died, because I have a lot of strength now, even stronger than a man."
Zhong Ying watched as Cao Fang floated back. The young girl, focused on searching for firewood on the ground, was oblivious. The ghost floating behind her held the basket on her back with one hand and gently brushed aside the wildly growing branches above her daughter's head. Although it was a ghost, it was like a guardian angel.
"No, I need to pee my eyes..." Zhong Ying sniffed, dared not look anymore, and turned to leave.
Looking at the "Sword of Damocles" beside her, Zhong Ying said irritably, "Didn't you want me to talk to your mother? You go and keep watch. When my mother comes home from the fields to cook, call me and I'll go find your mother."
Li Linshi nodded and left without saying a word.
"Eyes need to pee," what does that mean? Li Linshi had a blank expression on his face, but he was thinking about the strange words Zhong Ying had just murmured.
With the deadbeat gone, Zhong Ying was finally able to quietly gather firewood by herself.
In half a day, Zhong Ying was lucky and unknowingly gathered a lot of firewood. The basket she had unloaded and placed aside was almost full. She was sweating profusely and couldn't help but think of that dead man again. At least it was cool when he was around.
Thinking about it this way, Zhong Ying felt that this ghost was better than a modern air conditioner. It didn't need electricity, could move with people, and wasn't limited to indoors or outdoors.
"Isn't this much better than those ridiculously overpriced portable air conditioners?" Zhong Ying muttered to herself, squatting down in front of the basket full of firewood, slinging the two straps over her shoulders, and getting up to carry the basket on her back—
I didn't memorize it.
Zhong Ying was surprised. She had only packed some scattered tree branches, so how could they be so heavy when put together?
With no other option, Zhong Ying had to throw away half of the firewood. The remaining half-basket of dry firewood probably weighed about 20 or 30 pounds, which she carried with great difficulty.
But soon, Zhong Ying felt she had gotten used to the weight, and after a while, she felt the basket on her back was not so heavy anymore.
“Your mother and sister-in-law went home to cook. Today, my two sisters-in-law went home to cook, while my mother is still in the fields.”
Zhong Ying looked back upon hearing the sound. It turned out that it wasn't that she had grown up, but rather that a ghost had lent a hand.
After Li Linshi finished speaking, he lifted the basket with one hand, his dark and deep eyes fixed on Zhong Ying.
Zhong Ying couldn't stand his terrifying, silent urging. "Okay, okay, I'll go now."
Carrying the half-basket of firewood that was originally difficult to carry, Zhong Ying walked briskly and quickly from the foot of Yingshan Mountain to the farmland by the Ganlin River. Looking at the people who were still working hard, she quietly approached one of them and said, "Auntie, I have something I want to tell you."
Liu Hongyan was full of doubts. She exchanged a glance with her husband beside her before following Zhong Ying for a while.
Glancing at by the ghost, Zhong Ying hesitated before speaking, "Auntie, I just wanted to ask about the ghost marriage... Is it okay if we don't go through with it?"
Zhong Ying couldn't help but lower her head; she was practically forcing herself to speak.
Li Linshi stood aside and said, "Just say that I came to you in a dream, and I don't want to."
Zhong Ying rolled her eyes at him secretly, annoyed. He appeared in her dream? What's their relationship? Why would he appear in her dream instead of his own mother? This guy can't even lie properly.
Liu Hongyan couldn't see her beloved youngest son standing right next to her, nor could she hear what Li Linshi had just said; she was only surprised by Zhong Ying's words.
When Zhong Ying saw Liu Hongyan looking at her in surprise, she knew that it was a bit abrupt for her to come over and say these things, but she couldn't resist the urgency of the situation.
Just as she was wondering what to say next, she saw Liu Hongyan's gaze change from surprise to relief.
Relief? How could it be relief?
“Auntie knew you were just like your mother, a little short-tempered but kind-hearted,” Liu Hongyan said with relief, her eyes glistening with tears. She took Zhong Ying’s hand. “You came to see me at this time, deliberately avoiding your mother, right? You see, my family is going to arrange a ghost marriage for Si’er, I understand your reluctance…”
Zhong Ying was stunned. Who wouldn't want to? Wasn't this something the dead guy didn't want to do?
But she couldn't think of a better reason, so she could only reluctantly lower her head and agree, "Yes, it's because I don't want him to have a ghost marriage."
Liu Hongyan, holding back her tears, comforted Zhong Ying, "But you two are now separated by life and death. It's my son's bad luck... You're a good girl. Life is long. You have to look forward. There will always be a new and good marriage."
Zhong Ying choked. How did she become the devoted lover? "...Auntie, can't we really forget about the ghost marriage?"
Liu Hongyan looked at her with pity, "Go home and eat, aren't you tired carrying so much firewood..."
Zhong Ying glanced at Li Linshi; she really had tried her best.
"sister!"
Zhong Xin called out from afar and rushed over. He remembered what his mother had said. He glanced warily at Liu Hongyan, then stepped forward and pulled Zhong Ying aside. "Sister, why haven't you gone back yet? Mother asked me to come find you."
Liu Hongyan wasn't annoyed. She simply said gently to the siblings, "Yes, go back and eat now."
Zhong Xin pursed his lips, feeling a little embarrassed for his rudeness just now, and softened his tone, "Then Auntie, my sister and I will be leaving now. Sister, give me the basket, I'll carry it."
Zhong Ying found it troublesome to put the basket down and pass it around to someone else, saying, "No need, you can help me carry it a bit."
Upon hearing this, the male ghost carrying the basket let go, and Zhong Ying almost fell backward from the weight of the basket. Fortunately, her brother Zhong Xin was reliable and quickly took over to help carry it.
Liu Hongyan watched the siblings leave, while Li Linshi remained where he was.
"Mom, what did Uncle Zhong's little sister say when she came to see you?"
Li's eldest daughter-in-law, Tian Mei, and second daughter-in-law, Nie Jinfeng, came to deliver food. They saw it from afar, and as they walked over, Nie Jinfeng couldn't help but ask.
Liu Hongyan walked back and sighed, "She still can't let go, saying she doesn't want Si'er to be married off in the afterlife."
Upon hearing this, Li Ming temporarily stopped digging drainage ditches for the farmland and straightened up to look at his wife.
“At Si’er’s funeral, I didn’t see Yingni shed a tear, and I thought it was just Si’er’s one-sided love, but now it seems that wasn’t the case.” Liu Hongyan said, her heart aching again. “What a mess this is, oh, what a pity…”
Nie Jinfeng and her sister-in-law Tian Mei exchanged a glance, neither of them showing any regret. They certainly didn't want to be sisters-in-law with such a formidable girl.
Liu Hongyan recalled the wary look in Zhong Xin's eyes just now, and she exchanged a helpless glance with Li Ming. "I already promised Zhong Lao Er's family that I wouldn't make a move on their daughter, but they're still so afraid that I'll go back on my word."
"As expected, doing things is better than saying a lot. It seems we need to hurry up with Si'er's matter, otherwise the Zhong family will be on tenterhooks."
Liu Hongyan's final conclusion surprised Li Linshi, who had been listening silently to her; things had once again exceeded his expectations.
A note from the author:
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Liu Hongyan: (Relieved) I knew you cared about my son.
Zhong Ying: Huh? Ah, yes, I have (gritting teeth)
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