They stayed at the Yu family's for two days and the Meng family's for four days, totaling exactly a week.
The guide was a black cat, so no departure time was specified.
As they stayed longer, everyone grew anxious.
"Ning Wei, do you think there's a hidden mission we haven't discovered?" Zhu Yilian's imagination ran wild as she suddenly asked Ning Wei.
Ning Wei's heart skipped a beat. She thought of what the White Snake had said last night, but replied with something else: "I'm not sure. Probably not."
Just as Zhu Yilian was about to say more, Aunt Meng's voice came from inside, "Ning Wei, are you awake?"
"Awake, awake." Yuan Yuan was about to go out when she heard Aunt Meng's voice and quickly responded.
Aunt Meng rarely called them without a reason, so something must be up.
Yuan Yuan was the first to step out, followed by the others.
It wasn't until Ning Wei slowly emerged that she realized the Wang couple had arrived.
Upon seeing Ning Wei, the couple, holding their child, knelt directly on the ground and began kowtowing without a word.
Ning Wei was startled and repeatedly signaled to the others, "Hurry up and help them up!"
However, the couple's determination to thank Ning Wei was too strong. Tang Tang and Zhu Yilian couldn't pull them up. Moreover, with the child in the wife's arms, they dared not use too much force, fearing they might drop or hurt the baby.
Ning Wei had no choice but to intervene personally. She first took hold of Mrs. Wang, then said to Wang Erwa, "You've kowtowed. Hurry and take your child back."
Wang Erwa stood up and pointed to a pile of things behind him. "Fortunately, you stepped in yesterday, otherwise I would have lost my life. My wife and I truly want to thank you. We don't know what you lack, so we've brought some daily necessities."
Ning Wei looked behind them and, indeed, it was quite a collection of daily items: chickens, ducks, fish, and meat, along with a large bag of various fruits bought from town.
"You don't need to bring these," Ning Wei tried to refuse.
Wang Erwa gave her no chance to refuse. He took out a stack of money from his pocket and forcefully stuffed it into Ning Wei's arms.
This action lacked a sense of personal space, and when Li Ye saw this, he immediately reached out to block Wang Erwa's hand and stood in front of Ning Wei.
Wang Erwa only had genuine gratitude in his heart and no other intentions.
Li Ye's reaction made him feel a bit awkward.
Ning Wei stepped forward, gently pushed Li Ye aside to stand beside her, and then said to Mrs. Wang, "I helped you not for these things. My master once said that once you step through this door, you must be prepared to help whenever necessary."
Mrs. Wang nodded repeatedly, "We understand all of this. But you not only saved his life, but also helped a family. We don't know how else to express our gratitude, so we..."
"Take these things back. You haven't finished your confinement period yet, so you should rest well indoors. If you must thank me, then I have something to tell you, and I hope you will take it to heart."
"Master, please speak," they both said simultaneously.
"From now on, no matter what wishes you have, you must strive for them through your own efforts. I hope you do not rely on that mountain god for everything. Some things are destined to be yours, and if not, do not force them. Everything is already set, and forcing things will make you lose more."
Ning Wei's words were vague, but the couple understood.
If it hadn't been for Wang Erwa secretly praying to the mountain god for a son this time, the subsequent events would not have happened.
Living in town didn't require much wealth, so the offerings given to the mountain god this time had truly cost the Wang family dearly.
Not only that, but if Ning Wei hadn't happened to be there, Wang Erwa would likely have lost his life.
After hearing Ning Wei's advice, the couple exchanged glances, and Wang Erwa's eyes were filled with regret.
"Alright, go home now." Ning Wei had said what she needed to say. Anyone with a brain would understand her meaning.
The items were not taken away in the end. Anyway, there were enough people in the household, and these items wouldn't spoil.
Life returned to normal, but the Wang family's affairs did not fade from everyone's discussion.
Ning Wei's reminder was subtly changing people's beliefs.
If Mrs. Wang had been bolder, she might have even told others through her words.
As long as the seed of doubt was sown, the faith would no longer be pure!
With the Wang family's matter resolved, everyone started feeling bored again.
Mei Nan heard Uncle Meng say that there were many small fish, about the length of a finger, upstream of the small river in town, and they were very fragrant when fried in oil. So, the two of them decided to go after breakfast to see if they could add something to their midday meal.
Aunt Meng had to go to the front to look after the general store, while Tang Tang and the others decided to go to the teahouse for a drink and to gather some information.
The white cat had run off the previous night. Ning Wei and Li Ye were in the courtyard, with one still sleeping and the other reading.
The days were leisurely enough, but Ning Wei knew clearly that Tang Tang and the others had raised their doubts that morning. So, even though they might be reluctant to leave this life, their hearts were still occupied with other matters.
"Do you think we can just wait here for the bus to pick us up?" While everyone else was away, Ning Wei wanted to know Li Ye's thoughts.
"If passing through was truly this easy, your bus wouldn't have only seven people left."
Li Ye's words further confirmed Ning Wei's suspicions from that morning.
She really didn't know what had possessed them to think that slacking off would lead to a smooth passage through this place.
But if the so-called mission was the one the White Snake hadn't fully explained, then this time would likely be more difficult than any previous station.
Even with the blood of exorcism she carried, Ning Wei couldn't deal with the mountain god who had already turned evil, let alone others.
"Do you know something?" Ning Wei brought up the topic, and Li Ye took the opportunity to inquire further.
Ning Wei hesitated, but then Tang Tang suddenly rushed in.
"Something's happened to the Yu family!"
Just as Tang Tang's interruption occurred, Ning Wei was able to use the chaos to evade Li Ye's questioning again.
"What happened to the Yu family?" Ning Wei quickly asked, trying to divert his attention.
"Yu Jiansheng's wife has been possessed. Want to go take a look?"
Ning Wei originally didn't want to go, but when she met Li Ye's scrutinizing gaze, she instinctively wanted to flee.
She stood up, grabbed Tang Tang's wrist, and whispered to her, "Aren't we leaving quickly?"
The two of them quickly left the Meng family, leaving Li Ye in contemplation.
Yu Baohua had already been buried, so Yu Jiansheng and his wife had moved into the house.
Upon arriving outside the familiar courtyard, a large crowd had already gathered to watch.
Tang Tang tried to pull Ning Wei forward to squeeze through, but Ning Wei stopped her.
Regardless of what happened to the Yu family, if no one sought her help, it was better not to rush forward.