The relatives of Yu Baohua had made all the arrangements for tomorrow’s burial, and everything was ready today.
Since the burial was scheduled for tomorrow, the courtyard was exceptionally lively today. All friends and family had arrived, and tables and chairs were set up everywhere. Ning Wei and her companions were forced to move their table to a corner.
One advantage of having so many people around was that everyone was talking amongst themselves, so no one paid much attention to what Ning Wei and her group were discussing.
What’s more, several children were squatting on the ground in the courtyard, peeling and eating candy similar to Ning Wei’s.
After arranging everything, Yu Jiansheng approached Ning Wei.
“Master, there’s something I’d like to ask of you. Is it possible?”
Ning Wei, seeing his hesitant demeanor, nodded.
“It’s like this, the burial is tomorrow. Could I ask you to keep an eye on things nearby? I really don’t want anything to go wrong at the last moment.”
Recalling the events of that night, Yu Jiansheng still felt a chill down his spine. He didn’t want to lose his inheritance and end up paying for it himself.
“This is a small matter. I’ll be waiting in the courtyard tomorrow morning as soon as it’s light, and I’ll go to the graveyard with the coffin.”
Yu Jiansheng nodded repeatedly, then went to fetch a plate of sunflower seeds and peanuts.
“I’ll be nearby. If you need anything, just call me.”
To Yu Jiansheng, Ning Wei’s presence was for suppressing the corpse to prevent it from causing trouble and ensuring the safety of their group. This was also why he had invited Ning Wei and her group to stay. Compared to the compensation they had paid before, housing eight people and providing three meals a day was a trivial matter.
Since Li Ye had warned the others not to inquire further about the mountain god, no one proposed going out for a stroll the entire day. Ning Wei said nothing either, and apart from the morning, she hadn’t left the courtyard. Everyone had a tacit understanding, behaving obediently and staying in the courtyard for the day. After dinner, the eight of them returned to their rooms. As for the others, they naturally stayed to keep vigil.
The next morning, as promised, Ning Wei sat in the courtyard, with the large coffin in front of her. Her teammates gradually woke up, and after breakfast, they prepared for the burial. It was at this time that Ning Wei saw Yu Jiansheng’s wife for the first time. She had a fierce expression, devoid of any smile. Some of the relatives and friends were displeased. Later, Yu Jiansheng seemed to have spoken to her privately, and her attitude softened.
After the coffin was carried out, Ning Wei followed at the end. She was not a relative of the deceased, but merely invited to help keep an eye on things. As for the other teammates, they had even less reason to follow.
Tang Tang, feeling uneasy, whispered to Ning Wei, “Should we have a couple of people sneak along after you leave?”
Ning Wei shook her head. “It’s just the burial. We’ll be back soon. You all can wait for me in the courtyard.”
In the courtyard, besides Tang Tang and the others, there was only Yu Jiansheng’s wife. She had an unpleasant personality and was rather arrogant. Apart from giving a few extra glances at the handsome Li Ye, she seemed to regard everyone else as air. Tang Tang and the others were not troublesome. The deceased had been buried, and the house now belonged to Yu Jiansheng and his wife. If Yu Jiansheng’s wife was unwilling to let them continue staying, they would have to find another place. Therefore, it was best not to interact with her before then, to avoid saying something wrong.
Yu Jiansheng’s wife, Wang Yan, had initially not wanted to come today. Yu Jiansheng had asked her to come and watch over things, as there were some outsiders at the burial. His uncle was also a man of some means, so… He didn’t need to say the rest too clearly, and Wang Yan naturally understood. However, she had never liked Yu Jiansheng’s uncle, who sold fish. She always felt he carried a strong fishy odor.
And there was one more thing she hadn’t told anyone: Yu Baohua was disrespectfully lecherous. In Xian Town, there was a small stream where the women liked to wash clothes and chat. Yu Baohua, pushing his fish cart, saw her washing clothes alone and made some provocative remarks. If it hadn’t been for an older woman with her daughter-in-law walking over to wash clothes behind them, Wang Yan would have loved to smash Yu Baohua’s head with the wooden club she used for beating clothes. This kind of incident was difficult to speak of, so Wang Yan hadn’t told anyone. This was also why, even though Yu Baohua’s body had been lying at home for several days, she hadn’t come to offer incense.
Wang Yan had a strong personality, and Yu Jiansheng couldn’t control her. If it weren’t for the money involved today, Wang Yan wouldn’t have shown up. She found stepping into this house distasteful. Yu Baohua, having no family, spent his own money, so he had indeed saved quite a bit, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to build such a large house. Wang Yan, disliking the place for being unclean, secretly planned to discuss with Yu Jiansheng about selling the house and using the money to rebuild their own.
Putting these thoughts aside, as soon as everyone left, Wang Yan eagerly went into Yu Baohua’s room. Although Yu Jiansheng had already searched once, she didn’t believe the crude Yu Jiansheng. Hearing the sounds of things being rummaged through in the room, Tang Tang and the others looked at each other helplessly. Fortunately, the table they were sitting at was in a far corner. When Wang Yan came out, they would pretend not to have heard anything, to avoid excessive awkwardness.
Ning Wei had already said that she had taken out the "breath" from the corpse, so the body would not have any further problems. Therefore, the entire burial process went smoothly. After completing all the procedures, Ning Wei nodded slightly at Yu Jiansheng and quietly left the graveyard.
The funeral was now entirely concluded. Ning Wei had not found the reason for Yu Baohua’s sudden death, and she had even been dealt with by that mountain god.
Returning to the courtyard, Ning Wei told the others to get ready. “I overheard Yu Jiansheng discussing with his wife that after the burial today, they would find an opportunity to ask us to move out.”
Zhu Yulian was indignant. Yu Jiansheng was clearly someone who used people when convenient and then cast them aside.
After the last string of firecrackers was lit at the graveyard, Yu Jiansheng returned to the courtyard with a sense of relief. Wang Yan stood by the main hall with her hands on her hips, looking at him coldly. The implication in her eyes was obvious. This couple were birds of a feather, skillfully employing the tactic of discarding someone after using them. Ning Wei and the others sat at a table, drinking tea, waiting for Yu Jiansheng to bring up the matter. Yu Jiansheng also knew that his actions were not honorable. Furthermore, the young women on Ning Wei’s side were attractive. As a man, it was difficult for him to ask these people to leave. He remained silent, but Wang Yan could not bear it.