As for the eighth portion, Li Ye refused it of his own volition.
Mei Nan’s lips moved slightly, as if he had many things to say.
But Ning Wei directly grabbed the money and stuffed it into his clothes pocket. Seeing him break into a bitter smile, Ning Wei pretended not to notice.
Even if Zhu Yulian didn't have such good luck, she intended to sneak into Yu Baohua's room to borrow some money.
When entering this town, Ning Wei had observed that there were many merchants on the streets. Without money, conducting business would surely be inconvenient.
She sat down at the teahouse, and after a cup of tea was served, the owner said, "If you want more water, guests can fetch it themselves from over there."
After saying this, the owner turned and returned to the counter.
Ning Wei quietly picked up the teacup and took a small sip. The tea was bitter, then slightly sweet, and tasted quite good. No wonder most people here chose it.
Looking at the self-service water station on the other side, where at least ten teapots were placed, it seemed people really enjoyed drinking tea.
Others in the teahouse were chatting animatedly, completely unaware that Ning Wei was also listening intently.
It just so happened that the table next to hers was discussing Yu Baohua, which was like a pillow arriving when one was sleepy—what a coincidence.
"Yu Baohua is dead. I wonder if his nephew will continue selling fish in town. The fish they sell is truly second to none, large and fresh, with broth so milky white it's perfect for soup." The speaker's words conveyed a sense of regret, showing a genuine love for fish.
"Hmph, with Yu Jiansheng being so useless, how could he possibly get up before dawn and go to all the trouble of selling fish!"
"Did any of you see Yu Baohua’s corpse rise that night?" someone deliberately asked, building suspense.
Many people had eaten that night, but it was only a small fraction of the town's population.
Moreover, Ning Wei had controlled the corpse that night, preventing it from causing any trouble. Therefore, many had not had the chance to witness it firsthand.
With that remark, the person piqued everyone else's curiosity.
The fear they felt when they saw the corpse rise that night was now replaced by the speaker's smugness.
"Why are you being so mysterious, just tell us quickly!" the person next to him urged, even pouring him more tea, hoping to make him speak sooner.
Others pushed their melon seeds and peanuts in front of him: "Don't just hint, tell us!"
With tea and snacks prepared, if he didn't speak soon, he might be beaten by these people.
Even if they wanted to tease him, this was enough.
The man took a sip of tea, popped a roasted peanut into his mouth, chewed it to bits, and washed it down with tea.
"That night, I happened to be sitting in the middle of the courtyard, so I saw it all very clearly."
"A black cat jumped onto the coffin. At that time, everyone was burying their heads in their food. Only I heard the sound of something heavy landing on the coffin."
"Then the black cat let out a cry, so mournful it was like a soul reaper's call. It scared me so much I clenched my buttocks..."
"Why would you clench your buttocks? Afraid of wetting your pants?" someone quickly asked.
"If you're afraid of wetting your pants, you should clench your groin! Hahahaha!" others chimed in with mockery.
This man clearly intended to describe the perilous situation that night, but instead, he was met with laughter.
His face flushed. These people usually looked down on him, so he had seized this opportunity to prove himself, only to be mocked again.
Someone immediately stepped in to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, listen to Old Third continue!"
The laughter stopped abruptly, and everyone looked expectantly at Old Third, urging him to go on.
Old Third gave a dry laugh, took a sip of tea, and began to speak again.
But after only a few words, someone interrupted: "I say, Old Third, stop talking about black cats and white cats. Just tell us, was the 'Fathead Fish's' body very different?"
This was the focal point for everyone. The nickname 'Fathead Fish' wasn't unfounded, but because he had died so suddenly, many hadn't had a chance to see him before he was placed in the coffin.
Once in the coffin, it was forbidden to open it without special circumstances, which was why these people were so curious.
Old Third had seized upon this curiosity, which was why he had started the story.
He knew that being aloof would only make people dislike him more, and he also understood the principle of knowing when to stop.
At this moment, someone asked the teahouse owner to bring two ounces of white wine.
The aroma of the wine enticed Old Third, who kept swallowing.
"Old Third, if you tell us, this glass of wine is on me."
Old Third nodded repeatedly, picked up the cup, took a gentle sip, and then began to speak earnestly.
He had indeed been there that night, so he was telling the truth, otherwise, he wouldn't dare to boast here.
"Everyone knows 'Fathead Fish' was plump and strong. But I personally saw him jump out of the coffin. He was like a completely different person."
"He had no more than two ounces of flesh on his body. His large head had become thin, and his face was completely sunken in, making him look like an old person who had been clinging to life for a long time, waiting to die."
After speaking, Old Third finished the remaining white wine in one gulp, smacking his lips as if savoring it.
"Are you serious? He really got that thin?" someone asked incredulously. 'Fathead Fish' had always been in good health; how could he have suddenly become so thin?
"We didn't hear he was sick either," someone added.
"So, you know, everyone privately says..." Old Third, true to form, began to create suspense again.
"Hmph," someone scoffed, "are you going to blame the Mountain God again?"
A new character appeared, and Ning Wei lowered her head, her eyes shifting slightly.
Old Third chuckled dryly, "Everyone privately says 'Fathead Fish' offended the Mountain God and was thus punished. As for whether this is true or not, I don't know."
"Perhaps Yu Jiansheng was envious of how much money he made selling fish, so he poisoned him with his wife," someone speculated boldly.
Ning Wei hadn't expected Yu Jiansheng to have a wife, as no woman close to him had been seen at the funeral.
"I've witnessed it before. Yu Jiansheng borrowed money from 'Fathead Fish,' saying he wanted to start a business. But you know what Yu Jiansheng is like; he wouldn't know how to run any business. So, 'Fathead Fish' refused on the spot and even told Yu Jiansheng to work honestly. The uncle and nephew had a very unpleasant argument."
This person's account sounded so plausible, as if Yu Jiansheng had indeed killed his own uncle for money.
Whether it was Yu Baohua offending the Mountain God, Yu Jiansheng killing his uncle for money, or something else entirely.
Regardless of the truth, Ning Wei intended to find out. This might be the key to their leaving this place.
The cup of tea today was well worth it. Ning Wei satisfiedly put down the tea money and quietly left the teahouse.