The middle-aged woman continued to chatter about the "Three Obediences and Four Virtues" and other such nonsense.
Ning Wei's head began to ache, and just as she was about to turn back, she saw a pair of eyes even more blood-red than the lanterns!
Her heart leaped into her throat. She pinched her finger hard, drawing a bead of blood, and flicked it towards the red eyes.
Instead of the expected puff of white smoke, a figure emerged from behind a tree, a cool smile on his face. A red droplet, much like the one she had just flicked, was on his brow, possessing a strangely beautiful quality.
Facing this person, Ning Wei felt an unsettling sense of losing control.
She instinctively took a step back, only to step on a dry branch.
The snapping sound startled the people at the graves.
"Who's there!"
"I'll go check!"
Someone was approaching. Ning Wei, listening to the ever-closer footsteps, forgot to breathe.
At that moment, the "Fu Chengwei" raised an eyebrow, and a black cat suddenly leaped from the tree behind Ning Wei.
It landed on the ground, making a "snap" sound.
"Oh, it's just a cat."
"No worries, let's continue."
The footsteps receded, and Ning Wei let out a sigh of relief.
She glared at this "Fu Chengwei," her displeasure evident.
"Fu Chengwei" beckoned to Ning Wei. She pursed her lips and slowly walked over.
The two walked back to the red lantern tree, one after the other. Mei Nan and the others were looking around.
Seeing them return, no one seemed surprised, as if it were expected.
"How was it? What were those people doing?" Tang Tang immediately grabbed Ning Wei upon her return.
"They seem to be performing a ghost marriage, but there are still some inconsistencies that need time to observe."
Not long after she finished speaking, the group of people returned.
They were carrying the same coffin as when they left.
This was a sight Ning Wei hadn't anticipated, and her reaction was one of surprise, just like everyone else.
Leading the way was the middle-aged woman in deep red. She approached Ning Wei with a smile, her gaze sweeping over the people behind her.
"It's getting late. Come back to the village with us and rest."
Ning Wei nodded. As she walked, she glanced back to see if "Fu Chengwei" was following.
As she searched the crowd, her eyes met a pair of eyes as still as stagnant water, belonging to a person with an equally expressionless face.
She felt as if she were eavesdropping and guiltily withdrew her gaze.
They were surrounded by large trees, with a narrow path in the middle. The wild grass by their feet reached their calves.
"How much further is your village?" Zhu Yilian, having waited outside for too long and feeling the night chill, was growing impatient.
The middle-aged woman smiled and said, "We're almost there. As soon as you see the red lanterns, you've arrived."
Looking ahead, they hadn't seen any red lanterns before. But now, as they looked up, they appeared, as if suddenly materialized.
"See? It's close," the middle-aged woman said with an indescribable sense of pride.
"Is there some kind of celebration tonight? Why so many red lanterns?" Ning Wei asked, feigning casualness.
The middle-aged woman smiled and explained, "A young couple in the village accidentally ate some mushrooms from the mountain. Today was supposed to be their wedding day, so their parents decided to hold a ghost marriage for them tonight."
If Ning Wei hadn't gone with them and seen for herself, she might have believed this explanation.
As they spoke, they arrived at the village entrance.
At the entrance stood a large stone with the words "Qiūyǐn" carved into it.
The middle-aged woman continued her explanation, "Our ancestors fled here to escape war. We arrived in autumn, hence the carving of 'Qiūyǐn'."
Ning Wei reached out and touched the stone. The carving of the two characters was deep, suggesting great age.
Mei Nan, being a history teacher, was very interested and also approached the large stone to examine it closely.
"How old is your village then?" Tang Tang asked softly.
The middle-aged woman thought for a moment, "About two hundred years, I suppose. I can't quite recall."
As they stood outside the village, more people emerged from within.
Upon seeing one of the white-haired elders, the middle-aged woman's face showed a flicker of fear, and her tone became less enthusiastic.
A group of people surrounded the elder, who leaned on his staff. "Is everything finished? Why are you all standing at the village entrance?"
Despite his white hair and need for a cane, the elder spoke with surprising vigor and a sharp demeanor.
The middle-aged woman stepped forward with a smile. "Replying to the village chief, we encountered a group of lost tourists outside, and they wished to stay in the village for the night."
The village chief, his face etched with wrinkles, surveyed Ning Wei's group as if contemplating something.
"Very well, then you make the arrangements." The village chief agreed.
The middle-aged woman immediately gestured to Ning Wei and the others. "Follow me. We'll arrange your accommodation first. You must be hungry too."
They followed the middle-aged woman into the village. Although she had mentioned it was centuries old, most of the houses were brick and tile, looking quite presentable.
There was one house that stood out, drawing curious glances from everyone. The middle-aged woman explained it was the village chief's residence.
Ning Wei asked her, "We are greatly inconveniencing you by staying for a night. May I know the village chief's surname so we can express our gratitude in person?"
"No need for thanks. We occasionally have tourists like yourselves visit, so we're quite accustomed to it."
Ning Wei pressed on, "What is the village chief's surname? Is your village one large family?"
The middle-aged woman, annoyed by her persistent questions, waved her hand. "The village chief's surname is Zhou. Everyone in the village has different surnames; we are not one clan. We are all unfortunate souls who fled here."
Zhou? If she remembered correctly, earlier at the gravesite, this middle-aged woman had spoken of serving Young Master Zhou well.
In this day and age, to still refer to someone as "Young Master" felt like something out of feudal times.
Even this ghost marriage seemed like an event that could only occur in a feudal society.
Lost in thought, the middle-aged woman suddenly stopped.
She pointed to a simple earthen house in front of them. "This is a vacant house in the village. It's cleaned regularly, though. I apologize for the inconvenience, but you'll have to make do here for the night."
The middle-aged woman unlocked the gate to the courtyard. Yellow leaves covered the ground, and dry vines clung to the earthen walls.
Following her inside, the house itself didn't require a key; the door opened with a gentle push.
The house seemed to be prepared specifically for visitors. There was no main hall or kitchen, just a row of four rooms, all of which were sleeping quarters.
Each room had two beds, and with some crowding, four people could sleep in each.
"I'll cook you some noodles later. Please, make yourselves comfortable for now," the middle-aged woman said after showing them the rooms, and then turned to leave the courtyard.