Another half year passed, and suddenly cries of grief echoed from the Zhou family. It was then that everyone learned Young Master Zhou had passed away during the night.
The Zhou family swiftly hung white cloth, yet the coffin remained uncarried out for burial.
In less than two days, Master Zhou surprisingly invited a matchmaker to their home. He claimed Young Master Zhou had personally appeared in a dream, expressing his affection for a village girl and his desire to marry her.
This unfortunate girl was Yin Yin.
Through prolonged contact with Young Master Zhou's ghost, Yin Yin gradually learned he had died of consumption. The illness had deeply penetrated his bones, so even as a ghost, Young Master Zhou would subconsciously cough.
As time went on, Master Zhou cultivated another successor. After his death, this successor continued to interact with Young Master Zhou, fulfilling his various demands.
These demands were not particularly complex, merely the whim to marry a different girl whenever the mood struck him. The villagers, unable to bear Young Master Zhou's behavior any longer, secretly began to leave Qiuyin Village.
However, to prevent his "harem plan" from being halted, Young Master Zhou conjured a thick fog outside the village, trapping the inhabitants within. The villagers became like pets raised by the Zhou family, utterly lacking the will to resist, even taking pride in giving birth to daughters.
Upon hearing this, Ning Wei interjected, "Not raised, but pretending to be raised."
Yin Yin did not understand. Ning Wei then recounted her observations. Especially when they disrupted Young Master Zhou's ghost marriage with Yuan Yuan, besides Matchmaker Zhang and Zheng Qu, the other villagers who accompanied them appeared unhurried and indifferent to whether the ghost marriage proceeded smoothly.
Hearing Ning Wei mention Matchmaker Zhang, Yin Yin added, "The ancestor of this Matchmaker Zhang was the one who came to my house to discuss the marriage. I can't believe after so many years, their family still perpetuates this insane task."
Listening to Yin Yin's complaints, Ning Wei felt a measure of relief. As long as they could still curse, it was fine. After all, she had a significant undertaking in mind, and she couldn't do it without the help of these female ghosts.
Although Yin Yin had wandered here for a long time, she knew very little about the Zhou family's affairs. However, it was understandable. In life, she had never even encountered such a Young Master Zhou, and after death, she was sealed in a coffin, living under Young Master Zhou's nose without any opportunity to interact with the Zhou family. Therefore, today, the only thing she knew was that Young Master Zhou died of consumption; she could not recall anything else about the Zhou family.
"He could appear in a dream only two days after his death. Logically, a person who has just died shouldn't have enough energy to accomplish such a thing. Is there some treasure around him?"
"Treasure?" Yin Yin pondered. If there truly were a treasure, it should be in the coffin. However, Yin Yin had slept with Young Master Zhou so many times, and the coffin only contained ordinary gold and silver trinkets.
"I really don't know about any treasure you're referring to," Yin Yin said, looking at Ning Wei with some embarrassment.
Ning Wei didn't hold out much hope. Even if Yin Yin were clever, she was just a girl who grew up in a village. Her perspective wasn't broad enough, so it wasn't surprising she didn't recognize a treasure.
"I will have my sisters keep a closer eye out. He calls for a sister to accompany him every day anyway, so we still have opportunities," Yin Yin reassured Ning Wei. She feared Ning Wei would truly leave. After waiting for so many years, she had finally met someone who rekindled her hope, and she didn't want to miss this chance.
"He's back!" a female ghost suddenly shouted.
Yin Yin was quick, pushing Ning Wei forward. Ning Wei felt her feet slip, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself back in the room. No wonder she had felt a gust of cold air from Yin Yin earlier; she had apparently been sleeping in Yin Yin's room.
Ning Wei put on her clothes and opened the door. The sky was faintly lit, the distance obscure, veiled by mist. The "bat spirit" was still in the tree, having apparently spent another night there. The others had not yet woken. Ning Wei decided to step out into the courtyard. While the villagers were still asleep, she wanted to visit the Zhou family's residence.
Arriving at the Zhou residence, it differed from the house in her dream. In the dream, it was a grand courtyard with multiple entrances. Now, it had become a three-story building, the most well-decorated in the village. The house was also enclosed by a mud wall. The wall was less than two meters high, a height that wouldn't pose a challenge for Ning Wei. She circled the exterior, finally stopping when she heard the sounds of chickens and ducks.
With a leap, she landed, the clamor of the poultry masking her arrival. The chickens and ducks were displeased with the uninvited guest who had suddenly appeared within the enclosure, their clucking and quacking growing louder. Ning Wei shushed them, but they only became more boisterous. Best to avoid trouble, she quickly left the scene. Only after the uninvited guest departed did the sounds of the poultry gradually subside.
The three-story building had several doors. Ning Wei didn't know which led where, so she chose the nearest one. Using her tried-and-true skill, she easily opened the door. To her surprise, it was a storage room filled with discarded wooden stools and some grain. Ning Wei scanned the room, and in the darkest corner, she discovered a nest. The nest contained a pillow and a blanket; it was unlikely to be for a dog. However, both the blanket and pillow were dark and grimy, not appearing suitable for human use.
This room had only one door, leading out to the area where the chickens and ducks were kept. It seemed she had chosen the wrong door. Sighing at her bad luck, Ning Wei reached for the doorknob, preparing to exit.
Just then, a door in another direction opened first. Ning Wei's hand froze mid-air. She found herself face-to-face with the person about to enter. For a moment, the air was thick with awkwardness. The next second, Ning Wei prepared to knock out the seemingly young boy before her.
Seeing Ning Wei raise her hand, he instantly clutched his head, murmuring softly, "Don't hit me." From his ragged sleeves, it was evident he lived a miserable life, and scars beneath his clothes were faintly visible. Ning Wei thought of the dark nest, and for some reason, she immediately associated him with it.
The anticipated pain did not arrive. The boy peeked at Ning Wei, then said, "I know you. I saw you when you entered the village with others."
"So, are you going to expose me?"
The boy shook his head. "You should leave quickly. The village elder will wake up soon. If he finds you here, he will surely kill you."
Ning Wei looked into the boy's eyes. A coughing sound echoed from overhead. The boy, gathering his courage, pulled Ning Wei's hand, urging her to leave. "The elder is awake. Hurry!" He pulled Ning Wei towards the main entrance. Ning Wei thought he was a bit foolish, so she pulled him back, leading him towards the chicken and duck area. The boy was smart; on the damp ground, he spotted a footprint that did not belong to him.