The village chief, seeing so many people standing in the courtyard, first greeted Mei Nan with a smile, "Professor Mei, are you lecturing again?"
Mei Nan replied with a smile.
The village chief rubbed his hands together and took two steps forward, "I wanted to mention something, I don't know if this is an interruption?"
Having said that, Mei Nan certainly couldn't say it was an interruption.
"Please speak freely, Village Chief. I was just explaining to these students about the history of villages over the past hundred years, it's not really a lesson, so it's not an interruption."
The village chief nodded and said to everyone, "In three days, it will be the village's day of sacrifice. As the village chief, I specifically invite everyone to attend together."
Three days later was the day of departure, and precisely at this time the village chief stepped forward to talk about a sacrifice. It seemed his intentions were not solely about the sacrifice.
They had been wondering when the villagers would reveal their true intentions, and they hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
Except for Ning Wei, the other women looked uncomfortable.
The village chief was shrewd and wouldn't fail to notice.
He pretended not to understand and asked, "Is there any inconvenience?"
Mei Nan again tried to smooth things over, "It's like this, I was just telling these students about ancient village sacrifices, and some beliefs can be frightening to ordinary people, which is why they are reacting this way."
The village chief exclaimed, "Ah," and then said, "Please don't worry, our sacrifices are simple, and there will be no bloody scenes."
Fearing that the students wouldn't believe him, the village chief specifically explained.
It was early autumn, a time when all things withered but also a time of abundant harvest. The villagers, relying on the heavens for their livelihood, naturally hoped for renewal and thus held sacrifices at this time of year, praying for a good harvest in the coming year.
Hearing this, everything seemed normal.
Upon receiving Ning Wei's signal, everyone forced themselves to relax.
Seeing that their expressions didn't suggest they had discovered anything, the village chief felt a little more at ease.
"Do you think you'll have time then?" the village chief asked again.
Mei Nan glanced at everyone. As the most senior person present, he readily agreed.
The village chief laughed heartily, "Then I look forward to your presence."
The village chief had come only to say this, and after he finished, he left.
Once they were sure the village chief had left, all the women slumped their shoulders.
"What do we do? The sacrifice in three days sounds like a prayer for a good harvest, but their real target is definitely us!"
Ning Wei, however, said, "If they distribute us among the villagers, and act quickly, they could indeed have a good harvest next year."
Though the harvest wouldn't be grain from the fields, but rather children running around.
Ning Wei's blunt words made Yuan Yuan beside her turn pale with fright.
Zhu Yulian, with her sharp tongue, immediately retorted, "Even if we all stay, you won't escape!"
Ning Wei, not to be outdone, replied, "That's not certain. Anyone who dares to touch me, I'll kill them!"
As soon as the word "kill" was spoken, Ning Wei exuded an aura of killing intent, and those around her instinctively took a step back.
Although Zhu Yulian was spoiled, she dared not kill.
Ning Wei, on the other hand, had already done both killing and arson.
The two bickered like chicks, completely ignoring the people around them.
Mei Nan sighed. As the oldest, his main task was to mediate.
"Alright, alright, what's the use of saying these things? We came together, and we will leave together."
"The sacrifice in three days will be our banquet of Hongmen. Everyone must be vigilant and protect the women around you!" Mei Nan said sternly.
The men nodded, while the women remained silent.
Mei Nan looked at Ning Wei. Her words carried more weight than ten of his, yet this girl was stubborn and seemed to care about nothing.
Ning Wei understood Mei Nan's gaze but remained silent.
Yuan Yuan, young and timid, had finally been comforted, but the village chief's arrival had sent her back to her initial state. She tightly gripped Ning Wei's hand as if she had found a lifeline.
Song Zhi also kept signaling Ning Wei, urging her to say something to calm the argument.
Caught between Mei Nan and Song Zhi, Ning Wei pouted and reluctantly said, "Everyone, don't worry, I will ensure you all leave here safely. Not only that, but I want all the women here to be safe!"
The first part of her statement was normal, but the latter part was rather peculiar.
What did she mean by "all the women here"?
Did it include the village chief's wife?
Did it include the woman in the pigsty?
Mei Nan felt a headache coming on. He knew Ning Wei would cause trouble.
Having said what she needed to say, Ning Wei didn't care about anything else. She sat down on a stool and leisurely drank her tea, as if her task was complete.
Yuan Yuan still held her hand, and Ning Wei didn't struggle. She poured tea with one hand and drank with the other, appearing to be the most relaxed person there.
No one left. They discussed various countermeasures together. Ning Wei, as an observer, watched coldly from the side, as if none of it concerned her.
"Someone's coming," Ning Wei suddenly said.
As soon as she spoke, a person appeared in the distance. Everyone fell silent, and Mei Nan began to talk about history, with the students gathered around to listen.
The person who arrived was none other than Li Bai's mother.
Her husband had come back and beaten her after learning about the incident at noon, and now she was back to try and fix things.
Ning Wei, among the group of students, was still the most striking in appearance.
The old woman couldn't help but lament her sharp eye for people. However, the round-faced girl next to Ning Wei was also good-looking, her body clearly well-suited for childbearing.
The old woman walked quickly. She didn't enter, but stood at the entrance of the courtyard, looking in.
Anyone with eyes could see she was looking for Ning Wei.
Just then, Zhu Yulian was blocking Ning Wei, wanting to see Ning Wei embarrassed. She quietly moved aside a step, completely exposing Ning Wei, who was immediately spotted by the old woman.
She waved excitedly at Ning Wei, calling her name, "Ning Wei, Ning Wei, come here."
Ning Wei smiled slightly and then nodded towards Professor Mei Nan beside her.
The old woman had heard about the students in the village and knew Mei Nan was the one in charge. So she smiled and greeted Mei Nan, "Hello, Professor Mei!"
Mei Nan smiled kindly at the old woman, "Hello, Big Sister. Is there something you need? I'm in a meeting with the students right now."
Mei Nan's intention was to shield Ning Wei.
However, the old woman acted as if she hadn't heard him and said noisily, "Ning Wei and I hit it off immediately. I want to invite her to my house for dinner tonight. I'm stewing a pot of old hen soup, it's very nourishing!"