Chapter 009: Grave Digging

The courtyard of the Zhang family was once again bustling with people. A young man, around sixteen or seventeen years old, had suddenly passed away, and naturally, the villagers felt a sense of sorrow, making it only natural for them to come and offer comfort to the grieving family. As for the cause of the child's death, the father's account was that the child had climbed onto the roof in the middle of the night to catch sparrows hiding under the ridge tiles, accidentally lost his footing, and fell, striking his head against the stones at the base of the wall; while the mother was adamant, declaring, "It was you! You killed him!"

In the blink of an eye, winter has passed. The funeral of my eldest son has incurred considerable expenses, and the Zhang family's life has become increasingly difficult. The harvest in the fields is still far off in this season, and doing business in those years was absolutely forbidden. Coupled with the prolonged estrangement and neglect from my wife and children, Zhang Lianyi has become increasingly despondent, gradually developing a mindset of giving up: since things have come to this, what difference does it make if I dig open that mysterious cave under the kang? At worst, I would die, which would save me from worrying all day! Moreover, perhaps I could counteract this streak of bad luck with something even worse, or even use evil to combat evil, and wash away this misfortune! Or perhaps there is something of immense value hidden inside, which is why such a mysterious force is guarding it. If that is the case, once I obtain the treasure, I could immediately take my wife and children and flee far away, leaving this place behind, and that would be the end of it.

He was almost impatiently enlarging the opening, completely focused, and not the slightest bit aware that three pairs of eyes were coldly staring at his back. His wife and one son and one daughter silently appeared behind him, each with a faintly chilling smile at the corners of their mouths. ... That expression was like ... . ... It was like watching a sworn enemy personally digging the grave that would surely bury him.

The funeral of a child who dies young is very simple, primarily because it is extremely inauspicious for a parent with white hair to send off a child with black hair. Additionally, keeping a deceased person at home for an extended period can lead to further misfortune. Another underlying reason is that generally, when younger generations mourn for their elders, although they are undoubtedly saddened, it still conforms to the natural order of life and death, thus limiting the extent of their grief. Moreover, the younger generation has a long life ahead of them, providing ample time to alleviate such sorrow. In contrast, when a young person dies, the grief experienced by their parents and elders can be devastating, potentially accompanying them for the rest of their lives. This pain must be transformed from a long-lasting suffering into a short one, allowing the parents to emerge from the shadow as quickly as possible. However, throughout the entire funeral process, the woman did not shed a single tear. Her calmness sent chills down the spines of all the women surrounding her: what kind of pain could render a woman incapable of crying? Such pain, bottled up inside, could drive a person to madness. Yet, throughout the entire funeral process, the woman did not shed a single tear. Her calmness sent chills down the spines of all the women surrounding her: what kind of pain could render a woman incapable of crying? Such pain, bottled up inside, could drive a person to madness.

As for the wife, ever since their son was buried, she no longer shared the same bed with her husband. Every evening after dinner, she would retreat alone to the room that their eldest son used to occupy. No matter how much her husband pleaded, she neither spoke nor came out. Zhang Lianyi felt guilty and did not dare to force her, and thus the two remained in this stalemate.

The hasty sending away of the child has rendered the Zhang family's life irretrievable to its former state. The remaining two children seem to have developed a profound estrangement from their parents; apart from mealtimes, these two little ones hardly face their parents. After school, they confine themselves to their rooms, do not go out to play, and it is unclear what they are thinking or doing.

This world is such that once a person's desires arise, they often triumph over all fears. Desires are, in fact, a seed of evil rooted deep within each person's soul; once it takes root and sprouts, it will surely bear fruit. Thus, on a chilly spring night, after watching his wife and children depart with their indifferent backs etched in his memory, Zhang Lianyi opened his bloodshot eyes and unhesitatingly dug open the hole he had filled with his own hands.

Zhang Lianyi's concessions and thoughtfulness towards books left the women in deep contemplation. They devised various arguments to defend Zhang Lianyi while simultaneously striving to divert the attention of this clearly distraught mother, hoping to alleviate her inner suffering as soon as possible

Looking at the haggard appearance of his father, who aged overnight, how could the villagers believe the mother's words? They merely thought that the mother was overly concerned for her son and had become somewhat delirious. The mother did not explain, but merely looked at her husband with a vacant and indifferent gaze, as if the more than twenty years they had spent together in the same bed had never existed, making him seem so unfamiliar. Zhang Lianyi did not argue; he avoided his wife's gaze as much as possible and earnestly requested a few of the better-off neighbor women to take care of her, urging them not to let her harm her own health again. The mother did not explain, but merely looked at her husband with a vacant and indifferent gaze, as if the more than twenty years they had spent together in the same bed had never existed, making him seem so unfamiliar. Zhang Lianyi did not argue; he avoided his wife's gaze as much as possible and earnestly requested a few of the better-off neighbor women to take care of her, urging them not to let her harm her own health again