Chapter 5: A Series of Calamities

Uncle Zhou Er nearly jumped up upon hearing this, clenching his fist and shouting loudly, "What is wrong with Xiuqiao?!"

Uncle Zhou's body suddenly trembled. Indeed! Such a situation must be man-made. Who could possibly have set up the Zhou family like this? Not only I, but everyone around was engulfed in a wave of astonishment and shock. Uncle Zhou furrowed his brow tightly, as if he had thought of something, but in the blink of an eye, he said nothing further. Instead, he helped Aunt Zhou up and choked out, "My dear, let us go home and check on our daughter-in-law..."

I shivered all over, for I saw Uncle Zhou Er's first reaction was a cold, piercing gaze sweeping over my entire body. I felt even more guilty inside; could it be that all these misfortunes were because I am a jinx? I felt stifled, and tears rolled down my cheeks uncontrollably. Gritting my teeth to suppress the pain, I said, "Uncle Zhou Er, it is all because I did not properly secure the grave, it is all because I am this jinx..."

"Dear Sir, what do you think is going on? Our Zhou family is on the brink of ruin in just one day, oh dear..." Stopped by Mr. Wu, Uncle Zhou nearly collapsed to the ground, and then a big man, disregarding everything else, began to cry out loud.

I have never seen Mr. Wu display such an imposing demeanor, and for a moment, I was completely obedient to his actions

Uncle Zhou suddenly took two steps back and then cursed in a low voice: "Damn calf! Where is the calf?! Where is the calf?!"

https://wwwhetushu.com.com Hello ~ ~ ~

Facing the mountain wind, four individuals each grasped a corner of the yellow cloth, lifting it in unison. They then approached me and the coffin, and I finally understood the purpose of the four bamboo poles; they were meant to construct a sunshade tent with the yellow cloth. Could this be what Mr. Wu referred to as the arrangement? This seems rather absurd; I could set up such a tent myself. Having lived under the same roof as Mr. Wu for so many years, although everything he says tends to come true, I find it hard to believe that this turtle blood nail is so powerful that merely drawing on the yellow cloth would suffice. It truly seems a bit far-fetched.

"Why are you here? Didn't I ask you to stay home and take care of Xiuchiao? Xiuchiao is carrying our Zhou family's first grandson, and our son is away on a long trip, so the most important thing right now is this daughter-in-law. You... why are you crying so much?" Uncle Zhou wiped his old tears as he reproached Aunt Zhou, but upon seeing Aunt Zhou's appearance, Uncle Zhou's face turned even paler.

Our two cows seem to have fallen ill, and just now while I was feeding them hay at home, Xiuxiao was resting in the yard. Suddenly, the two calves went wild, charging around the yard, and as a result, they... they... sob sob ~ ~ ~ Aunt Zhou Er's voice broke into tears by the end.

His father! Oh, his father! Wuwu ~ ~ ~

What does this mean? Can he save Uncle Zhou's family?

If I were given another chance, I would rather die than fall asleep again, but the tragedy has already occurred. If possible, I would be willing to exchange my life for the safety of everyone in Uncle Zhou's family. Right now, even if it costs me my life, I must help Uncle Zhou find the instigator of this incident!

Xiuqiao was knocked down by a calf and lost consciousness, unaware of the child in her womb... Wuwu~~ Aunt Zhou Er's cries could no longer be contained

The calf has run away, you should quickly have someone look for it, that is our family's livelihood, sob sob... This is truly a calamity... sob sob... Aunt Zhou Er cried and choked on her words, and after speaking, she collapsed onto the ground, her head lowered as she wept uncontrollably

Moreover, the impression that person gave me was not only mysterious but also subtly warm. Subconsciously, I believed it shouldn't be him. So why did he appear here in the middle of the night last night? This... this indeed does not make sense. By the way, what he said when he left was, "This matter is quite tricky. If you can't handle it, come find me in the south..."

Outside the crowd, a woman's cry instantly shattered the silence in the venue. I recognized the voice of Aunt Zhou Er as she ran towards us, crying out. Could it be that something has happened at home...

Mr. Wu fixed his gaze on the coffin and then said solemnly: "Old Zhou, I have also heard of this tortoise blood nail in legends. Alas! The coffin being turned over has already reversed your family's fortune. If the tortoise blood nail is driven in, it will ensure that your family can never rise again. It is said that the effects of this tortoise blood nail are exceptionally fierce; within three days, all livestock will perish, and within seven days, the ancestral line will be severed. After that, fortune will plummet, leading to three generations of decline and seven generations of poverty. It is exceedingly ominous. I must quickly devise a countermeasure. Your family must remain calm and not give rise to any heretical thoughts. Go home and check on your daughter-in-law. I will first test the power of this tortoise blood nail, and we will deliberate further on this matter."

Then, Mr. Wu Da took the yellow cloth, forcefully shaking it off with another person. I was slightly taken aback; it turned out to be a large piece of yellow cloth. Under the sunlight, the yellow cloth reflected a dazzling brilliance. As the cloth was spread out, at that moment, the dog blood was brought to Mr. Wu Da's front. Mr. Wu Da composed himself and quickly picked up that tattered book again, first silently reciting a few lines, then reluctantly closing the pages. He picked up a brush, dipped it in the black dog blood, and with his left hand, made a strange finger gesture. Then, holding the brush in his right hand, he pointed it at the yellow cloth. From the moment he began to write, Mr. Wu Da furrowed his brows and glared at the yellow cloth beneath him. The brush tip moved like a dragon or snake, yet did not pause for a moment. At that moment, the dog blood was brought to Mr. Wu Da's front again. He composed himself and quickly opened the tattered book once more, silently reciting a few lines, then reluctantly closing the pages again. He picked up the brush, dipped it in the black dog blood, made a strange finger gesture with his left hand, and then pointed the brush at the yellow cloth with his right hand. From the moment he began to write, Mr. Wu Da continued to furrow his brows and glare at the yellow cloth beneath him. The brush tip moved like a dragon or snake, yet did not pause for a moment. I did not know what Mr. Wu Da was drawing; it looked like a picture but also resembled a script with many strokes. In short, from top to bottom, I simply could not understand it.

Uncle Zhou strode over with his fist raised, but was intercepted by Mr. Wu, who was gradually calming down. Mr. Wu resolved the situation for me with a single sentence: "Old Zhou, this matter is definitely not Chuqii's fault; you must not be confused!"

Suddenly, I felt as if a heavy, stagnant breath was trapped in my chest, unable to be expelled or swallowed, leaving me feeling exceptionally uncomfortable all over. Gradually, I sensed that I was unable to breathe, and my mind became increasingly foggy. In a panic, I reached out and shouted: "Fortune teller... fortune teller... I... I can't... hold on any longer... save me..."

"Who is trying to harm our family like this? Boohoo..." Aunt Zhou cried bitterly, but suddenly exclaimed this phrase.

Mr. Wu Da took out a broken bowl and said to the man holding the black puppy: "Get the dog's blood!"

Just before I lost consciousness, I distinctly saw the yellow cloth above me, and the object that resembled both characters and paintings emitted a dazzling red light that struck towards me

On the seventh day of the new year, Mr. Wu suddenly spoke, scattering the thoughts in my mind. He continued, "I am going to set up a simple arrangement. If successful, it may temporarily suppress the ferocity of the tortoise blood nail. You have been overwhelmed by malevolent energy, and at that time, you will be placed together with Old Master Zhou's coffin. This will also help to suppress the malevolent energy within you"

I keep replaying everything that happened last night in my mind, along with all the people, Heizi...! ... Right?! And that middle-aged stranger who called himself Mr. Yang, could it be that person?!

Then I completely lost consciousness

Watching Uncle Zhou Er and Aunt Zhou Er walk away in a desolate manner, I felt an inexplicable pain in my heart. I had been here all night, yet I was unaware that such a thing had happened. I was deeply self-reproaching, while on the other hand, I harbored a profound hatred for the person who had framed Uncle Zhou Er's family. As the saying goes, human hearts are made of flesh; how could this person's heart be so malicious?

After a long while, two farmhands appeared, one carrying several bamboo poles and the other holding a bundle of yellow cloth, along with a black puppy in his arms. At this moment, Mr. Wu was engrossed in flipping through a tattered book. Upon seeing them return, he quickly set the book down, stepped forward to take the four bamboo poles, and then strode towards the coffin. He positioned the poles at the four corners of the coffin, inserting each one into the ground, and then instructed the two men to carry me to the side of the coffin

"Fortune teller, let me tell you something..." I hurriedly gathered my strength to speak, wanting to share with Mr. Wu the encounter I had last night with that unfamiliar middle-aged man. However, before I could finish my sentence, Mr. Wu unexpectedly turned away without listening, facing a few farmers and quietly arranging something. I couldn't interject and could only lie there helplessly.

However, that person was so unfamiliar, and his manner of speaking clearly resembled that of a fortune teller. What reason could he have to harm Uncle Zhou's family in such a way? Mr. Wu's words were so cruel; unless there was a deep-seated grudge, how could a stranger resort to such malicious tactics against the Zhou family?