Chapter 3, Who is Messing with My Family

Lin Baqian

I brought the village head, Lin Sanshui, and Grandpa San to my home’s main hall to show them my grandfather's body, which was laid on the bed. My father, who had just heard our conversation in the courtyard, realized that everything could no longer be concealed and was anxiously smoking his cigarette in silence.

I opened the door to the room, stepped outside, and beheld the scenery in the yard. At that moment, I burst into tears, yes, without shame, I was frightened to tears by my own grandfather

Upon returning from the ancestral grave, my father said to me, "Xiao Fan, go take your second uncle to the home of your third grandfather. We need to enter the family register."

"You are a cultured person, so let me ask you this: do you believe in ghosts and deities?" he asked me mysteriously

This night is silent. Our home has four earthen rooms: one for my father and mother, one for my grandparents, one for myself, and the remaining one, originally used for storing miscellaneous items, is now occupied by my second uncle

Perhaps that is the legendary killing intent

It is rather strange to mention, I have heard that there are many tomb raiders outside the mountains, and some even come into our mountains to dig graves. But in this poor place of ours, is there really anyone who would come? Moreover, Xiaofan, your grandfather's remains are gone

"Without a fixed abode, drifting everywhere," he said to me with a smile

When I woke up, my grandfather was lying next to me

"What about the second grandmother? Is she doing well?" I asked.

Information can be deleted when it is full, but what about memories

I saw my second uncle's eyes flash with a brilliant light when he heard my third grandfather say this sentence, a light that vanished in an instant. That flash filled me with fear

I extinguished the kerosene lamp and soon fell into a deep sleep

Mom! Dad has passed away and needs to be laid to rest. Father said while smoking the pipe left by Grandpa

"Xiao Fan, where are your father and grandmother?" Lin Sanshui asked me.

I just noticed that he smokes it himself; it is the kind of cigarette that costs 0.5 yuan per pack, without a filter tip, and the tobacco leaves have a slightly sweet taste. When my grandfather was alive, he often used this tobacco to fill his pipe.

Grandmother's first reaction to the picture book was to cry. Unlike me, she was not frightened to tears; instead, upon seeing Grandfather's sorrow, she immediately collapsed onto Grandfather's body.

I tumbled out of bed, my mind temporarily short-circuited by fear, and I had no idea what to do next. The only thought in my mind was to escape.

When she saw me crying uncontrollably, she came over, patted my shoulder, and said: "At your age, why are you still crying? Did you have a nightmare?"

I have a mobile phone, which was given to me by my roommate when he upgraded from his old Nokia phone during our university years, so that it would be convenient for us to stay in touch. It carries countless memories for me. It was through this phone that my girlfriend and I exchanged an immeasurable number of messages over the four years of university, serving as a bridge for our communication. Therefore, even after returning to the mountain village where there is no signal, I still keep it charged. Whenever I think of someone, I take a look at the remaining messages on it. My girlfriend and I exchanged an immeasurable number of messages, serving as a bridge for our communication. Therefore, even after returning to the mountain village where there is no signal, I still keep it charged. Whenever I think of someone, I take a look at the remaining messages on it

I replied dryly, "No."

Therefore, the plan we discussed is that tonight, my second uncle, my father, and I will secretly re-bury grandfather.

Moreover, it is a feeling that everyone experiences; when you are afraid, having someone by your side can bring you a sense of stability

I said, "I don't know, our teacher has never taught this."

I invited the village head, Lin Sanshui, and Grandpa San into the courtyard, while the others were not invited. The people in the mountains are very simple and sincere; when they left, they even told me that if there was anything I needed, I could ask the uncles and elder brothers for help

The plan is good, but we have overlooked a key point, the most important point.

In rural areas, the seventh day after a person's passing is regarded with great significance, yet this importance primarily manifests in the act of burning paper money and offering sacrifices to honor the deceased

I found myself in an awkward situation and felt embarrassed to speak. We traveled in silence, and upon arriving at the ancestral hall, I explained my intentions to Granduncle San. The matters concerning my family were almost common knowledge, and Granduncle San smiled and said to Second Uncle, "This is how it should be; whether by legitimate birth or illegitimate birth, they are all members of the Lin family."

The villagers behind have already begun to gossip. This makes me very uncomfortable; my grandfather is a deceased person, and I do not wish for him to become a topic of conversation for others once again

"No, it is calm and peaceful," said my father

"Xiao Fan, the students can skip class for now; if it delays for two days, then so be it. I really can't understand who on earth would give birth to a child without any sense. By the way, is there anything valuable in your grandfather's old house (referring to the coffin)?" Lin Sanshui asked me once again.

What do you think about the return of grandfather's remains? I asked him

He did not finish his words, yet I understood his meaning

I have been observing him; his expression has remained unchanged since the moment he saw his grandfather, consistently calm and unperturbed

The people in the mountains are very diligent. One villager got up early, intending to take advantage of the cool weather to weed the fields. As he passed by the cemetery, he discovered the condition of my grandfather's grave, which frightened him so much that he ran back in a panic.

"No," he replied

Early in the morning, the three members of our family were seated in the main hall

"Xiao Fan, what is your opinion on this matter?" the village chief Lin Sanshui asked me.

Uncle Er's footsteps paused briefly. After a while, he said, "She has been gone for many, many years."

And I just want to understand what is going on. How did my grandfather's body end up on my bed last night

Uncle Er is a man with stories, and it is only today that I learned his name

Grandfather not only returned in spirit, but his body has also come back

I did not oppose my father's proposal, not for the sake of marrying a daughter-in-law, but simply because I did not want this matter to spread, making my family the focus of village gossip once again

I did not argue with my grandmother. This is her affection and longing for my grandfather, and I cannot destroy this beauty

I turned on the light and saw the figure on my bed; he was still there. I slapped myself, and he was still there.

I lit a cigarette and looked at my grandfather's body, still feeling it was unbelievable

Just as I had settled in at home and carefully stored my grandfather's remains in preparation to go to school, I opened the door and found that the area outside my house was filled with people

Looking at the watch, it is already past 10 o'clock. This is a mountain village, not so remote as to be without electricity. However, the people here tend to go to bed early to save on electricity costs. In fact, this mountain village, where only the village chief has a television, has no other activities at night besides sleeping

However, when I reached out my hand, I touched a hand, a cold hand

Did you hear any noises last night? I asked

Grandfather San is the clan leader of our village and is also the most respected person.

I don't really believe it. I shook my head

The elderly have light sleep, and my crying startled my grandmother. She came out of the room wearing a tank top, holding a broken fan, and asked me, "Xiao Fan, what is wrong with you?"

So do I have a second aunt? I asked with a smile

If what Third Uncle said is true, your grandfather will come back to see you, and the spirit of the deceased must return before dawn, otherwise it cannot return. This is also a superstitious belief, but why hasn't he returned? This doesn't seem right. Ugh, what am I saying? I am a preparatory party member.

At that moment, I felt a bit dizzy. I wanted to conceal this truth, yet I overlooked the fact that since my grandfather could come from the ancestral grave to my bed, he must first break open the grave

How do you say this? As soon as I heard it, I became interested

At that moment, I fumbled and took out my phone. I turned on the light of the phone and, trembling all over, directed the beam towards the direction where I had just touched with my hand

The feeling of drowsiness vanished in that instant

What is the situation with the books? Lin Sanshui's expression was somewhat unnatural, purely due to fear

Grandmother did not object, while the second uncle did not say a word from beginning to end

The next morning, I was awakened by the cold. It was the height of summer, but the climate in the mountains became particularly cool at night. Estimating the time, it was just beginning to dawn outside. I reached out to pull the thin towel blanket over me, hoping to catch a bit more sleep.

"Hey, I don't believe it either. I feel that this matter is someone trying to target your family," he said.

At the end of this funeral procession were Lin Sanshui and I. He handed me a cigarette with a filter, and to my surprise, it was a Da Zhonghua.

At home. I do not know why there are so many people gathered at my doorstep

This is not the expression of a normal person I silently recited in my heart

It is indeed very difficult for a person from the mountains to support a university student. The most valuable possession of my grandfather, perhaps, was his copper smoking pipe, which was not buried with him but was instead passed down to my father

I was awakened by a remark from my grandmother

He smiled at me and said, "Last time I went to report my work to the village head, he gave me this, but I couldn't bring myself to use it"

Perhaps it is not a matter of awakening, but rather in that moment, I was uncertain whether everything I had just seen was real. Perhaps, everything that just occurred was merely a dream

"Old man, are you unwilling to leave home?" Grandmother cried.

I returned to prepare my lessons. Although this job is a reluctant choice I am currently making to escape, I still hope to do it well. The children here deserve to enjoy the same right to education; I cannot allow them to be trapped in the mountains for a lifetime due to poverty. What I can do is to teach them with all my heart

At the forefront is Uncle San, and there is also the village chief, Lin Sanshui

nightmare

I clenched my fist tightly and opened the door to the room. I wished fervently that everything that had just happened was merely a dream, a dream born from my overwhelming anxiety m.hetushu .com .com

I stopped crying because I had just cried, which made it a bit difficult for me to speak now, so I did not immediately explain to my grandmother the reason for my state.

However, I am, after all, a university student, an educated person. I am not a staunch atheist, but if my grandfather were to send me a dream, I could understand that. However, the body appearing on my bed without my knowledge, I cannot believe that.

"Xiao Fan, do not be afraid. It is your grandfather who misses you, so he has come back to see you. Your own grandfather, would he harm you?" said Grandma.

As a result, I saw a face

A face that appears somewhat puffy with a bluish tint

He is my grandfather, and he is wearing a burial garment adorned with green flowers, which he wore during his interment

I do not reject them. There are indeed some things that it is better for fewer people to know

At that moment, my father and my second uncle also heard the noise and came out. The three of them stood at the door of my room, equally at a loss as I was

"Xiao Fan, you know about the night of the seventh day after death, right? Everyone says that the deceased will return home to visit their loved ones on the seventh night. Your grandfather..." Father said with a furrowed brow.

I nodded and, accompanied by my second uncle, went to the ancestral hall, where my third grandfather, having no sons or daughters, usually resided.

This is a very strange name

Tsk tsk. The father opened his mouth but did not speak

Regardless of the circumstances, this matter must not be made public. Xiaofan should get married; if such a scandal spreads, who would dare to marry into our family?" said my father, while smoking a cigarette

I dreamed last night that the old man said he missed us and wanted to come back to see his grandson. It turns out this is true. Grandmother is still murmuring.

Uncle Er, where did you live before? Which city am I from? On the road, I made an excuse to talk to him

I need to tell you something, but please don't let your family know. Your grandfather's grave has been disturbed, Lin Sanshui said to me