Chapter Seven, Mount San Gu Niang

The divine grandmother lives here alone and does not feel bored at all. Xiao Feng, do you know the exact location of the divine grandmother? Just looking at the mountain makes my legs feel like they are cramping. If we really have to search like this, it could exhaust a person to death.

Upon hearing these words, my face immediately fell. It had been many years since we last met, and I feared it was a matter of whether we were alive or not. Seeing my expression of distress, Yang Xiufeng's eyes flashed with a hint of embarrassment, and she softly said: "Xiao Haige, I have troubled you to accompany me through this hardship, I—"

Having agreed, I will not go back on my word. I quietly slipped out of Da Chun's house with Yang Xiufeng, heading towards San Gu Niang Mountain under the rising sun.

Mount San Gu Niang is located just south of our village, and after crossing a mountain, it is only a few dozen kilometers away. However, due to the winding mountain paths, the journey stretches to about sixty or seventy kilometers. Thus, a round trip naturally requires two days. Fortunately, Yang Xiufeng had made adequate preparations, bringing instant noodles, ham, and mineral water in her backpack, which is sufficient to satisfy our hunger. It must be said that Yang Xiufeng's thoughtfulness is quite meticulous.

With a sigh, Second Uncle wore a cold expression, glaring angrily at Yang Ersheng. After a long pause, he finally spoke: "If you had cared for your mother a bit more in the past, she wouldn't hate you so much. Even if an accident occurred, how could she die with her eyes wide open? In life, one must not be unfilial"

At this moment, Second Uncle was very decisive, not allowing me to object at all, and he took me to Dachun's house at the east end of the village. Dachun is a distant relative of ours; although our relationship has become somewhat estranged, it was still not a problem for him to accommodate me for a few days. Even though I was not entirely clear about what had happened, Second Uncle's intervention led Dachun to agree, and he even helped me tidy up a separate room, replacing the bedding with new ones. He was quite considerate towards me, but I felt uncomfortable inside; I really did not want to stay here. Even though I was not entirely clear about what had happened, Second Uncle's intervention led Dachun to agree, and he even helped me tidy up a separate room, replacing the bedding with new ones. He was quite considerate towards me, but I felt uncomfortable inside; I really did not want to stay here

However, Yang Xiufeng shook her head, disappointing me: "I don't know either. When I was young, I heard the elders mention the matter of the divine grandmother, but I haven't seen her for many years and don't know if she is still around."

The cave twisted and turned, extending at least 20 to 30 meters in length. Although light filtered in from the opposite side, it was still quite dark once we crawled in. If one was not careful, they could easily bump their head. Yang Xiufeng and I crawled forward with great effort, just two steps apart, and our heavy breathing echoed ominously in the cave.

I was lost in thought when Yang Xiufeng, noticing my prolonged silence, began to feel anxious. After all, we had not been very familiar for many years. What would happen if I truly refused? Although I did not burst into tears at that moment, tears had already begun to well up in my eyes, occasionally falling down.

Unbeknownst to us, as the evening glow filled the sky, we arrived at the halfway point of the mountain. Here, there is a stone wall, but it features a cave. Crawling through it would allow us to take a much shorter route. Legend has it that the three sisters once used this cave to trap those bandits. We also planned to take this shortcut, even though the cave is quite narrow and requires us to crawl on our knees. However, this would save us a considerable amount of time

"My father is ill—" Yang Xiufeng's words left me somewhat perplexed. If he is ill, he should see a doctor; why come to me? However, I thought that Yang Xiufeng wouldn't be so idle. I silently waited for her to continue. Sure enough, after a long hesitation, Yang Xiufeng shyly said, "My father was frightened and fell ill, but he is still thinking about going to San Guniang Mountain to find the goddess. So—so, Xiao Haige, could you accompany me on this trip? As a girl, I am afraid—"

I will go first—" Yang Xiufeng did not show any hesitation, directly kneeling down and crawling inside, seemingly not wanting to rest for even a moment. I could only let out a bitter laugh as I followed her in.

Originally, I intended to refuse, thinking of the stern face of Uncle Er. However, when I looked up and saw Yang Xiufeng's pitiful expression, I inexplicably nodded. Before I could say anything, Yang Xiufeng showed a face full of surprise and came up to grab my arm, saying, "Xiao Haige, thank you for accompanying me to..."

I was taken aback, realizing that I was not dreaming; it was indeed Yang Xiufeng who had come. For a moment, I felt a bit awkward and hurriedly got up. When I saw Yang Xiufeng take a step back and turn her face away, I became aware that I was only wearing this pair of underwear. I couldn't help but feel my face flush, quickly searching for my trousers to put on, finally letting out a sigh of relief: "Oh, it's you, Xiao Feng. Did you come to see me early in the morning for something?"

While the words were not incorrect, Yang Ersheng also wore a face of shame. However, this could not resolve the actual problem. Moreover, at this moment, Yang Ersheng did not want to hear the lectures from Second Uncle. He grabbed Second Uncle's clothing and pleaded, "Second Uncle, I have said everything. I truly did not mean it. My mother has turned against me. If you do not help me, my mother will surely drag me to the underworld. If I die, who will take care of the two children, Second Uncle—"

There was not much happening along the way; it was just that the mountain path was difficult to traverse. It was not until late afternoon that we finally arrived at Mount San Gu Niang. Mount San Gu Niang is not particularly large, only a few dozen meters high. The mountain is covered with trees, lush and green at this time, making it impossible to discern where the divine grandmother resides.

As I was silently reciting "Amitabha" in my heart to dispel evil thoughts, Yang Xiufeng gently called out.

Uncle Er has indeed softened his heart. Although he cannot be of much help himself, he still pointed Yang Ersheng towards a clear path. Yang Ersheng was momentarily taken aback, but he believed Uncle Er's words. He had heard of the divine matriarch on San Gu Niang Mountain, but it seems she has not been involved in matters for quite some time, as there have been no reports of her coming down the mountain. For a moment, he stood there in a daze, not knowing what to think. After a while, he left in a daze, even ignoring both me and Uncle Er.

Climbing mountains is not necessarily a good thing. Perhaps due to my time spent in the city, I found that I was not as capable as a girl when it came to climbing. On the contrary, Yang Xiufeng was ahead of me and often reached out to help pull me up, which made me feel quite embarrassed. However, being utterly exhausted, I found that I could not even muster the strength to show off.

Listening to Yang Ersheng's tearful account, my second uncle was also taken aback. So that was it; no wonder the old lady wanted to rise from the dead last night. The old lady truly died with her eyes open, having been pushed down and killed by her own son. Whether it was intentional or not is beside the point. After ten months of pregnancy, enduring hardships to raise him, and then marrying him off and building a house, she devoted her entire life. In the end, she was pushed down and killed by her son. It would be strange if the old lady could still find peace of mind. No wonder Yang Ersheng was so terrified; he had a guilty conscience.

He opened his mouth, but the original words had already slipped his mind. Feeling embarrassed to say anything, he could only grit his teeth and say: "In any case, it's just a two-day trip to the library; I'll accompany you."

Speaking of San Gu Niang Mountain, there is a legend associated with it. In an unknown dynasty, there lived three sisters on the mountain. At that time, bandits came to plunder our area, and the villagers were very frightened. It was these three sisters who rose up to resist. Naturally, the outcome was that the three sisters perished along with the bandits. To commemorate these three sisters, the mountain where they fell in battle was named San Gu Niang Mountain. It is said that the mountain is quite eerie, but when I visited it as a child, I did not discover anything unusual

Feeling troubled by Yang Ersheng's crying, Er Daye sighed: "Er Sheng, I cannot judge what is right or wrong, but your mother's resentment remains unresolved. On the seventh day after her passing, her spirit will inevitably become a vengeful ghost. Once she becomes a vengeful ghost, she will lose her humanity, and the weight of her resentment is beyond what I can manage with my limited abilities. Do you understand? It is not that I do not want to help, but rather that I am unable to do so. I have heard that there is a divine woman with some powers living on San Gu Niang Mountain; you might as well go find her soon."

Yang Xiufeng spoke in a soft and gentle manner, leaving me with little to say. I could only temporarily set aside my worries and feign indifference with a light laugh: "It's nothing, I just can't help but worry about you coming alone as a girl. Let's go, while it's still light, we should start looking now."

Perhaps if I had lived in peace for a few days, those subsequent events would not have occurred. However, once things have passed, there is no possibility of regret. The very next morning, after a night filled with nightmares, I was surprised to find someone looking for me. It was Yang Xiufeng, the eldest daughter of the Yang Ersheng family. When I opened my eyes, I was startled because the light in the room was not very good, and it was morning. At that moment, Yang Xiufeng appeared with a pale, ashen face. Originally a rather charming young lady, she now looked eerie and ghostly, leading me to believe I had not yet awakened from my nightmare. After all, my interactions with Yang Xiufeng had been limited. We often played together as children, but as we grew older, we became aware of the differences between boys and girls, and thus we did not spend much time together. Moreover, Yang Xiufeng was not the type to be talkative or lively, so our relationship was essentially one where we exchanged a few words when we met. I had never considered that she would come looking for me.

Only after the Yang family had truly departed did the second uncle finally breathe a sigh of relief. However, he found himself unable to sleep for a while, so he sat with me on the kang, engaging in casual conversation. Naturally, the topic still revolved around the matters concerning the elderly lady of the Yang family. Suddenly, as if recalling something, he slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Look at my memory, Xiao Hai. I told you not to go outside, but it just occurred to me that the statue of the Three Pure Ones I had provided was broken last year. You can’t stay at home any longer. Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll send you to stay with Da Chun at the east end of the village for a few days. Once the first seven days have passed, the negative energy will gradually dissipate, and you can return then"

I was momentarily taken aback, as I naturally understood the context. Some matters do not require excessive explanation. However, since you, a young girl, are afraid, aren't there still three younger brothers? There are plenty of young men in the village; why come to me? Yet, seeing Yang Xiufeng's pleading eyes, I could never bring myself to refuse. After pondering for a long time, I thought this should not conflict with Second Uncle's instructions. He only said not to go to his place, but he did not say I couldn't go outside. After all, I was just trying to avoid the old lady's ghost. Ghosts only remember things from their past lives, so it shouldn't be looking for me everywhere. Moreover, San Gu Niang Mountain will return in two days, so there shouldn't be any trouble.