Chapter 4, The Death of Lin Goudan

"Why are you up, kid?" Grandfather did not turn around but instead asked in a low voice while staring at the front door.

The old locust tree has been cut down, and retribution has truly arrived

He was wearing nothing at all, hanging from the beam of his own house, with a black hemp rope around his neck. His tongue was stretched out long, his eyes bulging, the whites of his eyes filled with blood vessels, resembling a mass of red worms crawling all over, which was quite terrifying

It was still summer at that time, and it wasn't cold, so I put on a pair of shorts and ran outside

Thinking of what Grandpa told Lin Godan, what could be outside? I was so scared that I broke out in a cold sweat, curled up in my blanket, not daring to breathe a word.

Several elders from the village came to help and set up a mourning hall at Lin Xiaowei's home. According to our customs, the deceased should be mourned for three days. However, everyone knows that Lin Goudan's death was suspicious. After some discussion among the elders, they could not reach a consensus. My grandfather then told them that there was an issue with the time of Lin Goudan's death, and he must be buried immediately

Grandfather! I called out, also to bolster my own courage

"Xiao Wei, what happened?" Grandfather asked, lowering his head.

"Xiao Wei, Xiao Wei is outside." Since the one outside is Lin Xiao Wei, it is evident that something has happened. Why is grandfather standing here in a daze? Why isn't he going out to save her?

Lin Xiaowei kept shaking her head, and her grandfather comforted her for a while before her spirits slightly improved, allowing her to recount the events.

I understand that grandfather means Lin Godan is beyond saving

It seems that Lin Godan did not heed any of the instructions given by grandfather. What is going on? The matters entrusted by grandfather were all meant to ensure his safety, yet why did he even destroy that yellow talisman?

Having spoken, grandfather walked towards the main door, which creaked open with a sound.

Aside from the peculiar gaze of my grandfather, I can understand everything else. However, what exactly caused Uncle Godan's death? Was it revenge for cutting down trees, or was it truly as Lin Xiaowei said, that he was taken away by his deceased mother?

Boys always have the desire to protect girls, and I held her hand tightly, hoping to provide her with some sense of security, while she leaned against me, clearly frightened by the death of her father, Lin Godan.

Grandfather was smoking his pipe at that time, and Li Erwa approached, unexpectedly attempting to knock Grandfather's pipe bowl away. Grandfather paid him no mind, merely lifted the pipe bowl slightly, took a deep drag of smoke, and evaded Li Erwa's palm.

In fact, when he said this, some villagers were gathered outside our door, and he spoke loudly, intending for the villagers to hear.

The burial site was chosen by grandfather, and the coffin was provided by one of the elders. In any case, it was necessary to bury Lin Godan before noon at twelve o'clock

However, I am very familiar with that shadow, and I recognized it immediately; it is actually my grandfather

Grandfather seemed to have thought of something, and turned back to Lin Xiaowei, saying: "Xiaowei, could you tell Grandpa Yang what exactly happened?"

The villagers all believe this

On the way to the funeral, Lin Xiaowei kept crying out, pleading with the villagers not to bury her father. However, the dead must be laid to rest, and as a young girl, how could she possibly stop them

Grandfather is simply remarkable; he was absolutely right. Just after we finished dinner, Li Aiguo really did come.

After the funeral was over, the villagers left Lin Godan's home early. Everyone knew that a person who died an unnatural death was not to be trifled with, and they could only keep their distance.

Due to the death of Lin Goudan, the work at the dilapidated temple has come to a standstill. No amount of money can entice anyone to touch the old locust tree that has already been felled.

As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, I saw a dark figure standing in the center. I could not see his face at all, and I immediately felt a chill run down my back

Although she was small, she was aware of certain sayings. Others claimed that her mother had died long ago, and that the one returning now was certainly not human. Soon after, Lin Xiaowei saw a woman dressed entirely in a purple funeral garment enter the room. The woman's face was deathly pale, and she drew closer to Lin Xiaowei. Lin Xiaowei saw the woman reach out to touch her forehead, and at that moment, everything went black before she fainted.

In fact, it was only later that I learned that thing was called a yellow talisman

I heard from a neighbor that the old carpenter in the village was worried that the village chief would ask him to cut wood, fearing retribution. Early in the morning, he packed his belongings and left the village to seek refuge with relatives

My grandmother also came over, tightly embracing Xiao Wei. The sight of her looking at Lin Xiao Wei brought tears to her eyes. Grandmother said, "Xiao Wei, do not be afraid. Your father is gone, but from now on, you are my dear granddaughter!" This was all the comfort she could offer. However, with Xiao Wei losing her father, she became an orphan, and indeed, someone would have to take her in.

Uncle Changsheng, I have come this time to invite you to take a trip to the threshing ground. Neither of us wishes for any accidents to happen to the villagers, do we?

At this moment, in my family's courtyard, Lin Xiaowei was still crying intensely. In the end, the little girl actually fainted from crying. Grandfather checked her pulse and said there was nothing wrong, while Grandmother took care of her in the inner room

After that, my grandfather brought a wooden ladder to take Lin Goudan's corpse down from the beam. I was there helping my grandfather steady the ladder, saying that I wasn't afraid, that it was all a trick. The moment my grandfather passed by me carrying the corpse, I happened to make eye contact with Lin Goudan's nearly bulging eyes, and a chill rushed over me. I almost wet my pants from fright.

And I recalled the situation where Lin Godan was alone with Grandpa, what exactly did they talk about

In addition, I am quite curious about what the yellow paper package that Grandpa gave to Lin Godan contains. On the way home, I asked Grandpa, and he told me that it is something used for preserving life

As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, I was stunned by the situation inside their house; Lin Godan had hanged himself

What if I don't go?" the grandfather retorted

If there is something to discuss, just say it! Grandfather does not wish to engage in unnecessary chatter

Indeed, in such circumstances, it is already a limit for me to be able to stand and support the ladder

That was Lin Xiaowei's voice, and her voice became choked with emotion

After a little over ten minutes, the two of them came out. My grandfather's expression was somewhat peculiar, while Uncle Dogdan wore a strange calmness on his face

I was a bit anxious and was about to go open the door when my grandfather stopped me and said, "Fanwa, don't go over there, Grandpa will open the door!"

That afternoon, Li Erwa came to my house with a few people. I originally thought they had come to ask my grandfather for help, but unexpectedly, they came looking for trouble.

Grandfather found the yellow paper package on the floor in the inner room, and half of the yellow paper package had been burned.

Early the next morning, the entrance of Lin Goudan's house was crowded with people, all engaged in discussion. It was unclear how the news had spread, but the villagers all knew that Lin Goudan had hanged himself from the beam in the middle of the night, and the manner of his death was extremely horrifying

I was drenched in cold sweat, and Lin Xiaowei stood beside me, gripping my hand tightly

Everything seems to be in a great rush, and my grandfather appears to be worried about something

It is evident that Grandma has noticed something. Grandpa said, "Just as you think, it was Li Aiguo who sent them here. I suspect that Li Aiguo will definitely come again tonight"

It was like this: just before midnight, Lin Xiaowei heard someone outside calling her name, which woke her up. The voice sounded somewhat familiar, yet she did not know whose voice it was

I am too lazy to explain to you young ones who do not understand. I advise you to go back and settle your affairs early, as there will be deaths tonight. If you do not believe it, let us wait and see

This statement undoubtedly struck at the soft spot of Li Erwa and his group, who were barely able to maintain their proud expressions, while the others behind them were already on the verge of kneeling down to plead with my grandfather

Li Erwa has left, and Grandma came out to chase away the villagers who were watching. She turned around and asked, "Changsheng, what did Li Erwa come here for?"

As soon as Li Aiguo entered the room, he politely greeted everyone. He was quite pleased with himself, and whenever he felt this way, he would appear exceptionally kind and courteous.

Grandfather walked quickly towards that house, and when he reached the side of Lin Goudan's corpse, he stopped, sighed, and shook his head

In a moment, the entire Yangjia Village was filled with anxiety, and some of the more timid individuals, seeking refuge, had even begun to imitate the old carpenter and fled.

That night, there was no moon, and the silence outside was terrifying. Thinking of the events of the day filled me with fear, and I could only manage to fall asleep by curling up in my blanket and covering my head.

Uncle Changsheng, have you eaten yet

This was the first time I had such close contact with her, and for some reason, my heart was racing fiercely, and my face felt a bit warm

Of course, after hearing this news, the ones who are most afraid are definitely the other five loggers. With Lin Godan dead, the next to die will surely be one of them

Li Erwa let out a cold laugh and said, "Alright, stop pretending. Don't think that everyone is unaware. Last night, only you went to Lin Godan's house. If it wasn't you who killed him, then who else could it be?"

Li Erwa missed with a palm strike, stumbled, and nearly fell to the ground. Unable to maintain his composure, he immediately shouted angrily: "Yang Changsheng, you old wretch, don't think I don't know that you are the one behind this. What revenge and murder? I believe the one who harmed Daogang last night was you!"

She is indeed Xiao Wei

Lin Xiaowei heard her father muttering at that time: "Is it you who has returned, my child’s mother?"

In an instant, I became fully awake

Grandfather specifically instructed the two of us that the cause of Uncle Godan's death must be kept confidential and must not be mentioned to anyone

However, Grandpa kept staring at that Lin Gou Dan. After a while, he muttered to himself, "Something's not right, where is the yellow talisman?"

Grandfather is smoking his pipe in the courtyard, one puff after another

After Grandpa finished his instructions and was about to leave, Lin Godan sent both me and Lin Xiaowei, the two children, outside. He then called my grandfather into the room alone, and the two of them whispered to each other for quite a while, even having a quarrel between them.

When she woke up, she found her father hanging from the beam, completely unclothed

Grandfather's expression immediately changed; he grabbed both me and Lin Xiaowei and ran towards Lin Xiaowei's house

Not long after falling asleep, a loud knocking sound came from outside, and the door was being knocked on

At that moment, I heard not only the sound of knocking on the door from outside, but also a voice shouting: "Grandpa Yang, Brother Fan, my father... he... he... please save him..."

However, these individuals must also have some leverage in the hands of Li Erwa, which is why they do not dare to speak openly.

Grandfather looked at the half-burned yellow talisman, and a myriad of unusual emotions flickered in his eyes. He then sighed and shook his head.

Outside stands a little girl, her hair disheveled, her face pale, and an expression of panic on her face

Adult matters, although I am curious, as a child I naturally do not dare to ask. Even if I were to ask, my grandfather would certainly not tell me. Otherwise, there would be no need for Lin Goudan to send both me and Lin Xiaowei away separately.

Grandfather, with an imposing presence despite his calm demeanor, glanced at Li Erwa and asked, "How do you explain this?"

Although I am afraid, it is Lin Xiaowei's voice outside the door. What if he is in danger? No, I must go out and take a look. Hearing her voice, Uncle Godan wouldn't really be in trouble, would he?

When Grandpa asked, Lin Xiaowei burst into tears, choking back her sobs as she said: "Grandpa Yang... I... my father is hanging from the beam in our house..."

"Yang Changsheng, don't think you can scare me; I wasn't raised to be afraid. The village chief won't give you a chance!" After Li Erwa finished speaking, he waved his sleeve and left. The few people following him occasionally looked back at my grandfather, and their intentions were clear; they didn't want to die and hoped my grandfather could save them

Upon hearing these words, Grandpa seemed to recall something and immediately ran into the inner room. Both Lin Xiaowei and I were frightened and followed Grandpa into the inner room, pressing ourselves against the wall as we passed through the main hall, for the sight of Uncle Godan's death was truly terrifying.