Chapter 10, The Enlightener

Sun Nianzi is Lanlan's father, and his nickname is Erhuo. In rural areas, when children are born, many are given unflattering names, which are also their nicknames, such as Dog Egg, Erbie, and Stinky Shit. Now, Sun's family has only one surviving member, and he has already become quite eccentric. I haven't seen him leave his house for a long time, and I fear that his teasing laughter will no longer be heard among the crowds at the village entrance.

Ultimately, these thoughts are naturally my own and certainly cannot be expressed in front of Uncle Zhou. Moreover, since the matter has already occurred, I find myself at a loss for words, scratching my head in confusion. Even Mr. Wu, who usually enjoys smoothing things over, wore a gloomy expression at this moment and did not utter another word

"The Sun family? This..." Upon hearing Yang Yuanshan's words, the old groom was immediately taken aback, and then he looked at Uncle Zhou, who promptly added, "Old Ma, aren't you neighbors with the Sun family?"

We are all confused, and Uncle Zhou, even more perplexed, asked: "Mr. Yang, it is true that Old Ma and the Sun family are neighbors, but shouldn't we be hurrying to find Sun Nianzi now? Why are we wasting time on Old Ma..."

The engagement was indeed settled, but Daniu refused to agree, causing Aunt Zhou to faint from anger. She lay in bed without eating or drinking for three days. At this point, Daniu was at a loss and reluctantly accompanied the old matchmaker to the Chen family to meet Xiuqiao. At that time, Xiuqiao was filled with joy, and after Daniu left following the matchmaking, she shyly accepted the arrangement.

Uncle Zhou wiped away his tears and said, "Mr. Yang, all the blame lies with me. Had I known this would happen, I would have never tried to dissuade the child from their thoughts. Mr. Yang, now that things have come to this point, the Sun family has caused me this suffering, and I consider it a repayment of the Sun family's debts. We should still call the Sun family; having Master Ma here is of no use."

Yang Yuanshan pressed on step by step, saying: "Since Sun Nianzi warned you and helped you avoid disaster, it indicates that he is not insane. He has engaged such a formidable expert, who can not only bring ruin to the Zhou family but also ensure complete annihilation. Although Sun Nianzi may achieve his goal, how can he guarantee that this expert will not, out of fear of leaking information for self-preservation, turn against him? Therefore, Sun Nianzi would not be foolish enough to leave himself without an escape route. He wants to flee this village, but he is also afraid that if he goes too far, he might be killed by that expert without anyone to recover his body. Thus, he will certainly inform you of his intended destination, Brother Lao Ma, am I right?"

The coachman immediately opened his mouth wide and couldn't help but exclaim, "Ah? Old Zhou, is it really as serious as you said? This Sun Nianzi is truly lacking in sense and has gone mad. Once a person is dead, they cannot come back to life. Why must Old Zhou's family be left without descendants? Old Zhou, don't be anxious. Get up quickly, get up quickly. As Mr. Yang said, the Nianzi ran away last night, but before leaving, he indeed told me the location. I know where the Nianzi is!"

The coachman unconsciously smacked his lips, lowered his head to glance around, and said somewhat hesitantly: "It is... indeed, but I do not understand why Mr. Yang is asking this"

"What is the problem?" Uncle Zhou asked anxiously.

Yang Yuanshan quietly looked at Uncle Zhou, his face revealing no expression. After a moment, he suddenly let out a deep sigh and said: "Alas! Had I known there was such a matter, I would certainly not have helped the Zhou family avert disaster, unless you are truly a kind-hearted person... However, since it has come to this, I must take care of this matter. Whether Master Ma is of any use can be determined by your answer to one more question."

Daniu feels guilty towards Lanlan; after merely staying at home for half a month, he quietly left home with a burden to venture far away. Until now, with the passing of Old Master Zhou, Uncle Zhou does not even know where Daniu is, let alone inform him. Therefore, Uncle Zhou believes that the one who has harmed his family is that nearly insane man from the Sun family.

As he spoke, the coachman’s face turned bright red, and he hung his head, unable to justify himself.

Uncle Zhou's commotion completely shattered the reputation of the Sun family. Both members of the Sun family knelt before Uncle Zhou, pleading, "This is all our child's own decision. Please do not scold us here. Our Lanlan will never marry anyone, nor will she seek out your Daniu again, alright?"

The elder of the Sun family stepped out and said earnestly, "Daniu, you should be more filial to your parents. It is not easy for them to raise you. In the future, our Lanlan will not see you again. You are also about to get married, so to avoid gossip from outsiders, it is better not to come to our home anymore"

Uncle Zhou scolded the Sun family while pulling Daniu's ear to take him home. The women of the Sun family immediately fainted from anger. On the night of Daniu's wedding, news spread from the Sun family that Lanlan had an asthma attack and collapsed without being able to catch her breath. As the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly. Within three days, the women of the Sun family, namely Lanlan's mother, passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage. Overnight, the hair of the men in the Sun family turned completely white. In the middle of the night, a drunken man from the Sun family loudly cursed the Zhou family in the courtyard, vowing to ensure that the Zhou family would be left without descendants and meet a terrible end.

The coachman suddenly raised his head. At this moment, Uncle Zhou's eyes were already bloodshot, but he still suppressed his anger. His knees buckled, and with a thud, he knelt before the coachman, his eyes filled with tears as he said, "Old Ma, I beg you here. Only you know where the millstone has gone. If we can't find it tonight, our Zhou family will truly face ruin. Old Ma, please tell us!"

After the blind date, Da Niu, in a moment of impulsiveness, actually returned to the Sun family to find Lan Lan and recounted the events of the day. Lan Lan fainted in tears at that moment. The elders of the Sun family, wielding a shovel, forcefully expelled Da Niu. However, Da Niu did not leave far; instead, he stood at the gate of the Sun family for a whole half a day. This act deeply moved the Sun family members who were secretly observing him, and it made Lan Lan's heart ache even more.

Yang Yuanshan nodded slightly and said: "Old Ma, you are being too modest. What I would like to ask you is, are you neighbors with the Sun family?"

Thus, Daniu was persuaded to return home. On an auspicious day in the following month, the bride joyfully entered the door, but the groom, Daniu, suddenly vanished without a trace. The Zhou family was in a state of panic. Uncle Zhou, after a moment of thought, immediately ran to the Sun family, and indeed found Daniu there. He then began to scold the Sun family in their courtyard, accusing them of being shameless, as Daniu was about to get married yet had strayed to their home. What was wrong with the Sun family for being so shameless?

This was merely a matter from last year. At that time, the villagers only knew that the Sun and Zhou families were at odds. No one present could have imagined that there was such a poignant and intricate entanglement between the two families behind the scenes. I had thought that Uncle Zhou was a kind-hearted and amiable elder, but I never expected that he would make such a grave mistake regarding his own son's affairs. Looking at Uncle Zhou, who was already in tears, everyone understood that he was filled with remorse. However, Lanlan had already passed away; the deceased are gone, and Daniu was also missing without a trace. Uncle Zhou's regret could not change the situation. It was only poor Xiuchao, who was now pregnant. Should she really be expected to remain a widow for the Zhou family for the rest of her life?

Upon seeing the horseman arrive, Uncle Zhou immediately composed himself and stepped forward, saying: "Old Ma, this is Master Yang from the Maoshan sect. He has requested your presence, as he has some questions to ask you regarding the map and the book. I hope you will assist Master Yang, considering our shared hometown and kinship."

The coachman felt his legs go weak, nearly collapsing to the ground, but fortunately, he quickly steadied himself and hurriedly said: "I, I, I... I... Brother Zhou, I truly do not know why the millstone would harm your Zhou family, I..."

As soon as Uncle Zhou finished speaking, the coachman was taken aback, glancing around before finally settling his gaze on Yang Yuanshan. He immediately scratched the back of his head and awkwardly said, "I am a rough man and also a foolish one, but if I can help the Zhou family, I have no objections. Mr. Yang, please feel free to ask anything you wish."

Yang Yuanshan shook his head and sighed: "I understand Brother Zhou's concerns, but with such a huge mess caused by Sun Nianzi, do you really think he would stay at home waiting for you to find him? Brother Ma did not agree to come last night to oversee the grave, and if I am not mistaken, this must be Sun Nianzi warning you not to come, right? Perhaps he has also warned you about inviting a master to set up a formation to harm others; after all, you are neighbors, and he does not want to harm you, does he?"

"Old Zhou, what do you need from me?" Suddenly, in the distance, Meng Heizi arrived with the horseman. The horseman is over 1.7 meters tall, with dark skin, a bushy beard, a robust build, and a face full of flesh. If he were to carry his pig-killing knife, he would exude a very fierce aura. However, everyone in the village knows that the horseman is honest and simple-minded; even the little schemes he has in his heart are influenced by his wife’s teachings. This was precisely what the horseman shouted from afar.