Chapter 7, Alarm

She looked at me, her gaze vacant

Ah, Brother Wang, you have come. Lin Sanshui walked over, leading two police officers to the side of Grandfather San's body, and said: "This is my third uncle."

He exclaimed "What the hell!"

The thin police officer over there carried Grandfather San into the ancestral hall; he is a forensic expert conducting an autopsy on-site. It seems inappropriate to say that the police are inefficient in their work, as the rumors outside suggest.

When I ran to my grandfather's grave, I found my great-uncle still sitting motionless on that chair, while in front of him was my grandfather's grave

I currently have a strong aversion to my grandfather, which is a very unfilial statement, yet it is the truth

It is evident that they are so well-matched

"Everyone, please be quiet! I know about this!" Lin Sanshui's mood was not very good

I have a foreboding feeling. As I walked over and touched Granduncle San, he toppled over to one side

It is impossible; I have never said that to anyone!

"What if not? This is a murder case!" Lin Sanshui said. After speaking, he patted my shoulder and softly added, "I still don't believe this was done by your grandfather. When he was alive, he was as scared of Uncle San as a mouse is of a cat, and even after his death, he remained fearful. This is clearly a man-made situation!"

I nodded without saying a word

"Xiao Fan, should we call the police?" Lin Sanshui asked me

No matter how one puts it, Lin Sanshui is still the biological father of Lin Xiaoyao

Alarm? I was momentarily taken aback

Upon arriving at Lin Sanshui's home, the door was opened by Lin Xiaoyao. The plump police officer stumbled in shock at the sight of Lin Xiaoyao's face

"Come in and talk," Lin Sanshui said with a forced smile. After entering the room, I saw Wu Miaoke. She had just woken up, her hair was disheveled, and her clothes were somewhat wrinkled. Her eyes were red, indicating that she had not rested well.

When I returned, I found that the place was already surrounded by people

A reserved woman, once she indulges even once, will no longer maintain her original resolve

I told him everything, including the matter of my grandfather appearing at the foot of my bed every seventh day. By the time I finished speaking, the villagers who had gathered around were already whispering and discussing loudly among themselves

I realized that I was overwhelmed by desire; on my way to Lin Sanshui's house, the person occupying my mind was not my great-grandfather, nor my grandfather, but Wu Miaoke.

Lin Xiaoyao suddenly became my younger sister. My father said to me: "You two should also arrange your marriage; this is what we call strengthening family ties."

Before Lin Sanshui said this to me, I believed that Grandfather San was killed by my grandfather

At this point, concealment was no longer possible. The three of us carried Grandfather San back to the ancestral hall. My father said to me, "Xiao Fan, go to the school and ring the bell to call everyone over"

"Xiao Fan, what exactly is going on?" Lin Sanshui, as the village chief, asked me without hesitation.

The scene of Wu Miaoke standing together with her second uncle emerges in my mind

In handling matters, I, a university student, am surprisingly not as capable as Lin Sanshui, who only graduated from elementary school

I felt a moment of dizziness, for just now, I turned my entire worldview upside down

The thin police officer appeared to be a professional forensic expert. He first took out a camera and took several photos of the deceased, then put on white gloves and asked, "Where was the body found?"

The fat policeman nodded, said a few words to the thin policeman, and called out to me: "Let's go"

He did not answer me

"It's still okay, but I heard that recently there have been rumors about a divorce with the village chief of the library?" I nodded, trying to appear calm.

"It's nothing, I'm just sitting here, keeping the old man company and chatting. Our ancestors are all from the Lin family, so what is there to be afraid of? I really don't understand you young people," Granduncle said with a smile.

After a while, my father suddenly asked me: "What do you think of Lin Sanshui's wife, that Wu Miaoke?"

However, this is merely a rumor. The Lin Sanshui family, at least on the surface, appears to be calm and peaceful

A police car, a Santana, arrived a few hours later, and two police officers got out: one was thin and small, while the other was fat and tall

Every time I wake up and change my underwear, I look in the mirror and ask myself: "Are you a pervert? Are you a pervert?"

A handshake is a common understanding. However, in the case of Wu Miaoke, a woman from the mountains, this gesture elicited a significant reaction; her face instantly turned red to the roots of her ears, and she awkwardly withdrew her hand, saying, "Hello, hello."

The plump police officer glanced at me, his face filled with bewilderment

We went to Lin Sanshui's home together

I immediately rushed out of the house. My grandmother's words made me realize instantly that tonight, my grandpa's grave would be guarded by my third uncle. The appearance of my grandpa here signifies something that is self-evident

Why not just stay at the doorstep? At your age, being alone? I admire Grandfather San's courage, yet I worry about him catching a cold at night due to his advanced age

Lin Sanshui, this woman is also incapable of such actions

"Third Uncle, are you alright?" I approached and asked.

A sudden jolt ran through my heart; could it be that my guilty pleasure, this little secret deep within me, has been uncovered by my father

I struck the bell, producing a resounding sound, and continued to strike it for several minutes, rousing all the villagers who were still sound asleep at that moment to gather in the ancestral hall

Is there going to be any problem? I asked my father

I turned my head slightly and almost instinctively glanced at the side of my bed, only to find a figure lying there

Lin Sanshui, regardless of the rumors circulating about him outside, is still quite a decent person as a village chief. He seems to have noticed my difficulties. He pulled the chubby police officer aside and said, "Brother Wang, some things are not convenient to discuss in public. Let's go to my home and talk, and we can also enjoy some of this year's freshly harvested tea."

At the beginning and end of classes, a bell is used, a metal bell, which many people should have seen. Uncle San is a kind-hearted old man; he has no children or grandchildren, so he is especially good to us children. At this moment, because of my family matters, I have implicated him, and I cannot understand my feelings.

I went to her room and saw my mother sitting upright at the head of the bed

"No, your grandfather was afraid of your great-uncle when he was alive, let alone now that he has passed away. Go back and get a good night's sleep; after tonight, everything will be fine," my father said with a frown.

I exclaimed in frustration and took out my phone to check.

On the day of the 37th day after my grandfather's passing, we followed the customary practice of burning paper offerings at the grave. My father even went to the graves of my grandmother and great-grandfather to burn paper money, asking them to watch over my grandfather.

No matter how you put it, I am still the person that Lin Xiaoyao likes

Because of this, I slapped myself to prevent myself from overthinking

At this moment, Third Uncle resembled a guardian of the tomb.

From this single action, I know that Er Danzi's claim that Lin Sanshui used his own wife to exchange for the position of village chief is absolutely unreliable

The person with a pale face dressed in a funeral shroud is not someone else, but my grandfather!

Is this your younger sister-in-law? Hello, younger sister-in-law, my name is Wang Haiyang, and I am a brother from Sanshui. The chubby police officer was so surprised that his eyes nearly popped out. He reached out and grabbed Wu Miaoke's hand

Mother, I called out to her

Dad! I shouted as I rolled out of bed. Upon hearing this, my father, wearing only a pair of shorts, rushed over and, at that moment, saw my grandfather.

My father and my second uncle are closely following behind me

Lin Sanshui looked at me in a daze and said, "Even if it's a ghost causing trouble, we should follow the proper procedure. First, we report to the police. If the police can't resolve it, then we can invite a Taoist priest. How serious can it be?"

The villagers, who had been discussing animatedly just moments ago, fell silent. This was because, on a subconscious level, the villagers still harbored a sense of fear towards the police

He suddenly squatted down on the ground, his face ashen.

The fat one seemed to know Lin Sanshui, and came over saying: "Sanshui, you son of a dog, this road is really difficult to walk. Where is the corpse?"

Split apart once again

The father who arrived later, a man in his forties, began to cry loudly upon seeing this scene, calling out to my grandfather's empty coffin: "Father, why is this happening!"

She has been in this room for over twenty years, and every day, she dresses herself neatly and tidily, resembling a bride preparing for marriage in ancient times

"Very good," I said

The thin police officer looked at me without receiving a response, snorted, and said: "I ask, where is the crime scene"

I pushed through the crowd and entered, where I saw my father kneeling in front of Granduncle San, weeping, and my grandmother, who had fainted from crying.

When I woke up, I suddenly realized that these things were not what I needed to concern myself with

I would like to ask this question as well. Grandfather, why is this? What is going on with you?

Previously, my grandfather's body appeared on my bed, and I was unable to call the police. However, this time, it is my third grandfather who has died. This is a homicide case, and the nature is completely different.

At this sound, Lin Xiaoyao, who was opening the door, had red circles around her eyes. Lin Sanshui's expression was also exceptionally grim

What I am concerned about is that my grandfather appears on my bed every seventh day

Grandmother also rushed over, and upon seeing Grandfather, she cried out, "What are you all standing there for! If that deadbeat harms Third Brother, our family will become the Lin family's sinners!"

I sighed, said nothing further, and silently took a blanket to follow Granduncle San and my father

That night, knowing that Uncle San was serving as a guardian at the cemetery, I slept particularly soundly. I had a dream in which my second uncle married Wu Miaoke

"Go bring a quilt to your third grandfather," my father instructed me

Grandfather San was sitting on a chair, with an oil lamp and a pot of tea beside him, chatting away with my grandfather. He sent my father and me back.

I suspect that I have a morbid curiosity, as the more intense the rumors outside become, the happier I feel. I have even dreamed multiple times of Wu Miaoke's face, forgetting the pressure that my grandfather brought upon me

I was suddenly at a loss for words

In the evening, Uncle San arrived at my home. He carried a kerosene lamp, while my father brought a chair and a pot of tea, placing Uncle San beside my grandfather's grave.

In the blink of an eye, a week has passed, and this week has felt like the fastest week I have ever experienced

"Yes, it should be in the next couple of days. That Wu Miaoke is a quiet person. That San Shui fellow is out of luck. Xiaofan, I am preparing to match Wu Miaoke with your second uncle if they really get divorced. What do you think?" my father asked me.