Capítulo 654: Chapter 329: The Barn and Resolute Decisions
Xia Nan’s question was left unanswered.
When the strange cabin was ntioned, the abnormal reaction of the leading villager caught his attention.
But when he tried to inquire further, the villager seed to have so unknown taboo, refusing to speak, not daring to even make a sound, and only walking on with his head down.
This left Xia Nan’s plan to gather information about Fog Lamp Village through casual conversation along the way unable to unfold.
Fortunately, the silent, awkward atmosphere didn’t last long.
The appearance of a familiar figure broke the dead silence in the air, just like when he first arrived at the village.
“Uncle Jem, I… huff, I can handle it!”
Along with hurried footsteps ca a breathless young voice from behind.
The newcor was Dong Shu.
This youth with a youthful appearance had evidently followed the instructions of his brother, Aspen, and after leading Xia Nan to the village chief’s house, he had run back to take a shower.
Now, with his hair still not entirely dry, he had rushed over again.
“The village chief and Aspen have already told , there’s an empty house just east of the village, I can lead Mr. Xia Nan there, you can attend to your own matters.”
Feeling embarrassed and uneasy due to Xia Nan’s questioning, the villager nad “Jem” visibly relaxed at Dong Shu’s words.
He only gave a few cursory words of advice like “treat him well” and “don’t be negligent,” then turned and left without lingering, as if relieved of a burden.
To this, Xia Nan certainly had no objection; having soone familiar to guide him was undoubtedly better for him.
He said nothing, just stood there quietly, waiting for the youth in front of him to catch his breath, with his hands on his knees.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Xia Nan.” Seeing Xia Nan wasn’t urging him on, Dong Shu seed a bit shy, scratching the back of his head with a foolish grin.
Then he hurriedly stepped forward and continued to lead the way.
anwhile, he started introducing various aspects of the village to Xia Nan with utmost trust:
“Jem, who was leading you just now, is a well-known tailor in the village. The animal skins I bring back from hunting are all processed by him. If you need anything, you can ask for his help. ntioning my na… or rather Aspen’s na might even get you a discount.”
“The wooden bridge here has been broken for almost five days. We’ll have to take a slight detour, but I hear the village chief is already arranging for people to rebuild it. It should be fixed by next week.”
“Over there in the distance is the village’s threshing ground. I used to often…”
In the village, Dong Shu appeared far more lively and enthusiastic than when he was outdoors. He chattered nonstop, having not closed his mouth since he ca to Xia Nan’s side.
This wasn’t a false pretense but a reflection of his genuine personality and hospitality towards Xia Nan.
Seeing this, Xia Nan, who constantly harbored curiosity about the village’s oppressive atmosphere and the mysterious cabin the villagers refused to discuss, casually asked:
“Your Fog Lamp Village seems different from those small villages outside, very quiet. Has sothing happened recently? The villagers seem a bit… tense.”
His tone was calm, as if it was a casual question.
But Dong Shu’s reaction was unexpected.
The cheerful smile on his face froze instantly, quickly fading away, replaced by a complex expression mixed with anxiety and helplessness.
“The village chief should have ntioned to you, the traditional sacrificial ceremony is happening in the next few days, everyone… everyone is preparing, so the atmosphere is a bit strange.”
“It’s not usually like this! If you had co a few days earlier, Mr. Xia Nan, you would have felt the difference.”
“I see… no wonder.” Noticing the change in the other’s expression, Xia Nan nodded in agreent and didn’t press further, instead shifting the topic to another area of interest.
“On my way here, I noticed there’s another house behind your village chief’s cabin, kept quite clean. Does soone live there?”
At sixteen or seventeen years old, this boy who had grown up in the village had little guile and didn’t know how to conceal his emotional fluctuations.
As soon as he finished speaking, Dong Shu’s face, already stiff from the previous topic, darkened further.
“It’s Lilia…”
His lips quivered slightly, murmuring a few words as he subconsciously glanced in the direction of the village chief’s house, then quickly withdrew his gaze and his expression turned gloomy.
“Who?” Sensing a potential secret, Xia Nan raised an eyebrow.
“No, it’s nothing, Mr. Xia Nan.” Dong Shu forced a smile onto his face. “I don’t really know, but there should be soone living there, given how clean it is, like you said…”
Before Xia Nan could further the inquiry, Dong Shu, who was guiding ahead, had already stopped.
“Mr. Xia Nan, we’ve arrived.”
Dong Shu stood still, pointing to a wooden cabin ahead on the path.
The cabin itself didn’t differ much from the bungalows seen along the way, except that due to the long absence of occupants, it had a strong musty sll.
Dark green vines climbed the outer walls, weeds grew unchecked, and in the overly humid environnt of the hollows, there were even clumps of mushrooms at the corners of the walls.
Given the conditions in Fog Lamp Village, having a whole cabin vacant for Xia Nan to stay in temporarily was already the best they could offer.
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