Thinking to herself, she decided that when she left, she must pay the silver. The village people don’t earn much all year round, and since they are neither family nor friends, it’s not easy to co by. She couldn’t take their hospitality for granted.
The village head craned his neck to look inside and suddenly, with a mysterious air, asked, "Have you heard any rumors since you entered the village?"
"What does the village head want to say?"
Xuexue pretended not to understand. It seed there was really a problem with this house. Who lived here before? Where did they all go?
"It’s fine if you haven’t, it’s fine." The village head exchanged a few more pleasantries before taking his leave: "Young lady, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head back first. There’s plenty to do at ho!"
"Alright! Take care, village head."
Xuexue nodded. It was the spring farming season, and everyone was busy with planting. Farrs naturally had more to do than usual, and she understood that well.
Xuexue saw the village head out the door and returned inside.
At this ti, Zi Xia and Long Yi were busy in the kitchen preparing the evening al.
Auntie Chen, a rural woman accustod to farm work, was quick and efficient. In no ti, she had all the rooms tidied up and cleaned each one.
Seeing Xuexue co in, she warmly pulled her down to chat.
"Young lady, I feel a connection with you and want to share so of my thoughts, but don’t be scared, okay?"
Xuexue thought, perhaps Auntie Chen wanted to talk about the matters concerning the house, so she laughed and said, "Auntie, don’t think I’m just a young girl. I’m brave, not afraid of any demons or ghosts."
Auntie Chen laughed upon hearing this, "Yes indeed! I’ve lived my whole life not believing there are ghosts in this world. It’s just people unnecessarily troubling themselves."
Though Auntie Chen wore coarse cloth, her conversation often exuded an air of a well-educated lady.
"Did you attend a private school, Auntie?"
"I did when I was young. Forgive for making a fool of myself, but later my family fell on hard tis, and that’s how I ended up like this." Auntie Chen was very cheerful, and when she talked about the past, there was no trace of sadness.
"Auntie has such a good attitude."
"Exactly, life is short, just a few decades. Why make it hard for yourself?" Auntie Chen paused and then said, "They say this house is unclean, but don’t listen to their nonsense. Where are there ghosts in this world?"
"What exactly happened?"
"The family that originally lived here was surnad Fan, the only household in the village with that surna. They were terribly poor. An old man and his three sons, nad Lao Da, Lao Er, and Lao San, worked diligently in the fields every day just to barely make ends et. But, as the sons grew up and reached marriageable age, the old man did everything he could and even sold two mu of land, barely managing to get a wife for the eldest son. But for so reason, after giving birth to a child, the woman committed suicide. The three Fan brothers, for reasons unknown, turned against each other and started living separately.
Later, that little baby grew up and reached marriageable age. They had arranged his marriage, but who would’ve known, on the eve of his wedding, the eldest cried all night and then committed suicide too."
At this point, Auntie Chen pointed outside to the big locust tree in the courtyard and said, "He hanged himself on that huge locust tree. Sigh! What a pity! That eldest was so easygoing and kind-hearted. Who would’ve thought he’d et such an end?"
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