"I'd like to see who dares to lay a hand on her!" Leng Feng drew his sword and stood beside Shen Mingshu, the tip of the blade pointing directly at the young man’s chest.
The sallow-faced youth, Zhang Dahai, was too terrified by the sword to move forward, yet he stuck out his neck and shouted, "Who are you people! She’s my wife!"
Yun Niang rushed out from inside, still wearing her apron. "What is going on here? Mother Zhang, why are you all gathered here?"
Shen Mingshu immediately grabbed her hand to complain, "Mother! Mother Zhang keeps insisting that I’m Zhang Dahai’s wife! She even said she’s going to marry me off to him today!"
Yun Niang’s expression shifted instantly. The friendly smile she had worn a moment ago vanished, and she gritted her teeth. "Zhang Cuilan, have you lost your mind? Since when has my Shenshen ever been Zhang Dahai’s wife?"
Zhang Cuilan was momentarily stunned at being addressed by her given name; she was older, and everyone usually called her Mother Zhang.
She planted her hands on her hips and pointed at the two chickens on the ground. "Look at that! These two chickens are the betrothal gifts I brought for your family! The girl Mingshu already accepted them, and now she’s trying to renege and return them. There’s no such thing as having it both ways in this world!"
"I spit on that! A betrothal requires my consent! A man like your son—a man even a dog would turn its nose up at—is hardly worthy of my Shenshen! I would sooner die than let Shenshen marry him!"
Yun Niang kicked the two chickens toward her. "Take these two beasts and get out of here!"
*No wonder Zhang Cuilan had always been so solicitous toward her and Shenshen in the past,* Shen Mingshu thought. *So this was her goal all along!*
Watching Yun Niang and Mother Zhang tear into each other, Shen Mingshu curled her lips into a smile, though it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
She let her expression fall, her eyes reddening. "Mother! It was Mother Zhang who called for me to open the door and then shoved these two chickens inside. I only managed to catch them just now to return them when she arrived with people in tow. I don’t want to marry Zhang Dahai!"
Watching the shift in the young girl’s expression, a smile played in the depths of Pei Jingheng’s eyes.
*The little girl is quite the actress.*
Hearing Shen Mingshu’s words, the surrounding villagers began to look suspicious. "Mother Zhang, since when is a betrothal done like this?"
"Even if our village can’t afford the traditional three letters and six rites, this is just too sloppy!"
Mother Zhang jumped in a frenzy, shouting like a shrew, "What do you know! If she took my two chickens, she’s my daughter-in-law! She is going to perform the wedding ceremony with my son today, no matter what she says!"
Yun Niang turned, grabbed a broom from the yard, and swung it at her. "In your dreams! See if I don't beat you to death, you old shrew!"
Zhang Dahai tried to intervene, but Leng Feng blocked him with his sword, forcing him to watch helplessly as Yun Niang used the broom to send Zhang Cuilan tumbling into the dirt.
The surrounding villagers just watched the spectacle, with no one stepping in to help.
Shen Mingshu felt that Yun Niang had probably vented enough of her anger.
"Mother, stop hitting her. I have something to say." She pulled her mother back and said in a cool, detached tone, "Mother Zhang, the one you actually want me to marry is your eldest son, Zhang Dashan, isn't it?"
"Zhang Dashan? Didn't he die a long time ago?"
"He's been dead for over ten years."
"If Zhang Dashan hadn't died so young, Zhang Cuilan would be enjoying a life of ease by now."
The crowd buzzed with voices.
Shen Mingshu raised her voice. "In fact, Zhang Dashan’s corpse has been lying in the Zhang house all this time. If you don't believe me, go and see for yourselves."
"What? Kept the corpse at home? For over ten years?"
"If a corpse isn't buried, it’ll undergo a transformation!"
"Zhang Cuilan, you’re trying to get the whole village killed!"
Helped up by Zhang Dahai, Zhang Cuilan’s face turned pale. She shrieked, "Lies! Pure nonsense! These two little hussies accepted the betrothal gifts and are now trying to renege, slandering us on purpose! Don't you dare believe them!"
Zhang Dahai tried to speak as well, but his words stuttered out: "Th-that's right! They are l-lying! Our family d-doesn't have my big brother's corpse!"
Seeing that the villagers were sufficiently riled up, Shen Mingshu spoke up clearly, "I noticed a stench of death on Zhang Cuilan and Zhang Dahai a long time ago, but I couldn't find any evidence. It wasn't until recently that I heard her say she wanted to marry me off to her son in a 'ghost marriage'—yet Zhang Dahai is still alive."
"Yesterday, she failed to give me the red cotton jacket, and today she sent the two 'guiding chickens.' Guiding chickens are only used for ghost marriages! That is how I confirmed that Zhang Dashan’s corpse is in their house. If you don't believe me, let's all go to the Zhang house and see!"
Someone immediately chimed in, "Right, let's go and see for ourselves!"
Zhang Cuilan grabbed at the crowd like a madwoman. "Lies! She's lying! You are not allowed to go to my house!"
But she and Zhang Dahai could not stop them, and the group marched toward the Zhang residence.
Pei Jingheng prepared to follow, but Shen Mingshu stopped him. "Master Pei, the death qi at the Zhang house is too strong; your body won't be able to withstand it."
Pei Jingheng was surprised. "What is it that you know?"
"The moment I saw you, I could tell you carry the destiny of an emperor, but you are burdened by a death curse. Someone has stolen your luck." Shen Mingshu’s expression was solemn, her phoenix eyes shining brightly as she looked at him. "Rest assured, you are the person fated for me; I will certainly resolve the death curse upon you."
Pei Jingheng was stunned, and by the time he recovered, Shen Mingshu and Yun Niang were already far away.
Leng Feng said in pleasant surprise, "Master, she actually said she would help you resolve your death curse! Even Master Qingxuan wasn't certain he could do that!"
Pei Jingheng’s deep, pool-like eyes rippled with emotion. He said quietly, "Follow them and protect the mother and daughter."
The villagers entered the Zhang house and scattered to search the rooms.
A young man pushed open the door to the west room and immediately retched. "Ugh... in there... ugh... it stinks!"
Shen Mingshu said immediately, "The corpse is in there!"
A few of the bolder men entered the room and hoisted out a wooden bed frame.
When they saw what was lying on the bed, many of them began to retch.
Even Leng Feng couldn't help but frown; this thing was ten times more disgusting than any corpse on a battlefield.
Yun Niang gagged twice, though having not eaten breakfast, she endured the nausea and said, "Everyone sees it now, don't you? Zhang Cuilan actually kept a corpse in her house!"
Someone shrieked with rage, "Zhang Cuilan! You spend your days with the dead and then have the audacity to visit our homes? How ominous!"
"Burn the body! It’s disgusting!"
Eyes red, Zhang Cuilan blocked the bed like a madwoman. "You are not allowed to touch my son! My son isn't dead! He’ll wake up any minute!"
"A lunatic! A crazy old hag!" the crowd cursed.
Zhang Cuilan looked at Shen Mingshu. "Girl Mingshu, as long as you agree to the ghost marriage with my Dashan, I promise he will cherish you! You have to trust me!"
"Shut up! You are utterly heartless to say such a thing!" Yun Niang, her voice raspy from shouting, threw the two chickens she was carrying at her, gnashing her teeth. "I truly failed to see you for who you were; I’ve misjudged you all these years!"