The two looked at each other in silence, and silently followed the chattering group, walking along the somewhat rugged mountain path.
As he stopped, Lu Shi casually wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Ye Bugui was then called over by Wang Zhi: "Let's go see your mother first."
Lu Shi had no choice but to wait alone by the roadside; given his status, it was not appropriate for him to go any further.
Ye Bugui pretended to be numb and followed behind Wang Zhi, but actually took the opportunity to look around.
Unfortunately, he didn't discover any suspicious information.
Wang Zhi led Ye Bugui to a somewhat secluded place, where there was a grave with a grove of trees behind it.
"Kneel down," Wang Zhi said, then knelt down first, and took out candles, yellow paper and other things from his pocket.
Just like Lu Shi back then, Ye Bugui was now unable to control his body.
But he still managed to read the inscription on the tombstone; it turned out that Wang Qifan's mother was named Wang Chuchu.
It's a nice-sounding name.
A sudden gust of wind blew away all the fallen leaves piled up next to the tombstone, revealing a small mound of earth beside the grave.
Ye Bugui's expression suddenly changed, and he tried to get up, but then he heard Wang Zhi's very calm tone:
“What are you afraid of? That’s your brother. Every time you come to pay respects to your mother’s grave, you have to light an incense stick for him too. After all, you are brothers.”
...
Ye Bugui felt a chill run through his body.
If Lu Shi were beside Ye Bugui right now, he would definitely have a lot to say to this man.
Unfortunately, Lu Shi could only wait in the distance.
However, Lu Shi did not stand there in a daze; his gaze remained fixed on Wang Qifan's large family of relatives.
In Lu Shi's eyes, their way of worshipping their ancestors was quite simple: just burning incense, kowtowing, and setting off firecrackers.
In his time, ancestor worship was a very complicated affair.
After the group finished their work, they didn't go towards Wang Qifan and Wang Zhi, as if they had forgotten about the two of them, and instead headed straight back.
What Lu Shi couldn't understand was that it was Wang Qifan's mother's grave. Given how much Wang Hu cared for his sister, shouldn't he have gone to see it?
Or perhaps what he just said to Lu Shi was all a lie.
Wang Hu walked past Lu Shi, not forgetting to grin at him as he did so:
"Going back now, little one, did you find it quite troublesome? You city people all put people in little boxes, right? How uncomfortable it must be for a person to live after death!"
Lu Shi refrained from answering the question. If he told Wang Hu that people really do become ghosts after they die, wouldn't that scare him?
After Ye Bugui and Wang Zhi went to the main grave to pay respects to their ancestors, they started walking back.
“My younger brother,” Ye Bugui suddenly asked after he walked up to Lu Shi, “I dreamed about him a few days ago.”
Lu Shi felt a chill run down his spine. Amidst all the chaotic news, Lu Shi seemed to have found some connections.
However, Wang Zhi did not panic as Ye Bugui had expected after hearing Ye Bugui's words.
He just smiled faintly, as if mocking Ye Bugui's stupidity: "You dreamed about your brother? How could that be? You've never even seen what he looks like!"
Ye Bugui smiled inwardly, thinking to himself, "Just as I thought."
"I guess it's because we're brothers in arms," he replied casually.
Wang Zhi's expression was rather strange. He spat on the ground and said, "What nonsense are you spouting! Don't think so much. You should think about finishing college, finding a good job, and bringing your dad to live in the city."
Instead of answering that question, Ye Bugui asked in return, "Don't you like living here?"
“Who would like this godforsaken place?” Wang Zhi stood there, looking down from the cliff, his eyes filled with nothing but resignation and despair: “It’s poor and dilapidated. If you settle down here, you’ll never be able to leave until you die.”
The three walked silently along the mountain path, but Lu Shi sensed something was amiss.
They came by the same road, but Lu Shi didn't feel like they had walked for so long.
Moreover, they went up the mountain around lunchtime, but by the time they came back, it was almost dark.
"Old Ye!" When Lu Shi realized something was wrong and turned around, he found that there was no one behind or in front of him.
If it were someone else, they would probably be screaming in terror by now.
But Lu Shi was very calm, still analyzing in his mind whether he was being led astray by ghosts or simply lost.
Suddenly, his footing gave way, and he woke up instantly.
This was the only way he had ever woken up since he was a child and was still growing.
This is exactly the same as when he was still dreaming, and Ye Bugui woke up early.
Lu Shi lay peacefully on the bed, looking at Ye Bugui who was still fast asleep, and quietly closed his eyes.
Ye Bugui soon discovered that he had lost track of Lu Shi.
He walked alone on the mountain, surrounded by towering trees that blocked out the sunlight. The shadows cast on the ground looked like menacing ghosts, closely following Ye Bugui's footsteps.
It was completely dark by now, and being alone here should have been terrifying.
But Ye Bugui, like Lu Shi, is not an ordinary person.
He was not afraid at all; in fact, he was quite excited because he knew that he, like Lu Shi, had triggered the hidden plot in the dream.
He couldn't wait to see a person, even a ghost, as long as it helped him complete the storyline.
As if the heavens had heard his wish, Ye Bugui actually heard rustling footsteps in the woods.
That was the sound of someone stepping on leaves; someone was walking towards him.
Ye Bugui still put himself in Wang Qifan's shoes a little. He was alone in the mountains late at night, lost and hearing someone following him. He must have been terrified by now.
But Ye Bugui sat down where he was, waiting for that person to find him.
"Fan'er, it's you!"
A burly man emerged from the shadow between two trees.
Ye Bugui recognized the voice; the person who had arrived was Wang Hu.
Wang Hu immediately broke into an excited smile: "What are you doing up the mountain so late at night?"
"I..." Ye Bugui had indeed lost control of his body. He heard Wang Qifan's voice, a very immature, still-developing voice. "I came here to find my mother, but I got lost..."
If Ye Bugui could look in the mirror right now, he would definitely find that he has turned into a little boy.
Wang Qifan was trembling all over; he thought he was going to die on this mountain tonight.
When he saw Wang Hu, he couldn't wait to run over to him.
For children, their uncle is also a very reliable person.
When Wang Hu saw Wang Qifan stumbling towards him, he naturally hugged his nephew tightly.
Ye Bugui rolled his eyes, and could only tell himself that he had no choice in the matter; he was just an observer.
"Don't be afraid. Did you see something while you were running around?"
As Wang Hu spoke, he secretly slipped his hand into Wang Qifan's back.
Seeing his actions, Ye Bugui was furious, but he held back because he had a premonition that Wang Hu would probably reveal some very crucial information.
Although Wang Qifan resisted Wang Hu's touch, he dared not openly protest because the man was his uncle.
Upon hearing Wang Hu's question, Wang Qifan suddenly shuddered, clearly indicating that Wang Hu had guessed correctly.
Wang Hu grinned and chuckled, "I knew it! How could a smart kid like you get lost? You must have seen something you shouldn't have."
Ye Bugui took a deep breath. At this moment, Wang Hu had pressed his burning hot body against Wang Qifan's back.
He wasn't stupid; he knew perfectly well what disgusting thoughts Wang Hu was harboring.
He suddenly remembered the expression on Wang Hu's face when he looked at Lu Shi, and felt a wave of nausea and murderous intent.
This guy deserves to be torn to pieces!
"I...I didn't see anything!" Young Wang Qifan shook his head frantically.
At this moment, Wang Hu lifted him up, stared directly into Wang Qifan's eyes, and coldly asked, "Speak quickly, or your uncle will leave you here and not take you back. I've heard that there are ghosts on this mountain at night!"
Wang Qifan screamed in fear, and then, under Wang Hu's coercion and enticement, finally revealed the truth:
“I, I actually secretly followed my mother up the mountain. Every year on this day, my mother would disappear, and I thought it was strange, so I followed her.”
"And then?" Wang Hu stared at Wang Qifan with a somewhat ferocious expression, but Wang Qifan was completely unaware that something was wrong.
"Then I saw my mother. She went into the woods and burned paper money under a tree while muttering something. I was so scared that I couldn't hear her at all," Wang Qifan said, still shaken.
He was terrified and turned to run without hesitation. But as he ran, he got lost.
"Really?" Wang Hu snorted coldly, then asked, "Do you know who your mother is burning paper money for?"
Wang Qifan shook his head: "I don't know. Do you know, Uncle?"
“Me?” Wang Hu laughed, “Of course I know. Want me to tell you?”
Wang Qifan nodded vigorously.
At this moment, Wang Hu put Wang Qifan down, pinched his throat, and asked in a deliberately gentle voice, "Then give your uncle a kiss, it has to be on your uncle's lips!"
Ye Bugui immediately threw a punch.
Even though it was just Wang Qifan's body, it still disgusted him.
"How dare you hit me!"
Wang Hu touched his still throbbing cheek and could only say loudly:
"That's your brother! You also have a brother who died shortly after birth! Your father, your mother, and you are the murderers who killed him!"
In the darkness, a clap of thunder sounded, and just as fittingly, a torrential downpour began.
However, Ye Bugui woke up at this moment.
However, when he woke up, many images flashed before his eyes like a slideshow.
The scene that angered and disgusted him must have been Wang Qifan's past experience.
In Wang Qifan's memory, after Wang Hu told him the truth, he took the opportunity to force himself on his own nephew.