Ghost Burial

Ghost Burial

one

The rain was pouring down like crazy.

It's been raining for seven whole days!

In Pingshan, this small town in southern China, such a fierce and prolonged storm is rare. The raging storm shrouded Pingshan in a hazy and chilling atmosphere, making it hard for people to breathe and unwilling or afraid to go out. Apart from the sound of wind and rain, the entire town of Pingshan seemed like a desolate world isolated from the outside world.

Large raindrops pounded against the leaves, then rolled down, splashing water droplets a foot high. The howling wind tore and shook the entire forest; the slender branches, unable to withstand the wind's power, snapped and cracked, adding to the terror and unease of the night in Pingshan.

In a grove of trees, five or six men were digging something with all their might; standing nearby was a middle-aged man who looked like a wealthy merchant, with a round face, a round belly, and a round body. An attendant held an umbrella over his head, but because the wind was too strong, the attendant had to grip the umbrella handle tightly with both hands; next to the merchant, a beautiful young woman, disheveled, had her hands held behind her back by two burly men. Raindrops pelted her hair and bare shoulders, immediately forming streams of water that flowed down her body. The rain flowed into the muddy ground. Two thin, wiry attendants stood beside the wealthy merchant, each carrying a kerosene lamp. By the dim light of the lamps, they could finally make out the young woman's appearance: her expression was extremely cold; her oval face, still delicate and beautiful despite being partially obscured by the rain, was adorned with a red cheongsam that accentuated her slender figure, though the cheongsam was torn in several places, revealing glimpses of her fair skin. Her resentful and bitter eyes were fixed on the merchant, who stood expressionlessly under the umbrella. Apart from the sounds of rain, wind, snapping branches, and the thud of a shovel digging into the ground, no one spoke; everything seemed mysterious and eerie. What was about to happen here?

Soon, a large pit more than a meter deep was dug, nearly two meters long and one meter wide. One of the diggers, who seemed to be the leader, ran to the wealthy merchant and said, "Sir, it's done." The merchant took a few steps forward, looked around the pit, and then turned back and said, "Push that *man* in."

"Master, is it really buried?" a butler-like man asked cautiously.

"Bury him! Bury him quickly! This bastard actually cheated on me with another man, ruining the reputation of my Fang family. He deserves to die!" the wealthy merchant said viciously.

"But she... she's already pregnant!" the butler said, feeling a pang of pity.

"Pregnant? Who knows which bastard's child it is! Bury it! Bury it all!" the wealthy businessman said, somewhat exasperated.

"Alright then!" the butler said helplessly, turning around and waving his hand at the two burly men holding the young woman. "Bury her!"

"Seventh Concubine, I'm sorry!" The two burly men dragged and pushed the young woman to the edge of the pit. Suddenly, the woman struggled violently, stood on the edge of the pit, turned around, and glared at the wealthy merchant with resentment, saying, "Master Fang, I will die without resentment. Please, please release the child in my womb. He is innocent!"

"If it's not my child, what's the point of keeping it in this world? You *human*, how dare you beg for mercy for the bastard in your belly? You've completely disgraced the Fang family!"

“Master Fang, you are rich and powerful. You have already married seven wives, and you still want to marry one more. In your eyes, what are we women? You only care about my looks, right? The first, second, and third wives are getting old, so you don’t care about them anymore. We women are just playthings in your hands!”

"Why can you men marry wives and concubines, but we women can't pursue our own happiness? Since you don't love me, can't I like someone else? I've had enough of this lonely, loveless life!"

"You dare talk back! Push her down and bury her!" the wealthy merchant ordered.

The two men gave the young woman a shove, and she fell into the pit. She struggled to get up, but the wealthy merchant walked over and kicked her back in. "Bury her right now!" the merchant said viciously.

Mud, rainwater, and weeds were all dumped into the pit, and in the blink of an eye, only half of the young woman's body was visible.

"Yes, I have other men outside, but we truly love each other. Being with him was the happiest time of my life. Having someone who genuinely loves me makes my life worthwhile."

"According to the family rules, I have wronged you and your Fang family, so I did not intend to live. But the child is innocent. I beg you, please let the child go. After the child is born, you can do whatever you want with me."

The soil had already buried her neck, and rainwater mingled with tears streamed down her face. The young woman continued to plead in a hoarse, weeping voice, "Master Fang, I beg you, even if it's just my last request before I die, I've never asked you for anything in the year or so I've been married into your Fang family. Just this once, just this once, please, Master Fang!"

The mud had already been poured into the young woman's mouth. Her face turned from red to blue, then from blue to white, and her breathing became increasingly difficult. But her eyes still pleaded desperately for the wealthy merchant, Mr. Fang, her voice growing weaker and weaker: "Mr. Fang, please, please!..."

The burial continued, and without the master's orders, the men dared not stop. In the blink of an eye, the young woman's entire body was covered in mud.

---janeadam

Reply [3]: "Master, the seventh concubine has passed away." The butler said sadly.

"Good riddance, you dead man," Master Fang said coldly.

Suddenly, with a "whoosh," the Seventh Concubine's pair of snow-white hands burst from the ground, her fingers pointing directly at Master Fang! The servants who were burying her were so frightened that they quickly dropped the shovel and retreated hastily, shouting as they went, "It's terrible! A corpse has come back to life!" Master Fang was also startled and stumbled several times, falling to the ground. "Wh...what happened?" Master Fang asked nervously, and the steward quickly helped him up.

"Master, it's...it's come back to life!" A servant, his face pale with fright, stammered.

"How could someone who just died come back to life? Nonsense." Although he was startled just now, Master Fang quickly regained his composure. "Butler, go and see if that person is really dead!"

"Yes, yes, yes." The butler nodded, peering cautiously into the pit. Seventh Concubine's arm was still outstretched, but there was no other movement. "She should be... alright! Seventh... Seventh Concubine is no longer moving."

"Alright, bury her quickly." Although Master Fang appeared calm on the surface, the fact that the Seventh Concubine had pointed at him earlier still made him feel somewhat scared and uneasy. He just wanted to bury her as soon as possible to avoid any future trouble.

The attendants quickly returned to the edge of the pit and continued to fill it with soil. Soon the entire pit was filled in. Master Fang then ordered some flowers, grass, and branches to be placed on top, making it seem as if there were no obvious traces left.

“Alright, sir,” the butler said.

"Let's go," Master Fang ordered. Immediately, they left the cold, dark woods.

This day was June 13th, the fourth year of the Republic of China. It was a midsummer night, with wind and rain, and thunder and lightning.

---janeadam

Reply [4]: Two

Pingshan Town is a small town surrounded by water on one side and mountains on three sides. Because the mountains surrounding the town are not high, with the highest only about 300 meters high, it got its name from this. Although the mountains are not high, they are densely forested and lush, and with a clear, rippling stream in front of the town, the scenery is truly enchanting. Pingshan Town is located north of the Yangtze River, a vital waterway, and south of the major thoroughfare connecting Guangdong and Guangxi, making transportation extremely convenient. Consequently, many businesses operate in the area, and Fang Tiande is the most famous wealthy merchant in Pingshan Town. Fang Tiande's fame lies not only in his amassed gold and silver treasures but also in the fact that he is the only man in town with eight wives; other wealthy men usually only have two or three. In the Republican era, having multiple wives and concubines was rare, but Fang Tiande indu

……