CH 138

In the afternoon, Ms. Hua took a page out of Mo Yan’s book and used one of the remaining bamboo baskets to make a lunchbox for Zhao’er. Then, she led him to Chenzhong Village.

When they entered the village and asked about Mr. Cao, everyone knew that Zhao’er was Mr. Cao’s apprentice and enthusiastically showed them the way.

Daqiang and Ms. Li weren’t there, so Mr. Cao was the only one at home. The Cao family seemed deserted. Zhao’er went to accompany his master in the in-house clinic, while Ms. Hua went into the kitchen.

When the workshop closed for the day, Mo Ling went to take Mo Yan home, but she said that she’d stay in the workshop for the night.

“Why are you staying here? People will gossip about it.”

“Let them talk, we have serious business today. Please go back and tell mother.”

Mo Ling knew she couldn’t stop her, so had no choice but to let her stay.

Chi Jie asked Ze Wu to go to Dengyun Tower to buy food and wine, and Mo Yan said, “We don’t need the wine! Drinking might lead to rash decisions.”

Lu Junming said, “It also gives you courage to make the right decisions.”

“What business do you two have?” Chi Jie asked.

Chi Jie looked at both of them, but they both ignored him.

Zhou Liangsheng was prepared to go home when he heard what they said. He also asked what business they had. Mo Yan said, “Kids shouldn’t ask around, go home.”

He wasn’t convinced, “I am only a few months younger than you.”

“You’re still younger than me, go home quickly.”

Zhou Liangsheng was about to go out with his briefcase, when Mo Yan asked, “Liangsheng, do you know where Zhao’er’s father’s grave is?”

He turned around and said, “There are two mounds on the east of the main road at the south of the city. The bigger one is his grave. Why do you ask?”

Lu Junming replied, “It’s nothing, I’m just asking casually. Today, I heard godmother talking about her husband. She said that he wasn’t able to enter his ancestral grave after his death.”

Zhou Liangsheng nodded and left, while Ze Wu went out to buy food.

Mo Yan hadn’t told Lu Junming yet, but it was like he already knew what was going on. When she turned to look at him, he happened to look over, and the two smiled at each other.

The more mysterious they were, the more puzzled Chi Jie became, “What are you doing?”

Mo Yan leaned close to Chi Jie’s ear and whispered “We’re robbing a grave”. Chi Jie widened his eyes in surprise and said, “That’s so exciting, I want to go too!”

He leaned over and asked Mo Yan, “Is there a large grave in this remote place? Which family’s ancestral grave is it?”

“The Wu family!”

Chi Jie frowned and scratched his head, “At this time, in this place, there are no significant Wu families!”

Mo Yan asked,”Who told you we’re robbing a wealthy family’s grave?”

“Don’t people rob graves for the treasures inside? If the family is neither powerful nor expensive, what else can be in there?”

“The truth.”

“That is far more interesting, take me there.”

Lu Junming came over and pulled Chi Jie away from Mo Yan, “If you’re not afraid, just follow along. Why are you getting so close?”

When Ze Wu came back, they just ate and drank. Seeing that it was still early, they sat down, drank tea and chatted.

Lu Junming begged Mo Yan to tell a story. She rolled her eyes and remembered “Tomb Raider” from her previous life, so she told the story vividly. When it came to the scary parts, she couldn’t help but tremble.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew past, and the door of the house abruptly closed. Ze Wu was so frightened that he held onto Chi Jie’s sleeves and trembled, “Is there someone outside?”

Lu Junming drank his tea and said, “This yard is located not far from the cemetery. There might’ve been some spirits who heard Mo Yan’s stories and came to listen.”

Ze Wu glanced at the door when a black shadow flew by, either an owl or a bat. He hugged Chi Jie’s arm tightly, and begged, “Stop talking, I beg you not to carry on.”

Lu Junming winked at Chi Jie, who slowly pulled Ze Wu’s hand off, “Go to sleep, close the door, and don’t open it no matter what happens outside.”

Lu Junming got up and opened the door. The half moon in the sky was already in the west of the sky, and it was very early in the morning. While he still had the courage to, Ze Wu quickly ran back to his room, closed the door and bolted it.

At this time, most people in the city were already asleep. Even if they were awake, they would not socialise.

Lu Junming lit the lantern and handed it to Mo Yan, “If you are afraid, then don’t go.”

“No, I have to see it with my own eyes.”

Mu Yan carried the lantern, while Lu Junming and Chi Jie took shovels as they went to the cemetery together.

According to Zhou Liangsheng, it’s in the south of the city and east of the main road, so it was easy to find. Zhao’er’s father’s grave was less than a year old, so it was a new grave, and the mound is relatively large. The smaller one next to it was probably the grave of Zhao’er’s grandparents. It is smaller due to the natural erosion of time.

After confirming its location, Lu Junming and Chi Jie began to dig. Fortunately, the soil of the mound was relatively soft, and it was soon levelled, exposing the coffin lid.

The two looked at each other, Chi Jie shook his head and said, “You do it!”

Looking at the coffin lid in front of him, Lu Junming also took a deep breath before opening it. However, the coffin lid didn’t move at all, and no matter how hard he tried, nothing changed.

He straightened up and patted the dirt on his hands, “How is the coffin lid so heavy? Their family is so poor, they shouldn’t be able to afford hardwood!”

Chi Jie squatted aside and said, “Maybe your godfather didn’t want to be disturbed, so he was clutching tight on the coffin lid.”

Mo Yan and Lu Junming each punched him on the shoulder, “If you talk nonsense again, I will push you in.” Mo Yan put the lantern on the ground, squatted down and thought for a while, and seemed to remember something, “The coffin lid must have been nailed shut.”

Lu Junming lifted the lantern and took a closer look at the coffin lid. Sure enough, there were square nails on it. They aren’t easy to remove, and require a special tool. There weren’t any in the workshop, and it’d be too late to find one now.

“It seems like we have to come back another day! The soil on this grave is soft anyways.”

The two of them piled up the mound again, patted the soil down with a shovel, and left the grave. They were just done when they saw a fire bursting up in the north.

“Something’s on fire!” Chi Jie said.

Mo Yan felt uneasy, “Why does it look like Ms. Hua’s courtyard?”

“Let’s go and have a look,” Lu Junming ran north with the shovel in his hand. Chi Jie and Mo Yan followed behind.

After running past the mutton soup restaurant, Lu Junming was sure it was on fire. He stood outside the nearby rations store and yelled, “It’s on fire, put out the fire!” Then, he went from the rations store to Ms. Hua’s courtyard.

Lu Junming kicked the door open and entered the yard. The house was already surrounded by fire, and he yelled “Mother” loudly, but no one answered. Mo Yan, panting and gasping for breath, said, “They probably haven’t come back yet.”

Lu Junming went to fetch water from the well. Mo Yan turned around and went out of the courtyard, shouting as she ran, “The courtyard is on fire! Put out the fire!”

Post-translation notes: More and more drama, one after another. Very exciting, as I worry about an extended leave from technology for the next few days. As always, thanks for reading!