The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 21: This Lord Will Tell You a Story (Part Three)

Miss Yao was a fiery personality. Upon returning home, she lost her appetite and nagged her father for information about Chen Bohuan. Although Chen Bohuan had already taken a wife, it was a secret marriage; who in the neighboring villages would know? Even the townspeople were unclear about the arranged marriage between the Luo and Chen families years ago.

Thus, Miss Yao learned that this Mister Chen was "not yet married."

After several assessments, the county magistrate found Young Master Chen capable and gentle, with a decent family background. As a result, he dispatched someone to discuss the marriage proposal with the Chen family.

This left Magistrate Chen with deep regret. They politely told the envoy they needed time to consider, but behind closed doors, the elderly couple began to argue.

Magistrate Chen said, "I told you so! That poor scholar died young, and his daughter should be mourning him for three years. If we hadn't let them get married beforehand, our son could still back out now! Just look at the mess we're in!"

Madam Chen was also anxious. "Blame me? Didn't you insist on the childhood betrothal? Now look, the county magistrate's daughter! Can she be compared to... to Luo Xianxian?"

The two old turtles locked themselves in a heated debate until they were too exhausted to continue. They panted heavily across the table from each other.

Magistrate Chen asked, "What should we do? Should we reject the county magistrate's offer?"

Madam Chen replied, "We... can't refuse. Our Chen family's prosperity depends on Miss Yao."

Chen Yuanwai fumed, "Can that Yao family's daughter be taken as a concubine? Can she? Doesn't our son already have one in his household? How can we squeeze another in? Look at how affectionate they are together!"

"..." Mrs. Chen remained silent. After a moment, a glimmer appeared in her eyes as she murmured, "Old Chen, I've been thinking... about Luo Xianxian and our son's affair. Apart from our family, no one else knows..."

After a brief silence, Chen Yuanwai, stunned for a moment, suddenly understood his wife's intention.

He trembled, half out of fear and half out of excitement.

"You... You mean..."

"No one knows, so it doesn't count as a marriage," Mrs. Chen said. "We'll find a way to drive her away. If persuasion doesn't work, we'll use force. The whole vicinity knows that our son is still unmarried. Do you remember the incident when she stole an orange as a child? As long as all of us stick to our story, even with seventeen or eighteen mouths to speak up, she'll have no way to defend herself!"

Chen Yuanwai strode to the door, making sure it was securely shut. He hurried over to his wife, who had just been arguing like roosters, and now huddled together, whispering their plans in low voices.

Chen Yuanwai said, "I'm afraid your plan won't work."

"Why not?"

"Our son won't agree. He has liked Luo Xianxian since he was young. How could he turn against her on your say-so?"

Mrs. Chen pondered for a moment before patting her husband's hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

Sometime later, Mrs. Chen suddenly fell gravely ill with an inexplicable condition. She raved deliriously all day, spouting nonsense and claiming that she was possessed by a ghost.

Mr. Chen was distraught and sought the help of a Taoist priest. The priest, with an air of otherworldliness and a whisk in hand, examined his fingers and declared that something in the Chen household was causing harm to Mrs. Chen. If not resolved, she wouldn't survive the year.

Chen Bohuan, being the most filial, panicked and asked, "What is harming my mother?"

The priest intentionally obscured the matter, speaking of an "invisible beauty."

Everyone in the room was stunned. The Chen family's sons turned their heads to look at Luo Xianxian, who was standing on the side.

Luo Xianxian was also frozen in shock.

Since childhood, she had been told numerous times that she had a strong fate, a celestial killer star. She was said to have brought misfortune upon her birth, causing the death of her mother, then her brother, and eventually her father.

Now, she was being accused of bringing harm to her mother-in-law.

The Chens grew anxious. One by one, her brothers-in-law spoke to her, urging her to leave the family. As no one outside knew of her marriage, her reputation remained untarnished. They offered her money and silver, hoping she would find another suitable family.

Luo Xianxian was both anxious and fearful, genuinely worried that she brought misfortune upon Madam Chen, causing her to shed tears every day.

Amidst his heartache, Chen Bohuan found himself in a dilemma witnessing his mother's withering health. He neither wished for Luo Xianxian to leave nor could he bear his mother's suffering. As a result, he lost a significant amount of weight in a short period.

The Chen family's brothers became restless. One day, taking advantage of the eldest brother's absence, they approached their sister-in-law. Luo Xianxian was in the greenhouse, concocting Butterfly Fragrance Powder when they rushed over and knocked over her vessels. The powder sprinkled all over her body, its rich aroma seemingly seeping into her bones, impossible to wash away.

They initially encircled her, lecturing her on morals and principles like "womanly virtue" and "the inferior status of wives and daughters compared to parents." However, Luo Xianxian was a resilient individual, timid but stubborn. Despite weeping, she insisted she didn't want to leave and begged them to consider alternative solutions.

The second brother, in a fit of anger, slapped her, saying, "Our mother is on the verge of being killed by your malefic star! If there were a way, would Father still be dead? Would Mother? Would your brother's fate remain unknown?"

Upon his action, the others joined in, surrounding Luo Xianxian as they punched and kicked her, shouting "Get out!" "Evil one!" "Bringer of misfortune!"

These sons were all aligned with their mother's intentions, aware of her plan from the start. Now that the eldest was absent, they united to expel Luo Xianxian from the house, warning her that if she dared return, they would assault her daily. After all, she had no family to turn to, and even if she were beaten to death, no one would seek justice for her.

It was a snowy night. Luo Xianxian, covered in bruises, was thrown into the snow, losing one of her embroidered shoes in the process.

She crawled forward slowly, her muffled sobs echoing vaguely, akin to a young beast's dying whimper.

Deep into the night, with such heavy snowfall, few ventured outdoors. She crawled through the vast expanse, uncertain of where she was going or where else she could go.

The Chen brothers were right.

She had no family, no father, no elder brother—no one to stand up for her, no one to take her in.

In this vast expanse of pristine, righteous red dust, there was not a single place for her to seek refuge.

Her constitution was weak to begin with, and she had been thrown out with thin clothing. Shivering from the cold, her limbs soon became numb, devoid of sensation.

Crawling all the way to the outskirts of the city, she reached a humble shrine dedicated to the Ghost Consecrator. Huddling inside to avoid the snow, her lips turned purple from the chill, and her heart sank even further.

Looking up at the vividly painted clay statue of the deity in its resplendent red attire, tears began to stream down her face uncontrollably. She recalled the customs in the Lower Realm: during a wedding, a Consecrator was supposed to bear witness.

Back then, she had merely worn a single red flower in her hair, smiling brightly as she knelt before Chen Bohuan.

Was their closed-door marriage nothing but a dream? Was the beautiful reflection in that dim copper mirror on that day just a fleeting indulgence in her drunken slumber?

Kneeling before the Ghost Consecrator, her body growing increasingly heavy and cold, she prostrated herself three times and kowtowed nine times, weeping and laughing in turns.

"We become spouses by binding our hair together, our love unshaken. Joy... lies... in... this... very... night..."

She gradually felt dizzy, with her vision growing increasingly blurred.

Before her eyes, it was as if a thin veil of moonlight had been cast, transporting her back to that old courtyard from years past. There, she had cried out, "I didn't steal it, I didn't steal it, I didn't steal the oranges!"

But when three people claim something as truth, it becomes believable, and rumors can be terrifying. No one would trust her side of the story.

Until this very day, she knew that even if she were to grab someone, weep, and declare herself Chen Bohuan's true, lawful wife, nobody would believe her. She would still be that helpless girl by the mud wall, with no place to seek justice.

Nothing had truly changed.

Back then, there was still someone who had climbed over the wall, holding a steaming white steamed bun, pressing it into his palm and saying, "You must be hungry. Eat this bun to stave off your hunger."

But now... where was that person?

If he couldn't find him, would he be worried, or would he secretly heave a sigh of relief knowing his mother was finally free from her curse?

Luo Xianxian curled up in the earthen temple, her tears drying as she whispered, "Empress of Ceremonies, I want to be with him. I am his lawful wife... When we were married, there was no officiant by our side. You are the ghost officiant, unable to interfere with the living, but I... I can only tell you... tell you about it..."

She sobbed in fragments, her voice fading away as she choked out, "I wasn't lying..."

I am not lying.

The snow fell silently, the long night was tranquil.

The next day, when villagers passed by the small temple on the outskirts of town, they discovered Luo Xianxian's lifeless body, cold to the touch.

Author's Note:

Chu Wanning: Don't hold me back, let me kill them all! If Lord Zun asks, I'll take the blame!

Mo Weiyu: (Hugs tightly) Your Honor, please remain calm, return to your bench!