All I remember is that while I was still asleep, I heard a commotion outside, accompanied by crying.

I couldn't fall asleep due to this noise. I put on my clothes and walked out. It was unknown when our house was filled with people. They were all seniors of the village and they were all discussing something at once.

Second Uncle's room is also filled with people and I could faintly hear the sound of weeping. After I push my way through the crowd and enter the room, the scene before me will be something that I will never forget for the rest of my life.

Second Uncle was kneeling on the ground with his head in his hands, as if he was surrendering. He was naked, and his entire body was covered in injuries.

At that moment, I didn't know what I was feeling in my heart, because I couldn't believe it was true. How could that second uncle who spoiled me since I was young die? This must be a dream.

I bit my tongue until it bled, but I couldn't help but to accept the fact that my second uncle had died.

My tears also came out. They flowed so silently that I didn't even dare make a sound for fear of startling second uncle.

Under the support of a few aunts, I walked out of Second Uncle's room. Grandma was dragged out as well. I could understand how much pain Grandma was feeling when this white-haired man sent away the black-haired man.

With the village head's help, I brought a coffin over. They wanted to place Second Uncle's corpse in the coffin, but I didn't agree because the moment Second Uncle enters the coffin, it means that he really wants to leave us.

But in the end, Second Uncle was still put into the coffin. Second Uncle's corpse still remained in the kneeling position. Only with the help of the Village Head and a few of his uncles did his corpse return to normal.

The village chief found the old man from the village and examined him. After checking his body for a while, he found nothing else apart from the wounds on his body.

By noon, the crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only a few elders behind.

Grandma suddenly stopped crying and just stared at the coffin. She didn't respond to anyone who spoke to her. It was as if she had gone stupid.

The village chief was afraid that my grandmother wouldn't be able to bear it, and since they didn't listen to their words, he could only persuade me to go and enlighten them.

I could only bear with my grief and console my grandmother. I had already lost my second uncle, so I couldn't lose my grandmother again.

At my consolation, my grandmother suddenly moved. She turned her head to look at me and in a rather weak voice told me to go and find Butcher Liu.

I looked at Grandma in disbelief. She gave me a determined look and I nodded my head. I ran over to Butcher Liu's house. Butcher Liu just happened to be out. He understood what was going on when he saw me.

"Lead the way."

I didn't have time to explain the reason before Butcher Liu told me first. I think he also heard about Second Uncle's death.

The two of us returned home as fast as we could. Butcher Liu greeted the Village Head and went to look at Second Uncle's corpse. There were tears in the corners of his eyes, but they didn't flow.

Then, he turned to the village chief and his uncles and said, "Village Chief, you all can go back first. This place belongs to me."

The Village Head nodded his head. Before leaving, he even ordered for Butcher Liu to persuade my grandmother not to think too much and to do something stupid.

After the village chief left, Butcher Liu looked at me and said, "Little boy, you go out first. I have something to say to your grandmother."

I didn't dare to disobey him, so I went out. After I went out, Butcher Liu closed the door behind me and held it with something, as if he was afraid I would know something.

I couldn't hear anything, so I just found a place to sit down. Suddenly, I saw another patch of earth appear in the yard, the same blood-red as the one I had seen earlier.

However, this time, it didn't extend to the entrance of the hall. Instead, it turned a corner and went to Second Uncle's window. When I walked to Second Uncle's window, I found a black footprint on the ground.

When grandma bought the male corpse, this dirt appeared. Now, it appeared again and grandma couldn't see it. I couldn't help but suspect that Second Uncle's death was related to this bloody soil, but whose footprints were these?

Squeak!

A piercing noise interrupted my thoughts. I looked up and saw that it was Butcher Liu who had opened the door and come out.

He glanced around and then looked at me. He frowned, thinking that he had found something on me, but then he shifted his attention away from me. He followed the bloody soil all the way to my mouth.

Butcher Liu's reaction was a little out of my expectations. Could Butcher Liu see this bloody soil?

"Little boy, you can come in now."

Just as I was getting suspicious, Butcher Liu looked away and told me that I could only put this matter aside for the time being and return to the house.

I don't know what Butcher Liu said to Grandma. Grandma was already much better, at least compared to this morning.

"Grandma, are you alright?"

I walked up to my grandmother, grabbed her hand, and asked with concern.

I was really afraid that my grandmother would fall too, so that I wouldn't have any relatives to be a wild child.

Grandma caressed my forehead and said in a hoarse voice, "Grandma is fine, so don't worry!"

Seeing that my grandmother had spoken, and even squeezed out a smile, although this smile was very forced, but my heart also felt a lot more at ease.

Seeing that his grandmother's complexion had improved, the village chief was relieved. He placed the lunchbox on the table and said, "You must be hungry since you haven't eaten in the afternoon. This is my family's chicken soup, you can try it."

While speaking, the Village Head had already scooped up the soup and passed it to Grandma. Grandma accepted it and the Village Head poured another bowl for Butcher Liu and me.

Drinking the chicken soup, butcher Liu called the village chief out. The two of them talked for a while under the locust tree in the yard. The village chief kept nodding his head.

After a while, they seemed to have finished talking, and the two of them entered the village again. The Village Chief walked up to his grandmother and asked, "Are you sure you want to bury Hua Qiang's body today?"

Grandma nodded, her attitude firm.

The Village Chief did not say anything. Instead, he signaled for Chu Feng to go and call for help. After that, he hurriedly left.

I understand what the Village Head and Grandma said just now. Today, they are going to bury Second Uncle, but after death, didn't they have to leave him at home for three days? Second Uncle may have no children, but I'm already half a daughter to him. I can do this kind of thing like mourning, but why did my grandma bury Second Uncle today?

I was extremely confused and also could not bear to be asked by Second Uncle. Grandma looked at me with a face full of exhaustion as she said, "Little boy, I was unable to protect your Second Uncle, but I will definitely protect you. Even if I have to sacrifice my life, I will not let her take you away."

Grandmother's words confused me. What is she talking about?

I asked Grandmother what she meant by that, but Grandmother ignored me. She mumbled to herself, "I've been hiding it for seventeen years. It seems that I can't hide it any longer."

Just as I was thinking about asking more questions, the village chief came back with a few young men, all in their twenties.

When the village chief came, he asked when Butcher Liu would get up from the coffin. Butcher Liu looked at the time and indicated that he would wait. Let us take a last look.

The few of us sat down without saying a word. Butcher Liu opened the coffin lid and I walked over with my grandma. At some point, Second Uncle had already put on his clothes. It was a white shroud.

What gave me a fright was that Second Uncle's eyes were still wide open and bloodshot. I clearly remembered that when we entered the coffin today, the Village Head closed Second Uncle's eyes, but why did he open them again?

Grandmother also noticed this, and we both turned to look at Butcher Liu, wanting to hear his explanation.

Butcher Liu did not know what his second uncle looked like when he died, but he was frightened by his second uncle's angry eyes.

How could Second Uncle die with his eyes closed? How could he die in such a unclear manner?

Butcher Liu did not let us watch for too long before he closed the coffin. He then looked at the hour and instructed the village chief, "It is already noon, time to get up the coffin."

As soon as Butcher Liu finished his words, the young men stood up and walked to a corner. There were a total of eight people at four corners.

After setting up the bar, Butcher Liu grabbed a handful of yellow paper from his wooden box and sprinkled it at the door. At the same time, he sang:

"Yang men walk the path of men, Yin men walk the path of ghosts, rise!"

Following Butcher Liu's order, all eight of them placed their poles on their shoulders and exerted force together. To my surprise, the coffin was not lifted.

From their initial calm to their final gritting of teeth, the young men could tell that they had used quite a bit of strength, but the coffin did not move at all.

"Uncle Liu, I can't move it!"

After a few tries, he still did not lift up his head. Standing at the front of the group was Wang Jianguang, who had a bitter look on his face as he complained to Butcher Liu.

Wang Jiangang and I are the same age. According to my age, I should call him Jianggang [Brother Jiangang], and the reason he calls me butcher Liu [1] is to address him as uncle.

The others also complained in succession. Slaughterer Liu's brows creased into a chuanzi as he waved his hand to allow the eight people to leave.

When everyone had left, Butcher Liu walked up to the coffin and walked around it, his face turning even uglier. Then he asked me to bring a bowl of water.

I didn't dare to be negligent. I've never seen anyone who couldn't lift the coffin in my lifetime. Earlier, the Second Uncle and Butcher Liu both lifted the coffin, but these eight people were actually unable to lift it.

A bowl of water was brought from the kitchen and handed to Butcher Liu. He took the water and splashed it on the corner of the coffin. The water was sucked into the ground at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Not to mention me, even Butcher Liu was stunned for a moment. However, he quickly reacted and cursed, "Earth Guiding Qi, this must be a fake corpse."

Hearing about the corpse being faked, everyone couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air. The village head had an ugly expression on his face as he walked towards Butcher Liu and asked, "Brother Liu, what should we do?"

This corpse fraud was not a joke. If it was serious, then someone would have died. No wonder the village head got nervous. I also know why grandma agreed to let Second Uncle bury the corpse that day.

Butcher Liu frowned deeply and asked the village chief to bring four bowls over. He looked at me and ordered, "Little boy, can you go to my house and help me get something?"

"What is it?"

"Blood of the virgin …" Butcher Liu said without hesitation.