Volume 8: The Days of the Ghost Marriage
Division of Labor
Too lazy to summarize, summarizing is too hard
The wreckage in front burned for the entire night. It wasn’t until dawn the next day, when Baozhu splashed a basin of water onto the ruins, that the great fire was finally and completely extinguished.
Last night was a peaceful night.
They hadn’t been able to get any candles and were also assigned to be with Baozhu and Feicui, but perhaps it was precisely because of the fire that the things that had occurred in the first half of the night did not happen again.
Today was the fifth day of the game. For the players, this meant they had two days left.
The main questline of the instance was now very clear, but they still had no clue how to leave.
Old Master Shao had found an evil book and used its sorcery to obtain his current, vast family fortune.
They didn’t know the specific details of the sorcery, but it was nothing more than using living people as sacrifices (and it seemed to require the sacrifices to generate hatred) to achieve his goal of getting rich quick.
On the surface, he married two concubines, who were now both in wells. One was named Ying Meng, the birth mother of the Eldest Young Master, living in the well to the southwest of the courtyard. The other, who Shen Maomao suspected was Xiao Yu, was likely the birth mother of the Third Young Miss, living in the well in the master’s courtyard to the due east.
Ying Meng regained her senses because Old Master Shao was going to make a move on the Third Young Miss, and in turn, directly killed Old Master Shao. Something must have happened between Xiao Yu and the Madam; they couldn’t determine whose soul was actually inside the Madam’s body.
The two concubines’ deaths were far apart. Ying Meng had likely been dead for over twenty years, while Xiao Yu had only been dead for three or four. In the decades between them, there were probably many others who died here without even leaving a name behind.
Old Master Shao was very good at finding targets. These women mostly came from humble backgrounds, had no family, and were easily moved. After they died… no one would come looking for them.
In addition, to the due south, in the well at the main gate, lived Milk Tea, who would possibly seek revenge on Potato Chip…
Lou Jingmo squatted on the ground, used a branch to draw a rice-character1 grid, and then drew circles on the three known wells. “You didn’t deny it when I said it yesterday. The wells that are on the same line are connected to each other, right?”
She was asking Potato Chip.
Potato Chip answered, “Yes. The water from wells on the same line restrains each other.”
Lou Jingmo nodded. “So my speculation wasn’t wrong. You deliberately drank water from the well behind the rockery to prevent Milk Tea from harming you, and it’s because we drank water from the kitchen well that we can’t hear the singing of the female ghost on the opposite side.”
Su Han said, “In that case… can’t we just drink from all the wells once!”
Shen Maomao said, “…It probably won’t be that simple, right?”
“It’s not that simple,” Potato Chip said. “Normally, ghosts need to follow rules to kill. The ghosts in this instance wander around every night, but as long as our lamps don’t go out and we don’t take the initiative to go outside, they can’t do anything to the players.”
“Also, don’t go near the wells alone during the daytime. While drinking well water can render the methods of the opposing ghost ineffective against you, it also cancels the restriction on the ghost from the well you drank from—meaning, even if you don’t break a taboo, the ghost in that well can kill. Furthermore, a person can drink from a maximum of four wells. Exceeding that will nullify the immunity function, making it even more dangerous.”
Shen Maomao and Lou Jingmo exchanged a look. She said, a bit uncertainly, “You’re definitely from the kitchen, no doubt about it, since the head chef drew the water. As for me, I’m not so sure. Baozhu and Feicui obviously planned this for a long time. They might be the female ghosts from one of the wells, and they set a trap to get me…”
Since it was premeditated, it’s not impossible that they got water from another well ahead of time.
Su Han said, “…Then am I in a lot of danger??”
Shen Maomao patted her on the shoulder. “Good luck2. Try hard to stay alive.”
Su Han wanted to cry but had no tears.
Lou Jingmo couldn’t stand seeing her being so close to someone else and directly tapped the ground with the branch. “Look at the diagram. Don’t whisper.”
Shen Maomao gave her a white eye3.
What the hell, whispering? We were obviously talking right in front of everyone!
Lou Jingmo said, “Right now, there are five wells where we can’t be sure who is inside—the kitchen, the rockery, the laundry yard, the storehouse, and the one in the Eldest Young Master’s courtyard.”
“From a certain perspective, I think Baozhu and Feicui might be the ghosts from the kitchen and the Eldest Young Master’s courtyard,” Shen Maomao said.
Lou Jingmo raised an eyebrow at her.
Shen Maomao said, “Don’t look at me, I don’t have any evidence either, it’s just a gut feeling. They told us before that only the kitchen and the Eldest Young Master’s courtyard had ‘Spirit Water,’ but the reality is that all the wells have it. Could it be because they don’t know that other wells also have ghosts like them living inside?”
Lou Jingmo said, “That’s also possible. In that case, I’ll leave this matter to you.”
Shen Maomao: “???”
Lou Jingmo: “Since they chose to rack their brains to trick you into drinking the water instead of using force, it means you definitely still have some use. Do your best to make use of your remaining heat.”
Shen Maomao: “…”
This is clearly a real girlfriend. Someone who wasn’t would never dare to give orders like that.
Lou Jingmo continued with the arrangements. “If you want to get out of this game, then follow my command. We might not have lamps tonight, so we have to try our best to get out before dark.”
Potato Chip: “In such a hurry?!”
Lou Jingmo: “We’re not rushing. If you think it’s too fast, you can wait until after the seventh day to leave.”
Potato Chip was retorted into silence: “…”
Lou Jingmo glanced around and asked, “Does anyone else have any objections?”
The three of them all shook their heads.
Lou Jingmo continued, “Rabbit, you’re responsible for the northeast and southeast. Su Han, you take due east and due south. I’ll go to the southwest and due west. The northwest and due north are yours, okay?” After speaking, she looked at them with a smile.
Although it was a very polite question, it felt like if any of them refused, their dog heads4 would be beaten until they exploded.
They all nodded, not daring to object.
Lou Jingmo stood up, scuffed away the diagram on the ground with her foot, and said, “Let’s move.”
Then she turned around and saw Bi Chun standing behind them, watching them with a smile.
Shen Maomao: “!!”
Bi Chun glanced at the smudged diagram and asked, “What are you doing?”
Shen Maomao did her best to keep a straight face. “We’re playing house.”
Lou Jingmo: “…”
Fortunately, Bi Chun didn’t press the issue and said instead, “I heard there was a fire here, so I came to take a look. It’s good that you’re all right.”
Shen Maomao hurriedly patted the horse’s butt5. “Thank you for your concern, Miss Bi Chun. To think you still remember us, it’s truly overwhelming to be so favored!”
Bi Chun’s face reddened. “It’s nothing… You must have been terrified, right? Forget about it for today. I’ll assign your work to someone else, but you must get back to work tomorrow!”
Shen Maomao nodded repeatedly. “Rest assured, Miss Bi Chun, we will definitely work hard!”
Bi Chun waved her hand. “Go on and do what you need to do.”
The four of them dispersed on the spot. Before they separated, Lou Jingmo deliberately reminded her in a low voice, “Be careful of Cheng Rui. Avoid him as much as possible, don’t clash with him head-on.”
Shen Maomao nodded and replied reluctantly, “You be careful too…”
“Mm.” Lou Jingmo glanced at her, then couldn’t resist looking a second time.
She glanced around, and after confirming no one besides Bi Chun was watching them, she pinched Shen Maomao’s chin, leaving a clear teeth mark on it. Then she gave her a pat on the butt. “Go on, be safe.”
Shen Maomao rubbed her chin in annoyance. The corners of her eyes were a little red from the pain, and she shot Lou Jingmo a glare that was both coquettish and resentful. The sight made Lou Jingmo’s heart grow hot, and she couldn’t help but swallow hard, making a distinct “gudong” sound.
After their sticky moment, the two of them separated and went in opposite directions. As soon as Shen Maomao turned, she once again saw Bi Chun standing not far away like a ghost.
Bi Chun had a mysterious and unfathomable expression on her face, which also bore two strange patches of blush, making Shen Maomao wonder who exactly had been flirting with her just now.
She asked tentatively, “I’ll be going then, Miss Bi Chun?”
Bi Chun covered her face with a handkerchief. “Mhm, go on.”
Shen Maomao walked away, completely bewildered.
What’s the situation with Bi Chun? Could it be that she has a secret crush on me?
…
The overall tone of the Shao Manor was actually very muted, even leaning toward gray, which was why the vast stretches of red lanterns gave people a sense of abruptness and eeriness.
Not to mention that behind those double happiness6 symbols were, in fact, pairs of eyes staring intently at you.
Shen Maomao thought things over as she walked.
Our ability to communicate harmoniously with Ying Meng, could it be related to the fact that there are no lanterns in the courtyard where she lives? Can these lanterns be taken down? What would be the consequences of taking them down?
The Eldest Young Master and Milk Tea haven’t appeared since they got married. Is he trapped, or is he already dead? Are Baozhu and Feicui human or ghosts? And what is their relationship with the wells?
Her living quarters were very close to the kitchen, so after just a few steps, she saw the wide-open courtyard gate.
Even though this estate would transform at night into an endless, surging undercurrent, by day, it was always peaceful and bustling, regardless of what was going to happen, or had already happened, in the night.
Several servants bustled in and out carrying trays, and the kitchen was still a scene of hot fire facing the sky7.
The head chef, holding a pig-slaughtering knife8, was deftly deboning pork. Nearby, Feicui and Baozhu were washing vegetables together, whispering to each other as they worked, and occasionally bursting into loud laughter.
The Second Young Master had told them to rest well, but very few people were actually resting or on strike. Most of the servants had returned to their posts, though Shen Maomao didn’t have the ability to guess what they were really thinking.
However, she knew that these two definitely had ulterior motives for her.
Sure enough, the moment Baozhu saw her poke her head in, she immediately stood up. “Why are you here too! Didn’t you say you were going to get some sleep and rest?”
Shen Maomao smiled, pressing her lips together. “It’s fine. I couldn’t sleep, so I came over to find something to do.”
Baozhu looked at her with a pained expression. “You must have been so tired these past few days. Look at the dark circles under your eyes. I think the best thing for you to do right now is to hurry back and rest!”
Just then, the head chef shouted at her, “You, over there! The one standing there in a daze! Get over here and help me mince these green onions, hurry up!”
“Ah?” Shen Maomao hurriedly answered, “Oh, oh, coming!”
Baozhu shot him a dark look and immediately got up to help. “Don’t make her do it, I’ll do it! Such a beautiful hand, how much of a pity would it be if it got hurt or nicked?”
Her words sounded like they were for Shen Maomao’s own good, and not only did she say it nicely, she acted on it too, yet it made Shen Maomao’s scalp go numb9 for some reason.
She had the distinct feeling that, in Baozhu’s eyes, she was now a lifeless puppet specimen, and Baozhu was afraid someone else might damage her, causing the specimen to no longer be perfect…
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