Chapter 22: He Said the Zombie Must Not Be Spared

"Seriously, Biao? Are you trying to set me up?"

"I’ve got a perfectly good car; isn't it bad luck to be hauling that sort of thing around?"

A-Biao looked at him with a half-smile. "I thought you never believed in that superstitious nonsense? Fine, I’ll give you a red envelope with 52 in it later. That good enough for you?"

Zhang Wei finally broke into a smile. "You’re a stand-up guy, Biao."

Seeing Su Chen pushing into the tall, waist-high weeds, A-Biao took a final drag of his cigarette, tossed the butt aside, grabbed a shovel from the car, and hurried after him.

"Hey, wait for me!"

Lin Jingyu and Zhang Wei followed close behind.

*Crunch, crunch.*

Su Chen moved nimbly, stepping on the stalks of the weeds to flatten them for Old Ye, who was following behind. He stopped when they reached a particularly dense patch.

"Brother, is A-Wang buried under this soil?" A-Biao asked. He spat into his palms, rubbed them together, and swung the shovel into the ground.

Zhang Wei looked on with a strange expression, muttering under his breath, "There’s nothing here. How can he be sure it’s underneath? Maybe he’s just spouting nonsense."

Lin Jingyu glared at him, but said nothing.

A-Biao had brute strength, and before long, he had dug a deep pit. However, aside from a few large rocks, there was nothing to be found. As the pit grew deep enough to bury a man, Zhang Wei couldn't hold back anymore. "Look, there’s nothing here. You guys should really try digging somewhere else."

Unfortunately, neither Lin Jingyu nor Old Ye, who was standing nearby, paid him any mind.

Su Chen gave a light cough. "About another meter down."

A-Biao, already exhausted, let out a heavy breath. "I need a rest."

Old Ye couldn't help but want to jump in, but Su Chen held him back.

It would be a joke.

Old Ye was covered in long hair; if Zhang Wei saw that, he’d be scared to death. Who would drive them back then?

"I'll do it."

Lin Jingyu rolled up his sleeves, ready to jump down, but Su Chen stopped him too. "Wait a moment."

He pulled out yellow paper and cinnabar, pressed it against his knee to draw a talisman, and stuck it onto Lin Jingyu. "That should make it a bit easier."

A-Biao wasn't having it. "Come on, brother, that’s not fair. If you have a talisman that saves effort, why didn't you give it to me?"

Su Chen smiled at him. "Brother Biao, you’re full of energy, not weak at all—do you really need this? If you truly do, I’ll draw one for you."

A-Biao immediately straightened his back, puffed out his chest, and stopped panting. He waved a hand dismissively. "No, no, I’m not as frail as A-Yu, heh heh."

*Oh, Brother Biao, your brain really isn't working,* Zhang Wei thought, finding the sight unbearable. *You actually believe a talisman saves physical labor?*

Still, with two people digging, it was significantly faster than before.

Before long, another mound of dirt piled up beside the pit. A-Biao and Lin Jingyu were digging with growing fervor. Just as A-Biao swung his shovel again, Su Chen called out, "Stop!"

Both men froze. Then, a wave of wild joy washed over them; they tossed their shovels aside and began digging with their bare hands. Old Ye rushed over to lean against the edge of the pit.

"A-Wang, A-Wang, my poor A-Wang!"

Zhang Wei couldn't help but mutter, "There’s nothing there yet and he’s already wailing? Has he lost his mind?"

The next moment, Lin Jingyu pulled out a military-style canteen.

Old Ye hurriedly wiped the mud off the canteen and saw his own name on it. He burst into tears. "It’s mine, it’s mine. When A-Wang was leaving, I gave him this canteen. It really is my A-Wang, oh, A-Wang!"

Zhang Wei was dumbfounded. *Are you serious?*

He couldn't resist walking over. There, lying in the mud, was a skeleton, with fragments of clothing still visible upon the bones.

Su Chen handed down a body bag, and A-Biao and Lin Jingyu began to carefully collect the remains.

Then, Old Ye said through gritted teeth, "Young man, was my A-Wang truly murdered?"

As soon as the words left his lips, a sudden, violent gale whipped up. Zhang Wei, caught off guard, stumbled back two steps before regaining his footing. He wondered why the wind by the coast was stronger than a typhoon.

Su Chen said in a low voice, "Uncle Ye, Brother A-Wang was indeed murdered, but… the person who harmed him is already dead."

"What?"

The wind stopped as abruptly as it had started. Lin Jingyu and A-Biao, who had been huddled in the pit, finally let out a sigh of relief.

Old Ye stared blankly at Su Chen.

Su Chen sighed. "The one who killed A-Wang was his stepmother."

Old Ye staggered. "It—it was her? That vicious woman! My A-Wang was even planning to go to Nanyang just to get away from her. Why couldn't she just let him go? Why?!"

"Because she wanted to use A-Wang as a sacrifice so she could conceive a child."

Lin Jingyu and A-Biao were both stunned.

"Look at A-Wang’s skull. Is there a nail in it?"

The two men checked hurriedly, and sure enough, there was.

Lin Jingyu paused, then said, "Uncle Ye’s wife supposedly died in childbirth..."

Su Chen nodded. "So, the laws of heaven are clear, and retribution is inevitable."

"That dark art could never truly grant a child; her pregnancy was already fated."

"The fact that she died in childbirth and never bore a child—that was her retribution."

Even so, Old Ye slowly knelt down, wailing, "A-Wang, it’s Dad’s fault. If I hadn't married her, you wouldn't have died. A-Wang!"

Even Zhang Wei couldn't help but sigh at the tragedy.

Once the remains were brought up, he silently helped carry them out of the weeds.

Lin Jingyu handed Old Ye some incense and paper money. "Uncle Ye, this has been A-Wang’s resting place for years. It’s better to burn some offerings here."

Old Ye nodded, whispered a thank you, and walked back into the weeds, only returning a full hour later.

On the way back, everyone was silent.

When they reached Chunming Street and were about to get out of the car, Old Ye finally spoke. "A-Yu, I’ll need to trouble you to help me sell the shop. I need to pick a good burial plot for myself and A-Wang, and I need to move his mother’s remains there as well."

Lin Jingyu nodded. "Understood!"

"As for the funeral..." Old Ye sighed, "let’s hold mine and A-Wang’s together."

Zhang Wei: "???"

*What is that supposed to mean? Is this old man so desperate after finding his son’s remains that he’s planning to commit suicide?*

*Don't do it!* He kept winking at A-Biao, hoping he would talk the old man out of it.

But he saw A-Biao nod slowly. "Uncle Ye, A-Yu and I will handle everything. Don't you worry."

Old Ye nodded and got out of the car, clutching the body bag. A-Biao started to follow, but Zhang Wei grabbed him.

"A-Wei, I’ll get you that red envelope later."

"That’s not what I’m talking about, Biao! Didn't you hear? The old guy is talking about suicide, and you’re nodding along?"

"Suicide?" A-Biao started to explain, then thought better of it and made an excuse. "I was just humoring him. Uncle Ye is grieving right now, so he can say whatever he wants. A-Yu and I will keep an eye on him."

Zhang Wei understood. "Oh, I see. That’s why you were both nodding."

"Alright, I’m heading off then."

When A-Biao returned to the shop, he saw Su Chen and Lin Jingyu already cleaning up the mess. Old Ye was in the back room, having taken the remains out of the bag and was carefully cleaning them with a toothbrush.

Hearing footsteps, Old Ye spoke. "A-Wang always loved being clean. I never imagined he’d be buried in filthy dirt for so many years. It was such a grievance to the child."

A-Biao nodded. "You're right. I’ll go buy an urn later. I’ll make sure it’s clean and dry."

Old Ye said nothing, continuing to scrub.

A-Biao quietly retreated to help tidy the shop. By the time Old Ye had finished cleaning the bones, the shop was already in order, and Lin Jingyu had returned with two large ash urns.

A-Biao whispered to him, "We’ll need a coffin too, right? Even though Brother A-Wang is just bones, Uncle Ye is still here."

Lin Jingyu shook his head and pointed at Su Chen, who was sitting to the side drawing talismans. "He said, the zombie cannot remain."