Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?
Chapter 116: Half a Steamed Bun

Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Half a Steamed Bun

Shen Siyuan flipped his palm, performed a finger formula, and directly summoned Dou Dou back into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner to avoid startling the elderly woman.

Upon seeing the little child with flames atop his head that terrified her suddenly disappear, the old woman was somewhat surprised, but quickly caught on and immediately approached Shen Siyuan.

"Grandmaster..." she called out from afar.

"Elder," Shen Siyuan replied politely as well.

"The Grandmaster indeed can see me," the old woman said with some delight.

Then, glancing at Xiao Yue and Duoduo who stood beside, curiously watching her, she continued, "Grandmaster, on your way here, did you happen to see my husband?"

"The one who is very thin and rides a three-wheeled cart?" Shen Siyuan inquired.

"Yes, yes, that’s him, he should be returning around this time every day," the old woman replied anxiously.

"I saw him; he is behind us and will be arriving soon," Shen Siyuan said.

At that moment, thunder suddenly rumbled in the sky, and large raindrops began to fall from above.

Startled by the thunder, the old woman quickly took shelter under the bridge pier and gestured to Shen Siyuan.

"Does the Grandmaster want to shelter from the rain before leaving?" she asked with a hopeful expression.

She pretended to invite Shen Siyuan to avoid the rain, but presumably she had something to say to him.

"Sure."

Shen Siyuan walked over without hesitation.

Seeing that Shen Siyuan had no intention of leaving, the elderly woman was overjoyed and quickly invited him to sit down.

Beneath this bridge, besides the mountains of collected waste, there was a simple stove, bedding, and a table and chairs.

This spot was precisely located in the inner corner of the downhill section of the overpass, and because it was so secluded, no one bothered about it.

"You’re not originally from Bin Hai?" Shen Siyuan asked.

The old woman nodded and flattered, "The Grandmaster’s eyesight is indeed good."

"I could tell from your accent," Shen Siyuan said.

That elderly man just now had a strong Shaanxi accent as well.

Indeed, the old woman followed up with, "We are from Shan Province."

"At such an advanced age, why did you leave your hometown to make a living in Bin Hai?" Shen Siyuan asked curiously.

Upon hearing this, the old woman sighed and said, "A few years ago, I fell ill and was bedridden, unable to move. My husband, seeing me lonely at home, decided to ride a three-wheeled cart, taking me around to see different places..."

Shen Siyuan was somewhat startled to hear such a reason.

"It’s too cold up north, my husband was afraid I couldn’t bear it, so we came south, and he took me to many places..."

"But last year, I couldn’t make it through, leaving only my husband behind..."

"For me, my husband spent all his money, so nowadays he picks up scrap to make a bit of money to live on..."

The old woman said, quietly wiping away tears.

"Why not go back home? If it’s a money issue, I can help," Shen Siyuan offered.

The old woman shook her head and replied, "It’s not about money, if he really wanted to go back, he could ask the government, and they would help send him back, it’s just that my husband himself doesn’t want to return..."

"Why?"

"Ah, because there’s no one left at home," the old woman sighed.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Shen Siyuan asked.

Shen Siyuan had guessed the old woman’s thoughts early on, so he simply asked directly.

The rain outside was pouring down even harder now, and the old woman glanced outside with some worry.

"Could you help in telling my old man to go back home, so he won’t wander outside anymore? Tell him to bury me on the slope to the east, so I can always watch over him..."

Shen Siyuan listened to the old woman’s manner of speaking, which suggested she had received an education and was somewhat cultured; he didn’t know why, in her later years, she would end up in this state.

"These words, you can tell him yourself. If I tell him, he might not believe me." Shen Siyuan said.

Then, with a thought, he summoned the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, performed a finger formula, and in an instant, captured the old woman inside the Banner.

In the next moment, he released her right back out.

"Ah?"

The old woman was still in a daze, seemingly unable to react for a moment.

"You can make yourself visible and see him, talk to him in person," Shen Siyuan said.

"Thank you, thank you..."

Gratitude filled the old woman’s face as she tried to kneel and kowtow to Shen Siyuan.

"There’s no need to kneel before me. Since we have met, it is fate between us."

With Shen Siyuan’s words, the old woman found herself unable to kneel down.

Having been captured by the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, the old woman felt even more trust and closeness towards Shen Siyuan.

Seeing that the old man hadn’t returned yet, she took the initiative to talk to Shen Siyuan about their past.

The old woman was named Ma Hongxia, and her husband was named Sun Sanlu. The two had known each other since childhood.

"Although San Lu is not very educated, he is honest and hardworking..."

"In his youth, he was full of strength and was good at handling all kinds of work, inside and out..."

"He was quite popular with the girls, but he didn’t fancy any of them; I don’t know why he took such a liking to me, insisting on nobody but me..."

While Ma Hongxia complained with her words, her face couldn’t help but reveal a smile.

"That must be because you were beautiful when you were young; you had the old master utterly mesmerized," Shen Siyuan said.

"Just an ordinary rural woman, nothing beautiful about me," Ma Hongxia said.

"Besides, by that time, I was already married and had children..."

"Ah..." Shen Siyuan was silenced by her words.

Ma Hongxia continued in a calm voice: "My family had a bad social standing, so they hurried to find a match and marry me off early..."

Shen Siyuan began to understand.

Ma Hongxia went on: "When San Lu’s parents were arranging a marriage for him, I already had two children."

"But despite several matches for him, he was not willing. His dad beat him over it countless times. In a fit of anger, he ran to the mountains, and eventually his parents couldn’t deal with this stubborn mule and let him be..."

"My first husband had a short life; before we could enjoy some good days together, he was gone..."

"Afterward, San Lu wanted me to be with him. My kids didn’t agree, nor did his parents, and the villagers gossiped. But this stubborn mule was set on me..."

"He made a fuss with me, with his parents, and no one could persuade him. Seeing his sincerity, I went with him..."

Ma Hongxia’s story reached this point, and her aged cheeks seemed to possess a shy blush.

The rain outside grew heavier; Ma Hongxia looked worriedly outside the bridge but quickly withdrew her gaze and continued to speak.

"I asked him why he insists on a widow like me; he said he liked me from a young age, that I was kindhearted and had once given him half a white steamed bun. I don’t even remember this, but he held it in his heart..."

"When I gave birth to my third child, I had a severe hemorrhage. The child didn’t survive, and my body was injured, leaving me unable to have more children..."

"This stubborn mule, knowing all this, still insisted on being with me, saying he didn’t want children, just to take care of me for life, truly a silly mule..."

Ma Hongxia gazed through the rain outside the bridge abutment, sighed deeply, and said with a voice full of guilt, "In my life, the thing I regret most is not bearing him a son or daughter, and being a burden on him..."

After hearing her story, Shen Siyuan couldn’t help but be silent, thinking it a tragedy of the times and feeling moved by Sun Sanlu’s true love.

At this moment, Ma Hongxia suddenly withdrew her gaze, looked at the piles of trash beside her, and asked, "San Lu has been earnest and hardworking all his life, never sneaky or slippery; why did he end up living like this?"

Shen Siyuan didn’t know how to answer the question.

Perhaps it was precisely because he was too honest and sincere?