The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 786: Death Is Not Far Away (1)_1

Chapter 786: Chapter 786: Death Is Not Far Away (1)_1

After Pei Wensheng’s body was brought back home, the sight of his face, swollen from being soaked all night and torn by hooks, was so ghastly that it frightened everyone. No one dared to help dress the corpse for the funeral. Even Pei Zongli was scared when he saw it.

Mother Qian took Shu Hua, and suppressing the terror in her heart, she gave Pei Wensheng a simple wash and changed his clothes. She bought a coffin and placed him inside.

The whole of Yuanyang County became frightened. Even the adults were afraid to go out at night. The families next to Pei Zongli were even more cautious with their comings and goings. They would close their doors before it got dark and even pasted yellow talismans and hung bagua mirrors as a protection against evil spirits in their homes. When they discussed the matter, they did so in hushed tones, fearing that Pei Wenjie’s vengeful ghost was too powerful and had already claimed Pei Wensheng’s life, and they did not want to be involved. They speculated that Pei Wensheng also did not die a good death and wondered whether he would become a malicious spirit or something of the sort.

"He smothered his own younger brother to death at such a young age. It’s very likely he will become a vengeful ghost, isn’t it!?"

These words sent shivers down everyone’s spine.

Old Man Chang, hearing the gossip of the customers who came to buy sunflower seeds and sugar-roasted peanuts, said irritably, "What’s there to be afraid of, you grown men! Those of us who don’t do anything wrong don’t fear the ghost knocking at midnight! Moreover, every wrongdoer has their retribution. If they did bad things, they would have descended to hell after death, what vengeful ghosts can they become! Stop thinking and talking nonsense, making everyone panic!"

Upon hearing this, the others felt a bit sheepish, and were even ridiculed for being scared. But it was true, if one descends to hell after death, what ghost could they become!

Then, the news spread that Pei Wensheng had been claimed by a vengeful ghost because he smothered his own younger brother, and that he must have gone to hell after dying!

When the news reached Taiping Town, the villagers were somewhat incredulous. "Really claimed by a vengeful ghost!?"

"Exactly! It is said that before he died, he went alone to the wild mountain where Pei Wenjie was buried, and he died not two miles from there!"

"So it seems Pei Wensheng really did smother his own younger brother? How cruel he was at such a young age!"

"His parents aren’t any better; each more sinister and vicious than the other. What good could come from them!?"

Pei Qian had already sent word to Back Mountain Village, "Pei Wensheng is dead, Lady Chen is probably scared to death just hearing the news!"

Pei Qin glanced at her and did not respond. Even if Lady Chen was not scared to death, she would not live much longer.

"The Qians are definitely going to pin this on us," Pei Qian muttered disapprovingly with a snort, then asked Pei Qin, "Big sister, do you think ghosts really exist?"

"Yes, they do!" The one standing right in front of you, stretching arms and kicking legs, is undoubtedly a real ghost.

Seeing her answer with such certainty, Pei Qian was suspicious, "Are there really ghostly barbers?" She had always believed it was her brother-in-law who had acted, poisoning them.

"Many ghosts know how to shave heads!" Pei Qin looked at her seriously and nodded. Thallium is one of them; its effects are comparable to arsenic. Just a bit can give someone a ’ghostly shave’.

Pei Qian was still skeptical and muttered discontentedly, "So that means Lady Chen will get off scot-free!?"

Lady Chen was not off scot-free at all; she was terrified and hid in her room every day, not daring to leave the house. Most of her hair had fallen out, leaving only a few strands, and her eyes remained a constant cloudy white, only able to see vaguely and not clearly.

Lady Zhu was also afraid and was even more unwilling to tend to her, "You have perfectly good arms and legs, yet you expect me, your mother-in-law, to wait on you! Can you really endure that!?"

Every time Lady Chen had a nightmare and claimed it wasn’t her who killed the person, but Pei Wensheng, Lady Zhu wished she could strangle her to death. She cursed her for smearing her grandson, slapping her and telling her to shut up, blaming Pei Qin for their misfortunes.