Chapter 49: The Drought Demon! (1)

Under repeated questioning from Granny Fan, Liu Dashao had no choice but to tell the entire story about the jade pendant. After hearing it, Granny Fan gasped repeatedly and sighed deeply. However, despite being a village shamaness—even a top-tier one—she still lacked the skills of a formally trained Taoist priest. After receiving the jade pendant, she examined it back and forth for quite some time but couldn’t make sense of it. She only felt that although the jade was of poor quality, the carved pixiu on it looked unusually vivid and exuded a kind of auspicious energy.

“Child, do you know what a pixiu is?” Granny Fan asked as she returned the pendant to Liu Dashao.

“I’ve heard from my father that it’s a mythical beast,” Liu Dashao replied.

“Right,” Granny Fan nodded. “Misfortune brings fortune, and fortune brings misfortune. Your yin-yang eyes have been closed for years, but now they’re fully opened. From now on, if you see ghosts or strange things, don’t panic—just get used to it. Also, never let this jade pendant leave your side. Remember, pixiu is fiercely loyal by nature and devoted to protecting its owner. I believe even the greatest trouble won’t harm you as long as you have it.”

“I understand, Grandma.”

“Good. Help me up, child. Let’s go back!”

Half an hour later, both Granny Fan and Liu Dashao regained consciousness. Seeing his son return unharmed, Liu Dashao’s father was so overjoyed that he nearly burst into tears and wanted to kowtow to Granny Fan. But she quickly stopped him. Other parents rushed over, asking about their children, and Granny Fan smiled, saying, “No worries. They’ll all be fine tomorrow.”

Because descending into the underworld had indeed been exhausting, both Liu Dashao and Granny Fan were extremely tired. After only a few words, they began to feel drowsy. They quickly dismissed everyone and went home to sleep.

That night, Liu Dashao had a dream. In it, he stood alone and desolate inside the Temple of the Five Manifestations of the Divine Official. The statue glared at him with wide eyes, watching him menacingly. Liu Dashao turned to run toward the temple gate, but just as he reached it, the gate slammed shut with a loud bang.

Then, a sinister laugh echoed through the temple. Liu Dashao turned around and saw that the statue of the Divine Official had transformed into an old demon, grinning wickedly. The demon said, “Aren’t you powerful? Then why don’t you try saving them all?” He pointed toward a corner of the temple. Liu Dashao looked in that direction and saw six people dressed in white kneeling on the ground, each with a coffin behind them. Their heads were bowed low, so Liu Dashao couldn’t see their faces. The demon laughed and told him to go check who the last one was. Liu Dashao hesitated but finally approached and lifted the person’s head. As soon as he touched it, the head fell right off. Liu Dashao was terrified and collapsed onto the ground. Looking closely at the severed head, he realized it was his father! Enraged, Liu Dashao turned to the demon and shouted, “You killed my father! I will definitely take revenge!” The demon rushed forward, grabbed Liu Dashao by the throat, and yelled furiously, “None of these six will survive! And no one in your entire village will escape either—including you!”

Old folks say that dreams often reflect the opposite of reality. For example, dreaming of finding a wallet might mean you’ll lose money soon. Similarly, dreaming of losing money might actually mean you’re about to get rich. Liu Dashao himself understood the principle that dreams often stem from one’s thoughts during the day, so he didn’t take this dream too seriously. Fortunately, the next morning, Tian Guoqiang, Goudan, and Xiao Mazi finally woke up. Liu Dashao was overjoyed—his two life-risking adventures hadn’t been in vain after all! To celebrate, Xiao Mazi’s mother even hosted a lavish feast. Everyone enjoyed themselves heartily. Tian Guoqiang hadn’t eaten in two days and devoured the meat like a hungry wolf—within moments, a plate of pork belly was completely gone. After the meal, Granny Fan packed her things and said her farewells. Although she had a house in Xiushui Village, she also owned a residence in the town. One of the parents knew this, so he didn’t insist too much on keeping her. After exchanging polite words of gratitude, he asked Liu Dashao to accompany Granny Fan on her way.

At the village entrance, as she gazed toward the distant hills, Granny Fan’s smile slowly faded. Her old face became tense and unreadable—neither happy nor sad.

“Grandma, what’s wrong?” Liu Dashao noticed her expression and quickly asked. He thought maybe the parents had treated the old woman poorly.

“Sigh! It’s all destined misfortune!” Granny Fan sighed bitterly as she closed her eyes slowly, her hands clasped behind her back.

After a long pause, she gently patted Liu Dashao’s head affectionately, making him feel a bit ticklish. “Child, I’ve never had a grandson in my life, and that’s been my lifelong regret. Would you call me ‘Grandma’ and make this old woman happy?”

“What’s the big deal? I’ll call you right now. From today on, I, Liu Dashao, will be your grandson!” Liu Dashao said cheerfully.

Granny Fan smiled, her toothless mouth wrinkling tightly. Her eyes, previously dull, now sparkled with a bright light. “Child, remember this. Grandma is going back to town to settle some unfinished matters. Once I’m free of attachments, I can act without restraint. During this time, you must take good care of yourself and your family. If anything serious happens in the village, stay calm and wait for Grandma to handle it.”

At that moment, Liu Dashao couldn’t fully grasp the hidden meaning in Granny Fan’s words. He simply nodded obediently. Feeling reassured, Granny Fan got on a tractor and returned to town, waving at Liu Dashao all the way until he felt deeply moved.

As the saying goes, a dog never changes its habit of eating feces. Sure enough, just a few days after recovering, the four troublemakers resumed their usual mischief. However, for now, Xiushui Village had temporarily returned to its peaceful state. Yet this peace felt strangely uneasy, as if it were the calm before a storm.

Coincidentally, right after Granny Fan left, the construction team from the town arrived in full force. Naturally, the team hadn’t come for no reason. As previously mentioned, the dam between Xiushui Village and Xiushan Village had become old and damaged, and after being hit by flash floods, half of it had collapsed—looking as if it had been struck by lightning. Both villages relied on the river for water, so when the dam broke, everyone was upset. Village Chief Tian had repeatedly reported the issue to higher authorities, and finally, the town mayor had no choice but to send a small team. Though only about ten people, the team was well-equipped and would be joined by local laborers from both villages—hopefully enough to handle the repairs.

The most eye-catching member of the construction team was a young man named Zhang Dali, a technician from the town who had come along to assist with the dam repairs, mainly responsible for geometric calculations. He wasn’t tall and rather thin, but he looked energetic and alert. He had short hair and, since he rarely worked under the sun, his skin was unusually fair and delicate, making him quite the “pretty boy.” Because he loved telling jokes and was good at getting along with people, he left a deep impression on the villagers. And he, in turn, had begun to pay particular attention to Lan, the young widow in the village.

Lan was from another town. When she was ten, a famine and plague struck her hometown, killing her entire family. She fled to Xiushui Village and was taken in by a kind-hearted old bricklayer who lived in the eastern part of the village.

The old bricklayer was a lifelong bachelor, still unmarried in his fifties. When he first saw Lan, she was thin and malnourished, looking pitiful. Moved by compassion, he decided to adopt her as his daughter. He built two walls inside his house to create a small partition, where he let Lan live.

Grateful for the old bricklayer’s kindness, Lan regarded him as her father. She affectionately called him “Dad” and brought joy into his previously lonely life. Back then, everyone ate from the same communal pot, and the old bricklayer’s wages from working in the production team were barely enough for one person. But with his masonry skills, he could earn extra points by repairing courtyards and walls for the team leaders, making it possible to raise Lan comfortably. Lan, being hardworking and capable, was soon accepted into the production team and became a full member of the village. For an outsider, she was very satisfied with her life and felt even more grateful toward the old bricklayer for taking her in.

However, this peaceful life didn’t last long. As Lan grew older, she blossomed into a beautiful young woman—slim yet curvaceous, becoming the most admired girl in the area. Many young men secretly admired her, and suitors came knocking at the door. But each time, the old bricklayer turned them away, saying she was still too young and that they could talk in a few years. In truth, the old man had other intentions. Having lived alone for over fifty years without ever experiencing a woman’s touch, he began to feel intense desires as Lan matured. He would often pretend to look for things and sneak into her room while she was changing, but Lan, who saw him only as a father figure, never suspected anything.

One night, while Lan was bathing, the old bricklayer, unable to control himself any longer, burst into her small room and forcibly took her innocence.

Heartbroken and with swollen, tear-filled eyes, Lan endured silently. With the traditional patience typical of women of that era and out of gratitude for the old bricklayer’s kindness, she didn’t resist. This only emboldened him further. He publicly declared that Lan was his child bride who had now become his official wife, warning others not to pursue her. Privately, he removed the partition walls and moved in with her.

The old bricklayer’s actions enraged the village’s many bachelors, who cursed him, wishing him ill fate. Whether it was due to their curses or simply because he had reached an age where he could no longer enjoy such pleasures, he soon fell gravely ill and died.

After the old bricklayer’s death, Lan was left alone. Though she and the old man had no official marital bond, everyone in the village knew she had been his woman. Thus, barely in her early twenties, Lan became an unofficial widow. With the old man gone, the village bachelors began eyeing her again, even sneaking out at night to knock on her door. Lan usually ignored such nuisances, but recently, she had developed a strange fondness for this young man named Zhang Dali.

Unfortunately, it rained heavily for several days, forcing the construction team to delay their work. After discussing the matter with Village Chief Tian, the team temporarily set up camp in the village, waiting for better weather to resume repairs. Although the food in Xiushui Village was decent, the living conditions were far from the red-brick houses in town. This made life tough for the workers, who spent their days scratching for lice and chasing cockroaches. However, one person among them seemed to be enjoying himself immensely—Zhang Dali. Indeed, Zhang had taken a liking to Lan. From the moment he arrived in the village, he had made a point of saying things to make her smile. Now that the team was temporarily staying in the village, he became even more active—frequently helping Lan carry water, pull weeds, and do various chores, almost like her personal assistant. This made Lan blush every time, unable to speak.

Over time, the villagers began to notice the growing closeness between them. Though some whispered about Lan’s past with the old bricklayer, most thought the two made a good match—Zhang was a capable young man, and Lan was a beautiful woman. So they quietly wished them well.

Considering Lan’s age, she was at the prime of her romantic life. Before long, she truly developed feelings for Zhang Dali and gradually fell in love with him. Having already experienced the pleasures of intimacy with the old bricklayer, and having been without a man for a long time after his death, her body naturally craved affection. Zhang Dali, in his early thirties and full of youthful vigor, soon made his move. After receiving a subtle sign of approval from Lan, he secretly sneaked into her house that night. Sparks flew between them like dry wood meeting fire, and soon they were inseparable. During the day, they maintained a normal, unremarkable relationship in public. But at night, they became passionate lovers, leaving traces of their love everywhere—in the fields, reed beds, small woods, and along the riverbanks.

Their love blossomed sweetly, but one lonely bachelor in the village couldn’t stand it. This bachelor was no ordinary man—he was Li Yang, the village Party secretary. You might wonder how a village secretary could still be single. The answer was simple: Li Yang had become secretary through his cousin, who was the town mayor.

Li Yang was once a notorious local bully who climbed the ranks through his cousin’s connections—from a small team leader to the village Party secretary. Although he held an official title, no one respected him or followed his orders. Compared to the upright and diligent Village Chief Tian, Li Yang was clearly unfit for the role. Worse still, rumors claimed he had even eaten human flesh during the famine years, making him infamous. At over forty, he was still single and spent his days grabbing young women’s hands.

Li Yang had long been lusting after Lan in the eastern part of the village. Every time he saw her walking past with her alluring figure, he couldn’t help but swallow hard and feel restless. After the old bricklayer’s death, Li Yang often knocked on Lan’s door at night. During the day, he always assigned her the easiest tasks and tried to flirt with her. But Lan had no interest in him and ignored him completely, while showing warmth toward Zhang Dali. Li Yang saw this and grew deeply resentful.

One night, Li Yang was preparing to knock on Lan’s door again when, halfway there, he suddenly saw a figure dart out from a side path and walk ahead of him. The person moved suspiciously, so Li Yang quietly followed. He watched as the figure weaved through the alleys and headed toward Lan’s house.

When the figure reached Lan’s door, he glanced around cautiously. Li Yang quickly hid behind a tree. The man softly knocked on the door, and from inside came Lan’s voice.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me. Open up.”

With a creak, the door opened. In the dim light from inside, Li Yang saw that the man was none other than Zhang Dali from the construction team. Zhang looked around nervously before quickly slipping inside. Soon after, the light in the room went out.

Li Yang crept up to the window and pressed his ear against it. From inside, he heard heavy breathing and the sound of a man panting. This made him blush and tremble with jealousy.

After a long while, the sounds inside abruptly stopped. A little later, the door creaked open again, and Zhang Dali, his clothes disheveled, stepped out and disappeared into the night. Soon after, another knock came at the door.

“Who is it?” Lan, puzzled, thought it might be Zhang returning.

“It’s me, your Big Brother Li.”

“Secretary Li, it’s so late. Do you need something? I was already sleeping.”

“Just open the door. I need to talk to you.”

Still half-asleep, Lan lit the lamp and opened the door. As soon as it opened, Li Yang barged in. Like a dog sniffing around, he sniffed the air and smirked, “Hey, little sister, why does it smell like a man in here?”

Lan turned red, unsure how to respond. Li Yang suddenly grabbed her, his eyes bloodshot, his yellowed teeth exposed in a lecherous grin. Drool dripped from his mouth as he breathed heavily, his foul breath filling the room.

“Little sister, if you can let that pretty boy from the construction team have his way with you, why not me? I’m much better than him!”

As he spoke, he began tearing at her clothes. Lan struggled violently, refusing to yield.

“Stop struggling! Be a good girl and give in. Otherwise, I’ll write a report about your affair and send it to the town. Hehe, you know what will happen then!”

Hearing this, Lan’s face turned pale. For a woman, reputation was everything. She stopped resisting. Li Yang quickly blew out the lamp, kicked the door shut, and threw Lan onto the bed like a hungry wolf pouncing on prey.

Lan could only endure in silence as Li Yang brutally violated her beautiful body. He spent most of the night ravaging her until he was finally exhausted and staggered out. Once the first time happened, more followed. Whenever he had the chance, Li Yang would sneak into Lan’s house again. Under his threats, Lan dared not speak out and silently endured everything. Meanwhile, she continued her relationship with Zhang Dali.

Lan was caught between two men. Li Yang made sure to avoid Zhang Dali when visiting her at night, either waiting for Zhang to leave or suppressing his desires until Zhang was gone. Poor Lan could do nothing but endure. But good fortune didn’t last long. Although Li Yang tried to be careful, he was soon caught red-handed by Zhang Dali. Zhang was a straightforward guy who didn’t care about titles or political positions. He grabbed a fire poker and beat Li Yang mercilessly, leaving him bruised and bloodied as he fled. Lan could only sit on the bed and cry. After finishing the beating, Zhang glared angrily at Lan and stormed out. Lan, realizing the danger, rushed to stop him and explain, but Zhang, consumed by rage, wouldn’t listen. He kicked her aside and left without looking back.