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Although it is Plum Wine, if someone with worries drinks it, they will still get drunk.
When Shengzi knocked on the door, Xing Ruyi was tidying up the dishes. Chang Tai was slumped over the table, reeking of Plum Wine, mumbling something incomprehensible.
"I knew Brother Chang would definitely be here with Ruyi. I guessed right; he really is here."
"Brother Sheng is always clever," Xing Ruyi replied, pointing towards the courtyard. "Look, your Brother Chang is over there. However, he's had too much Plum Wine and is a bit drunk. If it's business, I'm afraid he won't be able to handle it."
Shengzi wrinkled his nose and sniffed hard. "Indeed, it's the aroma of Plum Wine. Brother Chang can really drink. With such a strong fragrance, he must have had two or three bottles, right?"
"Not just two or three bottles; all the ones I saved from earlier years have been finished by him." Xing Ruyi shook her head and pointed to the ground. "This Brother Chang of yours truly treats my Plum Wine like water."
Shengzi scratched his head and chuckled.
"My Brother Chang has worries, doesn't he? If it weren't for Yan Niang getting married today—right, Yan Niang! The reason I came to find Brother Chang is because of Yan Niang." Shengzi suddenly slapped his forehead and hurried over to Chang Tai, calling out loudly.
"Yan Niang! What happened to Yan Niang?" Xing Ruyi blinked in confusion. "Isn't she getting married today? If she’s marrying far away, she must have already left Luoyang by now. Even if she’s marrying nearby, she should have already completed the wedding ceremony by now. Even if your Brother Chang wanted to elope, it would be too late."
"Ruyi really thinks too much," Shengzi continued. "This matter is much bigger than eloping. Someone found Yan Niang's corpse outside the city; she was still wrapped in her wedding garment."
Crash!
The dishes in Xing Ruyi's hands fell to the ground, and Chang Tai instantly sobered up and stood up, grabbing Shengzi and asking, "What? Whose corpse did you just find?"
"Yan... Yan Niang," Shengzi stammered in fear from Chang Tai's grip. "We just received news from a villager that fishermen found a female corpse in the Luoyang River outside the city, still wrapped in a wedding garment. When they got closer, they realized it was Yan Niang. I haven't even reported this to the Master at the Yamen yet; I came here first to tell you, Brother Chang."
Chang Tai's face darkened; without saying anything more, he released his grip and rushed out the door. Xing Ruyi didn't bother to clean up anymore; she lifted her skirt and followed Chang Tai out of the city.
As soon as she walked a hundred steps away, she saw Yan Yan in her bright red Wedding Garment, standing in the shadow beneath the Willow Tree at the street corner. When Chang Tai rushed past her, Yan Yan instinctively reached out her hand to call him, only to find her hand passing through Chang Tai's body. She froze for a moment. After a while, she forced a bitter smile and walked towards Xing Ruyi.
"Can you see me?"
Xing Ruyi nodded. The earlier scene left her inexplicably heartbroken.
"Does that mean I am already dead?"
Yan Yan bit her lip and asked. As she spoke the word "dead," her already pale cheeks turned even whiter.
"The Shengzi found your Corpse by the Luoyang River outside the city... Brother Chang, he went to see you."
"What’s there to see? I’m dead; I’d rather he not see my pathetic state." Yan Yan forced a smile, her emaciated shoulders trembling slightly. "Ruyi, can you tell me where people go after they die?"
"Where do you want to go?" Xing Ruyi countered with a question. In truth, she could easily figure out what Yan Yan was thinking with a little calculation, but she preferred not to. It was more interesting to guess people's thoughts than to read them directly, just as she never used her abilities to foresee life and death. Life and death are burdensome; Wealth and Honor are fleeting.
Yan Yan shook her head. "I don’t know. All I know is that after I woke up, I kept walking towards the city. At first, my mind was in chaos, but when I saw Brother Chang, I realized I came to the city just to see him. When I saw him just now, I was so happy. I wanted to tell him that I wouldn’t leave anymore, that I wouldn’t marry anyone else; I just wanted to be with him for a lifetime, regardless of whether he would mind my past or care about my history. Whether as a wife or a concubine or a servant, all I wanted was to stay by his side from Black Hair until we both grew old together. But when my hand passed through his body, I understood that it was all too late; in this life and this world, I would never have the chance to accompany him again. Ruyi, am I foolish for not fighting for what I could have when I had the chance? Now that I'm dead, I've developed this desire to fight for it, but unfortunately, it's too late."
"Fate is predetermined; perhaps it’s like your own situation—there may be affinity but no destiny between you and Brother Chang in this life."
Yan Yan lightly covered her mouth and nose; if ghosts could shed tears, she must have been weeping profusely at that moment.
"Ruyi, please tell Brother Chang that Yan Yan is very happy to have met him. If there is a next life, Yan Yan will definitely be good and obedient and will only be his Wife."
"Don't worry; I'll tell him." Xing Ruyi nodded. As Yan Yan's body swayed slightly, she turned into a faint shadow.
"Yan Yan, wait! You still haven't told me who killed you."
"It doesn't matter anymore. When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. Who caused it and who was harmed are of no significance," Yan Niang said, radiant as a flower, smiling gently. "Help me take care of Brother Chang and tell him that in the next life, Yan Niang will definitely marry him."
With that, the phantom flickered one last time and then vanished.
Xing Ruyi let out a long sigh, still lifting her skirt as she rushed toward the outskirts of the city. On the riverbank, the crowd had already been driven to the periphery, while the Yard Officers formed a loose circle around Chang Tai, who was holding Yan Niang's corpse.
Seeing Xing Ruyi approach, the Yard Officers did not stop her and parted to let her in.
"Ruyi, you should really talk to Brother Chang. After all, once a person is dead, they cannot come back to life," Shengzi said as he leaned closer to Xing Ruyi, his voice low. It was clear that Chang Tai's situation had affected his group of brothers as well.
Xing Ruyi gestured for Shengzi to relax and walked over to Chang Tai, gently squatting down beside him. "Brother Chang, look at Yan Niang; she's all wet. It must be uncomfortable for her to be dressed like this. How about we go home and change her clothes?"
Chang Tai said nothing and simply picked up Yan Niang's drenched corpse and walked toward the city.
"Ruyi, this—"
Shengzi followed closely behind, looking both helpless and anxious.
"Shh, let Brother Chang have some time alone with Yan Niang," Xing Ruyi said as she held Shengzi back, urging him not to disturb Chang Tai. "Don't worry; your Brother Chang is a real man. Give him some time, and he'll know what to do."
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