Chapter 133: The Old Matriarch

By dawn, Chen Qingshan and several villagers I was close with had already arrived at my house. Many neighbors followed suit. In our rural community, weddings and births are celebrated with joy, but funerals are labor-intensive affairs requiring many hands—digging the grave, carrying the coffin, cooking, and overseeing the rites. When they saw my arm, the cat’s handiwork was still raw, the deep, bloodied claw marks throbbing with pain. When they asked what happened, I told them a wild cat had scratched me. They were immediately displeased. "You're far too careless," they grumbled. "It's fortunate there’s no corpse in that coffin, or else a cat causing a 'corpse transformation' would be a catastrophe!"

It seemed the legend of cat-induced corpse reanimation was common knowledge. I offered a faint smile and said no more; if I told them the cat might be a ghoul-eater, they would likely be terrified out of their wits.

By the time we had organized everything, it was past ten o'clock. In the countryside, we usually consult a feng shui master to select an auspicious time for burial. In the past, Immortal Aunt He would have presided, but with Fatty here, no one else was needed. Once the coffin was covered with its shroud—a cloth embroidered with patterns similar to those on burial garments—and the ropes were rigged, Fatty began the prayers and the calculation of the timing. As for the gravesite, Fatty had already selected a spot at the foot of Funiu Mountain, claiming its feng shui was superb and would bring prosperity to descendants.

Fatty was dressed quite formally today. Because of our close friendship, he even wore a white mourning headscarf. Seeing it was past ten, he walked over, lit the incense, and began his calculations. Strangely, after he lit the three sticks, two burned steadily, but the middle one kept going out. He replaced the sticks twice, but the result was the same. The onlookers grew uneasy, watching intently. I walked over and asked, "Fatty, what kind of mischief are you stirring up now?"

"This isn't my doing," Fatty replied. "The old man is truly formidable! Even though there are only clothes in this coffin, his presence is powerful. He has something to tell me."

"My grandfather?" I asked, startled. "What does he have to say to you?"

"The middle stick of incense is pointing due north. The old man is waiting for a guest from the north," Fatty explained.

I thought to myself that my family had absolutely no relatives, let alone any in the north; this sounded like nonsense. The surrounding villagers chimed in, "Fatty, did you miscalculate? Old Ye never had any relatives. Where would a guest from the north come from?"

"If you don't believe me, go try to lift the coffin," Fatty challenged. "There’s no body inside, just clothes. Let three or five young men try; if you can budge it, then I’ll admit I was wrong."

I quickly tried to stop him. "What are you doing?"

"I’m not playing games," he told me. "I just want to confirm it. Let them lift it."

The young men, feeling challenged, stepped forward. They set up the poles and prepared to lift the coffin, but as soon as they tried, their faces turned green. Even with six able-bodied men straining until their faces were purple, they couldn't move the empty coffin a single inch.

My older brother then stepped forward. In my eyes, he was a man of immense strength. He walked over, gave the coffin a slight shake, and shook his head at the young men. "The coffin refuses to move on its own. Don't waste your energy."

The young men were deathly pale now. They scurried over to flatter Fatty, but Chen Qingshan barked at them to back off. Chen approached and asked, "Fatty, even though it's just an empty coffin for Old Ye, does it really hold some deeper meaning?"

"Your Old Ye was no ordinary man, and the guest who is coming is no ordinary guest either," Fatty said. "Forget the timing; let’s just wait. We won't lift the coffin until that guest from the north arrives." Fatty pulled up a chair and sat down.

The villagers had seen a lot of strange things lately, so they weren't overly frightened, though without this air of mystery, they would surely have been gossiping wildly. We waited for about an hour until a young man keeping watch at the gate shouted, "They're here! Cars are coming!"

In fact, I had already heard the screech of tires. My brother went out immediately, and I followed. Outside, several Mercedes-Benz cars with Tianjin license plates were parked. A group of people spilled out. From the lead car stepped a quirky-looking young girl, followed by an incredibly regal-looking old woman. She wore a shimmering silk tunic, her silver-streaked hair pulled back in a sleek style. With a mole on her forehead, she carried an air of natural, unassailable authority.

As she stepped forward, I saw she was holding a large black cat. One of its legs was bandaged—it was the same cat from last night!

Before anyone spoke, the cat hissed at my brother, as if berating him for injuring its leg. The group clearly belonged to a prestigious family; black-clad men cleared a path as the old woman approached. Her presence was so imposing it left the villagers stunned. Fatty leaned in and whispered, "I think I know who this is."

"Who is family to Ye Jiangnan?" the quirky girl called out to the crowd.

My brother and I stepped forward. My brother looked grim. Since they were guests, I forced a smile and said, "I am Ye Jihuan, and this is my brother, Sun Zhongmou."

"We’ve traveled all this way, and there isn't even anyone to offer a seat or tea? Is this the pathetic state the Ye family has fallen into?" the old woman said, her voice carrying a heavy Tianjin accent. Her opening remark left me speechless.

I paused, then forced another smile. "I don't know who you are, nor were we expecting your arrival. Please, come into the courtyard and have a seat."

I gestured for her to enter, but the old woman stayed put. She squinted toward Fatty. "I didn't expect to run into an acquaintance here. What’s the matter? You see me and don't even come over to greet me?"

Fatty hurried over, fawning with a grin. "What wind blew you here, Ma'am? It's not that I didn't want to greet you, I just couldn't believe I'd run into you here! You look younger than ever. Since when did you get such a 'Cat General'?"

Fatty usually referred to himself as 'Grandpa Fatty' to everyone, but this time he called himself 'Little Fatty.' I was stunned; this woman clearly had a terrifying background. After Fatty spoke, the old woman nodded. "You’ve stopped calling yourself 'Grandpa' in front of me, so it seems you’ve learned your lesson. As for this cat, the juniors thought I was lonely and gave it to me. I didn't care for it at first, but the little thing is quite spiritual, and I’ve grown fond of it. It’s just a pity some little bastard broke its leg last night. If I find out who it was, I’ll certainly finish them off."

Her words made me shudder. I instinctively hid the claw marks on my arm under my sleeve, thinking, *Your cat scratched me and I haven't even settled the score yet, and you're talking about finishing me off?*

"Who knows who did it? How could anyone be so cruel to such a cute creature?" Fatty bent over, his obsequiousness unlike anything I had ever seen. "You find out who it was, and I'll be the first to teach them a lesson. Come, Ma'am, have a seat in the yard."

Once she entered, I brought over a stool. She looked at my house and then at the stool with disdain, refusing to sit. A moment later, one of her men brought a heavy, ornate armchair from the back of an SUV. She sat down then. It looked like rosewood. While I resented her arrogance, I couldn't say anything. I had intended to make tea, but decided against it—if she didn't drink it, I’d lose face.

Fatty stayed by her side, leaving me no chance to ask who she was. Instead, Fatty asked, "Ma'am, you still haven't answered Little Fatty—what wind blew you here?"

"Your grandfather-in-law has passed," the old woman said. "Even though we haven't been in touch for decades, now that I know he's gone, I should at least come to offer some incense, shouldn't I?"

A murmur of shock rippled through the crowd. Even I was panicked. What did she mean? My grandfather was her relation by marriage?

Just then, my mother stepped out of the house. She looked at the old woman, and the old woman looked at her. The atmosphere turned eerie. I had a bold suspicion—though my mother and this woman didn't look alike, the young girl by the old woman's side bore a striking resemblance to my mother.

The old woman stared at my mother for a long moment, then coldly commanded, "Kneel!"

My mother took two steps forward and, with a thud, knelt directly before the old woman.

The entire courtyard fell into stunned silence.