Chapter Forty-Five: The Temple Construction

By the time I left my eldest brother’s house, dusk had already settled in. Given all the strange happenings lately, I still felt uneasy walking alone at night, so I rode my little electric scooter as if it were a Ferrari, tearing through the darkness until I reached the village. Only then did I slow down. When I arrived at the school, I glanced inside and saw Third Grandpa sitting with a few old men, chatting away. In front of Han Xue’s dormitory, the small cot and mosquito net were still set up.

Since that day, Third Grandpa had moved into the school. The old man was nothing if not persistent. Even though none of us had any intention of digging up the so-called feng shui dragon head tablet anymore, he still refused to leave. To quote Chen Qingshan, Third Grandpa’s behavior was indeed odd. Yet, if you thought about it, it was understandable—the elders cared deeply about such matters as feng shui. As the most respected elder of the Chen family, his position was akin to that of a clan chief. Whenever there was trouble in the village, such as an unfilial child, Third Grandpa’s word carried even more weight than Chen Qingshan’s. So his involvement wasn’t surprising; in fact, his steadfast upholding of old traditions was exactly what had earned him his prestige. Still, his unyielding attitude about this particular matter was truly peculiar.

As I was watching, someone suddenly tapped me on the shoulder from behind. Startled, I turned to see it was Chen Qingshan, who grinned and said, “Speak of the devil, and he appears. I was just thinking about you.”

“What were you thinking about me for?” Chen Qingshan asked.

“Wondering what you make of Third Grandpa’s actions. He’s really serious this time,” I replied.

“Yeah, I didn’t expect this either,” Chen Qingshan answered, cigarette dangling from his lips, clearly troubled.

“So what brings you here?” I asked.

“I didn’t come here on purpose—I just left and saw you sneaking around, so I figured I’d come over and chat. Third Uncle still refuses to go home. Not only that, he wants me to build a temple,” Chen Qingshan said, frowning.

“Third Grandpa wants you to build a temple? Where’d that idea come from?” I was baffled. A temple?

“Don’t think Third Uncle’s gone senile. He’s sharp as ever. I reckon he knows all about that dead child you and Fatty talked about, but he has to protect the Chen family’s feng shui. I told him about the fool constantly pestering Teacher Han, and he believes it. Ever since the fool came out, the village hasn’t had a moment’s peace. I thought Fatty’s arrival would solve everything, but now, because of the feng shui issue, Third Uncle doesn’t trust Fatty anymore. He said I should build a temple to Lord Guan next to the ancestral hall. Lord Guan is a mighty protector—invite him down to watch over us, and all the evil things will go away. So you can’t blame him; the older generation is obsessed with feng shui. But honestly, what good does it do? It’s not like villages with great feng shui are actually any better off,” Chen Qingshan said helplessly.

“So, did you agree to build the temple?” I asked.

“How could I not listen to Third Uncle? You know how stubborn he is. But there’s hardly any money left in the village accounts. If I misuse public funds to build a temple, people will have my head. But I can’t pay for it out of my own pocket either. The old man has no idea what he’s asking,” Chen Qingshan complained.

“So what will you do—build it or not?” I pressed.

“I’ll bring it up at the meeting tomorrow. If it comes to it, I’ll put up most of the money, and the rest can be pooled together. These days, building a temple isn’t cheap,” Chen Qingshan sighed.

I nodded, saying nothing. After all, Lord Guan’s tomb was right here in Luoyang, so everyone here worshipped him. I didn’t have any particular beliefs, but given the recent events, having a temple to the God of War nearby did make me feel safer. I chatted a while longer with Chen Qingshan before heading home.

When I got back, they were having dinner. Han Xue spotted me and immediately put on a pouty expression—obviously fake, which only made me want to laugh. Playing along, I ignored her. After dinner, while my mom was tidying up, Han Xue grabbed my arm with a grip like a vice. I glanced at her and asked, “What is it now, dear lady?”

“Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” Han Xue demanded, glaring at me.

“About what?” I asked, confused.

“About your online girlfriend. Don’t take me for a fool. That kid Chen Shitou sent to find you—was he delivering a love letter? Tell me, did you fall for her after seeing her body?” Han Xue said, squeezing my arm even harder.

“Come on, you’re really jealous, aren’t you? Let go, I was just about to tell you about all this,” I said to Han Xue.

“You’d better give me a perfect explanation, or else—even if it’s nothing, you’d better watch yourself,” Han Xue huffed.

“So you’ve decided to be my girlfriend, then?” Every time Han Xue got jealous, I’d end up with a new bruise on my arm, but for some reason, I actually enjoyed it.

“In your dreams. Teacher Han just doesn’t want you to stray off the right path,” Han Xue replied, blushing.

I stood up, took her hand, and said, “Come, let’s talk in the other room.”

—Since that day, though I didn’t exactly suspect my grandfather of anything, I couldn’t shake a lingering sense of wariness. I chalked it up to the mental strain of everything that had happened.

Once we were in the room, I told Han Xue the whole story. As expected, she immediately forgot all about her jealousy and became worried for the online girl. “It really isn’t the Yellow River Goddess?” she asked.

“No. Fatty already confirmed it. But Chen Shitou didn’t just bring back a daughter-in-law—it’s way more complicated. It’s just like when he took in the fool all those years ago. I still don’t know what his real purpose is, but I’m sure I’ll uncover it,” I said.

“This man is vicious beyond belief. He deserves to be shot!” Han Xue said. I could see how tense she was. When I told her that Chen Shitou had basically abducted Xu Ailing and turned a perfectly fine girl into a fool, and then after she’d been sacrificed to the river god, Han Xue shuddered, goosebumps rising all along her neck and cheeks.

“So my contact with Sankui is really just to ensure that girl’s safety. Don’t worry, dear lady, I’m completely devoted to you. But if it weren’t for my forum post, that girl would never have come here. She’s helped me, so I can’t just abandon her,” I said.

Han Xue nodded. She was a thoughtful, considerate girl—the kind who knew when to be coy and when to be understanding, and that only made her more lovable.

I flopped onto the bed, closed my eyes, and said, “So, dear lady, now you know what I’ve been busy with these past couple of days? I’ve been scheming and maneuvering, which is exhausting for a simple guy like me. As a reward, could I please sleep on the bed tonight?”

“Alright,” Han Xue replied calmly.

I opened my eyes, thinking I must have misheard. “You’re not going to make me sleep on the sofa? Or pinch me?”

“Nope,” Han Xue nodded.

“You’re not lying?” I still couldn’t believe it.

“I’m not lying,” Han Xue replied.

A saying flashed through my mind: “If something seems off, there’s probably a catch.” I was sure Han Xue must have something up her sleeve. “What’s going on today? Did you eat something weird?”

“I just thought I’d give you a little reward, so you won’t be tempted to stray! But just so you know, hugs are the limit. Try anything else and I’ll chop your hand off!” Han Xue said, blushing, hands on her hips.

This side of Han Xue made my heart melt. I immediately scooped her up in my arms and said, “Let’s sleep right now—I’m exhausted!”

“My aunt is still outside! Go wait out there, and sneak in at midnight. I don’t want her to know,” Han Xue said, her face red.

“My mom already thinks of you as her daughter-in-law!” I protested.

“That doesn’t matter. If you keep this up, I’ll change my mind,” Han Xue threatened, playfully reaching for me.

I quickly stood up. Knowing Han Xue’s temperament, I realized this was a rare gift, and I shouldn’t push my luck. I stole a kiss on her cheek before getting up and saying, “Alright, whatever you say.”

I waited outside until midnight, finally getting ready to sneak into Han Xue’s room. But as soon as I looked up, I saw a face pressed against the window.

“Who’s there?!” I shouted.

Outside, my grandfather coughed. In a low voice, he said, “Go to bed. I just got up to use the bathroom.”

After he spoke, I heard his footsteps slowly making their way toward the restroom.

Seeing him peering in at me in the middle of the night was odd, but maybe he’d just gotten up for the bathroom and happened to see me on my phone. That wasn’t so strange. I patted my head and muttered to myself, “What am I thinking? He’s my own grandfather—my real grandfather!”

After he finished in the bathroom and returned to his room, I heard the scratch of a match—no doubt he was lighting a cigarette, unable to resist the urge for a smoke. I waited another half hour before sneaking into Han Xue’s room.

She was lying on the bed in her nightdress, turned away from me.

The sight of her back made me think back to the night I saw her bathing.

In that instant, my mouth went dry, my heart racing.