Chapter 26: What a Coincidence? Business Has Arrived

Under the dim yellow light, Honghong wiped Yueyue’s face and small hands. Turning around, she saw Su Chen carving a small wooden figure with a machete. Fidgeting with her hands, she hesitated before speaking, “Dad…”

Su Chen looked up. “What is it, Honghong?”

Honghong forced a dry laugh, her voice growing softer. “Dad, I want to go to school.”

Su Chen’s hand paused. Finally, he recalled that the original owner had been drifting through life all these years, with their home in chaos and barely making ends meet—sending the children to school was out of the question.

But it wasn’t just their family; the entire Niuwai Village was poor. Tuition each semester cost over a hundred yuan, and even families that could afford it usually only sent their boys to school. Girls like Honghong were kept at home to help with chores.

This was the harsh reality of deep-rooted son preference.

Of course, there was another very practical reason—the village had no elementary school.

Children from Niuwai Village who wanted to study had to go to Liangshan Town. They either lived with relatives there or had to cross two mountains every day, which was exhausting for the kids.

Su Chen sighed quietly from the bottom of his heart.

After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded. “After the New Year, I’ll send you to school. Not just you—your little brother Apeng is old enough too. He should go to school as well.”

Honghong’s eyes lit up with joy. “Really?”

“Why would I lie to you?”

“Yay!” Honghong jumped up happily and rushed to the cabinet. “I want to sew a schoolbag, and I’ll make one for my brother too.”

Su Chen was momentarily stunned, his eyes full of tenderness.

Even in the previous world, where ghosts had reawakened, going to school was still a very ordinary matter. Schools simply had a few Taoist priests guarding them. But in this beautiful world, attending school was so difficult?

If he couldn’t earn some money, Apeng and Acai probably wouldn’t be able to go to school either—they’d be doomed to illiteracy.

Liu Chunhua came over after hearing the noise, carrying the waking little Ayun and checking her diaper. Seeing it was dry, she looked at Honghong. “Honghong, what are you doing?”

“Grandma, Dad said he’s going to send me and my brother to school.”

“I want to sew a schoolbag—a beautiful schoolbag.”

Liu Chunhua stared at Su Chen in surprise. “Achen, you’re crazy. Honghong is a girl…”

She stopped midway, unable to finish her sentence.

Recalling how her youngest son had been reminding her not to show favoritism lately, Liu Chunhua still felt reluctant. “Achen, it’s not easy for you to make money…”

So just send Apeng to school; Honghong’s just a burden. Why send her to school?

Though Liu Chunhua didn’t say these words aloud, Su Chen understood them perfectly.

“Mom, no matter how hard it is to earn money, children need to study. Besides, it’s not like an extra hundred or two makes a big difference.”

Liu Chunhua snorted lightly. “Girls are dull; they won’t learn well. Don’t waste money on nonsense.”

“Is that so? But I heard from Third Sister that Axuan’s grades are quite good.”

Liu Chunhua was repeatedly cut off and finally fell silent, standing there with a stern face.

Su Chen ignored her and continued carving the little figure.

Seeing him quiet for so long, Liu Chunhua softened her tone. “Then maybe later Honghong and Apeng can live at your Third Sister’s?”

Su Chen replied, “Mom, we’ll talk about it after the New Year. Third Sister suggested renting a place in the city. I was thinking if I earn a bit more before then, I’ll bring you all to the city after the New Year. The kids can study there, and we won’t trouble Third Sister with them.”

Liu Chunhua waved her hand. “I’m not going. If I go, who will tend the fields at home?”

“Besides, living in the city costs a lot, so Honghong and Apeng can’t go anyway.”

Su Chen fell silent again.

Liu Chunhua grew uneasy as she saw this.

After a long while, she asked, “Achen, how much does it cost to rent a place in the city?”

Su Chen remained silent.

Liu Chunhua sighed, put down little Ayun, and stood up, leaving with a final word: “Anyway, I don’t like the city.”

Soon, quiet voices drifted from the next room. Su Chen raised his eyebrows and kept carving the little figure.

But thinking of what Lin Jingchun had said about the ghostly maze on Longshan Mountain, his heart sank.

At his current level, he probably wouldn’t stand a chance going up there. No, tomorrow he had to find some magical tools. If none were available, something like thunder-struck wood would do, barely enough.

While he slept soundly that night, Lin Jingyu and Abi ran around Spring Bright Street almost all night and finally set up a ritual altar at Ye’s Noodle House.

As soon as the white banner was hung, someone immediately came over and asked, “Ayu, what’s going on here?”

“Oh, today Abi and I were thinking that Uncle Ye has been waiting so long for Awang to come back. So we brought my buddy here to do a reading for Uncle Ye. Later, when we went out, we found Awang’s remains. Uncle Ye was heartbroken and followed him. Before he left, he told me to take over the shop, and to buy him a burial plot and relocate the grave. If there’s money left over, donate it to the orphanage. Uncle Qiao, since you’re here, Uncle Ye already signed the deed for the shop. I’ll tally all the funeral expenses and give you a list so you can help supervise.”

Old Qiao immediately waved his hand. “Ha, I don’t trust anyone more than you, Ayu. Who doesn’t know that half of Cuicheng used to belong to your old Lin family? Many houses on this street are yours. You short on money?”

Lin Jingyu chuckled dryly. “Not short, but Uncle Ye had a nephew who came causing trouble today. That’s what we’re guarding against.”

“What’s there to fear? If he dares to cause trouble again, I’ll have your aunt throw a chamber pot on him right away!”

“Hey, hey, thanks in advance, Uncle Qiao.”

The old neighbors of Spring Bright Street spread the news quickly, lamenting Uncle Ye’s passing.

Old Liao was among them, sighing at the end, “Ah, it’s better this way. Uncle Ye spent his whole life waiting for his son. That noodle shop was opened for Awang, hoping to earn money to set him up. Now that Awang is gone, life holds no meaning for him.”

“Huh? I heard from Abi earlier that Awang was killed by that wicked woman?”

“Exactly. So Uncle Ye said he’ll bring his ex-wife over to reunite the family.”

“Well, that wicked woman can’t be let off.”

Among the group, a few young men exchanged glances and quietly slipped away.

Early the next morning, when Su Chen arrived at Old Zhang’s stall, he heard that someone had caused a disturbance at the western cemetery of Cuicheng last night, smashing a tomb.

Old Zhang shook his head. “These young people nowadays, either dye their hair yellow, ride motorcycles, or just act wild. No one does honest work.”

A middle-aged man sitting opposite Su Chen retorted, “Even so, they shouldn’t be smashing tombs. They disturb the dead’s rest. Who knows if they’ll come back at night to settle scores?”

Old Zhang laughed. “Young people have fiery tempers; I doubt they’d be scared.”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man’s expression changed, and he sighed deeply. “Yeah, when I was young, I feared nothing either. But when age comes, ah…”

Old Zhang, noticing he was quite talkative, looked at him carefully and asked, “You’re a bit unfamiliar around here. You’re not from Spring Bright Street, are you?”

The man nodded repeatedly. “I’m from Weiqi. I heard there’s a powerful fortune-teller master on Spring Bright Street, so I came to have a look.”

Old Zhang grinned and said to Su Chen, “Young man, what luck—business has come to you!”