Infinite Professions

Chapter 322 - 171: Relocation

Song Wen sat up in shock, drenched in cold sweat from head to toe, soaking his nightwear. His mind was foggy as he looked around, unable to see his wife’s figure, and he couldn’t help but cry out anxiously: "Xiuyun, Xiuyun!"

"I’m coming, I’m coming!"

His wife, Li Xiuyun, walked into the room: "What are you shouting about so early in the morning?"

"Early in the morning?"

Song Wen was taken aback, looking out the window he found that it was already daylight, and his face turned even paler.

His wife noticed something was wrong with him: "What’s wrong?"

"I, I..."

Song Wen took a breath, and after a while, he spoke: "I dreamed of my father again!"

"Dreamed of him again?"

His wife looked at him with a strange expression: "What did he say to you?"

"He didn’t say anything."

Song Wen shook his head, speaking with lingering fear: "He just gave me a severe beating."

"Beat you?"

His wife looked him up and down, then bluntly concluded: "You must be dreaming nonsense?"

"..."

Song Wen was silent for a while, not knowing how to respond.

His wife no longer bothered with him and went to the dressing table to get ready, speaking as she applied makeup: "Don’t dwell on that dream. Get up and wash up. Today, we’re meeting with a few of the old man’s friends and some elders from the clan. With their support for the family estate..."

Before she could finish, Song Wen jumped out of bed and ran to the main hall without even changing his nightwear.

Reaching the main hall, he saw incense smoke curling up, and in front of the altar and spirit tablets, his brothers and sisters, the Song Family’s children, were all kneeling.

"You all..."

Seeing everyone kneeling, Song Wen was also taken aback.

But no one paid him any mind. Everyone knelt before the altar, some even sobbing aloud: "Father, I was wrong, I promise never to do it again, please be magnanimous..."

Hearing their words, Song Wen suddenly realized, recalling the events in his dream last night, he quickly stepped forward to kneel: "Father, it was my unfilial behavior!"

"Big Brother?"

Everyone turned to see that it was him, and they responded instinctively: "You dreamed of father too?"

"Yes, yes!"

Song Wen nodded repeatedly, speaking with lingering fear: "Father even beat me."

"Father beat you too?"

Everyone was first surprised upon hearing this, then each started crying and complaining.

"Father beat me too!"

"That slap landed straight on my face, it felt so real!"

"You had it easy. The old man conjured a whip from somewhere and whipped me all night."

"He said if we don’t move to Little Huang Village to burn incense for him, he’ll beat all us unfilial children to death."

"Boohoohoo!"

The brothers each complained, clearly traumatized by their dream experiences last night.

Finally, a few elders pulled themselves together, Song Wen glanced at the spirit tablet and then at the anxious crowd: "It seems father has really manifested. So, should we move the family or not?"

"This..."

Upon hearing this, everyone hesitated again.

"Little Huang Village?"

"Where’s that?"

"I’ve heard of it. It’s in the neighboring county. There was a bandit attack last year, many people died."

"Why would father want us to go to such a place?"

"Are you stupid? Didn’t someone say it was to be appointed by the government?"

"Dead people can be officials too..."

"Leave a good county town and move to some remote countryside?"

Everyone’s comments indicated reluctance.

Song Wen understood their thoughts: "If we don’t go, I’m afraid father will come again tonight."

With these words, a wave of horror swept through, and everyone’s expressions changed dramatically, at a loss for what to do.

With such a stalemate, night soon arrived.

...

Everyone gathered in silence, no longer quarreling.

Song Wen looked around, noticing some were missing, he immediately inquired: "Where are Fifth Brother, Seventh Brother, Eighth Brother, and Ninth Brother?"

"They ran off!"

Song Wu said with annoyance: "They’re either at the Drunken Spring Pavilion or hanging out at some scoundrel’s house. They definitely won’t be staying the night here."

"Those little brats!"

Song Wen cursed angrily: "Never mind them, I asked around today. Little Huang Village is under Little Yellow Mountain in Qinghe Town of the neighboring county, about a hundred or so miles away. There was a bandit raid last year, and the villagers either died or fled. The government is now offering rewards, inviting people to move there."

Song Cai hesitated: "Should we move?"

"Move? What for!"

His wife impatiently interrupted: "I’ve heard that Little Huang Village is not a good place. Every few years there’s a bandit raid, and there are rumors of hauntings. It’s not the first time. Moving there would be courting death."

"Exactly!"

Fourth Brother, Song Ying, chimed in: "You know how government works, they never give a penny without expecting three layers of skin in return. Now, they’re giving away houses and land to move to Little Huang Village. If that’s not suspicious, I don’t know what is."

Song Cai remained hesitant: "Then how do we explain to father?"

Song Wu snorted: "Who’s to say that’s really father?"

Everyone’s eyes sharpened: "What do you mean?"

Song Wu replied coldly: "You know father’s temper. When has he ever argued with anyone, let alone hit anyone!"

"You’re saying..."

Everyone’s complexion changed, finally exclaiming in surprise: "That’s not father?"

"If not father, then what?"

"This..."

Everyone looked at each other, afraid to speak.

"Who cares what it is!"

Song Wu snorted and left, no longer discussing the matter.

Everyone else exchanged glances and eventually dispersed reluctantly.

...

"Husband!"

Song Wu returned to his room, his wife followed with a tense expression: "Aren’t you afraid the old man will come looking for you again?"

"Old man, what old man? That’s clearly a harmful evil spirit!"

Song Wu snorted, taking out three folded talisman papers from his waist: "I went to the City God Temple today, and they said it’s most likely an evil spirit causing harm. I asked the Temple Priest for three Divine Talismans. You and Xin’Er each carry one. With these talismans, the evil spirit can’t come near."