Nan Yue's timing for asking that question was perfect; she was deep in pleasant conversation with the woman about the local customs and traditions of the town.
Nan Yue kept her hands busy, not looking up at the woman, but her movements indicated that the woman paused.
"Honestly, the town is so quiet. The towns I've been to before, children would be crying day and night. Now it's suddenly so quiet, I'm a little unaccustomed to it."
Nan Yue prattled on, seemingly unaware of the woman's abnormality.
"Oh, our town is remote, and hardly anyone comes here. Everyone in town is related, so there aren't many children to begin with."
"It's not like there are none at all, but those who had children moved away, thinking this place was too backward and that city life would be better for their children's schooling."
Nan Yue smiled and nodded. "Relatives are good; everyone in the village can help each other."
The woman's body language slowly relaxed. Nan Yue's apparent slowness made her less wary than before.
"Then, with the older generation of the town passing on, aren't you worried about the continuation of the family line? That the town might just disappear?"
Nan Yue's tone was too casual, and the woman subconsciously replied, "It won't die out."
Nan Yue smiled and looked up. The woman immediately tensed her face, forced a smile, and said, "What era is this? Even though we're remote, we know there's no such thing as 'continuation of the family line' anymore."
Nan Yue nodded in agreement, steering the conversation back to their field research.
They were here to observe the annual sacrifice, so when Nan Yue brought it up, the woman was unguarded and told her a lot.
"...It's just a rule left by our ancestors. Once a year, the whole town gathers to worship the guardian god with animals and fruits."
"Our town's guardian god is..."
"You certainly haven't heard of it; it's a minor village god, just one we worship ourselves."
Nan Yue clapped the corn kernels off her hands. "I thought you worshipped the earliest town chief or that scholar. Usually, famous people in a town have statues erected."
The woman laughed. "You mean the owner of the courtyard you're staying in? He was indeed our town's most successful town chief."
"But there's no need to erect a monument or write a biography for him. He doesn't need those things."
The woman's expression was somewhat flat, as if she didn't have much affection for this 'most successful town chief.'
"You don't like him very much?"
Unexpectedly, as soon as Nan Yue asked, the woman immediately looked around nervously, and only after confirming no one was nearby did she glare at Nan Yue.
"I certainly don't! Don't talk nonsense."
Perhaps remembering Nan Yue's identity, the woman offered a dry explanation, "He is the most respected person in our town. It's not good to say anything about him."
Nan Yue apologized with a smile and talked for a while longer. After agreeing to come for dinner that evening, Nan Yue slowly walked back to her accommodation.
She had been wandering for most of the day; it must be around four o'clock now. She planned to return, meet up with Gu Xiang Kai and Zhu Xi Ning to share clues, and then come back down for dinner.
The woman's tension earlier was still vivid in her mind. She acted as if the town chief from hundreds of years ago might appear and punish anyone who disrespected him.
However, people in town were gossipy, so it was normal for her to be afraid of others overhearing.
But judging from their conversation, the woman's feelings toward the scholar were very complex.
She seemed to genuinely respect him; Nan Yue could feel her sincerity when she called him the most successful and respected. However, her expression made Nan Yue feel that she seemed to be very... resentful, even hateful... holding some animosity towards that century-old town chief.
Such conflicting emotions left Nan Yue uncharacteristically puzzled.
When Nan Yue returned, most people were in the courtyard, with only four or five missing.
Most people weren't in their rooms, finding it too eerie, so they gathered in twos and threes in the courtyard, basking in the sun.
When Nan Yue arrived, she saw Lu Jiao trying to chat with Gu Xiang Kai. Not far away, Zhao Dekai and Li Maocai stood, their ears practically perked up.
Gu Xiang Kai was not one to be gentle with women, and his temper was volatile. The only reason he tolerated Lu Jiao talking nonsense to him for so long was that the woman was decent.
She was capable and strong, and she wasn't trying to get information for nothing.
Gu Xiang Kai said something, and although Lu Jiao still seemed somewhat dissatisfied, she nodded and left. It was then that Zhu Xi Ning saw Nan Yue and waved her arm.
Nan Yue subconsciously raised her hand and waved back, only realizing after she had done it that this was the first time she had ever done such a thing.
Because of what she carried, she rarely had friends and had always been a lone wolf. This feeling of collective belonging... seemed quite nice.
Gu Xiang Kai and Zhu Xi Ning strode over. The three of them didn't plan to go back to their rooms to talk; they didn't want to see everyone plastered to the door, eavesdropping, as soon as they opened it.
"What's wrong?"
Nan Yue's gaze shifted to the courtyard. Everyone's faces showed some impatience. Jiang Ningning and Pu Yuan hadn't slept all night, nor had they slept during the day, and were now leaning against each other, dozing off.
"They all want to get something for nothing."
Gu Xiang Kai sneered. He had seen it all before; even in the face of life and death, some people still wanted to take advantage. He wondered if their courage was great or small.
Nan Yue, however, couldn't be bothered. She recounted what she had encountered, omitting her own analysis for fear of biasing their thinking.
"The town chief is so strange. That place doesn't seem like somewhere a person like him would be willing to live."
As someone who also paid great attention to her image, Zhu Xi Ning was very certain that if the town chief was truly like her, he would absolutely not be willing to live in such a place.
"I think so too."
Nan Yue's agreement made her feel less burdened to continue thinking. "He must be lying... Why? Is it because his previous residence had a problem, but he doesn't want us to..."
Zhu Xi Ning's gaze suddenly darkened, and she spoke almost through gritted teeth, word by word.
"He should have been living here originally."
Nan Yue's lips curved into a faint smile. "I think so too."
"So he knew about what happened last night."
Gu Xiang Kai rubbed his face. "I reckon not just he knew, but maybe everyone in town knew. This must be related to their annual sacrifice."
"That old man knew strange things would happen in the courtyard near the annual sacrifice, so he slipped away and let us take the fall."
It had to be said that both Gu Xiang Kai and Zhu Xi Ning's thinking was very clear. Even though Nan Yue hadn't voiced her thoughts, their deductions were almost exactly the same as hers.
"You went to see him, but you didn't have lunch there, right?"
Gu Xiang Kai glanced at Nan Yue. He knew Nan Yue was very cautious, but when it came to eating... he was genuinely a little worried...
"No. Since that thing is something everyone in town eats, the town chief must have it too. This person is suspicious; it's best to limit contact until we understand more."
Although they still didn't know the purpose of the incredibly delicious thing added to their food, since everyone in town used it and they also offered it to outsiders, it couldn't possibly be poison.
But it also couldn't be something purely good; otherwise, there would be no need to give it to them.
The most likely scenario was that it benefited the townspeople, but for outsiders, it might only bring harm.
Rate on N.U.
