Chapter 27

After personally escorting Grandma Zhou and Grandpa Wu across the bridge and handing them over to the little ghost assistants, Yu Xianzhi returned. He said, “Since you’re already here, why not enjoy the scenery of the underworld before leaving?”

The parting from the deceased turned into an anticipation of life due to Yu Xianzhi’s appearance. Wu Qingluan felt relieved, having resolved her lingering regrets and attachments. She looked at Yu Xianzhi inquiringly.

With a cold glance at Yu Xianzhi, half of whose hand was inadvertently clenched beneath his voluminous robe, Yu Xuanwei replied, “I’ll accompany Qingluan for a while. You go ahead and do your business.”

“Really, big brother~” Yu Xianzhi elongated his tone. “You’re just going to use me and toss me aside? It’s been a while since we last met, and it’s my first time meeting my sister-in-law. I didn’t prepare any gifts. Let me be your guide.”

“No need,” Yu Xuanwei coldly refused and led Wu Qingluan away.

Huh???

Is this how you treat your own younger brother? Yu Xianzhi had just helped her.

With Wu Qingluan in tow, Yu Xuanwei headed towards a brightly shining forest. Yu Xianzhi suddenly floated over, stuck out his tongue, and startled Wu Qingluan.

Yu Xianzhi burst into laughter, and the chains on his body wriggled with excitement, making a “clinking” sound.

“Please, sister-in-law, don’t go over there. That forest may look beautiful, but it’s actually filled with the remains of lost souls and wild ghosts. They’re all bones that nobody has collected, and they’ve grown into parasites that feed on decaying marrow. If you accidentally touch them, your skin will start rotting!”

Wu Qingluan was well aware that there might be some exaggeration in Yu Xianzhi’s words, but she still halted her steps. However, she soon smiled at Yu Xuanwei, hugging his arm, indicating that although she was afraid, she had decided to follow him.

Seeing this, Yu Xuanwei cast a triumphant glance at Yu Xianzhi and led Wu Qingluan towards the glowing ghostly forest.

Yu Xianzhi wasn’t willing to give up yet. “Hey, why don’t you two take a look? The River of Forgetfulness is flowing with a dazzling light, and the scenery by the river is even more beautiful and suitable for a date! In this day and age, why hide in a small forest?”

Yu Xuanwei consoled Wu Qingluan, saying, “Don’t be afraid. With me, no dirty things will dare to touch you.”

“Okay.”

Without saying anything more, Yu Xianzhi also refrained from exposing the situation. Wu Qingluan had already noticed that Yu Xuanwei didn’t want to get too close to the riverbank or let her go there.

Legend had it that the River of Forgetfulness held the three lives of a person, and those who walked by the river often saw their past and present lives. They could become entrapped in the past and lose themselves. Those with weak willpower might be lured by the endless banks of Higan flowers and become part of the flower mud.

Everyone has their own secrets, and Wu Qingluan didn’t want to pry into Yu Xuanwei’s past. Whether Yu Xuanwei’s story was told without reservation or with some embellishments, to her, the person in front of her was the most real, and there was no point in delving into the past.

Yu Xianzhi persistently followed them for a few rounds, but he found that Wu Qingluan was not swayed by his attempts to provoke her. She had complete trust in Yu Xuanwei.

In the ghostly forest, they encountered a recently deceased wild ghost who was guarding its scattered bones and crying pitifully.

Yu Xianzhi naturally had no qualms about arresting this one who had slipped through the net. The wild ghost cried even harder, “Sir Ghost Catcher, I didn’t mean to run away, it’s just that my poor bones are left outside with no one to collect them. I was destitute in life, and now I’m a wild ghost. I’m suffering!”

Yu Xianzhi ignored all this and the iron chain pierced through the wild ghost without hesitation, ready to take him away.

The few remaining bones that the wild ghost had stolen fell to the ground, appearing lonely and pitiable in the chilly wind.

Although the wild ghost didn’t know who Wu Qingluan and the others were, he could sense the aura of living souls. He called out to Wu Qingluan, “Please, do me a favor and at least bury my bones!”

Yu Xianzhi impatiently tugged on the iron chain. “You old ghosts just can’t let go. You’re already dead, and those rotten bones are useless now. Hurry up and go!”

While Yu Xianzhi was a headstrong person, he showed some respect to Wu Qingluan. He took a moment to explain, “It’s been centuries since the netherworld educated people. The quality of the rebirth you get depends on the good deeds you’ve done in your lifetime, not whether your bones are complete or not. You understand, right? People in the mortal realm have had cremations for how many years now?”

The wild ghost wailed, “But leaving them scattered like this with no one to collect them is just too pitiful!”

Wu Qingluan asked Yu Xuanwei, “Can I help him collect them?”

Yu Xuanwei nodded.

The wild ghost cried tears of gratitude, “Good person, good person!”

Yu Xianzhi didn’t allow him to ramble further; he used the iron chain to gag the ghost’s mouth and pushed him along.

As they crossed the Naihe Bridge, Yu Xianzhi glanced back and saw that Wu Qingluan had already buried the wild ghost’s bones. Yu Xuanwei was reciting scriptures for his redemption. Amidst the chanting, a faint glow emanated from the small grave, and soon a sapling sprouted from it. Before long, another shining ghost tree would appear in the ghostly forest.

Yu Xianzhi thought to himself, “These two are truly a perfect match, both of them like to meddle in other people’s business.”

After returning from their “day trip” to the underworld, Wu Qingluan’s first task was to dig up the chicken coop in her yard.

Their home had been inexplicably destroyed, and the chickens were quite annoyed. However, due to their fear of Yu Xuanwei’s imposing presence, they could only watch from a distance, keeping their necks tucked and not making a sound.

Wu Qingluan dug deep into the ground and discovered a treasure left by Grandma Zhou, a square jewelry box.

Wu Qingluan thought it might be some heirloom jewelry, and she reached out to pick it up. To her surprise, the jewelry box was very heavy, and she couldn’t lift it with one hand!

Considering the generations of hardship in Grandma Zhou’s family, Wu Qingluan speculated, “Could it be some kind of protective stone?”

Yu Xuanwei helped her take out the jewelry box. The youngest Yu Jue was quick and squeezed in eagerly to open it. He immediately exclaimed, “Gold!”

Inside the jewelry box were rows of gold bars, neatly stacked and shining brilliantly in the sunlight.

Wu Qingluan was taken aback. Did Grandma Zhou rob a bank? How could there be so many gold bars!

The triplets helped count them, totaling one hundred gold bars, each weighing one hundred grams.

At the bottom of the jewelry box, there was a small drawer, and Wu Qingluan found a handwritten note from Grandma Zhou. It read, “Dear Qingluan, these are the gold bars that Grandma exchanged with the money you gave. They are for your dowry!”

Grandma Zhou didn’t receive a proper education when she was young, and she couldn’t even recognize all the characters. Writing so many words at once was quite a challenge for her.

“Grandma…” Wu Qingluan held the note, feeling a mixture of tears and laughter. This old lady was still so thrifty, even when she had money!

Wu Qingluan carefully put the note away and asked the triplets to put the gold bars back in the jewelry box and bury it in the ground again.

Yu Xuanwei glanced at the chickens, who dared not voice their grievances, and instructed the triplets, “You should rebuild the chicken coop, but this time, don’t use magic.”

“Okay!” The triplets were eager to get started. They gathered bricks and mud, having fun while constructing the chicken coop.

Wu Qingluan and Yu Xuanwei watched the three children working enthusiastically and occasionally helped by passing bricks.

“Oh, by the way,” Wu Qingluan remembered a serious question and asked Yu Xuanwei, “How much money do I still owe you?”

Having spent so much time sleeping together and taking care of his children, Wu Qingluan wondered if she had already repaid him according to the previous agreement.

Yu Xuanwei smiled and said, “You repaid it a long time ago.”

Wu Qingluan gave him an annoyed look. “Then why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

The triplets had spent the whole afternoon building the chicken coop in the yard. They were covered in mud and dirt, and they didn’t seem to notice as they kept rubbing against Wu Qingluan. She ended up just as dirty and smelly as them, so she decided to take a bath with all three of them.

Yu Lang and Yu Jin were manageable, but every time she bathed the Yu Jue, it turned into a disaster. If she wasn’t careful, he would disappear without a trace. Even though she knew he was a fox spirit with magical powers, who said fox spirit babies couldn’t drown?

After pulling Yu Jue out of the water for the third time, Wu Qingluan couldn’t take it anymore and asked for Yu Xuanwei’s help, “Could you please take your son away? I’m exhausted!”

Yu Xuanwei arrived promptly when called, but…

Wu Qingluan looked at Yu Xuanwei, who was wearing only a bath towel wrapped around his waist, and her face turned bright red. “You, you, you… the children are here, don’t do anything inappropriate!”

Yu Xuanwei carried the triplets out one by one, called Tu Hua to take care of them, and then slowly closed the bathroom door.

Wu Qingluan watched him walk away, and as soon as he turned around, he untied the bath towel around his waist.

Although she was mentally prepared, she couldn’t help but scream and half of her face ended up in the water.

Was this too exciting? Did it have to happen in the water on the first try?

Yu Xuanwei wasn’t going to let her off this time. He reached out with his long arm and pulled her back.

“Wait a moment,” Wu Qingluan called out. “I’m not ready yet!”

Yu Xuanwei lightly kissed the back of her neck and said, “Give me a little taste first.”

Wu Qingluan was flustered. She heard Yu Xuanwei say, “I was too hasty earlier. How about you come home with me to meet my parents in a few days?”

Wu Qingluan became even more flustered. Meet the parents? So soon? Wait a minute, aren’t you being even more hasty now?