Chapter 46: "The Village of Chaste Women"
On the way back, Tao Yu looked uneasy. "At most, we can delay until after tomorrow night's performance. What then? We can't just snatch Fang Lin's body from them, can we?"
Li Zhi smiled faintly. "By then, they won’t have time to worry about Fang Lin."
Tao Yu shot her a nervous glance. There was something chilling about the way she said it.
Back at the quadrangle courtyard, Tao Yu followed Kuang Shu inside. Tomorrow night was Zhenzhen’s scheduled performance—the village’s long-standing tradition of "Dying on Stage for Chastity." The opera troupe had to rehearse their assigned program.
Apart from Tao Yu, none of the others knew what kind of "festival" they were preparing for, nor how they would react when they learned the truth tomorrow night.
The other players had eavesdropped on Li Zhi and Fang Lin’s "friendly chat" earlier. By now, no one questioned why Li Zhi always earned MVP.
After all, not everyone could turn a ghost into an ally mid-mission.
Some had initially balked at helping Zhenzhen’s grandmother with farm work. But when Li Zhi suggested continuing today, they all eagerly agreed.
This time, the old woman didn’t chase them away, though she remained distant, treating them like unpaid laborers.
It wasn’t until after lunch, when everyone rested in the yard and the old woman retreated indoors for a nap, that Li Zhi followed.
She carried a yellowed, tattered notebook—given to her that morning by Zhenzhen’s little sister. It was Zhenzhen’s, filled with characters painstakingly copied from books over the years. The strokes were crooked, but every line was written with care.
"Grandma, I saw Zhenzhen yesterday." Li Zhi handed her the notebook. The old woman’s wrinkles trembled, but she stayed silent. Li Zhi continued, "She said she doesn’t want to die. She wants to leave, to study."
The old woman’s fingers shook as she held the notebook. She’d raised Zhenzhen—how could she not know how much the girl longed to learn?
"Even she wants to live." Li Zhi asked softly, "Do you still want to force her to die?"
"It’s not me forcing her!" The old woman’s voice was hoarse with suppressed fury. "I don’t want her to die either, but there’s no choice!"
Li Zhi met her gaze. "There is."
The old woman looked up sharply. Li Zhi’s calm never wavered. "I have a way. If you trust me."
Fear flashed across the old woman’s face, but under that steady gaze, her panic slowly eased. "What way?" she whispered. "Don’t you know this place—"
Her terror choked her words, as though afraid of being overheard.
Li Zhi smiled. "You mean Zhenniang?"
At the name, the old woman turned ashen. She glanced around frantically, even hobbling to shut the door—as if that could ward off danger.
"How dare you!" She hunched over, trembling. "Say her name!"
"Her name is carved on the chastity arch and enshrined in the Chaste Women’s Shrine—meant to be remembered for generations."
Li Zhi knew she’d guessed right.
Zhenzhen’s grandmother knew something.
Zhenzhen could mention Zhenniang casually, but the old woman couldn’t. Her terror suggested secrets Zhenzhen wasn’t privy to—secrets ingrained by decades living under the village’s customs.
The old woman glared with her pale, upturned eyes, warning Li Zhi to stop.
Li Zhi remained composed. "You said before that no matter what, Zhenzhen will die—you just want her to go peacefully. But ‘peaceful’ really means ‘willing,’ doesn’t it? If she goes willingly, at least it’s her choice. If she resists, she’ll end up like Fang Lin—"
She paused as the old woman flinched. "Possessed by Zhenniang, then forced to take her own life. The outcome is the same—one willing, one not. But in the latter case, Zhenzhen won’t even be Zhenzhen anymore."
A strangled sound escaped the old woman. She clutched the doorframe, sliding weakly to the floor.
Li Zhi crouched before her, taking her gnarled hands. "Grandma, if you could trade your life for Zhenzhen’s, would you?"
"Of course!" The answer came instantly. "I’m halfway into the grave already! Her life is worth more!"
Li Zhi smiled. "See? You’re not afraid to die. Why fear a ghost who’s been dead over a century?"
The old woman stared, stunned.
In this era, fear of spirits was carved into souls. The old woman, steeped in superstition for decades, had never questioned it—until now.
Li Zhi helped her up. "The village still worships Zhenniang, meaning she hasn’t harmed them. Her targets seem to be widows. Since we don’t fit, there’s nothing to fear."
The old woman wavered. "But if she hears—"
"If she could hear us, she’d already know my plans." After all, Li Zhi had been interacting with her intended victim since day two. "If she could act, she would have."
Apart from Fang Lin, no players had suffered supernatural harm—suggesting Zhenniang was bound by rules preventing direct attacks. Or perhaps her time hadn’t come yet. Maybe the festival was her window to manifest?
Li Zhi’s calm assurance was infectious.
Gradually, the old woman relaxed. "If you know all this… what’s your plan? She’s no ordinary ghost. A century of worship has made her almost…" She swallowed hard, forcing out the words: "...a malevolent god."
Li Zhi said, "I need to hear the rest of the story."
"The rest?"
"Zhenzhen told me the first half yesterday. There must be more." Li Zhi opened the door, looking back. "Let’s visit Zhenzhen. She should hear how the ‘love story’ ends."
An hour later, the old woman brought Li Zhi to her in-laws’ home.
She carried a basket of freshly cooked dishes. At her knock, Zhenzhen’s mother-in-law opened the door, greeting her warmly. "Zhenzhen’s grandma, what brings you?"
The old woman rasped, "I made Zhenzhen’s favorites. Tomorrow’s the… I wanted to talk with her one last time."
The mother-in-law obliged, though she hesitated at Li Zhi. "She’s not from the village. Is she coming too?"
The old woman scowled. "I like this girl. Can’t she keep me company?"
Flustered, the mother-in-law fetched the key, leading them to Zhenzhen’s locked room. "Zhenzhen! Your grandma’s here!"
"Grandma!" came the joyful cry inside.
Li Zhi pushed the door open. Zhenzhen’s eyes lit up at the sight of her, but at Li Zhi’s subtle shake of the head, she simply hugged her grandmother. "I missed you so much!"
Tears welled in the old woman’s eyes as she unpacked the food. "Eat while it’s hot."
She glanced pointedly at the lingering mother-in-law. "What? You think a half-blind old woman’s going to spirit her away? Leave us be—we’ve got private matters to discuss."
Once alone, Zhenzhen exhaled, grinning. "Lizhi! How’d you get Grandma to bring you?"
Li Zhi sat on the narrow bed with a sigh. "Climbing walls is exhausting. Thought I’d try the front door this time."
Zhenzhen burst into laughter, quickly muffling it with her hands. Peeking outside to ensure they weren’t overheard, she giggled quietly.
Watching her carefree joy, the old woman’s eyes brimmed again. "Eat up," she urged, thrusting a bowl forward.
Zhenzhen beamed, offering it to Li Zhi. "You have some too!"
Li Zhi declined gently. "We ate already. You enjoy it." She nodded to the old woman. "While you eat, let’s hear the rest of the story."
"Zhenniang’s tale?" Zhenzhen nodded. "I told Lizhi the first half yesterday!"
The old woman shook her head. "You only know part of it. The ending… few remember now."
She took a steadying breath. "After Zhenniang’s decision to die for her husband, the village praised her virtue and prepared a grand funeral. But on the third day—before burial—Zhou Shaoyuan returned."
Zhenzhen froze, rice halfway to her mouth.
The old woman’s eyes shut. "He’d survived—rescued on the battlefield. After recovering, he rushed home… three days too late." Her voice dropped. "Zhou collapsed weeping over the coffin. All who saw were moved by such devotion."
But once the tears dried, life moved on. He buried his wife, mourned… then remarried half a year later, celebrating his new union on the very day the imperial chastity arch was completed in Zhenniang’s honor.
No one saw the cruelty in it.
They extolled Zhenniang’s sacrifice, yet none questioned its waste. No one demanded Zhou share her fate.
The "love story" had always been one-sided.