On the way back, Tao Yu was a bit worried. “At most, we can only delay until the performance ends tomorrow night. What will we do after that? We can’t just fight them for Fang Lin’s corpse, can we?”
Li Zhi smiled slightly. “By then, they won’t have time to worry about Fang Lin anymore.”
Tao Yu glanced at her nervously, feeling that her words carried an ominous undertone, making her feel uneasy.
When they returned to the courtyard, Tao Yu followed Uncle Kuang inside. Tomorrow night was the day Zhen Zhen would perform her suicide on stage, a long-standing tradition of the “Stage of Martyrs” festival in the village. The theater troupe had already begun rehearsing according to the arranged program.
Apart from Tao Yu, no one else knew what they were truly celebrating, and they had no idea what kind of expressions they would have when they discovered the truth tomorrow night.
This morning, the other players had hidden behind the door, secretly observing the “friendly conversation” between Li Zhi and Fang Lin. Now, everyone was fully convinced that Li Zhi always won the MVP title fairly.
After all, not everyone could sway a vengeful ghost in an instance.
Previously, some players had been reluctant to help Grandma Zhen Zhen with farm work. But now, when Li Zhi suggested continuing to help, everyone readily agreed and followed her to work.
When the old lady saw them this time, she didn’t react as harshly as before by trying to drive them away. However, she also didn’t say much to Li Zhi. Her attitude was cold and indifferent, treating them as free labor, letting the players help with the chores as they pleased.
It wasn’t until after lunch, when everyone was resting in the courtyard and the old lady went inside to prepare for her nap, that Li Zhi followed her.
She held a worn, yellowed notebook in her hand—the one Zhen Zhen’s younger sister had secretly given her that morning. The notebook belonged to Zhen Zhen, filled with years of scribbled words she had painstakingly copied from books. Though the words were crooked and lacked structure, each stroke was written with serious effort.
“Grandma, I met with Zhen Zhen yesterday.” Li Zhi handed over the notebook. The wrinkles at the corner of the old lady’s eyes trembled, but she said nothing.
Li Zhi continued, “She told me she doesn’t want to die. She wants to leave here and go to school.”
The old lady’s hands trembled as she held the notebook. She had watched Zhen Zhen grow up, so how could she not know how much she longed to go to school and learn?
“Even she wants to live,” Li Zhi asked. “Yet you still want to force her to die?”
“I’m not forcing her to die!” The old lady shouted angrily, her hoarse voice filled with anguish. “I don’t want her to die either, but there’s no other choice!”
Li Zhi looked at her calmly. “There is a way.”
The old lady raised her head sharply to meet Li Zhi’s gaze, her expression filled with fear and doubt.
“I have a way, as long as you trust me,” Li Zhi said.
The old lady shook her head in terror, but under the calm and steady gaze of Li Zhi, her anxious heart gradually began to settle. She couldn’t help but ask in a low voice, “What way? Do you know about this place…?”
She was so frightened that each time she tried to speak, the words seemed to catch in her throat, as though she feared someone might overhear.
Li Zhi gave a faint smile. “You’re talking about Lady Zhen, aren’t you?”
Upon hearing that name, the old lady’s face instantly turned ashen. She glanced around in panic, then hurriedly hobbled over to close the door, as if that would make things safer.
“How dare you!” she turned back, her body hunched and trembling. “How dare you mention her name!”
“Her name is carved on the arch of chastity, and her memorial tablet is enshrined in the Temple of Virtuous Women. Isn’t it all for the sake of being remembered forever, for future generations to see?”
Li Zhi knew her guess was correct.
Zhen Zhen’s Grandma definitely knew something.
Zhen Zhen could casually mention the story of Lady Zhen, but the old lady didn’t dare. Every time this matter was brought up, she was filled with intense fear. There was definitely something that Zhen Zhen didn’t know—something that the old lady, having lived in the Lie Nu Village for decades and deeply influenced by its customs and rules, dreaded deeply about Lady Zhen.
The old lady glared at Li Zhi with her sharp eyes, as if warning her not to continue.
Li Zhi spoke quietly, “You said earlier that, whether Zhen Zhen wants to or not, she will die in the end. You want her to pass peacefully. But ‘peacefully’ is just another way of saying voluntarily, right? If she takes her own life, at least she’ll have control over it. But if she doesn’t want to, she’ll end up like Fang Lin from our theater troupe…”
Li Zhi continued slowly, watching the old lady’s fearful expression, “…possessed by Lady Zhen, or rather controlled by her, and then forced to die. The end result is the same—one is voluntary, and the other is through possession. By that point, Zhen Zhen won’t be Zhen Zhen anymore.”
The old lady let out a terrified gasp, her breathing becoming heavy as she shakily leaned against the doorframe and sank to the floor.
Li Zhi walked over, crouching in front of her, and took her frail hand. “Grandma, if it were possible to exchange your life for Zhen Zhen’s, would you do it?”
Without hesitation, the old lady replied, “Of course I would! I’m already half-buried in the ground. If my life can save hers, it’s worth it!”
Li Zhi smiled. “You see, you’re not even afraid of death, so why should you be afraid of a ghost that’s been dead for over a hundred years?”
The old lady stared at her in shock.
In this time, people’s fear of ghosts was ingrained in their souls. The old lady, who had lived in this environment for decades, was even more affected by it. But now, with Li Zhi’s direct question, she began to wrestle with her long-held terror.
Li Zhi helped her up from the ground. “The villagers have been offering sacrifices to her for years, which means she hasn’t caused any chaos here. Her targets are likely widows. We’re not within her range, so there’s nothing to fear.”
The old lady still trembled slightly. “But what if she hears us…”
“If she could really hear us, she would’ve already known what I’m planning.” After all, Li Zhi had been working on her mission ever since entering the village. “And if she could do anything to me, she would’ve done it by now.”
So far, apart from Fang Lin, the players hadn’t been harmed by any other ghosts, which suggested that Lady Zhen was bound by certain rules and couldn’t harm them—or perhaps the timing wasn’t right. The festival might be her opportunity to appear.
No matter what Li Zhi said, whether truth or fabrication, she carried a certain charisma that made others naturally believe her.
Sure enough, the old lady was gradually convinced. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, “Since you know this, what do you plan to do? She’s not just an ordinary ghost. Over the past century, with the offerings in the Temple of Virtuous Women, she’s practically become…”
She swallowed, lowering her voice and gritting her teeth to spit out the words, “…a demigod.”
Li Zhi replied, “I need to know the second half of the story.”
The old lady was taken aback. “The second half?”
Li Zhi smiled. “Yesterday, Zhen Zhen told me the first half of Lady Zhen’s story. I suspect there’s more to it.” She opened the door and looked back at the old lady. “Grandma, why don’t we go see Zhen Zhen? I’m sure she’d like to know the rest of that love story too.”
An hour later, the old lady brought Li Zhi to her son-in-law’s house.
She was carrying a basket filled with freshly made food. After knocking on the door, Zhen Zhen’s mother-in-law opened it and greeted the old lady kindly. “Zhen Zhen’s grandma, what brings you here?”
In a hoarse voice, the old lady replied, “I made some food Zhen Zhen likes. Tomorrow is… I just wanted to talk to my granddaughter for a bit.”
Zhen Zhen’s mother-in-law didn’t make things difficult and, after a few comforting words, let them in. However, she eyed Li Zhi with some hesitation. “She’s not from our village, is she? Will she be going with you?”
The old lady frowned. “I like this girl. I want her to keep me company. Is that a problem?”
Zhen Zhen’s mother-in-law gave a couple of awkward chuckles. “Of course not, I’ll go get the key.”
She went inside to retrieve the key and then led them to the room where Zhen Zhen was locked up. After unlocking the door, she knocked lightly and called out, “Zhen Zhen, your grandma’s here to see you.”
From inside came Zhen Zhen’s excited voice. “Grandma!”
Li Zhi opened the door. Zhen Zhen’s eyes lit up when she saw her but dimmed when Li Zhi subtly shook her head. She immediately understood and rushed over to embrace her grandmother affectionately. “Grandma, I’ve missed you so much.”
The old lady’s eyes reddened as she took out the food from the basket. “Grandma made you your favorite dishes. Come, eat while it’s still warm.”
The old lady glanced at Zhen Zhen’s mother-in-law, who was still standing at the door, and said with some displeasure, “I’m an old woman who can barely walk. Are you afraid I’ll help her escape? Go mind your own business. I want to have a private chat with my granddaughter.”
Zhen Zhen’s mother-in-law gave an awkward smile, said, “Take your time,” and turned to leave.
Once she was gone, Zhen Zhen breathed a small sigh of relief and whispered excitedly, “Li Zhi, how did you manage to come with my grandma?”
Li Zhi sat down on the small wooden bed and sighed, “Climbing over the wall every time is exhausting, so this time, I came through the front door.”
Zhen Zhen burst into laughter, quickly covering her mouth after a few giggles, and nervously glanced outside. Seeing that her mother-in-law hadn’t heard, she quietly laughed again, covering her mouth.
The old lady, watching Zhen Zhen’s carefree and happy demeanor, felt her eyes well up with tears once more. She quickly pulled out a bowl. “Eat quickly; these are all your favorites, eat while they’re hot.”
Zhen Zhen nodded happily, sitting cross-legged on the bed and holding the bowl in her hands. She offered it to Li Zhi, “Li Zhi, have some too!”
Li Zhi smiled. “We’ve already eaten. You go ahead. While you eat, let’s hear a story from your grandma.”
Zhen Zhen nodded eagerly. “Okay!”
The old lady’s expression trembled slightly. After a long pause, as if gathering her courage, she finally began to speak slowly, “After the news of Zhou Shaoyuan’s death reached the village, Lady Zhen decided to commit suicide in loyalty to her husband, urged by her family.”
“It’s Lady Zhen’s story!” Zhen Zhen said excitedly as she shoveled rice into her mouth. “I already told Li Zhi the first half yesterday.”
The old lady shook her head. “What you know is only the first half. The second half is almost unknown to anyone now.”
“After Lady Zhen’s death, the village greatly praised her virtue and arranged a grand funeral for her. But three days after her death, before her body was buried, Zhou Shaoyuan returned.”
Zhen Zhen froze mid-bite, her eyes wide with shock.
The old lady closed her eyes. “He was still alive. He had been rescued on the battlefield, and after recovering from his injuries for a time, he hurried back. But those three days were enough—his wife had already taken her life for him. Zhou Shaoyuan wept over her coffin, and those around them were moved by the deep love between the couple.”
But after his tears, that was the end of it. He personally handled his wife’s funeral, buried her while crying, and then resumed his new life.
No one thought anything of it.
They praised Lady Zhen for her loyalty in taking her life for her husband, but no one felt her death was in vain. No one pointed a finger at Zhou Shaoyuan, demanding that, since his wife had died for him, he should do something about it.
Six months later, the imperial court completed the construction of a memorial arch honoring Lady Zhen’s chastity.
That very day, the Zhou family hosted a grand banquet for their guests. Zhou Shaoyuan, hand in hand with his new wife, joyfully performed the traditional marriage rituals.