AWB Chapter 440 I want a wife!
Chapter 440 I want a wife!
As Lu Yangyang listened to the little girl's words, her doubts grew stronger.
I couldn't help but feel shocked and heartbroken.
She originally thought that there were only the grandfather and granddaughter in the house because the little girl's parents had gone out to work, and the house had several rooms, which showed that life was not very difficult before, so it was impossible that only an old man and a child were left.
But to my surprise, they were all gone.
Of this large family, only the grandfather and grandson remained.
She couldn't resist ruffling the little girl's hair and softly asked, "What's your name?"
"Little Sister, my name is Little Sister," the little girl looked up at her and replied softly.
"Xiaoxiao, can you tell me why you have to marry into the Celestial Palace as a concubine? Did your aunt, your mother, and your second aunt all go to the Celestial Palace?" Lu Yangyang asked her in a low voice.
Xiao Xiao nodded: "They all went to the celestial palace to become celestial concubines and queens, but none of them have ever come back. I don't know why they went. Wouldn't it be better for the family to stay together? But when I asked Grandpa, he said it was fate. The villagers say that if we want to survive, we have to worship the gods. We don't have money and can't afford good offerings. If we can't please the gods, they will punish us. People like me who have gone mad are punished because our offerings weren't sincere."
“You’re just sick, it’s not a punishment. Everyone gets sick, but doctors can cure you, and you’ll be fine once you’re cured,” Lu Yangyang patiently explained to her, but she was also worried that if she couldn’t take her to see a doctor, it might be a disaster if she told others what she had said.
She couldn't help but sigh softly, remembering what Lüyao had told her before: there were no doctors in the entire Yuzhou Prefecture, and this child probably didn't even know what medical treatment was.
Xiao Xiao thought for a while and said cautiously, "I know, sister. Grandpa used to be a doctor. My father was an apprentice in the clinic in the prefectural city. Later, the clinic in the prefectural city was gone, and my father came back. The villagers used to love my grandpa and father, but later they said they were possessed by evil spirits and needed to be exorcised. Every time I have an attack, it means I'm possessed by a ghost. It's a kind of madness."
Lu Yangyang looked at Xiaoxiao in surprise, recalling that no one had noticed the herbal scent on her as she walked over, but he could smell it as soon as she got close to Master Qing. Only someone who deals with herbs year-round would be so sensitive to the scent of herbs.
In other words, Grandpa Aqing used to be the barefoot doctor in this village, and his eldest son was also an apprentice in a clinic in the city, so the family's living conditions were quite good, and they even built several rooms. However, after that kind of sacrificial ceremony started, the clinic in the city disappeared, and later even the village doctor was beaten and strictly prohibited from practicing medicine.
The key to everything is that sacrifice. The idea of becoming a celestial consort is just that—a sacrificial offering. The woman they met on the way, named Huanniang, is also a sacrificial offering to be sent in the ritual.
Lu Yangyang hurriedly asked Xiaoxiao, "Do you remember how often your village holds a sacrificial ceremony?"
Xiao Xiao shook her head: "Sacrifices can only be performed with offerings. Sometimes it takes a month, sometimes three months, or even longer. The village hasn't performed sacrifices for a long time, so they were punished. Several people died after winter started."
Sacrifices are necessary for a ritual, and in this village, the sacrifices are the women. Lu Yangyang recalled the young men she had seen when she entered the village, as well as the middle-aged man who was leading the way. When they asked to stay overnight, the middle-aged man seemed reluctant to agree, but for some reason, he agreed after thinking for a while and repeatedly told them to leave early.
Celebration… …
So, are they really telling them to leave early, or do they never intend to let them leave at all?
Lu Yangyang suddenly had a very bad premonition.
She released Xiaoxiao and said to Wen Qingqing, "You do the acupuncture for her first, I'll go out and take a look."
Wen Qingqing walked over and asked her anxiously, "Is there any danger?"
“They’re just some villagers, I can handle them. Go tell Lu Zhan later to have his men keep an eye on our carriage. If anything seems amiss when I get back, leave immediately,” Lu Yangyang instructed.
Wen Qingqing nodded hurriedly: "Okay."
Lu Yangyang didn't go through the door; instead, she opened the window and climbed into the backyard. Then she went out through the backyard, circled around, found a secluded tree, and climbed up it.
Not long after, the two young men who had brought them over returned.
We stopped when we were almost at Grandpa Aqing's house.
The two of them still had the wine that Lu Yangyang had given them before in their arms, and they drank it sip by sip.
"What are you thinking, Uncle Liu? Are you really going to use those two girls as sacrifices?"
"What? You still can't bear to part with them? But those two girls are quite pretty. It would be great if I could marry them. I've never seen such beautiful girls before! I used to think Huanniang was the prettiest, but compared to her, she's far inferior!"
"Huan Niang is pretty, but can she be prettier than Aunt Yuan from Master Qing's family? These beautiful girls are not for us to enjoy; they are reserved for the masters of the celestial palace!"
"Keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear. Do you think we can talk about the master of the celestial palace? Several people have already died in the village this winter. If the celestial official is not satisfied with the offerings this time and refuses to bestow the elixir, who knows how many more people will die!"
"Immortal pills, immortal pills, we pray for immortal pills every year, and half the people in this village have already prayed for them! Now it's so rare to find a decent-looking girl for miles around. I don't want immortal pills, I want a wife!"
"Are you out of your mind? Shut up right now!" The young man quickly covered the mouth of another young man. "You've only had a few sips and you're already spouting nonsense, daring to say anything! Have you forgotten what happened last year when someone openly criticized the Immortal Palace and was wiped out in the middle of the night!"
Upon hearing this, the young man was startled and suddenly snapped back to reality, covering his mouth tightly.
Seeing this, the young man released him and sighed, "Wait a little longer, until they are almost asleep, then put some medicine in to knock them out, just so as not to delay tomorrow's sacrifice."
The other guy paused for a moment, patted his chest, and seemed still a little shaken. "What about the rest of the people?"
"We'll drug them all, knock them out, and dump them in the mountains tomorrow. What will we do then?"
The raindrops were light at this moment, and Lu Yangyang, who was squatting in the tree, heard everything the two were saying. She was so angry that she almost broke the branch next to her.
She took a deep breath, slipped silently down from the tree, walked behind the two men, and patted them on the shoulder.
"What do you plan to do if I say I disagree?"