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Human Sacrifice
When I arrived at the room where Chen Jixian's body lay, I turned on the light, and a sudden squeaking sound filled the air. A large gray rat was sniffing vigorously at Chen Jixian's face, and I quickly shooed it away.
Under the bright light, Chen Jixian's face appeared particularly pale; without blood, a corpse looks even more ghastly in such illumination.
Chen Coffin stood at the doorway, hesitant to enter. He said, "Fortunately, the rat didn't bite. If it had nibbled on the dead flesh, it would surely come back for revenge."
"Uncle Chen, you run a coffin shop and still believe in such superstitions? The conditions for a person to turn into a ghost are extremely rare; not everyone who dies becomes a ghost. You've watched too many movies. Come help me lift him onto the cart."
Chen Coffin frowned at this suggestion. "I really don't want to deal with this bad luck at night. It feels like he’s starting to smell. Can't you call someone else?"
I replied, "I didn't need your help initially. My best friend Huzi seems to have disappeared. Here’s the deal: the dead are heavier than the living. I can't carry him alone. I'll carry him on my back; you just need to lay a sheet over him and support him slightly from behind. How does that sound?"
Chen Coffin's expression darkened. I was already tired and hot, having to carry a corpse was pushing my limits. I wanted to throw in the towel out of frustration, but Chen Coffin's attitude was unbearable. I tried my best to hide my grievances. Seeing that I remained silent, he finally relented, saying, "Alright, let’s get this over with so we can go home and take a shower."
I hoisted Chen Jixian's body and placed it in the gap between the coffin and the cart's barrier. Worried about his vehicle being tainted by the corpse's misfortune, Chen Coffin pulled out sheets from the Production Team's resting area and laid them over his own cart, ensuring that Chen Jixian's body wouldn’t come into direct contact with it.
I felt a pang of sorrow; Chen Jixian had been such a charismatic leader in life—kind and humble, with an impressive demeanor and taste. Yet now, in death, he was met with disdain. His superiors ignored him, as did the elders of the Village. Was it truly worth it for him to diligently follow orders to investigate the Futu Ridge incident?
In the past, I thought some people worked so hard purely for money, but individuals like Chen Jixian and Liu Wei—though I had known them only briefly—didn't seem motivated by financial gain.
Was it for some notion of righteousness or loyalty to their cause?
Am I too selfish to understand their mindset?
The road from Bright Moon Village to Wild Jujube Forest was rough; Chen Coffin's vehicle bounced along violently. Although the coffin was secured tightly, it still swayed left and right. I kept my feet braced against it, fearing that a sudden jolt might crack open his head.
"The car is too bumpy. Lift his head up; I don't want the coffin to end up with a mess. I still need this car for a few more years," Chen Coffin said loudly.
Hearing Chen Coffin's words made my tears suddenly fall, and I replied, "Got it."
When we arrived at Wild Jujube Forest, Chen Coffin parked the car and came over to help. I declined his offer and dragged Chen Jixian's body toward the grave pit. I instructed Chen Coffin to back the car up to the edge of the pit, then pulled out the Spring Knife from behind me to cut the ropes binding the coffin. Chen Coffin immediately frowned and said, "What are you doing? I still need this hemp rope. If you can't untie it, just let me do it."
"Wouldn't that be a bother for you?" I replied expressionlessly.
Chen Coffin said, "You know, why are you getting worked up over someone completely unrelated to you? A person from Outer Village has died; just find any place to bury him. Why go through all this trouble buying a coffin and searching for a feng shui burial site? Even your buddies won't help you."
I responded, "Everyone has different thoughts; naturally, they live differently. The distinction between people lies here."
Chen Coffin remarked, "Oh, so you're going to lecture me on worldviews now? You're a college student; I'm not going to argue with you. But I've lived in Futu Ridge for decades and have never misjudged a person. You, my friend, will amount to little in the future."
I looked up at Chen Coffin. His words suddenly reminded me of many past events. Regardless of social status or relationships, people often clashed verbally at the slightest disagreement, even resorting to physical fights. As long as you were of the same class as someone else, any reasoning was meaningless.
I tightened my grip on the knife in my hand and glanced at Chen Coffin. I felt an urge to stab him because killing in Futu Ridge was not illegal. But I quickly suppressed it, calming myself and choosing not to say more.
I moved the coffin into the grave pit and then dragged Chen Jixian's body into it.
After covering the coffin with its lid, I began shoveling dirt over it. "You can go now; I'll manage on my own."
"Then I'm off; it's all yours," Chen Coffin replied before starting the car and driving away from Wild Jujube Forest.
By the time I finished filling in Chen Jixian's grave, it was already eleven at night. I sat by the grave for a moment to rest, drenched in sweat.
I lit a cigarette and slowly smoked under the noisy night sky.
"Brother Chen, if you knew what was happening from beyond the grave, would you think your death was worth it? Why do we always ponder whether dying for others is worthwhile?"
I plunged the cigarette into the grave, casting it into the darkness.
Returning to the entrance of Bright Moon Village, I knocked on Huzi's door again, but there was still no sound from within.
I felt a surge of irritation and pounded on the door loudly, causing the dogs from nearby houses to bark furiously.
"Huzi, open the door! Come out and talk!" I shouted, catching a glimpse of a faint light coming from his room through a crack in the side door.
That night at the forbidden area’s entrance, Li Fugui slapped Huzi. I am Yang Sanqian's son, Mr. Chang is from the Daoist Sect, and Huzi is just an ordinary person.
If he truly felt that being near me was dangerous, he could have just said so. He is my best brother, and I certainly wouldn't want him to be in any life-threatening situation.
But we had planned to bury Chen Jixian's body that night, and he left me hanging.
With a creak, a neighbor opened their door and shone a flashlight at me. "What are you yelling about in the middle of the night?"
I had no words; I faced him directly. When he recognized me, he said, "Yang Hao? What are you doing here looking for Huzi at this hour? His family moved away today."
"Moved away? I was just discussing something with Huzi earlier today. How could they move without letting me know?" I asked.
"How would I know? Li Fugui is the village head; he's wealthy. If he wants to move to the city, it's just a matter of saying so. Everyone else is trying to sleep; stop making noise."
The door slammed shut with a bang, jolting me back to reality.
Huzi's family must have moved away; he would definitely have informed me. But the phone signal suddenly disappeared in the afternoon, and I felt this wasn't a coincidence—Li Fugui must have forcibly taken him away.
The Liu Family lived right behind Li Fugui's house. I called out a few times as I walked into the Liu Family's home, but there was no response at all.
I returned to Li Fugui's front door, stepping over the stone lion at his entrance and climbing over the wall. The furniture and various items in his living room were all intact; only a few pieces of clothing remained in the wardrobe.
I made my way down the hallway to Huzi's room. The things in his room were in disarray, as if someone had rummaged through them. His computer desk was bare, except for a glaring lamp.
I picked up the lamp and found a note underneath it:
"Haokai, leave quickly. The army is coming."
I was startled, finally understanding why everyone’s phones in Futu Ridge suddenly lost signal this afternoon.
Whether it was Chen Jixian sending all of Futu Ridge's information to the Provincial Capital, drawing attention and dissatisfaction from above, or the fact that the uniquely positioned Li Fugui had overstayed his welcome in Futu Ridge, it was clear something was amiss.
Futu Ridge, a mountain village known for its savage ways in modern society, had become a cancer affecting social order. The police dared not enter; the people here openly defied the law, brazenly challenging the authority of the state.
History is not short of tales where entire villages vanished overnight.
Just like the strict crackdown eight years ago, this was an extraordinary measure during a time of crisis to restore order.
When Li Fugui and Futu Ridge were on the brink of becoming ruins due to our ignorance, I never imagined that Futu Ridge would not fall because of the Guo Family Father and Son.
The disappearance of Guo Huaiyi and the annihilation of the Investigation Team sparked outrage from above.
Liu Quan had loyally followed Li Fugui for many years and naturally received his protection, allowing him to escape with his family.
I hurried back home and woke my mother, who had been dozing off by the bed. She had kept the light on waiting for me.
My mother was momentarily stunned by my words. I said, "Mom, what are you waiting for? The village is going to be slaughtered. We should escape tonight; it’s not too late."
After hearing me, my mother nodded and said, "Then I'll help you pack some clothes. You go ahead."
I took her hand and pressed the note that Huzi had left for me into her palm. "Mom, do you not believe me? This is a note from Huzi. The Li Fugui and Liu Quan families have already fled. This afternoon, everyone in Futu Ridge lost signal on their phones; this is a sign that the massacre order has been issued. If we don’t leave now, we will all die!"
My mother replied, "It's not that I don't want to leave; I can't. Your father said it himself—I can't get out of Futu Ridge unless he comes back."
In a moment of frustration, I slapped her. She was taken aback, and so was I. I felt helpless and desperate.
Kneeling at her feet, I clung to her waist and cried, "How can I leave if you won’t come with me? Even now, you still believe his words. It’s been over twenty years; I've never even seen his face. You would rather wait here to die because of his nonsense than come with me. What are you thinking?"
"I know you're feeling wronged," my mother said, wiping her tears.
"I'm not the one who feels wronged; it's you! Why do I study? I don’t want to see you selling vegetables on the street and being bullied anymore. We've lived in this hellish place in fear for so many years; I've had enough. Didn’t Yang Sanqian leave something inside me? If anyone dares to bully us again, I will kill them. I will protect you."
My mother’s eyes were red from crying. She helped me up and nodded, saying, "I will go with you. I will go with you."
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