Chapter 1 "Kids, it's time to eat, woohoo woohoo woohoo~" Cui Guiying, wearing an apron, held a bowl in her left hand and a spoon in her right, calling out while tapping the edge of the porridge pot. Li Weihan, who was sitting nearby filling his pipe with tobacco, kicked his wife's rear and scolded her irritably: "Are you crazy? Calling pigs?" Cui Guiying glared at her husband, slammed a stack of bowls in front of him, and spat: "Phew, pigs aren't as noisy or as gluttonous as these kids!" At her call, a group of children ran in from outside—seven boys and four girls, the oldest being sixteen and the youngest just three. Li Weihan and Cui Guiying had four sons and a daughter, who had all grown up and moved out. Normally, only the eldest son, who lived nearby, would bring his three-year-old twins over for care. But when summer vacation arrived, for reasons of convenience or perhaps a sense of duty, everyone sent their children over. If you accepted the eldest son's kids, you couldn't refuse the others. This turned their home into something like a school. The joy of having a house full of grandchildren hadn't fully sunk in when the rice bin started to look alarmingly empty. As the saying goes, "Half-grown boys can bankrupt their parents." Including the girls, all of them were in their growing years and had appetites like bottomless pits. Cui Guiying had to use a large pot to serve the main dish, and even that wasn't enough—there was another pot warming on the stove. Though the couple had many grandchildren, they weren't particularly old. According to the rural custom, unless you were bedridden and unable to work, you had no right to expect meals from your children as long as you could still work the fields. "Don't fight, don't fight, you all act like you were born hungry. Line up!" The children came with their bowls, and Cui Guiying served the porridge. The last to come was a ten-year-old boy. He wore denim overalls and trendy sandals, with fair skin and a shy demeanor, quite different from his dirty, snot-nosed siblings. "Little Yuan, come, sit here and eat." "Thank you, Grandma." Cui Guiying smiled and patted his head. He was the only grandson among her many grandchildren, but now he was no longer an outsider. His name was Li Zhuiyuan. His mother was Cui Guiying's youngest daughter, the first college graduate in Siyuan Village. The daughter had attended a university in the capital, stayed there to work after graduation, and brought her fiancé home before marriage. He was a refined, city-dweller with delicate skin. Cui Guiying and her husband had been so nervous around their future son-in-law that they hadn't dared to look closely at him. Later, when the daughter became pregnant and gave birth to a son, the distance and her busy work schedule kept her from coming home. However, she sent money to her parents every month after starting her job. The money sent before her marriage was saved by Li Weihan and Cui Guiying. They hadn't touched it even when their four sons needed it for weddings. When the daughter brought her fiancé home, Li Weihan returned the dowry and added the saved money. They had wanted to contribute more, but the four sons' weddings had left them with nothing to spare. This always made the couple feel guilty. Returning the money their daughter had sent was like not contributing anything to her wedding, which was a significant embarrassment. As for the money sent after the wedding, they also saved it. When their sons, encouraged by their wives, tried to get their hands on it, Li Weihan scolded them severely. Half a month ago, the daughter entrusted her son to a man in military uniform, sending him with a letter and some money. The letter said she had divorced and that her work had changed, so she had to leave her son with his grandparents for a while. In the letter, she mentioned that after the divorce, she had changed the child's surname to match hers, making him a true grandson. Since coming to the countryside, Li Zhuiyuan had quickly adapted and blended in, playing happily with his cousins. The main dish was sweet potato porridge, which was sweet but not very filling. It digested quickly, and even after eating several bowls, the kids would feel hungry again soon. Eating too much sweet potato porridge could hurt the stomach, making it churn with acid even when not hungry. Li Zhuiyuan, however, hadn't gotten tired of it. He enjoyed the "communal dining" atmosphere and loved the various pickles and sauces that Cui Guiying made. "Grandma, why aren't we going to Big Beard's house for the feast today?" The one asking was the second eldest son, nicknamed Tiger, who was nine years old. Cui Guiying tapped Tiger's head with the end of her chopstick and scolded, "You rascal, it's a funeral feast because someone passed away. Do you want them to have a feast every day?" Tiger, rubbing his head, said, "Why not? It would be great to have a feast every day." "Rascal, even if they wanted to, there aren't enough people to die every day to justify it." "Clack!" Li Weihan slapped the table with his chopstick and scolded, "What kind of nonsense are you telling the kids?" Cui Guiying realized she had overstepped and didn't argue with her husband. Instead, she scooped a piece of pickled sauce into Li Zhuiyuan's bowl. The sauce contained peanut bits and some meat cubes, and she had just scooped some out. Li Zhuiyuan stirred the sauce with his chopsticks, spreading it in the porridge, and the white, tender meat cubes floated to the surface. The children, with their keen eyes and a keen sense of fairness, immediately chimed in: "Grandma, I want meat too, like in Brother Yuan's bowl!" "Grandma, me too!" "Me too!" "Go away!" Cui Guiying scolded them irritably. "It's fine for the younger ones to be noisy, but you older ones, Paddle Kid, Thunder Kid, and Yingzi, should know better. Everything we're eating today was bought with the money Little Yuan's mother sent. Your parents haven't given us a single grain of rice, so don't be so greedy." Paddle Kid, Thunder Kid, and Yingzi looked embarrassed and lowered their heads, while the younger ones laughed and moved on. Grandma had hinted before, and they had passed the message to their parents, who had told them to pretend not to understand. Then, the third eldest son, Stone, who was eight, asked, "Is Willow Songbird still around?" Cui Guiying asked, "Who's Willow Songbird?" Tiger answered, "Grandma, she's the one who sang and danced at Big Beard's house yesterday. She sang beautifully and danced well." "Is that so?" Cui Guiying had been busy washing dishes in the kitchen yesterday and hadn't had time to watch the performances. Li Weihan hadn't gone either, claiming he was out on the boat, but he had stayed home, feeling embarrassed to show up after his children had already gone. The children not only ate but also brought back a lot of food, especially the main courses that were served per person. Li Zhuiyuan, following his older brothers, tore off a piece of red plastic from the table to wrap the food. When they got home, they shared the food with their siblings who hadn't gone, feeling like victorious generals as they watched them eat. Thunder Kid said, "She sang really well and was very pretty. She told us to call her Willow Songbird." Paddle Kid nodded, "She's really nice, pretty, and well-dressed. I want to marry someone like her when I grow up." Cui Guiying asked Li Zhuiyuan, who was sitting beside her, "Little Yuan, is that true?" "Uh-huh", Li Zhuiyuan put down his chopsticks and nodded, "She's pretty." The funeral troupes in the countryside were versatile, able to perform rituals and entertain. During the ceremony, they would wear religious robes and chant, looking dignified and solemn. After the midday feast, they would organize a cultural performance with singing, dancing, acrobatics, and magic. For wealthy families who wanted to show off, they would even organize a night performance, but the adults would send the children home to sleep before it started. Willow Songbird's real name was Xiao Huang Ying, and she was in her thirties, divorced. Her singing and dancing skills were average, but she dressed boldly and stylishly, wearing a tight black qipao with a high slit that revealed her legs. Her warm and engaging stage presence... The women in the village, using their harshest insults and highest praise, would call her—seductive. With few televisions in the village, the girls and women found Willow Songbird's "seductive" presence a revelation, a kind of cultural shock. Not only did she captivate the men, but even the half-grown boys were smitten. At that moment, a figure appeared at the door. It was their neighbor, Zhao Simei, who had been friends with Cui Guiying for years. When their children were young, they often sat on the dam and gossiped. "Have you eaten?" Cui Guiying asked, "Come, have a bowl." Zhao Simei waved her hand and smiled, "Oh, I wouldn't dare come to your place for a free meal. Look, you're having porridge." "This porridge is comforting to the stomach. I love it. Come, have a bowl. We won't run out of rice just because you're here." "Thanks, but I've already eaten. Hey, did you hear that the head of the funeral troupe went to Big Beard's house and caused a commotion? They say they almost started a fight." Cui Guiying immediately stood up with her bowl and chopsticks, eating as she moved toward the door. "What happened? Did Big Beard not pay them?" "It's not about the performance fee. Someone from the troupe went missing." "Someone went missing?" Cui Guiying asked, puzzled. "Who?" "A woman, the one who was so seductive. She was dancing and shaking her hips like there was no tomorrow." "Is it Willow Songbird?" Paddle Kid asked. The other children perked up their ears. "It seems to be her, that seductive one", Zhao Simei said with a touch of schadenfreude. "How did she go missing? Did they find her?" Cui Guiying asked. "Some people saw her leave with Big Beard's youngest son last night, heading into the woods by the river. She never came back to the troupe, so they went to Big Beard's house to demand answers." "What about Big Beard's youngest son?" "He's at home, but he denies it, saying he knows nothing about it. However, many people saw him and the seductive woman go into the woods." "What happened to her?" "Who knows? She's just gone. The troupe leader came to demand answers, but the old man insisted he had never seen her and said she must have run away." "What did they do?" "The old man gave the troupe leader a large sum of money to settle the matter." Cui Guiying immediately patted Zhao Simei's arm and raised her eyebrows. "There's something fishy going on!" Zhao Simei patted Cui Guiying's arm back and nodded. "You got it!" Old Hu had been a deputy director at the town's grain station, a lucrative position. Even in retirement, he remained influential. His sons, except for the youngest who was idle, all had good jobs in town. His family was more powerful than even the village chief's. For Old Hu to pay a large sum to settle the matter, there must be something suspicious. "Did the troupe leader leave after getting the money?" "Yes, they left." "Did they stop looking for her?" "Looking for what? They packed up their things and left for their next performance." "Oh dear." Cui Guiying shook her head. "I hope nothing bad happened to her." "Who knows?" "Is it true?" "Exactly." At this, Tiger and Stone suddenly burst into tears: "Wah! Willow Songbird, Willow Songbird!" "My Willow Songbird, she's gone, wah!" Zhao Simei almost burst into laughter, pointing at them. "Look, your grandsons are so emotional." Cui Guiying rolled her eyes and said, "You have a granddaughter, right? Maybe she can be a match." "Hmm." Zhao Simei chuckled and pointed at Li Zhuiyuan. "If we want to be in-laws, it should be with your Little Yuan. My Xiao Juan can go to the capital with him and enjoy a good life." "Go away, don't dream too much." Li Weihan had finished eating. He wasn't interested in the gossip and didn't want to join in, so he quietly picked up his pipe. He opened the matchbox, but it was empty. Li Zhuiyuan put down his chopsticks and ran to the stove to fetch a box of matches for Li Weihan. Li Weihan didn't take it but moved his pipe to Li Zhuiyuan's level. Li Zhuiyuan smiled and took out a match, striking it several times before finally getting a flame. He carefully protected the flame with his other hand and moved it to the pipe. Li Weihan took several puffs on his pipe, drawing out a stream of smoke, and a satisfied smile spread across his face. Back in the day, his daughter used to light his pipe for him, even promising to buy him a box of cigarettes when she grew up. "Phew." Li Zhuiyuan blew out the match and tossed it to the ground, stomping it out with the sole of his shoe several times. Paddle Kid spoke up, "Grandpa, shall we go out in the boat to pick lotus pods this afternoon?" Li Weihan glanced at the sparse meal on the table and nodded. "Thunder Kid, come with us. Bring a net, and see if we can catch a few fish for your grandma to make soup." Huzi and Shitou, hearing this, promptly forgot about Willow Songbird and shouted, "Grandpa, I want to go too, I want to go too!" The other children joined in, afraid of missing out on the fun. Li Weihan cast a stern gaze around the room. "I'll tell you, there's a Waterwraith in this river. It drags people down to drown them, making them its substitute so it can be reborn." The children immediately fell silent, their faces filled with fear. Shitou, still a bit defiant, asked, "Why can the older boys go?" Paddle Kid and Thunder Kid, being older and more sensible, helped their grandfather scare the younger ones. "I'm strong; the Waterwraith can't hold me." "I'm a good swimmer; even a water monkey can't catch me." Li Zhuiyuan wasn't scared, but he was too shy to speak up. He lowered his head, fidgeting with his hands, occasionally stealing glances at his grandfather. Li Weihan said, "Little Yuanhou can go too." Huzi immediately protested, "That's not fair. Yuanzi is only a year older than me." Shitou chimed in, "Right, Yuanzi isn't even as strong as I am. How can he fight a water monkey?" Li Weihan slowly exhaled a smoke ring and gave a perfectly reasonable explanation that even the children found convincing: "Little Yuanhou is from outside. The local water monkeys don't recognize him." ... Most houses in the village were built along the water, with the front door facing the road and the back door leading to the river. To wash vegetables or clothes, one only needed to step out the back door and descend a few steps of blue bricks to reach the river. Thrifty households often set up nets along the river near their homes to raise ducks and geese. The Li family's boat was tied to a persimmon tree by the back door. Li Weihan untied the rope, boarded the boat first, and used a bamboo pole to steady it. Paddle Kid carried a fishing rod, and Thunder Kid held a fishing net, both jumping onto the boat one after another. Li Zhuiyuan, carrying a small bamboo fish basket, was lifted onto the boat by Li Weihan. "Everyone sit down, we're off!" With the repeated thrusts of the bamboo pole, the boat began to move. Paddle Kid and Thunder Kid were used to this, lying back on the boat in a relaxed manner. Li Zhuiyuan, however, sat upright, watching the floating water plants and dragonflies skimming the surface. "Here, Yuanzi." Paddle Kid handed him a small handful of roasted beans. As the eldest, Paddle Kid lived nearby and would often sneak home to grab some snacks, but his mother told him to keep them hidden and not share. On the contrary, when Li Zhuiyuan's mother, who was in the military, brought Li Zhuiyuan to the village, she also brought a large bag of snacks—cookies, meat floss, and fruit cans. Another large package arrived the day before, all of which Cui Guiying locked in a cabinet, doling out a daily ration to all the children. "Thanks, Old Pan's Son." Li Zhuiyuan took the beans and put one in his mouth. The beans, known locally as "fist beans", were actually broad beans. They were roasted with spices and salt, making them very fragrant. However, Li Zhuiyuan didn't like them much. They were too hard, and he found them difficult to chew, fearing they might chip his teeth. So, while his older brothers crunched the beans, Li Zhuiyuan held one in his mouth, savoring it like a piece of candy. "Come a thousand songs, drifting on my road; come a thousand songs, shining brighter than the moon tonight." Paddle Kid began to sing. "You're singing it wrong", Thunder Kid laughed. "It's not like that." Paddle Kid retorted, "Hmph, you sing it then!" Thunder Kid hesitated, scratching his head. "I only remember the tune." Li Weihan, who was steering the boat, asked, "What are you singing? I can't understand." Paddle Kid explained, "Grandpa, it's what Willow Songbird sang yesterday. It's called Yueju." "Yueju?" Li Weihan was surprised. "So, that was Yueju?" Thunder Kid corrected, "No, Grandpa, it's Cantopera, from Guangdong and Hong Kong." "Oh, I see. Sing it for me to hear." Thunder Kid said, "Old Pan's Son can't even remember the lyrics. He's far from being as good as Willow Songbird yesterday." In truth, Willow Songbird's singing wasn't very standard, but in the context of the mainland, it didn't matter much. The important thing was the confident tone. Paddle Kid pointed at Li Zhuiyuan. "When Willow Songbird sang yesterday, I saw Yuanzi singing along. He knows it." Li Weihan said, "Little Yuanhou, sing it for Grandpa." Li Zhuiyuan blushed. "I only know a bit." "Sing, sing", Thunder Kid urged. "Yuanzi, you can even sing English songs." Li Zhuiyuan started to sing: "Come a thousand songs, drifting on my road; come a thousand songs, shining brighter than the moon tonight. That's all I know. Mom likes this song and often plays it at home." Thunder Kid looked at Paddle Kid with a smug expression. "Hear that? Your lyrics were wrong." Paddle Kid rolled his eyes at Thunder Kid. As they chatted, the boat finally reached a wider section of the river. Paddle Kid went to help Grandpa with the pole, Li Weihan started to set up the net, and Thunder Kid set up the fishing rod. Li Zhuiyuan, not assigned any tasks, continued to sit with his small bamboo fish basket, watching his grandfather and brothers work, and then the floating water plants and the frogs jumping on the surface. Suddenly, Li Zhuiyuan leaned forward, puzzled. Li Weihan, who had been keeping an eye on his "grandson", immediately warned, "Little Yuanhou, sit back, don't fall in!" Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the river ahead. "Grandpa, brother, there's a black patch of water plants." "Where?" Thunder Kid followed Li Zhuiyuan's finger. "Hmm, it is black." "Where, where?" Paddle Kid, who was helping at the stern, couldn't see clearly and maneuvered the boat closer. Li Weihan initially didn't take it seriously, busy loosening the net. But when he heard Li Zhuiyuan and Thunder Kid still discussing it, he looked up and froze. The black patch was fine and spread out, scattered but not separated. This wasn't water plants; it was human hair! As Paddle Kid continued to steer the boat closer, the underwater part became visible. The black patterns, white buttons, and curving lines... Since Li Zhuiyuan was sitting, the first to see the underwater part was Thunder Kid, who immediately shouted: "Grandpa, it's a person! Someone's fallen in! Paddle Kid, hurry and steer over to save them!" The story of the Waterwraith no longer scared these older boys. Their natural kindness made them instinctively think someone had fallen in and needed to be rescued. "Rubbish!" Li Weihan suddenly roared, a rare display of anger from the usually kind but strict grandfather. Veins bulged under his rough, cracked skin. He threw the net onto the boat and shouted to Paddle Kid: "Turn around, turn around! Give me the pole, don't go any closer!" They had been on the river for a while and hadn't heard any splash. The water was calm, and there was no need for a rescue. The person must have been dead for a long time! But why was he so panicked? Li Weihan knew they had to get away as quickly as possible. The village, with its dense network of waterways, saw many drownings. Each village or nearby village had a designated Corpse Diver. It wasn't a full-time job, but the role was fixed. It was considered unlucky and had many taboos, so only those with a family tradition would take it on. Siyuan Village had a Corpse Diver named Li Sanjiang, whom Li Weihan called Uncle. Li Sanjiang had no children and didn't bother farming the land allocated to him, instead renting it out for a meager living. But he wasn't a lazy man living hand to mouth. He made a good living crafting funeral paper and diving for corpses, earning more than farming. He lived alone but enjoyed a comfortable life with small meals and drinks. Years ago, to help his four sons get married, Li Weihan had rented Li Sanjiang's land, which was a favor. When a corpse needed to be retrieved, Li Weihan would help his uncle. Although Li Sanjiang never let him touch the bodies, Li Weihan learned a lot about the process from him. In the trade, a floating corpse was called a Deathdrifter. Normally, a drowned body would float after a few days of decomposition, with male corpses face down and female corpses face up due to the structure of the pelvis. Most Deathdrifters followed a standard procedure, and Li Sanjiang would retrieve and return them to their families. However, during a drinking session, Li Sanjiang had warned him about two special cases he dared not handle. One was a Deathdrifter surrounded by whirlpools, indicating a mud pit that could capsize and suck in the boat. The second was even more terrifying, even for Li Sanjiang... A Deathdrifter with only the hair floating on the surface, standing upright in the water! This was a body with immense resentment, unwilling to rest in peace, determined to drag someone down with it! Li Weihan remembered Li Sanjiang's stern warning: "Hanhou, remember, if you see such a Deathdrifter, don't think twice. Get away as fast as you can. If you're too late, it will take you with it!" So, upon recognizing the upright Deathdrifter, Li Weihan was understandably terrified, especially with his three grandsons on the boat! Paddle Kid, still curious, didn't fully understand his grandfather's urgency. As Li Weihan grabbed the pole, Paddle Kid stumbled, causing the boat to tilt severely to the side. For experienced boatmen, this tilt wasn't a big deal. Thunder Kid, standing at the edge, quickly grabbed the side to regain balance. But Li Zhuiyuan, sitting down and inexperienced, was thrown into the water, right near the Deathdrifter. The river water was clear, and the afternoon sun provided good visibility. Li Zhuiyuan, still flailing, was shocked by what he saw. Just as Old Lei's Son had described, there was a person standing in the water. It was none other than Willow Songbird, whom the boys had been talking about at lunch! She was still wearing her black qipao with white floral buttons, a high slit, and red high heels. The water flowed smoothly, causing her arms to move rhythmically back and forth, her legs swaying gently. It looked as if she was walking underwater. She was waving her arms, swaying her hips, showing her legs, tiptoeing, and singing... Even underwater, she still exuded the seductive charm that the village women both envied and despised. "Come a thousand songs, drifting on my road..." He could hear Willow Songbird's slightly off-key Cantonese accent. With the song, Willow Songbird slowly turned, facing Li Zhuiyuan. Her long hair floated upward, like a black umbrella. Her makeup was heavier than usual, and her lips were even more red. Suddenly, She smiled. (End of Chapter)