Chapter Seventy-One: Going Home Together

As Wang Ying and I were embracing, Wei Qi opened the door and walked in.

“Qi Uncle, couldn’t you have knocked?” I forced a bitter smile, relieved that we were only hugging.

Wei Qi’s brows furrowed tightly. “Da Chuan, I don’t think things are so simple. Everything about this is full of confusion and unanswered questions. I need to talk to you—why did the King of the Underworld let us go? Why did Master Xingyun return from the dead? I suspect that Master Xingyun faked his death, deceived us, and used us.” The moment he entered, he launched into a torrent of words.

At this moment, I wasn’t in the mood for such matters. Gently, I released Wang Ying from my arms. “Qi Uncle, I don’t want to accompany anyone right now, including you. Let’s talk about it in a few days—I just want to spend time with my wife.”

Wei Qi smacked his lips, snorted through his nose, and looked somewhat annoyed. He turned to leave, but I quickly stopped him.

“Take good care of your wife, Da Chuan. I’m just anxious, we’ll discuss things in detail later.” He forced an embarrassed smile.

“Don’t give me that. I stopped you for a reason. I want to take Wang Ying to visit her grandparents. Could you lend me some money? I can’t go to her home empty-handed, can I?” I grinned at him.

Wei Qi frowned. “I figured you weren’t here just to flatter me. I have some money, though not much. How much do you need?”

“Her family has been through a lot, her grandparents are old, and her father’s in prison. No matter what, I should bring ten or twenty thousand, leave it for the two elders. Wang Ying’s visit this time—who knows if she’ll get another chance?” I laid out my thoughts.

Wei Qi nodded. “Alright, I don’t have much, just a few tens of thousands. That’s my marriage fund. I’ll scrape together fifty thousand for you. How about that?”

“That’s a lot! I don’t need so much.” I’d never seen so much money in my life, but I wasn’t afraid of the burden. To do something for Wang Ying, I’d do anything I could.

“She’s marrying you, it’s not easy for her. Take more, the elders are struggling, and money is essential.” Wei Qi patted my shoulder and went home to prepare the money.

That night, Wang Ying and I were especially close. After the first time, there was a second—it was addictive. Afterward, we’d talk: about her family, about her childhood. After talking, we’d make love again, then chat some more. The whole night hardly paused.

We only fell asleep near dawn, but didn’t rest long before Wei Qi woke us. By the time I got up, the sun was already high. Opening the door, I found Wei Qi standing outside, handing me a card. “Here’s fifty thousand. Keep it and give it directly to Wang Ying’s grandparents. They’re too old to go without money. Here’s six thousand in cash—buy a few outfits for Wang Ying in the county today, dress her up nicely. And you should tidy up too, so you both look presentable.” After giving me the bank card, he handed me a stack of bills.

A surge of warmth filled my heart. How lucky was I, Wang Da Chuan, to have such a wonderful wife and such a good friend? “Qi Uncle, I’ll pay you back as soon as I have the money!” I said lightly, though who knew when I’d ever have so much. I knew Wei Qi was careful with his money—he always pretended to be poor just to save up.

“Da Chuan, I’m your Qi Uncle. If you’re formal with me, you’re treating me like a stranger. Yingzi said if I ever can’t make ends meet, I should go live with her family—they have so many chickens, there’s no way we could eat them all, even one a day.” Wei Qi chuckled.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Qi Uncle, you’ve decided to marry Yingzi?”

“Either of us could marry the other. I’m worried she might be pregnant,” Wei Qi’s face flushed, surprisingly shy.

I punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t you have plenty of condoms? How could you forget to use them?”

His face reddened even more, and he whispered in my ear, “It was Yingzi’s first time—wouldn’t using a condom be a bit heartless?”

I shook my head, speechless. It seemed both men and women cared deeply about their first time.

At noon, Wang Ying and I went to the county town. We bought clothes and some health supplements at the mall, and at a hair salon, Wang Ying got her hair styled. Only then did we board the coach to her home. On the bus, Wang Ying leaned against me. “Da Chuan, where did you get the money for all this?” I told her the truth, and she was so moved she swore to love me forever, whether as a human or a ghost.

Time ticked by, and Wang Ying grew increasingly agitated. It was understandable; she only had seven days, but what worried her most wasn’t herself, but her family. Her family believed she was dead, sent to the morgue. Now, returning alive—how would they accept it?

On the way, we whispered together, weaving a story. In the end, we crafted a plausible tale that even I believed.

Wang Ying’s family lived where southern Shandong and northern Jiangsu meet. As dusk fell, we arrived at a small town called Jiangshui Hall. Getting off the bus, Wang Ying’s eyes reddened—her feelings were easy to understand. We walked for a while, with Wang Ying introducing me to everything, even pointing out her elementary and middle schools.

Though it was a rural town, residents lived in apartment buildings. We reached a neighborhood called Happy Home.

“Building Six, Unit Three, Room 201.” Wang Ying led me inside, her lips quivering. I gently put my arm around her shoulders. “Wife, cheer up, don’t be like this.”

“Husband, after this visit, there won’t be another. Just thinking about it breaks my heart.” Tears streamed down Wang Ying’s cheeks.

“It won’t be. Whether or not there’s Blood Linglong, as long as I live, I’ll bring you back.” These words weren’t just comfort—they were truth. Wang Ying’s soul remained, her body too. With my blood, she was nearly human. Why couldn’t I bring her home?

Wang Ying rested her head on my shoulder. “Husband, in the next life, I’ll still follow you. I’ll love you with all my heart.”

Her words moved me deeply, and I hugged her tight.

After calming ourselves, we started upstairs. At the stairwell, the sharp smell of paint hit us. The corridor was covered with bold, red characters—words like “Repay,” “Kill,” “Disappear,” “Pay with your life,” “Debt repayment,” all shocking.

“What happened?” I asked Wang Ying.

“Sigh! My dad contracted projects, gave gifts, was framed, and sent to prison. These must be the subcontractors demanding money.” Wang Ying sighed.

“Contracting projects and giving gifts?” As a rural kid, I didn’t understand these things.

“If you don’t give gifts, who’ll give you work? My dad was forced to give gifts, but the recipients weren’t arrested. Instead, they claimed my father was guilty of slander.” Wang Ying lowered her brows, looking sad.

“Let’s not dwell on this now, wife. We’ll deal with it later. Let’s hurry and see your grandparents.” I took Wang Ying’s hand and led her up. On the third floor, Wang Ying was barely holding herself together, her eyes red.

Forcing myself to stay calm, I started knocking. After a long while, no one answered. Wang Ying and I wondered if her grandparents had moved away, unable to bear the harassment from debt collectors. Just as we were about to go ask, the door opened. An elderly couple, weathered and thin, stood before us.

“Who are you looking for?” the old man asked, his voice helpless. As he spoke, his eyes widened, and he covered his mouth with his hand. “Juan, this girl looks like our granddaughter!”

“Grandpa, it’s me, Ying. I’ve come to see you!” Wang Ying’s tears flowed uncontrollably as she spoke.

“Ying, are you Ying?” The old woman’s expression froze, her mouth moving mechanically. She turned to the old man. “She says she’s Ying. Am I dreaming?”

Wang Ying rushed over, embracing the two elders and sobbing. “Grandpa, Grandma, it’s really me, Ying!”

I stood aside, heartbroken, the urge to seek the Blood Linglong returning to my mind.

After a while, the elders let us inside. The apartment was decent, but nearly everything was gone, leaving only the bare essentials for survival. Anything of value had been taken away.

“Grandpa, Grandma, where’s all our furniture?” Wang Ying asked through tears.

“The debt collectors took it. Ying, let’s not talk about that. They said you were dead, your body was in the morgue. When your grandpa went to collect you, he searched every morgue but couldn’t find you. Turns out you were fine! Grandma thought you’d really left us behind!” The old woman hugged Wang Ying, crying as she spoke.