Chapter 48: Ex-Wife

Lu Guanchang’s ex-wife, named Zhao Qiuyun, was from Yehegou Village near Binhai.

After divorcing Lu Guanchang, she returned to her parents’ home with her daughter.

But because of the divorce, she was not well treated by her in-laws; in that era, divorce was often seen as the woman’s fault, and she faced scorn and gossip.

To spare her daughter from suffering, Zhao Qiuyun left Yehegou Village with her daughter Lu Hongxia and moved to the neighboring city of Cien.

Cien lies in the southwestern part of Qionghai, bordering Binhai, with unique natural conditions, rich cultural features, and superior geography.

It receives ample sunlight, is unaffected by monsoons, and has a cost of living far lower than Binhai, a tourist city.

As the saying goes, poverty spurs change; with little education, Zhao Qiuyun took to selling cooling drinks and snacks—such as Qingbuliang, sweet potato jelly, and old-salt fruit juice—to support her daughter.

Because she started early, she was among the first individual vendors, faced little competition, and actually earned considerable money.

Zhao Qiuyun was in fact a capable woman; previously, with a husband who gave her a regular monthly allowance, she never had to worry about daily expenses.

Now, she had to plan for both her and her daughter’s future, so after earning money, she did not settle for modest wealth—she successively opened a restaurant, a supermarket, a clothing store, a housekeeping company, and more.

Through a lifetime of struggle, though not wealthy or powerful, she accumulated modest assets; during this time, she remarried, and her new husband treated her extremely well, and they had a son and a daughter; now, she had long since handed over her businesses to her children and lived happily in retirement, doting on her grandchildren.

As for Lu Guanchang’s daughter, Lu Hongxia, she had long changed her name to Zhao Hongxia, taking her mother’s surname.

Zhao Hongxia, having endured family upheaval and constant displacement with her mother since childhood, was more sensible and mature than her peers.

Her environment forged her strong-willed nature; whether in studies or work, she excelled, and after taking over her mother’s businesses, she did not decline—instead, she thrived even more, reaching new heights.

When Lu Guanchang spoke of his ex-wife and daughter, his tone unconsciously carried a hint of pride, as if he shared in their glory.

Shen Siyuan had no idea what he had to be proud of—did their current achievements have anything to do with him?

He couldn’t possibly believe their success was thanks to his abandoning his wife and daughter back then.

“So, do you really think it’s necessary to disturb them? Do they even care about your meager assets?” Shen Siyuan asked.

“But… but I can’t accept it.”

Lu Guanchang’s face twisted; he had toiled his whole life, only to raise someone else’s children and be displaced by another man—how could he bear it?

Fortunately, ghosts couldn’t harm the living, or else he would have devoured those two alive to quench his hatred.

His appearance reflected his inner state: his mouth split to his ears, his body swelled, his belly ballooned—he sat there like a giant toad with its mouth wide open, ready to swallow anything.

“Wow, Grandpa Lu is so scary.”

Dou Dou hid behind Xiao Yue’s back, peeking out timidly, utterly adorable.

“Didn’t you say he was a good person?” Yin Xingyue glanced at her sideways.

“Mom said, you can’t judge someone as bad just because they look ugly,” Dou Dou argued.

“You shouldn’t judge by appearance.”

“Yes, yes, that’s it! How did you know that? Sister, you’re so smart.”

Yin Xingyue, still a primary school student, felt a little pleased at Dou Dou’s praise.

“We’re ghosts now, not humans, so we can’t judge by human standards. Let me tell you—the less human someone looks, the worse they are…”

“Wow, so they’re all bad people? I thought they were just big monsters—I was scared they’d grab me, so I stuck close to Mom and Dad, avoided them, and when flying above, I saw so many… so there are really this many big villains?”

Dou Dou’s eyes widened in shock.

“You don’t need to fear them now—they’re the ones who should fear you,” Yin Xingyue said.

She extended her right hand, and blue flames instantly flickered at each fingertip.

Seeing this, Dou Dou eagerly stuck out her short, chubby fingers, lips pursed, eyes fixed on them, as if summoning all her strength.

But her little fingers remained completely still; fortunately, she was a ghost now, not human, or else she might have let out a few farts.

“Focus your attention. Think with your heart.”

Hearing this, Dou Dou’s face lit up with understanding.

“Oh, so I was thinking with my head—too much.”

Then she stared at her fingertips again, and after a while, she angrily clutched her small head.

“My head won’t listen—it keeps thinking about little monkeys, big bananas, big tigers, eating meat…”

Yin Xingyue, usually quiet and serious, couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing Xiao Yue laugh at her, Dou Dou grew angrier—and suddenly, her whole body burst into flame, as if she were burning entirely.

“Wow… Sister, sister… I made fire! So I just have to get angry?” Dou Dou beamed with delight.

Shen Siyuan, hearing the commotion, turned to look at them.

Lu Guanchang, nearby, also saw it; though at a distance, he felt his heart race and his soul ache sharply. Instantly, his rage cooled—he returned to his human form.

“Master, please help me—let me meet my… daughter. Whether she’s willing to seek justice for me or not, I’ll finally let go. Otherwise, I can’t bear it—I’ll be trapped here forever, unable to find peace…”

As Lu Guanchang spoke from the depths of his heart, the warts on his face seemed to fade slightly, revealing his original gentle, kind features.

“Your daughter is far away in Cien. I’m only free on Saturdays and Sundays—I can go there once.”

“That’s fine, I can wait,” Lu Guanchang hurriedly said.

Shen Siyuan thought for a moment: “Do you know her address? I can write a letter and send it. If she comes to Binhai, that would be best…”

“That’s a good idea,” Lu Guanchang said, overjoyed.

“Then come with me,” Shen Siyuan stood up.

Lu Guanchang quickly followed Shen Siyuan upstairs to his rented apartment.

Shen Siyuan found paper and pen and said to Lu Guanchang: “Dictate, I’ll write it down.”

Lu Guanchang lowered his head, thinking hard, but couldn’t find the words to begin.

Shen Siyuan didn’t press him—he poured himself a glass of water and went to the window, looking down.

Below, the two little girls were chasing each other, playing; it was already night, and even with streetlights, visibility was poor.

But the ghost fire on Dou Dou’s head was so bright, like a firefly in the dark, impossible to miss.

They weren’t brought back upstairs mainly because we feared they might accidentally set Lu Guanchang on fire—ghost fire burns on karmic fuel; the greater the sin, the longer it burns, and it won’t extinguish until the sin is fully purged.

“Master, I’ve thought of it.”

Lu Guanchang’s voice interrupted Shen Siyuan’s thoughts.