Chapter 47: Have you seen my commendation document?

Wu Meng's daughter-in-law was pregnant with triplets, the fetuses were unstable, so she was brought to the main residence to rest her pregnancy; her bedroom was arranged on the west side of the main courtyard, with a separate small compound.

According to ancient custom, that was the quarters of a concubine.

That is, the compound where the Cao Yu Clan concubine lived after being taken in.

Wu Meng took us to the small compound; upon entering, I saw that the thresholds of several rooms in the small compound had been smashed, all re-leveled with fresh cement.

And those two pomegranates were found in the threshold of the inner room.

I looked inside and out, finding nothing special; as the sky darkened, I prepared to stay overnight to observe the situation.

Returning to the main house, I asked again: "Where was that pawn ticket found?"

"Master Huiquan helped find the pawn ticket." Wu Meng said, "It was wrapped up and buried in the corner inside the main gate."

I couldn't help exclaiming: "To be hidden so secretly, yet Master Huiquan could find it—truly impressive."

Master Huiquan waved his hand with a smile: "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui overpraises me; it's just a petty trick."

Wu Meng had prepared a meal; as we sat down, I realized only a few of us were present in the main residence.

I then asked: "Where are your son and daughter-in-law?"

"The daughter-in-law was frightened; they moved back to the city to live." Wu Meng replied.

I pondered, then said: "Could you let your son come, or, alternatively, invite a few young men to stay overnight in the main residence?"

Wu Meng wondered: "Why?"

His wife immediately slapped his hand, scolding: "Just do whatever Xiao Jiu Zhanggui says; first, get rid of the filth in the house—that's most important."

Wu Meng nodded, started calling, and summoned both of his sons back.

Past nine o'clock at night, everyone returned to their rooms to sleep.

We all stayed on this side of the main residence, but kept watch on the movements in the west compound at all times.

That night, destined that no one could sleep.

The lights were turned off; I closed my eyes to rest my spirit.

Li Qingying lay beside me, whispering: "Xiao Jiu, why did you have Wu Meng's two sons come back?"

"To draw the snake out of its hole." I replied, "You forgot that when Wu Meng described the whole incident, he mentioned a crucial point: the female ghost only asked, 'Have you seen my commendation document?' when she encountered the son."

Li Qingying murmured thoughtfully: "The commendation document is key, and the female ghost does not trust just anyone."

"Perhaps the situation is more complex." I analyzed, "Maybe, as you said, in that context she only trusted a certain young man in the main residence; but another possibility is that her commendation document was taken by a certain young man, and that act caused the ensuing misfortune."

Which scenario it is, we should be able to glimpse a bit tonight.

Time ticked by; around eleven at night, our room door was lightly knocked, and Wu Meng's voice sounded: "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, there seems to be movement over at the west compound."

I hurriedly rose and tiptoed toward the west compound.

Hiding outside the west compound's small gate, I saw what seemed to be lamplight inside the main house of the west compound—not electric light, but like the old oil lamps.

As the lamplight swayed, a strange silhouette was cast on the window, resembling a person yet not quite.

How would one describe that feeling?

It was as if several large and small figures were stacked together, standing there.

Faintly from within the room came a woman's terrified and aggrieved voice, repeating over and over: "Cao Yu Clan of Jingcheng, aged sixteen, taken as Cao Gong's concubine, widowed that very night, observed chastity for three years, bore no offspring..."

I have seen this before!

It is the description of Cao Yu Clan's life on the commendation document.

Why then does Cao Yu Clan repeat this sentence over and over in the middle of the night?

Who is she speaking to?

Why does she say these things?

In my thoughts, the woman's voice suddenly turned sharp, as if she had suffered some great humiliation, her hysterical shouts and pleas echoing.

Over and over.

The commotion in the west compound was so loud that everyone on the main residence side gathered behind me, each face grim beyond words.

Just then, the door of the west compound's main house creaked open.

Behind me, Wu Meng's son Wu Qian trembled and said: "She's out, she's out..."

As Wu Qian spoke, his two legs seemed to shake; he turned and wanted to flee.

I lowered my voice: "Wu Qian, you go first."

Wu Qian shook his head vigorously, a grown man feeling like crying now, he shoved his elder brother Wu Chang: "Big brother, you go, you go first."

Having heard about the incident at home but never experienced it himself, Wu Chang, ignorant and fearless, said: "Look at your cowardly self— that thing could really eat you!"

Saying that, he lifted his foot and strode into the west compound.

Wu Chang's steps were large; he quickly reached the doorway of the west compound's main house.

Just as he turned to enter the main house, his whole body suddenly stiffened.

Immediately, he stepped back step by step, his feet moving as if filled with lead, difficult to shift.

As Wu Chang slowly retreated, Cao Yu Clan's silhouette gradually became visible to everyone's eyes.

What a woman!

She was extremely thin, as if only a skeleton remained, yet her belly was huge, as if about to give birth.

Her hair was disheveled, messy locks covering her whole face, yet on her shoulders perched seven or eight... bluish-purple infants!

She stared fixedly at Wu Chang before her, taking step after step forward, her wide skirt dragging on the ground, leaving a large patch of brownish-brown bloodstain...

Wu Chang was so frightened he became stupid; after retreating a few steps, he stood in place, legs trembling, unable to move even half a step.

At that moment, Cao Yu Clan spoke: "May I ask, have you seen my commendation document?"

Wu Chang shook his head desperately: "I... I didn't see any commendation document, I don't know, I know nothing."

Cao Yu Clan paused, seeming disappointed, then turned and walked toward the main residence.

At the moment she turned around, we all retreated into the main house.

I gave Li Qingying a look, and Li Qingying shoved Wu Qian out.

Wu Qian cried out "Mom!" and turned to run back.

But it was already too late.

The Cao Yu Clan discovered him.

The Cao Yu Clan, which had been moving slowly just moments before, instantly shifted to stand before Wu Qian, and with its hoarse voice asked again: "May I ask, have you seen my commendation document?"

Wu Qian answered with a trembling, tearful voice: "I didn't see it, I didn't see it."

The Cao Yu Clan sidestepped Wu Qian and walked toward the east courtyard.

She searched the east courtyard once, then went into the main house and searched once more; we dodged around Shan Shan to avoid her, and she went to search the front courtyard.

Thus she turned and turned, searched and searched, the Cao Yu Clan's movements became increasingly frantic, and the faces of the few little ghost heads on her shoulders grew ever more hideous.

Having searched nearly the entire manor, the Cao Yu Clan returned.

This time, she had a clear target and rushed straight toward Wu Qian.

Her movements were extremely fast, almost like teleportation; Wu Qian couldn't dodge in time: "May I ask, have you seen my commendation document?"

Wu Qian still said the same thing: "I didn't see it."

I had thought the Cao Yu Clan would leave as before, but this time she did not.

She asked again: "May I ask, have you seen my commendation document?"

Wu Qian grew anxious: "I said I didn't see it! I didn't see it!"

The Cao Yu Clan suddenly laughed.

Ke ke…

At the moment that sinister laugh rang out, the several small ghost heads on her shoulders, their scarlet eyes, looked in unison toward Wu Qian.

The next moment, the Cao Yu Clan asked again: "Cao Lang, have you truly not seen my commendation document?"