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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Three: A Family Shattered
Li Fugen returned to the village, his heart heavy as if burdened by a great stone. He understood that Li Dazhuang's situation was not just a personal tragedy; it cast a shadow over the entire village.
The next day, Li Dazhuang's wife, Wang Cuihua, suddenly appeared at the Village Committee. Her face was pale, and her eyes were hollow, as if she had lost her soul.
“Village Chief, how is Dazhuang... how is he?” Wang Cuihua's voice trembled, laced with a faint glimmer of hope.
Li Fugen looked at her, feeling a wave of sorrow wash over him. He knew he had to tell her the truth.
“Cuihua, Dazhuang... his condition is not good,” Li Fugen said gently.
Wang Cuihua swayed slightly, nearly collapsing. She grasped Li Fugen's arm, her voice breaking into a sob: “Village Chief, please tell me, what exactly is wrong with him? Is it... is it some incurable disease?”
Li Fugen paused for a moment before responding, “Cuihua, Dazhuang... he may have rabies.”
“Rabies?” Wang Cuihua's eyes widened in terror. “How could this happen? How could this be?”
Li Fugen explained Dazhuang's illness and the details he had uncovered to Wang Cuihua. After hearing the news, she sank to the ground, overwhelmed with grief.
“How could this happen? How could this happen?” she repeated over and over, as if unable to accept this cruel reality.
Li Fugen watched her with deep sympathy. He knew that Wang Cuihua and Dazhuang shared a strong bond and had a young child together. Now that Dazhuang was in trouble, their family was crumbling.
At that moment, a villager rushed in, panic etched across his face.
“Village Chief, it's bad! Wang Cuihua's child... something has happened to the child!”
Li Fugen's heart sank as he quickly asked, “What happened?”
"Child... the child suddenly has a high fever and is convulsing. It seems... it seems to have caught some illness!" a villager said.
Li Fugen's heart sank. He hurried to Wang Cuihua's home and found the child lying on the bed, face flushed, body twitching uncontrollably.
"What’s wrong with the child?" Wang Cuihua cried out.
Li Fugen remained silent; he knew the child's condition was critical.
He immediately called for the Barefoot Doctor to examine the child. After the examination, the Barefoot Doctor's expression turned grave.
"Village Chief, the child's condition is very serious. It seems... it seems to show symptoms of Rabies," the Barefoot Doctor said.
Upon hearing this, Wang Cuihua completely broke down. She held her child tightly, crying inconsolably.
Watching this mother and child, Li Fugen felt a deep sorrow in his heart. He knew that this family was utterly shattered.
That night, Wang Cuihua's child passed away due to the persistent high fever. Overcome with grief, Wang Cuihua fainted on the ground.
The next morning, villagers discovered that Wang Cuihua had also left this world. She chose to depart alongside Dazhuang and her child.
A thick cloud of sadness enveloped the village. The villagers were shocked and saddened. They never expected that Li Dazhuang's family would suffer such misfortune.
Li Fugen looked at the three bodies of the Li Dazhuang family, filled with guilt. He felt he had failed to protect them.
"Village Chief, what exactly happened? Why did this occur?" a villager asked.
Li Fugen shook his head; he did not know either. All he understood was that everything was connected to that Ancient Copper Coin.
"We must uncover the truth and seek justice for them!" a villager exclaimed angrily.
Li Fugen nodded, knowing he had to uncover the truth and give the deceased a proper explanation.
He returned to the Village Committee and took out the copper coin, examining it closely. He felt that this coin was the key to unraveling all the mysteries.
As Li Fugen looked at the symbols on the coin, his mind was filled with confusion. He did not know what secrets these symbols were hiding.
Li Fugen decided to start with Lin Wan'er’s death to uncover the truth. He went to Lin Wan'er’s grave and lit a stick of incense.
“Wan'er, don’t worry. I will avenge you,” Li Fugen said to the grave.
He began to visit villagers, asking them about Lin Wan'er and Li Dazhuang.
“That brat Li Dazhuang is no good,” an old man said. “He used to bully Wan'er all the time.”
“Yeah, how could such a good girl like Wan'er end up with that scum?” an old woman added.
“I heard that before Wan'er died, she went to see Li Dazhuang,” a young man said.
Li Fugen's heart stirred; he felt this could be an important clue.
He found Lin Wan'er’s close friend, Xiao Fang.
“Xiao Fang, do you know if Wan'er went to see Li Dazhuang before she died?” Li Fugen asked.
Xiao Fang nodded and replied, “I know Wan'er went to see Li Dazhuang, but I don’t know what they talked about.”
“What they discussed is very important to me,” Li Fugen said. “Can you think back? Did Wan'er ever mention anything to you?”
Xiao Fang thought for a long time and said, “Wan'er seemed to have mentioned that she wanted Li Dazhuang to pay the price.”
“Pay a price?” Li Fugen was taken aback. “How does she intend to make Li Dazhuang pay a price?”
“I don’t know,” Xiaofang shook her head. “Wan'er didn’t tell me.”
Li Fugen fell silent. He felt that Lin Wan'er's death might not have been a simple suicide.
He returned to the Village Committee and took out the copper coin, examining it closely. He believed that this coin could be the tool for Lin Wan'er's revenge.
He decided to seek out the Old Wizard and ask him about the coin.
Upon arriving at the Old Wizard's home, he found him dozing in the yard.
“Elder, I would like to ask you something,” Li Fugen said.
“What is it?” the Old Wizard asked lazily.
Li Fugen presented the copper coin to the Old Wizard.
The Old Wizard took the coin and scrutinized it carefully. His expression grew serious.
“This coin is cursed,” the Old Wizard said.
“I know,” Li Fugen replied. “I want to understand what this curse entails.”
“This curse is an ancient one,” the Old Wizard explained. “It causes terrible torment and ultimately leads to death.”
“Is there a way to lift this curse?” Li Fugen inquired.
“There is indeed a way,” the Old Wizard said, “but it is very dangerous.”
“What should we do?” Li Fugen asked.
“We must find the one who cast the curse and have him lift it,” the Old Wizard replied. “However, the person who cursed you may very well turn against you.”
Li Fugen fell silent. He understood that this was a risky approach, but to uncover the truth, he had to take the chance.
“Old man, can you help me find the one who cast the curse?” Li Fugen inquired.
“I can only point you in the right direction,” the Old Wizard said. “Whether you can find him depends on your luck.”
The Old Wizard provided Li Fugen with some clues, directing him to an old, dilapidated house on the West Side of the Village.
Li Fugen arrived at the West Side of the Village and located the run-down house. Inside, it was dark and empty.
He stepped into the house and began to search around. Suddenly, he stumbled upon a photograph.
In the photo was a young woman, her face marked by a hint of sadness.
Li Fugen picked up the picture and examined it closely. He felt that this woman seemed to have some connection to Lin Wan'er.
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