Ghost marriages are weddings arranged for deceased, unmarried individuals.
A few years ago, Xing'er took me to see a family hold a ghost marriage. The master of that house was a retired official, and the affair was conducted on an enormous scale, with music and fanfare lasting several days. I heard the bride's coffin had been transported from another province—she had already been buried in the earth, but they exhumed her and hauled her on the long journey to be interred with the official's grandson. I sighed over it for days. They had left this world at such a young age; it was terribly pitiful. Having a companion meant neither would be lonely.
So, I had no objection to Lin Se finding a companion either. But for them to want to take this critically injured man for a ghost marriage was simply absurd!
I cursed without thinking, "Whose rotten idea is this? The man isn't even dead yet! Are you playing the Black and White Impermanence?"
Two young servants, looking unfamiliar, were likely from Concubine Xue's courtyard. They were the lowest-ranked servants in our household, so frightened they dropped to their knees with a thud, trembling as they said, "It... it was arranged... by the Master and... Concubine Xue."
I said, "Arranged? Isn't it just you people deceiving my father! Go back and tell Concubine Xue—if you want to hold a ghost wedding, the proper thing is to find a ghost matchmaker early on! I've never seen anyone dragging a living person off the roadside like this!"
One servant muttered, "But he's clearly already dead."
Hearing this, my heart skipped a beat. With all this commotion, the man hadn't even batted an eyelid, sitting quietly against the wall. He had only been clinging to his last breath to begin with—could he have truly breathed his last in this short time?
My heart panicked, and I couldn't help but shout angrily, "You wretched thing, since when did you become the King of Hell? He was just talking with Xing'er a moment ago! It's just an injury—once Xing'er brings the doctor over shortly, he'll be cured in three to five days. Now go cool your heels somewhere!"
The two servants hurriedly lifted the wooden plank from the ground and ran off.
I paced anxiously for a few steps, thinking I still needed to find a place to settle this injured man, then shouted after them, "Come back!"
The servants returned.
"Put the plank down!"
The servants had just left when Xing'er came running, pulling the doctor along.
I quickly said, "Doctor, please examine his injuries carefully. Prescribe whatever medicine is needed."
The doctor crouched down to inspect the man's wounds. Just as he was about to begin, he looked up and said, "Young lady, please step aside for a moment. This old man needs to remove his clothing."
"Oh." My face flushed red. I quickly turned around and walked a few steps away.
I lowered my head, fiddling with that short knife, randomly guessing at his identity.
Before long, Xing'er came over and said, "It's an arrow wound. The doctor says there's only a fifty percent chance of saving him."
Fifty percent. There was still hope he could live.
I had Xing'er carry him to the medical clinic.
As for me, I went to the West Courtyard.
The gatekeeping servants panicked when they saw me—some hurried off to announce my arrival, while others simply kowtowed. I had them lead me to my father.
I had just reached the main hall when Concubine Xue, dressed all in white mourning garb, came out to greet me. Tears hovered at the edges of her eyes, so pitiful it stirred the heart. After exchanging perfunctory courtesies with her, I asked, "Where is my father?"
In the study, my father was writing funeral couplets. Even though he knew I had arrived, he didn't look up. I could only wait quietly until he set down his brush, then kneeled and kowtowed. I waited and waited, but he never told me to rise. Steeling my heart, I called out "Father" and was about to stand up.
"Kneel! Did I tell you to get up?"
My father's fierce shout not only startled me but also provoked my rebellious spirit. I remained kneeling but lifted my head high. "Is Father angry at your daughter because of the matter regarding arranging a ghost marriage for Lin Se? Your daughter doesn't feel she has done anything wrong..."
"The young lady acted for the Lin Family's sake; she is not wrong. It is this servant who failed to think things through." Concubine Xue came over to help me up, but I remained kneeling.
She turned to my father and said mournfully, "Master, Sese has already departed. Don't let her harm the harmony between you and the Eldest Young Lady any further."
Her not mentioning Lin Se would have been fine, but the mention struck at my father's sore spot. He viciously hurled the books on the table at me. "Your younger sister is dead, yet you don't know to help out! Instead, you care about some nameless, unidentified dead man! Only you are capable! Did you think your Concubine Xue and I hadn't considered finding a matchmaker? What status did Sese have? She got into trouble while going to be selected as an imperial concubine—which family would dare arrange a ghost marriage with her?"
My father had always been strict with me, but he had never laid a hand on me before, let alone in front of Concubine Xue. This was clearly showing no regard for my mother's face either! I knew it was because Lin Se's death had torn his heart apart with grief, but I was still terribly hurt, and my voice grew louder. "I know Concubine Xue saw that the man's clothing was of fine quality and his family background should be respectable, which is why she wanted to match him with Sese. But he is a perfectly healthy living person—to insist on burying him wouldn't that be murder? Furthermore, even if he were dead, haven't you considered that since he appears well-bred, wouldn't his family come looking for him? If they pursue this later, wouldn't our Lin Family face a lawsuit?"
My father came out from behind his desk, rolling up his sleeves as if preparing to hit me. "You were born with nothing but a sharp tongue! You don't get to criticize how this household is run! Your Concubine Xue saw with her own eyes that the man was beyond saving—whose life are we harming? If he dies, being eaten by wild dogs would serve him right, wouldn't it?"
I shielded my head. "Father, rest assured—he's already been sent to the medical clinic. He won't die!"
Seeing that my father was about to strike me, Concubine Xue grabbed his arm. "Rujie, Rujie." She gently shook my father's arm, helped him back to his seat, and spoke in soft, gentle tones. "The Eldest Young Lady is still young. Don't frighten her."
After calming my father, she came over and knelt before me, wiping her tears. "Sese was my life. Her sudden departure took more than half my heart with her. Eldest Young Lady, can you empathize with a mother's heart? No wonder I wanted to seek out that stranger. You don't know—after Sese passed, the next day the servants said a young man had collapsed at our gate, apparently beyond hope. Two or three days have passed since then, and it even rained. I thought the man must certainly be dead by now. Sese is pitiful, and so is he. Besides, why did he collapse at our gate of all places? Perhaps the two of them share a fated connection. Giving him a resting place would count as our family doing a good deed, wouldn't you say, Eldest Young Lady?"
Although I knew she was honey-tongued but dagger-hearted, her final argument moved me somewhat.
I said, "In any case, the man has already been sent to the medical clinic. Let's see if he can pull through."
After dinner, my mother came to my courtyard. She must have heard about what happened during the day. After dismissing the maids, she took my hand and sat down. She looked at me carefully for a moment and said, "Don't blame your father. He is suffering in his heart."
"Am I not suffering too? He even wanted to hit me! Ever since Lin Se died, he spends every night in the West Courtyard. Mother, aren't you suffering?"
My mother shook her head. "Because Mother still has you and your younger brother. Because Mother is the properly wedded principal wife of the Lin Family. From the very beginning, Mother knew that what I possess is status, while the one in the West Courtyard possesses your father's heart. That is why I do not suffer."
I thought for a while, then hugged my mother. "In the future, I definitely won't be like Mother. I want to find someone who has me in his heart and who gives me status."
Mother stroked my long hair and laughed. "You silly girl, thinking of marriage at such a young age?"
Just then, a commotion erupted outside. My personal maid, Xiao Xia, stumbled in and said, "This is terrible! A bunch of bandits have come, all wielding long blades like this! I heard they've already killed several people!"
At this moment, Xing'er also ran over, gasping for breath. "Madam, Eldest Young Lady... hurry and come with me. My father is stalling the bandits up front. Nothing else matters now—saving our lives is the priority!"
Lin Se's coffin rested in a side courtyard. White funeral cloths, as well as paper effigies and paper horse-carriages, had been tied at the entrance. The lights were blazing bright, yet it was an excellent hiding place. My mother, Xing'er, and I hid in the cellar of that courtyard, thinking that no matter how the bandits looted, they wouldn't come to this place. We only needed to wait for them to leave before emerging.
Who would have known that those madmen wouldn't even spare the place where the dead lay.
From inside the cellar, I clearly heard a rough voice say, "The eldest daughter of this household died—there must be plenty of good things in the coffin! Let's pry it open!"
Another person said, "Prying open someone's coffin... that's... that's not right, I... I don't dare."
"What is there to fear? Are you still afraid of a dead person? Come!"
"I... I'm not going... not going..."
In the darkness, I whispered to my mother, "I'm going up to scare them to death!"
"Have you gone mad? You're not allowed!" My mother grabbed my arm tightly.
I said, "Sese died a tragic death—she cannot be desecrated after death. Mother, don't worry. I don't believe their courage could be greater than heaven itself. Right above the cellar is the coffin. Xing'er and I will climb up. When the time comes, Xing'er will push the coffin lid, and I'll crawl out. I don't believe they won't be terrified!"
Xing'er said, "I'm afraid..."
"So are you going or not?"