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Chapter 101: Explosive Maternal Love

In Yangjiawan, all residents bore the surname Yang, stemming from the same ancestor. Though arguments and conflicts occasionally arose, it was undeniable that they were all one family, bound by blood.

Third Uncle, as Yang Haoran called him, was his grandfather’s biological younger brother, ranking third among his siblings.

When he realized the funeral seemed to be at his Third Uncle’s house, his first thought was whether something had happened to his Third Uncle, as he was quite old now.

In many rural areas, there was a saying: if an elderly person was bedridden and could make it through the New Year, they might live a while longer, but often, many couldn't endure that period.

In Yang Haoran’s memory, despite his Third Uncle’s advanced age, his body had always been quite robust. Moreover, he hadn't heard his parents mention anything about his Third Uncle being bedridden, so how could something have suddenly happened?

Carrying his doubts, Yang Haoran quickened his pace. The closer he got to Third Uncle’s house, the louder the sounds of gongs and drums became. Besides the wails of grieving family members, he could also hear someone chanting scriptures to offer salvation for the deceased.

As soon as he stepped into Third Uncle’s courtyard, Yang Haoran spotted a coffin placed in the center.

Someone in Third Uncle’s family had indeed passed away; Yang Haoran hadn't guessed that wrong. But the deceased was not his Third Uncle – that he had guessed incorrectly. For his Third Uncle sat nearby, wiping away tears, his wrinkled face etched with profound sorrow.

Besides seeing his Third Uncle, Yang Haoran also noticed a familiar face. This man was puffing on a cigarette beside Third Uncle, occasionally offering a word of comfort.

Yang Haoran nodded back, saying, "I'm back."

The smoking middle-aged man was Yang Haoran’s father. He wasn't tall or heavily built, his skin was dark, and he was somewhat thin, but he looked quite energetic.

In his memory, although his father was a stern man, he would always show his inner joy whenever Yang Haoran returned. Today, however, was an exception. His face was clouded with worry, and as he continuously puffed on his cigarette, there wasn't a hint of a smile.

"Third Uncle," Yang Haoran shifted his gaze from his father and greeted his Third Uncle, who was still wiping away tears.

His Third Uncle, grief etched on his face, nodded at Yang Haoran. Without a word, he continued to wipe away the tears that streamed from his eyes.

"Your mother is helping out in the kitchen. Go find her there," Yang father said.

Although he had many questions, he certainly couldn't ask them in such a setting; that would be like rubbing salt in the wounds of the bereaved family. So he acknowledged his father, then went to the kitchen to find his mother.

In the kitchen, Yang mother was delighted to see Yang Haoran return. Unlike Yang father, she wasn't burdened by so many concerns; she was simply happy her son was back.

Yang Haoran knew it wasn't good for his mother to be overly cheerful in the home of the deceased; it showed disrespect to the dead and their family. So he quickly pulled his mother out of the kitchen and directly out of the courtyard.

"Mom, what exactly happened? " Yang Haoran quietly asked his mother outside the courtyard.

"Your Second Uncle died! " Yang mother’s voice was loud. It wasn't intentional; her voice was naturally booming.

"Mom, lower your voice a bit. It's not good if others hear," Yang Haoran quickly whispered, urging his mother.

Yang mother rolled her eyes at him, grumbling, "What's wrong with it? The man's dead. The dead can't be brought back to life. Besides, everyone in Yangjiawan already knows about it, so what's the harm in talking about it?"

Ever since Yang mother married Yang father, she had rarely left Yangjiawan. She hadn't interacted much with outsiders and hadn't suffered much for her blunt speech, so she was quite unreserved in her words, saying whatever came to mind or whatever she saw. She never considered things from another's perspective, much less whether her words might offend someone.

Yang Haoran didn't think his old mother’s way of doing things was right, but he knew she didn't mean to insult or mock anyone. Still, he felt he had to gently admonish her. After all, everyone in Yangjiawan was family; if they got into an argument because of careless words, it would not only hurt their relationship but also make them a laughingstock.

"Mom, listen to me. It’s better to speak quietly. Things that might offend people should be avoided if possible. Don’t be so unyielding," Yang Haoran said earnestly.

"Hmph, so you've learned to lecture your mother now, have you? " Yang mother poked Yang Haoran's head with her finger, grumbling with displeasure.

Yang Haoran felt helpless inside, his smile becoming strained. "How could I dare to lecture you, Mom? I just wanted to. . . Ugh, never mind, let's not talk about that. Just tell me what happened. How did Second Uncle suddenly pass away, when he was perfectly fine?"

"Sigh, your Second Uncle went up the mountain to chop firewood this morning. Usually, he’d be back in about an hour, but today he didn't return on time, nor did he come back for lunch. Calls went unanswered. Finally, the whole family went out and found him in the area where he usually chopped firewood. When they found him, he was already dead. I heard his death was gruesome; he was bitten by a poisonous snake."

Yang Haoran frowned deeply. He had caught a very important detail in his mother’s words.

"Poisonous snake? Mom, it's winter! Aren't snakes supposed to be hibernating? How could Second Uncle have been bitten by a poisonous snake? " Yang Haoran asked, full of doubt.

Yang mother poked him on the head again, annoyed. "What the hell do you know? Everyone says he was bitten by a snake, so he must have been bitten by a snake! I heard your Second Uncle even had bite marks on his body. If it wasn't a poisonous snake, what kind of animal could bite him once and kill him? Snakes do hibernate, but there are always exceptions, aren't there? What if this poisonous snake had some cultivation or something? Then it wouldn't be strange at all, would it?"

Yang Haoran shook his head, not entirely agreeing with his mother’s explanation. He found it a bit far-fetched. He continued, "Mom, can I go see Second Uncle's body?"

Hearing this, Yang mother immediately flared up, scolding, "That's your Second Uncle's body, not your mother's body! Even if we're all family, there's still a boundary. You can't just look whenever you want! Besides, Zhou Daoshi has already prepared the body, and he's chanting scriptures for salvation now. If you open the coffin to look at the body, Third Uncle’s family will beat you, you rotten brat!"

"Mom, it's the New Year. Can't you say something auspicious? Stop talking about death all the time; it sounds jarring," Yang Haoran said, a hint of displeasure in his voice.

"You know it sounds jarring, but it's not jarring for you to go look at a dead body, is it? Aren't you afraid of bad luck?"

Yang Haoran truly didn't know how to explain the issue to his mother. He just felt that there was something off about Second Uncle's death, but he couldn't pinpoint the crucial detail right away.

"Don't overthink it. With Zhou Daoshi here, it's not a big problem. Although Zhou Daoshi isn't from Yangjiawan, he's well-respected in our area, and he'll handle this properly. Your Second Uncle is dead, that's a fact, but we who are alive still have our lives to live. You're not a child anymore. Instead of worrying about this, you should think more about your own affairs. Things like marriage and having children are the most important!"

Yang Haoran knew the Zhou Daoshi his mother was talking about. In their area, whenever a funeral was held, he would be invited to chant scriptures for salvation, perform rituals, and see the deceased off on their final journey.

There were many people like Zhou Daoshi among the common folk, but some had real abilities, while others didn't.

Those with real abilities had a diverse range of knowledge. They could handle almost all sorts of strange incidents, big or small, in the countryside, from finding lost items to exorcising ghosts. These eccentrics were a type of exorcist.

As for those without true abilities, they were quite similar to the former Yang Haoran. They understood some things, learned either from books, movies, or from senior practitioners. It couldn't be said that their knowledge was entirely useless, but they themselves had no special powers. Even if what they learned was useful, the power they could exert was negligible.

Of course, it also couldn't be said that these people were useless. Although they didn't possess special abilities themselves, they could chant scriptures for salvation. Even if they were just reading from a script, it could help dissipate the resentment of the deceased.

Most importantly, their presence could at least bring peace of mind to the deceased's family.

No matter where, not every household where someone passed away would experience a haunting. But if a master was invited to perform a ritual to see the deceased off on their final journey, and could also bring peace of mind to the bereaved family, then such people had certainly demonstrated their value.

Yang Haoran had walked this path himself, so he did not look down on these masters who lacked true abilities.

The Zhou Daoshi his mother mentioned had been in this line of work for many years. Yang Haoran had known him since childhood; even his own name, Yang Haoran, had been given to him by Zhou Daoshi’s master.

However, Yang Haoran wasn't certain if this Zhou Daoshi truly possessed real abilities. But one thing was for sure: he had been in this profession for so many years without any incidents and continued to do so, which meant he definitely had his unique qualities.

Seeing Yang Haoran frowning, lost in thought, Yang mother scolded again, "You little rascal! Are you playing coy with me whenever marriage comes up?"

Yang Haoran was jolted back to reality by his mother’s scolding. He forced a wry smile. "Mom, you're overthinking."

"Overthinking my ass! You're thirty already! If you don't get married soon, you'll never get married in your life! You're our only son. If you don't get married, your father will beat you to death, you unfilial child!"

"I. . ."

"Stop 'I, I, I-ing'! Your mom arranged a blind date for you. The girl is quite good. You go there yourself, and don't mess it up for your mom!"

"A blind date? Me?"

"What 'me'? No 'me'! You're thirty years old already! Do I still have to worry about something like this for you, your own mother? Aren't you ashamed? I originally planned to go with you tomorrow to boost your courage, but something happened at your Third Uncle's house, so I have to stay here and help. You'll have to go by yourself. If you can't even handle a girl, I'll break your legs when you come back!"