Although the group had only been at the Wu family's for half a day, Shen Cuiyu had clearly felt from many subtle details how Wu Xingsheng and his wife Deng had neglected their second daughter, Wu Zhaodi.
It seemed as if this child was born to be last, and everything was so taken for granted that it weighed heavily on Shen Cuiyu's heart.
Hadn't Shen Cuiyu tasted the bitterness of being neglected by her own kin before her rebirth?
No matter how hard she tried, she could hardly correct her parents' already biased hearts. They always gave all their attention and care to Liu Ruyan, who had "returned after getting lost".
At this moment, looking at the silent Wu Zhaodi, Shen Cuiyu seemed to see another vague and young version of herself...
Shen Cuiyu recalled that just now, when she asked if Zhou had left any last wishes or unfinished business before her death, Wu Xingsheng and Deng had hesitated, obviously hiding something.
In this seemingly harmonious family of five, perhaps only Wu Zhaodi still held a nearly sincere kind of protection and trust for the deceased Zhou.
Shen Cuiyu lowered her eyes, and a huge question mark rose in her heart, lingering...
The mission note clearly stated that Zhou had been bedridden for half a year, and her son, Wu Xingsheng, had taken good care of her all along. It was only because Zhou was old and weak that she was ultimately incurable.
According to this, Zhou should have been an old person who died of natural causes. Even if she had concerns in her heart, her resentment should never have been so strong as to form a rare and evil thing like a "shaded corpse".
What exactly were Wu Xingsheng and his wife deliberately hiding?
What was it that Zhou really couldn't let go of?
Shen Cuiyu's gaze fell on Wu Zhaodi again, who was standing close to her. She reached out her hand and gently wiped away the tears on Zhaodi's cheek with her fingertips.
The action carried a kind of gentle tenderness that made Zhaodi stare blankly at her. For a moment, she seemed to see Zhou again, who would always secretly give her warmth. Zhou was the only relative in the world who truly loved her.
"Okay, I've taken your words to heart, sister," Shen Cuiyu's voice was soft but carried a reassuring power. "I will find out the truth. But before that, can you tell me something?"
Wu Zhaodi looked into her clear and determined eyes and slowly nodded.
Shen Cuiyu asked, "Before grandma passed away, did she tell your father and mother anything? Or did you see anything special?"
Wu Zhaodi tilted her head and thought hard. After a moment, she nodded vigorously, and a look of recollection appeared on her little face.
"Grandma... In the last few days, grandma seemed to be in great pain. She held on and refused to close her eyes. There was always a 'ho-ho' sound in her throat, and she called father's name with great effort..."
Her little hand unconsciously grabbed the corner of her clothes, as if she was very uneasy. "I remember grandma repeatedly pleaded with father. She begged him... begged him to promise her not to bury her with grandpa. She said she didn't want to be buried together with him. She begged father to definitely promise her..."
Shen Cuiyu's heart skipped a beat, and she caught this crucial piece of information. "Did father promise?"
"Grandma pleaded for a long time, every day. Finally, father... seemed to nod." Wu Zhaodi's tone was uncertain, but then, she brought even more important information. "But... but one night later, when I got up to use the toilet, I heard father and mother talking in the kitchen. Father sounded very unhappy and a bit angry."
"Why was father unhappy?" Shen Cuiyu asked eagerly, softening her voice even more.
A look of fear flashed across Wu Zhaodi's innocent face, as if she had returned to that night when she overheard her parents' private conversation.
"Father said... Husband and wife should be buried together after death. Being buried together means being buried in the same place. Only in this way can they bless their descendants and bring good fortune and luck to the family. If... if they are not buried together and are buried separately, it will break the rules and will... will affect the fortune of the descendants. It will bring bad luck to the family..."
She paused for a moment and tried hard to repeat the words she had heard at that time. "Mother also said that we couldn't just follow grandma's wishes. If they were not buried together, the villagers would point fingers at our family and say that we were unfilial. And what if it really affected our luck, especially the future of my younger brother..."
Even though Wu Zhaodi had difficulty expressing what happened later, Shen Cuiyu could already guess the result. Under the influence of reputation and fortune, even though Zhou had repeatedly pleaded before her death, Wu Xingsheng and his wife still chose to go against her wishes and buried Zhou and her step - father together...
Shen Cuiyu lowered her eyes, her mind filled with thoughts. Did the Wu family's violation of Zhou's last wish lead to Zhou's lingering resentment and her transformation into a shaded corpse?
All the clues seemed to be connected at this moment...
Shen Cuiyu already had a speculation in her mind. Wu Xingsheng had previously said that after Zhou remarried, she didn't have any more children with her step - father, and Wu Xingsheng was her only child. Zhou was so stubborn and even desperate before her death, pleading with her son not to bury her with her step - husband. This was definitely not normal, indicating that their relationship must have been extremely bad.
She asked Wu Zhaodi for confirmation.
"Zhaodi, do you have any impression of grandpa?"
A look of confusion appeared on Wu Zhaodi's little face. She shook her head, her voice very soft.
"I don't remember... Sister said that grandpa died not long after I was born." But then, as if she remembered something, she slowly said, "But... Sister secretly told me that grandpa was a very fierce man. He was very mean to grandma. She saw when she was a child... Grandpa would beat grandma. It was really scary. Sister also said that it was lucky that grandpa died early. Only after he died did grandma's life... finally get a little better."
Wu Zhaodi's innocent words revealed Zhou's long - suppressed and painful past, making Shen Cuiyu's heart sink.
In this case, everything could be reasonably explained.
After Zhou remarried, she had suffered long - term domestic violence from her step - husband and lived in fear and pain. After finally enduring until her step - husband's death, the only thing she hoped for in her later years was probably to completely get rid of this man who had brought her endless nightmares after death and gain true peace.
However, her only son, Wu Xingsheng, ultimately violated her last wish and forcibly buried her with the man she hated and feared the most!
This was like giving her a fatal blow after her death and pushing her back into the nightmare she had been desperately trying to escape from!
All these emotions intertwined and were enough to make an old person who should have passed away peacefully be filled with such strong resentment that she turned into a rare shaded corpse!
Shen Cuiyu turned her eyes to the deep night. Could this be the truth?
Was Zhou using this extreme way to take revenge on her descendants?