The Beauty and the Bones (2)

around. The basement was lined with rows of rooms. Could these be quarters for the staffSuch stuffy, poorly ventilated basements are common in big cities. To save on rent, many people choose to live i...That was a lucky charm for a married couple. Inside, there were two strands of hair tied with a red string, along with their birth dates and times.

Looking at the scene inside this crystal coffin, it's not hard to imagine the pampering this woman received in her lifetime. In that era of poverty and widespread famine, her husband adorned her with extravagance, just to preserve her beauty and memory.

But no matter how beautiful a person is, no matter how reluctant they are to let go, no matter how hard they try to preserve her beauty, in the end, she is only a shriveled corpse or a pile of white bones.

"Xia Qiao! Xia Qiao!" My brother's voice was urgent: "If you don't answer me, I'll jump!"

I wiped away the inexplicable tears that were streaming down my face and shouted to the top, "I'm fine..."

As soon as he finished speaking, my brother jumped down. He rushed over and grabbed me, staring at me closely: "What's wrong You're crying Scared to death How childish!"

My brother haphazardly wiped my tears away.

I looked at the shriveled and magnificent corpse, not knowing why I thought of myself.

When will I die If I don't commit suicide, will I live to become an old woman

If I grow old and ugly, will Jiang Qiyun still appear by my side

I suddenly thought of that line from "Suiyuan Poetry Talk": Since ancient times, beautiful women like famous generals are not allowed to see their white hair in the human world.

While Great-grandmother wasn't a beauty whose fame would be etched in history books, in her husband's eyes, she was a woman he would willingly sacrifice everything for— his life, his reputation, even the well-being of their descendants. She was a captivating flame he refused to let fade.

I heard a low sob, soft and mournful, breaking my heart.

I and my brother looked towards the entrance. The old master held an octagonal glazed bronze pagoda, his face as dark as thunder.

A wisp of his grandmother's soul rested on his chest, weeping softly: "…they saw it…Yun Fan and Xiao Qiao saw it…"

My grandfather is almost ninety years old. He should be a thin and wizened old man, but at this moment, as he embraces Grandma, he seems like a calm and powerful middle-aged man. Holding his beloved wife, he glares angrily at the disrespectful younger generation.

"What are you doing here!" The grandfather's anger filled the entire tomb.

Oh no, you still want to take Grandpa's treasure Now that you've seen Grandma's corpse, will Grandpa silence you

My grandmother's crying sounded so distressing to me, and I felt uneasy hearing it. How much more painful it must have been for her husband!

The grandfather placed the pagoda in the coffin, and Grandma's ghost immediately became full and clear. The grandfather comforted her with a few words, then turned his head and angrily walked towards us.

As if it happened in a flash, my older brother suddenly grabbed me and with a thud, he knelt before Grandpa.

"Grandfather, we were wrong... We wanted to give you and Grandmother some gifts, so we rushed back all night. We found that there was no sound inside, and we knocked on the coffin board several times but there was no response... We were worried that something might have happened to both of you, so we came down to take a look. It wasn't intentional disrespect towards Grandmother!"

My older brother was quick with his words, explaining everything in a rush. Grandpa was about to hit him with his cane, but stopped halfway through, unable to bring it down.

I muttered to myself: We drove all night and didn't stop once. Where on earth would we find a gift for Grandpa and Grandma

My brother smiled and said to Grandma, "Grandma, you really are something else. There's nothing to be ashamed of being seen by us. We're your beloved grandchildren after all. Besides, look at Grandpa, he dressed you up so beautifully... Little Qiao was so envious just now, she almost cried."

My eyes were fixed on the gray-white tiles on the floor, listening to my brother's efforts to flatter and turn things around.

Grandma's crying subsided a little, my brother's flattery worked.

"I said, you two elders are really something else! It's fine to keep things hidden from others, but why hide them from me and Xiao Qiao You know Xiao Qiao has a ghost husband, right I see the ghost brother-in-law every day. We've gotten used to it... Look, I even went to the Ghost Market and bought you some good stuff."

My brother reached into his backpack and pulled out: "This is lubricant for Grandma, the shopkeeper said it can tighten and enhance intimacy. And this is a male delay product for Grandpa, you two elders should take your time to enjoy yourselves, don't regret it after a hundred years."

I covered my face, feeling so embarrassed. My brother actually bought these things for the elders!!

Great-Grandma blushed and let out a muffled squeak, covering her face as if about to scold her great-grandson for being a scoundrel—in her day, who would dare speak so openly!

The old man was so angry his beard twitched, and he slammed his cane heavily on the floor. After a long silence, he finally said: “ …Have you ever used it”

My older brother immediately jumped up and held these things in front of Grandpa, whispering, "Of course I haven't used them. If I needed these right now, you'd be worried about the family line! But that shopkeeper boasted about it being a hundred-year-old store, absolutely effective. You try it out, okay If it works, I'll get some more for you next time. If not, just throw it away!"

Grandpa coughed and said to my brother, "Since you brought up the issue of continuing the family line, I'll ask you this: when are you getting married I wonder if these old bones of mine will even live to see your children."

My brother scoffed: "What's the point of getting married Just hook up with someone if you need to. If you don't want a wife, and you want an heir, I'll pay for IVF and find a surrogate on the black market. How many do you want"

The old man's beard was bristling with anger, he grabbed his cane and gave my brother a few whacks on the thigh. "You little punk!" he roared, "What kind of twisted nonsense is this! You dare put these inhumane ideas into practice I'll beat you to death!"

My brother smirked and said, "That's just how I feel. So please don't pressure me. My dad is single, and Qiao probably won't find a reliable partner either. I'm fine being single. I can take care of my dad and Qiao... Bringing a wife back home would only make them both miserable."

My tears splashed on the ground, and my great-grandmother floated out of the coffin, embracing me with love and concern.

My brother is truly a good person. I used to think he was just carefree, but his sense of responsibility and the love he has for our family have left me feeling heartbroken.

Grandma cried even harder than I did. After hearing what my brother said, she was inconsolable. She cried so much that Grandpa couldn't bear to see it: "Little Qiao, get up, don't kneel down. I will personally look into your father's matter, you don't have to worry."

My brother changed the subject abruptly, immediately bringing the conversation back to its main purpose: "Speaking of this, Grandpa, we're working hard to raise ten million yuan and were hoping you could help us get some self-defense items."

With my brother's tear-jerking plea and his considerate purchase of so many couple's items for the elders, grandma immediately helped him plead with grandpa.

The treasures at the bottom of the old master's coffin were almost all looted by my brother. Among them was a finely carved peach wood sword and a乾坤法劍 consisting of one hundred and eight different copper coins. My brother, like he was doing some kind of "grasping week" ceremony, wouldn't let go of either one. He desperately wanted to take them for himself.

Finally, the old man grunted and chased us away.

As soon as we came out of the cellar, my brother immediately grabbed my hand and ran towards the car. His face was serious and cold, not at all like he was fooling around in the cellar—intimidated. If Mu Wanchen knew I argued like this, would he be less gentleThe chubby and round Daozong immediately stepped in as a peacemaker, standing in front of me, slightly raising his hands as i...