"Don't—"
I roared, jolting awake from my dream. My heart pounded erratically, my face was slick with sweat, and my body felt as if it had been plucked from water.
"What's wrong?"
Zhang Dabiao, hearing the commotion from the next room, kicked open the door with a bang. He looked at me nervously, with Zhang Sao trailing behind him, her gaze filled with concern, though she remained silent.
I calmed myself down, shook my head, and said it was nothing, just a nightmare.
*Pfft—*
Zhang Sao chuckled, then said, "Perhaps you were too tired last night. It's normal to have dreams. I'll make you something delicious to replenish your energy later. You'll feel better after eating." She turned and left.
"A nightmare? I thought it was something serious. Dreams are just random thoughts, nothing to worry about," Zhang Dabiao said dismissively, trying to comfort me.
I managed a wry smile, thinking to myself, if I told him I dreamt that his wife was snatched away by a fox, and that he himself was eaten alive by one, he wouldn't be so nonchalant.
Considering Zhang Dabiao was a professional fox hunter, I feared speaking the truth might offend him. So, I concocted a lie, claiming I dreamt I was marrying an ugly woman, which had scared me awake.
"Haha…"
Zhang Dabiao burst into laughter, almost choking. "I knew you were having sweet dreams, kid. I'll have your aunt keep an eye out for good girls and introduce them to you."
I scratched my head awkwardly, remaining silent.
"Alright, I'm done teasing you. Since you're awake, get up and get ready. I need to talk to you about something." Zhang Dabiao clapped me on the shoulder and left the room.
Watching Zhang Dabiao's retreating back, a sliver of unease crept into my heart. Dreams might not be real, but sometimes they foreshadow future events.
Although Zhang Dabiao hadn't explained why his family had always hunted foxes, karma would eventually catch up. It wasn't just about hunting sentient creatures like foxes; even butchers who slaughtered cattle and pigs had to face their karma in old age.
I realized I needed to find a way to stop Zhang Dabiao from hunting foxes and encourage him to adopt a different lifestyle. Once I had a plan, the knot of worry in my chest began to loosen.
I changed my clothes and washed my face before leaving the room.
On the small square table in the courtyard, tea was already laid out. Zhang Dabiao, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, his eyes half-closed, took a puff of smoke, then a sip of tea, looking utterly content.
"Bring yourself a stool!"
After sitting down and taking a sip of tea, Zhang Dabiao spoke before I could, asking, "Brother, do you really think the resting place of the deceased affects one's descendants?"
I nodded, "Yes, the resting place is the deceased's home. An unsettled resting place will inevitably have some impact on the family. Why do you suddenly ask this?"
"I want you to check if there's a problem with my family's resting place. Otherwise, how can my wife and I not have children for so long?"
"This is simple. We'll go after we eat."
Actually, this was something I had wanted to ask as well. Zhang Dabiao was nearly forty, and he and his wife still had no children. In our region, people generally married quite early. Men would marry around twenty-two or twenty-three. At his age, his son should be in high school.
"Alright, then it's settled."
Since we were going to inspect the resting place in the afternoon, neither of us drank any alcohol at lunch. After eating and resting until the sun's heat subsided, I followed Zhang Dabiao up the mountain.
The path wasn't exactly short, but it wasn't far either. We walked for nearly half an hour before reaching our destination.
Zhang Dabiao's father's resting place was chosen on a mountainside. The surroundings were bare, devoid of a single tree. Even the grass was dry and withered, showing no sign of the lush growth of summer.
Looking at the resting place before me, I couldn't help but frown. I asked Zhang Dabiao, "Who chose this spot for you?"
Zhang Dabiao blinked in surprise and explained, "My father chose it himself. He said he absolutely had to be buried here after he died, and nowhere else. Is there something wrong with it?"
I looked at the barren hilltop and asked, "Didn't you think about planting some trees next to the grave?"
"Of course, I did! But no matter what we tried on this barren land, trees would die, and grass would wither."
I sighed, finally understanding why Zhang Dabiao had no descendants. His father had chosen a solitary peak for his resting place, what the common folk call a "lonely land," signifying barrenness.
The "Book of Burial" states that the resting place of the deceased is their home. It can be chosen in a sunny, wind-sheltered location, or a place embraced by mountains, but never a solitary ridge...
Zhang Dabiao's father, however, had chosen a desolate mountaintop. Not only was the peak devoid of trees, but it was also surrounded by rubble, and venomous snakes lurked among the rocks.
Snakes are considered minor dragons. If chosen for an ordinary resting place, they would bring many benefits, subtly channeling dragon energy. But venomous snakes are different; they are malevolent dragons that only appear in places of familial curse.
Choosing a resting place here would guarantee that future generations would be childless. Even if a child was miraculously born, they would be sickly and prone to illness, dying before the age of three.
"How could this be?"
Upon hearing my explanation, Zhang Dabiao staggered, sinking to the ground, his face a picture of despair.
It wasn't his fault. What parent wouldn't wish for their descendants to prosper? Even in death, they would hope for their descendants to live on strongly. Yet, Zhang Dabiao's father had chosen this desolate land for himself, deliberately ensuring his family would have no heirs.
"No, I must exhume the body! I cannot let my Zhang family be without descendants!" After a moment of silence, Zhang Dabiao sprang up, his eyes bloodshot, frantically digging at the grave soil.
I was stunned at first, then quickly moved to stop him. But he shoved me, sending me sprawling, nearly cracking my head on a rock.
*Slap—*
I slapped him hard across the face. "Are you crazy? Even if you want to exhume the body, it can't be now! If your father's remains are exposed to daylight, it's like burning him in a raging fire. Are you trying to prevent him from reincarnating?"
After receiving the slap, Zhang Dabiao's frenzy subsided. However, the look of dejection remained etched on his face. He slowly lit a cigarette and then softly said, "Thank you."
I felt awkward. He was much older than me, and I had called him brother. I had only resorted to slapping him out of necessity. Now that he had regained his composure, I quickly apologized.
"Brother Zhang, just now I..."
Zhang Dabiao waved his hand, saying, "No need to explain. You were right to hit me. No matter what, he is my father. Even if it means I have no descendants, he must have had his reasons."
Seeing that Zhang Dabiao didn't hold the slap against me, I breathed a sigh of relief. To divert his attention, I quickly asked, "Brother Zhang, I believe my uncle wouldn't have insisted on being buried here without a reason. Did he say anything to you before he died?"