The Zhao clan chief tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. It was rare for their clan to produce a promising young descendant.
How could he be so unlucky? The doctor's grim expression made his heart sink with unease.
"Old man, stop fidgeting. If you don't sleep, I won't either."
"Sleep, sleep, all you think about is sleep. With this happening, how can I possibly sleep?"
"You're overthinking things. Although they share the same surname, he's not our direct grandson. Even if he achieves great things, we won't benefit."
"But it brings honor to the clan, imagine how impressive it sounds. Besides, Nan Ying has studied so much, he must be a good and upright person. It's definitely not wrong to build a good relationship with him. Who knows when we might need his help."
"Oh, give it a rest. You didn't lift a finger when he and his mother were being bullied. I think that boy holds grudges. It's better this way, so he doesn't seek revenge on us after he becomes successful."
"You wouldn't understand, just go to sleep."
His wife's words pricked him like a thorn. However, passing the imperial examinations to become a scholar was already a great achievement.
He could only treat Zhao Nan Ying even better now, hoping he would forget past grievances. Listening to the snoring beside him, the Zhao clan chief gradually drifted into sleep.
The sky was dark and heavy. The Zhao clan chief didn't know where he was. He walked aimlessly forward, and the scenery changed.
The ground beneath his feet became increasingly familiar, and he found himself by a pond. The Zhao clan chief looked around, puzzled, and asked,
"How did I get here?"
He scratched his head, about to turn back, when the surroundings were enveloped in a thick mist. A woman with long, flowing hair, dressed in a red wedding gown, suddenly appeared before him.
The Zhao clan chief yelped and fell to the ground, wetting himself instantly. No sound escaped his lips.
The woman's face was obscured by her long, black hair. She raised her hands, her red fingernails exquisitely beautiful. Her red embroidered shoes slowly moved forward.
"Ahhh, a ghost, a ghost! Don't come near me, don't come near me. The wronged have their wrongs to settle, the owners have their owners. I really don't know you!"
The Zhao clan chief closed his eyes and yelled, his hands and backside inching backward. His legs were too weak to get up.
"Gracious ghost lady, please don't kill me. I'll burn whatever you want for you. Please don't scare me like this. I'm just an old man with little yang energy. I have three sons and eight grandchildren, please don't haunt me!"
After a long silence, the Zhao clan chief mustered his courage and opened his eyes. A cold wind blew, and the female ghost's hair fluttered.
She hovered in mid-air, her face glowing with a faint green light. Her face was clearly swollen, and water began to drip from her wedding gown.
The Zhao clan chief was so terrified his jaw dropped. The water flowed into his mouth, mixed with some moss and black tadpoles.
His clothes were soaked, and he shivered uncontrollably from the cold. With something lodged in his throat, the Zhao clan chief no longer cared about the ghost.
He lay on the ground, desperately trying to dislodge whatever was in his throat. To his dismay, the moss he pulled became longer and longer, gradually transforming into strands of black hair.
At that moment, the female ghost's face suddenly loomed large before him. Unable to bear the shock any longer, the Zhao clan chief closed his eyes and fainted.
Old Mrs. Zhao woke up to find her husband gone, which she found a bit odd but didn't think much of it. She got up to wash.
It wasn't until her daughter-in-law had prepared breakfast and the Zhao clan chief still hadn't appeared that she asked, "Has anyone seen your father today?"
Everyone replied in unison, "No."
Third Aunt Zhao: "Father probably went to Nan Ying's house. Didn't he tell you, Mother?"
"No, he wasn't here when I woke up. This old man usually wakes up later than me, but today he got up early."
Just then, Zhao Da Sao, yawning, pushed open the door. "Grandma, Mother, you're all eating. I didn't sleep well over there last night, so I'm going back to sleep for a bit."
"Wait, Dajuan, did your grandfather go to Nan Ying's house today?"
"No."
"Did you see your grandfather on the way?"
"No."
Fourth Aunt Zhao: "Mother, don't worry. My father might have just gone out for a walk."
"He's never done this before; he always tells me where he's going. Don't eat, everyone. Let's go out and look for him."
No one dared to object to her command. Zhao Da Sao reluctantly followed. The group searched for two hours before finding the Zhao clan chief by the pond.
Zhao Wu Ge ran ahead and pulled the Zhao clan chief from the water's edge. He repeatedly pressed his chest, crying, "Grandpa!"
Seeing this, Old Mrs. Zhao nearly fainted, but Third Aunt Zhao supported her.
"My dear, my dear, what happened to you? Don't leave me! Wuwuwu, heaven's curse, how did you end up here? You were fine when you went to sleep last night."
Aunt Zhao: "Xiao Wu, did you pull your grandfather out of the pond?"
"No, no, Grandpa was only submerged up to his waist in the water."
"You foolish child, then why are you doing chest compressions? The rest of you, come and carry your grandfather home."
Old Mrs. Zhao cried for a while, then, seeing the slight rise and fall of the Zhao clan chief's chest, her heart finally settled, and her sobs lessened.
The Zhao clan chief suddenly opened his eyes, startling Xiao Wu, who had leaned in to observe him, nearly causing him to fall into the pond.
The Zhao clan chief opened his mouth and spat out a dark, leg-like object. He coughed and pulled a large toad from his mouth.
Immediately after, he vomited a stream of tadpoles. This sight terrified those gathered, and several younger members couldn't help but retch.
Old Mrs. Zhao was also stunned and dared not approach to check on him. After spitting, the Zhao clan chief fainted again.