Chapter 49: Grandson’s Wife

I stared intently at Pi Baoguo as he walked away, unable to believe he was still alive and questioning why he had appeared at the Yellow River Manor. My heart pounded rapidly—if Pi Baoguo from the Prosperity was alive, then there was a good chance my grandfather and the others might also still be somewhere in this world.

I had wanted to chase after him and ask, but seeing the strange expression on his face, I hesitated. He had been alive for more than a decade, yet never once returned to the village to see his wife and child; there had to be some secret behind this. I could almost guess that even if I caught up with him, he wouldn’t tell me anything valuable. Worse yet, I might tip him off and ruin everything. This matter required careful planning.

As I pondered this, Bai Xiaoli restarted the car and drove me to the shopping center, where we had dinner together and discussed preparations for our upcoming wedding.

During our meal, I remembered Granny Wan. That day at the Dragon Head Canal, I had mentioned her name and stunned all the feng shui masters present. My curiosity was piqued about Granny Wan’s true identity.

I asked Bai Xiaoli if she knew about Granny Wan, and why all the feng shui masters seemed so afraid of her.

Bai Xiaoli looked at me with skepticism. “You’re Granny Wan’s apprentice, and you don’t know her story?”

I shook my head. Granny Wan had never shared anything about herself.

Bai Xiaoli proceeded to tell me that Granny Wan was a renowned “Yin Receiver” along the banks of the Yellow River. Whenever a family suffered a stillbirth or something similar, they would invite Granny Wan to conduct the rites. There were rumors of a pregnant woman who had died for over ten days; Granny Wan was called to receive the yin, and the baby was born alive, still thriving today. That’s how Granny Wan earned the title “Wan the One-Handed.”

More famous than Granny Wan’s rituals was her temperament. The old lady was notoriously fierce, never yielding an inch if she was in the right. Some prominent figures in the feng shui world once disparaged her work as low-class, unworthy of respect. Granny Wan retaliated by cursing them outside their homes for three days and nights. Not long after, those feng shui masters suffered ruin—their families destroyed. Everyone said Granny Wan had manipulated the feng shui of their homes, causing their downfall. Since then, no one in the feng shui community dared speak ill of her behind her back.

I was dumbfounded by the story. Those masters were ruined simply for gossiping about her—how ruthless must she be? If Bai Xiaoli hadn’t told me herself, I never would have believed it.

Bai Xiaoli continued, “But all that happened long ago. Granny Wan seems to have vanished in recent years, never appearing again.” She raised her head and looked at me. “By the way, Yang Xi, I’m your fiancée now. Shouldn’t you introduce me to your parents and to your master, Granny Wan?”

My father, unwilling to inherit the mantle of the River Guardian, had left home early to avoid being forced to learn from my grandfather. He rarely returned, maybe once or twice a year. As for my mother, I wasn’t ready to bring Bai Xiaoli to meet her. I sensed that my marriage to Bai Xiaoli wouldn’t be simple, and I didn’t want to involve my mother in it.

Seeing the hope in Bai Xiaoli’s eyes, I recalled Granny Wan’s words: if Bai Xiaoli and I ended up together, I should bring her to meet Granny Wan. So I decided to let Bai Xiaoli see Granny Wan first. After dinner, we bought some gifts and made our way to Granny Wan’s shop.

Standing at the entrance, I could sense the eerie atmosphere within. Worried Bai Xiaoli might be frightened, I gripped her hand tightly as she held my arm, and together we stepped into the shop.

The moment we crossed the threshold, I could feel the sinister energy from the shelves—filled with cat bone pottery—vanish. Or rather, it seemed to retreat and hide, as if it were afraid of something.

Instinctively, I glanced at Bai Xiaoli. The wealthy heiress, with clear eyes, was curiously examining the cat bone pottery on the shelves.

“A customer, eh? Need a Yin reception?” A cold voice echoed from the inner room as Granny Wan emerged, drawn by the commotion.

Granny Wan’s floral sleeves were rolled up high, and she was holding a freshly dug, bloodied aborted infant in her hand. Seeing Bai Xiaoli and me in the room, she froze in shock.