The poor girl from the 1970s was forced to kiss by the damp educated youth.

The footsteps went towards Liang Song's house, and soon after, heartbreaking cries came from Liang Song's house.

Chen Zhi nudged Chen Peng, "You should go home."

At this moment, Chen Peng was like a taut bow, as if he might break at any moment.

Chen Peng slowly straightened up, his empty eyes blinking. "Chen Zhi, I tried my best to pull him up, but I couldn't. I watched helplessly as he struggled to drink water in the ditch, until finally, his hand in my grasp became weak and stiff—"

Chen Zhi shuddered again at the thought of that scene.

"Not only did I pull with all my might, but Xiao Shuai and Er Gou did too. The three of us were exhausted, but why couldn't Uncle Liang get up?" Chen Peng murmured. "Chen Zhi, why do you think?"

Chen Zhi was about to cry. She didn't know either. "Maybe, maybe he got tangled in the grass and his body got stuck somewhere. It's all possible. Chen Peng, you're soaking wet. Go home first, okay?"

Chen Peng nodded. "Yes, let's go home first. Chen Zhi, you come back with me."

"I still need to go find my grandfather." Chen Zhi also wanted to go home; it was too scary outside.

"It's not safe outside, I'll go look for him with you." Chen Peng seemed to have regained some of his senses. "Where does your grandfather usually like to go?"

"I don't know. My grandma told me to go to my third uncle's house and my seventh uncle's house to look." Chen Zhi wanted to refuse Chen Peng, but when she met Chen Peng's dark eyes, she didn't dare to speak.

Chen Peng is not behaving normally.

Third Uncle's house was right behind Liang Song's house. When Chen Zhi and Chen Peng passed by Liang Song's house, they not only heard crying but also cursing coming from inside. The people in Liang Song's house were cursing and swearing at Widow Yu.

Perhaps grief and anger made them lose their minds, and they hurled all sorts of vicious words at Widow Yu.

Even more bizarrely, Chen Zhi heard laughter, a sinister and eerie laugh that was sharp and piercing, mixed with a chorus of curses, sending chills down one's spine.

Chen Peng froze in fright. It was that voice again; he had heard it when he pulled Liang Song earlier.

Chen Peng grabbed Chen Zhi, "This, this is—"

"Don't say it," Chen Zhi pleaded, her legs trembling.

Chen Peng paused, then bit his lip.

"Ahhhhh—"

Screams came from Liang Song's house.

"You bitch, come at me! I'm not afraid of you!"

This is Liang Song's wife's voice.

Immediately afterwards, someone ran out of the house and shouted, "Go quickly and call Second Aunt!"

"I've already gone to invite them."

"Where are the brigade leader and the secretary? Why haven't they arrived yet?"

"Here it comes, here it comes."

Liang Song's house was in chaos, with sounds of smashing, shouting, and the eerie laughter never stopping.

Chen Zhi's legs went weak; she wanted to escape, but she couldn't move.

Chen Peng, too, leaned against the wall, biting his lip, holding onto Chen Zhi tightly with one hand.

After a long while, Chen Zhi heard someone shout, "Second Aunt is here!"

Now that my second aunt has arrived, are they safe?

Second Aunt is a Taoist nun. It is said that her mother used to practice in a nunnery, but later returned to secular life, married, and had Second Aunt. Second Aunt's Taoist practices were passed down from her mother.

Sixty-six years ago, my second aunt's house was always bustling with visitors. People from several nearby villages would come to her to have their fortunes told, choose auspicious dates, and have their feng shui consulted...

Everyone says that Auntie Er has real skills.

Chen Zhi had never witnessed her second aunt's true abilities, but that didn't stop her from believing in her. Hearing that her second aunt had arrived, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She braced herself against the wall with one hand, trying to straighten her body, and then freed her other hand from Chen Peng's grasp.

"I'll take you home first," Chen Zhi said to Chen Peng.

This time, Chen Peng didn't refuse. "Okay, let's go home."

However, as soon as he took a step, his legs gave way and he knelt down.

Chen Zhi was startled and only managed to support the other person's upper body to prevent him from falling to the ground.

"Chen Peng, cheer up! The laughter has stopped, which means the problem is solved, you hear?" Chen Zhi comforted Chen Peng.

Chen Peng blinked, seemingly only then realizing that the laughter was indeed gone. He pinched himself, the pain bringing him back to his senses. He reached out to Chen Zhi, "Help me up, I really have no strength left."

However, at that moment, another loud noise came from the Liang family.

"Second Aunt!"

"My second aunt has fainted!"

"Go find Xilang?"

"Why do you want to see him?"

"Isn't he supposed to be a bit eccentric at the educated youth settlement? Maybe he can handle it."

Desperate measures, some people actually ran towards the direction of the educated youth settlement.

"Aunt, what's wrong?"

"Mom, why are you hitting me? I'm your son!"

"Liangzhu, your life is mine!"

"My aunt has gone mad!"

"Quickly, hold her down."

Chaos broke out again, and people in the house began to flee outside.

Chen Zhi tried to run away, but Chen Peng grabbed her legs.

"Zhizhi, is Liang Song's wife possessed by a ghost?" Chen Peng cried.

Chen Zhi, with a burst of strength from who knows where, scooped up Chen Peng and shouted, "Stop talking, run!"

boom!

A person crashed down in front of Chen Zhi and Chen Peng, blocking their path.

"It's Liangzhu!" Chen Peng exclaimed, turning around and shouting in fright, "She's here!"

Chen Zhi turned around at the right moment and saw Liang Song's wife walking towards them with her hair disheveled, her eyes wide open like copper bells and her face pale.

She moved with incredible speed, about to collide with Chen Zhi and Chen Peng. In a split second, Chen Zhi closed her eyes and forcefully pushed them away with both hands.

The man, whom even several men couldn't restrain, was pushed back a few steps by Chen Zhi.

"run!"

Chen Zhi grabbed Chen Peng and ran.

The next second, her arm was grabbed by a large hand. Chen Zhi shuddered again, about to throw a punch, when she heard a familiar voice ask, "Where did you run off to?"

Chen Zhi's fist froze in mid-air. She looked up at that sharp face and felt inexplicably at ease.

"Xi Lang, you said there are no ghosts." Chen Zhi felt extremely wronged.

Xi Lang saw her red eyes and trembling body and felt heartbroken. "It's my fault."

I thought it was just a weak grudge, but I never expected it to be so powerful. Not only did it kill Liang Song, but it's now going to continue harming others.

"She's coming this way," Chen Peng said, his face filled with panic.

Xi Lang's attention, however, was on the hand that Chen Zhi was holding onto Chen Peng. "Zhizhi, let go of him."

Chen Zhi sensed Xi Lang's displeasure and immediately released her grip.

But the next second she wondered, why should she listen to Xi Lang?

"Be careful!"

Someone else reminded me.

Chen Zhi turned around and happened to see Liang Song's wife carrying a knife she had somehow found, stabbing straight at her.

"court death!"

Xi Lang gave a cold shout.

Chen Zhi's vision went black as Xi Lang blocked her way. Where she couldn't see, Xi Lang swung a peach branch at Liang Song's wife's face.

The onlookers only saw a black mist emerge from Liang Song's wife's body, and then her body went limp and she collapsed to the ground.

At the same time, Xi Lang casually formed a hand seal and struck the black mist, which was dispersed and disappeared into the rain.

The wind stopped and the rain ceased, and the surroundings became quiet.

Everyone stared in stunned silence at the scene.

Xi Lang turned to Chen Zhi and said, "I'll take you home first."

Chen Zhi nodded and stopped worrying about going to find her grandfather; all she wanted now was to go home.

"Cough cough—"

Chen Jun walked towards Xi Lang, his face bruised and swollen, and asked in a tone that was both respectful and slightly deferential, "Comrade Xi Lang, has that been resolved?"

"Solve what?" Xi Lang retorted. "Wasn't it that Liang Song drowned accidentally, and his wife, overwhelmed with grief, lost her mind?"

"what?"

Everyone present was stunned.

Chen Jun was the first to understand the key point, nodding repeatedly, "That's right, it's losing their mind."

"Don't worry, Auntie will be better tomorrow," Xi Lang said, though her health will generally not be as good as before.

Chen Jun nodded. "That's good."

"Will her illness relapse?" Chen Renzheng was afraid.

Xi Lang shook his head, "No more."

Chen Renzheng: "What about other people?"

Xi Lang: "No. Tomorrow the sun will be out, the sunlight will be good, everyone can come out and sunbathe, disinfect, and stay healthy."

Chen Renzheng breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay, I'll call everyone out to sunbathe tomorrow."

Xi Lang and Chen Zhi left first.

Those who remained were still in shock.

"Did you hear what Xi Lang said just now?" Chen Jun asked.

Everyone nodded, then shook their heads, "We don't understand."

"It's okay if you don't understand, just do as I say. Feudal and superstitious ideas are unacceptable. If the Revolutionary Committee catches you doing something wrong, whether you're criticized or forced to write a self-criticism, I can't save you." Chen Jun said with a serious expression.

Everyone's expressions turned serious, and they all promised not to say anything out of turn.

Chen Jun hummed in agreement. "Go home, everyone. Take a hot shower, get some sleep, and sunbathe tomorrow."

Xi Lang escorted Chen Zhi to her doorstep.

Chen Zhi still felt somewhat dazed, as if it were not real.

"Still afraid?" Xi Lang asked.

Chen Zhi nodded, "I'm scared."

Xi Lang patted her head and sighed, "Don't worry, you're stronger than her, she can't hurt you."

Chen Zhi didn't believe it; she wasn't that capable.

Xi Lang pulled a talisman folded into a triangle from his pocket and handed it to her, saying, "Take this."

"Can it exorcise ghosts?" Chen Zhi asked.

Xi Lang nodded, "It can ward off ghosts and calm the mind. Keep it close to your body when you sleep."

Chen Zhi: "You can do this too?"

Xi Lang: "I know a lot of things, you'll find out later."

That night, everyone was filled with fear and unease, but Chen Zhi slept soundly until dawn. The next day, the sun shone brightly, and under its intense light, all darkness and filth were laid bare, as if yesterday's terror and panic had been nothing but a dream.

The whole village gathered under the banyan tree to read books, newspapers, and sing revolutionary songs.

Chen Zhi sat on the outer edge, holding a newspaper in her hand, which Li Zhou'an had given her. Li Zhou'an had many newspapers; he had given them not only to Chen Zhi but also to others.

"Can you recognize all the characters above?" Xi Lang appeared behind Chen Zhi without her noticing.

Chen Zhi shook her head, looking dejected. "I don't recognize many of the words on it."

"If you don't recognize those words, I'll teach you," Xi Lang asked.

Chen Zhi looked at him suspiciously. "You're only in third grade, how many more words could you possibly know than me?"

"I graduated from elementary school. If you don't know how, you can ask me," Chen Peng said at the right time.

Xi Lang looked at him coldly, "No need."

Chen Peng shuddered. Since what happened last night, his fear of Xi Lang had only intensified.

At that moment, just one look from Xi Lang was enough to make him collapse.

"Haha, I also think Comrade Xi Lang doesn't need it. I was just being nosy."

Chen Pengfei ran away quickly.