Three times married to Yama

Not only me, but Qin Zhi was also surprised.

"Uncle Lan, you're asking Lan Yin to marry that kind of person in my place? She... she definitely wouldn't want to."

As Qin Zhi spoke, he cautiously looked at me, and my dad quickly nudged me with his elbow and winked at me.

I've lived with my dad since I was little, so I naturally believe him. That's why I nodded when I saw the faint expectation in Qin Zhi's eyes.

"Yes, I'm willing."

Seeing that I nodded in agreement, a smile finally appeared on Qin Zhi's worried face.

"Thank you, thank you so much, Lan Yin, you are my great benefactor!" Qin Zhi held my hand and kept thanking me.

Seeing this, my dad quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

He said to Qin Zhi, "Since you both agree, my daughter will live in your room from today until she gets married."

Qin Zhi was very worried, "Won't my parents find out?"

My dad had a mysteriously confident smile on his face. "As long as you do as I say, your parents won't find out."

As I was speaking, my dad took out two red talismans. He took a piece of my hair and Qin Zhi's hair and folded it into the talisman. He then put the slips of paper with our birth dates and times written on them into two small red cloth bags.

He then handed me the red cloth bag containing Qin Zhi's hair, saying, "Girl, keep this red cloth bag close to your body and don't take it off."

"Qin Zhi, you too." My dad handed another red cloth bag to Qin Zhi.

We did as instructed.

Then I heard my dad say to Qin Zhi, "If you want to escape your parents' control, leave Yongfeng Village tonight and go as far away as possible. Don't come back for the next five years."

Perhaps Qin Zhi was truly disheartened by her parents. After listening to my father's words, she silently began packing her luggage. She didn't have much luggage, just a backpack.

The once timid Qin Zhi suddenly mustered up her courage and, carrying a small backpack, stepped into the thick darkness without looking back.

After Qin Zhi left, I temporarily took her place and lived in the Qin family home. What puzzled me was that Qin Zhi's parents didn't notice anything amiss.

They mistook me for Qin Zhi and forced me to get married in three days to raise money for Qin Zhi's brother's betrothal gifts.

Actually, I'm also very curious about who Qin Zhi is going to marry, and why my dad wants me to marry in her place.

Although I was full of doubts, I knew for sure that my dad would not harm me, so I stayed quietly at the Qin family home for the next two days.

Until her wedding day, the fifteenth of the seventh lunar month, the Ghost Festival.

I had imagined my wedding day would be a lively and festive one, but the Qin family home, which was decorated so joyfully, was deserted and empty of guests.

Even passing villagers avoided them, and some even angrily spat at the Qin family.

"Tsk, the Qin family is truly despicable. They're pushing their daughter into a fire pit just for the bride price. They'll definitely get their comeuppance!"

"Who says otherwise? She'll have no future if she marries into that family. Oh, poor girl."

As the villagers passed by, they couldn't help but express their regret, which prompted Qin's mother to stand at the door and start cursing.

"I think you're all just jealous that my daughter married well. She's off to enjoy a life of luxury, so don't talk nonsense!"

"If I hear you spouting any more nonsense, I'll tear your mouths apart!"

Enjoying life?

If she truly wanted to enjoy happiness, why would she choose to get married on this eerie night?

I was dressed in a red wedding gown, my eyes blindfolded with a red silk veil, and Qin's mother led me into a carriage.

As the car started, I heard Qin's mother say to Qin's father, "Don't worry, she's blindfolded with the red silk, she won't be able to find her way home even if she dies."

I wasn't too scared because I trusted my dad. I was just shocked that Qin Zhi's parents would treat her like that.

She was right to leave the Qin family.

The car drove quietly, my mind replaying the words of advice my father had given me.

He said that whatever happens tonight is for my future survival, and that I should not be afraid or cowardly, nor should I let my mysterious husband know my true identity.

I clenched my fists. I'm my dad's only daughter. If I die, he definitely won't be able to go on living either, so I have to live no matter what.

I didn't know where the car was going, and I couldn't even feel it moving until I heard an old, hoarse voice from my left front.

"The bride has arrived."

I removed the red blindfold from my eyes and instinctively prepared to open the door and get out of the car, but when my hand touched the door handle, I felt something was wrong... the feel of it...

I didn't notice because the interior was dimly lit, but now that I look closely, it's not just the door handles, the whole car is made of paper!

I looked sharply toward the driver's seat and saw a paper figure in a black suit sitting there with its hands on the steering wheel.

Even though my dad had prepared me mentally, I still couldn't help but feel scared when I saw these things.

The car I was in was made of paper, and the driver was also a paper figure, yet the car ended up in such an unfamiliar place.

I am now in a vast bamboo forest. I have never been here before, nor have I ever heard of it.

In the vast bamboo forest, there was only a paper cart, a paper figure, and me, the living person.

I was both scared and confused. What should I do next? Would someone come to pick me up from the wedding?

I kept encouraging myself in my heart: for myself, for Dad, Lan Yin, hang in there.

After some time, a breeze began to blow through the bamboo forest.

At the same time, I heard joyful sounds coming from afar. As the sound grew closer, I listened carefully and discovered that the joy was coming from the air!

I looked up and saw that the wind was blowing even harder. White paper money was intertwined with the bamboo leaves flying everywhere, fluttering down like snow in winter.

Suddenly, a wedding procession appeared in the night sky, which had been empty.

They came toward me, banging drums and gongs.

As the wedding procession drew closer, the joyous music was deafening, and dozens of red paper figures stood in two rows in front of me.

"Welcome, Your Excellency."

All the paper figures simultaneously emitted eerie yet respectful voices.

Just then, the eight-bearer phoenix palanquin, exuding an oppressive aura, was slowly lowered from the sky by the paper figures.

Layers of red gauze shrouded the phoenix carriage, and as the wind lifted the gauze, I could only vaguely see an extremely tall and majestic figure sitting inside.

I was utterly shocked. The man Qin Zhi was going to marry was clearly not human!

Could it be that the person sitting in that phoenix carriage was also a paper figure?

As I was lost in thought, a pale yet slender hand lifted the red veil, revealing a noble and aloof profile. His head was slightly tilted, and his eyes were lowered as he looked in my direction.

His gaze instantly made me feel a sense of pressure, and I became incredibly nervous. Fortunately, my heart doesn't usually beat very fast.

"Qin Zhi, a resident of Yongfeng Village?"

He spoke softly, his voice not as sinister as the paper figure's; on the contrary, it was deep, warm, and pleasant to the ear, yet... it was even more frightening.