The people outside the house froze.
The sound of creaking stairs meant that someone was walking in the house, but… no one should be in the house! There was only Grandpa Shunde lying on the bed on the second floor.
Grandpa Shunde was close to death, so how was he able to walk?
“Did someone go into the house earlier?” Huang Lili asked, confused.
To her, someone must have either gone into the house, or there was a ghost in broad daylight!
“We’re all here!” Everyone was confused.
“Don’t tell me that the old codger is only pretending? Someone must’ve gone inside…”
Then, she prepared to go into the house.
However, everyone heard an elderly but angry voice from inside.
“Hmph! So you’re calling me an old codger behind my back. Are you all so eager for me to die? Do you want to drive my daughter away from Cai Village too? You bastards are so brazen!”
Everyone was dumbfounded when they heard that voice.
Then, their faces turned pale. Some people even began to panic, as though they had seen a ghost.
That voice belonged to none other than Cai Shunde, the patriarch of the Cai family!
How was that possible though?
Grandpa Shunde was already unconscious from his incurable disease, so how was he able to get off the bed and down the stairs?
Unless… he already died and his corpse was possessed?
Cai Youliang and the others were terrified because of their guilt.
They quickly retreated toward the gates, trembling.
“Grandpa Shunde is possessed!”
The villagers shrieked in panic and stepped back.
“Bastards! All of you are bastards!”
They could hear the old man’s voice coming from behind the door.
They heard the thud of a walking stick, and an elderly figure walked out of the house. He was none other than Grandpa Shunde.
“Father!”
Cai Yourong was stunned. She looked at him incredulously.
Next to her, Ma Fangfang also could not believe what she saw.
“I’ve heard everything earlier, Yourong. Sorry for bringing you so much trouble!” Grandpa Shunde said sorrowfully. Then, he straightened his brows and displayed a stern expression.
He pointed his walking stick at Cai Youliang and his gang.
“You two bastards, I regret giving birth to the two of you. And you too, all of you are ingrates. Especially you, Huang woman, you’re the most disgusting one of all.
“Have you bastards ever taken care of me? It’s always Yourong taking care of me. Every time I fall sick, it always feels as though I only have one daughter and no sons at all.
“I’m the one who wrote my will. Why, you’re not happy with it? I can give my property to whomever I want. I’m not leaving anything for all you ingrates.
“I can’t be bothered that you all are unfilial, but now you can’t wait for me to die too? This is ridiculous! I’ll beat all of you to death!”
Grandpa walked over. His legs were shaking. He lifted his walking stick and beat Cai Youliang’s body with it.
Cai Youliang trembled. He slumped on the ground, his face pale as a sheet.
He was so shocked as though his soul had left his body. He got on his knees and started kowtowing.
“I was wrong, Father! I’ve learned my lesson! You can rest in peace now!”
“You…” Grandpa’s eyes were opened round and wide. “You bastard! Do you wish for me to die? I’ll beat you to death!”
He lifted his walking stick and started beating him again.
“Father! Please stop beating! I know I’m wrong!” Cai Youliang was almost pissing in his pants. He hurriedly crawled away.
“And you too!”
Grandpa rushed toward the group of people and waved his walking stick wildly at them.
The group of people either ran away, kneeled down, or kowtowed, wailing and begging for mercy.
The villagers standing outside the gates were also almost kneeling down.
“Grandpa Shunde must have died bearing grudges, and he’s returned to possess his body. Let’s quickly appease him so that he can leave peacefully!”
Someone shouted. Everyone quickly got on their knees and kowtowed toward Grandpa Shunde.
“You… and all of you, you’re siding with this bunch of bastards to bully my daughter. I’ll beat you all to death!”
Grandpa rushed out of the gates and waved his walking stick at the villagers.
“Ahh! Run away!” Everyone screamed and ran away frantically.
“Grandpa Shunde is possessed! Go get a Taoist master and exorcise him!”
Grandpa Shunde trembled with anger. “Who the hell is possessed? I’m not even dead yet! Are you bastards cursing me!”
All the people who were running away suddenly stopped and stood on the spot.
Confused looks appeared on their faces.
“Not dead yet? That’s impossible! Didn’t they say that he’s almost gone already?”
“This is so weird. A possessed corpse saying that he’s not dead?”
They slowly crowded around Grandpa Shunde, seeing that he was standing there.
They were confused when they closely examined the old man.
His face was slightly pale, but he was nonetheless healthy. He did not look like a possessed corpse at all.
Possessed corpses were a superstition. They heard of stories before, but no one knew how it actually happened. However, they at least knew that it was not like what they were seeing.
“He’s not dead yet! This is so weird!”
“Miracle! This must be a miracle! The doctor said that Grandpa Shunde won’t wake up anymore, but you can see how firm his stride is!”
“Don’t tell me… this is terminal lucidity?”
Everyone talked among themselves as they gathered around Grandpa Shunde.
Cai Youliang and the others also got on their feet. They were sulking.
They had thought that Grandpa’s corpse was possessed.
Huang Lili got off the ground. She looked flustered. She wailed loudly when Grandpa Shunde’s walking stick struck her. That was an extremely pathetic display.
“Looks like the old codger isn’t dead yet!” She mumbled to herself resentfully.
She then turned to the others, “If Father isn’t dead yet, then this is the perfect time for him to rewrite his will. He’s probably experiencing a period of terminal lucidity. He won’t last for long.”
“That’s right, we have to be quick!” Second Aunt said.
Cai Youliang hesitated. He walked forward and spoke to his father. “Father! If you’re still with us, then I think you owe us an explanation about your will! I and Second Brother don’t agree with it. Why are you giving Yourong everything? We’re your sons!”
“That’s right!” Cai Youtao said, “Father, Yourong may be a filial daughter, but we are your sons too! You should at least give us something!”
Grandpa Shunde nearly blew his top when he heard that.
“You bastards, all you think of is money, money, money! I’m not giving the two of you a single cent. What are you going to do about it?
“You two ingrates don’t even take care of me, and now that I’m almost dead, you come to ask me for money. Don’t you know any shame?
“You two families, get lost at this instant. I don’t want to see you anymore. If you don’t get out of my sight, then I’ll beat you all to death!”
After that, Grandpa Shunde lifted his walking stick and rushed toward them.
The faces of the two brothers turned ghastly pale. They ran away with their tails between their legs.
Huang Lili did not relent. “You’re a confused old codger! Youliang is your son, isn’t he? It is entirely expected to have your son inherit your property. You are going against heavenly morals by doing so.”
“You… You filthy woman! You’re telling me what to do? I’ll beat you to death!”
Grandpa Shunde rushed ahead. He lifted his walking stick and knocked it on Huang Lili’s body.
The repeated blows soon sent Huang Lili sprawling on the ground.
She clutched her head and curled in the fetal position. She wailed and cried.
“Stop beating, Father! We’ll go away now!”
Cai Youliang and the others pleaded.
Then, he rushed forward, picked his wife up from the ground, and hastily made their retreat.
