Chapter 31: Qingwei Marshes

The group was startled, all looking up and glancing around. Feng Chuchen immediately pulled Feng Buji into her arms.

They saw no bandits, and Datou did not stand up either.

Auntie Wang said, "Could we have misheard? It's impossible that we all misheard at the same time."

Feng Chuchen picked up a wooden stick and walked a circle around the grave; indeed, she saw no one.

Suspiciously, she said, "Perhaps we misheard."

The group lowered their heads to continue burning paper.

That voice rang out again, "Robbery! Robbery! Robbery!"

This time, everyone heard it clearly. It was a child's voice, spoken rapidly, coming from the green tung tree on the left.

They looked up.

The branches were sparse, and the leaves swirled in the wind, but they still saw no one.

Just then, a small black bird flew out from the foliage. After circling them once, it landed on the tombstone.

It shouted once more, "Robbery!"

So it was this little creature speaking.

The bird was black with a red beak and a yellow ring around its neck.

In her past life, Feng Chuchen had known only a limited number of birds, but since the original owner of this body had lived at the foot of the mountain, she knew many of them.

This should be a bulbul, but it was slightly larger than an average one, with a build closer to a crow.

Feng Buji's eyes widened into circles. "Sister, could this big bulbul be raised by bandits? It actually knows how to say 'robbery'."

Auntie Wang said, "I haven't heard of any bandits nearby. Even if it wasn't raised by bandits, it must have been raised by someone. Why would it come here, and why is it so talkative?"

The bulbul chirped twice in succession, "Robbery, robbery."

Seeing that these fools made no move, it looked quite disappointed. It cocked its tail and lowered its head to mimic Datou's bark, "Woof, woof!"

Instead of being aggressive toward it, Datou responded gently, "Woof, woof."

Feng Chuchen said, "Since you are so familiar with them, it hasn't just been Datou visiting Great Aunt these past few days; the bulbul has been coming to visit often too, hasn't it?"

The bulbul's tiny eyes turned toward Feng Chuchen as if it recognized her. Its small, pointed beak opened and closed: "Hibiscus cannot match the beauty's makeup."

Feng Chuchen was utterly shocked. "Oh, heavens, it can even recite poetry!"

Auntie Wang added, "Not only can it recite poetry, but it's also calling the lady a beauty."

Feng Buji was extremely interested, staring at it intently without even blinking.

The bulbul shouted a few more times, "Robbery, robbery."

Seeing that these people were just staring at it blankly and hadn't offered a single piece of meat after all its shouting, it flew into the blue sky in a fit of pique, spreading its wings.

Feng Buji was incredibly disappointed. "Why did it run off?"

Datou was also reluctant to see it go and barked wildly at the sky.

Once its shadow had vanished, Feng Chuchen turned her gaze toward the grave mound. "With the parasol tree, the phoenix is drawn. Great Aunt, this truly is a blessed land; even such a clever bird was attracted here."

Auntie Wang said joyfully, "It really is."

Previously, the villagers had said the feng shui here was poor and unsuitable for a burial site. A bad burial location could affect future generations.

Who would have thought that just two months after the eldest sister arrived, she would have drawn a "phoenix" here.

She murmured softly, "Eldest sister, the young lady is right. Kindness is the best feng shui. Since you have come, this place has become a treasure land. It will surely protect the young master as he grows up and ensure the young lady marries into a good family."

The paper had finished burning, and the reminiscing was done; the group packed their things and began their descent from the mountain.

Feng Chuchen was still carrying Feng Buji on her back.

As they neared the foot of the mountain, they encountered four men ascending.

They wore bamboo hats pulled low, obscuring the upper halves of their faces. They were all quite tall, not looking like the local villagers.

One of them wore a blue silk *zhiduo* and had a short beard; he was likely the master. Even seeing only half his face, one could tell he was handsome and possessed an elegant, noble temperament.

The other three were very young, wearing black fine-cloth robes with expressionless faces; they were likely the subordinates or servants of the middle-aged man.

The path was winding and narrow, only wide enough for one person to pass.

Feng Chuchen, walking ahead, stepped to the side, with Auntie Wang standing behind her.

The middle-aged man on the opposite side also stepped to the side, intending to let the others pass first, and the other three stopped and moved to the side as well.

Seeing them step aside, the middle-aged man gave a slight nod and passed by.

Seeing his gesture, Feng Chuchen also gave him a polite nod. As they passed each other, she could catch the scent of agarwood on him.

Feng Chuchen had a very good impression of the man.

Judging by his aura and mannerisms, he must be someone of high status. Yet, he took the initiative to yield the way to commoners, and when he saw them yielding to him, he nodded in thanks.

In a feudal society, such superiors were truly rare.

When Feng Buji looked back and could no longer see the men, he whispered, "Sister, you can tell just by looking that he's a high official."

"How do you know?"

"I saw officials when I went to the capital; none of them had his presence or his looks."

"Mhm, my brother has good taste."

After descending the mountain, Feng Chuchen and Auntie Wang first took Feng Buji home, then led Datou to the Qingwei Reeds to burn incense.

The Qingwei Reeds had heavy yin energy, so they could not bring the young and frail Feng Buji there.

The perimeter of the Qingwei Reeds was a wetland, surrounded by a ring of reeds that were lush, tall, and swayed with the wind.

To make entry easier, Midwife Feng had specifically paid to have a small wooden bridge built toward the southeast.

*The reeds are lush and green, the white dew turns to frost.*

*The reed flowers are like snow, drifting with the wind.*

...

From the outside, the place was beautiful; one would never associate it with a mass grave.

The two people and the dog crossed the small bridge. The terrain inside was slightly elevated and uneven, dotted with many small mounds, a few shrubs, and some wild grass that had turned slightly yellow. A stream about half a meter wide meandered through from the northwest.

Feng Chuchen immediately spotted a plum tree on an eastern mound, its lush green leaves shimmering gold under the sunlight.

Aside from that plum tree, everything else here exuded desolation and bleakness.

That was the plum tree that possessed the most vitality in Great Aunt's writing.

Feng Chuchen looked up and could see the Jiupo Ridge in the distance.

In Great Aunt's heart, this was not a "mass grave," but a sanctuary she had found for those children who had nowhere to lean.

Here, the children could see their "mother" at any time and would never be lonely or helpless.

That meandering stream was sweet milk, nourishing them...

Feng Chuchen walked a circle inside, feeling no fear at all; she even added a few handfuls of soil to a brand-new small mound.

This was where Jiang Jinniu's child was buried.

Finally, Feng Chuchen stood before the plum tree.

The autumn wind was strong, making the leaves swirl in the air. Some could not withstand the wind and drifted down.

Beneath the plum tree was a small mound covered in pebbles, fallen leaves, and a few stalks of yellowish weeds.

The child buried in this mound must have passed away a long time ago, perhaps even before her own time...

Poor child.

All the children here were poor souls. If they had been born in the modern era, ninety-nine percent of them would have survived.

It was a pity they were born in this age.

Feng Chuchen bent down to pick up the fallen leaves and reed fluff from the mound, then took out three sticks of incense. Auntie Wang lit them with a fire striker.

Feng Chuchen bowed toward the four cardinal directions, placed the incense in the ground, and silently recited the *Rebirth Sutra*.

*May your souls find peace, and may everything be well in your next life...*