Journey to the End of the Night Chapter 1519 - 943: The Old Taoist Is an Honest Man (3)

Yielding to her husband's embrace, his hands tenderly caressed her face.

A collective shiver ran through the onlookers as they realized the spectacle had concluded. Disappointment washed over them, and they all dispersed.

For Shu Ci, this experience was entirely new and quite entertaining. She found joy in sitting with the elderly women, cracking sunflower seeds, and observing the village's daily happenings.

Even as the women departed, their curiosity unfulfilled, Shu Ci felt a persistent interest, her mind subtly lifted above the mundane chaos surrounding her.

She brushed away the sunflower seed shells from her attire, grasped her wooden basin, and gracefully departed, her steps possessing a gentle sway.

Baili An was seated in the courtyard, having just received a letter from his mother, which put his mind at ease regarding her well-being.

He looked up towards the sky; the twilight had deepened significantly, and the distant mountains were serenaded by the soft chime of an evening bell.

The sky's evening glow slowly receded, and the sunset on the horizon appeared like a scarlet maple leaf descending upon the aged, dusty village.

Unbeknownst to him, the hour had grown quite late.

He recalled that the plump fox-like woman had left to wash clothes at noon but had yet to return.

On the outdoor wooden table, the shredded chicken and egg drop porridge, which had been simmering on the stone stove, had already turned cold.

A light cough escaped him as he adjusted his breathing; he was just about to head inside to get some firewood to reheat the porridge.

At that very moment, with a gentle creak, the wooden door of the yard was pushed open.

"Is Young Master Baili present?"

Baili An turned his head, inquiring, "Aunt Wu, it's so late. Is there something urgent?"

Aunt Wu's gaze met Baili An's with a look of concern. She glanced around the yard before whispering, "Hasn't my cousin Shu returned yet?"

Baili An's heart skipped a beat upon seeing her worried demeanor...

Could it be that the quiet, buxom fox had run into trouble?

He furrowed his brow slightly and replied, "She hasn't returned from washing clothes. Did something occur?"

Hearing this, Aunt Wu's troubled expression intensified, tinged with embarrassment.

Earlier at noon, while she was also washing clothes by the stream, she had observed from a distance the old Taoist, whom the villagers revered as a divine figure, in a compromising situation with the Baili family's madam.

While the villagers saw the old Taoist as a deity, Aunt Wu, possessing a more grounded understanding despite her lack of formal education, paid closer attention.

She was aware that this old Taoist frequently sought the company of the village's more attractive women, often exploiting them under the guise of performing exorcisms.

These women, though harboring resentment, seldom dared to voice their displeasure, fearing divine retribution and trusting in the Taoist's purported abilities, usually letting the matter go unresolved.

However, Aunt Wu knew for a fact that the old Taoist had indeed taken advantage of several women in the village.

She felt this was an unacceptable situation but refrained from spreading rumors carelessly.

Today, she had seen that even Cousin Shu had been lured away.

She felt a pang of sympathy for Baili An, the delicate young master still confined to his bed and reliant on medication, while his wife might be involved with another man.

To have sacrificed all worldly pursuits for love, only to be abandoned by his own wife and left to face death alone, would be a truly tragic fate.

Therefore, Aunt Wu couldn't resist sharing some gossip and had come to offer a kind reminder.

She relayed the entirety of what she had witnessed, along with fragmented snippets of overheard conversations, to Baili An.

Her hope was that he would exercise greater caution and treat his wife with more consideration.

Lest his young wife should eventually decamp with an elder.

That would, indeed, be a double misfortune.