Chapter 120: I Am Your Sister-in-Law

Without delay on the road, it took two days to return to White Mountain Village. Just as I entered the village, I heard the sound of firecrackers coming from the direction of my home. It was neither a holiday nor a festival, so why set off firecrackers?

Upon entering the village, I inquired and learned that today was the "topping out" ceremony for the new house. Raising the ridge beam of a new home is a major event. Everyone smiled broadly upon hearing this and headed straight for the house.

The family affairs had been managed by my eldest brother, Zhou Zhen, and my third brother, Zhou Mo. They had borrowed tables and chairs from neighbors to host a grand banquet in the courtyard. As we entered, the guests all stood up to welcome us.

After greeting the others, I finally walked up to my mother. "Mother, you have suffered a grievance!"

"No grievance, no grievance!" But as Mother said this, her expression was somewhat awkward. Although I saw it, I did not pay much mind at the time.

"Uncle, you have been the one helping to manage the house construction during this time. Thank you for your hard work; let me offer you a drink." With that, I poured a full bowl of white liquor for both myself and Ni Wu.

I raised my cup to Ni Wu. "Uncle, I won't say much more. I will finish this first as a sign of respect." I tilted my head back and downed the entire bowl.

When I set the bowl down, I noticed that Ni Wu had only taken a light sip and had not finished it. I didn't mind, but when I turned around, I saw Wu Qian busy in the kitchen.

"You haven't even married into the family yet, how can you be doing this work? Let the sister-in-law and the aunts do it; you go sit and eat!" A bride-to-be is an honored guest; it would be improper for her to be working in the kitchen like this, so I stepped in to stop her.

However, when I reached out to take Wu Qian’s hand, she instinctively pulled it back, retreated two steps, and looked at me without saying a word.

Only then did I realize something was wrong. What was going on with my family? It should have been a joyous occasion for me to return, but it was clear they were hiding something from me.

"What is wrong with you all? Why are you afraid to look at me? If something happened, just tell me!" Seeing everyone avoiding my gaze, I became even more certain that something had occurred. Their silence made me feel uneasy.

I scanned the group carefully, finding nothing amiss other than their awkward expressions.

I forced a smile and turned to call my third brother. "Third brother, tell your second brother why everyone is afraid to look at me!"

When Zhou Mo heard me ask, he simply poured himself a bowl of white liquor. He drank it slowly, not spilling a drop, and finished it all.

I couldn't wait any longer. I stepped forward, snatched the bowl from his hand, and slammed it onto the table. "Tell me now! Speak!" I was filled with agitation, and I shouted the words.

"I won't say it. I have no face to say it. Let Mother tell you!" Zhou Mo shouted back.

Ni Wu, seeing that the situation was spiraling out of control, began to usher the guests away. "I am sorry, everyone. We have some family matters to attend to today. We will make up for this meal another time."

Once the guests had departed and there were no outsiders left, I turned to my mother. "Mother, what are you all doing? I’ve returned—why aren't you happy?"

"Since you are all too afraid to speak, I will!" Wu Qian wiped the water from her hands with a scarf and stepped in front of me.

I turned to her with a forced smile. "Well then, go ahead. I’m listening!"

But the moment Wu Qian spoke, my smile froze on my face. It took me a long time to process her words. I instinctively dug at my ear and tilted my head. "What did you just say? Say it again!"

Wu Qian had been looking down, afraid to meet my eyes, but at my command, she looked up and stared straight at me.

"I am already your sister-in-law. I have married Zhou Mo!" Her red lips parted, and every word she uttered felt like a heavy hammer striking my heart.

Only last night, I had been whispering her name, thinking of how joyous I would be to see her upon returning home today. How could things have changed so drastically?

"I am already your sister-in-law!" she repeated loudly. But she didn't need to; the words were already echoing in my mind a thousand times over, like a demonic chant. My eyes felt as if they were splitting open.

"Second brother!" Zhou Mo fell to his knees with a thud in front of me and hugged my legs. "Second brother, I have wronged you! I have wronged you!"

I exerted force with my foot and kicked him away. "Get lost! I don't have a brother like you! I don't have a brother like you!"

"Everyone, get up! What is the big deal? I am the one who made this decision; what does it have to do with you?" It was my mother who spoke.

Hearing this, I turned to look at her with eyes filled with bitter resentment. I could not understand how, in just one month of being away, my own fiancée had become my brother's wife.

"Mother, you!" I wanted to reproach her, but the words would not come out. I swallowed them back, turned, and addressed the group.

"From this day forward, there is no place for me, Zhou Yi, in this home!" Having said this, I rose into the air and sped off into the distance.

Baozi and Mu Chen hurriedly followed behind me, bringing Fu Gege and Xiao Cui along.

Once outside the village, I exhausted my energy and landed to regain momentum. But as I tried to soar again, I plummeted from the sky. After hitting the ground, I tried to scramble up and continue, but as I gathered my breath, a mouthful of blood sprayed from my mouth.

Clutching my chest with my right hand, I continued to walk forward without stopping. I had no direction; I only wanted to leave this place that made me feel nauseated. This place never truly belonged to me.

"Brother Yi!" "Brother Yi!" they called out from behind, filled with concern, but none dared to approach, for they did not know what I might do in my rage.

I could no longer hear their voices. I just kept walking, not knowing where I was going or what I should do.

As I walked, I found myself at the foot of Changbai Mountain. I looked up toward the mountain and began to climb toward the Taoist temple.

My father’s grave was in the backyard of that temple. I missed Zhou Dajiang—the Zhou Dajiang who was still alive.

Upon reaching the grave, I knelt before it. We had nothing to say to each other, and two lines of a hero's tears slowly fell.

Baozi, the one who understood me best, knew that what I needed most was wine. He handed me two jars of white liquor.

I grabbed a jar, tore off the mud seal, poured a little out, and then lifted the jar with both hands, gulping down the throat-burning liquor.

Before long, I set the jar down, wiped the wine from my lips, and began to let out a cold, hollow laugh—a laugh that was heartbreaking and painful to hear.

I remained kneeling there for two days, with more than ten empty jars piled beside me.

I did not use my spiritual energy to suppress the effects of the alcohol, and no matter how great my tolerance, I eventually collapsed into a drunken stupor. After finishing the last jar, I fell to the ground, unable to rise again.