When the village elder spoke, she echoed the warnings of the village chief, who had long predicted that an outsider would bring ruin to their community. The villagers, deeply wary of strangers, were determined not to let anyone threaten their safety.
"My child," the elder began, "although your story is tragic, you should never have come to our village. You must leave immediately. We will gather money for your travel expenses, but you cannot stay."
As Zhang Nu heard this, a bitter smile curled at the corner of his mouth, filled with irony. It was as if once again, the entire world had turned its back on him, abandoning him when he needed refuge. His expression radiated a deep sorrow, as though this rejection was a familiar burden, one he had carried his entire life.
The elder, observing Zhang Nu's despondence, felt a pang of sympathy. Yet, she couldn’t allow him to stay. The risk was too great, and the village chief’s warning about an outsider bringing destruction weighed heavily on her.
"Is the whole world abandoning me once more?" Zhang Nu's voice was tinged with defeat. "It seems I was born to be cast aside. No one has ever wanted me, and now, you too will discard me."
His words, filled with resignation, left a gloomy air around him. Liu Hai, watching the scene unfold, couldn’t help but think Zhang Nu was quite the actor. His emotions, especially his tears, seemed to come with ease.
The elder sighed deeply. She understood Zhang Nu's suffering and that his survival had been a challenge. But the village’s future was at stake, and the chief had warned of an outsider bringing doom.
"My child, I can see how hard your life has been, and I know you've suffered. But you cannot stay here. Our village chief warned us that an outsider will destroy this village. We’ve stopped allowing strangers in for years, and we cannot make an exception for you."
Upon hearing the elder's words, Zhang Nu finally understood the source of the rumors—it was the village chief himself who had spread the ominous warning. A threat of such magnitude, the destruction of the village, explained why the villagers were so wary upon discovering he was an outsider.
With this new knowledge, Zhang Nu couldn’t help but wonder if the mysterious red-clad woman he had seen could also be a significant part of the looming disaster. Perhaps it was time to share what he had witnessed with the villagers.
"Granny," Zhang Nu began, "since you’ve been straightforward with me, I won’t hide anything either. I’ll leave as you’ve asked, but I’ve seen someone here who doesn’t belong—there’s a woman in red, and I believe she could play a part in the threat to this village."
As soon as Zhang Nu mentioned the woman in red, the elder’s expression shifted dramatically. It was clear she hadn’t expected him to know about her. Seeing her reaction, Zhang Nu immediately sensed that this woman might hold a key to the village’s fate. Why else would the village elder react so strongly?
The elder, clearly flustered, quickly masked her worry with a forced smile. “Is that so? It appears we may have overlooked something,” she replied. “Rest assured, if this woman is a danger, we will deal with her. Just as we’ve asked you to leave, we won’t allow her to stay here either. Once we return, we’ll investigate, and if she’s still around, she’ll be made to leave.”
Zhang Nu nodded after hearing the elder’s words, though deep down, he knew she was not being truthful. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something much more significant about the red-clad woman than the elder was willing to admit. Why was the elder so apprehensive about this mysterious woman? Who was she, exactly?
Zhang Nu also noticed that the other villagers, especially the younger ones, appeared puzzled upon hearing about the red-clad woman. Their worried expressions contrasted sharply with the elder generation’s reaction, as if the younger ones were unaware of her existence.
This confirmed Zhang Nu’s suspicion that the village harbored a deep, well-guarded secret, something the older generation was intentionally hiding from the youth. What could be so important that they would go to such lengths to keep it concealed?
Despite these unanswered questions, Zhang Nu decided it was best to leave, at least for the moment. He looked around at the villagers, then addressed the elder once more.
“Well then, Granny, I won’t cause any more trouble for the village,” he said calmly. “I’ll leave now, and I hope my presence here hasn’t brought any misfortune.”
Zhang Nu’s words were sincere, but he had no intention of leaving permanently. He would return, determined to uncover the village’s secrets.