Zhang Fang's grandmother reached into the black cloth, and Zhang Fang's mother immediately stopped moving.

The people helping were so scared they almost dropped her. They all looked at Zhang Fang's father, not knowing what to do.

Zhang Fang's father, with tears streaming down his face, asked them to carry the door panel to Zhang Fang's grandfather's grave. Zhang Fang's grandmother immediately said, "Dig up the grave and take out the coffin."

The villagers helping out were already terrified and at a loss. They did whatever Zhang Fang's grandmother said.

It took them nearly an hour to get the coffin out and place it beside the door panel.

Zhang Fang's grandfather had been dead for more than three years. What good would digging up the coffin do?

But Zhang Fang's grandmother patted the coffin and said, "Old man, this is the only root left in our family. Whether or not we can continue the family line depends on you."

After Zhang Fang's grandmother finished speaking, she chased everyone out of the woods. She stood guard at the entrance, smoking and preventing them from looking towards the grave.

A moment later, a loud crash came from the woods, sounding like a coffin lid hitting the ground.

Zhang Fang's father shuddered and started to run towards the grave, but Zhang Fang's grandmother stopped him.

No matter how Zhang Fang's father pleaded, his grandmother wouldn't let him go. As they argued, they heard a baby crying from the grave.

Only then did Zhang Fang's grandmother lead everyone towards the grave.

When they reached the grave, everyone was stunned.

Zhang Fang's grandfather's coffin was shattered into pieces, and the lid had been thrown aside.

Zhang Fang's grandfather had been buried for three years, but his bones hadn't decomposed. Everyone saw that his left hand was clenched tightly, while the fingers of his right hand were spread wide open. No one knew what it meant.

Zhang Fang's grandmother wrapped Zhang Fang in clothes and ran down the mountain, while Zhang Fang's father held Zhang Fang's mother and wept bitterly.

Zhang Fang's life was finally saved, but Zhang Fang's father felt that Zhang Fang had caused his mother's death. He refused to acknowledge Zhang Fang and didn't even hold a full-month celebration.

On Zhang Fang's first full month, his grandmother registered his birth and named him "Zhang Fang," meaning: the King of Hell opened his hand and released Zhang Fang.

The villagers said: It wasn't the King of Hell who released him, but Zhang Fang's grandfather. If Zhang Fang's grandfather hadn't come out of the coffin to deliver the baby, Zhang Fang's life would have been lost.

Professor Lu took a deep drag on his cigarette and said, "The villagers say that the loud crash from the grave on the day Zhang Fang was born wasn't the sound of the coffin lid hitting the ground. It was the sound of Xiao Mountain roaring again."

"Later, some people even went to Xiao Shankou (Xiao Mountain Opening) to measure it. They say the mountain split at least two meters."

Ye Yang's eyes narrowed slightly.

Professor Lu's account differed greatly from Zhang Fang's.

Zhang Fang had said that he grew up on Fengshui Street, and his family had always been in the funeral business, but he concealed the fact that he was born in Xiao Mountain Village.

What was Zhang Fang trying to do?

After a moment of silence, Ye Yang asked, "Didn't Zhang Huayang have a younger brother named Zhang Huasheng?"

Professor Lu said, "Indeed, there is such a person, but he doesn't live in the village. He has always lived in the city. I heard he handles funerals on Fengshui Street."

"Oh, right!" Professor Lu added, "Zhang Fang usually went to school in the village, but he would go to Fengshui Street during vacations. Sometimes, Zhang Fang himself would say that he grew up on Fengshui Street. I guess he doesn't have much affection for Xiao Mountain Village."

Ye Yang nodded slightly and said, "What about the third Xiao Mountain roar you mentioned?"

Professor Lu said, "That matter is also related to Zhang Fang. To be honest, I'd like to meet Zhang Fang."

Professor Lu continued:

After the second Xiao Mountain eruption, the villagers avoided Zhang Fang, and even Zhang Fang's father didn't want to see him. Only Zhang Fang's grandmother treated him like a treasure, and she separated from Zhang Fang's father to raise him.

The villagers said that Zhang Fang's grandmother took Zhang Fang so that Zhang Fang's father could remarry. Some also said that Zhang Fang's grandmother was secretly teaching Zhang Fang skills. In those days, Zhang Fang's grandfather was a famous feng shui master for hundreds of miles. Zhang Fang's father only learned a little bit of his skills. The truly skilled person in the Zhang family was the old woman.

At first, Zhang Fang's father would come to see Zhang Fang every now and then, but he came less and less often. After he married and had a daughter with his new wife, he stopped visiting Zhang Fang altogether.

Zhang Fang lived with his grandmother until she passed away. Only then did Zhang Fang go to the city with his father.

Hearing this, Ye Yang's expression darkened slightly: Zhang Fang has concealed a lot of things from us.

Professor Lu continued, "Zhang Fang later returned to Xiao Mountain Village once. It is said that he came to find his classmate, Dai Xuelin."

"Wait!" Ye Yang interrupted Professor Lu, "When did you say Zhang Fang came back?"

"When he was in high school!" Professor Lu said, "I'm not sure exactly which year, but I heard it was in high school. His classmate, Dai Xuelin, although he also lived in the countryside, attended a key high school in the provincial capital. That's how they became classmates."

The day Zhang Fang returned was the day Dai Xuelin's family was celebrating the raising of the main beam of their new house.