My brother kept calling, and the wound on his chest kept getting larger and larger.

Dad poured another bottle of red blood into his sunken chest, and within minutes it turned into red clots.

My brother's voice was hoarse, tears streaming down, but he had no strength left.

Dad turned to mom proudly, patting his chest and guaranteeing, "Don't worry, it's absolutely top quality, can produce many bricks. Our family has this kind of lineage!"

Mom hugged me enthusiastically, shaking me, "The glory and wealth of our old Shen family is right in front of us! All for you! You must work hard and bring glory to the Shen family for me."

My heart felt stifled, my parents always said it was for me, really?

When I was young, I didn't have good things to eat, and now they say it's all for me.

But isn't this the glory and wealth she wanted? I don't need it, I really think it's good for a family to be together.

In the dark night, mom tied up my brother, bound him to the bed, like a ghost.

"Second son, you must watch him. Brick men are very fragile, what if he hurts himself?"

She started to rage, "I spend so much money raising you, you must produce more bricks for me!"

...

Zhu Zi-ge died when he was being treated with the brick-making water for half a month.

It is said that he was harvested for another batch of bricks and sold for a good price, but no one noticed Zhu Zi-ge's exhaustion and the need for nourishment to sustain his vitality.

A few days after being harvested, he died, with a big hole in his chest, bleeding to death in the room that had been sealed up again.

When Zhu Zi-ge's parents came looking for me, I was chopping wood.

She wanted me to carry Zhu Zi-ge's body to the Dead Burial River for burial.

When I heard this place, I looked up abruptly, the closest memories and my mind were especially clear and functioning.

I know the Dead Burial River. Mom mentioned it when threatening Dad, was it a graveyard?

Thinking of Zhu Zi-ge from my memories, I agreed.

When I followed Zhu Zi-ge's parents.

I hadn't said anything yet, but I heard them say ahead, "Bad luck, died after not producing many bricks, that's losing money..."

"It's really... not... a vengeful ghost!"

Listening to this was very sad. Zhu Zi-ge, look, this is the family you wanted.

Four young girls came, along with an old woman.

We lifted the bed board according to instructions, and followed the route unsteadily.

We walked along the mountain, over the hills, and passed by the water.

As we walked, it got more and more remote.

Finally, we arrived at a stinky, black river.

A very big, wide, foul-smelling ditch of water emanating a strong stench, all black and fishy-smelling.

But it was bustling with activity.

There were many people coming to carry corpses, and there were many corresponding corpses.

Turning around, I saw Zhu Zi-ge's parents directly throw him into the river.

With a splash, not much water splashed, but one person went in.

After that, more and more bodies went in, disappearing.

No wonder it smelled so bad, this was a corpse ditch.

As we left, I heard a lady crying, "I told you not to become a brick man, but you insisted that this way makes more money. How could I not know? Brick-making is relying on luck! Can this be good?"

"You keep saying that so many people in the village have stayed well, that's because the ones who weren't well all died! They all went into this Dead Burial River! Those who survived are the lucky ones."

Unconsciously, I walked in and said softly, "But no one will die there, right? Just endure and it will be okay?"

The old woman immediately glared at me and said.

"Ten people die, nine survive, exchanging their lives for glory and wealth, is this not death? All are greedy ghosts! None will last long!"

"Do you see how many bodies were thrown in today? A lot more than before!"