Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 14: Ghost Month Taboos
In rural areas, children who pass away are usually buried quietly, which is something Chi Xinrong finds hard to understand.
On the phone, Chi Xinrong said, "Yuyaya's family has undergone significant changes. They renovated their new house, and Yaya's mother is pregnant again. Yaya's father is farming at home, honoring the elders and accompanying his wife."
"This is the happy life of an ordinary family; there's nothing unusual about it."
"Wrong. I asked Yuyaya, and the people from Yujia Bay all shook their heads, as if they were afraid to mention this person."
"Why don't you inquire indirectly? Recently, has there been a tall, thin man who looks quite frightening visiting Yujia Bay? If so, please let me know as soon as possible."
Chi Xinrong nodded in agreement. "Okay."
After hanging up the phone, I headed straight to the intensive care unit where Monkey Spirit was located. To my surprise, I almost collided with someone; it was Hou Dequie, Monkey Spirit's cousin.
"Hi!"
"Good morning."
"Is your brother still inside?" I pointed towards the intensive care unit and asked.
"No, he was transferred to another hospital."
"Is it serious?"
"I don't know." Hou Dequie replied with a frown, his usual demeanor replaced by irritation as he turned and quickly distanced himself from me. I hurried after him, but he suddenly took off running.
"Hey, you jerk!" I muttered, chasing after him. With just a foot between us, I reached out and grabbed him.
Hou Dequie struggled to shake off my grip, cursing, "What the hell, Maregebi? My song isn't dead yet. What do you want from us? Are you bored and looking for trouble?"
Hearing Hou Dequie's words made sense. Here I was, Mortician, frequently visiting the hospital, and those who knew me might genuinely think I was there to handle someone's funeral arrangements. It really wasn't a good look. I forced a bitter smile and spoke apologetically, "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have come here. This matter is very serious—your brother is in grave danger. Don't be fooled by his outward appearance; a great misfortune is slowly looming over him."
"Hammer, don't scare me like that. Just because you helped us doesn't mean I'm grateful. I don't believe in superstitions. The closer you get to us, the more I want you to stay away," Hou Dequie shot back, giving me a fierce glare before striding away, leaving me feeling awkward as I endured the cold stares of passersby and the whispers from behind the hospital room door.
Sigh! Why is it so hard to do good? I've crossed a line, Grandpa; between life and death, we can only exist on the side of death. If we cross into the realm of the living, we face unexpected condemnation.
A person's life and death are predetermined. If we try to delay it or do something we shouldn't—helping someone escape their fate—then we're crossing boundaries. It disrupts the natural chain of life and death in this world. Perhaps I shouldn't have meddled; I should have simply waited at the Funeral Home for someone to come and ask us to handle the arrangements.
In my world, there are only the dead; no living person should exist here. With that thought in mind, I walked toward the Nurse Station, my hands resting rhythmically on the Counter as I looked at the beautiful nurses in their standard uniforms. "With such a handsome and stylish man like me standing here, how can you all not notice?"
One nurse glanced at me and smiled slightly while another politely nodded and asked, "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Was there a chubby guy brought here last night?"
"We're in the critical care unit; you might want to check downstairs," the Head Nurse replied with a bright smile that revealed her perfect teeth.
"Thank you."
I went down to the Nurse Station. A hospital is like a beauty pageant, filled with stunning women, all concentrated in this air thick with the scent of medicine, a place that concerns life and death. My illusion was that all these nurses looked the same; aside from being beautiful, they had nothing else to offer.
The nurses at the Nurse Station greeted me warmly. I thought that if they knew my true identity, they wouldn’t be as intimidated by my presence as that Parking Attendant had been. In such public spaces within the hospital, they treated everyone equally, regardless of their position or type—whether male or female, old or young; once you were in the right place, you were just a patient.
I gestured to see if a chubby young man had been admitted for observation last night.
In the end, they directed me to the Emergency Observation Room on the first floor; he wasn’t in the Inpatient Department. The first floor was noticeably busier, especially since it was a change of season. Cases of colds and fevers, particularly among children, were on the rise. The atmosphere was filled with cries, shouts, and commotion; if you listened closely, you could even hear footsteps.
There were various smells too: body odor, medicinal scents, perfume, and the unmistakable stench of feet. Near the entrance, a man was tending to his feet; that smell was undoubtedly his. He truly embodied the title of "foot-picking man." I passed by him and turned toward the observation room.
As I turned the corner, an embarrassing scene caught my eye—a woman was bending down to put on her shoes. Her loose red shirt had an open collar that swayed as she moved, revealing a pair of ample breasts that jiggled at her neckline. The sight of her fair skin made my face flush and my heart race; I quickly looked away. Just then, I heard a warm and friendly voice call out, "Qi."
"Zhou Jie, is that you?" The woman was Zhou Mengyao, who lost her husband six months ago and now seemed to be alone.
"Qi, do you remember me?" She walked over with a gaze and smile that took me by surprise. Her swift movement startled me: "Look at you; your collar is all tucked into your neck." She deftly adjusted my collar for me. My face turned red as I remembered how hurriedly I had come without properly checking myself in the mirror.
Being so close to her overwhelmed me with an alluring scent that made me instinctively take a step back. I glanced around nervously and whispered, "Thank you, Zhou Jie." I had intended to ask her what brought her to the hospital but felt it wasn't appropriate for me to inquire. For some reason, every time I interacted with Zhou Mengyao, there was an inexplicable flutter in my heart—as if there were a bug itching inside me that I could never quite scratch. Thus, every moment spent with her left me feeling oddly anxious.
My palms began to sweat. She asked what I wanted to know: "What brings you to the hospital?"
"I'm going to check on that chubby guy over there." As I spoke, I hurriedly moved forward as if fleeing, lacking the courage to look at her again—afraid that one more glance would get me caught. I knew she was watching me as I entered the observation room; out of the corner of my eye, I caught her final gaze lingering on me as I stepped through the door.
Seeing Fat made me breathe a sigh of relief, silently reminding myself not to mention the encounter with Zhou Mengyao.
Fat leaned back in his seat, as if waiting for the nurse. When he saw my exaggerated expression of surprise, he grinned widely and said, "Brother Qi, I dreamed about you last night, and here you are!"
I quickly walked over, lowering my voice as I asked, "What happened last night?"
"I think I sleepwalked. I stumbled out and ended up somewhere, competing with people in drinking. I got completely drunk, babbled nonsense, ran a high fever, and then I don't remember anything else."
"Is that for real?"
Fat raised his chubby palm upward and swore, "I, Zhu Dachang, swear there isn't a single lie."
"Where is the Soul Stone?"
Comment 0 Comment Count