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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 46: Human Skin Puppet (Part Twenty-Five)
I always felt that Qin Jian was hiding something from me, looking troubled as if he had a lot on his mind. It didn’t necessarily mean he was under pressure from his superiors. Following Qin Jian's gaze, I saw Ling Juan approaching us, her face lit up with a smile, looking rather innocent. She really didn’t seem cut out for this line of work, and I genuinely felt sorry for her.
I decided to put the matter of the Red Envelope on hold. If Wang Liu's claims turned out to be true, then it would be better not to give the Red Envelope at all. Instead, we could just use a three-inch wide red cloth strip and have the family of the deceased treat the body retrieval person to a vegetarian meal.
“What? You’re not giving a single cent and using a three-inch wide red cloth strip? That’s bold. You should handle this; I can’t step in,” I said.
Seriously, what kind of good brother is Qin Jian? He just passed this hot potato back to me.
Seeing my unhappy expression, Qin Jian chuckled and handed me a pack of cigarettes. “Here’s a little reward for you. Don’t be shy.”
“Are you two hungry?” Ling Juan asked, and my stomach growled in response.
I was indeed hungry, but what about these people?
Qin Jian casually replied, “Just take the money and leave; can’t we get a meal covered?”
“Qin, your Red Envelope,” Ling Juan said as she handed him a bulging Red Envelope.
Qin Jian took it with a nonchalant tone. “Forget about the Red Envelope; as long as you’re here, Brother Qi, everything is fine.”
“Come on now, Lao Qin, don’t make it sound like I’m some kind of miracle worker,” I protested.
Without even glancing at me, Qin Jian waved at Ling Juan. “Juanzi, let’s go; it’s on me. You handle the arrangements; we’re going out to eat.”
“Hey, what about me?”
Qin Jian feigned surprise, "You, aren't you supposed to treat someone to a vegetarian meal?"
I was taken aback! I, Ma Qi, was truly unfortunate, always encountering these unreliable friends. Qin Jian, remember this: if you dare to have any improper thoughts about Ling Juan, I'll report it to Chi Xinrong immediately. What the hell? When did I start caring about Ling Juan? It's perfectly normal for a man to flirt before marriage. If I had to report even this to Chi Xinrong, it would only mean I'm making a mountain out of a molehill and creating trouble out of nothing.
Actually, Ling Juan was having dinner with Qin Jian because they had important matters to discuss—specifically about Gao Sheng's body. A forensic doctor and a police officer discussing a corpse; it was best that I didn't attend, even though I had no choice in the matter.
As I was daydreaming while walking towards the street on the left side of the inn, the laborers who had received their pay were dispersing. As I passed by them, one person quickly approached me and greeted me, "Hi, how are you?"
He looked familiar; I recognized him as one of the laborers who had pulled Gao Sheng's body out, but I didn't know his name. This man had dark circles under his eyes and looked to be in his forties—definitely an uncle type. He seemed to be asking me for a red envelope. Given his appearance, if I really handed him a red envelope, wouldn't that put him in danger?
I nodded and smiled at him, "Hello."
This uncle lacked the ease and casualness of Uncle Wang; he seemed quite reserved and hesitated as he followed me. In a sneaky tone filled with greed in his eyes, he asked, "When will you give me what you promised?"
I neither refused nor indicated that I'd give it immediately; I simply replied in a calm tone, "Follow me." Since we were only acquaintances and I wanted to wrap this up quickly, there was no need for me to ask for his name.
Seeing me head towards the street with good food near the inn, he grinned widely and said, "I'm happy to work for you. If there's anything else in the future, just come find me in the alley behind Binxin Road Construction Bank Branch."
I acknowledged him with an "Oh," continuing forward until we reached a street lined with restaurants. Finally stopping at a place selling steamed buns with soup inside, I asked the owner, "Do you have vegetarian dishes and soup?"
The owner thought he misheard me and vigorously rubbed his ears for confirmation. "What would you like to eat?"
"Vegetarian dishes and soup," I repeated.
The uncle who followed me seemed surprised by my request and frowned slightly, blinking several times as if he wanted to leave. However, perhaps fearing that I might change my mind about leaving without him, he glanced between me and the owner before settling down at a table near the door. He tapped his fingers on the table surface repeatedly while pretending not to care but was actually focused entirely on me.
"Uncle, I've ordered these vegetarian dishes and soup just for you."
Uncle was taken aback, and so was the owner, as if it was the first time they had seen someone treated this way since opening the shop.
With a serious expression, I waved to Uncle, "If you don't eat, the Red Envelope will be gone."
Uncle hesitated, his face darkening as he stood still, unwilling to move forward or backward.
The owner brought over the food, seemingly displeased with me but keeping it to himself. He shot me a cold glance before heading into the back room.
It was already past breakfast time, and the dishes I ordered were leftovers from breakfast. Uncle didn't want to eat, thinking I was trying to trick him.
"Uncle, if you don't eat this meal, you won't be saved."
"What do you mean?"
"Uncle, I'm being honest. I'm a Mortician. I study facial features, feng shui, and burial matters. I also understand psychological traits and can see through your thoughts. Right now, you're very disappointed and angry with us. Plus, your face carries misfortune and is shrouded in Evil Energy. Your time is short unless you eat this porridge."
Uncle hesitated, approaching me with skepticism. His pained expression glanced at the food on the table, clearly cursing in his mind: "After all my hard work, this is what I get to eat?"
Seeing Uncle sit down, I took a seat across from him. I pointed at the food, "You eat; I'll..."
With a grimace on his face, Uncle reluctantly picked up his chopsticks. I noticed his hand tremble slightly—perhaps it was guilt! Maybe my words had struck a chord deep within him, forcing him to sit down.
"Uncle is a local of City A; you must know Ma Wu Funeral Home?"
The old man glanced at the steaming bowl of porridge, clearly reheated by the boss, with some pickled vegetable bits mixed in. In a hoarse voice, he said, "I know, my ancestors are buried by Ma Wu."
"Yes, I am Ma Wu's grandson, Ma Qi."
"Oh..." The old man widened his triangular eyes, and his drooping eye bags looked like half-closed eyelids, quite unappealing. He took a mouthful of porridge but failed to pick up any of the pickled vegetables, so he gave up and simply tilted the bowl back, gulping down the porridge.
He then set the bowl down. "Give me the red envelope; I have work to do at home."
I scratched my nose, realizing I was in a difficult situation. Damn Qin Jian and Ling Juan were over there enjoying their meal while I was here embarrassing myself and potentially offending someone. Reluctantly, I steeled myself and said, "Uncle, I'm not trying to scare you. The body you pulled up today died a violent death, so according to the customs of those who retrieve bodies, you can't accept payment. Someone will give you something later; you must accept it and follow my instructions."
"What? You tricked me into eating this crap just so you wouldn't have to pay me? I've worked my ass off for half a day, and now I'm eating porridge without any reward? Damn it, I'm going to report you!"
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