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墨書 Inktalez
Ye Chenfeng stepped out, suddenly remembering that today was Sunday and he needed to go to Ximen Road to see the woman who set up a stall there.
Unfortunately, he couldn't go with Ding Li; she was busy making paper figures at the Paper Craft Shop.
On his way to Ximen Road, he called Ding Li to inform her.
The sky had been overcast when he went to the welfare home, and now a light drizzle began to fall. Spring rain is precious as oil, and this was already the umpteenth spring rain since the Lunar New Year.
New green shoots sprouted from seemingly withered branches by the roadside, and people shed their heavy winter coats, appearing in the streets with a lightness that made them look slimmer than in the winter months.
Elderly folks walked in the drizzle, laughing and chatting cheerfully.
Children bounced around, undeterred by the coolness of the rain, each sporting a tiny droplet of water perched on their spiky hair, sparkling and looking quite lovely.
Ximen Road was just ahead.
There stood the green Post Office.
In that alley, there were also vendors selling boxed meals at the entrance.
Ye Chenfeng checked the time; it was still before 11 o'clock, yet these people were already preparing for lunch. He spotted the woman setting up her stall diagonally across from the alley. She didn't appear weak at all; rather, she was plump and robust, looking quite healthy—far from being a sickly person.
Ye Chenfeng squatted down, pretending to browse through the items on the stall while keeping a close eye on the vendor.
The woman smiled brightly and asked, "Brother, what are you interested in?"
Feigning interest in an item he held, Ye Chenfeng asked a question unrelated to it: "Sister, it seems like you weren't here selling before?"
The stall owner paused for a moment before nodding and replying with a smile, "Yes, the previous vendor, Sister Xiao, is no longer here."
"Is she gone?"
"She's dead." The Female Vendor frowned, annoyed, and turned back to organize her goods.
Ye Chenfeng sighed, "A few days ago, I bought a pair of sandals from her. They didn't fit, and I was planning to exchange them. How could she just..."
Seeing his furrowed brow, the Female Vendor couldn't help but respond, "Show me the sandals. If you want to exchange them here, that's fine too."
"Oh, you're so kind." Ye Chenfeng put down what he was holding, smiled at the Female Vendor, and pulled out a red bill to hand to her. "I just wanted to ask you something. I don't mean to waste your time; this is for your trouble."
The Female Vendor waved her hand in refusal. "No, no. I won't accept payment for nothing. Just tell me what you want to know. If I know, I'll tell you; if I don't, there's nothing I can do."
Ye Chenfeng said, "I want to know about Sister Xiao's situation in detail."
"What do you want to know?" The Female Vendor didn't take Ye Chenfeng's money. Instead, she bent down to pick up a teacup set aside, took a sip of tea, replaced the lid, and looked at him seriously. "Don't ask me about her privacy."
"I won't. I just want to know how Sister Xiao passed away."
"She fell ill. They say it was many kinds of illnesses; it was too complicated and hard to treat." While she spoke, someone approached her. She smiled and said, "What brings you here?"
Ye Chenfeng recognized the person who had come; he looked somewhat familiar.
The newcomer glanced at Ye Chenfeng in surprise and chuckled, "Isn't this Mr. Ye?"
The Female Vendor was astonished. "Do you two know each other?"
Ye Chenfeng looked at the person's unfortunate face and drooping eyelids and remembered that this was Huang Liangji, who had come to the Paper Craft Shop looking for ways to deal with his deceased wife.
"I know him; I'd recognize him even if he turned to ashes."
Huang Liangji felt a surge of anger at Ye Chenfeng's words, but he couldn't express it, especially not in front of the Female Vendor. He forced a smile and said, "Yes, Mr. Ye, you have such a good memory. What, are you interested in these little things too?"
Ye Chenfeng was momentarily unsure about the relationship between Huang Liangji and the Female Vendor. However, the way Huang Liangji looked at her suggested there was something more between them.
The Female Vendor accepted the lunchbox from Huang Liangji and politely replied, "There's no need to trouble yourself anymore. There's a place up ahead selling boxed meals for just a few coins; I can get enough to eat there."
It seemed that Huang Liangji was pursuing the Female Vendor.
The Female Vendor got along very well with Sister Xiao.
Both women were in similar circumstances, struggling to make ends meet by selling goods on the street, so it was good for them to stick together.
Huang Liangji cast a reluctant glance at Ye Chenfeng before turning to leave. He seemed like he wanted to say something more but was dismissed by the Female Vendor.
Soon after, the Female Vendor's words confirmed Ye Chenfeng's earlier speculation.
She mentioned that Sister Xiao was like a sister to her.
Once, when she was rushing to catch a bus, she encountered a thief who stole her wallet. Without her wallet, she couldn't purchase any goods.
Sister Xiao took out her own money, and they split it between them. They bought their supplies and returned home together, ensuring that her trip wasn't in vain.
Because of this incident, when Sister Xiao returned home, she faced harsh scolding from her family and even got into a fight.
Seeing the bruise on Sister Xiao's eye, the Female Vendor realized that she had been in a domestic dispute. After persistent questioning, Sister Xiao finally revealed that it was her husband who had hit her.
He accused her of lending money to others while refusing to give him any for gambling.
Mentioning this man brought tears of sorrow to Sister Xiao's eyes.
As Ye Chenfeng had speculated, Huang Liangji was indeed Sister Xiao's husband.
Huang Liangji and Sister Xiao were introduced by a matchmaker, and they had no feelings for each other even as they approached marriage. From the time they started dating to their wedding, they had only met three times.
After getting married, Sister Xiao discovered that Huang Liangji indulged in drinking, gambling, and other vices.
Sister Xiao struggled to support the family while Huang Liangji occasionally took on odd jobs, but his earnings were barely enough for his own expenses. The couple often fought fiercely over their children's education. When they went to the civil affairs bureau to get a divorce, Huang Liangji publicly knelt down to apologize to Sister Xiao.
Afterward, when they returned home, the quarrels resumed shortly after. Huang Liangji continued to act as he pleased without regard for anyone else.
Over time, Sister Xiao fell ill.
She experienced severe swelling and blood in her urine. After an examination, it was determined that she was suffering from stress-related issues and that there was nothing serious. The swelling was attributed to rheumatism. Despite this, Sister Xiao neglected her health and allowed her condition to worsen.
The pain tormented her.
Even after falling ill, Sister Xiao continued to set up her stall at the market.
One day, she asked a female vendor, "Have you ever seen a white flower?"
The female vendor followed Sister Xiao's gaze but saw no white flowers—only a woman in a white trench coat. The coat had a hood that obscured the woman's face completely.
Sister Xiao's expression changed dramatically as she looked at the woman.
"What else did she see?"
Ye Chenfeng quickly interrupted the female vendor's recounting with his question. She shook her head and replied, "Sister Xiao didn't say anything more, but she didn't come back to the market the next day. Later on, her husband Huang Liangji came and sold all of Sister Xiao's stock to me at a low price. After that, he would come around every few days, saying he liked me or something like that."
It was clear that Sister Xiao had passed away.
Huang Liangji would dare to entangle himself without fear with the Female Vendor.
The Female Vendor was unwilling to tell Ye Chenfeng her name; she only said that she would handle the stock in her hands and then leave the city. She particularly hated Huang Liangji and never wanted to see him again.
"Sister Xiao is one of the Hanging Themselves."
Ye Chenfeng's words startled the Female Vendor so much that the teacup in her hand fell, spilling water everywhere, and the porcelain cup rolled to a stop at a certain position.
"How could that be? Even if Sister Xiao fell ill, she wouldn't have thoughts of taking her own life. Besides, her illness isn't something like cancer; how could she possibly think of ending it?"
"Are you saying that Sister Xiao was murdered?"
"We didn't say that; it's just a speculation." The Female Vendor seemed to have some reservations, and as she spoke, she began to pack up her things to leave.
"Don't be afraid; I'm not a bad person. I'm a Yin Yang Master."
"You are a Yin Yang Master?"
The Female Vendor paused her actions, appearing somewhat flustered and anxious.
"Don't be scared; I'm here to help you. If I haven't miscalculated, you have recently encountered a blood disaster."
The Female Vendor looked at Ye Chenfeng with half-belief and half-doubt.
Ye Chenfeng said, "You have no problem; the issue lies with Huang Liangji. He has a fierce appearance, broom-like eyebrows, three white eyes, drooping eyelids, a darkened forehead—be careful; he might be your source of trouble."
Upon hearing this, the Female Vendor turned pale.
Ye Chenfeng took out a talisman paper and handed it to the Female Vendor, explaining how to use it. Then he also gave her his home address and instructed her to find a woman named Ding Li.
“Who is Ding Li?”
“My partner.”
“Oh.” The Female Vendor carefully tucked away the talisman, folding it neatly before slipping it into her pocket. She expressed her gratitude to Ye Chenfeng and mentioned that she would close up early, not coming by tomorrow, as she planned to spend some time at his place.
With the Female Vendor settled, Ye Chenfeng had one more task to attend to.
That was to return to this place at night to summon souls.
Why was Sister Xiao's soul here?
Ye Chenfeng couldn't quite explain it himself.
Perhaps it was a kind of instinctive obsession that kept her lingering over something, preventing her from moving on.
Upon learning that someone would accompany her, Ding Li was overjoyed. He closed up his shop early to prepare dinner, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Female Vendor. The rest was for Ye Chenfeng to handle on his own. He went to the Paper Craft Shop, stayed for a while, and as darkness fell, he prepared to head to Ximen Road to meet Sister Xiao.
The Paper Craft Shop had added quite a few paper figures, all crafted by Ding Li.
When Ye Chenfeng arrived, several customers were actually there buying paper figures, saying they needed them for Qingming Festival offerings for their relatives.
After purchasing a few, the shop felt emptier with the remaining stock.
Ye Chenfeng cleaned up the floor a bit. In recent days, due to Li Xin's presence, there had been few Ghostly beings seeking his help. It felt somewhat unusual. As night gradually descended, Ye Chenfeng got ready to head to Ximen Road.
Tonight, with the Female Vendor accompanying Ding Li, he could feel at ease about meeting Sister Xiao.
On the street, people began to hurry home in small groups.
Gradually, fewer and fewer people passed by, and the bustling atmosphere of the streets and alleys turned quiet.
After the spring rain, a gentle spring breeze blew in, bringing a slight chill that penetrated to the bone.
The sound of footsteps and shouts from behind startled Ye Chenfeng, causing him to instinctively turn around. He froze in place.
Li Xin was back again?
"Are you leaving?" Li Xin asked, looking at Ye Chenfeng with curiosity.
"Yeah, I have something to take care of tonight, so I'm closing up early."
Upon hearing that Ye Chenfeng had something to do, Li Xin didn't take the hint to leave but pressed on, "What is it? Can I come along to see?"
"I'm going to meet a friend."
"Then I should definitely go with you to keep an eye on you for your wife," Li Xin said playfully, casually trying to link arms with Ye Chenfeng, but he skillfully dodged her.
"You really shouldn't come. I'm afraid it might scare you."
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