Chapter 36

Faced with the old woman's sudden crying, Zhou Lao and I were at a loss, for after all, when an elderly person on the verge of their last days suddenly cries in front of others, regardless of the reason, it always tugs at the softest part of one’s heart, evoking sympathy. What can one do in such a situation?

Zhou Lao and I are both grown men, and naturally, we didn’t know what to say or do next, so we were at a loss.

Originally, I sensed some lingering negative energy in this room, which I hadn’t yet carefully identified. The old lady’s sudden crying interrupted all my thoughts.

Zhou Lao is a soft-hearted person, and his reaction was more obvious than mine. His eyes immediately reddened, and he could only repeatedly say to the old lady, "Don’t cry, don’t cry," without being able to say anything else.

Fortunately, the middle-aged woman followed us into the room. Seeing the old lady crying and the two of us, big men, unable to speak, she interjected, "Grandma Wen, everyone knows that you are sad about Zhao Ying’s passing, but the school leaders are here. How can they speak if you keep crying? It’s not easy for them to come all this way. At least let them have a drink of water."

As she spoke, the middle-aged woman stood up, wrung out a handkerchief, and handed it to Grandma Wen. She then found two relatively clean bowls and poured a cup of water for Zhou Lao and me.

During this process, Grandma Wen finally stopped crying, and Zhou Lao, who reacted quickly, took the 1500 yuan from me and pressed it into the old lady’s hand, saying, "Grandma Wen, this is a small token from the school. Please take it."

Grandma Wen looked at me with gratitude but was hesitant to accept the money.

In such situations, I am usually at a loss for words, but at this moment, I couldn’t help but speak up, "Yes, Grandma Wen, please take the money. I heard from the auntie about your family’s situation. You must keep this money safe. When you’re hungry or thirsty, ask the auntie next door to buy you something to eat or drink. Don’t neglect yourself, and don’t let your family find out."

"That’s right, Grandma Wen. The young man is correct. You mustn’t let them find the money. They’ll either use it for gambling or waste it," the auntie chimed in, her gaze toward us becoming warmer, clearly confirming that we were not bad people.

After all, this family was one of the poorest in the area, with nothing valuable for a thief to covet. What could be the purpose of someone who comes to the door and gives money?

Perhaps moved, Grandma Wen began to cry again. She suddenly grabbed my hand and, with a strength not typical of an elderly person, forcefully pushed the money back into my hand. She, who had been quiet, suddenly looked at Zhou Lao and me and said, "Comrades, I can see that you are good people. You are good people. I don’t need the money. I’m so old, and money is useless. I live one day at a time. But Zhao Ying died unjustly. You must help her seek justice. She died unjustly."

"Oh, Grandma Wen, Zhao Ying was ill. Why do you keep saying such things to everyone? Don’t say that anymore. Put the money away," the middle-aged woman, who had clearly heard this before, quickly tried to console the old lady.

This attitude was natural. Everyone, including the neighbors and the death report, acknowledged that Zhao Ying had died of an illness. The exact cause was unclear, but Zhou Lao said that many cases of sudden death are difficult to diagnose fully before the patient’s death. As long as it’s not poisoning or physical harm, they generally don’t investigate further.

In any case, the death report stated that it was a heart-related illness. Sudden deaths are often attributed to heart problems.

Of course, this was my judgment, not supported by any medical authority. In my eyes, Zhou Lao is certainly not a medical authority. I felt that the old lady knew something, and I naturally ignored the middle-aged woman’s attitude.

As I was thinking about how to continue the conversation, a child’s voice from the next room called out, "Mom, Dad is asking when you’re coming back to make dinner."

Indeed, it was almost time to make dinner. Except for Zhao Ying’s house, which was cold and empty, the other houses were filled with the sounds of cooking and the smell of food. The middle-aged woman, urged by the child, smiled awkwardly and apologized to us before hurrying back home.

Actually, her presence made it harder for me to speak. When she left, Zhou Lao and I exchanged a glance. I took the money the old lady had pushed back into my hand and firmly pressed it back into her hand, saying, "Grandma Wen, please take the money. If you feel that Zhao Ying died unjustly, you can tell us what happened. If there is indeed an injustice, we can see if we can help."

Faced with our attitude, Grandma Wen became puzzled. Although she was old, I found that she was not confused. She looked at us with disbelief and asked, "Will you believe what I say?"

At this moment, Zhou Lao and I couldn’t easily reveal our intentions. Zhou Lao quickly responded, "Zhao Ying was an excellent student. Her sudden death left us both heartbroken and puzzled. Grandma Wen, why would an old lady like you lie?"

Zhou Lao is indeed very good with words. By shifting the focus to the old lady’s honesty, he avoided making her feel guarded and reluctant to speak.

I must admit, Zhou Lao’s words reassured the old lady. Encouraged, she determinedly said, "Our Yingying was definitely not killed by illness. Something must have harmed her! I saw it. Something was harming her."

"What?" I didn’t expect such an answer from an old lady, and I couldn’t control my emotions, interrupting her.

"Don’t you believe me?" The old lady’s expression instantly returned to one of sorrow and helplessness.

Zhou Lao immediately said, "We don’t doubt you, Grandma." As he spoke, he glanced at me, and our默契 (默契 means默契, which can be translated as 'understanding' or 'rapport') made me understand what he was going to say. I nodded slightly, and Zhou Lao continued, "Even if the whole world doesn’t believe that something harmed Zhao Ying, he absolutely believes it."

"Why? Why does he believe it? I begged Yingying’s parents to find a Taoist priest for this matter, but the priest said I was being haunted by Yingying’s spirit. He made a fuss at home and that was it. Is he also a Taoist?" Clearly, once she received affirmation, Grandma Wen was the one who didn’t believe it.

After learning about her experience, I felt more at ease. In this society, there are indeed such phenomena where people use this to deceive and defraud. Many old ladies, once deceived, naturally become more cautious.

Faced with this, Zhou Lao said, "He can be considered a Taoist, but he doesn’t make a living from it. His family has a hereditary skill, and he understands these things. However, due to some family reasons, he doesn’t act lightly. Grandma Wen, this has already happened. We can’t promise to solve it, but what if we can?"

Zhou Lao’s persuasive skills were almost unbeatable. In just a few words, he dispelled Grandma Wen’s doubts. She thought about it and realized that she had already told many people, and they all treated her as if she was being superstitious. It didn’t matter if she told us. She dried her tears, calmed down, and began to tell us her story.

"The reason I say that our Zhao Ying was harmed is that I am an old lady who sleeps lightly. In recent years, I have gradually been able to see those things. Do you know what I mean? Last year, when Old Qian in the next alley died, I went to the funeral. I knew Old Qian for decades and wanted to stay up and keep him company. But my body was weak, and I fell asleep in the middle of the night. In a half-awake, half-asleep state, I saw Old Qian standing by the coffin." Grandma Wen looked at us with a mix of caution and hope.

It was as if she was afraid we wouldn’t believe her.

Zhou Lao didn’t respond, giving Grandma Wen an encouraging look to continue. If it were before, his attitude would have been to comfort and reassure the old lady, but for someone who had just seen a group of spirits the night before, his attitude was very natural.

But I didn’t think it was that simple. I felt like I had grasped something. Logically, an elderly person’s yang energy is lower, and occasionally, in very special circumstances, they might see ‘the other side.’ This is possible.

But Grandma Wen’s tone suggested that she could see these things frequently. What did this mean? And did it have anything to do with Zhao Ying’s death?

---

(End of the page)