Bai Lixin: “Boss, you seem troubled. Is something bothering you?”
The boss sighed helplessly, “Sir, you don’t know. Originally, my wonton stall wasn’t here. I used to operate it in the eastern part of the city. I’m an old man, and I have a child to take care of at home. I wanted to earn more money to save for his marriage so I used to stay open until very late every night before heading home.”
“Who would have thought that one day, I would see a figure swaying towards me from a distance. His movements were very strange, and I initially thought he was drunk. But when he approached, I nearly got scared out of my wits.”
“He wasn’t just any person, he was clearly a monster.”
“But…” The old man paused, “I actually knew that monster.”
“I remembered him, he used to come and sit in my stall every evening. He would stay the whole night until there were no people left on the street before leaving. I set up my stall alone, and although he somewhat affected my business, having him around also provided me with some company so I never drove him away.”
“Sometimes, when he had some money, he would order a bowl of wonton soup. Other times, when he didn’t, he would just sit there, looking around as if he were waiting for someone.”
“I felt sorry for him, so I would serve him a bowl of wonton soup.”
“Ah, at that time, I found his daily visits annoying, but now that he’s gone, I kind of miss him.”
Bai Lixin: “Then why did you move here?”
He didn’t come to this place to eat wontons by chance. He chose this location because the first place the strange corpse was found was right in front of the wonton stall.
He had visited the crime scene but didn’t dind the wonton stall there. Presumably, it had moved away after the incident.
After wandering around Qingcheng Town for a while, he finally found this wonton stall.
The old man sighed, “It’s all because of that strange incident. I was quite scared. I couldn’t sleep at night; I always felt that the man was haunting me. Later, I burned some paper money for him and moved here.”
Bai Lixin: “Didn’t you say there were strange things? What other kind of strange things happened?”
The old man: “After moving here, I encountered a little thief. You see, my wonton stall doesn’t have anything valuable. So after finishing my work, I directly clean up and wash the bowls and chopsticks here. But for some reason, my stall was robbed twice in five days.”
“And that little thief made a mess of my stall.”
Bai Lixin: “What did he steal?”
The old man: “He didn’t steal much, you know. I’ve been doing this for many years, and I remember everything in my stall very clearly—every bowl and pair of chopsticks. I won’t make a mistake. The little thief made a mess of my stall, but I checked myself and didn’t find anything missing.”
Bai Lixin and Fanjia exchanged glances.
Nothing was missing, yet everything was in disarray.
That meant the thief was searching for something specific.
“Boss,” Bai Lixin pondered for a moment and asked, “On the day that strange corpse walked to your door, did you notice anything new inside your stall the next day?”
The old man sighed heavily and stomped his foot. “No, nothing. I was just thinking, maybe this little thief was searching for something in my stall. It’s fine if he messes up my stall, but if he breaks into my home, there’s only an old lady and a child there. If that thief is violent, I’m afraid something bad might happen to them.”
“Ever since that day, I’ve had no peace,” the old man sighed deeply. “I thought I might have angered some evil spirits, so I wanted to consult the Master for some good luck.”
“Boss, when are you going to pack up and go home?” Bai Lixin suddenly asked.
“After a little while. Now is the busy time, once it’s over, I’ll go home.”
Under the table, Bai Lixin discreetly kicked Fanjia.
Fanjia looked over in confusion and saw Bai Lixin wink at him.
Fanjia was slightly puzzled and turned to the boss. “Amitabha, benefactor, I am here because we are destined. Since we have a connection, I’m willing to accompany you to your home and see if there are any evil spirits lurking. If there are, I can help you drive them away.”
“What do you think?”
The old man immediately wiped his hands with his apron. “Is Master really willing to do this?”
His eyes, which had lit up before, quickly dimmed. “But I’m not wealthy. I really can’t afford to pay you for this.”
Fanjia: “A monk doesn’t talk about money; we talk about fate. We have a connection, so there’s no need for money.”
“Ahem—” Bai Lixin, who was drinking water, choked suddenly upon hearing this statement.
Fanjia looked at him with concern. “Are you okay?”
Bai Lixin: “I’m fine, perfectly fine.”
The old man glanced at the moon in the sky. “Then, Master, wait for me a moment. Let me clean up the stall, and we can leave now.”
Bai Lixin: “Aren’t you planning to do more business? It’s alright, we can wait for you.”
“I won’t do it anymore. It’s just one day, I won’t lose much money,” the old man started cleaning up his belongings. “I know my priorities.”
Originally, there were other customers in the wonton stall so Bai Lixin waited for more than ten minutes before everyone else left. The boss then began tidying up the tables and chairs.
With his slightly hunched back, he meticulously folded the tables and hung the stools on them.
This was his daily routine.
Once he finished everything, another five minutes had passed.
Although the work seemed repetitive and monotonous, it was a treasure trove he created with his own hands.
“Alright, two esteemed guests,” the old man said somewhat apologetically, “you’ve waited for a long time. Let’s go.”
After following the old man for a while, they left the bustling downtown area and entered a more ordinary residential area.
Just as they entered an alley, Fanjia suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He glanced into the air, his eyes deep.
Seeing this, the old man hurriedly asked, “Master, what are you looking at?”
Fanjia withdrew his gaze and shook his head. “It’s nothing, let’s go.”
After the brief interlude, the old man led them back to his home.
“Old woman, son, I’m back,” he shouted into the courtyard the moment he pushed the door open.
“We heard, we heard. You always shout like that when you come back, and it startles both of us every time,” an aged woman’s impatient voice came from inside the room. Soon, the previously pitch-black room was illuminated by a candle. An elderly woman emerged, wearing a smile on her face. As she was about to speak, her expression froze when her eyes fell upon Bai Lixin and Fanjia. She then asked, “Who are these two?”
“They are my customers from my stall tonight. Look what I brought you,” the old man said with a smile. He carefully took out a hairpin from his pocket and presented it to the elderly woman. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
The elderly woman immediately shifted her attention away from Fanjia and Bai Lixin and focused on the hairpin.
Seeing the exquisite hairpin, the elderly woman’s face blushed slightly. “How old are you? yet Aren’t you embarrassed to give me such things?”
The old man scratched his head, feeling a bit shy. “There was a jewelry stall next to my stall today. I took a look and thought this would suit you best, so I bought it. Let me put it on you and see if it looks good.”
The elderly woman shyly turned her head toward the old man. His fingers trembled slightly as he carefully inserted the hairpin into her gray hair, his eyes filled with tenderness.
Bai Lixin subconsciously moved closer to Fanjia’s position. Whether intentional or not, under the cover of his large monk’s robe sleeves, his slender fingers touched Fanjia’s fingers.
With a gentle hook of his index finger, their fingers intertwined.
Fanjia’s fingers trembled slightly, but for some reason, he didn’t avoid it.
———————————–
In the live broadcast room:
[Humph, I’ve caught you. I want to report that they’re doing something behind the scenes.]
[This is just a little ambiguity, not mischief. Sit down, report dismissed.]
[God Xin is once again showing his personal charm.]
———————————
After entering the room, Bai Lixin quickly scanned the surroundings.
The room was very clean, likely cleaned every day.
Next to the table was a basket containing pieces of fabric, scissors, and some clothes that were halfway sewn.
The clothes were blue, and judging by the size, they were probably meant for the old man.
“You’ve made clothes for me again in the dark,” the old man disapproved, giving the elderly woman a glance. “Didn’t I tell you? I have enough clothes to wear. You don’t need to make so many. How will you rest your eyes if you tire them out like this?”
The elderly woman put away the basket. “It’s alright, my eyes are fine. I can see clearly at night.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
Old man: “What about our son?”
Elderly woman: “He’s sleeping in the inner room.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a childish voice came from the inner room. “Dad, you’re back?”
A hint of panic flashed in the elderly woman’s eyes. She hurriedly took a few steps, as if she intended to walk to the curtain, but before she reached it, someone from inside lifted the curtain.
A boy who looked about eight or nine years old walked out from inside as he rubbed his eyes.
When he saw Bai Lixin and Fanjia, he froze for a moment, then quickly hid behind the elderly woman, looking very afraid.
The elderly woman hurriedly said, “Our son has always been timid. He gets scared when he sees strangers. Please don’t be offended, guests.”
The little boy hid behind the elderly woman, peeking out curiously at the two strangers.
Bai Lixin smiled at the child, who promptly retreated behind the elderly woman.
“Son,” the old man approached with a beaming smile, reaching out to lift the child from behind the elderly woman and hoisting him up. “I missed you. Did you behave while I was away? Did you trouble your mother?”
The little boy hurriedly shook his head. “No, no, I’ve been good. I didn’t make Mom angry.”
“Hehe, our Shou’er is the best,” the old man said, but he couldn’t hold the child for long and gently put him down.
Once the child touched the ground, he immediately hid behind the elderly woman again.
Seeing this, the elderly woman ruffled the child’s hair. “Shou’er, you just woke up. Go play in the courtyard for a while. I’ll call you when it’s time to sleep. Stay in the courtyard only, understand? Don’t go anywhere else.”
The child nodded and quickly ran out to the courtyard. As he passed by Bai Lixin and Fanjia, he hastened his steps, as if they were fierce beasts or something.
Bai Lixin and Fanjia exchanged a glance. The elderly woman smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, he’s just a child and doesn’t understand much.”
Bai Lixin: “It’s okay. As you said, he’s just a child.”
The old man looked at the two of them. “Master, could you please check if there’s any evil spirit in our house?”
The elderly woman looked at the old man in astonishment, then turned to Bai Lixin and Fanjia. “Old man, you invited these two here for…”
“Didn’t I tell you?” the old man said. “My stall hasn’t been peaceful lately, and I’m worried that it might be an evil spirit. It’s one thing if the evil spirit goes to the stall, but if it comes here, you and Shou’er will be in danger. So, I invited the master to take a look.”
“Huh, so that’s the matter,” the elderly woman breathed a sigh of relief. “What evil spirit? There aren’t so many evil spirits in this world. I think you’re just overly suspicious. Maybe the mess in your stall is caused by hungry cats smelling the food and coming to your stall for a meal.”
The old man: “To prevent those wild cats from stealing food, I hang a piece of dough dipped in meat soup on the tree every time before I leave. After all these years, my stall has never been visited by cats.”
“It’s better to let the master take a look. It puts my mind at ease,” he added.
Fanjia looked around, and when his gaze fell on the elderly woman, she suddenly appeared nervous.
He looked around in silence and then withdrew his gaze. In the slightly flustered eyes of the elderly woman, he calmly said, “Amitabha, benefactor, I did not find any evil spirits here.”
The old man and the elderly woman let out a collective sigh of relief.
“However,” Fanjia continued, drawing out his words, making the elderly woman’s heart jump back into her throat, “benefactor, there are no evil spirits here, but there are spirits guarding you due to your usual kindness.”
The old man looked puzzled. ”Spirits? What spirits? How come I didn’t see them?”
The elderly woman looked at Fanjia, her expression tense.
Fanjia pondered for a moment. “Spirits are naturally invisible to ordinary folks, benefactor. You don’t need to worry too much. Just be aware that this entity won’t harm lives, it will protect you silently.”
The old man hesitated for a moment, then slapped his thigh. “I understand!”
The elderly woman instantly grew anxious again.
“It must be those wild cats. I feed them every day, so they must be grateful to me for the food, and that’s why they protect me secretly.”
“No wonder the things that happened to me these days seemed unlucky, yet each time there was a narrow escape. I encountered the monster and was unharmed, the thief didn’t take much from me, and my home remained safe.”
He bowed to the sky, saying, ”Thank you, thank you for your protection. Tomorrow, I’ll bring some meat for all the cat deities.”
The elderly woman looked at the old man with affectionate eyes, then chuckled helplessly.
Fanjia: “Now you can rest assured. Since there’s nothing wrong, we’ll take our leave.”
The old man said, “Sure, sure, I’ll see you off, guests.”
“Old man,” the elderly woman called the old man, “smell yourself, you stink. Did you fall into the river? Go wash up, I’ll see our guests off.”
The old man was a bit confused. “Do I smell bad?”
He hesitantly sniffed himself. “I don’t smell bad.”
When he looked up, he realized the three of them had already left.
Helpless, the old man turned and went into the house to take a bath obediently.
When the three passed by the courtyard, the child was kicking a sandbag.
Seeing Fanjia approaching, the child forgot about the sandbag and immediately cowered in the corner.
As they stepped out of the courtyard and walked a little in the alley, the elderly woman smiled at the two of them. “Thank you both for your help today. I’ll see you off here. It’s dark outside, please be careful.”
“Staying here too long won’t do you any good. It’s better to leave soon.”
When the elderly woman was about to leave, Fanjia spoke softly.
The elderly woman’s body stiffened abruptly when she heard this, looking somewhat embarrassed as she glanced at Fanjia. “Master, I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
Fanjia: “No, you should understand.”
“Since you’re already dead, you and the child should reincarnate as soon as possible. Being too attached to the mortal world is harmful to you.”
The elderly woman stared at them for a long while. With a flicker of emotion in her eyes, she spoke in a hoarse voice, “Why didn’t you tell him even though you clearly knew?”
Fanjia: “The benefactor only asked me to check if there was any evil spirit in your house. Since you’re not an evil spirit, I didn’t mention it.”
“Thank you, Master,” the elderly woman bowed respectfully to Fanjia. “I am not attached to the mortal world, I’m just worried about him.”
“We’ve been through thick and thin together all these years.”
“There was a famine a few years ago and we were so poor that we couldn’t afford to eat. He used to run a noodle business, but without rice and flour due to the famine, he couldn’t earn any money. Although he would do odd jobs during the day, he’s still a bit old, and the wages he earned weren’t much. Those wages couldn’t buy much rice or flour.”
“In order to share his burden, I took my little son to the mountains to pick wild fruits and dig wild vegetables.”
“However, we encountered bandits on the way, and while avoiding the bandits, my son and I fell off a cliff and died together.”
“When I regained consciousness, I found out my son and I had become ghosts. But for some reason, we were different from other ghosts. Most ghosts could only appear at night, but we could be out during the day. Moreover, our feet weren’t weightless; they were solid. Even more strangely, we had shadows.”
“But we knew we were dead. We had no pulse, and our bodies were at the bottom of the river.”
