Braut mit Geisteraugen 2

Kapitel 33

Great-grandfather tried to bow to speak to Zhang Wen, but was stopped by the fat security guard and Xu Haibing.

"Girl, do you...do you know this?" Great-grandfather fumbled for the bundle of horsewhips, then presented it to Zhang Wen with both hands.

Zhang Wen reached out and took his great-grandfather's hand, gazing at the familiar yet unfamiliar riding crop, as indelible memories of his childhood resurfaced in his heart:

On campus, I used it to jump rope with a dozen or so friends; in the threshing ground, we used it to play tag; in the stream, we used it to build embankments and catch fish; in the yard, I swung on a swing I made from it; on the mountain path, I helped my mother use it to bundle firewood; in the paddy fields, I used it to help pull the plow…

She looked up, tears welling in her eyes, and nodded deeply.

"You're a spitting image of your mother. I thought she had appeared to me just now..." Great-grandfather's face was covered with deep wrinkles, and he grinned with his gap-toothed, sunken mouth, smiling with satisfaction.

Zhang Wen asked urgently, "What happened to my mother afterward?"

"...Later, I explained the Lian family relationship to her, and only then did she agree to come home with me. I tried to persuade her that it was better to live than to die, and asked her to give up the idea of suicide for the sake of her husband and child. She finally came to her senses and said that she would consider it as a rebirth after death, and that she would grit her teeth and live on no matter how hard things got... She said that she had entrusted her daughter to her eldest sister and was going to find her husband now. Before leaving, she specifically left this horsewhip, asking me to keep it safe as a token for the reunion of the family of three in the future. She also repeatedly instructed me to tell everyone that she had committed suicide in order to avoid being investigated... I must be loyal to the person I am entrusted with. Besides, this is also the ancestral rule of the Lian family, which is passed down from generation to generation to the eldest son of the direct line. Although you are not a boy, you are still of the direct bloodline of the Lian family, so it is only reasonable for it to be passed on to you..."

At this point, the great-grandfather looked up at the sky, clasped his hands together, and said with a devout expression, "Alas, mental calculation is no match for divine calculation. Heaven has eyes! I know my days are numbered, and Heaven will not let me leave this world with regrets. I have been thinking for a long time that I must settle this matter this year before I can go. Otherwise, even if I die, I will not be able to rest in peace..." As he spoke, he was about to hand over the horsewhip, which was a symbol of history and legend, to Zhang Wen.

Zhang Wen was about to take it when he suddenly paused, quickly pulled his hand back, and then pushed the whip back to his great-grandfather: "...Your Excellency, just giving an explanation isn't enough; you also need a happy ending. My parents haven't been found yet, have they? It's not too late to hand over this rope and whip after the three of us are reunited in your presence..."

QQ Lost (Chapter 46)

The autumn wind is blowing.

Dust filled the wilderness behind the campus, and the withering grass swayed in the wind.

The old, withered locust tree, weathered by time and brimming with vitality, still stood stubbornly in the autumn wind, its nearly hollowed-out trunk seemingly telling the story of the vicissitudes and weariness it had endured for a thousand years.

Beneath the tree, Zhang Wen lovingly stroked the dark, mottled bark, as if caressing the lonely, aged face of this thousand-year-old tree, wiping away its silently flowing tears…

With a solemn expression, Xu Haibing squatted down and stared for a long time at the exposed roots of the ancient locust tree. The old roots, twisted and gnarled like pythons and dragons, clung to the soil with an unyielding spirit, making him feel a strong desire for life and a fearlessness in the face of death...

The overcast sky cleared, and a light drizzle began to fall, adding to the indescribable feeling of autumn.

"...You were also born in Lianjiang, right?" Xu Haibing broke the silence and asked.

"Hmm..." Zhang Wen nodded.

"Then our placenta might all be buried under these tree roots..."

"oh……"

In the dreary rain and mist, Xu Haibing and Zhang Wen trudged through the mud, their feet sinking into the sand.

"...Have you ever thought about how Chinese history would have been rewritten thousands of years ago if your ancestor, who was driving a carriage, hadn't saved the crown prince with a horsewhip and settled the country with that single whip?" Xu Haibing stroked his wet hair back.

"...No, I'm wondering, if that ancestor who drove the carriage had been killed back then, or hadn't been able to save the emperor and had continued to be too poor to get married, would I still exist today?" Zhang Wen crossed his arms, probably feeling cold.

"...In all calculations, you are still the only legitimate heir of the Lian family, and the only one qualified to inherit that historically significant riding whip. Why didn't you accept the whip first?"

"...As long as the horsewhip was in my great-grandfather's hands, he would cherish it and find joy in it."

"...By the way, why isn't your surname Lian?"

"...After my mother's accident, my aunt heard the news and came to adopt me, taking me to Shanxi, where the wind and sand were everywhere. From then on, I took my uncle's surname, Zhang."

"...Then why did you come back again?"

"...After graduating from Northwestern University, I stayed at a computer application research institute affiliated with the university for a few years. Perhaps it was an irresistible pull, but I decided to return to this Jiangnan region where a light drizzle falls... Just then, Dalian University was building a new campus and needed teachers, so I applied for the job, hoping to use my free time to search for my parents' whereabouts..."

"...Any leads?"

"No……"

QQ Lost (Chapter 47)

The train sped by, roaring past.

In the sparsely populated carriage, Xu Haibing and Zhang Wen sat opposite each other. They were on their way to Xitou Town, which was located at the junction of the three southwestern provinces—the place where Zhang Wen's family had been sent down to the countryside years ago.

"...When I first arrived in Lianjiang, it was the rainy season. I was all alone, living in a low, damp house. I had no job, felt empty and bored, and my mood was extremely gloomy... The most painful thing was insomnia. Every time I closed my eyes, I would see images of my mother and the big chinaberry tree. My heart felt heavy and suffocated. Even when I fell asleep, I would often wake up from nightmares. I had no choice but to get up and go online... I don't know why, but sometimes I would just want to let loose and find a temporary balance for my heart that was tormenting me to the point of madness... In some smoky chat rooms, I would freely interact with all sorts of netizens, engage in fierce exchanges, laugh and curse without restraint, vent my frustrations, and use scary websites to frighten those who were too greedy and shameless, trying to numb myself in a distorted pleasure and perverse stimulation..." Zhang Wen said in a daze, his eyes half-open.

At this moment, the train entered the mountain tunnel, and the carriage suddenly darkened. Xu Haibing seemed to see the distorted and cold expression on Zhang Wen's face as he chatted online late at night, reflected in the computer screen, and he couldn't help but feel terrified.

The train emerged from the tunnel, and the carriage became bright again. Zhang Wen felt dizzy, lowered his head, and shielded his face with his hand.

"Is that when you met Shen Daxing?" Xu Haibing asked, covering the car window on her side with a newspaper.

Zhang Wen nodded silently: "...At first, I didn't know his name was Shen Daxing, only his online name 'Erhei Ge'. He noticed that I, this 'mischievous wild girl,' often appeared and wandered at night, so he took the initiative to contact me... It seemed that he saw through the bitterness and pain behind my decadent and carefree attitude from the very beginning. He chatted with me kindly and patiently comforted me, making me feel that my almost numb heart was gradually regaining its senses... You know, before this, because of the indelible memory of that half-moon night more than ten years ago, I was afraid of love, men, and the world. In my..." In my heart, love was decadent, men were filthy, and this world was full of bloodshed. Meeting Chen changed me a lot. I, who had always been suspicious, distrustful of everyone, even repeatedly questioned his true identity, wanting to meet him at the right time… Perhaps it was because I cared too much about him that my fear of being deceived and losing him grew stronger. If he was a little late for our agreed-upon online time, or a little slow in replying, I doubted and blamed him… Finally, one moonlit night, after my first attempt to have a voice chat with him, which went unanswered several times…

With a sharp whistle, the train entered another tunnel through the mountains, and the carriages were plunged into darkness in an instant!

Without going into details, Xu Haibing already understood.

Zhang Wen stared anxiously at the computer screen.

A series of disable windows popped up on the screen!

Anger flashed in Zhang Wen's eyes.

Slowly tap the left mouse button with your finger!

A message window displaying the website address is sent out!

The terrifying monsters, with their gaping, blood-red mouths, realistically leaped off the screen.

Amidst the piercing screams, a faint scream from Shen Daxing could be heard!

...

"Whoosh--!" The train burst out of the tunnel and rumbled into the distance...

QQ Lost (Chapter 48(1))

Xitou Town is surrounded by mountains and water, and is simple and secluded.

At the entrance to the town stands a towering banyan tree, its broad and lush canopy resembling a giant umbrella, casting deep shade from the sun.

A dozen or so elderly villagers were squatting in twos and threes under a tree, chatting and enjoying the cool air, when the sputtering sound of a hand-held tractor caught their attention.

The hand tractor stopped by the roadside, and Xu Haibing and Zhang Wen, who were covered in dust from their journey, jumped off.

Xu Haibing tried to pay the tractor driver, but the honest tractor driver blushed with embarrassment, firmly refused, and drove away.

Zhang Wen fanned his sweat with a handkerchief, greedily taking in the surrounding scenery, his heart surging with emotion.

"Is this the place?" Xu Haibing asked as he caught up, and Zhang Wen nodded silently.

Why is it still so hot here?

"This area is probably considered subtropical, that's how it is, long summers and short winters."

The two men walked towards the tree, and the villagers straightened up and stared at the two visitors from afar.

An elderly woman with sunken lips used a palm-leaf fan to shield herself from the sun, squinted, and examined them for a moment before exclaiming, "Oh my! Aren't these Dr. Lian and Nurse Fang, who were sent down to the countryside years ago? How come they're still so young after more than twenty years?!"

Everyone gathered around in astonishment, and an old man with a hunched back leaned closer to examine him: "Hey, you know what, it really does look like them! More than twenty years ago, the commune sent me to pick up Dr. Lian and Nurse Fang in a horse-drawn carriage."

"Dr. Lian is my dad, and Nurse Fang is my mom," Zhang Wen told everyone, suppressing his excitement.

"Oh--no wonder they look so alike!" everyone exclaimed in unison.

Someone recognized Zhang Wen: "Aren't you their daughter, Xiaoya?"

Zhang Wen nodded in agreement.

"Girls really do change a lot as they grow up! She's so quiet now, but she was much more mischievous than any boy when she was little!"

"Girl, do you remember when you, San Niu, Fu Gen, Lai Zi, and Shuan Zhu went to my vegetable garden to steal bitter melons and got stung by wasps?"

"Oh, and you even took my kerosene lantern to perform 'The Red Lantern,' and you broke the lampshade!"

...

Everyone was talking amongst themselves around the two of them, and no one noticed that an old man with a melon-shaped face and wearing old-fashioned glasses quietly left.

Zhang Wen inquired, "How are San Niu, Fu Gen, Lai Zi, and Shuan Zhu doing now?"

The old man with the turtle-like back replied, "Oh dear, what can country kids do? They only need to know a couple of characters to get by before going home to farm, get married, and have kids. Take Lai Zi, for example. Don't let his leprosy fool you; he's got a belly full of eggs. He's had three sons already. He can afford to have them, but he can't afford to raise them. Farming isn't profitable anymore; he can't even cover the cost of fertilizer. To support their families, they've all gone to work in other places or started businesses. Now, only the 3860th Regiment is left in town."

"Unit 3860?" Zhang Wen asked, puzzled.

The old man with the hunched back pointed at the people in front of him: "Look, besides the women on March 8th, it's just us old hags over sixty."

"Do you all still remember my dad and mom?" Zhang Wen's voice was a little hoarse.

The old woman with the pursed lips spoke first: "I remember, I remember, those two were such virtuous people! How many of the twenty-something kids in town weren't delivered by your mother? How many haven't had your father treat them? Your father was a good doctor, skilled and kind. If it weren't for your father removing the tumor in my chest back then, my old bones would have been carried off by wild dogs long ago. Sigh, it's a pity, he just couldn't hold back his tears and ended up in jail! Your mother was even more pitiful, widowed at such a young age, and then I don't know what curse she fell for, who did she marry, how could she..." Someone nudged her, and she quickly changed her words: "...sigh, a long time ago..." As she spoke, she pulled up her jacket to wipe away her tears.

Zhang Wen asked expectantly, "Did my dad come back later?"

"It seems? It seems like I heard he came back." No one could say for sure.

The old woman with the shriveled lips slapped her palm-leaf fan: "Whether the doctor came back or not, Fugen's father knows. He's been working in the commune, he should know." She turned and called out, "Fugen's father, Fugen's father... Oh, he was just here. Oh, wasn't Fugen's life given to him by your parents? That year, the child was so hungry that he went up the mountain to pick wild fruit to eat, and he got poisoned. His whole body was bruised and purple, and they even threw him in the morgue. When your parents came back from their village rounds and heard about it, they were more anxious than if their own child had been in trouble. They ran to the morgue as fast as they could and snatched the child back from the jaws of death..."

"squeak--"

A rotten wooden door was pushed open, and Xu Haibing followed Zhang Wen into an abandoned house in a secluded corner of the town hospital.

He endured the pungent, musty smell, looked at the mottled walls covered in cobwebs and the tattered wooden bed and straw mat, and asked, "Where is this place?"

"The morgue," Zhang Wen answered softly.

Xu Haibing felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively took a step forward: "What are we doing here?!"

"When I was a kid, I loved hiding here when we played hide-and-seek, and nobody could find me," Zhang Wen said with a mischievous tone.

Leaving the town hospital, you'll find yourself in the quiet, ancient streets of Xitou Town.

Xu Haibing walked on the smooth, slippery, uneven bluestone path, looking at the rows of two-story, old-fashioned wooden shops on both sides, listening to the occasional plaintive and melodious flute and xiao music, and constantly encountering crowds of people with headscarves, silver ornaments, and bamboo baskets on their backs. He couldn't help but wonder if he had wandered into the wrong time and space. He casually joked, "If only I had worn a long robe and mandarin jacket, and a melon-shaped hat, I would have been here."

Zhang Wen didn't reply. She touched the bolts of batik fabric on the cloth stall with her left hand, and looked at the old well with moss and rope marks with her right hand. She lingered there, completely immersed in the excitement of searching for her childhood memories. Her eyes, which were originally dark and gloomy, were now shining brightly.

Xu Haibing inadvertently turned his head and saw a hunched figure hurriedly hiding behind a man pushing a wheelbarrow, acting suspiciously.

He followed Zhang Wen a few steps forward, then suddenly imitated the blond-haired man, bending down as if to tie his shoelaces, his eyes peering back from between his legs—

The hunched figure indeed stopped in his tracks and dodged to the side once more.

Xu Haibing realized he was being followed. He straightened up and quickly and discreetly pulled Zhang Wen, who was watching rice cake making at the entrance of a spacious workshop, into a nearby alley.

QQ Lost (48(2))

The hunched figure crept up furtively, craning its neck to glance at the lost target. This was the same old man with a melon-shaped face and old-fashioned glasses who had quietly left at the town entrance earlier.

He had just approached the alley entrance when Xu Haibing reached out and pulled him inside.

"Who are you? What do you want to do by following us?" Xu Haibing asked sternly.

The old man with the oval face hurriedly covered his glasses that had fallen off, and stammered, "I, I'm looking for..." He pointed at Zhang Wen.