Die einsame Stadt geschlossen

Kapitel 7

“But you know,” he looked up, “I’m telling the truth! They are indeed hunting me down! They have a plot, and I know it.”

“But you’ve forgotten!” Ding Yan stared at him curiously. “Why don’t you tell them you’ve forgotten?”

"Do you think they'll believe that?" Yu Wei looked up, his eyes bloodshot and dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.

"Maybe..." In fact, even Ding Yan himself didn't believe it.

However, she could vaguely understand his feelings. Sometimes, Ding Yan herself felt as if others were going to murder her. But she knew that was just her imagination.

Yu Wei was different. He amplified this imagined victimhood to an extreme degree, and it became the reality in his eyes.

He stopped talking and just kept looking at everything in the car, first the dogwood, then the rice, then the seats, the rearview mirror, the steering wheel, and the floor mats.

This impolite wariness made Da Mi very uncomfortable, as if he and Ding Yan were some conspiratorial group deliberately trying to harm him.

"Hey! What are you looking for?!" Da Mi looked at him in the rearview mirror.

"It's nothing." Yu Wei's gaze stopped sweeping around. "Who are you people?"

Ding Yan pondered for a moment, then handed him a business card. This was a bit risky, because no living person knew Ding Yan's true identity, and those who did know Ding Yan's identity were either already dead or about to die.

Da Mi curled her lips. Could it be that this man named Yu Wei is about to die?

"Are there really consulting companies like this? Does the Administration for Industry and Commerce allow them to register?" Yu Wei asked a very silly question.

"Of course not!" Ding Yan sighed. "Just like you, we both have secrets. Now that you know my secret, can I know yours too?" Ding Yan was like a curious child. "I can help you..."

"How can I help? I don't have any money." He flipped the business card over to look at the fees for various services.

“It’s okay…” Ding Yan stared at Yu Wei’s fingers, “Actually, I’ve got my eye on your ring…” It was a very ordinary ring, even very simple and cheap.

Yu Wei instinctively hid his hands and shouted, "I want to get off the bus!"

The car braked suddenly, so Yu Wei got out rubbing his head.

“Hey, he knows who you are, it’s dangerous!” Da Mi turned around and looked at Yu Wei, who was like a frightened bird. His shadow was short in the sun and looked a little comical.

"Don't worry, he won't dare tell anyone, and even if he did, no one would believe him. Besides, he will definitely come back to us with that ring."

Is there anything special about that ring?

"Nothing special, I just noticed he kept stroking it." Ding Yan turned to look at Yu Wei, who had disappeared at the end of the road, and smiled happily. She hadn't encountered anything so interesting in a long time.

6.

Yu Wei has a very sensitive sensory system, which seems to be innate. He can always capture dangerous information unintentionally.

The setting sun cast long shadows on the trees, and Yu Wei's shadow was hidden behind them.

After a dull and jarring bell rang at the kindergarten, the children poured out of each gate like ants, and the parents waiting at the gate opened their arms.

Yu Wei also wanted to be like those adults, opening his arms to welcome his child, first kissing her little face, then tickling her neck with his beard until she laughed until she couldn't breathe. Then, while holding her little hand, he would ask her about the important things that happened at kindergarten that day, such as who said bad things about whom, who the teacher praised and who was criticized, and so on.

This kind of happiness is a luxury for Yu Wei.

He secretly glanced at Yu Zijiang, who was buried among the children. She always stood out, especially with her topknot. He saw her running when suddenly a boy punched her on the head from behind.

Yu Zijiang didn't cry. He turned around, grabbed the boy's collar fiercely, kicked him hard in the stomach, and then stubbornly looked at the crying boy.

The children gathered around, pointing at Yu Zifang and shouting, "You little madman! You little madman!"

Yu Wei's heart ached terribly. He wished he could rush over, pick up his daughter, and then fiercely rebuke those children who couldn't distinguish right from wrong.

However, Yu Zijiang's father didn't rush over, but the little boy's father did. When the boy saw the adults, he pointed at Yu Zijiang and cried even harder.

The man glared at Yu Zijiang and said, "It's you again? Do you even have parents? How can you be so ill-mannered?"

The children shouted again, "Her father is crazy, and her mother doesn't want her anymore!"

Yu Zijiang shouted into the crowd, "My dad isn't crazy! My mom didn't abandon me! You're talking nonsense!"

"Tsk tsk... How could you say such rude things..." the boy's father continued to mock her. She gritted her teeth, suddenly rushed forward, bit the boy's father's arm, and then ran towards an old man.

The old man picked up the fish roe can and left indifferently.

"Grandpa, is my dad really crazy?"

The old man didn't answer her question, but just sighed: "You'd better not cause me any more trouble in the future!"

Yu Wei clenched his fists, hid behind a tree, and said with tears in his eyes, "No, Little Yu'er, your father isn't crazy!"

7.

Everyone thought Yu Wei was crazy.

Normal people don't jump to conclusions and think they're always being followed; normal people don't think they're hiding some earth-shattering secret; normal people certainly don't think they're being persecuted by secret agents like those in American blockbusters; normal people naturally don't think that everyone in the world is suspicious or untrustworthy.

But that's how Yu Wei felt, so everyone thought he wasn't normal, except for himself. Only he knew what he had heard and seen. He was like the only person in all of humanity who possessed the truth, and thus received the ostracism and ridicule of the entire world.

"He's hiding behind a tree! He wants to see his daughter!"

"I'll flank from the left, you'll flank from the right, we'll attack from both ends..."

He was glad he could hear. He glanced furtively at the seemingly hurried passersby around him, then frantically scaled the kindergarten wall and ran towards the end of the playground.

Everyone looked at him with strange eyes, and no one knew why he was running away in such a panic.

“Grandpa…that person looks like Dad…” Yu Zijiang turned to look at Yu Wei and tugged at his grandfather’s arm. The old man didn’t turn around, because no matter if that person was his son or not, he would feel sad, so it was better not to look.

Yu Wei hid behind the garbage heap and touched the ring on his hand. It was a gift from his daughter with her allowance, and it was his most precious gift.

Suddenly, he remembered the strange girl he'd met at the hospital earlier that day and pulled out the business card. "Very Consulting Firm?" He frowned.

He had suspected the girl was a spy sent by conspirators, but it seemed that wasn't the case, because she was greedy. She didn't rush to help him, nor did she stop him when he got off the bus.

He wasn't sure about other things, but he was certain that as long as she had enough money or what she wanted, she would be a loyal partner.

He gritted his teeth and took off the ring.

8.

When Ding Yan saw Yu Wei again, it was at the Very Apartment. She looked a little smug, as if she had guessed the arrangement of fate.

The ring sat on the conference table, its band already showing signs of rust. Old You looked at Ding Yan with a bitter expression, Ding Yan looked at Yu Wei with satisfaction, while Yu Wei gazed at the ring with reluctance.

“This is my most precious possession, a gift from my daughter. I’m just mortgaging it here. I’ll redeem it when I have the money!” Yu Wei said.

"That won't do!" Ding Yan forcefully slipped the ring onto his finger. "If you want us to help you, you have to exchange it for this ring! I want this ring!"

Upon hearing this, the old postman's face turned even paler.

Yu Wei gritted his teeth, pondering the decision repeatedly. If he could return to a normal life, and even his daughter was back by his side, what did he care about a ring? He said, "Okay!"

"Okay, then tell me, how would you like us to help you?"

"I want everyone to believe that I'm not mentally ill, that I'm a normal person," Yu Wei said excitedly.

"Then we need to figure out first whether you are mentally ill or not," the old postman said indifferently.

"What do you mean?!" Yu Wei slammed his hand on the table and stood up. This was clearly the last thing he wanted to talk about.

"Don't get agitated." Old Postman's tone always seemed half-dead. "If you really have a problem, we'll cover it up and make everyone believe you. If you don't have a problem, then we'll find out the truth."

“I have no mental problems!” Yu Wei said firmly.

"Do you think I am?" the old postman suddenly asked.

Yu Wei was stunned. From the moment he entered the room, he could tell that this man was unusual. He was clearly a human, yet he always acted like a ghost. "You...you really are a bit mentally unstable..."

“That’s right,” the old postman continued. “You all think I have mental problems, but I don’t think so myself. I stick to my beliefs. You… are the same.” The old postman looked at him meaningfully.

Yu Wei nodded somewhat reluctantly, agreeing to cooperate with Ding Yan's "action plan," which was actually just to keep Yu Wei in the apartment and not do anything.

After Yu Wei left, Lao You's long-suppressed displeasure finally erupted.

"What's wrong with you? You accepted such a troublesome request just for a 2-yuan ring!"

Seeing that the old postman was genuinely angry, Ding Yan resorted to her charm and whining, "Oh dear! I've been taking on so many suicide consultant cases lately, it's driving me crazy! Don't you know suicidal thoughts are contagious? If you don't give me some fun, I might as well commit suicide too, and then I'll become a ghost and keep you company?"

Old Postman shook his head with a wry smile. Ding Yan was just that kind of carefree person who didn't care about costs. If she were so calculating, how could she have taken him, Dami, Aunt Mei, and those four silly brothers in like family?

9.

Although Wang Xiaofeng has been promoted from intern to full-fledged physician, his salary is not high. So, in his spare time, he still helps his father sell pork. Most importantly, he enjoys the feeling of cutting pork.

The sharp knife slicing through bloody flesh, and the pleasant "crunch" sound of the blade hitting bone, always made him feel exceptionally good.

"These pigs are so lucky!" A girl's clear voice pulled Wang Xiaofeng back from the pleasure of cutting meat to the bustling market. He looked up, and his eyes sparkled.

"How many pigs in this world are so lucky as to have a great doctor dismember them?" Ding Yan chuckled.

Wang Xiaofeng wiped his hands somewhat embarrassedly, feeling ashamed that someone he cared about had seen his vulnerable side. "How did you know I was here?"

“I went to the hospital to ask around, then I asked your neighbor about this place!” Ding Yan said as he crawled behind the desk.

"You...you need something from me?" The special, life-like aura emanating from Ding Yan made him feel refreshed and relaxed.

"It's nothing... We're from the same hometown! Let's catch up and apologize for leaving without saying goodbye last time. I really had something urgent to attend to." Ding Yan stroked the pork. The meat felt wonderful, moist and smooth, soft and oily, making you believe you could bully it anytime.

"Oh... I'll pack up right away. I... I'll treat you to coffee!" Wang Xiaofeng nervously rubbed his hands together.

"Why drink coffee! If people knew a pork seller drinks coffee, wouldn't that be a laughing stock!" Ding Yan laughed loudly. Seeing Wang Xiaofeng's face turn red and white, she immediately remembered her purpose for coming. So she smiled and continued, "Selling pork is good, just like being a doctor!"

"Huh?!" Wang Xiaofeng's face turned as red as a piece of pork covered in blood.

Ding Yan patted his shoulder and continued, "They're all the same! Doctors and butchers are both incredibly skilled; they know the difference between internal organs and the spine. Meat is meat! Human flesh is meat, and pork is meat. Meat has its value; the heart is more expensive than the liver. Hospitals and butcher shops are the same; they're all businesses! Hey, don't tell me you studied medicine to save lives!"

The awkwardness from before vanished, and Wang Xiaofeng laughed heartily: "Of course not, actually my favorite thing is sculpture, but my dad says doctors are more reliable than artists. Sigh..."

“Then you can treat medicine as an art! Don’t you think the human body is the most artistic sculpture in the world? Exquisitely designed, meticulous, and ingeniously crafted…” Ding Yan said while helping Wang Xiaofeng serve customers.

Wang Xiaofeng was stunned. This woman actually knew the real reason he studied medicine: he loved the human body. To be precise, he loved dissecting human bodies. Those bodies, so vibrant in color, their fibers so full of texture, were like lives frozen in an instant. Or rather, it was as if life had been frozen forever in that beautiful moment.

"Haha," Wang Xiaofeng laughed, "You're still as special as you were when you were a kid..."

10.

Dinner was at Wang Xiaofeng's house. For the first time, Old Man Wang didn't get drunk. He busied himself cooking and asking about her well-being, just like he was hosting his future daughter-in-law.

This is understandable. This is the first time in more than 20 years that his reclusive son has brought a girl home. It seems that the relationship between the girl and his son is extraordinary.

The meal was lavish, featuring stewed pork ribs, stir-fried baby heart, and pressed pig's head meat. Ding Yan thought that Wang Xiaofeng, who had grown up eating pigs, not turning into a pig was the eighth wonder of the world, or perhaps the ninth? Whatever, it was a wonder of the world anyway.

Old Wang finished cooking and tactfully excused himself, leaving only the two young people at home. The deathly fragrance emanating from Ding Yan became even more intoxicating, making Wang Xiaofeng feel uneasy.

"Oh, right!" Wang Xiaofeng stood up, opened the refrigerator, took out a bag of blood, and said, "Last time you went to the hospital, you must have been looking for this, right?"

"Oh, I gave that up a long time ago!" Ding Yan didn't want to drink this stale blood. She picked up a piece of pig's head meat and deliberately changed the subject. "Pig's head meat is really delicious, you know? Animal cheeks are the most delicious."