Chinesisches Neujahr - Kapitel 3
Section 21: The Curse of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs
By the time I finished speaking, my back was drenched in sweat. Ye Xiao also gasped, his knuckles tapping incessantly on the table, and said coldly, "I wonder how Su Tianping is doing now." "Of the four college students who went to the deserted village, Huo Qiang and Han Xiaofeng are both dead, and Chunyu has gone mad. So what about Su Tianping? Is he dead or insane?" "Or—is he already dead?" No! I couldn't bear to face such a possibility. I talked with Su Tianping for an entire afternoon yesterday, and now he might be a corpse. I shook my head vigorously: "Died from a nightmare?" "Dying from a nightmare is just speculation." Ye Xiao's voice was unusually calm. "Based on the autopsies of Huo Qiang and Han Xiaofeng, we can only say that their direct cause of death was acute myocardial infarction." "Is that what's called sudden death? I know many famous athletes who died suddenly during training or competition. Like Cameroonian player Vivian Foe who died suddenly on the field during the 2003 Confederations Cup." "But these people all had a history of heart disease or other types of congenital diseases."
As for Huo Qiang and Han Xiaofeng, I checked, they are in good health and have no cardiovascular diseases. "Then why do you think they died? Was it a ghost's curse?" After saying this, I suddenly realized I had spoken out of turn and quickly stopped myself. "Like your novel 'The Curse'? Or the curse of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs?" "No, I don't know, don't ask anymore." But Ye Xiao patted my shoulder and said, "However, you've missed something." "What?" I don't remember missing anything. "What's in the box Su Tianping gave you?" "Oh, it's his box." I breathed a sigh of relief, wiped my sweat, and said, "I haven't had a chance to open it yet." Ye Xiao said coldly, "Alright, open it now." "Now?" I hesitated, perhaps because its owner's fate was still unknown. "Yes, right now, take it out quickly." "His officer-like tone left no room for argument, so I had no choice but to comply and take the box from the storage room. The box wasn't locked; I could just unzip it. But I was still very careful, because it was something Su Tianping had given me. Finally, under Ye Xiao's sharp gaze, I slowly opened the box."
Strangely, the box was filled with crumpled old newspapers. I picked them out and discovered something wrapped inside—"It looks like jade!" Ye Xiao exclaimed, quickly joining me to help sort it. It turned out the newspapers were for cushioning and protection. Soon, a disc-shaped jade artifact emerged, over twenty centimeters in diameter, with a small circular hole in the center, its color a strange white. I carefully held the jade, its surface icy cold, a chill seeping into my skin. "Look, there are other things in the box," Ye Xiao reminded me. I immediately put down what I was holding, then carefully squatted down and rummaged through the box to find all the other jade artifacts. The second jade artifact looked like an axe, striped and yellow, about ten centimeters long; the third jade artifact was square-column shaped, at first glance like half a wooden stake, but upon closer inspection it resembled a marble pen holder, with a large hole running from top to bottom, round inside and square outside, twenty centimeters high and ten centimeters wide, weighing at least ten kilograms; the fourth jade artifact was quite small, carved into the shape of a tortoise, only the size of a matchbox; and the fifth jade artifact was shaped like a small dagger, looking more like an ornament to be worn at the waist. I picked out all the crumpled paper, and the box was turned upside down; there were only these five jade artifacts in total.
Ye Xiao and I were both somewhat at a loss, exchanging bewildered glances at the pile of things. I didn't know much about jade and the like, so I couldn't say what their value was. Especially that large, stake-like piece, it was so different from the usual small and exquisite jade artifacts, especially since its surface was engraved with many strange patterns, somewhat resembling a monster with its jaws wide open. "How did Su Tianping get these things?" Ye Xiao finally spoke. I first calmed myself down, then carefully recalled what Su Tianping had told me yesterday: "Right, Su Tianping said that when they were in the deserted village, they stumbled into an underground passage."
In that underground palace-like place, many strange jade artifacts were found. Based on his description yesterday, weren't these the very jade artifacts? "You mean… these jade artifacts came from the deserted village, and Su Tianping brought them out of the mysterious underground palace?" "No wonder, I felt he left something out yesterday. Turns out he was too embarrassed to say it." "I suddenly understand everything." The four of them were in the mysterious underground palace when their flashlight suddenly broke. In the darkness, everyone was in chaos. Su Tianping took advantage of this opportunity to stuff the jade artifacts into his travel bag. Since no one could see them in the dark, he ran out with the others, so no one would notice. Ye Xiao nodded: "Two days later, Su Tianping brought these jade artifacts back to Shanghai, and his companions were unaware, right?" "There's no other possibility. Otherwise, he would have no reason not to tell me. He must have been afraid I would expose this theft, so he was too embarrassed to tell me face-to-face." "Then why did he give these jade artifacts to you?" "Perhaps it was despair—" Suddenly, I felt a sense of dread. "Yes, after Huo Qiang and Han Xiaofeng died, Su Tianping was in a state of extreme fear. He might have worried that these jade artifacts would bring bad luck, since he had stolen them from the underground palace..."
Ye Xiao interrupted me: "So, by handing these jade artifacts to you, he's also transferring his misfortune to you." This sentence stunned me, and I was speechless for a long time. I felt as if I'd woken from a dream: "Could it be like a cursed videotape? Does one have to show the videotape to someone else to transfer the curse to them in order to be safe?" "No, I don't believe in such things. But perhaps Su Tianping does." "Does that mean he's going to transfer the curse to me? No, he wouldn't be that kind of person." "Maybe he's just too engrossed in watching 'The Ring,' and is trying anything as a last resort..." "Enough, please stop." At this moment, I was utterly exhausted. Looking down at the strange jade artifacts, my doubts grew stronger, and I paced anxiously around the room. Ye Xiao calmly said, "Alright, I won't interfere with what you do next, but you must be careful." "What about these jade artifacts?" Ye Xiao looked at the jade and said, "I'll leave them with you for now. I don't know if they're genuine antiques, so let's get them appraised." "Okay, I know experts in that field." Ye Xiao smiled slightly and said, "Brother, take care of yourself." Then, he hurriedly left. I was left alone in the room, facing those jade artifacts, as if facing another distant time and space…
Section 22: Lambs Before Slaughter
A peculiar smell permeated the corridor of the mental hospital in the deserted village apartment. Sunlight streamed in through a window, seemingly at odds with the atmosphere I had imagined. A burly male nurse brushed past me, reminding me that this was still a special place. I gently pushed open the door to a ward. In the warm sunlight, a young girl was curled up. It was Chunyu. Last night, Ye Xiao told me that Chunyu had been found and taken to the hospital. So, I decided to go see her, whether out of compassion or responsibility, and regardless of whether she was truly insane. The doctor had just told me that Chunyu was disoriented when she was brought in yesterday, unable to answer any questions, muttering incoherently, possibly suffering from severe shock leading to schizophrenia. The doctor didn't expect me to get anything out of her; he believed Chunyu would require a long period of treatment to recover. Now, Chunyu slowly raised her head—the look in her eyes as she stared at me was like that of a lamb before slaughter, so desperate and helpless.
My heart skipped a beat. Was I really that terrible? But if it weren't for my novel, *The Deserted Village*, would she be in this state today? Thinking this, I lowered my head, speechless. Unexpectedly, Chunyu spoke first: "You've finally come." "Did you know I was coming?" Or had she been waiting for me? "Yes, I knew you would come to me. Tell me, are all three of them dead?" Strange, didn't the doctor say she was insane? But now her tone was calm and composed, her expression and demeanor normal; she showed no signs of mental illness. Faced with her question, I was somewhat conflicted. If I told her about Su Tianping's death, would it upset her? I could only force a smile and say, "Don't worry too much, you're perfectly safe here." "Forget it, I know where this place is." Her tone had matured considerably; she no longer seemed like that little girl. "You must have come to ask me what happened in the deserted village." "Maybe, but I already know some things." "Did Su Tianping tell you?" "Yes, I talked to him." But Chunyu shook her head and said, "Then there are still some things you don't know."
"What is it?" Her eyes suddenly became unfocused, and she paused for a moment before speaking: "That well..." "A well?" My heart immediately raced. "Yes, there's a well in the backyard of the Jinshi Mansion, and there's a secret about that well." Chunyu's breathing quickened, and she smoothed her hair before saying, "The day before we left the deserted village, Su Tianping and Han Xiaofeng stayed at the Jinshi Mansion, while Huo Qiang and I went for a walk outside the old house. We inquired among the villagers and found an old man who was said to be the oldest person in the deserted village, very familiar with all the legends and stories of the village." "You found that old man?" "Yes, this old man has gray hair and a long beard, at least..." He was eighty years old. Like the other villagers in the deserted village, he looked at us strangely, and then he told us a story about a wife being sold…” “A wife being sold?” “Do you know what that means?” “Yes, I know, continue.” “In the early years of the Republic of China, the Ouyang family in the deserted village was very wealthy, but Master Ouyang had been childless for many years, so he spent money to rent a poor man’s wife as a wife to sell. Later, the wife gave birth to a son for the master, but she always thought about escaping from the mansion to reunite with her original husband and son, so the master locked her in the backyard.”
Finally, one day, Dian's wife escaped from the Jinshi Mansion, intending to run away, but was caught by the Ouyang family. The master decided to punish her with the harshest measures. "Sinking her into the well," I slowly uttered these two words. Chunyu was clearly surprised: "You know this story?" "Yes, Dian's wife was thrown into the ancient well. From then on, no one dared to go to the backyard anymore." Suddenly, I thought of Xiaoqian; she had also told me this story, so it must be true. Chunyu continued, "But you probably don't know that the old man who told us the story was Dian's wife's son." "Dian's wife's son?" "The son Dian's wife had with her original husband before she entered the Ouyang family. The old man said he hated the Ouyang family; in fact, everyone in the desolate village disliked the Jinshi Mansion. After 1949, the Ouyang family fell into ruin, and no one cared about them anymore. This family, like wandering ghosts, guarded the old house, their numbers dwindling until now, it seems, they are completely extinct." I sighed: "This must be retribution from the underworld." Chunyu nodded, her voice trembling with difficulty. "Besides that... the old man also said that the desolate village was a... leper village in ancient times." "A leper village?" "This is the first time I've ever heard of it. As for my novel 'The Desolate Village,' where I say the villagers are northern immigrants from the Jingkang Incident of the Song Dynasty, that's entirely my own invention." Yes, in ancient times, lepers were discriminated against; they were driven out of their homes and pitifully wandered from place to place.
Many leprosy patients gathered together for survival, trekking a long way to this desolate coast, and named the place the Abandoned Village. However, before they arrived, a family had already settled here for generations—the Ouyang family. "The Ouyang family lived with the leprosy patients, forming the Abandoned Village together?" "But for some reason, no one in the Ouyang family contracted leprosy. And those leprosy patients who came from elsewhere mostly lived to a ripe old age, raised children, and passed on their lineage. After more than ten generations, leprosy gradually disappeared from the Abandoned Village." "Incredible! Leprosy was considered an incurable disease in ancient times." "Indeed, so for hundreds of years, very few people dared to enter the leprosy village." "Is this also the reason why the Abandoned Village is isolated and closed off from the world?" "Yes, but it's not just that." Chunyu's eyes suddenly became strange. "For hundreds of years, there has been a legend in the Abandoned Village—a great secret, unknown to anyone, is hidden somewhere in the Abandoned Village, and all outsiders who intrude will be cursed by this secret." I suddenly gasped, looking at Chunyu's strange expression, and slowly said, "All intruders will be cursed?" "That's right, none of them can escape," Chunyu replied decisively. But the problem is—I am also an "intruder."
I felt as if I'd been struck by something, momentarily stunned, and involuntarily lowered my head, lost in thought. However, Chunyu seemed bewitched, muttering the same phrase repeatedly: "None of them can escape...none of them can escape...none of them can escape..."
Section 23: Confined in a Mental Hospital
Unbelievable, she looked like a little witch, and the words coming from her mouth were like ancient incantations, repeating themselves endlessly in my ears. I stared anxiously at her face and shouted, "Chunyu, what's wrong with you? Wake up!" "None of them can escape…none of them can escape…" She seemed to have become a different person, her eyes staring blankly ahead, her head shaking violently with each muttered word, the shaking becoming increasingly rapid. My head was spinning, and I immediately called for a nurse. Just then, with Chunyu's violent shaking, the pendant hidden in her bosom jumped out. Instantly, my eyes felt like they were being pierced by something—the pendant was a jade ring. I could no longer care about the crazed Chunyu; my eyes were fixed on the jade ring on her chest—it had a strange luster that made my eyes follow her movements. Several strong male nurses rushed in and finally managed to subdue Chunyu, then a nurse gave her an injection. During Chunyu's fierce struggle, the cord of the pendant around her neck broke, and the jade ring fell to the ground. I immediately bent down to pick up the jade ring and stepped aside to watch Chunyu. About ten minutes later, the caregivers left the room.
Chunyu finally regained her composure, looking at me wearily. I waved the jade ring at her and said, "Sorry, you dropped something." Chunyu squinted, staring at the jade ring for a while before saying, "No, this isn't mine. You can take it." "Then whose is it?" she asked in a strange, low voice. "It belongs to the deserted village." "The deserted village?" I examined the jade ring more closely. It was slightly thicker than a normal ring, mainly a translucent bluish-green, but on the side, there was a strange dark red patch. Instantly, my hand felt like it had been electrocuted, and Su Tianping's words flashed through my mind. Yes, they had broken into a mysterious underground palace in the deserted village, and in the innermost chamber, they had found a mysterious jade box containing a jade ring. --This was the jade ring, exactly as Su Tianping had described.
I stared at Chunyu and said, "This jade ring should be in the secret chamber underground in the abandoned village." She looked somewhat frightened and nodded immediately. "Back then, Huo Qiang's flashlight was broken, so you took advantage of the darkness to steal this jade ring from the secret chamber?" "Yes, take it." Chunyu said tremblingly, her eyes so cold. At this moment, the caregivers rushed in again. They helped Chunyu up and were going to take her to the inpatient ward. Chunyu obediently walked out, but when she reached the door, as if she remembered something, she turned back and said to me, "There's also a photo..." "What photo?" I immediately rushed to her side, but the caregiver grabbed her arm and pulled her out forcefully. Chunyu clung tightly to the door frame and said urgently, "A photo about the abandoned village, Han Xiaofeng took it." Before I could speak, Chunyu had already been dragged into the corridor by the caregivers. She forced her head to turn and look at me, revealing a strange expression, before quickly disappearing from my sight.
I stood alone at the doorway, recalling Chunyu's last words, my body frozen in place. At that moment, the small jade ring was clutched tightly in my hand. I slowly opened my palm; beads of sweat clung to the ring. I gently wiped them away, feeling as if I were panning for gold in water. Suddenly, on some instinctive impulse, I placed the jade ring on my fingertip. Just as I was about to try it on, my phone rang. I shivered, hurriedly stuffing the ring into my pocket, and answered the call.
A magnetic female voice came through the phone: "Hello, this is Nie Xiaoqian." It was her? After not seeing her for days, hearing her voice again immediately stirred an indescribable feeling within me. I asked naively, "Where are you?" "I'm at the subway bookstore where we met last time. Where are you?" "The mental hospital." "Oh my god? They locked you up?" Anyone would probably faint upon hearing such an answer. I chuckled inwardly and said, "Sorry, I wasn't clear earlier. I'm visiting a patient at the mental hospital." "Sigh, you can't just go to places like that." Then, I tentatively asked, "Can we talk now?" "Okay, I'll wait for you at the bookstore, but you have to hurry, or I'll be leaving." "Okay." After ending the call, I quickly ran out of the room, leaving only the sound of my hurried footsteps echoing in the mental hospital corridor.
After leaving the mental hospital, it only took me twenty minutes to reach the bookstore inside the subway station. As I stepped into the bookstore, panting, searching for Xiaoqian among the rows of bookshelves, I heard a faint voice behind me: "You're late." I breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to find Xiaoqian. She was wearing a black dress, her hair tied in a ponytail, and she looked somewhat different from last time. "Who did you go to the mental hospital to see?" she asked me, striking a peculiar pose. "Chunyu." "The female college student who went to the deserted village?" "She's gone mad." Xiaoqian's expression turned serious: "Why?" "I don't know. Of the four college students who went to the deserted village, two died one after another after returning to Shanghai. The other boy also disappeared, and his fate is unknown. As for Chunyu, she's gone mad and is locked up in a mental hospital." "It's like a nightmare." "Yes, a nightmare." I sighed softly, and I seemed to hear Chunyu's voice again in my ears, "Just now in the mental hospital, Chunyu told me a story about the deserted village—the story of the wife-selling and the well. Yes, the story she heard in the deserted village. It's exactly the same story you told me." Xiaoqian nodded and said confidently, "Now you should believe me, right?" "Okay, I believe you."
Chunyu also told me that somewhere in the deserted village, a secret was buried, and all outsiders who ventured into the village would be cursed by this secret. I stared intently into her eyes and asked, "Xiaoqian, is it true?" She seemed frightened, avoiding my gaze, and said, "I don't know... I don't know... I'm sorry, I suddenly feel a little panicked." "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" "No, no, don't make wild guesses." She immediately interrupted me decisively. "Okay, I won't ask anymore, you should go back and rest early." As we spoke, we had already reached the bookstore entrance. She said casually, "Where are you going?" "I'm taking the subway to Chunyu's university." Xiaoqian seemed to perk up again: "What are you going there for?" "There's a photo related to the deserted village." Chunyu said that Han Xiaofeng took that photo. "Let's go." She said, walking out. I was a little confused: "Where are you going?" "Going to that university? Didn't you say you were going to find that photo? I'll go with you." This answer made me even more bewildered. "What are you going there for? This has nothing to do with you." "As long as it's related to the deserted village, I have to get involved. Let's go—" Xiaoqian pulled me to the subway ticket gate. I asked blankly, "Aren't you going to work at the ice cream shop today?" "It's just a job anyway, it's okay to skip one day." As she was speaking, she had already passed through the ticket gate and turned back to me, saying, "Are you going or not? Otherwise, I'll go by myself." So, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and go in, walking with her to the platform. While waiting for the train, I whispered, "You'll regret this." She coldly replied, "No, you'll be the one who regrets it." The subway train roared in, and we hurried into the carriage, all silent, letting the train carry us rapidly through the tunnel. I didn't say a word the whole way, just staring blankly out the window. In the dark tunnel, our faces were reflected in the windowpane.
I felt she was watching me, but I couldn't see her eyes clearly; it was like looking into a blurry mirror, behind which was someone else. More than twenty minutes later, we returned to the ground and arrived at Chunyu's school. When I found Han Xiaofeng's dormitory and wanted to see her belongings, a teacher stopped us. Presumably, the deaths of Huo Qiang and Han Xiaofeng had made the school very nervous, and they didn't want more people to know. Desperate, I could only make up a story, saying I was a relative of Han Xiaofeng's family and wanted to take her belongings. But the teacher said Han Xiaofeng's belongings had already been sorted and handed over to her family. Xiaoqian and I had no choice but to leave the girls' dormitory disappointed. A few girls walked towards us, holding the magazine "Mengya." I quickly and shamelessly called out to them, telling them I was the author of the novel "The Deserted Village" and wanted to ask them about Han Xiaofeng. Unexpectedly, they all really liked the novel "The Deserted Village" and immediately surrounded me, talking a lot, leaving Xiaoqian standing aside. However, when I asked Han Xiaofeng, they all became frightened, and no one dared to say anything more.
As I was about to leave, a girl suddenly called out to me, "I remember now, Han Xiaofeng had a locker. I'll take you there." Xiaoqian and I followed the girl out of the dormitory area and into the lobby of a building. Along a wide corridor were many lockers, about the size of mailboxes. The girl immediately recognized Han Xiaofeng's locker because it had his name on it. Then, the girl quietly left. Looking at the name "Han Xiaofeng" on the locker, I muttered to myself, "But what if we don't have the key?" But Xiaoqian reached out and pulled on the locker door, actually opening it. I still shook my head and said, "After Han Xiaofeng died, the school must have opened this locker. It seems we won't find anything else." "Let me see." Xiaoqian reached into the locker, but only pulled out a large wad of old newspapers. It seemed the valuables had all been taken. But she was still not giving up. She seemed to be rummaging through the inner part of the storage box. Suddenly, she frowned slightly and took out a photo from the box.
She gasped for breath and said, "It was pasted on top of the innermost layer." "No wonder the school didn't find it." I took the photo from Xiaoqian and found it was an old black and white photo, slightly yellowed, and felt brittle to the touch, as if it would break easily. The photo was a family portrait, with five people in total—an elderly couple sitting in the front row, both looking to be over seventy years old. The old man was very thin, wearing a long gown, with a long beard and long hair, looking quite old-fashioned; the old woman wore a cheongsam, her face covered in powder, deathly pale like a zombie. The couple in the back row were probably young. The man looked to be in his late twenties, dressed in a sharp suit, and very elegant, like a young master from the TV series "The Story of a Noble Family." The woman looked to be in her early twenties, holding an infant in her arms. She was wearing a short-sleeved cheongsam, a popular style during the Republic of China era, which revealed her fair and delicate arms. Her face was slender and beautiful, and her eyes held a hint of melancholy. She did not look like a plump young mother.
Section 24: Through the Light of Old Photographs
Xiaoqian and I were both stunned. It was as if the people in the photo still possessed some kind of life, looking at us, especially the young woman holding the baby. Her strange gaze seemed to penetrate the time of this old photograph. I couldn't help but mutter to myself, "Strange, why do I have this feeling?" I looked more closely at the background of the photo. It seemed to be a spacious living room, with a piano in the back and a large fireplace on the wall with several wall lamps. A fireplace must indicate an old-fashioned Western-style house, but there couldn't be such a house in a deserted village, could there? Suddenly, Xiaoqian turned the photo over, and I noticed words on the back, seemingly written in black ink—"Taken on April 5th, 1948, in a deserted apartment in Shanghai." I read the sentence softly, and halfway through, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine.
Xiaoqian's eyes widened, and she said in a daze, "My God, maybe we really have discovered something." "Wait a minute, let's calm down first—the 37th year of the Republic of China? That's 1948 in the Gregorian calendar. The Republic of China used the Gregorian calendar, and April 5th should be Qingming Festival." "This photo was taken on Qingming Festival in 1948?" I nodded, but then frowned: "But... what exactly is 'Shanghai Abandoned Village Apartment'?" "It must be in Shanghai at least." "Chunyu said this photo is about an abandoned village, so it must be more than just the four words 'Abandoned Village Apartment'."
This photo must have been found in the abandoned Jinshi Mansion in the deserted village, and then Han Xiaofeng kept it. She brought the photo back to Shanghai and carefully hid it in this storage box. "Xiaoqian seemed to understand everything at once: "So, the five people in this family photo must be—the Ouyang family?" "That's right, this should be the Ouyang family photo taken in Shanghai. I never expected that the Ouyang family from the deserted village actually lived in Shanghai." "And there's also an abandoned village apartment in Shanghai," Xiaoqian added. I felt a splitting headache again, and looking at this old black and white photo, I had an indescribable strange feeling. So I put the photo away, carefully tucked it into my notebook, and then stuffed it into my bag.
Finally, Xiaoqian and I left, making our way out of the campus before dark. Although we had found the photo, we were both unusually downcast. Perhaps each new discovery meant that an even more arduous road lay ahead between us and the secrets of the abandoned village. Where exactly was the "Abandoned Village Apartment"?
Today is the sixteenth day of this story, and from this day forward you will discover that the story has entered a new labyrinth. The weather is getting hotter and hotter. Yesterday, after rushing from the mental hospital to the subway bookstore and then to the university, I was drenched in sweat and changed all my clothes. Inadvertently, I felt a hard object in my pocket, and a strange tremor ran through me. I quickly reached into my pocket and pulled out the green jade ring. This is the jade ring from the secret underground chamber of the deserted village. Whose finger should it be worn? Why did Chunyu wear it around her neck yesterday in the mental hospital? I hadn't intended to take it with me, but now it's in my hands—perhaps this is its destiny. I examined the jade ring closely; the crimson stain on the side seemed like some kind of brand embedded in the green jade. I shivered, as if the jade ring was absorbing all my body heat.
I immediately put down the jade ring, placed it in a small box, and locked it in the drawer. Yesterday was really tiring. I said goodbye to Xiaoqian after leaving the university at dusk and took a taxi home. Before I could even catch my breath, I called Ye Xiao and told him everything I knew that day, especially that last question. Now, that photo is tucked in my notebook. I stared intently at the people in the photo; the feeling was hard to describe. Suddenly, the phone rang. I answered immediately and heard Ye Xiao's voice. "I found the abandoned apartment." At first, I didn't react, but a few seconds later, the words "abandoned apartment" hit me like a bullet. I exclaimed, "How did you find it?" "Last night, you said the Abandoned Village Apartment was an old-style Western-style house built before 1949. This morning, I checked all the place name records in old Shanghai through the Public Security Bureau's internal archives, and finally found the name 'Abandoned Village Apartment.'" I eagerly pressed, "Where is it?" "No. 13 Anxi Road." Ye Xiao slowly uttered these words, and I was stunned—Anxi Road, is there such a road in Shanghai? I hurriedly asked, "No. 13 Anxi Road? Did I hear that right? I've never heard of such a road before."
"That's right, this is the place. Remember the back road we used to play on when we were little?" "When we were little?" Memories immediately swirled, a desolate and gloomy little road vaguely appearing before my eyes. "Yes, I remember now, that nameless little road behind our house." "That road was called Anxi Road." "Thank you, Ye Xiao." Ye Xiao seemed to want to tell me something more, but I couldn't wait to hang up the phone. Because I had to call someone else—Nie Xiaoqian. In the subsequent call, I told her the news I had just received. Xiaoqian also seemed very excited and immediately wanted to go to the abandoned village apartment to check it out. I promised her that we would meet at the gate of No. 13 Anxi Road in half an hour. Taking the old photo with me, I hurried towards Anxi Road. Ye Xiao's phone call just now brought back memories of my childhood. Back then, our old house was surrounded by small roads, filled with old-fashioned lane houses. However, since moving when I was ten, I have never been back to that place, and the remaining memories have gradually faded. Half an hour later, I arrived at my home from more than ten years ago, only to find it had become a construction site, and the original house had long been demolished.
Looking at the ruins of the construction site, a pang of sadness welled up in my heart. Is this the passage of time? Without time for reflection, I quickly turned across a crossroads and onto the small road behind. Sure enough, I saw the street sign—Anxi Road. This was it. Looking at this quiet little road, childhood memories played out like a movie, slowly leading me forward. I naturally remembered how Ye Xiao often took me here to play when I was little. Back then, rows of old houses lined both sides of the road, nestled among lush green trees, filling us children with a mixture of curiosity and fear. You almost never saw a car drive by, and even pedestrians were extremely rare. You could cross the narrow, winding road at will; sometimes it was eerily quiet, as if just across the road lay another world. However, all of this has now changed—the houses along the road have been demolished, some are now just rubble and ruins, and some are still just walls and rubble. Several bulldozers are working in the ruins, and some construction workers are building temporary houses—Anxi Road has become a large construction site.
What if the abandoned apartment building in the deserted village was also reduced to ruins? If so, wouldn't all my efforts have been in vain? I prayed silently as I ran forward, my eyes scanning both sides of the road. The sky grew darker, and raindrops began to fall, making me increasingly uneasy. Just as I was about to reach the end of Anxi Road, I spotted a green house standing amidst the ruins. It was a three-story English-style building, its exterior walls covered in green vines that tightly enveloped the entire structure. The raindrops grew heavier, and under the gloomy sky, the green building stood alone, surrounded by a vast expanse of crumbling walls. The scene before me resembled the ancient ruins of the English moors, sending a chill down my spine. The raindrops lashed my face more and more intensely, and I could only run towards the green house, trudging through the rubble. A young woman stood below, looking up at the roof of the house. She wore a white dress and carried no umbrella. The raindrops gradually soaked her, and her skirt clung tightly to her body, making her curves truly captivating from the back.
I finally rushed downstairs and immediately called out her name, "Xiaoqian." She looked unwell and turned around blankly, saying, "You're late." "I'm sorry. Why are you standing here? Be careful not to catch a cold in the rain." As I spoke, I realized I was also soaked, looking even more disheveled than her. Xiaoqian didn't seem to notice me, still staring intently at the building, saying, "This is the Abandoned Village Apartment." "Abandoned Village Apartment?" Those four words sent a shiver down my spine. Then I noticed the address on the ground floor—No. 13, Anxi Road. Yes, this was the place Ye Xiao had mentioned. Unable to contain my excitement, I grabbed Xiaoqian's hand and rushed into the building. The moment I grasped her hand, a warm feeling washed over me. Her skin was smooth and cool, still damp with rainwater; the slippery, cool sensation made me feel embarrassed. But she waved her hand, saying, "No, this building feels strange. We shouldn't barge in."
Section 25: The Fear of This House
"Do you want to get soaked to the bone in the rain?" I grabbed her hand tightly and rushed to the front door of the building, where the eaves blocked the rain. I knocked hard on the door, but there was no response. I peered through the window, but it was too dark to see anything. In desperation, we went to the back of the building and found an inconspicuous back door that seemed ajar. I tried pushing it gently, and surprisingly, the door opened. I immediately pulled Xiaoqian inside. We entered the abandoned village apartment. The entrance led to a long corridor, with piles of old furniture and trash on both sides. The dim light made my eyes uncomfortable. With each step we took, thick dust kicked up, and I quickly covered my mouth and nose with my hands. Only then did Xiaoqian free her hand from mine. She rubbed her wrist and said, "You're the one who barged in." As the dust gradually settled, I let out a sigh of relief and said, "Didn't you say on the phone that you really wanted to see the abandoned village apartment? Why are you scared now?" "I don't know why," Xiaoqian said, wiping her rain-soaked hair with a handkerchief, her eyes blank. "When I stood under this building, looking up at the third-floor window, a strange feeling suddenly arose in my heart. I can't describe it in words, but I definitely felt fear—fear of this building."
Hearing her soft, eerie voice, I felt a chill run down my spine, but I still reassured her, "No, it's just your imagination." She shook her head again and began wiping her wet dress with a handkerchief. I blushed slightly and asked awkwardly, "Are you alright? Are you wet? Should I go back with you?" "Forget it, since we're already here, let's take a look around first." Xiaoqian finally raised her head. She had dried herself somewhat, her gaze fixed on the end of the corridor, where everything was shrouded in darkness. I walked cautiously ahead, each step kicking up dust, which I constantly brushed away with my hand, feeling as if I were walking through some underground tunnel. This reminded me of the abandoned village palace that Su Tianping had described.
Suddenly, a room appeared beside the corridor. In the dim light, I could vaguely make out that it was an entrance hall, the door I had knocked on earlier. The foyer behind it was empty. I looked up and carefully examined the walls and ceiling. The house seemed nicely decorated, in an English style. However, the walls were covered in dust and years of stains, and much of the ceiling surface was peeling off, giving it a mottled and unsettling appearance. Further in was another large hall, and my eyes had now adjusted to the light. This hall was very spacious; it could easily accommodate a dozen people dancing. There was a spiral staircase at the end of the hall. I walked to the staircase, looked up, hesitated for a while, and still didn't dare to go up. Perhaps because it had been empty for so long, the house exuded a musty smell that made anyone who entered feel short of breath. Then, Xiaoqian went into a room next door, and I quickly followed her. That was also a spacious room, with slightly better lighting than the previous one. But to our surprise, there was a black piano in the room. Xiaoqian immediately rushed over, and although the piano was covered in dust, she still opened the lid.
A row of black and white piano keys appeared, and she reached out and pressed a few keys. However, the beautiful notes she had imagined did not flow out. The piano was like a mute; no matter how Xiaoqian pressed the keys, it wouldn't make a sound. I looked closely at the label under the piano; it was made in England in 1947. "It's been so many years; this piano must have been broken long ago. If it wasn't broken, such an expensive piano would definitely have been taken away by someone." Then, I looked behind the piano, and sure enough, the internal parts were a complete mess, like a broken machine, just scrap metal. Xiaoqian nodded and closed the piano lid in disappointment: "You're right, otherwise it wouldn't be here." At this moment, I looked back at the inner wall, then at the piano, and suddenly exclaimed: "This is it!" "What did you say?" "It's the same as in the photo." I immediately took out a photo from my bag—the Ouyang family portrait. I pointed to the wall in front of us, and Xiaoqian immediately nodded: "Yes, a piano and a fireplace."
It turned out that a large fireplace was embedded in this wall, along with several Western-style wall lamps on the upper part of the wall, and the piano—all of which matched the background in the old photograph exactly. We compared them carefully again, then walked to the other side of the house with the photograph. This must have been the photographer's location. Standing here and looking out, the perspective was exactly the same as in the photograph; the background was almost unchanged, as if time had frozen in this room. "It was taken in this room," I said, staring blankly at the old photograph. "That's right, this is the abandoned village apartment. More than fifty years have passed, but when we stand here and look at the people in this photograph, it's as if they're still in this room." "Don't talk nonsense," Xiaoqian immediately interrupted me, as if I had broken some taboo. She looked back out the window; it was pouring rain outside, the dense raindrops blending with the ambiguous sky, and the damp, stale air in the room made it feel suffocating. "It's raining so hard outside, and it's not going to stop anytime soon. Let's take a look at this house first." With that, I walked out of the main room and around the ground floor.
On the other side of the hall seemed to be a kitchen, but there were no utensils in sight, and the stove was covered in cobwebs. There were also a few small rooms, probably where the servants used to live. I went back to the staircase and carefully climbed it. The spiral staircase was fairly sturdy, but the wooden railings were covered in a thick layer of dust. After circling the stairs, I finally reached the second floor of the abandoned village apartment. A long corridor stretched out before me, but not a ray of light could be seen, and I dared not venture in. There was a light switch on the wall; I tentatively pressed it, and to my surprise, the light came on—the power had never been cut off. Behind me, Xiaoqian's crisp footsteps followed, echoing strangely in the empty house. I smiled slightly at her: "Perhaps someone could still live here." But her expression remained serious: "But why has no one lived here? It looks like it's been vacant for at least several years." I walked into the corridor. The overhead light was dim, shining on a cloud of dust that seemed like a thick fog. I waved my hand forcefully to clear away the fog, and boldly pushed open a door next to me. It was a room of about ten square meters, still empty, with most of the damp walls peeling off.
I slowly walked to the window. Green vines and leaves climbed all over the windowsill, almost covering half of it. Looking out through the leaf-shaded window, I saw a vast expanse of ruins and demolition sites, with high-rise buildings already erected in the distance. The torrential rain outside continued to fall, some raindrops splashing in through the broken windowpane. I took a deep breath; even the air felt damp, as if the house were submerged in water. I turned around and saw Xiaoqian standing in the doorway. Her face was unusually pale, her half-wet hair clung to her forehead, and her eyes looked extremely tired. I went to her side and said, "Are you feeling cold?" "No, I just feel the air in this house is a bit strange." "Old houses always have this strange smell; it's normal." Then, I went back to the stairwell in the hallway and looked towards the third floor. A few slivers of light shone from upstairs. I hesitated for a while, holding onto the railing, my heart inexplicably racing. The moment my foot touched the floor, Xiaoqian suddenly grabbed my arm and said softly, "Don't go up." "Why?" I asked. Her eyes were fixed on me. "I don't know, but don't go up." We stared at each other for a few seconds, but in the end, I gave in. "Okay, let's leave."
Descending the spiral staircase, we returned to the ground floor. The front door seemed sealed off; we could only exit through the corridor we had come in through. A junk piled up along the corridor, and among it I found an old umbrella—one of those black, steel-framed umbrellas from the 1980s. I tried to open it; it seemed usable. So, Xiaoqian and I shared the umbrella and exited the abandoned apartment building through the back door. Stepping out of this oppressive old building, we both greedily inhaled the rain-soaked air. The heavy rain relentlessly pounded against the umbrella. Fortunately, it was large enough to accommodate both of us, and Xiaoqian seemed to consciously keep a few centimeters' distance from me, trying not to touch me. The path was lined with rubble and ruins, like walking through some ancient site. I kept looking back; the abandoned apartment building, amidst the ruins, was completely bound by green vines. I imagined the heavy rain causing these plants to grow wildly, their green leaves stretching to every corner of the old building—perhaps this was their final celebration. We struggled through the rain, finally emerging from the ruins. Suddenly, I remembered something: "Wait, there's somewhere else I want to go." The heavy rain seemed to be bothering Xiaoqian: "Where?" "The property management company. Only there can we find out more about the abandoned village apartments." Xiaoqian hesitated for a moment and said, "Okay, let's go."
Section 26: Seeing another person in the mirror
It was raining, and we hardly saw anyone. We finally managed to find the property management company, which was just two streets away. So, Xiaoqian and I shared an umbrella and quickly went to the company. I lied and said I was a reporter doing an investigative report about old houses, and asked the property management about the house at No. 13 Anxi Road. "No. 13 Anxi Road?" The property management company manager gasped, surprised. "Why are you asking about that building?" "Is there something wrong?" "That building is going to be demolished in ten days." My heart felt like it had been punched. I hurriedly shook my head, saying, "Impossible, how could it be demolished?" "Didn't you see? All the houses on Anxi Road have been demolished. Now only that one building remains. According to the demolition team's construction plan, No. 13 Anxi Road will be the last building to be demolished." "Why demolish it?" "The land on both sides of Anxi Road has been leased out for high-end residential developments." I suddenly became incoherent: "Then who does this building belong to now?" "This building originally belonged to..." "It belongs to the state, which means it's owned by our property management company. It's been vacant for years, no one has lived there for a long time." "Such a big house, how come no one lives there? Can't you rent it out?" "Of course we want to rent it out! Many people have come to see the house, ready to pay a high price. But as soon as they step inside, they feel the heavy yin energy, it's unlucky. These days, renting a house is very feng shui-conscious, especially for wealthy bosses, they're all very superstitious. If they see bad feng shui, they won't dare rent it." "Do you know what happened to this house before liberation?" The property management company manager shook his head and said, "That's too long ago, we don't know." Knowing I wouldn't get any more answers, I thanked them and hurriedly left the property management company. The rain was gradually subsiding, but Xiaoqian's eyes were still glazed over. I nudged her and said, "What's wrong? You didn't say a word at the property management company."
"What can I say?" she replied coldly, her tone intimidating. A sense of despair washed over me. I looked up and said, "Forget it, Xiaoqian. This has nothing to do with you. Don't come back. Forget everything." But Xiaoqian shook her head. "No, I also want to know the secret of the deserted village." I didn't know what to say to her; in fact, my own mind was in turmoil. I handed the umbrella to Xiaoqian and said, "I'm leaving. Goodbye—no, let's not meet again." Then, without looking back, I rushed into the rain and hailed a taxi to go home. Sitting in the back of the taxi, I looked back at Xiaoqian by the roadside. Her slender figure, along with the black umbrella, resembled a beautiful sculpture.
From that day forward, I had only ten days left. In ten days, the abandoned apartment building at No. 13 Anxi Road would be bulldozed. This old house, once inhabited by the Ouyang family, was my only hope of unlocking the mystery of the abandoned village. Last night, I tossed and turned all night, finally making up my mind that no matter the cost, I would unravel the secrets of the abandoned village. Therefore, I had to fully understand the building and uncover its hidden secrets before the apartment building was destroyed. In these short ten days, there was no other way but to move into the abandoned apartment building myself. So, I first went to the property management office of the abandoned apartment building and told them I was a writer, writing a book about old Shanghai architecture from the 1940s, and particularly interested in the old building. But I heard it was about to be demolished, so I wanted to stay there for a few days as soon as possible. The property management staff readily agreed to my request. Then I prepared some necessities at home, such as a rice cooker, microwave, and a simple folding bed. As for large items like televisions and refrigerators, I don't think they'll be needed there.
I rented a truck, and movers loaded everything onto it. Our destination was the abandoned apartment complex. Half an hour later, this tiny moving crew arrived at Anxi Road. My heart raced again as I stepped off the truck and looked at the old house at 13 Anxi Road. The movers carried my belongings through the demolition site—their eyes told me they thought I was crazy for moving to such a place. Entering through the back door of the abandoned apartment complex, walking down the dusty corridor, the movers frowned; they probably had never taken on a job like this before. I carried everything up the stairs and into a spacious, bright room on the second floor. After the movers left, I spent two hours cleaning the room, removing years of accumulated dust. It was finally habitable. I made a makeshift cabinet to store my books and clothes, and set up a folding bed; it was quite comfortable with the sheets on. I also tested the power outlets in the room; the rice cooker and microwave worked perfectly. I'd never cleaned my own house like this before—I leaned against the window, panting, but feeling a sense of accomplishment—this was my room now, even if it had only been ten days. Next, I looked around at the various rooms on the second floor.
There were six rooms on this floor, each more or less the same, completely bare of furniture and covered in dust. I didn't have the energy to clean every single room, so I just carefully inspected them to see what might be hidden, but to no avail. At the end of the second-floor corridor, I found a bathroom, quite spacious, at least ten square meters, with white tiles on the walls and floor, and a working toilet. Inside, there was even a tin bathtub, though covered in dust. Behind the sink was a mirror, its surface clouded with dust, making my reflection appear blurry, as if I were facing an ancient bronze mirror. I turned on the tap, letting the murky water run. After a few minutes, the water cleared. I splashed the water onto the mirror, and it cascaded down like a waterfall, washing away years of accumulated grime. My eyes gradually appeared in the water. Staring at my eyes behind the curtain of water, I almost didn't recognize myself. I quickly shook my head, wiped the mirror with a cloth, and finally recognized my face again. I glanced at the mirror out of the corner of my eye and slowly backed out of the bathroom. Strange, when I looked in the mirror just now, did I see someone else in it?
I didn't want to think about it anymore and hurried downstairs. The lobby on the ground floor was so big that I had to wear a mask. I first sprinkled a lot of water on the floor, then mopped it up. Then, I went to the corridor leading to the back door, turned on the dim light, and a cloud of smoke immediately rose from the piles of clutter on both sides. Luckily, I was wearing a mask, so I searched for any useful clues among the messy old furniture. The furniture was all dilapidated, and I couldn't tell what era it was from; probably, anything of value had been taken. There were also broken pots and pans, things that even junk collectors wouldn't take. When I was sweating profusely from exhaustion, I suddenly saw something that looked like a large horn under a broken cabinet. I quickly moved it out and discovered that it was an old-fashioned gramophone, with a flower-like horn pointing upwards and a square casing underneath—it must be an antique. I quickly carried the gramophone into the lobby and placed it on an old cabinet. Looking again at the spacious hall and the wooden floor beneath my feet, I immediately understood: the gramophone had been placed here all those years ago, because the Ouyang family often held family dance parties. So, I couldn't help but walk to the center of the hall. A bare iron rod hung from the center of the ceiling; there must have been a magnificent chandelier there in the past. I looked around the hall again, imagining the grandeur of those dance parties. Was the gramophone playing a waltz or a ballet? Night was falling, and the deserted village apartment was utterly silent under the night sky.
I stood alone in the center of the empty hall, as if confronting someone. Finally, I silently left the hall. As I ascended the spiral staircase, the entire old house echoed with soft footsteps. Back in my room on the second floor, I found a microwave dinner already prepared. It was almost laughable; I was living a microwave-era lifestyle in this old, deserted village apartment. After finishing this unusual dinner, I leaned against the window again. Some green vines had practically crawled into the room. I sniffed; it must be the smell of ivy leaves. Could this strange plant scent, mixed with the musty smell permeating the old house, cause some kind of chemical reaction, creating a new chemical element?
I stuck my head out the window and gasped for breath. No, this awful smell would stay with me for another ten days. Shanghai outside was already brightly lit; tonight would be another sleepless night. Dozens of high-rise buildings blocked my view across two streets, but I could still see the distant Pudong Lujiazui, the spires of those towering skyscrapers reaching into the clouds. Compared to this sleepless Shanghai, the deserted apartment was a completely different world. Looking at the vast expanse of ruins below, I felt like I was trapped on a deserted island. Suddenly, my phone rang. Ye Xiao's urgent voice came through the phone: "Where are you? I went to your house earlier, but the neighbors said you moved." "I didn't move, I'm just staying here temporarily for a few days." I hesitated for a moment before finally telling the truth, "Okay, I'll tell you—I'm at the Abandoned Village Apartment." "You found it?" "Not only did I find it, but I've moved in." "You've moved into the Abandoned Village Apartment?" Ye Xiao was clearly shocked. I rarely heard him so anxious on the phone. "Are you crazy?" "I'm not crazy. It's an old three-story building that's been vacant for many years. Now all the houses on Anxi Road have been demolished, except for this Abandoned Village Apartment building, which will also be demolished in ten days. I have no other choice but to move into this building myself and try to unravel the secrets of the Abandoned Village and the Ouyang family within ten days."
Ye Xiao's tone turned serious and heavy again: "Life is different from novels. Don't think you can be like the characters in novels—you can't, none of us can, understand? We can't all face the fears of life." "I'll handle my own affairs," Ye Xiao said with a bitter smile. "No, I see you're still in the shadow of Huo Qiang and Han Xiaofeng's deaths. Listen to me, whether it's a nightmare or a heart attack, they died of natural causes, not murdered by others; it can only be considered an accident." "An accident? But..." "Anyway, I've been to the deserted village, so I'm considered an 'outsider.'" "Are you worried about your safety?" Ye Xiao paused for a moment. "You'll be alright." "Who knows? Ye Xiao, could you help me look into the past of the deserted village apartment again? I'm sure many things must have happened here." "Okay, I promise you. But you have to promise me you'll leave that hellhole soon." "I will leave, as soon as I discover that secret." Faced with my stubbornness, Ye Xiao had nothing more to say, and we ended the call. Leaving the window, the overhead light shone on my pale face. I recited the names of those college students—Huo Qiang, Han Xiaofeng, Su Tianping, and Chunyu. Now, two of them are dead, one has gone mad, and the fate of the remaining one is unknown. When they came to me on the first day of this story, proposing their plan to explore the deserted village, I never dreamed it would end like this.
What had they done to offend this deserted village? Exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed, completely drained of energy. The air in the house made me drowsy. But having worked up a sweat cleaning the house, I struggled to my feet and groped my way through the dark corridor to turn on the bathroom light. The dim light illuminated the mirror, and I poured a lot of dish soap into the bathtub, spending over half an hour washing it clean. Luckily, it was hot, so I connected a showerhead and took a cold shower. Drenched in sweat, I returned to my room, turned off the light, and collapsed onto the folding bed.
Section 27: A Ghost Is Chasing Me
In the dark room, the scent of ivy continued to linger around my nostrils, filling my body like a tide, slowly drawing me down until I reached the depths of the night. I don't know how much time passed before I surfaced from the deep darkness, vaguely feeling a slight tremor beneath the folding bed. I abruptly opened my eyes, slowly rising in the pitch black, feeling my way to the doorway, holding my breath and listening intently—"Tap…tap…tap…" Yes, I heard that sound, ghostly footsteps in the night, seemingly treading on the floor of the ground floor hall, drifting leisurely throughout the old house. I gently covered my mouth, trying not to scream. But the sound continued, seemingly with a strange rhythm. My lips trembled slightly as I murmured, "Has the ball begun?" A moment later, the footsteps seemed to float up the stairs, the sound seeming to spin with the stairs. I stood in the dark corridor, unable to see anything—suddenly, a white shadow flashed past me. "Who?" I shouted and ran forward as fast as I could, but the shadow seemed to retreat downstairs again.
In the dark stairwell, I couldn't see clearly, so I followed the sound of footsteps down the spiral staircase. There was no time to turn on the lights; by the faint moonlight from the window, I gradually made out the slender figure in the ground floor lobby. I was almost there when the figure darted into a room next to the lobby. I continued chasing and finally reached out and grabbed the person. I grabbed a young woman's arm. "Let go of me!" Xiaoqian? I froze, but in the darkness I couldn't see her face, only her hand. I turned on the light switch and finally saw Xiaoqian's eyes. Her gaze was so terrified, so pitiful, like a young doe captured by a hunter. Looking into her eyes, I didn't say a word, just continued to hold her tightly. She gradually calmed down, staring directly into my eyes, as if confronting me. Finally, I spoke in her ear: "Xiaoqian, how did you get here?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing." She let out a long sigh. "Just now, I thought a ghost was chasing me, but it was you." "A ghost? Do you think there really are ghosts in this house?" I looked up at the large room, with a large fireplace embedded in the wall—the very place where the Ouyang family took their family photo years ago. "I don't know, I hope not." I took her hand and led her out of the room. "Let's go upstairs." Xiaoqian was wearing a white dress, and as she walked through the hall, she looked like a white shadow dancing gracefully. We climbed the spiral staircase and I led her to "my" room. She exclaimed in surprise, "You moved here?" "Yes, I only have ten days. I must uncover the secrets of the abandoned village before this house is demolished." "At any cost?" "Yes, at any cost." I repeated her words firmly.
Then, I checked the time; it was four in the morning. "Xiaoqian, what about you? Why are you here in the middle of the night?" She avoided my gaze and said, "I had a nightmare." "Nightmare?" Hearing that word in the dead of night, I felt a little scared. "Who did you dream about?" "I dreamed about you." Xiaoqian stared blankly into my eyes, which startled me so much that I took a step back and stammered, "You mean, I appeared in your nightmare?" "That's right." I thought to myself with a self-deprecating laugh: Does that make me a monster? She nodded slightly and continued, "I dreamed that you were sleepwalking in the middle of the night... walking alone on the street... walking and walking in the darkness... until you reached this ruined road of rest... you silently entered the deserted apartment... facing a mirror..." Suddenly, her words stopped abruptly. I broke out in a cold sweat and urged, "What happened next?" "Then... I woke up." She was panting heavily, her chest heaving, leaning against the wall as she said, "I couldn't stop worrying, I couldn't fall back asleep, so I ran over here."
"You're incredibly brave. A young girl like you, walking around in a place like this in the middle of the night, what if you run into bad guys? Your family must be worried sick." Xiaoqian pouted and coldly replied, "I have no family." I shook my head and smiled, saying, "Are you really Nie Xiaoqian from 'Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio'?" "So what if I am?" "Don't say such hurtful things. I'll take you home." "I have no home." Xiaoqian's tone finally softened, her voice tinged with sadness as she murmured, "I have no home... I have no home..." Her expression grew increasingly sleepy, and she gradually closed her eyes, saying, "I'm so tired." But there wasn't even a chair in my room, so I could only help her sit on the folding bed. Her body suddenly became limp; I thought she must be extremely tired. After all, no one can stay awake in the middle of the night. I laid Xiaoqian flat on the folding bed and covered her with a blanket. She quickly fell asleep, her expression returning to peace, a few strands of hair clinging to her forehead, like Sleeping Beauty from a fairy tale. Goodnight—I turned off the light, quietly left the room, and closed the door behind me. Then, I went down the spiral staircase and walked out of the deserted apartment building through the back door. Although I was incredibly sleepy, a cold night breeze instantly dispelled my drowsiness. I wandered around the surrounding demolition sites until I reached Rest Road. From there, I looked back at the deserted apartment building, this lonely old house shrouded in darkness—like Dracula's Castle in the Transylvanian wilderness. It's 4:20 a.m., the eighteenth day of this story.
Section 28: Two students died in their dormitory room
In the two hours before dawn, I wandered around several streets near Anxi Road. I came to the old house where I lived as a child—no, now it's just ruins—and stepped onto the rubble and ruins, trying to find something among the broken bricks: childhood toys, forgotten old photos, or simply memories. At six in the morning, the sunlight slanted onto me, and I returned to No. 13 Anxi Road. I walked through the devastated ruins and entered the deserted apartment building in the morning light. I thought Xiaoqian must still be fast asleep, so I tiptoed upstairs and gently pushed open the door. However, the room was empty; the blanket was already folded and placed on the bed. I froze for a few seconds, then quickly ran out of the room, calling out to Xiaoqian loudly at the top of the stairs, but there was no response—it seemed she had already left the deserted apartment building. I pressed my face against the window and took a deep breath, feeling as if her presence still lingered in the room. Then, a wave of drowsiness washed over me, and I immediately lay down on the folding bed, face down, eyes closed, greedily inhaling the scent of the bed.
The lingering scent of Xiaoqian filled my body, making me instantly dizzy. It felt as if a hand had covered my eyes, gradually plunging me into darkness. I didn't wake up until noon, and after washing up, I ate breakfast in my room. Then, I began to unpack my belongings, which included some books, clothes, and a large box. I carefully opened the box, which was stuffed with crumpled old newspapers. I slowly reached into the crumpled newspapers and pulled out a disc-shaped jade artifact. Soft sunlight streamed in through the window, reflecting a strange white light. I then pulled out a second jade artifact, which looked like an axe; a third, a large pen holder; a fourth, a small turtle; and a fifth, a jade dagger. These mysterious jade artifacts came from a deserted village, stolen by Su Tianping from the underground palace beneath the Jinshi Mansion. He had given them to me the day before he disappeared. I didn't know if these things were genuine, what era they were from, or even their purpose. But they came from that mysterious underground palace, and are likely connected to the secrets of the deserted village in some special way. Therefore, I must find out the truth about these jade artifacts. Then I thought of a friend named Sun Zichu.
I put all the jade items back into the box, then carried it out of the deserted village apartment. An hour later, I returned to Huo Qiang's university. I had been to this campus several times in recent weeks and knew the way around quite well. I quickly arrived at the history department building and found Sun Zichu's office. Sun Zichu was a history professor at this university; he was only three years older than me, but he had a short black mustache. Young male professors always attract the attention of female students, and when I entered his office, several young girls were talking to him. However, when he noticed me standing at the door, he immediately resumed his serious expression, stood up, and saw the girls off. Once the room was empty, his expression became exaggerated again: "Hey, it's been several months! I saw your April publication, 'The Deserted Village.' You have quite a few 'fans,' haven't you? What have you been busy with these past few days?" I couldn't bring myself to smile at all. I remember the first day of this story, Huo Qiang and three other college students came to see me. I asked them how they knew my address, and Huo Qiang gave me a name—Sun Zichu. "The 'fans' you mentioned are called Huo Qiang, right? And Han Xiaofeng, Su Tianping, and Chunyu." "Well…" Sun Zichu's expression suddenly turned awkward. "You didn't come to see me about this, did you?" "Not just about this." He nodded helplessly. "Okay, I admit it, I gave them your address. I didn't want to tell anyone, but they kept pestering me, I had no choice." "You couldn't resist the temptation of pretty girls, could you?" Sun Zichu chuckled. "Don't talk nonsense. I'm a university professor, after all. Besides, it's a good thing that young women want to visit you." He chuckled again. This time I really couldn't take it anymore: "Are you really unaware or just pretending? Of those four college students, two are dead, one has gone mad, and the other is missing!" He couldn't laugh anymore and said blankly, "You're not kidding, are you?" "Of course not." Then, I skipped the details of the four college students in the deserted village and just talked about the situation after they returned to Shanghai, where Huo Qiang and Han Xiaofeng died one after another.
After I finished speaking, beads of sweat appeared on Sun Zichu's forehead. He stammered, "I only heard that a few days ago, two students died in their dormitories, but I never imagined it was Huo Qiang and his group. They weren't even my students; they had only attended my classes, so I had no idea." "Forget it," I shook my head and sighed. "Actually, I came to see you today not for this matter, but to ask you to look at some things for me." With that, I opened the large box, took out the five jade artifacts from the crumpled newspapers, and carefully placed them in front of Sun Zichu. Seeing these jade artifacts from a deserted village, Sun Zichu was clearly taken aback. He quickly grabbed one and examined it closely. A dozen seconds later, his expression suddenly changed, and his hand holding the jade artifact trembled uncontrollably. He quickly picked up a magnifying glass and carefully examined the patterns on the jade artifact, his eyes growing increasingly strange.
Suddenly, Sun Zichu put down the jade artifacts and said quietly, "Where did these things come from?" But I didn't want to tell him the truth; I was afraid the secret of the deserted village would be revealed to more people, so I simply replied, "Don't ask anymore. In short, they all came from underground." Sun Zichu looked at the other jade artifacts and nodded, saying, "Do you know how ancient these jade artifacts are?" I never dared to guess, so I could only shake my head. He coldly uttered a number—"Five thousand years." What? My heart felt like it had been struck hard again, and I murmured, "Five thousand years?" I quickly shook my head and said, "Impossible, you must be mistaken. How could they be so ancient? Chinese history isn't even five thousand years old." However, Sun Zichu remained unusually calm: "Have you ever heard of the Liangzhu civilization?"
"Liangzhu Civilization? I've read some reports about it, the ancient and mysterious Liangzhu Civilization in Jiangnan, right?" "That's right. The so-called Liangzhu Civilization or Liangzhu Culture is named after Liangzhu Town in Yuhang, Zhejiang, where it was first discovered in 1936. It is the most important prehistoric civilization in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China, and one of the main sources of early East Asian civilization. According to archaeological carbon-14 dating, it dates back approximately 5,300 to 4,000 years. Most of the Liangzhu Culture sites discovered in modern times are scattered in the Jiangnan area; the Fuquanshan site in Qingpu, near Shanghai, belongs to the Liangzhu Culture." "Then what does it have to do with these jade artifacts?" "The most distinctive feature of the Liangzhu Civilization is its jade artifacts. Although Liangzhu..." "Our civilization dates back five thousand years, but they created a highly developed jade civilization, which occupies an important place in the early history of human civilization." I suddenly asked, stunned, "Jade civilization?" "Yes, a key feature of Chinese civilization is its jade civilization, which has a history of seven thousand years and far surpasses other civilizations with jade artifacts, such as the ancient Americans and the Maori of Oceania. Jade held an extremely high status for the ancient Chinese, who even believed it possessed mysterious supernatural powers. Whether it was the sages of the pre-Qin period or the emperors of the Han and Tang dynasties, they all had a special fondness for jade." "And what about these?" I asked, pointing to the five jade artifacts.
Sun Zichu picked up the disc-shaped jade artifact and said, "This thing is called a jade bi. See how it's round and thin like a pancake? There's a small hole in the center. In academia, a jade bi is defined as one whose rim width is roughly twice the diameter of the hole. Jade bi from the Liangzhu culture are generally quite large, mostly unearthed from tombs. Some even believe that Liangzhu jade bi were a form of primitive currency. Doesn't its shape resemble an enlarged copper coin?" I nodded. The inner hole of this jade bi was square, perfectly embodying the Chinese concept of a round heaven and a square earth. Sun Zichu pointed to the axe-like object and said, "This thing is called a jade yue (钺)." "I understand, axes and yue are the same type of weapon." "However, the jade yue of the Liangzhu culture was a non-practical ritual object, generally representing the owner's military power and authority." Then, Sun Zichu picked up the large, pen-holder-like jade artifact and said, "This is the most famous one, called a jade cong (琮)." "A jade cong? I think I've seen it in the Shanghai Museum." "Yes, the jade cong is the largest and most exquisitely crafted among Liangzhu jade artifacts. The shape of a cong is mostly square on the outside and round on the inside, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, some even having layers and sections. All unearthed Liangzhu jade cong have intricate carvings and patterns, mostly featuring animal faces and deity figures." I immediately stared at the jade cong in my hand; indeed, it had many exquisite patterns, resembling some kind of monster with its gaping maw. I touched the jade cong and asked, "What was it used for?"
Section 29: The Living Jade Ring
"The jade cong originated from the religious witchcraft of the Liangzhu civilization and is a symbol of divine authority. The tombs where jade cong have been unearthed all belonged to powerful figures wielding divine power, possibly both kings and high priests. It can be said that the jade cong determined the rise and fall of the ancient Liangzhu kingdom, much like the Temple of the Sun in ancient Egypt." "Is it really that mysterious?" Speaking of his major field of study, history, Sun Zichu became increasingly enthusiastic: "These are all facts universally acknowledged in academia, not just my personal opinion. As for the remaining two small items, they were jade ornaments worn by the Liangzhu people at the time." Looking at the jade tortoise and jade dagger, I could only nod and say, "Can you be sure that all five Liangzhu jade artifacts are genuine?" "Right now, I can only say that the form of these five jade artifacts is similar to other unearthed Liangzhu jade artifacts..." "These are all of the same type, and both the materials and the carvings have distinct characteristics of Liangzhu jade artifacts." But then he paused for a moment, and said in a deep voice, "However, Liangzhu jade artifacts are all unearthed ancient jade, and their identification is very complicated. The main things to consider are the patina, the color of the inclusions, the shape and the characteristics of the craftsmanship, and only then is dating necessary. I mainly study history, and I'm not an expert in jade identification." "After all this talk, you yourself aren't sure?" Sun Zichu frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "If you trust me as a friend, you can leave these jade artifacts with me. I will invite the best ancient jade experts to authenticate and date them for you." His suggestion made me hesitate. After all, these things were hard-won; Su Tianping had risked his life for them.
I held the jade dagger, head bowed, pondering for a long time. Finally, I nodded and said, "Alright, you can keep them for now, but you absolutely mustn't lose them." "Don't worry, I'm an expert in this myself, how could I possibly break them?" As he spoke, Sun Zichu began carefully tidying up the jade artifacts. I patted him on the shoulder and said, "If the news comes out, return these things to me immediately." "Of course, these jade artifacts are your treasures." I suddenly gave a bitter smile and said, "Okay, I'm leaving. You go do your work." Leaving Sun Zichu's office, I ran all the way out of the campus. Perhaps I never wanted to come here again. Why did I entrust the jade artifacts to Sun Zichu? Because, if these mysterious jade artifacts from the deserted village were truly Liangzhu jade from five thousand years ago, then the deserted village must have some connection with the Liangzhu civilization.
Perhaps the ancient and mysterious Liangzhu civilization is also a key to unlocking the secrets of the abandoned village? Although this is just my guess, I'm willing to try. When I returned to the abandoned village apartment, night had already fallen over Shanghai. I entered the old house through the back door in the dark and went back to my room on the second floor. By then, I was starving, so I quickly fried rice in the microwave to finish my dinner. After dinner, I still stood by the window, the scent of ivy filling the air, but my mind was still on those jade artifacts—they all came from underground in the abandoned village, perhaps five thousand years old: jade bi, jade yue, jade cong… Suddenly, I remembered that I had forgotten something—a jade ring! It was the jade ring that Chunyu had stolen from the underground chamber in the abandoned village! I hurriedly opened the simple cabinet and finally found the jade ring. I carefully held the jade ring in my hands; in the dim light of the old house, the bluish-green jade had a translucent luster, like a bright green eyeball.
But on one side of the jade ring, a deep, crimson stain stood out starkly against the translucent green jade. I held the jade ring to my nose and sniffed hard; a faint, fishy smell filled my nostrils, making me feel nauseous. My heart immediately raced again. I slowly raised the jade ring above my head, pointing it towards the light. The soft light pierced through the translucent jade, and strange patterns seemed to slither through the ring like snakes. Only the red stain was impenetrable to the light, concealing its secrets. Finally, I put the jade ring down, wondering to myself: Is it also a jade ring from the Liangzhu civilization? If so, whose finger was this jade ring worn in prehistoric times five thousand years ago? Perhaps subconsciously, I extended the ring finger of my left hand. Looking at my finger against the jade ring, I felt a strange impulse. Suddenly, my mind went blank, and my right hand seemed to lose control, involuntarily grabbing the jade ring—no, I completely lost control, watching helplessly as the jade ring slowly slipped onto the ring finger of my left hand.
However, I didn't expect the jade ring to be so tight. When it slipped onto my first knuckle, a chilling sensation spread throughout my body, and my knuckles and nails burned. But the jade ring quickly moved down to the second knuckle, and my finger bones felt a strange pressure. Finally, when the jade ring reached the third knuckle, the very bottom of my ring finger, the pressure and pain suddenly disappeared—I was wearing the jade ring. In that instant, I seemed to hear a faint voice, gently calling my name. I immediately turned around in a panic and shouted, "Who are you?" However, I was alone in the room, and my empty echo reverberated in the vast, deserted apartment. Looking at the jade ring on my finger, my face changed. Could the voice have come from the jade ring? No, impossible, it was just my imagination! Although I shook my head repeatedly, my left ring finger felt icy cold, and even the hairs on my hand stood on end. I quickly raised my left hand to my eyes, and the jade ring was tightly wrapped around my ring finger, like a green finger bone.
The crimson stain on the ring was now particularly conspicuous, facing directly above the back of my hand, like a ruby set in the ring. I stretched my finger out to look at it again, and the more I looked, the more uncomfortable I felt, as if I were wearing a strange mark. Whether it was psychological or the ancient jade ring's chilling aura, I felt myself breaking out in a cold sweat. No, I can't wear this jade ring. It carries a strange, malevolent energy that makes me feel uncomfortable all over. I quickly reached out my right hand to remove the jade ring from my left hand. However, the jade ring was firmly on my finger, and no matter how hard I pulled, it wouldn't budge. Even worse, as I tried to pull the jade ring out, I could clearly feel a hidden force pressing down on my left ring finger, the jade ring tightening and gradually embedding itself into my skin. My fingers went numb. The ancient jade ring seemed to have come to life, its suction cups clinging tightly to my skin, as if trying to devour my ring finger. It took me more than half an hour, using all my strength, but I still couldn't pull the jade ring off.
Section 30: A strange thought drove me
The crimson stain on it defiantly faced me, tightly coiling around my finger, seemingly rooted to my muscles. Finally, panting, I released my sweaty hand, looking at the jade ring on my left ring finger, which I couldn't remove no matter what I did—a chill ran down my spine. My left hand trembled uncontrollably, but the pain gradually subsided. However, when I reached out to pull the ring off again, it suddenly tightened, stuck firmly to my knuckle, as if it could automatically expand and contract. Suddenly, I remembered a method my mother had taught me: when a ring or bracelet wouldn't come off, apply some oil, and it would come off. So, I found a few bottles of oil I had brought and poured them onto my finger. Soon, the oil soaked into my finger and the jade ring. I touched my finger; it was indeed slippery. I figured the jade ring was already well lubricated with oil, so I covered it with a rag in my right hand, gripped it tightly, and tried to pull it out. However, the jade ring seemed to be irritated by the oil, embedding itself even more firmly in my finger. The harder I pulled, the more excruciating the pain became, as if my own bones were being pulled out. Finally, after struggling for over ten minutes and pouring out half a bottle of oil, the jade ring remained firmly on my finger, its bright red stain seeming to mock me. What should I do now? I was almost in despair, pacing back and forth in the room, swinging my left hand.
I felt a deep sense of regret. Why had I been so bewitched, putting on the jade ring without thinking? It wasn't just a momentary impulse; some strange force had driven me. But who would have thought that once I put on this mysterious jade ring, I could never remove it? It was like it had taken root and "grown" onto my finger. Exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed in despair. I felt no pain anymore; it was as if a lump of flesh had grown on my finger. Now, I dared not remove it, only hoping that when I woke up tomorrow morning, the jade ring would fall off my finger automatically. I sat on the bed for a while, feeling drowsy. Looking at the oil on my hands and all the sweat on my body, I thought I should wash up. So, I could only leave the room and go to the bathroom, still wearing the jade ring. I stared blankly at myself in the mirror. The jade ring on my finger was particularly conspicuous. I felt as if I had come from another ancient time and space while wearing the jade ring. I turned on the tap and put my hands in the sink. The water flowed over my fingers and the surface of the jade ring. The jade refracted light in the water, and I felt more comfortable.
Finally, all the grease was washed away. After being cleansed by oil and water, the jade ring appeared even more vibrant, its greenish-blue body more translucent, while the crimson stain seemed even deeper, like an ugly birthmark. Then, I boiled water in the electric kettle in the bathroom and took a quick shower. Once the water was hot, I immersed my head in the sink and washed my hair. The jade ring seemed unaffected by the hot water, and the discomfort on my finger had almost disappeared. Finally, all the sweat from the day was washed away. I stood in front of the mirror drying my hair, the steam filling the bathroom and fogging the mirror.
I stared into the hazy mirror, where only my blurry reflection was visible. Suddenly, I realized the reflection was completely still, while I was fidgeting and wiping myself. Was that me in the mirror? Instantly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I took a few steps back and swayed from side to side, but the reflection remained motionless. Trembling, I stared at the mirror, involuntarily backing away, but the layer of mist on the surface obscured my face. In a panic, I turned on the tap and splashed cold water onto the mirror. The water cascaded down like a waterfall, washing away the mist and gradually revealing gaps…—a woman's figure was reflected in the mirror. I was immediately speechless with fear. Yes, it was the figure of a young woman; the mirror clearly showed long, black hair, slender shoulders, and a waist… However, I couldn't see her face; a patch of mist on the mirror obscured her eyes. When fear reaches its peak, it forgets even fear itself—I quickly held my breath and splashed more water onto the mirror. The more water dispersed the fog, and I could finally see clearly. However, the woman suddenly vanished, and my face remained in the mirror. I looked around in panic, making sure no one else was in the bathroom.
Then I touched my face, and my reflection in the mirror perfectly replicated my actions. What just happened? I stared at the mirror of this deserted apartment, utterly baffled. Was it another hallucination? I shook my head, only able to scoff at myself, "No wonder mirrors in the dark are always a staple element of horror movies." Suddenly, I remembered those who lived in the deserted apartment decades ago, including the men and women of the Ouyang family. They must have also left their reflections and faces in this mirror, leaving behind moments of happiness and sorrow… At that moment, I raised my left hand, the jade ring reflecting a faint, eerie light. I hurriedly left the bathroom and returned to my room. Wearing this jade ring from the deserted village on my finger felt like wearing shackles; I felt utterly powerless. Then, I turned off the light, lay down on the bed shrouded in darkness, and gently stroked the jade ring on my left ring finger. It seemed to breathe with me, gradually sinking into a fearful sleep…
Section 31: A emaciated corpse hung in the closet
When I woke up in the morning, the jade ring was still on my finger. I gently touched it, but just like last night, it was firmly embedded in my flesh. A rumbling sound of machinery came from outside the window. I stopped touching the jade ring and walked to the vine-covered window. Outside, at the demolition site, several bulldozers were clearing away the rubble, dust and debris billowing high, like a massive bombing. I quickly closed the window. After having breakfast in my room, I went to the stairwell and suddenly looked up. Oh dear, I'm so stupid. It's been three days since I moved into this deserted apartment, and I've never even been to the third floor. The spiral staircase above me was dark and eerie. I leaned against the railing for a long time before finally slowly climbing up.
I wore a large mask because every step I took kicked up dust. I carefully climbed the stairs and reached the third-floor corridor. I felt around on the wall for a while before finally managing to turn on the light. In the dim light, a deep corridor stretched out ahead, feeling like an underground passage. The dust settled after a long time. I subconsciously touched my jade ring and then rushed into the corridor. I opened the first door. Like the rooms on the second floor, it was empty. The only difference was that the ivy was much more luxuriant than downstairs. Green vines climbed into the rooms from the windows, and many branches and leaves swayed on one wall near the window. The roots of these plants had even penetrated into the walls, and there were many cracks in the walls and ceiling. It seemed that this building was not far from death. The other rooms on the third floor were similar. I opened them one by one. In the sunlit rooms, the ivy had even grown onto the floor.
I imagined their ubiquitous roots must have covered the ceiling of the downstairs room as well. But then again, the house had been uninhabited for so many years; it was only natural that these plants had taken over. I opened the last room on the third floor, but it was empty again. However, just as I was about to leave, I noticed a lot of lime powder and broken planks under my feet. I slowly looked up and saw that a large piece of the ceiling had fallen, revealing a huge hole through which light shone. Curious, I walked to the bottom of the hole, stood on tiptoe, and looked up. I discovered a large space above the ceiling, seemingly an attic. This unexpected discovery immediately sparked my imagination. I rushed out of the room and ran downstairs. I remembered there was a bamboo ladder in the back hallway. Sure enough, I found the ladder among the clutter. I used the ladder, panting, to return to the room on the third floor. I took off my thick mask, placed the ladder under the hole in the ceiling, and carefully climbed up. When I poked my head out from the ceiling, I saw a sloping roof, a central beam, and two rows of dormer windows. Finally, I laboriously climbed up, and sure enough, it was an attic, at least thirty square meters in size. Sunlight streamed in through the dormer windows, but because it was blocked by vines, only a few sparse rays of sunlight shone into the attic.
My old house, where I grew up, also had these dormer windows. I leaned against the window, gazing at the vast construction site below and the countless tall buildings in the distance. This must have been the highest point in the abandoned apartment building; below the window were rows of black tiles, covered with lush vines—I imagine the entire roof was covered in ivy. The windows here were always tightly closed, the glass panes covered in ivy leaves. Watching the sunlight filter through the leaves, it felt like being in a forest. Leaving the dormer window, I carefully surveyed the attic. It had clearly been sealed off for years, feeling like an ancient tomb that had just been opened. In a corner of the attic, I found an old-fashioned wardrobe. Although covered in a thick layer of dust, it was clear that the wardrobe was made of high-quality wood, considered luxury furniture for its time. I gently opened the wardrobe door, and a strong, musty smell wafted out. I turned my head and waited a few minutes before the smell gradually faded. I squinted into the wardrobe—and inside hung several emaciated corpses!
I immediately collapsed to the ground, my forehead drenched in cold sweat, almost screaming. I looked again at the jade ring on my wrist; the crimson stain was even more glaring. But when I stood up again, I realized there were no dead bodies in the wardrobe at all, just clothes hanging everywhere. Thank goodness, I breathed a long sigh of relief; I had been mistaken. The old clothes hanging in the wardrobe, in the dim light, at first glance, looked like several dead bodies. The wardrobe contained both men's and women's clothing: black and white suits with trousers, red and blue cheongsams, and several black fur coats—a family wardrobe from over fifty years ago was laid out before me. I reached out and touched the clothes; they were all brittle, and a musty smell wafted out. One suit even had a large hole eaten by moths at the hem. I quickly covered my nose, took a step back, and closed the wardrobe door. Those must be clothes worn by the Ouyang family, right?
Thinking about this, I suddenly felt nauseous and walked to the other end of the attic. There, I noticed a hidden door leading downwards, though it was now suspended in mid-air; there must have been a ladder back then. Even so, moving such a large wardrobe up would have been difficult. At this end of the attic was a dressing table, but the mirror was broken, leaving only a long, oval wooden frame with the yellowed wooden planks exposed behind it. I imagined the woman who owned the abandoned apartment must have sat in front of this mirror to do her hair and makeup. I opened the first drawer under the dressing table and found it piled high with old photographs. The musty smell of the photos brightened my eyes, and I immediately spread them all out on the table. For the next ten minutes or so, I held my breath, silently looking at the photos. With these black-and-white images from decades ago, the people who once lived in this house seemed to come alive again—the first photo was of a young woman leaning against a window, seemingly gazing at the sky. She wore a sweater, her slightly curled hair cascading around her ears, her face clean and delicate. Combined with the blurring effect of the black and white image, she resembled a Shanghai beauty from a 1940s calendar poster. But what was even more captivating were her eyes; behind the soft eyeliner, a pair of faintly sorrowful eyes gazed at the gray sky outside the window.
Looking at her standing by the window in the photo, I felt like a caged bird, yearning for the freedom of the sky outside—I remembered her face in the Ouyang family portrait. The second photo was a wedding photo of a young couple; the bride was the one I had just seen, and the groom was also in that family portrait. In this photo, they really did look quite well-matched. The groom, in a suit, stood tall and straight. The bride wore a pure white wedding dress, the long train trailing on the ground. One of her hands was held by the groom, and a faint smile played on her lips. Was this the happiness of being a bride, or a longing for her most beautiful moment? I couldn't ask her anyway. In the third photo, she was reading with her head down, seemingly lost in thought. The background of the photo was this dressing table, and I could see her reflection in the oval mirror behind it. But strangely, there seemed to be another person reflected in the mirror, though the lighting in the photo was insufficient for me to make out their features. However, I was certain that the person's position was not that of the photographer.
Chapter 32: The Beautiful Female Ghost in Liaozhai
There were a dozen or so more photos, all depicting everyday life within the house, featuring only the young couple. Only the last photo, a family portrait of the Ouyang family in the deserted apartment, was identical to the one Han Xiaofeng brought from the deserted village, likely printed from the same negative. Strangely, there weren't a single outdoor photo; all were taken inside the house. Their expressions were mostly silent, with very few photos showing them smiling, and the young wife's gaze held a faint sadness. After looking at all the photos, I put them all back in the drawer. Then, I opened the second drawer and found two old books. Taking them out, I immediately noticed a name—Zhang Ailing. They were Zhang Ailing's books: *Legend* and *Rumors*, printed in 1944 and 1945 respectively. *Legend* is a collection of Zhang Ailing's short stories, and *Rumors* is a collection of essays. I hadn't expected there to be a Zhang Ailing fan in the deserted apartment. I guessed the young wife must have bought these books before her marriage. I casually flipped through *Legend*, and another musty smell hit me. Suddenly, I found a bookmark—actually just a small card—with a few words written in pen: "Life is a magnificent robe, crawling with lice." The handwriting was delicate and graceful, clearly the work of a woman. Below was a signature: "Written by Ruoyun on April 1st, 1948." Now I finally knew—her name was Ruoyun. As for "Life is a magnificent robe, crawling with lice," it was a quote from Eileen Chang. Ruoyun must have been deeply moved by this line and recorded it on the bookmark. And this little bookmark was placed on the last page of the novel *The Golden Cangue*. Why *The Golden Cangue*? I gently stroked the page for a moment, pondering. Perhaps Ruoyun was worried about her fate, whether she would become another Cao Qiqiao? Just like in "The Golden Cangue," the young Cao Qiqiao, after marrying into a wealthy family, was like a bird caged, destined to waste her life. Oh well, you can't fathom a girl's mind, let alone Ruoyun's from over fifty years ago. I sighed softly and put both books back in the drawer. Under the dressing table was a small drawer. I opened it and found some small cosmetics inside: lipsticks, foundation, perfume, and some other trinkets I didn't recognize.
This was the first time I'd ever seen a lipstick from over fifty years ago, though it was long since dried out. However, just imagining this little thing once on Ruoyun's lips evoked a strange feeling—nostalgia or melancholy? Finally, I closed the drawer. After looking around the attic, I climbed down the ladder. Back in my room on the third floor, I placed the bamboo ladder under the ceiling and hurried down the stairs. Lunch was microwaved again. After eating, I lay on the folding bed and flipped through the books I'd brought. The afternoon air was unusually stuffy; there wasn't a breath of wind in the room. I felt heavy-eyed and utterly drained. I looked at the jade ring on my finger; it looked like a growth. My heart skipped a beat—how long would it stay on my finger? Would I never be able to take it off once I put it on? Thinking this, I closed my eyes, trembling, and lay down on the bed, falling asleep almost immediately.
I finally woke up around six in the evening, quickly made myself a light dinner to satisfy my appetite, and then sat in my room, lost in thought. I'd already seen all three floors of the abandoned village apartment building, and I wondered what else I could possibly discover here. Perhaps all my previous guesses were wrong, and this old house had nothing to do with the secrets of the abandoned village? And yet, I had inexplicably acquired a burden on my fingers. Lost in thought, I suddenly heard faint sounds coming from downstairs, drifting through the floorboards throughout the building. Instantly, my heart raced again, and I heard a "thump...thump...thump" from the ground floor. I cautiously went outside, walked through the dark corridor, and stopped at the top of the spiral staircase, looking down. A dark figure was spiraling upwards. I immediately held my breath, and as the footsteps approached, I grabbed the figure—"It's me!" a woman's voice rang in my ear. I quickly released her hand and turned on the light by the wall. It was indeed Xiaoqian. She was wearing a black short skirt, her brows furrowed as she leaned against the wall. She had clearly been startled by me. She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving, and she was carrying a large black suitcase.
I let out a sigh of relief and said, "Why are you here again?" "I'm sorry, I startled you, didn't I?" Xiaoqian murmured, looking pitiful, which immediately dispelled my displeasure. "Come in and sit for a while." I helped her carry the large suitcase and led her to my room. As soon as we entered, her clear eyes kept looking around, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. I felt a little strange and tentatively asked, "Xiaoqian, what's wrong?" She slowly raised her head, her eyes fixed on me, and finally spoke: "I'm sorry, can I stay here?" "What did you say? Stay here?" Her question surprised me and made me feel even more embarrassed. "Please don't misunderstand." Xiaoqian also seemed very embarrassed. She lowered her head and said, "Please do me a favor. I feel like I have nowhere else to go. The only place I can stay is this deserted apartment building." Xiaoqian's request was still hard for me to understand. Her current appearance suddenly reminded me of the name of a movie—"Nowhere to Hide."
I couldn't help but grab her shoulders and ask, "Tell me, what happened?" "Don't ask me anything. I don't know what happened myself. It's just that I feel—" Her words seemed to touch on something, and she swallowed them back. "Did you have a fight with your family? Don't be stubborn. Go back to your parents." However, Xiaoqian, contrary to her usual self, answered loudly, "No, I said I don't have any family. I don't have any parents. I'm a person without a home." "No home? Doesn't that mean you're a wandering ghost?" As soon as those words left my mouth, I regretted them. But I never expected Xiaoqian to answer me like this: "Don't you know who I am? I'm Nie Xiaoqian." "A beautiful ghost from Liaozhai?" I shook my head vigorously and said, "Xiaoqian, have you been living in your own inner world all along? Maybe all of this is just your fantasy." "Don't ask anymore, I'm staying here tonight, I've made up my mind." Saying that, she opened the big box and took out some daily necessities, several large bags of fast food, a small bag of rice, and even a bunch of snacks. It seemed she really intended to "camp out" here. Now I completely surrendered. Anyway, this house never belonged to me. So, I had no right to kick her out. I could only shake my head and say, "Okay, you can stay wherever you want. But this house will be demolished in a few days." Xiaoqian answered simply as she packed her things, "I know." Seeing her like this now, as if she had suddenly become the owner of the house, I stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.
She looked up and smiled slightly at me: "Excuse me, could you sleep upstairs tonight?" "Upstairs?" I hesitated for a moment, then nodded involuntarily, a strange feeling welling up inside me. Xiaoqian's lips curled slightly: "Thank you, I know you're a good person." But in my heart, I thought to myself: Just like that, they're sending me upstairs, making me sleep with all that ivy. Tonight is going to be awful. She paced back and forth a few steps. "From tonight onwards, we'll be neighbors, one upstairs and one downstairs." Just neighbors? I said dejectedly, "Okay, only for a few days." Suddenly, Xiaoqian seemed to notice something. She stared at my left hand and said, "What's that on your finger?" I was startled, knowing I couldn't escape it, and could only obediently raise my hand. She stared at my finger for a long time, then said blankly, "I've never seen you wear a ring." "It's a jade ring," I said, my tone becoming somber. "It comes from a deserted village." "A jade ring from a deserted village? How did it end up on your finger?" "It's a long story." Then I told her the whole story of the jade ring, and the trouble I had with not being able to take it off. Xiaoqian was quite incredulous. She grabbed my left hand and touched the jade ring on my ring finger. Then she tried to pull it off, but the jade ring immediately retracted, hurting me so much I almost cried out. Xiaoqian was clearly frightened and quickly let go of my hand. "Perhaps the secret lies in this jade ring?" "But what should I do? Wear it forever?" I paced around the room a few times in frustration, finally leaning against the door and saying, "Forget it, I'll just get through these few days first." Then, I took out a roll of straw mat and a pillow I had brought from the corner, hoisted them onto my shoulder, and headed outside. Xiaoqian followed anxiously behind me, asking, "Where are you going?" "Didn't you tell me to sleep upstairs?" Halfway there, I turned back and said, "Tonight, you'll sleep on the folding bed. The bathroom is at the very end of the corridor; there's a tap for washing your face, but no hot water." Her expression became somewhat embarrassed again, and she lowered her head, saying, "Thank you." "Get a good night's sleep, and don't have any more nightmares. I can't take your tossing and turning." I finally managed a smile. "Goodnight." With that, I carried the straw mat and pillow up the stairs. Reaching the dark third floor, I pushed open the first door. Luckily, the overhead light was still on.
The room was filled with the scent of plants. The walls by the window were covered with ivy roots and leaves, and a cool night breeze blew in from outside. It took me a lot of effort to close the window tightly again. Then, I spent another half hour cleaning the room, removing the thick layer of fallen leaves and dust. Finally, I laid the straw mat on the floor. At that moment, I thought of Xiaoqian downstairs and dared not go down. It's best not to let your mind wander in the quiet of the night. I simply turned off the light and lay down on the mat to sleep. In this room filled with the scent of plants, the cool straw mat beneath me felt like sleeping on a grassy field in the dark. Even with my eyes closed, I could still feel the ivy vines growing silently, their tendrils rapidly stretching towards the floor like struggling, crawling hands. The ivy in the darkness kept releasing carbon dioxide, and I, who was sleeping on the ground, gradually fell into a daze... I don't know how much time had passed, but a few rays of light shone on my eyelids, and my pupils, which were hiding under my eyelids, gradually woke up.
I slowly opened my eyes. Perhaps still groggy from waking, I gasped for breath, finding myself lying on a straw mat, the room still shrouded in darkness. The light on my face was coming from the hallway outside. I struggled to sit up; the white light streaming in was somewhat blinding, while my body remained in darkness. I rubbed my eyes hard to adjust to the narrow light and saw what appeared to be a dark figure standing outside. My heart pounded, but I quickly calmed myself. Could it be Xiaoqian from her nightmare again? I carefully rose from the mat, trying not to make a sound, and quietly peeked out the door. The hallway was bathed in soft light, and I saw the back of a young woman standing alone in the middle of the hallway. Her clothes were strange; I had never seen them before, but I still softly called out, "Xiaoqian?" Almost simultaneously, she slowly turned around, but the light was too bright for me to see her face clearly. She started walking towards me, and I suddenly felt inexplicably nervous. I shielded my eyes from the light above and finally saw her eyes clearly—she wasn't Xiaoqian. Instantly, I almost cried out, but she seemed oblivious to me, walking blankly down the corridor. Then I saw what she was wearing: a thick, long dress. I'd never seen anything like it before; it looked incredibly heavy, and I'd probably be sweltering in it this time of year.