Nightmare

Chapter 24

They found no trace of Fu Xiuying on the second floor, so they went to the first floor and checked the bathroom, kitchen, dining room, and flower room one by one. Fu Xiuying had mysteriously disappeared.

Things were getting stranger and stranger, and He Ming was getting impatient: "Could it be that she suddenly remembered something and went home first?"

Qin Fangcheng looked at He Ming with a hint of annoyance. He had only helped this man because of Lin Hong's feelings, but who knew it would end like this? He immediately shook his head and said, "Impossible. That woman is stubborn and inflexible. She said she came here to help, but she won't leave even if you try to kick her out before the patient is cured."

He Ming remained silent, thinking to himself, "Why does this Fu Xiuying sound just like Little Pig? Isn't Little Pig the kind of person you can't get rid of no matter what you do?" Thinking of this, he looked at Lin Hong. Lin Hong's heart had already sank. She had long since noticed the strangeness of the situation. Little Pig was irreplaceable. If someone replaced her, that person would suffer retribution. Four nannies had already had accidents, and Fu Xiuying was just the fifth. There was nothing unusual about it.

With that in mind, Lin Hong pleaded with He Ming, "Xiao Ming, could you go to the hospital and see if Xiao Zhu is there?"

He Ming thought for a moment, then looked at Qin Fangcheng with some hesitation. Qin Fangcheng hurriedly said, "You two discuss it first. I'll go to Fu Xiuying's place to see if she's really home. If she's home, I'll call you. If she hasn't..." Before he could finish speaking, he had already turned around and left.

Watching Qin Fangcheng leave, He Ming asked, "What did you mean by asking me to go to the hospital to see if Xiao Zhu is there?"

Lin Hong didn't speak, but just looked at him with terrified eyes. He Ming slowly backed away until he reached the door, then gritted his teeth, went out, and drove to the hospital.

He arrived at the hospital shortly after, but the doors to the ward area were locked. He pounded on the door for a while before the nurse on duty finally came out, yawning, and asked, "What are you knocking for? It's the middle of the night. Which ward are you in?" He Ming gave his father He Zhenggang's bed number, and the nurse began to complain with a displeased expression:

"Hey, what's wrong with your family? Your sister knocked on the door in the middle of the night, and now you're here too. Can't you come along? It's not like you have any serious illness."

"My sister?" He Ming was taken aback.

“Yes,” the nurse said as she opened the door, “Isn’t that Little Pig your sister? But you, as her brother, are much prettier than her.”

He Ming stood in front of the door, slowly regulating his tense breathing: "Nurse, does my sister go out every night?"

The nurse nodded: "What, you, as her brother, don't know anything about your sister's situation?"

When He Ming drove back to the riverside building, Qin Fangcheng's car arrived at the door. The two got out of their cars, looked at each other, and Qin Fangcheng shook his head first: "Fu Xiuying didn't go back. There are only a few children at home."

He Ming still held onto a sliver of unrealistic hope: "What if she goes to her friend's place?"

Qin Fangcheng was displeased: "She's a piece of trash, what friends would she have in the city? Besides, it's so late, even if she had friends, she wouldn't suddenly leave without saying goodbye and abandon her children."

He Ming felt extremely guilty: "I'm sorry, Lao Qin, about this..."

Qin Fangcheng waved his hand to interrupt him: "How's the situation on your end?"

"My side—" He Ming hesitated, then said, "Let's go inside and talk."

The two entered the building. Lin Hong, pale-faced, brought over a pack of cigarettes, making Qin Fangcheng feel somewhat uncomfortable. Only now did he realize that Luo Fu already had a husband. He lowered his head silently, smoking and waiting for He Ming to speak.

He Ming spoke up: "I just went to the hospital and asked about Xiao Zhu's situation." He paused as soon as he started speaking, seemingly unsure how to continue. After a moment of silence, he continued: "Xiao Zhu's situation is like this. Although she is staying at the hospital with her, the nurses told me that she goes out every night and stays out until the middle of the night. Nobody knows what she does or where she goes."

He Ming flicked off the ash from his cigarette, and his voice suddenly turned low: "When I arrived at the hospital today, she had just gone back."

Qin Fangcheng gave an "oh," remaining silent and offering no conclusion, waiting for He Ming to continue. He Ming, however, was unsure what to say next. The two men smoked in silence for a long time before Lin Hong suddenly said, "Little Pig has come home, sneaking back."

Neither man said a word; that was the obvious conclusion.

Lin Hong continued, "Xiao Zhu came back with a purpose. She came for Sister Fu. She can't tolerate Sister Fu taking her place. Also, those four nannies all fled the house in a panic in the middle of the night. The only person present was Xiao Zhu. So Xiao Ming, you have to come up with a plan right away to kick Xiao Zhu out of Taizhou. Only when she leaves Taizhou will the strange things in the house stop."

He Ming gave a bitter smile: "Get rid of her in Taizhou? How easy do you make it sound? Just to get her out of this house, we've put in so much effort. Didn't you try too? Look at the result now. Most importantly, Sister Fu has also disappeared. Right now, Little Pig is truly irreplaceable."

Lin Hong wiped away her tears and turned to Qin Fangcheng: "Old Qin, do you have any ideas?"

Qin Fangcheng coldly replied, "What can I do? He's the one who has a way!" When he said the last word "he," he suddenly raised his hand and pointed at He Ming.

He Ming was taken aback: "Old Qin, you mean to say..."

Qin Fangcheng suddenly got angry. Even though there was an ashtray right in front of him, he threw the cigarette butt on the ground: "What do I mean? I don't mean anything. He Ming, if you insist that I mean something, then my meaning is very simple. I have five children at home. You go and find their mother for me."

He Ming gritted his teeth, his face turning ashen, and stood up. "Fine, Lao Qin, you've sacrificed so much for me and Lin Hong. If I don't give you justice, then I, He Ming, am a worthless scoundrel." With that, he turned and left. Lin Hong grabbed him. "Xiao Ming, what are you doing? Lao Qin was just saying something."

He Ming abruptly pushed Lin Hong's hand away, looked at Qin Fangcheng, and said, word by word, "Trust me, Lao Qin. Whatever I did, there are only two reasons: one is to repay your brotherly kindness towards me, and the other is for my own sake." After saying that, he pushed her away and left without looking back.

Watching He Ming leave, Lin Hong paced anxiously, "Old Qin, what are you two talking about? Tell me clearly, okay? What exactly did He Ming go to do?"

Qin Fangcheng gave a wry smile: "Lin Hong, you're a smart woman, you wouldn't ask such a stupid question."

Lin Hong stared blankly at Qin Fangcheng's expressionless face for a long time before suddenly realizing, "Heavens, Lao Qin, He Ming didn't go to..." Qin Fangcheng immediately interrupted her, "I don't know what he went to do, but one thing is certain: He Ming is naturally smart. No matter what he does, it won't cause you or anyone else any trouble."

Lin Hong looked pained and backed away step by step until she finally slumped into a chair: "Old Qin, I thought you were a man, but I never expected you to be so despicable."

Qin Fangcheng flew into a rage, slamming his fist on the table and shouting, "Lin Hong, is this the kind of thing you should say?"

Lin Hong turned her face away, panting heavily, and stopped making a sound.

The two sat there blankly until dawn. When Mrs. He woke up and needed to urinate, she kept ringing the doorbell by the bed. Lin Hong hurriedly went upstairs to serve her and found that it was her daughter-in-law who came, not the burly Fu Xiuying. Mrs. He asked, "Why is it you? Where is Sister Fu?"

Lin Hong hadn't slept all night, and her mind was a bit foggy. She hadn't quite grasped how He's mother, who was supposed to be mute, could still speak. Instinctively, she replied, "Sister Fu...she had something to do and went back." He's mother said "Oh," and then, "Scratch my back, it's so itchy." Lin Hong was stunned. She wondered why He's mother had never made such a request when Fu Xiuying was around. But since she was caring for a patient, her comfort was paramount, so she asked, "Don't you need to urinate?" He's mother didn't answer, only groaning, "Scratch my back, scratch my back, it's so itchy." Helpless, Lin Hong sat on the edge of the bed and began scratching her mother-in-law's itch. After a long time, she heard He's mother say, "Get the chamber pot, I need to urinate." Lin Hong quickly grabbed the chamber pot, lifted the covers, and a surge of anger welled up inside her. Under the covers, between He's mother's legs, was a golden, sticky mass.

Lin Hong was so angry she almost cursed, "Mom, you didn't even say anything when you pooped, and you even pooped in the blanket!" Mother He just groaned softly and didn't answer.

Lin Hong suppressed her anger, changed the bedding for He's mother, cleaned up the excrement, and took it to the bathroom to dispose of it. As she was leaving, she saw Qin Fangcheng standing in front of the door. He stepped aside to let her in and asked, "Poor old lady, how long has she been like this?"

“Not long after,” Lin Hong replied angrily, “When Sister Fu was here, she never did this. She was always on time and controlled her bowel movements. I don’t know what happened today, but she actually pooped in the blanket.”

Qin Fangcheng said "Oh" without saying anything. After Lin Hong went into the bathroom, he walked to He's mother's bedside, bent down, and asked, "Grandma, do you know who I am?"

Mrs. He stared at him in surprise. After thinking for a long time, she still couldn't remember and could only shake her head. Qin Fangcheng leaned close to Mrs. He's ear and said in a harsh voice, "Since you don't know, then I'll tell you. My surname is Qin, and I'm Lin Hong's boyfriend, that is, her lover. Do you understand what I mean?"

Mother He's face suddenly turned cold, and she closed her eyes.

Qin Fangcheng sneered and leaned closer again: "Listen up, you old hag, if you dare to deliberately torture her again, I'll kill your son, and I'll kill you too, you old hag, while I'm at it. Do you understand?" Mother He's body trembled violently, but she kept her eyes closed and remained silent.

Qin Fangcheng slowly withdrew, and smiled as he looked at Lin Hong who had returned: "It's alright, the old lady is already asleep. You'll never encounter this situation again."

Lin Hong had no idea about the threats and intimidation Qin Fangcheng had made against He's mother. Qin Fangcheng wasn't usually such a reckless and barbaric man, yet he had done something so outrageous. But things were strange; after his threats, He's mother and He Jing's health improved significantly, even more so than when Fu Xiuying was alive. Lin Hong took care of them all by herself with surprising ease. She even skipped cooking, ordering meals directly from restaurants. He's mother and He Jing ate heartily without a single complaint.

A few days later, He Ming suddenly returned, his face grim. As soon as he entered the house, he asked, "Old Qin hasn't come over these past few days?"

Lin Hong glanced at him in surprise, and seeing that he didn't mean anything by asking the question, she replied, "No, he's probably busy with his own things."

“Call him and arrange a meeting.” He Ming sat down, panting. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair was covered with straw and scraps of paper, and his face was covered in dust. He looked like a migrant worker who had just finished work. Lin Hong frowned and said, “Look at you. What happened to you? Go take a shower.”

He Ming stood up: "Okay, I'll take a shower. You call Lao Qin right away."

Lin Hong chased him all the way to the bathroom door, stood there and looked at him: "What exactly happened? You can't explain it clearly."

"Just keep making the call, Lao Qin knows." After saying this, He Ming quickly closed the door in front of Lin Hong's face, as if he didn't want Lin Hong to see him taking off his clothes.

Lin Hong grumbled unhappily as she walked to the phone and dialed Qin Fangcheng's number. Actually, Qin Fangcheng had been coming over almost every day for the past few days, but he would only stand at the door to ask about He's mother's health, say a few words, and leave without even going inside. Lin Hong didn't want to tell He Ming because she didn't want him to worry. After all, she had a relationship with Qin Fangcheng before their marriage, and if their visits became too frequent, even her most magnanimous husband would be unhappy.

When Qin Fangcheng arrived after receiving the call, He Ming had already showered and come out of the bathroom. He acted strangely, first cautiously opening the door, then running upstairs to the bedroom. Lin Hong was stunned, thinking another man had run in naked. Although He Ming ran very fast, Lin Hong knew his body too well and immediately noticed the striped bloody scars covering his arms. She chased after him upstairs in surprise to ask what had happened, but He Ming kept his lips tightly pressed together, remaining silent until Qin Fangcheng rang the doorbell. Only then did he get dressed and come downstairs.

After Qin Fangcheng came in, he sat down on the sofa. He Ming opened the refrigerator, took out beer and cold dishes, and offered Qin Fangcheng a drink. Qin Fangcheng didn't say anything. He Ming poured him a full glass, which he drank in one gulp. After a few drinks, He Ming spoke up:

"Old Qin, our relationship started because of Honghong. It's quite interesting, really. I always feel a bit guilty towards you."

"What are you feeling guilty about?" Qin Fangcheng asked, raising his head with a sensitive expression.

He Ming reacted very quickly: "Because of Sister Fu."

Qin Fangcheng gave a bitter laugh: "That woman...sigh, I never imagined she had such a tenacious will to live. A weak woman with five children, illiterate, and all she knew in this city, finally managed to grab me, her sucker, and the children were able to finally live a decent life. But she had such a miserable life, just vanished without a trace. I really don't know what's wrong with this world."

He Ming's lips twitched slightly: "No matter how abnormal this world was before, it has finally returned to normal. This is my small way of repaying you, Lao Qin, for what you have done for me."

Qin Fangcheng swirled the wine in his glass: "I don't understand what you're saying."

He Ming sneered, "You should be able to understand." After saying this, he looked calmly at Qin Fangcheng, slowly rolled up his sleeves, and immediately, the bright red bloodstains on his arms were exposed. The wounds were distributed diagonally, one after another, penetrating very deep into the flesh. The skin on both sides of the wounds was curled up, which looked shocking against his white skin.

Seeing these scars, Lin Hong was the most shocked. She hurriedly grabbed He Ming's arm: "Xiao Ming, how could you be so careless? What scratched you like this? Go to the hospital for a check-up right away. Please don't let it get infected. There are so many sick people in your family. Don't go and cause any more trouble."

“Okay, okay, I’ll go to the hospital in a bit,” He Ming said gently to Lin Hong. “Give me a few more minutes so I can say a few words to Lao Qin.”

Then He Ming turned around and looked at Qin Fangcheng: "Old Qin, to be honest, you are a friend I can't miss. I only regret one thing: I met you too late. But it doesn't matter. We are friends now, right?"

Qin Fangcheng silently toyed with his wine glass, refusing to speak for some reason. He Mingxian seemed a little anxious: "Old Qin, answer me!"

Forced into a corner, Qin Fangcheng had no choice but to say, "If we weren't friends, why would I be sitting in your house drinking with you?"

He Ming immediately beamed with joy: "Old Qin, with your words, my life has been worthwhile. Come on, let's drink this one."

He tilted his head back and gulped down the wine in his glass. Then, without any manners, he wiped his lips with the back of his hand and said, "Old Qin, when it comes to people, loyalty is the most important thing. You can't afford to be indebted to someone, don't you think?"

Qin Fangcheng was clearly not interested in this topic: "Whatever you say, I have no objection."

"Another cup." He Ming filled Qin Fangcheng's cup again: "Old Qin, you've helped me so much, and I haven't repaid you. It's not proper for friends to say things like that, but I, He Ming, will need your help more often in the future. Old Qin, if you consider me a friend, drink this cup and agree to my request."

Qin Fangcheng didn't touch the cup in front of him, but asked, "Is it that serious?"

He Ming nodded vigorously: "I can tell you definitively that it's much more serious than you think."

Qin Fangcheng shook his head, sighed, stamped his foot, and suddenly stood up: "I'm going back."

He Ming sat on the sofa without moving: "Old Qin, please."

Qin Fangcheng turned and left. He Ming turned his gaze to Lin Hong, who was completely bewildered: "Honghong, come sit with me for a while. I have a few words to say to you."

Lin Hong walked up to him and snatched the wine glass from his hand: "What are you two up to? Why are you talking so mysteriously and hesitantly?"

He Ming laughed heartily, stood up, and placed his hands on Lin Hong's shoulders: "Honghong, I'm going to the hospital to pick up my father right now. We'll have one more patient in our family, hahaha." With that laugh, he pushed open the door and strode away.

Lin Hong chased after him, watching his black sedan speed away, her heart pounding. Why was today's event so strange?

After He Ming drove away, Lin Hong was filled with unease, feeling as if something was about to happen. Frustrated, she dialed Qin Fangcheng's number, wanting to ask him about the cryptic conversation he and He Ming had been having. But Qin Fangcheng didn't answer her calls; he hung up on her several times. This unusual behavior made Lin Hong even more anxious. She paced back and forth in the room like a cat on a hot tin roof. Something must have happened; it must be something like this.

But what exactly happened?

Lin Hong thought and thought, but still couldn't figure it out. Before she knew it, two hours had passed, and she heard a car horn honking outside the door. She hurriedly ran to open the door.

He Ming's car was parked in front of the door. He was helping the emaciated He Zhenggang out of the car. The disease had ravaged this strong old man, making him look unrecognizable. He seemed to have aged twenty years in an instant. His hunched back and aged face gave people the feeling of someone on the verge of death.

He Ming wasn't the only one picking He Zhenggang up from the hospital; another person stood on the other side of He Zhenggang, supporting his arm. Upon seeing this person, Lin Hong was startled and almost screamed.

This person was none other than the fat man, Du Hongyuan.

Not long after they last met, Du Hongyuan seemed to have gained even more weight. His fat jiggled with every movement, resembling a giant jellyfish, hardly resembling a turtle. But in Lin Hong's eyes, he was that red-scaled turtle chasing through the city's drainage pipes at nightfall. Lin Hong would never forget his lewd eyes and his forced, insincere smile.

Seeing Lin Hong standing in front of the door, Du Hongyuan's eyes flashed a cold, sinister smile, clearly meant for Lin Hong's benefit. He shouted loudly, "Grandpa, slow down! Watch your step! He Ming, why are you using so much force? Grandpa can't take your pinching!"

As they were talking, Du Hongyuan and He Ming had already helped He Zhenggang to the door. Suddenly, He Zhenggang stopped and didn't move. "Little Pig," he said, his cloudy old eyes fixed on Lin Hong, "Little Pig, why aren't you taking care of me? Do you think I'm too old and a burden?"

Lin Hong was startled and quickly stepped aside. Du Hongyuan chuckled and said, "The old man is confused, he's mistaken you for someone else." As he spoke, his eyes swept over Lin Hong's entire body, causing her to involuntarily shiver. Terrified, she turned and ran into the house, saying, "I'll go tidy up the house for Dad." She didn't dare look back as she ran upstairs, listening to He Ming and Du Hongyuan chatting and laughing downstairs, her heart filled with dread. This Du Hongyuan harbored strong lustful desires for her. Today, he pretended to escort He Zhenggang home, but in reality, he was only after Lin Hong. Lin Hong knew this in her heart, but she just couldn't tell He Ming.

The stairs in the house were too narrow for three people to walk up side by side, so He Ming squatted down and asked Du Hongyuan to help him carry He Zhenggang on his back. Then, they struggled to walk up the stairs step by step. Du Hongyuan supported He Zhenggang's buttocks from behind and said loudly, "Old Master He, you've finally put this son to good use today, haven't you?"

After going upstairs, He Ming placed He Zhenggang on the bed and immediately sat down, panting heavily. Although He Zhenggang had been seriously ill for days and was already emaciated, carrying a grown man up one floor was still very strenuous physical labor, and for He Ming, it was nothing short of a trial. He was so tired that he couldn't speak, but he kept nodding as he looked at Lin Hong, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

After a while, He Ming came back from his rest. He stood up and said to Du Hongyuan, who was tucking the blanket around He Zhenggang, "Chairman Du, thank you so much. If I hadn't run into you today, I would have really had a hard time dealing with the old man's condition." Before Du Hongyuan could speak, he instructed Lin Hong, "Get my dad some cool boiled water. He doesn't like drinking the water in the hospital. The old man is very thirsty."

Lin Hong agreed and turned to go out to get the water bottle, but He Zhenggang on the bed suddenly poked his head up and cried out in a high-pitched voice, "Little Pig, don't go, don't go!"

Lin Hong paused for a moment, then looked at He Ming. He Ming waved his hand at her with annoyance, meaning to ignore the old man; the old man's mind was muddled.

Seeing Lin Hong leave the room, He Zhenggang panicked and suddenly sat up, almost falling off the bed with great force. He Ming quickly caught him. Seeing this, Du Hongyuan said, "Wait a minute, we need to find a piece of wood to block the old man's fall, otherwise it'll be a disaster." He Ming nodded and tried to push the struggling He Zhenggang back onto the bed, then went to get a plank. However, He Zhenggang was confused and struggled with great strength, leaving He Ming sweating profusely. Seeing this, Du Hongyuan said, "The old man has a lot of energy, haha. Hold him steady, and tell me where there's a plank, I'll go get it for you." He Ming thanked him, saying, "Chairman Du, how could I accept this?" He then told Du Hongyuan there was one behind the sofa in the main living room on the first floor. Du Hongyuan then came out and went downstairs.

Lin Hong was carrying a thermos of hot water upstairs when she suddenly saw him. Frightened, she quickly stepped back and told Du Hongyuan to go downstairs first.