Guanyin's Tears

Chapter 2

"Damn it, who is it? It's so noisy! Coming back so late!" It was Zeng Hai's voice, though soft, it still reached Wang Hongbing's ears clearly.

Around 11 a.m., Wang Hongbing was woken up by his stomach rumbling. He got up to tell Zhang Li and Liu Li about the strange things that happened yesterday, but when he bent down, he realized that he was the only one left in the dormitory; they had probably all gone to the cafeteria for lunch.

After washing up, he left the dormitory and headed out of the school.

Perhaps because it was the weekend, the midday news broadcast on the school cafeteria's TV attracted a large number of male students. "A murder occurred last night at the Hengsheng Jade Shop in the city center. The shop owner and a security guard, a total of three people, were found dead in the shop, their mouths half-open and facial muscles contorted. Police deduced that the victims had struggled violently before death. The cause of death is still unclear, but it has been preliminarily ruled a homicide. The time of death was around midnight today. According to the shop staff's investigation, a bright green teardrop-shaped jade pendant was missing from the shop. The pendant was purchased by the shop owner from a young man around 7 pm last night, but police reviewed the surveillance footage and found that the footage after 7 pm last night consisted entirely of black screens. This case has been classified as a major case in the city, and the police are conducting further investigations."...

After buying the steamed buns, Wang Hongbing returned to the canteen, hoping to fulfill his wish from yesterday—to cook a dish, since he hadn't had any oil or fat for a month!

There were only a few people eating in the cafeteria. The TV was showing "Tom and Jerry," and several girls were watching it with great interest, occasionally bursting into laughter.

Looking at the menu, he hesitated for a long time before ordering a stir-fried vegetable dish. Although it was the cheapest option, it still cost 3 yuan! When the dish was ready, Zeng Hai appeared beside him, winking at him, "Wang Hongbing, you're not bad! I heard you applied for special hardship assistance? Tsk tsk, even a student in special hardship is cooking! Hey! Life's good! Next time, I'll apply for special hardship assistance too!"

Several girls turned their gazes to Wang Hongbing, who looked at Zeng Hai awkwardly, wanting to explain, but Zeng Hai's sharp words came again: "You lied to the whole class just to get a special hardship quota, how could you do something like that!" After saying that, he strode away.

Looking at the vegetables in his bowl and the surprised and contemptuous glances around him, Wang Hongbing felt a sadness rising from the bottom of his heart. He realized that Zeng Hai was lying out of jealousy, lying and slandering him in front of everyone! Ever since he won the top scholarship in his freshman year, Zeng Hai had been hostile to him.

When Wang Hongbing returned to the dormitory, Zhang Li, Jiang Bing, Li Chunlai, Liu Li, and Zeng Hai were gathered together discussing the murder case that had been broadcast on the midday news. Wang Hongbing had been keeping his head down since entering the dormitory; he was in a terrible mood! He hurriedly packed a few books, intending to go outside to read.

"Hongbing, where did you go yesterday? Why did you come back so late?" Liu Li turned around and greeted him when he came in.

"I, I, I went out to sell—oh, I had errands to run." Wang Hongbing blushed, and as soon as he finished speaking, he was about to leave when Zeng Hai grabbed him: "Brother, where are you going! How was the lunch? I was going to eat with you, but after you ordered braised pork, you just ignored me!"

Before Wang Hongbing could answer, Zeng Hai exclaimed as if he had discovered something amazing: "Look! When he takes a bath, he always wraps a towel around his neck, but now he's showing it! Come and see, doesn't this guy have a crack in his neck?" He then stared at Wang Hongbing intently, "Tsk tsk, there really is a crack in his neck! And it's quite big!"

Zhang Li shoved Zeng Hai away, saying, "Zeng Hai, can't you watch your mouth?" Wang Hongbing acted as if he hadn't heard anything, broke free from Zeng Hai's pull, and rushed out the door.

After leaving the dormitory, Wang Hongbing had no desire to study. Clutching his books, he wandered aimlessly along the campus paths. Although it was afternoon, the sun was still bright, and the leaves on the roadside trees rustled gently in the breeze, their soft sounds somewhat like the sobs in Wang Hongbing's heart: Special hardship allowance? Braised pork? The crack on his neck?… Every harsh word Zeng Hai uttered echoed in his ears; his parents' weathered faces appeared before his eyes. Graduation seemed so far away!

Before he knew it, he had passed through the bustling Yonghe Garden and arrived at the foot of the abandoned laboratory building.

Because it was an abandoned building, few people came here. Large patches of weeds grew wildly downstairs, some reaching half a meter in height. He found a corner and lay down on the weeds. Although thin, his 1.78-meter height still weighed down a large patch of weeds.

Staring at the blue sky, he roared a few times, feeling much better. He closed his eyes and savored the scent of the green grass... Suddenly, he smelled a musty fragrance, just like the one from last night... At this thought, he hurriedly opened his eyes, and what met his pupils was another pair of eyes, a pair of eyes looking at him, a pair of eyes brimming with tears, clear and pitiful, seemingly carrying endless sorrow! Wang Hongbing was startled and quickly sat up. A woman in ancient costume was standing beside him, looking down at him.

The scent was exactly like the smell from last night, mixed with a hint of fear. Wang Hongbing asked in surprise, "You, you, who are you?"

The woman replied irrelevantly, "I've been waiting for you for so long, my lord. Where is your 'Guanyin Tears'?" Her voice was as gentle and tender as a human's, evoking a sense of pity. But upon hearing this, Wang Hongbing felt a cold sweat break out on his back!

“What gentleman? What ‘Guanyin’s Tears’?” Wang Hongbing stood up, wanting to leave the woman immediately.

Upon hearing this, the woman burst into tears: "Are you still blaming me for not putting it away properly?" Her voice was choked with sobs.

Wang Hongbing glanced furtively at the woman out of the corner of his eye, and saw that she really did have tears on her eyelashes. Wang Hongbing panicked! Should he leave or stay? Before he could answer, he saw a large snake, as thick as a wrist, slither quickly towards the woman from the grass. "Get out of the way!" Wang Hongbing immediately pulled the woman aside. The snake, as if startled, hurriedly slithered into another patch of grass and disappeared.

Upon realizing he was holding the woman's arm, Wang Hongbing immediately let go of it. Only after letting go did he realize: that arm was like a smooth marble, ice cold!

"My lord, you don't blame me anymore?"

Now Wang Hongbing understood. The woman was calling him "my lord," and she might be mentally ill! Thinking this, he looked up and carefully observed the woman:

This woman is so beautiful! Her long black hair cascades over her shoulders, and her skin is delicate and white, like a newly blossoming flower petal, pink and tender. Her nose is delicate and small, and her lips have a beautiful curve and clear contours, like the small mouth in an ancient painting of a lady. She wears a snow-white long gown with wide sleeves embroidered with many small pink flowers; a bright green long skirt blends almost into the grass; her waist is so slender that it could be encircled with one hand… she is like a lotus flower just emerging from the water!

He shook his head with pity: So young, so beautiful, and she's already mentally unstable? Look at all those clothes she's wearing—they're all props! How pathetic! Then he sighed. Compared to so many unfortunate people, he was fortunate enough! At least he was healthy and normal! Why create trouble for himself?

He asked softly, "Tell me, what's your name? Where do you live? Are you an art student?" This was the first time Wang Hongbing had spoken to a girl so gently and naturally.

"Me? My name? My home? My lord, don't you remember me? Don't you remember our 'Bamboo Breeze Pavilion'?"

Wang Hongbing was dumbfounded; she really did have a problem with her brain nerves! What should he do?

The woman turned her gaze wistfully to the bushes beside her, where a pair of small yellow butterflies were chasing each other up and down, appearing and disappearing intermittently.

"Are you looking at that butterfly?" Wang Hongbing asked.

"In heaven, we wish to be birds flying wing to wing; on earth, we wish to be trees with intertwined branches." The woman uttered these words carefully.

Wang Hongbing sighed again, "You wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you. Your parents must be very worried about you getting out."

"My lord, you know I have no parents." The woman pulled something from around her neck. "This is a gift from you, do you remember?"

Wang Hongbing's eyes widened: around her neck hung a jade pendant of emerald green, which looked like a drop of emerald water in her hand! It was exactly the same as his own jade pendant! However, her words confused him: I gave it to her? Who exactly is this woman?

"How old are you this year?"

"My lord, listen, is Liu'er singing?"

"How old are you this year?"

"My lord, where are your 'Guanyin Tears'? Oh, they were a pair!"

"Mine is sold. Where do you live?"

"My lord, did you lose it? It's all Liu'er's fault, she must have scared you. That's why you lost it."

"I didn't lose it, I sold it! Who is Liu'er? What's your name?"

"My lord, do you remember Liu'er? All these years, it's always been Liu'er who's been by my side."

...

Wang Hongbing slapped his forehead, starting to worry. He couldn't communicate with her using normal thinking at all! It seemed that he had no choice but to notify the school police station.

The scenery at dusk is enchanting. The scorching sun has set, and the sunset glow has turned the entire sky red, making people's faces and clothes appear pink.

"Will you come with me?" Wang Hongbing wanted to take her to the school police station.

The woman smiled faintly. Wang Hongbing led her out of the bushes.

"Do you want to go home?" Wang Hongbing asked, turning around. Behind him was nothing but empty space, with only the grass swaying gently. There was no sign of the woman.

"Hey—where are you?" he called out anxiously as he returned to the bushes he had just been standing there. He was worried that a girl might get bitten by the snake. Besides, it was easy for a patient to be in danger walking alone. "Strange, how could she have left so quickly?" he muttered to himself as he searched, looking for her in every possible hiding place, but to no avail. After standing there for a while, Wang Hongbing had no choice but to walk away alone.

On one wall of the laboratory building, about two meters up, there was a dilapidated little window. The grass below the window grew lush and green, with a few small white flowers scattered among it. Perhaps because the abandoned laboratory building was poorly lit, it was still very dark inside the window even during the day. Two women in ancient costumes were talking in the window:

“Miss, he’s looking for you. He’s worried you’ve been bitten by a snake,” said a woman in green.

"Liu'er, you mustn't frighten my husband." The one who spoke was the stunningly beautiful woman from before.

The woman in green beside her appeared to be a little younger than the stunningly beautiful woman, perhaps only seventeen or eighteen years old. Her hair was styled in a maid's bun, and she wore an expression of loyalty and humility: "Yes, Miss, this servant understands."

"My husband must be angry that I lost the 'Tears of Guanyin'. What should I do? Does he not recognize me anymore? When he asked me questions just now, I gave irrelevant answers!" the woman murmured.

“Miss, no, how could Young Master Li forget you! Even if you don’t answer the question, he won’t blame you!” After the woman in green finished speaking, she hissed and a long snake as thick as a wrist suddenly leaped into the air from under her feet. It was the same snake from before, and the two women disappeared instantly.

A pile of rubble still lay quietly by the window, as if nothing had ever happened.

Wang Hongbing left the lab building, glancing back every few steps. From the moment he left until the building completely disappeared from his sight, he didn't see the mentally unstable woman. Once inside the dormitory, he found only Zhang Li there. Full of questions, he unusually spoke up, "Hey, boss, I ran into a lunatic this afternoon..." Zhang Li turned and interrupted him, "Hongbing, I went to look for you in the classroom this afternoon, but you weren't there. Don't worry about what happened at noon; Zeng Hai is just like that. Did you really get the special hardship grant? How did it happen so quickly? If you did, that's wonderful!"

After hearing Zhang Li's words, Wang Hongbing lost all interest.

"What did you say you encountered this afternoon?" Zhang Li then asked.

"I didn't encounter anything. I don't know anything about the special hardship quota," Wang Hongbing said casually.

Zhang Li, however, didn't notice Wang Hongbing's change in mood. He continued, "By the way, yesterday, I think I saw something black around your neck. It was strange! When did you buy it? Why is it gone today?"

“It was a piece of jade, a talisman my father gave me. I sold it to a jade shop yesterday,” Wang Hongbing said calmly.

"Sold? To a jade shop?" Zhang Li thought for a moment, his expression becoming serious. "Hey, did you sell it to 'Hengsheng Jade Shop'?"

"Yes. How did you know?" Wang Hongbing asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Hengsheng Jade Shop is on the news! There was a murder there last night." Zhang Li then recounted the details from the news report. Upon hearing this, Wang Hongbing's heart raced, and he sat frozen in his chair. A murder!

Seeing Wang Hongbing sitting there in a daze, Zhang Li patted him on the shoulder and said, "What are you worrying about? It's okay, it has nothing to do with you! The jade shop lost green jade, but yours is black. Besides, so many people come and go from the jade shop every day, it's not like you're the only one!"

After standing on the balcony and looking around for a while, Zhang Li checked his watch and said, "Hongbing, I made an appointment with Liyan. I have to go find her. I can't keep her waiting. I'm going out now."

Wang Hongbing seemed not to hear, and continued to sit there blankly.

It was past 11 p.m., and the dormitory lights were already off.

Except for Zhang Li, who hadn't returned from his date yet, the other five were already in bed.

Liu Li, Jiang Bing, and Chunlai were engrossed in discussing Chen Jie's clothes and hairstyle today (because Chen Jie's beauty was a topic that the dormitory never tired of), while Zeng Hai berated Chen Jie for being a showy vase, which drew strong opposition from Liu Li and the others.

Wang Hongbing kept his eyes closed, not paying attention to their conversation. He kept wondering if the mentally unstable woman had been bitten by a snake, and whether she had gone home since it was getting dark. He truly regretted not holding her hand earlier; otherwise, she wouldn't have run away on her own. Then he thought of Zeng Hai's words; then he thought of the murder at Hengsheng Jade Shop—how could it be such a coincidence? He had just sold jade, and then a murder happened there?…

In his hazy state, he vaguely smelled the same musty, fragrant scent from last night. He jolted open his eyes and, through the moonlight streaming through the window, saw a figure leaning down outside his bed, groping his body! What chilled him to the bone was that the hand touching his skin was the same skeletal hand from his dream! And he was in the upper bunk! How could someone be so tall? This person was definitely not the woman he had met that afternoon! Definitely not!

He wanted to ask who he was, but his open mouth made no sound; he was completely mute! He couldn't move his body either, and soon he felt short of breath, and a ringing sound began to fill his ears. He felt like he was dying; the painful suffocation made him struggle to move his head on the pillow, hoping to get the attention of Zeng Hai in the lower bunk, even if it was just to yell at him.

However, they had long been accustomed to Wang Hongbing's silence, so they didn't pay attention to his slightest movements. Besides, they were gradually falling asleep...

A white mist gradually filled the dormitory...

In the all-night classroom, Liyan held the jade Buddha statue she had taken from Zhang Li's neck, staring blankly at the straight crack. Zhang Li, on the other hand, was thinking about Wang Hongbing and the Hengsheng Jade Shop.

"No, I need to take the Buddha statue to my grandfather to see. I don't think the cracks were caused by a fall; it might have hit something that damaged its spirit." After looking at it for almost half an hour, Liyan finally spoke, "Tell me, what did you see before the jade Buddha fell?"

When Zhang Li heard Li Yan say that jade had a "spirit" and ask him this question so seriously, he secretly laughed. What era is this? This little brat Li Yan still talks about jade having a spirit! Zhang Li suppressed his laughter and said "seriously," "I saw a hideous ghost, with a long tongue..."

"Oh dear! I'm talking to you about serious matters!" Liyan said in a slightly coquettish tone when she saw that Zhang Li was just being perfunctory.

"But I really didn't see anything. I just saw that the quiet Red Army soldier in our dormitory had a copper lock around his neck, and there was something black on the lock. By the way, he's from the mountains, and he said it was a talisman his father gave him. When I tried to touch it, it looked like a black lightning bolt flashed and then disappeared. Maybe I was just seeing things."

After hearing Zhang Li's words, Li Yan fell silent again. This Buddha statue was a gift from "Master Yu Kong," a friend of her grandfather, Professor Yang. According to Professor Yang, the Buddha statue had been imbued with Buddhist scriptures for three years and was extremely spiritual.

Seeing that Liyan had fallen silent again, Zhang Li patted her cute head and said, "Go back and rest. It's almost midnight. You don't have class tomorrow afternoon. How about I go with you to find your grandfather? Let's ask him if the jade Buddha is going to commit suicide." Liyan looked at Zhang Li's smirking face, wanted to say something but swallowed it back. She put away the jade Buddha statue that already had cracks, stood up and walked out of the all-night classroom with Zhang Li.

Zhang Li escorted Li Yan to the girls' dormitory building, kissed her forehead, and told her to be careful going upstairs. Li Yan then turned to go upstairs, while Zhang Li remained standing at the entrance, watching her retreating figure until she was out of sight. Li Yan had only taken a few steps when she turned back, took something from her neck, hung it around Zhang Li's neck, and gently kissed him: "You little pig, I want you to be well! Safe and sound!" With that, she turned and ran into the building.

Zhang Li was flattered and overwhelmed as he watched the beautiful figure rush away. He savored the unexpected kiss and words, feeling as if every pore on his skin was smiling with excitement! On the way back to the dormitory, under the streetlights, Zhang Li noticed that Li Yan was still wearing a jade Buddha pendant around her neck. Although Zhang Li absolutely did not believe that a small jade pendant could protect a living person (he even found the idea somewhat ridiculous), this small jade pendant represented Li Yan's concern for him. Thinking of this, Zhang Li couldn't help but grin happily.

Zhang Li climbed to the fifth floor in one breath, opened the dormitory door, and vaguely sensed something was amiss, but couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong. Perhaps it was because the dormitory was too quiet; there wasn't a sound at all. Thinking that all five guys must be asleep, Zhang Li tiptoed towards his bed.

With a sharp "crack," the sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet dormitory. Zhang Li recognized it clearly as coming from the jade Buddha pendant around his neck. "Oh God, please, please don't let the jade Buddha crack again," Zhang Li silently prayed as he opened the drawer to find matches and a candle. After lighting the candle, Zhang Li quickly looked at the Buddha pendant around his neck. Sure enough, the jade Buddha had cracked again, with a straight crack once more.

three

On Monday, after lunch, Chen Jie took a walk alone on campus. As she walked under the old locust tree, she couldn't help but think of her encounter with Wang Hongbing last Saturday. Gazing at the gently swaying lotus flowers in the pond, she drifted into a reverie: Wang Hongbing, though poor, never accepted help from others, including herself. She'd heard that the top scholarship he received in his freshman year had long been sent home to pay off debts, and his living expenses were only a few dozen yuan a month. Tuition was due soon; what would he do? Sigh! Would he refuse to apply for special hardship assistance? She habitually touched the tip of her nose, lost in thought.

Slowly, her gaze shifted from the flowers to the water's surface. Tiny ripples and tiny bubbles rose to the surface, suggesting fish might be swimming beneath. When the ripples subsided and the water became still, she froze. On the still water was a blurry reflection—the reflection of a woman in ancient attire. She stood beside the pond, her clothes embroidered with lace, her dark hair framing a beautiful face: a pointed chin, a delicate mouth, and large, half-closed eyes. She seemed to be gazing at the lotus flowers in the water, her gaze lowered, causing her long, thick eyelashes to cast a curved shadow beneath her eyes…

Chen Jie was startled and quickly looked up. There was no one by the pond. The lotus leaves in the pond were still dazzlingly green, spread out on the water like cups and canopies. She looked at the reflection in the pond, but the reflection only showed the delicate flowers, still half-open, in full bloom, budding, and about to wither… but there was no reflection of the woman she had just seen!

Chen Jie felt her hair stand on end. In broad daylight, could she be seeing a ghost?!

"Chen Jie!" Suddenly a hand appeared on her back, and Chen Jie screamed in fright, "Ah—!"

"Ah—" Another scream followed! Turning around, Chen Jie saw Wen Xin and clutched her chest, asking, "You scared me to death! What are you yelling about!"

Wen Xin patted her chest and said innocently, "Please, Miss, Secretary of the Youth League Branch, beautiful lady! Your screaming so loudly in broad daylight almost scared me to death! Go back to the dormitory quickly, your aunt is calling for you, I'll tell her to call back in an hour."

Because her uncle was always having affairs, Chen Jie's aunt and uncle divorced ten years ago. Her aunt raised her cousin Yin Chenya (who later changed her surname to Chen and was named Chen Ya) in a peaceful life. A few days ago, she heard that her uncle had passed away.

So, as soon as Chen Jie heard it was her aunt on the phone, she rushed towards Wen Xin's dormitory, saying as she ran, "Wen Xin, how does my aunt sound? She's not crying, is she?"...