51e tableau à l'huile

Chapitre 16

"If we find the longevity lock, can you guarantee she'll be appeased from now on?"

"As long as I have that longevity lock, I will take her soul inside."

Then, she took a string of peach pit necklaces from her waist and hung them around Bingbing's neck, saying, "I believe in you. Just go, God will help you!"

Bingbing was very touched. Suddenly she said, "I remembered something. I'll make a phone call."

She then thought of Teacher Li Qin. When she asked Jiang Lan why she killed Teacher Li Qin, Jiang Lan seemed to casually reply that Li Qin's voice sounded too much like a girl from her middle school days, and she hated that girl, so she killed her. To say that one person speaks very similarly to another, firstly, their voices should be similar, including accent and pronunciation habits, and secondly, their manner of expression should be similar. Regardless of the analysis, it's highly likely they are from the same hometown. Only two girls from the same hometown could have so many similarities in their speech characteristics, enough to evoke memories in someone decades later, even leading them to imagine they are the same person. Thinking this, Bingbing called her mother and asked where Aunt Li Qin's hometown was. Her mother recalled seeing her resume when they were together in the past; it seemed to be Jiyuan County, Henan Province.

Bingbing exclaimed, "Isn't that county located on the banks of the Yellow River?"

"It's about several tens of kilometers from the Yellow River, in northwestern Henan."

"That's it, it must be somewhere." After hanging up the phone, she turned to find Master Hongyi, wanting to tell her her judgment that Jiang Lan's hometown was definitely not far from Li Qin's hometown. But the Master had already left, and she couldn't find him after searching for a long time.

After leaving the small building, Wu Bingbing immediately called Zhang Qun on the street, telling her what had just happened and that she was going to look for Jiang Lan's hometown.

She asked Zhang Qun, "Can you come with me?"

The other party said, "I'm afraid that won't work; I'm too busy."

"Didn't you want to write about her? We need to search together to understand her past experiences, right?"

"Nobody knows for sure where she's from. Isn't this a wasted trip?"

"No, listen to me—" She told her her speculation.

"That's interesting. I really want to go—but I can't leave. Our newspaper is now doing quantitative assessments; we need to publish 100 articles every month. Last month I went to Sichuan, which delayed my publication, and I only completed one-third of the task. This month I'm leaving, and the task is abandoned again. I'll only get a few cents in salary for two months. Besides, that old guy, the editor-in-chief, is picking on me. If he gets angry, he'll fire me, won't he?"

"Then you should ask the president for leave; he might agree. As for your salary, I'll reimburse you, and I'll cover all expenses. You'll come with me, how about that?"

"Hmm, that's tempting—but still, no way. The president won't agree; he's a lecherous old man, and getting anything from him will come at a price. Are you asking me to make a pointless sacrifice?"

"Well—so be it. To some extent, I know this trip is risky."

"I'm so sorry, I have to keep my job. I'm waiting to hear the story you bring back."

"It's okay. I believe I'll be back soon."

Wu Bingbing hung up the phone, a sense of tragic resolve welling up within her. As she walked, she thought, "I will find her hometown, I will find that longevity lock, I will rescue my father. I can do it, I definitely can!"

Chapter Fifteen

This place stirred memories in her heart, a bittersweet feeling of returning home—both strangely familiar and strangely strange, both warm and bittersweet. She closed her eyes, lost in thought, as if transported back to her childhood…

Wu Bingbing took a bus from City E, and after a bumpy six or seven-hour journey, she first arrived in Zhanjiang. Then she boarded a train, closed her eyes for a whole night, and arrived in Guangzhou at dawn. By the time she boarded the train heading north from Guangzhou, watching the houses and bridges rushing past the window, it was already noon the next day. She felt a sense of bewilderment, as if she had fallen into a time tunnel and was powerless to control her own destiny.

She sat on the lower berth at one end of the hard sleeper carriage, placed her canvas backpack next to her pillow, leaned back casually on the berth, and let out a long sigh of relief. Opposite her sat a burly man, who looked like a purchasing agent or a small business owner, his thick neck constantly pointing at her, his trembling lips seeming to want to speak but lacking the courage. She was lost in thought, in a bad mood, and disliked being stared at curiously. Even if he tried to strike up a conversation, she had no interest in responding. Just then, the carriage attendant came over, said something, and led the man away, finally making her feel a little more at ease.

Before leaving, Wu Bingbing remembered visiting her father in the detention center and telling him about her trip. Seeing him made her heart ache. Her father had been formally arrested, not only in handcuffs but also in leg irons, the kind only serious offenders wear, which rattled loudly with every step. Looking at him, Bingbing burst into tears. It felt like years had passed in just over ten days; her father had clearly aged considerably. His beard was unkempt, his hair disheveled, and gray hairs were appearing at his temples. His face showed not only frustration and sorrow but also worry for Bingbing. Through the iron bars of the window, Bingbing cried, unable to speak. She told her father to take care of himself and promised she would find a way to save him.

Dad whispered, "Dean Geng is dead—that female ghost killed him."

Bingbing was shocked: "When? How did he die in prison?"

“He died last night with his head stuck in the prison bars.”

"Caught between branches? — I dreamt of him, his head caught between branches, dead."

My father said, "Dean Geng was in the cell next to mine. He cried and screamed every day, and every night he would say that he was haunted, that a female ghost came in through the window to harm him, making the whole cell uneasy. Yesterday, when he screamed again, the guard put him in solitary confinement. There wasn't a single light in the small, dark room, only a small iron window. In the middle of the night, we heard his screams again. When the guard came to check, he found a female ghost pulling his head out of the window, stretching his neck out. The guard fired, hitting the female ghost, and we heard her scream and run away. But they couldn't get Dean Geng down from the window; his neck was stuck between the iron bars. So the guard used a chainsaw to cut the window. After they got him down, he bled to death."

"It seems that Jiang Lan will not rest until she gets her revenge."

"I'm worried about you. It's dangerous for you to go alone."

"No, Dad, I'll be fine. She's not in a hurry to hurt me; if she wanted to, she would have done it already."

Her heart is inside me; she probably only wants to subdue and control me.

"My case will go to trial in two weeks."

"Dad, I will definitely come back, I will definitely get you out of here."

At this moment, Bingbing sat on the train heading north, thinking about her father who was suffering terribly in prison, her mother who was constantly in tears, and her uncertain journey ahead. She was still somewhat worried about the outcome.

But no matter what, she had no choice but to go—as long as she could save her family.

"I don't think anyone's here, is there?" someone said.

A large travel bag was thrown on the bed opposite.

Zhang Qun stood before her, his face flushed, tilting his head to look at her.

"Wow, it's you? You've come!" Bingbing jumped up.

"I think I shouldn't give up this opportunity for a free trip."

Zhang Qun smiled. Bingbing took her hand and hugged her.

"Then how did you ask the club president for leave?"

"Say nice things more often—be sweet-talking."

"Honestly, didn't you sacrifice yourself once?"

"It's not that easy. If you can persevere, then persevere; don't make unnecessary sacrifices unless absolutely necessary."

I just owe him another favor.

"I admire you. How did you manage to catch up with me?"

"What's the big deal? I won the whole campus race in college."

"That man from earlier? You switched bunks with him?"

"Don't forget I'm a reporter. I can just call the flight attendant and get a replacement."

"That's great, thank you so much for coming to help me—"

"No, I'm speaking subjectively for myself, but objectively for others."

"You've been on the bus for a while now, and you're still playing hide-and-seek with me!"

"I wanted to give you a surprise. Oh dear, my luggage is so heavy it's crushing me. Look, I even brought my laptop."

"Lie down and rest for a bit."

"How long will we be gone? A week? Ten days? Twenty days?"

"It's hard to say, but we need to find her house. Master Hongtai said—"

“I know. Before I came, I met with my great-uncle and Master Hongtai. They told me about Jiang Lan’s situation. They have a lot of confidence in you. They said that since you have her heart in your body, it is easy to form an information field with her past. You will definitely be able to find her past.”

"There is no other way now, we have to keep going down this path."

"You mean start the search from the hometown of a female teacher?"

"Yes, she must not live too far from that female teacher's house."

"What was the name of the county town where that female teacher lived?"

"Jiyuan County is located in the northwest of Henan Province."

"Let me check." Zhang Qun took out an atlas from his bag and started flipping through it.

"Look, here it is. At the border of Henan and Shanxi, at the foot of Wangwu Mountain, oh dear, this is where the Foolish Old Man moved the mountain. You've dragged me here for a traditional education, haven't you?"

Bingbing sighed and said, "Yes, although we're not going to move mountains this time, we're going to save people... I just hope we can move God like the Foolish Old Man who moved mountains." As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears.

Zhang Qun put his arm around her shoulder understandingly: "It will be alright, everything will be alright."

The train journey took two days and one night, arriving at Zhengzhou Station on the evening of the second day. Although it was only late autumn, the night wind was chilly and the temperature was low; they felt cold and tired. Two consecutive days of travel had left them with aches and pains, and the journey itself was undoubtedly arduous. After eating at a restaurant near the station and asking for directions, the two prepared to continue their journey westward that night.

At the long-distance bus station, they bought two tickets. The bus departed at midnight, so they sat in the station hall waiting for their bus. A woman, about 50 years old, wearing glasses and dressed in black, walked over, circled Wu Bingbing twice, and finally approached her to strike up a conversation. She said, "Sister, I've seen you before. Are you from the south?" Wu Bingbing said yes, "How do you know me?" Zhang Qun nudged her and whispered, "Don't leave her. She's probably a fortune teller, a fake nun, trying to make conversation. Stay away from people like that." Wu Bingbing then turned away, avoiding looking at the woman.

Unexpectedly, the woman said, "I know, you've had some trouble at home. Are you going to the mountains?"

“See, I was right,” Zhang Qun shook his head. “We didn’t notice, but she must have been traveling with us, secretly following us, overhearing our conversation, and then came over to deceive us. Next, she’ll ask us to pay her off.”

Wu Bingbing asked coldly, "Who are you? What do you mean by that?"

“I’m just passing by,” the woman said calmly. “I’m also from City E. I need to transfer here to go northwest. I didn’t expect to run into you. I know where you’re going, and I’d like to give you a few pointers.”

Zhang Qun was annoyed: "We don't even know each other, why do you care where we're going?"

Wu Bingbing also became wary: "I don't understand, have you been following us the whole time?"

"Following you?" the woman said with a wry smile. "Tsk, I won't follow you. I have enough trouble already and don't want to create more for myself. I just happened to run into your troubles."

"Our troubles? Tell me, what do you know?"

“I know a lot. Besides where you came from and where you are going, I also know about your father and that Geng Qingshan… Let me put it this way, I was locked up in the same detention center with them two days ago. We are all victims of the devil’s revenge, all part of that farce created by that hateful ghost. I am more innocent than them.”

Wu Bingbing and Zhang Qun had both heard about the ordeal of the Christian lawyer who visited Geng Qingshan, and finally realized that the woman dressed in all black before them was her. Perhaps it was Geng Qingshan's death that brought her relief.

The woman said, "You went to see your father three days ago. I had just been released that day, and I saw you there."

"Yes, yes," Wu Bingbing quickly changed her tone, "I never expected to meet you."

Zhang Qun immediately became enthusiastic: "Senior, please forgive my rudeness. Please sit down, please sit down!"

"I went there at the request of Geng Qingshan's wife," the woman in black said after they sat down. "Although they hadn't seen each other for many years, and their marriage existed in name only, the woman, helpless and waiting, entrusted her heart and soul to God. But when a man she once loved is in danger, a kind woman will not abandon him. However, I didn't expect there to be so much grudge behind this. Everything in this world has a cause and effect. The Bible says, 'If you sow thorns, you will not reap melons.' Geng Qingshan's fate is no one else's fault. But as the female ghost's vengeful rage grew stronger, the smoke blinded her, clouded her reason, and drove her mad and unruly..."

Zhang Qun asked ingratiatingly, "Senior, you must have magical powers, right? You should be able to help us?"

The woman said, “God’s power is limitless; God can subdue all evil.”

Wu Bingbing continued, "Would you like to come with us? We're going to her hometown."

The woman replied, “God is great, but I am just a mortal. Like you, I am helpless against that vengeful spirit. I have already been harmed by her once, and I do not want to get involved in that trouble again.”

"Are you scared? Are you afraid she'll hurt you again?" Zhang Qun provoked her.

“You’ve been framed, don’t you want to find her and get to the bottom of this?” Wu Bingbing pressed her.

“My Lord says that the sinner traps himself in a snare, and will be punished for his lack of instruction. We should avoid evil as we would a serpent; if you approach it, its teeth will bite into your soul, poisoning or devouring you. I do not understand why you approach her, why you go to her birthplace?”

Wu Bingbing said, "We want to sort everything out, including those troublesome things, including her past."

The woman said, “Our teacher teaches us to forget hatred, not to fight evil with evil, and not to repay evil with evil.”

Wu Bingbing said, "We really hope you can help us. We just want to find out about her past."

The woman said, “My Lord did not give me any ability. I’m sorry, I cannot help you.”

"Alright, I see through it." Zhang Qun raised his voice. "All that nonsense is useless. Didn't your Lord say, 'A giant in words, a dwarf in deeds'? You can spout a whole set of principles and spread the gospel of God everywhere, but when someone asks you for help, you lose your courage. Anyone can say nice things."

Let's go, don't waste your breath arguing with her.