Le baiser inoubliable de Ghost Lips

Chapitre 4

"I hope the government didn't take that ledger away?" Mo Bai asked with some concern.

Old Fu glanced at Xu's mother; neither of them spoke, their hearts pounding with anxiety.

"Since we're here, let's look for it." Mo Bai didn't know what to say.

"I know where it is," Old Fu suddenly said, and in a few strides he ran towards the backyard. This was his home, and he knew it like the back of his hand. Xu's mother and Mo Bai took out the candles they had prepared beforehand, lit them, and carefully followed him inside.

The room was a mess, with scraps of paper and cloth piled up on the kang (a heated brick bed) and the floor. Old Fu ignored them and squatted down in that dark corner, reaching out to touch it.

"Huh?" The voice came from Old Fu.

"What's wrong? Did the government really take it away?" Mo Bai's expression was not good, and he unconsciously reached out and touched his big, fan-shaped ears again.

“I clearly threw it here, it seems…” Old Fu’s face darkened.

"How could you throw something so important here!" Xu's mother finally lost her temper and screamed loudly. Mo Bai quickly reached out to stop her, after all, they had sneaked in.

Old Fu slowly stood up and said softly, "It could also be Fu Zhuo and Chu Mengjun."

Xu's mother's eyelids twitched a few times. For some reason, she had a strange feeling in her heart. Fu Zhuo and Chu Mengjun were dead, and their deaths were so bizarre that the authorities still couldn't find out the real cause of their deaths. However, the clothes they wore were sewn very tightly, a skill that only Old Fu knew, and Old Fu was imprisoned at the time. Could it be... that there really was a ghost?

Mo Bai had stopped touching the large ear that was already peeling. His body was trembling slightly in the night wind. He knew what Xu's mother was thinking, and he was already covered in cold sweat.

Fu Zhuo and Chu Mengjun were Lao Fu's son and daughter-in-law. Although their relationship was not good, Lao Fu was still very sad when he heard the news of their deaths. However, this sadness was mixed with some resentment. He resented their lack of family affection and hated their greed. But they were indeed dead. Now Lao Fu was not only sad and resentful, but also had an unspeakable fear. He only hoped that their deaths had nothing to do with that black ledger.

The desolate night, accompanied by a chilly wind, made people feel somewhat cold. After pausing for a while, Lao Fu, Xu's mother, and Mo Bai decided to leave first. They all understood that it was impossible to find the black ledger here tonight.

However... the ladder was gone! Suddenly, a candle was lit inside the cabin, its light seeping through the crack in the door...

Old Fu, Xu's mother, and Mo Bai all gasped at the same time.

The Tailor (12) - "Someone is Making Clothes"

The door gap wasn't large, but if you found a good angle, you could see right through the wooden house.

Old Fu shifted his position and finally found a suitable spot to stop, where he could finally see the situation inside.

A slender sewing needle emerged from the sleeve and firmly embedded itself in the wrist, a red silk thread perfectly inlaid within. His movements were skillful and superb; his craftsmanship was unmatched, and his sewing method was unique in the world. Old Fu was wielding his delicate, woman-like hands to sew new clothes for the woman before him. The large silver scissors lay quietly beside the woman, and the needle and thread in the leather pouch were perfectly placed in their proper positions.

Old Fu went completely mad. He screamed and rushed toward the shop door with all his might, completely disregarding whether it was locked or not, and completely disregarding the seal that represented authority on it. All he wanted now was to escape, to escape for his life.

The candle went out before Xu's mother and Mo Bai could even understand what had happened. A gust of cold wind blew by, and Xu's mother and Mo Bai rushed out. No matter what Lao Fu had seen, they knew it must have been something terrible. They had known Lao Fu for so many years, and this was the first time they had ever seen him act like this.

Old Fu saw Old Fu.

Old Fu saw Old Fu sewing clothes.

Old Rich saw Old Rich's leather bag, needle and thread, and large silver scissors.

Old Fu saw Old Fu's craftsmanship.

Old Fu saw himself...

Old Fu rubbed his already sore eyes desperately. He was convinced he must have seen wrong, he must have! How could he see himself? How could the living him see the living himself? How could there be two people in this world who look exactly alike, who know the same craft, and who are sewing clothes in the same shop? But he really did see it clearly.

Mo Bai finally poured Lao Fu a cup of tea with his large hands. He only hoped that Lao Fu could calm down now. Although he could not accept what Lao Fu said, he had not seen it with his own eyes, so he felt better about it.

"Is it true?" Even now, Mrs. Xu still doesn't believe what Lao Fu said.

Old Fu, with his mouth agape in a half-smile, said sadly, "They're here, they're really here. I think we really can't escape."

"What are you saying!" Mrs. Xu stood up abruptly, causing the table to shake a few times due to her massive body.

“We…we will all die…just like Xue Qiuqiu…” Old Fu described his feeling of being on the verge of collapse in his trembling voice.

Xu's mother collapsed weakly into the creaking bamboo chair, her mouth half-open, but she couldn't utter a single word.

"Who is that woman?" Mo Bai remembered that Lao Fu had said he saw Lao Fu sewing clothes for a woman.

Old Fu's nerves tightened again. He stared at Mo Bai with wide eyes as if he had suddenly thought of something, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Mo Bai had a bad feeling. He swallowed hard and asked in a trembling voice, "Who is it?"

"Xiao Xiang." Old Fu finally uttered the words. Mo Bai swayed twice and almost fell backward, but was caught in time by Xu's mother.

Xiao Xiang died, and Mo Bai actually cried. A grown man cried for a woman he had only married two days ago, and a woman from the brothel at that. Fu Zhuo died, and Old Fu hadn't even thought of crying then, but seeing Mo Bai cry, he couldn't help but shed tears. Old Fu wasn't crying for his son, but for himself. What kind of feeling is it for someone who knows he will die but doesn't know when or how he will die? Perhaps only Old Fu himself knows.

The usually bustling teahouse was eerily quiet. Three grown men sat around the table, none of them willing to utter a single word, as if saying one more word would mean losing one more.

Xiao Xiang, holding Erduo's hand with a smile, walked into Mo Bai's teahouse. Each of them held a handful of straw, waving it around. Their intimate manner was like that of siblings. The first thing Erduo did upon entering the teahouse was to pick up the tea that Lao Fu hadn't drunk and gulp it down. Xiao Xiang then sat down beside Mo Bai and said gently, "Where did you two go in the middle of the night? I woke up and you were all gone. Luckily Erduo came, otherwise I would have been really scared here alone."

Old Fu, Xu's mother, and Mo Bai didn't react at all; their legs had long since stopped obeying them, and they couldn't run even if they wanted to.

"What's wrong with you all?" Xiao Xiang really didn't understand why the three of them had such strange expressions and such pale faces.

Looking at their expressions, he said, "Have you all become mute?"

Old Fu, Xu's mother, and Mo Bai were still staring at them with wide eyes. Erduo couldn't help but burst into laughter. A black object fell from Erduo's arms and landed on the table in front of Old Fu, Xu's mother, and Mo Bai.

It was a black ledger.

The Tailor (Thirteen): "It's Time"

The black ledger was in Erduo's arms, while the stitched-up Xiao Xiang stood perfectly intact in front of everyone. Her face was rosy, her skin was fair, and most importantly, she had the warmth and breath of a living person.

When Mo Bai realized this, he felt an indescribable joy. He suddenly picked up Xiao Xiang and spun her around a few times, feeling like a long-separated couple reunited. Xiao Xiang looked at Mo Bai in surprise. She never expected that the usually reserved Mo Bai would have such a passionate side, which unconsciously brought a blush to her face.

Mrs. Xu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Xiao Xiang was still alive, which proved that Lao Fu had indeed made a mistake. Now, not only was Xiao Xiang alive, but the account book had also been found. But... how did the account book end up in Erduo's arms?

The dark color always exudes an indescribable eeriness. When Lao Fu saw the black ledger again, his entire nerves tensed up, and his jade-like hands immediately pressed down on the ledger.

"Where did you find this?!" Old Fu's eyes were wide open like two copper bells, and his excited expression made it seem like he wanted to devour his ears.

Ears was stunned. He stared at Old Fu with his mouth half open and said, "Master, what's wrong? Didn't you ask me to keep this account book? Last night I was wandering around the streets when you suddenly appeared out of nowhere and handed me the account book." Ears habitually touched the spoon on his chest and continued, "Your expression was strange at the time, and your face was very pale. I even asked you if you were feeling unwell, but you left without saying a word. I thought you were afraid that the soldiers would find you."

"Me?" Old Fu was stunned. He had been in prison the whole time, and after he came out, he stayed at Mo Bai's teahouse. At night, he would sneak into his shop with Xu Mama and Mo Bai. He didn't remember seeing this ledger again after he came out of prison.

Ears leaned closer to Old Fu, waved his hand in front of his eyes, and said with a somewhat aggrieved tone, "Master, didn't you tell me last night to keep this account book safe? You also said that this account book is very important to you, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai, and you told me not to peek at it." Ears pouted as he said this.

Old Fu's body stiffened for a moment. Last night? He gave Erduo the account book? And entrusted it to him for safekeeping? How could that be? He was clearly with Xu Mama and Mo Bai last night. Old Fu suddenly stood up, looking at Xu Mama and Mo Bai simultaneously, and exclaimed excitedly, "It's him! It's him! I'm not seeing things! I really saw him, he really exists!"

Xu's mother and Mo Bai almost simultaneously collapsed into their chairs. This time, they had no choice but to believe what Lao Fu had said, because their ears now proved that his words were indeed true. There was indeed another Lao Fu in this world besides the one in front of them.

"What's wrong with you all?" Xiao Xiang asked the three people in front of her with her almond-shaped eyes, which were filled with confusion.

"You're still alive." Mo Bai smiled bitterly; that was all he could do now. Xiao Xiang was alive, but Lao Fu saw Xiao Xiang as dead. Lao Fu was beside them, but he saw himself sewing new clothes for Xiao Xiang. The account book was in the corner, but now it was in Erduo's arms, and it was Lao Fu who gave it to him. Mo Bai felt like he was going crazy, just like Lao Fu.

Xiao Xiang stared at Mo Bai in surprise. She never expected Mo Bai to say such a thing. Of course she was alive. She had always been alive. How could she be standing here if she wasn't alive? She found it funny, but at the same time, she felt an indescribable unease in her heart.

Xu's mother was surprisingly calm; he even found himself singing a little tune:

Spring comes, winter goes, we welcome the New Year and bid farewell to the winter.

Little one, fetch water; big one, chop wood.

A sewing needle, a fine thread, grains and miscellaneous ingredients, all come together to produce a bountiful harvest;

......

Xiao Xiang and Erduo never imagined that Xu's mother, who was neither male nor female and had an odd personality, actually had a naturally good voice, and it was a real man's voice.

Old Fu slowly opened his mouth and began to sing along.

Mo Bai slowly regained his almost insane senses and hummed along with the two of them.

The sound echoed on the road leading into the city, accompanied by the rustling of leaves and the gentle breeze. An indescribable feeling of longing arose in the hearts of the three people at the same time. Old Fu, Xu's mother, and Mo Bai exchanged glances and sighed simultaneously.

“It’s time,” Mrs. Xu said first.

“Yes, now is indeed the time,” Mo Bai said softly.

"We really should go home." Old Fu looked eastward, where a bright moon was already gently shrouded by the rising white mist.

The Tailor (XIV) - "An Ancient Tower Under Lockdown"

"It's so cold tonight!" A young monk who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old shrank his neck and pulled his clothes tighter as he leaned against the corner of the wall.

"Yi-hsien, stop hiding here. Let's hurry up and go on night patrol so we can go back to our rooms and sleep." Another slightly older monk grumbled, reaching out to pull at the monk called Yi-hsien.

"Yi Kong, I think we should go back now. Anyway, Master won't know." Yi Xian looked reluctant. He stretched out his hands, breathed on them, and rubbed them together.

"No way!" Yi Kong said somewhat unhappily, "We must finish what we start. How can we be lazy? Master once said that a person should..."

"Alright, alright, Yikong, please, stop talking! I'll go on patrol with you, okay?" Yixian covered his ears, he really didn't want to hear Yixian's annoying old sayings.

Yi Kong shook his head helplessly, raised the lantern in his hand, and continued walking forward.

Although the temple is not large, it has dozens of rooms of various sizes. All the rooms have uniform gray walls, including the roof tiles. It is hard to find another temple like this in the world.

Yi Kong looked up and gazed ahead at an abandoned tower that had been locked up for a long time. Usually, their night patrol was over once they reached this point, and today was no exception. Yi Xian finally breathed a sigh of relief. Now they could finally go back, back to that somewhat worn but still warm bed, and enjoy that brief but cherished warmth.

"Alright, we can go back now." Yi Kong finally spoke, patting his somewhat frozen face. This damn weather changes so quickly; it was warm and gentle during the day, but turned into a cold wind at night. Even he was a little annoyed.

"Let's go, let's go quickly!" Yi Xian could no longer bear the biting cold wind. He couldn't understand why the wind was so cold in this season, especially when he was standing here.

"Okay." Yi Kong also wanted to leave quickly; he was already feeling a bit sleepy. As he turned around, Yi Kong picked up the lantern and glanced at the ancient tower one last time. It was just one glance, but that one glance made Yi Kong unable to move. He stared blankly at the very top of the ruined tower.

Yi Xian didn't understand why Yi Kong suddenly seemed lost in thought, so he nudged Yi Kong and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

“Then…” Yi Kong’s voice suddenly trembled and was filled with an indescribable sense of fear.

Yi-hyun raised his head and looked up, following Yi-kong's gaze.

A sliver of light shone unrestrainedly through the dilapidated windows of the ancient tower. Though it was only a tiny ray, it was enough to freeze the blood of Yi Kong and Yi Xian in an instant.

This was a sealed, abandoned pagoda. How many years it had been sealed, neither Yixian nor Yikong knew, but it was certainly older than them. The pagoda was dilapidated and could collapse at any moment. Strangely enough, while other parts of the temple had been renovated, this one… the pagoda's door was tightly locked, and no one paid any attention to its existence. Perhaps it was because it was located at the very back of the temple, a place where worshippers never came, so no one cared about its age. Yixian and Yikong hadn't paid any attention either, but now they saw a light emanating from this abandoned ancient pagoda, and they couldn't help but take it seriously.

"Yikong, am I seeing things?" Yixian rubbed his eyes frantically and said.

"It seems to be true," Yi Kong said softly, his voice betraying a hint of uncertainty.

"Hasn't this tower been abandoned for a long time? How come there's light now?" Yi Xian leaned towards Yi Kong and said in a trembling voice.

"Did someone sneak up there? Let's go check." Yi Kong said, pulling Yi Xian along towards the tower gate.

Yi Xian flung Yi Kong's hand away and took a few steps back in fear, saying, "No! No! It's so late at night, won't there be something dirty?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? This is a temple, a place to worship Buddha. How could there be anything unclean here? You're too timid!" Yi Kong said with a sneer. He never believed in such nonsense.

"You!" Yi Xian was a little annoyed, then said, "Who's the coward? Let them look. Maybe some little monk ran up to steal meat. If I catch him, I can even earn some merit in front of Master!" After saying that, he actually ran to the front of the pagoda gate in a few steps.

Yi Kong smiled. Yi Xian was only two years younger than him, but he was innocent and naive by nature and had not yet lost his childishness.

"Hey, the tower gate is open. Looks like someone really did sneak up there. Let's see how I catch you!" Yi-hyun said, pretending to be brave.

"Let's go up and take a look." Yi Kong looked at the lantern in his hand; there were still some candles left, enough for them.

The pagoda has seven floors, but because it hasn't been cleaned for years, it's covered in a thick layer of dust. Each floor is piled with dilapidated tables and chairs, as well as some Buddha statues that are no longer recognizable. The stairwell is so full of cobwebs that there's hardly any room to step, and the air is filled with an indescribable sour smell.