Три призрака города

Глава 3

The process of identifying the body was simple. The police led us to the morgue, opened a drawer, and said, "He drowned. Come and take a look."

I was very small and stood far away, unable to move. Deng Fei paused for a moment, and finally stepped forward alone. I saw him take a deep breath, then frown and look inside. Then he swayed, clenched his fingers, and nodded vigorously.

At that moment, the usually quiet Xiao Bi suddenly let go of my hand, then squatted down and burst into tears. I walked blankly to Deng Fei's side, where a familiar face lay before me, pale and ashen. All the memories flooded back: my first meeting with Jia Yanchang, his laughing face, the chilled watermelon delivered to the dormitory in the summer…

Xiao Bi eventually cried until he fainted. Deng Fei followed the police to notify the school and his family. I only felt a chill all over my body, and my face was never dry. For the three of us, this was probably the first time we had ever experienced such a heart-wrenching separation. Before, we only laughed at the exaggerated crying of actors on TV, but now we know that the pain of that kind of heartbreak is indescribable.

When Xiao Bi woke up, it was already dark. A light rain was falling outside. The road back to school was quiet, and the streetlights stretched out in three long lines.

The shadow, no one knew that a shadow had run away first...

March 8, 2005, cloudy

In the morning, Deng Fei called to say that Jia Yanyu's parents had arrived. Xiao Bi, with dark circles under her eyes, sat on the bed, having not slept all night. I felt a sharp pain in my throat and was extremely thirsty. Xiao Bi touched my forehead, frowned, and said, "You have a fever."

Then she pulled out some fever reducers and gave them to me, then pushed me back onto the bed, clearly not wanting me to leave. I told her I was fine, I wouldn't die. Suddenly, Xiao Bi lunged at me like a madwoman and slapped me across the face, then hugged my head and started crying loudly, saying, "Nobody should die, okay?"

After taking the medicine, I fell asleep in a daze. My dreams were all over the place. One minute it was Jia Yanyan singing, the next it was Xiao Bi and Deng Fei arguing. Then they all suddenly disappeared. I tried to call out to them, but I couldn't make a sound. I ran around anxiously and ran into Xia Canyue. She said, "Go find her when you wake up."

When I opened my eyes, it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. I had actually slept for eight hours. My clothes were soaked with sweat. My fever seemed to have subsided. I called Xiao Bi, and she said that she and Deng Fei were at the hotel comforting Jia Yanji's parents. Some leaders from the school and the college were also there, and she told me not to go.

I changed my clothes and decided to go to Moonlight. Jia Yanji's death and everything that happened a couple of days ago had left my mind a mess. I didn't know if what Xia Canyue said in my dream was true or false, but I decided to go anyway.

It was already dark when I got off the bus. I looked up and saw Gu Ming. He said, "I know you can't remember the way."

I laughed. I don't remember when it started, but my friends all say, "Stand still." Xiao Bi did it, Deng Fei did it, Jia Yanji did it, and now Gu Ming is doing it too.

After passing through several alleys, I saw the moonlight again. I bowed my head and went inside, and Xia Canyue was indeed there.

"Do you make money?" he asked, glancing at the empty bar.

"We're not losing money," Gu Ming replied, a smile playing on his lips.

"Really? Who would dare to come after seeing Xia Canyue?"

"Others can't see her, and we don't just sell alcohol."

As we were talking, Xia Canyue floated over with a grin and placed her icy hand on my forehead. "Has your fever gone down?"

I nodded, then sat down and asked them, "You have something to say to me, right?"

Xia Canyue smiled and said, "Well, Gu Ming said that if I didn't tell you, you would go crazy, haha."

"So let's begin. Who are you, what's going on with Jia Yanyu, and this strange bar?"

The CD was playing Faye Wong's "Carousel." Gu Ming explained that the bar was left by his uncle, Xia Canyue's father. Their family had inherited some mystical arts. Six years ago, Xia Canyue had an accident, and out of paternal selfishness, his uncle used forbidden magic to preserve Xia Canyue's soul, while he himself suffered a backlash from the spell and lost all his magical powers. As a physical ghost, Xia Canyue was spared the torment of reincarnation, but she could no longer live freely like a human. She could only go out at night or on rainy days, or otherwise stay in this small bar.

The uncle's health deteriorated, and he gradually regretted his actions of going against the natural order and breaking the cycle of cause and effect in life. His daughter was also unhappy, so he went to a mountain in the south to live a secluded life, leaving only this bar for Gu Ming to take care of.

"How about it? Does it sound hard to believe?" Xia Canyue asked from the side.

"Oh...it's alright." I rubbed my fingers; those spells and reincarnation stuff were really hard to digest.

“Do you remember the day I met you? You were the first person to be able to see me,” Xia Canyue said again.

"I remember, it almost scared me to death."

"Do you know how happy I am? For six years, apart from those ghosts who died and reincarnated in a hurry, you are the first person to know that I exist." Xia Canyue said excitedly, and I finally understood why she had been clinging to me.

"What about Jia Yanjiu's matter?" Thinking of her friend's departure, she felt very sad.

"I guess it was fate," Gu Ming said calmly. "I encountered his spirit by the river. He had been dead for six days. Normally, he should have been led to the underworld to reincarnate after his death, but he just stood by the river, watching his corpse from afar."

"If he doesn't go through reincarnation soon, his soul will be scattered. My kind-hearted Gu Ming kindly reminded him, but your friend was too obsessive. He grabbed my Gu Ming and started complaining, saying that heaven was unfair to him, that he was framed by a colleague as soon as he got a job, and that his girlfriend dumped him and ran off with someone else. He couldn't think straight." Xia Canyue interrupted Gu Ming, "My Gu Ming is just too kind. He's handsome and kind-hearted. He chanted a spell for him to dispel his obsession. Later, that person asked to see his friends and family, and Gu Ming took pity on him and helped him too. Can you believe how kind my Gu Ming is? If it were me, I would have turned around and left long ago..."

"Was that the same Jia Yanji who died seven days ago?" I asked.

“Yes, the moonlight’s position and structure are special, and with my magic, he can temporarily take human form to meet you, while his family can only appear in your dreams.” Gu Ming said, his voice as indifferent as ever, but I finally realized that he had a kind heart.

Gu Ming and Xiao Bi are the same kind of people. The girl named Bi Xiaofeng always acts arrogant and domineering, but she is actually kind and fragile. Why do people like to hide their true selves? I asked Deng Fei a long time ago, and he said that some questions are too complicated to think about, because thinking about them will only give you a headache and you will find that there is no answer at all.

"Where is Jia Yanyu now?"

"Where to? Of course, it's my handsome and kind Gu Ming who will send him to reincarnation."

...

When I got back to the dorm that night, Xiao Bi was already standing by the door with a dark expression. I quickly explained that I had gone to Moonlight and told her what had happened.

She ignored me, only saying as the lights were turned off, "Jia will be cremated tomorrow."

Cremation—can a single fire really burn everything away...?

March 9, 2005: Cloudy turning sunny

Jia Yan was put into the crematorium and then turned into a pile of powder.

His mother and father cried so hard they collapsed to the ground. Deng Fei was pale, and Xiao Bi's eyes were red. I suddenly felt that some things had vanished with a bang, while others were clearly etched into my mind.

As I walked out of the crematorium, I looked back at Jia Yanyu's photo. He was smiling so brightly, just like when we first met. I asked Xiao Bi, "Why do people scheme against each other? Why do people deceive each other? And why do people betray their feelings?"

Xiao Bi scolded me for having too many questions. She said that if people could see things clearly, they would have become Buddhas long ago. What's the point of living in this mortal world?

I told her that Jia Yanchan eventually came to terms with it, but why did he choose to reincarnate instead of becoming a Buddha?

Xiao Bi said that Jia Yanyu might be afraid that he wouldn't be able to eat meat after becoming an immortal. Besides, there might be a limit to the number of people who can become a Buddha.

I think what she said makes a lot of sense. If becoming an immortal or a Buddha were like the expansion of university enrollment, then immortals would definitely be unable to find jobs, just like us.

On the way back, the weather turned beautiful, with unusually bright sunshine in March. I wondered what Jia Yanchang would become in his next life—a kitten? A puppy? A little flower? Or perhaps a reborn human?

If he were to actually become a human, would he, many years later, be splashed with soup one day, and then laugh and say, "Beautiful lady, your way of flirting is quite unique"?

Sunny, March 10, 2005

get up

Have a meal

watch TV

Have a meal

watch TV

Have a meal

sleep

Before going to bed, I asked Xiao Bi if our lives were too bland and boring. Xiao Bi said, "It's fine. We have enough to eat and wear. You know, many people don't have enough to eat, and many people don't have a place to live. We strive to live better, but we also need to know how to be content."

Sunny on March 11, 2005

Xia Canyue appeared in my dream again last night. She said she was leaving for a while and asked if I would like to work at Moonlight, where Gu Ming would pay me.

When I woke up, I thought her suggestion was good. Since the graduation project was easy anyway, why not earn some pocket money?

The bus was nearly empty, and it was rare to find a seat. I watched the scenery flash by, feeling quite pleased with myself. I hummed "Beautiful Mood" and swayed my head. The old lady in front of me kept turning around to look at me, and I looked back in confusion. Gradually, I counted the wrinkles on her forehead: five large lines and countless smaller ones. I thought my eyesight was pretty good.

After I got off the train, Gu Ming was still waiting for me at the station. He was dressed in all white. Xiao Bi and I both disliked guys wearing all white, so we joked, "Trying to look like an angel? Why don't you stick some wings on your back?"

Gu Ming's lips twitched, and the veins on his forehead throbbed. I suddenly regretted saying that because my wages weren't confirmed yet, so I quickly added, "But you really look handsome in white."

Gu Ming glanced at me sideways, his smile returning to normal.

Alas, sometimes, people have no choice but to bow down to money.

When we arrived at "Moonlight," Xia Canyue was no longer there. Gu Ming said she had to leave for a while. I asked him if ghosts could wander around freely and if they weren't afraid of being caught. A few days ago, I saw on the internet that all sorts of immortals were flying around, exorcising ghosts and curing diseases, able to travel thousands of miles and do anything.

Gu Ming laughed and said that most of those people only recognize money, not ghosts.

I then asked about the working hours and salary, and Gu Ming listed two options:

I. Working hours: 10:00—22:00

Job type: Waiter/Waitress

Salary: 800 RMB/month (two meals provided, accommodation not provided)

II. Working hours: 22:00 – 02:00 the next day

Job type: Waiter/Waitress

Salary: 2000 RMB/month (food included, accommodation provided)

I stared at Gu Ming for a long time, heartbroken. He rolled his eyes at me and said, "Don't worry, Moonlight doesn't offer any sexual services."

I still have a question: "Don't other bars only open at night and close in the morning?"

"I have to be asleep before 3 a.m."

"Why is there such a big difference between night shifts and day shifts? 800 yuan for 14 hours, and 2000 yuan for 4 hours?"

"Nobody wants to work the night shift."

"Such great conditions and nobody's coming?"

"Nobody's here."

"Why?"

"have no idea."

"..."

Which one will you choose?