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"It's okay, I just call him Big Pig. Look at him, he's so dull-witted, just like a big pig!" Zhu Qingyuan didn't say anything, but pursed his lips and laughed with us.

It was almost noon, time for us to head back. Stepping outside, the sky was overcast, dark clouds swirled, and a light drizzle was falling. We hadn't chatted for long when the weather changed so quickly. Yang Kai asked us to stay a little longer, but we didn't know when the rain would start and it wasn't appropriate to linger. I decided to leave and ran into the courtyard. Zhu Qingyuan grabbed the umbrella that was by the gate and slammed it over my head. Having such a protective umbrella was wonderful; I felt so happy!

We stepped off the gravel path onto the dirt road, and the raindrops began to patter down, large and heavy, pounding against the umbrella. Big Pig pulled me close, tilting the umbrella two-thirds over my head. I was wearing a skirt, and to avoid getting rain and mud on my shoes and the hem of my skirt, I was walking on tiptoe, so I was very slow. Suddenly, a bright flash of light streaked past us. Startled, I dropped my feet and hugged Big Pig tightly. Immediately afterward, a deafening thunderclap followed, and there were other unusual sounds overhead. I remained nestled in Big Pig's arms, completely bewildered.

"Run!" Big Pig grabbed me, hoisted me onto his shoulder, and ran off, dropping the umbrella. I heard a "whoosh" on his shoulder, and a shadow flashed before my eyes, seemingly flying towards our heads. Oh no, we're doomed! We've probably been struck by lightning. Just as this thought of death crossed my mind, a loud "boom" slammed into the ground, and then bounced up behind us…

Text 10. The Owl Cries at Night

Owl Cries at Night

After the loud crash, Zhu Qingyuan carried me a long way before stopping and putting me down once he found there was no danger. A torrential downpour began, soaking both of us completely. Our clothes clung tightly to our bodies; it was still quite cold in April, and I couldn't help but shiver.

Zhu Qingyuan had already let go of me and walked away. I brushed aside my wet hair to see what had caused that loud bang. To my shock, the lightning had struck a pine tree, splitting off half of the top "umbrella" of an old pine. The loud crash behind us came from that half of the pine's "umbrella." That was close! We were passing under the pine tree at the time. If Big Pig hadn't reacted quickly, grabbed me, and run, we would definitely have been split in two. Looks like Big Pig isn't so stupid after all; he saved my life!

Zhu Qingyuan retrieved the umbrella; it wasn't broken. I rushed over, placed it around his neck, pressed myself tightly against him, and gazed at him with deep affection: "Big pig, you're so good. I promise to be your little piggy..." and gave him a timely, passionate kiss in the rain!

Luckily, we escaped a lightning strike! I don't know if it was by chance or coincidence, but we happened to be caught in the lightning right after we came out, and we got soaked. Thank goodness, neither of us caught a cold, and a week later, we successfully moved out of that little place and became part of the beautiful Xiushan foothills, becoming half-owners of the Mona Lisa Mansion.

The environment around Mona Lisa Mansion is truly wonderful. Surrounded by mountains and trees, you can hear all kinds of birdsong. Being in nature makes you feel very comfortable and happy.

Maybe it was the fresh air, or maybe it was because we were all too tired from moving in for the first time, but on the second day, Big Pig didn't get up on time and slept until around 9 o'clock. Usually, he wakes up like a clockwork at 7 o'clock. Luckily, it was Sunday, so we could all stay in bed a little longer.

I've solved the housing problem, but I'm still unemployed. I've sent out a lot of resumes, but most of them have disappeared without a trace. Last week, only two companies called me for interviews. I didn't go to one because it was too far away, and when I went to the other one, I felt they weren't doing their job properly and mainly wanted me to come and solicit advertising. I told them firmly that I only do editing and don't solicit advertising business, so that was the end of it.

The second evening was a bit muggy. We ate out and didn't go anywhere, returning home early. We hadn't paid any attention to the scenery since we moved in yesterday; we just tidied up and went to sleep. Tonight, we'll truly appreciate the night view.

Because of the heat, we moved two wicker chairs onto the terrace. Since I'm afraid of heights, Da Zhu put the chair in the middle, not daring to put it on the side. We sat close together on the chairs, chatting about gossip. Zhu Qingyuan works in advertising planning and knew I was upset about being unemployed, so he always found jokes to cheer me up.

"A couple of days ago, in the courtyard of our advertising company, everyone was busy with their own work when suddenly we heard a woman walk in and shout loudly, 'Watermelon, watermelon…' The deputy manager sitting across from me chuckled and said to everyone, 'Did you hear that? This is what advertising is all about. Be bold, barge in, and shout your ads. There's no ad we can't get.' Just then, an older employee peeked out the window, shushed everyone, and whispered, 'That's the manager's wife. 'Watermelon' is the manager's nickname…'"

Before the big pig had even finished speaking, I was already laughing so hard I couldn't stop. My hearty laughter startled the night and a few birds perched in the surrounding trees.

"Shh! I'm telling you too, you're not allowed to call me 'big pig' in public or to people's faces anymore. People will think I'm stupid! If I don't earn a salary, who will support me?"

"No, no, I want to call you 'Big Pig'. If I can't call you 'Big Pig', can I at least call you 'Little Pig'?" I said coquettishly. Big Pig pinched me, and we laughed and played around, having a lot of fun.

"And another joke from a brand advertisement: a student climbed over the wall and was caught red-handed by the principal."

The principal asked him: Why didn't you leave through the school gate?

He said: Metersbonwe, we don't follow the usual path.

The principal then asked: How did you climb over such a high wall?

He pointed to the pants: Li Ning, anything is possible.

The principal then asked: What does it feel like to climb over the wall?

He pointed to the shoes and said: "Xtep, it feels like flying."

The next day, the student entered the school through the main gate. The principal met him and asked: Why didn't you climb over the wall?

He pointed to the shoes and said: "Anta, I choose it, I like it."

On the third day, he wore a gangster outfit, and the principal said: You can't wear gangster outfits!

He said: Wear whatever you want, Semir Apparel.

On the fourth day, he wore a vest to school, and the principal said: You can't wear a vest to school!

He said: "Men should keep things simple, like Edenburg clothing."

The principal said: I'm going to give you a major demerit.

He said: Why?

The principal said: "School grounds, my territory, my rules!"

As I listened, I drifted off to sleep.

Zhu Qingyuan shook my hand. "Wake up, why did you fall asleep? You'll catch a cold. Come on, I'll carry you inside to sleep."

"I'm not sleepy, I'll rest a little longer." I was enjoying the cool air outside and didn't want to go to sleep so early.

It was dark, and we held hands, feeling each other's hazy presence. Apart from a few insect chirps, the night was quiet, truly a tranquility where "the cicadas' chirping makes the forest seem even quieter, and the birds' singing makes the mountain seem even more secluded." We chatted idly, our whispered words filling the night air.

"Let me read you a poem I heard on City Voice, it's very beautiful, listen:"

The mountain is not lonely, but the water is lonely, so the mountain surrounds the water.

The tree is not lonely, but the bird is, so the bird lives in that tree.

The night is not lonely, but people are; that's why people are there crying out.

Dreams are not lonely, but the heart is lonely, so dreams hold that heart captive.

Zhu Qingyuan was savoring the poem, stroking my hair. Silence fell, broken only by the sounds of nature; we both wanted to savor the beauty of this quiet night.

A voice came from afar, growing louder and louder until it became clearer.

"Ah, I'm scared!" I whispered, turning to hug Big Pig's chest. I buried my head in his arm, listening intently to the sound, which sounded like someone crying, a mournful "wailing." "There's a ghost, a ghost is crying!" I said to Big Pig in a panic.

"Coward, I'm here. Don't be afraid. Listen carefully again." When I listened again, the sound had disappeared. After a while, a clear "thump-thump" sound came from afar. Oh, that's a woodpecker eating insects.

"What was that sound just now? Tell me!"

"Alright, alright, you're such a coward. That was just bird call, the hooting of an owl. It's very common in the mountains. Now that we're staying here, we'll hear all sorts of animal sounds often. Don't be surprised."

"I'm not from the mountains, of course I can't tell. If I get scared by the animals, I'll use you as cannon fodder."

The night was quiet, and it was getting late, so we went back to our room to sleep.

That night, I slept very restlessly, in a state between sleep and wakefulness, somewhat tense. The mournful hooting of the owl kept echoing in my mind. I vaguely saw a woman's figure flash in front of me, her face appearing briefly; it seemed familiar, but I couldn't make out her features. Then, in my drowsy state, I heard the woman's weeping again, which lingered in my mind for a long time.

I hadn't slept well all night, and was exhausted. Just as dawn broke, I fell into a deep sleep. Suddenly, I heard a muffled gunshot. Oh no! A bullet was hurtling towards my head. Instinctively, I rolled over to grab my "protector," Big Pig. But I found nothing. Oh no! No one was in bed. Had Big Pig been kidnapped?

11. The beggar behind him

I sat up, trying to wake myself up. I picked up my phone to check the time; it was still 7:30 in the morning. It was my husband's first day back at work after moving. He was worried about traffic jams on the way, so he had to get up early. Apparently, he saw I was sleeping soundly and didn't want to wake me, so he quietly went to work.

The room wasn't dark; the thick curtains covered all the windows, but some light still leaked through the gaps around the perimeter. Also, light shone through the frosted glass door to the bathroom, because there was another frosted glass window on the north wall of the bathroom.

Strange, did I have another nightmare? Just now, I heard gunshots and dreamed that bullets were coming at me.

I straightened my clothes, walked to the window, and gently pulled back the curtains a crack to look outside. A familiar figure stood on the edge of the terrace, holding a silver-gray air rifle, looking up at a large tree in front of him, very focused.

He was Yang Kai, the landlord, still wearing that white shirt and jeans. So, he was the one who fired the shot earlier. Why fire a gun so early in the morning? Was there a thief, or something else? I've always been both afraid and curious about these things, and I really wanted to find out, so I got dressed, slipped on my slippers, and went out.

I went outside and looked east. A beam of golden light was blinding. I quickly turned my head and rubbed my eyes for a while before I could open them. The long-lost sunlight brought back the blinding memories of my childhood. Back then, I often slept in and my parents would spank me to get up for school. Then I would rub my eyes and walk to school in this kind of sunlight.

"Lin, Lin Zi'er, wake up. Did you sleep well last night?"

"Oh, I didn't sleep well, I was woken up by the hooting of an owl. ... Hmm, Teacher Yang, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I see. I'm the same as you! I hate the sound of owls the most. It sounds like ghosts wailing. It kept me up all night, so I wanted to kill it as soon as I woke up this morning." Yang Kai said angrily.

"Oh, I'm fine, just a little unaccustomed to it at first." I don't really hate owls that much. Even though it bothered me, it's a beneficial animal with its own right to live and its own way of life. Despite my fear, as a compassionate person, I still want to protect them. So I quickly asked the result, "Did you knock it down?"

"No, it flew away." As an artist, I think he probably didn't sleep well because he wanted to knock down the owl. He was afraid that if it disturbed the night, he wouldn't have any energy or inspiration the next day. No wonder!

"Good morning, sir! You've watered the plants..." I greeted the old man who had opened the door as he watered the newly turned soil on the open ground to the east.

The old man stopped what he was doing, waved to me, pointed to the ground with the ladle, made a series of noises, and smiled broadly. He seemed very happy.

“He said he was happy to see you too. He forgot to tell you that this is my father. He lost his voice a couple of years ago and has been living in the countryside ever since. He still maintains his rural habits here and rarely comes to my house, so I just let him do as he pleases.”

Oh, I nodded a few times to the old man, said I was going to wash my face, and went back inside.

Mona Lisa Mansion has many advantages, but after a few days, we discovered one drawback, which isn't really a drawback. It's a bit remote and feels lonely. There's definitely no nightlife here, especially for someone as timid as me. I had to go home early every day; if I went home late, I'd be afraid of ghosts walking around in the dark. But I'm not working now, and even if I were, I wouldn't work overtime until late.

One morning, Zhu Qingyuan woke up, and so did I; I couldn't sleep anymore. I thought about how I'd have to get up early for work from now on, and I couldn't sleep in like this anymore. When you want to sleep, you lose all motivation to look for a job. So, I got up and took Zhu Qingyuan to work. He must have been thrilled, and I could breathe in some fresh air the whole way.

After watching Zhu Qingyuan board the bus, I turned back the way I came. I stopped at a steamed bun shop by the roadside and bought a few xiaolongbao (soup dumplings). They were piping hot, so I decided to take them home to eat.

The morning fog in Xiushan was quite thick, the air was crisp and refreshing; taking a deep breath felt wonderful. Carrying my steamed buns, I hummed a little tune as I walked north: "No fragrant flowers, no towering trees, I am a little grass no one knows; never lonely, never troubled, look, my companions are everywhere. Spring breeze, oh spring breeze, you've turned me green..." Yes, I am now a little grass, unemployed, but who cares? Worrying too much only brings trouble; I want my happiness.

After passing the row of bungalows, I stopped singing and wanted to jump for joy. Just then, I heard heavy footsteps behind me. I turned around and was startled to see two young beggars, wearing tattered cotton-padded jackets that they hadn't taken off even in April. Their hair was unkempt, and their faces were covered in beards, but they looked quite energetic, without wrinkles or signs of exhaustion, let alone missing limbs. When they saw me turn and stare at them, they immediately stopped, dumbfounded, their mouths agape, almost drooling. I think they weren't drooling from hunger, but rather like the way Stephen Chow drools over a beautiful woman in a movie.

I snorted, ignoring them, and strode towards the mansion. In broad daylight, I figured these two beggars wouldn't dare do anything to me. Strangely, I still heard footsteps following me closely, which made me a little nervous. Were they really watching me? Remembering the time I was followed by the red-haired guy at the electronics market, a wave of unease washed over me. Glancing at them out of the corner of my eye, I saw they were indeed still following me, but at a slight distance, moving at a leisurely pace.

I started to panic. I'd better hurry up and leave. There's no one around after the next intersection. If they do anything wrong inside, I'll be completely helpless. As soon as I turned onto the gravel road, a thought struck me: maybe they've got their eyes on the buns I'm holding. I quickly hung the buns on a tree branch, hoping they wouldn't follow me.

I'd barely hung up the steamed buns when things got even worse. The two of them rushed at me, and without even looking at them, I was completely terrified. I took off running, covering 50 meters at lightning speed, and reached the mansion entrance in no time. Gasping for breath, I opened the door and quickly ducked inside. But they hadn't followed me immediately; they were over there sharing my five steamed buns! Oh my god, my breakfast was ruined! So frustrating!

I went upstairs and into the house, still seething with anger, when I heard a knock at the door. I wondered, could these two beggars really beg here? I drew back the curtains and saw it was indeed the two beggars. Strangely, the mute old man actually let them in and even led them inside. They did so silently, without saying a word, and then entered the room right below me—yes, that room had been tightly closed the whole time, and I had no idea what it was for.

I really couldn't understand it. Why not just give the beggar a couple of coins and send him on his way? Why lure him inside and keep him there for so long? Driven by curiosity, I tiptoed out of the door and crouched by the railing, listening for any sounds. About fifteen minutes later, I heard a noise downstairs. Two beggars came out and walked ahead. I stared intently at their backs when suddenly one of them turned sharply towards me. His ugly, old beggar face was staring at me. Startled, I plopped down on the mahogany floor of the stairwell.

12. Woman

It was horrifying. It was the most weathered face I'd ever seen. Disheveled and filthy, his hair looked like a bird's nest, his face like old tree bark, covered in wrinkles and patches of age. His nose and eyes were asymmetrical; he was truly hideous. I sat on the floor, avoiding his gaze. I heard the sound of an iron gate opening; they must have gone out. I couldn't believe it. I recognized the two beggars who had just come in so clearly; how could they have been replaced by different people?

It was very mysterious, beyond my imagination. I tried to think of all the possibilities but none of them made sense. Just as I was sitting there in deep thought, someone came up the stairs.

"Why are you sitting on the floor? Did I scare you?" a voice asked with concern.

"Hmm, I'm a scaredy-cat! Teacher Yang, what was going on with those two beggars just now? They chased me all the way here, it scared me to death, but when I went out they were different people, it's unbelievable!" I blurted out my question directly, it's better to ask for clarification than to rack my brains.

"Hehe, I didn't expect you to be such a coward. Let me tell you the truth, these are my two customers. I made them up so they could get more money with ugly faces, so you thought they were different people."

So that's how it is. I really didn't expect that; I was making a big fuss over nothing. Yang Kai is both a painter and a makeup artist; it seems he's a multi-talented artist, otherwise why would he have bought this understated mansion? "Get up, let's go have some breakfast. I have something to tell you." He extended a hand, and I instinctively pulled away, not because I was afraid of touching a stranger, but because…

"Hehe, sorry, I haven't had time to wash it yet!" His hands were covered in colorful paint, clearly he'd just done makeup for someone. I was about to decline breakfast, feeling a bit embarrassed, when Yang Kai spoke first: "Come on, it was made by the old man, he really likes it. Don't be shy about having breakfast!"

I couldn't refuse, so I grabbed the railing and went downstairs. It was my first time in their kitchen; it was simple and clean. The old man smiled broadly when he saw me, his mouth wide open, revealing a few teeth, many of which had already fallen out. He personally brought me a bowl of porridge, but I felt embarrassed to rush up and take it. If he served me porridge, I'd lose my teeth before him—I couldn't accept that. Yang Kai was washing his hands, and I saw several side dishes on the table: pickled vegetables, chopped red beans, salted beans, and fermented tofu—typical southern dishes. They were fantastic! I hadn't had these appetizing side dishes in a long time, and my mouth immediately watered—I was drooling if I didn't try them soon.

Yang Kai told me to eat first, but I still had to pretend to be a lady and wait until we ate together. After the food was served and I thanked him, I couldn't wait to try everything. It was absolutely delicious, and I drank two bowls of porridge in a row. Actually, I could have easily drunk three bowls, but I was too embarrassed to ask for more.

We ate and chatted, but Yang Kai still hadn't said anything, so I got a little anxious: "Teacher Yang, didn't you have something to tell me?"

"Look how anxious you are. My father and I went out this morning, and you were home alone. We'll give you a surprise when we come."

I thought it was something big, but I'll have to wait and see what the surprise is—is his wife coming back? I wondered to myself.

It was almost noon, and I was about to go out for lunch when there was a knock at the door—it didn't sound like a local. I grabbed my keys and glanced out the window at the front door. I saw a woman's figure. Strange, could it be that the lady of the house had run back without her keys?

I straightened my clothes, even putting on a cardigan despite it being midday, and hurried downstairs. When I got to the courtyard, I saw a woman outside. She was fairly pretty, but she didn't look over 30 at all; she looked younger than me. There was also a large, bulging bag next to her, clearly filled with many things. I wasn't sure if she was the homeowner or someone else, so I didn't dare open the door rashly; I had to ask first.

I walked to the door and saw that she was wearing green eyeshadow and lipstick, though it was a bit too bright. I could tell she was even more nervous than I was, rubbing her hands, wanting to speak but not yet opening her mouth.

I started by asking, "May I ask who you are?"

"I'm looking for Teacher Yang. Is he home?"

"Oh, he's not here, he went out. And you are?"

"Are you the new nanny?" She seemed a little flustered. "I... I used to work here. I went home to get married last year and left in a hurry... I didn't expect to find someone..."