Home is the last harbor of the human heart. No matter what you face outside, once you return, it offers solace and shelter for the soul.
But now—
She was home!
Li Zhuiyuan, seeing that Cui Guiying couldn’t be roused no matter how he shouted, ran into the inner room, where his siblings lay sleeping on the floor mats.
“Pan’er, wake up!”
“Lei’er, come on, wake up!”
“Ying’er, wake up!”
He ran from one sibling to another, shaking and calling out to each, but just like Cui Guiying in the kitchen, none of them could be awakened.
Drip… drip… drip…
Li Zhuiyuan looked toward the door between the kitchen and the inner room. The silhouette of Little Oriole didn’t appear there.He let out a breath of relief, but the next moment, he noticed a pool of water forming beneath his feet, spreading wider and overflowing along the uneven floor.
Drip… drip… drip…
Water droplets splashed on his body, soaking his clothes with a clammy, cold slickness.
Then, from the edges of his vision, a pair of hands appeared.
At last—
Cold hands gripped his neck.
Li Zhuiyuan’s body jerked as a suffocating force took hold.
But soon, that pressure began to ease. The hands didn’t linger at his neck but slowly slid downward.
A shadow loomed from above. Struggling, Li Zhuiyuan tilted his head back.
The figure above leaned down, her wet hair cascading like black threads, clinging to the boy’s face. It resembled a gaping black maw, gradually engulfing his head—
Until it swallowed him whole.
…
“Han Hou, slow down, slow down! My ass is killing me—ow, that hurts!”
Li Sanjiang had one arm around Li Weihan’s waist, the other grabbing his own butt cheek, trying to brace himself into a better position.
“Uncle, stop squirming! You’ll fall off if you keep moving!”
“Pah, you’re riding like a madman—how can I not squirm!”
After picking up Li Sanjiang from the funeral feast, Li Weihan had pedaled non-stop toward home.
The narrow path through the fields was riddled with potholes. For someone of Li Sanjiang’s age, it was a rough ride.
Li Weihan sighed, finally slowing a bit as they neared their house. The shortcut was getting harder to ride.
“Ahhh, finally!” Li Sanjiang breathed in relief. He fumbled in his pocket for his cigarette pack. “Han Hou, let’s stop and have a smoke.”
“We’re almost home, Uncle. Smoke when we get there.”
“What’s the rush? Didn’t you already send Liu Jinxia over to check on things? I reckon your Little Yuanhou’s already back to eating and running around.”
“You really think Liu Jinxia’s that reliable?”
Li Weihan wasn’t fully convinced of Liu Jinxia’s abilities. He’d seen how tough things had been for that mother and daughter. If she truly had power over the unseen, how could they have ended up so miserable?
Compared to her, he trusted Li Sanjiang more. After all, the old man specialized in retrieving the drowned, and had always seemed to live quite comfortably.
“Well,” said Li Sanjiang, “that Liu Jinxia used to be a scam artist. Later on, she stumbled into some real tricks. There’s a saying, you know—thin ropes snap in the weakest spots. Misfortune always found her first. Happened enough times, and she learned what to look out for.”
“What’s that mean, Uncle? I don’t get it.”
“If you don’t get it, never mind. Worst case, your Little Yuanhou got haunted. Liu Jinxia can handle that, if only out of old gratitude.”
“I just worry about the kid. If someone’s gotta be haunted, I’d rather it be me.”
“You’re really something, Han Hou. Used to dote on your daughter, now it’s your grandson. Not that I blame you. Your girl turned out well. This bike was hers, wasn’t it? Bought it for you years ago.”
“But getting haunted ain’t always that bad. Some even enjoy it a little. Like folks who hang themselves—right before they tighten the noose, they see something beautiful through the loop.”
“Uncle, that’s a messed-up way to put it.”
“Of course it’s not a good thing. Just think of it as the kid catching a graveyard chill. Every village gets a few unlucky brats now and then. It’ll pass.”
“By the way, Uncle, what are you gonna do about that Dead Sinker?”
“Do about it?” Li Sanjiang’s tone hardened. “You think I’m so comfortable that I’d go looking for trouble with a Dead Sinker that can walk underwater?”
Li Weihan tensed at the change in tone and started pedaling faster.
“Hey! Slow down, slow down, Han Hou! Don’t lose your mind. No matter how fierce that Dead Sinker is, you all got away. It’s not like she can chase you home.”
“We’re here!”
The old bike reached the courtyard. Li Weihan got off quickly, steadying it.
Li Sanjiang jumped down and rubbed his sore backside.
“Guiying! Guiying!” Li Weihan called.
“I’m here, I’m here—keep it down, the kids are sleeping,” said Cui Guiying, emerging to greet Li Sanjiang. “Uncle, you’re here.”
“Yeah, I’m here.” Li Sanjiang didn’t dawdle. He tossed his sleeve and headed inside. “Let’s check on the kid first.”
He squatted by the wooden board, inspecting Li Zhuiyuan.
“Should I wake him?” asked Cui Guiying.
“No need. The kid’s fine now, not haunted anymore. Liu Jinxia came, didn’t she?”
“She did,” Cui Guiying recounted what had happened that afternoon.
Li Sanjiang nodded. “It’s all because you were kind back then, letting Han Hou help that mother and daughter. Good deeds reap blessings for your descendants.”
“Oh come now, Uncle, it was nothing.”
“It was everything. If it were anyone else, Liu Jinxia wouldn’t have lifted a finger. She owed you. Even if she didn’t want to help, she had to grit her teeth and do it. She’s probably at home now, crying and cursing her fate.”
“Uncle, have a seat.” Li Weihan passed him a small stool and lit a cigarette for him. Then he turned to his wife. “Guiying, bring some food to nibble on.”
He glanced at the locked cupboard.
Cui Guiying fetched the key, unlocked it, and took out sponge cake and biscuits, laying them out for the two men. She apologized, “Uncle, I’ll go buy meat tomorrow and treat you to a proper meal.”
“Bah, don’t fuss. Put it away. I can’t take food from the kids.”
Li Weihan broke open a biscuit box and handed one to Li Sanjiang, while checking the tin. “Guiying, once the biscuits are gone, keep the tin. Good for storing thread and buttons.”
“Got it.”
Li Sanjiang quickly ate the biscuit. When offered more, he waved it off, dusting off his pants. “Alright, the kid’s fine. I’m heading home.”
“I’ll bike you back, Uncle.”
“No, no. No more riding.”
“Then I’ll walk you. Guiying, hand me the flashlight.”
Just then, Li Zhuiyuan’s body convulsed. His breathing grew heavy, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Li Sanjiang sat back down to check on him.
“Uncle, what’s wrong with him?” Li Weihan asked anxiously.
“Nothing much. Probably just a nightmare. Normal stuff. When someone’s haunted, at first they see something beautiful—mesmerizing even. It’s only later they realize the horror. Don’t worry, he’ll forget it in a few days.”
Li Weihan and Cui Guiying nodded, praying the child was truly fine.
“Ah!”
Li Zhuiyuan cried out, sitting bolt upright and gasping for air.
“Little Yuanhou, Little Yuanhou.” Cui Guiying rushed to hold him, gently patting his back. “It’s okay now, baby, don’t be scared. Grandma’s here, Grandma’s right here.”
Li Zhuiyuan looked at her, then at Li Weihan, and finally at the unfamiliar face of Li Sanjiang.
Li Sanjiang pointed at his bulbous, red nose and grinned. “Little Yuanhou, I’m your great-grandpa.”
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