The lingering excitement from the movie hadn’t yet faded, and Su Yuling and Wang Zhenhai were in high spirits, their steps noticeably lighter.
On the way home, Wang Zhenhai enthusiastically reenacted scenes from the movie, spittle nearly flying onto Su Yuling’s face. “Did you see that last scene where the troops charged? The machine guns went rat-a-tat-tat! So thrilling! If I were twenty years younger, I’d definitely enlist!”
Su Yuling linked arms with him, her usual sharp tone softened into warmth. “Yes, yes! My heart was racing watching it! Next time there’s a new release, we’ll come again, let the neighbors see we can enjoy life too!”
Wang Qiang trailed behind, humming along to the movie soundtrack, oblivious to the off-key tune, still holding the uneaten sunflower seeds in his hand, completely content.
The family laughed and chatted, full of happiness, as if they were already living the good life—having the three hundred yuan wedding gift, and Wang Qiang securing his permanent job.
Creak—
Wang Zhenhai pulled out the key, turned it in the lock, and pushed open the gate. Su Yuling hummed, put down her youngest son, and was the first to step into the main room. She reached for the wall light’s pull cord. “That damn girl! It’s already dark, and she didn’t even think to turn on the light—just playing dead in the house!”
Click.
The dim yellow bulb lit up, casting light across the entire room. Tables, chairs, and stools were in their usual places. The storage room door was tightly shut, looking exactly as it had when they left. Su Yuling’s irritation instantly vanished. She tossed the paper bag of sunflower seeds onto the table, stretched lazily, and muttered, “So tiring! Watching a movie is harder than a whole day’s work. I’ll take the little one inside to sleep.”
Yawning, she pushed open the master bedroom door. Wang Zhenhai yawned too, advising Wang Qiang, “You go to bed early, don’t fool around.” Then he followed her inside. Everything was calm and ordinary.
But that calm lasted only three minutes.
“Ah—!!!”
A blood-curdling scream, inhuman in its intensity, pierced the night like a cornered wildcat, full of terror and disbelief. Even the leaves outside rustled in fright.
Wang Zhenhai and Wang Qiang both jumped in shock. Wang Zhenhai, just having lain down, sprang up, bare feet hitting the floor, rushing into the bedroom. “What’s wrong?! What happened?!”
Wang Qiang ran over in a panic, clinging to the doorframe to peek inside.
In the master bedroom, Su Yuling was kneeling in front of the red-lacquered wooden chest, motionless like a statue. The lid was wide open, but the chest was empty. Her most treasured di-ke linen, the brightly colored yarn she had saved to buy, even the brand-new cloth shoes she hadn’t dared wear—everything was gone.
“My things… Where are my things?” Su Yuling’s voice shook, eyes vacant, as if her soul had been torn away. She groped in the empty chest, hoping to magically make her belongings reappear.
Wang Zhenhai’s mind went blank with a buzzing in his head. Instinctively, he rushed to the bedside drawer and yanked it open—it was empty too! The secret stash of money he had wrapped in a handkerchief and hidden in a book had vanished as well!
“My money! My money’s gone too!” His voice rose in pitch, shrill as if strangled, hands frantically searching the drawer, fingernails scratching the wood, leaving marks.
The couple stared at each other like two ducks with their necks squeezed, faces full of panic. They had been robbed! The thought struck like lightning, shocking them both.
“Quick! Check the other places!” Wang Zhenhai recovered first, scrambling toward the wardrobe and yanking the door open. The next moment, his face went pale as paper, legs buckled, almost dropping to the floor—the wardrobe, too, was empty! The Zhongshan suits he had saved for important occasions, Su Yuling’s treasured wool coat—they were all gone!
“Gone… everything’s gone…” Wang Zhenhai slumped to the floor, voice trembling, hands braced on the ground, knuckles white.
Su Yuling, seemingly spurred by his words, suddenly sprang up and ran to the dressing table. Seeing the bare surface, she swayed, nearly collapsing. Her face cream, unused lipstick, even the carved wooden mirror she checked a dozen times a day—everything was gone!
Her wails were deafening, drawing the neighbors’ attention. Soon, footsteps and questions echoed from the yard: “Wife of the Wang family, why are you crying in the middle of the night? What happened?” The compound erupted instantly. Lights flicked on in every home. People, still in robes and slippers, rushed to Wang’s yard, shouting and asking, “What’s going on? How did this happen? What’s missing? Is anyone hurt?”
Seeing the empty chest, wardrobe, and dressing table, everyone gasped: “Good heavens, this thief is ruthless! It’s like locusts swept through—leaving nothing!” “Not even a mirror left! They’ve emptied the whole house!”
Amid the commotion, Wang Qiang ran out, face drawn, holding the empty corner of his mattress. “Dad, Mom! My money and industrial coupons are gone too! Everything I hid under the mattress—gone!”
This was the final straw. Su Yuling went black in the face, her wails abruptly stopping as she collapsed backward.
“Mom!” Wang Qiang shouted, rushing forward.
“Yuling!” Wang Zhenhai panicked, scrambling to help her up.
The yard descended into chaos. Some grabbed their temples, others rushed to fetch hot water, some yelled, “Call a doctor!” After some commotion, Su Yuling slowly came to. Opening her eyes, she clutched Wang Zhenhai’s arm so tightly her nails dug into his flesh. Wang Zhenhai gritted his teeth, but dared not protest.
“Call the police! Quickly! Let them catch the thief!” Su Yuling’s hoarse voice sounded like sandpaper, eyes bloodshot. “We must catch this damn thief—cut them to pieces!”
Wang Zhenhai snapped awake from his daze, nodding frantically. “Yes! Call the police! I’m going to the station now!” He bolted toward the door, forgetting his shoes.
But just then, the neighbor Mrs. Zhang murmured, “Wait… Isn’t someone missing from your house?”
Her words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Su Yuling and Wang Zhenhai. Their expressions froze. The thought they had ignored in the panic suddenly hit—they had locked Su Wanning in the storage room all this time, and not a sound had come from her.
A terrifyingly absurd thought bubbled uncontrollably in their minds. Impossible… absolutely impossible… How could a fragile girl do something like this?
Wang Zhenhai’s legs trembled like sieved grain, each step like treading on cotton. He inched toward the storage room door, all eyes focused on the battered wooden door. The yard was so quiet, they could hear each other’s breaths.
Trembling, he reached for the cold latch, fingers white from the effort. Then, with a sharp pull—
The door opened with a creak.
Inside was empty. The worn wooden bed had no one on it, only the old blankets tossed about, as if no one had ever slept there.
“Where… is she?” Wang Zhenhai’s voice was a faint whisper, eyes hollow as he stared at the empty room, stunned.
Su Yuling looked at the empty storage room, all her strength drained, collapsing again. But this time, her face was not sorrowful. Instead, it was twisted with rage and humiliation, nearly insane.
It was her! That damn girl! The one they thought they could control, meek and weak! She not only escaped, she had taken revenge—emptying the entire house before leaving!
“Su—Wan—Ning—!”
Su Yuling threw back her head, letting out a hiss filled with endless malice, a piercing scream that carried far into the silent night. Even the stray cats at the alley entrance bolted with startled meows.