At noon, Ji Dehua hurried home and called out breathlessly, “Qiuyun! Qingyan!”
“Second Brother, what’s the matter?” Ji Qiuyun was slicing vegetables in the kitchen and stepped out at the sound of his voice.
Ji Dehua said, “I ran into the Production Team Leader on the road just now. He told me you’ve bought the house at the foot of the mountain — and he’s already taking two men over to repair the roof.”
Hearing this, Ye Qingyan’s eyes lit up. “Uncle Liu certainly works fast. He’s already arranged for repairs. It looks like we’ll be able to move in very soon.”
“What on earth is going on?” Ji Dehua looked deeply worried. “That house is said to be terribly unlucky. The villagers usually go out of their way to avoid it. And here you two have gone and bought it!”
“What?” Zhao Mei and Ji Qiming were both taken aback.
Zhao Mei shut the gate firmly, then whispered to the mother and daughter, “You two don’t know — that house is frightening. Folks say strange noises come from there deep in the night. Once, someone summoned the courage to go inside, hoping to carry off some furniture for their own use… but he ran straight back out the moment he stepped foot in there. No one knows what he saw.”
Ye Qingyan shrugged. “Aunt Zhao, I went inside yesterday. There’s nothing at all in there. Just tall weeds in the yard making it look a little run-down, that’s all.”
At her words, four pairs of eyes stared at her in disbelief. This girl really had nerves of steel — going in there all alone like that.
“Being harmless by daylight doesn’t mean it’s safe at night,” Ji Dehua frowned. “I say forget it. I’ll ask the Team Leader to allocate us a new plot of land and we’ll build a house from scratch instead.”
Ye Qingyan shook her head. “Uncle, it’s too late for that. I gave the Team Leader a written IOU this morning. The deal is done.”
“That’s still no reason to worry. I’ll just speak to him and get the note back.”
Ji Dehua turned toward the door, but Ye Qingyan quickly called out to stop him. “Please don’t go, Uncle. We truly think that house is wonderful. There are large private plots right around it, and it’s a bright, spacious brick-and-tile building!”
“Qiuyun… do you really think it’s a fine house too?” Ji Dehua turned to his sister.
Ji Qiuyun nodded. “I do. With a bit of tidying up, it will be perfectly livable. As for those rumors… we ought to put an end to such feudal superstition.”
“Hahaha!” Ji Qiming burst out laughing. “Auntie speaks the truth! Feudal superstition has no place here. Father, if you’re still worried — why don’t I move there for a couple of days first? Once we’re sure there’s nothing amiss, then Auntie and Sister can move in too.”
Zhao Mei slapped him playfully on the shoulder. “You fool, don’t talk such nonsense! How about you go live there all by yourself, and let your aunt and sister stay right here?”
“Mother, that hurts!” Ji Qiming ducked away. “I’m nearly twenty — not a child anymore! Please stop hitting me, it’s embarrassing!”
“You’re asking for a good thrash, that’s what it is!” Zhao Mei glared at him. “Even if you lived to be eighty, I’d still feel obliged to box your ears!”
Ji Qiming’s lighthearted banter broke the tension, and no one pressed the matter further.
They had done all they could to persuade her. Since Ji Qiuyun and Ye Qingyan remained firm in their decision, what more could anyone say?
“I’ll finish cooking — lunch will be ready shortly,” Ji Qiuyun said with a smile, turning back to the stove.
Three days later, the Team Leader came by to inform them the roof was fully repaired. He told them to go over and clean up — they could move in whenever they pleased.
Ye Qingyan brewed a cup of sugar water and handed the enamel mug to Liu Hong. “Uncle Liu, thank you for coming all this way. Please, have a drink and catch your breath.”
Liu Hong had been working hard all morning without a sip of water, and he was indeed thirsty. He accepted the mug gratefully.
He took a sip — the water was sweet and rich. She had clearly added sugar.
Liu Hong looked surprised. “Next time, plain water will do. There’s no need for such formality. As Team Leader, this is all part of my duty.”
Ye Qingyan nodded meekly. “Understood, Uncle.”
After seeing Liu Hong to the gate, Ye Qingyan gathered cleaning supplies and set off for the new house with Ji Qiuyun.
It was the first time Ji Qiuyun had ever stepped inside the place. She walked close behind her daughter, clutching her hoe tightly, every step taken with the utmost caution.
Seeing her mother’s unease, Ye Qingyan couldn’t help but smile. “Mother, relax. There’s truly nothing here at all.”
Just then, rustling sounds came from the tall grass beside them — nearly knee-high.
“AHHHHHHH!” Ji Qiuyun shrieked in fright, scrambling backward and pulling Ye Qingyan along with her.
After retreating some five or six meters, Ye Qingyan stopped and gently freed her arm from her mother’s grasp. “Mother, wait here. Let me go take a look.”
“Don’t…!”
Ji Qiuyun reached out to hold her back, but Ye Qingyan was already walking toward the grass before she could stop her.
Hoe in hand, Ye Qingyan parted the tall foliage to clear a path and shoo away whatever small creature might be hiding there. She walked slowly inward.
Some seven or eight meters in, she found the true culprit that had frightened her mother.
It was a large, tall dog — with brown fur on its four legs and glossy black everywhere else. It looked quite different from the village’s ordinary mongrels.
Ye Qingyan studied the animal warily, and the dog looked back at her.
After a minute or so, she concluded it meant her no harm. “Have you been living here all this time?”
Naturally, the dog could not speak — yet it tilted its chin upward, almost as if answering: Yes.
“What a good boy,” Ye Qingyan said, whether or not it could understand. “This house belongs to my family now — but I promise we won’t drive you away. You can go on living here. We’ve only come to clear the yard and clean the house, that’s all.”
As if understanding every word, the dog lay down on the ground, closed its eyes, and rested quietly — not disturbing them at their work.
Ye Qingyan’s heart lifted. The house stood alone at the foot of the mountain, with no neighbors nearby. If this dog chose to stay and guard the place, that would be wonderful indeed!
She was not afraid of ghosts. She was afraid of people.
There are two things in this world too terrible to look upon directly: the sun… and the human heart.
The hearts of men are far more fearsome than any ghost or spirit.
Living here alone, mother and daughter — once their fortunes improved, unscrupulous people might well take notice.
A watchdog would be an excellent thing to have.
“Qingyan? Where are you?” Ji Qiuyun’s voice called out anxiously from beyond the grass. “Let’s just go home.”
“I’m quite alright, Mother!” Ye Qingyan pushed through the grass and stepped back out. “There’s a large black dog in there, and it seems very gentle. That rustling noise was just it running about in the undergrowth.”
Ji Qiuyun let out a long breath of relief. “Is that all? Well then — let’s get to work!”
Inside, the furniture left behind by the previous owner was all still there: tables, chairs, benches, a bed, and wardrobes — all made of fine, sturdy timber. A good wipe-down and they were perfectly usable.
Over the next few days, they cleaned and arranged everything. Once all was ready, Ji Qiuyun and Ye Qingyan moved in with their belongings.
The dog had not gone away. After feeding it five or six times, Ye Qingyan gathered her courage and reached out to stroke its head.
Far from growling, the dog nuzzled her hand affectionately.
Oh… so they really had a dog now?
Ye Qingyan seized the moment. “From now on, I shall call you Chu Yi — how does that sound?”
She chuckled. “If you won’t say no, I shall take that as a yes.”
Chu Yi: … (Mind over matter. Do not bite her. One good meal is worth many hungry days.)