Chapter 110: 110
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Chapter 110 Visiting the Natural Parents of Xiao Yi
If I visited her parents, Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei, alone I would go without authority. I was only a boy after all, so I called upon Lv Bin to join me. He was a Taoist master with status and would hopefully smooth out the ordeal.
I went to the police office to look for Lv Bin. I caught him as he was packing away all of their stuff and preparing to leave.
“What are you doing here?” He asked as I walked past the receptionist. She waved her hand at me in disapproval.
"I’m going to do as I promised and visit Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei. You’re coming with me.” I told him. It occurred to me later that I was unnaturally comfortable giving orders to this Taoist master.
We took the bus from the village to Zheng Hongjun’s home. A policeman named Li went with us as well. I called him Police Li, a nickname that he accepted with the least bit of chagrin. I also came to find out that Lv Bin’s apprentices were named Da Lin and Bi Lian. I didn’t mind Da Lin, but the woman’s name, Bi Lian, reminded me of Xu Xian’s sister in the Legend of the White Snake. She gave me the willies.
When we arrived at the village, Police Li showed his ID to the locals and gained us directions to the Zheng’s house. It was a wealthier village with many brick homes. Some of the lower end buildings were made of stacked stone that had been painted red to match. It wasn’t much, but it was far nicer than my village.
I inspected the houses longingly and hoped that our new home would look something like them.
The Zheng’s house was a chick in a crowd of cranes. It sat mottled, molded, and beaten amongst the fancier brick houses. It looked as decrepit as one of the homes in the deserted village.
The door didn’t fit its frame, but hung lazily to one side. The walls were made of tumbling and cracked stones that looked rotten. “If stones even can rot.” I thought. Several old hens pecked around the front yard, looking desperately thin.
Police Li shouted out as we entered, "Where is Zheng Hongjun?"
A man who looked to be about forty stepped out in nothing but maroon underpants that sagged off of his thin body.
"Are you Zheng Hongjun?" Police Li asked.
The man nodded and asked, "Who are you?" He peered at us, leaning slightly to the left and back as if about to topple over.
Police Li showed his ID to Zheng Hongjun. Zheng Hongjun reeled back, “What do you want? Why am I under arrest?”
Police Li frowned at the man, “I said nothing of the sort. Why? What’ve you done?”
The thin man leaned back so far that I was sure his spine would snap and he would topple into nothingness. He stumbled backwards and leaned against the crumbling doorway. Lv Bin stepped forward, “We’re here investigating Zheng Baolong, not you. Will you please cooperate with us? Are you aware that Zheng Baolong was arrested?”
Zheng Hongjun nodded, his hair whipping back and forth like wild. "Um, I see. No I didn’t know, but I’m not surprised. He had a tendency to dig up the past if you know what I mean. What does this have to do with me?” He demanded, taking the time to scratch his backside.
A woman came out from behind him. She was dressed in brilliant colors and slapped the hand he was using to scratch his rump. “Who?” She asked.
Zheng Hongjun mimicked Lv Bin’s statement, "We are the police. We come here to investigate the Procuress.”
"Procuress?" I asked.
“That was his nickname.” The man replied. “The whole town knew what he was about, always digging up the girls and doling out their bodies like the head bitch in a brothel.”
The woman, Song Shuangmei I had to presume, nodded her head. She looked down her long nose at us and then turned back around, disappearing into the house.
“Won’t you come in?” The mostly naked man asked.
The inside of the house was clean, but the furniture was faded and dusty. Song Shuangmei poured water for us and the adults made small talk for a moment.
Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei seemed to notice me at the same time. They asked almost in unison, “Why did you bring you kid along?” Both were looking at Lv Bin.
I cleared my throat before anyone could answer. “I’m not their child. My name is Shi Yong, you might’ve heard of me.”
Zheng Hongjun let out a gasp and choked on his water. Fighting his way past a lungful of not-air, he finally managed, "Shi Yong? Didn’t your family adopt our daughter?”
I nodded. Song Shuangmei cleared her throat. “Not our daughter, Lao Shi’s daughter.”
Zheng Hongjun immediately agreed, "Yes, yes, so it is. Well, why are you here?”
Police Li cleared his throat and interrupted. “Excuse me, there’s something I must see to.” He nodded at Lv Bin and walked out the door.
As soon as he was gone, Lv Bin asked them, "Where are your children?"
Zheng Hongjun answered, "The oldest two are working at the restaurant in the village. Number three is asleep in the other room, why?” He squinted at Lv Bin suspiciously.
Lv Bin said, "We came about Zheng Baolong. He stole a corpse from the neighboring village, your daughter’s corpse. Did you know anything about that?”
They both shook their heads. “Not a thing.” Zheng Hongjun said.
Lv Bin looked at Zheng Hongjun and said with a smile, "Zheng Hongjun, I don’t care why you sold your daughter. Frankly, I don’t give a damn why you do anything that you do. But you’d better tell me the truth. We have cold hard evidence that connects you to this.”
Zheng Hongjun threw his hands into the air. “That girl is more trouble dead than she ever was alive!” He half shouted.
I went white hot with fury. He wasn’t even upset that she was dead. He didn’t give two shits that her body was stolen. He even spoke ill of her, a dead girl!
I started forward and Lv Bin stopped me. He raised his voice over a low growl that started rumbling in me. "I have to tell you something. You might not believe me, but you must trust that I am thinking of you and your…family.” He finished hesitantly.
“If its about the ghosts that keep showing up, then go ahead.” The man answered.
“There were ghosts here?” I asked, too surprised to be angry.
Lv Bin interrupted again, "We’ll talk about those later. I want to talk about your daughter’s stolen corpse.”
Zheng Hongjun gave an impassive smile, "There’s nothing to say. Her body was taken, you arrested the guy, end of story.”
Lv Bin turned to me. “Your turn, kiddo.”
I told them everything. I told them about Xiao Wen, all the weird things that happened in my village. I told them about Xiao Yi, about her ghost and the marriage ritual she was forced into. The only thing I didn’t bring up was Xiao Yi’s revenge.
Zheng Hongjun’s expression was a roller coaster of emotions throughout my story. When I was finished he cleared his throat and said simply, “Why does any of this matter to me? We barely knew the girl.”
I took a deep breath to quell the fire burning in my heart and said, "You’re her parents! You have to apologize to her!”
“For what?” Zheng Hongjun asked.
“For killing her sister!” I practically screamed. The old man stepped back away from me.
“You have no proof of that! Don’t slander me boy!” His words were angry, but it was fear in his voice.
I forced a smiled and gathered my thoughts. “Why are you nervous? You said it yourself, I don’t have evidence. Only God can know what you’ve done, and you’re not concerned with that punishment are you?”
Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei stared at me in silence.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm my galloping pulse. “I came here to ask you to apologize to your daughter. I will even take you to her tomb. Her spirit suffered during life, and is still suffering during death. Please, please come with me and help calm her. You can help her into the next life.” I lowered my voice, “Plus it would be terrible if you didn’t and she had to haunt you for the rest of your days.”
Zheng Hongjun’s eyes locked onto mine. His face was paper white and looked very haggard. “Do you mean that the ghost is our daughter? Truly?” I nodded.
“The ones who were here might be of a different nature, but the one I saw was indeed your daughter.” I told them. “Will you apologize and bring peace to Xiao Yi?”
Zheng Hongjun hesitated for a moment, but Song Shuangmei spoke for them both, "Yes, we feel sorry for what we did to our girl. We are really very sorry." And then Song Shuangmei began to cry. I didn't know if she was frightened or genuinely sad.
“It doesn’t matter,” I thought, “As long as they apologize.”
So that was one problem solved, but it did raise one more question. What spirits were lingering around the Zheng house?
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Chapter 110 Visiting the Natural Parents of Xiao Yi
If I visited her parents, Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei, alone I would go without authority. I was only a boy after all, so I called upon Lv Bin to join me. He was a Taoist master with status and would hopefully smooth out the ordeal.
I went to the police office to look for Lv Bin. I caught him as he was packing away all of their stuff and preparing to leave.
“What are you doing here?” He asked as I walked past the receptionist. She waved her hand at me in disapproval.
"I’m going to do as I promised and visit Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei. You’re coming with me.” I told him. It occurred to me later that I was unnaturally comfortable giving orders to this Taoist master.
We took the bus from the village to Zheng Hongjun’s home. A policeman named Li went with us as well. I called him Police Li, a nickname that he accepted with the least bit of chagrin. I also came to find out that Lv Bin’s apprentices were named Da Lin and Bi Lian. I didn’t mind Da Lin, but the woman’s name, Bi Lian, reminded me of Xu Xian’s sister in the Legend of the White Snake. She gave me the willies.
When we arrived at the village, Police Li showed his ID to the locals and gained us directions to the Zheng’s house. It was a wealthier village with many brick homes. Some of the lower end buildings were made of stacked stone that had been painted red to match. It wasn’t much, but it was far nicer than my village.
I inspected the houses longingly and hoped that our new home would look something like them.
The Zheng’s house was a chick in a crowd of cranes. It sat mottled, molded, and beaten amongst the fancier brick houses. It looked as decrepit as one of the homes in the deserted village.
The door didn’t fit its frame, but hung lazily to one side. The walls were made of tumbling and cracked stones that looked rotten. “If stones even can rot.” I thought. Several old hens pecked around the front yard, looking desperately thin.
Police Li shouted out as we entered, "Where is Zheng Hongjun?"
A man who looked to be about forty stepped out in nothing but maroon underpants that sagged off of his thin body.
"Are you Zheng Hongjun?" Police Li asked.
The man nodded and asked, "Who are you?" He peered at us, leaning slightly to the left and back as if about to topple over.
Police Li showed his ID to Zheng Hongjun. Zheng Hongjun reeled back, “What do you want? Why am I under arrest?”
Police Li frowned at the man, “I said nothing of the sort. Why? What’ve you done?”
The thin man leaned back so far that I was sure his spine would snap and he would topple into nothingness. He stumbled backwards and leaned against the crumbling doorway. Lv Bin stepped forward, “We’re here investigating Zheng Baolong, not you. Will you please cooperate with us? Are you aware that Zheng Baolong was arrested?”
Zheng Hongjun nodded, his hair whipping back and forth like wild. "Um, I see. No I didn’t know, but I’m not surprised. He had a tendency to dig up the past if you know what I mean. What does this have to do with me?” He demanded, taking the time to scratch his backside.
A woman came out from behind him. She was dressed in brilliant colors and slapped the hand he was using to scratch his rump. “Who?” She asked.
Zheng Hongjun mimicked Lv Bin’s statement, "We are the police. We come here to investigate the Procuress.”
"Procuress?" I asked.
“That was his nickname.” The man replied. “The whole town knew what he was about, always digging up the girls and doling out their bodies like the head bitch in a brothel.”
The woman, Song Shuangmei I had to presume, nodded her head. She looked down her long nose at us and then turned back around, disappearing into the house.
“Won’t you come in?” The mostly naked man asked.
The inside of the house was clean, but the furniture was faded and dusty. Song Shuangmei poured water for us and the adults made small talk for a moment.
Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei seemed to notice me at the same time. They asked almost in unison, “Why did you bring you kid along?” Both were looking at Lv Bin.
I cleared my throat before anyone could answer. “I’m not their child. My name is Shi Yong, you might’ve heard of me.”
Zheng Hongjun let out a gasp and choked on his water. Fighting his way past a lungful of not-air, he finally managed, "Shi Yong? Didn’t your family adopt our daughter?”
I nodded. Song Shuangmei cleared her throat. “Not our daughter, Lao Shi’s daughter.”
Zheng Hongjun immediately agreed, "Yes, yes, so it is. Well, why are you here?”
Police Li cleared his throat and interrupted. “Excuse me, there’s something I must see to.” He nodded at Lv Bin and walked out the door.
As soon as he was gone, Lv Bin asked them, "Where are your children?"
Zheng Hongjun answered, "The oldest two are working at the restaurant in the village. Number three is asleep in the other room, why?” He squinted at Lv Bin suspiciously.
Lv Bin said, "We came about Zheng Baolong. He stole a corpse from the neighboring village, your daughter’s corpse. Did you know anything about that?”
They both shook their heads. “Not a thing.” Zheng Hongjun said.
Lv Bin looked at Zheng Hongjun and said with a smile, "Zheng Hongjun, I don’t care why you sold your daughter. Frankly, I don’t give a damn why you do anything that you do. But you’d better tell me the truth. We have cold hard evidence that connects you to this.”
Zheng Hongjun threw his hands into the air. “That girl is more trouble dead than she ever was alive!” He half shouted.
I went white hot with fury. He wasn’t even upset that she was dead. He didn’t give two shits that her body was stolen. He even spoke ill of her, a dead girl!
I started forward and Lv Bin stopped me. He raised his voice over a low growl that started rumbling in me. "I have to tell you something. You might not believe me, but you must trust that I am thinking of you and your…family.” He finished hesitantly.
“If its about the ghosts that keep showing up, then go ahead.” The man answered.
“There were ghosts here?” I asked, too surprised to be angry.
Lv Bin interrupted again, "We’ll talk about those later. I want to talk about your daughter’s stolen corpse.”
Zheng Hongjun gave an impassive smile, "There’s nothing to say. Her body was taken, you arrested the guy, end of story.”
Lv Bin turned to me. “Your turn, kiddo.”
I told them everything. I told them about Xiao Wen, all the weird things that happened in my village. I told them about Xiao Yi, about her ghost and the marriage ritual she was forced into. The only thing I didn’t bring up was Xiao Yi’s revenge.
Zheng Hongjun’s expression was a roller coaster of emotions throughout my story. When I was finished he cleared his throat and said simply, “Why does any of this matter to me? We barely knew the girl.”
I took a deep breath to quell the fire burning in my heart and said, "You’re her parents! You have to apologize to her!”
“For what?” Zheng Hongjun asked.
“For killing her sister!” I practically screamed. The old man stepped back away from me.
“You have no proof of that! Don’t slander me boy!” His words were angry, but it was fear in his voice.
I forced a smiled and gathered my thoughts. “Why are you nervous? You said it yourself, I don’t have evidence. Only God can know what you’ve done, and you’re not concerned with that punishment are you?”
Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei stared at me in silence.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm my galloping pulse. “I came here to ask you to apologize to your daughter. I will even take you to her tomb. Her spirit suffered during life, and is still suffering during death. Please, please come with me and help calm her. You can help her into the next life.” I lowered my voice, “Plus it would be terrible if you didn’t and she had to haunt you for the rest of your days.”
Zheng Hongjun’s eyes locked onto mine. His face was paper white and looked very haggard. “Do you mean that the ghost is our daughter? Truly?” I nodded.
“The ones who were here might be of a different nature, but the one I saw was indeed your daughter.” I told them. “Will you apologize and bring peace to Xiao Yi?”
Zheng Hongjun hesitated for a moment, but Song Shuangmei spoke for them both, "Yes, we feel sorry for what we did to our girl. We are really very sorry." And then Song Shuangmei began to cry. I didn't know if she was frightened or genuinely sad.
“It doesn’t matter,” I thought, “As long as they apologize.”
So that was one problem solved, but it did raise one more question. What spirits were lingering around the Zheng house?
Chapter 110 Visiting the Natural Parents of Xiao YiIf I visited her parents, Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei, alone I would go without authority. I was only a boy after all, so I called upon Lv Bin to join me. He was a Taoist master with status and would hopefully smooth out the ordeal.I went to the police office to look for Lv Bin. I caught him as he was packing away all of their stuff and preparing to leave. What are you doing here? He asked as I walked past the receptionist. She waved her hand at me in disapproval. "I'm going to do as I promised and visit Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei. You're coming with me. I told him. It occurred to me later that I was unnaturally comfortable giving orders to this Taoist master.We took the bus from the village to Zheng Hongjun's home. A policeman named Li went with us as well. I called him Police Li, a nickname that he accepted with the least bit of chagrin. I also came to find out that Lv Bin's apprentices were named Da Lin and Bi Lian. I didn't mind Da Lin, but the woman's name, Bi Lian, reminded me of Xu Xian's sister in the Legend of the White Snake. She gave me the willies. When we arrived at the village, Police Li showed his ID to the locals and gained us directions to the Zheng's house. It was a wealthier village with many brick homes. Some of the lower end buildings were made of stacked stone that had been painted red to match. It wasn't much, but it was far nicer than my village.I inspected the houses longingly and hoped that our new home would look something like them.The Zheng's house was a chick in a crowd of cranes. It sat mottled, molded, and beaten amongst the fancier brick houses. It looked as decrepit as one of the homes in the deserted village.The door didn't fit its frame, but hung lazily to one side. The walls were made of tumbling and cracked stones that looked rotten. If stones even can rot. I thought. Several old hens pecked around the front yard, looking desperately thin. Police Li shouted out as we entered, "Where is Zheng Hongjun?"A man who looked to be about forty stepped out in nothing but maroon underpants that sagged off of his thin body."Are you Zheng Hongjun?" Police Li asked.The man nodded and asked, "Who are you?" He peered at us, leaning slightly to the left and back as if about to topple over.Police Li showed his ID to Zheng Hongjun. Zheng Hongjun reeled back, What do you want? Why am I under arrest?Police Li frowned at the man, I said nothing of the sort. Why? What've you done? The thin man leaned back so far that I was sure his spine would snap and he would topple into nothingness. He stumbled backwards and leaned against the crumbling doorway. Lv Bin stepped forward, We're here investigating Zheng Baolong, not you. Will you please cooperate with us? Are you aware that Zheng Baolong was arrested? Zheng Hongjun nodded, his hair whipping back and forth like wild. "Um, I see. No I didn't know, but I'm not surprised. He had a tendency to dig up the past if you know what I mean. What does this have to do with me? He demanded, taking the time to scratch his backside.A woman came out from behind him. She was dressed in brilliant colors and slapped the hand he was using to scratch his rump. Who? She asked.Zheng Hongjun mimicked Lv Bin's statement, "We are the police. We come here to investigate the Procuress."Procuress?" I asked.That was his nickname. The man replied. The whole town knew what he was about, always digging up the girls and doling out their bodies like the head bitch in a brothel.The woman, Song Shuangmei I had to presume, nodded her head. She looked down her long nose at us and then turned back around, disappearing into the house.Won't you come in? The mostly naked man asked.The inside of the house was clean, but the furniture was faded and dusty. Song Shuangmei poured water for us and the adults made small talk for a moment.Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei seemed to notice me at the same time. They asked almost in unison, Why did you bring you kid along? Both were looking at Lv Bin.I cleared my throat before anyone could answer. I'm not their child. My name is Shi Yong, you might've heard of me.Zheng Hongjun let out a gasp and choked on his water. Fighting his way past a lungful of not-air, he finally managed, "Shi Yong? Didn't your family adopt our daughter?I nodded. Song Shuangmei cleared her throat. Not our daughter, Lao Shi's daughter.Zheng Hongjun immediately agreed, "Yes, yes, so it is. Well, why are you here?Police Li cleared his throat and interrupted. Excuse me, there's something I must see to. He nodded at Lv Bin and walked out the door.As soon as he was gone, Lv Bin asked them, "Where are your children?"Zheng Hongjun answered, "The oldest two are working at the restaurant in the village. Number three is asleep in the other room, why? He squinted at Lv Bin suspiciously.Lv Bin said, "We came about Zheng Baolong. He stole a corpse from the neighboring village, your daughter's corpse. Did you know anything about that?They both shook their heads. Not a thing. Zheng Hongjun said.Lv Bin looked at Zheng Hongjun and said with a smile, "Zheng Hongjun, I don't care why you sold your daughter. Frankly, I don't give a damn why you do anything that you do. But you'd better tell me the truth. We have cold hard evidence that connects you to this.Zheng Hongjun threw his hands into the air. That girl is more trouble dead than she ever was alive! He half shouted.I went white hot with fury. He wasn't even upset that she was dead. He didn't give two shits that her body was stolen. He even spoke ill of her, a dead girl!I started forward and Lv Bin stopped me. He raised his voice over a low growl that started rumbling in me. "I have to tell you something. You might not believe me, but you must trust that I am thinking of you and yourfamily. He finished hesitantly. If its about the ghosts that keep showing up, then go ahead. The man answered. There were ghosts here? I asked, too surprised to be angry.Lv Bin interrupted again, "We'll talk about those later. I want to talk about your daughter's stolen corpse.Zheng Hongjun gave an impassive smile, "There's nothing to say. Her body was taken, you arrested the guy, end of story.Lv Bin turned to me. Your turn, kiddo.I told them everything. I told them about Xiao Wen, all the weird things that happened in my village. I told them about Xiao Yi, about her ghost and the marriage ritual she was forced into. The only thing I didn't bring up was Xiao Yi's revenge. Zheng Hongjun's expression was a roller coaster of emotions throughout my story. When I was finished he cleared his throat and said simply, Why does any of this matter to me? We barely knew the girl.I took a deep breath to quell the fire burning in my heart and said, "You're her parents! You have to apologize to her!For what? Zheng Hongjun asked.For killing her sister! I practically screamed. The old man stepped back away from me.You have no proof of that! Don't slander me boy! His words were angry, but it was fear in his voice.I forced a smiled and gathered my thoughts. Why are you nervous? You said it yourself, I don't have evidence. Only God can know what you've done, and you're not concerned with that punishment are you?Zheng Hongjun and Song Shuangmei stared at me in silence.I took a deep breath and tried to calm my galloping pulse. I came here to ask you to apologize to your daughter. I will even take you to her tomb. Her spirit suffered during life, and is still suffering during death. Please, please come with me and help calm her. You can help her into the next life. I lowered my voice, Plus it would be terrible if you didn't and she had to haunt you for the rest of your days.Zheng Hongjun's eyes locked onto mine. His face was paper white and looked very haggard. Do you mean that the ghost is our daughter? Truly? I nodded. The ones who were here might be of a different nature, but the one I saw was indeed your daughter. I told them. Will you apologize and bring peace to Xiao Yi? Zheng Hongjun hesitated for a moment, but Song Shuangmei spoke for them both, "Yes, we feel sorry for what we did to our girl. We are really very sorry." And then Song Shuangmei began to cry. I didn't know if she was frightened or genuinely sad. It doesn't matter, I thought, As long as they apologize.So that was one problem solved, but it did raise one more question. What spirits were lingering around the Zheng house?
