Since the process of welcoming Ma Jiajie could only be carried out late at night, I didn't set off until 10:30 p.m., riding my electric bike with the offerings of the Three Lives.

Fortunately, my electric scooter is specifically for delivering packages. There are two large boxes welded to the back of the seat. One box contains chickens and ducks, and the other contains a pig's head and some sticky rice and other things.

It was very dark tonight, and the streetlights along this road had been broken for a long time. My electric scooter's headlights weren't very bright because I wanted to save power. Occasionally, a few streetlights weren't completely broken, but they flickered, which added to the eeriness of the place.

As I was riding my bike, perhaps because I was too nervous, I kept feeling something following me from behind, making rustling footsteps.

But I didn't dare to look back, afraid of seeing something terrifying. Even without looking back, just thinking about it made my heart pound. I was so nervous that I slowed my breathing and could clearly hear my heart beating.

I felt so oppressed that I stopped the car, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. I immediately felt a little relieved and muttered to myself, "Damn it, there's no such thing as so much filth in the world. I'm being too paranoid."

I calmed myself down, mustered my courage, and looked back. I didn't see anything, and my heart, which had been pounding, finally relaxed. I let out a long sigh of relief. I must have been too nervous. Everything sounded like footsteps. It seems that my recent experiences have scared me out of my courage. Although I wasn't as brave as Tong Liu before, I wasn't afraid of walking alone at night.

I looked again carefully, but still found nothing. Finally, I realized I had misheard. I was completely relieved, threw away the cigarette butt in my hand, and turned to ride my bike back.

But when I turned around, the scene before me terrified me to death.

I saw a pale, withered, and wrinkled face less than 20 centimeters away from me. Its lips were purple and it had a strange smile. It had only three or four large yellow teeth, and through the gaps between the teeth, I could see a scarlet tongue.

"Damn it, it's a ghost!" I yelled, jumped off the electric scooter, and tried to run away.

But before I could run away, my hand was grabbed by a withered hand. I jumped and tried to shake off the hand that was holding me, but no matter how hard I tried, the withered hand was like a pair of pliers, holding my hand tightly and refusing to let go.

My heart was pounding in my chest. I turned around, ready to fight him, but when I looked back and saw what was in front of me clearly, I suddenly froze and asked uncertainly, "Are you An Lili's grandmother?"

Only after we got a distance could I see the old woman in front of me clearly. Wasn't she An Lili's grandmother?

How could she have appeared here so quietly?

"Grandma An, is that you? What brings you here so late at night?" I swallowed and asked.

"Hehe, young man, what's that? It smells so good!" The old lady stuck out her tongue and licked her lips, asking softly.

I carefully examined the old woman in front of me and was quite certain that she was An Lili's grandmother. So I took out my phone and dialed An Lili's number.

This old lady in front of me is mentally unstable, and I'm too lazy to waste my breath arguing with her.

The call was answered shortly afterward, and An Lili's slightly groggy voice came through the receiver, "Who is it, calling me so late at night?"

“An Lili, this is Zuo Changming. Your grandma has run away again.” I looked around to make sure we were on the road from Daping Village to Mawu Village, and then said, “It’s about a kilometer from your house to the Mawu Village Committee.”

"Oh no, my grandma ran out again?" An Lili heard a rustling sound on the other end of the line before saying, "Zuo Changming, could you keep an eye on my grandma for a bit? I'm coming right now."

"Okay, come over here quickly."

After hanging up the phone, I noticed the old lady was still holding my hand tightly. I said, "Grandma, I've already called your granddaughter. She'll be here soon to take you home. Why are you still holding on to me?"

"Hey buddy, what's in your box? Let me have a taste!"

The old lady had a creepy smile on her face and was licking her lips. If I didn't know she was An Lili's grandmother, I would have ridden away by now, because being with her always gave me the creeps.

"There's nothing in the box, let go of my hand first." Seeing that the old lady was still holding onto my hand tightly, I pulled back hard, but still couldn't break free.

"I don't believe it. I smelled it from far away. It must be delicious food. I want to eat it." The old lady didn't even look at me. Her eyes were fixed on the box on the back of my electric scooter.

"Alright, alright, I'll give you some to eat." I thought to myself that this old lady must be hungry to have come out so late, so I opened the box on the left, tore off a chicken leg, and handed it to the old lady.

When the old lady saw the chicken leg, she let go of my hand, grabbed the chicken leg, and kept smelling it.

I hurriedly pulled my hand back and saw that my wrist had been gripped so tightly by the old lady that it had turned a little purple. I felt very strange. I had been practicing the breathing technique that my grandfather taught me since I was a child, and my strength was much stronger than that of ordinary people. How come I couldn't break free from An Lili's grandmother, who was so old?

Could it be that their generation did more farm work and therefore had better physical fitness than us?

I couldn't figure it out and I was too lazy to think about it. I saw Anlili's grandma holding this chicken leg but not eating it, she just put it to her nose and smelled it.

"Grandma An, if you're hungry, feel free to eat. The chicken legs are fresh."

"Yes, I've already eaten." The old lady held the chicken leg, a satisfied expression on her face.

I was speechless. No wonder An Lili said her grandma had mental problems; it seems she was right. She was holding a chicken leg but didn't even know how to eat it.

Just then, a light shone from afar, approaching gradually.

I squinted, and a moment later I saw An Lili riding her electric scooter up in front of me.

"Grandma, why are you running around again?" An Lili glared at the old lady as soon as she got out of the car, then looked at me and said, "Zuo Changming, thank you."

I waved my hand and said, "It's alright, the old lady is probably just hungry. You should take her home."

“Okay, I’ll take my grandma home first. Be careful on the way.” An Lili said, letting her grandma sit in the back seat.

An Lili drove her grandmother around behind me, nodded to me, and then slowly drove away.

Just then, the old lady sitting in the back seat suddenly turned around and said quietly, "Young man, your chicken leg is delicious. Tonight at that intersection, if someone calls your name, don't answer. Also, if you see a woman in red and embroidered shoes, don't look at her..."

An Lili drove the old lady further and further away, and I couldn't hear what she said after that.

"She must be out of her mind." I shook my head helplessly, got on my electric bike, and headed towards the traffic light. I didn't pay any attention to what the old lady had said.