Chapter 43: Rumors in the Yard

After a day of cleaning by the mother and daughter, the whole yard finally regained its vitality and looked much brighter.

Ling Yao sat on a chair in the main room and wiped the sweat off her face. "Tomorrow I will go to the street to find two workers to come and repair the roof and doors and windows. We can move in the day after tomorrow." She was very satisfied with this yard.

Ling Xuemei was also very happy. "Then shall we stay in the guesthouse tonight?" There were no buses back to the village now.

"Let's go to the state-owned hotel for dinner first, and stay at the guesthouse tonight."

Li Ling was serving dishes to the guests. She was slightly surprised when she saw Ling Yao and Ling Xuemei come in. She quickly served the dishes to the guests' table and then went to greet them, "Ling Yao, why are you here now?"

Ling Yao gave her fifty yuan that day, and she sent her mother to the hospital. After a few days of treatment, her mother's health has improved a lot, and she will be discharged in two days.

Ling Yao smiled at Li Ling, "Let's come over for dinner. Mom, this is Li Ling, my classmate."

"Hello, auntie!" Li Ling hurriedly greeted Ling Xuemei politely.

"Hello, classmate Li Ling!" Ling Xuemei also smiled and greeted Li Ling.

"Auntie! Lingyao, you two can sit over there." Li Ling took Lingyao and Ling Xuemei to a window seat. It was a little hot now, and it would be more comfortable to sit by the window with the breeze blowing in.

After Lingyao and Ling Xuemei sat down, Li Ling handed the menu to Ling Xuemei, "Auntie, take a look, what do you want to order?"

Ling Xuemei took the menu and scanned it briefly, "Two bowls of rice, a bowl of tomato and egg soup, and a bowl of stir-fried beans will do."

She is a doctor and pays special attention to dietary health. When she was at home, she always followed the principle of "eat well in the morning, eat full at noon, and eat less at night."

"Okay, then you wait a moment, I'll go place the order." Li Ling wrote the menu and walked towards the kitchen.

There weren't many guests at the state-owned hotel in the evening. After Ling Yao and Ling Xuemei finished their meal, the hotel was about to close.

"Ling Yao, where are you and your aunt going to stay tonight?" Li Ling knew that Ling Yao's family was in the countryside, and there were no buses at this late hour.

"Let's stay at the guesthouse."

Li Ling hesitated for a moment, "If you don't mind, you can stay at my house, which is not far from here." Ling Yao helped her, and she wanted to repay Ling Yao.

"No, we won't bother you."

"Don't you consider me a friend?"

"It's just too much of a bother for you."

"No, I'm so happy that you guys are coming to my house, wait for me, I'll pack and go with you guys." After Li Ling finished speaking, she ran quickly to the kitchen without giving Ling Yao a chance to refuse.

Ling Yao shook her head helplessly and smiled.

After waiting for a while, Li Ling came out with a bag. The bag contained leftovers, which she took back for her younger brothers and sisters.

Every day, there would be some leftovers left by guests in the state-owned hotel, which were supposed to be poured into the swill bucket, but she couldn't bear to throw them away, so she packed them together and took them home every day when she got off work.

This is also one of the reasons why she chose to work in a state-owned hotel.

"Let's go." Li Ling walked to Ling Yao and Ling Xuemei.

The three of them strolled in the moonlight, the silver moonlight scattered on them, as if covering them with a layer of holy gauze.

Li Ling walked beside Ling Yao, and looked at Ling Yao several times, wanting to say something but stopping.

"Do you have something to say to me?" Ling Yao turned and looked at Li Ling.

Li Ling pursed her lips, "Ling Yao, I will go back to school when my mother is discharged from the hospital." Her mother scolded her when she knew she was not going to school, and said that if she did not go back to school, she would not treat her illness.

She has been thinking about it these days, and after seeing Ling Yao today, she made a decision. She wanted to repay Ling Yao, but with her current education, she could only find a stable job at most. Only by passing the college entrance examination would she have the opportunity to succeed, have a bright future, and have the opportunity to repay Ling Yao.

Ling Yao smiled slightly, "I'll wait for you to return to school."

That smile was like the rising sun, warm and brilliant, and like the spring breeze, gently brushing across Li Ling's face, shining into Li Ling's heart, bringing her infinite comfort and encouragement.

"Ling Yao, thank you!" It was Ling Yao who gave her a ray of light in her darkest time and helped her out of the predicament. She will always remember this kindness in her heart. When she has the ability, she will definitely repay Ling Yao.

"Don't thank me all the time."

Ling Yao followed Li Ling and it became more and more familiar. Isn't this the alley where she rented a house?

"You don't live in Wuque Alley, do you?"

"Yeah, how do you know Wuque Alley?"

"My rented house is in Wuque Alley."

"Really? Then it will be convenient for me to find you in the future, right?" Li Ling said excitedly.

"Yeah." Ling Yao smiled and nodded.

When passing by a yard, Li Ling slowed down her pace and got closer to Ling Yao. "Someone died in this yard before, and no one has lived there for many years. Every time I come back at night, I feel it's eerie when I pass by here, so I always run over."

Li Ling pointed to the yard with a trace of fear in her eyes.

Ling Yao turned around and saw that Li Ling was pointing at the yard she rented. She smiled and said, "This is the house I rented."

"What? You rented this place?" Li Ling's face was full of disbelief.

Coming back to her senses, she quickly said, "You should return the house. This yard is really not clean."

Ling Yao smiled indifferently, "There are no ghosts in this world. I'm not afraid."

"But someone has seen it, and there are strange noises in that house every day." Li Ling thought of those rumors and couldn't help shuddering.

"But I have already paid the money and the deposit, so I can't return it."

"Why don't you and your aunt live in my house in the future and return the house when the lease expires."

As she spoke, she heard a strange sound coming from the yard.

"Boom, boom, boom!" The sound was so clear and crisp, as if something was knocking on the ground, or knocking on people's heartstrings.

Li Ling felt terrified when she heard it. She held Ling Yao's hand tightly and quickened her pace, "Let's go."

Ling Yao glanced at the dark yard, raised her eyebrows, and followed Li Ling to the front.

Li Ling's house was not far from the yard where Ling Yao rented. They arrived after walking two houses.

As soon as Li Ling opened the door, two little kids ran out of the house, "Sister, sister, you're back."