Chapter 44 "It's really like being possessed by an evil spirit."
In the car dealership's reception area, a car purchase contract is laid out in front of the child.
He pushed the contract in front of his niece: "Look."
Fangfang is the legal heir of the Sheng family. Although he is a minor, the old man's will was surprisingly lenient. Apart from prohibiting the transfer of assets, there were almost no restrictions on his daily expenses. After all, when Sheng Wenchang made the will, he could never have foreseen that he and his wife would die unexpectedly at the same time, that his second daughter would be imprisoned, and that he would ultimately leave behind only a young son who was left destitute.
Of course, what he could never have imagined was that the fragmented Sheng family was now being maintained in a different form. His granddaughter, who had been living away from home, had become his son's legal guardian. Fate had brought them together, and the uncle and nephew's lives were gradually getting back on track, with a significant improvement in their quality of life.
Zhu Qing gently turned the last page of the car purchase contract with her slender fingers, met the child's expectant eyes, and nodded.
The child's eyes sparkled: "Then I'll buy it?"
"casual."
Selling a car isn't easy, and the sales consultant was well prepared. Last week, Mr. Jiang sat in the driver's seat, fiddling with the steering wheel repeatedly, and still hadn't managed to take the car home. It's likely the deal will fall through due to financing issues. And what about Ms. Zhu, who seems uninterested in the deal?
Based on her experience, she could tell at a glance that this deal was unlikely to go through. The sales consultant didn't have any hope, but out of professionalism, she served the two customers, one adult and one child, with great care. When the child asked her to print out the car purchase contract, she was a little stunned, but now, her hope seemed to be growing stronger.
The sales consultant suppressed her excitement, took out a pen, and respectfully handed it to them with both hands. When she watched the customers use the pen to draw their smooth signatures on the bottom of the contract, she was almost overwhelmed by the sudden happiness, and a surge of heat rushed to her head.
This seemingly impossible deal actually went through.
"Congratulations, Miss Zhu." The sales consultant no longer wore a standard professional smile; the corners of his lips curved upwards so wide that he couldn't contain himself.
She warmly grasped Zhu Qing's hand, then bent down and solemnly shook hands with the young master of the Sheng family: "Congratulations to the little one as well!"
"I'll go prepare the car pick-up paperwork right away. Please wait a moment."
The sales consultant turned and left, the crisp sound of her high heels clicking on the ground echoing in the air; even her retreating figure seemed to have won the lottery.
After walking a few steps, she turned back and added, her face still beaming with a bright smile: "We have freshly squeezed juice and handmade cookies for the children, would you like to try some?"
Fangfang held up two fingers: "Two glasses of juice!"
"I'll have someone bring the juice over right away."
The children flipped through the contract, but couldn't quite understand it, so they pushed it aside and instead turned to the car dealership's colorful brochure.
Just now, he was instantly captivated by the advertisement picture in the brochure. This car is huge, meeting the needs of a family. Although there aren't many people in their family, only him, Qingzai, and Aunt Ping, it doesn't matter. The eldest sister will wake up sooner or later. Four people can drive a big car with spacious seating, which is very practical.
Fangfang opened the brochure, rested her chin on her hands, and read it with great interest.
Zhu Qing continued to stare at the yellowed old newspaper.
It was from Uncle Li that she first heard about the Cheng family case from seventeen years ago. The same modus operandi, similar case characteristics—it had happened more than once before. In fact, the police had already identified the suspect at the time. During the pursuit, the mentally ill man ran into the road and was hit and killed by a truck. The murder weapon was subsequently found in his home. With such a complete chain of evidence, the case was quickly closed.
But the murderer's death meant that the trail to the youngest son of the Cheng family had completely died out. The report also mentioned another victim of the Cheng family, Cheng Xinglang as a child. He was two years older than his brother, only eight years old at the time, and was struck on the head with a blunt object by the murderer. Perhaps at that moment, the murderer mistakenly believed he was already dead and didn't continue, thus allowing him to escape.
This case caused a sensation that year. The most puzzling thing, of course, was the mysterious disappearance of the six-year-old child. According to those who knew the killer, he was violent and volatile, but why didn't he harm the child?
At the time of the incident, the two victims had struggled violently, displaying an extremely strong will to live. Blood was everywhere, and there were clear drag marks from the master bedroom to the living room, a horrifying sight. The blood trail abruptly ended in the hallway leading to the rooms; police speculate that the two victims were clinging tightly to the killer's legs, begging him not to harm the brothers. Several deep scratch marks remain on the floor at the point where the blood trail ended, a heartbreaking sight.
What's puzzling is that, compared to his older brother Cheng Xinglang's room, the younger brother's room was spotless and tidy, as if it had never been broken into. It was like two completely different worlds compared to the bloodshed and chaos outside.
Eight-year-old Cheng Xinglang remained in a coma in the hospital for three days before waking up.
Unfortunately, the moment he opened his eyes, he knew he had lost his parents forever. But fortunately, the child was unaware of what had happened and did not witness the entire brutal murder.
This sensational case was subsequently sealed away in the police station's archives.
Zhu Qing couldn't imagine how Cheng Xinglang grew up alone back then, let alone how he buried the dark memories deep in his heart after experiencing major changes, and eventually grew into the cheerful person he is today.
After the case was solved, public attention shifted, and no media outlets continued to follow the life of the surviving boy from the Cheng family. Uncle Li also forgot about the case in his daily work. Even a few years ago, when Uncle Li saw this young and promising forensic doctor at work, he didn't recognize him until he caught a glimpse of the name on his work ID and remembered the case from seventeen years ago.
Uncle Li then realized that Dr. Cheng had never given up searching for his younger brother.
He has been collecting newspaper clippings of major cases, and he will investigate them thoroughly, even if these heinous incidents are only slightly related to the cases from back then.
Zhu Qing closed the newspaper.
Looking up, she saw the way Fangfang looked at her, a look that was hard to describe as either gratified or filled with emotion.
Overall, I agree.
Why are you looking at me like that?
"Qingzai has finally learned how to spend money!"
After getting her driver's license, Sheng Fang urged her to go to the car dealership and buy this SUV that she had seen on TV before.
Zhu Qing, however, had other plans. She bypassed an alley and went to a flea market, looking for the old newspapers she had carefully collected. Little Fangfang watched as the newsstand owner ripped Qingzi off, but she simply raised an eyebrow and readily paid for them.
Although Qingzai only spent money on a newspaper... at least she remembered her status as a rich young lady and spent money without batting an eye.
Such progress alone deserves high praise from the younger generation.
Now that my niece has found the answer, her brain stops its busy activity, and she taps the corner of the table.
"Qingzai, can you drive home?"
Inspector Leung doesn't drive his family car often; he's a road hazard. When he drives, he firmly holds onto the grab handle on the roof of the back seat to avoid being thrown out of the window.
And their Qingzai—
After all, she had just received her driver's license an hour ago. Could she really drive her new car home smoothly?
Zhu Qing: "Underestimating me?"
After saying that, she considered the child's feelings and comforted him, "Don't worry."
The young master of the Sheng family was not worried.
He just tilted his head, his tone innocent and bewildered—
"If you hit the railing, will you still go to kindergarten tomorrow?"
"Pah! Pah! It's a very auspicious saying, just kidding." The sales consultant rushed over, slapping his mouth repeatedly. "This car will bring you good fortune, guaranteeing safe travels and smooth sailing!"
Zhu Qing gently tapped Fang Fang's forehead: "Did you hear that? Safe travels."
The uncle and nephew swiped their cards, completed all the formalities, and received the car keys.
There were two car keys in total. Even though Fangfang wanted to join in the fun, he and his niece each took one and put them in their pockets, clapping their little hands together.
The dealership's service staff had already driven the brand-new display car to the delivery area in advance, and the sales consultant escorted Zhu Qing and the child to the car and opened the car door for them.
She took a step back, a genuine smile on her face: "May the new car travel smoothly on every road!"
...
Shengfang felt that having a driver at home and having Qingzai drive were completely different experiences.
His mother, Qin Lizhu, and his second brother-in-law, Chen Chaosheng, used to be car enthusiasts. His mother liked buying flashy sports cars, while his brother-in-law valued performance and understated luxury. Their garage would often accumulate several new cars. Back then, the young master of the Sheng family never cared. But today is different; he and his niece—
I have my own car now!
Now that they have a car, hitchhiking is a thing of the past, and the uncle and nephew will have easy access to wherever they go.
Fangfang grinned broadly, but she encountered a problem just by standing by the car door.
First of all, Qingzai wouldn't let him sit in the passenger seat.
Because the saleswoman was very talkative, she said that the front passenger seat wasn't safe enough and that it was better for children to sit in the back seat.
The young master, with a stern face, didn't want to haggle with Qingzai in front of outsiders, so he turned around and walked to the back row with a flourish.
The second challenge came: he struggled to climb up, his short legs failing him.
It's important to put aside the child's pride; just as he was figuring out how to sit down, he was suddenly lifted into the air.
His niece carried him into the car, and with a "smack," his pride was shattered.
With a "bang," the rear door slammed shut.
The driving school car and the new car felt different, and the visibility was different too. Zhu Qing fastened her seatbelt and started the car. As their new car slowly drove onto the main road, Sheng Fang and the children cheered in the back seat.
Zhu Qing's lips curled up.
Is this really the hot-tempered young master that Aunt Ping was talking about? Every time, his little face would just fall down, and then he'd be all smiles again in three minutes.
Shengfang opened the back window of the car.
He listened to his niece and wasn't allowed to stick his head out of the car window, but resting his chin on the window frame was fine. Qingzai drove steadily, maintaining just the right speed, and the warm breeze outside gently caressed his cheeks; Fangfang was incredibly excited.
Zhu Qing gently gripped the steering wheel, driving her uncle home, a warm sense of satisfaction welling up inside her.
The joy in my heart comes from the sense of control I feel at this moment. My most important family members are sitting in the car, and they are heading on a wonderful journey.
While waiting at the traffic light, she, like Fangfang, curiously explored the various buttons in the car.
Zhu Qing had the child close the car window, keeping the hot air out and letting the air conditioner blow out cold air. She turned the knob, and the car radio's voice echoed.
In the past, when she took minibuses, she would never listen carefully to the broadcasts; at most, she would pay attention to the weather forecast for the next day or thunderstorm warnings.
But now, she is immersed in the sounds flowing from the car radio.
Outside the window, traffic flowed like a river, while inside the car, it was comfortable and cozy. Shengfang was like a cheerful little sparrow, chirping incessantly, and even the songs played on the radio seemed to be responding to his joy.
A gentle melody echoed, a small, warm world that belonged only to them.
Unlike her uncle, Zhu Qing was not talkative, but she listened with a smile throughout.
The past days were too quiet, so quiet that you could almost hear the passage of time. Now, with the world around her becoming more and more lively, she realized that she didn't need to force herself to accept it; she genuinely liked these days.
The melody on the radio gradually faded away, and exactly on the hour, the electronic timekeeping system sounded precisely on time.
It's time for a commercial break. The young master of the Sheng family is always easy to fool; he's easily lured in by the outrageous products being promoted on the radio.
Shengfang pricked up her ears, listening intently.
"Qingzai, should we buy the magic magnetic energy bracelet? It can cure headaches and insomnia!"
"Order the Slimming Tea today and lose eight pounds in five days! Marissa definitely needs it."
Wow—hanging up a Wong Tai Sin car protection charm will ward off car accidents and bad luck!
Zhu Qing had noticed these advertisements before when listening to radio programs. Back then, the radio broadcasts were full of enthusiastic sales pitches, and the order hotlines were often easy to remember; you could even sing them after reciting them a few times…
She always wondered, what kind of fool would believe such advertising slogans and bring these inexplicable products home?
Now she realized that their target audience was this young master of the Sheng family.
"I don't have headaches or insomnia."
"Marisa has already run away."
"Wong Tai Sin is so busy, he even has to take care of our cars."
The children were still not convinced and couldn't forget the exaggerated advertising slogans.
He was about to ask his niece to order it for him when suddenly the background noise of the radio station turned eerie, and a strange, ethereal bell sound rang out, as if coming from a distant place, or as if it were right next to his ear.
"Listeners, good news!" The radio host's voice became ethereal. "A brand new paranormal program, 'Yin Yang,' is coming soon. Monday night at 10 PM, a date with ghosts awaits you... Remember to tune in on time, we'll see you there."
The program preview came suddenly. Zhu Qing was afraid of startling Sheng Fang, so she was about to turn it off when the child behind her became very interested.
"What the hell?" Fangfang asked. "Mirror ghost, hanging ghost, and elevator grandma... I recognize them all!"
The cold air from the air conditioner vent whizzed past.
Zhu Qing discovered that knowing a lot doesn't cause psychological trauma to children; on the contrary, he enjoys it.
But television programs really should be rated; how could he know so many urban legends?
"Do you know him?" Sheng Fang leaned forward.
"I only know starving ghosts," Zhu Qing said. "I'm starving to death."
"So Qingzai can tell jokes too," Shengfang said applauded. "That's funny."
"Thank you." Zhu Qing smoothly parked the car. "Let's go eat."
...
Aunt Ping knew that Zhu Qing was going to take her road test today, so she went to check out parking spaces before the uncle and nephew returned.
At this time, the ownership rate of private cars is not high, but the parking problem in old districts like Yau Ma Tei is very troublesome. Aunt Ping found an open-air parking space nearby, inquired about the price for Zhu Qing, and waited downstairs early.
As she gets older, Sister Ping is always much more thorough in her work than her uncle and niece.
When the "beep beep" sounded and she heard the horn, she immediately walked a few steps to the roadside, carrying a bag of discounted bok choy that she had just bought from the market.
Sitting in the back seat, Aunt Ping's eyes lit up with joy: "This car is so beautiful... the seats are so big and comfortable."
Aunt Ping handed Zhu Qing a small notebook, which contained notes on nearby parking spaces and their rental prices.
"Just buy it!" The young master was extravagant and wealthy.
Even if you want to buy a parking space, it's not something that can be done in a few days. Zhu Qing picked out a nearby open-air parking lot from Aunt Ping's notebook and drove over.
"Qingqing, there's a 24-hour watchman; the monthly fee is already written on it—"
"You still need to park in the designated spot. If you risk parking illegally, the police will issue you a ticket at 8 PM every night!"
Fangfang pointed at Qingzai and said, "What are you afraid of? She's a cop too."
Zhu Qing: ...
Where does this kid get his江湖气 (jianghu qi, a kind of chivalrous spirit) from?
Last time, Mo Sir owed Zhu Qing a day off in lieu of leave, and this time he finally made up for it.
She rested all day but didn't stop for a moment. When she got home, she put her car keys and house keys together on the decorative cabinet in the entryway.
The scenery in Hong Kong is even more beautiful at night. The children even tried to persuade their niece to take them out for a drive.
The younger Qingzai pressed his shoulder and said very earnestly, "You can go for a drive anytime, but you should go to bed early tonight."
Aunt Ping chimed in, "Why?"
"Because tomorrow is Fangfang's first day of kindergarten," Zhu Qing said.
“As long as Fangfang cooperates well and behaves well in kindergarten—” she continued, “we can go for a drive on the mountaintop, ride a roller coaster at the amusement park, feed the seals at the ocean park…you can choose whatever you want.”
Shengfang pursed her lips and remained silent.
He knew that whenever Qingzai was in a good mood and told him to "take it easy," it was definitely not a good thing.
The TV program said this is called a sugar-coated bullet, and children should not be fooled.
...
Later, Fangfang realized that even if she resisted the temptation of sugar-coated bullets, she still had to go to school.
On Monday morning, he put on his school uniform, carried his small backpack and water bottle, and stood by the door to negotiate with Qingzai.
"A drive up the mountain, an amusement park, or Ocean Park—the choice is mine."
Zhu Qing: "No waiting after the expiration date."
Fangfang, the little boy, opened his eyes wide and touched the spot on his heart.
This was a complete shock; I should have agreed to her yesterday.
"Go, go, go." Zhu Qing rubbed Fangfang's little head and pulled him out the door. "I was just kidding."
Sheng Fang's expression was cool: "Not funny."
After much procrastination, Shengfang finally embarked on her first journey to kindergarten.
Qingzai had promised to personally take him to school, but he took a whole week off. He wasn't falling behind in kindergarten, but she said that the children already knew each other and were familiar with the school bus process, so Fangfang needed to catch up as soon as possible.
At this very moment, stepping out of the elevator, another bolt from the blue struck.
"Take the school bus?" Fangfang muttered. "Our brand new, fancy car is just sitting in the open-air parking lot, getting sunbathed!"
They walked a short distance along the route where the school bus stopped and stood by the roadside to wait.
When her uncle wasn't in the mood, Zhu Qing would try to coax him by chatting with him casually.
Fangfang only lifted her eyelids slightly when the topic of having Qingzai drive to work came up.
Unexpectedly, after careful consideration, my niece said she wasn't planning to drive there.
"The police station has official vehicles, which can be applied for at any time."
She didn't have a driver's license before, and every time she went to a crime scene, she would hitch a ride with someone else.
Now that she has finally obtained her driver's license, Zhu Qing will be able to share the burden with the team in the future. Situations like last time when she had to ride in the forensic doctor's car for urgent official business will never happen again.
"As for private cars—" Zhu Qing told her uncle, "Everyone uses their own cars to commute, but they still need to take police cars when going to the scene."
There may be special circumstances where private cars are used to chase suspects, but the police have strict regulations on vehicle use and usually avoid using private cars for investigations.
Shengfang truly lives up to her reputation as a child who grew up listening to police and gangster movies as background noise in her room; even her questions are professional-level.
If you arrive at a scene in a police car, wouldn't that expose the police's whereabouts if you need to follow a suspect's vehicle?
"Haven't you heard of plainclothes police vans?"
Fangfang shook her little head like a rattle drum.
It turns out that not everything is portrayed on television.
The children's attention was completely drawn to what Qingzai was saying.
He was hearing this for the first time. He realized that while some of the official vehicles provided to the police were marked with "Police," most were plainclothes vehicles. Just like plainclothes officers, the police station also had plainclothes cars—how impressive!
"I can just drive an unmarked car normally," Zhu Qing said.
The uncle and nephew paused for a moment after talking about this, so why did they buy a car?
There's no way around it, I'm too rich, so I bought one just in case.
The young millionaire waved his hand: "It doesn't matter, we'll use it eventually."
What he cares about more now is the process of applying for a public vehicle.
"Qingzai, are the police station's cars really called 'plainclothes cars'?"
"Is the police car siren tuned separately?"
Just as Sheng Fang was recalling the cars parked in the open-air parking lot of Yau Ma Tei Police Station, trying to "identify" the plainclothes police cars, a yellow school bus slowly stopped in front of him.
Fangfang's smile suddenly froze, and her face turned sour.
Zhu Qing contacted the teachers in Sheng Fang's class in advance, made arrangements, and sent the children to kindergarten together.
Fangfang was still standing by the roadside, showing no intention of getting into the car. At this point, Qingzai wouldn't waste any more words arguing with him.
Madam had studied grappling techniques, and with a gentle pull, she lifted him into the car.
As I sat down by the window, I caught a glimpse of my niece pointing out the window.
“Look, the place we were standing just now…” Zhu Qing said, “We’ll wait for the school bus there every morning from now on.”
Most of the time, she's constantly busy. If she needs to leave early, she has to ask Aunt Ping to take Sheng downstairs to wait for the bus.
Therefore, children must first remember where to get on the bus.
Sheng Fang didn't even lift her eyelids, turning her head to the other side.
Zhu Qing held his little head with both hands and slowly turned it back to its normal position.
"Make a note of it."
Shengfang's voice was muffled: "I've got it."
The young master was fearless, except for kindergarten, which he found somewhat resistant. After all, he had never participated in group life before, and didn't even know a single child his own age.
Now there are so many children, all about his age, making a ruckus and never closing their little mouths. Fangfang pretends to be very mature, covering his ears with his hands, acting like a cool and aloof young master.
The school bus stopped, and Zhu Qing accompanied him off the bus.
"I'll pick you up from school this afternoon."
The young master put his hands in his pockets, didn't look back, and walked alone into the kindergarten.
Zhu Qing returned to the police station just in time for her shift.
For the past month, the Major Crimes Unit B has been so bored that Inspector Mo simply had them rummage through boxes and cabinets, digging out all those dusty old cases to see if they could dig up any new clues.
When Zeng Yongshan heard that the young master of the Sheng family had just started kindergarten, she immediately grabbed Zhu Qing at the police station and bombarded her with questions.
What is the state of mind of children when they enter kindergarten?
"Did you cry? Were you lonely? Pitiful? Or—"
Zhu Qing: "Forced into doing something against one's will."
Zeng Yongshan laughed out loud.
The dejected little duckling drooped its head as it entered the school gate...
I wonder how things are now.
...
Shengfang sat in her seat, her little hands supporting her cheeks, and shook her head.
Kindergarten is indeed a kindergarten; the curriculum is far too childish.
The teacher's voice was gentle and pleasant. Every student, like him, was a small huddle, sitting together in a group.
When the class started, Shengfang stayed with the little ones and followed the teacher's instructions with them.
This is a game where you sort blocks by color, shape, or quantity.
Although the other children arrived in the group a week earlier than Shengfang, he found that they had not made any friends either.
Everyone does their own thing, eats their own food, and takes care of their own afternoon nap.
In the nap room, the beds for the children to rest are divided into bunk beds. The teacher looked after the new student, Shengfang, pointing to the few empty beds and letting him choose a spot.
Without even thinking, Fangfang chose the upper bunk.
When it was time for afternoon snacks, Sheng Fang felt as if he could see the dawn of victory.
As Fangfang ate her pastries, she gulped down her milk in one go, patted her bulging belly, and finally asked the teacher a question.
What time is my niece coming to pick me up?
Teacher Ji wanted to pat the child's head, but the child dodged away.
This is the "evasion technique" that John taught him.
Looking at her empty hand, Teacher Ji couldn't help but smile.
The little boy had already put on his little backpack and the first thing he asked was when his "niece" would come to pick him up. His expression was stern, but also somewhat worried.
Qingzai said she would come to pick him up, but didn't say which number she would come to pick him up.
If he doesn't come by dark, he won't know the way home.
"Almost there," Teacher Ji said. "Look at that short hand; it'll move forward two more squares—"
The young master interrupted her: "Four o'clock?"
All the other children turned their heads in unison.
"You even know how to tell a clock!"
"Wow, that's sharp!"
Shengfang raised her proud little chin: "Is this difficult?"
The other three-year-olds: Wow!
After all, this was the Sheng family's young master's first day of school, so Inspector Mo granted Zhu Qing special permission to leave her post early.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, she stood at the kindergarten gate on time. Among the crowd, the young madam looked particularly conspicuous.
She is both Shengfang's niece and his "parent," so it's inevitable that she will have to deal with the teacher.
Teacher Ji was very patient, speaking in a soft tone with a gentle smile on her lips.
"The child behaved very well while eating. He even knew to wipe his mouth with a small handkerchief, just like a little gentleman."
"After a 40-minute rest after lunch, we will go to the nap room for a nap. Shengfang took the initiative to choose the upper bunk, but perhaps because it was his first time, he kept holding onto the railing and looking around. Parents, please give him more encouragement when you get home. Our safety measures are very comprehensive, and there will definitely be no accidents."
"After all, it's a bit tiring to stay up all day without sleeping and keep an eye on everyone like a little patrol officer."
Shengfang, the little girl, looked at Qingzai's smug smile.
He practiced eating by himself for a long time, and today he finished his lunch obediently and was praised.
As for the nap issue, Teacher Ji was clearly subtly "complaining." Sheng Fang, however, didn't understand, blinked her eyes, and stuffed her little hand into Qingzai's palm.
The teacher praised him, saying he was a patrol officer, so impressive.
...
A child's first day of school is a big event. Aunt Ping prepared his favorite honey-glazed chicken wings and hash browns at home, waiting for him to come home.
With a click, the door opened, and she immediately went to greet it.
"How are things? Are you getting enough to eat at kindergarten?"
"How well do you get along with your classmates?"
Do you take a nap at noon?
Aunt Ping's questions came out like a machine gun.
Qingzai answered for him, but Fangfang didn't respond, silently listening to his own excellent performance.
Aunt Ping smiled broadly: "That's good. I was worried that the young master wouldn't adapt."
The little girl followed her niece home, laughing so hard that her teeth were almost tanned by the sun.
But in fact, Teacher Ji said that he spent the whole day in the classroom with a long face and never smiled.
However, just as Teacher Ji said, we should still give the children plenty of encouragement after bringing them home.
Zhu Qing took out some ketchup from the refrigerator and squeezed a cheerful smiley face onto Fang Fang's potato pancakes.
When she was a child, she would carry her schoolbag and step into the school gate time and time again. No one ever asked her if she was adapting to the new environment. As the days went by, she learned to get used to it on her own.
Before we knew it, we had made it through.
Looking at little Fangfang now, Zhu Qing seems to see her childhood self.
“Great,” she said softly.
The child's mouth was wide open.
He blinked in surprise, a shy smile subtly curving his lips.
Surprisingly, she was a little shy.
Zhu Qing looked at the smile he couldn't hide on his lips.
If someone had said those two simple words to her when she was a child, that solitary little girl would have felt a little flower bloom in her heart, just like Fangfang.
She will remember it for a very, very long time.
My first day of kindergarten, full of blossoming life, came to a peaceful end.
Going to school wasn't as bad as I'd imagined, but it wasn't exactly fun either.
Before going to sleep, Shengfang lay on the children's bed and raised one little foot to reach for the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.
It's so far away, I can never reach it.
Qingzai said that next time they would go to the children's world in Causeway Bay together to buy some new glow-in-the-dark stars to stick on the wall.
"Really?" The chubby little finger pointed to various corners of the wall, "Put it here, here, and here..."
He wants to sleep in the starlight!
Perhaps it was because it was her first day venturing out on her own to "explore the world," and Shengfang found it increasingly novel, constantly muttering to herself.
Zhu Qing listened to him mysteriously recounting things that happened at kindergarten, such as how he chose to sleep on the top bunk because he felt it was risky to sleep on the bottom bunk, in case the child upstairs wet the bed, it would be like a fountain... and how he could skillfully peel a whole egg while eating lunch, something the other children couldn't do...
These are just some trivial daily routines at kindergarten. The children's innocent and carefree words are like colorful bubbles, filling the entire children's room.
Footsteps clattered at the door; it was Aunt Ping carrying her old-fashioned radio, pacing around the living room. She had a habit of listening to the radio, and every day at this time, she would listen to Cantonese opera programs on the radio. But today, the radio kept cutting out. She adjusted the side antenna, walked to the window and raised it high, then squatted down in front of the coffee table, but the annoying static persisted.
"A building block sorting game?" Zhu Qing asked in the children's room. "How do we sort them?"
A tiny head peeked out from under the covers.
"Red blocks and red blocks become good friends."
"Two green building blocks become good friends."
"Later, it was building blocks of similar color holding hands."
The little one recalled the morning's lessons in a childish voice.
Outside the children's room, Aunt Ping finally found a radio signal in the living room.
"Hello listeners, welcome to this brand new program - Yin Yang."
"I am the host, Situ Peiling."
The distant sound of ocean waves echoed from the radio, like a woman humming a song.
The host lowered his voice and spoke in a breathy tone—
"Tonight's episode of 'Yin Yang' will tell you a wet story."
Has anyone ever experienced being pulled by a water ghost?
It's 10 p.m., and the living room lights are off, with only a small light on in the hallway.
Aunt Ping was startled by the content on the radio and quickly looked down to change the channel.
Zhu Qing noticed the commotion on the radio.
While driving yesterday, she heard the ominous announcement of the show's upcoming release.
"Really?" Zhu Qing raised her voice, trying to drown out the strange noise from the radio. "Are there any other rules?"
Shengfang nodded, her chubby cheeks trembling.
He was happy to share what happened at kindergarten with his niece, but when Qingzai said it was a "fun story," the baby shook her head vigorously, completely unable to agree.
"Triangles, circles, squares, blocks of each shape, put them in a basket."
"The teacher counts to three and takes out three building blocks..."
The radio program was still playing in the living room.
Aunt Ping wanted to change the channel, but the machine malfunctioned, and there was a choppy sound, although the host was still talking.
"Now we invite our first listener to connect."
"Good evening, please say hello to everyone."
The sound of water came through the radio.
The sound of flowing water mixed with the static of the telephone sounded like a clear and ethereal chant.
"Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong..."
Aunt Ping slapped the radio casing hard: "What the hell? Why is it still ringing?"
"Host." A woman's voice broke through the static on the phone. "This is You Minmin. I'm dead."
The host paused for a moment, not wanting to disrupt the eerie atmosphere, and went along with her.
"I am You Minmin, and I am dead."
The woman's voice on the other end of the phone repeated itself.
The radio's sound was intermittent and crackling, occasionally punctuated by a few eerie words, which were quickly drowned out by the noise of Aunt Ping banging on the machine.
The little one was snuggled up in bed, engrossed in muttering to himself, and clearly didn't notice anything amiss.
Zhu Qing: "The teacher counted to five..."
Fangfang, the little boy, held up five fingers: "Take five building blocks!"
The faint sounds of the radio program could be heard coming from the living room.
"The bathtub at 17 Tai Kok Street, Sai Wan".
"I will die here."
The host's voice turned hoarse: "Ms. You said... you died in the bathtub?"
There was a rushing sound of water on the phone, like something was crawling out of the bathtub.
With a sharp "click," the call was abruptly cut off.
The host turned the microphone away, his voice low and clearly flustered: "Why doesn't this match the script?"
Zhu Qing slowly raised her eyes.
The occasional sounds that drifted past her ears were too indistinct for her to believe, but now, her nerves were involuntarily on edge.
Aunt Ping's footsteps stopped abruptly.
She finally managed to pry open the malfunctioning button and tuned to the Cantonese opera channel, where the melodious singing of Cantonese opera filled the entire living room.
She looked down at the radio, muttering to herself, "It's really haunted..."
In the evening, the pager that Zhu Qing had casually tossed on the sofa suddenly lit up.
As the notification sound rang, Aunt Ping trembled, a sense of unease welling up inside her.
She stared at the flickering screen.
Why is the police station calling someone at this hour? Is it an emergency?
Meanwhile, Zhu Qing, in the children's room, temporarily suppressed her doubts.
"There are so many projects."
She was yawning in bed, half asleep.
"Sorting by color, by quantity, by type?" Qingzai unusually exaggeratedly cooperated, "Your kindergarten games are really—"
The baby's little head bobbed up and down, and he mumbled in his tender voice, "Silly."
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