I don't know if the wedding procession took a fancy to Niu Hongsheng and wanted to take him back to fill their harem, but they didn't come after me.
I didn't dare stop at all, and kept rushing forward.
The surrounding streetscape seemed to be rapidly pulled apart by an invisible hand—
The bright red lanterns, white mist, and steamed bun shops all faded away quickly, like a faded ink painting, and were replaced by the familiar street scene I knew.
The streetlights cast a warm and soft glow, illuminating the clean pavement.
The shop signs on both sides are clearly visible, and occasionally you can see a few small shops that are still open, emitting warm lights.
Pedestrians came and went on the road, chatting and laughing, while the sound of cars passing by in the distance mingled with the hustle and bustle of the city night.
Did I successfully escape?
I slowed my pace and looked back, but I didn't see any trace of the wedding procession or the funeral procession.
Before I knew it, I had run all the way to the vicinity of Joy City.
By this time I was completely exhausted and dared not wander off, so I found a guard post next to the shopping mall and squatted down to wait for dawn.
As soon as the sky began to lighten, I quickly hailed a Didi (ride-hailing service) to go to the Wuhua Funeral Supplies Wholesale Market to find Master Jin.
Although I work at a funeral home, I only know a handful of people, and if you count them carefully, there are only two people who could save me.
One is Sister Wu.
But I couldn't get through to her on the phone.
The other one is Jin Ye.
He also said that if I could get through last night, I would go to him.
When I arrived at the Rebirth Pavilion, Master Jin was doing his morning exercise.
This old man was clearly blind, but he recognized me as soon as I stepped through the door.
"Hey kid, you're pretty lucky, you're still alive?"
That's a pretty direct way of putting it.
I quickly cupped my hands in greeting and respectfully addressed him as "Master Jin".
Jin Ye looked me up and down with his hands behind his back and said, "Since you're still alive, come in."
I didn't dare hesitate, knowing he was a truly capable person, so I quickly followed.
Upon entering the Rebirth Pavilion, Master Jin habitually lay down on the recliner, holding a radio, half-closing his eyes and not saying a word, humming along to the tune.
I don't know what he means by this, and I don't dare to ask.
She quickly brewed a pot of hot tea and bowed to hand it to Master Jin. Then she picked up a palm-leaf fan and squatted down beside him, gently fanning him.
"It's so early in the morning, the sun hasn't even come up yet, isn't your palm-leaf fan... a bit too cold?" Jin Ye glanced at me.
Well, my attempt to flatter backfired.
I shamelessly flattered him, saying, "Master Jin is still vigorous and full of energy. He's much healthier than me, a young man. This little palm-leaf fan won't bother you."
After saying a couple of things that made sense, Mr. Jin then settled down and enjoyed himself.
About ten minutes later, just as I was about to ask, Jin Ye spoke first.
"Kid, I'm actually quite curious. Judging from your face, last night was clearly a near-death experience. How did you manage to survive?"
I didn't feel there was anything to hide, so I told him that I met Huang Tao's father last night, helped him out, and that out of gratitude, he gave me the vest.
Jin nodded thoughtfully and smacked his lips a few times.
"The cycle of cause and effect in this world is predetermined. You helped him, and he helped you in return. It may seem like a coincidence, but it may actually be a kind of predestined opportunity."
However, when I mentioned that I used a three-edged bone needle to prick the matchmaker, Jinye jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on by a mouse.
"A three-edged bone needle? Who is Old Dog Chen to you?"
Jin Ye's voice suddenly rose, and his white eyes widened like copper bells as he stared straight at me.
Does he know my grandfather?
My grandfather's name is Chen Bazhong, but people who know him well call him Chen Laogou (Old Dog Chen).
As far back as I can remember, my grandfather was always surrounded by a pack of imposing black dogs.
The number was exactly 16, neither too many nor too few.
Each of the large black dogs was extremely robust, and their fur was unique, as if it had been soaked in ink, glossy and black.
With just a glance from Grandpa, the black dogs understood his intentions.
It knows to stand up when it raises its hand, to sit down when it presses its hand down, and it can also roll over, shake hands, and so on.
However, I have never seen my grandfather train these black dogs to do any tricks like a regular dog trainer.
I still don't know how they learned those special abilities.
Because he never lets me get close to those black dogs.
I remember once seeing a black dog lying alone in the corner of the yard, its belly flat, looking like it was starving.
I was thinking of secretly giving it some food.
Just as the black dog was about to stretch its head out to sniff the food, Grandpa suddenly rushed over.
His face was extremely gloomy, and his eyes were full of anger, like a lion that had been provoked.
That was the first time in my life I had ever seen my grandfather so angry.
That day was also the worst I've ever been beaten; my screams could be heard from miles away.
He hadn't gotten out of bed for three whole months.
If there's one thing Grandpa did to train the black dog, it was this:
They don't train anything else, but rather train the dogs to make various human expressions.
Whether it's a sorrowful cry, a hearty laugh, or a heartbreaking sadness, it's all a poignant display of grief.
Can you imagine that scene?
To make the black dog look sad, he would mercilessly clamp the puppies' bodies with pliers in front of the mother dog until the mother dog stopped frantically pulling on the chain and barking.
Instead, it's like when a person is extremely sad, they will stop only when the corners of their mouth turn down slightly and tears well up in their eyes.
But often by then, the puppies are already dead.
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