Chapter 4: Boss Jiang asks, "Who should I save?"
Without thinking, Ji Mingran immediately lay down forward.
With a loud bang, a sharp, angry, and resentful scream echoed, but Boss Jiang's attack did not land on her.
Ji Mingran looked up at the spot where he had just stood. Layers upon layers of paper figures were spinning rapidly around something, forming a small vortex that seemed to be tightly encircling something, but that thing was still struggling and trying to break free.
Mr. Jiang brought his two fingers together with his left hand.
The paper effigy huddled together, cradling the object, and tossed it into the coffin. The coffin lid closed tightly, swallowing up all the sounds of the object's struggles.
She made a hand seal with her left hand to maintain the evil-repelling formation, and glanced at Ji Mingran lying on the ground.
The little head was raised, and a pair of clear, bright eyes on the dirty, bruised, and swollen face were intently watching the coffin lid devour the ghoul.
The ghoul had been almost right behind the girl, and taking it down would inevitably hurt her. With the thought of healing her later, she attacked without hesitation, casting a spell straight ahead. However, the girl suddenly dodged and fell down, causing the spell to fall entirely on the careless ghoul.
The timing was so perfect.
Boss Jiang's gaze swept over Ji Mingran's filthy hair and tattered clothes.
She seemed to have known all along that there was a ghoul hiding behind her and anticipated the course of the attack.
The sounds from inside the coffin disappeared, and the courtyard returned to silence.
The paper effigy that had completed its task stood around Boss Jiang, waiting for his instructions with bated breath.
Surrounded by people, Boss Jiang kept yawning, half asleep, his eyelids barely open.
This scene, ironically, evoked a different kind of strange feeling.
Observing the paper figure's submissive and respectful demeanor, Ji Mingran propped himself up and said, "Thank you for your help, Boss Jiang."
Boss Jiang sat inside the coffin, resting his head on his hands, and looked listlessly at Ji Mingran: "Your misfortune is because of me, so there's no need for thanks."
Seeing Ji Mingran's confusion, Boss Jiang half-closed his eyes and looked at Ji Mingran, slowly explaining, "I was trying to subdue this evil creature, but unexpectedly she turned the tables and trapped me in the coffin. I thought that since there was already an array set up here, she couldn't escape. It would only take a couple more incense sticks' worth of time to wear her down. It was just a dying struggle, nothing serious."
She paused, "I didn't expect there would be someone who answered the call. This ghost was naturally excited to see someone enter the formation, so it stirred up a storm." She shook her head: "It was my carelessness, and it's also your bad luck."
Ji Mingran was somewhat surprised: "How did Boss Jiang know my purpose for coming?"...One of my purposes.
"Only those who are recruited can come to the hospital for an interview," Boss Jiang sighed with his eyes closed. "Xiao Can's eyesight is bad, and the people he found are useless."
Thinking of the blank, unfocused eyes of the paper effigy outside, Ji Mingran felt that the phrase "bad eyesight" was indeed accurate.
"I wonder if Boss Jiang would be willing to hire me as a handyman?" Since the topic of recruitment came up, Ji Mingran quickly took over and praised himself enthusiastically, "I am definitely a good worker, I will do whatever you ask without complaint."
Boss Jiang seemed to be fast asleep with her eyes closed and remained silent. However, as soon as Ji Mingran finished speaking, she frowned slightly as if she were having a nightmare: "I was short of people to carry the coffin. You are too thin and weak to do heavy work."
Ji Mingran sensed the tactful refusal in the words and was about to speak again to persuade him.
But then, Boss Jiang forced herself to open her eyes slightly and, as if assessing merchandise, scanned herself from head to toe: "Small stature, better than those empty-bodied goods out there." After a pause, she sighed softly, closed her eyes again, and said with a forced smile, "It's good that you weren't killed by the zombies. How about doing some odd jobs? Half a string of cash a month for finishing the work, how about that?"
With his dire poverty finally alleviated, Ji Mingran endured the pain all over his body and straightened himself up: "Boss Jiang saved me twice and is now taking me in to work. I will definitely work hard and not slack off."
Boss Jiang nodded lazily: "That's right, of course you have to be more diligent. If you don't finish the work, you'll be penalized three strings of cash a month."
The three hangings are upside down; no wonder the paper pasted outside the door has turned yellow.
Since he was penniless and had no money to deduct, Ji Mingran readily nodded: "Don't worry, Boss Jiang."
"Hmm." Boss Jiang responded casually, his gaze shifting from Ji Mingran to the paper effigy beside him. "Aren't you afraid?"
She personally painted the faces of the paper figures, each with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and rosy complexions. Unfortunately, mortals were too limited in their understanding to appreciate her exquisite painting skills, and often exclaimed in horror upon seeing them, unable to look directly at them. If they saw the paper figures moving around under the influence of spiritual power, they would be terrified out of their wits, thus giving rise to many ghost stories in this place.
Since she runs a business selling funerary objects, it doesn't significantly impact her business, so she has always acted recklessly, as long as she keeps the paper figures from leaving the house.
The girl not only came late at night, but also managed to subdue the paper figures with ease, showing no fear whatsoever.
Boss Jiang's gaze fell once again on Ji Mingran's filthy hair and face.
There was no sign of demonic possession; it was indeed a mortal body.
You can't judge a book by its cover.
Ji Mingran assumed that Boss Jiang was referring to the attack. After thinking carefully, she replied, "I was only thinking about how to survive, and I didn't have time to be afraid. Besides..." She pretended to hesitate, "I recognized its voice."
This piqued Mr. Jiang's curiosity: "What's the reason for this?"
“Last night in the dense forest, I encountered this thing…” Recalling what Boss Jiang said, Ji Mingran changed his words: “It was an attack by this corpse demon, so I recognized its voice. Speaking of which, it was thanks to Boss Jiang’s help last night that the corpse demon was able to leave the forest.”
Mr. Jiang looked bewildered, squinted his eyes and tried hard to recall for a while, then nodded haphazardly as if giving up, and casually replied, "It seems like there was such a thing."
Seeing that Boss Jiang had no recollection of him at all, Ji Mingran continued, "Last night, the zombies were killing people everywhere in the forest. Fortunately, I met a kind person who helped me. Perhaps he was too handsome, which attracted the zombies to chase after him. We were both seriously injured and on the verge of death. Just then, Boss Jiang, you suddenly descended from the sky, restrained the zombies, and took us away, thus saving our lives. Later, I collapsed from exhaustion, but fortunately, he took care of me, and I managed to get out of the forest at dawn."
Boss Jiang was used to seeing dead people and never cared about those who were about to die, let alone those who were about to die in the wilderness with no one to collect their bodies. Therefore, she had long forgotten about the person she had seen last night.
"Too good-looking," Boss Jiang slowly repeated the four words, her sleepy eyes gradually focusing. She nodded heavily, "I remember now," there was indeed a good-looking one, and a messy-haired guy lying on the ground, seemingly oblivious to his fate.
Thinking back to this, Boss Jiang looked at Ji Mingran's hair.
Disorganized, that's definitely the head.
The memory of last night became increasingly clear. Boss Jiang was slightly surprised, but also intrigued: "You're not dead? That's interesting." He glanced around, not seeing the other boy, and then, as if waking from a dream, asked: "The other one is dead?"
Her drowsiness seemed to vanish instantly, and she suddenly perked up: "Planning a burial? Good, he saved you, so it's time to properly handle his funeral arrangements. You've come to the right place, look at this coffin," she said, giving it two deep, resonant knocks. "It's made of nanmu wood, and it was only slightly damaged by a collision. I can sell it to you at a lower price. Come and take a closer look." She then rose from the coffin to explain its exquisite craftsmanship.
Ji Mingran clarified, "The person is not dead yet."
"Oh, what a pity." Boss Jiang clicked his tongue, then slumped limply onto the coffin again.
Judging from Mr. Jiang's appearance, he seems to prioritize doing business over saving lives.
Ji Mingran was already seriously injured, but she had endured it until now. Her wounds were sore, swollen, numb and painful, and she could hardly bear it. Her already damaged voice became even more hoarse from talking for so long. She decided to get straight to the point: "He is seriously injured, his body is as cold as ice, and he is trembling uncontrollably. I hope Boss Jiang can save him."
Without even looking up, Boss Jiang listlessly patted the coffin lightly. "The corpse poison is hard to cure. He won't live long. Why not buy this coffin and give him a proper burial?"
It won't live long, and it won't mutate to bite people.
Ji Mingran breathed a sigh of relief.
Judging from Boss Jiang's lack of interest, it seems the boy still has a chance to be rescued.
Ji Mingran decided to change to a more comfortable position and put on a long-term battle to wear down Boss Jiang.
With just the slightest movement of her leg, a tingling pain instantly swept through her entire body, causing her to shudder involuntarily. She lost control and fell hard onto the ground, gasping in pain.
Hearing the noise, Boss Jiang looked up and saw Ji Mingran's disheveled appearance, grimacing in pain. She was momentarily stunned, then exclaimed, "Ah, I forgot!"
She rose from the coffin, stepped out with composure, straightened her clothes slightly, and leaned against the edge of the coffin, saying lazily, "Your serious injury was also due to my lack of foresight." As she spoke, she extended her right hand: "Healing Pill, take it and your injury will heal."
A lustrous blue pill lay in her palm.
"Will it cure him after eating it?"
Ji Mingran was surprised, but he still shamelessly pressed his advantage and asked, "Boss Jiang, do you have one more pill to save my friend?"
Without even lifting his eyelids, Boss Jiang threw something, hitting Ji Mingran on the head, and lazily said, "A detoxifying pill, it can save his life."
Ji Mingran quickly took the object off his head; it was a small wooden box with a black pill quietly inside.
Thud! Something else hit her on the head—it was the healing pill that Boss Jiang had just been holding.
"They are equivalent, choose one."
"Two choices?" Ji Mingran lowered his head in deep thought.
“Your injuries are so severe that if you were treated by an ordinary doctor, it would take at least a year and a half to recover. If it takes too long, you are very likely to develop chronic illnesses. It will be time-consuming, laborious, and expensive. Why hesitate?”
"It's a miracle he survived until today, having been poisoned to the point of death." Boss Jiang, seizing every opportunity to do business, earnestly persuaded, "You might only find a corpse when you go back. Why not take the coffin with you now? Why run back and forth? The price won't be the same outside this door. How about this: I'll only give others a 5% discount at most, but you're young and have had a tough time, so I'll reluctantly give you a 15% discount, how about that?"
Ji Mingran suddenly raised his head, his eyes revealing a look of resolute determination.
Boss Jiang noticed the change in the girl's expression, a smile playing on his lips, and he secretly rejoiced.
The remaining stock in the shop can finally be sold.
"Since they're equivalent, can I have half of each?"
"What?" Boss Jiang blinked.
Ji Mingran repeated: "Each should take half a pill."
Mr. Jiang was both angry and amused, but looking at the young and frail girl, he thought that she was too young to understand pharmacology and that was why she said such ridiculous things. So he suppressed his anger and patiently explained, "Half a pill has a very weak effect. You will recover at most 30%. Although the poisoned person can wake up, the toxins in the body are only temporarily suppressed, not eliminated. If the toxins accumulate in the body for a long time, and you don't take double the amount of the whole pill, you don't know when you will die from the poisoning."
"Time is money, and it's a blessing for him to live one more day. It doesn't matter." Ji Mingran believed from the bottom of his heart.
Boss Jiang sneered, "I thought you were genuinely trying to save him and would insist on exchanging the detoxification pill, but it seems you're nothing special."
There's no way this broken coffin can be sold.
Ji Mingran said frankly, "Boss Jiang misunderstands. I never thought of changing the medicine. I am alone, and my injuries have been prolonged and my survival is difficult, but he is deeply poisoned and on the verge of death. Since both are needed, let's take half from each side, cure as many as we can, and leave the rest to fate."
After thinking for a moment, she added, "I was hesitant about how to bring it up just now, but thanks to Boss Jiang's encouragement, I was able to speak up."
Mr. Jiang found it absurd: "When did I ever encourage you?"
"I only had the courage to speak up because Mr. Jiang was smiling so warmly just now." Of course, if Mr. Jiang had been cold and indifferent, she would have been shameless enough to ask for it.
She shouldn't be secretly pleased. Boss Jiang's lips immediately curled into a smile: "Dividing the pill in two will greatly reduce the efficacy of the remaining medicine, not to mention it's a loss. Do you think I'll just give it to you if you want it? Do you think you can have both?"
Ji Mingran had already thought it through: "Can the loss be offset by my wages? Consider it as me buying a complete detoxification pill. I'll keep the remaining half with you, and I'll take it back when the wages are deducted."
Boss Jiang stared at Ji Mingran without saying a word, silently making plans in his mind.
The healing pill was a free gift; she only wanted half, but bought a whole detoxifying pill instead. Detoxifying pills were expensive and practically unsellable in the small town, like coffins—essentially a slow-moving commodity. By doing this, she not only sold the pills but also secured the young helper's employment for several years, thus making a profit herself.
Thinking this way, Boss Jiang's displeasure dissipated, and he became happy again. He pretended to be reluctant and agreed in a deep voice, "Okay." He raised his right hand slightly, and the pill broke in the middle. One half flew out of the box and jumped into Ji Mingran's hand, while the other half disappeared on the spot along with the box.
First he subdued the zombie, then he could retrieve objects from a distance. How did Boss Jiang manage to do that?
Ji Mingran was curious, but he didn't forget to ask again: "Boss Jiang, I have another request to make."
Mr. Jiang frowned deeply.
Clutching the pills in his hand, Ji Mingran said in one breath, "Could you pay me a little money in advance? My family is really destitute, we only have a water tank, I'm hungry and have no strength to work."
If she doesn't eat something soon, she'll really collapse, especially since there's another mouth at home that's crying for food.
Boss Jiang remained silent, her gaze returning to Ji Mingran's messy hair. After a moment, she made a few gestures with her hands, instantly tidying up the chaotic ground in the yard caused by the fight, and two canes quietly appeared beside Ji Mingran's feet.
Ji Mingran noticed that his hair and clothes had also become clean and fresh.
This magical spell is so convenient!
“If you stay any longer, you’ll really be nothing but a corpse when you get back,” Boss Jiang stood up, glanced at her, and tossed a string of copper coins with a stern face. “Come back early in the morning.” With that, she turned and strode quickly toward the room at the back of the courtyard.
We will never give anyone another chance to speak.
After watching Boss Jiang return to his room, Ji Mingran walked back to the store with his cane. As soon as he opened the door, he was met with inquisitive eyes.
Meeting Xiao Can's dark gaze, Ji Mingran said happily, "I'll come over to help tomorrow morning."
Xiao Can said haltingly, "That's great! I've been watching you for a while and I knew you could do it. I was here this morning too."
Although Xiaocan's appearance and behavior are different from ordinary people, he is still easy to get along with.
Ji Mingran was anxious. After a brief farewell to Xiao Can, he tucked the pills into his pocket and hurried home with his cane.
I hope that what's lying in the bed isn't a corpse.
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