Chapter 16
Chang Ting and his apprentice divided up their work, advancing the "peripheral investigation" into Xu Candong. However, the National Day holiday was approaching, and they couldn't find anyone or get things done, so they had to slow down their pace.
Chang Ting didn't take a proper vacation, but used this time to learn some things. As soon as he returned to work after the holiday, he went to the Municipal Hospital to verify the situation. As soon as he arrived at the gate, he received a call from his apprentice.
Zhou Zhengzheng's voice broke through the receiver: "Master!"
Chang Ting's ears hurt, and he moved the phone further away: "What are you yelling about?"
"The comics have been updated! Go check it out!"
"What update?" Chang Ting was feeling the heat of the afternoon sun and was confused for a moment.
"After three years of hiatus, 'Prophecy of the Other Shore' has finally released its sixth episode! It's about Xu Candong! Do you remember the Xu San with a broken head in the first five episodes? It turns out the prototype was Xu Candong!"
Chang Ting hung up the phone and walked into the hospital lobby. He found a chair to sit down while waiting for the consultation and opened the comics app on his phone.
The "bookshelf" only contains one comic, "Prophecy of the Other Shore", and the "Update" logo is prominently displayed in the upper right corner.
Point your finger and open it.
Three years ago, the manga stopped at the scene of Higanbana and bones. Three years later, a new chapter was released, subtitled "Fire".
At the beginning, it was as if an invisible camera zoomed out, and the scene shrank into a grid and concentrated on a mobile phone screen.
Mobile phone is held in a person's hand.
It turned out that there was a man reading the news about the discovery of human remains in Mingzhu Mountain.
The transition is smooth, the connection is natural, and reality and fiction overlap in a wonderful way. Whether it is three years or five years, it all flies by in the blink of an eye.
Chang Ting, who didn't understand comics, thought the technique was brilliant. Being able to draw was truly remarkable.
The man looking at his phone had a scar on his forehead. Next to it was a small note: Xu San.
Chang Ting knew the previous chapters by heart and immediately recognized that this was "Xu San," the boy who had clashed with "Chen He." The scar on his forehead was caused by Chen He hitting him with a chair. Compared to his youthful appearance five years ago, he had gained weight, but his facial features still had distinct individual characteristics.
Xu San in the cartoon is staring at his phone with a gloomy expression.
He spat out viciously, "It's been five years. What's the big deal if a body is found?"
He dropped his phone, stood up from the dirty sofa, stepped on the garbage on the ground, and walked towards a door. He called out, "Xixi, it's time to take your medicine..."
A fleshy hand pushed the door open. The room was extremely narrow, windowless, and should have been a storage room, but with a small bed crammed in, the space seemed even more cramped.
A little bald girl sat on the floor in front of the bed, playing with a dirty teddy bear.
Xu San's face darkened. "Xixi, how can you get out of bed? You're sick, you should stay in bed."
"I'm sorry, Dad..."
The little girl stood up, her arms and legs were very thin.
"Don't move. You are very sick. Don't stand up, let alone walk on your own."
"Dad, I feel much better."
"That won't do. Dad will hold you." Xu San stepped forward, picked up Xixi and put her on the bed.
He opened the drawer of his bedside table, and inside were several pill bottles rolling around. He picked up one of them. The label read: "Zopiclone" (sleeping pills). He poured out a pill and squeezed it in his palm: "Baby, it's time to take your medicine."
Xixi obediently stretched out her little hand, picked up the pill from his palm, put it into her mouth, then crawled to the bedside table, picked up a glass, and drank the medicine with half a cup of cold water in it.
No matter how well-behaved a child is, he or she will look sad when taking medicine.
"Xixi is so obedient." Xu San praised her.
Xixi endured the nausea brought by the pills and patted her chest to comfort herself: "Xixi, take the medicine obediently. You can see your mother when you recover."
Xu San's face darkened.
"Your mother doesn't want you anymore, but you still want to see her?"
Tears welled up in Xixi's eyes, but she held back her words.
Xu San looked at her bald head. "Your hair has grown a little bit. Daddy will shave it for you."
Xixi hugged her head in panic: "Xixi wants her hair to grow longer and to have braids."
"No, you are sick. Your hair will absorb nutrients from your body and make you sicker." Xu San had already found the electric clipper and said sternly.
Xixi couldn't help shedding tears.
Xu San pressed her head, and the electric clipper buzzed across her scalp. His movements were a bit rough, and the child was like a toy in his palm.
"Don't cry," he warned. "Save your tears for later."
After brushing away the last bit of hair, Xixi leaned over and collapsed into the messy quilt.
She tried to keep her sleepy eyes open: "Dad... Xixi is so sleepy..."
"You're not sleepy, you're just sick, so you don't have the energy," Xu San said. "It's okay, you can sleep for a while. But when dad calls you later, you have to greet the aunts and don't be impolite."
"No... it's impolite..."
Xixi murmured a few words, closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Xu Sanheng picked up the child and went to the next room.
This room was quite spacious, originally a second bedroom, but never used as one. Basins and benches lay scattered on the floor, giving it a cluttered and shabby appearance. But against the wall stood a stand, with three mobile phones perched on it. It turned out to be a professional live-streaming system capable of streaming to three platforms simultaneously.
Xu Candong sat on a small stool, placed the sleeping Xixi across his knees, and started the live broadcast.
The title of the live broadcast room was displayed on all three mobile phone screens: [Xu Xixi's Anti-whitening Diary]
"Family, I'm Xixi's dad. Xixi has a slight fever today and isn't in a good mood."
"Xixi, wave to your aunt."
"Xixi is so good." He kissed Xixi on the cheek.
"Xixi can't raise enough money for her medicine again, so I'm putting some health teas on the shelves. Xixi, please hurry up and thank everyone..."
"Xixi, Xixi, what's wrong with you!"
Xixi, who was half asleep, suddenly had a nosebleed. Xu San blocked Xixi's nose with a handkerchief and sobbed.
Soon, he choked up and said, "We've run out of expensive medicine lately. Xixi has been having nosebleeds frequently since she stopped taking it, and they can't be stopped... Xixi, don't be afraid. Daddy can buy you medicine by selling the health tea..."
Users were frantically placing orders for the tea, not caring about the unclear ingredients. Kind-hearted people just wanted to do their bit so the poor child could get the medicine...
"Thank you, my family. Xixi should go to bed now, and I have to go back to driving a ride-hailing car. With the help of my family, Xixi will definitely get better."
Xu San turned off the live broadcast.
He wiped his tear-stained face from top to bottom, and when his face was exposed again, it was as if a mask of sadness had been wiped off, leaving a hideous and greedy smile.
This face-changing painting is a close-up, and the smile that fills the screen looks like a gaping ghost.
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