"Zuo Changming, why aren't you sorting the packages? What are you doing standing here?"
While I was still in a daze, I heard Zhang Guangyin shout from behind me.
I snapped out of my reverie and went to the sorting room, where I saw An Lili holding a mobile phone, scanning the packages on the ground.
"Good morning, Changming." An Lili greeted me with a slight smile when she saw me.
"Good morning." I still couldn't stop thinking about Ma Jiajie, and I felt very down.
"Zuo Changming, Lin Xiaoxue and Zhong Lingui have taken the day off. After you finish your deliveries on Zhong Lingui's route, help him with his. There aren't many packages today anyway, and besides, it's on your way." Zhang Guangyin patted my shoulder with a half-smile and said earnestly, especially the words "on your way," which were raised in volume.
I nodded and agreed.
Our courier station only has a few deliverymen. If one of them takes leave, others will have to work harder to deliver the packages for him, and their wages will also go to the person who helps with the delivery.
"Brother Changming, the station chief is obviously making things difficult for you on purpose. Don't take it to heart," An Lili said, winking at me as she watched Zhang Guangyin leave.
"It's okay, I usually do this kind of thing anyway." I put aside the messy thoughts in my mind and squatted down to help sort the packages.
"Changming, why are your dark circles so heavy? Did you stay up too late last night after taking me home and not get enough rest?" An Lili glanced at me and asked apologetically.
"Uh, it's nothing, it's none of your business. I had some insomnia last night and didn't sleep well." I put down the package in my hand, waved my hand, and forced a gentle smile.
Actually, I slept very soundly last night. I haven't had such a comfortable sleep in a long time. As for why I was in such a bad state, well, it goes without saying that I encountered a ghost. But I couldn't possibly tell An Lili about this, so I just made up an excuse to get by.
"Okay, then you should take care of yourself and get some rest." An Lili put the package she was holding aside and looked at me, asking, "Brother Changming, did something happen at Lin Xiaoxue's house? Why did both of them take the day off today?"
"I don't know either," I said, shaking my head as I continued sorting the packages on the ground.
I really don't know why Lin Xiaoxue and Zhong Lingui took leave at the same time. It has never happened before, and the boss has also instructed that unless there are very special circumstances, the couple cannot take leave at the same time.
"I feel like Lin Xiaoxue has been acting strange lately, like she has something on her mind," An Lili said slowly as she scanned the package code with the machine.
"It seems so." I replied perfunctorily, absentmindedly sorting through the packages on the ground. I had no time to care about other people's business; I hadn't even dealt with my own ghost encounter yet.
"Brother Changming, you're in charge of Zhong Lingui's packages today. He happens to run the route near my house. Why don't you finish your own deliveries, and I'll help you with the deliveries after get off work? I know all the villages in our area pretty well." An Lili had finished scanning all the packages in front of her, stood up, stretched, and looked at me as she spoke.
boom!
My mind went blank for a moment, and then I remembered that the route Zhong Lingui ran was from the traffic light intersection all the way to Shizi Village, passing through Daping Village, then Mawu Village, and finally Shizi Village, covering a distance of more than ten kilometers.
After I finish delivering my own packages, I'll go help him with his delivery route. I'll probably have to walk home in the dark again tonight. Just thinking about Ma Jiajie at the intersection gives me the creeps. What should I do if I run into her again tonight?
"No need, I've delivered that line before." I declined An Lili's offer. My mind was a mess, and Ma Jiajie's image kept popping into my head. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and asked, "Where are those two guys, Feng Enbin and Xu Dalong?"
"Xu Dalong went to the restroom, and Feng Enbin went to buy breakfast." An Lili raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead. It was usually the workload of two people, but today she was doing it all by herself, and she was obviously exhausted.
Just as An Lili finished speaking, Xu Dalong walked out of the restroom, waving his hand. Seeing me, he said, "Changming, Zhong Lingui has taken leave. You'll have to take over his line."
"Yes, Big Buffalo told me." I nodded, having already finished sorting the packages on my line.
"Big Water Buffalo" is a nickname we gave Zhang Guangyin in private because he is tall and big, especially his nose, which looks like a bull's nose. He has deducted our wages for several of us deliverymen under various pretexts, so we don't have a good impression of him. Of course, we only use the nickname "Big Water Buffalo" in private, otherwise Zhang Guangyin would be furious if he heard it.
"Zhong Lingui will probably need to take two or three days off, so you'll have to work hard these next few days." Xu Dalong patted my shoulder, squatted down, and started helping to sort the packages.
"Brother Dalong, what happened to Zhong Lingui's family? Why did they both take leave at the same time?" An Lili turned to look at Xu Dalong, her face full of gossip.
"I had drinks with Zhong Lingui and the others after get off work a couple of days ago, and I heard some things about it." Xu Dalong glanced around and continued softly, "Zhong Lingui's son seems to be sick?"
"It's just that you're sick, why are you making such a fuss?" I asked, quite surprised.
I know that Zhong Lingui, Xu Dalong, and a few others like to drink. Sometimes after get off work, the three of them would get together for a drink. They had invited me before, but I really can't hold my liquor. Every time I went, I would be knocked out after just one drink, and they would have to take me home. I was too embarrassed to go, so they stopped inviting me.
“Zhong Lingui said his son has a strange illness. He often gets up in the middle of the night and plays by himself, like he’s sleepwalking, but not quite. He’s just in a daze.” Xu Dalong’s face was very pale as he continued, “This morning, I called him and he said his son was injured. I didn’t think much of it. Later, a relative told me that Zhong Lingui’s son went to the park alone last night and fell and injured himself. It was around 1 a.m. I heard that his son himself doesn’t know why he went to the park.”
"No way, I heard from Sister Lin that her son is already over six years old. How could he go to the park alone late at night?" An Lili asked.
"Who knows? My relative lives right next door to him. Everyone in the neighborhood knows about this. I reckon Zhong Lingui's son probably has some kind of supernatural disease," Xu Dalong said slowly, a look of worry on his face.
"Brother Dalong, what is a Yin disease? Is it serious?" An Lili stopped her scanning work, turned her head and asked Xu Dalong.
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