Chapter 53 Catching Ghosts
The story began when Wan Xiang overheard something.
After hearing Zhou Zhixing's advice, he had already decided to transfer to the textile factory and become a deputy section chief. Humph, then he'd be in charge of more than a dozen people, much more powerful than a team leader.
But before leaving, I have to show Zhou Zhixing some of my power.
Anyone who dares to take Wan Xiang's place will have to see if he has the ability to stay in office. Hearing that the No. 1 Courtyard public toilet was haunted, he had a wicked idea. He thought he could use the haunting to scare people. Heaven is really helping him.
Wan Xiang glanced smugly at the people in Group 6, then hummed a song as he left. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing were speechless. How could this guy be so gullible? They didn't even think about it. The two of them were so casually mentioning the haunted figure. Wasn't that just because they thought Wan Xiang had bad intentions, giving him an idea to play a prank on them. Then they could pull it off, completely unnoticed.
It was just so smooth that Jiang Nan felt a little sorry for Wan Xiang. With that kind of intelligence, he really wasn't suited to being in the police station.
The four of them continued to eat lunch. Jiang Nan was very respectful to Wen Qiang: "Uncle Wen's braised pork is as good as the ones in state-owned restaurants."
"That's right." Wen Qiang was very proud. "My dad was worried about me, so he transferred me to the police station. Otherwise, he would be a chef at a state-owned restaurant."
In the other side of the family compound, Qiu Paner followed her parents home. When they passed by the supply and marketing cooperative, Tao Meiyu went in to buy some candy.
Qiu Pan'er was delighted, feeling that Tian Jiaguang was right. As long as she persisted, no parent could ever prevail against their children. They were going to kindergarten this afternoon, and she was taking over her mother, Tao Meiyu's, shift, finally having a proper job.
"Meiyu, why didn't you come home yesterday?" Downstairs, Old Lady Liu, now free from cooking, was enjoying the cool breeze under a tree when she spotted the Qiu family of three. Well, Old Lady Qiu was so angry because she felt embarrassed that she didn't come home today.
"It was late last night, so I didn't come back. Auntie, please have some candy." Tao Meiyu's voice was soft, with a bit of Granny Fang's charm, but Granny Fang was pretending, and Tao Meiyu was really speaking like this. She said, "My family will have a wedding banquet in a few days, and I'd like to invite you to have some wedding candy."
"What?!" Old Lady Liu's voice cracked as she screamed, "When did your Pan'er start dating? Are we going to have a wedding right now?"
"Well, I met him at the brigade back home." Tao Meiyu chuckled twice and continued to distribute candy without saying much. Qiu Xiangdong nodded at everyone and quickly went upstairs alone.
Qiu Pan'er was filled with joy. Old Mrs. Cao, as expected of a police officer's family, asked with some concern, "Pan'er isn't old enough yet, is she? Meiyu, you can't be so foolish."
She also heard some rumors that every household in the Xihe'an Brigade would probably have an oil worker. She could understand that Pan'er had lived there for a month and was looking for a "future worker", but Qiu Pan'er was not old enough to get a marriage certificate.
"Look at what you're saying, Aunt Cao." Tao Meiyu's smile faded a little. She said, "It's the same in the countryside. First the wedding banquet, then the marriage certificate. It's all the same. Even though we've moved to the oil fields, we can't forget our roots. My Pan'er may not be old enough, but he's not young anymore. Your Zhou Zhixing is also getting engaged to Xiaonan. We're just having the wedding banquet first, it's all the same."
Old Lady Cao didn't agree, but Tao Meiyu clearly didn't give her another chance to speak. After distributing the candies, she dragged Qiu Pan'er home. The three of them had a quick lunch, and in the afternoon, mother and daughter went to the kindergarten to complete the handover procedures.
Time passed quickly, and the six groups finished their work for the day and went home.
It had been over a month since the two of them returned to the family compound, and it was Jiang Nan's first time seeing Qiu Pan'er. She had to admit, she was still quite shocked. She hadn't expected that in just one month, Qiu Pan'er would be trapped by a "Phoenix Man."
Qiu Pan'er was waiting downstairs specifically for Jiang Nan. Since she already had Tian Jiaguang, she wanted to see what Jiang Nan's man looked like. Deep down, Qiu Pan'er hoped Zhou Zhixing wouldn't be as good as Tian Jiaguang. Even if he wasn't bad looking, he certainly wouldn't be as good to her as Jiaguang.
However, seeing the two of them pushing the cart together, talking and laughing, Qiu Paner felt sour in her heart again.
Why should Jiang Nan be so happy? She should be jealous of me. I'm so lucky to have found Jiaguang, how could she not be jealous? Yes, of course she is jealous, she is definitely jealous.
Jiang Nan definitely didn't love her. He definitely wanted to eat her up and wipe her out. Yes, just wait and see Jiang Nan being eaten up and kicked out. He definitely would.
Qiu Paner gave Jiang Nan a vicious look, snorted heavily, and turned to go upstairs.
"Is this Qiu Paner?" It was the first time that Zhou Zhixing saw this 'potential murderer', and he had to admit that he felt a little sympathetic.
Wu Chunli was betrayed by her mother, Sun Qiaolian by her son, and Qiu Paner, disliked by her parents, was trapped by a Phoenix man. Each of these people has their own misfortunes, but who knows which one will be the one to turn completely evil in ten years.
"Yes, she's getting married." Jiang Nan whispered, "She's pregnant."
"That Phoenix man is truly shameless." Zhou Zhixing frowned, feeling something was amiss. He asked, "Isn't her family planning to take in a son-in-law?"
Jiang Nan was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "No, it's about marrying off my daughter. What's wrong? Is there something wrong?"
Zhou Zhixing shook his head. "It's hard to say. Let's wait and see. Has the probability not changed?"
"No." Jiang Nan checked the system again and confirmed.
The two of them had no clue, so they stopped dwelling on it. The main quest was still ten years away, so they still had time.
"Xiao Nan, are you guys going ghost hunting tonight?" These were the people who lived in the bungalows at the back. They didn't have toilets at home, so they had to go to the public toilets at night. But they were the ones who were most concerned about this. Seeing the two of them coming home from work, they trotted over to ask.
"Don't worry, I'll catch him." Jiang Nan locked the car and answered the questions of the old man and woman with a smile.
After talking for a while, the two of them took their groceries home. They were on duty today, so they got off work early and went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy groceries and prepare to cook.
Jiang Nan didn't cook often, but she did know how to. After all, she'd lived alone in Shanghai for so many years in her previous life, so she knew how to cook. And since dinner didn't need to be complicated, she decided to make a cucumber and preserved egg, a stir-fried water spinach, and some rice porridge. That was it.
The stir-fried water spinach is still Zhou Zhixing's skill. The four of them are discussing the ghost-catching show in the evening and preparing to have dinner together.
Although there were only two dishes, Jiang Mancheng, who was returning home from get off work, was deeply moved: "My daughter is the one who knows how to care for others. Look at how delicious these dishes are! My daughter is so clever and sensible."
Jiang Nan held his head high: "That's just how I am."
Chen Jinhua also agreed: "Yes, my daughter, this is natural, it's just that good."
Jiang Nanle: "That's right."
Chen Jinhua was also happy. She couldn't cook at all. Although outsiders said Jiang Mancheng was a gigolo, family members knew their own business. Chen Jinhua actually listened to Jiang Mancheng on many matters. They had a good relationship. Jiang Mancheng didn't care about the rumors, but Chen Jinhua felt sorry for him. She knew too well that Mancheng knew much more than she did, which was why he didn't live off her.
But when it comes to her daughter, Chen Jinhua has a double standard. Secretly, she hopes Zhou Zhixing will be a gigolo, completely obedient to her daughter. But she also knows that's impossible. Zhou Zhixing can cook, and he's quite good at it, so she's not worried about her daughter being at a disadvantage.
While Chen Jinhua was eating, her mind drifted to the Atlantic Ocean.
"Uncle Jiang, if you like it, eat more." Zhou Zhixing was thick-skinned and took it all as a compliment. He was cheerful the whole time and tactfully picked up some food for his future mother-in-law. "Aunt Chen, please eat more. Xiaonan said you love stir-fried water spinach the most. Try my recipe and see if it suits your taste."
Chen Jinhua giggled with delight, which made Jiang Mancheng grumble and complain: "This water spinach is old, and the leaves are not fresh and tender. It's nowhere near as good as the one I stir-fried, right, Jinhua?"
Chen Jinhua's smile faltered, the compliment she was about to offer choking back. She looked at her husband, wanting to speak but holding back. She'd heard mothers-in-law manipulate their daughters-in-law before, but she'd never seen a father-in-law be dissatisfied with his son-in-law.
What, you mean Chen Wanli and Jiang Mancheng? Isn't it that Chen Wanli has that kind of temper? As his daughter, she has to coax him.
Zhou Zhixing, however, didn't take it seriously at all. Having been around the Jiang family for so long, he naturally knew Uncle Jiang's character. In his previous life, he had never felt familial affection. As a bastard son of a marquis, his aunt only saw him as a tool to maintain her favor, and his father barely even glanced at him. But after arriving here and witnessing the doting Uncle Jiang and Aunt Chen showed Jiang Nan, he finally understood what a normal family relationship looked like.
He took action immediately and joined this family.
Now, like a frog in boiling water, you see, it has gradually assimilated into the game. He feels that he is extremely wise.
Jiang Nan had no idea Zhou Zhixing was feeling smug, and he even came to his rescue: "Okay, Dad, let's talk about catching ghosts tonight. Uncle Zhang and the others have been making a big fuss about catching ghosts with Zhou Zhixing and me, so I guess Old Cheng won't come out tonight..."
"Of course, he can steal from so many houses without getting hurt. He's quite a thief." Jiang Mancheng let Zhou Zhixing go, and the four of them began to discuss their plan to catch ghosts that night.
After dinner, each household began to busy themselves with washing dishes and digesting the food. When eating at my father-in-law's house, of course Zhou Zhixing washed the dishes. He was very tactful, well, he was such a hero.
It was almost ten o'clock when the four of them came downstairs. Jiang Mancheng was holding a small bag in his hand. Tonight, Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua decided to give Wan Xiang a taste of his own medicine.
As for Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, ahem, they are police officers now and cannot engage in these feudal superstitions.
Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua were in no hurry to disguise themselves, but instead stayed in the woods with Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, waiting for Wan Xiang to arrive before taking action, so as not to scare others.
The reason for choosing the grove is, firstly, because it is easy to hide here, and secondly, although the grove is some distance away from the public toilet, it is not too far and the situation of the public toilet can be seen clearly.
However, the four of them did not expect that as soon as they entered the grove, they startled two pairs of wild mandarin ducks and an old man named Wu who came to eavesdrop.
Yes, two pairs, and Old Wu, were stationed at either end of the grove. I don't know if it was because they weren't able to, or because the time was too short, but they didn't hear anything from each other, which was quite amazing.
Let's talk about the first couple, Fan Taohua and Cheng Dazhu. It was Fan Taohua's daughter Wu Chunli who was going to the countryside on behalf of Cheng Gaigai. Fan Taohua had taken care of the matter and now came to Cheng Dazhu to ask for the remaining money.
When old lovers meet, besides asking for money, there are of course other things to do.
The two of them had been here for a while. Fan Taohua sorted her clothes and took the other fifty yuan. She glanced at Cheng Dazhu with a smile and said, "You're really open-minded, Dazhu."
She stuffed the money into her trouser pocket, reached out her hand, and gently rubbed Cheng Dazhu's chest: "Why didn't you come to see me for so long?"
Cheng Dazhu grabbed the hand that was causing trouble. He was not in the mood to tease at this moment. He said, "Okay, the matter is done. For the time being, let's avoid suspicion. Don't come to me anymore."
"You bastard." Fan Taohua stamped her feet and scolded, "You're destroying the bridge after crossing it. What? Are you afraid that I'll use this to control you?"
Cheng Dazhu glanced at Fan Taohua and said with a smile: "I don't think you have the courage. Okay, I have other things to do recently and don't have time to patronize your business. You can find someone else. Okay..."
At this point, he was stunned for a moment and whispered, "There's someone here, hide and don't make any noise."
On the other side, there was Qiu Xiangdong, whose wish had come true, Sun Qiaolian, who had been very low-key recently, and Old Wu, who had accidentally seen the two of them hooking up and followed them.
Qiu Xiangdong was feeling proud of himself after convincing Tao Meiyu to adopt a son. When he went upstairs alone, he happened to see Sun Qiaolian cooking at home. Sun Qiaolian was a very plump woman with big breasts and a big butt. Cooking in the hot summer, she inevitably sweated, and her clothes stuck to her body, highlighting her figure.
Qiu Xiangdong fixed his eyes on Sun Qiaolian, gave her a wink, and went home without staying for long.
He didn't expect that it was this look that allowed Old Wu, who was also peeping at Sun Qiaolian at the door, to see it clearly.
Old Wu was so happy. He had always been a person with lustful thoughts but not much courage. The reason he dared to take advantage of Cheng Gaigai was because he took advantage of the little girl's youth and tender skin. He wouldn't dare to do that to someone as shameless as Sun Qiaolian. But Old Wu still had to watch, after all, it would be a waste not to watch. Isn't it that he saw the secret today? He raised the corner of his mouth and decided to stare at Sun Qiaolian and Qiu Xiangdong to see what the two were up to.
Meanwhile, although Sun Qiaolian noticed Old Wu's gaze, she didn't care. A man, as long as he had money, didn't care about his age. If Old Wu didn't have money, she wouldn't be in a good mood.
Sun Qiaolian had always been very confident when it came to men. Previously, there had been Fan Taohua in the building, who was prettier and more captivating than she, but she was only on par with her. Sun Qiaolian knew full well that her "good-family" beauty was different from Fan Taohua's. Although Fang Nanshan had told her to keep a low profile recently, Sun Qiaolian thought Qiu Xiangdong was always generous, so an occasional act was nothing, so she didn't take it to heart.
However, Sun Qiaolian sighed inwardly. No man is perfect. Qiu Xiangdong might be good-looking and have a good job, but he's a fast-acting man. He lasts less than ten seconds. He's done in the blink of an eye. If he hadn't been so generous, she, Sun Qiaolian, would have quit long ago. That money was all earned through her hard work as an actress. It was all earned by her.
That night, the two of them had a passionate affair in the grove. Well, it only took ten seconds. Sun Qiaolian, with a hint of disdain in her heart, panted and praised in a delicate voice, "Brother Dong, you're really amazing. What took you so long to come back? I missed you so much."
Qiu Xiangdong was very pleased with himself. He had managed to coax Tao Meiyu into willingly adopting a son. Sun Qiaolian simply missed him, which was perfectly normal. After all, what woman wouldn't love a hunk like him? He pulled five yuan out of his pocket, tossed it to Sun Qiaolian, and said, "Here, here you go. Go back and buy some meat."
Sun Qiaolian took the money without hesitation. It was hard-earned money, well-deserved. But she continued to tease, "I miss you. Look at you, you're on duty at the well all day and never go home. I miss you so much I can't sleep."
Qiu Xiangdong frowned, thinking of Qiu Paner saying that he was not home all day, he felt a little uneasy and said, "Okay, stop talking so much. A woman has no right to interfere in a man's work."
Sun Qiaolian curled her lips and started talking about something else: "Why did I hear that Pan'er is getting married? Isn't Pan'er only sixteen..."
Qiu Xiangdong was impatient, so his tone was naturally not very good: "Don't ask about other people's affairs. Okay, pack up and leave. Wait, there's someone here."
Qiu Xiangdong quickly buttoned up his clothes and hid behind a tree. Sun Qiaolian was also startled and hid with a pale face.
Old Wu, who was watching from behind the tree until his mouth was dry with thirst, took off running upon hearing this. He thought he had been discovered, so he ran quickly. Fortunately, it was dark, and he ran so fast that Qiu Xiangdong and Sun Qiaolian didn't see who it was. However, the two of them didn't come out immediately, hiding for a while before quietly going around to the other side and leaving quietly.
Just like that, the two pairs of wild mandarin ducks retreated in the direction away from the sound, and then they met. The moonlight was particularly bright tonight, and they recognized each other from a distance. Cheng Dazhu and Qiu Xiangdong were fine, because men were always particularly tolerant in such matters. Fan Taohua and Sun Qiaolian were jealous of each other. Fan Taohua was the first to say "Puh" and cursed in a low voice: "What kind of good family are you pretending to be? You are both a hypocrite and a hypocrite. Disgusting!"
Sun Qiaolian hid behind Qiu Xiangdong, tugging at the corner of his clothes, looking pitifully bullied, and sobbed, "I...I want to borrow some money from Brother Qiu. Don't be so mean. My family is having a hard time. I'm supporting my entire family alone in Nanshan. I've borrowed money from all my relatives and friends. Brother Qiu just came back, so I'm thinking of borrowing some money. Don't blame me."
"Why are you pretending?" Fan Taohua despised Sun Qiaolian the most. Why did she always cheat on her husband? She got divorced and kicked out, while Sun Qiaolian could still live in the tube-shaped building. She stared at Sun Qiaolian fiercely, wishing she could tear her apart.
"Enough!" Qiu Xiangdong growled, shaking off Sun Qiaolian's hand and saying, "It's so late, you're worried that people can't hear you, right? If you want to fight, go ahead. I'm going to take a detour back."
After saying this, he walked away without caring about how others would react. Seeing this, Fan Taohua knew that this was not the time to make a fuss, so she snorted coldly and turned away.
The four people who had startled the mandarin ducks were speechless. Jiang Nan whispered to everyone about the situation in the woods. Jiang Mancheng sighed: "This is such a lively night."
The three of them nodded silently. Yes, everyone was busy with their own things, so it was quite lively.
The four of them each found a tree to hide in. Before they had been hiding for long, they were startled by a shrill male voice, which gave them goose bumps.
This story starts with Wan Xiang who wanted to pretend to be a ghost to scare people.
Late at night, Wan Xiang brought his three younger brothers, holding a white bed sheet, and ran to Yard No. 1.
These three men were under the wing of Wan Xiang's eldest brother, Wan Hu. They were his trusted aides, the kind who would follow Wan Hu's lead and do whatever he said. Upon hearing that Wan Xiang had been wronged at the police station, they felt a strong sense of sympathy. They immediately patted their chests and promised to teach Zhou Zhixing a lesson.
Originally, the four of them planned to come here earlier, but they drank too much and were confused until half past ten, when they finally came to their senses. Now they rushed here in a hurry.
The four of them ran until they were almost out of breath, and finally arrived at Courtyard No. 1. They saw the public toilet from a distance, and Wan Xiang looked around, but when he saw that there was no one lying in ambush, he felt relieved.
"You are really an idiot. The ghost catcher hasn't come yet. Then don't blame me for dressing up as a ghost to scare you." Wan Xiang muttered softly and asked everyone to cover themselves with bed sheets and get ready.
As for ghost hunting, Wan Xiang thought it was nothing more than a quick roam around the public restroom to see if anyone was playing tricks. As soon as Zhou Zhixing came in, they'd startle him! Four ghosts wrapped in white sheets would scare them to death! Maybe Zhou Zhixing would even pee his pants.
Even if they couldn't scare him, it didn't matter. With four of them, they wouldn't be at a disadvantage if a fight broke out. After all, they were four grown men, while Zhou Zhixing and his group were only two, and one was a woman. Four against two, they were sure to win.
Thinking of this, Wan Xiang laughed heartily. Combined with the white bed sheets, it was really quite creepy.
Zhou Zhixing and the other three saw everything Wan Xiang and the others did clearly. Jiang Nan rolled her eyes almost to the sky. This guy was so stupid that she didn't even have the heart to pretend to be a ghost to scare him.
Yes, as a lesbian, she certainly couldn't enter the men's restroom, so Jiang Nan couldn't enter the ghost hunting scene. She and Chen Jinhua were outside to coordinate. If anyone escaped, they would be responsible for finishing off the attack and try to capture all four ghosts.
Jiang Nan had originally planned to use a voice changer while waiting outside to scare Wan Xiang when he escaped. Now, he had to act according to circumstances. After all, Wan Xiang would most likely be subdued in the first round and wouldn't be able to escape at all.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
