Chapter 1 The little girl in red with an umbrella in the rain
My name is Wang Jianfei and I was born on the Ghost Festival.
Ever since I can remember, I have often encountered dirty things.
Many adults in the village don't like me and say I'm a disaster.
Because on the night of my fifth birthday, my parents, grandparents, and sister all died tragically at home.
Only I managed to survive.
For me, I have no idea what happened that night.
I only remember eating longevity noodles and then going to bed early.
When I woke up the next day, the pungent smell of blood filled the house.
I came to the main room and was horrified to find that the bodies of my grandparents, parents, and sister who were two years older than me were piled together.
The hall was full of blood and some fragments of human tissue.
Especially my sister, her head was split in two.
Blood, all blood...
…
Later, Master Zhao Laosan adopted me.
The master is the Feng Shui master of our village and he is also a ghost hunter.
He often goes to the county or city to help people check Feng Shui. Sometimes he doesn't check Feng Shui. He does it in a mysterious way, which I don't know very well.
In a blink of an eye, I am nine years old.
On this day, an old Taoist priest named Li Ergou came to my house to have a drink with my master.
He has a very good relationship with my master and is my master's best friend.
The two of them sat at the stone table in the yard, drinking one cup after another.
I squatted aside and played with the toy car that my master bought for me from the county town.
Li Ergou took a sip of wine and said to my master with a smile: "Have you found out the murderer who killed this baby and his whole family?"
My master's face turned red when he drank. He shook his head and said, "No, the county police have not found any clues so far."
Li Ergou laughed strangely: "I don't mean the police, I mean you..."
My master shook his head again: "No, just don't try to trick me."
Li Ergou picked up the wine glass: "Drink."
My master also picked up his wine glass and clinked it with him.
Li Ergou's eyes rolled, and he asked again: "Old Zhao, what did you teach this boy as your disciple?"
My master smiled and called me: "Jianfei, tell him what I have taught you over the years."
I stood up, looked at Li Ergou and said: "My master taught me to read some very complicated characters, which were words that the school teachers had never taught me. Then my master also asked me to memorize "The Secret Technique of Feng Shui" and "The Secret Technique of Catching Ghosts"
》.”
Li Ergou was surprised and said: "Old Zhao, are you planning to let this child accept your mantle?"
My master smiled, said nothing, picked up a braised duck paw and bit it.
Li Ergou looked at me again: "Are you afraid?"
I shook my head: "I'm not afraid."
Master told me that I have a negative fate and can easily see some unclean things.
As time passed, I became immune to the "ghosts" I saw.
For example, sometimes when I pass by the old locust tree at the entrance of the village at night, I can see many "people" hanging on the tree.
There was also a dry well at the back of the village. One day at noon, a few children and I were playing near the dry well. I saw with my own eyes a woman with disheveled hair and black clothes sitting by the well.
I said I saw it, but the other children said they didn't.
So over the years, I've gotten used to what my eyes see.
In the past few years, I have memorized "Secret Techniques of Feng Shui" and "Secret Techniques of Catching Ghosts" by heart, but I don't know how to use the techniques in them.
According to Master's instructions, let me memorize it first and teach me how to use it when I get older.
While chewing the braised duck feet, the master said: "This kid often runs to his own home, and it's not like his family members are dead."
Li Ergou whispered: "Have they all turned into ghosts?"
My master shook his head: "I went to see his house. I also clean the house regularly. There is no hostility at all. How could there be a ghost? This kid is probably deceived."
I pursed my lips and said nothing, because only I knew and I was not blinded.
Since my family was murdered, every time I go home, I see my grandparents, my parents, and my sister.
They are all alive and well and will suddenly appear in front of me.
They can communicate with me and talk to me.
Even, they have shadows!
Master once told me that ghosts have no shadows.
So I firmly believe that although my family members died, they did not become ghosts.
I can't explain why they can only be seen by me and only I can talk to them.
Every time I asked them whether they were humans or ghosts, they would avoid the topic and would not answer me.
And every time I asked who killed them, they would answer that they couldn't remember.
I have brought Master to my home many times, but Master just can't see their presence.
As time passed, Master felt that I had a mental problem.
Last summer, Master took me to the municipal hospital for a checkup, but the doctor didn't see anything.
But from that time on, I would never tell Master about the existence of my family, nor would I tell anyone.
Li Ergou took a piece of braised duck neck and handed it to me: "Jianfei, eat it! Don't think so much, grow up happily. Study hard, get into a good university, and honor your master in the future."
As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of lightning flashed across the sky.
That's how it is in summer, the rain comes as soon as it comes.
Master and Li Ergou quickly ran into the main room carrying dishes and wine.
And I stood quietly in the yard, looking up at the sky.
I like rain.
When I was five years old, I loved raining.
The day after the family was killed, it rained all day.
I was soaked in the rain for a long time.
The sound of rain at that time covered up the voices of the villagers insulting me.
That's right, they called me a disaster, called me a bad luck, and blamed me for killing my whole family.
Li Ergou stretched out his head and asked me to go back to the house.
My master said: "Forget it, leave him alone, this kid likes rainy days."
Master, you still know me very well.
I took the toy car and walked out of the yard.
Master's family lives in the middle of the village, and my own family is at the back of the village.
I have been living in Master's house these years. My house has always been empty, and Master would occasionally clean it.
After a murder occurred in my house, several neighbors moved away.
I came outside the yard and walked slowly toward the back of the village.
Thunder sounded and raindrops fell on my body.
It started to rain heavily.
The chirping of cicadas stopped abruptly at this moment.
The village is neither small nor big, with more than eighty households.
Soon, I arrived at the door of my house in the rain.
My home is a bungalow with a front yard.
Pushing open the big iron gate of the front yard, I walked into the yard and stamped the sand and fallen leaves on the concrete floor.
Suddenly, a gloomy voice came from outside the door, mixed with the sound of wind and rain.
"Brother, can you give me your toy car to play with?"
I couldn't help but be stunned, and then quickly turned around.
The front door of my house faces a small alley.
At this time, a little girl wearing red clothes and holding a red umbrella stood quietly at the entrance of the alley.
It was raining heavily, but I could see her face clearly.
Her face was pale, her eyes were slightly squinted, she had no eyebrows, and she had a very scary smile on her lips.
At this time, a hand was put on my shoulder: "Jianfei, don't look at her!"
Hearing a familiar voice, I turned my head subconsciously. It was my sister...