Chapter 146: Another Ghost Appears!
Everyone in the first-floor hall turned their heads in unison to look, and upon seeing the transparent figure standing in the doorway, Aunt Zheng and Liu Jiawei screamed in fright: “Oh my God! Another ghost!”
The two trembled and hid behind Nan Yuanman.
Feng Congqian stood at Nan Yuanman’s side, always protecting her.
Nan Yuanman was stunned upon seeing that transparent figure, then turned to look at Old Master Ge, who looked stunned and subconsciously walked a few steps toward the doorway: “Xia-Xiaomei?!”
Li Xiaomei stared blankly at Old Master Ge: “Old man?”
“My heavens! My heavens!” Old Master Ge felt the sky had fallen; he tossed the axe in his hand aside and staggered two steps toward her: “How could you come here? How could you come here!”
He had just wanted to beg that little girl to help him enter his old wife’s dream, but before the dream could even happen, she appeared right in front of him!
This, this meant that she had already…
Li Xiaomei also instinctively floated inward a bit: “I don’t know either. I was just hungry and wanted to get something to eat, but I got up too quickly, my vision went black, and then I didn’t know anything…”
She was stunned when her gaze fell on her transparent palm: “Am I… dead?”
Indeed, if she weren’t dead, she couldn’t possibly see this old man who had passed away several years ago.
Nan Yuanman nodded her little head and spoke in a childish voice: “Yeah, Grandma, you’re dead. You’re just a ghost now.”
Li Xiaomei’s expression was complex, but she felt a heavy sigh of relief in her heart. She smiled: “Dead is good too. I should have died long ago.”
After saying that, she suddenly realized something and looked at Nan Yuanman in surprise: “Child, you… you can see me?”
Not only could she see her, but she could even talk to her?!
Nan Yuanman: “Mm-hmm.”
Li Xiaomei then noticed that besides the Liu family boy who bought their house, there were other people in the house too. Plus Old Master Ge, she frowned, floated forward, raised her hand, and pinched Old Master Ge’s ear: “Ge Huiyang! Did you scare people?”
“I’m telling you, this house is all because of your good son! It has nothing to do with others! Stop scaring people!”
With his ear pinched like that, all of Old Master Ge’s shock, anger, and grief vanished into thin air. He stood on tiptoe, pretending it hurt a lot: “Ouch ouch ouch! Xiaomei, go easy! I-I already apologized to them!”
He looked aggrieved: “You sold the house and left without telling me, without taking me! I woke up and saw strangers in our home…”
Li Xiaomei felt guilty: “That was my fault. I was sick and couldn’t get up then, didn’t know he sold the house. By the time I knew, we were already in Sui City…”
She collected so much trash just to save up for bus fare, so one day when she had time, she could take the bus over and bring Old Master Ge’s urn.
Who knew, she hadn’t saved the money, but she died first.
This was all fate.
Li Xiaomei wanted to say more when Ghost Gate silently opened behind her, and the sound of an underworld official dragging chains came from inside.
Old Master Ge instinctively shielded Li Xiaomei behind him and vigilantly watched Ghost Gate.
Nan Yuanman blinked her eyes and said: “Time’s up, old grandma. You have to go report to the underworld!”
A trace of regret appeared on Li Xiaomei’s face: “Time’s up already…” She had originally wanted to see her old man first, then go see her daughter…
But they probably didn’t want to see her much. After all, while alive, she had been quite unfair to them for the sake of her son.
Li Xiaomei sighed heavily. Old Master Ge carefully took her hand, completely without the ferocious look from earlier when holding the axe. His face, full of rugged features, was exceptionally gentle: “Don’t be afraid. I’ll go with you.”
He had refused to reincarnate and guarded the old house for so long, all to wait for her.
Now that she had arrived, it was time for him to go too.
As for his own son and daughter… their fate in this life was already over.
Besides, didn’t young people nowadays say something like? Children and grandchildren have their own blessings; no need for them to enjoy their grandchildren’s fortune.
Li Xiaomei smiled at him, tightly gripped his hand, and nodded: “Mm.”
The underworld official also emerged from Ghost Gate. He nodded slightly to Nan Yuanman, then looked at the two ghosts: “Li Xiaomei? Ge Huiyang?”
The two ghosts nodded nervously: “Yes, yes, that’s us.”
“Come with me. Once you enter the underworld, everything in the human world will have nothing to do with you. Don’t meddle in human affairs!” The underworld official slightly raised his hand, and the soul-hooking lock wrapped around their wrists, leading them as they turned and entered Ghost Gate.
Before stepping into Ghost Gate, Li Xiaomei seemed to think of something. She turned her head for a final look at the first-floor hall, then lowered her eyes and left, supporting each other with Old Master Ge.
Ghost Gate slowly closed, and the yin energy in the first-floor hall slowly dissipated. Besides the temperature still being a bit low, it didn’t look so eerie to the naked eye anymore.
Aunt Zheng and Liu Jiawei, who couldn’t see Ghost Gate, looked around. Aunt Zheng asked puzzledly: “Huh? Where are Old Master Ge and that big sister from just now?”
“They went to the underworld!” Nan Yuanman said: “Old Master Ge’s ashes are right behind his portrait of the deceased. You find a medium, pick an auspicious day, and bury him in a good feng shui spot in the village.”
“This house still has some heavy yin energy. Open the windows for ventilation, let the sunlight in from outside, and fill the low-lying area outside the doorway with sand and soil. Best to plant golden osmanthus and orange trees to dispel the surrounding bad luck and attract wealth.”
“The layout inside also needs some changes—add a few more windows and such. Besides fixing up the house, you and your wife should get more sun and do more good deeds these days. That should basically solve everything.”
The little dumpling finished in one breath, then stretched out her chubby little hand to Aunt Zheng and Liu Jiawei, rubbing her thumb and index finger together: “Matter’s settled. Fee is five thousand, no haggling. Who’s paying?”
“Five thousand?!” Aunt Zheng cried out in shock: “That’s way too expensive!”
“Yuanman, we’re all from the same village. Can’t you give a discount? I’ve brought you food a few times, after all?” Aunt Zheng rubbed her hands and said with a smile.
Nan Yuanman tilted her head and squinted at her: “Too expensive? Then how about I call Grandpa Ge back…”
Liu Jiawei quickly pulled Aunt Zheng behind him and interrupted Nan Yuanman: “I’ll pay! I’ll pay!”
“I’ll pay the fee, and the gold Old Master Ge gave you, I’ll give that too. As for Old Master Ge… better not call him back.”
Nan Yuanman nodded in satisfaction: “Cash or transfer?”
Liu Jiawei: “Transfer.”
Nan Yuanman took out her watch and skillfully opened the payment code for Liu Jiawei to transfer.
After the transfer, Liu Jiawei ran to the storage room and, following what Old Master Ge had said, found a wooden box.
He carried the wooden box back to the first floor and opened it to find several neat bars of gold inside.
Liu Jiawei wanted to keep them but didn’t dare. After all, this was ghost money no matter what. If he took it, what if Old Master Ge came for him at night?
So he gave it all to Nan Yuanman.
Nan Yuanman didn’t take it all, only half, leaving the other half for Liu Jiawei.
She happily stuffed the gold bars into her small shoulder bag, gave three safety talismans to Liu Jiawei, said goodbye to Aunt Zheng, and bounced back to the car with Feng Congqian.
“Uncle Feng.” The little girl panted as she took out the gold bars and handed them to him: “Can you help me donate this money to people in need?”
She had previously asked Meng Qinian to help donate part of the money from fortune-telling, readings, and selling coffins. This gold was harder to handle, so she entrusted it to Feng Congqian.
“Sure.” Feng Congqian carefully took the gold bars from her hand, secured them properly, and drove back to S City.
By the time they returned to Wanhe Hospital, it was already dark.
Feng Congqian received a call from his subordinate: the press conference was ready. Not only from S City, but media from neighboring provinces, including prominent ones from Shangjing, had all been invited.
Tomorrow, the press conference could begin.
