Ever since I was little, I was different from other children.
I could see the ghosts of dead people.
But my dad never believed me.
He called me a liar.
Only my mom at home always believed me
and would comfort me.
But this time,
my dad died,
and I didn't see his ghost.
After I told my mom about it,
she seemed thoughtful.
Then, despite my grandma's insistence on a burial,
my mom insisted on cremating my dad.
After that,
I finally saw Dad's ghost.
At seven years old,
I didn't find death scary at all.
Because if I wanted to,
I could see their ghosts.
Dad hated hearing me talk about such things.
He said there were no ghosts in this world.
He thought what I said were just a child's illusions.
Later, he even called me a liar.
I thought Dad was terrible.
He didn't believe me.
But Mom always trusted me.
Last time, the breakfast shop owner's son downstairs went missing.
It was only after I saw his ghost
that I knew he had been killed
and buried under a tree.
When Xiao Ming's grandma downstairs died,
they couldn't find her savings passbook.
It was also after I asked Xiao Ming's grandma's ghost that I told them.
But Mom never let me tell others I could see ghosts.
Those previous times, Mom secretly wrote notes and left them
on their usual paths
so they would find out.
They never thought I was involved,
only that their family members had appeared to them.
Actually, that wasn't wrong.
Their family members did appear—
they just couldn't see them.
But this time,
Dad was lying there motionless.
Grandma said Dad was dead,
so why didn't I see his ghost?
I searched everywhere for Dad,
but I couldn't find him.
Suddenly, there was a slap.
I looked up.
It was my grandma slapping my mom hard.
"You jinx!
It must be you who made my son unhappy,
so he took his own life.
Damn it!
What did I do to deserve
a daughter-in-law like you?
My poor son, so young,
gone just like that.
I never agreed when Wenjin said he wanted to marry you.
You lost your own parents at a young age,
and now you've caused my son's death too!"
My mom explained,
"Some debt collectors came yesterday.
They said Wenjin owed them money.
If he didn't pay today, they'd make him suffer.
Wenjin must have been driven to this because of that.
Mom,
let's take Wenjin to the hospital quickly.
Maybe he can still be saved."
Mom tried to go check on Dad,
but Grandma stopped her.
"He's already gone.
Why go to the hospital?
It would just waste money.
You knew my son was being chased for debts and was upset.
Why didn't you watch him properly?
If you had kept an eye on him,
would he have found a chance to kill himself?
Cry, cry, cry!
Is that all you can do?
Useless thing, can't even give birth to a son.
If it weren't for your bad luck,
my son wouldn't owe anyone money.
Seeing you just ruins my mood.
Go make me something to eat.
Once I've eaten, I'll take my son back to our hometown for burial."
Mom tried to say more,
but Grandma raised her hand to slap me.
Although I dodged sideways,
she still grazed me.
I was used to such beatings and scoldings,
and I was getting better at avoiding them.
I couldn't dodge completely yet because I was still young,
but when I got older,
I would be able to.
Still, Mom was heartbroken for me.
She took me to the kitchen
and held me tightly.
She said,
"Ranran, don't be afraid.
Mom will protect you."
I said,
"Mom,
it's so strange.
Why can't I see Dad's ghost?
You know,
I can see all ghosts who've been dead for less than three months."
Mom's expression froze.
"Maybe you're too sad to see clearly."
"I'm not sad at all that Dad's dead.
He was a bad dad.
He hit you,
and let Grandma bully you.
He even forced you to go out with those strange uncles.
I know you didn't want to.
You often cried under the covers.
You were never happy.
It's all my fault.
If I hadn't fallen when you tried to run away with me last time,
we might have escaped.
I keep thinking,
if I weren't here,
you could have run away.
But now we have a chance.
Dad's dead.
Even if we don't run away,
we won't be beaten anymore.
And you won't be forced to do things you don't like.
But Mom,
do you think maybe Dad isn't really dead?
Otherwise, why can't I see his ghost?"
I chattered on nonstop,
like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.
After hearing me out,
Mom's expression suddenly turned serious.
She looked toward where Dad was,
lost in thought.
She said to me,
"Ranran,
I need to confirm something.
Hide here
and don't move, okay?"
I nodded.
"Don't worry, Mom.
I'll stay right here."
Then Mom suddenly seemed to go wild.
She rushed over to Dad,
turned her head,
and pressed her ear against his chest.
She cried out,
"Wenjin, you're so cruel!
Leaving us, a widow and an orphan,
with so much debt.
How are we supposed to live?"
Mom kept pounding on Dad's body.
Grandma tried to pull her away,
but she wasn't as strong as Mom.
Without Dad helping her or me holding Mom back,
Mom could definitely overpower Grandma.
Maybe it was my imagination,
but I thought Dad's facial muscles twitched,
making him look fierce.
And at that moment,
I saw a long-lost spark in Mom's eyes.
Grandma and Mom were still arguing
when a group of fierce-looking men burst into the room.
They were holding long sticks.
Leading them was a young man with dyed yellow hair
and colorful tattoos on his arm.
He shouted as soon as he entered,
"Get that bastard Xu Wenjin out here to pay up!"
Grandma, who had been shouting at Mom energetically just moments before,
now hid like a quail.
Mom said,
"Xu Wenjin is dead.
Look,
he's right here.
He's already gone."
The yellow-haired man said,
"How unlucky.
But death doesn't erase debt.
You're his wife, right?
Since he's dead, you pay.
He borrowed money from me with signed IOU's.
Even if you take it to court, he still owes me."
"But the money he borrowed never reached me.
He didn't even give me living expenses.
I don't know where his money went."
Mom looked malnourished and pale,
which made her words very convincing.
But that didn't make the yellow-haired man back down.
After much pleading from Mom,
he finally agreed to come back in a week,
giving us time for the funeral.
After the debt collectors left,
Grandma regained her confidence.
"Let me tell you,
you're responsible for paying back all that money yourself.
I don't have any."
"Mom,
Wenjin's factory wasn't doing well.
He was already insolvent.
The house is mortgaged,
and all the savings were taken to fill the gaps.
How can I pay?"
"It's all because of your bad luck!
I don't care.
If you can't pay, go to jail.
And let me tell you,
I won't take care of that good-for-nothing Xu Ran."
Seeing Grandma so stubborn,
Mom didn't argue further.
Instead, she said,
"Mom,
let's take Wenjin to the hospital."
Grandma said,
"I've already checked.
He's gone.
He can't be saved.
And where would we get money for the hospital?"
"But Mom,
I've heard that some people can appear dead from shock.
If we take him for treatment,
there might still be a chance.
You often hear news about people
waking up in the morgue."
After hearing Mom's words,
Grandma looked slightly uneasy,
but she insisted,
"My son drank paraquat.
Not even a doctor could save him,
let alone some deity."
Mom murmured,
"But if we don't go to the hospital,
where can we get a death certificate?
Without a death certificate,
I can't handle Wenjin's debts.
Wenjin is still the primary debtor.
Mom,
I get it now.
Are you doing this for my sake?
That's a brilliant idea.
You take Wenjin back to our hometown for burial.
When the debt collectors come,
I'll tell them Xu Wenjin is faking his death,
that he's already run away,
and they should go find Xu Wenjin for the money.
I have no money,
and Xu Wenjin is still alive.
No matter how much they pressure me, it's useless.
So they'll have to keep looking for Xu Wenjin.
That way, we're safe.
Mom,
I misunderstood you all these years.
I always thought you were a horrible mother-in-law,
but you're actually looking out for me."
With that,
Mom took Grandma's hand and started sobbing.
Mom's words put Grandma on the spot,
leaving her speechless.
She kept glancing toward Dad,
but Dad remained motionless,
unable to respond.
Soon,
Grandma pushed Mom away.
She said she needed to use the bathroom
and took her phone inside.
The sound of running water from the tap continued for a long time.
When Grandma came out,
she looked confident again.
"Yuqin,
I heard that if someone dies at home,
the neighborhood office can issue a death certificate.
We don't have to go to the hospital.
I know someone
who works at the neighborhood office.
She said she can help get the certificate issued directly."
Mom said,
"But I heard
that only natural deaths at home
can be certified by the neighborhood office.
Wenjin committed suicide.
Wouldn't that require a certificate from the police?"
Grandma said,
"Why are you so stubborn?
If we don't say it was suicide,
who would know?
Having connections makes things easier.
She already said she can handle it.
Just wait."
Not long after,
an aunt came
and brought Dad's death certificate.
I knew that aunt.
Dad told me to call her Aunt Xin.
I'd seen her and Dad come out of a room
with their clothes disheveled several times.
But Dad told me not to tell Mom.
Of course, I wouldn't listen to Dad,
but I realized that telling Mom only made her sadder.
Mom would argue with Dad,
and Dad would hit her.
So after that, I stopped telling Mom.
Aunt Xin said some words of condolence to Mom
and then left.
She didn't look sad at all.
Mom, using the excuse that she needed the death certificate to handle the debts,
said she would keep it.
Grandma objected,
but Mom said if they didn't handle it,
the debts would remain in Dad's name.
So Grandma finally relented.
Mom told Grandma
she had arranged for a van
to leave tomorrow morning.
It would take Dad and Grandma back to their hometown.
Mom also said she wanted to go with them,
but Grandma refused.
Grandma said it was their hometown's custom that only men could attend burials.
Mom and I going back would be useless,
so we should just stay here.
Mom reluctantly agreed.
That night,
Mom cooked a lot of dishes,
all made from meat Grandma had dug out of the trash.
Grandma never ate those herself.
She only let Mom and me eat them.
She ate the meat she bought separately.
Mom was afraid we'd get sick,
so she never let me eat that meat.
She'd wait until Grandma wasn't looking
and throw it away periodically.
Grandma controlled the household expenses,
so Mom didn't have much money.
We could only buy cheap, leftover meat from the market.
But Mom said
even that was cleaner and safer than what Grandma picked from the trash.
But that day,
Mom secretly cooked the meat Grandma had scavenged for Grandma to eat.
She told Grandma it was the meat Grandma had bought earlier.
Grandma never imagined Mom would dare to lie to her,
so she ate it happily.
Grandma complained while eating,
"There's too much salt and chili in this meat.
You can't even taste the meat itself.
Be more careful when cooking in the future."
I knew Mom did it on purpose.
Otherwise, Grandma would have noticed the meat tasted off from the first bite.
Grandma didn't allow Mom and me to eat that meat dish.
Just as well—
we didn't dare to.
That night,
Grandma's wails echoed through the house.
At first, she went to the bathroom every ten minutes,
but later, she couldn't leave the bathroom.
Mom quickly took Grandma to the hospital.
The doctor said
Grandma had food poisoning
from eating food with excessive E. coli.
Grandma was hospitalized for treatment.
Mom, using the excuse of fetching clean clothes,
took me and left.
When we got home,
the van Mom had arranged to take Dad and Grandma back to their hometown arrived.
Mom had them carry Dad into the van.
I asked,
"Isn't Grandma in the hospital?
She can't take Dad back now.
Are we going to take him back instead?"
Mom smiled and said,
"We're sending your dad,
but not back to our hometown.
We're sending him on his final journey."
"Isn't that the same as taking him back to our hometown?"
Mom didn't answer.
She just patted my head and said,
"Ranran,
Mom won't let anyone hurt you again."
Mom and I rode in the van to the crematorium.
Mom paid extra
to have Dad cremated first.
The death certificate Aunt Xin brought was very useful.
Without it,
the crematorium wouldn't have cremated Dad.
Mom seemed very anxious,
as if afraid something might go wrong.
She kept checking her watch.
Mom kept asking me
if I could see Dad's ghost.
To reassure her,
I looked around.
After searching for a while,
I finally saw Dad's ghost.
When she heard this,
Mom let out a long sigh of relief.
I said,
"Mom,
Dad is cursing you.
He says you killed him.
But didn't he commit suicide?"
"What else did your dad say?
Wait—
can your dad hear us?"
I said,
"He could at first,
but now other ghosts have dragged him away."
Mom asked,
"Can you command other ghosts?"
I said,
"No.
Dad was barging around
and bumped into other ghosts.
They're beating him up now,
so he won't be back for a while."
Mom said,
"You scared me.
I thought you could command ghosts."
I smiled innocently,
looking like a naive child.
Mom never imagined I would lie to her.
I kept pretending,
not wanting Mom to discover how scary I could be.
Mom asked,
"What else did your dad say earlier?"
"Dad said you're a foolish woman.
He could have faked his death to leave the debts to you
and run off with that Xin Xiaoying.
But now you've ruined everything."
Mom looked as if she had expected this.
I asked,
"Did you already know Dad was faking his death
to make us pay his debts?"
Mom hesitated,
looking at me as if unsure whether to speak.
I said,
"Mom,
I'm not a child anymore.
You don't have to hide everything from me.
I can help share your burdens."
My words gave Mom confidence.
She continued,
"I didn't know at first,
but your grandma was acting strangely.
Her precious son,
and she didn't even take him to the hospital, just said he was dead.
And she insisted on a burial.
That was too unusual.
Especially after you said you couldn't see your dad's ghost,
I became even more suspicious.
When I pretended to grieve and threw myself on your dad earlier,
I observed carefully.
Even though his body was motionless,
there was a faint heartbeat.
He must have taken a general anesthetic.
Ranran,
even though your dad is dead,
your grandma won't let this go easily.
And your dad's debts aren't settled.
Since he wanted to fake his death,
his money couldn't have just disappeared.
I need to find it.
For now, pretend you can't see your dad.
Listen to my instructions,
and secretly tell me what your dad says or does.
Can you do that?"
I promised loudly,
"Yes, I can, Mom!"
After Dad was released, bruised and battered,
Mom and I took his ashes and left the crematorium.
We went to the hospital.
We waited for him
because we were afraid Dad's ghost might get lost on his own.
If he disappeared,
it would be troublesome.
When we arrived at the hospital,
Grandma was asleep.
According to a grandma in the next bed,
Grandma had woken up earlier,
found that Mom and I weren't there,
and cursed for half an hour.
Then Grandma said she wanted to buy something to eat,
but the doctor stopped her.
So she cursed the doctor for another half hour
and had just fallen asleep.
"Is she your mother-in-law?
She seems very energetic,
not sick at all."
Mom said,
"My mother-in-law has always been lively.
She's been sick all night
and doesn't have much in her stomach.
I'll go buy her some plain congee.
If she wakes up,
please let her know."
Mom placed the box with Dad's ashes
on the cabinet next to Grandma's hospital bed,
then took me and left.
Mom took me to a nice restaurant
and ordered lots of delicious food.
It had been so long since I'd eaten so well.
I swallowed and asked,
"Won't this be too expensive?
Do we have enough money?"
Mom said,
"Eat as much as you want, Ranran.
From now on, we can eat this well every day."
By the time we finished eating and returned to the hospital,
over two hours had passed.
Grandma was awake.
As soon as we entered,
she grabbed a cup
and threw it at Mom.
But Mom had anticipated it
and dodged in time.
Grandma shouted,
"Did you poison my food?
Why else would I get food poisoning,
while you two are perfectly fine?
Do you think just because my son is gone,
you can bully me?"
Then she started wailing again.
After Grandma's outburst,
people in the room began pointing and whispering about Mom and me.
I had an idea.
I ran over and hugged Grandma.
"Grandma,
how can you say that about Mom and me?
We're so sad you're sick.
It's a shame only you and Dad were allowed to eat the meat at home.
Mom and I weren't allowed to.
Otherwise, I'd suffer with you too."
Seeing that her complaints weren't working
and the gossip was turning against her,
Grandma quickly changed the subject.
She said to Mom,
"Stop dawdling.
Hurry up and get me discharged.
I still need to take my son home.
We leave now,
without delay.
As the saying goes, fallen leaves return to their roots.
My son is all alone now,
drifting somewhere.
The thought breaks my heart."
Looking at Dad's ghost crouched by Grandma's bed,
I thought,
Dad isn't alone at all.
He's been with you all along.
But what happened just now?
Why does Dad's ghost look so sad?
So sad he didn't even come to bother Mom.
Of course,
he couldn't really bother anyone anymore.
Mom said,
"The drive to our hometown takes over ten hours.
I can't bear to see you exhaust yourself.
So I've already had Wenjin cremated.
You can just take the ashes
and fly back.
Even though Wenjin is gone
and left behind huge debts,
for your health,
I absolutely cannot skimp on this."
Grandma asked in disbelief,
"What did you say?
What happened to Wenjin?"
Mom repeated,
"I said your son has been turned to ashes.
No need to trouble yourself taking him back to our hometown.
I've already packed the ashes.
You can just take them and go.
To avoid making people uncomfortable on the plane,
I even disguised the urn.
Hey,
where's the urn I left here?"
Grandma shouted,
"You wretched woman!
Why didn't you listen to me?
I said to take him back for a burial!
Why did you take matters into your own hands?
My son isn't even dead!
You killed my son!
Give me back my son!"
Mom said,
"Mom, what are you talking about?
Wenjin committed suicide, remember?
You even had someone issue the death certificate.
The crematorium accepted it."
Dad's ghost was finally stirred by the commotion.
He cried,
"I was only faking my death, you idiot!
If you had just obediently paid my debts,
everything would have been fine!
Why did you have to act on your own?
Wahhh...
I haven't even seen my son born yet!
I haven't had the chance to tell Xiaoying where I hid the money!
You fool!
Not only did you kill me,
you even made my mom drink my ashes!"
What?
Drink ashes?
I followed Dad's pointing finger
and saw the box containing his ashes.
I pointed to the box next to Grandma's pillow and said,
"Mom,
I found Dad's urn.
So Grandma knew these were Dad's ashes
and kept them by her pillow to remember him."
I walked over and picked up the urn.
"But why is the outside so dirty?
Looks like some spilled out."
The grandma in the next bed said,
"Your grandma said she felt weak earlier
and made herself a drink from that protein powder."
"So that wasn't protein powder?
It was your dad's ashes?"
My conversation with the other grandma
distracted Grandma from cursing Mom.
She looked at the box in my hand and said,
"What urn?
Isn't that the protein powder box?"
Mom said,
"I disguised it so it would be easier for you to take on the plane.
See? If I hadn't told you,
you'd think it was health supplements, right?
But Mom...
did you really drink Wenjin's ashes?
How could you?
He was your own son!"
Mom then burst into loud sobs.
But I knew
she was just pretending.
No wonder Mom had bought a box of protein powder earlier
and given the powder inside to the shop assistant.
She had planned this all along.
Mom was amazing!
I couldn't hold her back.
I needed to be more useful
and give Mom more information.
After learning her son was dead
and she had drunk his ashes,
Grandma fainted from rage.
Luckily, she was already at the hospital.
The doctor came quickly
and said Grandma had a cerebral hemorrhage
and needed immediate surgery.
Mom cried uncontrollably again.
"But Doctor,
my husband just died,
and we still have so much debt.
My mother-in-law's hospitalization for food poisoning
already used up all our savings.
I really don't have any money left."
The doctor said reluctantly,
"Given the patient's condition,
surgery doesn't guarantee a full recovery to her previous state,
but without surgery,
she could become permanently paralyzed or even die."
Dad's ghost shouted,
"You idiot!
Haven't you saved any money over the years?
How can you not even afford medical treatment?
Mom!
Wake up!
Tell them you have savings!
That's money to save your life!
The one million I left you
is more than enough for your treatment!
Mom!
Wake up!
Even just one word!"
Inspired by Dad,
I immediately pressed my ear to Grandma's mouth.
Then I told Mom,
"Mom,
Grandma just said something.
She said she has savings,
but before she could say where,
she fainted again.
All Grandma's things are at home.
Let's go look there."
The doctor said, puzzled,
"The patient spoke?
That shouldn't be possible.
She should be unconscious."
Hearing me, Mom knew I had gotten the information from Dad.
She said,
"It must be my late husband watching over us,
helping my mother-in-law give this crucial information.
Doctor,
we'll go get the money now
and be right back."
With that,
Mom took me and left the hospital for home.
Dad didn't come with us.
He stayed at the hospital.
At home,
we searched through Grandma's belongings.
Since Grandma had planned not to return after taking Dad back to their hometown,
her money must be hidden
in the luggage she intended to take.
Having a target made searching easier.
Eventually, we found a passbook
wrapped in several layers of clothing.
On the passbook, six numbers were handwritten.
I knew this must be the password.
I'd heard Grandma say how unsafe it was
that Old Lady Wang downstairs used her birthday as her password.
And here Grandma had written the password directly on the passbook.
That was even worse than Old Lady Wang.
I opened the passbook and counted the zeros.
One, two, three, four, five, six...
There were six zeros in total.
I asked,
"How much is this?"
Mom said,
"It's one million."
My eyes widened.
Had Grandma been that rich all along?
After getting the passbook,
Mom contacted the debt collectors
and used all the money to pay off the debts.
"Mom,
aren't we going to save Grandma?"
Mom said,
"Whether we save your grandma
depends on how sincere your dad is.
The money he transferred away—
if he doesn't fill the gap,
I won't compromise.
Ranran,
do you think Mom is heartless?"
I said,
"Not at all.
If we didn't do this,
we'd have to pay Dad's debts.
I heard him say
he hid the money
to run away with that Aunt Xin and live somewhere else,
leaving you to pay the debts alone.
You'd suffer,
maybe even die.
Dad and Grandma left us no way out.
Why should we care about them?"
Hearing my words,
Mom patted my head, relieved.
Knowing Mom had a plan
also reassured me.
It was worth helping her pave the way this far.
After paying off the debts,
we returned to the hospital.
Before entering the room,
Mom asked if I could see Dad's ghost.
After I confirmed,
we went in.
Grandma had regained consciousness after treatment,
but her mouth was crooked, her eyes were slanted,
and she was drooling uncontrollably.
As soon as Mom entered, she rushed to Grandma's side,
crying about her own uselessness.
"Mom,
I found your savings.
I wanted to use it for your treatment,
but as soon as I left home,
the debt collectors stopped me.
They took all the money,
said it was for interest.
They also said
until the debt is fully paid,
they won't let me use any money for your surgery.
What do we do now?"
Hearing this,
Dad's ghost paced anxiously nearby.
"I have money!
I converted it all to gold and hid it!
Hurry up and find it!"
Listening to Dad's vague words,
I grew anxious too.
"Where is it hidden?
How can we find it if you don't say?"
For someone his age,
to hide money only he knew about
showed no sense of risk.
It was only because I could see his ghost
that we had any chance.
Otherwise, he'd have left behind a pile of debt
and no one would have benefited.
But then again,
if I couldn't see ghosts
and hadn't discovered Dad was faking his death,
he would have already run off with that Aunt Xin.
Mom had the doctor prescribe some medicine
and then discharged Grandma.
Grandma could now only move one hand
and spoke with difficulty.
But even so,
she never stopped talking.
Though it was hard to understand her,
her tone suggested
it wasn't anything nice.
Grandma was bedridden,
unable to control her bladder or bowels.
The room stank.
Even though Dad couldn't smell it,
the sight alone was foul.
Mom only gave Grandma plain congee and pickles every day,
claiming we had no money
to buy anything else.
But Mom and I often sneaked out to eat good food.
Two days later,
Xin Xiaoying showed up at our house.
Xin Xiaoying must have had an arrangement with Dad,
but she hadn't been able to reach him these past few days.
She couldn't even reach Grandma on the phone.
Naturally, she was worried,
so she came personally
to see what had happened.
Mom politely asked,
"Is there something you need?"
Xin Xiaoying said,
"I haven't been able to reach Aunt Liu.
I was worried,
so I came to check."
Mom said,
"As you know,
my husband just passed away.
My mother-in-law couldn't take the shock
and had a cerebral hemorrhage.
Now she's bedridden.
Would you like to see her?
But she does everything in bed,
so the room doesn't smell very good."
Xin Xiaoying was stunned by the news about Grandma,
but she quickly remembered something more important.
If Aunt Liu was immobile,
what about Xu Wenjin's body?
Mom said,
"What can we do?
We cremated him.
In this heat,
if we didn't,
the whole house would reek."
Xin Xiaoying said in horror,
"How could you cremate a living person?"
Mom said,
"That's funny.
You sound just like my mother-in-law.
Of course you can't cremate a living person—
that would be murder.
The crematorium wouldn't allow it.
But Xu Wenjin was already dead.
You were the one who issued the death certificate.
Actually, I should thank you.
Without your help,
I wouldn't have been able to handle Wenjin's body.
With my mother-in-law like this,
we couldn't take him back to our hometown.
But why do you and my mother-in-law both say Xu Wenjin isn't dead?
You issued the death certificate.
Is there something fishy going on?
Did you issue a fake certificate
and cause Xu Wenjin's death?"
Mom's accusation
left Xin Xiaoying speechless.
Without the death certificate,
she could have claimed it was all a joke.
Mom's actions would at least be manslaughter, if not murder.
But with the death certificate,
Dad was officially dead before cremation.
If this came to light,
Xin Xiaoying would face greater charges for abusing her power.
Worst case,
she could be charged with murder.
As they spoke,
Mom led Xin Xiaoying into Grandma's room.
Xin Xiaoying still looked dazed
and didn't notice the smell.
Grandma grew very excited upon seeing Xin Xiaoying.
She kept staring at Xin Xiaoying's stomach.
Dad had said
he was going to have a son.
It seemed that child was in Xin Xiaoying's belly.
Xin Xiaoying's stomach wasn't showing yet.
How could they be sure she was carrying a son?
Xin Xiaoying said to Mom,
"Can I speak with Aunt Liu alone?"
Mom said,
"Of course.
I'll step out
and not disturb you."
Before leaving, Mom closed the door behind her.
The two women and one ghost in the room
talked about something,
but no one could understand Grandma,
and no one could hear Dad.
Xin Xiaoying must have gone to ask Grandma
where Dad had hidden the money.
But Grandma truly didn't know.
Half an hour later,
Xin Xiaoying stormed out of the room in frustration.
Then,
she pulled the doorknob right off.
The door was broken,
and Xin Xiaoying was trapped inside.
After half an hour in Grandma's room,
even if Xin Xiaoying was slow to notice,
she would have realized the smell.
Xin Xiaoying frantically knocked on the door.
"Xia Yuqin!
Open the door from the outside!
Let me out!"
Mom said,
"Oh dear!
The outside doorknob
came off earlier too.
I'll go find a locksmith now.
Hold on a little longer!"
Helpless,
Xin Xiaoying had to stay in that stinky room
and wait for rescue.
She waited for six hours.
During that time,
she endured the foul smell,
hunger,
and the pressure in her bladder.
Xin Xiaoying said,
"Can we break the door down?
I really need to use the bathroom."
I said,
"Aunt Xin,
Mom went out.
I'm the only one home.
I can't break the door down.
There are diapers in Grandma's room.
Maybe you can use those.
They're very convenient.
Aunt Xin,
are you hungry?
There's protein powder in Grandma's room.
If you're hungry, mix some and drink it.
Grandma often drinks it
and says she's not hungry afterward."
Six hours later,
Mom returned with a locksmith,
and Xin Xiaoying was finally freed.
The room smelled even worse now,
thanks not only to Grandma
but also to Xin Xiaoying.
Xin Xiaoying's face was flushed,
but she forced herself to say to Mom,
"Aunt Liu said
she's worried Brother Xu's spirit isn't at peace.
She wants me to find someone to perform a ritual.
The ritual requires Brother Xu's ashes.
Where are they?
I need to borrow them for a few days."
Grandma could only babble now,
so this excuse was very clumsy.
But we didn't expose her.
I said to her,
"Dad's ashes are right by Grandma's bedside."
I pointed to the protein powder box and said,
"This is it.
Hey,
why is the lid open?
And some of the ashes are missing?"
Xin Xiaoying stared where I pointed, speechless.
She stammered,
"Isn't that protein powder?"
I took out the real protein powder from the drawer below.
I said,
"This is the protein powder.
The one by Grandma's bedside is Dad's ashes.
Oh no!
Earlier, I told you you could drink the protein powder...
you didn't drink Dad's ashes, did you?
Why are you like Grandma?
You like drinking Dad's ashes too?
Does it taste good?"
Hearing my words,
Xin Xiaoying gagged
and ran out.
Mom said to me,
"That wasn't in the script.
You improvised, didn't you?
You little mischief-maker."
Then Mom took Dad's urn
and chased after Xin Xiaoying.
Teasing Xin Xiaoying
made me happy.
But Dad's ghost was clearly unhappy.
His ashes had been consumed as health supplements
by the two people he cared about most.
That must have felt terrible.
He moped for a while,
then suddenly lunged at me.
He couldn't actually touch me.
He was just venting his anger.
But this time felt different.
I picked up a peach wood sword
and stabbed it through his chest.
Though he had no physical form,
after that strike,
his spirit began to dissipate.
He asked in shock,
"You can see me?"
"Dad,
I told you long ago
I could see ghosts.
You just didn't believe me.
If you had believed me earlier,
you wouldn't have tried faking your death.
It was too easy to see through."
Dad asked resentfully,
"You could see me all along?
Then why only attack me now?"
I said,
"Of course, to find out where you hid the money.
I'm attacking you now
because I already know.
You buried the gold bars under the tree
where you first met Xin Xiaoying.
I don't know which tree,
but Xin Xiaoying does.
Didn't you notice?
Xin Xiaoying has been using her phone
to message the fraudster Mom hired.
The fraudster told Xin Xiaoying
that if she could get your ashes,
he could perform a ritual at the place you first met
to summon your spirit.
Then Xin Xiaoying could ask you directly where the money was hidden.
What do you think Mom chased after Xin Xiaoying for earlier?
Thanks to Xin Xiaoying's good memory,
Mom has already found the gold bars.
There were quite a few.
After paying off the debts,
the rest is enough for Mom and me to live comfortably for the rest of our lives.
Not bad for the retirement fund you prepared for yourself and Xin Xiaoying.
My dear father,
you truly are a beast.
You used your own daughter to threaten your wife,
forcing her to seduce other men
while you profited.
I've wanted you dead
for a long time.
But before, I was too young,
and my abilities were limited.
I kept practicing,
and finally grew strong enough.
Do you know where you got the idea to fake your death?
I sent a ghost into your dreams
to give you the idea.
Luckily, you were despicable enough,
or my plan wouldn't have worked.
My dear father,
rest in peace."
Just as Dad's spirit completely vanished,
Mom walked through the door.
Everything
was perfectly timed.
We didn't redeem the house we lived in.
It held too many unpleasant memories.
Instead, we bought a new house and moved.
Of course, we didn't take Grandma with us.
Mom sent Grandma to a nursing home—
the cheapest kind.
I heard the caretakers there mistreat the elderly.
I hope Grandma can
peacefully enjoy
the rest of her days.
Mom said
we must ensure Grandma lives a long, long life.
If Grandma shows the slightest discomfort,
we'll spend a fortune to treat her.
As for Xin Xiaoying,
I heard she quickly got an abortion
after realizing there was nothing left to gain.
Mom and I,
of course, will live happily ever after.
The End