After a brief introduction, I learned that the man before me was named Lin, the younger brother of the driver Lin Laowu, Lin Laoliu. Relying on his status as village chief, he had brought his brother, whose driver's license had been revoked due to drunk driving, to Xiaoliu Village, hoping to find a livelihood through his influence. However, he never expected that the car would have an accident just two months after it started operating.
Lin Laoliu took a puff of his cigarette and looked at me seriously, asking, "How is it? Can you find my brother? As long as the person is found, money is not a problem. I can give you this much?" As he spoke, he held up five fingers.
"Five thousand? You're too stingy. That's a whole carload of people!" Zhang Dabiao's face showed dissatisfaction.
Lin Laoliu rolled his eyes and said, "I'm talking about fifty thousand. Besides, it's not just my brother in the car, there are twelve other households. Besides what I'm giving, others will also contribute. Are you still saying it's too little for more than a dozen people?" Lin Laoliu rolled his eyes, seeming displeased that Zhang Dabiao wasn't helping him bargain but instead was trying to get more money from an outsider.
Zhang Dabiao chuckled and quickly explained that he thought it was five thousand for thirteen people in total. "They are walking corpses. If one goes wrong, lives could be lost. Have you forgotten the Yin-Yang masters you hired? This is not an easy job."
Lin Laoliu's lips twitched. He didn't speak but took a hard drag of his cigarette, finishing half of it in one go, indicating that Zhang Dabiao had touched a sore spot.
Although I wanted to ask Zhang Dabiao about the Yin-Yang masters he mentioned, I reconsidered. It felt useless to ask, as if the problem wasn't solved, they wouldn't need my help.
It was likely that those Yin-Yang masters were already finished. Otherwise, fifty thousand yuan was not a small sum. For ordinary families, it was a year's income, or even two years' income.
Normally, this amount of money would be quite substantial, even exceeding my expectations. However, dealing with a carload of walking corpses was not easy, especially the woman with the urn in the car. The Yin energy from it gave me a chilling feeling even during the day, as if I had fallen into an ice cave. This matter likely originated from her.
I carefully recalled the number of people in the car and asked, "Village Chief, you said there were only thirteen people in the car. Are you sure it was only these people?"
Lin Laoliu nodded and said, "Of course, I'm sure. Those people are all from our village. I definitely wouldn't make a mistake. My brother was taking them to the county town to pay off a loan. The number of people is definitely correct."
This made me frown. Although I hadn't counted precisely, I had glanced at the people in the car, and there were definitely more than thirteen. Even though I hadn't counted, a rough estimate suggested at least fifteen people.
After thinking for a moment, I described the appearance of the person holding an urn and asked if he recognized her and if she was from Xiaoliu Village.
My words clearly startled him. He asked with some surprise, "You mean Sister Zhuang from the east of the village? You know her?"
I shook my head, indicating I didn't know her. But to find out if Sister Zhuang was on the car, I simply explained that I had taken that same car to get here.
Lin Laoliu's face turned noticeably pale after hearing this. Fortunately, it was daytime, and Zhang Dabiao was present. He lit a cigarette and slowly recovered.
"Are you sure you didn't misremember? She's been at home preparing for her daughter's wedding. I saw her cleaning the courtyard yesterday. How could she have been in the car?" Lin Laoliu clearly doubted my words, as it was a death car. How could I, a living person, have been in it?
"Then can you take me to her house? I also hope I misremembered." I smiled, not arguing, because I myself didn't understand how I had arrived in a death car. What's more, he was just an ordinary person.
"Alright. Wait for me for a moment. I'll change my clothes, and we'll leave immediately."
As we walked out of the courtyard, the sky was a bit overcast. A cloud the size of a pot lid covered the sky directly above the village committee, blocking the sunlight and casting a dense shadow over the small courtyard, making it stand out from the surrounding brightness.
"Damn it, this weather is really strange. It was clear skies just moments ago, and now there's such a strange cloud."
Looking at the dark clouds overhead, my expression turned grim, because this was called "dark clouds covering the top," a sign of impending bad luck.
"Brother Zhang, dark clouds covering the top signal misfortune. I'm afraid this walking corpse matter is not as simple as we see it."
Zhang Dabiao was startled and was about to ask what "dark clouds covering the top" meant when he saw the village chief emerge from the house. His rustic attire had disappeared, replaced by casual wear that made him look like an urban resident.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Seeing me staring at him, he explained that as a village chief, he couldn't appear disheveled, as it would affect his image.
On the way to Sister Zhuang's house, Lin Laoliu enthusiastically greeted every villager weaving baskets by their doors. He kept saying hello to this sister and that brother, never resting along the way.
Each household responded enthusiastically, as if a celebrity were greeting fans.
"I didn't expect him to be so popular in your village, looking so honest and simple?"
Zhang Dabiao gave a wry smile and explained, "You're right. This guy is a ladies' man in the village. Not only has he found a source of wealth for the village, but he also enthusiastically helps with any matters the villagers have. Coupled with his slight authority, he's naturally popular."
I turned to look at Zhang Dabiao, asking with some confusion, "Why does what you're saying sound a bit sour? Do you have a grudge?"
Zhang Dabiao snorted and said, "What grudge? If we had a grudge, with our temperaments, we would have dealt with him long ago. How could we wait for you to notice?"
Hearing this, I had a general understanding. The two definitely had a past conflict, but I didn't feel comfortable asking about the specifics, as it could very well involve privacy issues.
When we arrived at Aunt Zhuang's house, we found it decorated with festive lanterns. Two large red lanterns hung on the porch, and red couplets were pasted on the doorposts. The courtyard was also meticulously cleaned, and a woman was wiping the windows.
"Sister Zhuang, isn't your daughter's wedding still a few days away? Why are you tidying up already? Are you that eager for your girl to leave home?" Village Chief Lin asked loudly from outside the courtyard with a smile, then walked into the yard.
Hearing this, Sister Zhuang stopped her work. Seeing Zhang Dabiao and me about to enter, she suddenly shouted, "Don't come in, get out!"
Her shout was exceptionally sudden and her voice was incredibly sharp. This made me retract the leg that had already stepped forward, while Zhang Dabiao, a beat slower, had already stepped inside.
"Get out, get out of here quickly!"
She grabbed a broom, sweeping at the spot where he had stood while driving Zhang Dabiao away. Only after pushing him out the door did she firmly close it.
Even the village chief was driven out, looking awkwardly at the tightly shut door, his face flushing.
"Sister Zhuang, what do you mean by this? Your daughter is getting married, and I came to see if you needed any help. Why are you chasing me away?" Su Dan Novel Network
"I welcome the village chief, but I don't like them. They all have a sinister aura. I can tell they are not good people."
Sinister aura? Not good people?
I looked myself up and down, then glanced at Zhang Dabiao. How could I not see that I looked like a good person?
Does a good person need to have it written on their forehead?