Chapter 13: The Entrance of the Cave

  I asked my mother in surprise: "Mom, where is our cow?"

  "Niu! Niu!" My mother seemed to want to scold me, but she saw Zhong Ling'er behind me and suppressed her anger. However, her eyes were filled with puzzlement, as if asking how I ended up with Zhong Ling'er. She whispered to me in a low voice, "I'll deal with you when you get back tonight!" I quickly explained that Zhong Ling'er was here to help Da Hei find his soul, and I ran into her on the way, so I offered to send her to Da Hei's house.

  Zhong Ling'er looked at me with a puzzled expression, asking me with her eyes why I was lying in front of my mother, but she didn't ask it out loud.

  My mother is a very reserved person, she won't scold me in front of others. She said calmly to me: "Then hurry up and send Ling'er to Dahei's house, come back early, Lele has come to find you."

  "Who?" I was taken aback for a moment.

  "Mother said: 'Le Le, your wife.'"

  Wife? It's Wu Lele! What is she doing here looking for me? And mother, how could you say that Wu Lele is my wife in front of Zhong Ling'er? I said with great displeasure: "Aren't Wu Lele and I just a couple by fate? Where did this 'wife' come from?"

  "What's wrong? You seem unhappy?" A figure emerged from behind the wall, constantly giving me the cold shoulder. I was startled and suddenly realized it was Wu Lele. No wonder my mother was so happy, smiling all over her face - the "daughter-in-law" had arrived.

  The atmosphere was very awkward, fortunately Zhong Ling'er helped me out of the crisis. She said let's go to Da Hei's house, I hastily agreed and turned around to leave. Wu Lele immediately followed up and shouted: "I'm going too!"

  I didn't want her to go, but we weren't familiar with each other, so I couldn't directly refuse her. I had to tactfully tell her that I and Zhong Ling'er had something very important to attend to, and it was getting dark soon, so I advised her to head back first. Why couldn't Wu Lele understand the implication of my words? She asked me in a huff what important matter I and Zhong Ling'er were going to attend to. I told her we were going to find my little friend's soul, that it was a very dangerous thing, especially for someone like her who had just recovered from a serious illness and couldn't go.

  Unexpectedly, Wu Lele's footsteps didn't stop, instead he brazenly said: "This matter must be handled by me, without me you're not capable."

  I and Zhong Ling'er both snorted in disdain, neither of us deigning to respond. This girl was too full of herself. But what I found strange was why she had come looking for me, so I asked her what business she had with me. She said: "I came to play with you."

  It should be a delightful thing for a beautiful girl to come and play with me, but now that I've heard this in front of Zhong Ling'er, I feel strange, how can I put it, I subconsciously think of her as a nuisance or someone who's intentionally looking for trouble. Human psychology is just so weird, we always yearn for things we can't get, but when something is easily attainable or even delivered right to our doorstep, we often look down on it.

  "You came to find me, what's the point, we're not familiar." When I said this, I was a bit guilty, after all, that night, we had done something out of bounds and eaten the forbidden fruit. According to traditional Chinese values, we were not only very familiar, but extremely familiar, because we had already cooked raw rice into cooked rice, you say how familiar?

  Wu Lele didn't get angry, but instead let out a long sigh and said in a low voice: "Actually, I thought we weren't familiar with each other at first, but after thinking about it, I feel like we're actually quite familiar. Is it possible that we've really met before?"

  Because Dahei's house is very close to mine, we arrived at his house quickly. I saw Dahei's mother sitting at the door and didn't respond to Wu Lele, but called out "Aunt" from a distance. Dahei's mother raised her head, looked surprised when she saw us three, and I introduced Zhong Ling'er to her and explained our purpose. Dahei's mother suddenly stood up, grabbed Zhong Ling'er's hand, and said urgently: "Girl, please save my child..."

  "I'll give it a try," Zhong Ling'er said: "But I need you to tell me his birth eight characters."

  "Oh...... alright......" Da Hei's mother let go of Zhong Ling'er's hand and hurriedly walked into the house. After a while, she came out with a piece of paper in her hand, shaking it slightly as she handed it to Zhong Ling'er.

  It can be seen that the paper is slightly wrinkled, and it must have been written on the big black birth date when I went to Li Shenpo's house and showed it to Li Shenpo.

  Zhong Ling'er took the paper and glanced at it before putting it away. She then asked Da Hei's mother, "Give me another oil lamp."

  After taking the kerosene lamp, Zhong Ling'er said to me: "My mother said he might be in a cave, take me to see." I agreed and took over the kerosene lamp, saying let me carry this lamp. Wu Lele hummed softly, slightly pouting her mouth, raising an eyebrow, revealing her classic disdainful expression. Seeing her following us, I asked her: "Do you really want to go with us?"

  "Of course." Wu Lele quickened her pace and walked ahead of me, her long hair swaying back and forth on her back like a swing. I thought it was good that she went too, more people means more courage.

  This time, with three of us and Zhong Ling'er being a goddess, my heart felt more at ease. Also, since they were two girls, the innate chauvinism made me have the urge to protect them, making my heart feel even more heroic.

  When we reached the entrance of the cave, the sun was already westward, and it was even darker inside. I glanced at Zhong Ling'er and Wu Lele, and said to Wu Lele: "This cave is very strange, you'd better not go in."

  "Why can't I go in?" Wu Lele's eyes widened.

  I said it's very dangerous inside. Wu Lele hummed and stepped forward, I quickly pulled her back, she looked at my hand and asked: "What are you doing?" I withdrew my hand and said don't go in, this cave is really eerie. Wu Lele shot a bright light from her eyes, with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, asking: "Are you worried about me?" I said it's not worry, it's responsibility, what if something happens to you inside, how would I explain to your grandfather? Wu Lele said with a strange expression: "Then let's have another ghost wedding."

  This woman is really annoying.

  Zhong Ling'er took the kerosene lamp from my hand and lit it, and had already walked towards the cave. But just as she reached the entrance of the cave, a sudden gust of cold wind blew in, and the flame flickered out. Zhong Ling'er took out the lighter again, and after lighting it, another gust of wind blew by, and the flame went out again.

  Wu Lele clasped her hands together in front of her chest, gazing at Zhong Ling'er with great interest.

  I said I'd come, and as I spoke, I took the kerosene lamp from Zhong Ling'er. She lit it up, and I shielded the flame with my hand, but it still flickered slightly. I said let's go in, and Zhong Ling'er nodded slightly. I walked ahead of her, but after only four or five steps, it seemed like someone blew out the flame from behind us, and it went out again.

  The cave suddenly darkened. I hurriedly lit the lighter, but strangely, no matter how I tried to light it, the kerosene lamp just wouldn't ignite, and it felt like a gust of wind was swirling around us.

  "This is terrible!" I couldn't help but say: "Could it be haunted?"

  "It must be a ghost." Wu Lele continued.

  I looked at Wu Lele for a moment, and for a while, I couldn't figure her out. Normally speaking, as a girl who had just heard about ghosts, she should have been scared, but she didn't show any signs of fear.

  Zhong Ling'er seemed to be thinking of something, and said to me: "You hold the kerosene lamp at the entrance of the cave, don't let it go out before I come out." I immediately objected, because this cave was too eerie, I worried that Zhong Ling'er would be in danger after entering. Zhong Ling'er explained to me: "It's possible that there is a strange wind blowing from inside the cave, so the lamp will go out as soon as it enters, but at the entrance it's fine, so someone needs to guard the lamp at the entrance."

  I suggest letting Wu Lele guard the coal oil lamp at the entrance, and I'll go in with Zhong Ling'er.

  "No way!" Wu Lele flatly refused: "I'm afraid to be alone." She glanced at me and said, "How about we both keep watch at the entrance?"

  "Let's go," said Zhong Ling'er as she took out a flashlight from her backpack and turned it on before heading into the cave.

  As I gazed at Zhong Ling'er's back disappearing into the darkness, I wanted to follow her, but Wu Lele pulled me back and nodded towards the kerosene lamp with her mouth. I had no choice but to go to the entrance of the cave and light it up.

  I hope nothing happens after Zhong Ling'er goes in, I secretly pray in my heart.

  After waiting for about seven or eight minutes, there was not a single breeze at the entrance of the cave, and the flame on the kerosene lamp remained bright. I saw Wu Lele standing there, looking out of the cave with her eyes slightly raised towards the sky, as if she was gazing into the distance. I tentatively asked: "Do you still remember what happened that night when we had our ghost marriage?"