Chapter 10: Zhao Yu'er wakes up

  I recalled the eerie and chilling creaking sound I heard last night, and a chill ran down my spine, making me shudder all over.

  "What on earth is it? Something that can devour one's life?"

  Compared to others who were shocked and changed color, I found that my second uncle looked quite calm. He stared quietly at the ghost cave, his eyebrows slightly raised. I saw that the talismans that were previously hung on the brown rope in front of the ghost cave had disappeared, and the peach wood sword that my second uncle had inserted in front of the ghost cave was also gone.

  About half an hour later, the police sirens echoed through Yunlongba in the early morning. At this time, my sister and I had already returned home, and I saw a total of two police cars and more than ten police officers. Under the leadership of my uncle, they headed towards Hou Shan Gou Tou Po. My sister and I still had things to do in the morning, so we didn't go to see what happened next. When we came back from cutting grass, Erniang told us that those police officers walked into the ghost cave, and soon heard gunshots inside, followed by those police officers rushing out one after another with pale faces.

  The police hastily cleaned up the blood and bones on the grass, initially determining that this incident was caused by a wild animal, warning the villagers to be careful when going up the mountain in the future. Some villagers told Police Captain Zhao Yu about what happened at my house, and he went to my house to take a look, finding that Zhao Yu had not woken up yet. After asking Erniang a few questions, he hastily left.

  My sister and I had just returned home, when Zhao Yuer woke up from the bed, her first voice was a terrified scream. At that time, my sister and I were washing vegetables in the yard, hearing Zhao Yuer's voice, we quickly put down the vegetables and rushed into the house. I saw Zhao Yuer sitting on the bed with her hands holding her head, screaming loudly.

  "Zhao Yu'er, it's okay now, everything is fine!" I sat down on the bed and tightly hugged Zhao Yu'er, saying loudly. Zhao Yu'er grasped my arm so hard that she pinched out new blood marks, shrieking hysterically. After a while, she fainted again.

  "Brother, what should we do?" Little sister said anxiously.

  I think Zhao Yu'er is now clearly frightened, even if she's sent to the hospital it may not be effective, can only wait for her to wake up again and slowly accept, slowly relieve.

  "Don't worry, she'll be fine, just wait a minute and let Second Uncle exorcise the evil spirits for her," I said.

  After breakfast, I told my second uncle about the matter of driving out evil spirits for Zhao Yu'er. My second uncle nodded slightly and then set up a simple altar in the room, drew a few talismans to drive out evil spirits for Zhao Yu'er. It was just a simple ritual to drive out evil spirits, but after my second uncle finished, he was already sweating profusely, his face red and swollen with a hint of greenish tint, and quietly said: "When she wakes up again, it will be fine."

  In the afternoon, Zhao Yuer finally woke up. This time she woke up very quietly, with her hands holding her knees, her head lowered, and not saying a word, but seemingly due to some kind of terror, her body kept trembling slightly.

  "Zhao Yu'er," I gently patted her back and comforted, "It's okay, don't be afraid, we're here with you."

  Zhao Yuner slowly raised her head and looked at me, her eyes shining with unshed tears, revealing a hint of hidden fear.

  I felt a pang in my heart and gently wiped away her tears with my hand, softly comforting her: "It's okay now, don't worry."

  Zhao Yuner suddenly let out a sob and burst into tears, throwing herself into my arms and wailing.

  I gently patted her back, constantly comforting her. After a while, Zhao Yuer's crying gradually stopped. At this time, the clothes on my chest were all wet with her tears. Erniang couldn't bear to see it and also came in to comfort Zhao Yuer. After saying for a while, Zhao Yuer's mood finally calmed down.

  Although Zhao Yuner's mood had stabilized, we didn't dare ask her what exactly happened that night on Dog Head Slope. I knew this incident might become a nightmare for her for a long time to come, and I wasn't sure if she could ever walk out of it.

  Just as they were talking, Second Uncle quietly walked into the house.

  Zhao Yuner sensed it and turned her head to look, but her first reaction was as if she had seen something terrifying, letting out a loud shriek and shrinking back in fear.

  "Zhao sister, that's my dad, don't be afraid." Little sister hurriedly comforted her.

  I also said: "You've seen my second uncle before."

  Zhao Yuner just stared at her second uncle with a frightened gaze, as if she hadn't heard our words.

  Second Uncle quietly looked at Zhao Yu'er for a while, then lightly coughed and asked: "Child, are you alright?"

  Zhao Yuner didn't respond, she just mechanically nodded her head. Second Uncle didn't say anything else and turned to leave. Seeing Second Uncle walk out, Zhao Yuner's originally tense nerves gradually relaxed again. Her reaction made me feel puzzled and confused in my heart, why did she suddenly jump when she saw Second Uncle? She obviously had something to say to us but was too afraid to speak, what was the reason for all this?

  Even though I've always tried to think of things in a positive light, the recent abnormalities have left me with an unprecedented sense of heaviness in my heart. I vaguely feel that something we don't want to see as a whole family might be about to happen. Just thinking about it makes me shudder all over.

  Zhao Yuner escaped to our home last night, and it turned out that she had lost all the things she brought with her. She whispered to me that she wanted to make a phone call home. I understood, took her to the landline in the living room, and thought of leaving her alone to make the call, but she asked me to stay.

  I had no choice but to sit down beside him.

  After dialing a phone number, someone answered quickly. Because the landline's call volume was very loud, I could hear the voice on the other end of the phone. It was a gentle female voice, and it was Zhao Yu'er's mother who had answered the phone. I thought to myself that the police must have already come to the village to investigate the case and had made an arrest, so Zhao Yu'er's family members must have received relevant notifications. However, unexpectedly, from what I heard on the phone, Zhao Yu'er's mother still didn't know about their misfortune and was only a bit angry that Zhao Yu'er's cell phone was turned off.

  I found Zhao Yu'er to be unusually calm at this time, lying to her mother that her phone was out of battery, and then telling her mother to pick her up at the station tomorrow morning. Her mother agreed, and finally repeatedly reminded Zhao Yu'er to take good care of herself. Zhao Yu'er had been speaking very calmly just now, but when she heard these last words, I found that she suddenly had tears welling up in her eyes, biting her lip hard to prevent herself from crying out loud. Immediately afraid that if she spoke again her mother would detect something amiss, she hastily hung up the phone.

  After hanging up the phone, her voice suddenly choked, she lowered her head, and her shoulders shook with sobs.

  "Alas." I sighed inwardly and sat down beside her, offering words of comfort, which eventually calmed her down.

  "Xie Ye Da Ge, thank you." Zhao Yu'er slowly lifted her head, her eyes red-rimmed as she looked at me.

  I shook my head carelessly and gave her a warm smile.

  The sky gradually darkened, and Zhao Yuer could only leave tomorrow, so she had to stay at our house tonight. Erniang and Xiaomei took good care of her, and dinner was very sumptuous, and they kept serving her dishes during the meal. However, Zhao Yuer obviously didn't have much appetite and didn't eat much.

  In the evening, I chatted with Zhao Yu'er about some light topics with my little sister, which relaxed her mood a lot. However, when Second Uncle appeared, she still seemed a bit tense. I don't know what happened to her that night, but her reaction to Second Uncle made me feel uneasy.

  The next day, Zhao Yuer got up early and said she wanted to leave. Erniang had to hurry up and make breakfast for her, and after eating, she asked me and my little sister to send her to the street to take a bus. When we arrived at the intersection waiting for the bus, I found that Zhao Yuer seemed to have something to say to me, but hesitated several times, as if considering my little sister was by our side.

  "Little sister, would you go buy a bottle of water for Sister Zhao?" I said to little sister.

  The little sister nodded in agreement and quickly walked towards a nearby store.

  Taking this opportunity, Zhao Yuer finally said to me: "Nie Yu big brother, there's something I didn't dare say when I was at your house before, but now I must tell you."

  I felt a slight pang in my heart and asked, "What's wrong?"

  "...your second uncle," Zhao Yuner looked at me, her voice trembling inexplicably, saying word by word, "he is not a human, he is...a ghost."

  "What?" I exclaimed.

  "You and Xiao Mei, Er Niang saved me, I really don't want to deceive you," Zhao Yun'er said sorrowfully. "I know this matter is difficult for you to accept, but I don't want to see you and Xiao Mei, Er Niang being harmed."

  I stared at her and asked: "Why did you say my second uncle is a ghost?"

  "That night, I saw him with my own eyes in the Ghost Cave," Zhao Yu'er said with a trembling voice. "I saw his face turn dark green and reveal sharp fangs..."

  At this time, little sister ran over with a bottle of water, and Zhao Yu'er's voice stopped abruptly.

  "Brother, what were you and Sister Zhao talking about just now?" Little sister handed water over to Zhao Yu'er and asked.

  "I didn't say anything." I casually said a sentence, and at this time the school bus came, I hurriedly said: "The bus is here."

  Zhaoyu'er now has no money on her, so the car fare is naturally paid by us. Before getting on the bus, I followed Erniang's instructions and stuffed 200 yuan into Zhaoyu'er's hand. Zhaoyu'er's family lives in the provincial city, and she needs to transfer buses along the way, which requires money, so she didn't decline much and accepted it. After getting on the bus, I paid for Zhaoyu'er's fare to the county town and reminded her to be careful on the road and call me when she arrives home.

  Zhao Yuner's eyes were moist as she looked at me, and she just nodded heavily.

  Then I got off the bus.

  Zhaoyu'er sat in a window seat, stretching out her hand to wave goodbye to me and my little sister, when she finally couldn't hold back her tears and burst into loud sobs, with tears streaming down her face.

  "Nie Yu big brother, little sister, goodbye, I will never forget your..."

  Her voice faded away with the whizzing car sound.

  My sister and I stood there for a while, waiting until the car completely disappeared from view before turning back.

  On the road, I thought of what Zhao Yuer said to me earlier, and my heart felt very heavy. I repeatedly warned myself not to think about that matter, but I couldn't suppress it no matter what. All I knew was that if what Zhao Yuer said was true, then everything before could be explained clearly.

  What did Second Uncle bring back from Old Master Hong's mourning hall at Shiziba that day?

  A growing sense of inexpressible sorrow and fear is emerging in my heart.