Chapter 3: Appointment?

  My mom!

  Apart from birds being able to talk, even turtles can talk now. This is simply too unbelievable, unthinkable, and science cannot explain it!

  I lowered my head and stared at this turtle, one second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds...

  Time passed bit by bit, and finally I stuttered and spoke up.

  "Really you who is speaking?" I asked.

  "It's me." The old turtle not only spoke but also raised its head and looked at me.

  "Ah!" I shouted, my legs going weak again, "Damn it, am I dreaming or what?"

  "No, son, don't be afraid, we are good people." The old turtle shook his shell and said to me.

  "Are you human?" I stared with wide eyes.

  "Wrong, wrong, we should say we are good monsters." The turtle corrected.

  "A monster?" I trembled, and in this lifetime, I actually encountered a monster.

  "Well, we are monsters." The old turtle pointed at the quail on the tree and said.

  I became even more frightened. This monster, I had seen it in Journey to the West, is a man-eater. Its fur was dark green and its shell was black, it must not be a good monster. It led me to a mountain forest with few people, could it be that it wants to eat me?

  Thinking of this, I plucked up the courage and used all my strength to move my two legs that had been trembling with fear, and with a thud, I knelt down on the ground.

  "Monster grandfather, I'm not Tang Seng, don't eat me!" I said these words while almost crying.

  "Cough, cough." The old tortoise coughed again.

  "Son, don't be afraid, we are good monsters. I'm injured now and can't hold on for much longer, I'll enter hibernation soon, so let's make it quick, what do you want to know?"

  What do I want to know?

  I met a monster, what else would I want to know? I have no idea what I'm thinking about, how can I ask.

  "Ask quickly." The old turtle urged again.

  "Ask? I'll ask then." I was taken aback for a moment, "You won't eat me, will you?"

  "I'm a vegetarian." The old tortoise grumbled.

  "It's great to be a vegetarian, vegetarians live forever." I flattered.

  "Live for a hundred years? I've already lived for tens of thousands of years." The old turtle shook its head, "You came all the way here just to ask these boring questions?"

  What brings you here? I'm stuffed and came all the way here to find a turtle spirit!

  "You've got the wrong person, haven't you, Monster Grandpa? I'm not here looking for you." I said with a forced smile.

  "Cough cough, aren't you looking for the old man who sold you a green hat?"

  "Huh? I guess so?" As soon as he reminded me, I immediately remembered the purpose of my visit. Xu Yan asked me to come here just to find that old man who sold me a green hat. But what does this green-headed turtle have to do with it, could it be that this turtle is...

  Thinking of this, I widened my eyes and looked at the green-headed turtle in even greater incredulity.

  "You didn't guess wrong, I am that old man." The old turtle revealed its true identity, "Just two days ago, I was injured in a fight with a dog and now I can no longer transform into human form."

  "Are you the old man who sold me that hat? What's going on with Xuyan being pregnant?" I stared at the turtle, feeling extremely puzzled and wanting to figure out what was going on.

  "Xu Yan is my granddaughter, you are her husband, so you become my grandson too." said Old Turtle.

  "Is Xu Yan also a turtle?" I asked.

  "Don't worry, Little Swallow is not a turtle, she's my adopted granddaughter." The old turtle explained to me with great patience, "I know you're wondering why Xu Yan got pregnant just by shaking hands with you. There's a reason for this, but I still can't tell you the specific reason now. All I can say is that the child is really yours, and you need to take responsibility as a father... Alright, I've said all I can say, you must take good care of your child."

  The old turtle finished speaking and suddenly turned around, climbing up the tree. I had never seen a turtle climb a tree before, and I was amazed.

  I still wanted to ask Old Turtle some more questions about Xuyan and the child, but suddenly I felt dizzy and my eyes couldn't help but close.

  Everything in front of me is pitch black...

  The red and green lights flickered non-stop, and the ears were filled with the sound of noisy songs and laughter.

  When I regained consciousness and opened my eyes, I found myself sitting in a bar. Across from me was a scantily clad beauty.

  Due to the anti-vice campaign, I can't describe this beauty in too much detail. All I can say is that this woman is very seductive, from her attire, from her grooming, from her demeanor and behavior, it's all evident that this woman is seductive enough to bring ruin to a nation.

  Staring at the woman for a while, I thought of another question.

  Damn it! How did I end up in a bar? Was everything just a dream? That pheasant? That turtle? All a dream?

  "This dream is too realistic! Scary, it's really freaking scary!"

  "Awake?" The beautiful woman also looked over, holding a cup of deep red wine in her hand.

  "Wake up!"

  "Oh, wake up and go back." The beauty brought the wine cup to Hongyan's lips and took a light sip.

  "Huh?" I scratched my head, "Miss, who are you?"

  Go back? Are you kidding me? Came here out of nowhere, met such a beautiful girl out of nowhere, and now I'm supposed to just go back? You're messing with me?

  At least ask who this girl is? Leave a contact information! Convenient next time to make an appointment ah!

  "Heh heh." The beauty laughed twice, then she suddenly stood up, and then she leaned over, her bright red lips pressed against my cheek.

  The fragrance of perfume is spreading in front of my nose, and I'm about to lose control and become infatuated.

  The beauty's intimate move was too much, what did she take me for? I've been single for 20 years and I'm not just anyone.

  Is this a kiss? Should I, who have been keeping myself clean and guarding my body like jade, resist a little?

  No, don't!

  Hemp prices plummet!

  Just as I was hesitating about whether to speak in Chinese, English or Japanese to perfectly capture the atmosphere, the beautiful woman's intimate movements suddenly stopped.

  She didn't kiss me, but instead put her lips close to my ear.

  She whispered to me: "Tomorrow night at twelve o'clock, No. 47 Hongshan Street. I'll be waiting for you there!"

  After saying that, she made a flirtatious gesture towards me, making my little heart feel a wave of heat.

  Is this the rhythm of direct appointment?

  Is No. 47 Hongshan Street her home address?

  Oh my goodness!

  This way, we can even save money on opening a room!

  Women nowadays are really great, righteous, generous and have a sense of justice.

  Hahaha...

  My heart bloomed with joy, and the beauty also let out a giggle, turned around, shaking her hips as she slowly walked towards the outside of the bar.

  What a great bargain!

  Hahaha...

  Hongshan Avenue 47... Hongshan Avenue 47... Hongshan Avenue 47...

  I silently memorized this address in my heart dozens of times, afraid that I would forget it if I wasn't careful. Thinking about the beautiful woman's charming posture, even if I forgot to eat, I couldn't forget this address.

  It was already very late when I got home.

  It's about twelve o'clock.

  I lay in bed, my mind full of that pretty girl I met at the bar, and completely forgot about Lao Wugui's affairs.

  It wasn't until I woke up the next day that a message reminded me.

  That's a text message from Xu Yan.

  "Did you see that old man who sold you the hat yesterday? Did he tell you the truth about what happened?" Xu Yan's text message asked.

  It wasn't until now that I remembered and confirmed that yesterday I really went to the back mountain to find that old man who sold me a green hat.

  Turtle? Green-headed turtle?

  Some scenes slowly floated into my mind... I suddenly felt that everything seemed not a dream.

  Could it be that I really met a talking old turtle?

  But why did I wake up in a bar?

  Is it a dream? Isn't it a dream?

  Is it a dream or not?

  Was it all just a dream?

  This issue has been bothering me for a while, and I'm too lazy to reply to Xu Yan's crazy woman's text message. There are many strange things in this world!

  Whether it's a dream or not, these are secondary. Life is short for just a few decades, and living one more year counts as one more year. Those trivial little things aren't worth worrying about, I want to seize the time to do something meaningful.

  Hongshan Road 47!

  Hooray!

  Beautiful woman, my goddess, I'm here.