Chapter 10, The Smoking Well

I have a suspicion and kicked my leg to sweep. I must say, there are indeed quite a few hairs hidden in this water, and in just a few moments, I managed to grasp a handful.

I checked his breath and found that he was still alive. I quickly pressed on his philtrum and pounded his chest, busying myself with various efforts until I finally managed to bring him back to consciousness

I attempted to slide down, and the rest depended on Panzi. Although he was still a bit unsettled, he was able to cooperate with me, pulling on the rope to share some of the force.

I held back my strength and tried no less than four or five times, but each time I failed. The best attempt was when I climbed up half a meter, but then I slipped and fell down again

I cannot find the answer now, and since Panzi has not shown up for such a long time, I thought I might as well try to climb up myself

I wanted to raise my head and tell Panzi to hold steady, but before I could make that move, I felt the rope loosen, and my whole body began to fall uncontrollably.

The resentment in my heart was profound, as I thought to myself, "This fellow Pan has really let me down at a critical moment." However, fortunately, the well water was not very deep. When I struggled a bit and stood up, I found that it was only up to my chest.

I immediately shrank back, pressing against the well wall, my eyes wide open as I surveyed my surroundings

I was thinking that I should quickly go borrow a basin from the neighbors while I still can, so I can prepare to collect rainwater at home; otherwise, this place will turn into a bathhouse. However, when I went outside, I discovered something strange: everyone in the village had gotten up, and they were all standing at their doorsteps, looking seriously at the back mountain.

I do not know what exactly he saw, but his expression changed suddenly, he gasped, and his hand trembled, nearly causing him to drop the flashlight into the well

When I brought the rope back, that little black dog had already run to a corner and was squatting there, staring at the two of us

The well was pitch black, and I couldn't see anything clearly, so I asked Panzi to turn on the flashlight. At that moment, a complication arose; the little black dog came running over, circling around the well and grunting.

Just now, looking in from the outside, the well didn't seem so frightening. However, once I found myself inside, my heart began to race. It was pitch black inside, and I felt completely enveloped by darkness. The walls of the well were particularly slippery, and touching them reminded me of feeling a festering corpse. Additionally, I looked up at Panzi and felt as if he was so far away from me.

Panzi shook his head and murmured to me, "Durui, we can hardly hold on any longer, this village is truly terrifying."

I was puzzled, so I squatted down next to him and asked what was wrong

Outside, a strong wind is blowing, but inside our house, there is only a gentle breeze. Observing the situation, I thought to myself that if a heavy rain were to start soon, our house would definitely leak.

After Panzi returned, he appeared particularly exhausted and fell asleep on the bed. The little black dog wagged its tail and followed him back. I turned on the voice recorder and recounted everything that had just happened. After that, there was nothing else to do, so I lay down on the bed and fell asleep, just like Panzi.

I tied a large buckle at the other end, just like a thong, and slipped it between my legs

Moreover, after I stirred things up, I ended up with a broken basket, which has a large hole in the bottom. From the looks of it, it seems to have been burned by someone

This time I was truly frightened, and deep down I remained worried, fearing that a female ghost might suddenly emerge from the water and pounce on me

As I walked, I felt something entangling my legs, as if it were water plants. I was quite annoyed by its wrapping around me, so I lifted my leg and reached out my hand, intending to grab it and throw it away.

We both shouted one, two, three, and together we poured it in

The rope I obtained was provided by Officer Li. It is specially made; although it is very thin and light, it is particularly durable. Notably, there is a large knot tied at regular intervals along the rope, making it easy to grip and leverage.

I was awakened by the rumbling thunder; I got up and looked outside, feeling a chill in my heart

It is late at night; we cannot just sit here. I will support Panzi and we will return to the room first.

It is evident that Panzi has truly been frightened this time. If no measures are taken soon, he may very well suffer a mental breakdown.

I tried to prevent myself from sliding down, but I was powerless. I watched helplessly as I tumbled down, landing with a splash in the water

After Panzi opened his eyes, he suddenly did not recognize me, and even forgot everything. He stared blankly at his surroundings, appearing so unfamiliar with everything.

This pile of soil is indeed effective, as it quickly reduced the smoke significantly. Panzi and I patiently waited for another half a minute until no more white smoke was rising. We both leaned over the edge of the well to look inside.

I was thinking to myself, if I find out that Panzi has gone back inside to hide, I will definitely confront him and it would be surprising if I don't give him a good scolding

However, what is strange is that when I tried it, I found myself particularly familiar with this action, which left me puzzled

I could no longer afford to complain about Panzi, nor could I concern myself with my own fatigue; I hurried over and turned him over.

This early in the morning, they were so in sync that I became particularly sensitive. Following their gaze, I glanced towards the back mountain and the library, wondering what was going on. Liu Hui specifically emphasized that we should not go to the back mountain. Could it be that the strange occurrences in the back mountain are coming out because of the rain?

This is actually hair, at least a foot long, women's hair. My mind almost short-circuited in an instant, wondering how something like this could be here

I do not believe his words; I indeed heard that ghostly laughter just now. However, no matter what, it cannot possibly come from his body, can it

The water in this well has been rippling continuously, splashing against my chest in an up-and-down manner, causing me to involuntarily shiver. However, after a while, I did not notice anything unusual.

After a while, I noticed a detail: occasionally, strands of hair would drift out of the well water. Sometimes they appeared in wisps, and other times as individual strands.

I became anxious, and in my haste, I moved forward a bit more, raising my voice to continue shouting

I recalled the previous events and wondered if the smoke rising from the well was indeed due to someone having placed hair in a basket, set it on fire, and thrown it in

I also ignored the black dog, first letting Panzi tie one end of the rope around his waist, and then having him place his feet at the well's edge, slowly handing me the rope.

Perhaps it was the sting of the smoke that hastened his awakening. Before long, Panzi recalled everything, and a look of fear appeared on his face. He said to me, "Du Rui, there must have been a ghost possessing me just now. Suddenly, I heard a burst of ghostly laughter within me, and then I fainted completely."

I pulled him up to a sitting position, took a cigarette from his pocket, and offered him one to help him regain his spirits

I felt particularly vigilant, took a moment to calm myself, and hurriedly positioned myself close to the edge, gripping the knife tightly in my hand, quietly observing the movements within the well

I spoke to him about the situation in the well, but he seemed completely distracted, and I couldn't tell whether he was actually listening to what I was saying

After estimating the time it took to smoke a cigarette, I had only covered more than half the distance. I kept encouraging myself, saying that if I just held on a little longer, I would arrive.

Pan Ziting was quite straightforward; without hesitation, he took off his coat, threw it on the ground, and while grabbing some soil, he said, "Let's gather a 'pot' of soil and pour it into the well, in an effort to extinguish the smoke."

My heart raced, and I thought to myself, how did it appear?

I just moved sideways, slowly making my way up, and at the moment I grasped the edge of the well, my heart finally settled completely

However, early the next morning, before Liu Hui arrived, it started to thunder outside

I thought to myself that I couldn't stay in the well forever; since there was nothing to discover, it was time for Panzi to pull me up. I originally thought Panzi was hiding by the well again, but after calling out for a long time, he still didn't show up

I wanted to encourage Panzi, so I thought of a way to say to him, "Just wait, I will go inside to get the rope. You hold on to it while I go down the well to take a look."

I supported myself with both hands against the well wall, placing my feet on the opposite side, which allowed me to maintain my strength. Originally, this action was quite difficult, requiring a person to walk in a parallel manner. I was also worried that I had not practiced enough and would not be able to perform this action well.

I relaxed slightly and looked up again, calling out "Panzi, Panzi".

He struggled to catch his breath, barely able to speak. He pointed to the well behind him, saying, "There is a female ghost in there; I saw her swimming in the water."

To be honest, this well is somewhat frustrating. Its diameter is quite large; I am holding the walls of the well with my hands parallel, and I still can't reach the edges. I then perform a split, allowing my legs to rest against the walls of the well and the books.

He turned around again and sat down close to the edge of the well, his chest rising and falling like a blower

Taking advantage of the moment, I fasten the knife to my waist, so that in the event of danger, I can immediately grab the knife to defend myself

I no longer consider what the shirt would become after being transformed into a tool for carrying soil; the two of us worked together and quickly produced a small pile of soil.

At that moment, I suddenly heard a faint ghostly laughter coming from above, "Hee hee hee!"

I am currently like a cornered beast, and this place is truly uninhabitable. A combination of various reasons has unleashed my potential, and I suddenly thought of a solution

I did not believe what he said, so I snatched the flashlight and bravely shone it into the well

It must also be mentioned that the climate in Suiyuan Village is quite changeable; after just one night, the sky unexpectedly turned overcast, filled with thick black clouds

But when I pulled it out and took a look, I couldn't help but exclaim "Wow".

I find it quite strange; we locked the door when we left, so how could it come out? Could it possibly open the door by itself?

I do not want this black dog to meddle in this matter, so I coax it to go home. In this delay, Panzi takes the flashlight and shines it into the well

But when I climbed out of the well and looked, Panzi was lying right beside it, face down, completely unaware of his condition

I took little time to fetch the rope, yet Panzi still did not dare to stay alone, closely following me as we returned together

There is water here, but where is the shadow of the female ghost? I looked at Panzi with some confusion and asked him if he had misjudged.

Logically, we are supposed to go to school for our internship tomorrow, but after all this commotion just now, I have completely lost the motivation. I am thinking that if Liu Hui comes to find us early tomorrow morning, I will make an excuse to take a day off.