Chapter 002: Fortune and Misfortune are Interdependent

I have no choice but to give her the paper figure and say: "This thing is not fun at all. If the other children make fun of you, don't blame your brother. I am truly not selling toys."

People love to hear flattering words. Given that my business is indeed doing well, I invited him in for a drink of water. However, he declined. As he was leaving, he hesitated for a moment and said to me: "What is that saying? When things reach their extreme, they will turn against you. Good luck does not necessarily mean good things; you must be cautious."

Fortunately, the business of the flower wreath shop is still thriving, and my competitors along the street look at me with envy. A few even invited me to dinner, secretly asking if I had any business secrets. I have no idea; initially, the business was inexplicably poor, and now it is inexplicably booming. I can only laugh it off and say it’s luck. After a few days of this, as I was preparing to close the shop in the evening, that little girl from last time came again

I murmured, "Were you pushed by someone?"

But what I did not expect was that her departure would turn out to be a permanent farewell

I felt as if I had fallen into an ice cave, my thoughts frozen. After a long while, I finally came to my senses and grabbed his collar: "What did you say? How could she possibly be dead? I clearly saw her just this morning!"

She shook her head, her small face devoid of expression: "Brother, can you give me a toy?"

Tao Xin was killed by someone, my hands are trembling. The old police officer said, "It's still uncertain. Why don't you tell me what you talked about last?" I recalled the sweetness of last night, just like a dream, and painfully told him. After hearing this, the old police officer no longer doubted me; after all, I had an alibi. Instead, he comforted me, saying, "Young man, try to take it easy."

One should always have a heart of respect for the elderly. I said, "Oh, do you still understand physiognomy, old sir?"

He seemed to recall something, and his gaze towards me was filled with a hint of fear. He instinctively withdrew his hand as if shocked, and his lips trembled as he uttered two words: "lantern"

My father was in a car accident. Due to issues at work, I sought help from others, only to be met with disdain. On my way back, I was hit by a car. Upon hearing this news, I was completely stunned, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face. The people on the street found me strange and kept their distance. At that moment, I had no mind to care about what others thought. I rushed into the hospital like a madman, and my mother collapsed in my arms, crying. My heart felt like it was shattering. I felt utterly worthless, having acquired so much knowledge only to burden my parents with worry.

This is a little old man in his sixties, wearing a pair of glasses. His flower wreath shop is a time-honored establishment, and many people are accustomed to buying from him. However, I have now taken away his business. He came specifically to see what was so remarkable, and upon seeing me for the first time, the old man exclaimed, "Impressive! No wonder the young man’s business is so good; this fortune is simply soaring to the sky!"

murderer

In the afternoon, the police came to me, saying they needed to investigate. As an ordinary person, seeing someone in uniform would make anyone anxious, and I was no exception. I said, "I haven't committed any crime, so why are you investigating me?" The lead officer looked at me seriously and said one sentence: "Tao Xin is dead"

She did not speak, but took the paper figure and went out

After speaking, he fainted again, leaving me in a state of confusion, wondering about the lanterns. I asked the doctor, who advised me not to take it seriously, saying that patients who have just regained consciousness might be disoriented. Later, my father woke up intermittently several times, each time calling for a lantern. I was almost driven to madness, wondering if he wanted to see a lantern. I actually went and bought a large red lantern, but he didn't even glance at it, merely continuing to call for the lantern.

I didn't know when she quietly stood outside the threshold, and I was startled. Looking at her, she was all alone, so I asked, "Where are your parents?"

Perhaps it was my excited demeanor that revealed my true feelings, causing the old police officer to become less suspicious of me. His voice softened as he said: "We came to find you for this reason. You are the last person she was seen with. If you want to find the murderer, please cooperate with us"

My girlfriend's name is Tao Xin, and I affectionately call her "Naughty." We spent the night together, and the next morning, as I watched her drive away, Tao Xin said, "Once my dad is better, we will put our wedding plans on the agenda."

At first, I did not take this statement to heart. In the evening, I received a call from an old classmate inviting me to a gathering. It was difficult to refuse, so I went. Those estranged friends were also present. When we first met, there was a bit of awkwardness on both sides. After chatting for a while, we gradually thawed the ice between us. Once the misunderstandings were cleared, our relationship seemed to be even stronger than before

Fortunately, the delivery was timely; my father was saved against all odds. The family savings accumulated over the years have all been spent on the hospital. I have been keeping vigil by his side day and night, and everyone would give me a thumbs up for being filial. Yet, I know deep down that if my father cannot recover, I will never forgive myself for the rest of my life. When he finally woke up, I was overjoyed, but my father looked at me with a confused expression, which frightened me again. I quickly grasped his hand and said, "Dad, please don't scare me."

I pondered for a while and felt that there is a high possibility that the elderly person has developed presbyopia; otherwise, why would so many young people not see it, while he did

So it turns out that last time she benefited from me, and now she remembers me. I am at a loss for words. A flower shop is being treated like a toy store. I instinctively wanted to tell her that I don't sell toys, but the words got stuck in my throat. What does such a small child understand? Last time she got something from me, and if I don't give her something this time, she will definitely think I'm a fraud. If things go wrong, she might start crying. It would be better to just find something to appease her.

Hearing this, I couldn't be bothered to feel angry. I turned around and grabbed her shoulders: "You have cancer?"

A cloud of sorrow has enveloped our home; my father's condition is truly concerning. Although his health is improving, his mind remains unclear. He can still converse with others for a few moments, but upon seeing me, he becomes like a lantern. I am almost sick of being referred to by those two words. Later, my mother urged me to return to the shop to continue running it, as we cannot afford to lose money. Both the hospital and household expenses are mounting, and as the pillar of the family, I must bear the heavy burden.

The old police officer hesitated for a moment, perhaps thinking that I might know something, and then revealed a bit of information: "According to witnesses, Tao Xin was originally sitting by the lake reading a book when it seemed that someone pushed her, causing her to suddenly fall into the lake. A few young people jumped in to save her, but they found her too heavy to pull up, and they almost ended up in the water themselves"

It is not good to always have a stern face. When I was young, my family was also poor, but I was cheerful every day. However, this little fellow has never been seen smiling.

The police and the librarians arrived quickly, and they left just as swiftly, leaving me a phone number and instructing me to contact them if I made any discoveries. I sat by the roadside, feeling as if I had lost my soul, when suddenly a song came to mind: everything I once had has vanished like smoke in an instant, perfectly reflecting my current situation

Although it is said that life's ups and downs are quite normal, my fluctuations have been rather extreme. Just as my business was doing well, my father had a car accident. I had just reconciled with my girlfriend, and in the blink of an eye, she is gone forever. I held the old policeman's hand and asked, "Are there any clues?"

She tilted her head to look at me, as if she did not understand what I was saying

little girl

She cried and said: "The reason I broke up with you is that I have cancer. I didn't want to delay you or make you sad, which is why I chose to end our relationship. However, since then, I have regretted it deeply. I think about you every day. I love you."

The old police officer found it strange and said, "There were quite a few people present, and none of them saw anything. Only an elderly man in his eighties insisted that a little girl pushed her and then ran away."

She first nodded slightly, then shook her head, saying with resentment: "It's all that quack's fault for misdiagnosing me, causing me to give up on myself. Later, after I calmed down for a while and accepted the outcome, I was told that there was nothing wrong with my body."

The beloved has returned, and I cannot quite describe the feeling; my empty heart seems to have been filled. I feel as though I have returned to the beginning, and everything is slowly getting better. Holding her gently, all my discontent has shifted towards that mediocre doctor. Do not let me see you; I will strike you every time I do!

Because of Tao Xin's matter, I have been completely distracted, lacking the focus to conduct business. However, this does not affect the booming sales; a flower wreath shop has surprisingly achieved the effect of a shopping mall. Many people have come here with carts specifically to buy a stack of paper money. I simply cannot understand why my ghost money is so popular among the deceased. Nevertheless, there is no reason to turn down business that comes to my door. More and more people are becoming aware of my small flower wreath shop, and an increasing number are seeking my advice on business secrets. But I truly do not know; I stammer and cannot articulate anything. They think I am pretending, and instead of leaving, they become even more attentive. Eventually, even the owner of the largest flower wreath shop in town came over.

He smiled and said, "As one grows older, one tends to delve into the things left behind by the previous generation. My understanding may not be precise, but I have a slight grasp of it. However, you are an exception; even from a distance, one can see that your luck is quite remarkable, and upon closer inspection, it is even more astonishing"

I took a glance and noticed a stack of paper dolls nearby, which were new stock from yesterday. I picked out a more attractive one resembling a little girl and handed it to her: "Do you like it? If you do, smile at your brother."

We drank wine, sang songs, and freely expressed our dissatisfaction and sadness about life. When it was time to part ways, I watched as they got into a taxi. In just a moment, the taxi crashed against the wall with a loud bang, billowing black smoke rising up, and in the blink of an eye, the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames

After more than half an hour, I tidied up the store and was ready to go back and rest. As soon as I stepped outside, I saw a Cayenne parked at the entrance. My girlfriend walked out and looked at me. Upon seeing her again, I was stunned for a few seconds, and then a surge of anger welled up inside me. Damn, how dare she come to see me? I turned to leave, but she caught up with me and hugged me tightly, tears streaming down her face. I can't stand seeing a woman cry, so my heart softened a bit, but I still questioned her, "What are you doing here again?"