Chapter Five, The Shadow on Tiptoe

He walked sideways like a crab, just as I did before, circling around the room. However, his eyes were fixed intently on me, which was also the reason for his sideways movement. His eyeballs resembled radar, not looking elsewhere, but solely focused on me. When he circled to the back of the room, I estimated that he was still watching me.

I felt a bit scared, but could only say it was good, and then I packed a bag of rice

I do not feel guilty either; this is his retribution

At that moment, I happened to pass by the entrance of the old house when I suddenly heard someone call out "Jiang Cheng". I turned my head in confusion and discovered that it was actually Tan Dongyu.

I walked over in confusion and took a look, only to find that the rice inside was completely gone, not a single grain left, which was truly astonishing. Was this rice eaten by someone or stolen? Curiously, I crouched down and began to rummage through Tan Dongyu's pockets.

After lying down, there was nothing but silence. The sky grew darker, around six-thirty or seven o'clock, I heard some noise outside the house, as if someone was moving about incessantly. My curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn't help but look out the window, only to find that it was Tan Dongyu walking outside. The way he walked sent chills down my spine

I was so frightened that I wanted to ask who was outside, but then I remembered Jiang Xiu's instruction not to say too much, so I held back. At that moment, a voice came from outside the room, particularly sharp, as if nails were scraping against a glass window, sending chills all over my body.

On the afternoon of the second day, I carried a bag of rice, placed two new bowls inside the bag, and, holding a black umbrella, arrived at the old house across from my home

Oh

Tan Dongyu has been incessantly talking in my ear, repeating the same thing over and over again. In the end, he even managed to make me feel sleepy, and I dozed off in a daze

"Farting so early in the morning..." I scolded, "Let me see if you have stolen any rice."

This sentence startled me so much that my legs trembled, and I was completely taken aback. Is this really the daughter-in-law over there

Can you not be so annoying? You've been chattering in my ear all night without sleeping, I estimate this guy won't be able to get up until noon.

Before Tan Dongyu could finish his words, I kicked his head. His head hit the ground, yet he surprisingly continued to sleep, clearly exhausted beyond measure

Jiang Cheng, let us go

I really want to see who is standing outside, but I lack the courage. I can only brace myself and say as instructed by Jiang Xiu: "The rice delivery person is staying here for the night."

As I was dozing off, I heard someone calling my name. Groggily, I opened my eyes, but the room was pitch dark, and I could see nothing clearly

At the beginning, it was still bearable, but after walking for a long time, my legs became unbearably sore. Walking continuously for three hours, anyone would feel fatigued. We kept walking until around 4 PM, when the sun had weakened significantly, and someone arrived

Suddenly, a voice sounded beside me, and I immediately recognized it as Tan Dongyu's voice. I quickly turned to look, and in the darkness, there was indeed a faint outline of a person, but it was too dark to see clearly

Upon waking for the second time, I found myself roused by the urge to urinate. Outside, the sky had brightened, and sunlight streamed into the room, creating a pleasantly warm atmosphere. I quickly glanced around and discovered that Tan Dongyu was already gone. I let out a sigh of relief, opened my umbrella, and walked out of the room. Just as I stepped outside, I noticed the two new bowls filled with rice. Next to the new bowls, surprisingly, lay Tan Dongyu, fast asleep.

Tan Dongyu turned over and continued to sleep, cursing under his breath: "I stole your mother's big breasts..."

The sharp sound emitted a brief "oh," and then I saw the shadow leave. From the shadow, it was evident that the person walked on tiptoes, light as a feather, as if they had no weight at all. My heart raced in fear, and I quickly bit down on my arm, afraid that my breathing would be too loud. At that moment, I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye towards the window, and I was startled once again.

I was about to walk in circles and ignore him, but he suddenly walked in front of me and blocked my way. His hand, thin like a chicken's claw, suddenly grabbed my sleeve, pulling me outside, while he said, "Jiang Cheng, let's go."

Indeed, it becomes more excessive day by day

At this moment, I was still circling around, afraid to stop. I asked what was going on, but my body continued to walk in circles. However, Tan Dongyu did not respond; he just stood by the roadside watching me circle, his expression hardly changing. I felt puzzled, but I did not ask further, estimating that Tan Dongyu was most likely possessed, and it was best not to engage with him.

Upon entering, I used my armpit to hold the umbrella, took out two new bowls, and carefully poured rice into them, filling each bowl to the brim.

I felt a sense of fear; Tan Dongyu truly seemed possessed, looking as if he were insane. At that moment, there was another sound coming from inside the room, yet Tan Dongyu was still outside. I suddenly realized that there must be someone who had appeared out of thin air in the room.

After going out, I found Jiang Xiu and recounted the situation. He said that the first night had been endured, and I should continue moving forward. I asked with some concern whether the next six days would be the same every day. He sighed and said, "That woman will become more excessive day by day, as she seeks to test the boundaries of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship. Yesterday, Tan Dongyu came in to ask you to leave, which probably indicates that he was possessed, and it also shows that this behavior did not cross the boundaries of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Today, there will likely be more incidents, so be careful. However, I am also unclear about what exactly is going on with Tan Dongyu right now."

Until the sun set, Tan Dongyu did not leave. At that moment, I walked to the door and couldn't help but look back at Tan Dongyu. His eyes were still on me, and his lips moved slightly, but he said nothing. At that moment, I said, "Sorry to disturb you," and then walked inside the house

I was startled and felt a rush of anxiety in my heart

The shadow reflected on the floor is a profile of a person, which sends chills down one's spine. The shadow is very long and tall, with a large chest, suggesting it is a woman, and she has a ponytail on her head. I remember the daughter-in-law who hanged herself here before; she also had a ponytail and an exceptionally large chest. What is most frightening is that the shadow is actually tiptoeing, in a very exaggerated manner, almost as if it were walking on its big toes.

His face was frighteningly pale, his lips devoid of color, and he seemed to have lost a considerable amount of weight in just one day. He still dressed very sloppily. Standing by the mountain path, his body was perfectly upright, and his pair of eyes stared blankly at me, resembling a lifeless wooden figure.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed, seemingly approaching me. I stared intently at the doorway, and after a while, a shadow entered the room, yet the person remained standing outside, making it difficult for me to discern who it was

The sky gradually darkened, and I closed my eyes, trying hard to fall asleep. At first, I was very frightened, as there were noises both inside and outside the house, but since no one entered my room, I gradually felt more at ease. Eventually, I truly fell asleep.

Meanwhile, a crisp sound emerged from outside, as if someone were crunching on rice, the sound of crackling. I thought it was impossible; after all, it was rice, not cooked rice, how could anyone possibly eat it.

In the afternoon, I went back to the house to walk in circles again. Tan Dongyu had long since disappeared, but when I had circled back to the same spot by 4:00 PM, he reappeared, just as he had the day before, standing by the mountain path watching me

This old house has not been maintained for a long time, and the wild grass in the yard is particularly tall, almost reaching my waist. Following Jiang Xiu's advice, I began to walk around the old house starting from one o'clock.

I then walked into the inner room to take a look. Although it had not been tended to for a long time, this old house was usually avoided by people, and it was still relatively clean inside. I lay on the bed covered with tattered bedding and tied the umbrella to the head of the bed with a rope. My umbrella is large enough that no matter how I turn, I am always sheltered under it.

I saw Tan Dongyu actually sticking his head through the window, staring at me with wide eyes. It was getting late, and his face looked frighteningly dark. I quickly closed my eyes, thinking that out of sight, out of mind.

I really want to ask him where he is going, but I dare not speak up, because I firmly believe that Tan Dongyu has been possessed. It is likely that the beautiful sister cannot come, being pressured by that pair of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, so he has to come in and take me away. I simply lie on the bed without moving at all, refusing to budge.

Tan Dongyu woke up as soon as I touched him, and he mumbled angrily, "Jiang Cheng, why don't you go take care of your deceased parents? What are you rummaging through my pockets for? I have no money for you to steal."

I estimate that this fellow becomes possessed at night, while during the day he is normal

I kept my mouth shut and said nothing, while Tan Dongyu kept repeating this phrase. He kept saying, "Jiang Cheng, let's go. Jiang Cheng, let's go."

Husband, you are back