Chapter 8: The Candlelight Dinner of Zombies and Taoists
Today's children not only lack self-respect and self-love, but also overestimate their own abilities! He merely asked her to help with a small task, but unexpectedly put her life in danger.
Although the little girl before him felt quite strange, she was indeed a person, an ordinary individual without any magical powers. Shen Mo said nothing more and stood up.
After entering the entire thick stack, she was astonished to find that there was not a single typo in the manuscript, not even a misplaced punctuation mark. The content flowed seamlessly, with very few corrections or strikethroughs. This indicates that the person is not only extremely meticulous but also remarkably calm in their work, acting only after careful consideration.
The most important thing is to find Yang Yan's whereabouts before next Wednesday. Since Ye Miao knows his home address and has sent someone to look for him, as well as being able to possess and control the network, it is certain that Yang Yan is hiding in a place beyond her reach. Therefore, we can relax our search in the city and focus on the remote areas that the network cannot access.
From ancient times to the present, those engaged in the business of the dead, whether operating a coffin shop, a flower shop, a crematorium, or a funeral home, have always been looked down upon. Some practitioners, facing dire circumstances, resort to exploiting ghosts and spirits for profit. As for products like "脱骨香" (Tuo Gu Xiang), which cater to both the living and the dead by directly selling blood plasma to various ghosts and non-human entities that Shen Mo despises the most, it is naturally met with his disdain
Shen Mo placed great importance on this matter, and his reply spanned three pages. He speculated and analyzed the era of the tomb and its owner, as well as the possible types of sorcery involved. He also provided detailed instructions regarding the safety precautions that need to be observed in the upcoming archaeological and investigative work. Furthermore, he informed that as soon as the case here concludes, he would rush over immediately
Professor Shen, how are you? Have you managed to get it done
"One should not speak while eating or while sleeping." Shen Mo was feeling quite frustrated as he ate, watching Jiang Xiaosi voraciously devour her food in front of him. If it weren't for the fact that she had just helped him with a small favor, which had landed her in big trouble, he would have definitely kicked her out.
Jiang Xiaosi, feeling helpless, could only roughly recount the recent conversation with Ye Miao to Xiao Tang. Upon hearing that the voice on the phone belonged to a little girl, Xiao Tang was taken aback. It seemed that Professor Shen taught at a university; he thought that after receiving the call, he would seek help from Shen Koudan, or his assistant and the graduate students he supervised, but instead, he ended up contacting a little child
She washed the dishes and also mopped the floor. She rarely does housework at home because Jiang Liu takes care of everything. Speaking of which, Dad is truly one of the rare good men in the world, working hard to prepare meals for her for a thousand years without a single complaint
Row upon row of wooden shelves, filled to the brim with items, made Xiao Si's eyes dizzy
Upon opening it, I found it was filled with oracle bone script, leaving me even more speechless. I casually took a blanket to cover her and then went to sleep by myself
However, she still mustered the courage to correct several historical inaccuracies in the manuscript he submitted to the professional journal, as well as to specify the excavation dates of a few artifacts.
It's nothing, I'm not afraid of ghosts at all, chatting with her is quite enjoyable
At two o'clock in the early morning, Shen Mo finally emerged from the studio. Noticing that the lights were still on in this area, he walked in and saw Jiang Xiaosi sound asleep with his head resting on the table.
Jiang Xiaosi took Shen Mo's phone and went to the yard downstairs to call Jiang Liu
Although there are many dishes, each portion is quite small, light, and exquisite. This person, like my father, possesses excellent culinary skills; the simple dishes can achieve an extraordinary flavor.
After finishing the cleaning, she ran to water Qianye Linglan, but Shen Mo had already drawn water from the pond for daily irrigation. She then sat in front of the computer to assist Shen Mo with drafting.
Please help me convey this to him
Jiang Xiaosi quickly redialed Xiao Tang's number, and as soon as the phone rang, it was immediately answered on the other end
Why did you agree to help her find Yang Yan? Do you think you can find someone that so many others could not?
Shen Mo still wore a serious expression as he threw the phone to her
Shen Mo squinted his eyes, raised one corner of his mouth, and spoke with a hint of disdain: "So it's the bone-removing fragrance."
Please help me dial that phone call I just made
There is also that magazine called "Peachy" at https://www.hetushu.com, which is referred to as "Pink Floating". If it were not for Ye Miao deliberately leaking some information online, then she must be aware of the inside story and has also instructed Xiao Tang to investigate.
In the Museum of True Images, she found herself increasingly admiring Shen Mo. She casually took a book from the shelf and then sat down beside the writing desk by the floor-to-ceiling window to read. The crescent moon illuminated the small pond, and everything was beautiful. Before she realized it, she had fallen asleep.
Hello, Dad, this is Xiao Si. I am currently outside and may not be coming back today
Shen Mo furrowed her brows in deep thought, her fair and slender fingers, as luminous as beautiful jade, gently tapped on the table
So why are you cooking so many dishes for just yourself
Alright, don't have too much fun, and go to bed early
The meal is not free; please wash the bowl later. Also, since your typing speed is so fast, the stack of documents and letters next to you is urgent. When you have a moment, please help me type them out. If they are emails, just reply directly; the addresses are written on them.
That's great; at least he knows how to write the words "gratitude and repayment." He agreed to let her stay for dinner
An ordinary person could never be as bold as she is, having long known that her identity was special, yet not expecting her to be a person of extraordinary talent.
Shen Mo remained silent.
Shen Mo set down his chopsticks and looked at her: "Who exactly are you?"
Furthermore, Yang Yan is a key figure in this case. Ye Miao stated that he killed her and the child. Immediately check the miscarriage records of various hospitals in the city from the past few months; there should be some clues.
Jiang Xiaosi tilted her head and thought for a moment; Shen Mo's speculation was likely quite accurate. However, if the true issue was indeed the black snake poison, then the situation would be somewhat serious. She unilaterally added several precautionary measures and repeatedly instructed that no salt should be added to the meals in the days to come
Given that I have done you a small favor, could you possibly let me stay at your home for one night and have a meal?
In one of the letters he wrote to his students, a particular matter piqued Jiang Xiaosi's interest. The gist was that while conducting archaeological research on the Yunnan border, the students discovered an ancient tomb. However, several individuals who entered the tomb seemed to have fallen victim to a curse, rendering them unable to leave a five-mile radius around the tomb. If they attempted to leave, they would experience excruciating abdominal pain, and their skin would exhibit snake-like patterns and cracking. Yet, within the designated area, they were unharmed. Consequently, they were unable to return and could only remain on-site to continue investigating the specific reasons.
Jiang Xiaosi continued to gloomily shovel food, feeling as if she were a free laborer! Washing dishes was one thing, but they even asked her to help with data entry and typing!
Shen Mo shook his head
My name is Jiang Xiaosi
The dish has cooled down; I reheated it. Please enjoy.
My name is Jiang Xiaosi, and my family runs an adult novelty store
Jiang Xiaosi nodded with satisfaction: "It seems that, compared to inheriting the ghost-catching enterprise of the Shen family, you prefer teaching and solving cases, right? Professor Shen... yes, it sounds better than Daoist Shen!"
Jiang Liu held a lollipop in his mouth, making bright red pizza in the kitchen while tilting his head and holding his phone: "Are you going to KTV for a night out with classmates?"
The detailed information and file on Yang Yan have been released; please send me a copy. Remember to investigate where Yang Yan's hometown is, what his place of origin is, and if there are any other distant relatives.
Little Tang
Thank you, Xiao Si, and I apologize for involving you in this matter
Having said that, he plunged headlong into the studio
"Shen Mo." Shen Mo's lips twitched slightly as he finally spoke his name
Jiang Xiaosi unceremoniously picked up the bowl and served himself some dishes, then began to eat rice heartily. For the first time, he realized that food could be so fragrant and delicious even without using blood as a seasoning.
Once everything was completed, she noticed it was only midnight, which was usually the time when she felt the most alert and energetic, so she naturally did not want to sleep. Shen Mo was still busy with work and had not come out; the light was still shining through the gap at the bottom of the door. Therefore, Jiang Xiaosi decided to wander around and take a look at the house.
Jiang Xiaosi handed the phone to Shen Mo, but Shen Mo frowned and glanced at the phone.
Were there originally guests coming?
With a stiff upper lip, I asked on the phone: "May I ask who you are?"
If you don't mention hetushu.com, I'll just have to guess myself, right, Aunt Shen? Shen Wolf? Shen Affairs? Shen Government ... ...
Jiang Xiaosi relayed the message to Xiao Tang in the same manner, then hung up the phone. Seeing that Shen Mo was still deep in thought, he patted his own nearly empty stomach and said pitifully
Disgustedly, he took his book from beneath her cheek, which was damp with Jiang Xiaosi's saliva. He felt a pang of heartache; even if the books on this shelf were not original editions, they were still precious ancient texts
Jiang Xiaosi couldn't help but pout and furrow her brows. It was indeed for revenge; that man was too ruthless. No wonder Ye Miao's resentment lingered on the internet for so long.
I do not know, only the assistant knows. You can use your hair as well. If it is too late and you do not want to go back, you can sleep in my niece's room just now, but do not enter other places without permission
However, she still happily finished all the food, humming a tune while washing the dishes. Shen Mo's kitchen was large and clean, but it mostly contained Chinese utensils, unlike her own home, which had cooking tools for various cuisines. In fact, Jiang Liu no longer needed to eat; he could survive solely on blood. However, Jiang Xiaosi was different; she could endure hunger slightly better than an ordinary person, but she still needed to eat. No blood was fine, but having blood certainly tasted better. In fact, Jiang Liu no longer needed to eat; he could survive solely on blood. However, Jiang Xiaosi was different; she could endure hunger slightly better than an ordinary person, but she still needed to eat. No blood was fine, but having blood certainly tasted better
Jiang Xiaosi spoke very loudly, glancing sideways at Shen Mo, as if she was speaking specifically for him to hear. However, Shen Mo didn't even look at her, which was truly infuriating
What is your name, Shen?" Jiang Xiaosi asked curiously, as he had not yet revealed his name after such a long time
Jiang Xiaosi hung up the phone, bouncing into the room. She saw that several small dishes had already been placed on the table, along with two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks
She has so many rooms that she cannot count them all; some are artifact collection rooms, some are library and information rooms, some are studios, some are restoration rooms, and some are studies
Send it to your email
May I borrow your phone for a moment
Rest assured, Ye Miao's primary objective is merely to find Yang Yan. Having been killed by her lover, she believes that all men in the world are unfaithful and heartless, which is why she vents her anger on others. Now that she has formally made an agreement with mhetushucom.com, in order to have someone assist her in locating Yang Yan, she is unlikely to harm anyone in the next two weeks.
Jiang Xiaosi momentarily did not grasp the meaning of his words, but suddenly recalled that her father had mentioned he would try to finish work early today to make her pizza at home. However, since he had not called for such a long time, she checked her pocket and found that her phone was indeed out of battery.
Staying overnight at a stranger's house casually, are you not afraid that your family will worry? Or is it that your family has already gotten used to it
Hello?
His handwriting is truly beautiful, flowing like a dragon and dancing like a phoenix. The strokes appear quite casual, yet they are by no means careless. Most of it consists of speeches and manuscripts, along with some letters and feedback on assignments for students doing archaeological internships in other locations. Since he dislikes using computers so much, he must usually bring his work to the office for his assistant to complete.
Are you sure that the person who might jump off the building tonight is okay
I am at a friend's house and will return tomorrow. Please save a piece of pizza for me; do not eat it all by yourself
Jiang Xiaosi pouted: "I only agreed to help him find Yang Yan, but I never promised to bring her in front of him. As long as I know where Yang Yan is, that's enough! And even though I know I can't find her, you are here, so we can definitely locate her! He killed Ye Miao; that's also a murder case. Don't you all want to bring him to justice?"
Jiang Xiaosi pondered whether his father would be extremely worried if he knew he was currently with the Shen family. After all, he had just reminded him last time. It would be better not to tell him for now; otherwise, he would definitely rush over and drag him back home.
Let Xiao Tang inform Team Leader Lin that the man who caused Ye Miao's death is not among the victims who jumped off the building. Ye Miao is desperately seeking revenge, yet she is only looking for help on QQ, indicating that she is not voluntarily hiding in the online world but is trapped there. This should be related to the cause of her death and her environment. I need to go to the scene of her death to confirm this. Have Xiao Tang drive to pick me up tomorrow.
She sat happily at the table, waiting for the meal to begin. Before long, Shen Mo emerged from the kitchen carrying two dishes of appetizers: scrambled eggs with shrimp and corn with pine nuts
Good night