Chapter 5, Cat Spirit
Later, a real estate agent who suddenly came to our door helped us completely open up the situation. This person, named Yuan Zhen, had a slick appearance and a shrewd expression, making it clear that he was born to be in business. He mentioned that he had heard from someone about two individuals like us who were looking for haunted houses. He happened to work as a property investment consultant, traveling around the country all year round, and he had quite a few connections and a network of information. Therefore, he came to see if there might be an opportunity for collaboration. He introduced us to property sources, and after a successful deal, we would give him a portion of the commission, which would be a win-win situation.
The neighbors were all quite strange, but the elderly couple was unwilling to say a word, and within a few days, they mysteriously moved away. At first, the neighbors thought they had been taken in by their children, but it was only when the elderly couple's children came knocking that they learned the two had left on their own. What was remarkable was that nothing in the house had been touched; it was as if the two had vanished into thin air. The children pulled strings and posted missing person notices, searching for a long time without any news. Yet, what was astonishing was that nothing in the house had been touched; it was as if the two had vanished into thin air. The children pulled strings and posted missing person notices, searching for a long time without any news.
Yuan Zhen indeed possesses some skills; on the fourth day after reaching the agreement, he called us to introduce a property. Not only was his efficiency commendable, but he also took the initiative to gather relevant details about the property in advance
To be honest, I am not very interested in such old houses, because even if they are to be demolished and rebuilt, it will still take some time. However, Qin Yiheng believes that this has great potential for appreciation, as the location is relatively good.
Previously, this household consisted of a retired elderly couple, who had a particular fondness for cats. After their retirement, they adopted a pair of cats, which served as companions for themselves
After having lunch and taking a short break, we signed the contract in the afternoon. Once the contract was signed, we took the keys and went to the room. Before signing the contract, Qin Yiheng bought a lot of rice paper, and we pasted the rice paper on the doors and windows, after which he took me out for a stroll
The profit from the house is relatively small, but it is indeed a very special house. Most haunted houses are associated with violent deaths occurring within, but this particular house is different; the deceased are a pair of cats
The old man's daughter opened the door for us and briefly showed us around the house. Most of the old-fashioned furniture left behind by the old man and woman was still there, although it had accumulated quite a bit of dust. The house is not large, about 40 square meters, and is cluttered with many miscellaneous tables and chairs, making it appear very cramped
Hearing him say this made me quite anxious, and I don't know if it's just my bad luck, but it seems that every time is when something unexpected happens at a critical moment
Qin Yiheng put down the broom and ran to the window to take a careful look. Then he turned back to tell me, "Damn it, something else has come into the house." Fortunately, it was broad daylight; otherwise, with his startled reactions, I would have been scared to the point of wetting my pants. He pulled me out of the room and kept muttering. The previous entity hadn't left, but something new had come in from outside. We can't clean today, especially on an auspicious day; we must not provoke that thing. Although today is quite prosperous, if we get entangled on such a significant day, it would escalate into a big problem. The previous entity hadn't left, but something new had come in from outside. We can't clean today, especially on an auspicious day; we must not provoke that thing. Although today is quite prosperous, if we get entangled on such a significant day, it would escalate into a big problem.
I asked if the items in that house belonged to that university student. Qin Yiheng shook his head and said he couldn't tell either, as it wasn't the kind that looked very fierce, so it appeared rather vague and was difficult to distinguish specifically
Without daring to tidy up anything, the two of us returned to the hotel to discuss our strategy. Qin Yiheng pondered for a long time and said to me: "No matter what, the contract has been signed now, and there's no avoiding this matter; we can only face it head-on and find a solution."
Qin Yiheng took a look and said that the thing had not gone out. Hearing him say this, although I clearly knew that something had happened, it felt as if it were in the same room with me, and perhaps it was standing right in front of me, staring at me, yet I felt a sense of relief. This was because he said that the current situation was very optimistic and easy to handle. He suggested that I go back, take a rest, and find an auspicious day to come over and clean up properly, and that would be about it. The thing would naturally make way for the new occupants. His tone was very relaxed, which made me happy. Because he said that the current situation was very optimistic and easy to handle, I could go back, take a rest, and find an auspicious day to come over and clean up properly, and that would be about it. The thing would naturally make way for the new occupants. His tone was very relaxed, which made me happy. This money was much easier to earn than before.
We contacted the elderly person's daughter and briefly expressed our interest in the house. The daughter quickly took out the keys and was eager to take us to see the property, seemingly very keen to make a sale
After four or five days, Qin Yiheng chose a day and asked me to bring various cleaning tools to prepare for a thorough cleaning. Originally, I intended to hire a cleaner, but he said that the owner must clean the house for it to be effective. With no other option, we had to do it ourselves. Upon opening the door, we moved all the broken furniture into the hallway, planning to call the workers to take it downstairs later.
I had a brief discussion with Qin Yiheng, and it truly was a case of someone providing a pillow when one is sleepy. Immediately, I reached a verbal agreement with Yuan Zhen, agreeing that whenever he goes to any city in the future, he will help us gather information about relevant properties and provide us with valuable insights. Once the deal is completed, we will give him a commission based on the points of the transaction price.
He explained that he wanted to see whether those things would actually come out; if they just stayed inside the house, then there would be no danger. However, if they could come and go freely, the situation would be more complicated. After wandering around until about 5 PM, we returned.
I express my agreement, after all, I am merely assisting him, and I believe that no matter how fierce this house may be, it cannot be more formidable than that villa of the wealthy landowner
When we arrived, the neighbors saw us wanting to look at that house, and many were watching from a distance, occasionally discussing and pointing. I felt somewhat uncertain, but Qin Yiheng thought there was no need to make a fuss; we were making the kind of money that ordinary people dared not pursue.
Although the nature of the objects in the house is currently unclear, according to Qin Yiheng, they should be harmless. He mentioned that this method of divination using turtle shells is called "turtle divination." He only has a superficial understanding of it, while true masters can even predict the fate of a nation. It is said that the droplets of water on the shell are the tears of those objects, and if the turtle shell is weeping, it indicates that the objects inside the house have suffered great grievances. However, this is merely hearsay, and we cannot truly understand what these droplets represent.
One night, two cats were playing on the balcony, and the elderly couple, for reasons unknown, locked the two cats outside on the balcony, preventing them from entering the house. That night, there was a heavy rain, and the old-style balcony was not enclosed, so the cats were inevitably exposed to some rain. The next day, the two cats were found dead
The next day at noon, I hadn't even had time to eat before Qin Yiheng dragged me back to the house. He wandered around the rooms with a turtle shell for a long time, and then he bit his lip while staring at the turtle shell.
This residence is located in an old residential building, consisting of only four floors, and is quite dilapidated, likely dating back to a batch of constructions from the 1970s.
A year passed, and the children had given up, so they rented out the house. However, after the tenants moved in, strange noises could be heard on the balcony every night. When they went to check, there was nothing to be seen. Over time, no one dared to rent it anymore. Another six months went by, and a bolder recent graduate, looking for a bargain, moved in. Unexpectedly, a week later, the student mysteriously chose to commit suicide by jumping from the building. As a result, the house became a haunted property, and no one dared to inquire about it again. Another six months passed, and a bolder recent graduate, looking for a bargain, moved in. Unexpectedly, a week later, the student mysteriously chose to commit suicide by jumping from the building. As a result, the house became a haunted property, and no one dared to inquire about it again. What I am discussing this time is the story of this old residential building.
It was spring at the time, and it was actually not cold. The deaths of the two cats were quite mysterious. However, the elderly couple did not show any signs of sorrow; they nonchalantly disposed of the cats' bodies, which formed a stark contrast to their previous affection for the cats.
Seeing us making such a big fuss about cleaning a haunted house, there were actually kind-hearted neighbors who came to remind us that the place was not clean. I smiled without saying a word, thinking to myself: 'If it were clean, why would I buy it?' After moving the furniture, Qin Yiheng took out a large bucket filled with rice to fetch water, and we began to use brooms dipped in the rice washing water to sweep the floor. After sweeping a few times, Qin Yiheng suddenly froze, furrowing his brows. Seeing his expression, I immediately felt a sense of unease.
I walked over and touched the turtle shell with my hand; this time it was not damp at all, and I felt quite pleased, thinking that the creature had left. Who would have thought that it suddenly got anxious and shouted at me, "Who the hell told you to touch it?" His sudden outburst startled me. I felt quite wronged; that day he had clearly encouraged me to touch it, so why was it not acceptable for me to do so today?
Qin Yiheng did not explain anything to me, but looked at me with a worried expression for a long time, urging me to go to the funeral clothing store to buy some incense, candles, and paper money. I did not dare to delay; however, on the way to the funeral clothing store, I kept wondering in my heart, have I caused trouble
After a brief overview, I began to discuss the price in detail with the old man's daughter. Qin Yiheng, following our previously agreed division of labor, continued to carefully inspect the house. I managed to negotiate the price down quite low, and the old man's daughter seemed somewhat reluctant. However, she might have been in urgent need of money, as she hesitated for a moment before ultimately agreeing. By the time I finalized the price, Qin Yiheng had also nearly completed his inspection and nodded at me, indicating that we could proceed with the transaction. We reached an agreement with the old man's daughter to come and sign the contract that afternoon. After bidding farewell to the old man's daughter, as we were leaving, Qin Yiheng took out a turtle shell from his bag and asked me to touch it; it was damp. I was unsure of his intentions, as the weather was quite sunny at the time, and it did not seem like it was going to rain. Moreover, we were in a northern city where the air is relatively dry. Qin Yiheng mentioned that he had observed something unusual in the house, but it was not malevolent. Given the current situation, it seemed there was a significant grievance, yet it did not appear to be intended to harm anyone. However, if that were the case, the death of the university student who jumped from the building would be quite suspicious.
After more than half a month of silence, it is not that we do not want to continue, but rather that the sources of information are indeed limited. Despite our diligent search, we have been unable to find anything truly reliable. Ultimately, this is an unavoidable situation; the news about this haunted house can only be gleaned from various rumors, and no one would openly discuss it. After all, the property owner still holds out hope of selling the house at a high price. Moreover, not every city has haunted houses, and even if they do, we cannot personally investigate every rumor. Thus, the matter of buying and selling houses has indeed fallen into a deadlock.