Chapter 9: Return to the Scene

Mr. Yang was clearly frightened, so he remained silent. He merely looked at the cigarette butt in Hu Zongren's mouth with a hint of terror. Seeing that he had calmed down, I brought over a stool and plopped down beside Mr. Yang. Hu Zongren began to recount everything he had heard from Granny Huang last night regarding Ms. Weng and Mr. Yang. There were several instances where he made mistakes, which I helped to correct. Throughout the conversation, Mr. Yang's initial surprise transformed into sheer terror. When Hu Zongren noticed that he was thoroughly scared, he loosened Mr. Yang's collar and asked, "Are you wondering how we know such detailed information?"

This time, the car drove directly to the basement level -2. After the driver left, I said to Mr. Yang, "Do you remember this place? Here, in front of a prostitute, you slapped your legitimate wife and said some harsh words. It was that very statement of yours that made her so upset that she could never recover. Although you did not directly cause her death, the suddenness of her passing cannot be overlooked; it is, without a doubt, your responsibility.

After some idle chatter, Hu Zongren could no longer contain himself. With a mischievous smile, he asked Mr. Yang, "Given your successful career, your family must be quite happy, right?" Mr. Yang chuckled and replied, "Not really, things at home are just passable." Hu Zongren continued, "What does your spouse do? How old are your children?" I understood Hu Zongren's intention; this was a tactic we often employed to provoke others. Since both of us were privy to the truth, if the other party lied, we would have grounds to immediately expose their facade. Mr. Yang chuckled again and said, "Not really, things at home are just passable." Hu Zongren pressed on, "What does your spouse do? How old are your children?" I understood Hu Zongren's intention; this was a tactic we often employed to provoke others. Since both of us were privy to the truth, if the other party lied, we would have grounds to immediately expose their facade. But who would have thought that Mr. Yang's next response would greatly surprise both me and Hu Zongren.

I asked him, what are you coming to my house for when there's nothing good to eat? He said let's go watch the movie we didn't finish yesterday; your television is really nice, I might buy one too, hahaha

After getting into the car, Hu Zongren told me that he had called Mr. Yang early this morning to arrange a meeting over tea at 1:00 PM, and the location was already decided to be in Jiangbei. I asked him which tea house it was, and he said it was a certain tea house. I couldn't help but laugh when I heard this, as Hu Zongren and I were very familiar with that place. I also understood why Hu Zongren chose that location. First, the owner is an acquaintance of both of us; we usually go there to sit in the sun after playing billiards. Second, the tea seating is outdoors, and since the owner is somewhat pretentious, the style is rather bourgeois, with a spacious area that allows for movement, and it is less likely to break anything that shouldn't be broken. Third, this tea house is located on the top floor of a low building in an old neighborhood, right above a gathering place for vendors, which has a high foot traffic. If anything goes wrong later, it would be convenient for us to escape. On the way, Hu Zongren told me that he had basically figured everything out. Sending away the ghost of Ms. Weng was not difficult, but he believed that before sending her on her way, Mr. Yang must be punished, and he owed Ms. Weng an apology.

After sending Mr. Yang off, Hu Zongren and I went to find Sister Zhang. After repeatedly assuring her that such situations would not occur again, Sister Zhang settled the commission for Hu Zongren. She was quite generous with the money, as it wasn't her own. After receiving the money, I said to Hu Zongren, "It's already noon; let's go have a nice meal!" However, he counted out a portion of the money with his saliva and forcefully handed it to me, saying, "No, let's go to your house."

Mr. Yang nodded slightly. ... Hu Zongren leaned closer to his ear and, in a rather irritating tone, whispered, "It was your deceased wife who told us this herself..."

I stepped back a little with Hu Zongren, allowing him to quietly express his feelings of repentance in his heart. Indeed, no matter how flawed this person's character may be, he has ultimately spent many wonderful years with Ms. Weng. If a person remains unchanged, others will say you are stagnant and lacking ambition. However, when change becomes significant, it is easy to forget one's original intentions. Perhaps in the past, life was quite tight and living conditions were not affluent, but I believe that was when the couple truly experienced happiness.

Ultimately, under the coercion of Hu Zongren, Mr. Yang yielded. On the way to Yuanjiagang with him, both Hu Zongren and I softened our attitudes slightly; after all, the anger had subsided. In the end, it was someone else's family matter, and we were merely hired to intervene in this affair that transcended the boundaries of life and death. During the journey, Hu Zongren called Sister Zhang, instructing her to prepare the elevator, as we were coming to escort the soul.

Mr. Yang said, "In person? Are you saying I still have to see her?" Hu Zongren thought for a moment and replied, "That's about it." Mr. Yang, in fear, said, "I don't want to, I don't want to see her!" Hu Zongren sneered contemptuously, then stood up, placed his foot on Mr. Yang's vital point, and said to him, "Whether you want to or not, you have to see her; otherwise, you can expect to be haunted by ghosts for the rest of your life."

Indeed, Hu Zongren also thought of this. He smiled in a sarcastic manner, then reached out to take a cigarette from the box on my desk, which was the same as the one in the *illustration*. This guy always takes cigarettes from me whenever we are together but never buys his own. After lighting the cigarette, he suddenly said, "Mr. Yang really knows how to enjoy life. Your ex-wife has only recently passed away, yet your backyard is already so fruitful."

Mr. Yang could no longer endure; perhaps he truly felt remorse, at least that is what I would like to believe. He knelt in the elevator, holding his head and weeping bitterly. Meanwhile, Hu Zongren recited incantations while raising the bag of trigrams, allowing the talisman ash to scatter in all directions. Hu Zongren said, "It is time; you may depart in peace. The grievances of this life shall be settled in the next."

Mr. Yang said with a sobbing tone, "You are threatening us! This is against the law!" Hu Zongren shot him a glance and then said to me, "Brother, if he refuses to come with us again, you can pour the hot water from the teapot into his sleeve." I agreed, finding it amusing in my heart. Hu Zongren turned to Mr. Yang and said, "Do you see? This is what we call a threat"

Mr. Yang appeared very surprised, but he probably did not understand why Hu Zongren and I knew about these matters. He is a businessman, very seasoned, and so he stood up angrily, pounding the table while loudly addressing Hu Zongren, asking, "Who are you two, after all? What qualifications do you have to speak to me like this? You are sent by that crazy woman's family, aren't you? I warn you, this matter is not over between us! What qualifications do you have to speak to me like this? You are sent by that crazy woman's family, aren't you? I warn you, this matter is not over between us!"

Although Hu Zongren is somewhat arrogant, I have always greatly admired his sense of justice. After arriving at the teahouse, Mr. Yang had not yet arrived. Hu Zongren and I instructed the owner to find us a spot outside, slightly in the corner, as we needed to discuss some matters. The owner, being an acquaintance, knew what we were up to, so he quickly arranged a table for us. After sitting down and ordering tea, we called Mr. Yang.

However, my temper is not exactly good, especially when I cannot stand being startled by others. When he said that, I became agitated. I, who had not exerted much strength initially, suddenly became fierce and pulled him over in one swift motion, then pressed him down into the seat. I said to him, "You are right, this matter is not over between us. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?" After saying this, I reached out and grabbed his neck, and I spoke to him fiercely, "Mr. Yang, you need to understand that since we have brought you out, we will not let you go back so easily. Some matters must be resolved today; otherwise, your remaining days may not be so easy for you!"

Mr. Yang trembled as he said, "How is that possible! She is clearly dead!" Hu Zongren rolled his eyes, reached into his clothing to pull out a prepared talisman, and with a loud slap, placed it on Mr. Yang's forehead. He then said to Mr. Yang, "Do you see clearly now? What is this? This is a talisman, and now you understand what we do, right?" After finishing his words, Hu Zongren sat back down in his seat and continued smoking. Mr. Yang did not dare to run; he merely sat in his seat, trembling in fear.

About 40 minutes later, Mr. Yang arrived. When he saw Hu Zongren and me, a hint of surprise flashed across his face. Perhaps it was due to our attire. Both Hu Zongren and I tend to dress rather casually, to the extent that one might doubt our business intentions. However, being a seasoned businessman, he greeted both Hu Zongren and me with a warm smile and shook our hands before taking a seat. I took out my cigarettes and offered him one. Perhaps he noticed that my cigarettes were only 13 yuan, so he politely accepted it but did not light it. After all, he was a businessman, very experienced; he smiled and shook hands with us again before sitting down. I offered him a cigarette, and perhaps he noticed that my cigarettes were only 13 yuan, so he politely accepted it but did not light it. Then Hu Zongren glanced at me and said to Mr. Yang, "I apologize for bothering you on the weekend, Mr. Yang." Mr. Yang replied, "In business, there are no weekends." Hu Zongren then said, "I heard that your paint can be ingested directly; is it really that miraculous?" Mr. Yang responded, "If it can be ingested directly, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. It needs to be diluted first, and only after the concentration decreases can it be consumed. Although it is not harmful to the human body, it cannot be treated as a beverage." After saying this, he laughed heartily, and I followed suit with a silly smile.

At this point, we finally understood. Initially, we thought he was hesitant to reveal too much to outsiders, but who would have thought that what he said was indeed true. This means that shortly after Ms. Weng passed away due to him, he remarried. Moreover, if the child is nearly 1 year old, it indicates that the child was conceived while Ms. Weng was still alive

I walked up to Mr. Yang and handed him a cigarette once more. This time, he did not act pretentiously but lit it directly. I then patted him on the shoulder and together we stepped back into the elevator. The elevator doors were propped open by something that Hu Zongren had found, preventing them from closing. Inside the elevator, I stepped aside, allowing Hu Zongren to take charge of the situation. He drew a well character on the ground with grains of rice, then took out his talisman and used it as a brush to draw symbols on the talisman paper, reciting incantations as he did so. After finishing, he burned the talisman in his bag of Eight Trigrams. At that moment, Hu Zongren gently said to Mr. Yang, "If you have any words of apology, now is the time to say them in your heart. If you do not say them now, you will never have the chance to say them again. This is what you owe her, and you should repay it." At that moment, Hu Zongren gently said to Mr. Yang, "If you have any words of apology, now is the time to say them in your heart. If you do not say them now, you will never have the chance to say them again. This is what you owe her, and you should repay it."

He was struggling as I held him by the neck, but he probably felt he couldn't overpower me, so he glared at me and Hu Zongren with anger. Hu Zongren was much more aggressive than I was; he suddenly stood up and grabbed Mr. Yang by the collar. His show of bravado caused me to inadvertently loosen my grip on the neck, which displeased me. Although Hu Zongren was not unattractive, in comparison, he appeared much more menacing, making me seem far less threatening. With a cigarette dangling from his mouth, the burning tip almost touching Mr. Yang's face, he squinted his eyes and, adopting a rogue demeanor, said to Mr. Yang, "Now I will tell you the details of this matter. If I make a mistake along the way, you can refute me, but I warn you not to lie to me, or else you will end up with several charming and beautiful blisters on your face."

Mr. Yang lowered his head in shame, seemingly lost in thought. I felt a twinge of compassion; I thought that even the most hard-hearted person might find it easy to repent when faced with vivid memories of the past. I did not continue speaking, but instead followed Hu Zongren and Mr. Yang into the elevator from the second basement level. As we entered the elevator, the old man collecting fees seemed to recognize us as the two lunatics who had dressed as women yesterday, but before he could question us, we hurriedly closed the elevator door.

A very faint sound of a woman's laughter came from above us, a kind of laughter we had heard countless times before, a laughter of relief. Perhaps for Ms. Weng, what Mr. Yang owed her was not a life, but a sincere apology. When I looked up, the strands of hair at the vent were also gone.

That night, Hu Zongren and I each went home. Early the next morning, I was awakened by his phone call. He said on the phone that he was currently taking a taxi in the direction of my house to pick me up so we could meet Mr. Yang. I quickly got out of bed and got dressed. Before leaving, Sister Cai had warmed up some buns for me in the pot. I hurriedly ate a few and then went out to wait for Hu Zongren by the roadside

Mr. Yang was taken aback for a moment, probably unable to believe his ears, and then he asked in confusion, "Excuse me, what did you just say?" Hu Zongren took a sip of tea, spat it out, and then looked at Mr. Yang with a sidelong glance, asking him, "What's wrong? You still remember, huh? I thought you had forgotten that your wife is called Weng something!"

This shouldn't be the case, so I began to suspect that he was lying. However, exposing him like this seemed to lack a bit of force. Hu Zongren and I exchanged glances, and then I couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Yang, it seems you got married quite late. For someone as successful as you, with a child who is only one year old." He chuckled and replied, "Yes, I just got married last year."

After he finished speaking, he pretended to turn and leave. I was sitting relatively close to him, and with the commotion he had just caused, the shop owner came over to investigate. However, upon seeing us, he wisely chose to leave, probably realizing that we were there to cause trouble. Fortunately, it was still morning and a Sunday, so there weren't many people in the establishment. Seeing him trying to slip away, I immediately stood up and grabbed the strap of his bag, attempting to pull him back to his seat. Mr. Yang naturally struggled; while tugging at his bag, he glared at me with a flushed face and said fiercely, "What do you want? Let go of me! If you don't let go, I will call the police!"

After the matter was settled, we escorted Mr. Yang to Ping Street. He insisted on treating us to a meal, but I truly did not wish to dine with someone we had just threatened. Therefore, we declined his offer. As we parted ways, Hu Zongren expressed his hope that every year on the anniversary of her death, he would visit his ex-wife's grave to pay his respects. Even though he now has a new family and his own children, honoring the deceased is not something to be ashamed of.

The elevator went straight to the 9th floor. According to Sister Zhang, the 9th floor has been vacant ever since Mr. Yang's company terminated its lease, but the door has already been re-locked. When Mr. Yang met with us, he was dressed neatly, yet at this moment, he appeared disheveled, much like he did when he first met Ms. Weng twenty years ago. He walked ahead, leading us to a door, which, if I am not mistaken, should be the office of his former company. He reached out to touch the door and suddenly knelt down in front of it, crying sorrowfully.

He told us that his partner is the finance officer of his company, and he has a child who will soon be 1 year old

Mr. Yang took out a stack of brochures and materials from his bag and handed them to us, saying that we should first familiarize ourselves with their company. While Hu Zongren and I pretended to read them, he continued to boast about how impressive his company's qualifications were, how modern the assembly line was, and how user-friendly the products were, among other things. Hu Zongren and I couldn't understand any of these specialized topics, but it was quite amusing to see him treating us as if we were industry experts while he spoke passionately.

Hu Zongren said to Mr. Yang, I have brought you here today to make you understand how you have wronged this woman, and you must pay the price for it. We need you to accompany us for a while, to apologize in person to your deceased wife. Otherwise, I will ensure that the fear you feel today will follow you for the rest of your life.