Chapter 4: Re-entering the Dream

Mother Zhang took this item and looked at it for half the night, her face seemingly showing some happiness, then turned around to ask Zhang Chen.

Mom and Dad, let's go out for a walk together in a little while" Zhang Chen decided to spend some time with his parents, and it was also a good opportunity to inquire about the house and the landlord

Zhang Chen wanted to take the pouch out of his bag to give it to his father, but after some thought, he decided against it, realizing that if he took it out himself, his father would likely not take it seriously. At that moment, his mother brought over a bowl of noodles that she had just cooked for Zhang Chen. Naturally, he was already extremely hungry, so he began to eat heartily as soon as the noodles were served. In just 5 minutes, he had finished everything, leaving no soup behind.

I apologize for the interruption, goodbye!" After hanging up the phone, Zhang Chen thought for a moment; the words from the village of Xiaoshui seemed to indicate that it was not very far from his original village. He could take a bus and walk a few hundred meters to get there. Now that he had the information, it would be a matter of tomorrow.

"By the way, Mom, isn't this house we bought not too expensive?" After walking for half the night, Zhang Chen could no longer hold it in and spoke up.

"I just cooked a meal for your dad and me. Wait a moment, Mom will get you a bowl of noodles to eat," said Zhang's mother as she put down the bowl in her hand and headed to the kitchen to prepare noodles for Zhang Chen.

Why didn't you go out to play with your classmates today? Didn't you have any meals?" Zhang's mother looked at Zhang Chen with a face full of surprise upon his return

At this moment, the door opened, and as before, a man and a woman walked in. However, unlike last time, the relationship between the two seemed less amicable. Although the woman linked her arm with the man's, it was evident from their actions that she seemed eager to get closer to him, yet was very hesitant. On the other hand, the man appeared somewhat reserved, as he seemed to want to maintain a distance despite the woman clinging to him.

The person who sold us the house at that time was a 27-year-old woman with the surname Wen. After purchasing the house, we did not know her specific contact information; we only contacted her through a landline number she left with the real estate agency, which was sometimes unreachable. It has been a year since we bought the house, and there have been no issues in between, so we have not contacted her for a year and are unsure if that number is still reachable. Should we have someone else investigate? It would be simpler.

As he pondered, he reached into his backpack and pulled out a small pouch. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the two red pouches, roughly the size of his thumbs, had a few small characters written on them, which did not appear to be Chinese characters; they were likely in Sanskrit, associated with Buddhism. Zhang Chen, intrigued, contemplated opening the pouch to see the talisman paper inside.

"It's just a slight cold, nothing serious," Zhang Chen's father replied, a hint of helplessness evident on his face

It is not right, it is not right. Everyone knows the reason why a high school student killed a child. However, if the dream I had that night reflects the past of this house, then a woman who is so happily married and has a child would be a double blessing, and there would be no reason to kill the child. Even if the child were born with congenital disabilities or deformities, current technology can detect that in advance. By the way, what exactly was written on the blank paper from Fang Ren Hospital? Both of them found it very strange after looking at it, and the problem must partly lie in that paper. Even if the child were born with congenital disabilities or deformities, current technology can detect that in advance. By the way, what exactly was written on the blank paper from Fang Ren Hospital? Both of them found it very strange after looking at it, and the problem must partly lie in that paper. But what could be written on it that would lead to the child's death? Zhang Chen was utterly perplexed.

Dad, have you been feeling unwell lately? Zhang Chen said

Your health has not been good these past few days, and even after taking the medicine I provided, there has been no improvement. It would be better to carry this with you.

The old master said that thing is a vengeful spirit and asked me to investigate the truth, which means I will have to spend my entire weekend on it

I am Ms. Wen's mother, may I ask what the matter is? A low and desolate voice came from the other end of the phone, giving Zhang Chen a feeling of goosebumps.

Alright. Let's talk about it tomorrow, I'm exhausted today. Erwa and Tan Fei must have had a great time playing today. Oh well, never mind, it's time to sleep. Zhang Chen lay in bed and, unusually for him, fell asleep quickly.

Zhang Chen's father is a person who enjoys talking. Normally, when he sees his son return, he would certainly inquire about his well-being. However, now he sits at the dining table, leisurely eating, merely glancing at Zhang Chen without saying a word. In fact, Zhang Chen did not closely observe his father last night. Now, upon closer inspection, his father still appears quite robust, yet there is a sense of weakness about him, and the color in his face is not as rosy as it used to be. Most importantly, even while sitting here eating, there remains an uncomfortable cold aura emanating from his father. Upon closer inspection, his father still appears quite robust, yet there is a sense of weakness about him, and the color in his face is not as rosy as it used to be. Most importantly, even while sitting here eating, there remains an uncomfortable cold aura emanating from his father.

Mom, our teacher assigned us a homework this week to investigate a stranger, claiming it would enhance our social skills. We are to gather as much detailed information about the subject as possible, including their name, age, home address, and so on. I thought of the person who sold us the house.

Suddenly, the mistress stopped the motion of pulling the cloth doll with her hand, raised her head abruptly, and fixed her gaze intensely on the position where Zhang Chen was standing. Her eyes were bloodshot, her lips were also purple, and Zhang Chen felt a tightness in his heart as she stared at him.

"My daughter is dead" a voice devoid of emotion emerged

Zhang Chen was taken aback and was speechless for a few seconds. After quickly regaining his composure, he devised a strategy and then spoke.

After dinner, parents would go out for a walk. Zhang Chen thought that it seemed he hadn't accompanied his parents for a walk since he entered the fifth grade of elementary school

Could it be that the man killed the child? The man might have known that the woman was having an affair or for other reasons that the child she was carrying was not his. Since it cannot be determined before the child is born, after the child is born, a paternity test confirmed that the child was not his, and upon returning home, he killed the child in the cradle. Regardless of whether this is true or not, after returning home, he should ask his mother for the landlord's contact information, and meeting with the landlord is necessary to clarify the situation. Zhang Chen was startled by the strange reasoning that emerged in his mind, as he had too little information to draw any useful conclusions, so he decided not to think about it anymore and would discuss it after returning home. Regardless of whether this is true or not, after returning home, he should ask his mother for the landlord's contact information, and meeting with the landlord is necessary to clarify the situation. Zhang Chen was startled by the strange reasoning that emerged in his mind, as he had too little information to draw any useful conclusions, so he decided not to think about it anymore and would discuss it after returning home.

Zhang Chen Family Community is located on the outskirts of the county town, with this being the only community in the vicinity, and there is also a greenbelt behind the community. A family of three walks along the quiet shaded path, and due to not having been out for a long time, no one in the family speaks.

Once again, fragmented images began to gradually form before Zhang Chen's eyes. Zhang Chen found himself back in the room from his previous dream, with the same decorations, making him realize that he seemed to have returned. He first looked at his hands, then glanced at the ground, and the white piece of paper was nowhere to be found.

"Hmm, good." Zhang Chen walked to the dining table, looking at a bowl of pickled vegetables and a bowl of stir-fried greens, feeling a bit disheartened in his heart

Zhang Chen quickly waved his hand and said, "No need, I also want to challenge myself. Mom, just go back and give me that number."

First there are ghosts, then there are Buddhas. Although I have not seen the Buddha, I have indeed seen the ghost. This item should be genuine. Never mind, it is better not to open it; what if it leads to some kind of spiritual leakage or similar scenario? That would make this trip in vain

Time quickly reached 10 o'clock, and my father had already gotten out of bed early. Both of my parents are ordinary workers, and they only have one day off on the weekend, which is Sunday

"For some reason, whenever I see this old monk, I always feel a sense of familiarity." Zhang Chen thought to himself as he recalled his experiences in the temple while descending the mountain

The phone can still make calls, which indeed relieved Zhang Chen.

... ...

He took out the key to open the door and casually said, "Mom, Dad, I am back"

On the other end of the line, after waiting for a long time, no one spoke. Zhang Chen then said, "Hello, is anyone there?"

The newly arrived woman was also dragging a large suitcase, seemingly intending to stay here for an extended period. After the two women met, they began to chat happily, suggesting that they were likely good friends. Subsequently, the house transformed into a living space for three people. What Zhang Chen found concerning was that the man began to grow increasingly close to this new woman, and surprisingly, the female host did not intervene.

"Oh, Mom, there isn't any, is there still food to eat at home?" Zhang Chen said

Although Zhang Chen's father is an atheist, he has always listened to his wife in their household, and over the past decade or so, the couple has rarely been seen arguing. This time was no different; when Zhang's mother hung the small pouch on his hand, Zhang's father showed no signs of reluctance or refusal, thinking that even if he could not help himself much, at least he could provide some reassurance to his wife

Zhang Chen nodded, and suddenly struck by inspiration, he grabbed Zhang Mama's hand and asked

Mother Zhang felt very gratified upon hearing this and nodded eagerly. From the very beginning of Zhang Chen's journey, the family started to chat and laugh together.

After Zhang Chen saw his father put on the small pouch, he felt much more at ease. At that moment, with a rumble in his stomach, Zhang Chen realized that he had not yet eaten enough despite finishing a large bowl of noodles, so he called for Mama Zhang to serve him another bowl, which he devoured completely

Why did that monk give you this thing

The sun had already set in the west, and Zhang Chen returned home at nearly 6:30. Zhang Chen, whose stomach had been growling with hunger, was uncertain whether his parents had prepared any meals for him, as he usually played until very late on Friday afternoons.

It is unknown how many days have passed, but the scene before Zhang Chen returned to normal speed. A knock on the door sounded, marking the first time Zhang Chen heard a sound in a dream. Turning around, he saw a woman leisurely walking over to open the door. Standing outside was another woman, whose height, figure, and even the way she walked were quite similar to that of the house's mistress. However, Zhang Chen could not see her face clearly and did not know what she looked like.

"Mother-in-law, I am truly sorry. Could you please provide me with your home address? I would like to visit you tomorrow to inquire about the house situation." Zhang Chen would certainly not be foolish enough to directly ask how Ms. Wen died or when she passed away, as it might provoke the other party's mother and hinder his ability to uncover information about Ms. Wen.

I don't know, as I was riding my bike, a monk walking towards me by the roadside called me over and said something about how the people around me might need this, and asked me to take it. Inside, there was even a piece of talisman paper." Zhang Chen said, pretending to be very casual.

Upon returning home, Zhang Chen dialed the number of the former homeowner provided by his mother

"En," Zhang's mother replied softly, but a wave of warmth surged within her.

Mother, on my way back today, a monk gave me something and said that I should keep it well, claiming it would be useful to me or something like that, Zhang Chen naturally pretended to be very curious as he spoke

Upon hearing that it was about her son's academic issues, Mother Zhang began to think seriously and then spoke

Mother Zhang did not suspect anything about her son either. After taking the pouch in her hand, she glanced at her husband from time to time, and finally said to Father Zhang.

... ...

"Group 5, No. 11, Xiacun Village, XX Town, XX County," the old woman replied after a short while

If such a small infant were born out of resentment, as the master said, would it mean that the mother, after giving birth, threw the child into the sewer, and that the mother is the landlord? Zhang Chen couldn't help but recall news stories about high school students who, after giving birth in dormitories, killed their babies and disposed of them in toilets

One night, the man unexpectedly ran into the room of the newly arrived woman. Zhang Chen, standing in his position, could not see what was happening inside the man's room; he could only see the door of the room slowly opening. The female host sat on the bed, her expression blank, with her left hand gripping a large cloth doll, while her right hand forcefully pulled out clumps of cotton from inside the doll.

Zhang Chen saw that his father, who had just entered the room, still had a small pouch hanging from his hand, which made him feel somewhat relieved. Standing at the bathroom door, he hesitated for a long time but eventually steeled himself and walked in. The same, if not more, cold air filled the bathroom. After quickly washing his face and rinsing his mouth, Zhang Chen ran to the bedroom and finally let out a sigh of relief

Having thought it over, Zhang Chen quickly put away the bag and rode his bicycle home. In fact, Zhang Chen did not realize that by not spending the weekend at the internet café, he felt no discomfort at all; his internet addiction was gradually fading away.

Zhang's mother is a person who is relatively devout in her Buddhist beliefs. Grasping this point, Zhang Chen wiped his mouth, carried the bowl into the kitchen, and suddenly had an idea. Zhang Chen casually took out a small pouch from his backpack, sat down beside his mother, and said

Zhang Chen could only stand still, whether walking or running, he could not leave the spot. The scene before him passed quickly, and as he observed the daily life of the two, Zhang Chen could sense that their relationship was deteriorating, even leading to arguments.

Oh, hello, grandmother. I would like to ask your daughter about the matters concerning this house. I wonder if she is available

... ...

At this moment, the call was connected. In this situation, Zhang Chen still felt somewhat nervous and quickly spoke, "Hello, is this Ms. Wen? I am Mr. Zhang's son, who bought your house a year ago. I have a few matters I would like to inquire about you."

Indeed, when we purchased this house a year ago, we also found it through a real estate agent. Although the location is somewhat far from the city center, the price was very affordable, and the landlord seemed quite eager to sell the property. Within just a couple of days, we had bought the house. Mother Zhang appeared to be in a particularly good mood today and shared this in detail with Zhang Chen