We entered the Evergreen Hall. The director slowly approached the deceased and put his hand to the breathing area. He shuddered.
"Call an ambulance immediately, hurry up."
I called 10, and the director went out to look for the family members. Several family members came in, and 10 arrived. The old man was carried into the car. I couldn't imagine how all this could have happened.
Everyone has left, said the manager.
"Come with me to the office."
My work for the day was done, so I took a shower, changed my clothes, and went to the manager’s office.
"Don't tell anyone about this. Why isn't the freezer open?"
I suddenly understood that if it was opened, the deceased would have died in three days, because it was not opened...
The dead person is alive and the family members are happy, but the director is not happy. This is an accident. What if the family members have different ideas
I thought less, but the manager thought more. He called the body collector over and gave him a good scolding, and the matter was settled.
I didn't go home. I found a place to drink to calm myself down. I could have encountered such a thing. It was simply inhumane. It scared me to death.
I went home, it was deserted, I slept alone, and when I woke up it was dark. I got up, sat on the sofa, turned on the TV, and the "clucking" sound started again.
"Stop laughing, I'm annoyed."
Sure enough, the laughter stopped. I took a look at the face painting and found her cuter.
Yinyan came and sat down to cook.
"Yanzi, what are you busy with every day?"
"Busy."
While we were eating, I wanted to say something but I didn't.
"I'll take the face painting."
I didn't say anything. If she wanted to take it away, she must have her own way! No matter whether I like face painting or not, it is an evil thing after all, which always makes people nervous.
After dinner, Yinyan took the face painting away, and I didn’t ask her what she was going to do with it.
I fell asleep. I was pretty scared today and I feel like I have no strength in my body.
When I went to work, I met the manager at the door and he looked at me.
"Why are you working again today?"
"Master Shen has something to do, so let me take over for a day."
The director hesitated and said.
"Come to my office first."
I didn't know what the director wanted to say. Was it about what happened yesterday? Was there something wrong with the family? I went in and sat down. The director threw me a cigarette and spoke for a long time.
"Today is the 1st. The 1st is a ghost day. Westerners don't like it, and Chinese don't like it either, but there's not much to say about it. But in the crematorium, the 1st is taken very seriously. No one wants to go to work on this day. Everyone wants to hide. I think Master Shen did this on purpose."
I was stunned. I didn't think Master Shen was that kind of person.
"No way? Master Shen is a very nice person, he wouldn't be that kind of person."
"Of course, I don't think Master Shen is that kind of person. He has been doing this kind of work all his life and has basically never taken a day off."
As we were talking, Master Shen came in.
"Xiao Ke, it's okay, you can go back!"
"Master Shen, it's okay. If you have anything else, go back."
"I'm sorry, I forgot today is the 1st. I've already dealt with the matter."
It seems that Master Shen also thinks that No. 1 is so evil. He went out, said the manager.
"Master Shen is a good man, but he has a hard life."
I wanted to ask something, but the manager just lowered his head to work, so I went back.
I don’t want to go home because it’s always so cold at home. I also don’t like going to my grandma’s house because I can’t stand the cold my mother is feeling.
It was cold outside, so I looked for a place to drink. Yinyan was busy with her own things, so it was no use calling her.
While I was drinking, one of my classmates came in, saw me, shouted, "Ke Mingzhe", and then sat down.
"Dude, where have you been these years? I couldn't find you at so many class reunions, and now I finally bump into you."
This classmate was a talkative person when we were in school, and we didn't have a good relationship, but since we were classmates, I felt close to him. We were drinking, and I wanted to wait until I finished drinking before telling him, so that I finally had someone to drink with.
After drinking, I told this classmate that I had burned someone to death, and my voice was very low. He looked at me blankly.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Every classmate knows about it, except you, SBI, who doesn't know."
This classmate stood up and ran away. I was completely disappointed. I was still hoping that there would be an exception. I thought to myself, grandson, I will burn you when you die, and burn you well.
I went home, sat on the sofa, turned on the TV, and I jumped up. I saw the face painting hanging on the wall, in the same place, and it was crying, but I didn't hear any crying sound. Fuck you, are you kidding me
I called Yinyan.
"Where's the face painting?"
"It was lost. It was lost for no apparent reason."
"Okay, come to me."
Yinyan came and was stunned when she saw the face paintings on the wall.
"What happened? Did you steal it back?"
I shook my head. Yinyan sat down on the sofa with a pale face. It seemed that Mao Xiaoli was right. My things will always be mine. I can't run away from them. I can't throw them away. It seems that Mao Xiaoli's evil is not as simple as a facial painting.
It was snowing heavily when I woke up in the morning. Yinyan made breakfast for me and said while we were eating.
"Today is Saturday. I'll go to Mao Xiaoli's house later."
I didn't want to go, but even if I went I would know that the face painting could not be sent back, and Mao Xiaoli could not tell us why the face painting was like that.
But Yinyan insisted, and I didn't want to say much. Only after meeting Mao Xiaoli, might she give up.
Yinyan and I went over there, Mao Xiaoli opened the door, sneered and said.
"Master Yin, you've worked so hard, even in such a heavy rain."
We went in and sat down, and Mao Xiaoli made us some tea.
"I wonder what Master Yin wants here?"
Mao Xiaoli put the face painting on the table and said.
"Take your things back."
"It was mine before, but not now, because I gave it to Xiao Ke and he accepted it. It's like a contract, and I can't take it back."
"So what do you want?"
"I'm waiting for you! Of course, we can talk, but if we can't come to an agreement on this matter, then this is the end of it. If I tell anyone, I think you all know who I am, Mao Xiaoli."
I think, when I first accepted the painting, Mao Xiaoli wanted to say something, but she never said it. I think she was just waiting for this day.
I could see that Yinyan was nervous.
"Master Yin, you are also a master chef, don't be nervous, I, Mao Xiaoli, have an evil nature, but I will not do anything to harm others."
Yinyan has never dealt with Mao Xiaoli at the crematorium, so she may not know Mao Xiaoyan better than I do.
Yinyan has been silent the whole time, and I don't want to say anything more.
"Well, come tonight, after dark, have a drink here, and I'll show you something. Of course, no one has ever seen this before. You're the first, so it's imperative to keep it secret. Please!"
Yinyan stood up and we went back like this. The heavy snow was still falling.
"Yanzi, what do you mean by Mao Xiaoli?"
Yinyan shook her head.
We went home and Yinyan was watching TV, her mind wandering from time to time. I also couldn't do anything and was lost in thought. The face painting on the table was wrapped and left there, and no one wanted to touch it, but it was as heavy as a mountain in both of our hearts.
Yinyan fell asleep on the sofa, I carried her to the bed, then closed the door and sat on the sofa to watch TV. I heard her crying, so I opened the face painting and hung it on the wall. Mao Xiaoli said, this thing is mine, don't think about giving it to anyone else, it's useless.
When I hung it on the wall, the face painting actually smiled. I was suddenly shocked. This face painting looked too much like someone, too familiar, but I couldn't remember who it was. I was stunned and walked around the room, wondering who this person could be. The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't remember.
When it got dark, I woke up Yinyan.
"Xiao Zuo, when we go, Mao Xiaoli might surprise us. Then, we can discuss and make a decision."
I don’t know what Yinyan is thinking, but I know that what happened today will not be a good thing.
When we got there, Mao Xiaoli had already prepared the delicious meal. It seemed like she was a good cook, and the red wine had also been poured.
"I drink white wine."
I looked at Mao Xiaoli, she smiled, turned around and went out, getting a bottle of good wine.
"Is that okay?"
"It seems you also know something about wine."
I don't want things to be too awkward. If I really can't get rid of it, then I might as well make friends with him. Maybe the problem can be solved better. Yinyan certainly understands what I mean.
"Sister Mao, this is the first time I drink with you, I'd like to toast you."
Yinyan raised her glass and said, Mao Xiaoli was stunned for a moment, then nodded, seeming very moved, and the two of them actually drank the red wine in one gulp.
"Yanzi, actually, I really don't have a single friend in all these years. Needless to say, outside, people treat people who work at crematoriums as if they saw a ghost. Inside the crematorium, you know, no one wants to have contact with me..."
Mao Xiaoli actually wiped her tears, but I didn't see any tears flow out. It seems that she was sincere.
We drank quite a lot and lasted until midnight. Actually, we didn't want to stay up so late, but Mao Xiaoli didn't say anything and we didn't dare to bring it up.
"Okay, it's 1 a.m., come with me."
Mao Xiaoli stood up and walked into the west room. The west room had a light-proof curtain drawn on it, blocking out all the light from outside. She turned on the light and closed the door.
"You are my good friends, so I will tell you everything today, but only you know it."
After Mao Xiaoli finished speaking, she stared at us.
"That's early."
After Yinyan finished speaking, Mao Xiaoli gently moved the table away and actually opened the lid.
"In this community, every first floor comes with a basement. Of course, mine is different from theirs. I reserved it when it was first developed. I spent an extra 300,000 yuan on the basement."
I glanced at Mao Xiaoli, this girl is really rich.
This basement is very well built. It is not luxurious but elegant. The lighting is exactly the same as during the day. It seems to be designed with great care.
There is a hall in the basement with four rooms.
Mao Xiaoli opened a room and let us in.
Yinyan and I went in and saw a workbench with an unfinished painting on it and more than twenty transparent bottles filled with something, but I couldn't tell what it was.
There are also drawing paper, picture frames, a dozen bottles of red liquid, and fine paintbrushes. This is a place for painting. There are half-finished works, a dozen paintings, hanging on the wall.
"These are all paintings I created, paintings of faces, only faces. The only painting outside is yours, there is not a single painting outside."
Mao Xiaoli's expression was strange. (To be continued)