I didn't find it terrifying at first, but the second voice coming from a distance answered outside, making me instantly covered in goosebumps all over my body.
I suddenly twisted my head and looked towards the hall!
A red and white porcelain teapot appeared on the square wooden table, seemingly out of nowhere.
The spout of the teapot was perched on a crumpled head, and its mouth clamped a sooty tobacco pipe.
The head was solitary, its eyes rolling around in a crafty and cunning manner.
Its eyes suddenly met mine, making me feel like a thief, then it rolled quickly to the ground with a frightened look. I was blocked by the threshold, so I walked quickly towards the hall.
By the time I approached the threshold, the porcelain teapot and crumpled head were nowhere to be found.
The cinnabar rope sealed at the threshold had not changed, and the dog's ashes were intact as well.
For a moment, I felt cold sweat dripping down my back.
The weak and sickly sounds, coughs, outside are consistent with the information conveyed by the woman.
There's a ghostly sick person who often enters the Tang family in the middle of the night.
I sealed the cinnabar rope and the dog's ashes, so it can't enter.
But I never expected there to be a ghost in my house?
Ghosts are not something you can just see whenever you want.
There's no resentment, no blood relationship, and no suitable eyes, so if you want to see a ghost, it's only the ghost's plan to manipulate people.
For example, a ghostly sick person wants to enter the house, which must affect me and Tang Quan, allowing me to hear the ghost speaking.
The ghostly head on the table mentioned me earlier, so I naturally saw it!
At this moment, it's nowhere to be found, it must have hidden into something it calls home!
Thoughts in mind, I took a step into the hall and scanned around with piercing eyes.
The hall had few things in it; aside from the few items at the altar, there was only a bookshelf against the main wall, which held an old-style Chang Hong television set.
I found nothing out of the ordinary, there was nothing wrong with anything.
I turned around and quickly headed towards the courtyard gate.
I pulled the door open with a swift motion, and the road was empty and desolate, not a trace of a ghost in sight.
The dog's ashes outside the threshold were steaming with white smoke, a yellow phlegm was floating in it, and an odd, repulsive smell of fishy breath filled the air.
The ghostly sick person has already escaped.
I closed the courtyard gate directly, my expression not looking good.
After turning around again, I found that Tang Quan's western room door was open. He was leaning on a cane, looked tired, and had a sense of panic and unease.
"Master, have you not slept?"
I felt a sense of gravity in my heart. The noise before wasn't very loud; it shouldn't have woken Tang Quan up, right?
However, Tang Quan's snoring stopped before that; it was already a bit strange.
Could it be that there's a problem in his room as well?
"Uncle Tang, what's wrong?" Amidst my thoughts, I asked Tang Quan back.
“I couldn't sleep peacefully, had a strange dream, my father and mother were wandering around my bed. They didn't go mad when they died, but they were clear-minded when they had a dream. They told me to leave immediately and scared me enough.”
Tang Quan touched the copper talisman around his neck, paused, and said, "Just as I opened my eyes, I saw you opening the courtyard gate. Did anyone knock on the door?"
My pupil shrank slightly.
Dreaming, is not a normal thing.
Once the deceased passes through the boundary of the City God and reaches the afterlife, they have no control over earthly matters.
Only the deceased can still dream and give messages to their relatives.
Tang Quan had said that ten years ago, his parents were healthy and suddenly fell ill. Then they went mad.
Could it be that since then, there has been something wrong with this old house?
"Master? What's wrong with you?"
My moment of thought didn't let me open my mouth, making Tang Quan even more anxious and disturbed. He interrupted my thoughts again.
Taking a deep breath, I said, "The woman wasn't lying; indeed, there was a sick ghost trying to enter the house at midnight. This place is even dirtier than I thought."
"Uncle Tang, before your parents fell ill, did there seem to be anything unusual at home? Or did they encounter any strange events?"
"Umm...," Tang Quan looked bewildered and said unconvincingly, "We don't contact them very often, and they're not very good at using a phone, master. You mean that there has been a ghost in the house for a long time?"
Tang Quan is a smart person; he understands quickly.
I nodded, and walked towards the hall.
Tang Quan leaned on a cane and followed me closely, becoming more careful.
"Uncle Tang, can you check again if there are any objects in your room that shouldn't be there, or maybe a white-bottomed red-flowered teapot?" I asked Tang Quan again.
"Urinal?" Tang Quan shook his head and replied, "When I was a child, we still used the earth toilet. It was a deep well dug into the ground. I was afraid of falling and drowning at night, so I used a urinal. After building this new house and fixing the drainage, we haven't used that thing anymore."
As he explained, Tang Quan searched back and forth in the hall.
There are only a few things, and Tang Quan has looked through them all. They all said that there have been such things in the family before, nothing strange.
I also used the mallet to lightly tap each of the things Tang Quan has looked at.
The bell and mallet are made of copper, which has the effect of warding off evil spirits, which cannot stand the sound of copper being struck.
After checking all the things, they were not the place where the ghost was hiding.
I only signaled Tang Quan to leave the hall.
And I advised him not to enter the hall at night, as there is a ghost hiding in there, and I don't know where it is.
If someone knocks on the door at night, one shouldn't open it. That sick ghost always seems to want to enter the old house, which definitely has something wrong with it.
My words made Tang Quan sweat more on his forehead.
I assured him to be at ease, as long as he followed my instructions, nothing would happen to him.
This old house is not a horror house, but a haunted one at most. It may be because of things that shouldn't be placed here that have attracted a ghost and caused others to come in.
Tang Quan slightly relaxed, muttering to himself: "What are the things that shouldn't be put here?"
I couldn't be specific, but it must be something that would make a ghost feel comfortable. However, the presence of a ghost in the house actually proves that the house is safe, as no one has come here for years.
Tang Quan nodded, wiped his sweat, and said, "What you said is also true, according to your abilities, more ghosts wouldn't be a problem. However, tomorrow I will still go and inquire about it, see if I can find out something. Cleaning up the house will definitely make it quieter."
I mumbled in response, and told him not to worry so much, to rest well. If his parents had any more dreams to tell, remember to inform me.
Tang Quan nodded in agreement before hobbling back to his western room.
At this time, it was after midnight at 2 o'clock.
I stood in the yard, staring at the hall for a long time without finding any clues, and then returned to my east room.
Feeling exhausted, I fell asleep deeply.
......
The next day was a cloudy day.
I pushed the door open and saw a wooden table standing beside the well in the courtyard, with food on it.
Tang Quan sat next to it, and the dustpan on the ground was piled up with cigarette butts.
"Master, have some food first," Tang Quan extinguished the cigarette butt.
There are oily crêpes, bao buns, and pickled egg rice on the table.
I sat down and took a piece of fried dough, and then drank a large mouthful of congee before saying, "Uncle Tang, you don't have to be so formal with me. Have you found out anything?"
Tang Quan's eyes were cloudy and filled with red veins, and his face showed an uncontrollable worry.
"Master, I'm not being formal. I have indeed found out something strange, and several people have died."
