Chapter 23 Have a good journey
"So that's how it is."
The woman's name was Huang Duo. She put her yellow spotted sleeves into her pockets, then took off her apron and checked again.
"So you want one of us to live?"
"Do you believe what I say?"
Chen Xuan looked at Liu Yang who was writing. He was now like the husband in Japanese movies, and could not be woken up at all.
In fact, Chen Xuan didn't think he could convince the other party so quickly. He had even prepared a video and words to persuade him.
"I believe you."
Huang Duo sat at the other end of the sofa, still with a smile on her face, as if this smile was naturally on her face . She looked at Chen Xuan calmly, then looked at the room with a little worry.
"Take Haohao away, he's still young."
"He still has a long life ahead of him."
Chen Xuan paused, his heart, which he thought he had under control, was still a little moved. He wanted to feel for the cigarette in his pocket, but there was none.
He put his hands back on his legs and asked calmly:
"Why?"
"What why?"
"Why don't you ask if you two can survive together, or if I'm lying to you? He's your son, what will happen to him if you die?"
"Why don't you ask me?"
He could also make the same choice as the other major crime squad members.
Huang Duo was stunned for a moment. She nervously grabbed her apron, and many thoughts flashed through her eyes before she let go.
"He is not my son."
"And the answer isn't important. There are so many things in my life that don't have answers."
"Officer Chen, you don't have to worry about whether I'm trying to escape or do something else. I believe this is my fate, and I've always believed in ghosts."
"Because... I am such an unlucky person."
A bitter smile appeared on Huang Duo's dry face. She snapped her fingers and told Officer Chen about her life.
"I was born in the countryside. My mother died when I was born. My father beat me every day, saying I was unlucky and that I was a jinx. He drank every day, and not long after, he died too."
"I had no money. The villagers had taken over my house and land , so I had no choice but to wander around. I almost starved to death during those three days, but luckily a homeless old woman saved me. I joined her in begging in the big city and was able to barely survive."
"But not long after, the old lady also died."
"I don't know if she died of cold or old age, but I know there was only one quilt for the two of us, and it was really cold that night."
"I cried for a long time and found a job in a barber shop, earning 500 yuan a month. I used the money to build a tombstone for the old lady, but unfortunately I don't know her name."
"I was twelve years old that year, an age when I understood everything. I realized what it meant to be a person."
"I also realized that everyone's life is not like this. They have parents who don't beat them. They don't have to go hungry or cold every day, steal food from stray dogs, or sleep under the same blanket."
“I want to have a life like this, too.”
Huang Duo raised his head and gave a wry smile.
"I started saving money, although it wasn't much, because I wanted to open my own barber shop and run a normal business. Then I met a man who treated me very well and said he wanted to marry me. I thought I was going to live a normal life."
"But one day, he told me he was seriously ill and asked me to lend him some money."
"I was so scared. My parents and grandma all died of illness. I didn't want to lose him again. I gave him all my money."
"It turned out he was a con man who was just trying to steal my money. He wasn't sick at all."
"I went to ask him for money, but he said I was just a prostitute, why would I want to get married?"
“I just realized what kind of person I am in his eyes.”
"I'm not a chicken."
"I never got the money back. He had someone beat me up and I couldn't get a haircut anymore. Later, I found Haohao under a bridge. I felt like I couldn't have anyone else live the life I had before, so I saved up the last bit of money I had and started selling fried noodles."
"My life has become more peaceful day by day. Haohao is the best gift God has given me. But the more it goes on like this, the more uneasy my heart becomes. Why should I have such a life? For someone like me who is plagued by misfortune, maybe it wasn't my mother who should have died in the first place."
"It's me."
"I live in fear every day. I always feel that God will take this kind of life away sooner or later. Now that I hear what you said, I feel relieved."
Huang Duo breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled, but two lines of tears flowed from the corners of her eyes. She licked her lips and asked:
"It's normal for ghosts to exist in this world. I'm so unlucky because I'm haunted by a ghost. Otherwise, I would have thought it was my problem."
"I just hope that after I die, Haohao can live a normal life."
"He should study and make friends. Social welfare isn't what it used to be. Even if he lives in an orphanage, it's better than selling fried noodles with me."
"Officer Chen, how many days do I have left?"
Chen Xuan trembled his lips.
"Six days."
After Liu Yang died three days later, Huang Duo could still hold on for another three days.
"Six more days!"
"Okay, okay, okay… That's enough. That's enough."
The topic ended, and Chen Xuan understood Huang Duo's intention. He could not delay any longer. Liu Yang was about to finish writing, and the curse was about to be executed.
"Let's go quickly, or it will be too late."
Chen Xuan took Haohao away. Before leaving, Haohao was a little confused and looked at his mother fearfully.
"Mom, where am I going?"
Huang Duo still had that smile on his face, squinting his eyes, waving his hand and saying:
"Be good, go out with uncle for a while and come back later. Mom has something to take care of."
"Then...then I'll go set up the stall first, okay mom? I can set up the stall on my own."
"It's okay. You don't have to go to the stall today or in the next few days. When Haohao comes back, mommy will take you to the amusement park, okay?"
"Really? Okay!"
"Then Haohao must follow uncle obediently and never lose his temper."
"good!"
"You also need to learn to take good care of yourself and dress properly."
"Okay, Mom."
Haohao didn't know what was going on. He held Chen Xuan's hand and walked out of the small house. He looked back at his mother every three steps. It was a bit strange because his mother would usually walk out of the house and send him off for a long distance when he went to school.
But not this time.
Mom stood firmly in the room, not taking a step out.
But it doesn't matter.
Haohao clenched his fists , cheered himself up, and said to himself.
It's okay.
He is already an adult.
I can go out by myself now.
