Episode 2 Chapter 17: Taboos of an Empty House
I asked Shi Hu why he told me all this and why he came here specially. Shi Hu told me that nothing that happens to anyone happens for no reason, and that there must be something going on between Old Man Liu and me. He asked me to think carefully about whether I had seen him somewhere before.
It turned out that Shi Hu said so much, but the last thing he wanted to say was this. My mind was completely blank at this time, so I shook my head and said that I had never seen him before. Seeing that I couldn't make sense of it, Shi Hu said that since I couldn't remember it for the time being, it didn't matter, maybe I would suddenly remember it someday, but if I thought of anything, I must tell him the first time.
After saying that, Shi Hu said that I looked like I didn't sleep well, and it must be because of Old Man Liu that I couldn't sleep or eat. I didn't argue, but just nodded silently . Shi Hu said that this was not a solution for me to go on, and he would help me find someone to take a look. I said he believed it too, but Shi Hu said that no one believed it more than him. Then he patted my shoulder and said that he and that person would come to our house later in the evening, and asked me to wait at home and not let him go in vain.
It was rare that he was so kind, and I couldn't refuse, so I agreed.
After I got off work at noon, I returned home and my mother went to Huguo Road to look early in the morning, but found nothing. She said she didn't know if it was because she went too early, as all the paper money sellers on that street were closed. She said she would go again in the afternoon to have a look. I told my mother that since we couldn't find it, we should just leave it alone for now, so I told her that Shi Hu said he would find someone to help me. My mother was naturally happy, but she couldn't help but doubt whether this person could see accurately.
I think Shi Hu is a trustworthy person. Since he said he can see it, he should be right. So I comforted my mother and told her not to worry. I just need to wait and see whether he can see it for sure or not.
In the evening, Shi Hu really came with someone. Shi Hu was in his early thirties, and the man should be ten years older than him, but definitely not over fifty. Shi Hu introduced that her surname was Nan, the Nan in "sufferable" (nān), pronounced with the fourth tone. He didn't say her name. It was the first time I heard someone with this surname. I didn't know how to address him, so I just called him Master Nan.
Master Nan was very polite. He greeted everyone in our family very seriously, using the Thai people's common gesture of putting hands together. I don't know if the name is correct, so I don't care about it. Master Nan's politeness made us feel a little embarrassed. Shi Hu tried to smooth things over by saying that Master Nan treated everyone like this, and this was his way of dealing with people.
I asked them to sit down while my mother was busy making some water. Master Nan said he would drink boiled water. After he sat down, he looked around the room and told me that the whole room was a bit angry. I think it was because I usually live alone. I don't understand this kind of industry language. Master Nan saw that I didn't react, so he said that anger is anger at people. For example, if someone walks into an uninhabited room, they will feel cold and strange. This is anger. A room that is often occupied will not have the smell of anger because the breath of people and the house are connected.
However, if you live alone in a large house, its own aura cannot completely cover the entire house, and there will be some lively atmosphere mixed in it. Most people can hardly detect it, but they can feel a cold and gloomy smell. When I heard him say this, it was really the case. Many times, I really felt that the whole house had a cold and gloomy atmosphere. It turned out to be this reason.
Master Nan said that being angry can easily attract unclean things, which is why abnormal things often happen in abandoned and uninhabited houses. Master Nan also said that a person doesn't need to live in a house that is too big, because a house that is too big will absorb human energy. If too much human energy is absorbed by the house, the person's body will become weak, which will give those things an opportunity to take advantage.
So there is such a knowledge here, Master Nan said with a smile, and this is why you always feel eerie when you sleep in an empty house, but you don’t have this feeling at all in a small house.
I said the reason I felt there was something in the house was because the house was big and I lived alone?
Master Nan shook his head and said that this was just an introduction, not the real reason. When he said this, my mother brought the water over. Master Nan paused, then looked at my mother, and said nothing, but I felt that this look was very meaningful. His eyes had a deep and unfathomable feeling, as if he saw through everything at a glance.
At this time, Shi Hu said, why don't you let Master Nan look around the house, and asked me if there was anything inconvenient. I said no, and then took Master Nan to look around the whole house, including the bathroom. Master Nan looked at every place very carefully, but he didn't say anything from beginning to end, and his expression didn't change. From beginning to end, he had a kind expression that was very approachable. I guess this is what we call a friendly face.
Finally, after looking around the whole room, we sat back down. Master Nan picked up the cup to drink water, but he didn't drink it when it reached his mouth. Instead, he paused. I saw his eyes looking into the cup, and then he put the cup down again. All of us present noticed Master Nan's action. Shi Hu was the first to ask what was wrong. Shi Hu asked what was wrong, but Master Nan didn't say anything. Instead, he looked up at the ceiling.
I also looked up at the ceiling, but there was nothing to see there. Master Nan looked at it for a while. None of us dared to make a sound, waiting for him to explain. Master Nan looked at it for a while before finally looking at me again. This time he looked at me and then began to ask me if I often felt that there was another person in the room and that things would move.
I nodded and said yes, Master Nan was more specific, for example, I found my shoes shifted when I woke up, things I often used were in another place, there were signs that someone had been in the house, and I felt someone pushing me after I fell asleep. Master Nan was right, and I looked at him in disbelief.
But when he said this, Master Nan suddenly stopped talking, and looked at me as if he suddenly remembered something, and then asked me that I was the person that Fourth Aunt asked him to help look after.
Master Nan suddenly did this, and I was a little slow to react, so I asked back, "Fourth Aunt?"
Master Nan explained that his fourth aunt sold paper money on Huguo Road. She called him last week and said someone wanted his help. It turned out that person was me.
I found it strange that Master Nan could even guess this. When Shi Hu said this, he also felt that the world was really a coincidence. My mother exclaimed on the spot and said it turned out to be him!
Master Nan nodded, and soon I noticed that his expression had changed, but it was very subtle, as if he was unwilling. I don't know if I was overthinking it, but soon I heard Shi Hu ask Master Nan, "What's wrong?"
Shi Hu probably noticed the change in Master Nan's expression, and Master Nan did not hide it. He said that fate is something that cannot be avoided. Then he told me that he was not on a business trip at the weekend, but just didn't want to get involved in my matter. I was shocked to hear that, and Master Nan said that it was not that he didn't want to, but that it was very difficult, and he was not sure, and was afraid of delaying me.
I said he had never seen me, so how could he know how difficult it was. Master Nan then said that although he had never seen me, we went into his fourth aunt's shop twice that day. He said his fourth aunt was not an easy person to deal with. Later, she told him on the phone that there were two dark shadows following my mother and me. She saw them the first time we entered the shop. His fourth aunt also said that my face was black when she saw it.
Master Nan’s words made me feel cold for no reason. Master Nan said that I was a lucky person. Most people with a black face would not live for more than three days. But now I was fine, and he didn’t see any shadow on my face when he came in, otherwise he would have recognized me at the beginning.
What Master Nan said was so creepy. I thought back to the situation that day. I was not aware of it at the time, but now when I think about it, when my mother asked the old lady where there was someone who could see it, she did not mention Master Nan. Moreover, she clearly saw it but did not say anything. Instead, she pointed to another store next to us.
Then the bad attitude of the other old lady was probably not because we bought paper money somewhere else, but because she also saw it, so she drove us out after hearing what my mother said. At that time, in their eyes, we were all disaster stars.
This also explains why we turned back and the old lady said she would ask for us. I guess she felt a little reluctant and wanted to ask Master Nan if he could do it.
When Shi Hu heard Master Nan say this, he was the first to speak. He said, "Old Nan, you have to help no matter what."
After Shi Hu finished speaking, he looked at Master Nan. Master Nan replied that since he had come here, he would not go back like this. He then continued to ask me, when I started to feel something unusual around me, did I feel that there was always something around me, such as when I was walking - especially at night, did I feel that someone was following me, or when I was sitting, did I feel that someone was standing behind me, or when I was sleeping, did I feel that there was someone sitting next to my bed, and so on.
