Chapter 18 The Sound of Knocking Bones
The "cracking" sound that night scared me so much that I was stunned the whole time. Bai Jie should wake up in the morning.
Bai Jie woke up at night and found nothing was wrong. She hugged me and cried.
I pulled her home. I thought I had escaped this danger. I must be careful next time. I am the master and I failed to take good care of her. It was a good thing that Master Yun Zheng didn't beat me.
In the evening, Master Yunzheng came to my house. My father cooked the dishes for him, and I went to call Bai Jie over.
We wanted to thank Master Yunzheng in person, and I also wanted to ask what that "cracking" sound was, but I didn't ask because if I asked too much, the master would get upset again.
That day, Master Yunzheng was drinking happily with my father. He said that my father was well-educated and was willing to teach a friend, which was a bit out of his league.
I sent Bai Jie home, and she held my hand and wouldn't let go.
"Master, I'm scared."
"It's okay, it's okay, there's someone at home with you."
Bai Jie goes home, I go home, said my father.
"Tomorrow you take a rest and go to your second brother's place. He has something to ask you."
There are three brothers in my family, the eldest brother, the second brother, and I am the youngest.
I was close to my second brother Ke You and had the best relationship with him. My relationship with my eldest brother was average, but because of what happened when I went to the crematorium, they didn't understand and rarely contacted me.
When I went to my second brother's house, my second sister-in-law didn't treat me like before. She didn't even pour me a glass of water. I knew she disliked me. My second brother also saw it and took me out for a drink.
My second brother, Ke You, was not very liked by my father when he was alive. The only thing he liked was me. My mother was the same and cold to everyone. Anyway, my two older brothers left home early.
"Third son, don't let Second Brother say that. You said that with your talent, you are better than both of us, so why did you go to the crematorium?"
"I'm with my dad a lot, but have any of you ever been hugged by him? Or kissed by him? No, not me either. That's why I have to go there, because that's where my father is..."
I covered my face and cried. I didn’t know if my second brother could understand.
"San'er, Second Brother understands you, but if you do this, Dad will definitely be happy."
My second brother held my hand. We both drank too much that day. My second brother understood me. He told me that day.
"Actually, it's nothing serious. It's just that my eldest brother is unhappy about you becoming a refiner. He says it affects his family, and some people are not happy about it..."
I know, shaking my head, at this moment, I am facing more pressure.
The weather got warmer, so I changed into light clothes and went to the office. Bai Jie had already changed her clothes. The soy milk was there, always so hot, and it burned my heart when I drank it.
Bai Jie and I entered the refining room, which was always dim.
"Bai Jie, I think you should not work here."
"I like."
Bai Jie always says this, I don’t know what she really likes.
We turned on all four furnaces. There were many deaths today, so Bai Jie and I were busy.
Actually, it wasn't really busy. It took two hours to burn a corpse. I lit a cigarette and Bai Jie watched in front of the stove.
Suddenly, I heard a "cracking" sound. It was the sound of knocking something, like the sound of knocking bones. I heard it again. I looked at Bai Jie, and she turned around after a long time and said.
"Master, there's a sound."
I heard it, and there was rhythm.
"fine."
I still pretended to be fine, but I felt so mad at myself.
We were busy until around two in the afternoon before we finished the work, and Bai Jie and I didn't have time to eat.
Bai Jie and I went home, and my father was waiting for me at home. When he saw Bai Jie coming, he was very enthusiastic and cooked two more dishes and then drank some wine. My father asked me about Bai Jie and me at the table, and Bai Jie's face turned red.
"Dad, let's not talk about this for now. We'll talk about it later."
In fact, I have always been in a dilemma. Whether to leave or not, my eldest brother will be unhappy, and of course, my second brother will also be affected, but my father doesn't think so. Of course, he just doesn't say it. He is a cultured person, a writer, and knowledgeable.
I sent Bai Jie home and she mentioned the voice again.
"fine."
I think I need to find a master.
After sending Bai Jie home, I went to my master's house. Yi He was drinking with my master. I went in and my master asked me to sit down and drink.
"Is Bai Jie okay?"
"fine."
Yi He was there, and I didn't mention that matter. I leaned against him, and he could see that something was wrong with me. Yi He left, the master said.
"Are you okay?"
I told him about that, and the master stared at me, his eyes almost popping out of his head. My heart was pounding. What did the master mean? The master drank a glass of white wine and took a long time to speak.
"That bone-crackling sound."
I thought it was drumming.
"Isn't that the voice?"
"Bone of bones."
The master's voice was very loud, and I understood that he was knocking on the bones. I almost jumped up.
I looked at the master without saying a word.
"Ke Zuo, you're really not suitable for working here. You always get into trouble like this and can't control it."
I know that it cannot be suppressed. I have heard from the older generation that some people can suppress evil, just like living in a house, but some families cannot. I clearly remember that the family in the bungalow behind my house was one of them. Something happened there, and everyone got up in the morning and slept outside. No matter what they did, it didn't work. In the end, they sold the house, and the family who moved in lived in peace. The owner of that house, the male owner, was a pig butcher, and he had a vicious look.
"Then what should I do?"
"We'll talk about this tomorrow."
I left my master's house in the middle of the night. I always felt that someone was following me and heard footsteps. I always felt that something was wrong, so I looked back but there was nothing there. I stopped and could no longer hear any footsteps.
I left my master's house in the middle of the night. When I got home, my father had already prepared dinner. I was stunned.
"What time is it already?"
"It's almost dawn."
I was stunned. I looked at my watch and it was almost five in the morning. It only took me half an hour to walk back from my master's house. How could it take so long? I was completely devastated. It was impossible. I just walked.
I stood there in a daze. My father called me to eat, so I ate and then went to sleep. I couldn't sleep. After my father left for work, I sat up, dazed, and couldn't figure it out.
It was past nine o'clock when I went to the crematorium. Today was the shift of Master and Yi He.
I entered the refining room and saw the master sitting there smoking. Yi He was busy. I saw the master holding a watch in his hand and I knew what was going on. The master never avoided me about this.
"Wait until I'm done."
He handed me the watch.
"For Bai Jie, from Shanghai Plum Blossom."
It took me a long time to press it. Bai Jie and I have never done this before because we are afraid. Moreover, the master also told me that I should never do this. But he can do it. I don't understand.
I went back to Baifa's office to wait for my master. I didn't like this two-story building. It felt weird, although at that time, it might have been one of only a few buildings in the city.
I was sitting there when I heard the "cracking" sound again, the sound of bones knocking. I listened carefully to see where it came from.
I still couldn't hear what direction the sound was coming from. It was coming from all directions. This made me feel helpless and panicked.
I was stunned. I walked out of the office and turned outside. Outside, I could hear the family members crying, which was earth-shaking. The woman had a loud voice. I walked out of the crematorium, sat down on the side of the road and lit a cigarette. I learned to smoke from my master. The fee I charged at the crematorium was four times more than my father's, so smoking a cigarette was nothing.
I glanced at my watch and it was almost time, so I went to the refining room and the master came out just in time.
"Push my car to the door and wait for me."
I pushed my master's car out and went outside to polish it. My master always asked me to do this job.
The driver came out, I got on the bike, and the driver sat in the second class.
My master and I went to a restaurant, a state-owned one. It was the only state-owned restaurant at that time. Because my master always went there, the waiters were very enthusiastic and we didn't have to serve the dishes ourselves.
The master and I were drinking, the master said.
"I'll help you settle this matter, but after that, if you have any more problems, you'll have to leave the crematorium. Otherwise, you'll have to settle it yourself. You can't control yourself, there's nothing I can do."
"Master, what's going on?"
"Knocking bones and stirring the heart."
I didn't understand.
"Master, could you please explain it more clearly?"
The master looked around and said in a low voice.
"You've run into a ghost."
Regarding encountering ghosts, I always heard the older generation say that when a person is unlucky, they say they have encountered a ghost, but it is nothing serious and it will be fine after a while.
"I've heard of it, but it will be fine after a while."
"It's different here than you've heard."
I looked at the master and I didn't know how to be different.
"Knocking bones, you can hear it, Bai Jie can hear it, but maybe I can't hear it, think about it yourself."
This is strange. The sound we can hear is not heard by the master, and no one else can hear it. I am sweating.
"Don't worry, I have my own way. Of course, it may not work."
"Master, what do you mean?"
"I haven't encountered this before, but I will find a way."
The master didn't mention this matter again. When it came to my Bai Jie's marriage, I had no plans for it, but since the master mentioned it, I had to consider it.
I calculated the bill that day, and it was the first time that the master asked me to pay the bill. It cost four dollars and eighty-three cents.
My master asked me to go to the crematorium after midnight.
I went back to Bai Jie's house, called Bai Jie out, and gave her the watch. She looked at it for a long time but didn't reach out for it.
"My master gave it to you."
Bai Jie looked at me.
"Take it, it's okay."
"Master, this..."
"My master said it's okay, so it's okay."
Bai Jie took it.
I went home and my father wrote the materials.
"You're back so late?"
"I went to drink with the master."
I was asleep. In the middle of the night I quietly got up and went out, walking towards the crematorium. When I was almost at the crematorium, I started to feel scared, really scared.
I walked into the one thousand meter long cremation road, which was called the Ghost Road by the common people. People with poor health dared not come here at night, fearing that the ghosts under the lacquer would wrap around their legs and make them sick. I was walking, and halfway through, I felt something tripping my legs. I felt tired and walked slowly. I heard a car bell from behind, it was the driver's car bell, clear and crisp. My panic disappeared, and the driver came over, the car slowed down, and I jumped into the second class.
"You must be tired from walking, right?"
I understood what the master meant. It seems that what the common people said about the little devil wrapped around the legs under the lacquer is true. I didn't ask any more questions. I just figured it out myself, and that's all.
The driver parked the car in front of the door and knocked. The gatekeeper greeted the driver and opened the door. The driver and I went in. It was pitch black. The driver walked forward and I followed. I was confused, just confused. I always felt like someone was following me.
