GHLCS Chapter22

The car drove all the way to the entrance of Donglai Alley and stopped under a red lantern. Xu Hang got out of the car, took a few silver dollars, and said to the driver, “The shop inside is small, you can have a midnight snack at the wonton stand opposite and wait for me.”

 

The driver, Lao Liu, smiled and answered, “It’s fine. I’ll just smoke a cigarette in the car and take a nap. Take your time. I’ll wait.”

 

Xu Hang turned around and walked deeper into the alley, and soon he was immersed in the endless darkness.

 

Lao Liu shook the silver dollar, stuffed it into his pocket, took out his pipe, lit it, and took a long sip.

 

Damn, it’s really cold today—

 

The rich are feasting and drinking, but the poor are freezing on the streets. A place with carved beams and painted buildings may not be a dreamland.

 

In front of the diamond-shaped mirror, a pair of hands opened her ivory makeup box, which was black lacquered with gold accents, gently touching the “happiness, longevity, and good fortune” inscription on the lid. She then opened the first layer, took out the red nail polish, and applied it to her fingertips.

 

She used a fine brush to draw beautiful lines, and then used a perfume bottle to spray the ears. Ruan Xiaodie smiled charmingly at the mirror, feeling very satisfied.

 

Today was a good day, and she deserved to dress festively. She took out a newly made cross-collared peach-red jacket from the closet and buttoned it up carefully one by one.

 

Finally, she took out the pipa strings from a rag bag, replaced the pipa on the stand, held the instrument in one hand, and walked gracefully towards a room.

 

When she opened the door, a strong smell of cigarette smoke hit her in the face. Ruan Xiaodie choked suddenly, but her expression did not change at all, and she walked in with a smile.

 

Wang Ronghuo, who had just finished smoking, was lying on the chair, with his head half drooped, confused and not knowing what day it was. He squinted his eyes and saw a beautiful shadow, then smiled foolishly, holding her hand and kissing her several times: “Baby, what are you going to sing… sing for me today?”

 

Ruan Xiaodie filled the empty pipe in Wang Ronghuo’s hand with tobacco and passed it to him. Then she sat on the stool opposite him while holding the pipa and plucking it slowly: “The Governor will know after listening.”

 

The pipa is full of emotions.

 

When the beauty open her mouth, it send a shiver through one’s bones and make their skin tingle: “The poor servant, panting and heartbroken, coughing and tears welling up, blood stains on the servant’s clothes~”

 

This is a segment from the Yue Opera “The Heartbroken Person”.

 

Wang Ronghuo smoked the cigarette so hard that he felt his vision was blurry. He could not see anything clearly. He only knew that Ruan Xiaodie’s hands were dancing up and down like butterflies, jumping on the strings of the pipa.

 

“After leaving my hometown, I am alone in a foreign land, the road is thousands of miles away, and I can’t see my parents in the distance—”

 

At this moment, the sound of the pipa suddenly changed, with a feeling of iron cavalrymen, swords and spears, and the lyrics became much colder: “Instead of forcing me to go to the underworld, it would be better to let you meet the King of Hell earlier!”

 

The song ends with a final sound of ‘Zheng’.

 

Wang Ronghuo, who had just been having some wonderful feelings, was startled awake by the sound. He opened his eyes and saw Ruan Xiaodie still in the same posture, with that smiling face, looking at him gracefully.

 

He let out a long breath, put down his pipe, and wanted to be intimate with her, but after trying to support himself up with his hands for a long time and still couldn’t support his fat body up, he smiled and said, “Ba, baby, help me up. I just smoked too much, and my hands are numb.”

 

Ruan Xiaodie gently put down the pipa, walked in front of Wang Ronghuo, and looked down at him: “Does the Governor experience numbness in your hands and feet, along with a cold sensation, difficulty breathing as if a stone is pressing on your chest, and even find it hard to speak?”

 

Wang Ronghuo felt like she was telling him a curse. The more she said it, the more it seemed to be fulfilled. He trembled and became more and more out of control: “I, I am…”

 

“Hush, don’t be afraid, Governor, and don’t move either,” Ruan Xiaodie smiled like a fox demon in Liao Zhai, “I think it would be more convenient for you to lie down for what’s going to happen soon, it will be quick.”

 

At this time, if Wang Ronghuo still did not sense the danger, he would be too slow. He tried very hard to turn over and get up, but the more anxious he was, the harder it was to move. He even wanted to speak but found that his throat couldn’t make a sound.

 

“Ah—ha—come, some, someone come—” The voice was so faint that it was not even as loud as a mosquito or fly.

 

He wanted to reach for the gun under the pillow, but Ruan Xiaodie grabbed it faster and put it directly on Wang Ronghuo’s head.

 

He was horrified! This was the closest he had ever been to death!

 

Ruan Xiaodie toyed with him like a cat with a mouse, tapping his face with the gun and teasing, “Governor, are you feeling unwell?”

 

Wang Ronghuo could only nod his head. He was very angry, but now he could only be slaughtered like a fish. He thought to himself that he would endure it for a while. As long as he can survive, he will definitely cut this b*tch into pieces.

 

“The Governor is ill, and your illness is serious,” Ruan Xiaodie put down the gun and said calmly while stepping aside and taking out her pocket watch to check the time. “It’s a pity that there is no medicine in the world that can cure it, so I’m here to help the Governor and make sure that you can ‘hit the road’ comfortably.”

 

‘Knock, knock.’ There was a knock on the door.

 

Ruan Xiaodie stood up excitedly and went to open the door.

 

Wang Ronghuo was sweating profusely, his eyes wide open like cowbells.

 

That is the end of the living, the King of Hell knocking at the door!—

 

At the entrance of Donglai Alley.

 

Lao Liu didn’t sleep very soundly, probably because of the cold wind.

 

He was awakened by the sound of Xu Hang knocking on the car door. He sat up suddenly and was startled to see Xu Hang’s pale face outside the car. Then he hurriedly opened the car door: “Aiyo! I’m sorry! I was dazed in my sleep.”

 

Xu Hang got into the car, wrapped himself up, and smiled: “It’s fine, the things have been fixed. It’s already the second watch, let’s go back quickly. You should also go back and rest.”

 

“It’s already midnight…” Lao Liu smacked his lips. “Why is it so cold?” Then he took a glance and saw some dirty black stains on the back of Xu Hang’s hand, so he handed him his handkerchief: “Yo, Sir, where did you get this? Wipe it off.”

 

Xu Hang raised his hand and glanced at it. His eyes lingered for a moment before he took Lao Liu’s handkerchief and wiped it hard. “The craftsman’s house is full of dust, and I accidentally got it on. How about I take this handkerchief home, wash it, and then return it to you?”

 

“Look at what you’re saying. A handkerchief is nothing special; you can just toss it aside.”

 

Xu Hang didn’t throw it away but kept it in his arms.

 

On the way back, Xu Hang didn’t say another word. He just leaned back in the seat, closed his eyes, and looked very tired.

 

Note: *The last line of the original lyrics of “The Heartbroken Man” was “It would be better for me to meet the King of Hell sooner.”