Chapter 24: Living Dead
When Chen Yu limped downstairs the next morning, it frightened her whole family.
Mother Chen asked nervously, “Shishi, what happened to your feet?”
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Chen Yu couldn’t hop on one foot while wearing slippers, so she had to walk down slowly step by step while holding on the railing. “When I went to the toilet last night, I accidentally broke my cup and stepped on the glass.”
To make her lie more plausible, Chen Yu had reluctantly thrown the glass cup in her room.
“What? Your feet was pricked by glass, quick, let mom see it, aiya, don’t go down the stairs, Chen Yang, go and help your sister down.” Mother Chen shrieked, her voice even went up an octave.
“It’s fine, it’s fine…” During Chen Yu’s flurry of ‘it’s fine’, Chen Eldest Brother already walked over and carried her from the stairs to the sofa.
Chen Yu silently looked back on the remaining three steps down the stairs, it really was unnecessary, really!
“Let me see if the injury is serious.” Mother Chen bent down to look at her daughter’s feet.
“It’s not serious, I already bandaged it.” Chen Yu quickly took out her feet from her slippers, and presented them to the three anxious Chen family.
Mother Chen saw that her daughter’s feet had indeed been bandaged, at the same time, she also felt a burst of sadness as her tears started to fall.
Chen Yang frowned, stepping back with a flat expression.
When Chen Yu saw her mother suddenly shed tears, she panicked and quickly comforted her, “Mom, mom, I’m fine, I’m really fine, it’s just a small cut and there’s no blood, it’ll be fine after two days, don’t cry ah.”
“My poor daughter.” Mother Chen said with a grieving face, “Did you also treat your injuries alone before? Shishi, you have to remember that you’re at home now. You have dad and mom, there’s also a brother who loves you, you have to tell us if you get hurt in the future, okay? Don’t hide and treat your wounds silently, mother feels distressed looking at you like this.”
How come I became someone who treats her wounds all alone? Why did it so sound heart-rending?
Chen Yu looked at her elder brother for help, only to find him already hiding himself.
Chen Yu turned her head to look at her father, only to find Mayor Chen covering himself with this morning’s newspaper while stealing glances.
They were obviously around her just a moment ago, how come they hid away in the blink of an eye?
Indeed, it’s better to help yourself than ask for help from others, Chen Yu could only use a pitiful tone to interrupt a grieving Mother Chen to divert her attention, “Mom, I’m hungry.”
“Hungry? Quickly have breakfast if you’re hungry. You’re injured, so we have to take care of you, I’ll ask Aunt Liu to cook chicken soup for you at noon.” As soon as Mother Chen heard that her daughter was hungry, she immediately stopped crying and walked quickly to the kitchen, “I’m going to tell Aunt Liu.”
After Mother Chen left, the three people in the living room all breathed a sigh of relief.
Mayor Chen met his daughter’s accusing eyes, folded the newspaper calmly and stood up, “Chen Yang, bring your sister to eat.” After speaking, he walked towards the dining room rather hastily.
Unable to capture Mayor Chen, Chen Yu had to interrogate her scoundrel brother, “Why didn’t you help just now?”
“It’s not me who made her cry.” Chen Yang threw the pot directly back.
Chen Yu grumbled for the rest of the day, but she still couldn’t find any words to retort.
Therefore, under Mother Chen’s excessive concern, Chen Yu didn’t go out during the next six days of vacation. She drank chicken soup everyday and waited until the wounds on her feet healed completely before Mother Chen finally agreed to let Chen Yu go back to school, otherwise she’d ask for leave for her daughter ah.
In this regard, Mother Chen said proudly, “Look, you have to rest properly to get better sooner. Your wound healed in just a few days.”
This is thanks to me nourishing it with spiritual energy every day, otherwise I don’t know when I’d be able to escape from your strict monitoring ah, Chen Yu’s heartfelt thinking.
However, because Chen Yu was locked inside the house with nothing to do, Chen Yu drew talismans every day, and although the Profound Strike Talisman was difficult to draw, nevertheless, she drew more than thirty in these six days of house arrest. On the last night that Chen Yu was at home, she slipped out to the Lou family’s small courtyard and pasted the talismans tightly on Third Young Master’s bed. As soon as the air conditioner was turned on, those talismans fluttered and swayed about, appalling Lou Ming.
As such, Lou Ming’s expression became very complicated. He said with a heavy sigh, “I feel like a zombie right now.”
“Third Brother, don’t imagine them as talismans.” Chen Yu suggested with good intention.
“Then, what should I imagine them to be?” Lou Ming curiously asked.
“Money ah, imagine that you’re sleeping on a pile of banknotes, they sound just the same,” when Chen Yu imagined this, she became excited.
“…” Lou Ming’s mouth twitched.
“Pfftt…” He Qi at the side couldn’t hold back.
Lou Ming immediately raised his head and stared at him, He Qi quickly stopped smiling, not daring to squeak.
“Do the talismans have to be pasted one by one like this in order to be effective? Can’t they be put aside inside a box?” Lou Ming asked.
“They can ah, but don’t you think that it looks better this way?” Chen Yu’s mind automatically converted these talismans into lovely pieces of money.
The corner of Lou Ming’s mouth twitched again. He ignored Chen Yu and said to He Qi, “Go find a box to put these talismans in, put them under the bed.”
“Yes!” He Qi couldn’t keep his face blank anymore and went to find a box while smiling.
“So, you prefer to hide your money?” Chen Yu looked like she had a realization.
Lou Ming was too lazy to explain, as he covered his face with his hand, wondering how he had come this far. He, Lou Third Young Master, had lived for so many years, and the only thing that he never missed was money, alright? He couldn’t care less to check the money given to him from the country that was piled up in the bank. It was only once in a while when he saw some place that was hit by natural disasters on TV that he remembered about his money for giving donations.
Chen Yu’s major was financial management. If one wanted to know why Chen Yu chose this major, it’s actually very simple. Financial management ah, one look and you know that it’s about managing money ah. Of course she will soon understand that the money she’d manage has nothing to do with her personally, at least not the kind of relationship she imagined. [T/N: manage other’ money, like in corporation]
After finishing her classes for today, Chen Yu hugged her books and went to the dorm bedroom along with her roommates, en route, they talked about how Chen Yu became white.
“Shishi, aren’t you originally really white? If not, it would be impossible to become this white in such a short time.” In just a week of not meeting each other, Chen Yu’s skin became one full shade whiter, even if her mask was magical, it would be impossible to get this white, okay?
Chen Yu recalled how Mother Chen’s skin was fair and rosy, and nodded, “I originally should be super white.”
“What’s with ‘super’ white ah, white is white and black is black.” Han You asked in wonder.
“I went to Qingmu Province all my childhood and often basked in the sun, that’s why my skin became darker, but my mom’s skin is super white.” Chen Yu explained.
“So it’s like that ah, then it’s no wonder.” the realization suddenly dawned on the three people.
“But, Shishi, with your skin white like this, perhaps you can really be called Xishi.” Zhang Muwan said.
“At that time, our room 518 definitely will turn into Imperial University’s most famous beautiful women’ room.” Fang Feifei’s imagination ran wild.
The four of them laughed aloud, under the brilliant sunshine, walking on a small path lined lush trees, squandering their youth freely.
Back in the dormitory, the four began to search for street food vendors around the school with their phones. They were taken to military training as soon as they arrived in school, so they hadn’t tasted the various delicacies outside school.
There’s a food court outside of every school, that’s an iron law that needs no proof.
“How about hotpot? This shop has quite a good reputation.”
“This restaurant’s skewers are also good, why not eat this one?”
“This one has crayfish, let’s go eat crayfish ah.”
Chen Yu took her phone and flipped through the various shops in the surrounding area displayed on the website. Honestly, she hadn’t eaten many things so it was difficult to express her opinion, that’s why she silently waited for others to make the decision.
‘Ting-a-ling’
Chen Yu heard a prompt message from her phone and found that someone added her Penguin account. Chen Yu clicked it curiously, the moment she saw the name of the other party, her forehead immediately formed a deep frown.
I’m Big Account!
Big Account, is it the old man? Nah, I shouldn’t think much, I’m gonna eat in a while.
Chen Yu raised her hand and clicked it, the moment a dialog room between the two popped up, a message was sent from the other side.
I’m Big Account: (Girl, are you surprised?)
I Want To Fix Road: (How can you go online?)
I’m Big Account: (Good, grandpa can feel your determination to build the road from your name, good luck ah, the people in Damu Village are relying on you.)
Chen Yu rolled her eyes: (I want to ask you! Old man, since exorcising ghosts can earn much money, then why didn’t you go and build Damu village’s road all these years?)
I’m Big Account: (What did you ask me just now? Oh, why can I go online? Because grandpa is in at an internet cafe right now ah.)
He changed the subject again, Chen Yu felt like she’s almost half dead: (Why are you in an internet cafe?)
I’m Big Account: (A few days ago, I sensed you using a high level Defensive Talisman that I gave you and knew that you were in danger, so I especially found an internet cafe to ask about your situation. Well, you’re not dead ah, I can put down my worries now.)
‘Not dead’, what the heck is this?
I Want To Fix Road: (That was a week ago, you took so long just to ask me?)
I’m Big Account: (Grandpa also doesn’t want it to be this long ah, but grandpa is already so old, it’s really difficult to learn how to use the computer. You know, I learned it by myself for seven days inside this internet cafe.)
Who are you lying to ah, can someone who has a Penguin account be unable to use a computer? Still saying learning how to use a computer for seven days? I bet you played for seven days.
I’m Big Account: (Ah, by the way, what kind of ghost did you meet that day? Why did you use the Advanced Defensive Talisman? Do you know how hard it is to draw one? This grandpa had to spend a lot of spiritual energy to produce three ah, use it sparingly.)
Chen Yu saw that her old man was talking about that ghost, so she took the opportunity to ask: (Old man, is there some kind of ghost who obviously has strong evil and yin energy but also has a living person’s vitality?)
I’m Big Account: (You met a Living Dead?)
Chen Yu was stupefied: (Living Dead? What kind of thing is that?)
I’m Big Account: (There’s a kind of black magic in the celestial world where one tries to resurrect the dead. They believe that as long as the dead are replenished with vitality, they will be able to come back to life again, that’s why they invented this kind of black magic. Within a specific time frame, consecutively devouring 16 living person’s souls that were born in Yin year, Yin month and Yin day, it can collect vitality bit by bit and come back to life.)
Chen Yu felt like the matter was unthinkable: (Really?)
I’m Big Account: (Nonsense, of course it’s a hoax, I’ve taught you for so many years, have you ever seen a dead person resurrected?)
Chen Yu endured her impulse to flare up and continued to ask: (Then, how do I deal with this kind of monster?)
I’m Big Account: (Haha… you can’t win.)
Chen Yu gritted her teeth and typed a few words: (Do you still want me to build the road?)
I’m Big Account: (Alright, considering Damu Village’s elder and fellow villagers’ faces, I’ll teach you how. Wait tonight until I sort everything out, I’ll send the method to your mailbox.)
Wulao went offline after sending this sentence.
Chen Yu really wished that she could drill right through her phone and drag that old man over. He knew how to send emails but still dared say that he can’t use a computer?
At the other side, Wulao closed the messaging system, turned his head and pressed the service bell while shouting, “Manager, cook me an instant noodle, I’m downloading a copy ah.”
After a while, the manager came over with a bowl of instant noodle, he was really impressed with this strange old man who played games in this internet cafe for a whole seven days, “Aiya, Mr. Lao, your skill is really good ah.”
“Still okay, in fact, my best occupation is Assassin, I only played with this Taoist Priest character for a day, still not quite familiar ah.” Wulao said modestly, “I’ll download a copy for you another day.”
Author’s NOTE:
Wulao: I haven’t been outside the mountains for more than ten years and the games had developed so amazingly, so fun…