Chapter 7

Chapter 7

“Huh?”

I forced myself to stay calm, putting on a look of confusion. “Found what?”

The Village Chief’s cloudy, aged eyes stared at me, unmoving.

The Big Black Dog pulled back its lips in a grin, revealing sharp teeth. Its scarlet tongue flicked out, and saliva dripped all over the ground.

The air seemed to freeze.

My nerves were taut, and cold sweat beaded on my forehead.

After a moment, the Village Chief smiled. “Haven’t you noticed? The children’s grades are quite good.”

“The environment can’t compare to a big city, but the kids are very smart. Teacher Song used to praise them all the time.”

“Oh, oh, yes.” I nodded like a chicken pecking at grain. “I saw the homework they turned in last time; the children did a wonderful job.”

The Village Chief nodded with satisfaction and turned back into the house.

The Big Black Dog slunk away, its tail drooping.

I closed the window. Without realizing it, my back was soaked with sweat.

Because of that diary, what little sleepiness I had left had completely evaporated. It wasn’t until my body reached the point of utter exhaustion that I finally managed to snatch two or three hours of sleep.

The next day, I was jolted awake by the sound of gongs and drums.

A cheerful melody surged through the air, filling the fog-shrouded morning.

The Village Chief was squatting under the eaves eating noodles. I asked him:

“Village Chief, has something happened?”

“It’s nothing major.” The Village Chief revealed a mouthful of yellow teeth and said, “It’s just that Erzhu died. We just finished the funeral. His mother is beating the drums; she’s absolutely thrilled.”

“Erzhu… is dead?!”

I felt as if I’d been struck by lightning. Belatedly, I asked, “What’s the… what’s the date today?”

“July 13th.” The Village Chief finished the noodle soup in his bowl and tossed the empty dish into a pot of hot water. He lectured me, “You young people, don’t just remember what day of the week it is. Even if you don’t keep track of the lunar calendar, you should at least remember the month and day of the solar calendar.”

I froze.

After a long silence, I pulled out my phone to check the time.

[July 13th]

Strange. I remembered it being autumn.

A while back, after getting off work, hadn’t I been sitting in a park full of maple leaves, teasing the little fish in the lake…?

“What’s that smell?”

I wrinkled my nose. I could smell a strange, burnt odor. I looked around, searching for the source.

The Village Chief was holding a small stool, sitting in front of the stove. He added a few pieces of firewood. Amidst the burning flames, a small section of a blood-stained sleeve was sticking out.

The Big Black Dog stood nearby with a bloated belly, its mouthful of sharp teeth stained with streaks of blood!

Terror exploded in my heart!

That half-sleeve had a brown stripe on it-it was exactly the same as the clothes Erzhu had been wearing yesterday!

I let out a scream and ran out the door like a madman.

I don’t know how long I ran before I suddenly skidded to a halt.

Shadowy figures flickered as the morning mist swirled.

My eyes slowly widened as I witnessed a scene I would never forget for the rest of my life…