Chapter 24: Qingming
Five o’clock in the afternoon, evening was approaching.
The desolate and cold wind howled over the Gu family’s cemetery. The straight and green pine trees surrounding it rustled, emitting a mournful wail.
A black car with a graceful curve sped along the long and straight asphalt road in the suburbs, breaking the silence and desolation of the cemetery, and slowly stopped at the entrance.
The driver’s side door popped open, and Gu Zhi got out of the car. Her high-heeled black leather boots hit the ground with a crisp sound, and her slender calves were wrapped in the leather boots, creating a beautiful muscle curve.
The cemetery was deserted again after Qingming Festival. After spring began, the wind became obedient, and it was gentle and soothing on the face. The wind in the cemetery was still cold and dry, as if all the unruly cold winds in the city had fled here.
Gu Zhi walked up the stone path of the cemetery, her heels clicking on the bluestone, breaking the silence around her. Although it had been a while since Qingming Festival, she was still dressed quite formally.
The hem of her half-skirt swayed slightly above her knees, and her plump and firm thighs were exposed between her long boots. The slightly overflowing soft flesh was wrapped in black stockings, and she was wearing a black coat to keep out the cold, a solemn pure black.
After spring, the grass and trees in the cemetery began to sprout. The low, green wild grass grew wildly around the tombstones. She walked past the paths where the grass and trees had been trimmed, and she could vaguely see a few yellow, thin papers rolling in the mud, and even flying high with the wind, disappearing in a moment.
The evening sky was still dark. The gray and black clouds were piled up, blocking the setting sun. There were not many red clouds. The dark green tombstones were covered with a black veil under the pale white light. A few strange stones in the distance were indistinct and even more gloomy. The wreaths rustled in the wind, adding a few bright and strange colors, as if a special ceremony was being held.
Gu Zhi walked straight to the slightly old tombstone in her field of vision. The stone tablet, which had a small corner broken, was surrounded by lush wild vegetables, looking a little out of place.
The cemetery of the Gu family would hire people to trim the overly lush grass and trees every year. But the grass grew wildly, and the wild grass would always grow wildly. Some of the details still needed to be cleaned up when the relatives came to visit the graves.
Gu Zhi had been busy with her affairs before and after Qingming Festival and had not had time to come to the cemetery to see. Now that the dust had settled, and today was the anniversary of their death, she had pushed aside her affairs and came out.
The tomb in front of her was a joint burial, with her parents who had died in a car accident when she was a child. At that time, the sudden and unexpected disaster of the eldest son of the Gu family and his wife, who had just given birth to a son, had almost turned the Gu family upside down. The position of the heir, which had been set in stone, was suddenly vacant. At that time… it was a river of blood from the bites of jackals and tigers.
“That old woman is already dead. It was also a car accident.”
Gu Zhi had only put on a very light makeup, which made her face look even more gentle and graceful. She stood in front of the tomb, her long, narrow eyes slightly closed, looking at the cold and dark tombstone, her expression showing no joy or sorrow.
“They all say I’m crazy. How can a madwoman be in charge of the Gu family…” Gu Zhi couldn’t help but laugh, her thin, crimson lips slightly upturned. “It was clearly them who sent me to the mental hospital. What a ridiculous reason.”
“Oh… by the way, from now on, I won’t be alone anymore.”
Gu Zhi seemed to have remembered something happy, and the corners of her eyes were upturned, with a happy arc. “It’s a very cute little guy, but a little mischievous… I was still waiting for him to come and find me, and I would have forgiven him. What a pity. I have to go and catch him back. Next time… I’ll come and see you with him.”
“Miss… Miss Gu.”
A surprised exclamation suddenly sounded a little noisy in her ear. Gu Zhi looked sideways and tucked her long, dark hair, which was scattered on her shoulders, behind her ear. The momentary charm made the man’s mouth agape, and he was speechless for a long time.
“You are?”
“Oh, I’m here to burn some paper money for my family. I’m so sorry to have disturbed you, Miss Gu.”
The man was already middle-aged, much older than Gu Zhi, but he still had a frightened and humble expression. He quickly lowered his head and honestly stated his purpose.
“It’s okay. It’s of course a good thing to have such filial piety.”
“Oh, oh, you’re too kind, Miss Gu. To be ashamed… I was too busy during Qingming Festival, and I didn’t even have time to pay respects to my family. So I have to come and make up for it now. I’m so sorry to my elders.”
The man’s status was low. He had never even been to the main residence of the Gu family, let alone seen Gu Zhi. He had barely seen a photo. The dark red mole under the corner of the other party’s eye had left a deep impression on him. He had recognized her at a glance. The rumor that the madwoman with a heart as poisonous as a scorpion had suddenly become an absurd rumor in his heart.
He bowed and exchanged a few polite words with Gu Zhi, then carried a full bag of paper money and hurried to the tombstone of a collateral descendant. He had to deliver this bag of paper money there before it got dark.
When the man was far away, he secretly muttered a few words he had accidentally overheard.
Just raising a pet, and you have to say it in such detail when you’re paying respects? Shouldn’t Gu Zhi’s parents have died in a car accident a long time ago? I didn’t expect their relationship to be so good now. She’s clearly such a gentle and nostalgic person. How many of those rumors are true?
The man shook his head and didn’t pursue it further. He still understood the simple truth that trouble comes from the mouth. He shook off the gossipy thoughts in his heart, lit a fire, and threw the paper money in, one by one. The flames immediately grew bigger, and the tongues of fire were swallowed by the bundles of money. The wind blew, and the fire grew stronger, the flames swaying and distorting the air.
…
Gu Zhi answered the phone. The voice on the other end of the phone was hoarse and low, a little harsh to the ear.
“Miss, everything has been arranged here. We checked the surveillance footage later. During the few days of his disappearance… the target should not have gone out.”
“Did you hurt the little guy?” Gu Zhi lowered her eyes and fiddled with her nails, which were painted with a bright red polish, and asked.
“The target…” The hoarse voice faltered, as if he were afraid of saying the wrong thing. He paused for a long time before he slowly said, “The target’s resistance was a little fierce. He escaped into the bustling city, and it was not easy for us to make a move. In the end, we had to use force.”
“So naughty. I don’t know if this is the right thing to do. I still like the little guy… to be obedient.”
Gu Zhi sighed, her light tone showing no emotion. “What about Gu Chuan?”
“Gu Chuan left after he finished his business. He was very cooperative throughout the operation.”
“Alright then. You guys can watch him for now. I’ll be back when I’m done with this….”
Gu Zhi used a tissue to wipe the mud on the heel of her shoe. Before she left the cemetery, she turned her head and glanced at the few lonely plumes of dark green smoke rising from the desolate cemetery. The black ashes were scattered in the cold wind.
“Don’t hurt him. I don’t want to see him covered in injuries when I see him. The work of making him obedient… I’ll do it myself.”
