IPT 45.1

Chapter 45

Except for the sound of the rain, there was no other movement around. Shen Qianqian stood there nervously, with his toes curled up.

“I’m not afraid of ghosts. If I catch a ghost, I’ll tear it to pieces! No problem, just tear it to pieces!” Shen Qianqian shouted at the corners of the courtyard with a gloomy look. And his tone was as sure as if he knew that the ghost was hiding there, but he just didn’t bother to catch it.

But when he turned back, his face was full of panic, and he quickly walked to the bathroom to get a raincoat to find Shen Miaomiao.

“Don’t think I don’t know you’re shameless. Just hide well, and I’ll kill you when you come out!” Shen Qianqian took off the raincoat hanging behind the door and shouted to the front.

This raincoat is a pullover style. After his head is put in, he can’t find the end just like when he is trying to wear a T-shirt.  He was anxious, but the more anxious he was, the harder it was to find. Sweat seeped out of his vest.

“Don’t let me catch you… I know you… If you’re hiding, don’t come out!”

Shen Qianqian was pulling at his raincoat, and suddenly stopped. ‌His eyes penetrated the transparent plastic and saw a black mass in the middle of the yard.

Although it was only a rough shape, he could see the long top and four legs.

Shen Qianqian stared blankly in front of him with his raincoat on, without any reaction, watching the table standing in the middle of the yard, but suddenly disappeared from his sight.

The yard became empty again, with only raindrops falling on the ground, creating dense puddles.

Shen Qianqian blinked slowly and then blinked again. The next second, the black mass appeared under the eaves without any warning, and it was a little closer to him too.

Boom, boom, boom…
Shen Qianqian’s rapid heartbeat drowned out the sound of rain, and his breathing became heavier.

The black wolf had been wandering in the yard, observing Shen Qianqian. It bared its teeth at Shen Qianqian from time to time, then quickly closed its mouth and turned his head to look aside. Its eyes kept changing, flashing impulse and retreat. It walked back and forth anxiously, with its long black tail swiping the rain.

When it turned its head again, there was a flash of eagerness in its eyes, and it moved closer to Shen Qianqian.

Shen Qianqian had a raincoat on his head. His eyeballs kept turning through the transparent film, but his hand was tightly grasping an iron rod leaning against the wall.

When the table disappeared again and reappeared near him, he could no longer bear the fear and suddenly burst into a earth-shaking cry.

The black wolf, who had just raised one of its front paws and had not yet dropped it, trembled all over, its two pointed ears pressed against its head, and its hair suddenly exploded. It seemed to be frightened by the sudden sharp cry, and stood stiffly under the eaves with its front paws raised.

“Wooo…”

Shen Qianqian rushed out of the bathroom, raised the iron rod and smashed it hard on the black wolf: “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”

Bang! Bang!
The black wolf’s body trembled twice.

“Wooo…”

Shen Qianqian quickly hit the black wolf with the stick, then threw away the iron rod and ran away. The black wolf was frightened by the howling. Before he could come to his senses, he just watched the wolf rub its side, fly into the yard, rush into the passage, and then rush out of the gate.

“Wooo wooo…” The crying sound quickly faded away in the alley.

The black wolf finally reacted, and immediately bared his teeth fiercely and chased after the crying sound. But as soon as he rushed out of the alley, he saw someone in the distance, and immediately braked, leaving long and deep marks on the mud of the long street after the rain.

He jumped onto the roof in panic and fled towards the center of the town. He disappeared in the buildings in one takeoff.

Chu Ya wrapped the quilt with plastic film, left the supermarket and locked the door. As soon as he pushed the wheelchair onto the street, he heard Shen Qianqian crying.

The crying was so shrill and sharp that his heart suddenly tightened, and he hurriedly pushed the wheelchair back.

But Shen Qianqian’s cries were moving, and soon appeared at the entrance of the alley. He was wrapped in a raincoat in a mess, but his entire head was covered. Only two legs were seen moving back and forth, running towards him quickly.

“Wooo… Shen Miaomiao… Wooo…”

Chu Ya saw Shen Qianqian running like a cannonball. He was out of breath because of his crying. Finally, when he was sure that nothing happened to him, he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

“Shen Miaomiao, Shen Miaomiao…” Shen Qianqian staggered and almost fell.
“Slow down!”
“Wooo…”
“Don’t worry, slow down!”

Shen Qianqian saw Chu Ya, and finally he was no longer so scared. His speed slowed down a little while crying: “The ghost woo woo, the ghost hiding behind the table, woo woo.”

Shen Qianqian ran closer, threw himself into Chu Ya’s arms, and began to tell him his experience. Because he was too scared, he stuttered and started coughing after saying a few words.

“Speak slowly, I can’t understand.” Chu Ya patted his back.
“It is on the courtyard wall, you know? The ghost, the ghost is on the courtyard wall. Cough, cough, cough…”
“Speak slowly.”
“Oh, oh, “
“Okay, don’t speak now.”
“Cough, oh, oh——”
“Shh, don’t make a sound. “

He finally calmed down a little, and when he spoke again, he was no longer so jumpy.

“I started hiding here. “Shen Qianqian ran to the side, “This is the courtyard wall, and it is hiding behind the table on the wall.” He half squatted down, “I know it is hiding behind the table.” 　　

Chu Ya frowned slightly, trying to understand every word he said. 　　

“Is it in the courtyard wall or the table?” 　

Shen Qianqian pursed his lips. “The table on the courtyard wall.” 　　

“…You continue.” 　　

“Then it disappeared.”

Shen Qianqian looked around, “I just kept looking for it, and then it was in the yard.” 　　”…Well, describe the ghost to me in detail.” Chu Ya said. 　　

“It’s very tall and big. It’s a black, long and narrow.” 　　

“Long and narrow?” 　　

Shen Qianqian gestured, and Chu Ya suddenly realized, “Long and narrow.”

“Not very narrow, but a little fat.”

“Long and narrow oval table top.” Chu Ya added, and then asked, “Did you see it clearly?”

“I saw it clearly. No, I didn’t see it clearly…” Shen Qianqian shook his head and nodded again, “Anyway, the ghost is hiding behind the table.”

“It disappeared again, then appeared again, disappeared again, then appeared again…”

Shen Qianqian kept running around and changing positions. His expression was sometimes nervous, sometimes alert, and sometimes dumb and motionless. 　　

Chu Ya: “…” 　　

“Okay, then let’s go home first. You talk while walking.”

Although Chu Ya thought it was absurd that it flashed in and out, Shen Qianqian was really frightened, so he listened patiently.

“Well, you saw a table, which appeared and disappeared from time to time.”

The last time Shen Qianqian said he met a ghost, Chu Ya knew that it was actually the black wolf, but this time he racked his brains and couldn’t connect the long table with the black wolf. After thinking about it, he finally gave up, thinking that it might be the heavy mist on rainy days, which blocked the body from appearing and disappearing from time to time, which made Shen Qianqian have the illusion that the table was moving.

“It’s okay, there are actually no ghosts in this world, you just saw it dazzled.” Chu Ya explained.
“Huh…” Shen Qianqian dragged out a long voice, “How can there be no ghosts? There are ghosts all over the backyard of our welfare home, and there are so many ghosts every night.”
“You just heard others say it, did you see it with your own eyes?”

Shen Qianqian squinted at Chu Ya: “I saw it, I just saw it, the table is a ghost.”
“That’s not a ghost, you are dazzled.”
“Huh… How can there be no ghosts?”

The conversation fell into a loop, and Chu Ya couldn’t continue. Shen Qianqian’s squinting look was a bit irritating. Chu Ya had to comfort him, this child can’t even count, it’s normal that he hasn’t been popularized with scientific knowledge.

The rain lasted for a day and a night, and it didn’t stop the next morning. Chu Ya didn’t wait for Shen Qianqian to wake up, and he pushed the wheelchair to the garbage dump.

As soon as the aircraft left, new garbage piled up like a mountain. Chu Ya took advantage of the garbage not being soaked by the rain and began to turn it over and pick it up with a stick.

After picking up the garbage, Chu Ya washed them one by one under the faucet, and then woke up Shen Qianqian. While Chu Ya was getting up and washing, he went to heat up the last two buns and sorted out Shen Qianqian’s bag.

After the two finished breakfast, Chu Ya took Shen Qianqian out the door. When they went through the water curtain, they found that the black wolf was actually standing in the wilderness.

It seemed to be turning around leisurely, as if it was attracted by the distant Keko Mountain and didn’t even look at this side. It was not until Shen Qianqian pushed the wheelchair closer that it withdrew his gaze, and there was still some surprise on its furry face.

Chu Ya did not expose this encounter that was too much of a performance. He only said to the wolf, “You are here. I am going to the front. Will you come with me?”

Shen Qianqian could no longer see the black wolf, so he only said, “I am going with you.”

The black wolf did not react, but when Chu Ya pushed the wheelchair forward, he followed closely behind. But he still looked like he was strolling around. When Chu Ya turned around, its eyes showed a sense of meaning that he would follow them through.

Dean Liu and Manager Chen were standing by the window of a room on the second floor, watching Shen Qianqianappear at the entrance to the backyard and quickly run to the playground to the cafeteria.

“The kids in our entire dormitory are hiding it for him. The quilts were spread out at night and shoes were placed in front of the bed.” Manager Chen said with a tense face.
Dean Liu smiled and said, “Children, they don’t know the severity of the situation. So, it’s normal to help each other.”
“That’s because he didn’t meet some bad guys, but what if they did?” Manager Chen gritted his teeth. “No, after this is resolved, all of the children in the dormitory will be punished.”
“Okay, okay, punishment, punishment.” Dean Liu patted his shoulder, “appropriate punishment.”

When the iron bucket containing breakfast was carried into the cafeteria, all the children cheered.

“Noodles, today we have noodles.”
“Yesterday we had steamed buns, today we have noodles.”

Noodles are round cakes made by mixing a small amount of flour into bean flour and then steaming them in a steamer. Although the taste is only slightly better than bean cakes, it is enough to excite the children in the welfare home.

“Shen Qianqian, we’re having noodles today. If I can get three, I’ll exchange one with you.”
Shen Qianqian nodded in understanding: “I know.”

When Manager Chen distributed the food today, he still only gave two noodles to each person. When the children were holding the noodles and passing by Shen Qianqian who was still queuing, they whispered to her: “You can’t get three.”
“But the noodles are so big, one will make you full. I can still exchange one with you.”
“I can exchange half of it with you.”

But when Shen Qianqian went in front, Manager Chen whispered to him: “Go to my office to get more food later.”
“Hee!” Shen Qianqian’s eyes sparkled, “Okay, I-I’ll go later.”