After I Blocked the Matchmaker Customer Service, He Came for Door-to-door Service - Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The string had to be cut at the place it had first been tied.
My mom said it was in an old alley in the south of the city.
Twenty years ago, a wooden sign had hung there with the words “Liangyuan Shop” written on it.
Now, it didn’t show up on any map.
But Xie Chi said he could find it.
“A place where the Red String was tied wrong will leave a knot behind.”
He hung the copper bell from the rearview mirror.
I drove.
He sat in the passenger seat.
My mom sat in the back and didn’t say a word the whole way.
The car was very quiet.
When we were almost at the south side of the city, Xie Chi suddenly said, “Turn left up ahead.”
“The GPS says to go straight.”
“The bell is leaning left.”
I glanced at the copper bell.
Sure enough, it was tilted slightly, as if an invisible wind were blowing it to the left.
After we turned left, we entered a very narrow old alley.
Most of the shops on either side were closed. Only one incense and candle shop still had its lights on.
An old woman sat at the entrance, cutting paper money.
When she saw Xie Chi, the scissors in her hand stopped.
“After-sales Department?”
Xie Chi got out of the car.
“Checking an old string.”
The old woman looked at me, then at my mom.
“From twenty years ago?”
Xie Chi nodded.
The old woman sighed.
“That batch of strings ruined quite a few people.”
I walked over.
“Do you know Uncle Chen?”
“Chen Huaili?”
The old woman gave a cold laugh.
“His surname isn’t Chen. It’s Chan-as in the word for entangling people.”
My mom held on to the car door, her face looking awful.
The old woman glanced at her, and her tone softened a little.
“Girl, you weren’t the only one who was tricked back then.”
My mom’s tears fell again.
The old woman led us into the back courtyard of the incense and candle shop.
There was a dry well in the courtyard.
Around the rim of the well were many strands of old Red String. Some had already turned black.
Xie Chi’s work badge suddenly lit up.
In a low voice, he said, “Found it.”
Just then, footsteps sounded from the mouth of the alley.
Uncle Chen stood in the doorway.
His face no longer looked gentle. The lines at the corners of his eyes seemed to have been darkened with ink.
“I knew you would come.”
My mom took a step forward.
“Chen Huaili, you lied to me.”
He looked at my mom and let out a laugh.
“What did I lie to you about?”
“Back then, weren’t you the one who wanted to forget that man?”
“I helped you forget him. I even made sure your daughter had people who liked her all these years.”
My mom trembled all over.
“That wasn’t being liked.”
“What’s the difference?”
Chen Huaili looked at me.
“Jiang Mian, do you dare say those men were never sincerely good to you?”
I said, “Stolen sincerity is still stolen goods.”
His expression darkened.
Xie Chi shifted half a step, blocking me behind him.
I saw several fine scars surface on his wrist, as though they had been strangled out by Red String.
Chen Huaili stared at him.
“The After-sales Department is sending children like you now?”
Xie Chi said, “Enough to fix you.”
Chen Huaili laughed.
He raised his hand, and all the old Red String around the well suddenly began to move.
One strand wrapped around my mom’s wrist.
She gave a muffled groan, and her face instantly turned ashen.
Xie Chi’s scissors came out of their sheath. Silver light flashed, and the Red String snapped.
But in the next second, even more strands rushed at me.
Xie Chi turned back and shouted, “Jiang Mian, don’t be afraid.”
I said, “I’m not afraid.”
I was just very angry.
All these years, I had blamed every setback on myself.
I hadn’t worked hard enough.
I had poor judgment.
I shouldn’t have dated.
I shouldn’t have disappointed my mother.
But now, someone was standing in front of me, saying all of that could be lightly dismissed as him helping.
I bent down and picked up a pair of Old Scissors from the ground.
The old woman shouted, “You can’t use that pair!”
It was already too late.
The instant the scissors touched the Red String, my vision went black.
