Good Night, Mr. Ghost - Chapter 1

The emerald willow leaves swayed gently, accompanied by the buzzing of cicadas.

July’s weather was scorching, but by four or five in the afternoon, the temperature had become quite mild.

The ancient street was lined with small stalls and shops.

The crowd was bustling, creating a lively atmosphere.

Standing amidst the throng, a young man looked bewildered. One hand was holding a bicycle, the other a phone. He slowly lifted his head to survey his surroundings, realizing this was not the place he intended to find.

He glanced back at his phone, staring at the map app, and couldn’t help but voice his existential question, “Bro? Bro! I was looking for the Scallion Noodle House! Where… where am I?”

Holding onto his bicycle, he looked at his phone again, then at the noisy crowd around him.

It seemed like some sort of market.

There were people of all ages, many of them browsing and haggling.

Perhaps the noodle house was nearby; he should ask someone.

The young man moved with the flow of people, intending to inquire but feeling too shy to speak up.

What should he do?

If this continued, he feared he’d be stuck here out of sheer embarrassment.

Frowning, he looked at his phone, muttering, “Maybe I should just find another place?”

He had just finished a day’s work and wanted to try a new spot to fill his stomach, having discovered a “Scallion Noodle House.”

But once again, the navigation app had led him astray.

With a conflicted expression, the clean-cut young man, dressed in a white T-shirt and blue casual pants, stood out in the crowd.

His fresh appearance was eye-catching, though everyone was too busy to notice him.

“Hey, young man, what are you doing standing here?” A rosy-cheeked aunt patted his arm, smiling, “First time here? No worries, take a look around. If you find something nice and cheap, buy it as a decoration! But don’t expect to find any hidden treasures!”

Being approached, Jiang Chenyi quickly asked, “Excuse me, aunt, where am I?”

“You don’t know? This is Panlong Antique Street, the one on Ping’an Road.”

“Oh, I see. Aunt, I took a wrong turn. Could you tell me where the Scallion Noodle House is?”

“Oh, the Scallion Noodle House! Just keep going straight, and at the end, there are a few small eateries. You’ll find it there!” The aunt enthusiastically gave Jiang Chenyi directions.

Jiang Chenyi nodded repeatedly, smiling broadly, “Great, thank you so much.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. You’re such a polite young man. Where do you live? Do you have a girlfriend?” The aunt’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Jiang Chenyi smiled gently, “Thank you, aunt, but I don’t have a steady job yet.”

“Oh, I see. That’s a shame. Be careful, though. There are pickpockets on this street, so keep an eye on your belongings!” The aunt advised before boldly diving into the crowd.

“Make way! Let me have a look too!”

Jiang Chenyi watched the aunt’s retreating figure with a wry smile, zipped up his pants, and pushed his bicycle forward.

Though curious about what this Antique Street was all about, filling his stomach was his priority.

He hadn’t walked far when he found the Scallion Noodle House at the end of the street.

The sign was an alarming shade of green with white lettering.

It did fit the scallion theme.

Parking his bike and locking it, the young man entered the shop.

Though it was only a little after four, the place was quite busy.

A young man approached him, asking, “What would you like to eat?”

The young man was browsing the menu, “Scallion oil noodles, please. One serving.”

“Alright, have a seat, and it’ll be ready in two minutes.”

“Where do I pay?” Jiang Chenyi preferred to pay upfront.

The young man pointed to a QR code nearby, his voice loud and clear, “We accept WeChat and Alipay! By the way, Alipay is having a promotion again.”

Jiang Chenyi chuckled and scanned the Alipay code.

Though he was currently in a comfortable financial situation, who knew what the future held?

Better to be frugal and live sensibly.

After paying, Jiang Chenyi sat at a wooden table to wait.

He watched the bustling street outside, noting the many people coming to buy antiques.

Since he had nothing else planned for the evening besides playing games on his phone, he thought he might as well browse after dinner. If he found something he liked, he could buy it.

That sounded like a good plan.

The young man sat on the bench, his gaze drifting outside.

Soon, a steaming bowl of scallion oil noodles was brought to him, the aroma of scallion oil wafting through the air. The young man picked up the freshly washed wooden chopsticks and began to eat.

The noodles were coated in freshly made scallion oil, the fragrance enticing.

Jiang Chenyi devoured the noodles, his mouth glistening with oil, utterly satisfied.

After finishing his meal, Jiang Chenyi tidied up the table, stacking the bowls and chopsticks, and called out, “Young man, I’m done. I’m heading out.”

The young man replied, “Alright!”

He quickly moved to where Jiang Chenyi had been sitting, noting the cleaned-up table and stacked dishes, clicking his tongue, “Customers like this are rare. You can tell he’s not an ordinary person.”

Jiang Chenyi stepped outside, leaving his bicycle where it was, and wandered into the Antique Street, looking at the less crowded stalls.

He wasn’t fond of crowds.

Jiang Chenyi stopped at a small stall, where the vendor, a middle-aged man dressed plainly, called out repeatedly, “Come, come, my goods are of great value and low price! Young brother, you won’t lose out, you won’t regret it.”

Jiang Chenyi paid no attention.

He had lived for twenty-five years and seen all sorts of things, having been deceived many times.

He wasn’t about to fall for their tricks.

But there was one item on the mat that caught his eye.

“How much for this?” The young man picked up a jade ring, resembling a hand ornament but not quite a bracelet. It looked more like a jade band, intricately carved with what seemed to be dragon patterns. The jade ring was a vibrant green, with a hint of blood red along the edges, truly peculiar.

Of course, no one could be sure if it was real jade or just glass.

Jiang Chenyi was simply drawn to its appearance, captivated by its strange, ancient beauty.

The young man examined the jade ring closely.

So, he didn’t notice the peculiar expression on the stall owner’s face.

The owner took a deep breath, “Three thousand, flat price.”

Jiang Chenyi didn’t bat an eye, “Will you take three hundred?”

The owner gasped, “This is genuine jade!”

“How would I know? Do you have a quality certification?” The young man smiled at him, extending his hand, “If you have a quality certification, I’ll pay you a thousand, and we can go to a proper jade shop for an appraisal. If it’s genuine, I’ll give you three thousand.”

The owner swallowed hard, “This is an antique, hundreds of years old!”

“Without proof, I won’t believe it. Three hundred, take it or leave it?” The young man maintained his smile, though his ears were turning red.

The owner gritted his teeth, “A bit more, I’ll sell it for four hundred.”

“Three hundred fifty.” The young man countered, “Deal or no deal? If not, I’m leaving.”

“Deal, deal! I’ll sell it, pay up, and it’s yours! But remember, no returns!” The owner glared, looking pained.

Jiang Chenyi pulled out his phone, scanned the QR code, and paid three hundred fifty, “Payment’s done, so I’ll be on my way.”

The owner waved dismissively, “Go on, go on!”

He had hoped to make a killing, but hadn’t expected to be haggled down to a tenth of the price.

These young people nowadays were getting harder to fool!

And that jade ring, it had a bit of an ominous vibe.

Better to get rid of it sooner.

Remembering something, the owner quickly called out, “Hey, wait a minute!”

“What is it?” Jiang Chenyi raised an eyebrow, ready to stand his ground if the owner tried to back out. A deal was a deal.

The owner rubbed his hands, looking a bit uneasy, hesitating, “You know, this is an old item. If anything strange happens, remember to find people in the know.”

Jiang Chenyi chuckled, thinking the man was getting too into character. What strange things could possibly happen?

The young man waved it off, unconcerned.

He wandered among the stalls, finding nothing else of interest, considering it a chance to broaden his horizons and practice his bargaining skills.

Having learned enough, the young man unlocked his bicycle and rode home.

The jade ring was tucked in his pocket, clinking against his phone with a crisp sound as he moved.

It didn’t take long before he reached the bottom of his apartment building.

Jiang Chenyi currently lived in an old neighborhood from over a decade ago, a place his parents had painstakingly saved up to buy outright.

They lived on the fifth floor, the stairwell narrow and the sensor lights dim. The young man carried his bike keys as he ascended the stairs.

His footsteps echoed softly on the concrete floor.

Most of the previous residents in the old neighborhood had moved out if they could. The property management was poor, the environment less than ideal, and the area was a mix of different people.

Moving to a better place was a common goal for many.

In their building, only one or two units on the first floor were occupied, with one unit each on the second and third floors. Other residents had either rented out their apartments or left them empty.

Jiang Chenyi reached the fifth floor, unlocked the door, and turned on the living room light.

“Mom, Dad, I’m home.”

The young man wore a gentle smile as he removed his shoes, speaking as he walked, “Today went alright. The kids in class aren’t as naughty anymore, Yi-Jie¹ even gave me some overtime pay, and I found a nice little noodle house in the antique market.”

The room was dim, sunlight filtering in faintly.

He spoke, but the house was empty.

The young man continued to speak softly in the empty house, his smile unwavering.

The scene was a bit surreal, but he was oblivious.

He turned on the lights in the other rooms.

The warm glow dispelled the coldness of the space.

It seemed to lessen the loneliness.

He paused before the last room, smiled, and opened the door, “We used to avoid that street, you always said the stuff they sold there was a rip-off. Oh, I spent three hundred fifty on a jade ring today, it’s quite pretty. I think it’ll look nice in water or hanging somewhere.”

He entered and knelt on the prayer mat on the floor.

Jiang Chenyi looked at the two memorial tablets before him, smiling, “Don’t scold me, this isn’t wasting money. I’ll skip buying the next game skin.”

Yes, Jiang Chenyi’s parents had long since become these two memorial tablets.

According to Jiang Family tradition, if parents passed away early, a room in the house was dedicated to their memorial tablets to ensure their spirits rested in peace.

Yes, the Jiang Family was that superstitious.

After his parents’ passing, Jiang Chenyi had placed their tablets in their bedroom.

Even though he knew superstition was irrational, Jiang Chenyi felt it made him feel better.

At least, it didn’t make him feel like he was talking to himself like a lunatic.

With the tablets, maybe his parents really were still in the house, watching over him.

Footnote:

1. 1. -Jie(-姐):In Chinese culture, using “xx姐” (pronounced as “xx jie”) to address someone is quite common, especially in Mainland China and other Chinese-speaking communities. The term “jie” means “older sister” and, when used in this context, typically carries a sense of affection and friendliness. It indicates respect and amiability towards the person, similar to calling someone “sis” or “big sister” in English.