Unexpected Windfall

That night, I had a dream.

In the dream, it was the J country of the past, and a baby girl was born into a wealthy family. The girl grew up, beautiful and lovely, and was betrothed to a man of equal social standing. Her mother specially hired someone to tailor a kimono for her. She chose the large cherry blossom tree in the family courtyard as the pattern, painted it herself, and had craftsmen make it. The kimono was finished, and she was about to be married. She took the kimono with her when she married, but was treated coldly by her husband. After becoming pregnant and giving birth, her husband directly abandoned her and left home, never to be heard from again. Only then did she realize that her husband already had a mistress outside. He was forced to marry her by his parents, and after fulfilling his "obligation," he eagerly eloped with his mistress, leaving her to guard the family alone. She raised her son, schemed against her in-laws, and as an abandoned wife, endured the ridicule and mockery of others. Her son, with whom she depended on each other, died young in an accident. She was completely abandoned by her husband's family, and her own family gradually declined over the years. She finally harbored resentment, and her hatred grew stronger and stronger. She did not live long, but when she died, she was as old as a centenarian, wearing that cherry blossom kimono, dying alone in a simple thatched hut. Even in death, she found no peace, as a thief stole the exquisitely crafted kimono, leaving her with nothing.

I woke up from the dream, saw the familiar ceiling of my home, and finally relaxed a little.

The woman's hatred was too intense, so intense that it made my scalp tingle and my whole body tremble.

The scenes in the dream must have been the experiences of that old hag, right? She was very pitiful, but who could pity the girls who died at her hands? Perhaps she didn't do it on purpose. Ghosts and humans are different, aren't they?

I thought blankly, and the image of the old hag as a young girl appeared in my mind, standing under the cherry blossom tree, smiling brightly, and speaking in a voice like a yellow oriole about her hopes for her future marriage.

Tap, tap, tap...

I heard footsteps outside the door, my heart tightened, I gripped my right arm, carefully got out of bed, crept to the door, and gently opened it a crack.

There was light outside the door, coming from the bathroom.

I relaxed, secretly laughing at myself for being so jumpy, and boldly opened the door and went out to pour a glass of water.

There was a sound from the bathroom, flushing the toilet, washing hands, opening the door, and then I heard a small cry. I turned around and saw my sister patting her chest.

"Brother, why were you so quiet? You scared me to death in the middle of the night!" my sister complained. "When did you get back?"

Because I had burned off a sleeve, I was in a sorry state, and it was late. I had sneaked home without letting my family know.

"You didn't hear me, did you?" I put down my cup. "Go to bed quickly."

"Got it." My sister turned off the bathroom light. "Oh, right, I have a parent-teacher conference next week. Can you come then?"

"Where are Mom and Dad?" I asked in surprise.

"The teacher is going to talk about exam preparation and applications. They don't understand that stuff, so you have to come!" My sister reached out to pull me.

I subtly shifted my body, bringing my left arm closer to my sister, and hid my right hand behind my back.

My sister didn't notice my small movement and casually dangled my left arm, whining, "Please, brother!"

"Do you think Mom and Dad have Alzheimer's? What don't they understand?" I said, half-laughing, half-crying.

"You're coming no matter what!" my sister insisted.

"Did you do something you're afraid the teacher will tell Mom and Dad about?" I eyed my sister suspiciously.

"No way!" My sister shook off my arm and stomped back to her room angrily.

I shook my head helplessly. "Then you have to tell me when."

"Next Friday at eight o'clock." My sister entered her room, turned around, and gave me a bright smile. "Please!"

Her bedroom door closed, and I was alone in the living room.

I was a little lost in thought. My sister's smile overlapped with the smile of the girl in my dream. I quickly dismissed the thought. How could my sister experience an arranged marriage? What era is this! Besides, if she were to marry someone she didn't love, I would definitely beat that scoundrel up and then introduce my sister to a good partner.

These things were actually still far away. My sister was only 18 this year, and the college entrance examination was her most important task. Next, she should enjoy her college life. Marriage or anything like that, I didn't need to rush to worry about it.

I didn't dream again in the latter half of the night. The next day, I went to work feeling refreshed, with no lingering aftereffects, which put my mind at ease.

Slimy and the other two had also arrived. Guo Yujie was chasing Slimy, asking about the kimono we burned yesterday, and was worried that the kimono would come back to cause trouble. Fatty probably saw something and didn't ask much. Slimy looked at me when he saw me and asked with his eyes. I smiled at him, indicating that I was fine.

The office was a bit silent today. Slimy and Fatty went to Gongnong Six Village again in the afternoon to try their luck. Seeing Slimy's expression, I knew he was in a hurry this time, worried about my situation and wanting to quickly figure out what was going on with Qingye. I was touched, but Slimy didn't say it, and I didn't either. It was enough that we both knew.

Guo Yujie couldn't sit still in the afternoon. After Slimy and Fatty had been gone for a while, she said she was going to visit those two patients.

I waved my hand, signaling her to go ahead. "Send my regards."

"No problem."

After Guo Yujie left, I was the only one left in the office.

I saw Qingye's file on the desk and, without thinking, casually pulled one out.

Event Number: 066

Event Alias: Unexpected Fortune

Client: Zhang Zhi

Gender: Male

Age: 41

Occupation: Businessman

Family Status: Widowed, living alone

Contact Address: No. X, Rhodes Garden, Tiannan New Road, Minqing City

Contact Phone: 139XXXXXXXX

Event Description:

On June 3, 2010, the client visited for the first time. Audio file 06620100603.wav.

"Hello, Mr. Zhang. Please tell us about the incident you encountered."

"Oh... Actually, I'm not really sure if what I encountered is... a supernatural event. Is that what you call it?"

"Yes, you just need to tell us your story, and we'll help you make a judgment."

"It's like this. I used to be a salesperson, a very ordinary one. I sold medical equipment, houses, and cars. My salary was decent, but it was quite tough."

"Mm."

"Then, about five years ago, I won the lottery. I'd always bought lottery tickets, but I'd only ever won five or ten yuan at most. That time, I won three thousand."

"Congratulations."

"Congratulations for what! Sigh... A week after winning the prize, I got a call. My grandmother back home had fallen and twisted her back. She'd have to stay in bed for over half a year. I didn't even keep that money; I sent it all back home to my grandma."

"I see. Did anything happen after that?"

"Later, after two or three months, the stock market was doing poorly then, but the stock I bought was a bright spot in a sea of red. I made tens of thousands, so I quickly sold it off."

"Mm, did something happen after you sold it?"

"Yes! Two days after selling it, I got a call from home. My uncle was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He only had a month left to live."