That night, I had a dream.
In the dream, in the J Country of the past, a baby girl was born into a wealthy family. She grew up to be lovely and charming, and was promised to a man of equal standing. Her mother specially commissioned a kimono for her. She chose the large cherry tree in the family courtyard as its design, painted it herself, and had a craftsman make it. By the time the kimono was finished, it was time for her to marry. She took it with her to her new home, where her husband treated her coldly. After she became pregnant and gave birth, he simply left home and vanished without a trace. Only then did she learn that he'd had a lover all along. He'd married her reluctantly because his parents had forced him to, and once he'd fulfilled his "duty," he'd been eager to live with his lover, leaving her behind to care for his family. She raised her son and fought tooth and nail with her in-laws, while enduring the ridicule and mockery of others as a discarded wife. Her son, the only person she had to rely on, died young in an accident. Her in-laws abandoned her completely, and her own family gradually fell into decline over the years. At last, resentment took root in her heart, and her hatred grew and grew. She didn't live long, but when she died, she looked as old as a centenarian. Wearing the cherry-blossom kimono, she died alone in a crude thatched hut. Even after death, she found no peace: a thief stole the beautifully crafted kimono, leaving her with nothing.
I jolted awake from the dream. Seeing the familiar ceiling of my own home, I relaxed a little.
That woman's hatred had been so intense it made my scalp tingle and my whole body tremble.
The scenes in the dream must have been that old hag's past, right? Her life had been miserable, but weren't the girls she killed miserable too? Maybe she hadn't done it on purpose. Ghosts weren't like people, were they?
I sat there, dazed, picturing the old hag as a young girl, standing beneath the cherry tree with a radiant smile, her voice sweet as a songbird's as she spoke of the marriage she dreamed of.
Tap, tap, tap...
I heard footsteps outside the door. My heart tightened. Gripping my right arm, I carefully got out of bed and crept to the door, opening it just a crack.
There was light outside, coming from the bathroom.
I relaxed, laughing at myself for being so jumpy. Then I opened the door wide and went out to pour myself a glass of water.
I heard the toilet flush, the sound of someone washing their hands, and the bathroom door opening. Then I heard a startled gasp. I turned around and saw my sister patting her chest.
"Bro, why didn't you make a sound? You scared me half to death! When did you get home?" she complained.
I'd burned off one sleeve and looked a mess. It had been late, so I'd sneaked into the house without letting anyone notice.
"You just didn't hear me," I said, putting down my glass. "Go back to bed."
"Okay." My sister turned off the bathroom light. "Oh, I have a parents' meeting next week. You can come, right?"
"What about Mom and Dad?" I asked, surprised.
"The teacher's going to talk about exam prep and college applications. They won't understand any of it, so you come!" She reached out to pull me toward her.
I shifted discreetly, moving my left arm closer to her and hiding my right arm behind my back.
My sister didn't notice my little maneuver. She casually grabbed my left arm and shook it, acting coquettish. "Please, bro!"
"Are you saying Mom and Dad have dementia? What wouldn't they understand?" I said, half amused and half exasperated.
"Anyway, you're coming!" she insisted.
"Did you do something? Are you worried the teacher's going to tell Mom and Dad?" I eyed her suspiciously.
"Of course not!" She let go of my arm and stomped back to her room in a huff.
I shook my head helplessly. "Then you have to tell me when it is."
"Friday at eight next week." She went into her room, turned around, and gave me a bright smile. "I'm counting on you!"
Her bedroom door closed, leaving me alone in the living room.
I was a little dazed. My sister's smile had merged with the girl's smile from my dream. I quickly pushed the thought away. How could my sister ever end up in an arranged marriage? What era was this? Besides, if she really married the wrong man, I'd beat the bastard to a pulp and find her a good match myself.
That was all a long way off. My sister was only eighteen this year. Her college entrance exams were the most important thing right now, and after that she could enjoy college. I didn't need to worry about her getting married just yet.
I didn't dream again during the second half of the night. The next day, I went to work feeling refreshed, with no lingering effects. That put me somewhat at ease.
The Skinny Guy and the other two showed up too. Guo Yujie kept asking the Skinny Guy about our burning the kimono the day before, still worried that it might come back to cause trouble. The Fat Guy had probably figured something out, but he didn't ask much. When the Skinny Guy saw me, he questioned me with a look. I smiled at him to show I was fine.
The office was a little quiet today. The Skinny Guy and the Fat Guy went back to Workers and Peasants Sixth Village in the afternoon to make another appearance. From the Skinny Guy's expression, I could tell he was probably getting a little anxious this time. He was worried about me and wanted to get to the bottom of the Greenleaf matter as soon as possible. I was touched, but the Skinny Guy didn't say anything, and neither did I. We understood each other without having to say it.
Guo Yujie couldn't sit still that afternoon. A while after the Skinny Guy and the Fat Guy left, she said she was going to visit the two patients.
I waved for her to go ahead. "Give them my regards."
"No problem."
After Guo Yujie left, I was alone in the office.
I saw Greenleaf's case files on the desk. Without thinking much about it, I casually pulled one out.
Incident No. 066
Incident Codename: Unexpected Windfall
Client: Zhang Zhi
Gender: Male
Age: 41
Occupation: Businessman
Family Status: Widower, lives alone
Address: No. X, Rhodes Garden, Tiannan New Road, People's Celebration City
Phone: 139XXXXXXXX
Incident Details:
June 3, 2010: The client's first visit. Audio file 06620100603.wav.
"Hello, Mr. Zhang. Please tell us what happened to you."
"Uh... Actually, I'm not even sure if what happened to me was... a paranormal incident. That's what you call it, right?"
"Yes. Just tell us what happened, and we'll help you determine that."
"Well, here's what happened. I used to be a salesman, just an ordinary salesman. I sold medical equipment, houses, cars... The pay was decent, but it was hard work."
"Mm-hmm."
"Then, about five years ago, I won some money in the lottery. I'd always bought tickets, but the most I'd ever won was five or ten yuan. That time, I won three thousand."
"Congratulations."
"Congratulations? Sigh... A week after I won, I got a call saying my grandmother, who lived back in my hometown, had fallen and hurt her back. She had to stay in bed for over half a year. I didn't keep any of the money. I sent it all back home to her."
"I see. Did anything happen after that?"
"A couple of months later, the stock market was doing badly, but one of the stocks I'd bought was a rare bright spot. I made tens of thousands, so I hurried and sold it."
"Mm-hmm. Did something happen after you sold it?"
"Yes! Less than two days later, I got a call from back home. One of my uncles had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He only had a month to live."
Before you continue