Hiding in the Bathroom, We're Here to Deliver Food

That fishy stench was no different from the smell on Zhang Qiang, the Drowned Ghost.

I knew Zhang Qiang had come looking for us.

I just hadn't expected him to arrive so quickly.

Footsteps approached from outside the bathroom door as well.

Tap, tap, tap. They were faint and light.

They seemed to have come from another room.

I stared tensely at the door, my heart lodged in my throat.

But the footsteps soon passed our door and headed toward the living room.

Before long, the whole house fell silent again.

Inside the bathroom, there was nothing but Uncle Yu's breathing and mine.

Yet the fishy stench in the air never faded.

That meant Zhang Qiang, the Drowned Ghost, was still outside.

About ten minutes later, two clicks sounded, and a tiny flame lit up the pitch-black bathroom.

I looked up and saw Uncle Yu lighting a cigarette.

The red flame cast a glow over his face.

But I could see that Uncle Yu didn't look too good either.

With his back against the bathroom door, he frowned deeply.

After Uncle Yu took a hard drag, the flame went out.

In the darkness, that tiny point of light made things seem a little less black.

"Xiao Jiang, want one to calm your nerves?"

Uncle Yu spoke in a low voice.

I was panicking too, so I nodded.

"Yeah, give me one!"

Uncle Yu felt around in the dark and handed me a cigarette.

I flicked my lighter twice to light it, then took a deep drag as well.

I normally didn't like smoking. Two cigarettes in a row were enough to make me dizzy.

But under this pressure, with smoke flowing in and out of my lungs, I seemed to relax a little...

Uncle Yu and I sat on the floor like that.

By the faint glow of the cigarettes, we could make out each other's silhouettes.

Uncle Yu exhaled a cloud of smoke and whispered to me:

"That bastard's definitely guarding the door.

As long as he doesn't come in, we don't go out.

Once we make it to daylight, we'll be fine."

After saying that, Uncle Yu pulled out his phone and checked the time.

There were still five hours until dawn.

He also used the phone to shine a light around us.

The bathroom was bare. Aside from the shower, sink, mirror, shelf, and toilet, there was nothing else.

And at some point, a talisman had been drawn on the bathroom door.

It was dripping with blood.

I looked at Uncle Yu's finger, which was still bleeding.

He must have bitten it open and drawn it after we came in.

I saw it but said nothing.

I let out a puff of smoke and gave Uncle Yu a quiet "Mm."

But right then, those faint footsteps sounded again.

Tap, tap, tap...

And they were coming closer.

The sound was incredibly soft, like a sheet of paper drifting down onto the floor.

If we hadn't been in such a dead-silent, enclosed house, we never would have heard it.

At the sound, Uncle Yu and I both tensed up.

Uncle Yu quickly turned off his phone's flashlight and looked toward the bathroom door.

After taking a few more steps, the footsteps seemed to stop outside the bathroom.

I could clearly feel a cold draft constantly seeping through the crack beneath the door, icy enough to pierce the bone.

Then came two soft coughs.

Cough, cough...

They weren't loud, but they were clear.

And they came from right outside the door.

Someone was clearly standing there.

Uncle Yu and I stared warily at the bathroom door, holding our breath. Neither of us dared speak or move.

The silence was broken a few seconds later.

The Old Crone's hoarse voice suddenly rang out from the doorway:

"No smoking in my house!"

Hearing that, Uncle Yu and I both looked at the cigarette butts in our hands.

Uncle Yu hurriedly waved at me, signaling for me to put mine out.

I didn't dare delay and immediately crushed it out.

Once the cigarette was extinguished, those faint footsteps sounded again.

Tap, tap, tap...

Before long, there was no sound again.

The house fell quiet once more.

Uncle Yu pressed his ear to the bathroom door and listened for a while before speaking to me.

"Xiao Jiang, it's fine now. Get some sleep!"

I gave a bitter smile. How could I possibly sleep?

My entire body was wound tight, let alone in such a dark, sealed-off haunted house.

I lowered my voice and said to Uncle Yu:

"Uncle Yu, I can't sleep."

"Fine. Then we'll tough it out until dawn."

After replying, Uncle Yu didn't speak to me again.

The two of us sat on the floor with our backs against the wall, breathing in that pungent fishy stench.

Time passed agonizingly slowly.

I had thought the night would pass like this.

But at around three in the morning, those faint footsteps sounded again.

The tap, tap, tap of footsteps came toward us and finally stopped at the door.

The Old Crone's hoarse voice rang out again:

"You've been using the bathroom for so long. Someone's waiting for you at the door!"

The sudden voice made Uncle Yu and me tense up again.

I didn't dare say anything.

But Uncle Yu answered from inside:

"Old Aunt, my stomach hurts today, so I'll need a little longer."

After Uncle Yu said that, there was no sound outside.

More than ten seconds later, the footsteps gradually receded.

At the same time, the Old Crone muttered to herself:

"Two grown men using the bathroom together for so long. Aren't they ashamed?"

Her voice was so faint that I couldn't hear it clearly.

But it seemed we had managed to fool her.

Then, an hour later, those tap, tap, tap footsteps came back.

And the Old Crone spoke to us through the bathroom door again:

"Food delivery boys, where did you put my food?"

Food? What food did Uncle Yu and I have?

We had come here to avoid disaster.

We were using this haunted house to hide from Zhang Qiang's pursuit.

After hearing that, Uncle Yu fell silent for a moment before saying:

"Old Aunt, I'll give it to you once I'm done in the bathroom!"

"Oh!"

The Old Crone answered from outside and walked away again.

Uncle Yu was obviously lying to the Old Crone outside.

But that was all we could do.

If she threw us out, Uncle Yu and I would have nowhere to hide.

And so, we suffered in the bathroom for another half hour or so.

Then a series of knocks suddenly rang out from outside the house.

Thud, thud-thud-thud-thud, thud, thud-thud-thud-thud...

The knocking came from the front door, in a steady rhythm.

And it sounded four times in a row...

I'd heard the elders in the village mention it before.

There were rules to knocking: three knocks for the living, four for ghosts.

Whoever was knocking outside was most likely not human.

There was a good chance Zhang Qiang, the Drowned Ghost, had grown tired of waiting and wanted to come in himself...

That was what I thought.

The Old Crone's footsteps sounded again, stopping outside the bathroom door.

Then she spoke in a low, raspy voice:

"Your friend is about to smash my door down.

Hurry up and go out! I don't want your food anymore."

But how could we dare go out?

I held myself back from speaking.

Uncle Yu, however, answered:

"Don't know him. Old Aunt, our stomachs hurt. Let us stay a little longer. We'll give you the food when we come out."

Uncle Yu was still making excuses, continuing to make empty promises.

It seemed ghosts fell for that too.

But after a while, the knocking outside started up again.

Thud, thud-thud-thud-thud...

Hearing that sound, not only was the Old Crone irritated.

Even Uncle Yu and I in the bathroom were growing restless.

The Old Crone snorted coldly outside.

"Knock, knock, knock. So annoying.

Food delivery boys, pass the white silk ribbon out to me from underneath.

This old woman will go out and strangle him..."