Chapter 41: 41 Ferrying People and Ghosts

41 Ferrying People and Ghosts

This restaurant is located on the top floor of one of Nan Cheng's landmark buildings.

Reservations here are already booked up to the second half of the year.

But restaurants with this reservation system always hold a few of the best spots for members, so they won't show up last minute and find no seats.

As a paragon of male virtue, Xie Shiyu naturally doesn't have a membership at this couples' restaurant.

After Lu Ze Yuan finished speaking, he had Secretary Li directly top up one million, making him a VVVIP of this store.

After all, that friend of his is famously picky, so his recommendation is definitely good.

Thinking that if Tushan Jiu liked the ambiance and dishes here, they could come often in the future.

The waiter led them to the seat prepared in advance.

Tushan Jiu had just sat down when she eagerly turned her head toward the window.

This seat is right by the floor-to-ceiling window, with 360-degree panoramic glass, offering a view over most of Nan Cheng.

At this time, all of Nan Cheng's landmark lights were on, the various colors and shapes resembling a light show.

The restaurant's own starry‑sky ceiling lights, paired with the live violin performance, pushed the romantic atmosphere to the extreme.

Seeing she seemed to like it, Xie Shiyu curled his lips; it turned out asking Lu Ze Yuan that guy was indeed the right call.

Xie Shiyu said softly: "If you like it, we'll come whenever we have time."

Tushan Jiu just kept her face pressed to the window watching the scenery, giving a half‑hearted "Mm‑hm, I know."

Xie Shiyu helplessly shook his head.

This meal made Tushan Jiu's stomach comfortable, her eyes comfortable, and her mood even more comfortable.

On the way home, just as they were about to reach the gate of the Xie family's old residence, Tushan Jiu told Xie Shiyu to stop the car.

She unbuckled her seatbelt: "Wait a moment, I'm going to make a deal with that girl."

Xie Shiyu was first startled, then he recalled that milk tea from the arcade, and calmly nodded.

Nevertheless, he also got out of the car with Tushan Jiu, standing by the vehicle where he could see her spot and wait for her.

Tushan Jiu got out of the car, walked to a spot two meters behind it, stopped, and looked at the girl, asking bluntly: "I'm about to get home—little sis, how much longer will you follow me?"

Shang Yu burst into tears instantly, sobbing "wu‑wu‑wu."

But ghosts have no tears, so she could only rub her hand where tears would be, though none existed.

She cried sorrowfully, choking out sob after sob: "Sis, big sis, you, can you, can you help me? They can't hear me speak. I don't want my little sister to be unhappy, I don't want Mom and Dad to feel guilty, I don't want home to not feel like home, I don't want relatives to turn into enemies!"

Tushan Jiu fell silent for two seconds, sighed, pulled a nail clipper from her pocket and handed it over: "Hold onto this. Take it, and then I can help you."

She didn't mention that she was a nail‑clipper person.

A child who died at twelve wouldn't understand those things, so there's no need to explain all that to her.

Although the Shang family's misfortune is just one among a million unfortunate families, a mere few words could save those three for a lifetime, and Tushan Jiu considered it as her own merit‑gathering.

Tushan Jiu remembers that when she was little, before her parents passed away, the three of them used to sit on Hou Shan to watch the moon, and her mother once said something.

She said: "Xiao Jiu, remember that the world's suffering is like the stars in the night sky—endless and uncountable. Those of us in this line are destined to see the darkest side of this world; over time we'll surely grow numb, but even so we must keep a sense of duty. You were born into the metaphysical world, so your responsibility is to ferry people and ghosts."

As a child she never understood her mother's words, thinking that ferrying people and ghosts simply meant keeping the yin‑yang order in check—catching ghosts and saving people.

But later she realized her mother didn't mean that; her mother meant to save those who can be saved, both people and ghosts.

It's not about grabbing every ghost you see, because ghosts come in good and evil varieties.

Nor is it about saving every person you meet, because people too are split into good and bad.

She understood, and for many years she has been doing exactly that.

And today, upon seeing the Shang family's sisters already separated by yin and yang, she knew that the three of them were destined for her to ferry.

Shang Yu looked at the tiny nail clipper in Tushan Jiu's palm, shook her head, and whispered, "Big sis, I can't touch……."

Suddenly her words stopped, because she recalled that cup of sweet yangzhi ganlu.

Tushan Jiu raised her hand again: "Hold on to it. Tomorrow I'll come to your house. Don't follow me—go back and spend more time with your parents, or go find your sister. You don't have much time left."

Shang Yu hesitated not at all, afraid Tushan Jiu might change her mind, and quickly seized the nail clipper from her hand.

That speed was like clutching tightly to her last and only hope.

Tushan Jiu thought to herself, "Deal preliminarily reached," then turned and walked away.

After returning to the Xie household, the two assumed everyone was asleep.

But unexpectedly, in the living room Grandfather Xie was watching a romance variety show, saying, "Oh dear, this TV drama is really good."

Xie Jingzhou and Xie Jingting were playing a game, saying, "Someone's in the bushes, huh? When did I die?"

"Oh, I think I died too."

Meanwhile Xu Airu and Xie Wenmo, each holding a teacup, said, "Cheers!"

Tushan Jiu and Xie Shiyu locked gazes, both wearing a rare look of bewilderment.

What on earth are they doing?