Chapter 707: Midnight Ghostly Voices, Old Jia

Seeing someone about to leave, Yi Zhonghai felt both panicked and lost.

In the end, panic and loss gained the upper hand.

"Fang Fang, over these years you've attended to me very well; I'll raise your wages by a thousand."

The woman's body paused, then she continued walking forward.

"Uncle Yi, this really isn't about money."

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth.

"Two thousand."

This time the woman truly couldn't walk away; she hesitated for a long while before finally turning back.

"Fine, I'll count this as being a bedside attendant."

Saying that, she went to fetch a set of bedding, pulled out the folding bed, then found an empty spot in the room and set it up.

Not long after, the woman lay down on the bed and fell asleep.

Yi Zhonghai watched the woman in the distance, feeling both relieved and excited.

The older one gets, the more one understands the preciousness of a spouse in old age.

Many people, even in their seventies or eighties, still seek a companion; this is not shamelessness but a spiritual need.

Emptiness, loneliness, and cold are not exclusive to the young; the elderly feel them just as much.

Soon the night passed; the woman tidied up, then went to cook and clean.

Two thousand yuan is still a considerable sum at this time.

His pension, despite repeated increases, is only just over two thousand.

He still receives top-tier worker benefits; if it were anyone else, they'd get only a few hundred, up to a thousand.

"Forget it—after all, you can't bring wealth into life, nor take it out of death."

"Moreover, I've saved quite a bit of money over these years."

"So I won't ask my daughter for any."

"It's not that he doesn't want it; rather, even if he asked, they might not give it."

Had it not been that the rent for this courtyard was already paid, the caregiver fees have remained this high; Yi Xiaoxiao and Jia Ling could hardly afford to hire help—they're not young either, and they also have a whole family to support.

How could one possibly, for someone who treats them poorly and who year after year extorts their money, wishing to drain them dry, neglect the family?

Yi Zhonghai also understands this, which is why he gave up his own pension.

To find someone to keep him company while he sleeps.

Perhaps the relationship could become even closer.

Having figured this out, Yi Zhonghai no longer feels sorry about the money.

Especially given the ghostly situation.

Days passed uneventfully.

Just as Yi Zhonghai relaxed, thinking he had been sleepwalking and that nothing was there, and could turn off the light to sleep.

That night.

Dark clouds covered the sky; inside the house, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

The wind blew against the roof, making a wooing sound.

Yi Zhonghai, who was sleeping soundly, faintly heard someone calling him again.

"Elder Uncle, Elder Uncle, I'm Old Jia—have you seen my old lady………"

"Elder Uncle, Elder Uncle……"

Yi Zhonghai turned over, muttering.

"Let me sleep a little longer, let me sleep a little longer."

The voice paused for half a moment, then faintly came again.

However, this time it was much clearer and also much louder.

"Elder Uncle, Elder Uncle, I'm Old Jia—have you seen my old lady…………"

The voice's gender and age were indistinguishable; listening to it felt extremely eerie, not like human speech……

Yi Zhonghai, who had been sleeping soundly, this time did not sleep as deeply.

He drifted into a half-dreaming, half-awake state.

He dreamed that Old Jia, covered in blood, suddenly appeared before him.

Then he asked him.

"Elder Uncle, Elder Uncle, I'm Old Jia—have you seen my wife…………"

In the dream, Yi Zhonghai was terrified……

His heart, liver, and lungs almost jumped out from fright.

"Old Jia!"

The blood-soaked Old Jia lifted his head, and a grim, terrifying corpse's face suddenly appeared before him.

"Ah……"

Yi Zhonghai was scared to death; it was too terrifying.

He felt the urge to urinate again.

"Elder Uncle, Yi Zhonghai, I asked you to look after my wife—now give her back to me."

Yi Zhonghai retreated in terror again and again.

"Old Jia, Old Jia, Jia Zhangshi has already gone to find you……"

Old Jia objected.

Impossible, I never even saw her.

Yi Zhonghai, I entrusted my wife to you, you return my wife to me.

Yi Zhonghai fell to his knees with a plop.

Jia bro, Jia bro, Jia Zhangshi really went to look for you…………

You believe me………

Old Jia stretched out both hands; only to see Old Jia's hands were dark and glossy, nails seven or eight centimeters long, pointed, and glinting with a cold light.

Yi Zhonghai, return my wife.

Ah…………

Yi Zhonghai, frightened, turned and ran.

Old Jia chased after him madly.

Yi Zhonghai, return my wife……

Running and running, not knowing how long he had run, suddenly there was nothing beneath his feet.

Ah…………

It turned out he had jumped off the cliff.

Ah…………

His arms and legs flailed, the sensation of weightlessness filling him with great panic.

Ah……………

He seemed never to reach the ground, and he grew ever more terrified.

Ah……………

(Falling‑off‑a‑cliff dreams are very common; many people have them.)

Suddenly he jerked awake from the dream.

Yi Zhonghai gasped desperately, too terrifying, too terrifying—was this death?

Endlessly falling, a void of nothingness; only those who have experienced it know how terrifying it is.

Chirp chirp chirp…………

Elder Uncle, Elder Uncle, I'm Old Jia, ah, have you seen my wife…………

Ah…………

This time Yi Zhonghai shouted even louder.

Fang Fang was also startled awake.

Uncle Yi, what's wrong with you.

Yi Zhonghai shouted loudly.

There's a ghost.

Fang Fang again thought he was being foolish.

At that moment, a voice came from afar.

Neither male nor female, neither old nor young, neither yin nor yang, full of eeriness.

Elder Uncle, Elder Uncle, I'm Old Jia, ah……………

Fang Fang also let out a loud cry.

Ah, a ghost………

She rolled and ran, rushing toward Yi Zhonghai's bed.

Yi Zhonghai heard the piercing cries, his fear growing greater.

This time he heard it clearly—someone was calling him.

Ah………ah…………

Afterward he felt a black shadow rush at him.

He was greatly startled.

His heart almost leapt out of his chest, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets, his jaw almost split apart…………

Just as he felt he was about to die.

A warm, smooth, delicate body then rushed into his embrace.

Uncle Yi, a ghost.

Yi Zhonghai was frightened badly, and instinctively clutched the other's body tightly.

The sound outside paused for a moment, then fell silent.

The two held each other for a long time.

Slowly they regained some of their senses.

Yi Zhonghai held the warm body, feeling himself healed.

He didn't want to let go at all.

Fang Fang also seemed frightened silly, clutching Yi Zhonghai tightly, with no intention of letting go.

One hour later.

Only then did Yi Zhonghai speak softly.

Has it left?

Fang Fang, trembling, spoke softly.

I don't know.

Yi Zhonghai loosened his grip.

Otherwise, you go turn on the light?

I don't, I'm afraid...

Yi Zhonghai fell silent, his heart thumping.

After a while he managed to utter a sentence.

Otherwise, let's lie down.

This old body of mine really can't take it anymore.

The woman didn't speak, and the two of them collapsed in an embrace.

The room remained pitch black.

Outside, from time to time, the wind made a wailing sound against the roof ridge.

The fear slowly faded.

But the temperature kept getting hotter.