Chapter 5: Dusting Off (Part 2)

  Longshan and Geng Fenghuang followed closely behind Long Dahai, passing through the pagoda tree forest, but lost sight of Long Dahai's trail. The two were anxiously searching when a taxi stopped beside them. A man in his fifties with a round face, big head, and a flat-top haircut stretched out his pale and chubby hand to shake hands with Geng Fenghu: "Under the pagoda tree up ahead, there is often a young female ghost. The female ghost wears white clothes, revealing a pair of snow-white and tender breasts, with several holes between them oozing fresh blood. Her lips seem to be there but not there, her flesh blurred with blood. On the pagoda tree, there is also a white-flowered snake that specializes in sucking women's souls. You two shouldn't go any further."

  "Do you think I'm a kid?" Geng Fenghua recognized the man as Pang Shunxing, the secretary of Xiaolonghe Street, at a glance. She didn't shake hands with him, but instead tossed her long hair.

  "You think I'm joking! I'm actually concerned about you." Pang Shunxing said very seriously.

  "For years you've been concerned about me, shouldn't I come visit and thank you in person?"

  "I'll take a bath first, and when I get back, I'll entertain you at Chui Meng Mountain Villa." Pang Shunxing said as he was about to board the car.

  Geng Fenghuang gazed at the receding car shadow, her memories drifting back to a banquet in her middle school days:

  "Who says I can't drink?" A sweet, gentle voice echoed, and a slender girl walked into the room. She had a head of flowing shoulder-length hair, wore a sleeveless shirt that exposed her navel, and a super short skirt with a damaged hem that was even more trendy. Without wearing long stockings, her snow-white legs made everyone's imagination run wild. Everyone was shocked as she sat down in the chair next to Pang Shunxing, grabbed Pang Xianhui's wine glass, and before anyone could react, the wine had already gone into her stomach. She lightly wiped her lips painted with lipstick with her fingers stained with nail polish, saying: "Looks like I'm a distinguished guest! Leaving such a good seat for me. Director Pang, you wouldn't have any ulterior motives, would you?"

  "My goodness! How is Geng Fenghuang dressed like that?" Pang Xianhui shouted.

  "It really can't be seen anymore, Fenghuang!" Xue Lian said with great surprise, "A few days ago, you were wearing a school uniform and had a young student's hairstyle, didn't you look very pretty? Why did you come up with such an outfit again, and even wear a wig!"

  "Then it's just you, Xue Lian sister, who says I'm in a hurry with him! Xue Lian sister, tell me the truth, was my original long hair better or is this short hair that school advocates for better?"

  "Of course, long hair is still better!" Xue Lian said without hesitation.

  "It used to be original, now it's fake! How can you make us students? And how can we have a smile? I also thought long hair and short skirt were good, so today I wore something more fashionable. But my long hair is gone, I want to use this, sister, you say, this isn't fake, it's real! Dragon Mountain and I aren't in a premature relationship, you are the one who really is!" Geng Fenghua was probably drunk, stood up, and actually pointed at Pang Shunxing with her finger, laughing loudly. That laughter had lost its former innocence, filled with anger and faint sadness.

  Longshan Hui and Pang Xianhui focused their eyes on Geng Fenghuang's body, while Xue Lian lowered her head as if noticing something under the table - a snake-like hand was crawling up from her knee...

  "Teacher Xue Lian, you seem to have caught a cold, your face is so red!" Long Shan asked with concern.

  "Maybe it's the effect of the wine." she said hesitantly.

  "You haven't had a drink yet!" Long Shan said in surprise.

  "I've never been one for it, maybe I was drunk..." Xue Lian gave Pang Shun enough face, thinking that by being lenient he would withdraw his demonic hand, but instead he thought he had an opportunity and perhaps with Xue Lian's tacit consent, his hand slid onto her elastic thigh...

  Longshan looked at Geng Fenghuang's flushed face and hastily asked: "Fenghuang, is anything wrong?"

  "No! No!" Geng Fenghuang was shouted back to reality by Longshan Hui. She looked at Longshan Hui and said, "Let's go, Principal Long! We won't get into trouble, will we?"

  "Look - there are words on the tree!" Geng Fenghuang was startled. Long Shan Hui ran over and saw that on the north side of the locust tree, it was written: "The sky is clear and bright, the ferry boat returns with the tide, the baby cries, don't look around." Could these words be related to the female ghost and the white snake? Long Shan Hui thought, and his heart also became fearful.

  Long Dahai spoke of the year of famine, his son Tian Tian starved to death in his wife's arms. His hungry wife was driven mad by the pain of losing her child! She actually steamed and ate the child's corpse. The child had no bones left, so he transformed into a snake, hating his mother, not even sparing her soul, biting her lips. Later, it was said that many young girls and beautiful women were attacked by snakes in the pagoda tree forest.

  Geng Fenghuang's heart grew even more tense after hearing the story, and a mix of fear and curiosity led her into a hallucination. She lifted her head to find a chubby little boy squatting on a tree branch, crying. A cold, twitching sensation like a snake crawled up Geng Fenghuang's forehead and back. On the tree, a bright light flashed several times, and a red glow shot over, as if a snake was devouring the tall, straight breast. The child's small hands grew larger and began to caress Geng Fenghuang's chest... Suddenly, a stone hit the pagoda tree, accompanied by the child's mournful laughter, and the ghostly shadow vanished. A white-flowered snake slithered into the grass with a terrifying laugh.

  Bang, bang - Long Dahai cracked his whip, lashing out at the weeds in front of the grave, seemingly a bit frantic: "Meng Hua, it wasn't your fault! Why did you have to kill yourself?! Tian Zi, how could you harm a woman?! I don't understand! Don't understand!!" Long Dahai threw down his whip, pulled out two small dishes, took out a piece of paper and a bottle of wine, sat quietly for a while, talking to his wife and child as if they were sitting in front of him, smiling at him. As the ashes flew away, his thoughts returned to that classroom where he had struggled his whole life, leaving behind hot tears, his trembling hands lit a cigarette, then quietly placed it in front of the grave, his fists clenched and pounding his own head...

  "I never thought that my partner, Long Dahai, is still carrying the black pot of 'coarse female student'. Pang Haiyan divorced him and he lost his teaching position forever. His lifelong reputation as a educator for Xiaolonghe was also ruined!" Long Dahai poured out his heart to Geng Fenghua about those unbearable years, his hands shaking with excitement... "Ah! Let's not mention this anymore."

  Long Dahai stood up, went straight back to the boat, picked up the whip and cracked it in the air - a few loud cracks. Suddenly, tens of thousands of geese and ducks swam over from the distant river surface.

  "Grandfather, how did you and Pang Haiyan come together for the revolutionary goal? Give it to..." Geng Fenghua hastily changed the subject.