facing danger, which is fear and avoidance,” I reassured myself.

The behavior of the locals, combined with the rumors online and the strange behavior of this old lady, all seem to be deliberately creating a terrifying atmosphere.
As someone who doesn’t believe in superstitions, I still think this is a prank.
Nowadays, many variety shows and programs are willing to go to any lengths to pursue high ratings.
Various extreme programs are constantly emerging.
Perhaps in a hidden place nearby, there are more than ten cameras installed to film everything.

As I thought this through, my sense of fear decreased.
I held up the umbrella and followed the old lady deeper into the alleyway.

After a long while, I had lost my sense of direction, but the old lady suddenly stopped walking.
“My precious grandson, don’t run off like that again…” she muttered.

“Did you find him?” I was slightly surprised and followed the direction of her gaze, slowly widening my eyes in shock.

The rain-soaked stairs were cold as we reached the end of the alley, and there on the steps lay a rag doll, soaked and tattered by the rain. 

The old woman picked up the doll with tenderness, disregarding the mud and water stains, and held it carefully as if it were a newborn baby.

“She, she’s insane?” I couldn’t believe I had just spent over an hour running through the rain with a crazy old woman.

“Oh, my dear doll, don’t be angry, let me apologize.
I shouldn’t have lost my temper and thrown you to the ground.
You’ve ruined your new flower dress, and your face is covered in mud.
It must hurt a lot, I’m so sorry! I’ll pat your clothes clean, wash your face, and rub where it hurts.
From now on, we’ll never be separated again.”


The old woman picked up the doll and sang a nursery rhyme as she went away.
I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for her, who, in her old age, only had a tattered doll as a companion.
With that thought in mind, I ran after the old woman and handed her my black umbrella, saying, “It’s raining heavily.
Please take the umbrella and go home quickly.”

The old woman took the umbrella and stood there stunned for a moment.
“Please be careful on your way home.
Goodbye,” I said, as the rain soaked my clothes.
I found refuge from the rain under the eaves of a small, three-story building with a long-standing rain shelter at the entrance—exactly where she found the doll.

“I’m working really hard for a mere seventy yuan,” I muttered to myself, feeling lost and confused.
I crouched down on the ground, instinctively reaching for a cigarette.
But as I flicked the lighter, my eyes caught sight of the doorplate on the exterior wall of the small building: “No.
44, No-Lights Road.”

In the flicker of the flame, I pulled out a small card and leaned in to confirm, “Could it really be this coincidental?” This was the place I had been searching for, where the advertisement claimed to be.

As the saying goes, “When you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on,” this is exactly the place I was looking for.

“The address on the advertisement card really exists; this is getting more interesting,” I thought to myself, my hand pressing the switch of the electric shock anti-wolf device.
Just as I was about to enter the building, my clothes were suddenly pulled from behind.

“Who’s there?!” I spun around and pulled out my anti-wolf device, the crackling electric arc sounding particularly crisp in the dark night.

“Grandma?” The old woman holding the ragdoll was standing behind me, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
Despite having achieved an A+ in practical combat training at the police academy, I had failed to detect her presence.

“Young man, it’s dark outside.
Don’t run around recklessly,” the old woman said as she blocked the ragdoll’s line of sight.
And almost unintentionally, she slipped a handkerchief out of her sleeve.

“Scurry up the lamp post, little mouse, and steal some oil to eat.
Unable to climb down, meow meow meow, the cat is coming, so roll down with a clatter…”

Singing this nursery rhyme and cradling the ragdoll in her arms, the old woman disappeared into the rainy night.

I picked up the handkerchief she left behind.
It was pure white, like the white silk used for hanging oneself.


Upon closer inspection, I saw that it also had a short and ancient poem inscribed on it.

The humble abode is so impoverished that it’s difficult to paint,

The origin of the emperor’s inner affairs lies in the imperial capital.

If one has received grace, one must have a place to call home,

In the realm of ghosts, the heart wanders aimlessly without a path to roam.

After reading it twice, I broke out in a cold sweat.
This was a hidden poem, where the first character of each line connected to form the phrase, “There’s a ghost in the house!”

“Is she really insane?” Combining the old woman’s previous words, her intended meaning was already quite clear.
Though veiled, it was at least logically sound.

“Do ghosts exist in this world?” I hesitated for a moment, then ultimately stepped into the pitch-black hallway.

For a detective, what always entices him is not the outcome but the process of solving the mystery.

As my eyes gradually adapted to the darkness, I felt my way along the mottled wall and descended the stairs towards the basement.

“44 No-Lights Road, 4th floor underground, Room 444…”

 **********

TN : Jiancheng can also be translated as Jiang city but I’ll continue with Jiangcheng

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