The third day of the Lunar New Year, in Yutang County.
Compared to the previous two days, there were noticeably more people on the streets. Nie Jiuluo wore a red knit hat and an ankle-length white down coat that looked like a quilt, thick wool-lined boots on her feet, one arm in a sling, eating candied hawthorns as she walked around.
The knit hat was bought after she arrived – she’d underestimated the northern cold. Walking in the wind with a bare head had felt like she had no hair at all, her scalp stinging with cold.
The quilted-down coat was her own, and since she wore little underneath, it was her only defense against the cold.
Her arm didn’t need the sling anymore, but she’d discovered that without it, she risked getting bumped in crowds. With the sling, people made way when she walked, and in shops, crowds would always leave enough space for her – a courtesy one normally couldn’t enjoy.
The candied hawthorns…
Were purely to give her mouth something to do while walking around bored.
She was waiting for Yu Rong.
She’d done quite a lot lately.
That day, after receiving Lin Ling’s call, she first contacted Xing Shen, asking him to arrange for people to immediately move Liu Changxi and Lin Ling somewhere else – true, they hadn’t been spotted by Lin Xirou yet, but since she’d already appeared in the county, what if?
They found a suitable excuse, saying that since Lin Ling had been imposing on him for so long, to show gratitude, she’d invited Liu Changxi on a short holiday. After much persuasion, Liu Changxi packed his bags and left, with mixed feelings.
He was happy because after living most of his life, he’d never properly traveled before. He was worried about his shop, temporarily left in his worker’s care – he wasn’t sure how reliable that would be.
Next, she called Old Cai, who was sunbathing in Sanya.
You said we couldn’t access surveillance footage in big cities? Well, now I’m looking into a small county. You’re well-connected – surely you can pull some strings in a small county?
Old Cai didn’t disappoint. After reaching out to various friends in roundabout ways, he actually got her the footage from that day, while complaining about her strange pursuits: “You’re supposed to be an artist, why are you always checking surveillance footage? Looking for a career change?”
Nie Jiuluo first checked the footage from the street where Liu Changxi’s shop was located. There was indeed such a car – a black Mercedes that stopped for about a minute, picked up a takeout bag, and hurriedly left.
Following this lead, she watched as the Mercedes disappeared in the western suburbs of the county. The reason was simple: that area was dilapidated and had no surveillance cameras.
Nie Jiuluo searched online for electronic and satellite maps of Yutang County and was surprised to discover that in the western part, there was a place called Lao Niutou Ridge, where Yan Tuo’s father Yan Haishan had once operated a coal mine. At the end of ’97, the mine changed hands, and later, for various reasons, was shut down.
Yutang County, Lao Niutou Ridge, Yan Haishan’s coal mine – could Yan Tuo be there?
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
—Lin Xirou first appeared in Yutang County, so it wasn’t unreasonable to think this was her original base.
—On New Year’s Eve afternoon, Xiong Hei got takeout dumplings from a street-side shop, with Lin Xirou in the back seat. Who were those dumplings for? Someone as privileged as Lin Xirou wouldn’t settle for takeout as a meal, and if Xiong Hei wanted to eat, he could have dined in – why the rush to get takeout?
—From subsequent surveillance footage, about an hour and a half later, that black Mercedes appeared again, following the same route out of Yutang County.
There had to be something in the Lao Niutou Ridge area.
Yan Tuo might or might not be there, but either way, it was worth checking out: best if he was there, but even if not, the trip wouldn’t be wasted.
Not knowing exactly what to expect at Lao Niutou Ridge, after careful consideration, she decided to investigate quietly first.
Nie Jiuluo called Xing Shen again, asking to borrow someone – even if she wasn’t injured with one arm out of commission, going alone would be dangerous.
Having someone as a backup would be safer.
After hearing her plan, Xing Shen was silent for a while: “A’Luo, you usually stay behind the scenes. For this kind of reconnaissance, why don’t I send someone else?”
Nie Jiuluo disagreed. After so long, they finally had a lead – if she handed it to someone else and they messed up, who could she blame? Important matters should be handled personally; success or failure would be her responsibility.
Xing Shen wanted to go himself, but with Jiang Baichuan away, he needed to stay put and couldn’t run around. Besides, he couldn’t smell xiào anymore – what would be the point of him going?
So they settled on Yu Rong – first, as a ghost hand, it wouldn’t be strange for her to meet Feng Dao; second, Yu Rong was quite skilled, and could help if trouble arose.
On the phone, Nie Jiuluo also asked Xing Shen for one more favor.
Lin Ling was adopted too early to remember her hometown, but now with Li Ergou’s appearance, things have become easier: Liu Changxi remembered Li Ergou’s hometown down to the village. She asked Xing Shen to send two people to inquire about what family Li Ergou still had there, and what relationship Lin Ling had with him.
After arranging everything, she packed her equipment and headed straight for Yutang. Before leaving, she specifically checked on Chen Fu’s condition to ensure there wouldn’t be unnecessary trouble if he suddenly revived while no one was home.
As it turned out, there was no need to worry: Chen Fu, probably because he was “killed” again so quickly after his last revival and hadn’t had time to replenish his nutrition, was recovering much slower this second time, and his whole body had shriveled up, becoming much more emaciated.
When she’d eaten half the candied hawthorns, her phone rang.
Answering it, Yu Rong was on the other end: “I’m here, where are you?”
Nie Jiuluo looked around, feeling there weren’t any particularly notable landmarks, so she gave her the hotel name: “I’ll head back now, let’s meet at the hotel entrance.”
…
Ten minutes later, Nie Jiuluo walked into the street where the hotel was located, and from afar saw a red car parked at the entrance.
Yutang wasn’t a tourist destination – during the Spring Festival, the hotel business was quite slow.
This must be the car, Nie Jiuluo thought, walking straight toward it.
In the car, Yu Rong saw her through the side mirror but didn’t take her seriously: she thought this couldn’t be Nie Er – what was this, all in white, wearing a little red hat, carrying candied hawthorns.
Feng Dao, even if she wasn’t walking around brandishing a big knife, should at least have some “killing aura,” right?
Damn, Little Red Riding Hood walked straight over and stood by the driver’s side window.
Standing there not leaving – surely she wasn’t asking for money? Yu Rong had to look up through the half-open window: “It’s you?”
Nie Jiuluo: “Yes, it’s me.”
She glanced inside the car, then gestured upward: “I’ll go get my equipment bag, won’t be long, wait a moment.”
Yu Rong watched her walk away, her mouth twitching involuntarily.
Her? Really?
Without a hint of madness, how could she be “Feng Dao” (Mad Blade)?
Yu Rong, however, perfectly matched Nie Jiuluo’s image of a “Ghost Hand”: looking exactly as an animal trainer should, with that lizard on her head adding the right touch—she wouldn’t give up her long hair, but if she’d been born irredeemably bald, she’d have gotten something equally bold and fierce tattooed there.
She came down with her equipment bag, tossed it in the back seat, and took the passenger seat: “I’ll guide you. There’s a route with minimal surveillance cameras that leads to the back of Lao Niutou Ridge. We’ll circle up from the back slope.”
Yu Rong asked: “Going down into the mine?”
“Might have to. I just arrived this morning, and haven’t checked it out in person yet.”
Yu Rong started the car: “This isn’t like you. I heard Nie Er never cares about other people’s business.”
Nie Jiuluo said: “That’s right, and what I’m busy with now isn’t other people’s business either.”
Yu Rong: “So he’s one of your own? We’re not your people, but he is?”
Nie Jiuluo smiled: “That depends on how you define ‘one’s own.’ He knows my birthday, zodiac sign, food preferences—do you? Turn right here.”
Yu Rong turned right while nodding: “Well when you put it that way, he is indeed one of your own.”
After a pause, she added: “We’ve found out about Li Ergou.”
Nie Jiuluo was surprised: “So quickly?”
“When you know someone’s hometown, and name, and that they disappeared while working at a mine over twenty years ago—there aren’t many such people. Young folks might not know, but ask a few elderly people and you’ll get answers.”
True enough. Nie Jiuluo asked: “Lin Ling and Li Ergou, they’re siblings, right?”
They had to be either father and daughter or siblings, and Nie Jiuluo thought siblings were more likely: Li Ergou disappeared in ’92, but Lin Ling was born after ’95. If they were father and daughter, Li Ergou’s disappearance would have to have been fake.
Yu Rong confirmed this: “Right, they’re siblings. But not in the way you think.”
What other way could siblings be? Nie Jiuluo was puzzled.
Yu Rong kept her eyes on the road: “You think after Li Ergou died, the elderly couple had a daughter, right?”
Of course, Nie Jiuluo found it amusing: “Obviously she was born after him, couldn’t have been before.”
Yu Rong explained: “Li Ergou’s father was a gambling addict, and his mother was materialistic. When Li Ergou was in his teens, they were already living separate lives. Later, when Li Ergou disappeared, they figured they could extort money from the mine, so they temporarily set aside their differences, playing the role of a loving couple and caring parents seeking justice for their son.”
“But how could someone as shrewd as Yan Haishan be fooled by two villagers? In the end, he publicly exposed Li Ergou’s theft and suspected his parents were accomplices. The couple, fearing trouble, slunk back to their village.”
“Back home, they continued living separately, but suddenly one day, villagers discovered they’d moved in together.”
Nie Jiuluo sensed Yu Rong wouldn’t tell this story without reason, so she listened quietly without interrupting.
Sure enough.
“Rumors said someone from the city gave the couple a deposit, asking them to have another child while they were still able. They said they’d take whatever was born, boy or girl, as long as it survived. One or two, they’d take them all. The only condition was DNA testing at handover—the children had to be theirs, not random kids they found to fulfill the deal.”
Nie Jiuluo wanted to laugh but couldn’t.
“Don’t know exactly how much money was offered, but it must have been considerable, enough to make these long-separated people live together harmoniously again.”
“Lin Ling was probably the first successful delivery. With that first one, the good life began.”
Nie Jiuluo’s heart jumped, and she blurted out: “Was there a second one?”
The traffic light turned red, and Yu Rong stopped the car, turning to smile at Nie Jiuluo: “Interesting, isn’t it? We thought we were just checking family relations, but ended up uncovering quite a twisted story.”
“Yes, there was a second one. Soon after Lin Ling was handed over, the woman got pregnant again.”
“But she didn’t tell anyone. She felt the money split was unfair—it shouldn’t be equal. The man only contributed a little effort, while she had to carry the child for ten months and risk death during childbirth. Too unfair. So for this second child, she didn’t want to share with the man, wanted to keep all the money.”
Nie Jiuluo felt like she was hearing an Arabian Nights tale. Only when the car started moving did she remember Yu Rong was waiting for directions: “Uh… keep going straight, big turn at the end.”
“She ran away secretly, planning to negotiate directly with the buyer in the city. But the man found out and felt extremely wronged. He thought, ‘They specifically said it had to be from both of us—this isn’t something you can do alone.’ So he went to intercept her at the station.”
“They got into a fight at the station, saying awful things. The man, in a fit of rage, stabbed her. After stabbing her, he panicked and fled blindly, getting hit by a car. A family of four—no, counting the unborn child, five—in the end, only Lin Ling survived. Thinking about it, she’s quite fortunate. She wasn’t meant to exist in this world, yet here she is.”
“That’s the story, which is why I said Lin Ling and Li Ergou are siblings, but not in the way you thought.”
After finishing the story, Yu Rong fell silent, focusing on driving. Nie Jiuluo also stayed quiet, only giving directions when necessary.
They gradually left the city. Yutang’s western suburbs were truly desolate, with the kind of abandonment that comes after human activity ceases—houses, factories, and cars, are all abandoned.
It was absurd, really—how land could be so different. In some places, every inch was worth its weight in gold, with developers fighting over small plots, while in other places, the land was worth less than garbage—at least garbage got collected.
Lao Niutou Ridge loomed in the distance. Despite having “ridge” in its name, it wasn’t much of a mountain, just a slope.
The car drove up from behind the ridge, the path was eerily quiet—forget people, they hadn’t even seen a dog. The sun seemed to set faster in these outskirts than in the city. When they left town, the sunlight had been intense, but here it was already dim and cool.
Finally, the car stopped at the mine’s main entrance.
The iron gate leading to the compound was closed and locked, with three metal sign plates jutting out at the top, bearing the characters for “High,” “Work,” and “Home.”
It easily brought to mind the most popular factory slogan from a decade or two ago:
—”Happily go to work, safely return home.”
Both sat motionless in the car, even their breathing shallow. After a while, Yu Rong whispered: “Nie Er, is this ridge deserted? Could someone be hiding, watching our car’s movements?”
It was possible.
Nie Jiuluo reached back for her equipment bag, unzipping it with a sharp sound.
Yu Rong watched intently. Before leaving, she’d gotten a gun from Xing Shen, but honestly, hearing the other side was equipped with submachine guns, one pistol wouldn’t count for much in a real confrontation.
She hoped Nie Jiuluo would pull out something more impressive from her bag.
Nie Jiuluo took out a selfie stick with a tripod and forcefully extended it to nearly a meter long.
Yu Rong was puzzled: “What are you doing?”
Nie Jiuluo smiled sweetly: “I’m going to livestream. If anyone’s watching us, they’ll come out to stop me from exploring the mine.”
With that, she opened the car door and slipped out.
Yu Rong watched her retreating figure.
This Little Red Riding Hood was interesting—now showing some of that “Feng Dao” spirit.
A rustling sound came from the back trunk, and Yu Rong coughed twice. The sound immediately ceased.