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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 16: The Legend
Chi Xinrong appeared relaxed, but I sensed she had ulterior motives. Sure enough, as soon as we got in the car, her questions came pouring out.
"Tell me a story," she said with a smile.
I chuckled, "Sure, what part do you want to hear?"
"Anything."
"How about I share the historical legends of our area?"
My words immediately piqued her curiosity. She leaned in eagerly, "What is it?"
"In Nanhu Park, there's a legend that it wasn't always a park; it used to be a flowing lake. This lake connected to a distant river. Recently, due to an earthquake and landslide caused by tectonic shifts, the lake's water flow was altered. Some strange things emerged from the depths of the lake, including human bones. No one knows from what era these bones are, so they were hastily buried together in a nearby graveyard. Later on, rumors spread that these bones were linked to a story from long ago, and the protagonist of that tale was named Shinang."
Chi Xinrong smirked and rolled her eyes, "Keep making it up; let's see how far you can go."
The story I was telling had some basis in reality, but it had little connection to Qin Jian or my journey. Chi Xinrong was sharp-witted; weaving this tale based on hearsay took quite a bit of mental effort. She still looked unimpressed, as if saying she could take it or leave it.
"I'll listen; I love hearing whatever you have to say. By the way, what exactly did your Shinang do?"
"Shinang? I don't really know her well; she seems to be a woman with a legendary story."
"A strong woman?"
"Come on, were there even strong women in ancient times?"
"Oh, I like that! What are you going to do about it?"
"Well, are you going to listen or not?"
"Alright, you win. Just hurry up and tell me."
I really didn't have the patience to go back and forth with her. Seeing that I was annoyed, Chi Xinrong wisely fell silent. I continued with the story I had started.
"The woman named Shinang drowned herself in the river, supposedly because of a heartless man. She threw all her savings into the water, and her spirit lingered on the river for a long time. Her bones became buried in the mud, and during an earthquake, they were dislodged and carried by the flowing river into our Nanhu Park. Then at night, some people claim to see a boat with a stunning woman in ancient attire dancing gracefully. Some say it's just a rumor, while others insist it's true. There are also those who believe it's an illusion caused by Evil Energy flowing down the river. So someone invited a Taoist priest to calculate that Nanhu Park could no longer be allowed to develop freely; they had to seal off the lake's water source to prevent terrible things from happening. However, according to scientific reasoning, sealing off the water source was actually due to the earthquake and significant crustal movement causing a large amount of sediment to flow into Nanhu Park. The accumulation of sediment made the lake water foul-smelling, which is why they sealed off the water source."
As I narrated the story, Chi Xinrong suddenly became very quiet, as if she was pondering something. I thought she wasn't paying attention to my story, but unexpectedly she blurted out, "I know what that woman's name is! I can't remember from that era, but I know she is called Du Shiniang because that man who loved her turned his back on her. She threw all her savings into the river, right? I'm clever, aren't I?"
Women are truly incomprehensible beings; calling herself clever left me speechless.
"Fine then, you're clever. I'm going to take a nap."
"No way," Chi Xinrong decisively refused.
I rubbed my nose; my eyelids felt like they were glued shut. It seemed like closing my eyes was impossible. This girl really knew how to torment people. Having listened to my story, what else did she want? Looking at her smug expression, I was tempted to slap her so hard she'd lose her bearings and stop bothering me.
That was what I thought, but what came out was different: "You silly girl, you need to see a doctor."
"What kind of illness?" You should know that my words are golden; occasionally I earn some extra cash helping people with fortune-telling and such. So when she heard me say she was ill, Chi Xinrong tensed up a bit. Seeing me chuckle secretly, she reached out with one hand as if she wanted to pinch me.
"Don't mess around; pay attention while driving. You're not alone in this car."
"If you won't let me do anything, then satisfy my curiosity."
"What is it?"
"Tell me, where did you go with Qin Jian? Also, why didn't you answer the phone? I have no idea where you are, and this clearly seems suspicious."
"Shut up and focus on driving. I'm tired." I really didn't want to discuss what I had seen with Chi Xinrong. Leaning back against the seat, I tried to find a comfortable position to rest, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't close my eyes. It felt like I had forgotten something important.
What was it?
I frowned and pondered.
Chi Xinrong continued to press me relentlessly, "Ma Qi, hurry up and tell me what happened. You look like a mess, and it's not like you to be so quiet. Damn it, there must be something good you're hiding from me. Come on, spill it right now!"
"Are you annoying or what? Can't you just be quiet for a moment?"
Chi Xinrong's eyes widened in anger, but she held back her frustration for a while before finally managing to say one word: "You..."
"What about me? What kind of relationship do we have? We're not married. Do you expect us to act like long-lost lovers every time I leave for a bit? A hug and a kiss to make you happy?"
Hearing this made Chi Xinrong's face turn green with anger. She slammed the gas pedal, and the car shot forward. I lost my balance and nearly bit my tongue. Thank goodness for the seatbelt; otherwise, that girl would have gotten me into trouble.
"You crazy girl, are you trying to kill us? Slow down!" I warned Chi Xinrong, gripping the armrest tightly in preparation for her next reckless burst of speed. Unfortunately, this stretch of road was empty with no surveillance cameras around—damn it, she was really pushing it.
"Alright then, let's both risk our lives together and head to Yellow Springs as a pair of wild mandarin ducks..." With that, Chi Xinrong pressed the gas pedal again. The engine roared as the car bolted forward like a wild horse—I swear, if she kept driving like this, she would scare me to death. This was exactly why I hated riding in her car; her emotional driving was unbearable.
"Fine, I'll tell you... just stop being reckless."
Chi Xinrong eased off the accelerator just in time as we approached a speed trap area. She slowed down effectively while I failed to gauge the timing—damn it! Focused on driving, she raised one hand and gave me an obscene gesture.
"You know what? I seriously suspect you're bisexual."
"Should we check it out?" Chi Xinrong said with a playful grin.
"You're shameless and have no dignity," I replied, both amused and exasperated.
"How much does dignity cost per pound, brother?"
"Alright, enough chit-chat. What do you want to hear about?"
After a moment of contemplation, Chi Xinrong decisively said, "I want to hear about you and Qin Jian going to Ten Li Slope."
"How do you know I went to Ten Li Slope with Qin Jian?" I asked, then cursed myself for speaking; it seemed like I had told her.
"Hmph, are you losing your mind? Have you forgotten your own words?"
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