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Chapter 41: Grudge (Part One)
Li Mingliang pulled out a set of blood-stained photographs, causing Zhang Xian to shudder and retreat. Unfortunately, the space was small, leaving her with no escape route. She could only awkwardly hide behind me, her back pressed against the wall.
Li Mingliang did not look at me; instead, she fixed her gaze directly on Zhang Xian. Her expression was terrifying. This was the first time I had seen her fury towards Zhang Xian up close. She bit her pale lips, her eyes wide with hatred, as if they might pop out of their sockets. Suddenly, I felt that Li Mingliang resembled a mother wolf trapped in a cave, ready to tear apart anything that crossed her path. In a low, hoarse voice, she asked, "Don't you think the scene in the photos looks familiar?"
Zhang Xian was behind me, and I couldn't turn around because her hands were gripping my shoulders tightly. I could feel her trembling; her fingers clutched my clothing as if seeking refuge. Her head seemed to droop, resting against my back.
I thought that Li Mingliang had truly frightened her. "Auntie... I'll pay you your salary; can't you find another job? I..." Zhang Xian's voice cracked with tears, growing softer as fear took hold until I could barely hear her anymore.
Caught in the middle, I sympathized with Zhang Xian but couldn't confront Li Mingliang either.
Before understanding why Li Mingliang harbored such hatred for Zhang Xian, I couldn't make any rash judgments. Besides, she was still Zhang Xian's landlord; let’s not forget that without this young landlord, Li Mingliang would have nowhere to stay unless she found accommodation in a hospital.
"Could you both stop this? I'm about to be squished between you two!" I exclaimed. This wasn't an exaggeration; with Zhang Xian pressed against my back, I could feel the movement of her chest while Li Mingliang stood in front of me. The older woman’s face, once delicate and slightly wrinkled, now appeared grotesque due to her unfounded rage. Under the harsh white light, she looked like a terrifying ghost.
Perhaps my words brought some clarity to both women.
Zhang Xian regained her composure and decisively released my shoulders, signaling me to handle Li Mingliang first.
"Auntie, it's hard for me to get involved like this. What kind of grudge do you two have that has escalated to this point?"
Li Mingliang felt embarrassed by my question. Realizing that remaining in this standoff was not a solution either, she reluctantly turned away and walked outside to the consultation room before stopping. With Li Mingliang gone, I stepped forward, and it seemed Zhang Xian sighed in relief before changing from her previously timid demeanor to confidently stepping out.
The consultation room was essentially Zhang Xian's office—a decent desk and a simple bed covered with a white sheet. There was a movable curtain around the bed; typically, when patients complained of abdominal pain or had more serious conditions, they were required to lie down for examination. This curtain served as a makeshift barrier.
In addition to the curtain, there were four chairs arranged around a table and a two-seater Korean sofa.
Li Mingliang, under my persuasion, had restrained her previously fierce and hostile demeanor. She sat expressionlessly on the Korean sofa, not looking up at me but casually smoothing out the wrinkles in her clothes.
My opening statement was simple: whatever issues you both have, don’t let them ruin your relationship. You will still have to see each other in the future unless one of you leaves this city for good. As long as you are here, you will inevitably meet again.
Zhang Xian and Li Mingliang were silent, neither raising their heads to look at each other.
I felt quite speechless. Just moments ago, they had been like enemies, and now they were mute. If this continued, would I have to wait indefinitely? It was already getting dark, Qin Jian was still in the hospital, and Gousi was supposed to take me to Ten-Mile Temple to visit my mother. Their quarrel was truly delaying me.
The room felt oppressive, with the three of us acting as if no one was present.
I grew impatient and stood up. "If you two keep dragging this out, I don’t have the time to waste with you. I really have a lot to do."
Li Mingliang's fingers twitched as she glanced up at Zhang Xian.
Zhang Xian’s gloomy face bore no trace of a smile as she said harshly, “Auntie, find another job. I don’t need anyone keeping watch here for now.”
In my opinion, Li Mingliang was indeed in the wrong tonight. How could she dare to treat her landlord like that? Was she out of her mind or possessed? I didn’t think she was possessed or mad; it seemed more like she was just acting irrationally.
Speaking of which, Li Mingliang had always been a bit eccentric.
For instance, as a middle-aged woman entering her later years, she should ideally wear something more vibrant. Looking at her delicate features, there weren’t many wrinkles on her face; with a little makeup, she could still look quite attractive. Yet she preferred wearing black. Even now, she was dressed entirely in black pants and top; otherwise, how could I describe her as a ghostly figure?
Upon hearing Zhang Xian say she didn’t want her to keep watch anymore, Li Mingliang seemed genuinely regretful. She suddenly stood up and knelt before me with a thud—this action truly took me by surprise and made both Zhang Xian and me stand up in shock.
Especially Zhang Xian, whose eyes were brimming with tears from anger as she bit her lip in confusion over what to do.
“Auntie, there’s no need for this. What you’re doing is wrong; you’ve already made a mistake before. If you continue making mistakes like this—you're older than us! This kneeling is just shortening your life!” To prevent things from escalating further, I suddenly remembered that Li Mingliang had once wanted to tell me a story. I reached out to help her up while bringing that up.
Li Mingliang's eyes were misty as she glanced at Zhang Xian, then turned to me with a faint smile and asked if I really wanted to hear her story.
I loved listening to stories, especially the ones my grandfather told. Each tale was captivating, filled with his encounters with Zombies, the Grave Robber Dog, and many spine-chilling stories about Corpse Transformation.
I knew that Li Mingliang was a person full of stories, but whether her tales were suitable for me remained uncertain. At that moment, I didn't connect her stories to the confrontation with Zhang Xian earlier that evening. Their conflict had been diffused for my sake, each stepping back to avoid further escalation.
Li Mingliang was willing to apologize; she had been under pressure at the hospital and had no outlet for her frustrations. Seeing Zhang Xian reminded her of her daughter, and that pent-up anger had erupted uncontrollably.
Zhang Xian left for home.
As the meddlesome mediator, I had no choice but to stay and listen to Li Mingliang's story.
Before she began recounting her tale, I reflected on the scene of her apology. The more I thought about it, the more unusual it seemed. In a city as large as A City, why did she only explode with anger upon seeing Zhang Xian?
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