Chapter 3: The Fright

Shen Li walked out into the courtyard but saw nothing, so she went back inside to continue dinner.

Xiao Hui asked, “Mama, what did you go out to look at?”

“Xiao Hui, be good and eat your food. Mama just went to check if there was a big rat outside. It’s not even fully dark yet and those pesky rats are already out and about!” Shen Li intentionally raised her voice.

“Okay, I’ll eat well.” Xiao Hui replied sweetly.

After Shen Li shouted, the noises outside stopped. She finally felt at ease and finished her meal.

After dinner, she washed the dishes and boiled some hot water. The mother and daughter washed their faces and feet and then went to bed.

Lying in bed, Shen Li told Xiao Hui bedtime stories to help her fall asleep. But maybe because Xiao Hui had napped too long in the afternoon, she wouldn’t sleep no matter how many stories her mother told. Shen Li was nearly falling asleep herself.

Since the child wasn’t asleep, Shen Li didn’t dare sleep either—Xiao Hui was still small, and she worried the child might wander off if she dozed off.

After several more stories, Xiao Hui finally drifted to sleep.

By that point, Shen Li was utterly exhausted and quickly nodded off.

But in the middle of the night, Shen Li was stirred from her sleep by strange noises coming from the courtyard.

She didn’t pay much attention at first, thinking it was probably just rats again, and tried to go back to sleep.

But the noises grew louder and more distinct. She could faintly hear people talking.

Startled, Shen Li immediately sat up in bed, fear creeping in.

Could it be thieves? There were no surveillance cameras back then, and the night was pitch-black.

Who could these people in her yard be?

Gathering her courage, Shen Li got out of bed and crept to the main room to listen to their conversation.

Pressing her ear to the crack of the living room door, she listened intently.

One man said, “Big Mouth, hurry up!”

Big Mouth whispered back, “Copper Hammer, slow down! Don’t let anyone hear us.”

The two men spoke in hushed voices, slowly making their way toward the window of the inner room.

Inside, Shen Li recognized the voices clearly—it was Copper Hammer and Big Mouth.

Relieved, she let out a silent breath. At least they were from the village. That made them less dangerous.

If it had been outsiders, things could’ve gotten much worse—who knew what they might have done?

Being locals, Shen Li knew these two well. They were single men who didn’t steal or rob—just troublemakers, always trying to sneak a peek to see if Shen Li had gone to bed.

Outside, Copper Hammer and Big Mouth crouched beneath her window, trying to listen in and peek inside, but it was pitch-black—they couldn’t see a thing.

Copper Hammer whispered, “Let’s go. She’s clearly asleep. What are we doing here?”

Big Mouth hushed him. “Don’t talk. Let’s wait a little longer.”

Inside, Shen Li grew increasingly annoyed—they still hadn’t left. She needed to think of a way to scare them off. After a moment’s thought, a sly smile spread across her face.

“Got it,” she thought.

She quietly opened a drawer, pulled out a flashlight, and took her late husband Zhang Tian’s memorial photo down from the wall.

She flashed the light around the room a few times.

Outside, Big Mouth muttered, “Copper Hammer, look, there’s light inside.”

The two men eagerly leaned toward the window. Just then, Shen Li pulled back the curtain and held the memorial photo right up to the window, switching on the flashlight to illuminate it.

It was a large black-and-white portrait of Zhang Tian, glowing under the harsh flashlight beam.

Copper Hammer and Big Mouth, intently peering inside, suddenly saw the brightly lit memorial photo staring back at them.

“AHHH! A ghost!!” they screamed.

Terrified out of their wits, they scrambled backward, barely able to move their legs.

Panicking, they crawled all the way to the courtyard wall.

Sitting against the wall, they tried to calm their racing hearts—their legs had gone completely limp.

After a few minutes, they finally stood, climbed over the wall, and once outside, bolted down the road, still shouting, “Run! There’s a ghost!”

Inside the house, Shen Li listened carefully. The sounds had stopped. She was certain they had fled.

She covered her mouth, laughing quietly: “Serves you right! Bet you won’t dare come again!”

Still chuckling, she hung the photo back on the wall and returned to bed, sleeping soundly until morning.

The next morning, Shen Li got up, washed, and started making breakfast. Once it was ready, she called Xiao Hui to eat.

As the mother and daughter sat eating breakfast, Shen Li thought of the previous night’s events and couldn’t help but giggle now and then.

“Mama, why are you laughing? Is something funny?” Xiao Hui asked, tilting her head.

Shen Li gently replied, “Nothing, sweetheart. Eat your food now, okay?”

Just then, Aunt Zhang from next door walked in.

Shen Li quickly stood up. “Auntie Zhang, have you eaten yet? Come sit and have some with us.”

“I’ve already eaten. Just came by to check in. Last night, there were these terrifying noises coming from your yard. What was that all about?” Aunt Zhang asked, clearly still shaken.

Shen Li immediately guessed it was Big Mouth and Copper Hammer’s frightened screams.

She smiled and replied, “I went to bed early last night, didn’t hear a thing. Probably just a couple of cats fighting.”

Aunt Zhang nodded earnestly. “Who knows what it was, but the sound was eerie—it gave me chills!”

Shen Li nearly laughed but held it in. She didn’t want Aunt Zhang to get suspicious. After all, strange men sneaking into her yard wasn’t a good look for a widow—it might cause gossip.

She smiled. “Come sit a while, Auntie Zhang.”

“No need. Just wanted to check in. If everything’s fine, I’ll head back.” Aunt Zhang turned and left.

Shen Li returned to her meal.

Xiao Hui said, “Mama, I’m done! I’m going out to play.”

“Okay, but don’t argue with the other kids,” Shen Li reminded her.

Once Xiao Hui had run off, Shen Li finished her porridge, cleaned the dishes, and brought a stool out to the courtyard to work on some sewing under the sun.

Meanwhile, gossip had already spread in the village: Big Mouth and Copper Hammer had seen a ghost and gotten sick from the fright.

Some said it happened at the village entrance, others claimed it was when they were climbing over someone’s wall—regardless, the two were badly shaken.

Most villagers found it hilarious. A few women laughed and said, “Serves them right! Always wandering around with nothing better to do.”

“Maybe this’ll keep them quiet for a while—no more lurking around like creeps,” another added.

The two men were infamous for bothering people, so their fright became the village’s entertainment.

Just then, Gou Sheng walked over and said with a grin, “What are you ladies laughing at? Thinking about me?”

“You shameless thing! We’re laughing at your two dear buddies—they’re sick, and you haven’t even gone to check on them!” one of the women teased.

Gou Sheng looked shocked. “What? They were fine last night! I’ll go see what’s going on.” He headed straight for Big Mouth’s house.

The women burst into laughter again.

At Big Mouth’s house, Gou Sheng opened the door and saw Big Mouth lying in bed, face flushed, murmuring, “So scary…”

Gou Sheng pulled up a stool and sat by his bed, shaking him gently. Big Mouth slowly opened his eyes and saw it was Gou Sheng.

Tears welled up in Big Mouth’s eyes…