Chapter 131: Brother Jiang

She had to know what was going on.

Ruan Mianmian pushed past A’kuan without a word and ran straight toward the door. A’kuan hurried after her, anxious and afraid that she might get hurt in her haste. He tried to shield her while pleading with her to slow down, but Ruan Mianmian’s resolve was firm, and A’kuan dared not forcibly restrain her. Consequently, she managed to run for more than half a street.

Seeing a crowd gathered ahead, Ruan Mianmian suddenly stopped. The people were wearing hard hats and uniforms, clearly the construction workers who had arrived to start work today. They were standing in a rough arc, staring silently in one direction. Ruan Mianmian paused; the crowd blocked her view, and she could not see what was happening.

"Brother Ruan, let's go back," A’kuan persisted, still trying to convince her to turn around.

Ruan Mianmian’s gaze darkened. "We’re already here. Is there any point in going back now?"

A’kuan scratched his head in frustration, thinking to himself that he was definitely going to get an earful for this later. "Fine... Brother Ruan, just take a look from the perimeter. Don’t push to the front. If anything happens to you, the Boss will kill me!"

The deliberate emphasis in his tone left Ruan Mianmian speechless, but to put him at ease, she nodded. She then walked steadily toward the crowd. Her breath was still uneven from the sprint, but she was grateful she had worn flat shoes; otherwise, she would have been exhausted.

As she reached the back of the crowd, she caught fragments of snide remarks drifting through the air.

"It’s that fool again! Every time we come, she’s here."

"Who even is this fool? I remember when we were here for the site survey last time, she was the one causing trouble, right?"

"Exactly. Such a young girl, what a shame she’s touched in the head. Probably going to end up cheapening some vagrant."

"Shh! Keep it down. That fool doesn't hold back when she starts hitting people."

"What are you afraid of? Am I wrong? Though, looking closely, she’s actually not bad-looking."

The lewd undertones of these comments made Ruan Mianmian feel instantly uncomfortable.

***

However, her curiosity only deepened. Ignoring A’kuan’s protests, she squeezed through the crowd along the wall to get a better view. In the middle of the dusty road stood a figure wielding a shovel. From her frame, it was clear she was indeed a young girl. She was filthy, her face smeared with grime, and her hair was a matted, oily bird's nest.

"I’m telling you all! There are ghosts in there! Real ghosts! You can’t touch it! The evil spirits will eat people!"

"Her tongue is so long, so long! She can stick it out and snap your neck right off! Ah! It’s terrifying! There are ghosts! There really are ghosts!"

The woman called "the fool" was waving her shovel wildly, muttering incoherently and speaking with fervent conviction. Even under the bright sun, the sight of her state made Ruan Mianmian’s skin crawl. She scanned the area but could not find Jiang Ce anywhere.

Ruan Mianmian’s eyes returned to the "fool," who alternated between maniacal laughter and erratic swinging of the shovel. She even knelt down to kowtow to "Ghost Grandpa" and "Ghost Grandma," appearing truly deranged. Some of the more superstitious onlookers had already begun to peer nervously at the dilapidated ancient structures behind them. If it were dusk or a dark, gloomy night, paired with the "fool's" bizarre ramblings, even a grown man might be scared senseless.

"Who is she?" Ruan Mianmian asked someone beside her.

Attracted by her pleasant voice, the men turned around. Seeing such a sweet-looking woman, they were more than happy to talk.

"This fool has been wandering here for months. Every time we come to Crescent Town for surveys, she pops out to cause trouble. I’ve grown used to it," a round-faced man explained with a grin.

Ruan Mianmian asked, "Has any family come looking for her?"

The man chuckled. "If she had family, she wouldn't be drifting here. I reckon she just saw that Crescent Town was going to be demolished and had nowhere else to go, so she came here to put on this shamanistic show."

"You mean she’s faking it?" Ruan Mianmian asked.

"Doesn't look like it to me. She’s young and not bad-looking. If she weren't truly daft, who would dress up like this?" another worker chimed in.

***

Ruan Mianmian thought that made sense; if she weren't truly mentally unstable, who would willingly become like this?

"Ghost Grandpa! Ghost Grandma! I’m kowtowing to you, please rest in peace!"

The "fool" began to kowtow again, her cries even more piercing than before, as if a spirit were standing right before her. Ruan Mianmian hugged her arms, realizing she had goosebumps.

"Brother Ruan, let's go. The Boss and the others will handle this," A’kuan said, preparing to pull her away.

Ruan Mianmian looked back, feeling a pang of pity. "Should I go up and check on her?"

"Brother Ruan, don't be a bleeding heart now. Did you see what she's holding? These people don't recognize anyone when they go crazy!" A’kuan was firmly against it, even positioning himself to block her view.

"That’s right, young lady, don't get too close," the round-faced man added. "Last time, a young lad tried to tease her. Who knew she held a grudge? During the lunch break, she swung that shovel right onto his head. The poor guy is still in the hospital!"

Many remembered how swift and brutal that strike had been. Ruan Mianmian hesitated. As much as she pitied the girl, she wasn't about to risk her life to intervene. She decided it was best to leave.

Ruan Mianmian turned to go, and A’kuan, relieved, hurried to follow. Suddenly, the wailing behind them stopped abruptly, followed by a thunderous shout, as if the person had poured the last of their strength into it:

"Little Jiang Brother?!"

"Little Jiang Brother!!"

Hearing this sudden address, Ruan Mianmian reflexively looked back. The girl who had been crouching on the ground had suddenly sprung up, dropping her shovel. Her face was lit with a brilliant, radiant smile as she lunged forward, running toward the distance.

"Little Jiang Brother! You finally came!!"