The origin of Jiang Jinjiu's name was, to put it simply, a misunderstanding. To put it more complicated, it was a joke. No matter how he explained it, his father could not escape his involvement.
His father, Jiang Zhong, was a worker in a machinery factory. He doesn't have any annoying style. He usually likes to have a drink. After drinking, his face will be red, and he will brag when he sees people. He speaks in a refined manner, which is finally worthy of the supervision his teaching father once gave him.
It's just that after drinking three ounces of wine, his voice becomes louder, which is definitely a nuisance in public places. But Jiang Zhong is a rule-abiding person and never drinks during working hours.
Jiang Zhong loved Li Bai's poems, especially "The Wine Will Enter".
Whenever the bright moon is in the sky and I get drunk, I will recite this poem loudly: "If you don't see it, the water of the Yellow River comes up from the sky and rushes to the sea and never returns. If you don't see it, the mirror in the high hall has sad white hair, and the morning is like blue silk and it turns to snow at dusk. If you are proud of life, you must have all the joy." , Don’t let the golden bottle face the moon in the sky..."
When Jiang Jinjiu was about to be born, Jiang Zhong was reciting loudly at the wine table.
After receiving the call, he rushed to the hospital as fast as he could. It looked like Mr. Guan without a beard was standing in front of the delivery room. When he heard the baby's birth, the laughter was like a roar, and the exciting echoes went around. The listeners were startled, thinking that someone was seriously injured, and even the old man in the morgue shivered in surprise.
When Jiang Zhong saw that the baby was a boy, he was so happy that he held the child with one hand and kept rummaging through his pocket with the other hand, wanting to take a sip.
Naturally, there was no wine on him, and he didn't know how to act like this. He thought he was still at the banquet, and the doctors and nurses in front of him were co-workers. He stretched out his hand and said, "Wine - wine - give me wine... …”
The sound was like thunder, and the echoes stirred up again, surprising those who heard it again.
However, how could the doctors and nurses give him wine? As a result, a decisive figure appeared - Jiang Zhong's brother-in-law and Jiang Jinjiu's second uncle.
I received a call when I was pouring wine at the wine table. I was happy and anxious at the same time. I put the half bottle of wine in my hand into my pocket and handed it to Jiang Zhong.
After a sip of yellow soup, he became even more drunk. He teased his son with the wine bottle, and while stroking his stiff tongue, he said with a smile, "From now on, you two, let's have some wine together -" He raised his head He drank the remaining wine in the bottle with his neck.
At this time, Jiang Zhong couldn't speak clearly, and could only speak clearly about the words "will bring in the wine".
Others misunderstood... Thanks to Li Bai, "Jiang Jinjiu" became the name of the newborn.
I don’t know if it’s because of the name. Jinjiu means pouring wine, urging people to drink, and toasting. That is to say, if you don’t get the first sip, you still have to fill the other person’s cup.
The most typical representative incident was when he was taking the college entrance examination in the third year of junior high school. At that time, his grades were very good and he was very likely to be recommended by the school to a key high school.
Twenty days before the exam, he was full of confidence and agreed to tutor his classmate Li Youcheng, who was usually like a brother. He even lent Li Youcheng all the mock test papers that his aunt got for him without reading them.
Unexpectedly, the problem lies in this set of papers. There are two very difficult high-scoring questions in mathematics. Jiang Jinjiu had not read the questions when the papers were borrowed. Li Youcheng was even more careless. He accidentally mixed a paper with two questions into his paper and gave Jiang Jinjiu an incomplete set of questions. Neither party noticed.
It happened that the high-scoring questions in the math test were the same types of questions on the paper. Jiang Jinjiu only answered one question correctly and lost points.
What's more, I didn't expect that Li Youcheng, who had always been ranked in the dozenth place, performed exceptionally. His total score was more than ten points higher than Jiang Jinjiu, and he was promoted to second place in the class for the first time!
These nearly twenty days of tutoring can be said to be indispensable, which is equivalent to saying that Jiang Jinjiu Leng personally taught him the places recommended to key high schools.
The second thing was during a big raffle.
Jiang Jinjiu won the first prize, one hundred thousand yuan. Who would have thought that while waiting for the lottery draw, he went to a street stall to buy snacks, and he was so careless that he lost the prize when he paid for it. As a result, he benefited others and suffered cynicism for more than ten days.
The third thing happened at work.
This job is Jiang Jinjiu's third job after graduation. After two years of hard work, he was promoted to regional sales manager. There are three others at the same level as him.
That year, the company planned to promote one of the four supervisors to regional manager, with overall performance as the main reference.
More than half a year later, Jiang Jinjiu has become the candidate secretly promised by his superiors through his own efforts. Not only that, he has planned a high-quality plan. As long as he hands it to his superiors, he will be promoted.
Unexpectedly, when the plan was almost completed, the company sent him to accompany the general manager on a business trip, which lasted for half a month. Jiang Jinjiu had no choice but to store the plan in a USB flash drive and locked it in a drawer in the company.
Unexpectedly, the lock of the drawer is an inferior product. Any key can be opened as long as it can be inserted into the keyhole.
A district manager accidentally opened a drawer while working overtime and found a USB flash drive. He saw the plan and had evil thoughts. And the district manager was not a fuel-efficient lamp. He changed things and made improvements. When Jiang Jinjiu came back, it had been nine days since the district manager was promoted.
The overall situation has been decided, no matter how angry he is, it will not help.
This incident was a big blow to Jiang Jinjiu. After that, he changed jobs several times, but none lasted long.
Facing his twelfth job loss and being abandoned by his girlfriend, he couldn't help but feel confused and melancholy, and his heart was full of frustration. He really wanted to die.
After feeling lost for a while, I accidentally recalled his father's words when he sent him on the train, "The journey is difficult, the journey is difficult, and there are many divergent roads. Where is peace now? There will be times when there will be strong winds and waves, and sails will sail across the sea. It doesn't matter if you are young and suffer some setbacks. Dad believes You, I support you, let's go out and have a good time." Jiang Jinjiu finally came out of the haze.
After regaining his composure, Jiang Jinjiu looked through the recruitment columns of major newspapers, just like in the past. He drew a circle with a pen appropriately, and there was such a recruitment information in it. His eyes fell on it and never looked away.
The newspaper is looking for high-paying reporters, with monthly salaries starting at 10,000 yuan. Requirements: age under 35, no restriction on male or female, education level, only average or above average writing skills.
Contact number: XXXXXXXXXXX; Contact person: Ms. Zhao;
Ten thousand yuan! ? I'm going!
Jiang Jinjiu rubbed his eyes, not believing his eyes at all, and kept counting one by one.
I thought that a reporter's basic salary was 10,000 yuan. I had never heard of such a thing.
Look at the size of this information column, which is only about the size of a three-inch photo, and can be covered with two fingers. Could it be that there is something fishy hidden in it? ?
But the monthly salary of 10,000 yuan was really a temptation. He couldn't help but pick up the phone and dial the number above.
The phone rang for thirty seconds before the call was connected. It sounded like the caller was a man, his voice sounded like he had just woken up, and there was a curse in his mouth.
Jiang Jinjiu felt vaguely uneasy and explained his intention to the other party, who asked a few questions.
The first few questions were normal, but the last question puzzled him - are you afraid of ghosts?
Although I had an ominous feeling, I had to bite the bullet and get a high-paying job.
The next day, Jiang Jinjiu took his resume to the interview.
It was difficult to find the newspaper office. After asking ten taxi drivers, an older-looking man knew the road section but not the exact location.
When he got there, Hou Jiang Jinjiu asked eight passers-by before he found an old man who knew about it. After some pointers, it took him more than ten minutes to find the newspaper office.
The newspaper office is hidden in the corner of the community. It is an old government office building with three floors and six windows on each floor. It was formerly a police station.
There are willow trees planted around, and each tree is very thick. Some trees are so tall that one person cannot hold them. The height of the trees is almost the same as the roof. The youngest tree is at least twenty years old. Its branches and leaves are lush, and the dark green wicker is as thick and smooth as a girl's long hair, almost covering the building.
Looking from a distance, you can barely see the roof of the house, and there is a rockery and pavilion 20 meters in front of you. Those who don't know will definitely think that this is an artificial scenic spot. Even if you notice the number of cars parked in front of the willow tree, it is not easy to notice the hidden building.
The newspaper office is surrounded by high-rise buildings with more than six floors, about thirty meters apart. Without a sign, it looks more like some kind of equipment building in the community. No wonder few people know the existence of the newspaper office.
Jiang Jinjiu doubted whether this newspaper was legal, otherwise how could it be so secretive.
He looked at it for a while, feeling as if there was steam coming out of his eyes, and the more he looked at it, the more dazzled he became.
A gust of hot wind blew in, mixed with the smell of burning iron. Then I realized that the scorching sun was making the carriages hot, causing the surrounding temperature to rise and making people feel hot.
Seeing the thick shade of the trees, Jiang Jinjiu couldn't help but walk under the trees.
The willows are blowing like curtains, like a barrier to isolate the scorching heat of the world, and the whole body feels refreshed. It feels like jumping into 36-degree warm water, and the skin will not be irritated by the slight temperature difference. Then the water absorbs the heat from the body, until the water temperature is almost the same as the body temperature, and then the water temperature slowly drops to 20 degrees, which is refreshing and comfortable.
Jiang Jinjiu stood and enjoyed it for a while, and all the heat disappeared. Then I felt that my sweat-soaked shirt was getting colder and colder, and it felt very uncomfortable to stick to my back, especially when the breeze blew through.
The strange thing is that the wind blowing on the bare feet is warm, so much colder and less hot, but even colder. Goosebumps all over Jiang Jinjiu's body, and his scalp feels numb.
"I dare you not to install air conditioning." Jiang Jinjiu muttered in his heart.
Seeing that it was almost time, he took out his resume and walked into the building.
Sitting in the mailroom at the door was an old man with a white beard who seemed to be in his sixties. At the moment, he was concentrating on reading the newspaper, and was not aware of Jiang Jinjiu who walked in and looked around.
Jiang Jinjiu knocked on the door and window before he took off his reading glasses and raised his yellowed eyes to take a look.
"What's the matter?"
The old man's voice was clear, but very cold, just like his attitude. His eyes only stayed on Jiang Jinjiu for two seconds, then he put on his reading glasses and continued reading the newspaper.
"I'm here for an interview. Please ask..."
"Turn left on the third floor."
The old man replied without raising his head, which made Jiang Jinjiu stunned.
I wondered why the old gatekeeper was so irresponsible and didn't register the visitors. Then I thought about what he, the old man, had always been doing, just hanging out for a day.
Jiang Jinjiu thanked him and walked to the third floor.
But the closer he got to the third floor, the more Jiang Jinjiu felt that this place didn't look like a newspaper office.
How could a large newspaper office be so quiet? The sound of dripping water from the faucet lingered in the corridor. By the way, shouldn’t a newspaper office be in a position to overwhelm heaven and earth? Why can't I see even a ghost now?
With many questions, he found the "President's Office" where the interview was designated.
This is another question. The president should be busy with work, but he actually has to perform interviews such as interviews himself. Is the HR department also doing the job? It really puzzled him.
Looking at the wooden door of the president's office, even though it has been repainted, it can't hide the ravines on it. It's so old. Is it possible that the newspaper is so poor? But I can afford it with a monthly salary of 10,000 yuan, so I shouldn’t be short of money. Is it because of his frugal style and that the president is an honest veteran cadre?
A feeling of solemnity filled his heart. Jiang Jinjiu straightened up his appearance, took a few deep breaths, moved his chin, and reviewed his resume. When he felt it was appropriate, he knocked lightly on the door.
A very deep voice came in response, "Come in."
Jiang Jinjiu pushed the door open, and along with the air flow drawn by the door panel, he smelled a strange smell. It's a bit like the smell of camellia and durian, or the smell of perfume sprayed on a dog. I can't tell whether it smells good or bad, or whether I hate it or like it.
Jiang Jinjiu didn't bother to study it carefully and walked straight in.
The office space is not small, with only one less platform than a primary school classroom. The window faces the door diagonally. There is a coffee table in front of the window and a double leather sofa on either side. The remaining three walls are made into bookshelves, filled with various books.
There is a large mahogany desk placed almost in the center of the office, with a thin-looking middle-aged man sitting behind it. The white shirt looked a little loose on his body, his hair was half white, his skin was not shiny at all, and his lips were almost the same color as his sallow complexion. The rough eyebrows and beard were both gray. Jiang Jinjiu thought that this man was a drug addict, not a president.
But he is indeed the president of this newspaper - Qin Zhenyang.
"Hello, I'm here for an interview."
"Please take a seat."
Jiang Jinjiu walked to the desk and bowed slightly, handed in his resume and placed it where Qin Zhenyang could see his head, and then gently sat on the chair.
Qin Zhenyang did not look at his resume. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, clasped his thumbs together, crossed his legs and said, "I am the president of this newspaper, Qin Zhenyang, do you know which reporter you want to invite?"
"Ah! Why am I so careless? I came here without asking clearly about the work content." Jiang Jinjiu was annoyed and suddenly felt nervous.
Thinking that it would be better to tell the truth than to talk randomly, he smiled awkwardly and said, "I don't know yet, I didn't elaborate on it on the phone."
Seeing the corners of Qin Zhenyang's mouth slightly raised in what looked like a satisfied smile, Jiang Jinjiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Zhenyang said slowly, "Reporters investigating bizarre incidents."
Jiang Jinjiu looked a little stunned, "What does President Qin mean?"
"To put it bluntly... it means to go to a haunted place and figure out why it is haunted and what are the causes." Qin Zhenyang said with a half-smile, "If necessary, I need to spend the night there. Are you brave?"
"This..." Jiang Jinjiu was asked.
It's not difficult to inquire about haunted places, but when I hear the word "stay overnight", I immediately feel worried. I have no experience in this area.
But there is a saying that goes, "Money can make the world go round," let alone people.
Jiang Jinjiu was so poor that he almost had trouble eating. If he could get this high-paying job, risking it would be nothing. What's more, he didn't believe in ghosts and gods, so he thought about how bad things could happen.
Jiang Jinjiu patted his thigh and said, "I can't handle people who are scary, but those things can't scare me."
"Well, not bad." Qin Zhenyang was not moved by his arrogance at all. He nodded and asked, "Do you have time tonight?"
"Yes! I'll be on call at any time." Jiang Jinjiu was delighted, thinking that the job was 80% done.
"Did you bring any photos?"
"Yes!" Jiang Jinjiu, holding back his laughter, pulled out the photo and handed it over.
Qin Zhenyang took it, took out an ID card from the drawer, pulled out the card inside, and asked, "What's your name?" while pasting the photo.
"My name is Jiang Jinjiu, the Jiang of Jianghe, the Jin of Qianjin, the wine of Baijiu."
"When the river is filled with wine, when wine is about to be poured in, don't let the golden bottles stand empty against the moon."
Qin Zhenyang muttered and wrote his name on the card, using standard italics as if printed on a computer. He put the written card into plastic wrap, wrote another note, and finally took out two keys from the drawer and placed them on the table.
"This is your press card for the time being. Tonight you are going to spend the night in the...haunted house on the note. It is best not to be discovered. Tomorrow morning I want you to come with a manuscript. If you pass the test, you will be our official reporter here. , if you hand over a white stamp, you can hand it over to the mailroom and you don’t have to come up again, I understand." The last two words were said in a deep voice.
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Zhenyang's eyes became sharp, and his whole person's state was lifted. In an instant, an invisible aura seemed to rise around him, as if there were more than a dozen people standing around him, and he became a majestic leader. .
Jiang Jinjiu caught his gaze and suddenly recalled the feeling of guilt and fear when he made a mistake in his youth and stood in front of the dean of students.
"Ming, I understand." Jiang Jinjiu nodded respectfully, feeling a little at a loss.
He really didn't expect to go through a special test, and he didn't even have any time to think about it, room for negotiation, or even time to prepare.
And... the test for him turned out to be a haunted house.
