The old man I was chatting with, Mr. Xing, claimed to be the Chairman of the Ermian Staff Dormitory Committee. In fact, he didn’t supervise any employees, just himself.
At around 7 o'clock, Mr. Bai was buried. Baishi Qiong's father bought a good cigarette for one of us who worked hard to carry the coffin. I had cigarettes, so I gave this cigarette to the old man. The old man was so happy that he even praised me. A few times, say I am sensible.
"Are you free tonight?" Bailash Qiong suddenly asked me.
"I...I'm fine, what's wrong?"
"My dad is busy with other things. I want to guard my grandfather's grave tonight. Are you free tonight? Can you accompany me for a while."
Bailashqiong's tone sounded calm, but I could feel the loneliness in her heart.
A generation apart, I dare not think about how I would face myself if my grandma passed away one day. If my grandma passed away, I would have no relatives in this world.
"No problem, I'll stay with you here tonight. The old man has just left. It's your duty to pay homage to him by guarding his grave."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
I have seen a lot of dead people, and I have no big feelings about Wang Xiaoqin hanging from a pear tree decades ago. If something really happened, no one would have lived in the Ermian dormitory long ago. It was probably just rumors.
At around 8 o'clock in the evening, the wreaths in the mourning hall of the old community were brought in, along with a pair of paper figurines of the golden boy and jade girl given by Manager Niu.
Paper figures stood there, one on the left and the other on the right. There was a fire in front of the new tombstone, and there were a lot of paper money and gold ingots in plastic bags next to it.
The old man Xing Ye said that the factory road across the wasteland was called Yin Yang Road, so he stood there at night and looked towards the tomb. He could see two red-faced paper figures standing in front of the tombstone, keeping their posture motionless. When the wind blew, Occasionally it would sway back and forth.
During the night vigil, I moved some rocks and sat by the fire, chatting with Bailash Qiong.
She looked at the tombstone and told many stories about the old man's life, including how he started from scratch, how he saved people from the 1998 flood, and so on.
It is taboo to talk about the owner's name when guarding the grave. I responded with a few answers and wanted to quickly change the subject and talk about something more relaxed.
At this moment, I received a text message on my mobile phone, which was sent by Tian Sanjiu.
"The things I've been waiting for have arrived. I'll start working on it at half past one tonight."
Seeing that Qiong Baishi was concentrating on burning paper, I quickly typed and replied to the text message.
"At half past one tonight? What are you waiting for? What work are you doing?"
The text message was sent, and after a minute or two I received a reply from Tian Sanjiu.
"At half past one, the decoration workers in the North Factory fell asleep. According to the results of my investigation, the Iron Buddha that was on the cotton cart did not leave the Second Factory. Only Tang Xin and Wang Xiaoqin of the Science Popularization Committee know where it is. Let me forget it. It should be these two place."
"Around the pear tree, around a large warehouse in the south factory area."
I went back again.
"Are you planning to dig now? What did you do in the past two days? Also, Bailash Qiong is guarding her grandfather's grave in the wasteland tonight, how are we going to dig?"
Tian Sanjiu replied.
"I said, I was waiting for something to arrive, but I couldn't find the Iron Buddha without it. You can solve the problem of the daughter of the Bai family by yourself. Let her leave before one o'clock, or else you can do it my way."
"Who are you talking to?"
Seeing me typing on my phone, Bailash Qiong asked.
"Oh, no one, just a friend asking me where I was at night."
"You can leave if you have something to do. You don't have to stay with me specially."
"It's okay, it's really okay."
I smiled while thinking about how to get her back.
Because Tian Sanjiu said he would come to the wasteland to look for the Iron Buddha at night.
The weather is still very cold at night in the first month of the year, so burning paper money in a fire doesn't do much good. It's dark all around, and the cold air goes straight into your neck. Occasionally, there will be a cold wind blowing, and the burned paper money will be blown up in the wasteland. Flying in all directions.
I sat like this until about ten o'clock. I couldn't help but stand up, rubbed my hands and said, "Boss Bai, it's really cold today. Don't wait any longer. Go back early. If you get cold, your grandpa I’m sure I won’t be happy if I find out.”
She didn't even wear gloves, and her hands were red from the cold. She just insisted that I was fine and that I would protect my grandpa even if he froze to death.
I rubbed my face vigorously, and suddenly pointed to the pear tree in front of me and said, "Boss Bai, did you see that just now? There is a woman wandering under the tree with long hair, wearing white clothes, and she seems to be sticking out her tongue. Is it possible? It’s Wang Xiaoqin who used to be in the factory.”
"You don't have to scare me, I'm not scared." She turned on the flashlight and shined a light around the pear tree twice, saying there was nothing there.
I said stubbornly: "Why not? It's under the tree. I just saw a figure. Please give me the flashlight."
"There, do you see it? It's dark."
I pointed out the pear tree to her.
Bailash Qiong shook her head: "That's the shadow of the tree. There are no leaves on the pear tree in winter, so the shadow of the branches is just like that. It doesn't look like a human figure."
I removed my flashlight and took pictures everywhere.
Unintentionally, the flashlight illuminated the male paper mannequin. The paper mannequin's face was red and there was blush, which looked a little weird.
Sudden....
The paper man's head turned.
I just used the flashlight and it was absolutely not dazzling.
My face turned pale.
"I think I'm here. I have something to do tomorrow, so I'll leave first." I turned around and was about to leave.
I wasn't the only one who saw it, Bailash Qiong must have seen it too.
"Wait...wait for me."
I walked faster and faster without daring to look back.
Walking to the factory road, Bailash Qiong ran over lightly panting and said: "I... was I dazzled just now? The paper man seemed to have his neck turned."
"Don't say..." I swallowed.
"Don't talk nonsense about some things. Go back to sleep now and don't think about anything when you go back."
Bailash Qiong's face turned pale. After hesitating for a moment, she chose to go back. After all, she was a girl.
"You won't leave? Take my car back."
I said don't worry about me, don't give me the flashlight, you go first.
After Bailashqiong left, I used my flashlight to pick up a stone and threw it at the paper man standing on the grave.
The first two shots missed, but the third time hit me right in the target, knocking down the standing paper man. I pretended to be brave and moved closer.
The paper man fell to the ground, leaning on his side, with his face turned away from me.
I shook the flashlight back and forth.
Suddenly, the paper man's head moved again, as if he wanted to turn his face.
"Idiot!"
I was so frightened that I backed away, turned around and ran away with my flashlight on.
"Master Xing! Master Xing!"
I ran downstairs to the dormitory and banged on the door.
"Who?"
The room was dimly lit, and a voice came from the room.
"Me! Open the door quickly!"
The lights came on and a few minutes later the door opened.
The old man came out wearing plush cotton slippers and a coat.
"It's you. What's wrong? If you don't go back to sleep at night, why are you looking for me?"
I looked back at the wasteland in fear.
Bailashqiong is gone, and the fire burning paper money is getting smaller and smaller.
I ducked directly into the house.
The room was very warm, and the small stove that burned briquettes was burning red. He was using the water as a fire, and the water in the heater was boiling, making a beeping sound.
The old man stood outside the house and looked around, then wrapped his coat tightly, entered the house and closed the door.
"What's wrong, young man, it's already past 11 o'clock. Why are you running here? I just went to bed."
I sat on the bench and warmed myself by the fire, swallowed my saliva and said, "It's haunted. The wasteland is haunted."
"Haunted?"
The old man put on his long johns and lit a cigarette and took a puff.
"What's going on? What's going on? Tell me what's going on."
"The paper man... the paper man moved..."
The old man yawned, "Are you talking about paper buns?"
I nodded and said, "Yes, it's a paper figurine. Mr. Xing, is it Wang Xiaoqin's ghost that is attached to the paper figurine?"
"Boy, you can really scare yourself."
"Wang Xiaoqin has been dead for decades, and I have lived here in Ermian for decades. I have never seen Wang Xiaoqin. I almost forgot what she looked like."
"He has braids, wears a floral cotton-padded jacket, has wheat-colored skin, and is so tall, come to me," I compared my height.
"Have you seen Wang Xiaoqin?" The old man looked a little surprised.
I shook my head and said I had never seen it. After thinking about it, I added that I had seen the photo.
At this time, the old man smiled and said: "Look at your coward, do you have a stick? Now take the stick and follow me."
"Where to go?"
The old man was smoking a cigarette. He buttoned up his coat one by one and said, "Where did you say you were going?"
"Go and see the Paper Man."
