Chapter 056
Duanmuh Shannchyuan
Shannchyuan introduced Tsaehorng to Chioujen. Chioujen had never met Tsaehorng. When Shannchyuan and the others first met Tsaehorng, Chioujen had already left for another city to work there. After Chioujen moved, Shannchyuan and friends had always told him on the phone about things that had happened in their lives. The acquaintance with Tsaehorng was one of the many things they recounted.
After making small talk with Tsaehorng, Chioujen walked to his bedroom with his backpack. Only about five minutes he was in the bedroom. He came out again with firm steps.
Jenqyih laughed at Chioujen. "Is that a new outfit?"
I can understand why Jenqyih is laughing. The clothes are pretty cool, but something was off.
Chioujen, who had already changed into more casual clothes, shook his head. "It's been quite a while. But you've never actually seen one."
"Have you had dinner?" Yihshyong patted Chioujen's shoulder.
"Not yet," replied Chioujen curtly.
Iren asked Chioujen to sit in the dining room. There was still food on the table. When they finished eating, they had no time to clear the table.
"We just had our second dinner," Iren said with a laugh.
Chioujen chuckled. "Second dinner? Did you two celebrate something recently?"
"We didn't celebrate anything," said Iren. "But indeed, something has happened in our lives."
Chioujen raised his eyebrows. "Besides the high probability that we'll soon be homeless, is there anything else spectacular I should know?"
Iren laughed. "You eat first. After that, we have important things to tell you."
Without waiting to be asked twice, Chioujen sat down on one chair in the dining room. He began to fill his bowls and plates with food without further ado. While shoving rice into his mouth, he looked at the faces of his friends.
I don't know if Chioujen can afford to pretend, as he promised. He should have looked so shaken after hearing the bad news we are about to share. If the expression on his face remains like that, everyone will definitely suspect.
"You just eat calmly first. Don't think about anything," said Jenqyih.
Chioujen smiled. He ate in a relaxed manner. Although relaxed, he seemed to be trying to eat as fast as possible. Even though his friends told him to eat without rushing, Chioujen seemed to realize that his friends were waiting for him.
It turned out that Shannchyuan's guess was not at all wrong. Chioujen was ready to listen to their stories.
"I'm done eating!" Chioujen gently hit the table's surface not long after he started eating.
"So fast!" Shannchyuan shook his head.
After that, everyone present, including Tsaehorng, took turns telling the series of events that had occurred over the past few days. Chioujen listened to their story with a very serious expression.
"I don't know what to say," Chioujen said as soon as they all finished. His countenance wasn't too different from the time before he heard their story.
"That's fine. At least we've added one more thing that will make our memoirs thicker," Yihshyong smiled.
They all had promised that one day they would write a memoir containing the unforgettable moments that had happened in their lives. For Shannchyuan, the experiences he had gained over the past two years were far more varied than what had happened during the decades of living in his hometown. The memoirs he was about to write would likely not be a disappointment.
"What about our landlord? Does he already know? If this matter can't be resolved quickly, we still have to stay here a little longer," said Chioujen.
"He doesn't know yet. But I think we better let the police tell him," said Shannchyuan.
"Did the police know that our rental period had expired?" asked Chioujen.
Everyone presented there looked at each other.
"I didn't tell the police about it," Yihshyong said. "They didn't ask about it at all."
"Okay! Tomorrow morning I will tell this to the police," said Shannchyuan.
"According to Beaushu, will our landlord let us stay here any longer?" asked Chioujen.
"It's an emergency. I think he'll understand. Besides, as far as I know, no one else has rented this house for immediate occupancy."
"I hope Beaushu is right," Chioujen said.
Shannchyuan nodded gently. At the time, he wasn't too sure. But he must not discourage his friends.
"So the kidnappers asked Beaushu to meet them at eight at night?" asked Chioujen.
"They didn't ask me to see them. But they asked me to hand over the things that Songfei left us tomorrow night at eight o'clock. I don't know the details yet. They said they will call us again," Shannchyuan said.
"Why did they decide that the ransom handover had to be at eight o'clock in the evening?" asked Chioujen.
"I don't know," replied Shannchyuan. "Maybe it's because they think eight o'clock must be dark so they can escape more easily if something goes wrong."
"Or they have some other reason we don't know yet," Yihshyong added Shannchyuan's words.
Yihshyong's words made sense. But right now, they had no way of confirming that. Shannchyuan pondered for a while. He still had doubts about the motivation behind Shinnshiow's abduction. Was it simply because he wanted to get the things that Songfei had left, or was there something else, as Yihshyong had just stated?
Suddenly, a high-pitched sound was heard again. It turned out that Tsaehorng's pager beeped again. After seeing the contents of the news received, Tsaehorng said, "It's getting late, Uncle! I think I have to say goodbye first."
"You don't intend to stay here?" Iren's voice sounded surprised.
Tsaehorng smiled. "No, Uncle! I'm going back to the exhibition hall. I'm going to rest there. Early in the morning, I'll give instructions to my assistants there. After that, I'll be right here."
"Are the other painters also sleeping in the exhibition hall?" Jenqyih asked.
"There are some who sleep in the exhibition building. Especially painters who come from other cities. Usually, this is because of the limited funds they have," replied Tsaehorng.
"Which part of the building do they sleep in?" Yihshyong asked.
"It's an extensive building. Upstairs there are lots of empty spaces," replied Tsaehorng.
"Are there many painters sleeping there with all their assistants?" Iren asked.
A weird question! The answer is obvious!
Tsaehorng laughed. "Of course not, Uncle. Apart from me, only two other painters brought their assistants with them. Each of them only had one assistant. I have several assistants. But the person I asked to stay there at night is only one person. Then there is another assistant I asked to come over early in the morning. There are also several people who don't need to come early in the morning. I only asked them to be present during exhibition opening hours."
"Is your assistant who has to stay the night always the same person?" Yihshyong asked.
"They take turns, Uncle. So my assistant who stays there tonight is not the same as the one who stayed there last night," replied Tsaehorng.
They all nodded at Tsaehorng's explanation.
Tsaehorng rose from his chair. "Do you want me to bring you something tomorrow morning?"
"No need. We can't bother you any further," Shannchyuan said.
"It's okay, Uncle! I'm delighted if I can be of use to others."
They all laughed at Tsaehorng's words. Although it sounded naïve, it seemed the young man said it sincerely.
"Thank you very much, Tsaehorng. See you tomorrow morning," Shannchyuan said.
After that, Shannchyuan and Yihshyong escorted Tsaehorng to the gate. Tsaehorng's car was already there. He got into the car in a flash. In an instant, the vehicle was driving away from their house. They continued to stare at the car, carrying the young man until it was out of sight. Shannchyuan and Yihshyong turned around. They walked very slowly towards the entrance of their house.
"Why didn't Dahge tell Tsaehorng to call Miss Dihwuu to let Miss Liuchiou know that Dahge probably won't be there tomorrow?" Yihshyong looked at Shannchyuan with a questioning face.
"I did think about asking Tsaehorng to convey my message to Yinqyueh. But after thinking about it, I decided not to tell her beforehand. I'll call Yinqyueh tomorrow to say that. If tonight Yinqyueh hears that tomorrow I will most likely not be able to go there to take her to see her relative's house in Yuehming, I'm afraid she'll end up getting annoyed and can't sleep tonight. She's been sleeping uncomfortably for the past few days. So, I want her to sleep well tonight. I really hope tomorrow morning she will feel refreshed. I don't mind if she gets mad at me tomorrow." Shannchyuan gave an explanation for his actions.
Yihshyong smiled. "So that's Dahge's way of thinking."
"Do you think I was wrong?" Shannchyuan asked.
"I don't know. I would probably do the same thing if I were in your position," Yihshyong said.
Shannchyuan patted Yihshyong on the shoulder. "If tomorrow I can't take Miss Liuchiou to visit her relative's house, I ask you to help me take her there."
I have a feeling that tomorrow, perhaps many things will happen. More than today. As the oldest person here, I can't be selfish. I can't just focus on my own business!
Yihshyong chuckled. "I think she will refuse to let me take her. Maybe she will still choose to wait for you to come to the apartment. After that, she will go to Yuehming together with you. I still clearly remember Dahge saying that Miss Liuchiou was reluctant to return to her family."
"We don't know if it's true that Yinqyueh's relative's house wasn't damaged at all in the fire this morning. So tomorrow, my plan is just to take her there to have a look. Not to send her to live with her relatives. So, she must be willing to come there.""
"Have Dahge discussed this plan with her?"
"Of course I have. Don't worry. She's very young indeed. But if circumstances require her to be mature, then she will behave as we expect."
"Okay! Dahge, don't worry. I'll take her there."
Shannchyuan gave a thumbs up.
I'm not sure that she won't be upset. But at least she wouldn't show such extreme annoyance in front of Yihshyong.
"But there's something else I want to say." Yihshyong was patting Shannchyuan on the shoulder.
Shannchyuan stopped walking and turned to Yihshyong. "Okay, please say the thing still stuck in your mind."
"Didn't Dahge sense something odd?"
"What kind of oddity?"
"When we talk about the things that have happened in the last few days in our lives, Chioujen didn't seem surprised."
"I am sure he's surprised. It's just that the way he shows his surprise is not the same as ours. During the few months living with him, you must have noticed that Chioujen's facial expression tends to remain flat even though he sees or hears surprising things." Shannchyuan chuckled.
"I know. But this is different," Yihshyong said. "Isn't it possible that he already knew about the things that happened here?"
Ah! Chioujen really isn't good at pretending. Yihshyong had already guessed it. Maybe the others could also see it.
"I think it's just your feelings. I've known Chioujen since he was little. He's always been like that. His face isn't very expressive. So when unexpected things happen, he always responds with a straight face. You better not think too far."
Yihshyong still didn't seem convinced by Shannchyuan's explanation. Although Shannchyuan felt his words were well-founded, he knew it was not enough to change Yihshyong's mind.
He doesn't believe it! I hope this will not turn into a big problem!
Talking about Yeuandong people, several stereotypes were attached to people from that region. One of those stereotypes was that the Yeuandong people were very expressive. The expressions on their faces of joy or surprise were usually easy to see on their faces. But they rarely show sad or angry facial expressions. But that's just a stereotype. In reality, not all Yeuandong people were like that. Chioujen was an example of that exception.
"Come on, now let's go inside the house. Tonight we must rest, so tomorrow can do great things with a fit body." Shannchyuan turned the conversation to something else. That was all he could do at the time.
Arriving inside, they saw Iren, Jenqyih, and Chioujen already in the kitchen. They seemed to be talking excitedly. Iren and Jenqyih waved their hands while telling Chioujen something. Instantly, Shannchyuan and Yihshyong followed their friends into the kitchen.
"What is this?" Yihshyong looked at them. "Didn't we already agree that after this, we would all rest? We don't know what will happen tomorrow, so we have to prepare our bodies to stay fit tomorrow."
"We just told about the underground passage we found," said Iren.
"You never said that you found the hidden room deep under our backyard!" Chioujen said.
"Sorry," Yihshyong said. "But then we all agreed not to talk about it over the phone. Of course, we'll let you know when you're in the house."
"Right!" Jenqyih said. "Besides, three months ago, we only found a cellar. We thought it was just an ordinary shed or something. Only yesterday, we discovered that there is an underground passage behind the door in the cellar."
"I want to see it," said Chioujen. However, just like before, he said that with a straight face.
"Now?" Iren asked.
"Of course now. We are going to be very busy tomorrow. It's impossible to have time to deal with this underground passage. Moreover, during the day there may be other people visiting here. Aren't you the one who wanted to keep this a secret from outsiders?" Chioujen's voice was so firm.
Chioujen must be so impatient to tell the things he knows!
"I see," said Shannchyuan. "Let me accompany you down there. Iren, you are the one who is going to guard the edge of the hole. Jenqyih and Yihshyong, you guys just rest."
"But it's Dahge who have to rest now. Tomorrow morning Dahge must be present to receive a briefing from the police," said Jenqyih.
"It's okay," Shannchyuan said. "I'm not too tired yet! My body is still capable of doing a few more things. It won't be long after all."
"Dahge, don't push yourself. What if Dahge faints again tomorrow," said Iren.
"Eh? Beaushu fainted? Where? When?" Chioujen asked the series of questions with an astonished look.
"I was just tired at the time. It's okay," said Shannchyuan. "It's a long story. I'll tell you another time."
"That's right! Dahge promised to have a health check-up," said Yihshyong.
"You guys take it easy. After this matter is over, I'll go see a doctor."
"If Beaushu is really unwell. Next time I'll go down to the cellar," Chioujen said.
"It's okay. We'll go down there for a while. I'll check something out together. Come on, let's go to that corner now," Shannchyuan said, pointing to the corner in the backyard.
The five of them then rushed to the hole. After the hole opened, Shannchyuan prepared to descend. Chioujen would come down after Shannchyuan.
"Remember. After we both got off, Jenqyih and Yihshyong had to rest. Only Iren is on guard at the edge of the hole," said Shannchyuan.
"Okay, don't worry," said Jenqyih and Yihshyong in unison.
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Author's note :
I have already compiled some chapters in this story into some books. You can get it for free if you are interested. I appreciate your support. Thank you very much.
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