Ghost Buster’s Dilemma: Stolen Tool Spells Doom for Thief’s Son
On the train, an old lady stole my ghost–binding rope.
I smirked coldly.
That thing was meant to save her son’s life.
1
“My hand is injured. Switch seats with me. You sleep on the upper bunk,” she commanded.
Her tone irritated me, and I looked up at her with displeasure.
An old woman with her right arm in a sling, yet her voice was full of vigor.
She grabbed my luggage and started tossing it onto the upper bunk. “Hurry up!”
I made myself even more comfortable. “Thank you for offering your bed for my luggage. I was just thinking this bed was too small.”
The man on the lower bunk opposite us spoke up for the old lady: “Young lady, you look pretty, but how can you bully an elderly person?”
“Oh my, these city girls don’t care about us old country folks at all,” the old lady’s attitude suddenly became more aggressive when she saw someone backing her up.
“What’s wrong with being from the countryside? I’m from there too,” I retorted.
I clutched my stomach and groaned, “Oh, I don’t mind being a bit cramped, but what about my baby?”
“My mom said not to tell anyone before three months, but I have no choice now!”
1
The man on the middle bunk, annoyed at having his sleep disturbed, grumbled, “She looks much healthier than the young lady. My ears are ringing from her shouting.”
The old lady was left speechless.
Even the man who initially supported her changed sides and tossed her bag onto the upper bunk.
“How shameless can you be, trying to take a pregnant woman’s seat?”
The old lady glared at me and reluctantly climbed to the upper bunk.
But she wasn’t content to stay quiet up there. She started bragging to the man about how successful her son was.
“My son is so capable! He bought a big house in the city!”
“When he heard about my injured hand, he specifically told me that kind–hearted people would surely offer to switch seats with me when they saw it.”
When I returned from the bathroom, I mouthed to her: “I’m–not–pregnant.”
The old lady’s boasting got stuck in her throat, and she pointed at me, glaring for a long time.
Her chest heaved as if she was furious, and she lost all interest in bragging about her son. She probably wouldn’t sleep well that night.
I could finally get some good rest.
2
At dawn, we arrived at our destination.
I went to the address provided by my client.
The old lady happened to be standing at the door of the house I was heading to.
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Seeing me behind her, the old lady immediately straightened her back.
She looked me up and down, unable to contain her excitement.
Suddenly, she started laughing hysterically like a madwoman.
“So you’re the girlfriend my son’s been dating?”
“It’s just a birthday, and you want to eat a $38 meal? Do you think my son is made of money?”
“Eating his food, using his things, and still wanting him to help with housework.”
“You’ve got some nerve.”
“I came here specifically to teach you a lesson.”
“Since you don’t know how to respect your elders, as long as I’m here, don’t even think about entering this door today.”
She gripped the doorframe with both hands, her eyes glaring at me as if she would fight me to the death if I dared to step inside.
After the old lady’s outburst, I had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
My client had mentioned on SnapChat that he had a girlfriend, but she had been scared off long ago.
The old lady had mistaken me for someone else.
Looking at the house filled with resentment, I covered my face and pretended to sob quietly: “You don’t have to be so cruel. I’ll leave if that’s what you want.”
The old lady’s face contorted as if she was constipated. Perhaps because I gave in so easily, she hadn’t had the chance to say all the nasty things she wanted to, and it left her feeling frustrated.
I didn’t give her the opportunity either. After dropping that line, I quickly went downstairs and left the troublesome place.
There really was a ghost in that house, and an evil one at that.
The pay would have to be higher.
This job was going to be a loss.
4
When I was five years old, my mother abandoned me at a train station.
Since then, I’ve been wandering alone.
Everyone said I was a cursed child, and I didn’t want to bring misfortune to others.
So I became a haunted house cleaner, working alone.
The job of a haunted house cleaner involves sleeping in so–called haunted houses, easily earning $10,000 per job.
Most haunted houses are either cases where the owners have guilty consciences or someone is playing tricks. The work is essentially a vacation.
Of course, occasionally there are real evil spirits at work.
Like this time.
My client, trying to save money, bought a $200,000 house for $50,000, and then spent another $10,000 to hire me to clean the haunted house.
Just as I was pondering this, the phone rang.
12:04 PM
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It was Jack – the old lady’s son.
“Master, where are you?” His weak voice came through as soon as the call connected.
I slurped some noodles and replied nonchalantly, “Your dear mother chased me away. She said as long as she’s there, she’d never let me in.”
“Looks like I won’t be taking this job after all.”
“I don’t know if you’ll live long enough to spend the money!”
There was some quiet muttering on the other end of the line. Apparently, the old lady first denied it, then realized her son’s girlfriend had left long ago, and finally remembered what had happened.
Suddenly, an intense argument broke out.
I gave them my address, held the phone away, hung up, and calmly continued eating my noodles.
5
With the non–refundable deposit, I went to a spa and found a top–tier masseur.
I couldn’t tell if the massage was good or not, but the guy was incredibly handsome with an honest face.
I lightly brushed his arm with my foot, and he blushed shyly.
It was quite therapeutic.
