"Boyfriend?"
Lin Han and the others echoed my suggestion, asking me in unison. I looked at Lin Han with feigned calmness, my heart pounding. After all, I had never confessed my feelings to a girl before, and to casually, even forcefully, ask her to be my girlfriend didn't align with my life philosophy.
"I object!"
Da Huang was the first to speak up for his sister. Seeing us all look at him, he quickly added, "I'm not objecting to him being your boyfriend, I'm objecting to Lin Han going back to Xi'an."
That's right, going back to Xi'an would be a huge pressure for Lin Han. She had been away from home for two years and had never contacted her family.
"How about it, sister, make a sacrifice? It's a police comrade's mission, after all," Chang Dachun said.
I already knew Chang Dachun's identity. He had some connections with Lin Zhijun and was entrusted by Lin Zhijun to look after Lin Han in Beijing. Moreover, Chang Dachun probably knew that Lin Zhijun wasn't the kind of antique dealer who cheated people out of their money.
Due to differing perspectives on this matter, the three brothers rarely agreed. Fatty also said slowly, "It's not worth such a big sacrifice for just a name. We don't know if Lina is telling the truth or not? After all, she's a骗子 (piànzi - liar), maybe she wants to share the blame and just made up a taxi driver."
I looked at Lin Han, her face etched with worry, and said earnestly, "2:2, the final decision is yours."
"I'll go!"
Lin Han agreed readily, quickly uttering a single word.
"Sister, don't force yourself," Da Huang still tried to persuade her.
"I'm not forcing myself, but I have a condition."
"Speak!"
"Help me catch Lin Zhijun. If you don't agree, I won't go back."
"I promise you, I will definitely make Lin Zhijun confess everything he's done at the police station."
That's right, I had deliberately muddled the issue. I hadn't revealed Lin Zhijun's identity, yet I made Lin Han believe that I could definitely send Lin Zhijun to the police station. After speaking, I glanced at Chang Dachun, who secretly gave me a thumbs-up.
Fatty asked, bewildered, "You two planned this beforehand, waiting for sister to fall into the trap?"
Chang Dachun shot him a stern look, "Mind your own business!"
...
Passengers traveling to Xi'an, please note, your flight mu5130 is now boarding...
I picked up my suitcase and glanced at Lin Han, who was wearing a cotton t-shirt with Martian-like script on it, saying, "Let's go, another new journey begins."
"Is being my boyfriend very troublesome?"
"Scared!"
Lin Han snorted, "Who's afraid of whom, you coward! Let's go, board the plane."
As the plane took off, I remembered Old Ghost, whom I met before parting. I told him, "I'm going to Xi'an to catch the Long-Tongued Ghost. Aren't you coming?"
"I'm not going. The Long-Tongued Ghost isn't in Xi'an."
"Do you need me to leave you some money? In case I run into trouble, you can come to the rescue wearing golden armor."
"Don't even think about it. Like a fledgling eagle, you have to soar through the sky on your own. You did well this time."
I pondered for a moment, "Then do you need me to bring some Daoxiangchun for your friends?"
"Stop testing me. I have no friends in Xi'an."
...
Old Ghost had abandoned me just like that. I sat in first class, eating the airplane meal, recalling the events with a displeased mood. Just then, I suddenly heard a familiar voice from the economy class: "Little girl, can I have another chicken rice?"
As his name suggested, Greedy Ghost was indeed greedy. He even wanted a second airplane meal.
Suddenly, I couldn't help but laugh. The Underground Palace, here I come!
...
A large family was there to pick us up, young and old. Among them, a dignified and elegant woman stood at the forefront, her eyes brimming with tears. Seeing these people, Lin Han, who had always exuded a calm aura, began to struggle for breath.
Action!
I held Lin Han's cold, sweaty hand and calmly walked towards the family.
She had clearly run away from home. If it were my mother, I would have received a slap right away. But the Lin family was different; it was as if Lin Han was returning home in triumph. A fleet of black cars transported me and the entire family to a restaurant. The restaurant was already prepared, and a banner was hung, reading: Celebrating Lin Han's return from the Ghost Market, may you achieve great things and reign supreme in the Underground Palace.
What kind of family is this? They live like they're in a movie.
After entering, I went from table to table. In the past, when attending banquets at home, I usually didn't want to participate and would sit with the children, eat until I was full, drink two bottles of soda, and then leave.
This grandeur, this atmosphere, left me stunned.
Fortunately, someone arranged for me to sit with a group of elderly people, who were apparently Lin Han's grand-uncles and grand-aunts. They chattered cheerfully in dialect, which completely confused me; I could hardly understand anything.
This table was the most important, as Lin Han's grandfather was present. The old man was almost eighty, with white hair, holding a dragon-headed cane. His bowl and wine cup were different from everyone else's. An antique family is indeed an antique family; they prepared antique tableware for the elder during the meal.
After a while, Grandpa looked at me curiously, "Who is this young man?"
"Isn't this Lin Han's husband? Your grandson-in-law!"
"Oh!"
After a few bites, he looked at me again, curious, "Who is this young man?"
"Your grandson-in-law!"
"Oh, you are my eldest grandson, you're back from school?"
"Yes, yes." The person explaining sighed, "As long as the辈分 (bèifèn - generational order) is correct!"
Grandpa was senile and his mind wasn't clear. After a while, he saw everyone else eating and drinking, and he quietly pulled me aside, saying, "Grandson, let's go out for a bit."
"What for?"
"To pee!"
I felt quite suppressed while eating. It would be good to accompany Grandpa to the restroom. After we informed others, no one else paid attention as they were all drinking and chatting.
Unexpectedly, Grandpa led me out. As soon as we reached the door, he started to unzip his pants. I quickly stopped him, "Grandpa, this isn't a place to pee."
Grandpa smiled eerily and took out a Nokia phone from his inner pocket. With a few beeps, he made a call. I looked at the grandfather, who was called senile, with a face full of questions.
"What's going on?"
"Let's go, we're going to make a fortune."
"Make a fortune? Don't you have enough money? Lin Zhijun, ah, no, my father, didn't he give you all his earnings?"
"His money is his, and mine is mine. Do I need his help with my pension?"
What was this old man up to? I looked around. No one followed us out, only I was with him. I tried to persuade him, "How about we go back and discuss how to make a fortune slowly?"
"Wait a moment, the car will be here soon."
Sure enough, within a few minutes, a car arrived. It was a private car with a black taxi sign on top. When the car stopped, a plump driver rolled down the window, glanced at Grandpa, and smiled, "Uncle Lin, get in."
Grandpa brought me into the car and said to the driver, "I'm bringing one person, is that okay?"
"No problem, no problem. Who is this?"
"My grandson-in-law, he just came from Beijing today."
I listened in stunned silence. He wasn't senile at all! What was going on at the restaurant earlier? Just as I was trying to figure out what was wrong, I was drawn to a promotional flyer in the taxi. I picked it up and read: Taxi to Heaven, Creating a Happy Life for the Elderly.
After seeing the title, I started reading the flyer. The publisher was Heaven Art Collection Company. It primarily targeted the elderly and described rules regarding art collections. It also included a promise of annual investment returns ranging from 6% to 20%. While this interest rate was higher than the bank's deposit rate, it wasn't excessively high, and ordinary investors wouldn't be interested in such modest returns.
However, it was different for the elderly. If their pensions could appreciate by 20%, their later years could truly be called a happy life.
"Driver, is my grandfather an investor in your company?"
"Yes, Uncle Lin is a seasoned investor, he's been investing for over a year."
This kind of investment felt wrong to me. Only profit and no risk – such investments don't exist in the world, and their customer base being the elderly is inherently problematic. With a suspicious attitude, I prepared to ask more questions. Just then, Grandpa suddenly asked me, "Who are you?"
"I'm your grandson-in-law! Why don't you remember me?"
"I only have one grandson, how could I have a grandson-in-law? Oh, you're my eldest grandson, are you on summer vacation? Do you have a lot of homework?"
It was so cold I almost put on a winter coat, and he asked if I was on summer vacation. I could only give a bitter smile and said to the driver, "Sir, could you please take us back? Grandpa isn't feeling well, and it's not appropriate to discuss investments right now."
"It's fine, Uncle Lin is just like that. He's sometimes confused and then he's fine. He's very shrewd with his investments. Among the investors I've met, his rate of return is the highest."
Hearing this, I was convinced that Grandpa had been scammed. I looked at Grandpa, initially thinking about how to persuade him to go home. But then I suddenly noticed him wink at me, like a secret signal.
A thought struck me, and I asked Grandpa, "Do you know who I am?"
"Aren't you my grandson-in-law? You deserve a beating, asking me such a question! I'm not senile yet?"
I was amused. This old man was acting strangely. I said to the driver, "Let's proceed normally. When we get to the company, if I think it's suitable, I'll invest some money too."