Gu Yan expected this situation to happen and remained calm.
If Zhang Lan didn"t bully her and actually cared about her, then that would be weird.
Gu Yan used a ladle to get some cold water from the water tank and put it in her basin, then she washed away the dirt on her body. When she touched the sc.r.a.pe on her arm, she couldn"t endure it and winced.
Her stomach suddenly started growling. Gu Yan realized that she only ate one meal for the entire day. The only food she brought was given to Lu Ye.
Gu Yan looked around the kitchen and didn"t find anything to eat. There was no way for Zhang Lan to leave food for her. She had no choice but to drink some cold water to alleviate her hunger.
Once she freshened up and tidied everything, she entered the westside room, barely making any sounds at all, but Gu Moli still got up.
In another word, Gu Moli was never sound asleep.
Even though Gu Moli believed that it was best for her if something did happen to Gu Yan so that she could enlist in the army in Gu Yan"s place.
But once she thought about the folktale regarding the cemetery, her heart started pounding, and her mind began to wander.
She relaxed when she saw Gu Yan entering the room. But once she realized that Gu Yan was okay, she felt bitter and frustrated.
Gu Moli grunted angrily, "Are you a ghost, Gu Yan? Why the h.e.l.l did you not make any sounds when you entered?"
Being too loud would wake her, but being too quiet would scare her?
Gu Yan grinned coldly and answered the question eerily following her suggestion, "Uh-huh, I am a ghost. Didn"t you know? I died just a little while ago."
Gu Yan did not lie. She, Gu Yan, really died just a while ago, but then she was reborn.
But Gu Moli was so scared by what Gu Yan said that the hair on her body stood on end instantly. She saw Gu Yan hopping on the heatable brick bed and started laying down her blanket. Because the light wasn"t turned on in their room, the light from outside casted several shadows inside.
Gu Moli did not have the guts to sleep in the same bed as her. The next second, she jumped off the heatable brick bed and ran towards the eastside room.
Gu Moli was in such a rush that she forgot to put shoes on. Her feet were bare and she was crying as she went looking for Zhang Lan.
Gu Yan ignored Gu Moli. Scaring her was the lightest thing to do. If Gu Moli would stay in the village her entire life and not bother her, then Gu Yan would just let it go.
If Gu Moli helps Bai Weiyang to commit more evil like in her past life and stuck around Lu Ye, then it wouldn"t be as simple as scaring her!
Zhang Lan and the others just fell asleep, then they were woken up by Gu Moli"s crying howls.
A while later, an angry Zhang Lan rushed over like a feisty hen.
She cursed, "What, you dare to act like a ghost and scare people? You d.a.m.n girl, your skin is getting too tight! I"m going to teach you a good lesson!"
[TL Note: Skin is getting too tight is a Chinese slang for saying that one needs a beating.]
Then, a broomstick was swung in Gu Yan"s direction.
Gu Yan was well-prepared. She covered herself with the blanket and dodged the broomstick. Then, she cried instantly, "Mom, I don"t know what you"re talking about. I just came home, freshened up, and got into bed. I don"t know what you mean by acting like a ghost. Who did I scare anyway? Ask Dad if you don"t believe me. I was scared to death this entire day, and I was so tired and dazed on the way back that I almost fell asleep."
Gu Dagang put on his clothes and followed inside. He nodded when he heard what Gu Yan said.
She fell from a hill and went into a coma, and it was already dark when she woke up. It was natural for a little girl to be scared.
And on their way back, Gu Dagang carried Gu Yan on his back, and he felt that this little girl was sleepy and tired.
Zhang Lan"s chest moved up and down from anger. She looked at Gu Yan, who still looked wimpy and cowardly, and the expression on Gu Dagang"s face was hard to fake too.
Perhaps it was because she was psychologically primed by Gu Moli and her folklore of the scary cemetery that Zhang Lan was a little creeped out. She looked around and slowly started feeling a chill down her spine.
She asked, "What did the place you fell from look like?"
"It was really late, and I couldn"t see clearly. It was like mound after mound, then I saw a flashlight coming from Dad and the other people and ran towards the light."
Mound after mound? Those must be the grave mounds in the cemetery!
Suddenly, Zhang Lan didn"t dare to stay in this room any longer. She muttered, "You d.a.m.n thing must have attracted some unclean spirits! Hmph!"
Then, Zhang Lan turned around and left. She was scared too.
Of course, Gu Dagang understood what his wife meant. He looked at Gu Yan with worried eyes and asked, [TL Note: In the poor rural areas in China, it is common for several people to sleep in the same room.]"Yan, if you"re scared, why don"t you come to the eastside room and sleep there?"1
- [TL Note: In the poor rural areas in China, it is common for several people to sleep in the same room.]