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墨書 Inktalez
Some breeds of cockfighting birds look like entirely different species, and I couldn't take my eyes off them. In contrast, it was Qin Zhenzhen who suggested coming here, but she seemed unable to handle the bloody scene. Noticing her discomfort, I felt it was best to leave, albeit with some regret. Hu Xiaoyi noticed my thoughts and quietly suggested that we come back in a few days.
Since we left the cockfighting venue too early and the shadow play hadn't started yet, we wandered around the nearby streets. Qin Zhenzhen mentioned that she had recently been learning the drum set and wanted to buy one to practice at home, so we followed her into an instrument store. As soon as I stepped inside, I sensed a strong presence of Yin Qi lingering within, which surprised me. How could a store like this have such an aura? Did the owner have some kind of supernatural offerings?
Once inside, Qin Zhenzhen and Hu Xiaoyi walked side by side, pointing at various instruments. When we reached the section where drum sets were displayed, Qin Zhenzhen stopped and asked about the price of one particular set. The shopkeeper approached and quoted a price of ten thousand yuan. Qin Zhenzhen frowned, likely thinking it was too expensive. Standing beside them, I felt the Yin Qi growing heavier and realized it was emanating from a particularly beautiful drum. Instinctively, I pointed at it to inquire further.
The shopkeeper assumed I was interested and happily explained, "You have a good eye! This is a renowned American brand DW drum. Although it's the lowest model with five drums, its normal selling price is at least fourteen or fifteen thousand yuan. However, if you really like it, I can let it go for twelve thousand."
A direct drop of three thousand yuan wasn't typical for a businessman. Doubting the situation, I decided to ask, "Can you lower it even more? How about eight thousand?"
Hu Xiaoyi and Qin Zhenzhen both looked over at me with strange expressions, perhaps thinking my bargaining was too aggressive. However, after hesitating for a moment, the shopkeeper replied, "Eight thousand is fine. Are you ready to pay now? The delivery workers are here and can take it to your home right away."
Upon hearing this, I immediately understood that there was something unusual about this drum. While I wasn't sure what exactly it was, getting a businessman to drop from fourteen or fifteen thousand to eight thousand likely indicated some trouble. Hu Xiaoyi seemed to sense something was off as well and asked, "Is it really that cheap? Is there something wrong with the drum? It wouldn't be a counterfeit brand, would it?"
"I've run this store for eight years and never deceive customers. This drum is indeed a DW model; however, to be honest with you, it's on consignment from a relative of mine. Their child went abroad for studies and left the drum here since it would just gather dust. They said they wanted at least eight thousand for it. Although it's only been used for a few months, both its sound quality and appearance are top-notch. You know DW drums are custom-made; you can't usually find them in instrument stores. They originally paid sixteen thousand when they bought it," the shopkeeper explained.
After hearing this explanation, Qin Zhenzhen immediately chimed in, "How about six thousand? If that's okay, I'll take it."
Her eagerness was evident; the shopkeeper pretended to hesitate. Before he could respond, I turned to Qin Zhenzhen and said, "Forget it; let's not get it."
"Why not? I think this drum is great! Even if it's second-hand..." Qin Zhenzhen replied as she picked up a pair of drumsticks and struck a few notes with delight, exclaiming, "The sound is indeed good; it's so much better than the one I use at school!"
"Seven thousand; how does that sound? I'll tell my relative that since it's no longer needed anyway, it's better to sell it cheaply to someone who truly wants it. I believe in your hands; it will definitely shine—you're clearly filled with musical talent..."
The shopkeeper continued his pitch while I noticed that Qin Zhenzhen was almost ready to pull out her wallet. Reluctantly, I had to pull her away. Qin Zhenzhen was quite unhappy and shrugged me off as we exited the store, asking angrily, "What are you doing?"
Hu Xiaoyi looked at me with confusion and asked, "Are you okay? A good drum selling for seven thousand is quite a steal! Why not buy it? If Qin Zhenzhen doesn't want it, I'd consider buying it myself."
I replied firmly, "That drum has issues."
"What’s the problem? Have you also learned the Drum Set?" Qin Zhenzhen asked, somewhat surprised.
I shook my head. I had certainly never learned the Drum Set, but Yin Qi could clearly sense something. However, I couldn't explain all of this to them because, on the surface, the drum seemed perfectly fine. So it either contained a malevolent spirit or was hiding something sinister, but I couldn't just take apart the drum to check, could I? That would still cost me seven thousand.
Seeing that I couldn't provide an explanation, Qin Zhenzhen naturally became even angrier and said to Hu Xiaoyi, "I have something to do at home; you all can go watch the Shadow Play by yourselves!"
After saying that, she turned and left. Hu Xiaoyi let out a bitter laugh and said to me, "You really are something..."
I shrugged and replied, "If she decides not to buy the drum out of anger, that might actually be a good thing. It's hard to explain to her, but there's no need to hide it from you; there’s something in that drum, and it's troublesome."
"Something? What kind of something?" Hu Xiaoyi asked, puzzled.
I shared what I sensed and my suspicions. After hearing this, Hu Xiaoyi's expression turned somewhat grim. He instinctively glanced back at the shopkeeper standing by the window and then quietly asked me, "This wouldn’t be a black market shop, would it…"
How would I know if it was a black market shop? Besides, who cares what kind of shop it is as long as we don't buy anything? After explaining, Hu Xiaoyi seemed to understand. In matters like this, he still trusted me quite a bit. As for Qin Zhenzhen, well, girls get angry sometimes; it’s normal. We could just smooth things over in a couple of days.
After dinner that evening, I went with Hu Xiaoyi to see the Shadow Play. I had found it quite novel when I saw it on TV as a child, but when I actually watched it in person, I found it rather boring. Most of the audience in the room were tourists or children; although the puppets were cut out very realistically and some lines made people laugh heartily, I still felt like something was missing.
Noticing my lack of enthusiasm, Hu Xiaoyi lost interest as well. After dropping me off at a budget hotel, he went home.
The next day, we went to see peonies again; nothing significant happened worth mentioning.
On the morning of the third day, when Hu Xiaoyi came to find me, he looked somewhat troubled. When I asked what was wrong, he said, "Do you remember that Drum Set we saw a few days ago? The one that was originally fourteen or fifteen thousand but dropped to seven thousand?"
I said I certainly remembered; how could I forget such a strange item?
Hu Xiaoyi sighed as he walked in and closed the door behind him. "Qin Zhenzhen bought it."
I gasped and asked when this happened. Hu Xiaoyi said it was just yesterday; she passed by and bought it home. The shopkeeper added another five hundred to the price. He asked me what we should do now.
I replied, "Who knows what we should do? Although I can sense that aura, I don’t know what it is or how to deal with it."
"Isn't anything serious going to happen?" Hu Xiaoyi asked.
I shook my head again and said, "It's hard to say. Maybe that drum just contains ordinary spirits and won't cause any trouble. Don't worry too much; looking at her face, she should live a long life."
"You can read faces? I’ve never heard of that before," Hu Xiaoyi asked skeptically.
I replied, "I just learned it to comfort you."
After chatting for a while, Hu Xiaoyi called Qin Zhenzhen to ask if anything bad had happened since buying the drum. When she brought it up, Qin Zhenzhen was furious, saying, "What kind of nonsense classmate do you have? If it weren't for him wasting my time, I wouldn't have spent an extra five hundred. Seriously, he talks without knowing anything; you should stay far away from him!"
I listened quietly, smiling wryly without saying anything. After hanging up, Hu Xiaoyi said, "Great, now she’s blaming me too. She said if you don’t leave, she won’t see me again. Old Two, how about I help you pack your things so you can go home and play by yourself?"
I rolled my eyes; being so infatuated over friendship was ridiculous. I should have let Liang Xi take care of her and then called Ajan for help.
Of course, Hu Xiaoyi wouldn’t do something so lowly; he was just joking. I had been in Heze for about a week and was planning to leave the next day when Hu Xiaoyi called me early in the morning to say he couldn't come to the hotel to see me. Qin Zhenzhen had been injured and was hospitalized; he was on his way to the hospital.
My heart sank as I asked what happened.
Hu Xiaoyi couldn’t explain clearly. I got the hospital's address and then took a rental car to rush over.
When I arrived at the hospital, I learned that Qin Zhenzhen had slipped while taking a shower and broken her right arm.
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