C20 (1/2)
With everything arranged, Zhu Mingyi's family could be considered to have officially moved into this house.
Although it was just an old apartment, the rent was not cheap. Zhu Mingyi also knew that the price in the provincial capital was not like in the small towns that he used to live in, especially the houses.
Zhu Mingyi received the notification of his assignment two months ago. At first, he lived in the employee dormitory, but when he went home during the weekend, he realized that it was really not convenient for him to do so. Thus, he let his wife, Yang Faang, quit work and brought his 6 year old daughter, Zhu Yang, over to the capital to rent a room.
Although the rent was a new burden, Zhu Mingyi's income had risen a lot. Considering that he could still go to school in the city, the education environment would definitely be better than the suburbs.
So when Yang Faang found a job and the two of them had a stable job, Zhu Mingyi planned to borrow money to buy a house in the city.
As for the rented house, Zhu Mingyi was basically satisfied with it, except for the soundproofing. At night, when he slept, he could hear a few tiny noises. There was the sound of a car honking, insects chirping, voices talking, and occasionally the crying and running sounds of children.
Usually, this building would only have five floors and very few residents, so there wouldn't be so much noise. However, after several nights passed, Zhu Mingyi's family was unable to sleep soundly, making them extremely depressed.
Especially in the upstairs family, often in the middle of the night came the sound of children playing and running, and sometimes especially loud, as if it were right beside their ears.
One night, when Zhu Mingyi saw that Zhu Yang was tossing and turning unable to sleep, he finally reached his limit of patience. He simply opened the window and shouted towards the floor above: ”Fourth floor, can you lower your voice? Others don't need to sleep at night?! ”
It was unknown if he really intimidated the other party, but in short, after Zhu Mingyi shouted for a while, the upstairs became quiet. He turned his head and laughed, and then said to Yang Faang: ”See, is it useful? ”That scumbag.”
At first, Zhu Mingyi thought that things could be settled easily, but after a short while, another sound came from upstairs. This time, it was a woman crying, light and leisurely, as if it contained a long-accumulated grief.
”Don't tell me you scared them to tears?” Yang Faang asked worriedly.
”They can cry just by saying a few words. What kind of joke is this!” Zhu Mingyi opened the window again and looked up.
He noticed that the fourth floor was dark and the lights were off.
”Strange.” He closed the window again.
”What's strange?”
”Why did they turn off the lights when they were so lively just a moment ago?”
”He's going to sleep too.”
Just as Zhu Mingyi and Yang Faang were discussing, the woman's wail rang out again. It sounded even more sorrowful than before.
After a moment of silence, Zhu Mingyi asked:
”What the hell is she crying about?”
Yang Faang wanted to reply, but a few more ”peng!” sounds came from above. Bang! ”Bam!” The sound was similar to the sound of a ball hitting the ground, followed by the sound of children laughing. It was in stark contrast to the sound of a woman crying.
”Is the family sick?” Zhu Mingyi became angry again.
Yang Faang was a timid person, she did not want to quarrel with others the moment she moved here, so she told Zhu Mingyi:
”Never mind, go to sleep, stop tormenting yourself.”
Zhu Mingyi knew that there was nothing he could do, it was the middle of the night, if he really wanted to solve the problem, he would have to do it tomorrow.
After that, the sound continued to be intermittent for a while and then quickly stopped.
The next day, coincidentally, was Saturday. Zhu Mingyi's family slept for a long time, and only woke up at noon. When he was washing up, Zhu Mingyi was once again reminded of what happened last night.
”It seems like this family is just a night owl. It's so noisy in the middle of the night, and there's not a sound of fart in the morning, especially that kid. I'll go upstairs and talk to them later.”
Yang Faang looked in the mirror and replied leisurely:
”You should also be a bit polite. Maybe he really does have something on his mind.”
Obviously, Yang Faang was still thinking about the woman's crying last night, making her feel very uncomfortable.
Not long later, Zhu Mingyi pulled Zhu Yang along and they rode in the elevator to the door of room 402 on the fourth floor.
”Press the doorbell. Be good.”
Hearing his father's instructions, Zhu Yang happily tiptoed and strongly pressed the doorbell.
The doorbell rang. Zhu Mingyi took a peek at the peephole and discovered that it was very dim inside.
A dozen seconds passed and no one opened the door.
”Press again. Hurry.”
Zhu Yang pressed down heavily twice more, and then stood back up expectantly.
He waited for about half a minute, but nothing happened.
”Dad, no one is opening it.” Zhu Yang pretended to sigh.
Zhu Mingyi pressed on it a few more times, thinking: This family is so energetic, and left early in the morning?
”Is anyone there?” Zhu Mingyi knocked on the door as he shouted loudly, ”Is there anyone here?”
”Dad, let's go.” Zhu Yang did not have patience, he pulled Zhu Mingyi and wanted to leave.
”Yeah, he shouldn't be here.” Zhu Mingyi nodded, but when he moved, he suddenly saw something strange on the left wall of the door.
”Wait!”
The two of them moved closer to the door and found that there were two handprints on the wall, about half the height of the door. They were slightly raised, as if they were purposely placed there.
Judging by their size, it was easy to tell that these two imprints were copied from the palm of a child.
”What is it?”
Zhu Mingyi touched the wall lightly with his hands. He was not surprised that there were two weird and weird handprints on the wall, but rather wondered how the handprints could be printed on it.
He guessed that it must be the kid's doing. Others wouldn't be so bored.
”Dad, look, there's more over here!” When Zhu Mingyi was in a daze, he let out a cry. Zhu Mingyi immediately looked at the direction where Zhu Yang's finger was pointing, and discovered that above the two palm prints, there were two other palm prints, or rather, another set of palm prints.
Compared to the first set of palm prints, this set could tell at a glance that it was an adult's palm. The rest were exactly the same.
Zhu Yang was extremely excited, as if he had discovered a new continent. He tiptoed to go and touch it, but who knew he would be pulled back by Zhu Mingyi.
”Don't touch!”
Zhu Mingyi suddenly felt a sense of disgust towards these two sets of handprints. It looked like a child's prank, but he felt that something was off.
Zhu Yang realized that his father's tone was strict and did not dare to speak anymore.
”Let's go home.” Zhu Mingyi didn't plan to investigate further, and thought that it had nothing to do with them. Therefore, he pulled Zhu Yang's small hand and went straight down the fourth floor.
”How is it? What did he say?” Yang Faang asked as soon as the father and daughter pair entered the room.
”No, he's not here. I'll go up later.”
Yang Faang replied and did not mind.
Zhu Mingyi and Zhu Yang did not mention the matter of the two sets of handprints, and had completely forgotten about it.
In the afternoon, the family of three happily strolled around the shopping mall and bought some clothes for Zhu Yang. When they reached home at night, Zhu Yang said that he wanted to go downstairs to jump rope.
”Go.” It was not even eight o'clock yet, and Yang Faang had already agreed to it. She was the one who advocated a little exercise after dinner.
Zhu Yang took a piece of rope and excitedly went downstairs, Zhu Mingyi and Yang Faang were also busy with their own things. The matter of him going to Room 402 to communicate later had long been forgotten by Zhu Mingyi.
After a while, Yang Faang heard the sound of rain outside the window, and knew that Zhu Yang was still skipping rope downstairs. She said to Zhu Mingyi: ”It's raining, tell Yang Yang to come up earlier.”
Zhu Mingyi agreed and put down the newspaper. Then he opened the door and went downstairs.
Reaching the ground floor, Zhu Mingyi realized that the rain was heavier than he had imagined. Zhu Yang was not at the empty space in front of the building where he would usually jump rope. It was not until he heard the noise that Zhu Mingyi finally found him.
The stairs were very dark and the lights were broken. Normally, people would use the elevator, but no one would use the stairs, so Zhu Mingyi did not expect Zhu Yang to come over. Obviously because of the rain, Zhu Yang jumped rope and moved it indoors.
”Daddy, little big brother dances better than me.” In the elevator, Zhu Yang spoke out.
”Whose little brother?”
”He's the one who jumped rope with me.”
Zhu Mingyi thought: There's a child from another clan? Why didn't I see it?
”What about little big brother?”
”Let's go.”
While they were talking, Zhu Mingyi had already opened the door. Yang Faang also heard their conversation and asked Zhu Mingyi what it was about.
”Oh, it seems like there was a little boy playing with Yang Yang just now.”