Qin Sisi thought of Xiao Hei again. What exactly was Xiao Hei? He ate ordinary food instead of cat food, was able to command a horde of cats, and even understood human languages. It was as if... he could perform some sort of magical spell.
Was Wang Ji’an’s madness related to those cats, or was it tied to the "ghost" of Xiyuan Park?
Just before the end of work, the department’s interim head announced two pieces of news: first, there would be a one-day holiday for the Mid-Autumn Festival tomorrow; second, after the holiday, a new department manager would take office, for which everyone should be prepared.
After the head left, the whole department exploded into a furor of excitement about the coming holiday and apprehension over the new leadership.
Qin Sisi wasn’t too concerned; her main focus was on the date of the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month. Xiao Hei had said a few days ago that he would reveal his secret on the evening of the fifteenth. Qin Sisi sensed that the secret would be quite inconceivable. Though it made her somewhat uneasy, she was also filled with anticipation.
After returning home from work, Qin Sisi attempted to ask Xiao Hei about Wang Ji’an’s madness. To her disappointment, Xiao Hei, with eyes half-closed and an expression of fatigue, ignored her. Thus, Qin Sisi let the matter drop.
At night, Qin Sisi had a sweet dream, sleeping soundly until late in the morning. When she woke up, Qin Sisi lazily stretched out, which struck her as odd. She had always been a light sleeper, but it seemed that she began to sleep more deeply ever since Xiao Hei arrived.
Walking to the dining table, Qin Sisi was thrilled to find that, finally, the long-awaited paper contained something written on it. She quickly grabbed it and saw instructions to prepare a white candle and a lighter.
Qin Sisi’s heartbeat quickened, for it was time to start the preparations. She was getting closer and closer to Xiao Hei’s secret.
She couldn’t resist glancing at Xiao Hei, who was still curled up asleep on the bed. Its small body was round and fluffy, not moving in the slightest. She had no idea when he had left the note.
Looking at Xiao Hei, who resembled a furry black ball, Qin Sisi couldn’t help but chuckle softly, muttering, "Such a lazy cat." She then went to the bathroom for a quick wash before getting started on breakfast.
As she turned her back, Xiao Hei suddenly opened his eyes. Watching the back of Qin Sisi as she went about her morning routine, his purple eyes were filled with nameless emotions.
After breakfast, Qin Sisi put Xiao Hei into her bag and took him with her to buy the two items written on the paper.
It was the Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth day of the 8th lunar month. The streets were bustling with activity, supermarkets were festooned with decorations, and the festive atmosphere was palpable. However, Qin Sisi had no time for it.
What frustrated Qin Sisi was how hard it was to find these two seemingly ordinary items. The lighter was easy to get, but it was a real hassle to find white candles. Indeed, very few people used them these days. Power cuts were rare, and even when they happened, people would resort to mobile phones, flashlights, and rechargeable desk lamps for emergency lighting.
After a prolonged search, Qin Sisi finally found white candles in a small shop in an inner-city village. To be on the safe side, she bought ten of them, a decision she would later congratulate herself on.
At noon, while carrying her purchases and walking down the street, Qin Sisi’s stomach growled fiercely.
Qin Sisi stopped in her tracks, somewhat embarrassed. She had forgotten about lunchtime while running her errands. It would take almost an hour to get home.
Qin Sisi rubbed her belly and decided to have lunch before returning home. She looked along the row of shops with their colorful signs, and finally entered a dumpling restaurant with Xiao Hei and ordered a portion of dumplings.
From her memories, it seemed like a long time since she last had dumplings. She remembered when her mother was still alive, her mother would get up early every time Sisi came home. Mom would chop the meat filling while the rhythmic sound of the knife hitting the chopping board echoed in the room. Marinating the chopped meat in soy sauce and Sichuan peppercorn for two hours, she’d sprinkle the finely chopped scallions and ginger into the meat, followed by salt, fermented bean paste, pepper, thirteen-spice powder, and other seasonings, stirring the chopped vegetables evenly into the mix at the end.
Sometimes the vegetables were dill, sometimes cabbage, and sometimes yard-long beans. Each had its unique taste.
By the time Qin Sisi returned home, the white, smooth dumplings would almost be ready. Served on a white porcelain plate, each one resembled a delicate nugget of silver. One bite released an aromatic flavor that lingered in the mouth.
"Dumplings are ready!" A woman’s voice interrupted Qin Sisi’s thoughts.
Qin Sisi looked up to see a woman in her thirties, wearing a white shirt with small blue flowers and a white apron, smiling warmly as she placed a plate of steaming dumplings in front of Qin Sisi. The woman warmly said, "Eat slowly, dear. Be careful. It’s hot."
The aroma wafted over, and Qin Sisi thanked her with a smile.
The woman walked away with a grin. Qin Sisi turned around to let Xiao Hei out of her bag, only to find that Xiao Hei was already sitting next to her, its purple eyes staring intently at the retreating figure of the woman.
She waved her hand in front of Xiao Hei’s face, asking, "Hey, what are you looking at?"
Just as she finished speaking, Xiao Hei blinked, and a faint purple light shot out from his eyes. Qin Sisi faltered for a second, and then there was a sudden, loud crash.
Qin Sisi turned around in alarm, only to see the woman leaning against a table, gripping the edge tightly with one hand while clutching her chest with the other, panting heavily. Her face was pale as a sheet, and her warm smile was replaced with fear and consternation.
The culprit was a ceiling fan that had been spinning rapidly overhead. It was September, and the weather was becoming cooler. Air conditioning was no longer necessary, but in many small eateries, fans were still used to dispel the remnants of the summer heat.
It appeared that the spinning ceiling fan had suddenly fallen off and nearly hit the woman.
The customers all gathered around, each voicing their shock and concern. Some commented on how lucky the woman was, as she’d narrowly avoided being hit by the falling fan; others questioned the safety of the dumpling restaurant.
At this moment, a tall, slender, dark-skinned man hurried over.
"I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. The woman told me a few days ago to check the fan, but I forgot. I really do apologize, everyone. I’ll give a discount on today’s bill..." While the man was giving apologetic remarks to the customers, he helped the woman to the back room.
Feeling uneasy, Qin Sisi turned back to look at Xiao Hei. Was it truly an accident? Just before the incident, she caught a glimpse of a purple light emitting from Xiao Hei’s eyes. Could Xiao Hei have had something to do with it?