deltrittennovels #573 - Weird melody
#573 - Weird melody
As the night deepened, the outline of Baifeng Village became faintly visible in the distance. Tang Yin stood on a small slope at the entrance of the village, the cool breeze blowing through his short hair, bringing a bit of clarity. He squatted in the weeds by the roadside, his eyes vigilantly surveying the small path leading to the village.
"Going in directly will definitely get me caught and then kicked out..." Tang Yin stroked his chin, pondering. The chirping of insects at night made his thoughts even clearer. Since normal communication won't work, then I can only resort to extraordinary measures.
He reached into the plastic bag he had just bought from the convenience store and pulled out a bottle of cheap sake. Under the moonlight, the label on the bottle was somewhat faded, revealing a hint of shabbiness. Tang Yin twisted open the cap and took a big gulp.
"Ah, ah! So hard to drink!" He coughed from the spicy taste of the wine, his brows furrowed. Cheap stuff is cheap stuff, it tastes like white vinegar, and his throat burns.
Tang Yin wiped the corner of his mouth and smiled self-deprecatingly. This kind of inferior wine is indeed not meant to be drunk like this, but to ensure his personal safety and to unravel the mystery of this strange village, he can only wrong himself.
After the second cup, the alcohol began to take effect. Tang Yin felt a churning in his stomach and couldn't help but burp: "... burp."
By the third cup, his consciousness had begun to blur, and his vision became hazy. The bottle swayed in his hand, spilling a few drops of wine, leaving dark marks on the ground.
By the fourth cup, Tang Yin was completely unable to stand steady, leaning against the telephone pole by the roadside, staring blankly into the distance.
At this moment, a beam of flashlight shone over. "... Ah?" It was a patrolling police officer, his voice full of doubt.
Tang Yin grinned, revealing a silly smile typical of a drunk: "... Hoo hee hee... Hoo hee hee hee..."
"What's wrong, young man, are you drunk? I've never seen you before!" The police officer took a few steps closer, cautiously examining this stranger.
"Yes~, yes... ah." Tang Yin responded vaguely, deliberately making his voice sound drunk.
The police officer wrinkled his nose, smelling a strong smell of alcohol: "Wow, you're full of alcohol! Where did you come from? It's already so late!"
"Yes... ah..." Tang Yin continued to pretend to be drunk, slurring his words.
"Ah, forget it, okay, okay! Come with me to the police station first!" The police officer sighed helplessly.
The plan worked! Tang Yin was secretly delighted. If he were sober now, this conscientious police uncle would definitely kick him out without hesitation. But now, he is a drunkard in need of humanitarian care.
To make the performance even more realistic, Tang Yin began to talk nonsense and sing loudly: "Hey ya~! Hey ya~~~!!"
"Annoying, kid!! Don't disturb the people!!" The police officer supported his shoulder and shouted angrily.
...
The next morning, sunlight streamed in through the window. Tang Yin groggily opened his eyes, his head throbbing as if it had been hit hard with a hammer, the severe pain making him groan. Not only his head hurt, but even his back and the muscles all over his body were sore, as if he had been run over by a car.
He barely propped himself up and looked around, trying to confirm his location. The aftereffects of the hangover made his brain a mess, "... Where is this..."
...
Tang Yin blinked his sleepy eyes, feeling the rough straw mat under him and the musty blanket on his body. Although simple, this was exactly the result he wanted. Through the iron bars of the detention room, he saw the police uncle on duty dozing off in the duty room, a smile unconsciously rising on the corner of his mouth.
This seemingly fierce uncle is actually kind-hearted at heart. Thinking of how he complained while making the bed for himself last night, Tang Yin couldn't help but sigh: sometimes the simplest method is the most effective. You don't need any complicated excuses, as long as you appear ordinary and unremarkable, you can gain trust instead.
"Ah, young man, are you awake? I have a few questions I want to ask you." The police officer opened the door and walked in, holding a cup of steaming tea in his hand.
Tang Yin secretly took a breath and adjusted his expression. This is the most critical moment, and what follows is a test of acting skills.
The police officer sat on the chair opposite, his eyes shining as he looked at Tang Yin. After a long while, he summed up in a slightly sympathetic tone: "... In short, your parents are dead, you have no money, no job, you were kicked out by the landlord, and you were dumped by your girlfriend."
"So you came to the mountains to embolden yourself with alcohol, wanting to die but failing to do so, right?"
Tang Yin lowered his head, his voice choked with sobs: "Yes..."
The police officer sighed, a look of pity in his eyes: "... Big cities are really hell."
"Yes..." Tang Yin continued to maintain a low mood.
In the next hour, he "narrated" his life story in detail. Those carefully woven tragic experiences successfully touched the police officer's sympathy. The protagonist in the story had a difficult life but always maintained a yearning for life. This kind of setting is the easiest to impress people.
"Hey, if you didn't dress so frivolous, and were more mature and stable, maybe it would be better." The police officer couldn't help but start lecturing.
Tang Yin immediately put on a sincere look: "... Yes, I reflect..."
He knew very well how to respond: don't take the initiative to speak, don't refute the other party, and maintain just the right amount of obedience. This police uncle is kind by nature, but he also has a nagging and preachy side. To achieve his goal, he must first satisfy his desire to express himself.
Villagers occasionally passed by the glass door of the police station, curiously peering inside from time to time. Even though it was still early, the villagers of Baifeng Village had keenly noticed the existence of this stranger. Tang Yin could feel those probing gazes, but he still maintained a low profile.
"... Sigh, suicide is not a good thing." The police officer started a new round of preaching.
"Yes... Even when drunk, I don't have the courage." Tang Yin responded softly.
"But I didn't see that."
"When you're scared to death, you can only laugh..." Tang Yin's answer was just right, both reasonable and logical.
The police officer nodded thoughtfully: "Well, maybe that's the case... By the way, what are you going to do next?"
Tang Yin was silent for a while, deliberately showing a hesitant look. This was the final critical moment, and he had to grasp the measure.
"... I want to start over, but I'm at the end of my rope..." His voice trembled, and tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. This performance seemed sincere, but it was actually carefully calculated, in order to pave the way for the slightly unreasonable request that followed.
"... My wife's family has a small factory in the next city. Would you like to try working there?" The police uncle suddenly made this suggestion, his eyes flashing with kindness.
Tang Yin's eyes lit up, and he asked casually, "Is your wife from Kyushu?"
"Yes, she is a strong and good woman." Mentioning his wife, the police officer's expression softened instantly, and the wrinkles in the corners of his eyes revealed happiness.
"How did you two meet?" Tang Yin seized the opportunity and asked softly. This sentence seemed to open the floodgates of memory, and the police officer's eyes suddenly became deep.
"This is a long story. I was only twenty years old then..."
For the next hour, Tang Yin quietly listened to the middle-aged policeman tell the story of his youth. It was a love story about overcoming regional barriers, full of youthful passion and romanticism.
As he listened, words like "karma", "harming others harms oneself" kept flashing in Tang Yin's mind. He lowered his eyes slightly, concealing the complex expression that flashed in his eyes. Through the police officer's narration, he unexpectedly learned that this uncle was not actually a local of Baifeng Village, but was sent to this remote mountainous area and moved here with his wife.
As he was talking, the glass door of the police station was gently pushed open, and a slightly plump, kind-faced middle-aged woman walked in with a tray. She was wearing a simple floral dress, with a gentle smile on her face, and the teacup in her hand was still steaming.
"Come on, have some hot tea to warm up." She placed the teacup in front of Tang Yin, her movements as gentle as if she were treating her own child.
The following scene made Tang Yin a little overwhelmed - this couple in their fifties began to show off their love without reservation. They smiled at each other from time to time, and helped each other add tea and water with great understanding, revealing the warmth of many years of companionship in every gesture.
While drinking the hot tea, Tang Yin pondered countermeasures. He had originally planned to start over in Baifeng Village, but at this moment, this request seemed particularly difficult to make. However, looking at this kind couple, a new idea gradually took shape in his mind.
"It sounds really good... but this place is not bad either. The natural environment is very good, and there is a feeling of peace..." Tang Yin said tentatively, looking thoughtfully at the continuous mountains outside the window.
"Oh dear, this place is very inconvenient, and besides, it's just mountains and more mountains around here." The police officer's wife shook her head repeatedly, her tone full of concern.
Tang Yin took a deep breath and showed a slightly melancholy smile: "I can feel that it is destiny that I came here. Maybe, there will be a fateful encounter for me here."
"That's right, that's right, maybe we really have a connection." The police officer's wife immediately chimed in, keenly grasping the emotion in his words.
Watching this aunt skillfully using her caring techniques, Tang Yin secretly praised her in his heart. He deliberately choked up and said: "... It's, it's the first time someone has been so kind to me..."
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, alright, alright, don't cry! Handkerchief, handkerchief..." The aunt fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief.
Tang Yin seized the opportunity and said excitedly: "... I, I want to repay your kindness! Are there any job opportunities nearby!"
"... Ah..." The police officer's expression suddenly became complicated, his brow furrowed slightly, and a trace of imperceptible hesitation flashed in his eyes.
He had finally steered the conversation to this key point, and Tang Yin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. However, watching the subtle change in the police officer's face, he knew that things might not be so simple.
After the aunt cleared the tea set and returned to the room, the atmosphere in the police station office suddenly dropped to freezing point. The warm yellow fluorescent light shone silently overhead, and Tang Yin could clearly hear the ticking of the clock on the wall, as well as the police uncle's slightly heavy breathing.
"... It's better not to have this plan." The police officer finally broke the silence, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible gloom.
"Eh?" Tang Yin pretended to be surprised and raised his head.
The police officer rubbed his rough palms, as if considering his words: "Don't get me wrong, this village is full of old people, and there are no special products. At most, you can only be a helper..."
"I don't mind, even if there is no salary, it doesn't matter." Tang Yin looked sincere, his eyes flashing with a firm light.
"That's true... but there are other towns not far from here." The police officer's brow furrowed even tighter, and the wrinkles on his forehead seemed to deepen.
"I want to stay here to work!" Tang Yin raised his voice, showing strong persistence.
"... Th, that... how should I say it." The police officer stammered, his eyes unconsciously drifting to the darkening sky outside the window.
The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Tang Yin waited silently, observing the other party's every move.
"... Well, actually, the villagers here are a little strange." The police officer finally said this sentence, his voice so low that it almost sounded like a murmur.
As expected. Tang Yin nodded inwardly. Through the previous conversation, he had already noticed that although this couple had lived in Baifeng Village for twenty years, they had always maintained a certain distance. They were like a pair of migratory birds forced to land in a foreign land, and even if they built nests and settled down, they could never fully integrate into the atmosphere of this land.
Looking at the bitter expression on the police officer's face, Tang Yin's thoughts began to run wild.
"... Strange?" he asked softly.
"Ah, it's nothing, I mean, you have other options..." The police officer hurriedly changed the subject, but before he could finish speaking, a sudden sound interrupted him.
It was the sound of a broadcast coming from afar, echoing intermittently in the mountain village air. Tang Yin pricked up his ears and listened carefully, trying to discern the location of the loudspeaker.
"... Ah, are you scared? This is the seven o'clock bell." The police officer looked at Tang Yin's slightly trembling body and explained.
That melody - Tang Yin's pupils contracted sharply. He had heard this folk song full of nursery rhyme charm in Wuyin Village. Wang Lina had told him that the name of this song was [ Visiting Qianming God]. On the surface, it was a hymn to the gods, but in his memory, it was clearly a sacrificial song dedicated to the Yellow Spring Death Banquet.
"... It's a rare melody." Tang Yin deliberately said in a casual tone.
"Ah, I forgot what it's called. This folk song has been passed down in this village for a long time." The police officer responded casually, obviously not wanting to talk about this topic.
So that's how it is, is this a common cultural heritage of the entire village? Tang Yin sneered inwardly. This was also in line with reason. Even the most cruel legends, after the passage of time, would be diluted into harmless folk tales. If managed carefully, it might even be packaged as a selling point for rural tourism, such as holding a "Wolf Slaughtering Festival".
--Of course, all of this is on the premise that these legends are just legends.
But what happened next forced Tang Yin to re-examine his judgment. Even someone like him, who had many doubts about Baifeng Village, could not help but be shocked by what was about to happen.