Shen's father recalled something and said, "At the innermost part of 777th Street is a ghost house, and there's a large graveyard in the backyard, so it's normal to have heavy ghostly vibes."
Shen Chen asked, "Are there really ghosts inside?"
Shen's father replied, "We wondered about that before, considering the strong ghostly aura. We sent many people to investigate, and I went to check as well, but we never caught any ghosts. The explanation we settled on was that the ghostly aura comes from the graveyard. Some people also say that the heavy ghostly vibes are due to the presence of a ghost gate, from which the aura continuously flows. But there's no concrete evidence for that."
"Moreover, there have been no incidents in that area for a long time, so we gradually stopped paying attention to it." Shen's father paused for a moment and sighed, "Though the ghostly vibes are heavy in that area, it's much more peaceful than other places. However, I never noticed anyone living there; there was no one when I personally checked ten years ago."
"My classmate is not even ten years old yet, so she must have moved in within the last few years." Shen Chen glanced at his father's eyes and added, "Besides being affected by the gloomy aura, she hasn't encountered any other problems."
Shen's father pondered and said, "It seems there really are no ghosts there... However, it's not suitable for ordinary people to live in a house with such strong ghostly vibes. Not only will their luck decline, but their bodies will also weaken due to the dominance of Yin over Yang. So, it's better to advise your little classmate to move out as soon as possible."
Shen Chen said, "She doesn't seem like an ordinary person; she can see filth."
Shen's father: "It's normal for children to occasionally see filth."
Shen Chen clarified, "No, she has been able to see them all the time."
Shen's father: "Has she ever studied spiritual practices?"
Shen Chen thought about the strange look in Li Xiao Gui's eyes when she witnessed his sealing, and how she seemed to know nothing about the basic knowledge of gloomy aura. He shook his head and said, "No."
Shen's father nodded, "It seems like a natural gift. That's good; you can teach her the basics of exorcism. It will make her safer in a ghost house. If she has high potential, you can also recommend her to the Spiritual Academy for formal studies. Talented exorcists are becoming increasingly rare in the spirit world."
"Yes!" Shen Chen nodded and asked, "But Dad, can you go to the ghost house again? Now that someone is living there, I want to take another look."
"Alright, but I have to resolve this current case first; some issues have arisen in our district recently. Before that, we used to have people monitoring that area regularly, so rest assured." Shen's father looked at Shen Chen seriously, patiently, and with earnestness.
"Okay!" Shen Chen nodded.
...
Last night, Young Ghost scolded Li Xiao Gui for a long time, making her memorize four things:
In addition to the previous instructions from the Young Ghost, she memorized them all before he allowed her to sleep.
Li Xiao Gui didn't have a great memory, and she wasn't very focused, so it took her a long time to memorize them last night.
However, it didn't affect her enthusiasm for the picnic the next day. She wore a floral dress, a small straw hat, and carried a basket while walking with the ghostly family members on the road.
The basket only contained a tablecloth and a bunch of fresh red flowers, so it was very light and didn't weigh much.
The real weight was in the basket filled with fruits and juice cakes behind them, carried by the Burly Ghost from behind.
The people from the ghost house all wore straw hats on their heads and were dressed in matching parent-child outfits with Li Xiao Gui.
Today was the second day after the heavy rain. The gentle sunlight blended with the slightly moist laziness of the azure sky.
Li Xiao Gui walked at the front, acting like a little tour guide.
"Turn right!" the Young Ghost at the intersection reminded, exposing the fact that the little tour guide didn't know the way.
"Okay!" Li Xiao Gui raised her head and obediently turned right.
Continuing straight ahead would lead to a convenience store, and if they kept going, they would reach the bustling street, which was the route her dad often took her to the kindergarten.
However, Li Xiao Gui had never been to the right before.
After walking for a while, Li Xiao Gui spotted a quiet park.
The words on the park's stone walls had faded, and the railings showed signs of wear and tear. Inside the park, weeds had grown abundantly.
The lush green grass had grown up to the legs of the stone tables and chairs, half concealing their pale gray color. There wasn't a single area in the park that was free from grass.
This was an abandoned and uninhabited park.
"Wow!" Li Xiao Gui exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with stars.
To her, this was a whole new world, and the novelty and curiosity made her feel that the park was simply beautiful.
"Is the grass still wet?" the Young Ghost asked.
Li Xiao Gui ran her small hand along the grass tips and said, "Yes, it's still wet!"
The Young Ghost said, "Then let's find a stone table and spread the tablecloth to have our meal there."
Li Xiao Gui ran to the innermost stone table. Just a little beyond the table, there was a river, wide enough, and on the other side, the buildings were familiar—right where the lively area was.
Li Xiao Gui was only as tall as the table legs. She pointed at the stone table and exclaimed, "I want to eat here!"
The Young Ghost said, "Alright, wait for big brother to lay the tablecloth. The table is dirty, don't touch it."
"Okay, okay, little ghost, big brother is coming, just wait." The Burly Ghost said as he laid the red checkered tablecloth on the table and chairs.
Li Xiao Gui also helped out, lightly climbing onto a stone chair and arranging the food.
The ghosts took their seats one by one, and the Female Ghost was already exhausted, her head barely resting on the chair before she fell asleep.
The Ghost Grandpa took out the newspaper from his basket and started reading it, while the Ghost Granny sat beside him, smiling contentedly as she watched Li Xiao Gui, who had a face full of cake.
And she didn't even notice that her legs were dangling under the chair.
The Young Ghost reminded her disdainfully, "Your face, your face! Little ghost, tsk."
Li Xiao Gui looked at him blankly, but at this moment, the Burly Ghost forked a slice of apple and offered it to her mouth, excitedly saying, "Little ghost, little ghost, ah—eat the apple!"
"Ah, yum." And so, with an innocent round face, Li Xiao Gui opened her mouth wide and bit into the apple offered by the Burly Ghost.
The Young Ghost: "......"
Li Xiao Gui's legs continued to swing under the chair.
While eating, Li Xiao Gui curiously looked around, left and right. Suddenly, she saw a familiar figure standing by the river.
Li Xiao Gui happily waved at her.
However, the figure in the red and white dress didn't respond and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"When eating, you should focus," the Young Ghost said, "Didn't Dad tell you yesterday not to talk to strangers?"
Li Xiao Gui's attention was pulled back. She was about to say that she knows that sister, and she's not a stranger, but in the next moment, the Burly Ghost fed her grapes, and she forgot what she was about to say. Her little head shook back and forth:
"So delicious!"
The Ghost Grandpa flipped a page of the newspaper, and the Ghost Granny's eyes were still squinted as she smiled.
And the Female Ghost continued to sleep soundly.
They surrounded Li Xiao Gui, the tablecloth laid on the table filled with flowers and food. From a distance, they looked like an ordinary family out for a picnic.