Ch 206: Hanging
After the mother and daughter left, Chang Ba was still in a daze. He reached out and slapped himself twice. It hurt! It was real, not a dream.
In a daze, Chang Ba rummaged through his house for anything of value. He didn’t have much cash, so he had to sell some of his belongings. Otherwise, people would think he wasn’t sincere.
So, Chang Ba sold everything he could and scraped together the auspicious sum of 388 Yuan.
This time, they shouldn’t doubt his sincerity, right?
Just then, Chang Hua came over to tell him that Du Qingyang was giving free Divination to everyone, and could calculate anything. Chang Ba’s eyes lit up, and he thought of divining his luck with women!
Unexpectedly, instead of luck with women, he divined a “Peach Blossom Calamity”!
Chang Ba had hesitated, but he couldn’t suppress his desire to get a wife, so he handed over the money.
Chang Ba wrapped the 388 Yuan layer by layer in newspaper and handed it to his future mother-in-law with hope. At the time, he was full of joy and didn’t notice the look of contempt that flashed across her face.
Poor wretch, his entire fortune is only 388 Yuan? Serves him right for not being able to get a wife. The future mother-in-law had already despised him ten thousand times in her heart. However, on the surface, she was still very polite and smiled at Chang Ba.
“Mother-in-law, I looked at the almanac, and tomorrow is an auspicious day. Why don’t we set the wedding date for tomorrow?” Chang Ba didn’t know anything about the almanac; he just wanted to get the wedding over with as soon as possible.
“Alright, let’s make it tomorrow then.” The middle-aged woman responded readily.
So, Chang Ba agreed with his future mother-in-law that he would come to pick up the bride early the next morning!
That night, Chang Ba was so excited that he couldn’t sleep at all. He got up early the next day, put on the clothes he only wore during the New Year, and cleaned himself up.
However, he didn’t expect that Chang Ba would find nothing. The mother and daughter had disappeared into thin air!
The hotel’s waiter said that they had checked out and left last night.
Chang Ba’s mind exploded with a bang, his head went blank, and he immediately collapsed to the ground.
Later, looking back, Chang Ba realized the strangeness of the mother and daughter.
They said they had distant relatives in Dong Town, so why didn’t they go to rely on their relatives, but instead looked for him? Also, why didn’t they go to live with their relatives later, but instead stayed in a hotel? Where did the money to stay in the hotel come from?
Chang Ba hated himself for being so stupid. Why didn’t he notice it at the time?
Recalling the process of being deceived, Chang Ba burst into tears. He grabbed the rope on the beam with both hands, his whole body trembling.
The rope is so strong, will it hurt a lot to be strangled? Chang Ba stood on the stool, but he hesitated to hang himself.
Or should he try a different way to die?
Thinking this, Chang Ba got off the stool and slammed his head against the wall.
“Ouch, that hurts!” After only one slam, Chang Ba didn’t dare to slam a second time. How many times would he have to slam like this to die?
No, no, the appearance of a bloody head would be too ugly, and it wouldn’t be good to scare Chang Hua.
Chang Ba still had a trace of comfort in his heart. At least there was still a relative, Chang Hua, who would help him collect his corpse.
After thinking it over, hanging himself was still the least scary method. So, Chang Ba stood on the stool again, holding the rope in his hands, hesitating.
At this time, Chang Hua also arrived outside the house. She knocked on the door a few times, but didn’t hear a response.
What? Her uncle isn’t home?
Chang Hua knocked a few more times, but still didn’t hear a response, and was about to leave. She turned around and saw a neighbor.
“Chang Hua, did your uncle go out?”
“That can’t be, I didn’t hear him say he was going out.”
Chang Hua was puzzled. What would her uncle go out to do? He doesn’t have any money, where could he go? Besides, there are no relatives outside who can provide food and lodging.
“I haven’t seen him go out for a few days, I thought he had gone out.”
The neighbor’s casual remark made Chang Hua vigilant. The uneasiness in her heart became even stronger, and she reached out and slammed hard on the door.
“Uncle, are you home?”
“Uncle, I’ve come to see you, open the door quickly.”
◈◈◈
Chang Hua was banging on the door while shouting loudly. She called all the neighbors nearby.
“Chang Ba is at home, I saw smoke coming from his chimney today.” Someone interjected from the crowd.
Smoke from the chimney means someone is cooking at home. Chang Ba lives alone, who else could it be?
He’s at home but doesn’t open the door, what’s wrong with Chang Ba? The onlookers began to discuss.
Chang Hua’s heart was even more flustered. She knocked on the door more frequently and shouted louder.
Chang Ba in the house heard it, but he just didn’t want to open the door. At this moment, he didn’t want to see anyone! Unless, the mother and daughter reappeared in front of him, gave him back the money, or let the girl marry him. Otherwise, he didn’t want to see anyone!
However, it’s good that Chang Hua came, she can help him collect his corpse. In this way, Chang Ba can leave with peace of mind.
After a moment, Chang Ba made up his mind, stretched his stomach into the rope, kicked the stool with his legs, and his whole body was suspended in the air.
Cough… Can’t breathe, it’s so uncomfortable.
The desire to survive suddenly arose. Chang Ba’s hands and feet were moving randomly, and his hands grabbed the rope, trying to save himself. But it was useless, he still couldn’t breathe. In an instant, Chang Ba’s face turned red.
Chang Ba wanted to shout for help, but his neck was strangled, and he couldn’t make a sound at all. Before long, he lost consciousness.
Outside the door, Chang Hua, with the help of the neighbors, kicked open the door.
“Ah—” Seeing Chang Ba’s body hanging from the beam, everyone was shocked, and some of the timid ones almost fainted.
“Uncle—”
◈◈◈
In the Pin Shang Clothing Factory, Du Qingyang was doing quality control, checking the quality of the finished clothes.
“Divine Doctor Du!” Two villagers from the neighboring village rushed in anxiously. “Quickly, quickly go save someone.”
Du Qingyang raised her head and glanced at the people, and replied faintly: “I’m not holding House Call today, you can go to Ren Xin Tang to find me another day.”
There are always people who come to Du Qingyang for treatment because of her reputation. If Du Qingyang responded to every request, wouldn’t she be too busy? Therefore, those who seek her treatment must go to Ren Xin Tang and wait for her to hold House Call.
“It can’t wait, he… he has already fainted.”
Du Qingyang didn’t respond. There are always people who like to exaggerate their condition to attract her attention. If it has reached the point of fainting, then they should quickly send him to the Hospital, why are they running to find her? It’s obvious that this person is lying.
“Divine Doctor Du, if you don’t go, Chang Ba will be beyond saving.”
The patient is Chang Ba? Hearing Chang Ba’s name, Du Qingyang asked curiously, “What happened to him?”
Because of the “Peach Blossom Calamity” incident, Du Qingyang has been paying attention to Chang Ba’s news these days. She wanted to know in what way that “Peach Blossom Calamity” would be fulfilled.
“He hanged himself.”
As soon as these words came out, the workers next to Du Qingyang all looked over. Chang Ba hanged himself? Has the “Peach Blossom Calamity” been fulfilled?
The fact that Chang Ba calculated that he would have a “Peach Blossom Calamity” has already spread in the nearby villages, and everyone is very curious whether this “Peach Blossom Calamity” is accurate.
