CH 20.1

Now that Tang Tian had made—or been forced to make—the decision to stay, the next thing to do was go out and buy some supplies, so she left her bag in the apartment and went downstairs.

Coincidentally, when she reached the ground floor, the sleeping security guard had just woken up. His eyes widened upon seeing Tang Tian. “Hey, you’re new! When did you come in?”

With so few residents remaining, he naturally recognised every single person that walked through the compound gates. 

Tang Tian responded calmly, “Not long ago. An agent brought me for a viewing.” 

The security guard clicked his tongue in apparent disapproval. “Are you aware of what’s going on here? Don’t spend a huge sum only to make a huge fuss about wanting to move out later. It’ll be such a waste.” 

He seems like a kind person, Tang Tian thought. 

She asked, “I noticed that not many stay here. And there seem to be quite a few families in mourning. Could you tell me more about what’s going on?”

The security guard shook his head. “I knew it! Those cunning agents always keep their lips sealed about the truth!”

Tang Tian’s face lit up with overt curiosity. 

“As more young people here leave to work in the big cities, they leave behind more and more empty homes. At the same time, I expect you’ve heard how expensive burial grounds are nowadays. It costs tens of thousands just to bury the dead somewhere, more if you want a ritzy location. Since the cost of housing in this county is considered cheap, and it’s not far from the main provincial cities, some businessmen saw an opportunity and bought up such houses to keep the urns of the dead.”

He pointed up at the apartment buildings shrouded in darkness. “That block and that one, you see them? Those guys bought almost every single apartment in these buildings. Each of them is used to hold one urn, like a burial ground, but in house form. During the holidays, the families of the deceased would come to these apartments to give their offerings and hold prayer ceremonies, be it in the houses or in the courtyard.”

Tang Tian was reminded of the heavy scent of incense sticks that lingered in the corridors, and the abundance of joss papers on the floor. 

“But some people actually stay here, right?”

“That is true.” The security guard shrugged. “They put up with it for the cheap rental price, I guess. One of the apartments here houses five to six farmworkers. They are young and strong, so they don’t seem like the type to be too fazed by all the other stuff. Cheap rent, divided between that many people, you don’t need to be good at math to know it’s the deal of a lifetime! You, though…” He paused, scrutinising Tang Tian curiously before continuing, “Are you also staying here just because it’s cheap?” 

Tang Tian let out a wan smile. “Yeah.” 

The security guard clicked his tongue again. “Money is important, but you have to value your own life above it! Keep that in mind!” 

Tang Tian said a brief thanks, then walked out the gate. 

In a small alleyway where the shop lots were occupied mostly by property agents, an old lady sat on a wooden bench outside just such a property agency, fanning her cattail fan slowly. She was sickly thin, with short white hair and cloudy grey eyes that stared ahead, seemingly not focused on anything in particular. Her lips were slightly parted as she hummed a nursery rhyme in her low, raspy voice. 

Abruptly, louder voices overpowered the soft, humming tone. A middle-aged man and woman were arguing one street over. 

“I asked you to look after my mom! But now she’s gone! Where have you been all this while? If she never comes back, you’ll never see the end of this!”

“I’m a man, I have things to do! Do you think I have so much free time on my hands to be her babysitter? Isn’t she senile? How could she even know how to open the door and wander off? Troublesome old woman!”

“She’s senile, not dumb!” A short, stout woman appeared by the junction leading into the alleyway. Upon noticing the old lady on the wooden bench, she sprinted towards her. Her eyes filled with anxious tears as she asked, “Mom! Where did you go? We’ve looked everywhere for you!” 

The man beside her muttered, “Yeah. I’m pretty sure I did not see you when I searched this alley. Where have you been?”

The old lady did not respond, but merely continued to wave her cattail fan up and down without acknowledging them. Her daughter noticed some drool dripping from the corner of the old lady’s parted lips and mumbled something under her breath as she quickly took out a handkerchief to dab at the old lady’s mouth. Then, she turned to the man, “Why are you still standing there? Go make dinner!”

“Give me the money for groceries, then.” The man grinned greedily as he extended his hand, palm up.

The woman stood up straight and spat at him, “Get lost! I just gave you enough money to last the entire week! Did you gamble it all away again?!” 

While the two of them continued to quarrel, the old lady resumed her humming as she gazed straight ahead with her bleary eyes, “Little swallow-bird, dressed in finery, every spring she visits me. I asked the swallow her reasons why, and Swallow said… Here is where spring is most beautiful to me…”1A Chinese children’s folk song from the 1950s

The old lady had forgotten who she was and could not remember the way home, but somehow, she had made her way to the doorstep of her daughter’s shop in her senile state, as if she were repeating her old routine of watching over her daughter’s shop.

After the stout woman managed to get the man to leave, she went into the small shop. An old, yellowish notebook on the table caught her attention.

Who took that thing out? she wondered. 

The book contained listings of older properties, usually seen as undesirable by many nowadays, so she kept it in the deepest part of her filing cabinet. 

The woman walked over to the table and noticed that one of the properties in the notebook had been marked with a dark marker pen, which indicated that the property had been rented out to someone. 

“Water Authority Family Dependents’ Courtyard, Block 4, Number 402…” The woman frowned as she said the address out loud. “Isn’t this that infamous haunted apartment? When was it rented out? And to whom?”

As she was just about to go ask the community about this, a voice interrupted her thoughts. “I’m the tenant.” 

The woman lifted her head and saw a young lady standing by the entrance. She had long, jet-black hair that framed her pallid face. Under the dim lights, she gave off the impression of someone who did not have long to live. 

The woman asked, “Does that mean you’ve viewed it? Who brought you there?”

That apartment was considered part of the community’s public property. Since the shop lots that the agencies rented also belonged to the community, the agencies’ portfolios had to include the apartment. It was a long shot, and even if she did succeed in finding someone to rent it, she would not receive any commission, so she had never cared much about it. 

Tang Tian merely nodded and opened her hands, revealing a metal key. 

The woman rummaged through her drawer and sure enough, could not find her copy of the key to apartment number 402. 

Someone from management must have come and taken it out, she thought. 

“Big Sister Lin should have at least informed me beforehand…” The woman grumbled. 

Tang Tian said, “You weren’t here, though.” 

The woman did not doubt Tang Tian’s words, and then responded, “Alright. I’m sure Big Sister Lin told you about the rental costs. Eight hundred per month, not including utilities. The minimum rental period is six months. The deposit is three months’ rent, subsequent payments are due every quarter. 

Tang Tian took out her wallet while the woman swiftly drafted up a contract. Soon, Tang Tian signed the contract and paid the necessary amount. With that, everything was settled.