I pondered for a moment and nodded for her to go back. There were still people here at the moment, and perhaps the drowned ghost might appear after these people left.
Du Xiaolan took two steps, then stopped and returned to me, sighing, "Forget it, I'll stay with you. I don't know if that drowned ghost will sneak into my room while I'm sleeping."
I smiled at her and said, "Then I'll stay in the room with you every night from now on."
"Go to hell!" Du Xiaolan shook her fist contemptuously and said, "If you continue to act like a hooligan, I will push you into the water!"
I waved my hand, saying a good man does not fight with a woman, and continued to stare at the water.
After a while, I kept thinking about how to kill the drowning ghost when it appeared. I thought of nearly a dozen solutions, but when I thought about the appearance of the drowning ghost, I hesitated.
The drowning ghost had a long, thin face, narrow and long eyes, while Bi Ping had a square face with a righteous look.
In normal circumstances, it was to be expected that after finding a substitute for the drowned ghost, it would be reincarnated. The new generation of drowning ghost would be Bi Ping, but the drowning ghost I had seen before was not Bi Ping at all.
Thinking of this possibility, I quickly got up from the ground and approached the fisherman.
He was a middle-aged man from the neighboring village who had stopped working outside because of the land compensation and came to fish here when he had nothing else to do.
When I asked if anyone had drowned in the past years, the middle-aged man shook his head, saying that five years ago, a fish farmer drowned, but it was a very strange incident.
Normally, fish farmers can swim, but when the person fell into the water, not even a bubble came up, let alone any struggle.
However, when I described the long, thin-faced drowning ghost, the middle-aged man said he had some impression, as it seemed to be a person who came to steal fish ten years ago and drowned after being caught.
As the locals despise such acts, it was dealt with privately and not reported to the outside world.
I nodded and asked when this person had drowned. The middle-aged man was very certain that it happened ten years ago when he had just started fishing.
After listening, I thanked him and returned to where I was before.
Du Xiaolan asked me with a puzzled look what I had inquired about just now, and I squinted and whispered, "Xiaolan, it seems that Bi Ping did not drown."
"What do you mean? Wasn't it said that Bi Ping disappeared for several days after falling into the water and was found dead?" Du Xiaolan looked puzzled.
I took a deep breath and turned to her, asking, "But no one actually saw him drown, did they?"
Du Xiaolan widened her eyes, "Are you saying that Bi Ping was killed by someone?"
I shook my head, "I don't know. If Bi Ping was really drowned by the drowning ghost, then the one standing in the water should be Bi Ping. However, this drowning ghost is the person who stole fish and drowned ten years ago."
Du Xiaolan anxiously asked, "So what's going on then?"
"I don't know, maybe old Bi knows." After saying that, I beckoned and walked toward the village.
Old Bi had finished his breakfast and was sitting in the living room listening to Qin Opera. When he saw us come back, he patted the sofa for me to sit and listen as well.
I didn't have any particular interest in it, so I sat next to him and asked, "Old Bi, was Bi Ping really drowned back then?"
Regarding Bi Ping, Old Bi turned off the radio and said with a worried look, "Yes, that child was very good at swimming from a young age..."
"Are you sure he drowned?" I had heard these words for the second time already, so I interrupted him.
Old Bi turned to me, puzzled, "Wasn't he drowned?"
"I don't think he drowned," I thought for a moment and continued, "If it was Bi Ping who drowned, then the drowned ghost now should be Bi Ping, but the person isn't him."
"Then who is it?" Uncle Bi anxiously asked.
I repeated what the middle-aged man by the reservoir had told me. Uncle Bi patted his head and then said, "I remember now, ten years ago, someone did come here to steal fish. After my son chased him, the thief fell into the reservoir. I wanted to teach him a lesson and let it go, but who would have thought that the fish thief couldn't swim and ended up drowning."
I nodded. Uncle Bi was not entirely clear about the time when Bi Ping fell into the reservoir and was found in a drainage ditch.
Outside, the heavy rain was pouring down. This matter was very complicated, and I couldn't be bothered. Our task here was just to find a ghost bride for Bi Ping. There was no need to get involved with the drowned ghost.
Uncle Bi asked when we could find a wife for his son, and I said it would be in the next two days. After the rain stopped, Du Xiaolan went to the road and took a deep breath, waving her hand to me, "Mingyang, after the rain washes away, the air here is much better than in the city, filled with the earth's fragrance."
I walked out, and indeed, the air quality had improved a lot.
It was already lunchtime, and Uncle Bi's dark cuisine was really hard to swallow. So, I asked him for a fishing rod, and went to the reservoir to start fishing.
The previous anglers had all disappeared, probably gone home for their meals.
I had never fished before but had caught fish in the water. I waited for half a day and didn't see any fish getting hooked, but Du Xiaolan kept urging me, saying that if we didn't catch any fish today, we would go hungry.
Just when I felt a lot of pressure, a small boat slowly approached on the water.
Seeing the small boat, I instinctively thought of Bi Ping that I saw on the water yesterday. I quickly made a hushing gesture to Du Xiaolan, indicating her not to speak.
When the boat reached the center of the reservoir, a young man was standing on the boat, leaning towards the water, and when he raised his head, he looked in our direction.
"Bi Ping?" Du Xiaolan's voice of doubt rang in my ears.
This person was indeed Bi Ping. I quickly stood up, waved my hand, and called his name.
Normally, I could see spirits, and they could see me completely and hear what I said. But despite my continuous shouting, even someone on the other side of the reservoir could totally hear my voice, but Bi Ping seemed deaf and just looked around without responding to my voice.
As I scratched my head, Du Xiaolan handed me a fist-sized stone and said, "Mingyang, aren't you good at skipping stones? Throw this stone over and see if he can see it."