Chen Lan wandered outside the south gate of the university with her younger daughter, Shi Mei. Neither of them had eaten breakfast, and their stomachs were rumbling. Taking out food from the system at this moment felt inappropriate, so the mother and daughter decided to find a place nearby to grab a bite.
They spotted an elderly man out for a stroll and asked him about the location of the state-run restaurant.
The old man glanced at them and asked, "Young lady, you're not from around here, are you? You're here to see your child off to study at Capital University, right?"
Chen Lan found his question strange and asked, "Sir, how did you know I was here to see my child off to school?"
The old man chuckled proudly and explained, "Firstly, today is the enrollment day for Capital University. Secondly, people who live around here know there are no state-run restaurants near the south gate of Capital University, only a state-run knife-cut noodle shop."
Hearing this, Chen Lan casually asked, "Sir, you must be an old neighbor living nearby! You should be very familiar with this area, right?"
The old man replied with great self-importance, "Naturally! Young lady, feel free to ask anything you want! To tell you the truth, my family has lived here for generations. We are native residents. I, Qian Liu Ye, know every street, every alley, and who lives in each house in this area!"
Chen Lan couldn't help but smile inwardly. She had randomly asked someone for directions and happened to find a local resident!
So, Chen Lan didn't hesitate and smiled as she asked, "Ah, so you are Brother Qian! My daughter and I are also from the capital, and we live in the East District. We're not very familiar with Haidian District. I'd like to ask, are there any places to eat near the school? And are there any empty houses nearby that are uninhabited? Even if the house is a bit dilapidated, it doesn't matter!"
Qian Liu Ye frowned and thought for a moment after hearing Chen Lan. Then he said, "Young lady, to be honest, housing is extremely tight in our neighborhood. It's rare for a house to be vacant. If a house becomes available, the housing management office will immediately assign other residents to it!"
Chen Lan, undeterred, continued to ask, "Brother Qian, are there any particularly run-down houses nearby that are completely uninhabitable?"
Qian Liu Ye looked at Chen Lan with confusion and asked, "Young lady, if a house is uninhabitable, what do you want it for?"
Seeing Qian Liu Ye's question, Chen Lan decided to tell him the truth to alleviate his concerns. She explained, "Brother Qian, I plan to buy it and spend some money to renovate it. That way, I'll have a place to stay when I come to visit my daughter in Haidian District. It's not like now, where I can't even find a place to eat."
Qian Liu Ye nodded in understanding of Chen Lan's idea. After a slight hesitation, he said, "Young lady, there is indeed a courtyard house like the one you described nearby, but..."
At this point, Qian Liu Ye suddenly stopped talking.
Seeing him do this, Chen Lan became even more curious! She thought, it's probably something spooky again!
So, she pressed further, "Brother Qian, please tell us what you know! My daughter and I are not that particular!"
Hearing Chen Lan say this, Qian Liu Ye no longer held back. He said, "Young lady, the old residents in this area basically know about that courtyard house. A murder occurred there many years ago, and several people died. People living nearby say it's haunted. Crows often appear in the courtyard, and everyone says the house is inauspicious. So, it has been vacant for many years, and no one dares to live in it. Over time, the house has become dilapidated and deserted!"
Chen Lan was surprised by the coincidence. She had encountered a haunted house again! This only made her more curious.
So, she smiled and asked, "Brother Qian, could you please take us to see it?"
Qian Liu Ye looked at Chen Lan with a hint of confusion. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "Young lady, aren't you two women afraid?"
Chen Lan replied calmly, "What is there to be afraid of! As the saying goes, every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. I'm not the one who harmed them, so what am I afraid of?"
Little Shi Mei chimed in, "Grandpa, we don't believe in that sort of thing! Don't worry, my mother and I are not scared."
Hearing Chen Lan and her daughter say this, Qian Liu Ye was a bit speechless. He thought, these two are really daring!
Qian Liu Ye's personality was typical of an elder from the capital: kind, cheerful, generous, and very warm-hearted.
Since the mother and daughter were so insistent, he no longer hesitated! He immediately agreed to take Chen Lan and her daughter to the state-run knife-cut noodle shop for a meal first, and then he would take them to see the courtyard house.
The mother and daughter followed Qian Liu Ye. After about seven or eight minutes, they arrived at the knife-cut noodle shop Qian Liu Ye had mentioned. The state-run noodle shop had a small storefront, but it was quite crowded, with many people queuing for seats.
Most of the diners here were old neighbors from the vicinity. As soon as Qian Liu Ye arrived at the noodle shop, he started chatting with the old neighbors who were also dining there.
The mother and daughter didn't want to waste time waiting for a table. So, they quickly bought six crisp biscuits from the noodle shop and asked the server to pack them in pairs with oil paper. The server, out of respect for Qian Liu Ye, did as they asked without complaint.
Chen Lan handed two biscuits to Shi Mei, kept two for herself, took a bite, and called out, "Brother Qian, let's go!"
Qian Liu Ye, who was happily chatting with his neighbors, readily agreed, "Alright! Let's go! Young lady, it's not far from here. It should take less than fifteen minutes to walk."
After they had walked a good distance, Chen Lan handed the bag of biscuits in her hand to Qian Liu Ye, saying, "Brother Qian, please don't mind! I bought these two extra biscuits. They are clean and untouched!"
Qian Liu Ye knew that Chen Lan had bought them specifically for him. He accepted the biscuits without being polite and expressed his thanks.
The courtyard house Qian Liu Ye had mentioned was indeed not far from the south gate of Capital University. After about fifteen minutes of walking, Qian Liu Ye led the mother and daughter to a dilapidated courtyard.