"Guest, dinner is about to be served. Please go back to your seat." He spoke to Ning Wei with a smile, but his tone was firm and unyielding.
Ning Wei reacted quickly, clutching her stomach. "I'm really sorry, but I have an urgent situation..."
Hearing her words, he quickly pointed to a corner. "Our place isn't exactly the cleanest. You should be prepared."
"No problem, no problem. I just need to find a place to take care of urgent business right away."
The middle-aged man was amused by her witty remark and even took out a pack of tissues from his pocket to hand to Ning Wei.
Even if she didn't need them, Ning Wei wouldn't easily refuse a kindness, especially in an unfamiliar situation.
Taking the tissues, and following the direction indicated by the man, Ning Wei hurried along, her legs close together.
Her actions completely convinced the middle-aged man that she was indeed looking for the restroom.
Although Ning Wei ran quickly, as if she were in a hurry, her eyes were even faster, scanning the key points along the path.
On one side was a moss-covered wall, and on the other were tightly shut doors with no lights inside.
The wall blocked the moonlight from reaching inside.
Outside the restroom, there was a dim, yellowish light. It was an old-fashioned dry toilet, but it seemed clean enough. Ning Wei took care of her "urgent business."
Just as she finished adjusting her clothes, the familiar black cat appeared.
It landed softly on the wall and slowly approached the hall.
Because it was so dark, no one noticed it at first.
Ning Wei's strong intuition told her that something big was about to happen tonight. After all, black cats have always been symbols of ill omen, especially in a place with coffins. Cats appearing, especially black cats, is considered highly inauspicious!
She returned to her table and sat down. The assistant cook, wearing an apron and sleeves, was already bringing dishes to the tables.
From the tables they passed, they could hear the clatter of chopsticks and the sounds of chewing.
At Li Ye's table, the food emitted a fragrant aroma, but no one had touched their chopsticks.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Ning Wei returned.
She was the first to pick up her chopsticks and said quickly to everyone, "Eat quickly! Something big is going to happen soon. We need to be full and have the strength to fight or escape."
Upon hearing this, everyone quickly picked up their bowls and started eating.
Li Ye picked at his rice with his chopsticks.
He didn't actually need to eat, but he held his chopsticks and pretended to, to avoid being noticed for being different.
Although they slept through their time on the bus, after getting off and walking this far, everyone felt quite hungry.
However, with Ning Wei absent, the aroma of food hadn't made them feel inclined to eat.
To their surprise, Ning Wei's words upon her return made them eat with gusto.
The middle-aged man spoke a few words at each table, urging everyone to eat well.
Finally, he came to Ning Wei's table. Seeing them all eating, he smiled with satisfaction and said, "Just home-style cooking. I hope all our guests enjoy their meal."
"The food is delicious. May I ask for your name?" Ning Wei had finished her meal and gently put down her chopsticks, planning to glean some information from the middle-aged man.
"Everyone calls me Uncle Meng," the middle-aged man replied kindly.
"And what is your relationship with the deceased here?" Ning Wei continued to ask.
Everyone slowed down their eating, clearly waiting for the answer.
The middle-aged man answered honestly, "No particular relationship. But whenever there's a funeral or a wedding, people usually ask me to help out and keep an eye on things."
"Then you must be highly regarded by everyone," Song Zhi said, giving a thumbs-up.
Although it was a simple compliment, the middle-aged man was quite pleased.
He waved his hands repeatedly, "It's just the trust of the neighbors."
Ning Wei wanted to ask a few more questions, but an assistant cook ran over, saying there was a minor issue in the kitchen that needed his attention.
Uncle Meng told everyone to continue eating and went to the back.
As soon as he left, and they were about to pick up their bowls, they heard a very clear cat's meow.
The sound was eerie, and everyone was startled.
A child began to cry, being held by an adult who tried to soothe them while heading outside.
"Where is that cat's meow coming from? Go check inside!" The elder among them, understanding the implications, would have gone themselves if their legs weren't so bad.
A tall man stood up and approached the hall.
Everyone's concern was only for the coffin. As long as the coffin was undisturbed, everything would be fine.
However, as he approached the hall, a black cat lunged at him.
Caught off guard, he sustained several scratches on his face.
The man cursed, "Where did this stray cat come from? I'll kill you!"
The elder immediately yelled, "Speaking of life and death in front of the deceased! Shut your foul mouth!"
The man dared not speak further and continued into the room.
The coffin was intact, so it was just a false alarm.
He breathed a sigh of relief, not noticing that the incense smoke was no longer rising, but flowing downwards, forming a greyish-white cloud around the basin where paper money was being burned.
"Sir, everything is fine inside," the man said to the elder from the doorway of the hall.
Just as he finished speaking, they heard a loud thud, the sound of something heavy hitting the ground!
Everyone jumped up in fright. Ning Wei and her group quickly stuffed the buns and steamed bread that had just been served onto the table into their clothes.
Lacking weapons, they held their chopsticks warily, watching in the direction of the sound.
The man slowly turned around and saw a figure land steadily in front of him.
In the flickering light of the white candles, he saw the person clearly.
Their face was gaunt, as if they had been starving for a long time, their cheeks sunken in, like a skull wearing human skin.
They were dressed in dark robes and a pair of "yuanbao" shoes, landing silently.
"Ah!" The man screamed, for the person before him was none other than "Fatty Fish," who had been dead for two days!
The man's reaction could only be described by a lyric: I was caught off guard, and could only stand there stunned. He should be in the coffin, not here. Seeing how terrified I am makes it easier for me to go to hell.
The dead had risen. The screams attracted everyone's attention, and they all peered curiously into the room, letting out consecutive screams.
Ning Wei and her group, blending in with the crowd, witnessed everything that happened.
Song Zhi whispered, "Resurrection?"