1. When I was moving and tidying up the old house, I found an old box in my father's cabinet. It was locked tightly with a copper lock and an iron chain, as if saying "Don't open me".
Just kidding – Dad is dead, everything in this house belongs to me, including you.
I carefully picked out the wooden box from a pile of junk and took it to my new home.
My father was a man of great means. Although he died early, the inheritance he left behind is enough for me to have food and clothing for the rest of my life.
He worked away from home all year round and had little time to spend with me since I was a child, which resulted in me not being close to him at all – after my mother died of illness and he didn't come back, our relationship became even more distant.
Now that he is dead, I am not very sad.
I readily sold his company, his old house, and everything that reminded me of him. Then I took the huge sum of money and left my hometown, buying a small apartment in another city where no one knew my father, and no one would know me.
I want to start my new life there, rely on myself, carve out a place for myself in this brand new world, and let my dad see that I can live well even without him.
2. However, the cruel reality told me that I was too naive.
Relying on my dad as a big tree, I got used to a life of extravagance and underestimated the cruelty of this world. The continuous failures reminded me that without my dad, I am nothing.
In less than three months, my once huge wealth was gone. I, who was once a "rich second generation", actually had to worry about lunch.
This blow pushed me to the other extreme, from being ambitious to prove myself to doing everything I could to humiliate myself – in fact, from the very beginning I didn't know which way would make my dead father feel more embarrassed.
I started selling those antiques. Those rare treasures that my father had spent so much effort to collect were sold to greedy businessmen at outrageously low prices. Every time they walked into my house, they were like hungry wolves into a rabbit hole, frantically grabbing the treasures that they considered priceless. I would lean back on the sofa and watch them sweep through the houses like Japanese soldiers entering the city. As long as they paid me a decent sum of money when they left, I would let them do whatever they wanted.
I know that this is a huge loss, but I get a kind of self-abandoning pleasure from wasting my father's inheritance. The more depraved I become, the happier I am.
Until I finally became penniless.
There was nothing left to attract those fly-like merchants, and the small apartment suddenly became deserted.
I understand that I have nothing left.
Now, I can start dealing with the last trace of my father left in this world.
——Yes, it’s me.
Since it has been proven that I am useless without my father, I might as well send this incompetent son to another world as a final humiliation to him.
3. To be honest, my father has always treated me well financially since I was born. This was probably out of his control since he had no other heirs.
But he did not fulfill his responsibilities as a husband to my mother at all. Ever since I was old enough to understand, I have been dependent on my mother until she died of illness when I was 16. The number of times he came back to see us can be counted on one hand.
However, what puzzles me is that, with such a father, my mother never had any complaints until her death. I have complained about my hatred towards my father countless times, but she always stood on his side, comforted me and made excuses for him.
I can't figure it out.
Unfortunately, no matter how much I think about it, it is completely meaningless.
My mother died, and my father died not long ago, and now it's my turn.
Having made up my mind, I gathered together the remaining things in the house and considered to whom I should leave them and the small apartment.
I have no other relatives worth missing.
Then, leave them to Xiaomei.
4. Xiaomei is the only person I can call a friend. The level of our intimacy is… more than friends but less than lovers.
We knew each other when we were very young and grew up together. She was not rich, but her family made me envious.
When I left the city where I had lived for a long time, she was the only one who mourned for me and saw me off.
At that time, I tried to pluck up my courage and asked her if it was possible to leave with me.
But she said she couldn't leave there yet. But, she added, one day, she would make me understand that my father's shadow was not so big that it could cover the entire bright sky.
It's a shame she never got the chance to do that.
I prepared my will, placed it on top of the pile of junk, sighed, and took a last look around the place where I had lived so briefly.
At this moment, I was attracted by the tightly locked wooden box, and my eyes could no longer be drawn anywhere else.
A strong, irresistible will said to me: Open it.
I stood up unsteadily and held it up tremblingly.
Before I could do anything, the copper lock broke open by itself with a "click".
What… is so impatient?
I calmed myself down, untied the chain, and opened the wooden box.
There was a letter and a thin mask inside.
5. The mask is not a rare item. It feels just like ordinary rubber and is just a little warm at best.
I picked up the letter first.
On the cover was written "Don't open the box, burn the contents." Was it my father's handwriting? It was so sloppy that I couldn't read it clearly.
This strange content actually aroused my curiosity. Father, you are already dead, and you still think you can order me around?
I ignored the boring warning and tore open the envelope.
Um, a piece of paper…let me read it.
"If you did open it, don't regret it.
This thing brings luck, but also misfortune.
Wear it and you will lose your expression forever.
Wear it and you will never have a heart again.
Wear it and you will never be yourself again.
Choose. "
What? It's unexpectedly short.
I thought I might see my father's confession, but to be honest, I was a little disappointed with the content.
Are you laughing at me, father?
I picked up the mask and smiled silently.
I can feel from your letter your boundless fear of it, father.
Let me try and see how it can bring luck and how it can bring misfortune.
I put the mask on my face, and the warm rubber instantly stuck to my face perfectly, as if it had been there for me since the beginning.
There was nothing wrong. I touched my face and my skin could still clearly feel the touch of my fingers. Maybe the mask was too thin. It was as if I wasn't wearing it.
I was angry at my father for playing such a mysterious trick and searched for the edge of the mask to take it off.
Hmm, that’s strange…why can’t I find it?
I was panicked – there were no gaps on my face, it was smooth and integrated.
I looked at the box again; it was empty.
I ran to the mirror and saw that it was still me, exactly the same as before.
Maybe I just had a nightmare.
6. After all this trouble, I gave up the idea of dying for the time being. I felt my pocket and found some change.
Go downstairs and buy some food. It’s never too late to commit suicide.
I left home.
Today seemed like I was possessed by bad luck. From going downstairs to having dinner, a short journey of less than ten minutes, three traffic accidents and two robberies occurred. A pedestrian fell on the side of the road for no reason and lost consciousness.
If this is all coincidence, it would be a bit exaggerated.
I walked past those wailing people and sighed: Human beings are such weak creatures. The wings of death can take away their precious and insignificant lives at any time.
The grief of the relatives of the deceased did not move me at all. I felt that I could not make any other expression except disgust.
I stopped in front of a roadside stall. I didn't have much money now, so I just bought something to fill my stomach.
The stall owner was a wrinkled woman, and a snotty-nosed child was milling around at her feet, calling for his mother. I thought she was no more than 40 years old, but her face reminded me of a dying old woman.
I bought two baskets of buns.
She took the money, looked at me, and then froze.
I looked at her strangely, what does that mean?
She gave me the buns and, with shaking hands, gave me change.
I didn’t want to be stared at by her disturbing eyes anymore, so I hurried back home.
After eating the buns, I still felt unsatisfied and regretted buying something else – I am not afraid of death, so why should I save that little bit of money?
Inadvertently, I rummaged through my wallet – and pulled out a handful of greasy banknotes, some large and some small, probably a few hundred yuan.
My eyes widened—this was the note the woman had just given me as change. Was she crazy?
7. I can’t take this money. Even if I really want to cheat someone, I won’t do it to such a poor person.
She may not have closed her stall yet, I want to return the money to her.
I trotted back to the stall, but was stunned. The woman was lying on the ground, gasping for breath in pain, clutching her chest, while her child was hugging her, crying and shouting.
It was getting late and there were no more people around.
I was stunned for a moment, then gently placed the remaining money I had on her stall.
Before leaving, I dialed 120.
At night, my dreams were complicated and chaotic, with pain and death appearing one after another in my dreams. When I woke up, I was extremely tired.
I walked to the window and looked in the direction of the stall I had seen yesterday. Today, the woman didn't show up.
Hope she is ok.
Her buns are quite delicious.
Leaning against the wall, I lit a cigarette.
Feeling the ecstasy brought by the smoke lingering in my alveoli, a familiar sentence suddenly flashed through my mind.
——This thing brings luck and misfortune.
Thinking about what happened last night when I went out, I was horrified.
Good luck comes to me, but misfortune devours those around me.
So, is this what it means?
I looked hastily for the letter among the junk, but it was gone.
Touching my face, I vaguely felt that it was slowly becoming unfamiliar.
That mask was indeed not just a dream.
8. I returned to the city where I was born.
This is my home. When a living thing is in distress, it is instinctive to return to its nest to seek shelter.
Although I no longer have any relatives, I still have Xiaomei.
She is studying at university and will graduate this year.
I have already made a vague decision about my future – as someone who has attempted suicide before, what else do I have to worry about?
I didn't ask her to help me with anything, I just wanted to look at her and let her listen to me – nothing had ever started between us, but before it all ended, there were some things I wanted her to know.
By the way, the bus I took when returning home had a traffic accident and many passengers were killed or injured.
——Of course, I'm fine.
No matter what happens around me, I always seem to be the one who will never get hurt.
When I found Xiaomei, she was walking out of the school gate with her friends, talking and laughing.
I was about to go up to her and say hello, but I stopped involuntarily.
——When it comes to unfortunate things, it is better to believe they exist than to believe they do not.
9. By the time I finished my story, the lights had already come on and the city was shrouded in darkness, with neon lights flickering and lights and shadows extravagant, but this kind of light cannot make people feel at ease.
Xiaomei was silent for a long time. I thought she didn’t believe it.
I didn't dare tell her that I was actually right next to her – but I didn't dare to get close to her.
I suddenly remembered that on the few times my father came home, he always stood at the door, never came into the house, and did not allow my mother and me to come out.
He always just looked at me from a distance, exchanged a few quick words with my mother, and then left without hesitation, as if he wanted to be as far away from us as possible.
I had always thought it was because he was indifferent to us, even disgusted with us, but now, when I experienced it myself, I understood.
Why did my father never approach me? Why, when my mother talked about such a father, although there were countless grievances and resentments in her eyes, there was never a trace of hatred?
My father must have put on this mask at that time – the reason why he accumulated such a huge fortune was perhaps just because he hoped that my mother and I would be able to live a safe life even without him by our side.
The mother must have known the inside story, so she made excuses for the father.
I turned around and called her from a distance.
Hello? Ah, this is Xiaomei, a beautiful voice that I have known since childhood and I still remember.
It’s me… I swallowed and said with difficulty, I have something to tell you.
Ah…? It's you! Xiaomei seemed to recognize my voice and said happily: Is this your number? I want to save it!
Don't worry about that for now…listen to me. I followed Xiaomei from a distance, more than 500 meters away.
First, I'm back.
second,
I…something happened that's hard to believe, but please listen to me carefully.
Just tell me. Xiaomei said nonchalantly, Becoming a pauper?
This is also an aspect, but it is not the main point. I calmed down and told her everything.
This story was too long, and I was only halfway through when Xiaomei said goodbye to her friends and sat down in a cafe on the corner of the street, listening quietly. I carefully walked to the other side of the street so that I could see her.
Although I tried to avoid pedestrians, a dusty office worker was hit on the shoulder by a flowerpot from the upstairs building. Fortunately, it didn't seem to be a big deal.
Perhaps, the man who always faces us with his back actually loves me more than I thought.
…I suddenly felt a little regretful. I shouldn't have squandered those things he had worked so hard to leave for me so carelessly.
I felt like crying, but my eyes were dry and I couldn't squeeze out any tears.
I'm not surprised.
"Lose expression forever", right.
That’s right… I can no longer cry for the people who once loved me, let alone those others who have suffered misfortune because of me.
I will eventually be indifferent to their life or death.
My father must have been a very strong-willed man, because even under such a curse, he still remembered to carefully protect my mother and me as a child from misfortune.
However, I don’t have the confidence to maintain my mind and will.
While my heart is still there, while I am still myself, I have to end this nightmare quickly before it spreads around me.
Although this was my original intention, after coming back and seeing Xiaomei, my originally wavering heart finally felt relieved.
There are no regrets anymore.
Xiaomei remained silent, but she didn't hang up the phone.
Maybe she was waiting for me to tell her with a smile that all this was just a joke made up to scare her?
Actually…I hope so too.
But this is the last thing I can say to her.
——Xiaomei, you know, when I was a child, I always envied you, and when I grew up, I always… liked you.
——Huh? What did you say…
Before she finished speaking, I hung up the phone.
That's good. That's good.
I didn't expect to hear her answer, or rather, I didn't dare to hear it.
I am afraid that after hearing it, I will hesitate; I am even more afraid that after hearing it, I will despair.
10. When I left, I threw my still ringing cell phone into a roadside trash can.
I have no use for it anymore.
The mask is on my face, but I can't feel its presence. I know it has become one with me.
My father probably got rid of this thing before he died.
——Perhaps, on the contrary, it was precisely in order to get rid of its entanglement that my father finally chose to end his life.
I am not as strong as he was. I could not hold on for so many years and leave many things for my loved ones before peacefully embracing death.
I feel uneasy when I think of those innocent people who have suffered misfortune just because they are around me – of course, even this feeling will disappear from my heart soon.
Goodbye, this city.
Goodbye, my love.
I will meet my destination in an unknown place.
After this, this strange mask will disappear from the world along with my death.
11 Who tells the best ghost stories ? One year later, in a certain city.
The apartment that had been vacant for a long time finally welcomed its new owner. The diligent girl was cleaning up the messy items left by the previous owner.
At this time, a wooden box buried deep in the pile of miscellaneous items caught her attention. The wooden box was old and simple, and was locked tightly with iron chains and copper locks.
"What is this?" The curious girl picked it up.
With a "click", the copper lock broke open automatically.
It was as if something had been waiting for a long time.