Chapter 1

According to folklore, July 14th is the day when the gates of the underworld open wide.

On that day, people, apart from burning paper money and offering tributes to their deceased relatives, would go home early to avoid running into "people" from the other world.

At a corner of Yian Street, an old woman with gray hair was holding a black plastic bag in her left hand and holding a short-haired baby who was three heads taller than her in her right hand. Both the grandmother and the grandchild were skinny. The baby was slightly better, with a hint of blood on his face, but the old woman's face was just a sallow color from not having enough food for a long time.

Some people have already set up fire pots on the roadside, inserted incense and candles into half a carrot, and are ready to start the memorial service.

The old woman stopped at an inconspicuous spot, lowered her head and whispered to the little kid, "Here is the place."

The little girl was confused and had no idea what her grandma brought her here for at this time.

He tremblingly opened the plastic bag and took out the contents: two candles, three incense sticks, a small stack of paper money, and half a radish at the bottom.

After lighting the incense and candles and burning the paper money, Wang Po muttered softly in the curling smoke.

"Old man, I'm doing well. I brought your granddaughter to see you this time."

"You haven't seen Anzi yet, right? Do you think she looks exactly like Ming when he was a child?"

"The rent of the subdivided flat has increased by another three hundred dollars recently, now up to eighteen thousand, so the paper money I burn for you is a little less, don't think it's too little..."

Watching grandma mumbling softly, Anzi felt bored.

Anzi’s full name is Anhao. He is four years old and has always lived with his grandma in a subdivided flat. Apart from his grandma, he has never seen any other family members.

A gust of wind blew, and the unburned paper money on the ground was blown all over the place. The burnt ashes were also blown everywhere, making people cough.

The few remaining pieces of paper money in Wang Po's hand flew far away with the wind. She used her hands to protect the candle from being blown out. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed An Zi, who was wearing overalls, jumping up and down to grab a piece of paper money that had a small corner missing.

Then she remembered that the paper money she bought for the sake of cheapness seemed to be missing a small corner.

"Anzi, come back, I don't want it anymore!" It's just a few pieces of paper money. The person has been dead for a long time anyway, so just show your appreciation. Haven't you seen that the paper money she burns is getting less every year?

There's nothing we can do, the living have to live.

Anzi responded and grabbed the paper money, but because he didn't see clearly, he fell to the ground and his hand pressed on a sharp stone, and immediately a little blood came out.

Grandma Wang cried out "Aiya", trotted over and picked the man up, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Anzi shook her head. She was no longer a three-year-old child and couldn’t cry just because she fell, even though her hand really hurt.

Wang Po took her back to the place where paper money was burned. The wind had stopped by then, the street lights were dim, the candlelight was flickering, paper money and smoke filled the air, and other people around them were burning paper money and whispering. The place at the end of the alley seemed to have become another world at this moment.

Anzi handed the paper money stained with a little blood to Wang Po and gave her a sweet smile, "Grandma, this is for you."

Wang Po felt so soft in her heart that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepened because of her smile. She raised her hand and rubbed her furry head, "Here, you burn this one for grandpa."

Anzi put the paper money into the fire and watched it being devoured by the tiny flames until it turned into a piece of ash in the shape of the paper money.

"Grandpa will definitely be very happy to receive Anzi's money." Wang Po put the remaining paper money into the fire, not forgetting to praise the skinny little child.

But Anzi clearly heard his grandfather complaining that the money was too little.

The old man's translucent body floated beside the fire. He counted the paper money in his hands with exaggerated movements, complaining as he counted.

Andy has a system.

This system came to her three days ago. The system said that Anzi would die on July 9999th, and could only survive by completing the task. In order to show its strength, it let Anzi draw a powerful prize called "Newbie Gift Pack". Anzi drew the most powerful "Yin Yang Eyes" in the universe. It told Anzi that as long as she did 100 good things, she could live to be years old.

"This year's money is too little, isn't it? Everything is so expensive now. My house leaks when it rains, and this little money is not enough to repair it." "Oh, why do you look older, old lady?"

"Is this my granddaughter? Why is she so skinny? Hasn't she eaten?"

He kept complaining, but it didn't stop him from counting the bills in his hand one by one. Unfortunately, after counting them over and over again, there was only a thin stack.

"Alas, we have to starve again this year!"

Anzi opened her mouth and stared at the old man. He was so cool, he was actually floating, and his face was white, different from her and grandma.

At the same time, she heard many voices, no longer the low whispers just now, as if the area suddenly became as noisy as the vegetable market she and her grandma had been to.

She turned her head and saw that there were suddenly many people like this grandpa floating here.

"Son, Mom is living well down there. The big house you built for Mom is very comfortable! You should also work hard to save money and try to get married in a few years."

"Dad, what did you say? Our daughter got into college? Oh my god!... What? The tuition is too expensive? We have to pay for the tuition no matter how expensive it is! Hehehehe... My daughter is a college student... Hehehe."

"Don't miss me anymore. I will be reincarnated next year. You should find a good woman and start a new life."

Anzi turned her gaze back, and the noisy sounds were still drilling into her ears.

"Grandma." She gently tugged at the white clothes that Wang Po had washed, and waited for Wang Po to look at her suspiciously before leaning against her back and whispering, "There are so many people here, so noisy, when are we going home?"

Wang Po looked up and saw that everyone was speaking in lower and lower voices, as if they were afraid that others would hear what they were saying to the deceased. She turned her head to look at An Zi.

The little girl's expression didn't seem fake, she seemed really disturbed.

Another gust of wind blew, and Wang Po shivered, with goose bumps appearing on her arms under her sleeves.

After counting the money, the old man crossed his arms, looked at his peers around him, and then looked at the tiny baby. Suddenly, an idea came to him.

"Hey! Anzi! I'm your grandpa! Can you see me?"

The old man waved his hand in front of Anzi, making sure that Anzi's eyes were following his hand, but for some reason he refused to pay attention to him.

The old man laughed as if he had won the lottery.

At this time, two men in suits and ties slowly walked out of the smoke on the street, both carrying suitcases in their hands.

The old man who was still laughing suddenly changed his expression. He bent down and lowered his voice, saying in a serious and solemn tone, "Anzi, remember to tell your grandma when you get home that everything in my wooden box is for you, and the private money in the bottom layer is for her. Remember? Don't forget it!"

Anzi tilted his head and said softly, "Remember, Grandpa."

The old man straightened up with a smile and raised his hand to touch her head, but suddenly remembered that he couldn't touch her, so he touched her head twice as a gesture, as if he had touched his granddaughter's head.

The two men were getting closer and closer. The old man didn't dare to delay any longer. He waved to Anzi and Wang Po, who were packing up and preparing to leave. "Old woman, Anzi, I'm leaving. I'll come to see you next year."

When Anzi was led by Wang Po's hand towards the subdivided flat they rented, those people holding paper money had already lined up in two rows in front of the two men in suits.

When I looked back, I saw people standing in two rows floating towards where the smoke was thickest.

After walking for a distance, Anzi looked back and found that all those people had disappeared. Only large clouds of smoke were dancing under the street lights.

　Well, there is no CP. I don’t know if anyone likes it.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)