The House of Spirits - Not for the Faint of Heart

After college, Li Ping is lured by Auntie Chen into running a mysterious convenience store serving ghost customers at night, unknowingly risking his life by spending ghost money. Warned by deceased classmate Huang Cuicui, he uncovers the truth, thwarts Auntie Chen’s scheme, and becomes the new owner, respectfully serving spirits. Ultimately, he finds love and peace, understanding the importance of compassion.

During college, I met a wealthy married woman online. She was incredibly generous to me, always giving me money and calling me her "dear little brother."

She told me that like me, she came from a rural background. She said she liked me very much and promised that after I graduated, she would help me make my fortune.

I thought she was just joking, but to my surprise, after graduation, she actually showed up at my hometown driving a Porsche Cayenne.

I called her Auntie Chen. To support me, she set up a small convenience store in the village and had me work there, promising me 5,000 yuan monthly.

Though the salary was high, it was still just a small store. I was initially disappointed, but she explained this was just to help me get familiar with the business. Later, she planned to set up several large grocery wholesale businesses in the city for me to manage. I immediately agreed.

This convenience store was different from others, reminiscent of old-fashioned shops from my childhood.

It sold basic necessities like rice, oil, and salt, all measured and sold by weight in large burlap sacks, just like traditional grain and oil shops.

The store also sold cigarettes and alcohol, but oddly, only one brand of cigarettes: Zhonghua, a premium Chinese brand.

I suggested stocking cheaper cigarettes since there weren't many wealthy people in our town, but she disagreed, insisting on selling only Zhonghua.

She was the boss, so naturally, I had nothing more to say.

Auntie Chen also told me she wouldn't pay me a salary directly. If I needed money, I could just take it from the cash customers paid and keep track of it myself. She said she trusted me since she would be busy with business elsewhere.

She also warned me not to let other employees see me taking money, to avoid making them jealous.

With someone being so good to me, I certainly wouldn't let her down. I silently vowed to do my best at this job.

On the first night the store opened, I arrived to find that the daytime employee was an old woman. Communicating with her was difficult as she could barely hear.

She spoke in a dialect I couldn't understand, so I just nodded along. After she left, I sat in the store, waiting for customers.

The store was in a remote location, and there were few customers at night. I was bored out of my mind.

Around midnight, a familiar face appeared—my high school classmate, Huang Cuicui.

I was surprised to see her. She had dropped out of high school to work, and we hadn't seen each other in years.

She was still as pretty as before, with her hair tied back in a ponytail, wearing a simple white t-shirt and jeans.

Seeing me, she was also surprised: "Li Ping, you're working here?"

"Yeah, just started today."

"I thought you went to college?"

"I did, but I just graduated."

She nodded and asked for a pack of cigarettes. I was surprised that she smoked now.

As I handed her the cigarettes, she suddenly said, "Li Ping, you should quit this job right away."

I was taken aback by her abrupt statement.

"Why?"

"This place isn't good. Quit immediately."

I was confused by her warning. The store had just opened, and I had only been working for a few hours. How could she know whether it was good or bad?

I smiled and said, "It's fine. The pay is good."

"I'm serious. Quit right away."

Huang Cuicui's words made me uncomfortable. In my memory, she wasn't the type to speak so harshly. I politely replied, "I'll think about it. You should smoke less, by the way. It's been years since we last met, and now you've even picked up smoking."

"Thanks, have one on me. It has been several years, hasn't it?"

Huang Cuicui opened the pack and gave me a cigarette, then said she had to go and left.

I leaned back in my chair and lit the cigarette, but after just one puff, I started choking badly.

Was this even a cigarette?

It tasted incredibly strange, like it had gone moldy.

The cigarette felt unusually soft and damp, as if it had expired.

I coughed several times and uncomfortably put it out.

Could Auntie Chen be selling fake cigarettes here?

That would be disastrous. What would I do if customers came after me?

Especially since Huang Cuicui was my old classmate, which made it even more embarrassing.

I worried about Huang Cuicui coming back, but she didn't return for the rest of the night.

The next morning, the old woman came to take over.

I took money from the counter to record in the accounts, went to eat some breakfast, and then went to the bathhouse to sleep.

The bathhouse didn't charge for daytime naps and offered free lunch and dinner, which was perfect for me at the moment.

When I returned for my evening shift, Huang Cuicui showed up again.

Seeing her, I felt a bit embarrassed: "Hey classmate, sorry about that cigarette yesterday."

"What was wrong with it?" she asked.

"Didn't you think it tasted strange?"

"Not at all, it smelled nice."

Smelled nice? Not tasted nice?

Then I understood.

Perhaps she didn't actually smoke but just bought cigarettes to hold in her mouth.

Some non-smokers do that, which would explain why she didn't notice the strange taste.

She asked for another pack of cigarettes. I tossed it to her and said, "If you don't know how to smoke, don't bother learning. It's not worth it."

She thanked me and gave me another cigarette, then looked into my eyes and asked, "Haven't you quit yet?"

"What?"

"You're such a failure, working in a place like this. Didn't I tell you yesterday to quit right away?"

I sighed, "The pay is decent. Could you please stop saying such hurtful things?"

She seemed to hesitate, but finally said, "I used to think you had potential because your grades were good. Working at a convenience store is the bottom of society, it's for the poorest and most worthless people. If this is what you've become, you might as well give up. Quit immediately."

Why was she being increasingly harsh?

I was about to argue with her, but she said she had to go and hurried away.

After she left, I took a puff of the cigarette she gave me, but it still tasted awful, so I put it out immediately.

After Huang Cuicui left, I continued with business as usual. Just before dawn, a beautiful young woman entered the store.

Unlike the other customers, this woman was immaculately clean from head to toe. She wore a floral print dress with her long hair flowing over her shoulders. She looked different from ordinary people—exceptionally beautiful.

She seemed familiar, but I couldn't immediately place where I might have seen her.

Perhaps I had seen her somewhere before. After all, someone so beautiful would be hard to forget.

She also asked for a pack of cigarettes. I was surprised that such a pure-looking beauty would smoke, which I found somewhat intriguing.

She paid and left with a simple "thank you."

Just as she walked out, my phone rang.

It was Auntie Chen.

I answered, and she asked how work was going. I told her it was fine.

She then asked, "How much money did you spend yesterday?"

"Eighty yuan."

"How much is in the counter now?"

I opened the drawer and counted: "Nine hundred and three."

Auntie Chen told me the store needed more alcohol. She instructed me to take money from the counter at daybreak to buy one thousand yuan worth of alcohol, and to cover any shortfall myself, which I could reclaim later from the counter.

I naturally agreed.

Just after hanging up, Huang Cuicui returned.

I thought she had come back to apologize, but as soon as she entered, she said, "Li Ping, can you treat me? Give me back the money I just paid you."

I was shocked. After speaking to me so rudely earlier, she now wanted me to treat her?

She had bought soft pack Zhonghua cigarettes. Suppressing my anger, I returned sixty-five yuan to her, but then she said, "From now on, whenever I come to buy, you should treat me, okay?"

Seeing an opportunity, I sarcastically replied, "Classmate, didn't you just say I'm at the bottom of society? You're doing well at the factory, so why should someone at the bottom of society like me treat you? That doesn't seem right."

Huang Cuicui paused for a moment, then had the audacity to say, "Stop talking nonsense. Just give me back the money. How could you charge a female classmate? You're so stingy."

This girl!

So annoying!

I held back my anger, not wanting to argue with her, and simply returned her money, saying, "Don't come to my store anymore."

But she replied, "I'll keep coming, and you'll keep treating me. That's what men are supposed to do."

With that, she left, leaving me fuming.

She had no shame.

I waited in the store until daybreak, then took money to restock. Because of Huang Cuicui, instead of having to cover sixty-five yuan myself, I now had to cover one hundred and thirty-five.

But it was fine; I could take it from the counter tomorrow.

Auntie Chen gave me the address for supplies, which was in a remote, deserted alley in town. The grocery wholesale place was there, with hardly any customers.

She told me it was run by a friend of hers and that supplies were cheaper there.

I went to the wholesale place and found a middle-aged man with a gold necklace, who introduced himself as Brother Sun. He was indeed Auntie Chen's friend.

I bought the alcohol from him, and he gave me a receipt. The prices were indeed lower than market rates.

After buying the alcohol, I returned to the store, handed it over to the old woman, and went to sleep.

That evening, I returned to work. Business was slow, with only a few customers.

Around midnight, I ran into another old classmate, Liu Kuo, who had come to buy cigarettes.

Liu Kuo was surprised to see me: "Li Ping, you're working here now?"

"Yeah, just started."

"I thought you went to college?"

"I did, I just graduated."

We chatted for a while, catching up on old times. I mentioned seeing Huang Cuicui yesterday.

Liu Kuo said, "Huang Cuicui. Didn't she pass away a long time ago?"

"Nonsense!"

I snapped, "When did she die? I never heard about it."

"During her sophomore year. You were probably away at college and didn't know. Huang Cuicui dropped out of high school to work at a clothing factory, but there was a fire, and she died inside."

He spoke with such conviction that if I hadn't seen Huang Cuicui with my own eyes these past few days, I might have believed him.

I scoffed, "That's just a rumor. I saw her just a few days ago."

Liu Kuo looked very surprised: "So she's not dead? Damn! I knew rumors couldn't be trusted. When I was chatting with classmates about her, I really thought she had died."

Despite the rare chance to catch up with an old classmate, I didn't want to continue the conversation.

My stomach felt terrible, both painful and nauseating.

I stood up, saying I needed to use the bathroom, and as soon as I entered, I couldn't help but vomit.

But after throwing up, I was stunned.

The toilet bowl was filled with red.

Was that... blood?

How could I be vomiting blood when I was perfectly fine?

Terrified, I quickly wiped my mouth and rushed to the hospital without even saying goodbye to Liu Kuo.

At the hospital, after a series of examinations, the doctor told me I had a gastric hemorrhage and advised me to drink less alcohol and pay attention to my diet.

I was puzzled because I didn't drink alcohol. Perhaps it was from staying up late chatting and playing games with Auntie Chen before graduation.

The doctor prescribed some medication and told me to try it for a week.

With the medicine in hand, I returned to the convenience store for my shift. Before long, Huang Cuicui appeared again.

This time, she brought several friends with her, all of whom were customers I had seen before.

"Li Ping, give each of us a pack of soft Zhonghua, and you're treating us."

She demanded I treat them right away, which infuriated me.

I had already treated her yesterday, and now she was back with a group!

I was already feeling sick, and this pushed me over the edge. I grabbed her and pulled her to the back of the store.

Angrily, I said, "Have you no shame? Do you know how much money I'd have to spend to treat all six of you?"

"I know, three hundred and ninety."

"Why the hell should I pay three hundred and ninety for you?"

"Because you're a man, and I'm your female classmate."

What kind of reasoning was that?

I angrily said, "You're my female classmate, not my girlfriend. Why should I pay for you?"

Huang Cuicui looked at me and asked, "If I were your woman, would you pay for me then?"

"What do you mean? Don't joke around."

"I can be your woman temporarily, as long as you don't kiss me."

This Huang Cuicui must be crazy!

I was about to curse at her when she suddenly grabbed my hand and placed it on her chest!

In that moment, I was completely petrified.

Perhaps because the evening had turned cool, her body felt ice-cold. Looking at me, she said, "Now that you've touched me, I'm your woman. So treat us."

This...

I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

Even though it wasn't voluntary on my part, I was completely speechless, replaced by an unprecedented awkwardness.

I returned to the store, feeling deeply embarrassed, and gave them six packs of Zhonghua.

I'm not the type to waste money just to touch a woman.

I just felt that since I had touched her, even involuntarily, refusing now would hurt her dignity too much.

So I planned to clarify things with Huang Cuicui when she was alone, telling her never to do this again.

After they left, I was still upset about the cost.

So expensive.

Almost four hundred yuan just for touching a chest.

I sat in my chair, fuming, and only brightened up when the beautiful young woman came in.

It wasn't that I was lecherous; seeing her just made me feel at ease. She truly had a captivating beauty.

The beautiful woman noticed my expression and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Naturally, I wouldn't mention Huang Cuicui. Rubbing my stomach, I forced a smile and said, "I have a gastric hemorrhage. Not feeling well."

"Oh, is it very uncomfortable?"

"Yes, I even vomited blood. I thought I was going to die."

"Are you afraid of death?"

"Of course. Who isn't?"

She stood there for a moment, seemingly in thought, then handed the cigarettes back to me: "Then I won't buy them."

I was bewildered.

What did my gastric hemorrhage have to do with her buying cigarettes?

But since she didn't want them anymore, I couldn't force her to buy, so I gave her a refund.

Near dawn, Auntie Chen called me again, asking how much money I had.

I told her I had less than four hundred today, and she told me to use it to buy alcohol and restock.

I realized we had sold quite a bit of alcohol, probably during the day.

I naturally agreed and took the money from the counter.

When daylight came, I handed over to the old woman and went out to buy alcohol.

Just a few steps out, I suddenly heard someone calling me.

I turned around to find Huang Cuicui.

She was standing under a dark eave. When I approached, she asked, "Where are you going?"

"To restock."

"What money is that?"

"The store's money."

She shook her head: "Use your own money, not the store's. I'll bring friends again tonight, remember to treat us, and then quit tomorrow."

Angrily, I said, "Are you crazy? Are you pushing your luck? Don't think I'll give in just because I touched you—you forced that!"

"You must quit, and you must return the money!"

"Why should I?"

Huang Cuicui seemed to want to say something but hesitated. After a moment of silence, she finally said, "Tonight at work, secretly bring a small mirror. Whenever someone buys cigarettes, use the mirror to look at them without being noticed."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just do as I say. Hurry up, and remember to buy a mirror! And don't use the store's money!"

She's insane.

I started to walk away, but she called after me: "If you don't do as I say, I'll hate you because you deceived me."

Impatiently, I said, "Fine, I'll listen to you!"

So annoying.

My stomach was already uncomfortable...

Wait.

I rubbed my stomach and suddenly realized it wasn't as painful anymore. The symptoms had greatly diminished.

The doctor's medicine was really effective.

I went to restock, but used my own money.

Honestly, it didn't matter whose money I used; it was all going from one pocket to another.

After restocking, I bought a small mirror and rested until evening when I returned to work.

Soon, the first customer arrived.

He bought some oil, and I secretly looked at him with the mirror but saw nothing unusual.

I was increasingly convinced that Huang Cuicui was mentally unstable.

Wait.

He bought oil, not cigarettes. Huang Cuicui had specifically mentioned watching those who bought cigarettes.

After the customer left, I sat in the store waiting, and the beautiful woman arrived earlier than usual.

Today, she looked rather haggard: "Give me a pack of cigarettes."

"You don't look well."

"Because I didn't buy cigarettes yesterday."

I silently marveled at how strong her cigarette addiction must be.

She took the cigarettes and seemed in a hurry, opening them right there.

After lighting one, she didn't inhale but just held it, watching the smoke curl.

She suddenly asked, "I don't want to pay. Can you treat me to a pack?"

I was a bit of a show-off and cheerfully said no problem.

After all, unlike Huang Cuicui, she never criticized me. She was a very gentle girl.

Honestly, who wouldn't like a girl like her?

The beautiful woman continued holding the cigarette without smoking it. She seemed to enjoy just smelling it and gently closed her eyes.

Remembering Huang Cuicui's words, I took the opportunity to secretly observe her with the small mirror.

Looking into the mirror, I was stunned.

The mirror didn't reflect her face!

Shocked, I quickly used the mirror to look at myself, and my reflection appeared immediately.

How strange!

I secretly observed her with the mirror again, but the mirror surface was completely empty—there was no reflection of her at all!

The beautiful woman suddenly opened her eyes. She had noticed what I was doing and smiled, saying, "Stop looking. I won't take it personally, but don't do this to others. They might not be so forgiving."

I stupidly asked her, "Why are you..."

As we were talking, a man entered the store, asking for a five-yuan pack of cigarettes.

I put away the mirror and said, "I'm sorry, we only sell Zhonghua here."

The man appeared middle-aged, with dyed hair and a gold necklace, dressed in gaudy clothes—the very picture of a lowlife.

Hearing this, he became very unhappy, cursing and saying I was crazy, that a broken-down convenience store like this only sold premium cigarettes.

He probably had a late-night cigarette craving with nowhere else to buy from, since our small town didn't have 24-hour convenience stores.

His temper flared, and his language became increasingly offensive.

Tired of listening, I said to him, "There's a young lady here. Why are you using such foul language? If you want cigarettes, I can give you a few. Don't make a scene."

I never liked confronting such people. If I hurt him, I'd have to pay compensation or be detained.

But if he hurt me, what could he compensate me with, given the few coins in his pocket?

It wasn't worth the trouble.

I offered him two of my own Hongta Mountain cigarettes, which seemed to satisfy him somewhat. Taking them, he muttered, "What young lady? If any girl dared to be out this late at night, I'd drop my pants and teach her a lesson."

I particularly disliked his vulgar talk and pointed to the beautiful woman, saying, "You can't see this big girl right here?"

He looked at me in astonishment, then at the beautiful woman beside me.

At that moment, the beautiful woman smiled at me and suddenly did something I never expected.

She took her lit cigarette and extended the burning end toward the lowlife's eyes, which terrified me. What was she trying to do?

Suddenly, the cigarette eerily passed right through his body!

I was dumbfounded by this sight. The lowlife walked out, muttering to himself, "Idiot, what girl?"

The beautiful woman smiled at me and also walked out, advising me before she left: "Remember, don't accept money for cigarettes."

My mind went completely blank.

After the beautiful woman left, Huang Cuicui soon arrived.

She still brought several friends and asked me to give them cigarettes, insisting I treat them.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I gave them several packs of cigarettes, then grabbed Huang Cuicui's hand and pulled her to the back of the store.

Huang Cuicui's hand was still ice-cold. She followed me into the room and asked, "Will you come back tomorrow?"

Looking into Huang Cuicui's eyes, I gathered my courage and asked, "Liu Kuo said you died a few years ago... is that true?"

She froze.

Then she asked, "It's true. So, are you afraid of me?"

So it was true...

I shook my head and said, "I'm not afraid. I just feel sorry for you. You were a good person, and if this news is true, I'm very sad for you. But can you tell me what's going on here?"

I had a vague suspicion.

Huang Cuicui and the beautiful woman were both ghosts.

But facing Huang Cuicui, I couldn't feel afraid.

I firmly believed we had no grudges, and she wouldn't harm me.

Huang Cuicui said, "You see the door of your store? Half-open, half-closed—it's not for the living. This is the House of Spirits, specifically for serving the dead."

"So those who come to buy cigarettes aren't alive?"

"Correct."

"And after buying cigarettes, you only smell them but don't smoke them..."

"Stop asking!"

Huang Cuicui interrupted me and seriously said, "I won't see you anymore after this, so there's no need to explain so much."

"But I really want to know..."

Huang Cuicui suddenly pinched my neck, her expression gradually turning fierce: "Don't let the dead realize they're dead, or you'll be in great danger!"

She glared at me fiercely, then left with her friends.

After discovering this, my mood became very strange, but I tried to stay calm.

After all, none of the customers here had harmed me.

I endured through the night, and the next morning, when the old woman came to take over, I stared at her intently and asked, "Do you know what this store is for?"

The old woman again spoke in her incomprehensible dialect. Finding it too difficult to understand, I took paper and pen from the store and wrote: "I can't understand you. Can you write?"

The old woman looked at the paper and nodded.

I sighed in relief. Writing would work.

So I communicated with her in writing: "Is this store for ghosts to buy things?"

"Not during the day, but at night, yes."

I thought for a moment, then wrote: "Can I spend the money from the store?"

Seeing my question, the old woman became extremely anxious.

She kept waving her hands and finally wrote two large characters: "NO!"

These two characters almost filled the entire page. Then, seemingly afraid I might take the money, she muttered in her dialect and brought a lock to secure the drawer.

I realized something was wrong and pressed the old woman for more information, asking what was going on with the store.

After a lengthy written exchange, I finally understood the situation.

The House of Spirits, as the name suggests, was a place for serving ghosts. It sold incense, and those Zhonghua cigarettes weren't cigarettes at all, but incense offerings for the spirits.

Ghosts who died violent deaths came here to buy incense, but the money they gave wasn't real money—it was "life-buying wealth."

This was considered a good deed, and the store owner would typically be blessed with good fortune and prosperity.

But this "life-buying wealth" couldn't be touched. Since the House of Spirits was a charitable act, not a business, the owners would keep the money untouched, enshrining it.

Anyone who dared to spend the money left by ghosts would lose years of their life. Once they spent a certain amount and died, they would be forever trapped in the House of Spirits, eternally serving the nearby ghosts, never able to leave.

In the past, this was even used as a way to punish thieves.

Thieves who stole and spent the "life-buying wealth" would end up trapped in the House of Spirits, forever working for the owner and the ghosts, using their own life to bring good fortune to the owner.

Reading the old woman's explanation, I cursed inwardly!

I had thought Auntie Chen was a good person! I should have known online romance couldn't be this good—how could a rich woman take a liking to me and give me such a large sum of money? She clearly wanted me to work in the House of Spirits forever, saving herself from ever having to pay me a salary!

This explained everything.

Why Huang Cuicui refused to pay for cigarettes and wanted me to treat her friends.

And the beautiful woman, who stopped buying cigarettes when she heard I didn't want to die, and later also asked me to treat her.

They were both trying to save me!

I asked the old woman what would happen to the ghosts without the House of Spirits.

The old woman wrote that people who died violent deaths harbored deep resentment and usually didn't want to return to their homes.

They relived their painful deaths every day, suffering endlessly. Only by receiving incense offerings could they find relief.

Hearing this, I felt a pang of sympathy.

So without incense offerings, Huang Cuicui would repeat the agony of being burned to death day after day, year after year.

At this moment, Auntie Chen called me again. She was all warm and caring on the phone, while I inwardly sneered.

After the call, she predictably asked me to go out and buy more alcohol.

That bitch.

She would pay for this!

I agreed to Auntie Chen's request, then asked the old woman one last question: "How do you change the owner of the House of Spirits?"

The old woman looked at me suspiciously, not understanding why I asked this.

I showed her the chat history between Auntie Chen and me, telling her we were in a relationship and that the store was meant for me after it opened.

Seeing the many "I love you" and "I miss you" messages from Auntie Chen, the old woman finally believed me.

She pointed to the floor and wrote that during renovation, a box was buried under the incense, containing the owner's name and birth date.

To change owners, the current owner needed to write a transfer contract, sign and seal it, and add the new owner's name and birth date to the box.

After talking with the old woman, I spent another thousand yuan of my own money to buy alcohol.

After buying the alcohol, I went to an electric bike shop and bought the cheapest second-hand electric bike for four hundred yuan, which completely emptied my pockets.

When I returned to the store, instead of going to sleep, I hid in an alley outside, watching the entrance intently.

Around noon, a young man entered the store. When I saw him, my face darkened.

It was the wholesale store owner—Auntie Chen's friend, Brother Sun!

He came out quickly, carrying several bottles of alcohol—the same ones I had just bought from him.

I secretly followed him. He didn't expect to be followed and simply took a three-wheeled vehicle to leave.

Fortunately, I had bought an electric bike, or I wouldn't have been able to keep up.

When we reached our destination, I discovered that Brother Sun had returned to the deserted grocery wholesale place and put the alcohol back!

It was a scam, just as I suspected!

I didn't dare follow too closely because I saw Auntie Chen's Cayenne parked not far ahead. Luckily, the back of the car was facing me.

After returning the alcohol, Brother Sun got into the Cayenne. I approached stealthily and saw through the window that he was passionately kissing Auntie Chen.

I smiled coldly and increased the power of my electric bike, ramming straight into the Cayenne.

The impact was so strong that I was thrown off the bike and hit my head on the ground, losing consciousness.

When I woke up, I was in the hospital. The doctor told me I had a concussion but would be fine after some rest.

I asked about Auntie Chen and Brother Sun, and the doctor said they had only suffered minor injuries and had already left.

I was discharged from the hospital the next day and returned to the store.

The old woman was surprised to see me back so soon. I told her I had been in an accident but was fine now.

I asked her if Auntie Chen had come by, and she shook her head.

I spent the day helping the old woman with the store, and when evening came, I took over as usual.

That night, no ghosts came to buy cigarettes.

I sat in the store all night, but not a single customer appeared.

The next day, I asked the old woman about it, and she wrote that the ghosts must have sensed something was wrong.

I decided to wait and see what would happen.

That evening, Auntie Chen finally showed up.

She looked terrible, with bandages on her face and arms. Seeing me, she was shocked: "You're still alive?"

I smiled coldly: "Disappointed?"

She quickly composed herself: "What are you talking about? I was worried about you. I heard you had an accident."

I didn't bother with pretenses: "I know everything about the House of Spirits. You wanted me to spend the ghost money so I would die and be trapped here forever, right?"

Auntie Chen's expression changed. She stared at me for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "So you know. But it's too late. You've already spent so much money. How long do you think you have left?"

I replied calmly: "I've spent exactly zero yuan of the ghost money. Every cent I spent was my own."

Her face fell: "Impossible! You've been taking money from the counter every day!"

"Yes, but I never spent it. I kept it all in my pocket and put it back when no one was looking."

This was a lie, of course. I had spent some of the money, but not much. And after learning the truth from the old woman, I had immediately stopped.

Auntie Chen didn't believe me: "You're lying. I know you spent the money to buy alcohol."

"I used my own money. And I know about your scam with Brother Sun. You two have been recycling the same alcohol, making me buy it over and over."

Auntie Chen's face turned ugly. She knew she had been exposed.

I continued: "I also know how to change the owner of the House of Spirits. The old woman told me everything."

At this, Auntie Chen became truly alarmed: "You wouldn't dare!"

"I already have. I found the box under the floor and changed the name to mine. The House of Spirits belongs to me now."

This was another lie. I hadn't actually found the box yet, but I knew it existed.

Auntie Chen was furious: "You ungrateful bastard! After all I've done for you!"

I laughed: "Done for me? You tried to kill me! Now get out of my store!"

Auntie Chen looked like she wanted to kill me, but she knew she had lost. With a final glare, she stormed out.

After she left, I immediately began searching for the box. The old woman had said it was buried under the incense, so I started digging there.

Sure enough, I found a small wooden box. Inside was a piece of paper with Auntie Chen's name and birth date, along with a contract stating she was the owner of the House of Spirits.

I took out a pen and wrote a new contract, transferring ownership to me. I signed it, added my birth date, and put it back in the box.

That night, the ghosts returned.

Huang Cuicui was the first to arrive. Seeing me, she smiled: "You're still here."

"Yes, and I'm the new owner of the House of Spirits."

She nodded: "I know. We all felt the change. Thank you for not abandoning us."

I told her she didn't need to pay for cigarettes anymore, but she insisted: "No, we must pay. It's the only way to ease our suffering. But now the money goes to you, not that evil woman."

I understood then. The ghosts needed to give something in exchange for the incense. It was part of the ritual that helped them find peace.

From that day on, I ran the House of Spirits properly. During the day, I sold regular goods to living customers. At night, I served the dead, providing them with the incense they needed.

I never spent a penny of the ghost money. Instead, I kept it in a special urn, as was traditional.

As for Auntie Chen, I never saw her again. I heard she and Brother Sun had moved to another city.

The beautiful woman continued to visit occasionally. One night, she told me her story.

She had been Auntie Chen's first victim. Auntie Chen had tricked her into working at the House of Spirits and spending the ghost money. When she died, she was trapped there, serving the ghosts.

But unlike Auntie Chen, I treated her with respect. I never forced her to work and always gave her the incense she needed.

Gradually, her resentment faded, and one night, she told me she was ready to move on.

I held a small ceremony for her, burning extra incense and wishing her well in her next life.

As for Huang Cuicui, she continued to visit regularly. We became friends of a sort, though I was always careful not to touch her again.

One day, I decided to expand the business. I renovated the store, making it larger and more comfortable. I added chairs and tables where the ghosts could sit and enjoy their incense.

I also started selling other types of offerings—paper money, paper houses, and other items that the dead might need in the afterlife.

The business thrived. The living customers appreciated the improved store, and the dead were grateful for the expanded offerings.

As the years passed, I became known in the community as a kind and fair businessman. Few knew the true nature of my nighttime business, but those who did respected me for it.

The urn of ghost money grew fuller, and with it, my fortune improved. Not because I spent the money, but because the good deed of serving the dead brought its own rewards.

One day, a young woman came into the store. She looked remarkably like Huang Cuicui, and when she introduced herself as Huang Mei, I realized she was Huang Cuicui's younger sister.

She had come to the town to find out what had happened to her sister. She had heard rumors that Huang Cuicui's ghost had been seen in the area.

I couldn't bring myself to tell her the truth. Instead, I invited her to dinner and asked about her life.

She told me she was studying to be a teacher and had come home for the summer. She was staying with relatives in town.

We began seeing each other regularly. She was intelligent and kind, just like her sister had been.

Eventually, I told her about the House of Spirits, though I didn't mention her sister. She was fascinated by the concept and asked if she could help.

I was hesitant at first, but she insisted. So I let her stay one night to see the ghosts.

To my surprise, Huang Cuicui appeared that night. Seeing her sister, she smiled sadly but didn't approach.

Huang Mei was shocked but not afraid. She called out to her sister, and Huang Cuicui finally came forward.

The reunion was emotional. Huang Mei cried, and if ghosts could cry, I'm sure Huang Cuicui would have too.

They talked for hours, catching up on all that had happened. Huang Cuicui told her sister not to grieve for her, that she was at peace now.

Before leaving, Huang Cuicui turned to me and said, "Take care of my sister."

I promised I would.

After that night, Huang Cuicui's visits became less frequent. I think seeing her sister had helped her find some closure.

Huang Mei and I continued to grow closer. Eventually, we fell in love and got married.

We ran the House of Spirits together, serving both the living and the dead.

One night, years later, Huang Cuicui came to say goodbye. She told us she had finally found peace and was ready to move on.

We held a ceremony for her, similar to the one I had held for the beautiful woman. As we watched her fade away, I felt a mixture of sadness and happiness—sad to see her go, but happy that she had found peace.

After Huang Cuicui left, the other ghosts gradually moved on as well. The House of Spirits became just a regular store.

I suddenly remembered that the beautiful woman had never returned after eating Auntie Chen.

Perhaps on that day, her resentment had already been resolved.

The urn wasn't yet full, and I no longer had customers at night, but the breakfast business was still doing well.

I finally understood that warmth and companionship could eliminate all negative energy in the world.

Well... I was overthinking things.