We each went back home. I lay on the wall listening for a while, and since my family hadn't woken up yet, I quietly climbed into the yard and hurried back to my room. Exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed, but I tossed and turned, recalling the thrilling events of the night, realizing that many things seemed to have been predestined. After a while of muddled thoughts, I felt my head getting heavier, and eventually I fell into a deep sleep.

I slept soundly until the afternoon when suddenly the door was kicked open. Still groggy, my ears were grabbed before I could get up, and when I looked, it was my grandfather. "You little rascal, tell me honestly, what did you do last night?" My grandfather's face showed signs of anger as he growled at me.

In my memory, it was the first time my grandfather had ever gotten angry at me. He was usually very gentle. Now, it seemed like he had turned into a different person. "Sleep... I was sleeping..." I said.

"Are you still lying?" My grandfather's hand felt like a pair of iron pliers.

"Ouch! Grandpa, it hurts!" I cried, covering my ears.

My grandfather didn't let go, continuing to question me, "What did you do last night? Do you still want to argue?"

With my grandfather's interrogation, I felt even more guilty. But I knew that if I spoke up, everyone would be in trouble. So, I stubbornly said, "I really was sleeping!"

At this point, my parents also walked in. They didn't speak, but the look in their eyes, though filled with anger, was more of a mixture of fear and worry.

Seeing my parents like this, my heart sank. It seemed like... something big had happened...

"You don't know yet, do you?" My grandfather fell silent for a moment, then took a puff of his pipe and said, "Zheng Jun, the kid from the village... he... died this morning!"

"What?! Zheng Jun is dead?!" I was shocked, falling off the bed.

I stared at my grandfather in disbelief. Zheng Jun was dead? How could this be? How could this be?

In a panic, I looked at my parents, and suddenly my mother burst into tears. My heart sank, and I knew my grandfather wasn't lying.

I curled up on the floor, trembling uncontrollably, unable to say a word. Fear wrapped around my neck like a snake, slowly tightening.

I felt very cold, really cold. The whole room seemed to have turned into an ice cellar.

When we said goodbye in the morning, I even saw Zheng Jun walk into his own house. I thought everything from last night had passed, but now it seemed like trouble was looming ahead!

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Seeing me in such a distraught state, my mother wiped away her tears and came over to hug me.

It wasn't until my father spoke up again and asked that I recounted everything from last night in detail.

When they heard that I had been saved by a snake, my parents were surprised. They had heard of snakes biting people, but it was the first time they had heard of a snake saving someone.

My grandfather silently smoked his pipe, his face gradually turning grim. Then he asked a somewhat puzzling question, "Ah Cheng, did you touch that pair of earrings?"

Earrings?!

I pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered that last night, while watching the opera, Zheng Jun had grabbed a pair of gold earrings before me. I even cursed him in my heart at the time.

"No, I didn't touch that thing!" I shook my head, remembering the gold earrings and feeling a bit regretful. In those days, life was very poor. A pair of gold earrings was considered very high-end jewelry, and taking them to the gold shop in town could fetch a good amount of money!

Seeing me deny it, my grandfather and father both breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.

"That's good... That's good..." My father's tone was filled with a hint of relief after the ordeal.

I looked at my grandfather and father in confusion. Could it be... that Zheng Jun's death was related to those earrings?

"Grandpa, how did Zheng Jun die?" I asked curiously.

My grandfather knocked on his pipe and said, "It's said to be suicide! He hung himself!"

"Hung himself?!" I looked at my grandfather in puzzlement. Zheng Jun was perfectly fine. How could he have committed suicide for no reason? And Zheng Jun's grandfather was the head of the village committee. Their family conditions were also good. They had the best of everything among us kids. Life couldn't be happier. How could he choose to commit suicide? And in such a terrible way?

My grandfather stuffed some tobacco into his pipe again, lit it, took a puff, and said softly, "This afternoon, Zheng Jun's mother went to wake her son up for lunch as usual, but after shouting for half a day, there was no response from inside the room. His mother felt very strange and tried to push the door open, but found that it was locked from the inside.Zheng Jun's mother quickly found the key and opened the door, only to see a scene that would haunt her forever. Zheng Jun was hanging naked from the ceiling beam by a thick rope. His eyes bulged, his lips were purple, and his tongue was pulled to his neck. He was already dead.Zheng Jun's mother was scared out of her wits and passed out on the spot. It wasn't until later when Zheng Jun's father rushed over that they, along with neighbors, took down Zheng Jun's cold body.And then, they found something clenched in Zheng Jun's right hand!"

"Earrings?! Was it those earrings?!" I exclaimed, and my grandfather blew a smoke ring and nodded.I didn't expect that two small gold earrings would become Zheng Jun's death warrant.A wave of fear swept over me. If it had been me who picked up the earrings last night, then wouldn't I...I shook my head vigorously, not daring to think further.Through the smoke, my grandfather stared into my eyes and said, word by word, "Remember, boy, never take things from the dead!"I nodded vigorously. Zheng Jun was a bloody example.I vowed in my heart that no matter how valuable they were, I would never take things from the dead."Grandpa, I'm going to see... Zheng Jun..." I got up from the ground. After all, we were once friends. It didn't seem right not to pay my respects. Besides, Zheng Jun's death was so mysterious that I couldn't help but be curious.My grandfather nodded, "You can, but don't stay too long. The sooner you go, the sooner you come back!"As I walked out, I faintly heard my father talking to my grandfather behind me.My father said, "Is this matter over now?"My grandfather said, "Over? Far from it. It's just the beginning!"My father sounded anxious, "What should we do then?"My grandfather reassured him, "Don't worry, I've already contacted Ku Lamei. He'll come back and take a look at Cheng Er!" Pushing open the courtyard door, a cold wind blew in my face, and I couldn