In the living room.
A clear flute melody began,
A mournful sound, as if someone was pouring out their heart.
The viewers in the live stream also quieted down.
On the screen—
The streamer, dressed in white, stood in mid-air, holding a clay flute.
The hem of their robes fluttered without wind.
Beneath the dining table, Da Hei, after a moment of daze,
Began to struggle, baring its sharp teeth.
But no matter how it thrashed or crawled, it could only move a tiny distance.
The entire dog seemed trapped there.
"Woof woof woof…"
Da Hei let out a pained growl from its throat,
As if something was about to break free from its body.
Suddenly, the music circling the living room stopped.
Jiang Lin removed the clay flute from his lips and looked at the struggling figure below, saying faintly:
"The more you struggle, the more pain you will feel."
"This body is still too small for you. If this continues, your soul will eventually overflow."
"At that time, not only will you have problems, but those around you will also be affected."
This foreign soul had likely been inside the black dog for two to three years.
The soul and the body had almost completely merged.
Why "almost"?
After all, it wasn't its original vessel. It might be fine for a while.
But over time, problems were likely to arise.
Now, Da Hei was already showing signs of overflow.
This was also why it was discovered and reported to the task center.
...
This situation was different from directly guiding departed souls.
Guiding departed souls meant they came out of their bodies themselves.
In Da Hei's case, it could only be separated by external force.
After Jiang Lin spoke, the living room fell silent.
Da Hei rested its chin on the floor and whimpered softly twice.
It sniffed the air around, then slowly walked out from under the dining table.
It stopped not far from Jiang Lin and lay down on the floor,
Its ears drooping, its eyes half-closed.
Jiang Lin glanced at it before picking up the clay flute again.
The clear melody resumed.
The viewers could see a faint silhouette appearing on Da Hei's body,
Being slowly pulled out.
This time, Da Hei did not struggle anymore.
At the same time, something akin to memories,
Began to appear in Jiang Lin's mind along with the music.
[System Prompt: Detectable synchronized image, automatic synchronization in three seconds.]
[Host can end synchronization at any time by speaking.]
Jiang Lin, who was playing the flute: "..."
...
...
When Da Hei first arrived, it was only a small ball.
Very cute.
But originally, pets were not allowed in this house.
Chu Yuan begged the adults for a long time, but to no avail.
Because Grandma didn't like cats and dogs.
They shed, carried toxoplasmosis, wasted food, and were noisy...
Grandma was Dad's mother. Mom said they had to listen to Grandma.
Grandma originally lived in their hometown.
But during one summer vacation, she fell and a neighbor helped take her to the hospital.
Mom and Dad were worried, so they asked Grandma to come live with them.
Dad said Grandma was very capable when she was young and only started to relax in recent years.
Chu Yuan remembered what his parents said.
But he really didn't like fish or carrots.
"How can this child not eat fish?"
Grandma frowned, her face full of wrinkles. "Back then, we couldn't even afford meat, it was so expensive."
"Carrots are so pretty, bright red, and they crunch when you eat them raw."
Once she started talking, she wouldn't stop chattering.
"Grandma, I'm going to do my homework now." Chu Yuan put down his chopsticks and ran into his room.
"Go on, go on, do your homework well."
The old lady looked at the table full of dishes but didn't eat for long.
She started clearing the dishes, making clinking sounds.
"I really want a pet..."
Chu Yuan felt dejected.
...
*Click—*
The living room door opened.
"Qinqin, have you eaten?" The old lady peeked her head out from the kitchen and asked.
"Mom, I've eaten."
Liu Qin, while taking off her shoes, followed the sound into the kitchen.
"Oh my, Mom, this is the foot-wiping cloth, why are you using it to wash dishes..."
"Didn't Chu Yuan's dad tell you?"
The old lady looked. "Oh, it really is. I picked it up wrong."
"Mom, just leave the dishes. I'll wash them when I get back every day."
Liu Qin said, quickly boiling water and taking the dishes to scald them.
"I won't make the mistake next time."
The old lady stood by the side, feeling a little embarrassed and helpless.
But in fact, she would make the same mistake next time.
Not only that, she also wouldn't flush the toilet.
Liu Qin didn't feel it was appropriate to say it directly, so she asked Chu Yuan's dad to mention it in the evening.
"Mom said she uses too much water to flush the toilet, it's wasteful, so she doesn't flush even after using the small toilet."
"But our house is so small, and the smell is very strong. Can you talk to Mom about it, ah?"
She said, nudging the person beside her.
Chu Yuan's dad was so tired that he wanted to sleep as soon as he got into bed. Hearing his wife speak, he forced himself to listen.
"That's how it is. I'll talk to her."
The words were conveyed.
The old lady also became smarter.
During the day, when the adults and children were not at home, she wouldn't flush.
She estimated when everyone would return and then quickly flushed, using the water from washing her face.
But the smell lingered in the house for a long time.
For this, Liu Qin could only try to buy some incense.
...
As the old lady got older, she couldn't sleep soundly at night and was always thirsty.
She walked back and forth in the living room in her slippers.
When she was bored, she would turn on the TV to watch, but didn't know how to change channels or adjust the volume.
The family members were woken up by her in the middle of the night.
Within a few days, Chu Yuan's dad had dark circles under his eyes and had to talk to the old lady.
"Mom, please be quieter at night. Qinqin and I have to work, and Chu Yuan still has to go to school."
Seeing the old lady's helpless expression, Chu Yuan's dad sighed.
He took the remote control. "Mom, I'll teach you how to adjust the volume."
He taught her several times. The old lady remembered each time.
But after a while, if you asked her again, she would forget.
Holding the remote control full of buttons, she didn't know where to start.
However, after that, the family was no longer disturbed in the middle of the night.
"Is Mom not watching TV at night anymore?"
At night, the couple chatted before sleeping.
"Probably not," Chu Yuan's dad said.
"Sigh,"
Liu Qin sighed. "I feel like Mom isn't having much fun here either."
"It's alright. I saw her chatting with other old ladies in the neighborhood today."
"What were they talking about?"
"Just family matters, I didn't pay close attention."
...
After her husband mentioned it, Liu Qin paid attention.
And when she listened, she was astonished.
"Dad, Mom is telling everyone about our family's affairs!"
Chu Yuan's dad said indifferently, "What else can old ladies talk about?"
"She even told them about our constipation, your athlete's foot, and your sleep-talking at night!"
"Ah?"
Chu Yuan's dad's face showed a hint of embarrassment.
Although this was not a big deal, it was still a personal secret.
The thought of the entire neighborhood knowing made him feel strangely awkward.
Chu Yuan's dad: "I'll talk to Mom later..."
Liu Qin thought about it back and forth. "Forget it, this is the only entertainment Mom has for the day."
...