Upside Down Grocery Shop - Chapter 11

Su Ran’s words left Xiao Ling utterly baffled. How could Zhang Tingting, a thirty-year-old woman, suddenly turn into a ten-year-old girl? She didn’t believe it, but she couldn’t find any reason to argue, especially after everything she’d experienced with Zhang Haisheng. Xiao Ling had gradually started accepting the bizarre.

“What do you mean?” Xiao Ling still asked.

Su Ran looked outside, “Didn’t you ask what kind of things this Upside Down Grocery Shop sells? Well, I can tell you one of them right now—lifespan!”

“Lifespan?” Xiao Ling was stunned, then suddenly shouted, “Lifespan!”

Su Ran smiled, as if he enjoyed seeing her surprised expression.

Xiao Ling looked at Su Ran, momentarily at a loss for words. There were so many things she wanted to say, yet she didn’t know how. Trading lifespan—what kind of business was that?!

What on earth was this Upside Down Grocery Shop?

“So, what did Zhang Tingting get in return for giving up her lifespan?” Xiao Ling asked. Since it was a trade, there must be a transaction. What could be worth giving up lifespan for?

“What do you think?” Su Ran responded.

Xiao Ling thought for a moment, “Those cult members told Zhang Tingting that if she wanted to see Li Haiqing, she had to come to your Upside Down Grocery Shop. Since she sacrificed her lifespan,” Xiao Ling paused, “that means Zhang Tingting really saw Li Haiqing!”

Su Ran looked outside, holding a small candle in his hand. “This is what Zhang Tingting and Zhang Haisheng bought from my Upside Down Grocery Shop.”

“A candle?” Xiao Ling looked at the small white candle, “What kind of candle is this, exactly?”

Su Ran took a deep breath, “Alright, it’s time to tell you everything. This candle is actually a pass to the underworld. With it, you can see deceased people and settle any unresolved wishes or words. However, if you want the candle, you must exchange it with your lifespan.”

Listening to Su Ran, Xiao Ling felt like she was hearing a fantastical tale. Trading lifespan was already outrageous, and now there was mention of the underworld! What next? Are you going to tell me about the eighteen levels of hell, or the Ten Kings of Hell?

Su Ran looked at Xiao Ling, as if he could hear her thoughts, “They’re real.”

Xiao Ling was startled. “You can hear my thoughts?”

“Uh, occasionally.”

“Occasionally, my foot! Tell me, how much do you actually know about my secrets?!”

“Alright, do you still want to know about Zhang Haisheng or not?” Su Ran chuckled.

Xiao Ling fell silent, mentally cursing Su Ran’s ancestors. Then she remembered he could read minds and hesitated on whether she should curse him after all.

“This is the origin of the Upside Down Grocery Shop. ‘Upside’ represents the world of the living, and ‘Down’ represents the world below.” Su Ran pointed downwards.

These things were hard for Xiao Ling to digest. She told herself she didn’t believe it, that Su Ran was just making up a story to fool her. Yet, looking at Su Ran and listening to his words, she was somehow convinced it was real!

Contradictions! Frustration! Incomprehensibility!

“Anyone who comes to the Upside Down Grocery Shop has to carry a black umbrella, or I won’t do business with them. If they don’t, all they can get here are fruits and drinks,” Su Ran continued. “That night, Zhang Tingting came late at night. At first, I thought it was just a routine transaction—money on one side, goods on the other. After that, we’d go our separate ways.”

Su Ran let out a breath. “That’s also one of the rules of the Upside Down Grocery Shop. I only handle transactions, not the buyers themselves. I’m not allowed to inquire about or interfere with a customer’s actions.”

“But who would have thought that the next day, I’d see Zhang Tingting’s corpse.”

Xiao Ling looked at Su Ran. “Actually, when you saw Zhang Tingting’s body, you didn’t intend to investigate, did you?” Su Ran’s words were blunt: no interference!

“Yes,” Su Ran didn’t hide it. “The rules are there. I’ve been here for so long, always keeping my head down and following the rules. I’ve seen far too many gruesome scenes like Zhang Tingting’s. At the time, I didn’t pay it much mind.”

Xiao Ling looked at Su Ran, wondering what kind of person he really was.

“Then why did you decide to help Zhang Haisheng?”

Su Ran was silent for a moment. “When Zhang Haisheng returned, he was holding Zhang Tingting’s umbrella. When he said he wanted to see his daughter, I understood their relationship. When Zhang Haisheng showed me a picture of Zhang Tingting, so lively and adorable, I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t just watch that sweet little girl who had just died yesterday, and then today see her father follow her. They didn’t even get a chance to light the candle! I couldn’t just sit back and watch.”

Xiao Ling smiled softly. Su Ran wasn’t as cold-hearted as he appeared.

“So, you stepped in to save Zhang Haisheng.”

Su Ran nodded.

“Su Ran,” Xiao Ling looked at him intently, “Will you help me? Help me eliminate this cult. We can’t just watch innocent families being torn apart like this!”

Su Ran smiled. “Haven’t I already been helping you?”

Xiao Ling smiled.

At this moment, Fang Yuan walked in and glanced at Xiao Ling. “Boss, do you have any good wine here?”

Su Ran shot him a look. “No need to pretend anymore. This is Xiao Ling. I’ve already told her everything. We’re on the same team now.”

Fang Yuan was shocked. “Su Ran, you’re really bold. You already broke the rules before by protecting her, and people were grumbling. Now you’ve pulled her in completely. Do you know what consequences this could have?”

Xiao Ling listened to Fang Yuan and looked at Su Ran.

Su Ran chuckled lightly. “Don’t listen to his nonsense.”

Xiao Ling didn’t say anything, but she silently took note of it.

“Alright,” Su Ran sat down, gesturing for Fang Yuan and Xiao Ling to sit as well. “Did you find out what I asked you to investigate?”

Fang Yuan glanced at Xiao Ling again. Even though Su Ran said Xiao Ling was trustworthy and on their side now, her presence still made him a bit uneasy. “Yes, I found out. The Bear-taming Clan is a cult that flourished in the Han Dynasty. They used special, sinister drugs to raise bears, and the bears they raised were no longer ordinary bears but became demonic creatures. These creatures, after long exposure to humans, could mesmerize people, cloud their minds, and drive them into a state of frenzy, violence, cold-bloodedness, and heartlessness. They would even become bloodthirsty beasts, ready to harm even their closest loved ones!”

“Yes! Exactly!” Xiao Ling shouted. “Li Haiqing is exactly like that!”

Fang Yuan and Su Ran looked at Xiao Ling.

Realizing she interrupted, Xiao Ling laughed awkwardly. “Sorry, please continue.”

Fang Yuan continued, “At its peak, the Bear-taming Clan controlled dozens of towns, and every citizen either kept a bear by their side or worshipped demonic creatures on a shrine at home. People feared even the mention of bears, and the entire nation was nearly destroyed.”

Su Ran’s gaze sharpened. He had heard of the Bear-taming Clan, but he had no idea their influence had reached such horrifying heights.