According to village customs, rituals are observed early, not late.
At dawn, Aria Jackson and Hudson Chester followed Uncle Jones up the mountain. There were no proper roads, only narrow paths ford by footsteps, winding and unusually slippery in places, forcing them to hold onto nearby trees for support as they ascended.
After about ten minutes, they arrived at Lauren Jones’ grave, a simple earthen mound with a stone tablet in front, surrounded by the remnants of burnt firecrackers and ritual money.
Aria Jackson felt disappointed.
She secretly tried the thod taught by Hunter Dalton, but did not sense anything unusual, which ant Lauren Jones’ spirit was no longer here.
As Hunter Dalton ntioned earlier, most spirits in this world do not survive past seven days. Even if they are lucky enough to beco ghosts after seven days, if they don’t understand how to maintain their existence, they will eventually fade with ti.
Just like how a fetus must learn to eat, speak, and walk after birth to live healthily as a person.
After paying homage, they returned down the mountain the sa way.
Uncle Jones didn’t have a close relationship with Lauren, but it’s always a pity when a young girl in the clan dies. As they descended, he remarked to the two, "Lauren was terrified of poverty, staying in this desolate place offered no hope. The young people in the village have all gone out to work."
They arrived yesterday evening, and on the way, nearly everyone they encountered was elderly.
"Did Lauren Jones go off on her own?" Aria Jackson inquired.
"How could she? That young girl didn’t even know her way around," Uncle Jones replied. "It was Belinda Anthony from the Xiao family who returned, saying her factory was hiring, and all the village girls went with her."
"They all went?" Aria Jackson asked, "Who were they? Do you rember?"
"The neighbor’s Artemia, Janie, Fabiola from the Brown family..." Uncle Jones shook his head, "There were about five or six of them."
Aria Jackson further asked, "Did any of these girls co back?"
"Not so soon. I reckon they’ll return around the New Year?" Uncle Jones said with a sigh, "So don’t even co back for the New Year. Our place is too poor, once they leave, who would want to return?"
Aria Jackson and Hudson Chester exchanged glances.
If they could find the girls who left with Lauren Jones, perhaps they could discover what happened to her.
"Could you tell the nas of those girls?" Aria Jackson tried to make her smile appear friendly, "And the girl nad Belinda, we want to ask her where Lauren worked."
When Aria Jackson first arrived in the village, she showed Uncle Jones her police badge, so he cooperated fully, saying he’d ask around once they descended.
Aria Jackson and Hudson Chester had no intention of lingering here, so after the ritual, they started packing. By the ti Uncle Jones ca over with information, the jeep was already loaded.
The information they could gather in the village was limited and isolated; once young people left, they were gone for years.
It was understandable, as working away was not easy, and wanting to return was hindered by the expense of the journey.
On the return trip, Hudson Chester drove.
Aria Jackson sat in the passenger seat, looking over the list while talking to Lionel on the phone: "Investigate these people, see where they work. If they aren’t formal employees and not docunted, try to find connections at the bank; these girls working away must have accounts for depositing or withdrawing money, there must be so trace."
The nas on the list are: Fabiola Brown, Lana Brown, Artemia Mason, Janie Jones, Olivia Watson.
These nas are quite common, and tracking them down may take so ti.
"Oh, and there’s a woman nad Belinda Anthony, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, reportedly working at a foreign trade garnt factory. Investigate this woman closely."
After instructing, Aria Jackson ended the call, her face full of concern as she held the list.
Hudson Chester glanced at her reassuringly while driving, "We’ve gained quite a lot from this trip, the truth will co to light."
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