CH 10.2

“The restroom is right around the corner,” looking at Ellie who fled, Landon said cheerfully and then turn around to face Zheng Wei who was standing aside.

“Hello, young man.” Landon looked at Zheng Wei curiously but didn’t come off as offensive.

“Hello, Mr. Landon.”

“I heard from the young man named Allen that you guys are here on vacation, is that right?” Landon finished greeting and went to get the gas pump, preparing to refuel the car.

“Yes, we’re going to Hersman Farm. Do you know where it is?” Zheng Wei asked as he watched Landon’s back. Hersman was Martin’s grandmother’s last name.

“Hersman Farm? Of course, I know. It’s a big farm, and you’re getting close to it,” Landon replied curiously. “What are you going to do at Hersman Farm? Hersman passed away, and there’s no one there.”

“And even if Hersman were still alive, the farm has been abandoned since she fell seriously ill eleven years ago and didn’t have the energy to manage the farm,” Landon added with a hint of sadness in his voice, as if lamenting the abandoned farm.

“Ms. Hersman is my friend’s grandmother. We want to see the place before it gets sold,” Zheng Wei answered.

“Ms. Hersman had a daughter?” Landon was surprised.

“Of course she did,” Zheng Wei was also surprised by Landon’s reaction. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I don’t mean anything by it,” Landon scratched his head and said, “since the incident forty years ago, Hersman never left the farm. Except for some workers who came and went during planting and harvesting, I’ve never seen anyone else enter. And I haven’t heard of her having a husband or family, so we’ve always thought she was single.”

“Something happened forty years ago?” Zheng Wei caught the point and asked, “What happened forty years ago?”

“You don’t know?” Landon looked puzzled at Zheng Wei.

“I don’t really pay attention to my friend’s family matters,” Zheng Wei said half-seriously. In fact, before this, none of them, including Martin himself, knew that he still had a grandmother.

“But since you brought it up, I’m naturally curious. So tell me now,” Zheng Wei said, not willing to let go of the opportunity now that he had a lead.

Landon didn’t hide anything and started talking, “It’s not really a secret, as it was big news that caused a sensation throughout the state and made the headlines.”

“Forty years ago, when Ms. Hersman’s father was still alive, something happened on the farm,” Landon chose his words carefully. “Some bad things.”

“What happened?”

“One night forty years ago, someone broke into Mr. Hersman’s house and brutally murdered Mr. and Mrs. Hersman and their three children, twin sons Jamie and Paul, and their daughter Colleen, who was only 17 at the time. Only their youngest daughter, Roland Hersman, who is now Ms. Hersman, survived by hiding in the basement.”

Although Landon’s words were simple, the content was shocking.

“Who did it?” Zheng Wei immediately asked. The creation of a malevolent spirit is often related to bloody murder, and it seems to be the case this time.

“I don’t know, the police never found the killer,” Landon shrugged. “You know, they can’t do anything, they just go around handing out tickets.”

“Wasn’t there even a suspect?” Zheng Wei persistently asked, “Someone who had a conflict with their family or something like that?”

“No, the Hersmans were all good people,” Landon frowned. “Mr. Hersman was an educated and respectable man who studied medicine in a big city before returning to inherit the farm after his father’s death. He and his wife Miranda were generous and had helped many people here.”

“Their children were also excellent, although they didn’t talk much, they were polite and well-behaved,” Landon said. “No one would hate such a family, and if they did, I would definitely know.”

He added, “We don’t have many people here, and neighbors take care of each other. If there’s any conflict between two families, we would know about it.”

Landon’s words made Zheng Wei frown. Could it be that the one who killed the Hersman family was a malevolent spirit? That means the malevolent spirit they were dealing with existed before the Hersman family tragedy happened?

“Did anything terrible happen on the Hersman farm before the tragedy occurred?” Zheng Wei asked, “I mean, before the Hersman family’s tragedy, did anything terrible happen here? Like a massacre or murder?”

“No, why would you even think that?” Landon widened his eyes. “Nothing like that has ever happened in this small town.”

“Are you sure?” Zheng Wei persisted, “What about hundreds of years ago? Didn’t your ancestors experience anything like that?”

“I don’t know what you’re implying,” Landon’s expression turned sour. “This place used to be a wasteland until my grandfather’s generation settled here and cultivated the land with their own hands. We’ve been rooted here ever since.”

“I can assure you that our land is pure and clean, and nothing terrible has ever happened here.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.” Zheng Wei apologized immediately, feeling embarrassed. Landon’s words made him confused again. Landon didn’t seem to be lying, but then where did the malevolent spirit come from? Could it be that the tragedy of the Hersman family was really caused by humans?

Zheng Wei suddenly thought of Julian Cole, the evil spirit created by the cult. So, is this world also related to these things?

“Did the Hersman family participate in any strange and illegal religions?” Zheng Wei asked.

“Impossible.” Landon denied Zheng Wei’s speculation, “The Hersman family were devout believers, and they would not have any connection with any strange and unusual religions.”

“This incident has always been a mystery around here.” Landon sighed, “Poor Hersman family, no one knows what they experienced that night.”

“After that, Ms. Hersman fortified her house like a fortress,” Landon said. “She installed electric fences, raised hunting dogs, and reportedly bought a lot of weapons. When hiring workers, she wouldn’t even let them step into her house. Poor woman, she lived a very difficult life in the second half of her life.”

“You said your friend is the son of Ms. Hersman’s daughter?” Landon turned to Zheng Wei and asked.

“Yes.” Zheng Wei nodded, not sure why Landon was asking this.

“Will he come back to inherit the Hersman Farm?” Landon asked.

“He probably won’t.” Zheng Wei remembered that Martin had said before that the farm was going to be sold.

“True,” Landon nodded, looking a little dejected. “You guys have always lived in the big city, so you’re definitely not going to stay.”

“In the blink of an eye, it’s been 40 years since everything happened, time really flies,” Landon sighed. “Now, the only surviving Ms. Hersman has also passed away, and the Hersman family has disappeared completely from here.”

Men of Landon’s age always seem to have some sentimentality about life, especially after reminiscing about the past.

“But it’s good that they’re gone. Even for us neighbors, Hersman Farm is a terrible scar. I hope that scar can disappear with the disappearance of Hersman Farm.”

As Landon was in a low mood, Zheng Wei also felt a little heavy-hearted. Even for unrelated people, everything they had just heard was enough to make them feel sorry.

“Hey, Zheng,” while Zheng Wei and Landon were lost in thought, Allen came out of the gas station carrying a bunch of things.

“Hey, Mr. Landon,” Allen greeted Landon who was standing by the side. “Is our gas filled up?”

“It’s been filled up a long time ago,” Landon had already recovered from the heavy memories and replied with a smile.

“Okay, thank you, the money has already been paid inside.”

“You’re welcome.” Landon waved to him. “Have a good trip and enjoy yourselves.”

“Why are you standing here, Zheng?” After Landon left, Allen turned to Zheng. “Where is everyone else?”

“Only Ellie and I got off,” Zheng replied. “Ellie just went to the restroom, and I had nothing to do, so I chatted with Mr. Landon and asked him some questions.”

“What did you ask?” Allen asked curiously.

“Some things about the Hersman farm,” Zheng thought for a moment and said. There was nothing to hide about these things. It would be better for them to know earlier.

“The Hersman farm?” Allen frowned. “Martin’s grandmother’s farm? What happened there?”

“We’ll talk about it upstairs.” Zheng looked at the camper van next to him. “I think they’d like to know too.”
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