Returning from the market, Chen Hai found that the birdcage in his hand had disappeared.
The pet chicken had finally passed away peacefully, gutted and plucked clean, and now rested in a plastic bag he carried in his hand.
He had spent five yuan at the market to have someone specifically handle the chicken for him.
After keeping it for over a month, he had grown somewhat attached.
Chen Hai himself couldn't bear to do it, so he had no choice but to find someone to help.
When the vendor was slaughtering the chicken, Chen Hai deliberately kept his distance, so as not to become sentimentally upset by the sight.
When he finally got home and was about to cook the chicken, he wondered whether he should recite the Rebirth Mantra a few times to help it transcend.
He specifically remembered locking the gate to his courtyard in Liuhua Alley before he left!
