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Kapitel 6

Old Fu was the first to jump in, splashing up a few waves that, even in the moonlight, still revealed their true colors.

Mo Bai held his breath and plunged his head in as well.

Only Xu's mother was left. He reluctantly paced back and forth a few steps, but finally sighed and followed her inside.

The moon cast a pale, mournful halo, shining directly onto the dark, still water, causing a ripple to spread slightly. Ears withdrew his hand; the water was cold. He casually wiped himself down, slowly stood up, took off his clothes, and wrapped them around his face. His medium-sized eyes now appeared as crescent moons, and Ears seemed to be laughing.

Another wave surged up, and my ear jumped in.

Xiao Xiang blinked her charming almond-shaped eyes and gently reached out to support herself against the tree trunk beside her.

"Have they all gone down?" The voice came from behind Xiao Xiang.

Xiao Xiang turned around and looked at the other person, smiling as she said, "They've all gone down."

"Alright, everyone can go now. I've been waiting for this day." The other person's gaze suddenly became very sharp.

"I've been waiting for this day too." Xiao Xiang's voice became low, and she looked ahead with a hint of resentment.

The temple was already quite dilapidated.

The Tailor (18): "Is there a theatrical performer in the backyard? Or a ghost?"

Inside the room was a coffin, made of the most ordinary wood. It sat empty on the floor, devoid of offerings or incense, its only companion a cold, stiff corpse. The room was chilly; besides the coffin, there was nothing else, and an indescribable coldness seeped through the broken windows.

The house was quiet, and had been quiet for far too long. Finally, a slight sound arose. The coffin lid slowly slid an inch to the right, then another inch, until... a perfectly intact, fat hand reached out and slowly pushed the lid completely to one side. Although the sound of the lid falling was loud, no one in such a secluded backyard would happen to hear it.

She slightly raised her head and looked out through the cracks in the dilapidated window. There was no one there, only the ancient tower that stood there faintly.

"The weather's awful tonight, all cloudy again. That damn heavens, what are they doing? Always so gloomy!" She was used to this way of speaking; she felt uncomfortable if she didn't curse at least once a day. She casually popped a handful of sunflower seeds into her mouth—seeds she'd taken from the coffin—chewed them haphazardly a few times, then spat them out, shell and all. Her face contorted with rage, she yelled, "What lousy sunflower seeds! So disgusting!" With that, she tossed the seeds aside.

She picked up the needle and thread, determined to finish sewing the last red button with gold trim tonight. The thread was very fine, and her hands were quite chubby, but the fine thread somehow became incredibly delicate and skillful in her chubby hands.

Eight buttons were sewn back into their original positions perfectly. A satisfied smile spread across her face; she was increasingly pleased with her handiwork. The last thread was used up, and the buttons were finished. She stood up, turning around to admire her colorful new dress. She had chosen it herself; she was always confident in her taste. The dress was finished, the buttons were sewn on, and she pushed open the door. Tonight, she was going to treat herself.

The so-called backyard was a circular courtyard, a little further from the front house. There was only one room in the courtyard, usually used as a temporary storage place for the bodies of ordinary monks who had died. The courtyard wasn't large, but it was enough for her. She cleared her throat, flicked her long sleeves, and her plump waist suddenly straightened. A pair of pink embroidered shoes filled her large, fleshy feet, the excess flesh squeezed awkwardly into them, distorting the delicate peonies on the shoes. Her voice came from her short, thick throat, accompanied by a slight nasal tone, flowing gently from her mouth, sometimes loud, sometimes soft, sometimes joyful, sometimes sorrowful, sometimes high, sometimes low, sometimes long, sometimes short. With the voice, she waved her large sleeves, swaying her plump body in various poses. Although her movements weren't particularly graceful due to her physical limitations, they still had a certain charm. A smug smile appeared on her fair face, and she flicked her two long sleeves again.

"Ah!" A scream suddenly came from the wall, followed by a "thud," and then a series of "whoosh" sounds, as if someone was running away quickly.

She glanced in that direction, a faint smile on her face. She stretched out her finger, made an orchid shape, and gently poked her cheek before continuing to sing the same song.

"Ghosts! Ghosts! Ghosts!" The quiet temple was suddenly disturbed by these screams. Dazed monks, dressed in not-so-tidy clothes, rushed in from all directions and rushed into the temple's largest Qiling Hall.

Yi Neng sat on the ground, his legs trembling uncontrollably, his egg-shaped head swaying from side to side, as if he were possessed.

"What happened?" Yuanjue asked, putting his arm into his sleeve and shaking his clothes.

"Senior Brother, there's a ghost! There really is a ghost!" Yi Neng suddenly stood up from the ground, grabbed Yuan Jue, and shouted loudly.

"Are you crazy? What are you yelling about? There's no ghost. I think you're the one who's possessed!" Yuanjue said angrily, shaking off Yineng's hand.

"I'm not lying to you, Senior Brother, there really is a ghost, and it's a female ghost. I saw it with my own eyes, she's in the backyard!" Yi Neng argued, the veins on his face bulging.

"The backyard?" Yuanjue was stunned. Wasn't that where Yixian's body was kept? And how could there be a woman in a temple? But Yi Neng looked terrified, not like he was lying.

"Let's go take a look." Kong Bei had appeared behind the group at some point, the prayer beads in his hand still making a slight tinkling sound, but his complexion did not look too good.

The backyard was quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. But there was no needle, not even a soul in sight, let alone a ghost, especially a female ghost.

"I clearly heard someone singing opera just now, so I peeked over the wall and saw a fat woman dancing and singing in the middle of the courtyard. She was wearing an opera costume and her makeup was very heavy, like a ghost! No, she was a ghost!" Yi Neng was still trembling from the shock.

“Still talking nonsense. I think you’re too timid. You must have seen or heard wrong,” Yuanjue said mockingly, and everyone burst into laughter.

Yi Neng said that the ghost he saw was dressed in a theatrical costume and singing. Kong Bei didn't laugh; he couldn't laugh. He thought of Xue Qiuqiu and her melancholy voice, which he would never forget. Just now, he had heard that voice coming from Yi Kong's mouth.

"Hey, why is this door open?" someone suddenly exclaimed from the group of monks.

The door was indeed open, as if someone had just opened it, and everyone fell silent.

Kongbei hesitated for a moment and took the first step inside. Yuanjue followed closely behind, while the others stood at the door, craning their necks to look inside.

The room contained nothing but a dilapidated coffin, and beside it lay a dark, murky substance that looked like a melon seed. Melon seeds! Kong Bei was startled. He hesitated, then reached out to lift the coffin lid.

"Abbot, you..." Yuanjue really couldn't understand why Kongbei would do this, but he always felt that it was not good for Yixian, after all, he was already a dead man and would be buried in a couple of days.

Kong Bei ignored him and forcefully opened the coffin lid.

There are no women, there are no women at all, only...

Yi Jing lay quietly in the coffin, dressed in a suitable new outfit. The fabric looked fine, and the color was vibrant. Eight red buttons with gold trim gleamed brightly, sewn deeply into the garment. It was a theatrical costume; Yi Jing was wearing a woman's theatrical costume, and it fit him perfectly, though the costume was now firmly sewn onto his body.

Yuanjue sat down on the ground. He had been searching for Yijing all day, thinking he had gone off to slack off somewhere, but he never expected to find him lying in the coffin where Yixian had been lying. Yijing was in the coffin, but where was Yixian's body?

The Tailor (19) - "Absolutely Exactly the Same"

The ears guessed that there must be a secret passage underwater.

The ears guessed that this secret passage must lead somewhere.

The ears guessed that something must be hidden in this place.

There was indeed a secret passage underwater. From the water, it looked like a well with a heavy stone lid. By slightly moving a small animal-shaped stone carving next to the lid, the lid would slide to the side, and with the current, a person would be naturally drawn inside. The lid would then close instantly, blocking out the water. The passage should have been dark, but with the arrival of Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai, it was now much brighter. The tinder they had brought beforehand was lit on the walls on both sides. Erduo casually picked up a tinder.

The secret passage forked into two not far down the path, and after a moment's hesitation, Ear chose the right. A few steps later, he came to a large door. Ear was certain there was a room behind it. He gently pushed the door open, and he was right; it was indeed a room, square and orderly, containing only a table, a bed, a stool beside the bed, and a basket filled with various items next to the stool. Ear casually rummaged through the items, finding only tattered scraps of cloth. Too lazy to search further, Ear turned to look at the bed.

A piece of cloth, unfinished. Ear couldn't tell what shape it was to be cut into, but the scissors left on the cloth proved it wasn't finished. The cloth had lost its original color over the years, but the striking red still stood the test of time. Ear lifted the cloth, and a strong smell of dust rushed out, forcing Ear to cough a few times before tossing the cloth back onto the bed.

"Ah!" Ears couldn't help but cry out. He suddenly felt something prick his hand, a sharp pain. He looked down and examined it closely. His middle finger was a little red and felt cool—blood! A round, murky drop of blood fell onto the tattered cloth. Ears felt a surge of anger. He carefully picked up the cloth and searched it thoroughly. Finally, amidst the grayness, he spotted a tiny glint of silver.

The sewing needle was so thin that it was almost invisible unless you looked closely. Ear reached out and pulled the needle out. The needle was out, but he couldn't pull it down; a thread was firmly attached to it. The fabric was torn, yet the thread was so strong that Ear couldn't help but become curious about it.

The thread was thin and black, though perhaps it wasn't originally black. When Ear reached out to touch it, it felt slightly rough, like thread, yet not quite. Ear tossed the cloth aside, and this time he could clearly see the thread's location; it was deeply embedded in the crevice of the bed edge. Ear habitually touched the wooden spoon on his chest; he couldn't believe it was just a thread.

Ear simply tugged hard, wanting to see just how strong the thread was; he was confident it would break. But... the thread didn't break, but the bed board snapped in two—or rather, the bed board suddenly split into two pieces and stood upright, revealing a large, dark hole in the middle, exuding a mysterious aura. Ear began to get excited; he knew he must have discovered something.

Ear raised the torch and shone it inside. He couldn't see anything, only a crooked stone staircase that seemed very long and had no end in sight. Ear rubbed his nose and subconsciously touched the wooden spoon on his chest. He decided to go down and take a look; he was convinced there was something inside.

The stone steps were longer than he had imagined, winding and twisting, sometimes up, sometimes down. Ears could no longer discern his location, and could only slowly move forward along this single path. The path began to narrow, so narrow that Ears had to bend over and crawl on his knees. Ears suddenly thought of a dog, a bald dog he had once met while begging. Its pitiful, hungry, and cold appearance was deeply etched in Ears' mind. Ears remembered the delicious smell emanating from its body, which Ears had once considered the most delicious delicacy in the world. Ears felt he was very much like that dog now, just moving forward step by step, unaware of what awaited him. Perhaps he too would become a delicacy. But Ears didn't want to become a delicacy, nor could he. Fortunately, he didn't become a delicacy. When Ears reached the end, he saw a door. When Ears opened that door, he saw a room. When he entered the room, he saw three people.

Old Fu looked at his ears.

Mrs. Xu looked at the ears.

Mo Bai looked at his ears.

The three men stood upright, but... they were all standing inside coffins. The coffins were upright; they were dead.

They're dead! Ears was shocked. Just moments ago he had seen them go into the water, but now they were dead. Ears couldn't accept this fact, and he instinctively took a few steps back. He tried to keep his breathing even, trying to remain as conscious as possible.

Something's not right! His ears felt strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He touched his head, hoping it would help him calm down and think things through.

If a person has just died, their skin color should not have changed.

If a person has just died, their skin should still have elasticity.

If a person has just died, their eyes should not be cloudy.

If a person has just died, their body will retain its original size.

If a person has just died...

They looked as if they had been dead for ten or twenty years. Their bodies were stiff, their skin was bluish and wrinkled, their eyes seemed to have disappeared, and their bodies had shrunk. Erduo realized that they were not Lao Fu, Xu Mama, or Mo Bai; they were just three people who looked exactly like Lao Fu, Xu Mama, and Mo Bai, and absolutely identical.

Exactly the same! Ears' heart nearly leaped out of his chest in an instant. He suddenly wondered, who was the real Lao Fu, Xu Mama, or Mo Bai?

The Tailor (20): "Going Home"

Xu's mother was the first to surface, followed by Mo Bai. After they got ashore, they pulled off the cloth covering their faces and vomited, even bringing up bitter water. Old Fu was the last to surface. He pulled off the black cloth dripping with dirty water from his face, wrung it out hard, and then stuffed it into his clothes. He didn't react at all, as if the pile of dirty water mixed with seaweed didn't exist for him.

"Old Fu, you're really something, not reacting at all." Xu's mother finally stopped vomiting, wiped the remaining liquid from her mouth with her hand, and then disgustedly wiped it on her clothes.

"Why bother wiping! We're covered in dirty water, there's no way to get us clean!" Mo Bai said impatiently, wiping his face with his big hand.

Only Lao Fu remained silent. He frowned as he stared blankly at the dirty water, at the few pitiful yet tenacious little fish swimming in it.

"Old Fu!" Mrs. Xu had no choice but to shout.

Old Fu finally raised his head and looked at the two of them, saying with a strange expression, "Who do you think that person is?"

Mrs. Xu frowned and said, "Who else besides us would know about this?"

Mo Bai shook his hair, hoping to dry it as much as possible.

“No one alive knows this road,” Old Fu suddenly blurted out, his eyes looking somewhat sunken as he gazed at Xu’s mother and Mo Bai.

"You mean..." Mrs. Xu swallowed the rest of her sentence, covering her mouth as if afraid that word might slip out.

"Are you saying there are ghosts?" Mo Bai blurted out the word without any sense of propriety, and Xu's mother glared at him angrily.

Old Fu lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

Twenty years later, they returned to this place.

There is a path here, a rather hidden secret passage.

Only the three of them knew the situation inside the secret passage.

But when they went back in, they found that someone had been there before.

This person also knows about this secret passage.

This person is very familiar with this secret passage.

This person came more than once.

Who exactly is this person?

A wisp of white mist had already appeared in the east. Old Fu took off his dirty, wet clothes and said softly, "We should go back now. Xiao Xiang and Erduo should wake up soon."

Xiao Xiang lay gracefully on the stone slab, like a sleeping beauty. Mo Bai quickened his pace and stepped forward, unable to resist gently kissing her forehead. Xu's mother had to let out a disgusted "Pah!" which startled Xiao Xiang awake. She rubbed her eyes and said softly, "You're all awake so early."

"You woke up so early?" Mo Bai smiled wryly. He was so sleepy and tired that he really wanted to find a comfortable place to hold Xiao Xiang and get a good night's sleep, to make up for all the losses of the night.

"Where are my ears?" Old Fu suddenly realized that his ears were missing.

"Ears? I don't know either, I've been sleeping soundly the whole time," Xiao Xiang said, stretching.

Old Fu, Xu's mother, and Mo Bai exchanged glances but remained silent.

Xiao Xiang then asked, "What do you smell like?" She covered her nose with her hand.

"Ah, it's nothing. There's too much filth here. Let's hurry up and leave," Old Fu said hastily, glancing sideways at the spot where Erduo had slept. His clothes were still there, but the person... He reached out and touched it; the stone was cold. It seemed Erduo had been gone for a long time. Where could he have gone? Old Fu's gaze suddenly sharpened.

"Come on, Xiao Xiang, it's time for us to go home." Mo Bai gently helped Xiao Xiang up and said softly.

"Go home?" Xiao Xiang heard the word again, and she looked at Mo Bai with a confused expression.

“Yes, it’s time to go home.” Mo Bai had already helped Xiao Xiang to her feet.