Ghost Pot - Chapter 13
"Then why don't you come during the day?" Nizi asked.
“Have you forgotten, Nizi? Grandpa told us in the story that ghosts can’t walk around during the day, so they can only come out at night.”
"Grandpa, Nizi's heart is so bitter, so bitter..." Nizi sobbed softly in her dream.
That day, Guo Youfu went to several villages to investigate and gather information. It wasn't until night fell and the moon rose over the eastern mountains that he dragged his tired legs back to his old house.
After pushing open the door and entering the house, he saw Nizi huddled in the corner, waiting for Uncle Guo to come back.
“Nizi…” Youfu said in surprise.
“Grandpa will come again tonight,” Nizi said confidently.
“Okay, Uncle Guo will go with you to see him tonight,” Youfu nodded.
The two waited quietly in the dark room. First, they heard the door of the east wing open, and then Da Guai and Er Guai came out and urinated under the eaves. After that, they closed the door, turned off the lights, and went to sleep. A while later, the lights in the main room were also turned off and there was no more noise.
Time ticked by, and the two sat silently in the room, listening intently. They didn't know how much time had passed...
"Knock knock knock..." A series of soft knocking sounds suddenly rang out, sounding eerie and creepy in the quiet night.
“Grandpa’s here…” Nizi said, her voice trembling as she tugged at Uncle Guo’s empty sleeve.
"Shh..." Yu Fu shushed softly, raised his arm, and looked at his watch by the moonlight streaming in through the window. The hands pointed to 12 o'clock, midnight, the legendary time when ghosts are said to appear.
The sound came from the main room, the bedroom of the older brother and sister-in-law, which was also the room where Nizi's grandfather passed away.
"Don't make a sound, come with me." Youfu held a flashlight, gently pushed open the door, and tiptoed towards the main room with Nizi.
The sound was indeed coming from her brother's room, and it was moving around incessantly. Nizi nervously gripped Youfu's sleeve.
With a loud bang, Guo Youfu kicked open the door, turned on his flashlight, and rushed into the room.
Under the beam of a flashlight, a person covered in yellowish-green chicken feathers turned around in terror in front of the white wall...
Chapter 18, Part 2
"Brother? It's you..." Guo Youfu was so shocked he couldn't close his mouth.
The humanoid figure was completely naked, covered in strips of white medical tape, with clumps of yellow and green rooster feathers stuck inside the tape. A long reed feather was also stuck in the crease of its thin, pointed buttocks. Its face was covered with some gaudy downy hairs, and it wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on its nose. It held a small iron hammer in its hand.
This strange humanoid object was none other than Youfu's older brother—Mayor Guo.
“You’re rich…” Mayor Guo chuckled awkwardly, a few chicken feathers falling from his cheek.
"Brother, what happened to you? How did you get into this state?" Youfu asked in surprise.
"Your brother is treasure hunting." A woman with a red bib on her chest and big shorts jumped off the bed. She picked her nose with one finger and said, "This is Qin Ruhua, the rich sister-in-law."
"Treasure hunting?" Youfu asked in surprise, his gaze falling on the wall, which was covered with dents from hammer blows.
"We've been searching...for two nights now, but we still haven't found any clues..." Mayor Guo stammered in response.
"What exactly are you looking for?" Youfu asked curiously.
Mayor Guo shook the feathers on his body and sighed, "Alas, isn't it all because of Old Guo's 'Hidden Wind Diagram'?"
"'Hidden Wind Diagram'? What is that?" Youfu was increasingly confused.
“Youfu, you are my own brother, so I won’t hide it from you. But you must keep it a secret, understand?” Mayor Guo said hesitantly.
At that moment, Nizi was hiding in the shadows behind Youfu's thighs, too scared to even breathe. Fortunately, the lights in the room were off, so Mayor Guo and his wife didn't notice her.
"Have you heard of Guo Pu, the great divination master of the Eastern Jin Dynasty?" Mayor Guo asked Youfu.
“Yes,” Youfu nodded and said, “I know, historical records say he was from Wenxi County in Hedong.”
"Guo Pu was not only a famous master of Yi studies in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, but also the founder of Feng Shui in ancient China. His descendants live in our Fenglingdu," said Mayor Guo.
“When I was a child, I heard the elders say that the Guo family of Fenglingdu was a collateral branch, while Guo Pu’s true direct descendants had long since disappeared,” Youfu recalled.
“No, there’s another person, a direct descendant of Guo Pu, who was still alive three days ago… He is Old Man Guo,” Mayor Guo said mysteriously.
"Old Guo? Nizi's grandfather?" Youfu was taken aback.
"That's right, it's Nizi's grandfather, Old Man Guo. Back then, Guo Pu had a 'Hidden Wind Map.' Before he died, he left a will instructing his descendants to pass the map down from generation to generation. According to a secret investigation by the public security department, Old Man Guo is the only direct descendant of Guo Pu left," Mayor Guo explained.
"Oh, I see... So this 'Hidden Wind Map' is so important, could it be a treasure map?" Youfu asked with great curiosity.
"No, it's much more important... It's a map showing the location of 'Feng Hou's Tomb.' With this map, we can find the real 'Feng Hou's Tomb' by following the clues," Mayor Guo replied.
"Brother, how did you know all this?" Youfu asked suspiciously.
"This is what Secretary Qin told me personally," Mayor Guo said with a smug look on his face.
"Then how did Secretary Qin find out?" Youfu, a former reconnaissance soldier, always wanted to get to the bottom of everything.
"The news comes from the capital," Mayor Guo said solemnly.
Chapter 18, Part 3
After listening to his brother's account, Guo Youfu asked with some doubt, "Then why did you cover yourself in feathers in the middle of the night?"
"You don't know this, but in the folk traditions of Hedong, the rooster is considered an auspicious animal. A rooster can guide the sun, and its crowing signifies the presence of light. Therefore, in ancient times, people would use live chickens to represent the dead in wedding ceremonies, and roosters were also used to transport coffins across rivers and to summon the soul on its journey. Old Guo has been dead for less than seven days. If his spirit were to return at night and find me searching for that 'Hidden Wind Map,' it might possess me in a fit of anger, which would be troublesome. So, as long as I tie rooster feathers to it, the ghost can only possess the feathers. After dawn, have your sister-in-law burn it, and you'll be safe," Mayor Guo explained.
“Brother, you’re the town mayor and a Communist Party member. How can you believe in such feudal superstitions?” Youfu said, frowning.
"It's better to be safe than sorry. By the way, make sure nothing gets out of the way tonight," Mayor Guo instructed.
"Brother, I still don't understand what secrets are hidden in this 'Feng Hou Mausoleum' that have even alarmed the capital?" Youfu asked, puzzled.
"Shh..." Mayor Guo lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I heard this is a top state secret, even Secretary Qin has no idea about it."
Youfu thought for a moment and said, "Brother, how can you be so sure that Grandpa Nizi definitely has the so-called 'Hidden Wind Map' and would hide it at home?"
“During Old Man Guo’s illness, I questioned him several times. Although he was tight-lipped, I could still tell from his words that the ‘Hidden Wind Diagram’ passed down through generations of Guo Pu had been passed down to him. Before he died, the only thing Old Man Guo couldn’t let go of was Ni Zi, fearing that she would be left alone and helpless at a young age. So, I offered to take Ni Zi as my adopted daughter in exchange for the ‘Hidden Wind Diagram’…” Mayor Guo recounted.
"He agreed?" Youfu interjected.
Mayor Guo shook his head and said, "That old man just wouldn't utter a word. Look, he just closed his eyes and kicked the bucket, taking state secrets with him to his grave."
Youfu looked at her brother with a puzzled expression and said calmly, "So the real reason you and your sister-in-law adopted Nizi was for the 'Hidden Wind Diagram' passed down in Guo Pu's family. No wonder you not only didn't love this poor orphan, but also abused her..."
"You Fu! What are you saying?" Mayor Guo reprimanded him sternly.
"Oh, Fu, you can't say that. When have we ever mistreated Nizi? We feed her, provide her with shelter, and clothe her. It's only natural for a girl to do some chores within her ability. Do you expect your nephews to do it? Besides, your brother said he's planning to send Nizi to school this year." Sister-in-law Qin Ruhua said sarcastically, picking her nose.
"Nizi, let's go." Youfu turned around, grabbed Nizi's hand, who had been hiding behind him, and strode out of the room.
"Nizi!" Mayor Guo and Qin Ruhua were taken aback, their expressions changing drastically.
Chapter 19 of the main text
At dawn, as usual, the town mayor's wife, Qin Ruhua, called out in the courtyard: "Nizi, Nizi..."
Nizi, who was in a deep sleep, suddenly woke up, quickly got up, rubbed her eyes, went out, and then walked towards the kitchen machinery in a daze.
"Nizi, look, your godmother made you poached eggs with sugar. Drink it while it's hot." Qin Ruhua, unlike her usual fleshy appearance, smiled warmly and spoke in an exceptionally kind tone.
Nizi was stunned, and shook her head vigorously, probably because she wasn't fully awake yet.
Qin Ruhua stepped forward, took Nizi's hand, and pressed her to sit at the table. There was indeed a bowl of clear soup with poached eggs on the table, with a few drops of sesame oil on top. The steam mixed with the aroma of sesame wafted over. There was also a plate of Wenxi boiled cakes on the table, with a moon-white crispy crust that smelled sweet and fragrant.
"This was bought by your godmother from a small restaurant at the ferry crossing early this morning. Come and try it, see if it's good." Qin Ruhua pushed the plate in front of Nizi.
"This...this is for me?" Nizi looked at the usually fierce "landlady" with a suspicious gaze and asked timidly in a low voice.
"Of course it's for you. Your godmother shouldn't have treated you like that before. From now on, you'll eat the same meals as Da Guai and Er Guai, and no one is allowed to bully you," Qin Ruhua said, picking her nose with her finger.
Nizi cautiously picked up a round Wenxi boiled cake, smelled it under her nose, and found it very sweet. She took a small bite and found it to be crumbly, soft, and sweet with a hint of pine and cypress fragrance.
"Nizi, do you want to go to school?" Qin Ruhua asked kindly.
Nizi nodded and picked up another boiled pancake.
"Today, your godmother will take you to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a schoolbag, pencils, and a pencil case. We'll also get a piece of floral fabric to make you a new outfit." Qin Ruhua finally picked out a large, damp booger and flicked it onto the ground.
Going to school? Nizi couldn't believe her ears and stared blankly at the "landlady".
After breakfast, Qin Ruhua took Nizi to the town's supply and marketing cooperative and bought all the necessities for school. She also picked out a piece of blue fabric with small white flowers and had it custom-made by a tailor, saying she would pick it up in the afternoon.
After returning home, Nizi first told Dahei the good news, and then led it to run towards the back mountain valley.
"Come back early, Nizi. Your godmother will make you mutton stew for dinner tonight," Qin Ruhua called out from behind.
Arriving at the lonely and desolate grave, Nizi excitedly told her grandfather that she was going to go to school. "Grandpa, did you hear that?" she asked softly, her head bowed.
The sun set, and Nizi led Dahei back to the old house.
As soon as you enter the courtyard, you can smell the aroma of mutton soup. "Nizi, come and try on your new clothes, and then have some mutton soup with bread." Qin Ruhua stood there smiling and beckoning, holding the newly made blue floral dress in her hand.
Nizi carried the clothes back to the west wing, took off her old, patched-up cloth shirt, carefully folded it, and placed it beside her pillow. Then she changed into the newly made clothes and looked at herself in the mirror. A clean and pretty little girl appeared in the glass mirror, with a bright smile on her face.
Stepping out of the house, Da Guai and Er Guai stood at the door of the east wing, staring intently at Ni Zi as if it were their first time meeting.
“It’s so beautiful…” Da Guai said.
"She's prettier than all the girls in the class," Erguai added.
Chapter 19, Part 2
As dusk fell, Mayor Guo and Youfu returned to their old house together after get off work.
"Uncle Guo, I'm going to school now!" Nizi immediately told Youfu.
"Really? Nizi, then you'll have to study hard from now on," Youfu said earnestly to her.
Mayor Guo glanced at his wife and smiled knowingly.
Da Guai quietly walked up to Qin Ruhua and said in a low voice, "Mother, I want Nizi to be my wife."
Qin Ruhua was taken aback, and her face immediately fell.
Erguai came to her mother's other side, blushing, and said, "Mom, my brother already has a girlfriend at school, I want to..."
Qin Ruhua was furious upon hearing this and shouted, "Get out of my way, all of you! You're just like your father, a toad with no hairs."
“I…” Mayor Guo was taken aback, then glanced at his younger brother Youfu, his face showing some embarrassment.
Just then, a car horn suddenly sounded outside the old house, followed by footsteps coming up the steps.