Le Banquet des Cent Fantômes

Chapitre 56

"Smuggling...smuggling?" Director Wen was even more surprised.

“Isn’t it wrong to smuggle her way across the border? We’re sending her husband’s ashes back to our hometown for burial. Many people from other provinces there want to come back and visit,” the Hakka woman explained.

Director Wen coughed and said seriously, “Since January 1, 1979, when the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress issued the ‘Message to Compatriots in Taiwan,’ hoping to end the military standoff across the Taiwan Strait and unilaterally ceased shelling of Kinmen, advocating for the realization of the ‘Three Links’ (direct trade, postal, and transportation links), Chiang Ching-kuo stubbornly insisted on the ‘Three No’s Policy,’ resulting in compatriots on both sides of the Strait being separated from their families for many years, unable to reunite, and gazing at each other across the sea… Now, Sister-in-law Li has been able to bravely and righteously take the lead in smuggling her family’s ashes to the mainland. She can truly be called a heroine among women… Your exemplary deeds should be widely publicized. Tomorrow I will report to the county leaders. As for you, prepare your speech and say more about how much the compatriots in Taiwan miss their hometown and relatives…”

"Let's catch the bugs first..." the Hakka woman said calmly.

Chapter 81 of the main text

The Hakka woman and Shen Caihua were arranged to stay overnight at the county government guesthouse. There was a detached villa in the backyard; this high-class suite was originally intended for entertaining higher-ranking officials. However, since the Hakka woman was from Taiwan, she was entitled to the same treatment as the leaders in those days.

It was Shen Caihua's first time staying in a hotel, and he found it very novel. He first soaked the mat in the bathtub to let it enjoy itself, and then climbed onto the Simmons mattress. It was soft and fragrant, much more comfortable than the kang (heated brick bed) and the smell of smoke at Li Dihuo's house.

The next morning, Officer Qi, Director Wen, and Section Chief Hu from the Political Security Section arrived at the guesthouse, had breakfast with the Hakka grandmothers from Taiwan, and then took a police car to Section Chief Hu's hometown to prepare for exhumation and autopsy.

Before leaving, Shen Caihua said he was feeling a little unwell, so the Hakka nanny told him to stay in the room and rest, saying she would be back soon after finishing her business.

More than two hours later, they arrived at a small village next to Yaowopu on the banks of the Yitong River in Kaoshan Township. This was the hometown of Section Chief Hu.

Beside the poplar grove stood three earthen houses, and in the courtyard were several pear trees with snow-white blossoms. Under the soft sunlight, a few bees buzzed among the flowers, and clusters of purple trumpet flowers bloomed on the fence.

Section Chief Hu's parents warmly welcomed everyone into the house, brewed tea, and set out a tobacco basket, offering tea and cigarettes. Section Chief Hu explained his purpose to his parents, who were very understanding and agreed to allow the police to exhume the body for an autopsy. They also hoped that the Public Security Bureau could find clues, solve the case as soon as possible, and catch the murderer who killed their son.

The old woman went to the henhouse to catch chickens, intending to slaughter them to entertain her son's colleagues and superiors, while the old man led the group toward the cemetery on the edge of the village.

There is a small hill in the north of the village, covered with plum trees with white blossoms. Under the trees are many graves, covered with lush grass. This is the ancestral burial ground of the Hu family in the village. This scene perfectly illustrates the old saying: "Peaches nourish people, apricots harm people, and plum trees bury the dead."

“This is my brother’s grave,” Section Chief Hu said, pointing to a mound.

Officer Qi looked at the Hakka woman, who nodded, indicating that the excavation could begin.

Two young and strong police officers raised hoes and dug into the soil. The soil was very soft in spring, and soon a thick poplar coffin was revealed in the pit. A layer of mottled vermilion paint could still be seen on it, indicating that the grave was not very old.

Section Chief Hu took out a match, lit three sticks of incense, and stuck them on the mound of earth. Then he piled the paper money he had brought with him around the pit and let it burn slowly, the smoke rising in wisps. "Brother, your elder brother and father have come to see you. We need to open the coffin to look for clues. If we find evidence, we can catch the murderer as soon as possible, bring him to justice, and avenge you." Section Chief Hu muttered to himself, and finally waved his hand, indicating that the coffin could be opened.

"Wait!" the Hakka woman suddenly shouted, then shushed everyone, telling them to be quiet.

At that moment, a faint scratching sound came from inside the coffin, sending chills down the spines of everyone present...

"It's...my son, he, he's still alive..." The old man's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, his face ashen and his lips trembling as he spoke.

Director Wen was trembling, his face was deathly pale, and his feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, unable to move.

“Impossible…” Officer Qi muttered, his eyes fixed on the coffin.

"Be careful, they're coming out!" the Hakka nanny suddenly warned.

"Whoosh..." A large group of yellowish-brown crayfish suddenly emerged from the cracks in the coffin, standing on the coffin lid, raising their short, thick, serrated forelegs, rubbing and slapping against each other, and emitting a series of frightening hisses.

The mole cricket, scientifically known as *Mole cricket*, is a large, subterranean insect. It is adept at underground living, has an omnivorous diet, and can run backwards at high speed. The *Xunzi* states, "The flying squirrel's skills are exhausted," referring to the mole cricket. It possesses five abilities: flying, climbing, swimming, burrowing, and walking. However, its forewings are short, preventing it from flying over rooftops; its forelegs can dig, but cannot extract food from the soil; it can climb, but cannot reach rooftops; it can swim, but cannot cross small rivers; and it can walk, but cannot run fast.

But these mole crickets are clearly different. Not only are their forelegs serrated, but they are also much larger, more than twice the size of ordinary mole crickets. Their compound eyes are protruding and blood red. They are not afraid of the humans around them and quickly form a defensive formation to protect themselves from powerful enemies.

"A mole cricket!" the Hakka woman exclaimed in surprise.

"Isn't this a crayfish?" Officer Qi asked in surprise as he came to his senses.

"They are a mutation of the Eastern mole cricket. They are usually attracted by the resentment of the 'yin corpse' and gather there. They are fierce and ruthless. When they tear apart other burrowing animals such as rats, they don't even leave behind their bones," the Hakka grandmother explained.

"I see. So what is a 'shadow corpse'?" Officer Qi asked nervously.

The Hakka grandmother explained simply: "If a corpse is buried in a 'Ten Killings' place, it will not decompose due to the influence of the energy field, soil environment, etc. Moreover, the hair and nails will continue to grow, which is extremely unfavorable to future generations."

"Ah, could it be that my brother has turned into a 'shadow corpse'?" Section Chief Hu asked nervously.

"We'll only know once we open the coffin," the Hakka woman said calmly.

"What should we do with these crayfish?" the young policeman holding a shovel asked.

"Smash them!" Officer Qi said through gritted teeth.

Before the words were even finished, the two policemen started snapping away wildly, and the "corpse crickets" were instantly torn to pieces, their flesh and blood flying everywhere. However, more than ten of them crawled up the hoe handles and shovel handles, and fearlessly raised their sharp, serrated forelegs, frantically slashing at their hands... The two policemen's hands were covered in blood, and they hurriedly threw away their shovels and hoes, jumped onto the edge of the pit, and grimaced in pain.

"Cockroaches..." The Hakka old woman began chanting the third move of the Zhuyou Divine Skill, "Walking Corpse." The living "corpse crickets" were stunned for a moment, then they all retracted their front legs and obediently lay down on the coffin lid.

Upon seeing this, everyone was filled with admiration for the Hakka nanny and breathed a sigh of relief.

"We can open the coffin now. Be careful, there is a 'King of the Corpse-Shadow Mole Crickets' inside. It is quite large. Once we get rid of it, the 'Corpse-Shadow Mole Crickets' will be leaderless," the Hakka old woman said.

Officer Qi shouted, grabbed his iron hoe, and leaped into the grave. He inserted the steel hoe blade into the gap in the coffin lid, then pried it open with force. "Squeak, squeak..." The poplar coffin lid slowly opened...

Inside the coffin lay a humanoid creature, dressed in a black gabardine Zhongshan suit. Its body was obese, the suit bulging under its weight. Its milky-white skin was as thin as paper, smoother and more delicate than a young woman's, seemingly fragile enough to break at a touch. Its neck was so long and thin that its bald head was squeezed into a corner of the coffin…

On its chest lay a huge "Shadow Corpse Mole Cricket King," its bulging compound eyes staring warily at the astonished humans.

"This is not my son!" Old Hu shouted, almost fainting on the spot.

"My God, what is this?" Officer Qi said tremblingly, his whole body trembling with fear.

Director Wen had already drawn his pistol from his waist, his hands trembling as he aimed at the coffin, a layer of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

The Hakka woman said calmly, "This is the adult 'Worm-Headed Barbarian' worm."

A cool breeze blew into the coffin, and the 'Wriggling Barbarian's' humanoid head moved, then slowly opened its eyes...

It was a pair of triangular compound eyes, with blood-red sclera inside the eyelids and a white, reticular pupil surface, as if it had cataracts. It seemed unable to see the people above the grave pit, and just stared blankly ahead.

Director Wen asked timidly in a low voice, "Will this thing hurt people?"

The Hakka woman cautiously replied, "It is said that the adult 'Worm-Headed Barbarian' needs to undergo multiple molts before it can break out of its tomb on its own, at which point it will harm humans. However, I can't say for sure." She thought of Li Dihuo, but didn't say it aloud.

“Then let’s capture it. This ‘Wriggling Barbarian’ is definitely a brand new species, more than a thousand times rarer than the giant panda,” Officer Qi said excitedly.

Director Wen finally relaxed, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said excitedly, "This is unique in the whole world...it can be called a national treasure of China."

"Then, where is my younger brother?" Section Chief Hu asked the old woman, puzzled.

“It is your younger brother,” the Hakka woman explained. “The body is the original one. When the ‘Worm Head Man’ is fully developed, it should look the same as your younger brother, but that will take many more years.”

“If we capture it and exhibit it, it will definitely cause a worldwide sensation. This thing needs a scientific name, um… I think it should be called ‘Nong’an Insect Man’,” Director Wen said excitedly.

Just as Director Wen was feeling quite confident, Old Man Hu walked unsteadily to the Hakka woman's side, grabbed her sleeve, and said tremblingly, "Is he my son?"

The Hakka woman nodded and said sympathetically, "Yes, it is your son."

"My Hu family can never be disgraced like this..." Old Man Hu sobbed sadly, then stumbled and ran home.

"How can we get it out?" Officer Qi muttered to himself, gently touching the enormous "King of the Corpse-Shaped Mole Crickets" with the tip of his shovel...

With a "snap," the two hard, sharp, serrated forelegs of the "Shadow Corpse Mole Cricket King" bit into the shovel, even sparking.

"Wow, this guy is amazing!" Officer Qi said, picking up a shovel and forcefully flipping it over before slamming it onto the ground, smashing the "Shadow Corpse Mole Cricket King" into a bloody pulp.

"In my opinion, it's best to destroy this 'snake-like creature,' otherwise, you might endanger your lives if you're not careful," the Hakka old woman advised kindly.

"No, according to the regulations on cultural relics management, all things buried underground belong to the state. I need to report to the county leaders and ask for instructions first," Director Wen said, making excuses.

Just then, Old Man Hu rushed back carrying a white plastic bag and, with a "whoosh," poured the gasoline inside onto "Wormhead Barbarian"...

"Old Hu, what are you doing?" Director Wen quickly shouted to stop him.

Old Man Hu didn't answer. He struck the match in his hand and threw it into the coffin.

With a loud "boom," the gasoline exploded and ignited, a plume of black smoke suddenly rising from the coffin. Amidst the raging flames and smoke, came the painful "squeaks" of the strange insect...

Chapter 82 of the main text

Director Wen slapped his thigh and exclaimed repeatedly, "What a pity! What a pity..."

"Uncle Hu, what are you doing?" Officer Qi asked, puzzled.

Old Man Hu replied with righteous indignation: "The descendants of the Hu family must also have dignity in death!"

Director Wen remained by the tomb, staring at the burning flames of the new species, the "Worm-Headed Barbarian," feeling utterly dejected.

"Chief, today's situation confirms what Sister Li said. Of the 102 unsolved cases that have occurred in Nong'an County over the years, there are very likely 102 'scumbags'. Apart from Section Chief Hu's brother and Wang Laonian, there should be another hundred..." Officer Qi analyzed.

"Yes, there are still a hundred more! A whole hundred... That's great! I need to report to the county leaders as soon as possible and capture all one hundred of these 'worm-headed barbarians' so that we can hold a nationwide 'Agricultural Safety Insect People' traveling exhibition. By then, hahaha..." Director Wen's gloom vanished instantly, and his mood became excited.

“But the families of those ‘insect people’ might not be willing to open the coffins again. Our local traditional funeral customs are very stubborn.” Officer Qi frowned and said with difficulty.

"It's alright. Our public security system can launch a special campaign to crack down on 'Nong'an insect people' throughout the county, under the unified command of the county party committee and county government. We will break down superstitions and establish a scientific outlook on development. The families of the 'insect people' won't dare to cause trouble. After all, the 800,000 people of Nong'an still like new things and watching the excitement," Director Wen said confidently, waving his hand.

The Hakka woman shook her head, thinking to herself, "Why do these mainland officials sound so awkward when they speak?"

The flames inside the tomb gradually died down, and the "Worm-Headed Barbarian" had been burned to a pile of white ashes. Old Man Hu's son maintained the dignity of his corpse and vanished with a wisp of wind.

"Haha..." Old Man Hu laughed bitterly, nearly fainting.

"We'll head back to the station immediately," Director Wen said, somewhat embarrassed.

"Director, the food and drinks at home are ready. Why don't you eat before you go back?" Section Chief Hu suggested warmly.

After working hard for most of the day, everyone was starving, and Director Wen had no choice but to agree.

Inside the earthen house, Aunt Hu had already cooked a large iron pot of chicken, mushroom, and vermicelli stew, which smelled delicious and made one's mouth water.

"Old Qi, once you get back, immediately compile a list of all one hundred headless 'Rudi' cases from the Japanese occupation period to the present. Work overtime to finish it as soon as possible. I'm waiting to report to the county committee," Director Wen solemnly instructed.

"Yes," Officer Qi replied.

"Sister-in-law Li, I hope you can continue to cooperate with the government's work and strive to capture these one hundred 'worm-headed barbarians' as soon as possible. After the mission is completed, we will recommend to the county party committee that you serve as a member of the county political consultative conference. Of course, if you are willing to join the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, that's no problem either. Stay on the mainland and contribute to the peaceful reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. At the same time, you can also guide and participate in the daily maintenance work of our 'Nong'an Insect People'." Director Wen spoke eloquently after drinking some liquor.

The Hakka woman felt increasingly uncomfortable listening to this.

In the morning, after the Hakka grandmother accompanied the police to capture the "Rustling Barbarian" and left the guesthouse, Shen Caihua immediately took Dudu and the suction tube and headed towards the tallest ancient pagoda in the county town, following the instructions that Old Ye had secretly given him at Officer Wan Jintaqi's house the night before.

Shen Cai walked around the high walls of the Liao Pagoda and found the small door in the backyard. The two double doors were locked with iron chains, but the gaps were just wide enough for a child to squeeze through. He looked around to make sure no one was there, then squeezed in sideways.

The courtyard was overgrown with weeds and quite desolate. Several rats swaggered among the weeds as if they were in a deserted place.

"Old man... he lives here, right here?" Dudu sighed and shook her head.

Upon climbing the steps of the Liao Pagoda, Shen Cai found that the thick wooden door was indeed unlocked, but rather ajar. He stepped forward and pushed it open forcefully, and a smell of dust mixed with mildew wafted out.

"Squeak squeak squeak..." Many large rats scurried around on the blue brick ground. Among them were a few young rats with red eyes staring curiously at the uninvited guests, their eyes filled with surprise.

Following Ye Lao's instructions, Shen Caihua climbed the dusty wooden stairs. There were also gray-brown rats everywhere. Several lazy adult rats stared greedily at Shen Caihua, drool dripping from their mouths.

Upon reaching the tenth floor, the rats were nowhere to be seen. All was quiet, and soft sunlight streamed through the tower windows, casting a hazy glow inside. Shen Caihua arrived at the blue brick wall directly in front of him and touched the smooth square brick in the center.

"Knock knock knock..." Shen Caihua knocked three times as promised, paused for a moment, and then knocked three more times, repeating this three times in total.

Before long, a loud "crash" was heard, and the blue bricks slid inward, revealing Old Ye's bald, thin head. He grinned at Chen Caihua, reached out and pulled him into the hole, and Dudu followed him into the dark hole.