Истории о привидениях

Глава 1

Ghost Burial

one

The rain was pouring down like crazy.

It's been raining for seven whole days!

In Pingshan, this small town in southern China, such a fierce and prolonged storm is rare. The raging storm shrouded Pingshan in a hazy and chilling atmosphere, making it hard for people to breathe and unwilling or afraid to go out. Apart from the sound of wind and rain, the entire town of Pingshan seemed like a desolate world isolated from the outside world.

Large raindrops pounded against the leaves, then rolled down, splashing water droplets a foot high. The howling wind tore and shook the entire forest; the slender branches, unable to withstand the wind's power, snapped and cracked, adding to the terror and unease of the night in Pingshan.

In a grove of trees, five or six men were digging something with all their might; standing nearby was a middle-aged man who looked like a wealthy merchant, with a round face, a round belly, and a round body. An attendant held an umbrella over his head, but because the wind was too strong, the attendant had to grip the umbrella handle tightly with both hands; next to the merchant, a beautiful young woman, disheveled, had her hands held behind her back by two burly men. Raindrops pelted her hair and bare shoulders, immediately forming streams of water that flowed down her body. The rain flowed into the muddy ground. Two thin, wiry attendants stood beside the wealthy merchant, each carrying a kerosene lamp. By the dim light of the lamps, they could finally make out the young woman's appearance: her expression was extremely cold; her oval face, still delicate and beautiful despite being partially obscured by the rain, was adorned with a red cheongsam that accentuated her slender figure, though the cheongsam was torn in several places, revealing glimpses of her fair skin. Her resentful and bitter eyes were fixed on the merchant, who stood expressionlessly under the umbrella. Apart from the sounds of rain, wind, snapping branches, and the thud of a shovel digging into the ground, no one spoke; everything seemed mysterious and eerie. What was about to happen here?

Soon, a large pit more than a meter deep was dug, nearly two meters long and one meter wide. One of the diggers, who seemed to be the leader, ran to the wealthy merchant and said, "Sir, it's done." The merchant took a few steps forward, looked around the pit, and then turned back and said, "Push that *man* in."

"Master, is it really buried?" a butler-like man asked cautiously.

"Bury him! Bury him quickly! This bastard actually cheated on me with another man, ruining the reputation of my Fang family. He deserves to die!" the wealthy merchant said viciously.

"But she... she's already pregnant!" the butler said, feeling a pang of pity.

"Pregnant? Who knows which bastard's child it is! Bury it! Bury it all!" the wealthy businessman said, somewhat exasperated.

"Alright then!" the butler said helplessly, turning around and waving his hand at the two burly men holding the young woman. "Bury her!"

"Seventh Concubine, I'm sorry!" The two burly men dragged and pushed the young woman to the edge of the pit. Suddenly, the woman struggled violently, stood on the edge of the pit, turned around, and glared at the wealthy merchant with resentment, saying, "Master Fang, I will die without resentment. Please, please release the child in my womb. He is innocent!"

"If it's not my child, what's the point of keeping it in this world? You *human*, how dare you beg for mercy for the bastard in your belly? You've completely disgraced the Fang family!"

“Master Fang, you are rich and powerful. You have already married seven wives, and you still want to marry one more. In your eyes, what are we women? You only care about my looks, right? The first, second, and third wives are getting old, so you don’t care about them anymore. We women are just playthings in your hands!”

"Why can you men marry wives and concubines, but we women can't pursue our own happiness? Since you don't love me, can't I like someone else? I've had enough of this lonely, loveless life!"

"You dare talk back! Push her down and bury her!" the wealthy merchant ordered.

The two men gave the young woman a shove, and she fell into the pit. She struggled to get up, but the wealthy merchant walked over and kicked her back in. "Bury her right now!" the merchant said viciously.

Mud, rainwater, and weeds were all dumped into the pit, and in the blink of an eye, only half of the young woman's body was visible.

"Yes, I have other men outside, but we truly love each other. Being with him was the happiest time of my life. Having someone who genuinely loves me makes my life worthwhile."

"According to the family rules, I have wronged you and your Fang family, so I did not intend to live. But the child is innocent. I beg you, please let the child go. After the child is born, you can do whatever you want with me."

The soil had already buried her neck, and rainwater mingled with tears streamed down her face. The young woman continued to plead in a hoarse, weeping voice, "Master Fang, I beg you, even if it's just my last request before I die, I've never asked you for anything in the year or so I've been married into your Fang family. Just this once, just this once, please, Master Fang!"

The mud had already been poured into the young woman's mouth. Her face turned from red to blue, then from blue to white, and her breathing became increasingly difficult. But her eyes still pleaded desperately for the wealthy merchant, Mr. Fang, her voice growing weaker and weaker: "Mr. Fang, please, please!..."

The burial continued, and without the master's orders, the men dared not stop. In the blink of an eye, the young woman's entire body was covered in mud.

---janeadam

Reply [3]: "Master, the seventh concubine has passed away." The butler said sadly.

"Good riddance, you dead man," Master Fang said coldly.

Suddenly, with a "whoosh," the Seventh Concubine's pair of snow-white hands burst from the ground, her fingers pointing directly at Master Fang! The servants who were burying her were so frightened that they quickly dropped the shovel and retreated hastily, shouting as they went, "It's terrible! A corpse has come back to life!" Master Fang was also startled and stumbled several times, falling to the ground. "Wh...what happened?" Master Fang asked nervously, and the steward quickly helped him up.

"Master, it's...it's come back to life!" A servant, his face pale with fright, stammered.

"How could someone who just died come back to life? Nonsense." Although he was startled just now, Master Fang quickly regained his composure. "Butler, go and see if that person is really dead!"

"Yes, yes, yes." The butler nodded, peering cautiously into the pit. Seventh Concubine's arm was still outstretched, but there was no other movement. "She should be... alright! Seventh... Seventh Concubine is no longer moving."

"Alright, bury her quickly." Although Master Fang appeared calm on the surface, the fact that the Seventh Concubine had pointed at him earlier still made him feel somewhat scared and uneasy. He just wanted to bury her as soon as possible to avoid any future trouble.

The attendants quickly returned to the edge of the pit and continued to fill it with soil. Soon the entire pit was filled in. Master Fang then ordered some flowers, grass, and branches to be placed on top, making it seem as if there were no obvious traces left.

“Alright, sir,” the butler said.

"Let's go," Master Fang ordered. Immediately, they left the cold, dark woods.

This day was June 13th, the fourth year of the Republic of China. It was a midsummer night, with wind and rain, and thunder and lightning.

---janeadam

Reply [4]: Two

Pingshan Town is a small town surrounded by water on one side and mountains on three sides. Because the mountains surrounding the town are not high, with the highest only about 300 meters high, it got its name from this. Although the mountains are not high, they are densely forested and lush, and with a clear, rippling stream in front of the town, the scenery is truly enchanting. Pingshan Town is located north of the Yangtze River, a vital waterway, and south of the major thoroughfare connecting Guangdong and Guangxi, making transportation extremely convenient. Consequently, many businesses operate in the area, and Fang Tiande is the most famous wealthy merchant in Pingshan Town. Fang Tiande's fame lies not only in his amassed gold and silver treasures but also in the fact that he is the only man in town with eight wives; other wealthy men usually only have two or three. In the Republican era, having multiple wives and concubines was rare, but Fang Tiande indulged in it. However, since his seventh concubine mysteriously disappeared three years ago, Mr. Fang has not taken any more concubines, but he has visited Wangchunlou, the most famous brothel in the town, more frequently.

In the northeastern part of Pingshan Town's center, there stands a grand and solemn mansion. Two heavy stone lions guard the entrance, and a two-meter-high wall stretches for hundreds of meters before curving vertically backward, tightly enclosing the entire courtyard. Inside, not only are there rows of houses with blue-tiled roofs and green bricks, but also pavilions, waterside terraces, clusters of flowers, and winding paths—truly a tranquil and pleasant place. Several hundred meters behind the mansion lies a lush and verdant forest, but Fang Tiande rarely goes there, especially in the last three years; he hasn't set foot there at all. However, his children often run into the forest, because they can often catch delicious wild rabbits and pheasants, and the large woods are also a great place for hide-and-seek.

That evening, Fang Hongliang and Fang Hongwen, who had just returned from private school, gathered a few friends and quietly slipped out of the back gate of the mansion to play in the large woods behind the mountain. Fang Tiande had four children: his eldest son Fang Hongliang, his second son Fang Hongwen, his third son Fang Hongwu, and his youngest daughter Fang Yiting. Fang Hongliang and Fang Hongwen were already attending private school and were at the age where they were most playful, Fang Hongwu had just learned to walk, and the youngest, Fang Yiting, was still suckling at her mother's breast.

As they played, the children started playing hide-and-seek again.

“You two brothers can’t be together this time,” Shan Dou said. Shan Dou was the butler’s son and the Fang brothers’ best playmate.

“Yes, you two will have to separate this time.” Big Fatty strongly agreed with Shan Dou’s suggestion. Big Fatty was the son of a wealthy man in Pingshan Town. He was about the same age as the Fang brothers, but he weighed more than Fang Hongliang and Fang Hongwen combined, hence the name Big Fatty.

“Okay, let’s separate then. So, how do you guys plan to play?” Fang Hongliang asked.

“Alright, you and Fatty will hide, and Hongwen and I will find you,” Shandou said.

“Okay, it’s settled then,” Fang Hongliang said.

"Alright then, I'll go hide!" Big Fatty muttered, preparing to conceal himself.

"You two need to close your eyes first," Fang Hongliang said, pointing at Shandou and his younger brother.

"Okay, we've closed our eyes. After calling out ten times, we'll start searching," Fang Hongwen said.

"Don't you dare open your eyes and peek!" Fang Hongliang's voice faded into the distance. By the time Shandou and Fang Hongwen opened their eyes, Fang Hongliang and Da Pang had already disappeared.

"You go east, I'll go west, let's go and drag those two out!" Shan Dou ordered.

---janeadam

Reply [5]: The trees in the forest are numerous and varied, including pine trees, fir trees, wild chestnut trees, and camellia trees. There are also some white camellia flowers that have not yet withered on the camellia trees. Various wild grasses and vines intertwine together, weaving the entire forest into a dense net. Shan Dou and Fang Hongwen searched for Fang Hongliang and Da Pang, who were hiding somewhere, by wading through this net.

"Big Fatty, I know where you are, come out quickly!" Fang Hongwen searched while trying to lure Big Fatty out.

"Fang Hongliang, I see you! Haha!" Shan Dou said in a deliberately low voice.

The sun was about to set, and the last rays of sunlight sparsely filtered into the woods. Summer mosquitoes had already begun to swarm out of the grass, and the mountain frogs had started to croak. But Fang Hongliang and Da Pang still hadn't found them.

As darkness fell, the woods grew increasingly shady, and the mountain wind rustled the branches, adding to the eeriness of the forest. Fang Hongwen, already somewhat frightened, shouted loudly into the woods, "Big Fatty, brother, come out quickly! I admit defeat this time, okay?"

Shan Dou also came over, saying nervously, "Strange, how come they hid so well this time?"

"I also find it quite strange. We've been searching for most of the day, and they haven't made a sound. It seems we have to admit defeat this time."

"Let's just admit defeat. It's getting dark, let's hurry home," Shan Dou said urgently, he was scared too. "Hong Liang, Da Pang, come out quickly, we admit defeat! It's getting dark, let's go home!"

The sound echoed through the mountains and forests, followed by another chorus of insects.

"If you don't come out soon, we're going to get angry!" Fang Hongwen started to get anxious, looking around anxiously.

With a loud "bang," Shan Dou's shoulder was slapped hard. Shan Dou was so startled that he shivered and hurriedly turned around.

"Who?" Yamazu's voice was filled with fear.

"Hehe!" Big Fatty was standing behind Shan Dou and Fang Hongwen, chuckling to himself.

"You big fatso, you almost scared me to death," Shan Dou said, still shaken.

"Big Fatty, where's my brother?" Fang Hongwen asked.

"Yes, where is Hongliang hiding?" Shandou asked as well.

"You still haven't found him?" Big Fatty started to get smug. "Haha, you admit defeat this time, right?"

"Yes, yes, we admit defeat," Fang Hongwen said anxiously. "It's almost dark, but we can't find my brother anywhere!"

"Oh!" Big Fatty muttered, "I just took a nap and don't even know what time it is. I don't know where he's hiding. I'm so sorry." Big Fatty looked up at the sky; it was really getting dark!

"You really don't know where Hongliang is hiding?" Shandou asked.

"I really don't know! I'd be a coward if I lied to you!"

"Oh no! My brother is missing!" Fang Hongwen was so anxious he was almost crying.

"Come on, everyone, let's search together!" Shan Dou said.

"Hongliang, come out! We're going home!"

"Brother, where are you? Stop hiding, come home!"

"Hongliang, you've won! Come out now!"

The three children were frantic in the heart of the woods. It was getting darker and darker, and the forest seemed even more eerie and frightening, but they were still greeted by the chirping of insects and their own echoes.

Suddenly, a red figure flashed through the woods. The shadow moved with incredible speed, like a ghost.

"Did you see anything?" Fang Hongwen asked tremblingly.

"I...I saw a shadow," Shan Dou said nervously, "but it was too fast, I couldn't see it clearly."

"Here we go again!" Fang Hongwen pointed forward, leaning close to Shandou. Among his friends, Shandou was the oldest and bravest, and he usually led the way when playing.

A figure with long, flowing hair, dressed in a red cheongsam, was hovering and moving in front of the trees, appearing before the children in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, the figure stopped abruptly, and a gust of cold wind swept over the three children.

"Oh my god!" Big Fatty was so frightened that he trembled and fell to the ground. Fang Hongwen gripped Shan Dou's arm tightly, his whole body shaking uncontrollably. Shan Dou was also frightened by the cold wind and took a few steps back, but his eyes remained fixed on the ghostly figure. Perhaps he was too scared to do anything.

"You, you, you, you are..." Shan Dou's tongue began to get tied.

"Haha..." The figure in red suddenly burst into laughter, a laugh that sent chills down one's spine. The figure in red took another step closer, revealing a pair of bare, white feet beneath the cheongsam. Good heavens, those feet had never touched the ground!

"A ghost!" Shan Dou and Fang Hongwen suddenly screamed and ran back. The fat man who had fallen to the ground had just gotten up when he fell down again, tripping over Shan Dou and Fang Hongwen. The three of them fell together.

"Ha ha—" A sinister and terrifying laugh echoed in their ears. The three children huddled together, their heads buried in their hands, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

The terrifying laughter suddenly ceased, and the forest fell silent, save for the chirping of insects. The three children remained huddled together, trembling, the fat boy muttering incessantly, "Ghost...ghost...ghost..."

"The ghost, the ghost is gone." After an unknown amount of time, Shan Dou finally raised his head, but the figure in red was gone.

"How scary, I'm so afraid." Fang Hongwen also raised his head.

"Quick, let's go home!" Shandou urged.

"But I haven't found my brother yet!" Fang Hongwen said anxiously and fearfully. The two brothers always sneaked into the woods to play, and their father never allowed them to step into the woods. If they couldn't find their brother, their father would be furious.