“My grandfather could make clay figurines, but he only made those of children.”
“The children he made were very ugly, and the selling price was frighteningly high.”
“However, city – dwellers who came to buy them were in an endless stream.”
“These women who came to buy clay figurines would be taken by my grandfather to his own room for the deal.”
“During the deal, there would be grunting sounds from my grandfather and the woman.”
“Finally, one time, I couldn’t resist my curiosity. I crouched under the window of my grandfather’s room, wanting to see what was going on.”
“01”
“My grandfather held a clay figurine in his left hand and took the woman’s hand with his right, about to enter the house.”
“The woman stood still, seemingly unwilling to enter the house with my grandfather.”
“My grandfather’s face darkened: ‘If you’re not willing, forget it. I have a queue of people behind.'”
“The man who came with the woman gave the woman a hard push.”
“‘Do as Master Zhao says. If you don’t obey, I’ll divorce you when we get home.'”
“Not long after my grandfather and the woman entered the house, the sounds of their heavy breathing came from inside.”
“I felt very uncomfortable listening outside, but the man listened with great relish.”
“When the woman came out, her face was rosy.”
“The man asked, ‘Did it work?'”
“The woman nodded shyly.”
“The man immediately opened the box: ‘Master Zhao, this one million is all yours.'”
“02”
“I originally lived with my grandfather and three uncles.”
“My family was the most prominent one in this deep – mountain gully. Even the village head was respectful to my grandfather.”
“But a mutation occurred in the village more than ten years ago, breaking everything that was originally there.”
“My grandfather was forced to leave the village and learn a craft – making clay figurines.”
“Making clay figurines was not a rare thing in our poor mountain gully.”
“And the clay figurines made by my grandfather, in the eyes of our villagers, were extremely ugly.”
“But just a few days after my grandfather learned the craft and returned to the village, someone came to inquire about the location of my home.”
“The person pushed the door open and put a large box of money on the table.”
“‘Master Zhao, a baby boy. I only want a baby boy.'”
“After this deal was made, people came to my home even more frequently.”
“My grandfather and I also lived a life that everyone envied.”
“But this guest who came today had a lot of requests.”
“‘Master Zhao, can you make a few more for me? I want to choose carefully.'”
“My grandfather didn’t even look up.”
“‘One more clay figurine, one more million.'”
“The man didn’t hesitate. He pushed three full boxes of money to my grandfather’s side.”
“My grandfather immediately took out his tools, and soon three clay figurines were made.”
“The wives of these rich people were really beautiful. My grandfather took the woman’s hand and entered the inner room.”
“This time, my grandfather and the woman stayed inside longer than usual. The sounds they made were also louder than before.”
“When they came out, the woman almost fell into the man’s arms, and my grandfather looked very weak.”
“The woman nodded to the man.”
“The man laughed heartily.”
“Truly worthy of being Master Zhao. I’ll introduce more friends here.”
“03”
“After they left, my grandfather staggered into the small house in the backyard.”
“For three consecutive days, my grandfather didn’t come out again. I thought my grandfather might be tired and sick.”
“He only allowed me to put three meals a day at the door of the small house and didn’t let me take care of anything else.”
“My grandfather’s room and the small house in the backyard were forbidden areas to me.”
“Once, when I was chasing a hare and just got close to the small house, my grandfather beat me up without saying a word.”
“Today, someone else came to look for my grandfather, but my grandfather was still ill. I wanted to send the woman away.”
“But the woman charmingly held my hand and stroked it back and forth.”
“‘Little boy, how old are you this year?'”
“‘T – thirteen… sixteen.'”
“‘Oh, it’s time to be a man.'”
“I didn’t quite understand what the woman said, but from her expression, I guessed that it must not be a good thing.”
“But my mouth seemed to be out of my control.”
“‘Otherwise, I’ll make one for you.'”
“The woman was only stunned for a moment, then laughed unrestrainedly.”
“I looked at her enchanting figure and felt so small.”
“‘Can you wait for one more night?'”
“I looked up, and my grandfather walked in tremblingly.”
“04”
“When the woman saw my grandfather coming, she was like seeing a living Bodhisattva. She immediately threw me aside.”
“She knelt at my grandfather’s feet, hugged his thigh, and said.”
“‘My husband will come back tonight and say he wants to divorce me. As long as Master Zhao, you let me take a small figurine back today, I’ll give you ten million!'”
“Seeing that my grandfather was still unmoved, the woman promised again.”
“‘As long as I have this small figurine, I can keep my position as the first wife. Tomorrow, no, tonight! I’ll send another ten million to show my respect to you!'”
“In my eyes, the things my grandfather made couldn’t even be called people.”
“But why did these rich people spend twenty million just to buy a lump of clay?”
“My grandfather saw the woman pleading with him repeatedly with a face like a pear blossom in the rain, so he nodded slightly and agreed.”
“After the woman left, my grandfather entered the small house in the backyard again.”
“A strong stench came out of the small house.”
“For several days, this smell didn’t stop for a moment.”
“What on earth was wrong with my grandfather?”
“Was he taking medicine? But the decoction didn’t smell like this.”
“05”
“During the days when my grandfather was resting, a Taoist priest came to our house.”
“The Taoist priest originally came to ask for water to drink, but after he drank the water, he insisted on going to the backyard to take a look.”
“I wasn’t as strong as the Taoist priest and couldn’t stop him.”
“But when the Taoist priest entered the backyard, he stopped in his tracks.”
“There was a look of fear on his face. Then he rushed out of my house in a hurry.”
“My grandfather stayed in the small house for a full two weeks. During these two weeks, he didn’t see anyone.”
“When my grandfather came out, although his spirit seemed to have recovered, his hair had become much grayer.”
“My grandfather started making clay figurines again.”
“Although there were still many guests, they began to complain.”
“‘We’re not short of money. Why can’t we get more at once? Is this old man almost done?'”
“They didn’t say these words in front of my grandfather, but my grandfather must have noticed the change in the guests.”
“‘Grandpa, I can make clay figurines with you.'”
“Actually, I had said such words to my grandfather before, but they were all firmly rejected by my grandfather.”
“As soon as I mentioned that I wanted to make clay figurines, he would be like a different person. Sometimes he would even slap me a few times.”
“Now that my grandfather was really old, maybe he would agree.”
“06”
“But my grandfather still refused my help.”
“Because a young man named Ping’an came to our house.”
“He said he was from the gully behind our village. He heard that there was a Master Zhao in this village who was in the clay – figurine business and could make a lot of money.”
“‘My family is too poor. Please take me in, Master Zhao.'”
“Ping’an kowtowed three times, and my grandfather happily accepted him.”
“But at the first glance, I felt that Brother Ping’an didn’t look like a child from the mountains.”
“He wasn’t timid at all when he saw strangers. He also did things in an orderly manner.”
“I thought I really couldn’t compare with him.”
“Brother Ping’an was also very good at pleasing my grandfather.”
“In my opinion, the clay figurines that were almost identical in ugliness, Brother Ping’an could tell something about them in front of my grandfather.”
“‘The face shape of this small figurine is very well – shaped. I like the mouth of this small figurine. Master, the nose of this small figurine is really straight.'”
“Such words were absolutely hard for me to say.”
“My grandfather was very happy to hear this. So not long after, when my grandfather received another business, he took Brother Ping’an into his room together.”
“07”
“This time, it was the screams of Brother Ping’an and the woman that came.”
“When they came out, the woman was equally weak, but Brother Ping’an seemed to be okay.”
“When my grandfather was collecting the money, he said with a smile: ‘Still, young people have good health.'”
“But in my grandfather’s eyes, there was an indescribable emotion.”
“As time passed, people who came here by reputation all specifically asked for the small clay figurines made by Brother Ping’an.”
“Although it was still my grandfather who received the money, Brother Ping’an’s reputation became more and more响亮 (famous).”
“Today, another guest with many requests came.”
“‘Little Master Ping’an, we came to buy clay figurines from you.'”
“My grandfather coughed dissatisfiedly beside him.”
“Only then did the guest call out ‘Master Zhao’.”
“‘I want three small figurines today. Please rest assured, Master Zhao. I understand the rules.'”
“When the man handed a thirty – million – yuan check to my grandfather, the woman beside him said shyly.”
“‘Just that it will be hard on Little Master Ping’an.'”
“Although Brother Ping’an was strong, after all, the guest wanted three at once.”
“When Brother Ping’an came out of the room, his body was obviously a little weak.”
“Before, when my grandfather made three, he would go to the small house in the backyard to rest for a few days.”
“But this time, my grandfather didn’t let Brother Ping’an go to the small house in the backyard. He just let him lie in his own room.”
“In the dead of night, I secretly wanted to send some food to Brother Ping’an, but I heard voices talking in his room.”
“08”
“But as soon as I walked to the door, the voices of the conversation stopped.”
“I pushed the door open and entered. There was only Brother Ping’an in the room.”
“After Brother Ping’an ate the soup and rice I brought, he suddenly grabbed my hand.”
“‘Xiaodongzi, do you want to learn skills from me?'”
“I was slightly stunned: ‘What skills? Making small clay figurines?'”
“Brother Ping’an giggled.”
“‘You want to learn to make clay figurines? Do you know why your grandfather’s clay figurines can be sold at such a high price?'”
“I shook my head in confusion.”
“‘Xiaodongzi, you’re only a teenager. You’re different from your grandfather. You have a great future. Your grandfather… what he does is against the will of heaven and human ethics, wrong things.'”
“I didn’t understand what Brother Ping’an said.”
“Since he said that what my grandfather did was unforgivable, why did he come to my grandfather to learn skills on purpose?”
“‘Xiaodongzi, come to me at midnight tomorrow. I’ll take you to the small house in the backyard to see what your grandfather is really doing.'”
“09”
“The next day, I was uneasy all day long, for fear that my grandfather would notice the secret between me and Brother Ping’an.”
“So I tried to avoid Brother Ping’an as much as possible, and I didn’t even dare to make eye contact with him.”
“Finally, it was midnight. I stared at my grandfather’s room, looking back every three steps, and quietly came to the door of Brother Ping’an’s room.”
“Brother Ping’an was already prepared. He motioned for me to follow him closely.”
“He took me to the small house in the backyard.”
“Brother Ping’an took out a key from his arms and tiptoed to open the door.”
“This must not be my grandfather’s key. My grandfather’s key had turned yellow, and the key in Brother Ping’an’s hand could reflect the luster of metal in the moonlight.”
“Even though Brother Ping’an was very careful, when he pushed open the wooden door, the door panel still made a ‘creak’ sound.”
“I was so nervous that I didn’t dare to breathe. If my grandfather knew about this, he would definitely beat Brother Ping’an to death. I, his own grandson, might also lose half my life.”
“After entering the room, Brother Ping’an put a large black cloth over both of us and then took out a flashlight from his arms.”
“The light of the flashlight was very weak. After a while, I could see the position illuminated by the flashlight.”
“The area of the small house was not large. Besides a wooden bed and several quilts.”
“On the ground… on the ground were all… mushrooms planted.”
“‘Are you afraid?'”
“I didn’t understand what Brother Ping’an meant. What was there to be afraid of about a pile of mushrooms?”
“Seeing my confusion, Brother Ping’an didn’t explain much. He grabbed my hand and made a cut.”
“Blood dripped on a small mushroom, and the mushroom grew bigger quickly.”
“When the mushroom stopped growing, Brother Ping’an squeezed out more blood from my wound until the mushroom no longer grew.”
“I finally understood where the stench in the small house came from.”
“The bigger the mushroom grew, the stronger the stench.”
“Brother Ping’an whispered in my ear again: ‘Do you want to try it?'”
“Before I could answer, Brother Ping’an forced a small piece into my mouth.”
“It smelled bad but tasted good.”
“And after eating it, I immediately felt much more energetic.”
“I couldn’t help but reach out to take it, wanting to eat a second piece, but was stopped by Brother Ping’an.”
“‘Hehe, this is the most poisonous poison.'”
“10”
“I didn’t sleep all night.”
“The next day, Brother Ping’an went down the mountain to buy necessities, and I also found an excuse to go with him.”
“‘Although I don’t know where your grandfather learned this evil technique, such behavior is intolerable to us people of the right way.'”
“Seeing my confused face, Brother Ping’an continued.”
“‘Your grandfather uses evil magic to turn the clay figurines into embryos, and then puts them into the mouths of women for them to swallow. This can make these women who come to seek children conceive.”
Hearing what Brother Ping’an said, I couldn’t help but recall these recent guests who came to my grandfather.
The woman who stroked my hand came to ask my grandfather for a clay figurine, saying it was to keep her position as the first wife. She must have wanted to gain status through having a son.
Thinking about those men, they spared no expense to hand their women over to an old man who made clay figurines, all for the sake of carrying on the family line.
“What kind of evil magic does my grandfather actually use?”
“Do you want to see it with your own eyes?”
“Of course I do.”
Brother Ping’an had a serious look: “Then you need to promise me… help me get rid of this chief culprit!”
“Ah! Do you want me to help you kill my grandfather? This… this is absolutely impossible.”
“Don’t get excited. I don’t mean that. Think about it carefully. This is not something an ordinary person like your grandfather can do.”
It turned out that Brother Ping’an had long known that behind my grandfather, there must be a highly – skilled person manipulating him.
This person was inconvenient to show up in his true form, so he found my grandfather to take his place.
“My goal is by no means to kill your grandfather. If the chief culprit is not eliminated, killing your grandfather, he will just find someone else to replace him.”
I thought what Brother Ping’an said made sense.
“But can you guarantee not to harm my grandfather?”
“I can spare your grandfather’s life, but during the process of fighting the magic, getting injured is inevitable.”
Seeing that I still looked worried.
“Don’t worry. Even if your grandfather is injured, I won’t stand by and do nothing. I will definitely heal him. From then on, you two can live a good life.”
11
Although I promised Brother Ping’an, I was still uneasy in my heart.
That was my dear grandfather who had raised me with great hardship.
Brother Ping’an repeatedly assured me that he would only kill the evil Taoist behind the scenes and told me how to cooperate with his actions.
An opportunity came soon. After all, there was never a shortage of wealthy guests at my grandfather’s place.
And this time, it was actually a pair of brothers who came.
“Please, Master Zhao and Master Ping’an, make a few more. My brother and I want to choose together.”
Their expressions really made me sick, but my grandfather, looking at the money in the trunk of the car, readily agreed.
With the help of Brother Ping’an, my grandfather made six clay figurines at once.
My grandfather asked Brother Ping’an to hold the clay figurines, and he took one beauty’s hand in each hand and happily entered the inner room.
Brother Ping’an had repeatedly told me to wait for his signal, and then I would jump in through the window.
All I needed to do was subdue my grandfather so that he couldn’t use the evil talisman given to him by the evil way.
Brother Ping’an would have his own way to force the evil Taoist behind the scenes to show up.
12
I carefully stuck my head out from under the window and saw my grandfather cut his finger and drip the blood on the six pieces of talisman paper in his hand.
Then my grandfather lit one of the talisman papers and dissolved the ashes of the talisman paper in a cup of clear water.
As my grandfather soaked the clay figurines in the clear water, his expression became extremely painful.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, my grandfather took the clay figurines out of the water.
The taken – out clay figurines became crystal – clear. I could even see the facial features of the small figures through the window.
My grandfather said to the two astonished women.
“Wait until all six are made, and then you can choose.”
Subsequently, my grandfather handed a talisman paper to Brother Ping’an: “It’s your turn.”
Brother Ping’an glared angrily at my grandfather and shouted towards the window.
“Xiaodongzi, come in quickly.”
The window wasn’t locked from the inside. I pushed the window and jumped in.
I splashed the stinking liquid I had prepared in my hand onto my grandfather.
Then I tied my grandfather’s hands behind his back with a rope.
At this time, Brother Ping’an had already lit a talisman paper. He pried open my grandfather’s mouth and forcefully stuffed this talisman paper into my grandfather’s mouth.
13
My grandfather’s limbs twitched in pain, and he immediately collapsed to the ground.
“Grandpa, are you okay, Grandpa?”
I stared at Brother Ping’an and shouted: “Didn’t you promise me that you wouldn’t harm my grandfather?”
“Without using your grandfather as a bargaining chip, how could we draw out the person behind him? Just watch over your grandfather and don’t make trouble for me here.”
Brother Ping’an’s expression became even more serious. He looked around.
“Evil way, aren’t you coming out yet? If you don’t show up, this old man will die because of you. If he dies, you’ll have to wait another hundred years. But as long as you obediently listen to me, I can spare your true form from death.”
I didn’t understand what Brother Ping’an said. Why would the evil way he mentioned have to wait another hundred years if my grandfather died?
I also didn’t understand why Brother Ping’an wanted to spare the evil way’s life.
Before, Brother Ping’an clearly described the evil way as extremely wicked, but now he wanted the evil way to listen to him.
Did Brother Ping’an want to reform the evil way? But why use my grandfather’s life as a threat to do so?
Suddenly, the sound of tables and chairs being overturned came from outside. Brother Ping’an quickly opened the door.
The two men outside were rolling on the ground in pain, with blood constantly flowing out of their mouths.
Brother Ping’an quickly looked at the two women in the room.
The situation of the two women was even worse. Blood was flowing from their seven orifices, and they were only breathing in, but not out.
I was stunned and shouted in horror.
“Grandpa, you also promised me that you wouldn’t hurt anyone’s life.”
14
In Brother Ping’an’s horrified eyes, my grandfather slowly stood up.
Brother Ping’an let out a heavy sigh.
“I didn’t expect it to end in failure after all.”
I didn’t know whether Brother Ping’an was blaming me or himself.
“Brother Ping’an, my grandfather actually discovered the secret between us a long time ago.”
I looked at the other four people lying on the ground, and my voice was so low that I could barely hear myself.
“And my grandfather did promise me that he wouldn’t harm the innocent.”
My grandfather pushed me away.
“I promised not to harm the innocent, but are they innocent people?”
My grandfather paced up to Brother Ping’an.
“Isn’t that right, little Ping’an?”
It turned out that my grandfather not only saw the secret communication between me and Brother Ping’an, but also anticipated how Brother Ping’an would deal with him.
These two pairs of guests were all arranged by Brother Ping’an.
Only then did I notice that the man lying face – up at the door of the room was the Taoist priest who came to ask for water that day.
“As long as you obediently listen to me, I can spare your true form from death.”
The lingering sound was still in my ears, but in just a few minutes, the positions of the speaker and the listener had been reversed.
“Little Ping’an, you’re just a brat who hasn’t even grown up yet. How dare you fight against the immortal way? Don’t you really know how much ability you have? You can come in today, but you won’t be able to get out!”
15
Brother Ping’an stepped back step by step, and my grandfather pressed forward step by step.
When Brother Ping’an retreated to the door of the room, he suddenly took out a talisman paper and pasted it on my grandfather’s chest.
“Then I’ll fight you. Let’s see how many life – taking skills you’ve learned from the evil way.”
My grandfather wasn’t hurt at all. Instead, Brother Ping’an spat out a mouthful of blood.
The blood splashed on my grandfather’s face, but my grandfather didn’t even blink.
He just stared at Brother Ping’an, looking down from a height, like a saint.
My grandfather reached out to take the talisman papers in Brother Ping’an’s arms and then pasted them on himself one by one.
When my grandfather pasted one on his right leg, Brother Ping’an knelt on his right knee. When my grandfather pasted one on his left leg, Brother Ping’an could only kneel on both knees.
My grandfather pasted them one by one, unhurriedly.
Brother Ping’an kept glaring at my grandfather. He didn’t say a word of begging for mercy. He didn’t even make a sound of pain.
I looked at the distorted expression on Brother Ping’an’s face.
“Grandpa, please give Brother Ping’an a quick end.”
A talisman paper landed on my grandfather’s head.
With a clear cracking sound, Brother Ping’an’s face turned towards the back of his head.
16
“It’s suitable to dig graves on rainy days. Do you know why, grandson?”
As my grandfather and I were shoveling the soil, my grandfather kept nagging.
“The rain can soak the soil, making it less strenuous to dig.”
It took my grandfather and me a whole day to dig five graves in the backyard of our house.
“What are you crying for!”
My grandfather pushed me hard.
“They brought it on themselves. They were too young to try to harm me.”
I got up and wiped my face. The mud and tears solidified on my face.
The deaths of Brother Ping’an and those four people were all related to me.
When I was serving them water, I found that there was something wrong with the water.
Although my grandfather earned a lot of money, he never gave the guests a good look. He only served them plain boiled water.
But yesterday’s water was faintly yellow.
I thought my grandfather would at most put some sleeping pills in it. Who would have thought that this yellow water would cost their lives.
Also, the talisman papers on Brother Ping’an were replaced by me as my grandfather had told me in advance.
“Xiaodongzi, I’m your own grandfather who raised you! You won’t side with Ping’an instead of me, will you?”
“But, Grandpa, you shouldn’t have done these things that go against human ethics.”
“Back then, I did it to raise you up!”
As my grandfather spoke, tears fell.
“If it weren’t for raising you up, Grandpa… Grandpa didn’t even want to live.”
My grandfather repeatedly promised me that as long as Ping’an spared his life, he would never hurt anyone.
“I’ll make the old Taoist come out and then hand him over to Ping’an. From then on, we can live a good life.”
But now, five graves were erected in the backyard of my house.
And there were new guests in the front yard.
17
This woman looked about fifty years old. Her anxious expression couldn’t hide her aging face even more.
“Master Zhao, I want two this time.”
“One more costs an extra ten million.”
“Master Zhao, money is not a problem. But you may not have quite understood what I mean. I want… two at once.”
Only then did my grandfather look up and carefully examine the woman.
“No, you can’t bear it. If you die here, how can I do business in the future?”
The woman laughed.
“If you don’t agree to me, I’ll die when I go home anyway. If you agree, and if it doesn’t work… then it’s my fate. Anyway, without a child, I’m like a useless person in their eyes.”
The woman pointed at the person she brought with her.
“He will collect my body. I promise I won’t cause any trouble for Master Zhao.”
Subsequently, the woman took out a piece of paper from her arms.
“For the number on this paper, as long as it doesn’t exceed this amount.”
The woman stretched out a finger.
“Master Zhao, you can fill it in as you like.”
My grandfather still hesitated for a moment, but finally, he took out his tools.
This was the first time I saw my grandfather make a clay doll with two small figures connected together.
After finishing, the woman followed my grandfather into the inner room.
Before closing the door, my grandfather looked at me.
“You can’t come in. Just stay outside and keep watch.”
The woman was screaming heartbreakingly inside. The scream seemed to slow down time.
When the woman came out holding the door frame, her servant quickly went up to meet her.
“Your grandfather is really amazing.”
The woman’s hair was completely wet with sweat.
She looked at me with a triumphant look.
“Everyone for themselves, or the world will perish. Don’t you think so, young man? I hope you can understand this truth soon.”
I looked at the woman’s departing back and then at my grandfather, who was exhausted in the room.
…
18
Although I knew my grandfather’s secret, he still didn’t allow me to enter the room and the small house in the backyard.
This time, my grandfather also consumed a lot of energy. Without Brother Ping’an to help him, my grandfather truly felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.
But my grandfather recovered very quickly this time.
Because he used my blood.
Since Brother Ping’an died, my grandfather has no longer been as kind to me as before.
He didn’t even bother to lie to me anymore, but directly threatened me.
“I raised you so big, all by making clay figurines. Every penny you spent was earned by my hard work. All the money will be yours after I die. I just want some of your blood, not your life. You have to give it whether you want to or not!”
“Grandpa, even if we don’t earn money anymore, it’s enough to spend.”
My grandfather looked at those stinking mushrooms that would grow bigger when stained with blood with a dark face.
“Once you’re on the boat, you can’t get off. And don’t even think about getting off. Unless you want to die.”
19
With my blood, my grandfather recovered well and quickly.
But he still couldn’t withstand those difficult guests.
The man and woman who came today had a very special request.
“Master Zhao, we want one… bigger.”
My grandfather was also stunned: “How big?”
The man timidly tested and said: “Three times bigger than normal, okay?”
My grandfather and I were shocked.
“No way!”
The man was about to speak, but my grandfather waved his hand repeatedly: “This isn’t about the money!”
The woman knelt down at my grandfather’s feet, hugged his thigh, and cried.
“I know I was wrong, Master Zhao. Please have mercy and save my life. My husband will be back soon. If he finds out that the time doesn’t match, he will surely beat me to death.”
The man also knelt down and begged my grandfather.
“Master Zhao, family scandals should not be made public. Our family is prominent. If people find out that I’m with… I’m with my… not to mention her, even I’m afraid I’ll be beaten half – to – death and kicked out of the house.”
“Master Zhao, you’re not only saving two lives, but also the reputation of my entire family.”
I couldn’t understand what these wealthy people were talking about. I just saw that they were extremely scared.
It was like when I was a child and did something wrong and was severely beaten by my grandfather. I remembered once I was beaten until I fainted. At that time, I really hoped that a Bodhisattva would come down to earth, either to let me die or…
My grandfather finally agreed to them. But my grandfather made it clear to them in advance that if the woman couldn’t bear it and died here, the man would have to deal with the body himself. And no fourth person could know about it.
20
My grandfather made a clay figurine three times bigger than usual and then took the woman into the room.
When the woman stood up, I noticed that there was a patch of scarlet blood where she had knelt.
After they entered, I quickly cleaned the floor.
Soon, heart – rending screams came from the room.
The man rubbed his hands and paced back and forth.
“You hope she’ll live, right?”
The man was startled when he heard me ask him.
“Yes, of course I hope she’ll live.”
“It’s not because you have feelings for her, but because you’re afraid that if she dies, you’ll have to deal with the body. That would be quite a hassle, right?”
The man’s face turned deathly pale. I must have hit the nail on the head.
Actually, killing people and burying the bodies was just like that. In the backyard of my house, there were five pits that had been dug and then filled in.
When the woman came out of the room, the man heaved a big sigh of relief.
“Master Zhao, this one is a reward for you. And this one…”
The man looked at me again and respectfully placed two pieces of paper on the table.
Then he took the woman and left in a long car.
I helped my grandfather into the small house in the backyard.
There weren’t many mushrooms on the ground in the small house.
Although they could grow by drinking blood, they still needed time to grow out of the soil.
Because my grandfather had consumed too much recently, the growth rate of the mushrooms couldn’t keep up with the rate at which my grandfather needed to replenish.
21
As soon as the mushrooms emerged from the ground, my grandfather urgently asked me to drip my blood on them.
Since the mushrooms were too small and tender, even if I dripped more blood, they wouldn’t grow much.
Finally, there were no mushrooms left in the ground.
I watched as my grandfather aged rapidly.
He was also irritable all day long and would scold me at every turn.
But after experiencing so many things, I still thought in my heart that he was my grandfather.
“Grandpa, why don’t you just drink my blood and give it a try?”
At first, it was one bowl a day, and my grandfather’s spirit improved a bit.
Gradually, it became two bowls a day, and my grandfather’s spirit improved significantly.
Half a month later, my grandfather asked to increase it to three bowls a day.
“Grandson, why do I feel that my energy is even worse with three bowls a day?”
Before I could answer, there were guests at the door again.
Another fat wealthy man and a petite, delicate woman.
My grandfather propped himself up on the table and said tremblingly: “Today, I’m not…”
“You two came at the right time. Today is my first day of becoming independent. I can give you an extra one for free.”
My grandfather had never done such a “good thing” before.
The man was so happy that his mouth couldn’t close.
I took out the tools my grandfather usually used and quickly made two clay figurines.
I looked at my grandfather’s trembling lips and hands.
“Grandpa, just wait for your grandson to make money and take care of you.”
After saying that, I put my arm around the woman’s waist and entered my grandfather’s room.
Soon, I completed the required ritual.
I didn’t feel any pain, and the woman didn’t seem to suffer much either.
And my grandfather, like having a stroke, collapsed under the table.
22
The painful look of my grandfather startled the man.
“Master Dong, this has nothing to do with me. You had just gone in for a short while, and Master Zhao had a fit. I didn’t dare to go in and disturb you.”
When the man saw me come out, he quickly explained submissively.
I waved my hand, indicating that I knew my grandfather’s illness had nothing to do with him.
“Leave the money and you can go.”
Before leaving, the woman looked back and smiled.
“Master Dong, your craftsmanship is much better than your grandfather’s. I’ll introduce more sisters to you.”
After they left, I closed the door of my house.
I picked up my grandfather and walked into a pitch – black basement.
This used to be our granary when I was a child.
Although the basement had a strong musty smell, it was relatively clean.
I had been busy cleaning it up neatly these days, preparing for my grandfather to recuperate here.
The bed and bedding here were newly bought, comfortable and warm.
But when my grandfather saw the white bones in the corner, his mouth twitched in fear.
“Grandpa, don’t you recognize it? Don’t be afraid. That’s my mother. She’ll accompany you here.”
Before I left, I placed water and food within my grandfather’s reach.
“Grandpa, you don’t have a stroke. Don’t worry. I’ll keep you alive.”
I climbed up the steps and, when closing the door, took a look at my grandfather.
What did that look in his eyes mean? Fear? Resentment?
Hehe. It didn’t matter anymore. Anyway, he would live for a long time, and we, grandfather and grandson, had plenty of time. We could talk slowly.
Extra Chapters
01
Since I could remember, there was a woman locked in the granary of my house.
I had secretly followed my eldest uncle, second uncle, and third uncle down to the granary.
As soon as they entered, the woman would let out heart – rending howls.
Actually, not only my family had such a granary. Many families in the village did.
And the granaries of each family would sometimes allow men from other families in the village to enter.
When I was playing with other children in the village, I often heard such screams.
Until one day, I went down to the granary by myself and was caught by my grandfather. After being severely beaten by him, I never dared to go down again.
I could never forget the woman’s embrace and tears. They were warm and salty.
Later, many men in our village got sick. There were many hard bumps on their bodies. These hard bumps later turned into red or brown rashes.
Later, not only men, but women also started to get sick.
Finally, there were almost only the elderly and children left in the village.
Every day in the village, people were digging pits and burning paper.
The old people were too weak to dig pits, so they just burned directly.
As a result, the farmland was gone, and the trees were gone.
Slowly, I found that one by one, the little friends I played with were gone.
02
When my three uncles were still alive, my family had good days.
At that time, my grandfather would give me candy to eat, and occasionally I could eat a piece of meat that would ooze oil when bitten.
But since the village changed, my family also changed.
Every day, villagers would come to my house to make trouble.
“Old Zhao, all the women locked up in the granaries in our village were brought back by you. Now that this kind of disease has occurred, you have to give us an explanation.”
“Our village is almost finished. We’ve discussed it, and everyone agrees that you shouldn’t live here anymore. You’re a disgrace to our ancestors.”
From that day on, my grandfather’s sclera turned red.
My grandfather took me and we walked, begging along the way.
The mountains got higher and the roads got more difficult to walk.
That night, we stayed in a dilapidated Taoist temple.
Half – asleep and half – awake, I felt someone touching me. I seemed to hear someone talking to my grandfather.
“A prodigy… eighteen years old… spare your life…”
03
When I woke up again, we were actually back in our village.
The people in the village restored their respectful attitude towards my grandfather.
Because my grandfather brought back a lot of money.
And my grandfather promised that as long as he was alive, all the expenses of the village would be borne by him.
The village got rich, and every family built brick – and – tile houses. But then, the screams of women started to be heard in the village again.
The better the life got, the more likely it was to cause trouble.
Occasionally, a few strong young men would come to talk to my grandfather, and the next day, those who made trouble would disappear mysteriously.
Their families didn’t ask anything about it. They were just very happy to take a few boxes of money from my grandfather.
From then on, my grandfather really changed.
If I was a little disobedient to him, he would beat me severely.
As I got older, he would beat me even harder.
At first, some people would persuade him. There were even rumors that I wasn’t my grandfather’s biological grandson.
Not long ago, my grandfather didn’t recover even after drinking my blood. His mood got worse day by day.
He couldn’t lift the whip to whip me, so he made me kneel in the sun and暴晒 (be exposed to the sun).
The village head accidentally saw this and came to persuade him.
“Master Zhao, the child is almost sixteen. Think about finding a woman for him. When a man has a woman, his temper won’t be so bad. Maybe he’ll be more filial to you.”
04
The guests who came today were two women. One had short hair and looked heroic, and the other had long hair and was enchanting.
“Whether it’s a boy or a girl doesn’t matter. We just want a child.”
Before leaving, the long – haired woman said: “Little brother, you’re so young, but you’re already famous. Your craftsmanship is really worthy of its reputation.”
I smiled and replied to her: “I’m not young. I’ll be eighteen years old tomorrow.”
At dinner, I made several sumptuous dishes and warmed a pot of good wine.
When I went down to the granary, I saw that the place around my grandfather was in a mess.
There was feces mixed with urine and food scraps.
Although it was disgusting, after all, this was the last night, so I forced myself to endure it.
When my grandfather saw me coming down, he trembled with excitement.
I was happy to see this.
“Grandpa, it seems you haven’t forgotten that tomorrow is the day I come of age.”
“That’s right. You surely won’t forget such an important day. After all, this is the day you promised to the old Taoist.”
My grandfather tilted his mouth and pointed at me with his finger.
“You… you… How did you…”
I poured a glass of wine for my grandfather.
“I can overlook all the things you’ve done. But, Grandpa, you should never have tried to kill me before I turned eighteen.”
“Stop stuttering. I’ve long noticed that you wanted to kill me.”
05
On the night when my grandfather and I were hiding in the Taoist temple.
The “immortal way” originally took a fancy to me because I was a prodigy with an all – yang horoscope. He originally wanted to take my grandfather’s life immediately.
It was my grandfather who promised to work for him, offer tributes to him, and raise me until I was eighteen.
At that time, I was small and thin. My grandfather deliberately said that I was five years old when I was actually seven.
The “immortal way” saw through it but didn’t expose it.
Just like that, my grandfather lived a life like a local tyrant for more than ten years.
He could do whatever he wanted to the people and things in the village.
Of course, he was also very dedicated to the things the “immortal way” asked him to do.
Most of the money he earned was given to the immortal way.
But my grandfather was ultimately reluctant to “step down.”
A year ago, my grandfather started giving me sleeping pills. Then, while I was asleep, he took my blood.
And he applied a very small amount of poison to my wound.
That day, probably because I had diarrhea, the sleeping pills in my body were excreted.
So when my grandfather was taking my blood and applying the poison, I noticed it.
…
When I gradually figured out all the truths, a once – in – a – lifetime opportunity happened to come.
I was just worried that I couldn’t find a suitable opportunity to show my merit in front of the “immortal way” so as to replace my grandfather in advance.
That’s when Ping’an appeared.
06
At first, his sunshine and straightforwardness really infected me.
Until I also discovered his secret.
What’s right way or evil way? They can say whatever they want.
So I took the opportunity to get rid of Ping’an to prove my intelligence and courage to the “immortal way” and show my loyalty to the “immortal way.”
After hearing this, my grandfather shrank into the corner of the wall.
I picked up the wine pot, pinched his cheeks, and poured the whole pot of wine into my grandfather’s mouth.
“Rest in peace, Grandpa. I put a talisman in the wine. I guarantee you won’t be lonely on the way to the underworld.”
“All those who died because of you will accompany you on your way!”
07
When I came out of the granary, it was exactly 12 o’clock at midnight.
Early the next morning, I packed my things and left this deep mountain where I was born and raised.
The only other time I left here was when my grandfather and I were driven out of the village that year.
Now I want to donate this money to those who really need it and go out to see the outside world.
…
