Chapter 4: Lighting the Lantern to Question the Ghosts (Part 1)

"Uncle Zhou, my old man says that a boy has gold beneath his knees and should not kneel easily, but I truly have no other choice. " As he spoke, my father wiped away a tear, and my mother followed suit, clearly having made up their minds that today they must seek help from Widow Zhou.

What are you laughing at? My mother thinks that even if she were given ten laying hens here, she still wouldn't be able to smile

On the table were some food items, though it was unclear for whom they were intended. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a brazier on the ground, containing some ashes. My mother immediately recognized the situation, stating that this was precisely what would be left after burning paper money.

Then, Widow Zhou furrowed her brows again, her eyes and the corners of her brows displaying a look of astonishment. Following that, she began to mutter something with a peculiar emphasis, her words tumbling out at such a rapid pace that my mother could not make out what Widow Zhou was saying at all

My mother quickly nodded timidly in agreement. The villagers placed great importance on promises, and had it not been for some events that occurred later, my mother would never have revealed everything that happened in the house

On Tuesday, the old man relented; he no longer opposed it and simply said: "Old Chen, you get up first. How things will proceed will be decided by my sister-in-law. It’s not appropriate for you to kneel like this; I will step out first."

Fortunately, Widow Zhou was very familiar with this room. After a rustling sound, light finally filled the room, as Widow Zhou had lit an oil lamp.

It feels like my mother cannot describe it; if she had to say something, it would be like holding someone else's hand while swatting a mosquito.

The ability of Widow Zhou to conduct affairs in the shadowy realm generally follows a rule: no men are allowed to enter the west wing. If there are any issues, only female relatives are permitted to inquire. There are even instances when Widow Zhou allows certain women to take a glance inside the west wing, after which they are promptly ushered out.

The light from this oil lamp is very dim, yet it is sufficient for my mother to see the arrangement of the room. I noticed that this room has no windows, and thick black cloth is hung all around the walls, though I do not know the reason for this.

After a short while, my mother noticed a change in Widow Zhou's expression; she was smiling. That smile was a very gentle one, characteristic of women and - illustrations - a unique smile. However, in this eerie environment, under the dim light, that smile sent chills down my mother's spine

Sigh, I won't worry about it anymore; let my eldest daughter-in-law decide for herself. Old Master Zhou sighed, called out to Old Madam Zhou, and then the elderly couple turned and went to the bedroom

My father, following her words, wiped his tears with his sleeves. In contrast, my mother remained much calmer. She looked at Widow Zhou and said, "Yuehong (the name of Widow Zhou), we are both mothers. Look at my son; he is just over a month old and has already been tormented to this extent. As a mother, my heart feels as if it is being cut every day."

At that moment, my grandfather had no time to remind Old Master Zhou of anything and could only strike down with a hoe. Upon hearing the noise, Old Master Zhou turned around and saw my grandfather. Following my grandfather's gaze downward, he was immediately drenched in cold sweat, as the half-sliced creature was still writhing on the ground, clearly not yet dead.

A few minutes later, my mother, holding me, was led into the west wing by Widow Zhou, while my father could only wait outside

Moreover, conveying these words to a person was also requested by Widow Zhou; this is a matter for later discussion and shall be set aside for now

My mother finally let go of Widow Zhou. Waiting in this oppressive darkness is an uncomfortable experience; every minute feels like a year. This room feels so uncomfortable for my mother. Under normal circumstances, she would have turned around and left long ago; she is not a bold person.

Beside the other food items, there is a radish that has already wilted, with a few remnants of fragrance on it

Upon entering the west wing, my mother saw Widow Zhou squatting on the ground burning paper. While she was burning it, she muttered incantations, evidently having just retrieved the paper money from beneath the bed.

"Are you curious about what is happening with your son?" Widow Zhou began to speak, and strangely, she no longer hiccupped. Her speech was slow, yet her enunciation was clear. However, her voice sounded unusually strained; it was clearly Widow Zhou's voice, but it felt as if someone else was speaking.

One can look up at Widow Zhou, who indeed elicits pity; her eyes are tightly shut, not daring to open them, and her face is as pale as a sheet of paper.

"Uh... Xiuyun... Uh... Did you see... Uh... You can't say anything... Uh... The only thing you can say... Uh... Is what I will tell you later... Do you remember?" Widow Zhou said to my mother very seriously. Although the sound of her hiccups made her words sound uncomfortable and somewhat comical, it did not diminish the severity of her message.

"Yuehong, my child..." My mother, concerned about my situation, immediately asked as soon as she sat down

My mother does not remember the exact words, but the general idea is clear

My father held me in his arms, and indeed wanted to ask again, but in the end, he opened his mouth but said nothing, and turned to look for Zhou Er.

Moreover, the reasons for this, aside from my father's kneeling, also include my father mentioning my late grandfather. My grandfather had a close relationship with Old Master Zhou in his youth, which stemmed from the fact that my grandfather once saved Old Master Zhou.

Of course, the main reason is that the house is too dark, and my mother cannot see at all

"Yuehong, why do I feel so uneasy? It feels as if something is watching me." At that moment, the only person my mother could rely on was Widow Zhou. She tightly grasped the hem of Widow Zhou's garment and refused to leave the doorway of the west wing.

My mother has never seen such a scene; this house is draped with thick curtains, and there isn't a single window. Where could the wind possibly come from

After speaking, on Tuesday, only our family of three and Widow Zhou remained in the main room

Upon entering the room, my mother's first reaction was the darkness, so dark that one could not see their hand in front of their face. Next came the cold; normally, a cold room in winter is to be expected, but this cold was different from the usual chill. It was a kind of damp cold, more psychological in nature, sending shivers down one's spine.

In this situation, how could my mother dare to be negligent? She quickly hugged me and sat back in her original position.

"I will give you some money; once you take it, do not come back here and do not cause any trouble. We are all on the same path, and it is even harder for me..." In short, Widow Zhou kept repeating these words, and the more my mother listened, the more unnerved she became

And - picture - book "No, I can't explain it clearly right now. You take the child and go find Zhou Er to chat, don't stand in the yard and let the child get cold, I still need to go inside." My mother didn't have time to say much; she hurried inside to ask Widow Zhou what was going on, briefly instructed my father, and then headed towards the west wing.

At this moment, continuing to kneel would be a disservice to Widow Zhou's blessings. My mother stood up while holding me and then pulled my father, saying: "Old Chen, get up, it is no longer appropriate to kneel."

"Bring the son over here, let me take a look first," said Widow Zhou in a calm tone with that peculiar intonation.

What was even more terrifying was that after Widow Zhou finished her muttering, she began to babble in a language my mother could not understand. As soon as her words fell, a gust of wind swept through the room, swirling in a total of seventeen or eighteen times before finally settling down

On Tuesday, they had already pulled my father over, and even Old Lady Zhou stood on her tiptoes and hurried over, grabbing my father's arm and saying, "Child, you can't do this."

But my mother wouldn't dare to concern herself with such matters. In her eyes, those who can perform 'magic' are very extraordinary individuals, deserving of respect. Moreover, my son's affairs are of utmost importance. Upon hearing the widow Zhou ask this way, my mother quickly nodded in agreement.

It is said to be unfamiliar, yet my mother feels it is not unfamiliar. Why is it not unfamiliar? My mother cannot articulate the reason.

At that moment, Widow Zhou was sitting on a stool beside the table, waving to my mother, signaling her to come over

"Not afraid... um... I will go light the lamp..." Widow Zhou continued to say while hiccupping.

My mother took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and walked over to me. She sat down on a stool opposite Widow Zhou, which was also the only remaining stool in the room

This is quite different from the abilities of other mediums.

My mother once again walked to the table and sat down. This time, Widow Zhou's words were no longer in the strange, mumbling tone they had at the beginning, so my mother was able to clearly understand what Widow Zhou was muttering about

Fortunately, my father is a younger generation, so it does not really violate any taboos. However, how could Old Master Zhou feel at ease with a man kneeling before him

After my mother agreed, Widow Zhou closed her eyes. My mother did not know what Widow Zhou was doing, so she could only wait quietly

The only thing that can provide a sense of warmth in the end is that bed, which is surprisingly well arranged, with a simple and clean white background adorned with blue flowers on the reverse side

When the wind finally calmed down, Widow Zhou sat back on her stool. She looked at my mother and inexplicably said, "Just wait a moment."

The people in the mountains remember kindness. When my father brought this up, how could Old Lady Zhou still save face? Therefore, he willingly allowed the whole family to take this risk

In this process, the most peculiar aspect was that Widow Zhou kept her eyes closed the entire time, and after she began to laugh, her head was constantly turned in another direction

My mother was both worried and curious, but she dared not be negligent. She responded with a sound, picked me up, and exited the west wing.

My mother is just an unremarkable village woman, and this scene has frightened her to the point where her entire body is covered in goosebumps. I don't know how much courage it took for her to sit here, watching this bizarre spectacle.

My mother was startled by this sudden change, her heart tightened and then sank. If Widow Zhou is like this, what kind of formidable trouble has my son gotten into?

My mother felt a surge of joy, quickly stood up to embrace me, and walked in front of Widow Zhou, unveiling the swaddling.

This is essentially Lord Zhou assisting my father, after all, with Widow Zhou having lost her husband, the Zhou family cherishes this daughter-in-law. How could they possibly instruct Widow Zhou to do this or that? That would be bullying a widow and her orphaned child. Given that the conversation has reached this point, Lord Zhou has already done his utmost.

"First take the child outside, and then you can come in and talk," said Widow Zhou, ignoring my mother's question. She repeatedly urged my mother to take me outside, then walked to the bedside, squatted down, as if searching for something under the bed.

However, for my sake, my mother went all out. In the absence of my father, she firmly believes that she is my only hope

In the mountain village, there are many snakes. Once, while Old Master Zhou was working in the fields, my grandfather happened to pass by and witnessed a rat snake (golden-ringed snake) preparing to attack Old Master Zhou from behind. Generally speaking, venomous snakes do not actively attack humans unless someone steps on them or approaches their eggs.

What is universally shared is motherhood. Upon hearing this from my mother, Widow Zhou immediately felt a pang of empathy, quickly waving her hand and stammering, "Uh... Xiuyun... uh... please don't... uh... say that anymore... uh... actually... uh... I do want to help... uh... it's just that I was worried... uh... too much before. Tonight... uh... I will lend you a hand."

The furnishings in the room are also quite simple; the original furniture has likely been moved out long ago, leaving only a bed, a table, and two stools.

Upon hearing Widow Zhou's words, my parents were immediately overjoyed. They did not quite understand what it meant to pass through the underworld; they simply wished that Widow Zhou would immediately "set up a platform for rituals." They believed that whatever supernatural powers were involved, it was essential to "set up a platform for rituals."

Finally, Widow Zhou stopped her incessant muttering, and her expression relaxed. Then, Widow Zhou's whole body trembled, and she turned her head. She looked at my mother and opened her eyes.

The moment she opened her eyes, my mother was somewhat taken aback. She was familiar with Widow Zhou from the same village, but the reason for her surprise was that my mother felt that the person before her, from the instant Widow Zhou opened her eyes, did not resemble Widow Zhou herself.

Moreover, did Widow Zhou not always know that she needed to observe her son's situation

Tears welled up in my mother's eyes, and she was truly terrified. Yet at the same time, she was making a concerted effort to hold back, believing that for the sake of her child, she could not afford to be afraid.

At that moment, a strange thing happened. As Widow Zhou's gaze fell upon my small face, she suddenly let out a sharp scream, tightly closed her eyes, and shouted, "Take the child away, take the child away"

As soon as I stepped out of the room, I saw my father pacing back and forth in the yard, looking anxious. The moment my mother came out, my father hurriedly approached her, saying: "Xiuyun, has our son been taken care of?"

Thus, my mother finally entered the overly mysterious west wing that had been rendered by Widow Zhou.

My mother is not foolish; this statement is clearly directed at that thing. How could Widow Zhou and those things be on the same path?