Chapter 1, Temple Fair
I angrily scooped some vegetables into a bowl and got up to sit on the bed to eat
My father retired from the communication office of the cultural relics institute three years ago, and I took his place at work
We have dealt with this old fellow; sometimes, among the fake antiques he sells, there are genuine items hidden. I have always suspected that he has connections with tomb raiders
I don't think so," he said, his cheeks flushing slightly as he mumbled
This is not a statue, this is the real body! he said
The cold raindrops fell onto my neck, and I couldn't help but shiver; the rain has truly begun.
"Xiao Ming, you are back! Silly boy, hurry inside; you will catch a cold if you get wet." The warm call of my father echoed from the living room.
I never eat balut. Watching my father skillfully crack the eggshell, especially as that nimble sixth finger deftly pulls out the downy dead chick from inside, and then he contentedly stuffs it into his mouth to chew, I feel a wave of nausea.
***
"Indeed, Father, what kind of person would carve a pair of conjoined six-fingered twins?" I said, perplexed.
This is the one, I said
On the way home, I gently opened my right palm, and the statue lay quietly in the center of my hand. I could clearly see in the picture that the baby had an extra little finger on its right hand, and my own outstretched fingers also numbered six
The father dabbed at the statue with his sleeve, having gotten a bit of saliva on it, and his expression changed slightly
My gaze swept over the artificially aged antique mirrors, the small Buddha statues adorned with verdigris, and the stone imitation jade bracelets on the stall... Suddenly, I felt a stir in my heart, and my eyes naturally lingered on a small brown statue...
As I savored the delicious stinky tofu, I made my way home through the bustling crowd of tourists. Unintentionally, I caught sight of an antique stall at the base of the temple wall, and the vendor was none other than the one-eyed old man, Xiao. Thus, I approached to take a look.
I am an artifact inspector at the county cultural relic management office. How could I take someone else's belongings for free? I felt my pocket and found only twenty yuan, so I took it out and threw it to the old man Xiao. Holding the statue, I turned and left, faintly hearing the old man Xiao's cold laughter behind me.
"Hey, old Xiao, what kind of real nonsense have you gotten into this time?" I said while eating stinky tofu
At the temple fair, that one-eyed old man Xiao who traffics in cultural relics, I replied
In an ancient small county town in Xiangxi, the Yuan River flows gently southward around the city. In front of the City God Temple at the North Gate, there is a temple fair held on the first day of each month, the origins of which even the elderly cannot recall. Since childhood, I have enjoyed attending the temple fairs, where various snacks were available in front of the City God Temple. The air was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of fried stinky tofu, a flavor that has permanently lingered in my childhood memories
I gazed at his increasingly hunched back, his hands trembling as they held the dish basin, and my heart warmed
My home is located in the southern corner of the county town, a three-room old house built in the early years of the Republic of China. The old gray-tiled roof is covered with over a foot long wild grass, and the ancient blue brick walls bear the scars of time, engraved with the marks of its long history. There is a small courtyard with a pebble ground, and beside the courtyard wall stands a gnarled and wrinkled plum tree, which is said to be even older than the old house.
"Father, let me do it." I hurriedly stepped forward to take it over
I leaned in to observe closely, and indeed, there were some uneven areas on the back of the naked infant, along with scars that resembled marks left by someone forcibly pulling them away.
"Your mother is the most beautiful girl in our county..." My father always says this, and then he straightens his shoulders, at which point his eyes become much brighter than usual
Today is the first day of the month again. I looked up at the window, and from afar, I heard a few muffled rumbles of thunder on the horizon. The wind stirred up the dust, carrying a hint of the smell of rain. The clouds grew increasingly dark, signaling that the mountain rain was about to arrive
What happened, Father? I looked at my father in surprise
Father's gaze was indeed drawn to the statue, his face filled with curiosity and confusion. He counted the fingers on the baby's right hand and muttered to himself, "Oh, this child also has six fingers? Xiaoming, where did you get this from?"
"Hey, where can you find anything genuine? It's just a few antique-style ornaments, not worth a couple of coins." Old Xiao chuckled twice, his face beaming with a smile
What is this bone made of? It doesn't seem to be ivory. I speculated, as ivory should be brownish-yellow
"Father, what do you think this is?" I quickly changed the subject and took out the antique nude baby statue from my bosom.
"Dad, you haven't brushed your teeth again, it smells terrible," I said, wrinkling my brow as I caught a whiff of my father's breath.
A trace of pain and helplessness flashed across my father's aged face, and in that moment, I felt a twinge of guilt within me
I reached out and picked it up; it was a bone statue of a naked infant covered in green moss. The craftsmanship was exquisite and lifelike, especially the fine layer of fuzz that grew on the top of the baby's head
I looked up at the wall clock; it was nearly five o'clock in the afternoon. I hurriedly tidied up my desk and slipped out the door, heading straight for the North Gate City God Temple.
What about the other half?" the father inquired
This old man is cunning; only a fool would believe him
My father also has six fingers on his right hand, which is said to be a hereditary trait of the Huangfu family, passed down for many generations. I have never seen my mother; she was from the Lower Yangtze region and had a beautiful name, Miao Jindi, but my father has never been willing to speak much about her, perhaps fearing it would evoke painful memories. My mother died during childbirth, and my father never remarried, raising me alone through great hardship, experiencing the vicissitudes of life. Every year during the Qingming Festival, my father would take me to pay respects at my mother's grave in the Black Pine Forest, sitting there alone, sighing deeply. Each time, I would feel heartbroken for several days.
Ah, this is a new batch of goods, not worth much. If you like it, I will give it to you." Old Xiao, seeing that I was somewhat enamored, blinked his one eye and said dismissively.
The father turned it over and looked at it, then pointed at the statue and said: "Look at the marks on the back; there should be another one, this is a conjoined twin statue"
"Hmm, this is a boy, and he has a little penis, just like a real one." The father stared intently at the naked infant
The temple fair had not yet completely dispersed, and the old man selling stinky tofu was preparing to pack up. The aroma wafted from the oil pot, and I swallowed hard, quickly stepping forward to purchase the last few skewers that had already been fried.
In addition to green vegetables and dried tofu on the dining table, there was, as usual, a plate of soft-boiled eggs, which were my father's favorite. The incubation period for chicken eggs is generally 21 days, and my father specifically went to a poultry farmer to select soft-boiled eggs that were about 14 days old. He would boil them in clean water, peel the shells, and eat them with a sprinkle of salt, accompanied by a pot of steaming rice wine. At such times, I would see the wrinkles on his aged face gradually relax, and he would begin to speak more.
"Hello, Huangfu Xiaoming, I have something to attend to, so I will leave first." The elderly director, whose hair was already somewhat graying, called out to me, picked up his briefcase, and walked straight out of the county cultural relics office.