Chapter 2: The Extraordinary Vigil

The elder brother dug a few times slowly and soon revealed a jar about the size of a bowl. Before long, he took it out; it was indeed a small black jar.

If it is truly the manifestation of my father, he will surely appear again; let us wait and see! I did not expect that my own words would lead to this, and I could only respond to my elder brother in this manner, hoping that scene would reoccur

Thinking of the old man's lifetime of hard work, striving to ensure the family has enough to eat and wear, braving the wind and rain, dedicating his life to the fields, getting up before dawn to plow, plant, or weed, and reluctant to stop working even after dark... He sacrificed his own needs to support a large family, which was no easy task. Even in his later years, he was still concerned about the drought and flood conditions of the crops... My elder brother and I stood before the spirit tablet, tears streaming down our faces, feeling a deep sense of sorrow... He sacrificed his own needs to support a large family, which was no easy task. Even in his later years, he was still concerned about the drought and flood conditions of the crops... My elder brother and I stood before the spirit tablet, tears streaming down our faces, feeling a deep sense of sorrow...

I looked at my elder brother, who gestured for me to remain silent

Perhaps the elder saw us suffering and felt unable to bear it, wanting to comfort us with a few words. Perhaps he knew he would be leaving this place tomorrow, thus feeling particularly nostalgic. Perhaps there were still matters he wished to address and could not set his mind at ease. In any case, regardless of the reason, he truly manifested on the last night before leaving this place

My elder brother and I, along with the elder's uncle, are keeping vigil and reading scriptures for the old gentleman

Hu Dadan has not read many books; he has listened to others. Since childhood, he has followed his godfather to practice boxing and martial arts, handling knives and guns. In his early years, he worked as a bodyguard. Although he is not particularly skilled in the necessary farming tools like plows and hoes, he excels in hunting in the mountains, fishing in the waters, and slaughtering pigs and cattle. He is a robust man, full of courage.

The elder brother said nothing further, merely raised his spirits and kept a close watch on the spirit tablet.

As I understood it, my elder brother and I brought two shovels and began to dig in the general direction indicated by the old man’s finger

As the words were spoken, the cloud of smoke gradually faded and dissipated. The pair of white candles also slowly brightened and returned to normal.

As we reflect on the hardships endured by the elder during his lifetime, and with tomorrow marking the day we lay him to rest, I suddenly felt a chill run through me, as if my hair stood on end. I glanced at my elder brother, who seemed to shiver slightly as well. He was looking at me, and our eyes met, both of us recognizing the astonishment in each other's gaze

After the seventh day, the matter was concluded. My elder brother and I began discussing the phenomenon of the old man's spirit manifesting, believing that our father must have passed away unexpectedly, leaving some matters unaddressed, which is why he appeared to give us a hint.

It turns out that our frugal father, who saved diligently throughout his life, had accumulated this bag of silver dollars, reluctant to spend them. Because he left us suddenly without any instructions, even after his death, he was still worrying about my brother and me

After three days of vigil, although I forced myself to stay alert, my energy was ultimately beyond my control, and gradually I became somewhat dazed

I wondered if something was buried underground in front of the spirit, and I pointed to that area with my hand to indicate that I understood. At that moment, the figure's expression gradually relaxed and became faint, eventually disappearing.

That night, my elder brother and I had a little to eat and then sat in front of the mourning hall to keep vigil for the old man for the last night. According to the customs of the time, after tonight, we would have to lay the old man to rest tomorrow.

Ah, brother, look..." I exclaimed in a rush of anxiety.

Although Hu Dadan's encounter was somewhat terrifying, he was, after all, facing his own relatives. While it was frightening, they ultimately would not cause harm. In comparison to the sow spirit I encountered later that night, it can truly be said that this was a minor issue compared to a major one

The elderly man did not allow me and my elder brother to see him, and there were no abnormalities or sounds coming from the coffin in the hall

The two days leading up to the vigil were quite ordinary; the old gentleman passed away peacefully at the age of eighty-four without suffering much. In the family, this can be considered a joyful occasion. Having four generations under one roof, the old gentleman should have left this world with peace of mind.

After the cold wind passed, the pair of white candles gradually dimmed, flickering intermittently. Amidst the smoke in front of the spirit, a vague figure appeared, gradually becoming clearer, resembling my late father. However, his expression seemed urgent, as he gestured downward with his hand, indicating something. My elder brother and I, though we dared not speak, both wore expressions of astonishment, unsure of what concerns the old man still had.

The main hall in front of the spirit tablet is very solid. I dug down two feet deep and still did not find anything. Just as I was about to give up, my shovel let out a "creak" sound, as if I had struck a stone.

But that shadow never uttered a word, perhaps it was unable to speak; in any case, it kept pointing anxiously at the ground with a worried expression on its face

What are you panicking about? I saw it long ago; let's see what the matter is. Look at how you're acting all flustered; isn't there nothing left? The older brother was quite angry with my recklessness

Just as we were filled with astonishment and uncertainty, amidst the ethereal smoke before us, the indistinct visage of our late father unexpectedly emerged. Although it was somewhat blurred and not entirely clear, the likeness was strikingly realistic, identical to how he appeared in life. Moreover, he seemed to be looking at us with a sense of urgency, his lips moving as if he wished to convey something to us.

Before the hall, the two white candles flickered a few times, and the candlelight gradually dimmed, yet it did not extinguish. The incense smoke in front of the spirit slowly tilted from vertical to drift backward.

Just as I was feeling drowsy, a cold wind blew in through the door behind me, causing me to shiver suddenly, and instantly, all my sleepiness vanished

Slowly removing the seal, inside was a ball of oil paper, wrapped in three layers inside and three layers outside. Upon opening it, my brother and I couldn't help but shed tears again.

I tugged at my collar, no longer feeling sad or crying, just like my elder brother, I perked up my ears to listen to the sounds around me

If the cough from that grave makes us hesitant to categorically deny the existence of supernatural entities, then the extraordinary experience of Hu Dadan, the father of the big fool, in guarding the spirit has led us to begin to entertain doubts.

Regarding the origin of the nickname "Hu Dadan," it is said that there was a haunting in the small temple at the edge of the village. Many people heard cries of injustice coming from inside at night, but when they went in to check, they found it empty. This gradually caused considerable anxiety among the villagers. In the end, it was Hu Dadan himself who took a quilt and bravely spent a night in that haunted temple, which resolved the villagers' fear of ghosts.

On the third night of the vigil, strange events began to unfold

We stopped crying and looked around.

The year when Da Sha's grandfather passed away, Da Sha and his brothers were still young, living from one meal to the next. The old man was in good health in the afternoon, but suddenly fell ill by evening, leaving no time to impart a final word to his descendants before he departed

After midnight, the incense at the altar had burned down to only two fingers high, remaining calm and undisturbed. A pair of white candles illuminated the mourning hall as if it were broad daylight. I stepped forward to replace the incense stick and then returned to my seat.

There was not a breath of wind outside the door, and the mourning hall was equally still, with no one moving about. The smoke from the incense, which rose straight up, unexpectedly began to drift backward. My elder brother and I were quite astonished, exchanging glances as we focused intently on the spirit tablet in front of us. Yet, we felt no fear at all, for even if there were any disturbances, it would be the spirit of our late father manifesting. Thus, apart from the nostalgia and longing for our father, we felt nothing else. In fact, we even hoped for our father's spirit to appear, to inform us of any matters that needed arranging, or to tell us where we should go in the future and how to honor him properly.

Hu Dadan has always expressed with great seriousness that, having spent most of his life not believing in ghosts or deities, the strange occurrences that took place during the night of the vigil are indeed no exaggeration. This is a fact that he personally experienced and is absolutely true; he would never joke about his deceased relatives. The following is Hu Dadan's account, presented in the first person as per convention, where "I" refers to Hu Dadan himself