Chapter 1, City God Temple
Indeed, quite impressive; even the teacher could see it. I was surprised that she could discern my profession at a glance
"Is the teacher here? Did the old lady not come today?" The same sound, yet the meanings are worlds apart
An "old corpse," as the name suggests, should refer to either a corpse of an elderly person or a body that has been dead for a long time. In Shanghai, cremation has been implemented for many years, and the regulations are extremely strict, so an old corpse should have no place to hide. Furthermore, an old corpse is, after all, a corpse; how could it possibly come to my home? Would it take a bus or a taxi?
As I took out the key and was about to insert it into the lock of the courtyard door, the door suddenly opened silently from the inside
"Sir, you carry a heavy aura of negativity; it is likely that your household will soon face some misfortune." The fortune teller was an old woman, her face lined with wrinkles, and her piercing gaze was fixed intently upon me
She loves my father, and therefore loves us as well. It is evident that she regards this home as her refuge and haven in her later years
I have a harmonious and happy family. My wife is beautiful and virtuous, my son is 13 years old and excels in his studies. My father and stepmother live with us, and we have always upheld the values of respecting the elderly and loving the young, creating a joyful atmosphere.
"Dead?" I was taken aback, a chill running down my neck
The stepmother is an old maid
Years passed in the blink of an eye, and she, in a dazed and confused state, returned to Shanghai following the tide of people going back home, where she was assigned to the Longhua Funeral Home. The first time she saw a dead body, it was that of a drowned man, swollen and deformed; she was so frightened that she wet her pants, and for many consecutive days, she was plagued by nightmares. These were the things she told my father
"You seem a bit unusual today." Under the moonlight, a pale halo glimmered in the depths of her eyes
Under the archway of the City God Temple, the place where I encountered the old woman yesterday, today there is an old gentleman who practices fortune-telling, also with a face full of wrinkles
I laughed, utter nonsense
In fact, being an old corpse is quite hard... the stepmother muttered to herself.
"Alright, I'll listen to what you have to say." I squatted down
***
"You asked me first." I feel that this old woman is a bit strange, and I am unwilling to pay her any more attention, so I stand up and leave
My smile has frozen
I burst out of the door and rushed towards the City God Temple
The old woman fixed her gaze on my face and then muttered to herself, "Strange, it turns out to be an 'old corpse'."
"Is the gentleman the old corpse that came here last night?" The old gentleman seemed to possess a prophetic insight
This is an old piece of yellowed paper, on the front of which is drawn a red cinnabar talisman, while the back hastily bears a few lines of crooked writing, the handwriting being extremely messy: Young man, what you have at home is a thousand-year-old corpse with a very strong malevolent aura. In case of danger, burn this talisman, mix it into tea, and trick it into drinking; this will force the old corpse out of the body. If that does not work, you must wait for the night of the full moon, during the hour of the rat, when it sheds its skin, and pour Shanxi aged vinegar to kill it. Remember this. If that does not work, you must still wait for the night of the full moon, during the hour of the rat, when it sheds its skin, and pour Shanxi aged vinegar to kill it. Remember this.
I remain silent; this remarkably skilled old woman has fallen victim to foul play, and I am no match for that ancient corpse from a thousand years ago
As time went by, she gradually became accustomed to it. Her job involved applying makeup to corpses, which is certainly a subset of the beauty industry, referred to as a mortician makeup artist. This profession is relatively lucrative, but it poses significant challenges when it comes to dating. Considering her elderly and ailing parents who require financial support, she gritted her teeth and persevered.
This persistence has lasted for over twenty years. Both parents have passed away, and she continues to live alone in this world. Her youth has faded, and her later years are likely to be lonely and desolate, until one day she encounters her father.
"There must be someone in your family who deals with corpses all day long," the old woman said coldly behind me
You are the one who is abnormal, I thought to myself. While cautiously observing her teeth, I looked to see if they had become sharper or longer
I am referring to a corpse, an old corpse
I have always wanted to talk to you she looked into my eyes
The next morning, I put on a set of comfortable sportswear. Today is the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, the night of the full moon, and I must take action; I cannot just sit idly by. After arriving at school and requesting leave, I headed straight to the City God Temple.
I aimlessly searched inside and outside the City God Temple
My wife and children are sound asleep, I gently hold the door, then hide in bed, remaining awake throughout the night
My father's stepmother is over ten years younger than him and got married earlier this year. She lives with us, a young couple, in an old-style bungalow. The stepmother treats us and the child very well, often bringing back fish and meat, and also giving the grandson some snacks and books. On my birthday, she gifted me a computer, which made my wife and child extremely happy. Every meal, the stepmother continuously serves dishes into our bowls.
Such a good person cannot possibly be a corpse
***
I remember it was a dim evening, and as I was leaving work, I passed by Yuyuan, also known as Chenghuang Temple. A light rain began to fall from the sky, and I took shelter under the archway. By chance, I locked eyes with a fortune teller squatting under the eaves.
Suddenly, a premonition struck my heart. The old corpse had killed the old woman, and must have known about my meeting with her long ago. Why did it leave me alive? Was it perhaps out of consideration for my father, making it difficult to act against me? Fine, before you make your move, I will strike first, for the sake of my wife and children, as well as for my father
How did she die
I felt a tightness in my chest, and my whole body broke out in a sweat, it was a cold sweat
Upon returning home, I opened my computer and typed the words "old corpse" into the Baidu search engine. To my surprise, there were indeed quite a few entries, but they all pertained to a Hong Kong film titled "The Old Corpse of the Mountain Village." However, there was not a single piece of information regarding the scientific explanation of what an "old corpse" is or how to deal with it.
On the night of the full moon, at the stroke of midnight. The day of the ancient corpse's shedding... The old woman's words suddenly echoed in my ears
"Killed by someone, right here in the throat. A mouth was drawn on the corpse's face with a red pen," the old gentleman said淡淡的.
"If you don't believe me, why are you asking?" The old woman said, her face full of displeasure
Oh, I spoke too much during the lecture today. I hope I can keep it from her. I am too tired; I want to go back to my room and rest first. Without waiting for her response, I turned around and left without daring to look back.
I bought a small bucket of Shanxi aged vinegar, tore off the label, stood up straight, and said, come on, tonight we will fight to the death
In that fiery era, amidst the wave of educated youth going to the countryside, she bid farewell to her ailing parents, resolutely shouldered her backpack, and boarded the train heading south, arriving at the Yunnan Production and Construction Corps
Do not speak nonsense; how can 'old corpse' be something that is casually mentioned
"Did you say 'old corpse'? What is an old corpse? I don't believe it at all." I felt incredulous
"She left a letter for you." The old gentleman took out a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to me
I ate in silence, and although I did not raise my eyes, I still sensed the rather strange gaze of my stepmother. When I left the dining table and returned to my room after the meal, I felt a tingling and cool sensation on my back, and I was certain that she was staring at me
***
Looking up at the sky, there were only sparse raindrops, and I turned to leave
***
I suddenly realized the meaning of that and quickly covered my mouth
"By the way, how did you know I came by last night, and that I was the teacher?" I regained my composure
There is a corpse in my house
I looked up at the night sky, where a bright moon shone, its light soft and gentle, like tender water, perfectly round... Suddenly, I instinctively raised my hand to protect my throat, feeling a slight itch in that area
A cold breath was drawn in, causing a tingling sensation on the scalp and a chill running down the spine
At midnight, I dragged my weary legs and walked home in disappointment
The entire calendar affixed to the living room wall has 12 marks drawn in red ink, each marking a date that corresponds to the fifteenth day of the lunar month, the night of the full moon
"What does it mean to provoke a teacher? I am just a teacher," I said with dissatisfaction
She died last night The old man let out a long sigh
During dinner, I was somewhat distracted
Discussing the night of the full moon. Did you see the calendar on the living room wall? There are 12 lunar fifteenths in a year, 12 nights of the full moon, which will occur 12 times..." The stepmother halted her words, her eyes fixed on my neck
"Talk, talk about what?" My legs are trembling slightly
Under the moonlight, the stepmother's hazy gaze is fixed upon me
I came to a halt; my stepmother married my father only at the beginning of this year. Initially, I only heard that she was involved in beauty services, but later I learned that she was applying makeup to corpses at the Longhua Funeral Home
The depth of the old corpse's concealment, the decisiveness in handling matters, and the ruthlessness of the means employed send shivers down my spine just thinking about it
"What happened to your neck? Why do you keep touching it?" She finally noticed
The stepmother smiled, and I found that smile somewhat eerie; it would be better not to let go of the hand protecting my throat
I lost my mother when I was young; she passed away just a few days after giving birth to me, reportedly due to postpartum complications. My father was a worker in a small factory in the neighborhood, and he raised me alone. After graduating from normal school, I became a teacher
How did you get involved with the 'Old Corpse'? It seems that the old woman is asking herself.
The moonlight is so bright tonight, the stepmother gazes at the full moon, sighing, "Ah, tomorrow will be the fifteenth, another night of the full moon."
I hesitated to step forward, just about to open my mouth to inquire
The old corpse has made a move
Regardless, it is better to ask for clarification first, as the saying goes, "A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall"
I am the teacher, the physics teacher at No. 109 Middle School. I speak with absolute certainty
Under the streetlight, the old woman's figure has vanished.
The cold raindrops fell into my neck, causing me to shiver involuntarily
After taking a few steps, I heard her calling from behind: "On the night of the full moon, at the stroke of midnight. The ancient corpse of a thousand years, the day of shedding its skin. Shanxi aged vinegar, pour it on and kill it. Remember this."
In her hesitation, the old woman spoke again: "It is still not too late; once it is transferred to the child, it will be too late."
I smiled faintly, thinking to myself that I am a high school physics teacher, and that fortune-telling is merely a deceptive trick to swindle money, unworthy of my attention
Nonsense. I left without looking back