Chapter 4, Zhang Duangong encountered an incident

This is the final guidance that Zhang Duan Gong has provided us, and this is also the purpose of our coming here

Zhang Duan Gong has no descendants, so this matter can only be managed with the help of the villagers

The young man said: "When you came here, you must have passed by the graveyard. As soon as you lift your heels, they will seize the opportunity to extend their toes beneath your feet, and then make the living carry them as they walk"

Uncle Er, who has always remained calm in the face of surprises, is now trembling as he speaks: "The world is about to change."

Among the three brothers, the second grandfather is the most fierce one. From a young age, the second grandfather was quite sensible. Even in that era of extreme educational backwardness, grandfather sent the second grandfather to school for a few years, hoping that he would achieve something in the future. However, unexpectedly, after leaving school, he returned to the village to become the village chief, often seen with a pipe in his mouth, imparting his outdated ideas to the village's young people

Suddenly, I heard someone shout a few times behind me. I turned around and was instantly startled; there were actually three people closely pressed against me.

The children are not allowed to be present during the vigil, and my father asked me to return to the house with another elderly person from the village first.

I used to hear my grandfather talk about that Taoist temple, mentioning that there was a stone trough at the entrance, which used to be filled with white rice. At that time, people were poor, and those who ran out of food could go there to scoop a bowl for emergency use, as long as they promised to return a bowl later. However, now that every household has no issues with food and clothing, the stone trough has become useless.

Closing one's eyes signifies detachment from the mortal realm, while having one's feet on the ground reflects a connection to reality. This allows for the possibility of reincarnation, and a serene face is a prayer for being reborn into a good family

Upon entering the Taoist temple, I found that there were no celestial beings or ethereal Taoist priests within; it was dilapidated and had not been inhabited for a long time

This is when I first remember her speaking to me, but it was in such an inappropriate setting

Today was originally overcast, and with such an environment, this place appears even more desolate

The body of Zhang Duan-gong has already been soaked with urine, and the smell of feces is emanating from his body

Neither my father nor I knew what he intended to do, and I stood there in a daze without moving. My father probably just wanted to give it a try, nudging me a bit: "Quick, listen to this brother's words and jump a few times."

I jumped with all my might, but I simply couldn't get off the ground. My father watched anxiously from the side, saying, "Weren't you able to jump so high before? Don't be perfunctory."

Grandfather has fallen, and the words of my second grandfather are the only guiding light.

We did not wait for the next day; that very night, several of us set out with torches in a group towards Zhang Duan's home, leaving Grandma and Grandpa to guard the house.

There is indeed a stone trough next to the main entrance of the Taoist temple, but it has been completely covered by weeds.

The paper reads: People are acting, and heaven is watching. I have done such things, and retribution will come sooner or later. I can no longer assist with Chen Xiao's matter; you should still invite a proper Taoist priest.

Now that I think about it, I should not want my grandmother and them to continue harboring animosity towards my mother, because my mother has never harmed me, and I do not quite believe that she is such a terrible person

I have only just fidgeted a few times

I stared blankly at everything before me, at that time I only knew that Zhang Duan Gong had died, and I didn't think of anything else

Mother is nursing my younger brother and also makes me run

Her eyes were vacant, her teeth chattered a few times, and then she parted her lips to utter that word again: "Run"

However, Zhang Duan Gong does not occupy anything at all

Both my great-uncle and my father felt guilty in their hearts, and they pulled me to kneel before Zhang Duan Gong, bowing our heads in repentance.

However, he was not satisfied and said, "Jump higher."

It is evident that my mother runs into the house every night, and this needs to be resolved as soon as possible

I made a sound and returned to the house under the old man's gaze, but before I reached the house, the old man suddenly exclaimed and turned off the flashlight, then turned and ran away

After saying that, he forcefully kicked open the door. As soon as the door opened, a strong smell of feces wafted out, causing even my father and second grandfather, who often worked in the fields, to shake their heads in disapproval

Great-uncle shouted, and father immediately fell silent

After more than a minute, she finally took a step forward, her body swaying as she walked up to me and extended her hand to pass the baby to me

In the end, they directed their accusations at my family, saying to my father and my second grandfather: "The actions of the Chen family are as disgraceful as they can be. You have treated your daughter-in-law far too poorly; at times, we could hardly bear to watch. She has already passed away, yet you continue to torment her. Now, retribution has come, and it has not only befallen you but has also brought disaster upon Zhang Duan Gong."

I then pinched my nose and looked ahead, instantly becoming dumbfounded

I also followed them inside, but the room was completely empty. The baby was lying peacefully in the crib, and after we entered the room, the baby turned its head and smiled at us.

Zhang Duangong learned the skills of selecting auspicious dates and searching for burial sites from an old Taoist priest at this temple after studying for a few days

In the past, there were quite a few temples in the village, but most of them were demolished during the campaign to eliminate the Four Olds, and now only one remains. At that time, about ten Red Guards attempted to dismantle this temple, disregarding the old priest's advice, and smashed the statues inside the temple. As a result, not long after, several of these Red Guards were either dead or injured. Later, some perceptive individuals noticed the signs and restored the statues, which led to the matter being suppressed.

I do not know whether it was out of fear or for some other reason, but after I took the baby in my arms, I unexpectedly shed tears and murmured, "Mother"

Rural people place great importance on death; when one dies, the eyes must be closed, the heels must touch the ground, and the face must be turned towards the sky, otherwise, they will never be reborn.

I stared at her, and she stared back at me

Father and Second Grandfather both stared at the corpse of Zhang Duan Gong in silence. After a long while, Father finally spoke, saying: "A great sin has been committed"

Great-uncle stepped forward, knocked on the door, and called out: "Zhang Duangong, I am Chen Jiafu"

The young man suddenly lifted me up with one hand after speaking, and then forcefully slammed me down onto the ground

My father is about to state the facts and say that we are here to find the old gentleman of the Taoist temple

After keeping vigil all night, the next morning my father returned home early, holding the baby to seek out a proper Taoist priest. He originally did not intend to take me along, but my great-uncle said, "Every time his mother comes back, she always checks on Xiao Wa. You should take Xiao Wa along to see if there is anything on him that attracts unclean spirits."

However, because it was too late, we did not go to invite a formal Taoist priest that night. Instead, we first helped Zhang Duangong set up the mourning hall. That evening, my father, my second uncle, and some villagers kept vigil for Zhang Duangong.

After enduring this torment time and again, Second Grandpa and the others were also enraged. Grabbing a nearby carrying pole, he angrily declared: "Today, I must see what exactly you intend to do. You wretched person, not even sparing your own child, are you still human?"

When a person dies, they must wear a burial garment. While they were helping Zhang Duangong change into the burial garment, they found a note on his body. The villagers, who were all illiterate farmers, could not understand what was written on it, so they handed the note to Second Grandpa.

When we reached the side of the house, the old man no longer accompanied me and said: "Xiao Wazi, I will watch over you from here, you may go back now"

Uncle Er and the others did not see my mother, so they turned back to ask me: "Xiao boy, what did you just see?"

I turned to the side and saw a person dressed in a bright red robe standing behind a pile of stones at the front of the house; that person was, of course, my mother

Father's despondency interrupted me, as he looked at the baby and said through gritted teeth: "He is not your brother; he is your father's brother, your uncle."

Great-uncle, upon hearing what Father said, turned around and slapped Father across the face, shouting, "Nonsense."

Great-uncle Er and great-uncle Yao are both advanced in age. They were born in the most chaotic era and endured the most terrifying times. Such ghostly and bizarre occurrences no longer frighten them.

However, the young man, after hearing this, chuckled and said, "The old gentleman has passed away, but I can help you take a look." He then turned to me and said, "Little friend, jump a few times, jump as high as you can."

Father thought it made sense, so he let me accompany him as well

Once everything had quieted down, Second Grandpa said: "This matter still requires us to inquire about Zhang Duangong's opinion. Whether this child stays or leaves, our opinions do not matter. Zhang Duangong is an insider; consulting him is what truly counts."

I said with a sense of grievance: "I cannot jump up."

If this baby is indeed my grandfather's son, then he would be my father's brother, my uncle

Uncle Er and the others were momentarily stunned before they set Zhang Duan Gong down, and that very night they informed the people from the nearby villages

Generally, people in the countryside go to bed around 8 o'clock, but even at this late hour, a faint yellow light is still seeping through the crack of the door at Zhang Duan's home

She is holding that baby in her arms, and she is also breastfeeding

After several attempts, Father sighed helplessly: "This is all fate; there is no one to be seen, what a wasted trip."

My father may not fear my grandfather, nor my grandmother, but he is particularly afraid of my second uncle. There are very few in the village who do not fear him

Three people formed a team and quickened their pace towards Zhang Duan's home

At that moment, a young man, approximately in his twenties, walked in from outside. His attire was somewhat different from ours, and his hair was much longer, likely having not been cut for several years. Upon seeing us, he was momentarily taken aback and then asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Additionally, many individuals who die by hanging experience incontinence of both urine and feces after death, and the odor of feces is released only after Zhang Duan Gong's death

It was later learned that when Zhang Duangong passed away, he was lying on his back, but his face was covered with a red cloth, and his feet were not dangling in the air; instead, he was standing on his toes.

On ordinary days, it was Zhang Duan Gong who took charge of the weddings and funerals in the village. Now that something has happened to Zhang Duan Gong, people from the nearby villages have all come. They are all lamenting and sighing, saying that a good person like Zhang Duan Gong should not have died

However, after knocking several times, no one answered the door. Second Uncle muttered, "Oh no, something has happened"

After she finished speaking, she left. I carried the baby into the house, where Grandma and Uncle were in the side room watching Grandpa. It was only after I returned to my own room with the baby that I went to greet Grandma and the others

I surprisingly feel little sensation; instead, I feel a softness under my feet, as if I have stepped on something.

I yearn for the temple that the villagers claim can solve all problems, and I have even envisioned the formal image of a Daoist priest with an ethereal demeanor in my mind, but when I actually arrived at the temple, it was nothing like that at all

Zhang Duan Gong had a rope tied around his neck, hanging from the beam of the house. When the door was opened, a gust of wind blew in, causing Zhang Duan Gong's corpse to sway back and forth in the wind

At that time, I did not know what to think; I did not want my grandmother and Uncle Yao to know that my mother had come back again

Father called several times but received no response, I said: "There is simply no one here"

I listened to her words, quickly ran outside, and stood next to the father and the second grandfather who were discussing how to deal with the baby. Upon seeing me rush out in a fluster, the second grandfather and the others immediately guessed that my mother had returned.

The young man reached out and placed his hand on my shoulder, saying: "You cannot jump up because you are carrying something on your back; I will help you."