Chapter 2: The Gateway of Memory

I made an effort to recall that in 1988, there seemed to be a grandson of Luo Siwei who came to Singapore for a visit, and I covered all the expenses for the entire trip. However, after seven or eight years, as an almost one-hundred-year-old man, I truly cannot remember the details clearly. Although my memory is hazy, I can still see some resemblance to the old man Luo Siwei on the faces of these two individuals in front of me. Yes, they are the grandsons of that old fellow.

Having moved to Singapore for nearly half a century, I have experienced several fortuitous events in my youth that endowed me with a physique stronger than the average person. Although I have already entered my twilight years, the results of my annual health check-ups have consistently indicated that I am in good health, even better than many so-called 'young people' in their fifties and sixties. However, as I approach the age of one hundred, this year's health examination revealed the onset of hypertension, and the doctor advised me to avoid excitement. What has a ninety-seven-year-old not seen? ... How much more excitement can there be ...

I have not dreamed about my hometown for a long time, so why did I suddenly dream of the nightmare that my uncle once spoke of? Has my time come, and am I about to go below to meet him?

At that time, Erlang Temple had only one host Taoist named Lu Wannian. Old Taoist Lu relied on the temple's two acres of land and his fortune-telling services to make a decent living. However, he lacked a disciple to inherit his teachings, and it was just right that he took me in as his little apprentice to carry on the legacy. From then on, my father would give Erlang Temple two dou of sorghum rice each year, leaving his own son in the temple. The following year, he remarried, and a year later, I had an additional half-brother. From then on, my father would give Erlang Temple two dou of sorghum rice each year, leaving his own son in the temple. The following year, he remarried, and a year later, I had an additional half-brother.

No matter what, a son is still one's own flesh and blood. One cannot simply strangle a two-year-old child just because one wishes to remarry. Later, someone suggested to my father that he send me, only two years old, to Erlang Temple near Shenjiabao and adopt me as a godson of Erlang. From that moment on, I began to call Erlang my father... and referred to my biological father as my uncle

Although I cannot perceive the affairs of the outside world, at the very moment of fainting, the door of memory suddenly opened, releasing the long-sealed contents as if they were being projected in a film

The woman’s husband, surnamed Li and named Daolin, had operated a foreign trade business in Tianjin for twenty years and was a well-known wealthy merchant in the Beijing-Tianjin area. Six months ago, he succumbed to a serious illness, and for the past two months, Mrs. Li has been dreaming every night of her deceased husband suffering in the underworld. According to Mrs. Li, Li Daolin had earned a considerable amount of ill-gotten gains during his lifetime in business, and after his death, he was tormented in the underworld. He appeared in dreams to his wife, urging her to select a temple or monastery and donate 10,000 dollars to atone for his sins committed during his lifetime. According to Mrs. Li, Li Daolin had earned a considerable amount of ill-gotten gains during his lifetime in business, and after his death, he was tormented in the underworld. He appeared in dreams to his wife, urging her to select a temple or monastery and donate 10,000 dollars to atone for his sins committed during his lifetime.

In a short period, the news of the Erlang Temple receiving a windfall of ten thousand silver dollars spread within a hundred miles. Not only did it attract the attention of the old Daoist Lu, but even my father, who rarely visited, came to see me, holding my hand and recounting how difficult the past years had been for him. He was discussing whether he could borrow five hundred silver dollars from the old Daoist Bi, promising to repay it after I inherited the temple's assets in the future

"Mr. Shen, did you have a nightmare? Wake up." A woman's Cantonese pulled me back from the nightmare

Moments later, Tao Jie entered with two men in their thirties or forties. Upon seeing the only person in the room, one of the older men hesitated slightly and then directly said: "Grandpa Shen, do you not recognize me? I am Luo Jianguo. It was you who hosted my father when he came to Singapore last year. This is my brother, Luo Jianjun..."

Out of politeness, I smiled and nodded, saying: "I remember... you are Luo Jianguo, the eldest grandson of Old Luo Si. How is that old fellow of your grandfather doing? Last year, when we spoke on the phone, he joked about coming to Singapore to see me. You two aren't here to scout for him, are you?" Although I said this, seeing the expressions on the faces of these two brothers, I already felt a hint of unease in my heart

On the day I was born, there was thunder and lightning, and my wife died in childbirth. When I was a month old, my father, feeling unsettled, sought out the local fortune teller, Sun the Blind, to read my fortune. He said that I was destined to bring misfortune to my mother. This misfortune was particularly malevolent, affecting both my biological mother and my stepmother alike.

Just as I was feeling a bit dazed, Tao Jie entered the room again and said to me: "Shen Sheng, a few guests from the mainland have arrived at the door. They claim to be descendants of your friend Luo Siwei and would like to pay a visit..."

Seeing that I had no further issues, the caregiver named Taojie finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, while wiping the cold sweat from my forehead with a towel, she continued in her somewhat unrefined Mandarin, "Mr. Shen, you were just shouting about ghosts, were you having a nightmare?"

Upon hearing me mention their grandfather, the expressions of the Luo brothers turned sorrowful. Luo Jianguo sighed and said to me, "My grandfather passed away last month. He left us peacefully in his sleep, without suffering. He lived to the age of ninety-eight, which is considered a fortunate passing in our hometown..."

Before Tao Jie could finish her sentence, I excitedly interrupted her: "Lao Si's children? Quickly invite them to the living room... Never mind, Lao Si's children are my children, bring them here to see me. According to the customs of my hometown in Northeast China, guests are to be welcomed directly onto the kang."

Originally, following this path, I only needed to endure for another ten or twenty years, until Master Lü retired, to take over Erlang Temple and become Master Shen. What I did not expect was that in the year I turned ten, Master Lü actually absconded with the money from the temple.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a female nurse in her forties standing in front of me. The television behind her was replaying last night's New Year countdown, and the sunlight was streaming into the room at an angle. It turned out that I had been daydreaming in a recliner. The scene I dreamed of was exactly the same as what Shen Liancheng had told me eighty years ago. After all these years, why would I dream of this... The scene I dreamed of was exactly the same as what Shen Liancheng had told me eighty years ago. After all these years, why would I dream of this...

My name is Shen Lian, and I was born in the 26th year of the Guangxu era (1900). ... During my childhood, I did not experience many good days; my mother, He, passed away during childbirth due to complications.

However, all those who planned to take advantage of the situation had miscalculated, as the master of Erlang Temple, Lu Wannian, had already taken action ahead of them. Just three days after Madam Li sent over the 10,000 silver dollars in banknotes, Lu the Taoist unexpectedly vanished without a trace along with the 10,000 silver dollars. Later, it was reported that someone had seen the shaven-headed Lu the Taoist at the train station in the county town, where he boarded a train bound for Fengtian

After raising me for a year, Master Lü personally taught me to read and write. By the age of five, he began to teach me some martial arts techniques. At seven, he started to impart the serious skills of the old way—reciting incantations and drawing talismans, as well as presenting me with some strange and peculiar texts to memorize. At that time, I inquired with my master about the purpose of learning this, but he did not explain, insisting that his little disciple memorize everything by rote. When I turned ten, he said it was to build my courage, and he set up a makeshift shelter at the mass grave five miles outside of Shenjiabao, instructing me to sleep in the graveyard at night. He did not explain, merely insisting that his little disciple memorize everything by rote. When I turned ten, he said it was to build my courage, and he set up a makeshift shelter at the mass grave five miles outside of Shenjiabao, instructing me to sleep in the graveyard at night.

"Mr. Shen is joking again. With your wealth, how could you possibly owe anyone money?" Aunt Tao has been serving me for several years and knows that this is just a joke. After seeing that I was not seriously harmed, she began to attend to other matters.

After taking Sister Tao's towel and wiping the sweat from my forehead a few times, I gave her a wry smile and said, "You heard wrong, there is no ghost. I dreamt that someone was chasing me for a debt, and it has been going on for nearly fifty years..."

According to what the elder brother of the family said, Madam Li's sum of 10,000 taels was precisely thrown at the Erlang Temple. Thus, the Erlang Temple, under the management of the old Daoist Bi, inexplicably received this large sum of money. Madam Li only stayed at the temple for half a day, and in the presence of local gentry and officials from the county, she handed over the banknotes amounting to 10,000 taels to the old Daoist Bi. After fulfilling her deceased husband's wish, she hurried back to Tianjin

Because my son caused my wife to die, I have never been favored by my biological father since childhood. When I was two years old, my father wanted to take a step forward and marry another wife. However, upon hearing that he had a son who even caused his stepmother's death, no family with daughters in the surrounding villages could tolerate this.

Ten thousand dollars was an astronomical figure at that time. Upon hearing this, the monks and Taoist priests from the temples and altars around Tianjin nearly broke down the threshold of the Li family. In the end, it was Li Daolin's elder brother who came up with an idea: to write the names of all the registered temples and altars in the country on the tiles in the courtyard, and then have Madam Li throw a dollar with her back turned to these names. As long as the dollar landed on the name of a temple or altar, that ten thousand dollars would be given to that particular place. In the end, it was Li Daolin's elder brother who came up with an idea: to write the names of all the registered temples and altars in the country on the tiles in the courtyard, and then have Madam Li throw a dollar with her back turned to these names. As long as the dollar landed on the name of a temple or altar, that ten thousand dollars would be given to that particular place.

It was when I had just celebrated my tenth birthday that a group of over ten men and women from Tianjin suddenly arrived at the temple. Among them, the leader was a woman in her forties, who, after calling for the old Daoist Lu, explained the purpose of their visit.

Old Master Luo Si has passed away Although I was somewhat prepared for it, I still found it hard to accept At that moment, a wave of dizziness swept over me, and my vision went dark, leaving me in complete oblivion

In the beginning, I often cried and wailed throughout the night in fear. My cries were so mournful that those passing by at night could not distinguish whether it was the wailing of a ghost or the cries of a child. However, after sleeping in the graveyard for less than a month, I gradually became accustomed to it. Later, when Master Lu went out to check at night, he unexpectedly found that his little disciple was sleeping in the shed and even snoring softly.