The ash on Jun Ge’s cigarette scattered in the wind as he rubbed his forehead and asked, “What’s going on? Since when is there a tradition of opening shop at sunset? Are you selling flowers to ghosts?”
I replied, “There’s a reason.”
Jun Ge laughed. “Cut the crap. Tell me what the reason is.” I smiled. “You’re right. I really am selling flowers to ghosts.” Jun Ge, that bastard, finished one cigarette and lit another, giving me a thumbs-up. “You little rascal, you’re a hopeless romantic. If you ever come to me to learn boxing, I won’t hold back a single move.”
With a despondent look, I returned to the auto repair shop, utterly confused. How was opening at night related to being romantic? Zhang Zongbao came over and handed me two packs of brown sugar. “My master told me to give these to you. He said he knows you’re a good guy—take them back and make some sugar water for your girlfriend.”
I was even more baffled. Why was he giving me brown sugar? Zhang Zongbao explained, “My master read in the newspaper about a rare disease where people can’t be exposed to sunlight. He figured you must be opening at night because of that.”
I asked, “What’s Jun Ge doing inside? Why isn’t he coming out?” Zhang Zongbao said, “He’s crying in there.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I took the brown sugar, planning to make some sugar water for Little Rascal and Miss He the cat. At least Xie Lingyu probably wouldn’t drink it. Noticing Zhang Zongbao’s eyes were also red, I patted his shoulder. “Still fighting with Zong Xiao?”
Zhang Zongbao sighed regretfully. “Looking at how strong you are, treating a girl so well, our little quarrel seems trivial. I was blind to my own happiness. I’m going to apologize to her right now.”
Zhang Zongbao and Zong Xiao made up. Holding the two packs of brown sugar, I headed back to the shop with a clear conscience. Once everything was ready, I closed the shop and said goodbye to Jun Ge. With red eyes, he rushed out, saying, “Don’t worry, bro. From now on, I’ve got your back,” and gave me a bear hug. I thought, if I told him Xie Lingyu was a ghost, he’d probably think I was joking.
On the way back, I called my mom and told her I’d opened a flower shop. She was thrilled and said, “Work hard. Your dad and I support you.”
The next day, I spent the whole day reading in my room until sunset. Xie Lingyu changed into slightly more modern clothes, Miss He the cat jumped into her arms, and I took Little Rascal out for a walk.
By the time we arrived at Bai Meng Flower Shop, dusk had fallen.
The sky was vast, painted with mesmerizing hues of twilight—the kind of sunset Sun Wukong had longed for countless times. And here I was, walking my own journey to the West.
Let’s do this.
I opened the shop door. There weren’t many people to celebrate with, and I didn’t want to make a big fuss. Xie Lingyu smiled as she looked at the flowers inside. The cat jumped down from her arms and began exploring, marking its new territory. I placed my notebook on the counter. Xie Lingyu sat on a chair, took a deep breath, and laughed. “Now I’m the boss. The second boss is our cat, and the third is Little Rascal.”
I pointed at my own handsome face. “What about me? Surely I rank higher than my dog?”
Xie Lingyu stretched lazily. “You’re the errand boy. What kind of boss are you?”
Ten minutes after opening, Jun Ge from next door came over with two of his apprentices to congratulate us. The moment they caught sight of Xie Lingyu’s ethereal beauty, they instinctively straightened their clothes.
Jun Ge handed me a red envelope for good luck. Xie Lingyu beamed. “Jun Ge, you’re so kind! Xiao Qi’s told me all about you—praised you like you’re Lei Feng himself!”
Jun Ge laughed awkwardly. “Oh, come on, it’s nothing.”
Knowing he smoked, I had already bought a pack and handed out cigarettes to him and his apprentices. Noticing Zhang Zongbao wasn’t there, I asked curiously.
Jun Ge grinned. “He’ll be here soon.” He gestured to his two apprentices. “Miss, this is Liu Jibao, my nephew, and this is Iron Ox—he loves using hammers.” Xie Lingyu smiled at them, making both boys blush and lower their heads.
Soon after, Zhang Zongbao arrived hand-in-hand with Zong Xiao, who had her hair in two pigtails. They’d clearly made up. Zhang Zongbao said he wanted to buy a bouquet for Zong Xiao. Xie Lingyu plucked a red rose and handed it to him to give to her. Zong Xiao shyly accepted it, her face redder than the rose itself. After some cheerful banter, Jun Ge said they should get going and left with his apprentices. Half an hour later, I closed the shop for the night and bid them farewell.
The sound of an electric bike approached the shop. A delivery guy stood at the door. “Are you Mr. Xiao Qi? There’s a package for you.”
I signed for it, but then a “ribbit” sound came from inside. Had someone sent us a mechanical frog? Honestly, apart from Shen Yihu and Jun Ge next door, I hadn’t told anyone about the shop opening. Who could have sent this?
I grabbed a knife and cut open the tape. Out jumped a fat toad, followed by four more. I stumbled back. The cat gracefully approached them, meowing curiously.
Five toads hopped out, croaking ominously.
Xie Lingyu shouted, “Don’t move!” I remembered that toads, like frogs, only see movement. “Little Rascal, stay still!” The dog obeyed, lowering its tail. The cat froze too.
I quickly recognized the species—not the harmless toads from the countryside, but a highly venomous breed. Even a regular toad’s secretions could leave a wart on human skin, let alone these deadly ones. Their croaking grew louder, their throats puffing. If their venom hit my eyes, I’d go blind. If it touched my skin, it’d rot away.
This was Insect Lao Wu’s doing. He’d followed me to Jiangcheng. I thought he’d escaped on that truck, but he’d tracked me down instead.
“Now what?” I whispered. If these toads sprayed venom, I’d be switching careers to playing the erhu or giving massages.
Xie Lingyu said, “Normally, they’d flee from snakes… Burning them might work… Step back, let me handle this… Wait… That’s odd… There’s something on them.”
The gray toads’ mouths twitched, revealing something shiny. Their croaks sounded almost triumphant, like they were about to explode. Xie Lingyu grabbed a basin and covered them. The toads thrashed inside, black smoke billowing out as their venom corroded the metal, creating holes within seconds.
“Get a bigger basin!” she yelled. I quickly replaced it with a larger one. Then I opened the door, lit some newspaper, and tossed it under the basin. After burning for a while, the toads stopped moving. To be safe, I burned another batch. Only after ten minutes of silence did I remove the basin. Thick smoke drifted out—thankfully, it was night, or the neighbors might’ve called the fire department.
The five toads were dead, their eyes bloodshot and white. The inner basin was nearly dissolved. The sight was horrifying. Insect Lao Wu had tried to kill me.
“Use a knife to pry open their mouths,” Xie Lingyu ordered. I put on gloves, sliced their jaws open, and pulled out five steel nails.
I collapsed onto the floor, staring at the nails coated in transparent venom. A cold sweat drenched me. I could hardly believe my eyes.
These were the same nails I’d driven into Huang Shi. A terrifying thought struck me—Insect Lao Wu must’ve encountered Huang Shi after escaping on the truck. And if Huang Shi was free… A bone-chilling dread gripped me. If Huang Shi found me, he’d tear me apart.
All five nails were returned, delivered by venomous toads. Since the insect I’d swallowed hadn’t killed me, he’d sent five venom-spitting ones instead. Looking at the ruined basin, I realized—if that venom had hit me, I’d be permanently disabled.
Xie Lingyu asked, “Why are you so shaken?” I growled, “We won’t have peace until we take down Insect Lao Wu. How do we find him? Any tracking spells?”
She pointed at Little Rascal. “You could ask him to sniff out Lao Wu’s scent.” The puppy sniffed the toads’ stench and the smoke, circling until it barked twice excitedly. I praised it, but then it ran outside only to return.
The delivery bike had carried the package here, but the scent trail was too scattered. It was a dead end.
Disappointed, I bagged the dead toads to bury later, avoiding harm to others. I cleaned the five nails and kept them.
If Insect Lao Wu wanted a fight, I’d drive these nails into him myself.
Xie Lingyu said, “In Chinese history, those who raise insects are called Insect Masters, while those who cultivate gu are Gu Masters. Their techniques are unpredictable. Today, it’s five venomous toads. Tomorrow, it could be worse.”
I asked, “If their sacred insect is already dead—eaten by me—why keep coming after me? Are Insect Masters really that ruthless?”
Xie Lingyu countered, “Killing you isn’t impossible. But there’s another possibility—remember what your grandfather left you?”
I thought of the “Compendium of Ancient and Modern Ghost-Catching Techniques,” the jade ruler, and the old bronze jar.
My eyes widened. “You mean… that bronze jar?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage