Liu Dashao couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly, thinking to himself how truly despicable he was—finding a terrible spot for someone’s grave and then playing tricks on them like this. He didn’t show it, though, and instead feigned a scolding expression as he said, “Why did you take so long? We’ve been waiting for ages.”
Wang Xiaoqiang apologized, saying, “You wouldn’t believe it—we don’t even have a white-feathered rooster at home. I had to run over to the neighbor’s and buy one.”
Liu Dashao replied, “Well, you should feel some hardship—it’s for your own family’s sake, after all.”
Wang Xiaoqiang nodded eagerly, “Absolutely, absolutely. So, where exactly is the grave site you’ve chosen for my father?”
Zhang Enpu said, “It’s just ahead. Come, I’ll show you.”
The two led Wang Xiaoqiang to the Rat Origin Stone. Zhang Enpu said, “Here it is. Since you weren’t here earlier, I hadn’t yet set the orientation for the grave well. Now that you’re here, I’ll explain exactly how it should be placed. Listen carefully.”
Wang Xiaoqiang looked around at the scattered stones and asked, “Hey, what happened here? Did someone set off explosives?”
Zhang Enpu made up a ridiculous excuse, “That’s not explosives. Who would set off explosives out here in the wild? It’s just a stone that was struck by lightning after absorbing the essence of the sun and moon for centuries, almost turning into a demon.”
Wang Xiaoqiang nodded in understanding, “Ah, I see. Hey, what’s that giant rat doing here? Why isn’t it running away? That’s some guts.” He shouted a couple of times, trying to scare it off, but the “rat” didn’t even flinch.
Liu Dashao laughed, “Take a closer look—do you really think that’s a real rat?”
Wang Xiaoqiang stepped forward, touched it, and exclaimed, “My God, it’s made of stone! Who carved this? How come I’ve never noticed it before?”
Zhang Enpu said, “This is the legendary ‘Rat Origin Stone,’ formed from the essence of heaven and earth. If everyone could see it, we geomancers would’ve been out of a job long ago. Let me tell you, this is a once-in-a-lifetime treasure spot. You, young man, are destined for great fortune.”
Wang Xiaoqiang said happily, “Really? Then thank you so much. You truly live up to your reputation, finding even a stone rat!”
Zhang Enpu took out a compass, placed it on the ground in front of the Rat Origin Stone, and measured the Bagua directions. Then he pulled two young bamboo shoots from the nearby bushes. In geomancy, positioning a grave requires three points to align perfectly—head and foot of the coffin, and the direction the coffin faces. Any slight deviation could drastically change the feng shui, affecting fortune and misfortune. The coffin’s facing direction—called the “Anshan” and “Chaoshan”—must be precisely aligned. A good view means good fortune; a poor one means the opposite. Thus, the three points must form a perfect line.
Zhang Enpu had just placed two bamboo shoots to mark the head and tail of the coffin, aligning them with the distant mountain. Once fixed, they would remain untouched until the time of burial. Zhang continued his deception, “Wang Xiaoqiang, the grave must face that tree on the hill ahead—no mistakes. I’ll set it for you now, but if you mess it up later, don’t come blaming me.”
“Of course,” Wang Xiaoqiang replied, then asked, “Can I ask—among my three brothers, who will benefit the most from this grave? And who a little less? Ideally, it would be equal.”
Liu Dashao thought to himself, *What a hopeless case. He hasn’t even been buried yet, and he’s already worrying about his own share of fortune compared to his older and younger brothers.*
Zhang Enpu asked, “Why do you ask this?”
Wang Xiaoqiang hesitated, then said, “No reason, just curious.”
Zhang Enpu replied, “How can everything in this world be equal? Even death isn’t equal. Some hang themselves in anger, some die at birth, some live to a hundred in good health, and others die young from illness. So how can fortunes be equal?”
Liu Dashao couldn’t help but laugh inwardly, thinking to himself how wicked he was—not only did he find a lousy burial site for the man, but he also played such a trick on him. He didn’t show it, though, and instead put on a scolding tone, saying, “Why did it take you so long? We’ve been waiting for ages.”
Wang Xiaoqiang apologized, “You don’t understand, we don’t have a big rooster at home. No, not one with white feathers. This one I had to run to the neighbor’s to buy on the spot.”
Liu Dashao said, “The effort is worth it, isn’t this for your own family’s sake?”
Wang Xiaoqiang nodded and bowed, “Yes, yes. I wonder where you’ve found the burial site for my father?”
Zhang Enpu said, “It’s up ahead. Come, I’ll show you.”
The two led Wang Xiaoqiang to the side of the “Rat Origin Stone.” Zhang Enpu said, “This is the spot. Since you weren’t here earlier, I hadn’t yet determined the orientation of the burial site. Now that you’re here, I’ll personally explain how to proceed. Listen carefully.”
Wang Xiaoqiang noticed scattered stones around and asked, “Oh my, who set off fireworks here?”
Zhang Enpu made up a wild excuse, “This isn’t from fireworks. Who would set off fireworks out here in the wild? It’s useless. This is a stone that, after absorbing the essence of the sun and moon for thousands of years, was about to turn into a demon when it was struck by lightning from the heavens.”
Wang Xiaoqiang exclaimed, “So that’s what happened. Oh, why is there such a big rat here? And someone’s still standing there, how brave!” He then shouted a couple of times, trying to scare it away, but the “rat” didn’t even budge.
Liu Dashao laughed, “Take a closer look. Is that really a rat?”
Wang Xiaoqiang stepped forward, touched it, and said in amazement, “Good heavens, it’s actually a stone! Who carved this? How come I never noticed it here before?”
Zhang Enpu said, “This is the ‘Rat Origin Stone,’ born from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. If everyone could recognize it, we feng shui masters would’ve been out of a job long ago. Let me tell you, this is a once-in-a-lifetime treasure site. You’re going to prosper in the future.”
Wang Xiaoqiang said happily, “Really? Then I must thank you. Truly impressive, to find a stone rat like this.”
Zhang Enpu took out a compass, placed it on the ground in front of the “Rat Origin Stone,” measured the eight trigrams’ directions, and then pulled two bamboo shoots from the nearby grass. The two points formed a straight line. However, in feng shui, when determining a burial site, it’s crucial that “three points form a straight line.” These three points are: the head of the coffin, the foot of the coffin, and the direction the coffin faces. There must be no deviation, as even the slightest misalignment could bring about profound changes in fortune, for better or worse. The direction the coffin faces is also the direction the burial site faces. A good orientation means a bright future, while a poor one means the opposite. Therefore, the direction the coffin faces, along with its head and foot, must align perfectly.
Zhang Enpu had just brought over two thin bamboo shoots to determine the fixed direction of the coffin’s head, foot, and the mountain it faced. Once determined, they would be left in place, and when it came time to bury the deceased, the grave could be dug directly according to these markers. Zhang Enpu continued to deceive him, “Wang Xiaoqiang, the burial site must face that tree on the mountain ahead. Don’t get it wrong. I’ve set it for you now, but if you mess it up later, don’t come blaming me.”
“Of course,” Wang Xiaoqiang replied, then asked, “Can I ask something? For the three of us brothers, who will prosper the most from this grave, and who might do slightly worse? Ideally, it’d be best if it were equal.”
Liu Dashao thought to himself, “This guy’s hopeless. The body isn’t even buried yet, and he’s already worried about his own future compared to his older and younger brothers.”
Zhang Enpu said, “Why are you asking this?” Wang Xiaoqiang hesitated, then said, “No reason, just curious.”
Zhang Enpu said, “In this world, nothing is ever equal. Even in death, it’s not equal. Some people die from anger, some suffocate at birth, some live to 100 in good health, and some die of illness in their middle age. How can it be equal?”
“Feng shui is the same. Even a dragon’s lair can only ensure that one descendant of the royal family sits on the throne. It can’t make all the royal descendants sit on the throne because there’s only one throne. So it’s the same with your father’s burial site. It will bring prosperity to you three brothers, but it won’t be equal prosperity. Do you understand?” Zhang Enpu deliberately provoked him, but Wang Xiaoqiang didn’t catch on and continued, “Can you be more specific? Who will prosper the most, and who will lag behind?”
Zhang Enpu said, “We can’t say that. Each profession has its rules. Based on my experience, when we reveal such things, it often leads to discord among siblings. The eldest says the youngest got the advantage, the second says the eldest played tricks, and in the end, they might even dig up their ancestors to rebury them. Of course, as a feng shui master, I don’t mind how many times you rebury them—the more you dig, the better for me. But I’ve suddenly had a pang of conscience and am thinking of you. Let’s drop it, don’t ask.”
Liu Dashao sneered on the side, thinking Zhang Enpu was really something. He’d already ruined the burial site for them, yet he was still spouting nonsense, even bringing up “conscience.” He was truly impressive, almost enough to talk a cow to death. In Liu Dashao’s opinion, it would’ve been better to just give them a piece of bread, take the money, and go home to sleep, dreaming of his own grand ambitions.
Wang Xiaoqiang pulled out a small bundle from his pocket, counted out a stack of one-yuan bills, and tossed them to Zhang Enpu, saying, “Here’s some extra. Now can you tell me the truth?”
Zhang Enpu caught the money with a flourish, glanced at it, and said, “Not a small amount.”
Wang Xiaoqiang said, “It’s only right. I’m buying your professional integrity.”
Zhang Enpu said, “What will you do even if you know? Can you change the facts, change your fate?”
Wang Xiaoqiang suddenly let out a cold, sinister laugh and said, “If this site makes me worse off than the other two, I’d rather not bury my father here. I’ll find another spot that’s more favorable to me.”
Zhang Enpu gave a thumbs-up and said, “Good, you’ve got guts. Since you’ve said that much, I’ll tell you—this site is most favorable to you. Now you can rest easy.”
Wang Xiaoqiang said joyfully, “Really?”
Zhang Enpu said, “Why would I lie to you? I have to live up to the silver you’ve given me.”
Wang Xiaoqiang said, “That’s great, thank you so much.”
At this moment, Zhang Enpu suddenly winked at Liu Dashao and said, “Bring the rooster over. We’ll pay our respects to the Earth God, then head home.”
Liu Dashao pulled the rooster out of his pocket and handed it to Zhang Enpu, saying, “Wang Xiaoqiang, you can go now. There’s nothing more for you to do here. We’ll finish the ritual and be back soon. Don’t wait for us.”
Wang Xiaoqiang’s mind had already flown elsewhere. With his own worries settled, he didn’t spare a thought for others. He quickly nodded and said, “Then I’ll trouble you. I’ll head back now.”
“Go ahead,” Zhang Enpu agreed, but as Wang Xiaoqiang turned to leave, he couldn’t resist adding, “Hey, don’t go telling your brothers what I just told you about this grave being most favorable to you. If they get upset and accuse you of foul play, don’t blame me for not warning you.”
Wang Xiaoqiang said, “Don’t worry about that. Whoever spills the beans is a turtle. Do you think I’m that stupid?”
Zhang Enpu said, “Good, you’re not stupid. Go on.”
After Wang Xiaoqiang left, Liu Dashao said to Zhang Enpu, “That guy’s ruthless. Not only does he not care about his own father, but he’d even do this to his own brothers.”
Zhang Enpu said, “This is nothing. I’ve seen much worse. You’re young, you need to learn more about life. Don’t be so naive.”
Liu Dashao shook his head, “Life like this is too blatant, so uninteresting.”
Zhang Enpu said, “Heh, this family’s got a big mess coming.”
Liu Dashao asked, “What mess?”
Zhang Enpu said, “The day their old man hanged himself was an inauspicious day in the lunar calendar—a ‘Double Death’ day. When someone dies on such a day, there’s bound to be more trouble.”
Liu Dashao was puzzled, “What’s a ‘Double Death’ day?”
Zhang Enpu explained, “Double Death means another death will follow. As the ancient texts say, ‘Double Death brings another death, two coffins stand before the hall.’ This means if someone dies on a Double Death day, another family member will die within a year.”
“That’s terrifying!”
Zhang Enpu said, “Indeed. If the old man’s sons were more reliable, I would’ve told them to avoid bad luck this year to escape disaster. But since they’ve already acted so dishonorably, there’s nothing more I can say.”
At this point, Liu Dashao suddenly felt a pang of guilt and said, “Old man, we’ve already ruined their burial site. Isn’t it too harsh not to tell them about such a serious matter?”
Zhang Enpu said, “What, feeling compassionate now?”
Liu Dashao said, “Don’t you feel the same? I think people should still repay evil with kindness.”
Zhang Enpu laughed, “Don’t worry. Their fate is entirely their own doing. The old man’s choice to hang himself on a Double Death day is itself a form of irony and punishment. Only those who are truly wicked suffer such retribution. We’re just pawns in the hands of fate.”
Liu Dashao said, “But when you think about it, why did we accidentally kill that five-step spirit snake?”
Zhang Enpu said, “That’s the right way to think. Everything is predestined, fate is at play.”
Liu Dashao’s mood calmed a bit. Seeing Zhang Enpu still holding the rooster, he wondered what to do with it since the whole thing was just a trick to deceive the Wang family. He asked, “Are you just going to keep holding that rooster?”
Zhang Enpu said, “What else should I do?”
Liu Dashao said, “Let’s just release it.”
Zhang Enpu said, “Out here in the wild, it’ll just get snatched by wolves.”
“Then what?”
Zhang Enpu said, “If it’s going to be eaten by wolves anyway, we might as well roast it ourselves. I’m hungry. Let’s not go back for dinner. Master will take you on a picnic today.”
Liu Dashao was delighted, “Great, let’s do it. Too bad we didn’t bring any seasoning.”
“Who says we didn’t?” Zhang Enpu pulled out a plastic bag from his pack and took out several small packets—salt, chili, and even Sichuan pepper. Once again, Liu Dashao was left in awe of his resourcefulness.
Liu Dashao laughed, “You’re amazing.”
Zhang Enpu said, “In our line of work, we’re often out in the wild. How could we not prepare some food supplies? Isn’t life full of surprises?”
Liu Dashao said, “Yes, life is full of surprises. It’s just a pity this rooster’s life isn’t so colorful.”
Meanwhile, after his first attempt failed, Village Chief Zhao had planned to forcefully impart some profound life lessons to them. But after seeing their aggressive stance, he gave up. He emerged from the crowd, muttering to himself as he walked, “Ah, how did our village end up with such people? What a disgrace!” Liu Dashao happened to be nearby and said to him, “Looks like we’ll have to call the police. There’s been a murder.”
The village chief said, “That’s the only way. I’ll go. The town isn’t far from here—I can make it there and back in half an hour. Otherwise, there might be even more bloodshed. This is part of my performance evaluation. If it goes wrong, it could affect my retirement.”
“Right, you’d better hurry,” Liu Dashao urged the chief. But just then, he noticed a group of about a dozen people wearing red armbands and carrying bamboo spears appearing near the corner of the Wang family’s house.
Yes, it was the local militia. Liu Dashao was surprised. How had they arrived so quickly? Who had reported the incident ahead of them?
The men, each holding a gun, aimed at the Wang family’s front door, surrounding the only exit.
The leader shouted inside, “All outsiders, disperse! Those involved, drop your weapons!”
Zhang Enpu subtly jabbed him, but Wang Xiaoqiang didn’t notice. He pressed on, “Can’t you be more specific? Who exactly will prosper the most, and who the least?”
Zhang Enpu said, “We geomancers aren’t supposed to say. It’s a professional rule. From experience, revealing such things often causes family disputes. The eldest might accuse the youngest of gaining more, the second brother might blame the eldest for taking credit. Sometimes, they even dig up the ancestors again to rebury them. As a geomancer, I don’t mind how many times they dig—they just pay me more. But today, I suddenly had a change of heart and decided to spare you the trouble. So forget it, don’t ask.”
Liu Dashao smirked. *This Zhang Enpu really is something—ruining the grave site and still spouting nonsense like “sudden conscience.” He’s practically talking a bull to death. I’d have just taken the money and gone home, dreaming my dreams in peace.*
Wang Xiaoqiang pulled out a small bundle from his pocket, counted out a stack of one-yuan bills, and tossed them to Zhang Enpu, saying, “This is extra. Now can you tell me the truth?”
Zhang Enpu caught the money with a magician’s flair, weighed it in his hand, and said, “Feels heavy.”
Wang Xiaoqiang said, “It’s only fair. It’s for your professional ethics.”
Zhang Enpu asked, “What good will knowing the truth do you? Can you change fate?”
Wang Xiaoqiang suddenly smirked darkly, “If this grave makes me worse off than the others, I’d rather not bury my father here at all. I’ll find another spot that favors me.”
Zhang Enpu gave him a thumbs-up, “Now that’s guts. Since you’ve said it like that, I’ll tell you—the grave favors you the most. Now are you satisfied?”
Wang Xiaoqiang exclaimed joyfully, “Really?”
Zhang Enpu said, “Why would I lie? I have to earn your money.”
Wang Xiaoqiang said, “Great, thank you so much.”
Zhang Enpu suddenly winked at Liu Dashao and said, “Bring the rooster over. Let’s pay respects to the Earth God before heading home.”
Liu Dashao pulled the rooster from his pocket and handed it to Zhang Enpu, saying to Wang Xiaoqiang, “You can go ahead. There’s nothing more for you to do. We’ll finish the ritual and come back soon. No need to wait.”
Wang Xiaoqiang’s mind was already elsewhere. Once he had no more worries, he thought only of himself. He nodded eagerly, “Then I’ll go first. Thanks for everything.”
“Go ahead,” Zhang Enpu agreed, but as Wang turned to leave, he added, “Hey, don’t go spreading the news that this grave favors you most to your brothers. If they get upset and accuse you of ill intent, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Wang Xiaoqiang said, “Don’t worry, I won’t. Who’d be that stupid?”
Zhang Enpu said, “Good. You’re not stupid. Go.”
After Wang Xiaoqiang left, Liu Dashao said to Zhang Enpu, “That guy’s ruthless. Not caring about his father is one thing, but even his own brothers?”
Zhang Enpu said, “What’s the big deal? I’ve seen worse. You’re young—you need to learn more about life. Don’t be so naive.”
Liu Dashao shook his head, “This kind of life is too ruthless. It’s boring.”
Zhang Enpu said, “Heh, this family’s got even bigger trouble coming.”
“What trouble?” Liu Dashao asked.
Zhang Enpu said, “Their father died on a day marked as ‘Double Mourning’ in the almanac. That means another death is coming.”
“What’s ‘Double Mourning’?” Liu Dashao asked.
Zhang Enpu explained, “It means another death will follow. The secret geomancy manual says, ‘Double Mourning brings death, two coffins side by side.’ If someone dies on this day, their family will suffer another death within a year!”
“That’s terrifying!”
Zhang Enpu nodded, “Exactly. If the old man’s sons had been more reasonable, I would’ve warned them to avoid misfortune this year. But since they’ve already done wrong, I have nothing more to say.”
At that moment, Liu Dashao felt a pang of guilt, “Old man, we’ve already ruined their feng shui. Not telling them about this major calamity—aren’t we being just as cruel as they are?”
Zhang Enpu laughed, “Feeling compassionate again?”
Liu Dashao said, “Don’t you feel anything? Shouldn’t we still act with virtue, even toward those who’ve wronged us?”
Zhang Enpu smiled, “Don’t worry. Their fate is self-inflicted. The old man choosing to hang himself on ‘Double Mourning Day’ was itself a cruel irony and punishment. This kind of retribution only comes to those who’ve done great wrong. We’re just pawns in heaven’s game.”
Liu Dashao calmed down a bit, then looked at the rooster in Zhang Enpu’s hand, unsure what to do. Since it was just part of the trickery, he asked, “Are you just going to keep holding that rooster?”
“What else?” Zhang Enpu asked.
Liu Dashao suggested, “Why not just let it go?”
Zhang Enpu said, “Out here? It’ll be eaten by wolves.”
“So what do we do?”
Zhang Enpu said, “If it’s going to be eaten anyway, we might as well barbecue it ourselves. I’m hungry. Let’s skip dinner and have a picnic.”
Liu Dashao was delighted, “Great idea! Pity we didn’t bring any spices.”
“Who says we didn’t?” Zhang Enpu pulled a plastic bag from his pack, revealing small packets of salt, chili, and Sichuan pepper. Liu Dashao was once again awestruck.
Liu Dashao laughed, “You’re amazing.”
Zhang Enpu said, “In our line of work, we’re always wandering in the wild. How can we not carry some seasonings? See? Isn’t life exciting and colorful?”
Liu Dashao said, “It sure is. Only pity this poor rooster won’t get to enjoy such a colorful life.”
Meanwhile, after Village Chief Zhao’s first failed attempt to reason with them, he had intended to give them a stern lecture on life. But seeing their aggressive postures, he gave up. He pushed his way out of the crowd, muttering to himself, “Sigh, how did our village produce such people? What a disgrace!”
Liu Dashao happened to be nearby and said, “Looks like we’ll have to call the police. They’ve practically committed murder.”
The village chief nodded, “That’s the only way. I’ll go myself. The town isn’t far. I can make a round trip in half an hour. Otherwise, there might be even more bloodshed. This affects my performance review, you know. If I mess up, it’ll ruin my retirement.”
“Right, go quickly,” Liu Dashao urged. But just then, he noticed a group of over a dozen men with red armbands and bamboo spears appearing at the foot of the hill near Wang’s house.
Indeed, it was the joint patrol team. Liu Dashao was surprised—how had they arrived so quickly? Who had reported them?
The men raised their weapons, aiming at Wang’s door, surrounding the only exit.
The leader shouted, “All outsiders, disperse! Drop your weapons, those involved!”
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