Chapter 61: The Ghost Baby! (2)

The four of them had stern expressions as they said, “Brother, you’re quite an honest fellow!”

Old Yang spoke up, “To be honest with you, we’ve been eyeing your two baskets of apricots and really wanted to eat them. But we were afraid you might have other plans for them. So here’s an idea, brother—if you’re willing, treat the apricots as coins and we’ll give you one copper coin per apricot. That wouldn’t be a bad deal for you, right?”

Ma Sandao was overjoyed, unable to believe such good fortune could exist in the world. Without hesitation, he sprang up from the ground like a leaping carp and sat at the table.

As soon as the dominoes were in his hands, Ma Sandao was so moved he nearly wept. These past few months, his hands had only known the toil of farm labor or the pleasures of his wife. Now, holding the dominoes, the smooth sensation was almost as delightful as touching his wife’s body.

The five began playing. At first, Ma Sandao won quite a few rounds, but soon his luck turned. The dominoes he drew were mostly useless. His apricots were soon gone. Greed overtook him, and his gambling fever grew. He completely forgot his wife was longing for apricots. He no longer saw the fruit as food, only as money—and he didn’t care how quickly it disappeared.

After losing several hands in a row, Ma Sandao became obsessed. The white light from the lamp above seemed to blur before his eyes. When Old Yang dealt the next round, Ma Sandao covered the tiles on the table, blew on them, and peeked. He saw red and white tiles—upon closer inspection, they were both sixes, the Heaven Tile! He steadied himself and forced his face to remain expressionless. The stakes were high this round. When it was Ma Sandao’s turn to bet, he discovered his basket was nearly empty. Desperation broke out—he began sweating profusely. “Can I bet with this cloth instead?”

Old Yang replied coldly, “What would we men want with a woman’s cloth?” Ma Sandao was beside himself. Just when he finally had a winning hand, he had nothing left to bet!

Then Zhang Bao spoke, “Hold on, brother. If you agree to one condition, we’ll accept your bet, and we’ll even give back your apricots.”

Ma Sandao hurriedly replied, “What condition? Tell me quickly!”

Zhang Bao said, “If you win, all the money and apricots on the table are yours. But if you lose, you must agree to one request from me—let me become your son.” Ma Sandao laughed in disbelief, “You’re joking, right?” But Zhang Bao’s face showed no humor. “I’m serious—no joke at all.” Old Yang added, “This is a great deal for you, Ma brother!”

As the saying goes, once someone sits at the gambling table, they cease to be a person—they become a gambling ghost. Ma Sandao’s mind was now consumed with only one thought: winning. He said, “Fine, fine! Even if I lose, I get a son. How could I possibly refuse?” His eyes sparkled with excitement. The four men forced out a few hollow laughs, their faces still devoid of joy. Ma Sandao was extremely pleased, looking around at the four men, then dramatically flipped his tiles: “Heaven Tile! Heaven Tile! Haha!” His face was bursting with pride.

The four men stared at him coldly without a word. Ma Sandao felt a chill run through his body—he sensed something was wrong. The lamp had been glaring all along, and during the game, Ma Sandao had felt uneasy but couldn’t pinpoint the cause. Now, under their cold stares, he suddenly remembered: his eyes had been hurting from the lamp’s glare, but these four hadn’t blinked even once. Looking closer, their eyes were mostly white, with dull, gray pupils—definitely not the eyes of living people.

Examining them carefully under the lamp, Ma Sandao noticed a thin black line around each of their necks, like dried blood. Even Old Yang had two marks on his wrist! A chill filled the room, thick with a decaying, ghostly presence. Ma Sandao’s skin crawled. “Damn it, have I run into those things again?” Zhang Bao stared at Ma Sandao and said, “You lost!”

They flipped the tiles. It was the “Supreme Treasure”—a pair of mixed tiles. Ma Sandao’s heart sank. At that moment, all four heads tilted backward and rolled off their bodies. Zhang Bao’s head rolled straight to Ma Sandao’s feet. Its eyes mocked him, and black blood poured from its mouth. The lamp suddenly went out.

This was the third time Ma Sandao wet himself that night. A cold breeze blew over him, instantly sobering him up. He found himself standing in a valley on Blackstone Slope, with his baskets still beside him. A faint light appeared on the horizon—it would soon be dawn. Thinking back on the night’s events, Ma Sandao felt an indescribable fear. He shouldered his baskets and hurried home.

He couldn’t explain exactly what he feared, only that he wanted to see his wife quickly—but at the same time, he was afraid to see her. He silently cursed himself for being unable to control his gambling instincts.

Late that night, Ma Xiaoyan grew increasingly anxious as her father, Li Sandao, had still not returned home. She kept opening the door to look outside. Her mother was even more anxious, constantly urging, “Xiaoyan, why don’t you go search along the road? Maybe he got lost in the dark.”

Ma Xiaoyan replied to her mother, “Mother, it’s already so late. I think Father might be staying overnight in town. There are so many relatives there—surely someone would let him sleep.”

Her mother thought it made sense and adjusted the lamp wick, saying, “Then go to sleep. Don’t wait for your father anymore.”

Xiaoyan returned to her room, preparing to blow out the lamp and go to bed. Just as she was about to blow out the flame, a knock came from outside.

Her mother, who was staying in the next room, called out to Xiaoyan, “Xiaoyan, who could it be at this hour? Go see if it’s your father.”

Xiaoyan responded and got out of bed to open the door.

While unlocking the door, she grumbled, “You finally decided to come back, huh? Didn’t your relatives in town want to keep you overnight?”

There was no response from outside.

Xiaoyan didn’t think much of it, assuming her father was embarrassed by her words, and opened the door.

But outside was pitch black—nothing was there. The family dog, Wangcai, suddenly stood up, barking furiously at the darkness and backing away.

Hearing Wangcai barking nonstop, Xiaoyan shouted, “Wangcai, stop barking!”

But Wangcai didn’t stop. Instead, he rushed to the doorstep, baring his teeth with fierce glowing eyes.

This enraged Xiaoyan, who was about to close the door. She kicked Wangcai hard, yelling, “What’s wrong with your dog eyes? There’s nothing out there—why are you barking like crazy? Get lost!”

Wangcai was kicked several meters back, whining pitifully and looking at his master with a wronged expression, as if asking Xiaoyan, “What did I do wrong?”

As the saying goes, a good dog never bites its own family. Xiaoyan scolded the recovering Wangcai again, “If you bark again, I’ll break your dog legs!”

The dog stopped barking but remained wary of the doorway.

Inside the house, Xiaoyan’s mother heard the commotion and asked, “Xiaoyan, who was at the door?”

Xiaoyan smiled and replied, “No one, probably just my imagination.”

“Oh,” her mother responded, then asked, “Then why was Wangcai barking so much?”

Xiaoyan answered, “I don’t know either. Wangcai’s been acting strange tonight—he started barking as soon as I opened the door.”

Her mother came out of the house and called for Wangcai. Wangcai glanced at her briefly, then turned his gaze back to the doorway.

Frustrated, Xiaoyan glared at Wangcai and slammed the door shut. A gust of wind blew in, making her shiver involuntarily. She didn’t notice the fear in Wangcai’s eyes.

As dawn approached, Ma Sandao reached the village entrance, not far from home. Wiping sweat from his brow, he quickened his pace. Under a large tree, he saw Old Lady Fan practicing martial arts by the roadside. Ma Sandao knew her but had always dismissed her as a fraud—how could someone pretending to be a spiritualist be anything good? Despite living close, they had little contact.

This was the first time Ma Sandao had seen Old Lady Fan practice. She sat cross-legged facing east, making deep breathing sounds. With a sudden inhale like a dragon swallowing water, a bulge formed in her throat and was swallowed down. Then she leaped up, a wooden sword appearing in her hand. She soared more than ten feet into the air, the sword vibrating with a loud hum. Landing lightly, she rushed forward as if floating, the sword slicing through the air with a sound like thunder and wind. Ma Sandao now realized this old woman was no ordinary person.

Old Lady Fan landed in front of Ma Sandao and stared at him for a long time, making him feel uneasy. “Uh… Old Lady Fan, what’s wrong?” he asked, lowering his head without knowing why he felt guilty. He tried to change the subject, “Your moves just now were amazing—real martial arts!”

The four men had stern expressions and said, “Brother, you seem like an honest man!”

Old Man Yang spoke up, “To be frank, we really want to eat those apricots of yours, but we’re afraid you might have other plans for them. How about this, brother? You can use the apricots as currency, and we’ll count each one as a copper coin. How’s that? You won’t lose out, right?” Ma Sandao was overjoyed, truly baffled as to how such a good deal could exist in the world. Without hesitation, he sprang up from the ground like a carp and sat down at the table.

As soon as the dominoes were in his hands, Ma Sandao was moved to tears. His hands had been either toiling in the fields or tending to his wife for the past few months. Now, as he held the dominoes, their smooth texture felt almost as comforting as his wife’s body.

The five of them played for a while. At first, Ma Sandao won quite a bit, but soon his luck took a sharp turn for the worse, and he was dealt nothing but mismatched cards. The apricots were quickly lost. Once greed took hold and the gambling fever rose, he completely forgot that his wife at home was still craving apricots. To him, the apricots no longer held any value, and losing them didn’t hurt at all.

After losing several rounds in a row, Ma Sandao was completely disoriented. The white light from the lamp in the room made his vision blur. When Old Man Yang dealt the cards, Ma Sandao covered them on the table, blew on them, and secretly peeked. He saw red and white colors, and upon closer inspection, it was a red six and a white six—the heavenly pair! He calmed down but kept his face expressionless, not showing any sign of joy. The stakes were high this round, and when it was Ma Sandao’s turn to bet, he realized that there were almost no apricots left in his basket. Sweat poured down his forehead as he stammered, “Can I… can I bet with cloth?” Old Man Yang coldly replied, “What would we men do with women’s patterned cloth?” Ma Sandao was frantic. He finally had a good hand, but he had nothing to bet with!

Then Zhang Bao spoke up, “Hold on, brother. If you agree to one thing, we’ll consider it a bet, and we’ll even return the apricots to you.”

Ma Sandao quickly asked, “What is it? Tell me!”

Zhang Bao said, “If you win, all the money and apricots on the table are yours. But if you lose, you have to agree to one thing—let me become your son.” Ma Sandao laughed, “Are you joking?” Zhang Bao’s face was completely serious, “No joke. This is absolutely serious.” Old Man Yang chimed in, “Brother Ma, isn’t this a huge advantage for you?”

Once someone steps onto the gambling table, they’re no longer themselves—they become a gambling addict. Ma Sandao’s mind was consumed by the thought of winning. He said, “Alright, alright. If I lose, I’ll even get to be a father. Why wouldn’t I agree?” His eyes were filled with joy. The four men let out dry laughs, but their faces showed no trace of amusement. Ma Sandao, feeling extremely pleased with himself, looked around at the four of them and suddenly flipped his cards, “Heavenly pair, heavenly pair, haha!” He was already laughing triumphantly.

The four men stared at him coldly, not saying a word. Ma Sandao felt a chill run down his spine, sensing something was wrong. The lamp’s light had been glaring in his eyes all night, and he had felt that something was off but couldn’t put his finger on it. Now, seeing the four men’s cold stares, he suddenly realized: the lamp’s light had been hurting his eyes, but these four men hadn’t blinked once. Looking closer, their eyes were mostly white with little black, their pupils a murky gray. These weren’t the eyes of living people!

Under the lamp, Ma Sandao saw clearly that each of the four men had a thin black line on their necks, like dried blood. Old Man Yang even had two on his wrist! The room was filled with a heavy, decaying aura. Ma Sandao’s skin crawled, “Damn it, have I run into those things again?” Zhang Bao stared straight at him and said, “You lost!”

When he flipped the cards, it was a jumbled mess—a pair of the lowest value. Ma Sandao’s heart sank. Then he saw the four men’s heads tilt back simultaneously and roll off their necks. Zhang Bao’s head rolled right to Ma Sandao’s feet, its eyes filled with mockery as black blood suddenly gushed from its mouth. The lamp in the room went out.

Ma Sandao wet himself for the third time that night. A cold breeze brushed against his body, and he suddenly woke up, finding himself standing in a hollow on Black Stone Slope. His basket was still safely beside him. A faint light appeared on the horizon, signaling that dawn was near. Remembering the events of the night, Ma Sandao felt an inexplicable fear. He picked up his basket and hurried home.

He couldn’t quite articulate what he was afraid of, but he desperately wanted to see his wife, yet he was also scared to see her. He cursed himself inwardly, wondering why he couldn’t control himself when it came to gambling.

Late at night, seeing that her father, Ma Sandao, still hadn’t returned, Ma Xiaoyan grew restless, frequently opening the door to look outside. Her mother was even more anxious, constantly saying to Xiaoyan, “Yanzi, why don’t you go out and look for him? Maybe he got lost in the dark.”

Ma Xiaoyan replied, “Mom, it’s so late. Dad probably stayed overnight in town. With so many relatives there, he’s sure to have a place to sleep.”

Her mother thought her daughter’s words made sense and adjusted the lamp wick, saying, “Then you go to sleep. No need to wait for your father.”

Ma Xiaoyan went back to her room to sleep and was about to blow out the lamp when there was a knock at the door, and the family dog, Wangcai, started barking.

Her mother called out from the next room, “Yanzi, who could it be at this hour? Go see if it’s your father.”

Ma Xiaoyan responded and got out of bed to open the door.

As she unlocked the door, she said irritably, “You finally decided to come back, huh? Didn’t the relatives in town offer you a place to stay?”

There was no response from outside.

Ma Xiaoyan didn’t think much of it, assuming her father was embarrassed by her words, and opened the door.

But outside was only the vast darkness, with nothing in sight. The family dog, Wangcai, stood up and started barking incessantly, backing away as it did.

Hearing Wangcai’s continuous barking, Ma Xiaoyan scolded, “Wangcai, stop barking!”

But Wangcai didn’t stop. Instead, it rushed to the threshold, baring its teeth with a fierce glare.

This behavior thoroughly annoyed Ma Xiaoyan, who was about to close the door. She kicked Wangcai and cursed, “Are you blind? There’s nothing out there. Stop barking and get lost!”

Wangcai was kicked several meters back, whimpering and looking at its owner with a pitiful expression, as if asking, “What did I do wrong?”

As the saying goes, a good dog doesn’t bite its own family. Ma Xiaoyan glared at Wangcai and threatened, “If you keep barking, I’ll break your legs.”

The dog stopped barking but remained wary of the doorway.

Hearing the commotion, her mother asked from inside, “Yanzi, who’s at the door?”

Ma Xiaoyan smiled and replied, “Mom, it’s nothing. I must have misheard.”

“Oh,” her mother responded, then asked, “Then why is Wangcai still barking?”

Ma Xiaoyan answered, “Mom, I don’t know what’s gotten into Wangcai today. It just started acting up when I opened the door.”

Her mother came out and called for Wangcai, who glanced at her but continued to stare at the doorway.

Completely frustrated, Ma Xiaoyan glared at Wangcai and slammed the door shut. A gust of wind blew in, and Ma Xiaoyan shivered involuntarily, not noticing the fear in Wangcai’s eyes.

At dawn, Ma Sandao reached the village entrance, not far from home. Wiping his sweat, he quickened his pace. Under a large tree, he saw Granny Fan practicing her exercises alone by the roadside. Ma Sandao knew Granny Fan but didn’t believe in ghosts or spirits, thinking she was just a fraud. How could someone who pretended to commune with spirits be any good? So, though they lived nearby, they rarely interacted.

This was the first time Ma Sandao had seen Granny Fan practicing. She sat cross-legged, facing east, her throat making swallowing sounds. After a few exhales, she suddenly inhaled deeply, like a dragon swallowing water, her throat bulging before she swallowed it down. She then leaped up, a wooden sword appearing in her hand. She jumped several feet into the air, the sword humming loudly. As she landed, she charged forward, her feet barely touching the ground, the sword cutting through the air with a sound like wind and thunder. Ma Sandao finally realized that this old woman was no simple fraud.

Granny Fan leaped in front of Ma Sandao and stared at him for a long time, making him uneasy. “Uh… Granny Fan, what’s the matter?” Ma Sandao lowered his head, unsure why he felt so guilty. He tried to make conversation, “Those moves you just did were impressive. Real skill!”

Granny Fan ignored him and suddenly said, “Can I have one of those apricots to taste?” Ma Sandao relaxed and smiled, “Of course, Granny. You can have as many as you want. If it weren’t for my wife wanting them, I’d give them all to you.”

Granny Fan took one, took a bite, and suddenly spat it out, “Ugh, why does this apricot smell so bad?” Ma Sandao’s heart tightened. She didn’t seem to be joking. He quickly took one and tasted it, then spat it out, “Damn it, why does it smell so fishy? Ugh!”

Granny Fan sneered, “You smell bad yourself. Can’t you tell?” Ma Sandao was puzzled. When he bought the apricots yesterday, he had tasted over a dozen, nearly making the seller cry. Hearing Granny Fan’s words, he forced a smile, “That’s because I wet myself a few times last night.” Before he could finish, his face turned red.

Granny Fan frowned and said, “You’re surrounded by a ghostly aura. You must have encountered something evil!”

Ma Sandao was impressed. This woman was truly a living deity! But he was more concerned about his family and hurriedly said, “No, no, Granny. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go home and check on my wife.” Granny Fan said, “You’re surrounded by heavy yin energy. I think you’ve encountered something, but you don’t realize it yet. Fine, go home first. If anything happens, come find me. It won’t take your life in a couple of days!” Hearing this, Ma Sandao’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly bid farewell, picked up his basket, and hurried home. Granny Fan watched his retreating figure, deep in thought.

In the early morning, after encountering Granny Fan and discarding the foul-smelling apricots, Ma Sandao rushed home. Upon arriving, he heard Zhang Zhaodi weakly moan from inside the house. Ma Sandao was frantic and rushed into the room to find Zhang Zhaodi pale and lying in bed, unable to get up. Ma Xiaoyan was pacing anxiously beside her.

“You’re back. I’m not feeling well today and couldn’t get up… I haven’t made breakfast yet…” Her voice trembled, as if she was afraid of something. Ma Sandao hugged his wife tightly and said, “I’ll make breakfast. If you’re not feeling well, just rest.” Zhang Zhaodi looked at him hesitantly, “Husband, last night, last night…”

Ma Sandao quickly asked, “What happened last night?” Zhang Zhaodi clung to him, trembling slightly, “I had a strange dream last night!” Ma Sandao was alarmed and asked what she had dreamed. Zhang Zhaodi buried her head in his chest and began to recount the dream.

In her dream, Zhang Zhaodi was walking alone by a lake, unable to see the end in front or the path behind. The lakeside was shrouded in thick fog. Just as she was feeling frightened, a man ran toward her, as if being chased, panting heavily. Being a modest woman, she quickly stepped aside to let him pass, but the man suddenly knelt before her, begging for help. Zhang Zhaodi was too scared to speak. The man looked to be in his thirties, with a fierce appearance. She turned away and said, “Who are you? How can I, a woman, save your life?” She heard the sound of hooves approaching, as if someone was riding an animal. The man’s fear intensified, and he said, “Then lend me your belly!” Zhang Zhaodi was terrified and said, “How can I lend you my belly? If you keep harassing me, my husband will surely kill you.” The man smirked and said, “Your husband has already agreed to it. Why are you afraid, little lady?” With that, he bent down and bumped into Zhang Zhaodi’s belly, then disappeared. Zhang Zhaodi felt a sharp pain in her stomach and immediately crouched down.

The sound of hooves reached her, and Zhang Zhaodi looked up to see a pregnant woman, dressed in old-fashioned clothes, riding a small donkey without a bridle. The woman’s face was pale, and she asked, “What are you doing here? Did you see a man pass by?” Zhang Zhaodi, frightened by the woman’s lifeless appearance, lied, “I didn’t see any man. I’m waiting for my husband!” The woman sneered and pointed to the lake, “Your husband—is that him?” Zhang Zhaodi looked in the direction she pointed and saw Ma Sandao walking in the water, carrying his basket. She was about to call out when the donkey suddenly let out a strange cry, startling her so much that she fell into the lake.

She woke up with a stomachache and a fever, worried that her husband wouldn’t return until evening. To her surprise, he came back early in the morning. Ma Sandao held his wife, feeling deeply sorry for her. He went to find a local herbalist and asked a neighbor to help cook some sugar eggs. The herbalist examined Zhang Zhaodi and said it was just a cold. He advised her to rest and avoid medication since she was pregnant.

Ma Sandao couldn’t sit still. After last night’s events, he couldn’t shake a growing sense of dread. As he was fretting, the herbalist said, “Ma Sandao, your wife will be fine, but what’s wrong with you?” Ma Sandao was confused. The herbalist handed him a small mirror, and when Ma Sandao looked into it, he nearly dropped it in shock. His eyes were dark, and his face had a sickly green hue. He looked like he was on the brink of death.

Ma Sandao quickly asked a neighbor to help look after his wife, knowing he couldn’t delay any longer. He grabbed some money and headed to Granny Fan’s house. Halfway there, he saw Granny Fan walking toward him with a large bag. Ma Sandao thought, “Oh no, is she going to perform a ritual?” Without caring about his pride, he rushed over and knelt on the ground, crying out like in the operas, “Living deity, save me! Granny Fan, save me!”

Granny Fan pulled him up, “I was going to help you anyway. I could tell something was wrong with you this morning and knew I couldn’t delay. I came to see you after breakfast.” Ma Sandao quickly took out the money from his pocket and said politely, “Granny, this is a small offering.” Granny Fan laughed, “We practitioners don’t care about such things.” But before she finished speaking, she took the money and suddenly frowned, “Is this all?”

On the way, Granny Fan listened as Ma Sandao recounted the events of the previous night, her eyebrows furrowed. She said, “From what you’ve told me, this is a serious problem.” Before Ma Sandao could panic, she added, “It might be a case of fetal theft!” Ma Sandao understood those two words and nearly collapsed on the spot.

They hurried to Ma Sandao’s house, where Zhang Zhaodi had already fallen into a deep sleep. The neighbor who had been helping saw Ma Sandao return and left after a brief exchange. Ma Sandao, too anxious to thank her, pulled Granny Fan to see his wife. Granny Fan approached, and sweat immediately broke out on her forehead. After checking Zhang Zhaodi’s pulse, she said directly, “An evil spirit has stolen the fetus!”

Ma Sandao’s legs gave out, and he knelt by the bed. “What? What? An evil spirit stole the fetus… stole what?” In his panic, his words stumbled over each other. Granny Fan was also anxious, “When a woman is pregnant, her pulse should feel smooth, like pearls passing through your hand. But now, her pulse is sometimes dry, sometimes untraceable. It’s turned into a ghostly pulse!” She paused, then asked, “How did you attract such things? Ordinary people can’t even encounter them if they try.” Suddenly, she stared at Ma Sandao, who was now crying and sniffling, and asked, “Are you an enemy of someone?”

Ma Sandao was desperate. At this point, who cared about enemies? He begged Granny Fan, “Is there any way to save her? I have money, I can borrow more…” He wiped his tears, “I’m almost fifty. I have a daughter, and I was hoping this last pregnancy would give me a son. Please, Granny!” Granny Fan was also troubled. There were no guarantees in such matters. She said, “Come with me to that place again. We’ll find someone to watch over your wife tonight.”

And so, Ma Sandao, who hadn’t slept for a day and a night, walked nearly a hundred miles without resting before setting out again. It was only during this journey that he realized Granny Fan’s profound skills. She moved through the small hollow as if it were nothing, while Ma Sandao nearly limped from exhaustion. But it was for his family, so he didn’t feel the pain or fatigue.

Old Lady Fan took one and bit into it, then spat it out, “Tsk! These apricots stink!” Ma Sandao was shocked. She didn’t seem to be joking, so he quickly grabbed one himself and took a bite. He spat it out too, “What the hell? These apricots smell like blood! Tsk, tsk!”

Old Lady Fan sneered, “You’re stinking too, can’t you smell yourself?” Ma Sandao was puzzled. He clearly remembered tasting more than ten apricots when he bought them yesterday, almost making the seller cry. Trying to save face, he said, “Maybe I peed on them last night.” He hadn’t even finished speaking before his face turned red.

Old Lady Fan frowned, “Your face is filled with ghostly energy. You must have encountered something evil.”

Ma Sandao was deeply impressed. This Taoist must truly be a living immortal! But he was more concerned about home, so he hurriedly said, “No, no, nothing’s wrong, Old Lady. I’ll just go home to see my wife.” Old Lady Fan replied, “You’re filled with yin energy. I think you’ve encountered something, though you don’t realize it yet. Go home first. If anything happens, come find me. It won’t kill you in a day or two.” Her words made Ma Sandao’s heart sink. He quickly bid her farewell and hurried home with his baskets. Old Lady Fan watched his back with deep thought.

In the early morning, after Ma Sandao met Old Lady Fan and discarded the stinking apricots, he rushed home. Upon arriving, he heard Zhang Zhao Di weakly groaning from the inner room. Ma Sandao rushed in anxiously. Zhang Zhao Di was pale, lying in bed, too weak to get up. Ma Xiaoyan was beside herself with worry.

“You’re back… I’m feeling a bit unwell today… I couldn’t get up… breakfast isn’t ready yet…” Her voice trembled slightly, as if afraid of something. Ma Sandao hugged his wife tightly, saying, “I’ll cook breakfast myself. You just rest.” Zhang Zhao Di looked at him hesitantly, “Husband… last night… last night…”

Ma Sandao quickly asked, “What happened last night?” Zhang Zhao Di clung to him, trembling slightly, and told him about her dream.

In her dream, she was walking alone by a lake’s edge. She couldn’t see the end in front or the path behind. Thick fog surrounded the lake. She felt scared when a man came running toward her, chased by someone. As a shy woman, she stepped aside to let him pass. But the man knelt before her, begging for help. Zhang Zhao Di was too frightened to speak. The man looked about thirty, with a fierce appearance. She turned away, saying, “Who are you? How can I, just a woman, help save your life?” Then she heard hoofbeats approaching, as if someone was riding an animal. The man’s fear intensified, saying, “Then borrow your belly for a moment!” Zhang Zhao Di was horrified, saying, “How can you borrow my belly? If you keep this nonsense, my husband will kill you when he comes.” The man smiled confidently, “Your husband already agreed to me, little lady. Why are you afraid?” Then he bent down and slammed into her belly—disappearing instantly. Zhang Zhao Di felt intense pain and crouched down.

The hoofbeats approached. She looked up to see a pregnant woman dressed like an old-fashioned young bride, riding a bridleless donkey. The woman’s face was pale and lifeless. She asked, “What are you doing here? Did you see a man pass by?” Zhang Zhao Di was terrified by the woman’s lack of vitality and lied, “I didn’t see any man. I’m waiting for my husband.” The woman sneered, pointing toward the lake, “Your husband—look, isn’t that him?” Following her finger, Zhang Zhao Di saw Ma Sandao carrying his baskets walking in the water. She wanted to shout, but the donkey suddenly screamed, scaring her so badly she fell into the lake.

She woke up with stomach pain and fever, worried her husband might not return until night. She was surprised to see him back so early. Ma Sandao lovingly comforted his wife, then ran to find a local healer and asked a neighbor to cook some sugared eggs. The healer examined Zhang Zhao Di and diagnosed her with a common cold, saying she’d recover with rest. Medication wasn’t advisable since she was pregnant.

Ma Sandao couldn’t sit still. This was his child. After last night’s events, he had a terrible suspicion. As he was anxious, the healer asked, “Ma Sandao, your wife is fine, but what’s wrong with you?” Confused, Ma Sandao took a small glass mirror the healer offered. When he saw his reflection, he nearly dropped the mirror. His eyes were dark, his face covered in a sickly green hue. He looked like he wouldn’t survive more than a few days.

Ma Sandao quickly arranged help from a neighbor and realized he couldn’t delay. He grabbed some money and rushed to Old Lady Fan’s house. Halfway there, he saw Old Lady Fan carrying a large bag walking toward him. Ma Sandao thought, “Oh no, is she coming to perform a ritual?” Without caring about dignity, he rushed forward and knelt on the ground, crying out like in an opera, “Living immortal! Save me, Old Lady Fan! Save me!”

Old Lady Fan pulled him up, “Even if you didn’t ask, I’d still save you. I knew something was wrong when I saw you this morning. I was just on my way to check on you after breakfast.” Ma Sandao quickly took out the money in his pocket, politely saying, “Old Lady, this is a small offering.” Old Lady Fan laughed, “We cultivators don’t care about such things.” But before finishing her sentence, she grabbed the money and suddenly questioned, “Is this all you brought?”

The four men had stern expressions and said, “Brother, you seem like an honest man!”

Old Man Yang spoke up, “To be frank, we really want to eat those apricots of yours, but we’re afraid you might have other plans for them. How about this, brother? We’ll treat the apricots as money, one copper coin per apricot. How does that sound? You won’t lose out, right?” Ma Sandao was overjoyed, truly baffled by how such good fortune could exist in the world. Without a second thought, he sprang up from the ground like a carp flipping over and sat down at the table.

As soon as the dominoes were in his hands, Ma Sandao was moved to tears. His hands had been either toiling in the fields or tending to his wife for the past few months. Now, as he held the dominoes, the smooth texture felt almost as comforting as his wife’s body.

The five of them played for a while. At first, Ma Sandao won quite a bit, but soon his luck took a sharp turn for the worse, and he was dealt nothing but mismatched cards. The apricots were quickly lost. Once greed took hold, and the gambling fever rose, he completely forgot that his wife at home was still craving apricots. To him, the apricots no longer seemed like money, and losing them didn’t hurt at all.

After losing several rounds in a row, Ma Sandao was utterly disoriented. The white light from the lamp in the room made him dizzy. When Old Man Yang dealt the cards, Ma Sandao covered them on the table, blew on them, and peeked. He saw red and white, and upon closer inspection, it was a red six and a white six—the Heavenly Pair! He tried to keep his composure, not showing even a hint of joy on his face. The stakes were high this round, and when it was Ma Sandao’s turn to bet, he realized that there were almost no apricots left in his basket. Panicking, he broke into a cold sweat and stammered, “I… can I bet with cloth instead?” Old Man Yang replied coldly, “What would we do with women’s floral cloth, us men?” This left Ma Sandao in a desperate situation. He finally had a good hand, but no capital to bet with!

Just then, Zhang Bao spoke up, “Wait, brother. If you agree to one thing, we’ll consider it as if you’ve bet, and we’ll even return the apricots to you.”

Ma Sandao quickly asked, “What is it? Speak quickly.”

Zhang Bao said, “If you win, all the money and apricots on the table will be yours. But if you lose, you must agree to one thing—let me become your son.” Ma Sandao laughed, “Are you joking?” Zhang Bao’s face showed no trace of humor, “I’m serious, not a joke.” Old Man Yang chimed in, “Brother Ma, wouldn’t that be a huge advantage for you?”

Once a person steps onto the gambling table, they’re no longer themselves—they become a gambling addict. Ma Sandao’s mind was consumed by the thought of winning. He said, “Alright, alright. If I lose, I’ll still get to be a father. Why wouldn’t I agree?” His eyes were filled with glee. The four men forced out a few dry laughs, but their faces showed no real amusement. Ma Sandao, feeling triumphant, looked around at the four of them and flipped his cards over, “Heavenly Pair, Heavenly Pair, haha!” His face was already beaming with pride.

The four men stared at him coldly, not saying a word. Ma Sandao felt a chill run down his spine, sensing something was wrong. The lamp’s light had been glaring all night, and Ma Sandao had felt something was off but couldn’t put his finger on it. Now, seeing the four men’s cold stares, he suddenly realized: the lamp’s light had been hurting his eyes, but these four men hadn’t blinked once. Looking closer, their eyes were mostly white, with a grayish haze over their pupils. These weren’t the eyes of living people!

Under the lamp’s light, Ma Sandao saw clearly that each of the four men had a thin black line on their necks, like dried blood. Old Man Yang even had two on his wrist! The room was filled with a heavy, decaying aura. Ma Sandao’s skin crawled, “Damn, have I run into those things again?” Zhang Bao stared straight at him and said, “You’ve lost!”

Ma Sandao flipped his cards over—a jumbled mess, the lowest possible hand. His heart sank, and then he saw the four men’s heads tilt back simultaneously, rolling off their necks. Zhang Bao’s head rolled to Ma Sandao’s feet, its eyes filled with mockery, and black blood suddenly gushed from its mouth. The lamp in the room went out.

Ma Sandao wet himself for the third time that night. A cold breeze swept over him, and he suddenly woke up, finding himself standing in a hollow on Blackstone Slope. His basket was still beside him. A faint light appeared on the horizon, signaling that dawn was near. Remembering the events of the night, Ma Sandao felt an inexplicable fear. He picked up his basket and hurried home.

He couldn’t quite explain what he was afraid of, but he wanted to see his wife quickly, yet also feared seeing her. He cursed himself inwardly, wondering why he couldn’t control himself when it came to gambling.

Late at night, seeing that her father, Li Sandao, still hadn’t returned, Ma Xiaoyan grew restless, occasionally opening the door to look outside. Her mother was even more anxious, constantly saying to Ma Xiaoyan, “Yanzi, why don’t you go out and look for him? Maybe he got lost in the dark.”

Ma Xiaoyan replied, “Mom, it’s so late. Dad might have stayed overnight in town. There are so many relatives there; surely someone would have offered him a bed.”

Her mother thought her daughter’s words made sense and adjusted the lamp wick, saying, “Then you should go to sleep. No need to wait for your father.”

Ma Xiaoyan went back to her room to sleep and was about to blow out the lamp when there was a knock at the door, and the family dog, Wangcai, started barking.

Her mother called out from the next room, “Yanzi, who could it be at this hour? Go see if it’s your father.”

Ma Xiaoyan responded and got out of bed to open the door.

As she unlocked the door, she said irritably, “So you finally decided to come back? Did the relatives in town not offer you a place to stay?”

There was no response from outside.

Ma Xiaoyan didn’t think much of it, assuming her father was embarrassed by her words, and opened the door.

But outside, there was only darkness, nothing to be seen. The family dog, Wangcai, stood up and began barking incessantly at the darkness, backing away.

Ma Xiaoyan, annoyed by Wangcai’s barking, scolded, “Wangcai, stop barking!”

But Wangcai didn’t stop. Instead, it rushed to the threshold, baring its teeth and growling fiercely.

This behavior infuriated Ma Xiaoyan, who was about to close the door. She kicked Wangcai and shouted, “Are you blind? There’s nothing out there! Stop barking and get lost!”

Wangcai was kicked several meters back, whimpering and looking at its owner with a pitiful expression, as if asking, “What did I do wrong?”

As the saying goes, a good dog doesn’t bite its own family. Ma Xiaoyan glared at Wangcai and threatened, “If you bark again, I’ll break your legs.”

The dog stopped barking but remained wary of the door.

Hearing the commotion, her mother asked from inside, “Yanzi, who’s at the door?”

Ma Xiaoyan forced a smile and replied, “Mom, it’s nothing. Probably just a mistake.”

“Oh,” her mother responded, then asked, “Then why is Wangcai still barking?”

Ma Xiaoyan answered, “Mom, I don’t know what’s gotten into Wangcai today. It just started barking when I opened the door.”

Her mother came out of the room and called Wangcai. The dog glanced at her but continued to stare at the door.

Completely frustrated, Ma Xiaoyan glared at Wangcai and slammed the door shut. A gust of wind blew in, and Ma Xiaoyan shivered involuntarily, not noticing the fear in Wangcai’s eyes.

At dawn, as he approached the village, Ma Sandao wiped his sweat and quickened his pace. Near a large tree, he saw Granny Fan practicing her exercises alone by the roadside. Ma Sandao knew Granny Fan but didn’t believe in ghosts or spirits, thinking she was just a fraud. He believed that those who pretended to commune with spirits were no good. Though they lived nearby, they had little interaction.

This was the first time Ma Sandao had seen Granny Fan practicing. She sat cross-legged, facing east, her throat making strange sounds. After exhaling several times, she suddenly inhaled deeply, her throat bulging as if swallowing a large object. Then she leaped up, a wooden sword appearing in her hand. She jumped several feet into the air, the sword humming loudly. As she landed, she charged forward, her feet barely touching the ground, the sword cutting through the air with a sound like thunder. Ma Sandao realized that this old woman was no mere fraud.

Granny Fan leaped to Ma Sandao’s side and stared at him for a long time, making him uneasy. “Granny Fan, what’s wrong?” Ma Sandao lowered his head, unsure why he felt so guilty. He tried to make conversation, “Those moves you just did were impressive, real skill!”

Granny Fan ignored him and suddenly said, “Could I have one of those apricots to taste?” Ma Sandao relaxed and smiled, “Of course, Granny. You can have as many as you like. If it weren’t for my wife wanting them, I’d give them all to you.”

Granny Fan took one, took a bite, and suddenly spat it out, “Ugh, why does this apricot smell so bad?” Ma Sandao’s heart sank. She didn’t seem to be joking. He quickly took one and tasted it, then spat it out, “Damn, why does it smell so fishy? Ugh!”

Granny Fan chuckled coldly, “You smell bad yourself. Can’t you tell?” Ma Sandao was puzzled. When he bought the apricots the day before, he had tasted over a dozen, nearly making the seller cry. He forced a smile and said, “That’s because I wet myself a few times last night.” Before he could finish, his face turned red.

Granny Fan frowned and said, “You have a ghostly aura on your face. I’m afraid you’ve encountered something evil.”

Ma Sandao was in awe. This woman was truly a living deity! But he was more concerned about his family and quickly said, “No, no, Granny. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go home and check on my wife.” Granny Fan said, “You’re surrounded by a heavy yin energy. I think you’ve encountered something, but you’re not aware of it. Fine, go home, but if anything happens, come find me. It won’t take your life in just a few days!” Hearing this, Ma Sandao’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly bid farewell, picked up his basket, and hurried home. Granny Fan watched his retreating figure, deep in thought.

In the early morning, after encountering Granny Fan and discarding the foul-smelling apricots, Ma Sandao rushed home. Upon arriving, he heard Zhang Zhaodi weakly moan from the inner room. Ma Sandao was frantic and rushed in to find Zhang Zhaodi pale and lying in bed, unable to get up. Ma Xiaoyan was pacing anxiously by her side.

“You’re back. I’m not feeling well today and couldn’t get up… I haven’t made breakfast yet…” Her voice trembled, as if she were afraid of something. Ma Sandao hugged his wife tightly and said, “I’ll make breakfast. You don’t have to get up if you’re not feeling well.” Zhang Zhaodi looked at him hesitantly, “Husband, last night, last night…”

Ma Sandao quickly asked, “What happened last night?” Zhang Zhaodi clung to him, trembling slightly, “I had a strange dream last night!” Ma Sandao was alarmed and asked what she had dreamed. Zhang Zhaodi buried her head in his chest and began to recount the dream.

In her dream, Zhang Zhaodi was walking alone by a misty lake, unable to see the end in front or the path behind. The fog was thick, and she felt a deep sense of fear. Suddenly, a man came running towards her, as if being chased, panting heavily. Being a modest woman, she stepped aside to let him pass, but the man knelt before her, begging for help. Zhang Zhaodi was too scared to speak. The man, around thirty, had a fierce appearance. She turned away and said, “Who are you? How can I, a woman, save you?” Just then, she heard the sound of hooves approaching. The man’s fear intensified, and he said, “Then lend me your belly!” Zhang Zhaodi was terrified and said, “How can I lend you my belly? If you keep harassing me, my husband will beat you to death!” The man smirked and said, “Your husband has already agreed to this. Why are you afraid, little lady?” With that, he bent down and collided with Zhang Zhaodi’s belly, disappearing instantly. Zhang Zhaodi felt a sharp pain in her stomach and collapsed.

The sound of hooves grew closer, and Zhang Zhaodi looked up to see a pregnant woman, dressed in old-fashioned attire, riding a small donkey without a bridle. The woman’s face was pale, and she asked, “What are you doing here? Did you see a man pass by?” Zhang Zhaodi, frightened by the woman’s lifeless appearance, lied, “I didn’t see any man. I’m waiting for my husband.” The woman sneered and pointed towards the lake, “Your husband? Is that him?” Zhang Zhaodi looked in the direction she pointed and saw Ma Sandao walking in the water, carrying his basket. Panicked, she was about to call out when the donkey suddenly let out a strange cry, causing her legs to give way, and she fell into the lake.

She woke up immediately, her stomach aching and her body burning with fever. She had been worried that her husband wouldn’t return until late, but he had come back early. Ma Sandao held his wife, feeling deeply sorry for her, and ran to fetch a local herbalist. He also asked a neighbor to help cook some sweetened eggs. The herbalist examined Zhang Zhaodi and diagnosed her with a cold, saying she just needed rest and that taking medicine wasn’t good for the baby.

Ma Sandao couldn’t sit still. After the events of the previous night, he couldn’t shake a growing sense of dread. Just as he was feeling uneasy, the herbalist said, “Ma Sandao, your wife will be fine, but what’s wrong with you?” Ma Sandao was confused. The herbalist handed him a small mirror, and when Ma Sandao looked into it, he nearly dropped it in shock. His eyes were dark, and his face had a sickly greenish hue, as if he were gravely ill and might not live much longer.

Ma Sandao quickly asked a neighbor to help look after his wife, knowing this couldn’t wait. He grabbed some money and headed to Granny Fan’s house. Halfway there, he saw Granny Fan approaching with a large bag. Ma Sandao thought, “Oh no, is she going to perform some ritual?” Without caring about his pride, he rushed over and knelt on the ground, crying out like in a theatrical performance, “Living deity, save me! Granny Fan, save me!”

Granny Fan pulled him up, “I was going to help you anyway. I knew something was wrong when I saw you this morning. I couldn’t delay. I came to see you after breakfast.” Ma Sandao quickly took out the money from his pocket and said, “Granny, this is a small offering.” Granny Fan laughed, “We practitioners don’t care about such things.” But before she finished speaking, she took the money and suddenly frowned, “Is that all?”

On the way, Granny Fan listened as Ma Sandao recounted the events of the previous night, her eyebrows furrowing. She said, “From what you’ve told me, this is a serious problem.” Before Ma Sandao could panic, she added, “It might be a case of fetal theft!” Ma Sandao understood the term “fetal theft” and nearly collapsed on the spot.

They hurried to Ma Sandao’s house, where Zhang Zhaodi had already fallen into a deep sleep. The neighbor who had been helping saw Ma Sandao return and left after a brief exchange. Ma Sandao, too anxious to thank her, pulled Granny Fan to see his wife. Granny Fan examined her closely, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. After taking her pulse, she said directly, “An evil spirit has stolen the fetus!”

Ma Sandao’s legs gave way, and he knelt by the bed. “What? What? An evil spirit stole the fetus… stole what?” In his panic, his words stumbled over each other. Granny Fan was also anxious, “When a woman is pregnant, her pulse should feel like smooth pearls passing through your fingers. But now, her pulse is sometimes dry, sometimes untraceable—it’s become a ghostly pulse!” She paused, “How did you attract such things? Most people can’t even encounter them if they try.” She suddenly stared at Ma Sandao, who was now crying and sniffling, “Are you an enemy of someone?”

Ma Sandao was desperate. At this point, who cared about enemies? He pleaded with Granny Fan, “Is there any way to save her? I have money, I can borrow more…” He wiped his tears, “I’m almost fifty. I have a daughter, and I’m hoping this last child will be a boy. Granny, please!” Granny Fan was also troubled. There were no guarantees in such matters. She said, “Come with me to that place again. We’ll find someone to look after your wife for the night.”

And so, Ma Sandao, who hadn’t slept for a day and a night, walked nearly a hundred miles without rest before setting out again. It was only during this journey that he realized Granny Fan’s true skill. She moved through the small valley as if it were nothing, while Ma Sandao nearly limped from exhaustion. But for the sake of his family, he didn’t feel the pain or fatigue.

The two hurried to Ma Sandao’s home. Zhang Zhao Di was already asleep, and the neighbor who had been helping left when she saw Ma Sandao return. Without thanking her, Ma Sandao anxiously pulled Old Lady Fan to see his wife. Upon seeing Zhang Zhao Di, Old Lady Fan immediately broke into a sweat. After checking her pulse, she bluntly said, “An evil ghost is trying to take over the fetus!”

Ma Sandao’s body weakened, and he knelt by the bed. “What… what… evil ghost taking over the fetus… taking over what?” In his panic, his tongue stumbled over his teeth. Old Lady Fan was also anxious and angry, “Normally, when a woman is pregnant, her pulse feels like pearls rolling through the hand—smooth and round. But now her pulse is dry and intermittent—it’s become a ghost pulse!” She paused, “How did you attract those things? Most people can’t even encounter them!” Suddenly staring at the terrified Ma Sandao, who was already crying and snotting, she asked, “Could you possibly be a rival?”

Ma Sandao was desperate. At this moment, what did it matter if he was a rival or not? He frantically asked Old Lady Fan, “Is there still a chance to save her? I have money, I can borrow more…” He wiped his tears, “I’m almost fifty years old. I already have a daughter, but I was counting on this last pregnancy to give me a son, Immortal Lady!” Old Lady Fan was also troubled. This wasn’t a guaranteed case. She said, “You need to come with me to that place again. Tonight, someone else will help watch over your wife.”

Thus, Ma Sandao didn’t close his eyes for a whole day and night, walking nearly a hundred miles without rest. On this journey, he discovered Old Lady Fan’s profound skills. She made climbing the small hill seem effortless, while Ma Sandao almost twisted his feet. But for his family, he felt no bitterness or fatigue.