Chapter 158: The Spirit Cat

Ma Xiaoyan was so frightened that she jumped off the bike, exclaiming, “Oh no, get off, Qiangzi! How did we end up on this road?”

Tian Guoqiang didn’t need her to tell him twice—he had already jumped off too, his forehead covered in cold sweat. He said, “Did we turn the wrong way? Wasn’t the cemetery supposed to be at the third turn?” Ma Xiaoyan replied, “It must be you misread the road in the dark! Hurry, turn back!”

Tian swung the bike around, picked up Ma, and sped off. They moved so fast it seemed even faster than retreating from a battlefield. Tian now rode like he had fiery wheels beneath him. As a wide road appeared ahead, he hurriedly pedaled a few more times and turned onto the main road.

Tian now kept his eyes wide open. By the faint moonlight, when they approached the third intersection, he asked anxiously, “Is this the one?”

Lu Huanghuang carefully examined the trees along the roadside and said, “Yes, this is it. I’m sure. I know these three trees well!”

Tian relaxed slightly and turned the bike around the corner. As soon as he did, his scalp tingled—on the left side, several tomb mounds stood, paper offerings fluttering in the wind, as if welcoming Tian’s return.

Both Tian and Ma simultaneously felt a chill in their heads and jumped off the bike. Ma whispered in terror, “This doesn’t feel right!”

Tian was nearly in tears, “What else could it be? This must be—!” He couldn’t finish his sentence, fear gripping his heart. Just then, a sudden “Hmm!” came from the roadside. It sounded like a man. Both Ma and Tian turned their heads, but the roadside was completely empty—no figure in sight.

They exchanged glances, their faces pale.

Tian said, “Xiaoyan, maybe we just imagined it?” He immediately scolded himself for being so foolish—how could two people imagine the same thing? Just then, another “Hmm!” came from behind them. This time it was clear—it was a man groaning, sounding very uncomfortable. Ma urged, “Quick, Qiangzi, ride the bike and go home first!”

Tian whispered, “Oh no, Xiaoyan, my legs are shaking!” Ma silently cursed him for being spineless and said, “Then push the bike and follow me!”

The two were in a panic, both wanting to get home as fast as possible. But no matter how they turned back, the road always led to the same intersection. Tian cycled and ran, and when they arrived at the same road for the fourth time, he couldn’t help but pout and tears rolled down his cheeks, “Oh no, Xiaoyan… I think we can’t go back anymore!”

Ma inwardly scolded herself: she had wanted a companion, but ended up dragging a big burden along. Worried the boy might really get scared, she tried to comfort him, “It’s okay. Let’s try again. Maybe we were just too nervous and got lost?”

Tian sobbed, “There are only a few branches on this road, how could we get it wrong… Oh no, I shouldn’t have wanted to enjoy the bike ride so much!” As Ma was feeling anxious, another “Hmm!” echoed again. Startled, Tian let go of the handlebars, and the bicycle clattered to the ground.

“Oh no, Xiaoyan, it’s back again!” Ma was also terrified, and instinctively wanted to shout for Liu Dashao. But she thought, even if she called, he wouldn’t hear, and she might scare Tian even more.

Just as Ma was panicking and terrified, another “Hmm!” sounded along the road. Tian immediately covered his head and squatted down. Suddenly, a thought struck Ma, “Oh! I’ve heard this sound before! I know this voice!”

Tian immediately jumped up, his legs trembling like a sieve, “Xiaoyan… what do you mean? Is this… this ghost… you know it?” Ma spat, “You’re the one who knows ghosts!” Then she continued, “It’s Wang Sanlian’s voice!”

It turned out that Wang had worked with Ma in the production brigade. Whenever he was tired, he would squat down and groan, “Hmm! Hmm!” Some people used to mock him, saying he looked like someone straining to poop. But he would argue, “When a person feels unwell, groaning makes them feel better!”

Tian was so scared he nearly collapsed, “What are you saying, Xiaoyan? This… this Wang Sanlian… are you saying he’s dead? That he’s become a ghost?” His voice trembled so much it was barely audible. Ma frowned and said, “I think maybe it’s his wandering soul. Maybe his soul has left his body?” Hearing all this talk of ghosts and souls, Tian regretted everything so much he wanted to slap himself. He had known something was off in the brigade lately, and he really shouldn’t have gone out tonight!

Just as the two were at a loss, another “Hmm!” came from the road. Tian had just calmed down when Ma suddenly clapped her hands, which startled him again. His mind was already numb. He heard Ma say, “That’s definitely him!” Then she paused and thought, “Why don’t we follow the sound?”

Tian cried out, “Xiaoyan…” Ma interrupted, “We can’t get out anyway. Let’s follow the sound and see where it leads!”

Tian hesitated, saying, “What if it leads us to the land of the dead?” Ma slapped him hard, saying, “You’re a man, why are you so scared? I’m not afraid. If it’s really a ghost, I want to see what it looks like!”

That slap seemed to wake Tian up. Without a word, he picked up the bike and followed Ma. Ma walked ahead, and strangely, the sound kept coming from ahead. After walking for who knows how long, they finally saw another turn. Ma let out a long sigh of relief. Gathering their courage, they pushed the bikes forward—sure enough, this was the right road. Continuing straight ahead would lead to Wang’s house.

Overjoyed, Ma hurriedly said, “Qiangzi, hurry and get back on the bike!” Tian gave a bitter smile, “Xiaoyan, my legs are still shaky, and my heart is pounding. I don’t think I can ride anymore…”

Ma laughed and scolded him, “You really have no guts!” Then she thought, if it was really Wang’s wandering soul, he might be in danger now. She quickly urged Tian to hurry toward Wang’s house.

Within ten minutes, they arrived at Wang’s house. Li Hong was anxiously waiting at the door with an oil lamp. Seeing Ma and Tian, she hurriedly came out to greet them, “Oh no, why did it take so long? You have a bicycle, why didn’t you ride it?”

As soon as Tian saw the light, he felt a little warmth return to his body. He immediately started complaining, “Oh no, Auntie Li, you wouldn’t believe what happened on the road…”

Ma coughed twice and glared at Tian. Li Hong asked, “What happened on the road?” Tian mumbled, “The bike broke down!”

Li Hong, worried about her husband, quickly led them inside. As they approached the left wing room, she said, “He’s in there. Oh no, he’s had a fever all day!” As soon as Tian stepped inside, he suddenly heard a “Hmm!” sound. His scalp tingled, his legs gave way, and he fell to the ground with a cry. Oh no! The sound was exactly the same as the one on the road!

Li Hong hurriedly helped him up, saying, “You city kids are too delicate. You walk so slowly your legs go soft, and you still insisted on riding a bike!”

Ma entered and saw Wang Sanlian’s face dark blue with fever, which startled her. She touched his forehead and found it burning hot. Surprised, she asked, “How could a high fever turn his face blue like this?”

Li Hong, anxious and sweating, replied, “That’s exactly why we say it’s a strange illness. We wanted to call Mr. Liu, but the team leader wouldn’t let us…”

Ma inwardly smiled, thinking the team leader had his own troubles too. She placed the thermometer under Wang’s armpit and asked Li Hong, “When did he start feeling unwell?” Li Hong blushed and said, “This morning. He didn’t go to work today…”

Ma asked, “What about last night? Did anything happen?”

Seeing Li Hong hesitate, Ma knew she was hiding something and said, “This illness seems serious. If you don’t tell me the truth, I might not be able to treat him!”

Li Hong, anxious, stamped her foot and said, “Oh no, that idiot! I told him not to go out at night, but he insisted. Now he’s in this mess!”

Ma knew she had hit the nail on the head and asked, “Then tell me exactly what happened?” Li Hong blushed and said, “Please don’t tell anyone, especially Mr. Liu. You know we’re good friends, but this is a mistake we’ve made…”

Ma got impatient, “Why do you speak so vaguely? Just tell us! We’re not outsiders!”

Li Hong lowered her voice and said, “He went to the lake to fish at night!”

As soon as she said that, Ma understood. The lake, known as Liudang, was a large flowing body of water in the brigade. It connected at both ends with narrow waterways and widened into a large lake in the middle. There was even a fairly large island in the center, but it was full of mud and water plants, and no one usually went there. Every year, the brigade would collectively fish in the lake and divide the catch. Fishing or even angling was not allowed otherwise. Night fishing meant sneaking out at night to steal fish—a serious offense at the time, considered theft of collective property.

Ma said, “Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone. A person has to find ways to get food when they’re hungry!” Li Hong nodded, wiping her tears, “He left late last night with a large wooden basin, saying he’d use it as a boat. When the first rooster crowed, I heard him running back. I went out to meet him. His face was pale, and his eyes were lifeless. I was so scared I couldn’t speak. He groaned, threw the basin on the ground, and said, ‘Oh no, no face, no face…’ He looked like he’d lost his soul. I asked him what happened, but he just kept repeating, ‘No face, no face at all!’ I thought someone had seen him and scared him, so I helped him to bed, thinking if anyone came tomorrow, I’d just deny everything.”

As she spoke, tears streamed down Li Hong’s face, “But who knew, from that moment on, he hasn’t woken up, still muttering, ‘No face, no face…’ Oh no, is there really no cure for this?” As she finished, she squatted down and wept softly.

Ma was flustered and quickly helped her up, only then remembering she hadn’t checked the thermometer yet. She turned back to retrieve it and was startled to see Wang staring at her with dead, fish-like eyes. This truly scared Ma, making her break into a sweat.

Then she heard Wang groan faintly, mumbling, “Oh no, no face, no face…”

Let us now turn our attention elsewhere. Meanwhile, Liu Dashao and Yang Baosan walked quickly and soon arrived at Yang’s house. Liu was very interested in the cat Yang had mentioned. He said to Yang, “You said the cat your mother raised chased away Lin Anxing. This cat must have some connection with you. Let’s go see your mother first!”

Yang Baosan was very reluctant to go to the hut, but since the feng shui master had spoken, he couldn’t refuse. He followed along. Yang’s dog looked out from the door but silently went back inside without barking. At that moment, Liu Dashao felt something was off—if the dog didn’t bark, whatever had come to the house must be very dangerous.

The hut door wasn’t locked. Liu and Yang pushed it open. At the sight inside, Liu Dashao couldn’t help feeling a pang in his heart. The room was pitch black, and vaguely visible was a broken bed in the middle, with straw scattered on the floor. The person on the bed, hearing the noise, slowly sat up, “Who’s come to take my life?” It was Yang Baosan’s mother, Grandma Zhang. She was said to be 73 years old, the oldest living person in the village.

Liu Dashao looked around the hut and couldn’t imagine how this elderly woman had lived so long. Grandma Zhang asked again, “Who is it? If you’re here to take my life, come and take it!”

Yang Baosan blushed and said, “Mr. Liu, please don’t mind. She’s always been a bit strange!”

Liu Dashao felt a lump in his throat and quickly said, “Grandma, it’s me, Dashao! Do you remember me? Liu Dashao!” Hearing her son’s voice, Grandma Zhang was about to get angry, but upon hearing that Mr. Liu had come too, she was delighted, “Oh my! Mr. Liu, Mr. Liu! You’ve come! Sit down, sit down!” She tried to get up from the bed, “Oh, there’s no chair. You can sit on the bed. It’s dark, so be careful when you come over!”

Liu Dashao turned to Yang Baosan and said, “Captain, I need to talk to your mother a bit. We might need a lamp. Could you go get one?”

Yang Baosan grunted but didn’t argue. He turned to fetch the lamp. Liu Dashao helped Grandma Zhang sit on the edge of the bed in the dark and asked, “Grandma, how are you feeling? Did you finish the medicine Xiaoyan gave you last time?”

Grandma Zhang’s voice was touched and slightly hoarse, “It’s good, it’s good. I’ve been waiting to die early. You and Xiaoyan are such good people. Grandma hopes you two will get married and have children. Oh, it’s a pity about Master Zhang. He didn’t get to enjoy family happiness!”

Just then, Yang Baosan came back with a lamp. There was nowhere to put it, so he placed it on a wobbly table with only three legs. By the lamplight, Liu Dashao saw the straw bed, almost bare, with a torn sheet barely holding together. Sighing, he asked, “Grandma, I heard you have some cats and a dog. What’s the story there?”

At this, Grandma Zhang burst into tears. She said, “Oh no, it’s all my fault! I’ve brought misfortune to these poor cats and dogs!”

Yang Baosan was clearly impatient, “Mr. Liu is asking you something. Why are you crying like someone wronged you? Just tell him properly!”

Liu Dashao quickly said, “Grandma, please tell me about your cats and dogs. I’ll help you figure out what’s going on. Your house is clearly haunted. For the sake of your two grandsons, please tell me what’s happening here!” Grandma Zhang wiped her tears and clearly explained the story of her cats and dogs.

It was last Mid-Autumn Festival. The brigade gave some dates, sugar, and glutinous rice to every elderly person over 60. Knowing Yang Baosan treated his mother poorly, the person distributing the goods personally brought them to Grandma Zhang. Used to going hungry most of the time, she was quite pleased with the small gifts. She cooked some red date porridge in a small pot on a broken stove. To avoid her son seeing, she carried the porridge to the hut and shut the door, waiting for it to cool before eating.

Suddenly, she heard something scratching at the broken door, making a loud noise.

Curious, she slowly walked over with a cane and opened the door. She was truly startled—there stood a large yellow-and-white cat with a small gourd ladle in its mouth, looking timidly at the door. Seeing the cat holding a ladle begging for food, Grandma Zhang was puzzled. She had lived such a long life but had never heard of such a thing.

With her aging eyes, she looked closely at the cat. At the sight, tears welled up in her eyes. The cat was so thin its bones were visible, except for a large belly dragging on the ground. One paw was bleeding—it was a pregnant cat, clearly injured somewhere. Grandma Zhang knew the cat had brought the ladle to beg for food, probably somewhat intelligent. She was kind-hearted and couldn’t bear to see small creatures suffer. Seeing the cat in pain, she wiped her tears and placed the gourd ladle inside the door, pouring the freshly cooked porridge into it. The cat was very clever—it circled Grandma’s legs once before going to eat. It must have been starving for a long time, quickly finishing the ladle. Grandma couldn’t help but feel pity and poured more porridge. After eating, the cat looked up at Grandma with teary eyes. Seeing this, Grandma also teared up and said to the cat, “Cat, if even people have nothing to eat, why are you begging for food? If you don’t mind living in my hut, stay here and keep me company!”

The cat seemed to understand human words and stayed at Grandma Zhang’s house. Her belly grew larger and larger, clearly about to give birth soon. Grandma was worried—once the kittens were born, how would she feed them all? She thought she might have to give them away.