Yang Baosan had long lost the fiery revolutionary passion he once displayed. He had grown gaunt, and several strands of his hair had turned white. When Liu Dashao saw him like this, he was genuinely taken aback. What kind of terrifying situation could possibly scare such a steadfast revolutionary into this pitiful state?
As soon as Yang Baosan saw Liu Dashao, he was overwhelmed with emotion, as if meeting a long-lost relative. He grabbed Liu Dashao’s hand and said, “Dashao, you’ve got to help me this time!” Liu Dashao replied, “Captain, don’t be so formal. What is the captain’s matter if not the matter of all the team members?”
Yang Baosan sat down beside Liu Dashao and pulled out a cigarette with a filter tip, handing it to him. Liu Dashao accepted it and took a deep, satisfying puff. Yang lit a cigarette with trembling hands and said, “Dashao, you know I’m a Party member!”
Liu thought to himself: What’s the point of bringing this up now? It’s not like we’re at a meeting! But he replied, “Yes, you’re one of the most advanced members in our team!”
Yang hummed awkwardly, seemingly unsure how to continue, then added, “I didn’t say I was involved in anything… anything… like that. Don’t go spreading rumors about me, okay?” Liu responded with a half-amused, half-exasperated nod. This guy was really something else.
Seeing Liu nod, Yang continued, “Well, something strange has been happening at my house lately. There have been weird noises these past few days. I’ve sent my wife and kids to stay with relatives, and I haven’t dared to sleep at home the last couple of nights. I was hoping you could help me check if something’s wrong.”
Liu Dashao looked all ears, and Yang, collecting his thoughts, began recounting the strange events of the past few days.
Three days ago was Yang Baosan’s birthday. Although the political climate at the time made it impossible to host any kind of banquet, Yang’s status still warranted some kind of celebration. He had invited a few squad leaders over, and they cooked some meat and eggs at his home and had a small drinking session. Two urban youths were staying at Yang’s house: Wang Aihong and Zhu Huazhong. Liu Dashao knew both of them. They were masters of flattery, capable of conjuring up praise out of thin air. Liu Dashao always thought if these two had lived in ancient times, they’d have been perfect candidates for eunuchs—now they were stuck flattering a rural team leader, which was a real waste of talent.
Zhu Huazhong, after a few drinks, got carried away and started boasting about writing an article for the county newspaper to praise Yang Baosan’s idea of celebrating the Spring Festival in a revolutionary spirit—spending the holiday working rather than resting. Yang was so moved he kept heaping egg after egg into Zhu’s bowl. Wang Aihong, on the other hand, couldn’t hold his liquor. After just a few cups, he was already tipsy and announced he was going to the water basin by the door to take a bath before bed. The urban youths were known for their cleanliness—male youths would bathe daily in the water basins of local homes during the hot season. Yang had long since gotten used to this.
Wang Aihong staggered toward the water basin with a towel in hand while the men inside continued drinking heartily. It was a rare occasion with meat, eggs, and alcohol—something only afforded during the New Year for cadres. The leader of the Third Team, already quite drunk, blurted out, “Why didn’t that old lady come to eat with us?”
The other squad leaders shot him a sharp look. Yang Baosan frowned and grunted in displeasure. Yang was notorious for being unfilial—he had built a new earthen house for himself and forced his elderly mother to live in a small thatched hut nearby, feeding her irregularly. Bringing up his mother at this moment was clearly a slap to Yang’s face.
Just as the atmosphere turned awkward, a bloodcurdling scream erupted from outside where Wang Aihong was bathing—”Ah… Ah-yo!”—followed by splashing water, as if someone were fighting for their life. The sound sobered up half the drinkers. Yang’s wife, Liu Yuzhi, hurried out with an oil lamp, hearing Wang cry out again, “Ah… Huazhong! Come quick!”
The shrieks startled all the cadres to their feet. Yang shouted, “Huazhong, grab a flashlight quick! See if there’s a snake!”
Startled by Yang’s yell, Zhu Huazhong rushed into the inner room to find a flashlight. By then, Wang Aihong had already scrambled back, soaked and slipping as he crawled, wearing only a pair of shorts that had slipped down to expose half his buttocks.
Liu Yuzhi quickly shone the lamp on him, exclaiming, “Oh my! Did you get bitten by a snake? Let me check!” Under the light, Wang’s face was pale, drained of all color. He clutched his chest and stammered, “Oh my God… ghost… ghost calling… ghost sounds!”
Yang Baosan was furious. On his birthday, hearing such ominous words was extremely inauspicious. He bellowed, “Ghost calling? What ghost calling? Speak clearly!”
Wang steadied himself and entered the room, feeling braver with people around him. He said, “I just heard a ghost call while I was bathing… it was so scary!”
Apparently, just as he had reached the middle of the basin ready to bathe, he heard a piercing scream from the west side of the woods behind Yang’s house—”Wu-wa…”—so sharp and mournful that it sent chills down his spine. He froze in the middle of the basin. Moments later, another eerie wail came from the south side of the woods, so terrifying that Wang felt as if he’d plunged into an icy cave. Panicking, he swam back toward the shore. Just as he was about to reach land, he suddenly heard a sharp, short laugh—”Heh…”—so shrill it clearly wasn’t human. It scared him so badly he cramped and scrambled out of the water, tumbling and rolling onto the shore.
Upon hearing this, Yang Baosan was even more furious. “We were all drinking here and didn’t hear anything… Comrade Wang, you urban youths are getting too superstitious. That’s a disgrace to our education! In the countryside, there are plenty of crows and night birds. If you’re scared by every sound, how can you adapt?”
As Yang was scolding him, without warning, a “Wu-wa…” echoed from behind the house, making everyone freeze. Liu Yuzhi’s hand trembled as she held the lamp. She murmured, “Oh my, why does the night bird sound so mournful tonight…” Everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Though they claimed not to believe in ghosts and spirits, those raised in the countryside still carried some superstition.
Wang Aihong immediately stood beside Zhu Huazhong and said, “See, I told you…”
Before he could finish, another “Heh… heh…” came from behind the house. The laugh sounded three parts human, seven parts ghostly. Instantly, goosebumps rose on everyone’s arms. Liu Yuzhi’s trembling lamp cast flickering shadows around the room.
As the laughter faded, a sudden “Clang!” came from the east side of Yang’s house, startling Yang Baosan so much that he dove under the dinner table. Unluckily, Wang Aihong had the same idea, and their heads collided with a painful “Ouch!” Just as Liu Yuzhi and the squad leaders were about to scream for help, they heard Yang’s chickens squawking wildly, followed by sounds of someone climbing over the yard wall and the furious barking of their dog.
Yang’s eyes flashed with fury, “Ah, damn it! I knew something was up. Someone’s pretending to be ghosts to steal my chickens!”
With that, he suddenly sprang up from under the table, full of boldness. He grabbed a spade and rushed out the door. The others, now sobered up, realized this was their chance to show loyalty to the team leader. They shouted in unison, grabbed whatever tools they could find, and charged outside. Zhu Huazhong, wielding a broomstick, screamed like a banshee, exuding the fierce determination of a warrior determined to recover the team leader’s chickens no matter the enemy.
Fueled by alcohol and their devotion to the team leader, they ran like the wind. They spotted a figure fleeing in the distance and sped up. Within minutes, they surrounded the person. The squad leaders, enraged, slapped him a few times and kicked him mercilessly. After beating him, they dragged him back to Yang Baosan’s house. Liu Yuzhi held up the lamp and exclaimed, “Oh my, isn’t this Lin Anxing from the Fourth Team?” The Fourth Team leader looked closely and confirmed, “Yes, it’s indeed Lin Anxing from our team!” This meant the Fourth Team had failed to discipline its members properly, and the Fourth Team leader’s face turned red with embarrassment. He roared, “How dare you steal from Captain Yang!”
Around 1960, few rural households raised chickens—partly because of policy restrictions and partly due to lack of feed. Only those slightly better off might keep a few chickens for eggs. Lin Anxing’s father had been a veteran Red Army soldier who died of illness a few years earlier. Lin Anxing, relying on his father’s reputation, had been loafing around the team, avoiding work. The squad leaders dared not reprimand him. Recently starving, he had been longing for Yang Baosan’s chickens, dreaming of them with drool at night. Knowing there was a drinking party at Yang’s house that night, he seized the opportunity to sneak in and steal a chicken.
When Yang Baosan heard that his chickens had nearly been stolen, he was furious. He slapped Lin Anxing a few times, but out of respect for Lin’s father, he refrained from using his spade. He pointed a finger at Lin’s nose and shouted, “So you dare to steal my chickens and imitate ghost sounds! Do you think we’re all fools?”
Lin Anxing’s mouth was already swollen, and he pleaded, “Oh, I didn’t imitate any ghost sounds! If it hadn’t been for those ghost calls, I’d have escaped already!”
It turned out that Lin Anxing had sneaked into Yang’s courtyard in the dark, hoping to steal a chicken. But he heard the ghostly cries from behind the house, which made his heart race. Especially that laugh—almost made him wet his pants. When the commotion broke out inside Yang’s house, he gathered his courage and quietly stole a hen from the chicken coop. The chickens were blind at night and asleep, so they wouldn’t wake up unless there was a big disturbance. He carefully climbed the wall, ready to jump down, when he suddenly heard that sharp laugh, as if right beside his ear. He was so scared his legs cramped, causing him to fall off the wall, dropping the chicken. This commotion alerted everyone inside.
After hearing this, Liu Yuzhi felt even more uneasy and said, “Didn’t that Liu family’s eldest son from the team always talk about ghostly wails and ominous laughter? Could it be…”
Yang Baosan, already agitated, impatiently snapped, “What do you know, woman? Don’t talk nonsense!” Just then, a trembling voice came from outside the door, “Son… you might have gotten yourself into trouble. This is an ill omen!”
Everyone turned around. It was Yang Baosan’s elderly mother. Hearing the commotion and the strange laughter, she sensed something was wrong and had come with her walking stick. Yang was even more annoyed, thinking that tonight’s celebration had been ruined by one problem after another. He said to his mother, “What are you doing coming here? You’re old, go back to sleep!”
The squad leaders, sensing the awkward atmosphere, took this opportunity to excuse themselves. The two urban youths, seeing the family conflict arising, quickly said they’d go to sleep. The elderly mother stubbornly stood at the door and said, “You scold me if you want, but I say what I must! I’m not just watching over you—I’m watching over my two grandsons too!”
Yang Baosan’s heart sank. He was relieved his two sons had been sent to relatives’ homes—those timid kids would have been terrified tonight! Seeing the family tension, Lin Anxing seized the moment to beg for mercy, “Captain Yang, I was just being reckless. I promise I’ll never do this again!”
Yang waved his hand dismissively, “Get lost! If it weren’t for your father’s contributions to the revolution, I’d have sent you to the police station tonight!” Lin Anxing thanked him repeatedly, got up, and hurried away, humiliated and shaken.
Seeing his wife and mother still standing there, Yang suddenly lost his temper, “Why aren’t you both sleeping? Got too much kerosene to burn, lighting so many lamps here!”
His elderly mother sighed and said, “You’ve driven Mr. Liu away again. If something really happens, I’d like to see how you handle it!” With that, she leaned on her walking stick and returned to her dilapidated thatched hut.
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