After a while, Wang Chunhua handed a pair of scissors to Zhang Enpu, who, upon receiving them, grabbed the neck of the rooster that Liu Laoshi had extended. Holding the rooster’s head, Zhang Enpu swiftly cut off the comb with the scissors. The rooster let out a painful cry, struggling to break free from Liu Laoshi’s grip, but Liu held tightly onto its wings and feet, rendering its struggles futile. Zhang Enpu pressed the bleeding comb onto Xiaomazi’s forehead, writing a large, red character: “赦” (pardon).
Xiaomazi’s father, looking at his son on the table, asked Zhang Enpu, “Master Zhang, will my child be alright?”
Zhang Enpu shook his head, “It shouldn’t be anything serious. He should wake up soon.” Everyone in the room gathered around the table, waiting for Xiaomazi to regain consciousness.
After a while, Liu Dashao suddenly exclaimed with joy, “I think I saw Xiaomazi’s eyelid twitch!”
Xiaomazi’s father chimed in, “I saw it too, I saw it too!” His face lit up with happiness.
After some more time, Xiaomazi finally opened his eyes. The first thing he said upon seeing his mother was, “Mom, I’m scared of ghosts.”
Xiaomazi’s mother immediately picked him up, “Mom’s here, don’t be scared! I’m here, alright!” She then burst into tears.
Seeing that Xiaomazi was fine, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhang Enpu asked Xiaomazi, “Child, what exactly did you see?”
Xiaomazi replied, “Master Zhang… I heard someone crying outside the brick kiln. I was so scared alone. Then a woman walked towards me, and I screamed. After that, I don’t remember anything.” Everyone realized that Xiaomazi had indeed been frightened by a ghost.
Being scared out of one’s wits by a ghost means that a person’s soul is so terrified that it leaves the body. A person whose soul has left their body is essentially a corpse—a soulless body, what people commonly refer to as a living dead or a vegetable. Due to extreme fright, the adrenal glands secrete excessively, directly causing a heart attack and leading to death. This is especially true for people with heart conditions, who are particularly susceptible to being scared to death.
As for why Zhang Enpu used the blood of the rooster’s comb to draw that strange symbol, Liu Dashao later explained to everyone that the rooster’s yang energy is the strongest. The rooster, being the herald of dawn, is also the nemesis of ghosts. Once a rooster crows, ghosts dare not come out to cause trouble, much like how a cat reacts to the sound of a bowl being tapped. The rooster’s blood can also be used to summon a lost soul. By applying the rooster’s blood to Xiaomazi’s forehead, Zhang Enpu facilitated the return of his soul, and Xiaomazi naturally woke up.
After thanking Zhang Enpu, Xiaomazi’s family went home. Zhang Enpu told them that it’s normal for children to be mischievous, but they should avoid using harsh words in the future. Education is important, but it should be done with care. From then on, Liu Dashao never saw Xiaomazi’s father hit him again.
The harsh winter in the northeast took a toll on Zhang Enpu’s health, and he gradually developed rheumatism. Recently, his condition worsened to the point where he could only move around the village and nowhere else. Since the passing of Granny Fan and Wang Banxian, the responsibilities for funerals, weddings, and feng shui within a radius of dozens of miles fell entirely on Zhang Enpu’s shoulders. Fortunately, Liu Dashao had now learned enough to assist Zhang Enpu regularly. Yesterday morning, a village outside sent someone to invite Zhang Enpu, saying that the family’s patriarch had passed away. However, Zhang Enpu’s health was not up to the task, so after much consideration, he decided to send Liu Dashao, along with the village’s suona player, Suona Wang, and the drummer, Luogu Chen, to gain some experience.
On the way, Liu Dashao learned that the village they were heading to was called Huaixi Village, and the family’s surname was Xiang. The donkey cart trudged through the snow, moving slowly. After three hours and dozens of kilometers, they arrived at Huaixi Village at five in the afternoon. The deceased was a serene old man with white hair, already washed and laid out in the main hall. Since they were there to perform a solemn ritual, Liu Dashao, on Zhang Enpu’s advice, wore a more formal outfit and neatly combed his hair. He went to the room prepared by the Luo family to change.
Liu Dashao asked Suona Wang and Luogu Chen, “Brothers, do you think I can handle this?”
Luogu Chen smiled, “If Master Zhang says you can, then you can! Unlike Old Wang, who can’t even play the suona properly.”
Suona Wang couldn’t take it anymore, “Why bring me into this? My suona playing is better than your drumming!”
Seeing the two about to argue, Liu Dashao intervened, “Both of you, save your energy and stop bickering. In this funeral ritual, each of us has a different role, and none of us can be missing. We’re all important, so stop arguing and get dressed quickly!” The two found this reasonable and changed into their outfits. In the main hall, Liu Dashao, clad in ritual robes and a ritual hat, wrote couplets and drew talismans at the table in front of the coffin. Suona Wang played the suona at the entrance, while Luogu Chen directed people to remove door couplets and talismans. Everything was orderly, as the two funeral professionals were well-versed in their tasks. However, Liu Dashao was like a duck forced to climb a tree—this was his first time, and he was sweating profusely.
An hour later, all the work was done. Liu Dashao approached the Luo family to inquire about the deceased. To his shock, he learned that the old man had passed away at the junction of the second and third nine-day periods of winter, during the hour of the Rat—a time of extreme cold and heavy yin energy. There was a fear that the yang energy had not fully dissipated and lingered around the chest. Such a corpse should not be touched by spiritual entities, or else anomalies could occur. Of course, he couldn’t reveal this to the Luo family, but when they noticed the expression on his face, they asked, “Young master, is there something wrong?”
Liu Dashao replied seriously, “Have you prepared the coffin for the old man? It’s best to place him in the coffin as soon as possible.”
Luo Ping’an, the eldest son of the Luo family, said, “Young master, is there something amiss? The coffin isn’t ready yet. My father was always in good health, and we hadn’t considered his funeral arrangements. His illness came suddenly, and he passed away within a week, so we didn’t have time to prepare. We only called the village carpenter today, and it might be ready by tomorrow morning. Is there a problem, young master?”
Liu Dashao smiled, “There’s no problem for now, and I hope it stays that way. Otherwise, the consequences could be unpredictable! Have you arranged for people to keep vigil tonight? It’s best to have several people, and make sure no cats or dogs walk over the old man’s body. Once he’s in the coffin tomorrow, everything should be fine. Don’t worry, it’s nothing major!”
By the time everything was done, it was already past six in the evening. The three “masters” were invited by the Luo family to have dinner. A few elders from Huaixi Village also came. Seeing the young geomancer, they couldn’t help but ask, “Young man, you’re so young! We don’t know about your skills, but the previous masters would perform rituals during the coffin procession. We’d like to see your performance too. Hehe, don’t disappoint us!” They had originally intended to invite Zhang Enpu, but since Liu Dashao had come instead, they naturally didn’t have much trust in this young master.
Liu Dashao had been out with Zhang Enpu a few times and knew this, so he said, “My skills are far inferior to my master’s, but I’ll do my best. I just hope I don’t embarrass myself! Hehe.”
Xiaomazi’s father looked at his son lying on the table and asked Zhang Enpu, “Master Zhang, do you think the boy will be alright?”
Zhang Enpu shook his head, “He should be fine. He might wake up soon.” Everyone gathered around the table, anxiously waiting for Xiaomazi to awaken.
After a long while, Liu Dashao suddenly exclaimed in delight, “I think I saw Xiaomazi’s eyelids twitch!”
Xiaomazi’s father chimed in excitedly, “I saw it too! I saw it too!” His face beaming with joy.
After a longer wait, Xiaomazi finally opened his eyes. The first thing he said upon seeing his mother was, “Mom, I’m scared of ghosts.”
His mother immediately embraced him tightly, “Mom is right here, don’t be afraid! I’m here, okay!” Then she burst into tears.
Seeing that Xiaomazi was fine, everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Zhang Enpu asked Xiaomazi, “Child, what exactly did you see?”
Xiaomazi replied to Zhang Enpu, “Zhang… Master Zhang, I heard someone crying outside the brick kiln. I was so scared being alone when a woman approached me. I screamed and then couldn’t remember anything else.” Everyone understood that Xiaomazi had indeed been frightened by a ghost.
Being scared by a ghost means a person’s soul has been frightened away. When a soul leaves the body, the person becomes like a corpse—lifeless and akin to a living dead or a vegetative state. Excessive fear causes the adrenal glands to secrete heavily, directly leading to myocardial infarction and even death, especially dangerous for those with heart conditions.
As for why Zhang Enpu used the rooster’s comb blood to draw strange symbols, Liu Dashao later explained that the blood of a mature rooster contains the strongest yang energy. Roosters herald daylight and are natural enemies of ghosts, making them unable to cause trouble after a rooster crows, similar to a cat reacting to the sound of a bowl being tapped. Rooster blood is also used to summon a soul. By applying the blood to Xiaomazi’s forehead, Zhang Enpu effectively called his soul back, allowing Xiaomazi to awaken naturally.
After thanking Zhang Enpu, Xiaomazi’s family returned home. Zhang Enpu reminded them that it’s normal for children to be playful and advised against harsh scolding, emphasizing the importance of proper guidance. From then on, Liu Dashao never saw Xiaomazi’s father beat him again.
The harsh cold of Northeast China began to take its toll on Zhang Enpu’s body, gradually leading to rheumatism. Recently, his condition had worsened, limiting him to merely walking around the village. Coincidentally, since the deaths of Grandma Fan and Master Wang, Zhang Enpu alone shouldered all the funeral, wedding, and feng shui responsibilities within dozens of miles around. Fortunately, Liu Dashao had now become quite skilled and could assist Zhang Enpu regularly. Yesterday morning, a man from a neighboring village sent word requesting Zhang Enpu’s services, as their elderly patriarch had passed away. However, Zhang Enpu’s health was not up to the task. After careful consideration, he decided to send Liu Dashao along with Suona Wang, the village suona player, and Luogu Chen, the drummer, to handle the event as a learning experience.
On the way, Liu Dashao learned that the village they were heading to was called Huaixi Village, and the family there surnamed Xiang. The donkey cart slowly trudged through the snow, covering the distance of dozens of kilometers in three hours, arriving at Huaixi Village by 5 p.m. The deceased was a peaceful elderly man with white hair, already washed and neatly dressed, lying in the central hall. Since this was a solemn ceremony, Liu Dashao, following Zhang Enpu’s advice, wore formal attire with neatly combed hair and entered the room prepared by the Luo family to change into ceremonial robes.
Liu Dashao asked Suona Wang and Luogu Chen, “Elder brothers, do you think I can handle this?”
Luogu Chen smiled, “If Master Zhang says you can, you can! Unlike Old Wang, who can’t even play the suona properly.”
Suona Wang retorted, “Now you’re dragging me into this! My suona playing is definitely better than your drumming!”
As the two began to argue, Liu Dashao interrupted, “Come on, save your energy and stop bickering. In this funeral ritual, each of our roles is different yet indispensable. So, no more arguing—let’s hurry up and change clothes to get started!” Realizing the logic in his words, they complied and quickly changed, stepping out to begin.
Arriving at the central hall, Liu Dashao, wearing ritual robes and a ceremonial hat, began writing couplets and drawing talismans at the table in front of the coffin. Suona Wang played the suona at the entrance while Luogu Chen directed people to dismantle doors, paste couplets, and talismans. Everything proceeded in an orderly manner. The two funeral professionals were experienced, but for Liu Dashao, this was his first time being thrust into the role, making him sweat profusely.
An hour later, everything was completed. Liu Dashao approached the Luo family to inquire about the deceased. To his shock, he learned the elder had passed away at the stroke of midnight during the transition between the second and third nine-day periods of severe winter, a time when yin energy was particularly strong. There was a concern that residual yang energy might still linger around the heart, making the corpse susceptible to unnatural changes if touched by spiritual beings. Naturally, he couldn’t reveal this to the Luo family, but noticing his expression, they asked, “Young Master, is everything alright?”
Liu Dashao replied seriously, “Have you prepared the coffin for the elder? It’s better to place him in it quickly.”
Luo Ping, the eldest son, responded, “Young Master, is something wrong? We haven’t prepared the coffin yet. Our father was always in good health, and we hadn’t considered his funeral arrangements yet. His illness came suddenly—he passed away within a week, so we weren’t prepared. We only asked the village carpenter to make it today, and it might be ready tomorrow morning. Is there any problem, Young Master?”
Liu Dashao smiled, “There’s no immediate issue, and I hope nothing happens. Otherwise, the consequences could be unpredictable. Have you arranged for night watchmen? It’s better to have more people. Also, ensure cats or dogs don’t walk over the elder’s body until tomorrow when he is placed into the coffin. Don’t worry, nothing serious will happen!”
By the time everything was completed, it was already past six in the evening. The three “masters” were invited to dine with the Luo family. Several elders from Huaixi Village approached the young Taoist priest and asked curiously, “Young man, you’re so young! We wonder about your skills. Previous masters always performed rituals during the coffin procession, and we hope to see your performance too. Hehe, don’t disappoint us!” They had originally hoped for Master Zhang, but seeing Liu Dashao instead, they naturally harbored doubts about this young priest.
Liu Dashao had accompanied Zhang Enpu several times and understood their skepticism. He replied, “My skills are far inferior to my master’s. I’ll do my best and hope not to embarrass myself. Hehe.”
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