Chapter 13: Delivering the spirits

“It’s more difficult to help these lonely ghosts and wild spirits. I think we can first deal with the matter of the man and ghost you mentioned, who were husband and wife for several years. However, the ghost can be saved, but the man has already lost too much yang qi, and I’m afraid he won’t live for many more years. Amitabha.” The old monk couldn’t help but chant a Buddhist mantra at the end, not knowing whether he was lamenting the fact that the world’s emotions had misled people, or the final outcome of this widow.

When I heard that the widow Zhou would not live for many years, my mother’s expression could not help but become a little sad, looking at Master Jiang and saying, “Master Jiang, is there no way to save the widow Zhou?”

“What can be done? People and ghosts coexist. The yang energy of humans harms ghosts, and the yin energy of ghosts harms humans. Over time, the ghosts will scatter and the humans will lose their yang energy, and they will die. They are going against the natural order of things. Otherwise, why would it be said that humans and ghosts have different paths? When Mrs. Zhou chose this path, it was her fate! When I heard about her, I was still wondering how a country woman could practice the art of summoning ghosts. I was even thinking that she might be a more powerful master who could really go under the earth. You have to know that people who go under the earth are all blessed by the gods, otherwise the moment the soul leaves the body and enters the earth, the negative energy that rushes up will disperse the positive energy, and the person will die. You see, when people go under the earth, they burp, and that is because the gods are helping to suppress the positive energy so that it cannot leave the body. After saying so much, the old man Jiang was extremely thirsty and took a sip of tea before continuing.

“So, I heard some things about Mrs. Zhou and couldn’t help but be curious, so I went to take a look. As soon as I saw her, I found that she kept hiccupping. The situation was that her yang energy was being consumed too much. She couldn’t spit out the yang energy of her life, and she couldn’t swallow it either. To put it plainly, she was living half a life. When I went to her west wing, I saw that her husband’s ghost was living there, and it was also an extremely weak soul. You said that these two people… sigh, I can’t go on. In fact, there is no way to help Mrs. Zhou live longer. Unfortunately, doing this is against the law of nature. It will not be reported in her next life, but it will be reported on her loved ones, just to live a little longer. Presumably, Mrs. Zhou herself would not want this.

“So, I went to help her husband’s soul. After I helped him, his soul was imbued with Buddhist spiritual power, which would keep his soul from dispersing when he walked the path to the underworld. Maybe he would even have the opportunity to reincarnate. The monk was compassionate and could not bear to see the world in such misery. Amitabha.” At this point, the old monk Huijue no longer had the look of a rogue he had just had. His face was full of compassion for the world, and he looked like a high monk who had attained enlightenment.

“Well, there’s no time to lose. We’ll go to Mrs. Zhou’s house right now. After this is settled, we’ll come back to liberate these lonely souls and ghosts, and tell you about the three little boys.” Old man Jiang was decisive and resolute. He got up immediately, took Venerable Huijue out of the gate, and headed straight for Mrs. Zhou’s house.

My mother felt compassion for Widow Zhou from the bottom of her heart and quickly followed. Old man Jiang and the old monk Huijue did not object, so my mother followed.

The old man Jiang was originally a socialite in the village, so it was no surprise that he went to visit people’s homes. The villagers were not curious, either, and they probably just wanted to see what food was being served at the other homes. It was only when my mother started to follow him that people became a little curious, and people on the road asked questions.

Faced with such questions, my mother would usually say, “I’m giving my son some nourishment. We’ve run out of eggs at home, so I’m going to borrow some from the Zhou family. I heard that the old hen that the second wife is feeding may have laid some eggs! This old man Jiang happened to be at my house with his relatives, and when he heard about the hen that laid a lot of eggs, he had to go and take a look.”

My parents are in the village, and the reputation of that person is extremely good. Besides, I have always known the disposition of the old man Jiang, so why would I doubt it?

The three of them made their way to the widow Zhou’s house. It was still Tuesday when they arrived. When they entered the house, the already weak widow Zhou, who was lying on the bed, suddenly got up from the bed with strength she didn’t know where it came from when she saw the old man Jiang.

She cried out, “Master, save me!” and then she tried to kneel down before the old man.

The old man grabbed the widow by the arm and said solemnly, “I can’t save your life, but the old man behind me can save your husband.”

Hearing the old man say that the old man behind him, who looked kind and gentle, could save her husband, Mrs. Zhou immediately turned to bow to the old monk Huijue. However, the old man’s hands were surprisingly strong, and Mrs. Zhou found that she could not move.

“It is also a merit to save your husband. He will not accept your worship. But you, on the other hand, will be able to live a few more years. Cherish it.” The old man’s tone was very calm. Perhaps it was the karma of the world, seeing too much of life and death, and he had already become indifferent.

The monk just said a Buddhist prayer.

My mother also followed up by comforting Mrs. Zhou. As for the Zhou family, after the last time they came to my house to beg Mrs. Zhou, they had gradually learned the cause and effect of the situation. When they heard the old man say that Mrs. Zhou had very little time left, they all became sad.

Especially the old man, who was being supported by Mrs. Zhou, couldn’t help but burst into tears when he heard this. He slapped his thigh and began to scold, “You damned Zhou Da, if you’re going to die, just die. Just go in peace. Why did you drag your wife down? My poor daughter-in-law…”

The old lady, who was being supported by her daughter-in-law, was also wiping her tears.

It can be said that the family has a deep affection for Mrs. Zhou. Not to mention that after Mr. Zhou’s death, this daughter-in-law gave birth to a posthumous son for the Zhou family without complaint or regret, and she also stayed in the Zhou family to serve the elderly and take care of the children.

During difficult times, she received a lot of offerings from the other side, such as oil, eggs, rice, and other food. She used all of these to help the Zhou family. During those difficult times, it was Mrs. Zhou who supported the family.

Now we know that every time she passed over, she allowed Zhou Da to possess her body. She was just an ordinary woman who didn’t know any magic spells. Every time she possessed a body, it was like hurting herself.

The old man Jiang didn’t want to see the misery of this world, and the old monk just closed his eyes and kept chanting the Buddha’s name. He sighed and the old man Jiang said, “Go to the west wing and help Zhou Da.”

After all, she had to liberate her husband. Widow Zhou and her entourage shed tears from their eyes to their cheeks, and they insisted on going with her. Old man Jiang looked at Huijue, who said, “It’s fine.”

So my mother supported the widow Zhou, while the old man Jiang and Huijue walked in front of them. The four of them entered the west wing, while the rest of the Zhou family stood in the courtyard watching, but they could not hide the sadness on their faces.

When they entered the west wing, it was as cold as ever, and the widow, who was being supported by my mother, looked even paler, almost unable to stand. The old man sighed and walked directly behind the widow, pressing and rubbing her back a few times, then patting her a few times, so that the widow could finally catch her breath.

Seeing my mother’s surprised expression, the old man said lightly, “It’s just a common method of massage.”

How much skill does this old man have? He has miraculous effects on everything. The old man was being modest, but my mother was overwhelmed with emotion.

The old monk Huijue wandered around the west wing and sat directly on the floor. He and Jiang Laoni had been carrying a black handbag, the kind commonly seen in the 1960s, a semi-circular bag with two handles.

After he sat down, he took out the handbag, unzipped it, and inside were two strings of beads and a Buddhist scripture.

After taking out these things, the old monk sat cross-legged, placed the Buddhist scriptures respectfully in front of him, then hung the long string of beads, clasped his hands together, and said, “Amitabha.”

The sound of the Buddha’s name was not loud, but it gave people the feeling of endless waves, and an inexplicable sense of tranquility came over their hearts.

After reciting the Buddha’s name, the monk picked up the prayer beads, performed the Buddhist ritual with one hand, and began to recite the scriptures endlessly.

Hearing the sound of the sutra, it gave one a sense of peace and tranquility from the inside out, as if all the troubles and grievances in the world were trivial and unimportant.

“Bah, this old bald monk hasn’t been seen in a few years, and his skills have grown again.” Only old man Jiang spat, and the rest were all immersed in the magical spiritual experience.

“Well, it’s your good fortune to be able to hear the old monk chanting.” Old Jiang put his hands behind his back, walked out of the west wing, and sat down in the open space next to the west wing door without worrying about being dirty.

He looked like an ordinary old man from the countryside who had just eaten and was basking in the sun.