Chapter 12
Chapter 12
The sun slowly dipped below the horizon as the villagers concluded their busy day.
After dinner, Wang San picked up the young Hua Jiunan and headed out the door.
“I’m taking Xiao Jiu over to Old Fourth Tian’s place to watch TV.”
“We’re going early to snag a good spot, hehe.”
Deaf Granny replied while clearing the table, “Go on then. Just remember to come back early.”
“It’s pitch black out there; don’t go tripping and falling.”
Old Fourth Tian’s son worked in town, making them the wealthiest family in the village.
They owned the only black-and-white television in Jiudaogou Village.
It was a seventeen-inch Panda Brand set.
Old Fourth Tian loved to show off. To ensure he received as much flattery as possible, he purposely moved the TV out into the courtyard.
Old Fourth Tian’s wife and his daughter, Meilan, would even warmly pour a cup of hot water for everyone who came.
Once half the village had gathered, the scene looked much like the outdoor movie screenings of later years.
Because of the poor signal in the mountains, they could only receive two or three channels.
Still, in an era starved for entertainment, it was a rare and precious pastime.
Little Jiunan sat obediently on Wang San’s lap, waiting for the commercials to end.
The drama wouldn’t start until eight o’clock.
If memory served, the drama was titled *Something-or-Other*.
“Third Uncle, I see that big sister again,” little Jiunan said while sucking on his finger.
Wang San grew a bit impatient. “Stop talking nonsense, kid! What big sister?”
“The one who was on your back yesterday.”
“But today she’s changed into red clothes.”
Wang San jumped in fright. “Holy crap! You little brat, are you trying to scare me again?!”
“Where is she? Why can’t I see her?!”
At this age, Hua Jiunan had no concept of what a ghost was.
He pointed a chubby little hand toward Old Fourth Tian. “She’s just lying on Fourth Uncle’s back.”
“Look, she’s even smiling at you!”
Wang San immediately stared intently at Old Fourth Tian, but he couldn’t see any Red-dressed Woman.
His behavior actually drew ridicule from the other young men in the village.
They assumed Wang San was staring at Meilan.
“Brother Wang San, you’ve already got a wife, yet you’re still staring at Sister Meilan.”
“Watch out, or Third Sister-in-law will give you a beating if she finds out!”
Wang San was in no mood for joking. He stood up, scooped up Xiao Jiu, and headed for home.
“Stop talking crap with me!”
“I’m going back first. You guys enjoy the show!”
The young men thought Wang San was just embarrassed and burst into a roar of laughter.
Once home, Wang San recounted everything to Deaf Granny.
Deaf Granny’s brow furrowed deeply as she listened.
“Xiao Jiu, lying makes you a bad boy. Did you really see someone on Old Fourth’s back?”
Hua Jiunan got anxious seeing that Deaf Granny didn’t believe him.
“Xiao Jiu isn’t lying! That red-dressed big sister has a really white face, and she keeps looking at Third Uncle!”
“When Third Uncle was bringing me back, the red-dressed big sister followed us the whole way.”
“She only went back when we reached our front door!”
Wang San was almost moved to tears. “Ma, it looks like that female ghost holds a grudge. She must hate me for farting on her!”
“I’m never eating fried soybeans again!”
Deaf Granny had no patience for her dim-witted son. She immediately grabbed her Immortal-Binding Rope and Three-Inch Willow Wood Dagger and headed out.
“I can’t let filthy things harm people right under my nose!”
Strangely, however, when Deaf Granny saw Old Fourth Tian, she still couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary.
After a patient inquiry, Old Fourth Tian only mentioned that he had been feeling drowsy lately, as if he couldn’t wake up properly.
Deaf Granny’s two consecutive visits had spooked the couple.
Old Fourth Tian especially had shifty eyes, clearly thinking of something.
Old Fourth Tian’s wife gripped Deaf Granny’s hand tightly. “Auntie, has something filthy entered our house?”
Deaf Granny wasn’t certain herself, so she could only offer words of comfort.
“Don’t be afraid, niece-in-law. I was just asking around.”
“Besides, we live so close. If anything happens, just give a shout and I’ll hear you.”
In truth, Deaf Granny was uneasy, so she left her small wooden dagger in Old Fourth Tian’s home.
After the old woman left, a crack suddenly split the small wooden dagger that Old Fourth Tian had hung on the door.
A few drops of foul-smelling black water seeped out from within.
The next morning, Deaf Granny, still troubled, carried Hua Jiunan to the edge of the dry well.
“Xiao Jiu, take another look. Is there still someone at the bottom of the well?”
Hua Jiunan spoke up in a milky voice, “Big sister, are you home? Grandma and I came to play with you.”
Deaf Granny didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
With the kid shouting like that, even a ghost would be scared away.
“Child, Grandma didn’t ask you to call out. I just wanted you to look.”
Hua Jiunan nodded and leaned over the well opening to take a peek.
“Grandma, it looks like big sister isn’t home.”
Deaf Granny sighed helplessly and took out several Ancient Coins, tossing them into the dry well.
“If she’s not home, then forget it. Come, Grandma will take you back and make you something delicious.”
Ancient coins could ward off evil, but not for the reason modern people believed-that “money makes the devil turn the millstone.”
Rather, it was because copper coins passed through many hands during trade, accumulating a vast amount of human aura.
Human aura is Yang energy.
Ghosts and monsters belong to Yin; they fear Yang energy.
Therefore, copper coins have the effect of warding off evil.
The older the copper coin, the better the effect.
This was also why Taoist priests used copper coin swords to exorcise ghosts.