I became a civil servant in the underworld and became an internet sensation in both the mortal and s

Chapter 67 All Things Have Spirits

In Lin'an Village, on the open Ghost Festival, every household, like everyone else, sets up offerings at their doorsteps. Some are to commemorate deceased relatives, while others are to give alms to orphans and accumulate merit.

The offerings were mostly placed on the ground.

The reason it was placed on the ground is because there are children and disabled soldiers among the wandering souls... If it were placed on a table, they wouldn't be able to reach it.

Life was tough in the past, and there were many wars.

Children are prone to dying young, and soldiers who die in battle cannot even have a tombstone erected so that their souls can return to their hometowns.

but……

People in this world will never forget them.

The existence of almsgiving also reflects the goodness in people's hearts.

……

The offerings from one household were quite different from those of the others.

Aside from incense and candles, there was a large bowl containing a mixture of meat, bones, vegetables, and other ingredients.

Zhang Honglian and her husband, both in their forties, were with their five-year-old daughter, Lele, beside them. Lele was also holding two one-year-old country dogs, which, in the countryside, are just mongrels.

The husband placed a small ball, a frisbee, a plush toy, and other toys on it.

Lele turned to her mother and asked, "Mom, will Dahei really come back today?"

Zhang Honglian looked at her daughter tenderly, patted her head, and said firmly, "Yes, Dahei will come back."

It's not easy for it to come back, it will come back to see its family.

Lele was overjoyed and hugged the two dogs beside her affectionately. "Zhuangzhuang, Nini, did you hear that? Dahei will come back. By the way, Dahei is your mother."

The two dogs responded affectionately to Lele, their eyes clear and bright, but it was unclear whether they understood what Lele was saying.

As Zhang Honglian looked at Zhuangzhuang and Nini, her image gradually overlapped with that of Dahei from her memories.

It has been a year since Dahei left.

But in their hearts, Big Black seems to be there forever.

If Zhang Honglian were to ask who she is most grateful to in her life, it would be Dahei, and she believes her husband feels the same way.

Because of Dahei, their family is now complete.

Zhang Honglian and her husband were just an ordinary family in Linxi Village. They had been married for more than ten years but had no children. Dahei was a mongrel dog they had adopted.

I raised him from when he was a puppy.

It was named Big Black because its entire body is covered in jet-black fur.

Dahei is very well-behaved and intelligent.

They had originally thought that if they never had children, they could treat Dahei as their child.

Unexpectedly, two years after adopting Dahei, Zhang Honglian, who was almost forty years old, became pregnant.

Zhang Honglian felt that this was brought by Dahei, who was a lucky dog, which was why he brought her the doll.

After ten months of pregnancy, Zhang Honglian gave birth to her daughter Lele at an advanced age.

Since Lele was born, Dahei has always taken good care of this little master. When the couple is too busy, Dahei guards her and gently pushes the cradle to lull Lele to sleep.

Even from Lele's whimpering, Dahei would know that Lele was hungry and would go to call them to feed Lele milk powder.

From the time Lele could sit and crawl, her best playmate was Dahei.

Later, Dahei got pregnant.

They gave birth to two puppies, a male named Zhuangzhuang and a female named Nini.

The accident happened in the same month that Dahei gave birth to the puppies.

That day, human traffickers came to the village, and Lele, who was fair-skinned, chubby, and very pretty, was targeted by the traffickers as soon as they arrived.

While Dahei was fetching toys for Lele, they covered Lele's mouth, picked her up, and left.

Fortunately, Big Black saw it when he came back.

Seeing Lele struggling and the obviously strangers who were human traffickers, Dahei knew at a glance that they were not good people and would not let them take Lele away.

So, Big Black roared and grabbed the human trafficker's leg. But they were carrying knives…

When Zhang Honglian and her husband, along with other villagers, heard the shouting and realized something was wrong, they rushed over.

What I saw was the human trafficker holding a knife, viciously stabbing Big Black.

Big Black had been stabbed countless times, and the blood that flowed out stained his fur red, leaving a pool of blood on the ground.

Did it hurt if you were stabbed several times?
It will definitely hurt.

But Big Black kept biting the man's thigh and wouldn't let go.

Because Zhang Honglian and her husband, along with other villagers, arrived at the scene, the human trafficker was eventually caught, the police were called, and Lele was rescued.

Big Black took them to the hospital immediately, but they still couldn't be saved.

Zhang Honglian still remembers what the doctor said as he shook his head: "It had been stabbed more than a dozen times, its internal organs were ruptured, and it had almost bled out. It couldn't be saved. It was already at its limit to make it to the hospital. Take it back and give it a proper burial."

Big Black eventually left, and the two puppies she gave birth to were barely a month old.

Her departure left the two puppies, still young and innocent, without their mother.

However, she protected another family, ensuring that Lele was not abducted, thus allowing Zhang Ailian and her husband's family to remain intact.

Zhang Honglian still finds it hard to imagine the grief and despair she and her husband would feel if Lele had been abducted and their family had been broken apart.

It was Dahei's sacrifice that saved their family.

For them, Dahei is more than just a dog; it's an indispensable family member.

Now, a year has passed.

Big Black, are you doing well over there?
Do you have time to come back and visit today?
Look at us, look at Lele, look at your child...

Just then, Zhuangzhuang and Nini seemed to sense something. They were stunned for a moment, then looked in a certain direction and whispered in unison, their voices carrying an unconscious sense of closeness.

Zhang Honglian and her husband were taken aback, and even Lele was stunned.

"Mom..." Lele was about to say something.

Zhang Honglian held her in front of her, signaling her not to speak. As if sensing something, her eyes reddened.

In Xu Qingling's view, she saw a large dog with jet-black, shiny fur, affectionately licking two small puppies.

When she looked at Zhang Ailian's family, her eyes were filled with tenderness and longing.

The longing is silent, but deafening.

Humans have feelings, and all things have spirits!

Xu Qingling didn't disturb them and left with Sasha.

When the Ghost Festival begins, all the ghosts return to the human world.

Some are remembered, while others are ignored, like lost souls.

Xu Qingling saw some child ghosts standing at the crossroads, their eyes filled with confusion and envy, and a deep sense of loneliness hidden in their lowered gaze.

No one summoned them, and no one remembered them.

In the human world, they were abandoned beings.

Even if they manage to return to the human world, they have nowhere to turn.

"Hey you guys, haven't eaten yet? Come and eat!"

"If you just stand there dumbfounded and don't line up, there won't be any food left to eat."

Just as Xu Qingling was about to take action, she saw an old ghost beckoning to the child ghosts not far away.

On the street, shops displayed offerings, incense, and candles at their entrances, performing rituals for the orphaned.

Those helpless, wandering ghosts were all lining up to receive food.

The old ghost pulled several child ghosts to his line and led them to receive food. The child ghosts ate the food one by one, tears streaming down their faces silently.

Xu Qingling didn't linger, but Old Ghost's lazy and leisurely voice came over.

"Don't think too much. The most important thing right now is to eat and drink your fill. We have a long life ahead of us, who knows what the future holds..."

(End of this chapter)