Meng Yan's Transformation

After listening to Wang Baoqin's story about the wronged soul in the big well, Zhan Yingying hurried to see Zhan Mengyan. She stared at the cinnabar mole at the corner of Zhan Mengyan's eye and asked tremblingly, "Aunt Baoqin, do you think that Ma Yuqin will find our Mengyan as a scapegoat?"

"Yingying, don't talk nonsense. Xiaoqin was on good terms with me when she was alive. She would not look for my daughter to be a scapegoat. If her wronged soul really attached itself to our Mengyan, it was because she encountered difficulties and wanted to ask us for help. She would never kill our Mengyan, otherwise Mengyan would have jumped into the well and died. We are now going to ask a master to perform a ritual. It is not to subdue the wronged soul, but to help it transcend as soon as possible and send Xiaoqin away so that she can be reincarnated as soon as possible. Don't be obsessed with finding a scapegoat and stop being a wandering ghost." Yunqing said frankly.

"Yes, yes, I heard from Xincheng that Mengyan stayed by the big well for a while, and nothing happened to Mengyan after she jumped into the well. If the wronged ghost really wants to take someone's life, there is no escape. Xiaoqin's wronged ghost wanted to use Mengyan's body to seek help." Wang Baoqin said with sudden realization.

"In that case, Baoqin, you know a lot of people, so please help find a great god or immortal and ask them if they can perform a ritual to help the soul be liberated." Yunqing said.

"Okay, I actually know a master. I'll go and give it a try. I wonder if I can persuade him." Wang Baoqin said.

In the evening, Wang Baoqin came back in a hurry. She walked to Yunqing and whispered, "I have invited the Great God and the Second Great God. They are now at my house. I want to see if Fourth Brother Zhan agrees to perform a ritual for Mengyan. If Fourth Brother Zhan disagrees, I am afraid he will drive the Great God away. I am the one who invited them. If they are driven away and the Great God is angry, I will be punished."

"Baoqin, since you have invited the great god, let him check Mengyan's illness. Your fourth brother Zhan came back once in the afternoon and gave Mengyan another injection. He was then taken away by the people from Yueyaer Village to deliver a baby for a family named Kan. I don't think he will be back tonight. That woman can't give birth so quickly. If your fourth brother Zhan really comes back in the middle of the great god dance, I will ask our neighbor Zhang Ershuanzi to take him to his home for a while. He won't have the chance to drive away the great god, so don't worry. Mengyan also drank some porridge, and now she still has a high fever. Let's try our best. I will blame you for everything, whether it's good or bad." Yunqing said.

"Okay, fourth sister-in-law, since you have made up your mind, I will go and invite the first and second gods over. I will also prepare all the offerings and supplies needed for the shaman dance for you. Your family doesn't have to spend any money. This is my way of making up for Zhang Bao's mistake. Later, I will ask some villagers to help set up the venue." Wang Baoqin said and was about to leave.

Yunqing hurried out the door and said, "How can your family spend money on the things needed for the shaman dance? I'm very grateful that you can help to invite the shaman. But I don't know much about shaman dance, so I still need your help."

"Fourth sister-in-law, please come back soon. I will go and invite the great god over. You can ask the neighbors, relatives and friends in the front and back yards to come and help. You don't have to worry about anything. I will take care of everything. Mengyan's illness will be cured today. Don't worry. The great god I invited is very powerful." Wang Baoqin said as she walked away.

Soon, Wang Baoqin brought the first and second gods to the Zhan family.

Before performing the shaman dance, three doors (the main door, the room door and the window door) are opened wide, and even the upper and lower windows are removed to make way for the gods.

The place for "dancing the gods" is on the north wall of the house. Facing south, a large altar written on cloth is hung. From top to bottom, like a family tree, the nameplates, titles and portraits of various great gods from generation to generation are painted, such as Wong Tai Sin, Hu Santai, Liu Heigu, Chang Cui and so on.

Those with the surname Hu are foxes; those with the surname Huang are weasels; and those with the surname Chang are long-necked snakes. The altar is about ten feet high and eight feet wide. Two high tables are placed side by side on the altar, and a small table is placed in the middle in front of the two tables, called the offering table.

There are incense burners, candlesticks, fruit offerings, wine and food on the altar. The whole pig head is the center of the offering. There is a table cover under the altar. There is a word "Xian" on the big circle in the middle of the table cover, and a couplet is embroidered on both sides. The upper couplet is: "All requests will be answered", and the lower couplet is: "Wish for all living beings", and the horizontal banner is: "Sincerity will lead to success", and the characters are embroidered in the black background of the circle. In front of the altar is a high-legged stool covered with red felt, which is specially for the "great god" to sit on.

The props and instruments used by the "big god" and "second big god" in the performances of "inviting gods", sending away "gods" and curing diseases include: two god drums (one for each person), a waist bell (for the big god), and the props needed for martial arts performances when the "big god" sends away "ghosts". There are two (four or six) guillotines for "hanging guillotines", oil and weighing bowls for "putting knives on", braziers and Otek iron for "eating red dates", and plowshares for "wearing iron shoes".

The "great god" also asked Yunwang to prepare a large amount of incense, candles, paper and liquor for use in the ritual.