Daily life of farming and supporting a family on the ancient Loess Plateau

Why isn't this going according to plan? Shouldn't Ji Manqing say he doesn't know what "being trapped in a ghost wall" is, and then something else pops up on the roadside and scares him half to death?

No routine, no fun!

Seeing that Ji Yongling remained silent, Ji Manqing continued, "Today, your fourth uncle learned a trick from you, the one you mentioned about inducing vomiting. I see you use it with unparalleled skill; you induced vomiting in pigs before, and today you're inducing vomiting in people. Your fourth uncle has now learned it—the first trick for treating illness: inducing vomiting!"

Ji Yongling said speechlessly, "Fourth Uncle, this can't be used indiscriminately. Not everyone can induce vomiting."

Ji Manqing said confidently, "I know, your fourth uncle isn't stupid. He only uses vomiting-inducing drugs on people or pigs who have been poisoned by food, right?"

Ji Yongling thought for a moment, figuring they probably wouldn't encounter patients with contraindications to vomiting in clinical practice, and nodded, saying, "That's roughly it."

Ji Manqing exclaimed "Huh?" and asked, "Why did you use chicken feathers to induce vomiting for Zhang Baoqing's wife, but chopsticks for Zhang Baoqing? Are you treating men and women differently?"

Ji Yongling shook his head and explained, "Because Zhang Baoqing's wife is a bit irritable, I was afraid I would hurt her with the chopsticks."

Ji Manqing instantly understood and said confidently, "Oh, I know! Men and women are different, so treat them differently! Okay, your fourth uncle has learned it. In the future, if you encounter this kind of thing where you make pigs or people vomit, you don't need to step in. Let your fourth uncle handle it. I guarantee they'll vomit cleanly, and even the bile will come out."

Ji Yongling: "..."

"Your fourth uncle will rely on this trick to get by anywhere in the world from now on!"

The two continued walking, and the night grew even deeper.

The wind rustled the corn leaves, and a mournful wolf howl echoed from a distant ravine, creating a chilling atmosphere.

Suddenly, Ji Manqing stopped and pointed ahead, saying, "Ling'er, what kind of creature is that in that cornfield ahead?"

Ji Yongling looked in the direction Ji Manqing was pointing and saw a white shadow moving around in the dark cornfield not far ahead, sometimes rising and sometimes lowering.

Ji Yongling's heart clenched instantly. She gripped Ji Manqing's arm tightly, but to her surprise, Ji Manqing was also trembling.

Ji Yongling lowered her voice and asked, her voice trembling slightly, "Fourth Uncle, didn't you just say you weren't afraid?"

Suddenly, a cold wind blew by, and Ji Yongling couldn't help but shiver, which startled Ji Manqing, causing him to shiver as well.

Ji Manqing said in a hoarse voice, "I'm not afraid of graves, but I didn't say I'm not afraid of ghosts! This, this, this thing, it's white and swaying back and forth, like a hanged ghost or the White Impermanence, floating up and down, how can it be so scary!"

To be honest, Ji Yongling wasn't afraid of ghosts, but rather the atmosphere, or perhaps she was just imagining things.

The quiet night felt as if every breath of air was filled with unknown fear. The waist-high cornfields all around seemed to harbor vicious villains, watching them from the shadows. Every corn leaf rustled in the wind, like a signal that the villains were about to attack.

Ji Yongling's heart raced involuntarily, and she felt as if she couldn't breathe. She gripped Ji Manqing's hand tightly, and their steps became heavy and slow.

Ji Manqing took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner fear. He gently squatted down, picked up a clod of earth from the ground, and threw it into the cornfield in front of him.

"Hey—which bastard hit me?!"

Ji Manqing patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief, saying easily, "Oh, so it's a living person. I thought it was a dead ghost—"

Ji Yongling also straightened up and patted his chest.

The man in the cornfield roared, "Who? Which bastard threw a dart at me? I'm taking a dump in the middle of the night and I still get bullied!"

Ji Manqing stood up straight and yelled at the man, "You idiot, why are you out here in the middle of the night, taking your time to poop in someone's cornfield? Don't you have a latrine or a chamber pot at home?!"

The man in the cornfield straightened up, pulled up his trousers with both hands, and walked across the waist-high cornfield.

He glared at Ji Manqing and cursed, "I'm tired from harvesting wheat, so I'm taking a dump in my own cornfield. What's it to you! You're all hairy and don't come home in the middle of the night. You're just wandering around on the road like a lost ghost, throwing around some random rubbish!" As he spoke, he took two steps closer to Ji Manqing and raised his chin provocatively.

Ji Yongling then noticed that the man was wearing a white hat, similar to those worn by some ethnic minorities in later generations, making him quite conspicuous in the dark cornfield.

Ji Manqing crossed his arms and took two steps closer to the man, glaring at him and saying, "What? I can just throw it away whenever I want? Hu Jige isn't yours, so what's it to you! You drink the water of the Jing River, and you want to interfere with my Lianhua River!"

"You're just making a mess, why are you wearing a white hat on your head? You come up here, you come down here, looking like a hanged ghost. Who else would we throw things at if not you!"

"Who doesn't have to bend down and pick up stubble when cleaning the ditch? Besides, have you ever seen anyone hang someone from a corn stalk? You're as stupid as a pig!"

Ji Manqing stretched out his hands and shoved the other man in the chest, saying fiercely, "Who are you calling a pig? I'll give you a chance to back down. Say what you just said again!"

The other party wasn't about to back down either, shoving Ji Manqing back and arrogantly saying, "What? I told you so! Let's see what you can do to me! You want to hit me with a hammer?"

"Let's smash it then! Who's afraid of who's a coward!"

As the two men from the Northwest, brimming with martial spirit, were about to start fighting, Ji Yongling suddenly realized that the people of the ancient Northwest were known for their fierce and unyielding nature. Just by looking at these two men who were about to fight in the middle of the night, he could tell that they were stubborn, unyielding, and full of pride.

Sima Qian said, "Those who undertake tasks must do so in the southeast, while those who reap the rewards must do so in the northwest."

No wonder countless emperors wanted to conquer the Northwest. As the backyard of the Central Plains, who could rest easy with such a group of men who would fight at the drop of a hat?

Ji Yongling quickly stepped forward and grabbed Ji Manqing, saying, "Fourth Uncle, my father and the others are waiting at home. Let's hurry home!"

Ji Manqing snorted at the man in the white hat and said, "I'm with my child today. I won't argue with you for my niece's sake! I advise you to focus on harvesting wheat and stop scaring people in the middle of the night with that white hat!" After saying that, he pulled Ji Yongling away.

The man in the white hat behind him was still yelling, "I'll wear it, it's none of your business! If you're so tough, don't try to run away!"

Ji Manqing, who had only taken two steps, stopped, turned around, and grinned, saying, "Who ran away? I told you, you're taking the kid tonight, or I'll make you kneel down and call me 'Dad'!"

The man in the white hat sneered, "Come on, let's see how you make me kneel down. My knees aren't made of mud!"