Folklore and Strange Tales: At the Start, You Retrieve the Sea-Suppressing Black Iron

It was still dark.

The kitchen light in the courtyard house stayed on all night, with cigarette ash accumulating around the lampshade. There was no sound of hot water on the stove, only the soft rustling of damp yellow paper.

Aunt Zhang was placed on the bed in the west wing, with a quilt covering her chest. Her face had been washed and her hair had been combed.

Tong Kexin changed her into clean clothes, and Master Ma sat by the bed.

The enamel mug was back in his hands, the lid rubbing against the rim of the cup repeatedly.

Ding, ding, ding...

The sound traveled from the west wing to the main room, and then from the main room into the courtyard, causing the yellow paper pasted on the well to tremble slightly.

Zhou Banxian sat by the courtyard gate, a wine pot on his lap, without taking a single sip.

Tieguai Li dismantled the water pipes in the kitchen, wrapping each section in red cloth and sprinkling it with mugwort ash.

Tang Wanqing placed seven copper coins at the base of the faucet, wrapped a red thread around it thirteen times, and finally sealed the opening with yellow paper.

Cheng Xiaojin stood outside the west wing door, not daring to go in.

Tong Kexin came out of the house carrying a basin of dirty water, and stopped after taking two steps.

She stared down at the water in the basin, her face tense.

Cheng Xiaojin reached out to stop her, "Don't fall in the yard."

"I know."

"Give me."

"Don't touch it."

The two stood across the basin of water for a moment.

Tong Kexin put the basin on the ground. "What should we do then?"

Tang Wanqing came out of the kitchen and said, "Mix the ashes, burn yellow paper, and bury it three feet outside the door."

Cheng Xiaojin said, "There's a ditch three feet outside the door."

Tieguai Li poked his head out of the kitchen and said, "I'm going to dig a dry pit in the back wall."

Master Ma's teacup made another noise.

Hey~

Cheng Xiaojin looked towards the west wing.

Tong Kexin said in a low voice, "Let's go in."

Cheng Xiaojin stood there for a while before stepping over the threshold.

There was no sound of water in the west wing. Aunt Zhang lay on the bed, her face deathly pale, with a trace of weariness still lingering at the corners of her mouth.

She was always busy in the kitchen, boiling water and cooking porridge, complaining that Zhou Banxian's shoes were dirty and that Cheng Xiaojin was gossipy.

The room is so quiet right now, it makes you feel empty inside.

Master Ma sat on the edge of the bed, the lid of the teacup still rattling.

Cheng Xiaojin stopped two steps away from the bed.

"Master Ma."

Master Ma didn't look up.

Hey~

Cheng Xiaojin called out again, "Master Ma."

The lid of the teacup paused for a moment.

Mr. Ma said, "She even asked me last night if I wanted more water."

Cheng Xiaojin's Adam's apple bobbed. "I know."

"She's timid; when she was young, she couldn't even bear to watch fish being killed."

"Um."

"She doesn't understand Yin Gate, she doesn't understand array diagrams, and she doesn't understand Yao Guangxiao."

Looking at the person on the bed, the veins on the back of her hand bulged. "She knew someone had come to the courtyard and wanted to boil some water."

Cheng Xiaojin clenched her fists tightly inside her sleeves, the bluish edges of her nails sinking into her flesh.

"Master Ma, it's my fault...it's all my fault..."

Master Ma finally looked up at him.

That face, which usually held its own, suddenly gained many old wrinkles overnight.

His eyes weren't red, but the weariness in them was heavier than crying.

"It's not your fault."

Cheng Xiaojin's lips moved, but she didn't respond.

Master Ma then said, "But you're the one who has to pay this debt."

The room fell silent.

Tong Kexin stood by the door but did not come in.

Tang Wanqing also stopped under the eaves.

Cheng Xiaojin looked at Master Ma and slowly nodded.

"return."

His voice was a little hoarse. "With interest."

Master Ma put down his teacup. "Keep your harsh words to yourself and get things done first."

Cheng Xiaojin looked up. "What are you doing?"

"We can't let her be carried away by the moisture."

Master Ma looked at the head of the bed. "She had an accident at home, so we can't take those dirty roads outside. We need to let her know she's home."

Cheng Xiaojin looked at Tang Wanqing.

Tang Wanqing walked in. "The Yin Water Sha has locked away her Yang energy. The lingering sound is still in the water pipe. If it's not suppressed, people in the kitchen will keep counting her after dawn."

She paused for a moment, then said, "If a living person listens to it for a long time, they'll start counting along with it."

Tong Kexin's face paled even more. "Then how do we press it?"

Tang Wanqing said, "Cut off the water supply, seal the stove, place clean copper under her pillow, and have close relatives call her home."

Zhou Banxian chimed in from the doorway, "You can't call them away, you have to call them home. Calling them away is sending them off to the underworld, calling them home is keeping their roots in the world."

Cheng Xiaojin pulled out a Qianlong Tongbao coin.

Tong Kexin immediately stared at his hand. "You still want to use it?"

"This copper coin has been with me several times. It was used to press down on the fish tank, on He Xiaoman, and on the well."

Cheng Xiaojin said, "It knows the way."

Tang Wanqing said, "Just a little blood from the tip of your tongue is enough, don't give me any more."

Tong Kexin took a clean red cloth from the sewing basket and placed it in Cheng Xiaojin's palm.

Cheng Xiaojin placed the Qianlong Tongbao coin on the plate, then lowered his head and bit the tip of his tongue.

Tong Kexin frowned. "Be gentle."

The blood dripped into the coin's hole, darkening the color of the copper coin.

Cheng Xiaojin walked to the bedside, and as soon as he got close, Aunt Zhang's lips moved.

It's very light.

"one……"

Master Ma's hand was tense.

Tang Wanqing immediately placed the copper coin at the foot of the bed, "Quick."

Cheng Xiaojin placed the Qianlong Tongbao coin under Aunt Zhang's pillow through the red cloth.

He didn't touch her.

He simply placed his hand on the pillow and lowered his head.

"Aunt Zhang, stop counting."

A faint sound of water came from under the bed.

The kitchen also started making noises. Cheng Xiaojin closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.

"I'm home."

The sound of water stopped for a moment, and Aunt Zhang's lips stopped moving.

Cheng Xiaojin continued, "You are in Master Ma's courtyard, on the bed in the west wing. The door bolt is in place, so there's no need to boil water on the stove."

He took a breath and lowered his voice even further, "Zhou Banxian didn't smear mud on your wall tonight, Brother Li didn't leave the wrench on the stove, the landlady was guarding the door, and I didn't steal your tea leaves."

Cheng Xiaojin lowered his head and said, "You can rest. Don't count the water; I'll keep track of the bill."

The faint sound from the kitchen tap stopped.

This time, everything settled down inside and outside the house.

Tang Wanqing looked at the compass, the needle slowly receding from Aunt Zhang's bedside.

She lowered her voice, "It's under control."

Grandpa Ma reached out and tucked the blanket around Aunt Zhang's neck.

Tieguai Li came in from the kitchen and said, "The water pipes have been removed, the stove opening has been sealed, and all the basins in the yard have been emptied."

He wiped his forehead. "Master Ma, don't boil water before dawn."

Master Ma nodded.

Tong Kexin said, "I'll go make some ginger soup."

Cheng Xiaojin looked at her.

She immediately changed her tune, "No need for water, I won't boil it, I'll just stay here and watch over it."

Cheng Xiaojin twitched the corner of his mouth, but didn't actually smile.

Tang Wanqing wrapped the red thread around the threshold of the west wing, "No one should leave the room alone tonight."

She carefully put away the copper coins. "After dawn, find a clean person to help. The funeral arrangements will be handled according to the old customs, and the waterways will be sealed off separately."

Zhou Banxian came in carrying a wine jug, stood at the door, and bowed to Aunt Zhang.

"Sister-in-law, I usually drink your hot water, but I've never paid for it."

His voice became more nasal, "Don't keep a record of it. If you do, put it on my tab, and don't look for Xiao Jinzi."

Cheng Xiaojin looked at him and said, "Old Zhou, are you still being sarcastic at a time like this?"

Zhou Banxian wiped his nose. "I'm afraid I'll cry if I don't talk nonsense."

The room fell silent again.

Suddenly, Master Ma said, "Little Jin."

"exist."

"Take the copper foil to Rongbaozhai as usual before noon tomorrow."

Tong Ke grew anxious, "Are we still going?"

Master Ma looked at Aunt Zhang and said, "The more people die, the less chaotic things must be."

He picked up the teacup, then put it back on his lap. "Boss Lin has a third array diagram. Aunt Zhang's life will ultimately depend on that diagram."

Cheng Xiaojin nodded, "I'll go."

Tang Wanqing said, "You're not in good shape right now."

"I have to go, no matter how bad it is."

Cheng Xiaojin pulled down his sleeve to cover the blue mark on his fingertips. "Boss Lin wants to use me as a living key, and Yin Shui Sha also wants to call my name. That's perfect, saves me the trouble of handing out invitations door to door."

Tong Kexin stood next to him, "I'll go with you."

"no."

"It's not up to you."

Cheng Xiaojin looked at her, wanting to say something sarcastic, but swallowed the words back.

"OK."

Tieguai Li said, "I'll go too."

Zhou the fortune teller raised his hand. "What about me?"

Tang Wan glanced at him and said, "You stay and watch the well."

Zhou Banxian's lips moved, but he didn't argue.

Master Ma picked up the enamel mug and took a sip of the tea, which had already gone cold.

He frowned, still complaining that the tea was bitter.

The sky began to lighten.

The blue bricks of the courtyard house still retained a dampness, the kitchen door was covered with yellow paper, and the faucet was tangled with red thread.

In the west wing, Aunt Zhang lay quietly, with the Qianlong Tongbao coin under her pillow.

Cheng Xiaojin stood in the courtyard, looking at the well, but the well stopped making any noise.

But he knew that the thing below was still listening.

Master Ma came out of the house, placed the lid of the teacup on the rim, and didn't rub it anymore.

"Little Jin".

Cheng Xiaojin turned around.

Master Ma said, "Don't let her die in vain."

Cheng Xiaojin pressed the ashtray against his chest; it was cold and painful even through his clothes.

"Won't."

He looked at the first rays of dawn breaking in the east, his eyes showing a newfound determination.

"I'll collect these debts one by one..."