sinovels Chapter 35 Searching for the Demon in the Teahouse
Chapter 35 Searching for the Demon in the Teahouse
Yellow paper and cinnabar are easy to buy; they can be found at incense and candle stalls near temples next to houses.
However, Song Quyou came to the city not just to sell yellow paper and cinnabar, but to find some exorcism work to earn some money.
Although we still have some savings at home, enough to last a long time, we can't just sit around and do nothing.
Of course, the job of exorcising evil spirits can only be found in places with good information, but if you want to know where the best information is in Qiantang, it is the teahouses on the streets.
Locals, with nothing to do, often like to carry a teapot to a teahouse and sit there all day. During this time, they talk about everything under the sun, from trivial matters to everyday life.
Holding his sword, Song Quyou entered the busiest teahouse. Inside, there was not much extravagance, only rows of low tables and small stools.
The low table was filled with people sitting in twos and threes, the teapot was steaming, sunflower seed shells were scattered all over the ground, and noise rose and fell. The women talked about the everyday things in the streets and alleys, while the men talked about strange and wonderful things from all over the world.
Song Quyou found a corner against the wall to sit down, ordered a pot of the cheapest coarse tea, and listened to the gossip around him.
The old lady at the table in front of me was talking about which fabric shop had the best and cheapest fabrics, and whose wife had given birth to a big, healthy baby; the old man at the table behind me was talking about what his children were doing, sharing interesting stories he had heard from different places, and praising his children's success.
Song Quyou listened silently to these trivial words.
"Uncle, I saw your son Ali just a few days ago. How come he's back from the sea so quickly this year?" A young man who had just arrived sat down at the table with the elderly people behind him.
"What? There was a major incident at sea this year. A while ago, there was dense fog and man-eating sea eye everywhere. His fleet was lucky to return early, before it even set sail. The news came back before they even left. Otherwise, if they had encountered the sea eye, we don't know if they would have made it back."
The old man sighed softly, "I only have Ali as my son. We still have some assets at home, and we wanted to support him in taking the imperial examinations, but this kid doesn't want to study. He insists on forming some kind of fleet to go to sea and do business. After this incident, I said I don't want him to go to sea anymore. He's throwing a tantrum at me now."
"We just had a fight yesterday. I said, 'If you give your father a big, healthy son, I won't shed a single tear even if you die out there.'"
Those around couldn't help but smile. They all knew how much this old man loved his son. When he was young, he would bring his son to the teahouse every day and show him off to everyone he met.
"Hey Peng, you've come back from Chang'an, did anything interesting happen? Tell us about it."
The young man who had just arrived added some hot water to his teapot and looked at the old men, saying, "There are some really strange things. Let me tell you all about them."
"Some time ago, His Majesty fell seriously ill. No matter how the imperial physicians treated him, his condition did not improve. Finally, a group of monks and Taoists were invited. After looking around the palace, they said that a master had visited and disturbed the imperial palace's dragon energy, which was why His Majesty fell ill."
The monks and Taoists came up with a plan for the emperor to host a banquet for a master. After the banquet, that afternoon, seven large, plump yellow oxen, carrying banners and treading on flowers, traveled from the Meridian Gate all the way to the winding stream in the city. The monks and Taoists then carried things off the oxen in a very professional manner, placing them on a bamboo raft covered with flowers, and letting it drift away.
Those of us who don't really believe in ghosts and spirits found it somewhat laughable, but after that incident, His Majesty's illness was indeed completely cured.
The old men at the table all sipped their strong tea and shook their heads, saying, "Confucius said, 'Don't talk about strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits.' Just maintain a sense of awe. It's possible that the emperor's illness was caused by these monks and Taoists."
The young man took a sip of tea and continued, "There might be a war in the north. I advise any of you uncles who have businesses in the north to come back as soon as possible."
At this point, the elderly men at the table perked up: "Apeng, quickly tell us what happened to the north."
"I heard from the soldiers who came back from the north: 'This winter is terrible, the nomadic tribes in the north are having a hard time. The grasslands are buried in snow, the cattle and sheep are freezing to death, and there are already signs of cannibalism. It seems that they will come south to raid soon.' Moreover, there are already rumors that the tribes in the northern plains have gathered together to prepare."
The old men frowned deeply, and one of them slammed his hand on the table, saying, "Back when my grandfather followed General Wu Zhong and his horse swept across the northern plains, wherever his blade pointed, not only did barbarian heads roll, but even cattle, sheep, and grass had to bow down to me."
Those barbarians dare to cause trouble! I will follow in the footsteps of my ancestors, join the army, and chop those barbarians to pieces!
The old man was filled with righteous indignation because his family was originally a large clan, but before the founding of the country, the Hu people took advantage of the weakness of the Central Plains to plunder and kill his family, leaving only his branch. His elders who joined the army were all killed by the Hu people, and his family declined from then on. Therefore, he had an unspeakable blood feud with the Hu people of the Northern Plains.
Song Quyou, who was standing to the side, heard their conversation clearly. His fingers, which were holding the rough pottery teacup, tightened slightly as he fell into deep thought.
This reminded him of the three ghosts he had encountered in the mountain temple some time ago, whose three stories about the north, south, and west matched exactly what this person had said.
Shocked, Song Quyou shook his head again. What good would it do to know? The matter was too far removed from him. In the face of such a major event, it was best to just do his duty.
The teahouse was still bustling with conversation, and Song Quyou took a sip of the tea, which had become a little weak. Just as he was about to pay and leave, the words of the old woman at the table in front of him made him sit down again.
"Have you heard? Another person has drowned in the river south of the city."
"I heard that's the fourth person to die this month. It seems the deceased was the concubine of a magistrate, and their body still hasn't been recovered. The magistrate has posted a notice saying, 'Whoever can subdue the evil spirit in the river will receive twenty taels of silver.'"
"Tell me, why would an official's concubine want to run off to that desolate place in the south of the city when it would be so much better to stay in the city?"
"I heard that her family was poor, but she got together with that official, so of course she has to help out her family and show off to the neighbors."
"Oh, what I heard is different from what you heard. That girl was very pitiful. Her parents died early, and she depended on her grandmother for survival. The official she married was her childhood sweetheart. The reason she became a concubine was because her childhood sweetheart married the daughter of a high-ranking official for the sake of his career."
The girl went to the south of the city to visit her grandmother.
"So that's how it is. This girl is really pitiful. She suffered for so many years, and she only had a few good days before she passed away."
As she spoke, the old woman wiped away her tears, "You all say it would be better if all these harmful ghosts and monsters died out. Why keep them in the world to harm good people?"
The table was empty except for two copper coins; Song Quyou was nowhere to be seen.