Maiyi Onmyoji

Survival in Adversity

My aunt, stripped of her clothing, had gone mad. She was eating grass, giggling foolishly, and even chased after passersby on the street.This scene immediately drew a crowd of onlookers.A middle-aged police officer arrived in his patrol car, hurriedly fetched a piece of oilcloth from the trunk, and wrapped my aunt in it. He enlisted the help of two nearby women to handcuff her and put her into the car.The police car departed, but the crowd didn't disperse immediately.People whispered among themselves, speculating that my aunt had been possessed by something sinister.There was also a shrew at my shop; who knows what's happening there now?I turned around and started walking back.Huang Rong caught up with me and whispered, "Shuilei, what's going on? I'm so confused."I felt deeply concerned about Huang Rong's situation.After some thought, I replied, "Your second aunt has always been an eccentric. You know that well. From her appearance, I can tell she's a treacherous woman. I have a suspicion that your father's death might be directly connected to her and her associates.""Her associates? Do you mean my mother too?" Huang Rong looked puzzled."Don't overthink it for now. Just keep it in mind—it's only a suspicion," I deflected the topic. "By the way, why do you and your mother look nothing alike?"Huang Rong hesitated for a moment, then said, "Are you implying I'm not her biological daughter?"She was perceptive.I smiled slightly, "A little..."Huang Rong didn't show much anger; instead, she furrowed her brows and sighed softly, "People have said that before. When I was young, the village kids taunted me, saying I was an illegitimate child, not my mom's biological daughter. I cried so much. My dad even fought with someone over it, and since then, no one has mentioned it.""But as I grew up, I also noticed I didn't resemble her, nor do we share the same temperament. I had planned to ask my dad about it during the summer, but he passed away." Huang Rong's mood darkened, and a few tears fell. "If she's not my real mother, then I'm an orphan, and I might not even be able to finish college."Damn it!I immediately sensed trouble. Uncle Huang might ask me to find a way to support his precious daughter through school!I'm struggling to keep myself afloat; how can I help others?I dared not say anything more. Despite Huang Rong's beauty, she's not easy to marry. Who could handle such a troublesome father-in-law?Outside the shopA middle-aged, corpulent monk in a plain yellow robe, about fifty years old, was casually sitting at my shop's entrance. The plastic stool beneath him was bending under his weight.Judging by his appearance, this monk must weigh at least three hundred pounds.The shrew and her white car were nowhere to be seen.Huang Rong glanced around and went aside to call her mother.The fat monk's face was shiny with oil, his expression benevolent, and he smiled like a laughing Buddha.I didn't dare to be negligent. With a smile, I greeted him, "Master, are you looking for me?""Hehe..."The fat monk stood up, "No, I'm just passing through and taking a rest.""Oh, then please, continue to sit."The monk looked auspicious, like a noble person. I quickly brought a few more plastic stools together for him to sit on.To my surprise, the monk smacked his lips, "Young man, I'm from another temple, handling some matters here and preparing to return. I got a bit tired and thirsty on the way. Could you get me some purified water? The big bottle, please; the small one won't be enough."I was slightly taken aback, not expecting the monk to ask for water.Buying a large bottle of purified water would cost at least a few dozen yuan.Seeing the fullness of the monk's virtuous palace, I knew he wasn't just here for a free meal, so I quickly told him to wait while I fetched the water.I rode my bicycle and swiftly bought a large bottle of purified water.The fat monk received the water with a smile, without hesitation, pouring himself a bowl and drinking nearly half the bottle in one go.Huang Rong approached me, "Shuilei, my mom was scolding me over the phone, telling me to hurry home. What should I do?""Go back? She wasn't taken by the police?"I was surprised. Could it be that the police officer couldn't handle the shrew?Huang Rong shook her head, "If she had been caught, could she be at home? Shuilei, I really don't want to go back now, and I'm afraid to. I want to stay at a friend's place in the city for a couple of days, but I'm worried it might be inconvenient. What do you think I should do?"It felt like she truly saw me as family.In a moment of weakness, I suggested she stay at a hostel instead of bothering her friend.But she said she had no money and asked to borrow five hundred yuan. Impulsively, I went to the bank and withdrew a thousand yuan for her.After taking Huang Rong to a nearby hostel, I returned to the shop.The fat monk was gone, leaving the empty water bottle on the ground.Could he not have placed the bottle properly after drinking?As I questioned the monk's manners, wondering if I'd misjudged his character, I suddenly noticed something inside the bottle. Upon closer inspection, it was the weasel that had been hiding under the counter earlier.The weasel, seeing me, scurried around inside the bottle in a panic.I quickly ran over and found the bottle's mouth covered with a cloth, evidently to trap the weasel inside.As I gazed at it, the weasel curled up fearfully, staring at me with its small, greenish eyes.In the countryside, weasels are common, especially at dusk, when they scurry through the grass.But none of the weasels, not even the white-furred one from the other day, had such eerie eyes.It seemed to be pleading with me to let it go.Considering that the monk had caught it, and being a man of the cloth who values compassion and abhors killing, I couldn't bear to harm it. It would only add to the monk's burden of sin.With that thought, I decided to release it far away, as I didn't want to see it again, lest it unnerves me.So, I rode my bicycle out of town and released the weasel under the bridge in a field.The weasel darted out but didn't immediately run away; instead, it looked around.It's not unusual for rural weasels to be unafraid of humans.I glanced at it and said, "Go on, find your own home. I have enough problems of my own and can't help you. If you can, try to do good and avoid mischief..."As I spoke, I realized how absurd it was to be talking to an animal.Shaking my head, I picked up the bottle and rode back.I didn't look back on the way. When I reached the shop and stopped my bike, a weasel jumped down from the back and darted under the counter.It was the same weasel...I stood there in shock, wondering what was going on. Had it ridden all the way back with me?As I stood there in a daze, the weasel emerged from under the counter with something in its mouth. It paused, glanced at me, and grinned as if it were smiling...I looked closely and saw that it was carrying what seemed to be a woman's finger, slender and pale...What on earth is going on? I was terrified, covered in goosebumps.The weasel ran off into the bushes and didn't reappear.I looked back at my shop and the row of shops to the north.My shop felt desolate and quiet, while the others were bustling with business.Suddenly, I felt lost, unsure of where to go next.I thought of my ghostly bride; what's happening with her? Why can't I feel her presence?Although torn, life had to go on.I cleaned the shop thoroughly, but I still felt an aversion to staying there.As night approached, the uncle from the wreath shop hurried over, his face anxious as he whispered, "Young man, why are you still here?""Uncle, if I'm not here, where can I go?" I had no idea what to do.The uncle clicked his tongue, "Anywhere is better than here. This place attracts malevolent spirits. The two wicked women may have left, but the evil spirits remain. They'll come back at night. You must leave immediately; don't stay here."I felt a chill down my spine.Does this mean I'll have to stay in a hotel every day?If the shop doesn't do well, won't I be wasting a lot of money every day?My grandfather knew about feng shui; I regretted not learning more from him.Seeing my distressed expression, the uncle whispered, "Are you running low on money?""I still have some, but it's for tuition and living expenses."I knew the uncle was a devout Buddhist, so I trusted him completely.The uncle's eyes gleamed, "Do you have two thousand yuan?"I nodded, surprised, "Uncle, do you have an idea?"He grinned, leaning in to whisper, "I know a skilled geomancer. My wreath shop used to have problems too, but he helped set up a protective barrier, and I've had no issues since. If you're willing to spend the money, why not give it a try?"Damn it, another two thousand yuan!The rent is only two thousand for two months; spending another two thousand is absurd!What if it doesn't work?Seeing my hesitation, the uncle added, "Actually, this whole row of shops has issues. This area used to be a burial ground, filled with the dead. That's why the government built a temple here, to suppress the lingering grievances. Believe me, you won't go wrong. You could even pay an extra thousand to set up a wealth-attracting array, ensuring you earn the money back quickly."The uncle spoke with conviction, his tone serious.Feng shui setups, as my grandfather had mentioned, are handled by skilled masters. A powerful setup can do more than just ward off evil and attract wealth; it can even change one's destiny, control the elements, and more.Driven by the desire to earn money and change my luck, I was tempted!