Chapter 12: Maoshan Town

  Winter comes and summer goes, spring departs and autumn arrives. In the town of Maoshan at the foot of Mount Maoshan, every year there is a increasingly handsome young man who runs and exercises in the early morning. This young man is me, Lou Mingming! Time has passed from the 80s to the 90s, I have been living with my master in Maoshan town for many years, practicing Taoism. Except for Chinese New Year when I return to my hometown in Hubei to spend the holiday with my parents, I spend most of my time following my master, reciting scriptures and mantras, and tempering my body!

  My master once said, the body is the capital of cultivation. Only when you have tempered your body well can your spirit reach a level that ordinary people cannot match. When your spirit is full, the magic spells you cast will be even more powerful. The key is, one day if you encounter a formidable opponent. Whether it's human or ghost, with a good body, even if you can't beat them, at least you can outrun them! I deeply agree with this statement!

  I often ask, why as the leader of Mao Shan sect, can't I live in the main hall of Da Mao Peak, but instead have to live in this small town at the foot of the mountain. Every time I ask, Master would look at me with his melancholic eyes and say: "Because those people up there are no longer true disciples of Mao Shan."

  After the decade-long catastrophe, many inheritances have dissipated. Replacing them are some secular people wearing kasayas or Taoist robes, occupying those magnificent temples and Taoist monasteries. Everything is now about money, replacing everything that used to look forward, becoming the mainstream of this society. People like my master, who possess a thousand-year inheritance, have become non-mainstream instead.

  Whenever I was young and vigorous, replacing my master on duty, he would use a sentence to shoo me away. That is "One drink and one peck are not predestined, all experiences are cause and effect!"

  I don't care about the cause and effect. What I'm most concerned about now is the funeral of Tofu West's husband in the town. Because my master and I often wear Taoist robes to show people, the townspeople gradually treat us as a pair of swindlers who make a living by fortune-telling and face-reading. Of course, we still have some weight in their hearts. Although there is always a hint of disdain or sympathy in their eyes, few people dare to offend us. Born and raised under Mount Mao, they are different from outsiders. In their hearts, they still have some reverence for the way of ghosts and gods.

  "The old hemp path is long, the misty path is long. Tomorrow my grandfather should go up the mountain, tonight I still want to trouble you two, to help recite some scriptures and make a super-degree!" Just as I was reminiscing about the town's tofu-selling aunt with a bit of charm, she appeared at the gate. At this time, she was slightly awkwardly pulling on the big V-necked jacket, saying to me, who was dignified and elegant inside, and my immortal and refined master.

  "Ah, great V-neck, you've pulled it so wide! Tsk tsk tsk... Amitabha..." I quickly swept my gaze over the beautiful face of my sister-in-law, while silently reciting a phrase in my heart.

  "Bang!" The master picked up the duster beside him and knocked me on the head, then stood up from the cushion and bowed to Tofu Xishi.

  "A matter of minutes, the royal sister-in-law will return first, and tonight I and my disciple will definitely arrive as scheduled!" The master was very kind and approachable, with a compassionate face towards that sister-in-law! But that compassionate expression has never been shown to me.

  "Then thank you two Taoist priests, please come to my house for dinner early tonight!" Wang's sister-in-law pulled her large V-neck again, and greeted me and Master separately before turning around and leaving with a relieved look.

  "Don't look anymore, you're still young!" Master and I stood at the door, seeing off Wang's sister-in-law. It wasn't until her figure completely disappeared from view that he turned to me and said this.

  "Master, you're old!" I said seriously to Master, and then quickly stepped into the yard, drilling into my own small room.

  At night, after a long wait, it finally arrived. Several buckets of cold well water were pulled up from the small well in the yard, and after wiping my body clean, I changed into a relatively new Taoist robe. My master and I then went out hand in hand.

  "Ma Liu Fang, you've come out yourself? Ah, how rare to see you wear a new Taoist robe today!" As soon as they entered Wang Shu's home, the several tables set up in the small courtyard were already filled with people. These were all helpers invited by the Wang family to sit through the night or help with the funeral procession the next morning. Now that cremation had become common practice, the time for funerals was getting earlier and earlier in order to grab the first cremation slot of the day at the crematorium. Of course, they still had to wait until dawn - who would be willing to carry a coffin along the road in the dark? Mainly, people thought it was unlucky to carry a coffin at night!

  The one who greeted the master was Huang Huai-shui, the owner of the town's only video hall. People often called him Huang Huai-shui behind his back because he usually showed pirated erotic films from Hong Kong and Taiwan to lure those married men to consume at his place. What are erotic films? Everyone knows. Ordinary action movies cost 5 cents per person. Erotic films cost 8 cents per person.

  In the early 1990s, people's leisure cultural life became more colorful. In addition to going to dance halls, more people liked to spend their time in video halls and billiard rooms. At that time, people's income had also increased significantly compared to the 1980s. Spending a few bucks to sit in a video hall was quite relaxing. Buying a bottle of cold soda and drinking it slowly while watching was also very enjoyable. Of course, the scenes in erotic movies could also make audiences excited and restless. Don't say you haven't done this before, don't look at others, it's you! You must have done this before, right? Haha, I've guessed it correctly, haven't I?!

  Books return to the orthodox, and all things have their pros and cons. Huang Huishui showed those erotic films just for making money, without caring whether the audience who bought tickets were suitable to watch them. People are always curious about new things, especially during the period of reform and opening up when a large number of foreign products flooded into the country. Good or bad, they were all displayed in front of the people. Before that, women's bodies were still relatively mysterious to everyone. Especially those beautiful women in erotic films.

  Huang Huai Shui ran a video hall business, which had both positive and negative effects. On the one hand, it broadened the horizons of the town's residents, allowing them to gain some understanding of the outside world through videos. On the other hand, there was the issue of audience age during late-night adult film screenings.

  Every night at 8 o'clock, his video hall was packed with people of all ages. From the elderly who used walking sticks to middle school students, everyone would gather in the dimly lit video hall, focused and silent, savoring the images on the 24-inch color TV screen. Occasionally, a few heavy breathing sounds could be heard. The front row seats were invariably occupied by the town's elderly residents.

  "What's wrong? Not opening for business today?" Master didn't look at Huang Huishui with disdain like some people did. In his opinion, if someone could grasp business opportunities to make money, that was their skill and also the result of their good deeds in their past life. Being envious, jealous or resentful about such things was useless.

  "The king's daughter-in-law asked me to help, and since the neighbors have already spoken up, what's the harm in opening the door a little less today?" Huang Huishui showed off his two yellow teeth, handed over a cigarette and smiled at Master. Whether it was sincere or not, in my opinion, this remark was indeed well said.

  "Sorry to trouble everyone, there's not much good food to serve, just make do with some simple dishes. Tonight, I'll also have to trouble you all to stay here for the night. Our family doesn't have many relatives, so when things come down to it, we can only ask our neighbors for help." Just as everyone was nodding and exchanging pleasantries, Wang's wife, dressed in mourning clothes, walked out of the inner room and spoke weakly to all those seated:

  The dishes were served as usual with a lot of fish and meat. The difference was that each table had two more plates of tofu. Tofu personally ground by Wang's sister-in-law!

  This phrase "big fish and big meat" can only be said in a deceased person's home. For example, in Hubei, they call attending a funeral "going to eat big meat". On ordinary days, if you go to someone else's home as a guest, and the host's fish and meat slices are thicker, and the meat chunks are bigger, you absolutely must not say "big fish and big meat". If the host has a good temper, they will endure it in their heart. If they have a bad temper, hitting people is the lightest punishment. If you really can't hold back and want to make a comment, what should you do? You can change your wording: this fish is really thick, the meat is really substantial. Saying it this way won't be a problem.

  At night, we have to stay up late, so no one is polite. The wine and meat are stuffed into the mouth as hard as possible, of course, excluding the idea of eating back the share of money. Speaking of this, there is another thing to remind everyone. That is, the mourning share can only be given before the funeral procession. After the funeral procession, if you haven't had time to give a share, don't give it anymore. If you give money later, you will be beaten. When the family has already held the funeral, and you still go to give a share, it means that you wish the host family to die again. This matter, whoever is involved will have to fight.

  Because of the lesson from Da Hong Cun many years ago, Master was much more cautious this time. After the banquet dispersed, he personally ran a circle in front and behind my house. He checked everywhere for a long time before returning to the courtyard, closing the gate, and preparing for the ritual. Those neighbors who came to help were rarely given the opportunity to see my master and I take action. At this time, they also sat around the small courtyard with great interest, stretching their necks to peek into the hall where the body was placed.

  "Ding, ding, ding!" As soon as the master struck the cymbals in his hand, the courtyard fell silent. People began to look forward to our next performance. Yes, in their eyes, this was just a show. A play performed for the living with money paid by the deceased's family.

  Tianzun instructed Zuo Xuanzhen and other ghosts, "Ding dang, ding dang."

  Quietly listen to the Five Remembrances! Ding dong, ding dong.

  One thought of Three Treasures, always compassionate and sympathetic.

  Willingly escape from the fiery pit.

  In the quiet night, the master's chanting voice accompanied by the ringing of the bell echoed far away! And I led the only son of the host family to step forward on the wooden bridge built with tables and chairs.