It was already past 11 o'clock when we arrived at Dagou Town.
Looking out through the car window, Xu Zhenren and Zhang Dadan were performing services at the entrance of the town to save the souls of the dead.
“As a master, I feel like a cold cucumber. We are both master and disciple. Uncle Jiu is worried about his disciple.”
"That's good of me. I'm so worried about Master that my legs are almost broken because of him. It really doesn't let me worry."
Zhang Heng was speechless and said, "Stop the car."
The car is parked on the roadside.
Zhang Heng got off the car and ordered: "You go back first."
“Yes, patriarch.”
The convoy drove away quickly.
Zhang Heng sighed and walked towards Zhenren Xu.
As we got closer, we heard Xu Zhenren teaching Zhang Da Da: "The seventh month of the lunar calendar is the ghost month, and the half of the seventh month is the ghost festival, a day when the gates of ghosts are wide open."
“At this time every year, the underworld will open the gates of hell, allowing the underworld to escort the lonely souls back to the earth to receive alms from the earth.”
At this point, Xu Zhenren noticed that Zhang Heng had arrived and said happily: "Are you done?" He then said: "Come and burn some paper money when you are done. Now the prices are rising seriously down there, and some lonely ghosts who have no one to worship them,
It’s not a good life down there.”
"good."
Zhang Heng picked up the copper coin worn around his waist and wiped it on his eyes.
At first sight, there was a long queue in front of Xu Zhenren's altar, and many lonely ghosts looked at them expectantly, just like refugees waiting to receive relief food.
“It’s hard to be a human being, but it’s so hard to be a ghost. It’s really difficult!”
Zhang Heng walked up to Xu Zhenren and pushed Zhang Dadan aside: "Go and burn some paper clothes. The ones behind are fighting with whoever they are, and their clothes are all torn. How can they go out to meet people?"
“Yes, senior brother.”
Zhang boldly set up a brazier and began to burn clothes for the lonely soul.
“Master, are you going back to Maoshan soon?”
Zhang Heng burned the paper money and asked insinuatingly.
“I’m planning to go back and have a look next month. At that time, I will ask your uncle Qian to come with me.”
Xu Zhenren replied, and then asked: "How do you know?"
“Just ask.”
Zhang Heng did not say anything about his visit to see Master Qian, but simply said: "Uncle Qian is very busy recently, Maoshan, so he may not have time to go back."
"Yeah?"
Xu Zhenren was doubtful.
"Um?"
Zhang Heng raised his eyebrows and found an old man waiting in line who seemed to have received money once.
“You old fool, do you want to act like a fool?”
“You are greedy as a person, and you are still so greedy as a ghost, so get out of here.”
Hearing Zhang Heng’s words, the old man grinned and walked away with the big banknotes he received from the Tiandi Bank.
Change to the next person.
This is a girl in her twenties, with a pale face, holding a little baby, and she looks like she died in childbirth.
Zhang Heng couldn't bear it, so he burned a lot of extra paper money for her without saying anything, and boldly told Zhang: "Burn a carriage, there is a lady with children, life is not easy."
When the woman heard this, she smiled flatteringly at Zhang Heng.
After a while, a carriage stopped next to the woman, and there was a coachman sitting in the carriage.
“Senior brother, I burned an extra paper figurine for her. Now that someone will take care of her, their life will be easier.”
Zhang Heng said from the side.
“Well, you did a good job.”
After speaking, Zhang Heng waved to the woman: "Go, go."
The woman took the child in her arms and drove away in a carriage.
“Master, do you know that all the ghosts and ghosts from Yangjiang are coming to you when you are doing this ceremony?”
Zhang Heng looked back and saw that the long queue had no end at a glance: "There must be at least several thousand people here, right?"
Xu Zhenren replied: "It's not just that. From seven o'clock to now, many brothers and sisters have left with alms. Now these are all new arrivals."
“They are all miserable people!”
Zhang Heng looked towards the town.
In Dagou Town, many families are burning paper money to worship their ancestors.
Compared with these brothers and sisters who received alms from the Dharma ceremony, those people were well-dressed, riding horses and sedans, and some were accompanied by servants.
From here, it is not difficult to see that there are two different concepts between those who offer incense at home and those who do not.
And in the situation where incense is offered as an offering, those who have money in their families and those who have no money are not the same.
Some wealthy families burned carriages and maids, and there were many beauties in the carriages, and gold, silver, and ingots were packed in baskets.
After the ancestors got these things and took care of all the things that went along with them, they would naturally not have a hard time going back.
“Ah Heng, go to the ancestral hall in the north of Zhen.”
“The clan elders opened a troupe at the entrance of the ancestral hall. In addition to the residents and ancestors of the town, there were also many lonely souls and ghosts who went to listen to the performance so as not to cause trouble.”
Xu Zhenren warned Zhang Heng.
“Good master.”
Zhang Heng clapped his hands and told Zhang boldly: "Don't be lazy, keep an eye on this side."
“Yes, senior brother.”
Zhang nodded boldly.
Zhenbei.
Zhang's Ancestral Hall.
“Don’t mention it, it’s quite lively.”
Zhang Heng went to the entrance of the ancestral hall and took a look.
There is a stage set up outside the ancestral hall, and "The Peony Pavilion" is being sung on it.
There are hundreds of benches in the open space facing the outside, and many ancestors of the Zhang family are sitting here to listen to the opera.
Seeing Zhang Heng coming, everyone whispered to each other and praised him one after another.
Him to praise him for making Dagou Town rich and his descendants living a good life.
Er boasted that this year’s Ghost Festival was so grand. Not only did they invite a theater troupe and burn more than a dozen cartloads of paper money, but they also put pork, rice, and fruit snacks on the benches so that they could eat while watching the show. It was really thoughtful.
thoughtful.
“Everyone, please watch and don’t cause trouble.”
"After watching the show, go back with the Yin Chaos obediently. No one should wander around. The Yin Chai side has already taken care of things. After everyone goes back, if you need anything, go to Brother Ma. He is my master's trusted brother. Everyone.
My family."
Zhang Heng warned everyone.
“Xie Patriarch.”
All the conspirators gave their hands.
…
the next day.
“Ah Heng, come with me to Rongcheng. Something happened with your uncle.”
When I got up in the morning, Zhang Heng was having breakfast, and Xu Zhenren came over anxiously.
"What happened?"
Zhang Heng had a question mark on his face.
Xu Zhenren sighed: "It's not the Ghost Festival. Wen Cai went to see a ghost show last night and was deceived by the ghosts. He let thousands of ghosts run away. Now the Yin Division is furious and wants your uncle to resolve this matter within seven days, otherwise
We need to use our talents to punish him. Your uncle has no choice but to call us over to help."
After speaking, he added: "Not only us, Gu Gu, your uncle, but also people from Maoshan in the Guangdong and Guangxi areas. He has contacted them all. After all, thousands of ghosts are not so easy to catch."
Zhang Heng slapped his head.
He had been a little confused yesterday, feeling that he had forgotten something, and he didn't remember it until he went to bed.
Now he knows that he has forgotten about letting ghosts out during the Ghost Festival.
noon.
Rongcheng, City God’s Temple.
“That’s what it is.”
"Those wandering spirits are running around now. I'm worried that they will come out to cause trouble at night. I must catch them in the shortest possible time."
Uncle Jiu stood on the left side Awei, and on the right side stood a listless literary talent, saying with a sad look on his face.
“Thousands, not a few.”
“Fortunately, there is no particularly powerful one among these ghosts, otherwise hundreds of ghosts would walk at night, and the whole city would be devastated.”
Xu Zhenren also looked serious.
“Brother Heng.”
While everyone was talking, Wencai came close to Zhang Heng and whispered: "I really didn't mean it. That ghost is so powerful. I accidentally fell into her trap."
Zhang Heng glanced at Wen Cai and sighed: "It's useless to say anything now. You have caused a big disaster. Uncle Jiu will definitely punish you after this incident is over. If I don't punish you, I can't explain it to the underworld."
After thinking about it, Zhang Heng added: "In my opinion, when this matter is resolved, you can go back to Wuhua. After you go back, you can renovate the Yi Zhuang and open a funeral supplies store. You can sell things and buy goods on weekdays.
"It's better to ask for a wife later than to mess around all day long."
Zhang Heng is telling the truth.
Because he felt that literary talent was hopeless, and returning to the world of ordinary people would be good for him, Uncle Jiu, and Maoshan.
On the contrary, if you stay with Uncle Jiu, what else can you do except make trouble.
No one can keep rubbing his skin for him, and some things cannot be done by force.
The exorcist Taoist priest who came from Jiuquan Town, Mamadi who came from Shanfo, Yimei Taoist who came from Meizhou, Mao Xiaofang who came from Ganquan Town, and No. 1 Mao who came from Lin Gui, really gathered together.
"With people like us here, let alone thousands of lonely souls, even thousands of evil ghosts are nothing. It's no problem."
Yimao was dressed in a suit and tie, and looked out of place with the others wearing monastic robes.
But he is a capable person, known as the first person in Maoshan who combines Chinese and Western things. He plays an important role in the Xiguang area, and he likes gambling and fighting with others very much.
“By the way, why didn’t Senior Brother Zhaixing come?”
The one who spoke was a Taoist with an eyebrow.
This person has two eyebrows connected together and looks like he has only one eyebrow. He is not angry or intimidating.
“Senior Brother Zhaixing has gone to Qinghai, and I can’t contact him now.”
Uncle Jiu replied, and then said: "But Senior Brother Shi Jian said he would come, so we are almost done counting the days."
“Who is talking about me?”
It is not easy for a living person to talk about it.
As he was talking, footsteps were heard outside the door.
Everyone looked up and saw that the person who came was wearing a black and white monk's robe and a ceremonial crown. It could be someone other than Shi Jian.
Beside him, there was a young man in his twenties with a wretched face.
Zhang Heng recognized him. He was nominally the disciple of Uncle Shi Jian, but actually he was the son of Uncle Shi Jian, but his identity was not disclosed.
“Elder brother.”
Among the 69 generations of disciples of Maoshan, Shi Jian was the earliest to join the profession.
So he is not only the senior brother of the Fulu Sect, but others will also call him senior brother when they see him.
“Uncle.”
Zhang Heng also stood up and saluted.
Hearing his greeting, Shi Jian turned around slightly and said, "You should be Ah Heng. I've heard a lot about you, and now I see you are indeed a talented person."
“It’s all the uncles who support me.”
Zhang Heng responded, then smiled at Shi Shaojian and said, "Senior brother."
"Um."
Shi Shaojian looked at Zhang Heng, and then at the literary talent beside him: "That silly-looking idiot next to you is the literary talent who did this, right?"
After saying that, he made a strange sound: "You're really weak!"
Wencai dare not speak out when they are angry.
Even Uncle Jiu on the side didn't have a very good expression when he heard this. It was just because of Shi Jian's face that it was difficult to react.
“Brother Heng, I hate him so much.”
Wencai muttered next to Zhang Heng.
“Do you think he is targeting you?”
Zhang Heng glanced at Shi Jian and then at Uncle Jiu: "The drunkard doesn't care about drinking."
The elders are old, and the election of a new head of the six halls is imperative.
Shi Jian seems to be here to help, but in fact he is here to cause trouble. I'm afraid there will be a fierce fight later.