Chapter 5: The Station at Matou Mountain

In that era, almost every rural production team had a pig butcher, so it wasn't particularly difficult to find three. My grandfather went out and soon called back three butchers, each carrying their sharp knives.

He briefly explained the situation to them. Each butcher was robust and somewhat disheveled, looking fierce. After accepting cigarettes from my grandfather and drinking a few sips of liquor, they set out at midnight, accompanying Cha Wenbin home.

Later, I verified the account with two of the butchers who were still alive. They said that night, although it was summer, they felt a cold wind blowing continuously. Walking along the road, they always felt someone was following them. However, Cha Wenbin forbade them from looking back or speaking, instructing them to hold their sharp knives and surround him as they walked forward.

When they arrived at his home, he gave each of them a pack of cigarettes, a bottle of liquor, and a talisman, asking them to go home and stay locked inside for seven days.

The next day, my grandparents and aunt went to check on him, but he refused to see anyone.

During Cha Wenbin's confinement, my grandmother took my aunt to the hospital for a check-up, and the results were all normal, which even surprised the doctor who had previously told them to prepare for the worst regarding my grandmother's health.

For seven consecutive days, my grandmother waited at Cha's house. On the eighth morning, he finally opened the door, and my grandmother asked my aunt to kneel and bow three times to express their gratitude for saving her life. Cha Wenbin was a straightforward man and again refused any payment. Despite this, my grandmother insisted on leaving the money, and finally, he relented, saying, "Sister, if you truly want to thank me, can you give me that little black dog of yours?"

It wasn't just a dog; even if it were a fat pig, my grandmother would have given it to him without hesitation. She immediately agreed and said she would have my grandfather deliver it later.

Cha Wenbin added, "I don't want to take anything from you; it's just that this black dog has an 'yin-yang eye' and is a pure black dog that can sense ghosts. If it stays at your home, it will attract trouble sooner or later. Keeping it here will be beneficial."

Later, I heard my grandmother mention that my uncle had thrown a tantrum over that little black dog, crying about it, but that dog indeed became Cha Wenbin's companion, appearing in another story later on—though that's another tale.

A few days later, Cha Wenbin visited my grandmother's house for lunch, then went to the homes of the parents of the two drowned children to inquire about where they had been buried. Back then, when a child died, they would just roll the body in a tattered mat, find a small mound, and dig a pit to bury them, with no tombstone or anything to mark the spot.

As they walked, Cha Wenbin asked the child's family if they had visited the grave since their child died. The child's father replied that he was afraid of the pain and hadn't gone back since they were buried, only knowing which mountain they were on. Cha Wenbin, using a compass, walked along while calculating, leading everyone to Ma Tiao Mountain.

I also knew about Ma Tiao Mountain; it was a tall mountain right across from my grandmother's house, shaped like a horse, which was how it got its name. It stood out prominently from the flat land, giving it an eerie feel.

When they reached the top, the sun was about to set, and they finally found the small mounds where the two children were buried. It was overgrown with weeds, and if not for the fresh earth, they wouldn't have recognized it as a grave.

Seeing their children suffering in the ground brought forth a wave of sorrow from the families, who knelt and cried. Cha Wenbin didn't intervene, instead measuring the area around the grave. After a moment, he gathered the families together and said he would dig up the mound.

Naturally, the families objected, and one father angrily shouted, "Who are you, fake Daoist? You want to dig up my child's grave!"

Cha Wenbin remained calm and asked, "Do you know what kind of mountain this is?"

Everyone was aware it was Ma Tiao Mountain!

"Ma Tiao Mountain? Bull Head and Horse Face! Yes, this mountain is a resting spot for Bull Head and Horse Face. The location where your children are buried happens to be on this horse's back, binding them as little ghosts to your village, unable to be reborn! If we dig them up, I can perform a ritual to move them. You don't want your kids to suffer eternally, do you?"

The villagers, having heard about my aunt's incident, became fearful, considering that if what he said was true, their children would face eternal torment. After some discussion, the two men agreed, and people began to dig with their tools.

The children's graves weren't deep, and soon they uncovered two rolled mats. When the mats were opened, everyone was stunned. The children had been dead for over two years, yet their bodies showed no signs of decay and looked almost lifelike, as if they were merely asleep. The villagers were terrified, knowing it was June, and there was no stench whatsoever!

Cha Wenbin sighed, "I didn't expect it to be like this. These two children's bodies can't be brought back to the village; otherwise, it will surely lead to an epidemic. We can only burn them and find a new place for the ashes." Everyone understood that dead bodies decompose, so the sight of the two children shocked them. At this point, they could only let the Daoist take charge.

He instructed everyone to gather dry wood and build a pyre. Once the pyre was ready, Cha Wenbin placed the bodies on it and lit three sticks of incense in front. After glancing at them, he ignited the pyre and began reciting the incantations to send the two little ghosts to report to the underworld.

After the cremation, he gathered the ashes, led the villagers down the mountain, and buried the children's ashes by the reservoir, marking the spot with a tombstone. By then, it was already dark, and he went to my grandmother's house for dinner before heading home.

That night, my aunt dreamed of the two children coming to say goodbye, even bowing to her and asking her to thank the Daoist. The next day, my grandmother inquired about the dream, and Cha Wenbin nodded, saying that the two little ghosts had likely departed, advising her to tell the villagers not to bury the dead on Ma Tiao Mountain in the future.

Although my aunt had recovered, she often felt unwell and was prone to colds, a condition that didn't improve until she reached adulthood.

Following that incident, Cha Wenbin gradually gained some renown, with many families inviting him for funerals to perform exorcisms. However, he never accepted any payment. If children in the village were scared, they would come to him, and he would typically just burn a talisman for them to drink. Of course, he also understood some traditional medicine, and if someone was genuinely ill, he would prescribe herbs; for serious cases, he would recommend going to the hospital.

At that time, many sought to become his apprentices to learn his skills, but Cha Wenbin never took on any disciples. He lived like an ordinary person, working in the fields and gathering firewood. If not for my aunt's incident, no one would have known he was a Daoist.

As for when I first met him, that was many years later.

It was the year I turned six when something happened...

Our village was also in the mountains, and there was a large temple there, made of gray bricks. My father said that the temple's origins were unknown, but it had been around since our great-grandfather's time when he fled here. By then, it had already fallen into disrepair.

During the Cultural Revolution, a large portion of the temple was burned by the Red Guards, leaving the main hall intact. Over time, people started to take bricks from there to build houses, but for some reason, houses made with these bricks would easily collapse, resulting in fatalities. Gradually, the bricks from the temple were mainly used for pigsties.

We also had a brick from there; I broke it when I was a child. It was heavy and solid, with a carving of a qilin on one side and a plain surface on the other. It was likely a relief brick that my father picked up during his childhood. This incident is tied to the temple...