I was indeed thirsty, so I decided to stay and observe. The girl quickly brought a ladle of raw water, shooing her hostile brother inside. I took the water gratefully, sitting on a small stool in the yard as we chatted.
Her name was Ma Hong, and her family ran a brick factory. Elder brother Ma Li had married two years ago, but his wife remained childless. Rural folks prized grandchildren, so arguments flared. When the daughter - in - law demanded a divorce, they built a wing east of the yard. Soon after, Father Ma fell ill and died, Mother Ma fell sick, and the daughter - in - law went mad.
Worse, village livestock stopped making noise and died mysteriously. Superstition blamed the daughter - in - law for offending the Yellow Immortal, leaving the village barricaded in fear—though no one had died yet.
Sympathizing with their loss, I offered to help as a Taoist, pro bono to avoid seeming like a conman. Ma Hong agreed eagerly, persuading her brother.
First, I checked on Mother Ma, who clung to life but could recover. Then I visited the daughter - in - law's room. My heart sank—her 山根 (nasal bridge) had collapsed, a sign of impending death. She stared at me with venom.
Pretending calm, I circled the yard. "Is this well new?" I pointed.
Ma Hong explained they'd moved the brick factory outside and dug this well where the kiln stood. The daughter - in - law had insisted on a private well.
Ah—the problem lay in the wells! Feng shui dictates:
Wells (yin) clash with stoves (yang); this site was formerly a fiery brick kiln.Wells should sit in the White Tiger or auspicious 方位 (direction), not facing the main gate—this faced 龙方 (dragon direction).Two wells in one yard symbolize "weeping," an omen of death.
They'd violated nearly every rule. The elderly parents couldn't withstand the imbalance, so Father Ma died first.
Gazing into the well, I shivered—yin qi rose like ice, with frost forming on the water. This well was a yin - nourishing site! No wonder the daughter - in - law had turned like this.