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Translator: Silavin
Outside, it had already grown dark. Zhu Biao lit a small oil lamp.
“The resentment of a child who dies in the womb is hard to resolve, especially towards its Biological Father,” Wu Daoming said, watching Zhu Biao’s expression, throwing out a probing question.
Zhu Biao’s body trembled, a detail that did not escape Wu Daoming’s eagle-like gaze.
“Why?” Zhu Biao asked.
Wu Daoming smiled and explained, “It resents the Father that couldn’t protect it and its Mother, especially when its Biological Father had the ability to do so but didn’t.”
Zhu Biao’s face changed, his brows furrowed, and his eyes reddened.
“What happens then?” he asked cautiously.
“It will eventually become a Ghost Foetus,” Wu Daoming answered.
“Ghost Foetus?” Zhu Biao’s trembling hand grabbed the wine bowl and drained it in one gulp.
Wu Daoming observed closely and slowly said, “Everything in this world has a solution. If Team Leader Zhu has something troubling him, why not speak about it? Perhaps I can help you resolve your doubts.”
After a while, Zhu Biao made up his mind. He pressed his palm on the table and said, “Alright, please help me, Mr. Wu. You maybe an outsider, but please keep this a secret for me.”
Wu Daoming smiled silently and listened attentively.
“I once had a woman, she came from a good background, and her looks were among the best in Nanshan Town. Unfortunately, her Husband was useless, completely infertile. Later, she became pregnant with my child, and as her belly grew, it aroused suspicion in her Husband’s Family. They tortured and interrogated her in every way, beating her until she was covered in wounds. They even broke both her legs. But she never revealed whose child it was. In the end, unable to bear it anymore, she hanged herself.” Zhu Biao said through gritted teeth.
“How absurd! Isn’t this Family treating human life as grass?” Wu Daoming exclaimed indignantly after hearing this.
“Exactly. She had no one in her own Family, and pitifully, she was hastily buried in an ominous burial ground, without even a coffin,” Zhu Biao said, veins bulging on his face.
“But why didn’t you step forward?” Wu Daoming asked, not without contempt.
Zhu Biao buried his head on the table and began to sob.
“Was her Husband’s Family very influential?” Wu Daoming asked.
Zhu Biao nodded.
[What a despicable person!] Wu Daoming could not help but curse in his heart.
“How far along was the foetus when the woman died?”
“Eight or nine months,” Zhu Biao sobbed.
“Then it has indeed become a Ghost Foetus. It will continuously seek a host body until its Yin Energy dissipates after forty-nine days,” Wu Daoming analysed.
“You mean, this child might possess someone? Perhaps it’s not dead yet?” Zhu Biao stared at Wu Daoming with wide eyes.
“It’s possible, but it must find a suitable Host within forty-nine days.”
“What Host?” Zhu Biao asked carefully.
“A pregnant woman.”
Zhu Biao suddenly fell silent, as if remembering something…
“What was that woman’s name?” Wu Daoming asked.
“Shen Caihua,” Zhu Biao murmured.
That night, a cold, dim moon hung quietly in the sky.
Zhu Biao led Wu Daoming to the desolate burial ground. The moonlight was like water, and the wilderness was cool. Pushing aside the wild grass, they came upon Shen Caihua’s lonely grave mound. A black crow perched on the grave, silently watching these two intruders who had come in the dead of night.
Wu Daoming looked around, secretly shocked. This was truly an extremely inauspicious place.
He felt a chilly wind, and listening carefully, there seemed to be a faint, plaintive unceasing cry carried in the breeze. To the west, a protruding hill was covered in strange rocks, without a blade of grass, bare in the moonlight – a perfect White Tiger Holding a Corpse formation.
Wu Daoming lowered his head to look at the tombstone with the three characters ‘Shen Caihua’, and muttered to himself, “Shen Caihua’s grievance should be hard to resolve. To be buried in such an inauspicious place is truly unfortunate. Energy flows underground, and things grow above ground. Looking at the lush green grass on this grave, different from its surroundings, it seems like some of her resentment has dissipated. Could it be that the child in her womb has been reborn?”
“Old Wu, how is it?” Zhu Biao softly asked.
Wu Daoming made a small smile and said, “The Ghost Foetus has crossed over. Do you still want to find its whereabouts?”
Hearing this, Zhu Biao fell to his knees with a thud. “Old Wu, please show me the way. As long as I can find my and Caihua’s flesh and blood, I’m willing to be your slave.”
Wu Daoming nodded. “Get up. This place is still in the wilderness, if any pregnant woman passed by, she must live nearby. You can inquire around to see which Family had a pregnant woman give birth within forty-nine days. That must be your child, without a doubt.”
“Will I be able to recognize it?” Zhu Biao anxiously asked.
“If something happens that goes against common sense, that’s the sign of recognition.”
“Old Wu, do you know if my child is a boy or a girl?” Zhu Biao asked again.
“A Son,” Wu Daoming answered.
※※※
In the early morning, Hansheng seemed to sense something in his sleep. He opened his eyes groggily to find his Father sitting by his bed, silently watching him.
“Dad, what’s wrong?”
“You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?” his Father gently asked.
Hansheng was at a momentary loss for words, not knowing how to answer.
“The prescription of using that green Wood Silkworm for treating Frozen People comes from somewhere else, right? It’s impossible for anyone in the world today to prescribe such an unusual treatment method. If I remember correctly, you met Grandma Hexiang when we went to the market last time, and you had that accident the next day. It was only when you had that accident which you met that so-called Hermit. Hansheng, you’ve never been good at lying, from childhood till now.” His Father looked at him with loving eyes.
“Dad…” Hansheng felt a warmth in his heart, tears welling up in his eyes.
“Shh,” his Father shook his index finger by his mouth, “No need to say more. I know you must have your reasons. Otherwise, you wouldn’t keep it from even your old man. This must include the prescription for treating your own leg fracture and the medicine wrapped on Miss Lan’er’s face outside. Hansheng, I am actually very happy. Us Zhu Family descendants haven’t let down our Ancestors.”
“Dad!” Hansheng, with tears in his eyes, lay down on his Father’s leg.
“My good boy. You need to stand tall. The way of a doctor lies in virtue. Remember, treat all patients equally, regardless of their wealth or status. You don’t have to stay in Nanshan Village your whole life. Go outside. There are many poor and helpless people like Hexiang and Lan’er in this world. They are all waiting for you to treat their illnesses.” His Father’s eyes moistened.
※※※
“Young Brother, you’re up early.” Outside the bamboo fence stood Wu Daoming, wearing a blue-grey suit with a gold patterned tie, his face full of smiles.
Doctor Zhu walked out of the room and coolly asked, “Mr. Wu, do you have business in Nanshan Village so early in the morning?”
Wu Daoming was carrying a large pig leg, laughing as he entered the courtyard. “I’ve already moved to Nanshan Village, we’re neighbours now. To be honest, I genuinely like this boy. Jade must be cut and polished to become a tool. With a little guidance, he will surely achieve great things in the future.”
“What’s this for?” Doctor Zhu pointed at the pig leg Wu Daoming was carrying.
“Hansheng has a leg injury. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we ‘supplement form with form’. It’s just a small gesture, please accept it.”
The pig leg weighed around twenty or thirty kilograms. Doctor Zhu knew well that consuming meat in the form of a leg would quicken Hansheng’s leg recovery. It was just that he was too poor to afford it. Unfortunately, Doctor Zhu knew that this man’s intentions were not pure. It was best to keep a respectful distance.
“We can’t accept gifts without merit, Mr. Wu. Please take it back,” Doctor Zhu said.
“What do you mean without merit? Hansheng cured that old woman without caring about her poverty, and sacrificed an Earth Spawn. He did so without being stingy with treasure. Such benevolent medical ethics already show his virtue despite his young age. I’m just expressing a little goodwill today. It’s just a pig leg, how can you call it a gift? Doctor Zhu, for someone who’s experienced in the world, aren’t you being a bit too inflexible?” Wu Daoming eloquently stated.
These few sentences left Doctor Zhu speechless. In the end, he had to accept: “Alright, Mr. Wu, please come in for some tea then.”
Hansheng happily took the pig leg. After all, during these times, everyone was starving. This peg leg would do well to nourish Lan’er’s Mother’s weak body.
The tea leaves were very coarse, and looked even more humble in the rough ceramic bowl. Wu Daoming did not mind at all and lifted it to drink.
“How refreshing! You won’t see this way of drinking tea in Lingnan. We’re used to ‘Gongfu tea’ there, savouring tea and chatting, discussing all the affairs of the world. Doctor Zhu, having lived in northern Jiangxi for so long, you should travel around, especially Hansheng. Having more experiences in the world would be very beneficial for his growth,” Wu Daoming said.
Doctor Zhu nodded, but in his heart, he was guessing Mr. Wu’s true intentions.
“The Huangshan Mountain Range is truly beautiful, with clear waters and magnificent mountains. It is a land of outstanding people and stunning landscapes. Doctor Zhu, have you heard the saying ‘After visiting the Five Great Mountains, you won’t want to see any other mountain; after visiting Huangshan, you won’t even want to see the Five Great Mountains’? I see that this place has a form that prevents the stopping of energy and nurtures all things, with the soil rising to follow the Dragon’s momentum. Do you agree with my view, Doctor Zhu?” Wu Daoming asked.
“I’m just an ordinary barefoot doctor. I don’t understand nor am I interested in superstitious things like Feng Shui,” Doctor Zhu replied.
Wu Daoming smiled and took another sip of tea. He was about to speak when he caught sight of Lan’er in the kitchen, with her head wrapped in cloth. He was slightly startled. After a moment’s thought, he understood, but deliberately asked, “Oh? Why does this young lady have her head all wrapped up?”
Doctor Zhu had to tell the truth. “She has a strange disease that changes her appearance. She’s currently undergoing treatment.”
“I dare say, this girl was originally a beautiful young lady with a dignified appearance,” Wu Daoming said with a smile.
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