Chapter 11: Gaining Experience, Losing Time

“Old Gu, take care, farewell.”
“Little Jiang, take care, farewell.”

The two old men exchanged their goodbyes, then embraced tightly. That hug might be the last in their lifetimes.

Grandfather returned to the shop, and I accompanied Grandpa Gu onto the bus to his home.

It took three hours by bus to reach Grandpa Gu’s home. I could hardly imagine how he managed to walk all the way to the shop, step by step.

Grandpa Gu said he’d never ridden in anything with four wheels in his life.

He was very nervous in the bus, but after some time, he gradually relaxed, gazing out the window with childlike curiosity at the towering buildings outside.

Three hours—neither long nor short. On the road, besides asking me about the various structures we passed, Grandpa Gu spoke most often about his memories with my grandfather.

My grandfather is old, Grandpa Gu is too, but every elder has their own youth.

One day, inevitably, I too will grow old. When I am so aged that I can barely walk, I’ll recount these stories from my youth to my descendants.

A lifetime is the gaining of experience and the loss of time.

The cycle of fate—where there is gain, there is loss. Just as Gu Yu—he got to eat roast chicken, but lost control over his body.

Grandfather once said that when listening to others’ experiences, our minds must make judgments.

My judgment regarding Gu Yu’s ordeal is twofold: possession and transaction.

Regardless of north or south, in villages everywhere, there are tales of animals attaining spirits.

Among these, the most representative creatures are snakes, foxes, weasels, rats, and hedgehogs.

Rather than calling them “spirits,” people prefer to refer to them as “wild immortals.”

In the north, there’s a saying: if fate allows one to become a disciple to a wild immortal, through a special ritual, one can inherit some of the master’s abilities—a practice commonly known as “the disciple inviting the spirit.”

In Gu Yu’s case, he was possessed—not by a wild immortal invited through ritual, but by a cunning creature that exploited a loophole in the order of heaven.

This beast, seeing Gu Yu drunk and asleep on a grave, hatched the idea to seize his body. It tempted Gu Yu with roast chicken, luring him to unwittingly complete a transaction that violated the natural order.

It gave Gu Yu roast chicken, and Gu Yu paid with his body.

Though it could have directly taken control, the heavenly order forbids such acts—it would bring down thunder and punishment.

Through this transaction, it could evade divine retribution.

As grandfather said, such things were common in the past.

But this was the first time in three years that I faced a spirit-possessed beast.

When we arrived at Grandpa Gu’s house, just as we entered the courtyard, we saw Grandpa Gu’s granddaughter-in-law, Liu Cui, frantically pounding on the door, trying to get Gu Yu inside to open up.

“Grandpa! You’re finally back! I’ve been worried sick. With Gu Yu like this, if you’d gone out and not returned, what would a woman like me do…”

Seeing Grandpa Gu return, Liu Cui found her anchor. She clung to his hand, crying as she spoke, “You’ve been gone three days, and Gu Yu has locked himself in the house for three days—he won’t come out, won’t even catch live chickens…”

Wiping her tears, Liu Cui continued, “Mr. Hu said Gu Yu wouldn’t survive forty-nine days. Grandpa, what will we do?”

“Sister-in-law, please don’t cry. Let me take a look?”

Only then did Liu Cui notice me behind Grandpa Gu.

Calling her sister-in-law was correct—I was of the same generation as Gu Yu, younger than him, so naturally, Liu Cui was my sister-in-law.

I glanced around; aside from a few hens, there were no other animals in the yard. I asked, “Grandpa Gu, sister-in-law, why don’t you raise geese?”

Grandpa Gu had told Liu Cui before he left that he was going to fetch someone to save Gu Yu. Now, returning with me, though I looked young, she knew I was the one he’d invited.

Grandpa Gu explained they used to raise geese, but after Gu Yu’s parents left to work elsewhere, no one tended them, so now they only kept a few chickens.

I nodded, “Well, sister-in-law, as I entered the village, I saw a few families at the entrance raising geese. Please buy seven for me—pick fierce ones, the biggest you can find. I’ll cover the cost.”

Liu Cui didn’t understand why I wanted geese at this moment. She looked to Grandpa Gu, who nodded at her.

Judging by Grandpa Gu’s expression, he didn’t know what I intended either—maybe he thought I wanted some local flavor.

“Sister-in-law, here’s the money—take it, and hurry back!”

Liu Cui refused the money, but I forced it into her hands.

Grandfather had taught me: when helping others, anything used during the process must be paid for ourselves. When the matter is settled, the account is settled—that’s another matter.

“Jiang Huai, look at my grandson—what should we do?”

I considered Grandpa Gu’s question and replied, “Grandpa Gu, do you have a rooster at home? Kill one, take its comb, and boil it with mugwort over medium heat until three bowls are reduced to one.”

“Good, good! I’ll do it right away.” Grandpa Gu looked at me and gave a thumbs-up. “Just like your grandfather in his youth—you know this remedy is for dispelling lingering evil inside the body!”

I grinned, “Grandpa Gu, you know quite a lot.”

He was right—the rooster’s comb is bathed in the first rays of sunlight every day, full of yang energy. When boiled with mugwort and a bit of my yang blood is added, it can indeed flush out the residual evil from Gu Yu’s body.

Before that, I simply had to wait for Liu Cui to return with the geese.

Perhaps my nose is keener than most; as soon as I entered the courtyard, I caught the nauseating stench unique to weasels.

It was clear as day—Gu Yu had been possessed by a spirit-weasel.

To drive out the weasel, apart from myself, I needed the help of seven geese.

Geese are the natural enemies of weasels—even if the weasel has gained spiritual powers, its animal instincts remain.

Liu Cui acted quickly. The neighbors, hearing she needed geese, not only sold them cheaply but also helped deliver them.

“Grandpa Gu! You’re back! What do you need seven geese for? Has Gu Yu recovered?”

“Uncles, could you help me out?” I said with a cheerful smile to the two men who’d brought the geese, “Could you toss all seven geese into the room for me?”

The two uncles were puzzled, but Grandpa Gu said, “Do as he says—he’s here to save Gu Yu!”

“Grandpa Gu, you weren’t fooled, were you? This kid’s even younger than my own child.”

“Uncles, age doesn’t matter in this line of work. Follow my instructions; whether it works, you’ll soon see.”

The two, amused—everyone in the village knew about Gu Yu’s predicament.

Now that a child had come to cure him with geese, they were curious to see what tricks I’d pull.

If I was swindling Grandpa Gu, they certainly wouldn’t let me off.

“Shall we toss them in?”

“Toss them in!”