Strong Winds Return Home

To analyze hauntings, one must first determine where the ghost came from.

The attendant quickly brought them hot water and food. In addition to the special rice noodles, there was also a plate of colorful flower cakes, which were extremely delicate. It was said that in order to usher in the Many-Color Festival, every household was full of ingredients for the back kitchen, but in the end, who knew it would be canceled. When it came to important matters like making money or losing money, the attendant was no longer fearful of ghosts, and complained to the guests: “Say, why didn’t she pick another time, but only crawled out for the Many-Color Festival?”

“Maybe they also want to join in the fun.” Liang Shu pushed the rice noodles over in front of Liu Xian’an, let him eat slowly, and continued to question the attendant, “What is the origin of the female ghost?”

“It is the daughter of Lao Wan in the city,” the attendant said. In any case, there was no work to do in the inn now, so he was happy to chat with these two customers and take a break. Lao Wan’s name was Wan Gui, and he was a blacksmith in the city when he was young. He raised a capable daughter and named her Wan Yuan,[1] because she was born on the fifteenth of the eighth month, when the moon was perfectly round in the sky.

“Everything was happy, and it sounded auspicious.” The attendant folded his arms. “It’s a pity about later.”

Wan Gui was not a good fellow. He had no skills, drank all day and lay down like the dead, and after his wife passed away due to illness, no one could control him. The aunts and mothers-in-law in the neighborhood saw that little Wan Yuan was so hungry, so they got together to discuss it and took turns taking her home for dinner. Eating here and there, more than ten years passed like this.

Liang Shu asked: “You said just now that she was a capable girl?”

“Yes, she was well-known for her boldness,” the attendant said. “When she was seven or eight years old, she followed the men up the mountain to gather medicine. Later, she simply built a thatched hut on the mountain and lived there, specializing in catching poisonous snakes and scorpions. Although it was dangerous, they could be sold for a lot of money. No one in this city dared to provoke her, and even her father was suppressed by her. He stopped drinking half a sip, and concentrated on running the blacksmith stall at home.”

The father and daughter made money and built a new house, seeing that the days were getting better and better. However, Wan Yuan met a hunter from abroad in the mountains. The two decided to spend their lives together privately, and went to the city together a few times to buy things. The attendant said: “When I was young, I stood at the stewed meat stall at home all day long, so I met that hunter twice. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, but I didn’t expect that he was an evil-minded person who would cheat someone of money and body. He said that he would return and propose marriage, but he never came back.”

There was no shortage of gossips and bad people in any city. There was no reason not to gossip about this sort of thing, but Wan Yuan was so angry that she couldn’t bear it. She would beat anyone who talked about her, and once broke a person’s head so that blood flowed all over their face. The other party sued the government, and the government sent someone to arrest Wan Yuan for interrogation. As a result, she was jailed in the morning, and in the afternoon, news came that she had committed suicide by bashing her head in.

“I say…..she had resentment in her heart, and was unwilling to stay in the grave, so it is normal to want revenge.” The attendant leaned against the door. “But the hunter has gone somewhere and is not here in Huaizhen City.”

Liang Shu asked: “Where is Wan Yuan’s father?”

“When his daughter died, he would go to the street every day to make trouble, crazy and foolish. Later, he was tied up and sent to a charitable organization, but they refused to accept him, saying that they feared he would hit another old fellow. But later it seemed……it seemed he was sent elsewhere, I really can’t remember.”

As he spoke, there was a knock on the door downstairs, and he hurried down to greet the guests.

Liang Shu said: “If I had known it was such a story, I would have let you have a full stomach before listening to it.”

Liu Xian’an had originally put down his chopsticks, but upon hearing this, he picked up another flower cake on the table and ate it. It was sweet and sticky, but tasteless in his mouth. Liang Shu dragged a chair over to sit beside him, and was about to speak, but Gao Lin had already climbed the stairs. At a glance, he saw that his family’s prince was leaning toward Second Young Master Liu, so he immediately turned around and went downstairs with a serious expression, startling the guards who were following behind. What happened, was that female ghost floating around the inn?

Liu Xian’an asked in bewilderment: “What is Lieutenant General Gao running away for?”

Liang Shu replied: “Maybe he forgot something. Don’t worry about him.”

Liu Xian’an didn’t look further into the matter. He was still thinking about Wan Yuan’s story, and felt that it sounded both reasonable and unreasonable. A bold and capable girl survived the hardest days, but in the end, she committed suicide because of a man. He asked: “Who was the magistrate of the city back then, does the prince know?”

“I’ll have to check, but according to the five-year rotation regulation, it is likely that he has been transferred to another place.” Liang Shu asked, “You think Wan Yuan’s death is related to something that happened after she was imprisoned?”

“Whatever the case, she was unlikely to commit suicide,” Liu Xian’an said. “Now that the city is suddenly haunted by a ghost, perhaps it is an insider who wants to avenge her.”

“It is also possible that someone wants to make trouble in the name of ghosts, so they randomly picked this girl who died tragically,” Liang Shu said. “But no matter the possibilities, the whole city of Huaizhen is now in a state of turmoil, and this matter must be investigated thoroughly.”

Liu Xian’an nodded. He thought for a moment, and suddenly gave a deep sigh: “Matters of love are really troublesome.”

Liang Shu’s eyebrows twitched: “What does this have to do with love?”

“If she hadn’t met that hunter, all subsequent events would not have happened.” Liu Xian’an analyzed, “If she just did her poison business and didn’t speak of love, perhaps now she would have become one of the best female merchants.”

“That is because she married a bad husband, it has nothing to do with love,” Liang Shu disagreed. “If the hunter was honest and reliable, and was willing to promise her with a sincere heart, wouldn’t they be able to live a prosperous life and jointly run the poisonous snake and insect business? It would be a little more lively.”

Then wouldn’t you also have to bother to screen the honest and reliable from the liars and lechers first? Liu Xian’an still insisted on his point of view. Anyway, it was very troublesome, and he also tried to brainwash His Royal Highness Xiao Wang, who seemed to be looking forward to getting married.

Liang Shu propped up his head, asking him: “Do you have a way for me to avoid desire?”

Liu Xian’an responded: “Yes, read more books.”

“What if I still have desires after reading the books?”

“Then the prince can come to see me.”

Lang Shu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “Do you understand what you’re talking about?”

Liu Xian’an explained: “I understand. What I mean is, I can tell the prince about the dao of Heaven. Once a person becomes one with the dao of Heaven, the desires of the mortal world will naturally be left behind.”

Liang Shu’s head hurt. He didn’t want him to continue to talk nonsense, and it was getting late at this time, so he sent someone to call A-Ning up and said to Liu Xian’an: “Don’t think about the female ghost. Get a good night’s sleep, and I’ll take you to investigate this old case tomorrow.”

Liu Xian’an wasn’t sleepy at all, but A-Ning had already sent His Royal Highness Xiao Wang out the door, and when he returned, he said: “We also heard about Wan-guniang downstairs just now. Is the prince going to reinvestigate this case?”

“Yes.” Liu Xian’an lay down on the table. “We must find out the truth of the haunting. What if it is being caused by the cult again, isn’t that why the prince came here this time?”

“That’s right.” A-Ning quickly cleaned up the table. “Then I’ll go get some hot water for Young Master’s bath……Young Master, Young Master, raise your arm.”

Liu Xian’an continued to lay motionless on his stomach and didn’t bother to lift it up, because he was not in the mood. He said: “I just wanted to tell the prince about the dao of Heaven, but he didn’t want to listen.”

A-Ning said internally, isn’t this normal? The prince didn’t look like he could meditate and realize the dao. He was a general, not a sage. Moreover, the Young Master’s dao of Heaven was empty and boring. Every now and then, it would be dragged out of the universe infinite li away – life and death are one, unending – and he would often fall asleep while hearing it.

With great strength, he forcibly dragged up the lazy, melancholic young master, sat him on the bed, and continued to wipe the table.

Downstairs, Gao Lin was also asking Liang Shu: “Why did the prince come down so soon? On a haunted night like this, don’t you have to stay in the room of your sweetheart? If Second Young Master Liu is not afraid of ghosts, then we can take on the job of being afraid. In any case, the opportunity must be won by yourself.”

Liang Shu was dizzy from the nagging: “Shut up and get down to proper business.”

“I just came to the inn on proper business.” Gao Lin pointed to the door. “The officials are still looking for the female ghost with torches tonight, and after listening to the attendant’s story about Wan Yuan, I went out and asked two of them casually. The magistrate who imprisoned her was Li Liang. He was originally quite old, and coughed all day, suffering from colds at every turn. After Wan Yuan committed suicide, this Li-daren also fell ill, and returned to the west for a short while before his death.”

“How was his reputation?”

“No good comments, no bad comments. He should be an ordinary official,” Gao Lin said. “But I only spoke a few words. If we want to find out more news, we still must wait until tomorrow.”

“Then just talk more tomorrow,” Liang Shu said. “Go to sleep, ba.”

Gao Lin agreed, but still did not forget to remind: “Will the prince really not go to Second Young Master Liu’s room?”

Liang Shu asked: “To do what, listen to him continue to talk about all is one with the dao of Heaven and the ability to be righteous without desire?”

Gao Lin was stunned. What the hell was this?

Liang Shu scoffed: “I knew you wouldn’t understand it.”

Gao Lin was hurt. I can’t understand it, but the prince can’t understand it either. All is one with the dao of Heaven. Whatever it was, just based on these few words, he felt that Second Young Master Liu was about to step onto the clouds and become an immortal. At this thought, he felt that it was very difficult for his family’s prince, because when other people fell in love, they only needed to say some affectionate words without overthinking, and didn’t need to bury their heads in delving into the true meaning of the universe. How could anyone ask for a daughter-in-law like this, those who heard it would cry.

Liang Shu said: “Scram.”

Gao Lin quickly scrammed. Instead of going upstairs, he left the inn and went to the street to inquire about the news.

Liu Xian’an didn’t feel sleepy either. A-Ning asked: “What is the Young Master standing at the window looking at? You’re going to catch a cold.”

The cool wind was blowing, and the tip of his nose was really cold. Liu Xian’an put his hands into his sleeves: “Trying to see if I can glimpse the female ghost.”

“The city is full of torches, no matter if it is a person or a ghost, they will definitely not come out tonight,” A-Ning said. “Young Master, let’s go to bed quickly.”

As soon as the words fell, there was a scream from the other side of the long street as if deliberately cutting off the conversation. Liu Xian’an was taken aback, and A-Ning was so startled that he almost dropped the basin: “What was that sound?”

[1] Yuan (圆) means round, or circle. ⮐