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Dou Dou said, "There's a grandmother who often watches me in the room where we sleep. Sometimes, when Dad and Mom are not home, she comes over to play with me."
Her tone was firm, showing no signs of lying.
After talking with Dou Dou, I glanced at Sister Ou and then at her husband. They both nodded.
I asked Dou Dou, "So, what has that old lady said to you?"
Dou Dou replied, "She never speaks; she just looks at me and smiles, and her face is very pale."
At that moment, I was certain that a Spirit God was staying in their home. I exchanged glances with Sister Ou and then walked out to the balcony, with her and her husband following.
I told them, "It's basically confirmed, but I came out to eat today without bringing my tools. I'll come back tomorrow night."
Sister Ou said, "Really?" Then she looked fearfully into the house, as if feeling a heavy psychological burden.
Her husband had been silent since greeting us; he seemed to believe in this matter without any doubt.
I reassured them, "You don't need to worry. It's been so long. If anything were going to happen, it would have happened by now. Just go about your lives without too much concern. I'll come back tomorrow night to help you resolve this issue."
I asked if Dou Dou's strange talk always occurred in the bedroom.
Sister Ou confirmed, "Yes, it hasn't happened anywhere else."
I inquired whether any elderly person who loved Dou Dou had passed away recently. They said no; the relatives who had recently passed away didn't know Dou Dou at all before she was born.
I concluded, "Then it shouldn't be a relative from your family; it's just a Wandering Soul. As for why it follows Dou Dou, I'll need to see tomorrow to find out."
Hearing this made the couple visibly more anxious. Their fearful expressions filled me with guilt.
Sister Ou suggested, "Why don't you go back now to get your things and come back tonight?"
However, it was already late that evening, and it was the Winter Solstice—a holiday that many places take seriously, referred to as Little New Year. Although my family wasn't here, I still needed to return home to pay respects to the Five Spirits. Therefore, I didn't have enough time to rush back and forth.
I replied, "I have something going on tonight and can't make it. If you're really scared, you can go sleep at a hotel, but I can tell you that it won't make a difference where you sleep."
After saying that, to reassure myself, I took off a bracelet and said, "You can hang this by your bedside while you sleep tonight. It will be fine."
The bracelet was made of sandalwood, and I wore it simply for its appearance; it had not been blessed or consecrated in any way. In reality, it had no power to ward off evil spirits. I said this only to provide them with psychological comfort, to help them feel less afraid. I believed they would trust me.
Sometimes, people are like this; when faced with the unknown in the supernatural realm, they often cling to superstitions and wishful thinking. But once something is confirmed, it can lead to immense fear—nothing feels right, and the more they think about it, the more frightened they become. This is a flawed mindset: the more one fears, the more one thinks about it; the more one thinks, the more fear grows. Some wandering spirits enjoy teasing those who are easily frightened; even if they don’t show themselves, they might create little disturbances to scare people. If you’re not afraid and even speak a few words to these disturbances—perhaps in a tone of reproach—it can not only bolster your courage but also deter some spirits. There’s no need to be overly fearful; after all, spirits are just remnants of human souls. They aren’t as terrifying as one might think.
Seeing them nod in agreement, I pushed open the sliding door to the balcony and stepped inside. Dou Dou was watching television without any sign of distress. I greeted his family and declined their offer to walk me downstairs before returning home.
On my way back, I felt increasingly uneasy. Why was this spirit following Dou Dou? From Dou Dou's demeanor towards it, there seemed to be no animosity whatsoever, and he showed no signs of being affected by any malevolent energy. These points strongly suggested that this spirit was harmless. What troubled me was why a wandering spirit would follow an unfamiliar child without any ill intent. This clearly indicated that it was a spirit whose consciousness had not yet dissipated. What obsession kept it from reincarnating? Was it merely seeking a place to belong? If so, I could not allow this situation to continue; humans and spirits should not coexist in close quarters. Over time, it would be detrimental for both.
After returning home and offering food and joss paper to the Five-Color Lord, I read for a while before going to bed. However, Dou Dou's innocent smile lingered in my mind. I had little resistance against children; sometimes I even dreamed of having a lively and adorable son who brought joy into my life. Yet these thoughts were not so simple. After pondering for some time, I knew that Sister Ou and her family must also be unable to sleep well besides Dou Dou.
I took out my phone and sent Sister Ou a message: "Sleep peacefully; after tomorrow, this worry will be gone."
I hoped it would encourage them.
At ten o'clock the next evening, I arrived at Sister Ou's house as promised. Dou Dou was still as innocent and cheerful as ever. After giving him a hug, I turned to Sister Ou and asked, "Do you have any valuables in your bedroom? If so, please take them out; I need to go in and check things out. And don’t come in until I'm done."
Sister Ou replied, "No need for that; you can go right in. It's just a bit messy in there; I hope you don't mind."
I nodded and entered with my bag. After closing the bedroom door behind me and locking it from the inside, I took out my compass and began searching the room carefully. The bedroom wasn’t large; within three minutes or so, I detected a faint spiritual response. Following its direction, I quickly found a small corner where a beautiful pebble rested on the left side of the bedside table. On the other side of the pebble was a broadleaf plant that resembled a Money Tree but wasn’t quite one; however, plants that thrive indoors usually prefer shade. It was unclear whether this pebble was placed there by coincidence or design.
Having found it relieved me; I feared that if it were not in the room but instead followed Dou Dou around, my unusual actions might inadvertently cause him harm or at least raise questions he wouldn’t understand or accept.
Around this pebble, the compass trembled maximally but still weakly—not at all like the violent shaking one would expect from an agitated spirit. This indicated that this spirit bore almost no resentment—only a slight obsession—and it was that tiny bit of obsession that prevented her from reincarnating.
I softly said, "Hello." The compass showed no unusual fluctuations in response. Then I awkwardly spoke in Cantonese: "Hello," but again received no additional reaction.
I recalled that Dou Dou mentioned this old lady hardly ever spoke, so her ignoring me was quite normal. However, she could be seen by children; although children have limited perspectives, their ability to see her indicated something important: through Call of Souls, I could also perceive her presence—and perhaps even attempt communication through it.
Opening my bag, I began the Call of Souls ritual. Sure enough, shortly after starting, a pale-faced auntie with a slightly hunched posture appeared before me—squatting on the ground as if she sensed my call—with hollow eyes fixed on me. Her gaze conveyed no discernible meaning, but I understood she must be expressing surprise.
I said gently: "Auntie, hello. Are you aware that your actions are inappropriate? This is not the path you should take. Dou Dou is innocent; continuing like this will harm everyone involved—including yourself."
My gaze was sincere; there should be no issues with our communication style either—especially since I showed no malice towards her spirit form—it should be considered a friendly greeting from someone without ill intent.
I looked at her, hoping she would respond, at least with a nod. But after staring for a long time, there was no reaction; she just stared blankly at me. It seemed she wanted to say something but couldn’t, or perhaps she was completely unresponsive.
I continued trying to communicate with her, growing increasingly anxious. If this continued, I wouldn’t uncover the truth behind the situation, and I wouldn’t be able to resolve that lingering obsession. Sending her away before resolving that obsession was the worst outcome I could accept. To me, our work wasn’t just about taking people’s money or merely alleviating their troubles; if the Spirit God didn’t handle things properly, then we hadn’t truly done our job. Although we could cover up the issues, there would always be some unresolved feelings, and having too many of those wasn’t good for us either. Moreover, ensuring the Spirit God was settled was our undeniable responsibility.
Just as I was about to mention how Dou Dou was still so young and question her conscience in harming him, the Auntie finally spoke.
She said, “My grandson, my grandson. How could I harm my grandson? He’s so adorable.”
Upon hearing those words, I understood; she had mistaken him for someone else. Sister Ou had mentioned that no elder had passed away after Dou Dou was born. Her longing for her grandson had created that thread of obsession. The appearance of Dou Dou had not only preserved that obsession but had intensified it over time.
I said, “Dou Dou is not your grandson; you’ve mistaken him for someone else.”
To my surprise, just as I had prepared a lengthy response, she interrupted me.
She said, “Actually, I know Dou Dou isn’t my grandson; he just looks so much like Pengpeng, especially when he smiles. I can’t find Pengpeng, so I follow Dou Dou. As long as I see him smile, that’s enough for me.”
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