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墨書 Inktalez
Since we arrived late at night, I had barely fallen asleep before the nightmares began. By the time I finally managed to cling to my pillow, I had probably only slept for less than two hours.
After waking from the dream, I found myself unable to fall back asleep and engaged in a half-hearted conversation with Ruo Yu.
If even Ruo Yu sensed that something was off about this room, it meant that my earlier dreams were not without reason. They must have been trying to tell me something.
But what could they be trying to convey? Ruo Yu and I discussed it back and forth, yet we reached no conclusion. We thoroughly searched the small room, about ten square meters, like a carpet being rolled out. We checked under the bed and along the walls, but found nothing.
As I plopped back down onto the bed, my hand brushed against the blanket.
On a whim, I yanked the blanket towards me and examined it closely.
When we first arrived, I was too tired and the lighting was dim, so I hadn’t paid much attention.
Typically, hotel blankets are mostly white, but this one on my bed was a deep yellow.
I grabbed Ruo Yu's blanket for comparison. Her blanket was the usual white, with only a few stains on it; everything else seemed normal.
I pondered over this revelation but couldn’t make sense of it.
Just as dawn broke, Ruo Yu urged, “Ling Feng, let’s hurry up and set off. It’s quite a distance from the city to Zhaoguan.”
After a quick wash-up, we headed out directly.
When we reached the bar counter, I called out several times but received no response. So, I placed the keys down on the counter.
Stepping out of the inn, the sun had just begun to peek over the horizon, its red glow illuminating the morning. When I turned back to glance at Huangquan Inn, it resembled a beast lurking in the shadows, its massive mouth gaping wide.
Fortunately, the inn was not far from the bus station. While waiting for our ride, Ruo Yu and I decided to grab some breakfast.
Ruo Yu ordered soy milk, slurping it down eagerly. He also got some steamed buns and fried dough sticks.
However, he specifically chose meat-filled buns—pork filling!
I watched Ruo Yu enjoy his meal with gusto and felt hesitant to ask him about it. After all, we were of the same kind, weren't we? Did he not find it odd?
The journey from the city to Zhaoguan was only about thirty kilometers, according to the driver. I had initially thought that there wouldn't be many people on the first bus of the day, but we soon realized how naive we were.
The minibus was packed with people, mostly women and elderly folks.
Luckily for Ruo Yu and me, we arrived just in time; when we boarded, there were still two seats available at the back.
Ruo Yu was quite large, and when he sat down, the seat meant for five could only accommodate four. The ticket seller shouted hoarsely to rearrange things and moved Ruo Yu to a seat in front of me.
"Come on, come on! Squeeze in a bit more. We’ll leave as soon as one more person gets on!" The ticket seller was a stout woman with a voice that could rival a loudspeaker.
As the bus started moving, I closed my eyes to rest. However, with so many people crammed inside, the air was stuffy and unpleasant. The noise was overwhelming as groups chatted away in various tones.
The two women sitting next to me seemed to know each other well and were engaged in animated conversation.
A younger woman said, "Sister, no matter what age a man is, you have to keep a close eye on him. Look at me; I thought I married an honest man, but who would have thought that just after giving birth, he shamelessly started keeping a mistress... So I hired someone to deal with that mistress. I’m heading to Wong Tai Sin to pray for help. Sister, what are you going there to pray for?"
The older woman, a bit shy and reserved, had tears in her eyes before she even spoke. "My husband is okay except for his love of drinking. But when he drinks too much, he hits me. I haven’t given him a son; it’s my fault for not being capable. I’ve had four daughters, all of whom are burdens. Don’t laugh at me, but I’m going to Huang Daxian to pray for a son."
The chatter in the car was lively, mostly about their reasons for visiting Wong Tai Sin.
I was listening with my eyes closed when the younger woman suddenly asked, "Brother, are you going to pray at Wong Tai Sin too?"
I made an excuse, saying, "With the college entrance exams coming up, I want to pray for good grades."
Seeing that I wasn’t interested in chatting, the young woman turned back to talk about everyday life with the other woman.
I sighed; it seemed everyone had their own struggles in life.
Wasn’t there a saying? Happy people are all the same; unhappy people have their own misfortunes.
The bus could only take us to the Shan Xia station, and since Zhaoguan was at the top of the mountain, we had to walk up. The more devout among us knelt every three steps and bowed every five.
Fortunately, the mountain wasn’t very high—just under five hundred meters. For someone like me and Ruo Yu, we reached the summit in no time.
It’s true what they say: seeing is believing. I had expected such a bustling place to be grand and magnificent; it should have been a proper temple.
What kind of place is this broken house? There are a few green blades of grass on the roof stretching towards the morning sun.
Curious, I entered the house with Ruo Yu, taking in the surroundings.
Directly opposite the door was a clay statue, and on the ground lay several mats. In front of the statue was a pitch-black incense burner, filled with a large amount of ash. Just from this ash, one could tell how strong the incense offerings were.
"Did you see anything?" I asked.
Ruo Yu shook her head and then asked me, "What about you?"
I shook my head as well. "Let's wait and see. I want to find out how Wong Tai Sin manifests to help people."
As we spoke, the young woman who had been sitting next to me entered. She knelt on one of the mats, clasped her hands together, and said, "Wong Tai Sin, Xia Lin has something to ask of you. Please show your spirit quickly."
She took out a handful of coins and placed them in front of the clay statue, then pulled out a red cloth and spread it on the ground.
On it lay a strand of hair, a few fingernails, and a yellow paper with her birth date written on it.
The woman named Xia Lin began to recount her husband's infidelity in a murmured tone, bowing her head as she said, "It's all that wretched woman’s fault for seducing my husband. I beg you, Wong Tai Sin, have mercy and let my husband return to me, restoring a complete home for our son. As long as this matter is resolved, I will offer my gratitude."
With that, she knocked her head three times heavily against the ground.
As the young woman exited, I curiously asked, "Sister, is that all there is to it?"
The young woman asked in surprise, "Did your family not tell you to come here for your studies? Bring your sincerity, then make your wish in front of the statue, and just wait for Wong Tai Sin to fulfill it. Once your wish is granted, you can come back to express your gratitude."
I thanked her and watched as she happily walked down the mountain, shaking my head helplessly.
This was just the beginning; who could guarantee that there wouldn't be more wishes in the future?
Her method was merely a temporary fix, and she didn't even realize it.
The people that followed had offerings of chickens, ducks, fish, and meat, as well as antiques and jade stones... each with different requests.
Yet, Ruo Yu and I had been observing for a long time without figuring out any real insight.
How exactly does Wong Tai Sin help people fulfill their wishes?
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