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墨書 Inktalez
Madam Wang looked at Wang Yanxing without saying a word.
She had heard about Hui Niang's death but had deliberately avoided understanding the details. At that moment, when she suddenly heard her Master mention it, she was at a loss for what to think and simply stared at him in silence.
"Hui Niang was burned to death by High Heat. Before she died, she was holding a pillow like this, but instead of Ginkgo Leaves, it was filled with Chrysanthemum. That pillow was made by Hui Niang herself!"
Wang Yanxing's words revealed some underlying truth to Madam Wang, and her anger subsided somewhat.
"Master is kind-hearted and inevitably worries about Hui Niang's matter. I understand and empathize with Master’s feelings, but this pillow is indeed not Hui Niang's. If Master has concerns, then it’s better not to use it."
Madam Wang signaled to Winter Spring, who nodded and retreated with the pillow towards the door.
"Wait a moment!" Madam Wang suddenly called out to Winter Spring.
"Madam!" Winter Spring had already reached the door and was about to close it when she heard Madam Wang's voice and stopped in her tracks.
"Give me the pillow!" Madam Wang said as she walked to the door. "And go find a pair of scissors!"
Winter Spring looked at her mistress with confusion but handed the pillow over to Madam Wang.
"What does Madam want to do?" Wang Yanxing also looked puzzled.
"As they say, seeing is believing. The reason Master fears this pillow is because it reminds him of the past. Even if I have Winter Spring throw it away, Master will still harbor a Heart Demon. It would be better to open this pillow now and let Master take a good look."
As she spoke, Winter Spring had already brought back the scissors. Without hesitation, Madam Wang quickly cut open the pillow and shook it upside down. Golden Wild Chrysanthemum petals fell out one by one as Madam Wang shook them loose.
"Madam! This is Chrysanthemum!" Winter Spring exclaimed in surprise. "But we clearly bought Ginkgo Leaves. We confirmed it at the Embroidered Workshop, and you personally filled it. How did it turn into Chrysanthemum, especially this inferior quality Chrysanthemum?"
Madam Wang was also taken aback.
Indeed, the Ginkgo Leaves were purchased by her at the Ruyi Cosmetic Shop, and she personally selected the fabric at the Embroidered Workshop, watching as the embroiderer stitched it together. It was she who finally placed the Ginkgo Leaves inside. Throughout this journey, the pillow had never left her side; how did it end up becoming a Chrysanthemum pillow?
Wang Yanxing's throat felt a bit dry as he stared at the scattered Chrysanthemums on the ground and said to Madam Wang, "Listen, there has been some trouble in Sister-in-law Village recently. Outsiders are saying that Hui Niang's spirit has returned to seek justice for her wrongful death."
"But what does Hui Niang's death have to do with you, Master? When she died, you were thousands of miles away and had already divorced her. Even if she wanted to seek vengeance, she wouldn't be able to find you. No way! I need to find a Master to see; I refuse to believe that my large Wang Family can be disturbed by a dead person."
"Madam, Winter Spring heard that the matter in Sister-in-law Village was resolved by that Shopkeeper Xing from Xing. If you don't mind, Winter Spring can accompany you. Let's go back to Ruyi Cosmetic Shop and ask Shopkeeper Xing if there is a method."
"Are you that Ruyi from Ruyi Cosmetic Shop?" Madam Wang frowned slightly. "Isn't she just someone who sells Rouge and Face Powder while also helping people with their ailments? How could she possibly deal with demons?"
"Whether it's true or not, Winter Spring cannot be certain, but this matter is being talked about throughout Luoyang City. There are reports of a female ghost causing trouble in Sister-in-law Village, and many villagers have been tormented by her. Good people have turned into cat-like creatures at night, with their eyes glowing green as they catch whatever they can to eat. Winter Spring also heard that some of them even ate children. Fortunately, it was that Shopkeeper Xing who intervened; otherwise, the situation in the village would have worsened. On the day we entered the city, the villagers from Sister-in-law Village even presented a living Bodhisattva plaque to Xing, but it was politely declined by Shopkeeper Xing."
Madam Wang looked up at Wang Yanxing but heard him say, "That's right; my hometown is indeed Sister-in-law Village. The one who burned Hui Niang is Ma Tao, who is currently imprisoned."
If it were merely rumors from outside, Madam Wang would not take them to heart. However, hearing her husband mention Sister-in-law Village and seemingly acknowledge that Xing Ruyi helped exorcise evil spirits made her take a deep breath. She instructed Winter Spring to take all the Chrysanthemums and that pillow outside to burn them and asked the steward to formally write an invitation letter to be delivered to Ruyi Cosmetic Shop.
When the Wang couple entered, Xing Ruyi was talking with Si Niang. Hearing the commotion outside, both of them looked up. Si Niang's gaze passed over Gu Zizhu and landed directly on Wang Yanxing, her expression changing instantly. Although the man before her had become more imposing, she recognized him immediately as the heartless person who had abandoned Hui Niang.
However, since they were in Fox Demon’s shop, she refrained from making a scene and merely shot Wang Yanxing a cold glance before rising to bid farewell to Xing Ruyi. As she passed by Wang Yanxing, he recognized her too and called out, "Si Niang!"
"Si Niang is of lowly status and cannot accept Lord Wang's call. Furthermore, if we meet on the street in the future, please pretend not to see Si Niang; I fear for my life!"
"Why must you say such things? I know you were close with Hui Niang, but many matters between couples are not meant for outsiders. As for Hui Niang, I have done all I could."
"Lord Wang can rest assured that your conscience is clear because your conscience has long been gnawed away by dogs years ago. As for Hui Niang, please do not mention her name again; lest she hears it on Yellow Springs Road and finds it bothersome."
"Hui Niang... how exactly did she die?" Although Wang Yanxing felt somewhat insulted by Si Niang's words, he knew that her relationship with Hui Niang was special. The truth about Hui Niang's death would be more credible coming from Si Niang’s mouth. Thus, despite facing scorn and being watched by others around him—including Gu Zizhu who subtly tugged at him—he remained resolute and stood at the door, locking eyes with Li Siniang.
Li Siniang coldly smiled and said, "Lord Wang seems to have forgotten that you and Hui Niang have long since severed your marital ties. What does Hui Niang's matter have to do with you, Lord Wang?"
"A day as husband means a hundred days of kindness. I know the circumstances of Hui Niang's death, and as her former husband, I ought to ask a question. Perhaps there is something I can help with."
"Something you can help with? Are you saying you can bring Hui Niang back to life? Lord Wang, I hope you remember one thing: what goes around comes around. You know very well how Hui Niang treated you, and you are even clearer about how you treated her. In the midnight dreams, have you ever seen Hui Niang's shadow? Have you ever felt guilty about your deceased child? Wang De'er, you will face retribution!"
Wang De'er, a name that Wang Yanxing had not used for a long time, changed his expression upon hearing Li Siniang's words filled with resentment and the mention of midnight dreams. He clasped his hands and said to Si Niang, "Since Si Niang is unwilling to discuss it further, I will not press on. I will find out about Hui Niang's matter."
Li Siniang snorted coldly and turned to leave!
Xing Ruyi stood inside the door, watching with great interest. When she saw Si Niang leave, she changed her expression and asked with a smile, "Madam, did you come today to buy Rouge or Face Powder?"
Madam Wang was already in a bad mood, and after the earlier encounter at the door, her mood worsened. Hearing Xing Ruyi's question, she directly replied, "I heard from Ruyi that you can exorcise demons and ward off evil?"
"Madam is joking. A Fox Demon is neither a Peach Wood Sword nor an Eight Treasures Coin; how could it possess such abilities?" Xing Ruyi poured two cups of tea and handed one each to Wang Yanxing and Madam Wang. "What’s wrong? Is it possible that Madam's new house is somewhat unsettled?"
"It is indeed somewhat unsettled!" Madam Wang glanced sideways at her husband but did not elaborate further.
"No wonder the Fox Demon noticed Madam's complexion was not good; it turns out she is worried about the new house. Although a Fox Demon is not a Peach Wood Sword or an Eight Treasures Coin, we do deal in cosmetics and hear all sorts of strange things. Moving into a new house has its rules. First, one must choose an auspicious day and time; second, one must cleanse or bless the house—some places call it blessing the four corners or eight corners."
"There are indeed auspicious days and times; however, what do cleansing and blessing the house entail?" Madam Wang listened with curiosity, shifting her attention from earlier matters.
"Cleansing the house—I'm not entirely sure about the specifics—but I've heard that newly built houses may harbor wandering spirits. If these spirits are not driven away during the move, they may cause mischief or harm. The lighter consequences could be financial loss; in severe cases, it could cost lives. Therefore, two things must be done before moving." Xing Ruyi raised two fingers: "First, drive away any spirits that were residing at the new location; second, before moving in, make offerings to the local land deity and various passing deities. Make an offering to inform them that someone is moving in here as a gesture of sincerity. The purpose of this is twofold: first, to gain protection from the local deities; second, to borrow their power to safeguard your home from outside spirits and malevolent entities, ensuring peace for your family and prosperity in your endeavors."
"What happens if there is no cleansing?"
"If there is no cleansing, it means no offerings were made to the deities of the new house. Moving in abruptly may inadvertently offend them, leading to misfortune. Many people intend to improve their luck by moving into a new house but end up facing worse situations because they neglected cleansing. However, what the Fox Demon just mentioned are merely idle tales I've heard when there's nothing else to do; Madam should take them lightly."
"Has the young lady heard that this clean residence has been entangled by the Vengeful Spirit of a divorced wife?"
"Madam, the Fox Demon does not understand much!"
"Do you remember a few days ago when I bought some Ginkgo Leaves from you?"
"Of course, I remember. Madam bought Three Years of Ginkgo Leaves. Is there something wrong with those Ginkgo Leaves?"
"There is nothing wrong! It's just that on that day, you mentioned that these Ginkgo Leaves help with sleep, and my Master has trouble sleeping, often plagued by Nightmares. So I took your advice and made a pillow with those Three Years of Ginkgo Leaves."
"Did it work?"
"It was effective at first, but just last night, my Master had another sudden Nightmare, and it was worse than before. I became suspicious and opened the pillow, only to find that the perfectly fine Ginkgo Leaves had turned into Chrysanthemum."
"So, Madam and Lord Wang have come today to question the Fox Demon?" Xing Ruyi raised an eyebrow. "That day, Madam saw clearly that what the Fox Demon sold you was indeed Ginkgo Leaves, not some Chrysanthemum."
"Ruyi misunderstood! The young lady did sell me Ginkgo Leaves, this I can confirm with Winter Spring. However, it is indeed strange that the perfectly fine Ginkgo Leaves suddenly turned into Chrysanthemum. I heard that you recently quelled the possession incident in Sister-in-law Village, and coincidentally, my Master's Nightmare is also related to that village. That's why we came here today to inquire."
"So, does this mean that Lord Wang is also possessed?"
"Not possessed, but unable to sleep. Even when he manages to fall asleep, he always dreams of his ex-wife." Madam Wang paused for a moment. "Hui Niang, have you heard of her?"
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