Chapter 28: The Old Widower Asks for a Dream

Yun Shan slept for the whole morning and woke full of energy. Usually, he would take a nap after lunch. Today, he refused to sleep. He rolled his big eyes around, looking left and right, and insisted that Hua Qi hold him.

The moment he was put down, Yun Shan’s little brows immediately furrowed, and in the next instant, the corners of his mouth drooped. Wait a little longer, and his mouth would open outright as he started crying.

“Let me hold him.” Tuo Tuo was very eager to hold Yun Shan and sleep with him.

But as soon as Yun Shan reached his arms, his little brows wrinkled, the corners of his mouth turned down, and his utterly wronged expression made the little ginseng spirit’s heart ache.

Tuo Tuo lay down sadly, turned his back, and muttered in a small voice, “Little Temple Master Yunshan, I’m the demon closest to you. It must be because I didn’t spend enough time with you before. From now on, Xiao Cong and I won’t leave you.”

Hua Qi’s lower body turned into a snake tail. Leaning against the wall, he held Yun Shan helplessly. His snake tail lifted and gently patted Yun Shan’s little belly, coaxing him to sleep. Yun Shan moved his small hand and lightly grabbed Hua Qi’s tail.

Yun Shan’s little palm was sweaty. That was the tail’s first impression. The warm touch made the snake tail tremble. Hua Qi lowered his head to look at the giggling human cub and softly coaxed him, “Yun Shan, sleep for a while.”

Tuo Tuo heard the Little Temple Master’s happy laughter and felt even more miserable.

In the courtyard, cicadas cried out in waves, sometimes high, sometimes low. Inside the room, the demons quietly fell asleep. Only Yun Shan, who was clutching the snake tail, let out an “ee-ya” every now and then.

Hua Qi’s eyes snapped open. Something had broken into his barrier. He sat upright and sensed it, at the same time sending his consciousness into the barrier.

Outside the barrier, a little sparrow stood on the edge of the window with two thin little feet, its small dark-brown beak pecking again and again at the open window.

With a thought from Hua Qi, a small opening split in the barrier. The little sparrow flapped its wings and flew through the gap into the room.

“What is it?” Hua Qi’s tone was unfriendly. Being disturbed while resting put him in a terrible mood all over.

“Ya!” Yun Shan seemed to sense Hua Qi’s bad mood. The small hand clutching his tail used a little strength, dragging the tail toward his mouth.

“Hey.” Hua Qi hurriedly pulled his tail free. “This isn’t food.”

His hand was suddenly empty. Yun Shan froze, then waved his little hands, trying to find the snake tail he had just grabbed.

“You can’t eat tails.” Hua Qi held his small hand and shook it gently. “Yun Shan, be good and listen.”

The little sparrow did not dare come close. It landed far away on the windowsill and chirped quietly, “Hong Shan sent me to pass on a message.”

“A villager from Dongwang Village came to the temple to make a wish. He hopes to see his wife in a dream.”

The little sparrow’s chirping woke Xi Jue, who had been lying on the floor. He got up, crouched below the kang, and listened along as the little sparrow delivered the message.

“His house is on the same road as Xiu Niang’s. Go five houses forward, then turn right past two houses, then follow the little path forward past three more houses. The fourth house, the one with a big vat by the door, is that villager’s home.” The little sparrow had followed the villager home and only came to deliver the message after learning the way.

Wasn’t that the house in front of Bailing’s family? Hua Qi lightly smacked Tuo Tuo, who was sleeping on his side.

The little ginseng spirit rolled over toward the inside and continued sleeping, completely undisturbed.

Hua Qi used a little more strength, and his tail whipped hard against Tuo Tuo’s butt. The little ginseng spirit woke in confusion. Seeing the snake tail that had yet to be withdrawn, he shouted angrily, “Why are you bullying a demon?”

“I think you shouldn’t be called a ginseng spirit. You should be called a ginseng pig. You sleep so much every day, do you really think you’re a human cub? You didn’t wake up when I hit you lightly. Did you insist on making me use force?” Hua Qi rattled off a whole string of words.

Tuo Tuo rubbed his butt, pouted, and crawled up to sit by the window, far away from Hua Qi. What the heck? What was wrong with sleeping? Uncle Qiu Sheng said sleeping helped you grow taller. In the future, he was going to grow into a great big ginseng. Bullying a demon was bullying a demon, so why did he have to say so much on top of it?

Xiao Cong and Dou Ming, who had been awakened by Hua Qi’s scolding, quietly sat up by the kang without saying a word. They were afraid Hua Qi’s fire would burn them too.

Hua Qi assigned the task. “Tuo Tuo, that villager’s home is in front of Bailing’s family. When you go learn weaving this afternoon, help ask around.”

“Got it,” Tuo Tuo answered.

“Are we going to the underworld to find his wife and bring her over? What if we get caught?” The timid Xiao Cong was extremely worried.

“Why go to the underworld?” Hua Qi said. “There’s no need for all that trouble. We’ll disguise ourselves as his wife and sneak into his dream.”

They could do that? Xiao Cong’s mouth fell open in surprise.

“Hua Qi, you have experience dressing as a woman. You go sneak into that person’s dream,” Tuo Tuo immediately chimed in.

Hua Qi glanced at Tuo Tuo. Why did this little ginseng spirit’s words sound so strange?

Tuo Tuo shuffled his butt backward and blinked innocently. “Otherwise, do you think Xi Jue can do it, or Dou Ming can, or Xiao Cong or I can?”

Hua Qi turned his head and looked them over one by one. He really was not at ease leaving this matter to the other demons.

After the midday rest, Tuo Tuo had to go learn weaving. He insisted on taking Yun Shan with him too. Yun Shan had entertained himself and played for the whole noon. After Xiu Niang fed him once, it was not long before he gave a small yawn, clenched his little fists, and closed his eyes.

Seeing that Yun Shan had fallen asleep, Hua Qi let Tuo Tuo carry him along. Xiao Cong and Dou Ming followed as well. While Tuo Tuo learned weaving, Dou Ming and Xiao Cong could take care of Yun Shan.

Xiu Niang took four meat pies and put them in a basket, then handed it to Dou Ming and said, “Since you’re going to learn weaving, you should bring something now and then. If you keep going empty-handed, after enough time, it’s hard for people not to have opinions.” “There are four people in Bailing’s family: the young couple and her parents-in-law. The meat pies are just enough for one each.” This last sentence was said to Hua Qi.

Hua Qi nodded. He still could not quite understand human customs and social obligations for now. Whatever Xiu Niang said to do, that was what he would do.

Bailing was sewing clothes at home. Hearing Tuo Tuo calling for someone from the courtyard, she put down the clothes and quickly walked out of the main room. “Coming, coming. I was just thinking, why didn’t you come on your first day? I didn’t expect you to come in the afternoon.”

Seeing the child in Tuo Tuo’s arms, Bailing leaned over and asked, “Is this your younger brother?”

“Mm.” Tuo Tuo introduced Dou Ming and Xiao Cong beside him to Bailing. “This is Eldest Brother Dou Ming, and Second Brother Xiao Cong.”

“You really have a lot of brothers in your family.” Bailing led the three children inside.

After Tuo Tuo entered, he put down the basket and instructed her, “Xiu Niang said to have you take the meat pies, but I have to bring the basket back. It’s not staying at your house.”

“She’s just stingy.” Bailing lifted the coarse blue cloth covering the basket and saw the meat pies inside. She said cheerfully, “Why did you even bring something?”

“Xiu Niang said we had to.” Whatever Hua Qi told him to do, Tuo Tuo did.

While Bailing taught Tuo Tuo to weave, Xiao Cong sat quietly to the side. He took out his needle, thread, and scraps of cloth and continued practicing embroidery.

Dou Ming held Yun Shan and stayed in the room for a while, then bored, he wandered outside. Bailing’s husband, Mao Shan, was pulling weeds in the courtyard. Dou Ming went over to talk to him. A few days earlier, Mao Shan had helped dig the foundation, so Dou Ming could exchange a few words with him.

“Xiao Cong likes embroidery?” Bailing stood in front of the loom and asked Xiao Cong with a smile.

“Mm.” Xiao Cong nodded shyly.

Bailing covered her mouth and laughed.

Tuo Tuo felt that this human was very strange. Curious, he said, “Why do you keep laughing? You kept laughing yesterday too.”

“Why shouldn’t I laugh? It’s not like there’s anything making me unhappy,” Bailing said. “The boys in your family are really different from other families’. Very few boys like learning weaving and embroidery.”

Speaking of this touched on Tuo Tuo’s sadness. He pretended to sigh. “You don’t understand.” He and Xiao Cong had both been forced by that black-hearted snake Hua Qi!

Bailing laughed again. “Tuo Tuo, why are you, a little child, imitating adults and sighing?”

“Only adults can sigh?” Tuo Tuo felt humans really did have so many ways of putting things.

“Aiya! Tuo Tuo! You wove it wrong. This one goes underneath.” Bailing cried out loudly, startling Tuo Tuo. Xiao Cong put down the cloth scraps in his hands and came over to watch the excitement.

Tuo Tuo looked down. Wasn’t that exactly right? After the shuttle passed through the threads, he should have stepped on the treadle. He had forgotten to step on the treadle.

“Once you’re familiar with it, you’ll be able to weave with your eyes closed,” Bailing said with a grin.

Tuo Tuo imagined himself weaving with his eyes closed. Would Hua Qi call him over to weave even while he was sleeping in the future??? The little ginseng spirit’s eyes widened in terror. “I don’t want to weave with my eyes closed!”

“Ah.” Bailing froze, then patted Tuo Tuo’s head and laughed. “That’s an exaggeration. Who really does things with their eyes closed? Tuo Tuo, you’re too funny. Hahaha.”

Xiao Cong and Tuo Tuo looked at each other. Both little demons felt that Bailing was different from the humans they had met before. She seemed… a little silly.

“Bailing, let me ask you. Doesn’t a man whose wife died live in front of your house?” Tuo Tuo familiarized himself with weaving while chatting casually with Bailing.

“You mean Uncle Dayun, right? His wife died many years ago. Even now, if you chat with him, you’ll still hear him mention his wife from time to time.” Bailing pulled over a stool and sat beside the loom.

“What was his wife like?” Tuo Tuo asked next.

Bailing recalled, “She was a kind auntie. I remember when I was little, once I was playing with Chun Niang from her family, and my clothes got torn on something. I didn’t dare go home. Auntie Dayun helped mend my clothes and even gave me a handful of dates.”

“What did Auntie Dayun look like?” Tuo Tuo continued inquiring.

“She had a long face, and there was a big black mole by the corner of her right eye.” Bailing looked at Tuo Tuo in confusion. “Why are you, a little child, asking about this?”

“Shuanzi, who plays with me, said Uncle Dayun went up the mountain today.” Tuo Tuo casually made up a reason. “Shuanzi said Uncle Dayun must have gone to Yunling Temple.” Tuo Tuo asked innocently, “Bailing, why would Uncle Dayun go to Yunling Temple?”

“I’m afraid I really do know.” Bailing said mysteriously, “He definitely went to ask the immortals to let him see Auntie Dayun in a dream. I’ve heard Uncle Dayun say it several times. He said no matter what, he just can’t dream of Auntie Dayun. Every few days, he goes to Auntie Dayun’s grave to pull weeds and often talks to her there, but Auntie Dayun just won’t send him a dream.”

“Tuo Tuo.” Bailing planted her hands on her waist and questioned him, “What did you just call me?”

“Bailing.” Tuo Tuo looked at Bailing in total confusion. Weren’t they talking about Uncle Dayun and Auntie Dayun? Why had she suddenly dragged this in?

“I’m of the same generation as Xiu Niang. What do you call Xiu Niang?”

Tuo Tuo answered her, “Xiu Niang.”

“That’s wrong. You should call her Auntie. So, you should call me Auntie too.” Bailing winked playfully at Tuo Tuo. “Remember? You have to call me Auntie.”

“Why do I call Xiu Niang directly by Xiu Niang, but I have to call you Auntie?” The little ginseng spirit looked completely lost.

“Xiu Niang isn’t her name. She’s called Wang Xiaoxiu, not Xiu Niang. But Bailing is my name.”

Tuo Tuo pouted. Why was Xiu Niang not called Xiu Niang, but called Wang Xiaoxiu? He turned and asked Xiao Cong, “Did you understand?”

Xiao Cong shook his head.

Bailing talked with the two children for ages, but Tuo Tuo still could not understand why Xiu Niang was called Xiu Niang while Bailing had to be called Auntie. He insisted, “I’m calling you Bailing.”

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