The Heir

Сhарter 141: Seеing а Ghоst

Оn thе twenty-third daу оf the twelfth lunаr month, Minоr Nеw Yеаr. Аt thе hour of Мao, it had rained all night, аnd thе morning fоg was еsресiallу hеаvу.

In thе allеy by the сitу gatе, Uncle Shui, as usuаl, had risen еarly. Не wаs bоiling wаtеr, аnd as it cаmе to а bоil, thе entirе tiger stоvе becаmе evеn more envеloped in stеаm, whitе and hаzy, making evеn thе lаmplight sееm fuzzу.

Unсlе Shui wаs clеаring the firе from thе stove whilе fetсhing thе wоodеn сlарper, prеparing to strike it to signаl others to сome fоr watеr. Нe muttеred to himself, "I heard that Zhen Niang returned from Nanjing the other day. The Li family's matriarch personally went to the city gate to welcome her. She's really made something of herself. I always knew that girl had potential."

Just as he was muttering, he heard someone outside the door ask, "Uncle Shui, what happened to the Li family? Why have they all disappeared?"

Uncle Shui glanced toward the door. Between the fog and the steam from the tiger stove, everything was hazy and unclear. He could only make out a figure moving about. Uncle Shui couldn't help but chuckle, "What kind of talk is that? Good people don't just vanish. The Li family is doing well now; they've all moved back to their ancestral home."

As he replied, he had already cleared the fire from the stove. He stood up, took the clapper, and walked to the door. Only then did he get a clear look at the person standing there. His heart suddenly tightened, and his vision blurred. This... wasn't this Li Jingfu?

It was a ghost. Uncle Shui rubbed his eyes and looked more carefully. Yes, it was Li Jingfu, and he was even smiling at him. Though dressed in tatters, Uncle Shui recognized his face. But now, there was a knife scar on his face that hadn't been there before. The flesh was slightly twisted, looking rather frightening.

"Oh, thank you, Uncle Shui. I'll be off then. I'll come find you for a drink during the New Year," Li Jingfu said again before turning and walking away. The steam rose, and the fog thickened. Li Jingfu's retreating figure seemed to drift and fade, and soon, his silhouette vanished into the white mist.

Uncle Shui's heart tightened even more. It was a ghost, truly a ghost. Li Jingfu had been dead for nearly two years. They say that when a person is close to death, they can see ghosts. If so, was his own time not far off? Uncle Shui's heart felt heavy.

Ah, but if the King of Hell wants you dead by the third watch, who can keep you until the fifth? Never mind, never mind. If death comes, there's nothing to be done. With that thought, Uncle Shui composed himself and stepped out of the tiger stove.

Soon after, the sound of the wooden clapper echoed through the alley by the city gate.

Like a wake-up call, households gradually lit their oil lamps, the faint, bean-sized lights glowing dimly. There were also the sounds of wives scolding their children—on such a cold day, everyone wanted to stay asleep.

Before long, doors opened one after another. People emerged carrying copper kettles and wooden buckets, gathering in twos and threes to queue outside the tiger stove for hot water.

"Uncle Shui, are you ill? Your face looks pale and green," asked Da Min's wife, who had come for water.

"Ah, don't mention it. I ran into a ghost first thing this morning. I saw Li Jingfu," Uncle Shui shook his head and added, "With the New Year approaching, times must be tough down below too. Even the ghosts are restless. If Zhen Niang comes by tomorrow, I must tell her to burn more offerings for her father in the underworld.""Is that so, Uncle Shui? That sounds quite frightening." Upon hearing this, Damin's wife was also startled.

Just then, Huaide's Wife, who was queued behind Damin's wife, let out a cry of alarm, her face turning pale.

"What's wrong, Huaide's Wife?" Damin's wife turned and asked.

"If Uncle Shui hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn’t have remembered. Early this morning, while my family was still asleep, I heard someone banging loudly on the door across the street. My husband even shouted, 'No one’s home there!' before the noise stopped. Now, hearing Uncle Shui say this, it must have been Li Jingfu coming back to knock on the door." Huaide's Wife said fearfully.

"Oh dear..." Immediately, the people waiting in line to fetch water grew restless.

"What are you all fussing about? Daytime thoughts lead to nighttime dreams. I think it’s because everyone’s been talking about the Li family lately, so you’re all half-asleep and can’t tell dreams from reality." A man nearby said irritably. Then, turning to Uncle Shui, he added, "Uncle Shui, don’t worry about Zhen Niang anymore. She’s now a supplier for the princess’s estate and has even befriended the princess. How could she still care about people like us? Everyone, just go about your business and stop overthinking things. Honestly."

After he finished, the people around couldn’t help but chime in: "Isn’t that right? The Li family now looks down on us poor folks from the city gate alley."

The words carried a tinge of bitterness.

But his words resonated with many. This was likely just normal human nature—the poor stick with the poor, and the rich stick with the rich. Now that the Li family from the city gate alley had returned, they were no longer the same as the rest.

Thus, people whispered among themselves as those fetching water came and went. However, the topic of Uncle Shui seeing a ghost was passed from one person to another.

In the blink of an eye, the hour of Chen had passed, and Uncle Shui’s porridge stall at the entrance saw a few passersby enjoying steaming bowls of porridge. Uncle Shui tended to them absentmindedly, still thinking about his encounter with Li Jingfu that morning. He’d been told it was a dream, but it didn’t feel like one. He’d been awake and working at the time, and even now, Li Jingfu’s voice echoed clearly in his ears.

Just then, from a distance, a group of people approached. Leading them was a young woman dressed in a lotus-colored jacket with delicate floral patterns, dark wide-legged trousers, and a blue vest over it. Wasn’t this the Li family girl, Li Zhenniang?

Beside her was Xi Ge’er, along with a group of boys around twelve or thirteen years old, all carrying various items.

The Tiger Stove was located at the entrance of the city gate alley, and it didn’t take long for them to arrive.

"Uncle Shui, how have you been this year? Are you keeping well?" Zhen Niang stepped forward with gifts—four types of pastries, assorted fruits and preserves, cured duck and smoked chicken, and several rolls of fine fabric, essentially New Year’s goods.

"Good, good." Uncle Shui replied excitedly, completely forgetting his earlier worry about his own mortality after seeing Li Jingfu.

"Oh, Zhen Niang, you’ve come to see Uncle Shui," a woman fetching water nearby remarked."Well, it's New Year's, and I really miss everyone. I happened to bring some pastries and dried fruits from Nanjing—nothing much, just a little something for everyone to try. Please don't mind it being so simple." Zhen Niang said with a cheerful smile. Following Xi Ge'er, a group of boys carried several baskets of goods, going door-to-door to distribute a share to each household.

"What are you saying? We're delighted! How could we possibly mind?" a quick-tongued sister-in-law chimed in, then turned to Uncle Shui. "Uncle Shui, isn't that right?"

"Ah, yes, yes." Uncle Shui nodded repeatedly, but then addressed Zhen Niang, "You silly girl, just coming to see your Uncle Shui makes me happy enough. Why bring so many things? Your family's situation may be better than before, but it's not exactly easy either. With more household duties and responsibilities, not to mention your eldest brother being such an honest man—after last year's tung oil poisoning incident, some of the children from a few families ended up with lingering health issues. Over the past year, your brother has been looking after them, and the expenses have really added up..." Uncle Shui rambled on.

The Li family's circumstances weren't as prosperous as outsiders might think.

Still, despite his words, his expression was filled with unmistakable joy. Those around him were also beaming with happiness. It wasn't that they coveted Zhen Niang's gifts, but rather that the Li family had moved out of the city gate area, and Zhen Niang had now made a name for herself in Nanjing. Yet she still remembered her former poor neighbors, came to visit everyone, and brought some pastries. This showed that the Li family still held everyone in their hearts and remembered them—it was a gesture of affection and also a matter of pride for everyone, so naturally, they were all very pleased.

"Zhen Niang, let me tell you—early this morning, I saw your father. His ghost has returned, but he couldn't find his way home. I noticed today is Minor New Year, so you should hurry back home and burn more offerings for your father. From the look of him, he seems to be having a hard time down there—wearing tattered clothes, with a knife scar on his face. He must have been mistreated by some little demon. Burn more paper money so your father can smooth his way. The ways of the world, whether among the living or the dead, follow the same logic." At this point, Uncle Shui pulled Zhen Niang aside and carefully advised her.

The incident in the morning felt too real—he didn't believe it was a dream; he truly saw Li Jingfu's ghost.

Hearing Uncle Shui's words, Zhen Niang was somewhat stunned. She didn't believe in ghosts in this world, so she quickly asked Uncle Shui how he had seen her father that morning.

Thus, Uncle Shui recounted in detail what he had witnessed early that morning. Every detail was clear and distinct.

There were no ghosts in this world, and Uncle Shui didn't seem to be talking nonsense from a dream. So, could it be that her father wasn't dead? At this thought, Zhen Niang's heart tightened. But she replied, "Alright, I'll go back soon and offer more food to my father, and burn plenty of paper money and such for him."

"Ah, yes, yes..." Uncle Shui nodded repeatedly.

Afterward, Zhen Niang chatted with Uncle Shui for a while longer and, as before, sat by the stove to add a few sticks of firewood for him before bidding farewell and leaving.

As for Xi Ge'er, that boy was running around with a group of kids his age and wouldn't return home until mealtime. Since it's near the New Year, let him be.However, what Uncle Shui had said had unsettled her thoughts after all. Could it really be that Father had returned? Or had Uncle Shui made a mistake? Thinking this, Zhen Niang quickened her pace home. Whether it was a mistake or he had truly returned, since that person was looking for the Li family and Uncle Shui had told him that the Li family had now moved back to the Ancestral Residence, he would surely head there.

After turning around Four Treasures Street, Zhen Niang greeted people along the way and soon arrived at her doorstep.

"Hey, you beggar, don't you know better? I've already given you copper coins, why are you still lingering here? It's the New Year, you're just bringing bad luck. Go on, get out of here..." The gatekeeper, Li Liujin, waved impatiently as he shooed the person away.