Li Qingqing

Chapter 9

The Old Bachelor’s death terrified the villagers, especially since several people claimed to have heard strange noises coming from Honggu Mountain over the next few days.

After all, there had been no funeral after the Old Bachelor died; he had simply been buried in a hurry.

Everyone felt uneasy.

To soothe the people’s anxiety, the Village Chief invited someone to perform a ritual. This Master was not only there to perform rites for the Old Bachelor’s soul but also to communicate with the Immortal Lady, asking her to grant a divine oracle to comfort the village.

The village became a hive of activity, and some people even tried to recruit Sha Niu’s mother to help out.

“It’s perfect timing. You’re quick with your hands, so come help with the cooking,” the visitor said. “When the time comes, the Master can sprinkle some water on you for a blessing.”

Sha Niu’s mother shook her head repeatedly. “I won’t be going.”

“Such a good opportunity, it’s a pity for you to miss it.”

“I’m not a local. If I go, what if the Immortal Lady is displeased?”

Since she put it that way, the other person didn’t force her.

Even though Sha Niu’s mother said she wasn’t going, she spent the day in a state of restless indecision. She knew that the Heavenly Master could communicate with the Immortal Lady and ask her questions. When the time came, the Heavenly Master would surely ask how the Old Bachelor had died…

Sha Niu’s mother couldn’t sit still, and her legs felt weak when she stood…

What should she do? What could she do?

Gritting her teeth, she eventually snuck over anyway, hiding herself among the crowd of onlookers.

The Heavenly Master was also a local, a thin, gaunt old woman. She was a singular figure; in her youth, her head had been struck by a cleaver, costing her an ear and leaving a long, jagged scar across her skull. It made her head look as if it had been stitched together from different pieces, yet she had survived.

This was surely the protection of the Immortal Lady.

After she woke up, she claimed as much, saying she survived because the Immortal Lady protected her, and that she could now communicate with the goddess.

“After my head was split open, the Immortal Lady was able to speak to me.”

For all these years, the old woman had carried the responsibility of speaking with the Immortal Lady.

This time, she would be the one to ask the Immortal Lady about the Old Bachelor.

Sha Niu’s mother kept her eyes fixed on the old woman, so she naturally failed to notice that Sha Niu, who was supposed to be locked in the cellar, had also run out.

Sha Niu saw her mother first and jumped in fright, thinking her mother had come to catch her and take her back. Instead, she saw her mother was just there watching the spectacle.

She knew these people wanted to communicate with the Immortal Lady. In the past, she would have wanted to watch too, but now she didn’t need to. If she wanted to talk to the Immortal Lady, she just had to climb a wall.

Sha Niu was currently watching the pig slaughter. These two pigs were offerings for the Immortal Lady.

The pigs screamed piteously, struggling desperately to break free, but no one cared. The blades went in clean and came out red. Blood filled a large basin before being offered to the Immortal Lady.

Supposedly, by doing this, the Immortal Lady would feel respected and become happy.

Sha Niu watched from the side, feeling that something wasn’t quite right. The Immortal Lady was a very, very good immortal, and she didn’t hate pigs. How could killing a pig make her happy…

If she wanted to make the goddess happy… Sha Niu’s gaze shifted to the faces of the Zhang Family.

She still remembered how this family had cursed and beaten the Immortal Lady…

While she was thinking of ways to please the Immortal Lady, a cheerful voice suddenly came from behind her.

“Sha Niu!”

Sha Niu didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was; a happy smile already spread across her face.

“Li Qingqing!” She turned around to see her best friend in the village, Li Qingqing, standing before her.

Li Qingqing was the same age as her. The two had grown up together and were very close.

Li Qingqing had gotten married six months ago, and Sha Niu’s mother had forbidden her from going to play with her, so the two had drifted apart a bit.

Meeting Li Qingqing here made Sha Niu incredibly happy.

Li Qingqing was happy too, especially seeing Sha Niu jumping up and down with joy at the sight of her. But soon, a wave of guilt washed over her; she hadn’t had any time to visit Sha Niu since she got married.

It couldn’t be helped. She had a new family now, and there were simply too many chores to handle.

“I’m here to help with the ritual today. Come with me, and you’ll get some money later,” Li Qingqing said.

She followed Li Qingqing to the open ground outside the ritual area, handing out water and wringing out towels, inviting the villagers to wash their faces.

Li Qingqing did most of the work, while Sha Niu followed her lead, acting as her assistant.

Li Qingqing couldn’t help but keep glancing at the Heavenly Master, who was muttering something under her breath.

Li Qingqing couldn’t understand it. “I wonder what she’s saying.”

Though the voice was strange and rhythmic, Sha Niu understood it perfectly.

“The Immortal Lady opens her eyes. The Immortal Lady sees the suffering of the world. The Immortal Lady forgives our sins of disrespect.”

“You can understand her?”

Sha Niu nodded, her heart full of joy. Of course she understood; she was the Immortal Lady’s Child Attendant.

Li Qingqing assumed the Heavenly Master must be speaking Mandarin.

Soon, everyone in the village had arrived. The adults gathered on one side to listen to the Heavenly Master communicate with the Immortal Lady, while most of the children held fried pumpkin flowers in their hands.

Li Qingqing was also listening to the Heavenly Master. During a break in the proceedings, she turned around and saw Sha Niu staring at the children on the other side who were holding the fried pumpkin flowers.

Even though Li Qingqing hadn’t actually aged much since her marriage, having her own household gave her a slightly maternal air toward her old friend.

“Do you want to eat pumpkin flowers?” Li Qingqing chuckled, feeling the joy of having moved beyond the ranks of the children.

In the past, they had both acted like children, inconspicuous in the village, with few adults willing to speak to them.

In those times, they would usually wait together for Sha Niu’s mother to bring them something to eat.

But now, she was married; she was an adult. Since getting married, Li Qingqing had experienced the benefits of being an adult and the mistress of a house. She didn’t have to wait passively like a child anymore.

She wanted to show off a bit in front of Sha Niu, so she said, “Wait here. I’ll go get some for you.”

She behaved just like the other adults, heading straight into the kitchen. While chatting with the others, she naturally reached out and picked up a pumpkin blossom that had been set aside.

She didn’t eat much herself, giving almost all of them to Sha Niu.

“Aren’t you eating?”

Li Qingqing felt as though she had finally become an adult herself, and she suddenly felt too self-conscious to eat here.

“You eat. I’ll go check on the fire while the Heavenly Master is resting.”

Sha Niu squatted to one side, munching on the pumpkin blossoms.

Li Qingqing went back out to the flat courtyard to continue boiling water.

Nearby, two women were carrying boiling water. They were using the large vats normally used for cooking pig feed, and the water they were boiling was the scalding kind used for slaughtering pigs and scraping off bristles.

One woman was carrying a large basin of boiling water.

On the other side, someone was shouting, “Boiling water! Hurry up and bring the boiling water over!”

The woman called back that she was coming as she carried the basin up the slope.

A small child was running around playing tag with some friends. The child was focused entirely on the game and didn’t notice the woman. They were on a collision course.

Someone nearby saw it and shouted, “Get out of the way! It’s boiling water!”

But it was too late. The child slammed straight into the woman carrying the basin like a little cannonball.

Outside the crowd, Sha Niu, who was still eating pumpkin blossoms, heard Li Qingqing’s piercing scream. She dropped the blossoms instantly and sprinted toward the sound.

“Qingqing! What’s wrong! Why are you screaming so loud!” Sha Niu cried out as she ran.

Li Qingqing had been scalded.

To avoid the child, the woman had instinctively jerked the basin backward. Directly behind her was Li Qingqing, who had been squatting there tending the fire.

Almost the entire basin of boiling water poured onto Li Qingqing’s back. During this season, people wore two layers of clothing. Because there were so many people around, she had specifically worn a new chiffon blouse. Steam was rising from her clothes now. Li Qingqing wailed in pain as she struggled to strip off her outer layer, but she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt underneath. The fabric was scalding hot, clinging to her skin.

“Take it off! Qingqing, take it off!” Sha Niu rushed forward. She knew Qingqing was in pain and wanted to help her strip the clothes off.

Li Qingqing stopped her. She wasn’t as simple-minded as Sha Niu. Though she was shaking uncontrollably from the agony, there were so many people around; she couldn’t strip down to nothing.

She absolutely couldn’t. Not with all these people watching.

While preventing Sha Niu from pulling at her clothes, Li Qingqing ran inside. Others were shouting, “Someone’s been burned! Make way!”

But the rooms were packed with people. Many had no idea what had happened.

Pair after pair of eyes stared at her.

Only one thought occupied Li Qingqing’s mind: she couldn’t stay here either. This wasn’t her home. If she stripped off her clothes here, how could she ever show her face in the village again¹?

Thinking of this, Li Qingqing gritted her teeth and ran back toward her own home, enduring the excruciating pain.

No one knew how she managed to bear such agony.

Her family home wasn’t close; she had to climb several slopes to get there.

Gradually, her throat felt as if it were stuffed with burning coals, making every breath a struggle. Fortunately, Sha Niu caught up to her then.

Sha Niu didn’t know how to treat a burn, nor did she understand why Li Qingqing wouldn’t take off her clothes, but she knew Li Qingqing wanted to go home.

She moved in front of Li Qingqing and crouched down. “Qingqing, I’ll carry you!”

Li Qingqing trusted Sha Niu and leaned onto her back, feeling herself being lifted.

Li Qingqing’s grandmother was at home. Seeing her granddaughter being carried back, she was about to ask about the funeral when Sha Niu shouted, “Boiling water burned Qingqing!”

Li Qingqing was drenched in sweat, her entire body trembling with pain. Her hair looked as if it had just been pulled from a river, and her voice was as thin as a thread. “Grandmother, I’m burned. Go get my mom!”

Several older women followed them inside and quickly helped carry Li Qingqing into a bedroom.

In this moment, Sha Niu was just a “fool” with no say in anything. Even though she was Li Qingqing’s best friend, she wasn’t allowed inside. She could only wait outside the door with the others.

When she tried to open the door to go in, the others immediately stopped her.

“You silly girl, she’s burned. She’s definitely not wearing any clothes. Why are you trying to open the door!”

Sha Niu could only stand outside, listening to the faint, muffled sounds of Li Qingqing’s sobbing. She could do nothing but keep calling out Qingqing’s name.

Eventually, Li Qingqing’s mother arrived. A short while later, she came out wiping away tears, saying she was going to find a doctor.

Soon, the man Li Qingqing had married returned. His name was Wu Jie. He had grown up with Li Qingqing and Sha Niu. Seeing the situation, he immediately wanted to go find the person who had spilled the water to settle the score.

One of the women waiting outside said, “I’ll go over and bring her something to eat.”

Another woman added, “I’ll go inform her in-laws.”

Everyone had something to do except Sha Niu. Sha Niu could only cry. she desperately wanted to help, but there was nothing she could do.

Fortunately, the doctor arrived quickly.

Sha Niu was still barred from entering. She could only listen from the doorway. The doctor gave some medicine and left soon after.

Sha Niu wanted to go in and stay with Li Qingqing, but no one would let her.

“You’re just a fool. Going in now will only cause trouble.”

“Go on home. Come back and see Qingqing when she’s better.”

“Don’t make a mess. You’re not a doctor, what use is there in you going in?”

Sha Niu didn’t want to leave, but she didn’t want to cause trouble either. She didn’t go back to watch the funeral rites, and she didn’t want to eat fried pumpkin blossoms anymore.

Sha Niu walked back, wiping her tears as she went. It was already dark. Sha Niu’s mother came to get her and led her home.

Early the next morning, before the sun had even risen, Sha Niu was back at Li Qingqing’s door, waiting.

“Where’s Qingqing?”

The person who came out was Wu Jie.

His eyes were swollen. Li Qingqing’s burns were too severe; the medicine hadn’t worked. She had developed a fever in the middle of the night and was now unconscious. He had carried the doctor back before dawn, only for the doctor to say there was nothing more he could do.

And now, this fool was incessantly asking how Li Qingqing was, how Li Qingqing was.

He had nowhere to vent his frustration, and the more he looked at this fool, the angrier he became.

He even felt it was all this fool’s fault. Qingqing shouldn’t have been the one boiling water in the first place; it should have been this fool. If she hadn’t been there boiling water, she wouldn’t have been burned!

“How is it now? How is it? She’s dying, she’s going to be dead any second!”

“Are you happy now?”

After he finished scolding her, he felt he had gone too far and added, “What am I even saying to an idiot like you?”

Sha Niu could understand him.

Li Qingqing was going to die?

The concept of life and death was actually not that complicated in Sha Niu’s mind. Sometimes when her mother got angry, she would shout that she was going to strangle her to death and then go die herself.

In the silly girl’s subconscious, living meant being with her mother, and dying meant being buried in the dirt with her mother. In the spring, wild chrysanthemums would grow on the grave; in the summer, there would be tall, seeding thatch grass²; and when the grass turned yellow in the winter, little squirrels and rabbits would build their nests inside.

Sha Niu wasn’t afraid. Her grave would have little rabbits making nests.

However, Li Qingqing dying was different.

Li Qingqing’s mother wouldn’t be buried in the dirt with her. Li Qingqing would be buried all alone, and she wouldn’t be able to speak anymore. What if she got scared?

Sha Niu suddenly looked at Wu Jie. Li Qingqing liked Wu Jie very much. Could she kill Wu Jie too? Then he and Li Qingqing could be buried together, so Li Qingqing wouldn’t be afraid of the dark at night.

Inside the room, Li Qingqing was no longer crying out in pain. There was no sound at all, as if she really was about to die.

Sha Niu looked inside, then looked back at Wu Jie.

Wu Jie sat on the door threshold with his head bowed.

Sha Niu slowly approached, coming up behind Wu Jie.

Just as she was about to act, Wu Jie stood up. He was much taller than Sha Niu.

Sha Niu remembered the times she had fought with Wu Jie before.

She couldn’t win.

Forget it.

Sha Niu started running in the other direction.

Immortal Lady, Immortal Lady! Please, save Li Qingqing!

Translator’s Notes