"Aunt Hu's daughter is my friend," I explained.
"You mean Yan Yan?" the old man raised an eyebrow.
I nodded.
"Are you Yan Yan's boyfriend?"
"No... we're just good friends..."
"Good friends?" The old man looked unconvinced, "With Yan Yan's temper, no man can just be friends with her."
"Really... how about I call her, and you can talk to her?" I pulled out my phone.
Seeing this, the old man smiled, "No need for that... Since Hu Lan sent you here, you're practically family."
With that, he invited me into the house, his attitude completely changing from before.
It was a small, separated courtyard with two rooms. The larger one was the living room, and the smaller one was clearly the bedroom. The living room was simply furnished, very retro, with a seventies style, featuring a simple Eight Immortals table and solid wood chairs.
Sitting at the table, the old man poured us tea and then introduced himself. He was Kong Feng, and according to him, he and Bai Hanyan's maternal grandfather were old family friends. If it weren't for Bai Hanyan's grandfather back then, he wouldn't be alive today. As he spoke, I could clearly sense a sense of loneliness about him.
I interjected, "Old Master Kong, where are your children?"
"What children? I've never married in my life, how could I have children?" Kong Feng replied gruffly.
Hearing this, I finally understood. He was a lonely old man, no wonder he talked so much when he saw us. It seemed he hadn't chatted with anyone in a long time. I wasn't in a hurry, listening to him recount past events, but Fatty kept winking at me and lightly kicking me under the table. I glared at him, telling him to be patient. Although we were here to get something done, we couldn't be too impatient, and this Kong Feng was almost as old as my grandfather, so basic courtesy was necessary.
Kong Feng spoke incessantly for about half an hour before smiling and asking, "Did I talk too much?"
I smiled, "Not at all. I love listening to elders talk about their times."
Kong Feng chuckled, "There aren't many young people like you nowadays... Tell me, what do you need me for?"
Before I could speak, Fatty blurted out, "Master Kong, you have to save me..."
Fatty quickly explained the situation. Kong Feng didn't seem surprised at all after listening. He looked at Fatty with interest.
"You say you can't see yourself in the mirror?"
Fatty nodded.
"Can others see you?"
Fatty looked at me. I replied, "Yes, they can."
Kong Feng stood up, went to the offering table, and grabbed a handful of incense ash. He then took out a piece of yellow paper from who knows where, lit it with a lighter, and put the resulting black ash into a bowl, adding the incense ash as well. After finishing, he placed the bowl on the table and spat into it. Seeing this, my stomach churned. Was he going to make Fatty drink it? As soon as the thought crossed my mind, Kong Feng's voice rang out, "Drink this."
"Huh?" Fatty blinked at me in surprise.
Seeing him like that, I couldn't help but want to laugh, but I held it back and said sternly, "Didn't you hear what Old Master Kong said?"
"But... wouldn't drinking this kill someone?" Fatty asked pitifully.
Kong Feng sneered, "Dying isn't that easy."
Fatty gritted his teeth, picked up the porcelain bowl, but hesitated as he brought it to his lips. After a long period of internal struggle, Fatty finally drank it down in one gulp.
The moment he drank it, he sat down and asked, "Grandpa Kong, can I see myself in the mirror now?"
I also looked towards Old Master Kong. To my surprise, he said, "Who told you drinking this would cure your illness?"
I was stunned, and Fatty was even more dumbfounded, "Then... then... why did you have me drink that stuff..."
"This is just the first step, what are you in such a hurry for?" Old Master Kong said, then stood up, pried open Fatty's eyelids to examine them, and then took his pulse. Finally, he asked Fatty to wait outside, saying he wanted to talk to me alone. Fatty, though unhappy, went outside.
"Old Master Kong, what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked.
Kong Feng said, "That little Fatty hasn't been honest since he came in. Did he think I wouldn't know about the little movements he was making under the table?"
I realized then that the old man was fully aware of Fatty kicking me under the table just now. "If he doesn't like listening to me, I'm too lazy to talk to him," Kong Feng said, giving me a slight smile. "But you, little fellow, you suit my taste." I gave him a wry smile. This old Master Kong was truly a playful old man. He had done all this just to get Fatty to wait outside.
"Where were we just now?" the old man asked.
I replied, "You were saying that back then, you and Hanyan's maternal grandfather were peddlers in Jin City..."
"Yes, we traveled all over the country together back then, relying on our skills." I originally thought he would talk for about half an hour at most, but he ended up talking for over two hours. Most of the content was about his youth and his adventures with Bai Hanyan's grandfather. There wasn't much that was thrilling, mostly fond memories.
"Back in '66, someone accused me of practicing medicine without a license and promoting new ideas. I almost lost my life... If it weren't for Hanyan's grandfather, I would have been buried by now..." Old Master Kong said with a bitter smile. "And in the end, I'm still alive, while Old Hu passed away before me. So, life, you never know..."
Seeing that he wasn't planning to stop, I glanced at my watch and finally couldn't help but say, "Old Master Kong, my friend..." Before I could finish, he said, "His condition is minor. I'll teach you a method later that will definitely cure it. But I forgot to ask you, what caused his condition like that?"
I explained the whole story. Kong Feng dismissed it, "A petty trick."
I asked, "Old Master Kong, do you know the reason?"
He replied, "Although I haven't seen the bronze mirror you mentioned, I can tell you that the reason your friend's hand was injured is definitely because there was some corrosive substance on it. As for why he can't see himself in the mirror..." He paused here, a slight smile playing on his lips, and asked me, "Do you believe in ghosts?"
I was startled. I didn't expect him to ask me that question. After a moment's hesitation, I said, "I can't say for sure... I don't know if I believe."
"Then what do you think is the reason your friend can't see himself in the mirror?"
"Could it be something wrong with his eyes?" I asked.