We hid in the bushes, listening to Fatty’s incessant bragging.
After a while, Fatty started getting handsy with the young lady, resting a hand on her shoulder.
Just then, the girl let out a startled cry, looking at Fatty with disbelief and speaking in a dialect.
Immediately after, something emerged from the girl’s neck and flew towards Fatty. The girl then turned and ran off at lightning speed.
Fatty stood rooted to the spot, still shouting, "Sister, what’s wrong with you… Don't go!"
Before he could shout much more, he yelped and crumpled to the ground.
At first, I thought the fatso was faking a sob story, but when he didn't move for a long time, Wang Yang and I rushed over.
Upon reaching Fatty, we saw he was foaming at the mouth, his eyelids rolled back.
I was stunned and quickly patted Fatty’s chubby face, "Fatty! Fatty!"
He didn't react after a couple of calls, and his body began to twitch.
Seeing this, I felt a sense of dread. I asked Wang Yang to help me lift him.
This fatso was unusually heavy. With all our might, Wang Yang and I managed to carry him back to the bamboo hut where we slept.
"What's wrong with him?" Fu Honglang asked as he saw us carrying Fatty back.
I recounted what had happened. Fu Honglang’s brow furrowed after listening, "How could he flirt with a young lady? Isn't that asking for death?"
"Brother Fu, Fatty is..."
"He’s been cursed!"
"What?" I was taken aback.
"Xiao Liu, go fetch Dak quickly!" Fu Honglang ordered.
Hearing this, Xiao Liu left without a word to find him.
Looking at Fatty trembling on the ground, I felt both anger and helplessness.
This fatso always stirred up trouble!
Before Dak arrived, Fatty’s convulsions grew more violent. After a while, he stopped foaming at the mouth and something began to writhe inside it.
I pried open his mouth, and a foul stench shot up to my skull. Immediately, a swarm of insects poured out of his mouth!
The teeming insects emerged incessantly from Fatty’s mouth, a horrifying sight!
We all froze. Wang Yang pulled me back.
The insects were about the size of fingernails, multi-colored, clearly not beneficial insects.
They crawled out of Fatty’s mouth and quickly disappeared into the cracks of the bamboo floor.
It was my first time seeing someone cursed, and it was quite mind-boggling.
Soon, Dak arrived. He was also startled by the scene. After we explained what happened, he looked at us helplessly.
"I know my brother can be a bit reckless... but I hope you can save him," I said.
Dak replied, "How could he make advances towards a young lady? That's taboo here..."
"What can be done?" I asked.
"Wait here for me."
Dak left the bamboo house and returned about ten minutes later, holding a piece of red cloth. Inside the cloth were several eggs, still steaming, clearly freshly boiled.
He placed an egg into Fatty’s mouth, then asked us to lift Fatty’s clothes and roll the other eggs on his stomach.
As he rolled them, he muttered incantations.
We couldn't understand what he was chanting; it sounded like a spell, or perhaps a folk song.
After chanting for five or six minutes, Dak’s forehead was beaded with sweat.
Fatty also began to improve, his complexion less pale and frightening.
Dak took the egg out of Fatty’s mouth and handed the remaining eggs to me, instructing me to find a place to bury them.
I nodded, took the eggs outside, dug a hole beneath a pine tree, and placed all the eggs inside.
However, as I was placing the last egg, I accidentally broke one. The egg white inside was somewhat blood-red.
I shone my flashlight on it and peered curiously. Using a twig, I pried the eggshell open further. The entire egg was dark red, and something was wrapped inside.
Seeing this, I quickly dropped the twig, not daring to look further, and covered it with soil.
Returning to the bamboo hut, I saw Dak chatting with Fu Honglang and Fatty snoring soundly.
"Brother Dak, thank you," I said, expressing my gratitude.
He replied, "It's nothing. In the future, you must tell your friends that the girls here are different from Han Chinese girls... they all raise their own life-gu."
"Life-gu?"
Dak explained to me that here, everyone raises their own life-gu from childhood according to custom. The life-gu is connected to the owner's bloodline, and if the owner is in danger, the life-gu will emerge to protect them.
He didn't elaborate further, seemingly hesitant. I didn't press him further.
After Dak left and watching Fatty snore, I felt like kicking him a few times.
This fatso was good for nothing but trouble. I regretted bringing him along.
"Everyone should get some rest. I’ve already spoken with Dak, and he’ll take us to the Immortal’s Tomb tomorrow," Fu Honglang announced.
I was surprised, "Didn't he say they couldn't go to that place?"
Fu Honglang smiled, "Dak is different from the others in his village. He attended school for a few years and has worked outside, so he's not so rigid..."
Hearing this, I understood. It seemed Fu Honglang had made an offer Dak couldn't refuse.
As for what that offer was, I didn't ask.
It was likely related to money.
Money might not be highly valued by others in the Ge Yi Village, but for Dak, who had lived outside, it was different.
Fu Honglang was eager to find his wife, so he likely offered a significant sum.
"By the way..." I suddenly remembered something and asked, "Where is Ou Bao?"
Everyone looked at each other, seemingly having almost forgotten about him.
It was strange; we were together when we encountered the cock's comb red snake, but why did he disappear after we woke up?
"Why worry about him?" Fu Honglang said. "He's a local, he'll be fine. Brother Xiang, you should get some rest."
Seeing that no one else seemed concerned about Ou Bao, I didn't press the matter. After all, he and I were not close, nor did we have any particular acquaintance.
Crawling into my sleeping bag, I zipped it up, yawned, and soon relaxed, falling asleep directly.
The next morning, at the first light of dawn, we packed our belongings and set off.
After a night's sleep, Fatty had completely forgotten about last night's events.
I initially thought he was faking it, but after testing him several times, I was convinced he genuinely remembered nothing.
This curse was truly peculiar...