When the villagers learned that Zhao Nanying could no longer stand, they stopped coming to visit.
Jun Jiuli fed him a meal every day at irregular intervals. There were no side dishes, and the quality of the rice was not a concern.
Bathing was even less of a concern. He kept his back pressed against the bed, afraid to move, and the sweat made him stink.
Three days after the exorcism, Aunt Xie arrived with her holy water. She chanted incantations and sprinkled the holy water with willow branches into every corner of the Zhao clan leader's house.
"There, from now on, no more evil spirits will enter your home. You can live in peace."
"Thank you, Sister Xie. My old man hasn't had any of those episodes these past few days. I don't know how to express my gratitude."
Old Mrs. Zhao nervously wrung her hands, bowing to Aunt Xie as she spoke, her eyes and brows filled with smiles.
"It was my destiny to encounter this evil spirit and expel it. You don't need to thank me, I have already thanked the gods on your behalf."
"Yes, yes, yes. Alright. You take care, shall I see you out?"
"No need, you carry on with your tasks."
After Aunt Xie left, Old Mrs. Zhao returned to her room. Zhao Dasao curiously asked Aunt Zhao,
"Mother, is Aunt Xie really that capable?"
"Hush, it's better to believe than not believe in such matters. She's quite divine; be careful she doesn't find out."
"Is that so? I've noticed Grandpa hasn't been muttering about that stuff lately and seems much better spirited."
"Indeed, people like her are not to be offended. Didn't you see how readily even your grandmother, who is so stingy, paid the money? I heard that someone tried to renege on paying Aunt Xie after she sent away ghosts, and that person's son, who was haunted by a ghost, died the very next day."
Zhao Dasao felt a chill run down her spine. "Heavens, that's too terrifying."
…
Old Mrs. Zhao tightly gripped the Zhao clan leader's hand. "Don't worry, old man. She gave her word; you will definitely get better. Why don't you try getting out of bed today and get some sun?"
"You can't stand a day of me being idle, can you? I just feel comfortable lying down. Go do what you need to do; you don't need to stay here guarding me."
"What are you saying? I'm just worried about you. We've been through thick and thin for decades; I don't want you to leave me before I do."
As she spoke, Old Mrs. Zhao's eyes welled up with tears.
"Oh dear, why are you crying? You're an old woman; I've lived a full life. Since she gave her word, you can put your mind at ease."
Old Mrs. Zhao wiped away her tears. "I know. The household chores aren't pressing; I'll just stay here and keep you company."
"Are you afraid I'll run away? It's fine; with so many male heirs in our family, even if the female ghost wanted to come, she wouldn't dare."
"It's all Zhao Nanying's fault. It's bad enough that he's unlucky himself, but he also caused you so much suffering. If our male heirs hadn't stayed with him that day to fetch a doctor, you wouldn't have suffered such a great calamity."
"Yes, there was too much yin energy with so many women in the courtyard that day. Alas, but now that he's in that state, we don't need to curry favor with him anymore. It's good we didn't send him anything valuable."
"Nanying's wife is quite thin-skinned. If she had accepted then, I would definitely go and ask for it back now. Their whole family is a bunch of bad luck; I think his misfortune has been passed on to you."
"Sigh, just don't be angry anymore. We'll just avoid them in the future."
"It's just that I feel bad about the money. Killing that big rooster would have been enough for our family to eat for a meal."
"What are you saying? Am I not worth more than that rooster to you?"
"That's not what I meant. If you were well, you wouldn't have had to spend that unnecessary money. Zhao Nanying should compensate for it."
Old Mrs. Zhao felt her analysis was spot on and, with great swagger, intended to walk out.
"You stop right there and come back immediately."
"He's not your biological grandson. At this point, why are you still siding with him?"
"Are you stupid or foolish? No matter what state he's in, he's still a scholar. Outsiders address him as 'Sir.' He doesn't even need to bow when meeting the county magistrate. If he decides to report us, our family won't be able to handle the consequences."
"Is... is he that formidable? Didn't he lose the ability to move?"
Old Mrs. Zhao was startled by the Zhao clan leader's roar and stood frozen, unsure of what to do.
"Your presence irritates me. Stop causing trouble and go wherever you're supposed to go."
"Fine, fine, I'll go. I was only thinking of the good of this family. That money took a long time to save."
Old Mrs. Zhao was only brave in her words. She left the room and sat under the eaves, sulking alone. In the evening, she went to find a group of her old friends to chat and relieve her mood.
"Oh dear, what a pity, what a pity. It's such a shame that such a capable person ended up like this, tsk tsk tsk."
"Indeed. Just as his family member fell ill, he had this accident. Think about it, what normal person would fall into a pigsty? I think there's something mysterious about this."
"Are you saying there was something unclean involved? Heavens, blessed be the Bodhisattva."
Old Mrs. Zhao: "My old man encountered something unclean a few days ago too. It was so unlucky, and I spent so much money."
"Oh dear, be careful when you go out recently. I think his family is very unlucky; it's best to avoid them from now on."
"I feel heartbroken even thinking about the eggs I gave them. My old man won't let me ask for them back. Those were what I saved to exchange for money, and they were just wasted."
"Isn't it like that in every family? Let's hope they have some conscience and at least send return gifts if something happens at their house."
"Don't even think about it. Who knows how long those two will live? By the time their child grows up, my bones will have likely turned to dust."
"You shouldn't speak such things carelessly. Be careful someone might hear you and you'll suffer greatly."
"If you don't speak of it, who will know who I'm talking about? There are no outsiders here."
"Yes, yes, we haven't named names."
Listening to her old friends, Old Mrs. Zhao's ears were now filled with the thought that her husband and she wouldn't live much longer.
Excited, she hastily bid farewell and returned home. She lay in bed, still exhilarated, fantasizing about a life of wealth.
The next day, she woke up and felt a coldness beside her. Startled awake, she found herself alone in the bed.
Old Mrs. Zhao, without even properly putting on her shoes, rushed out. "Everyone come out, come out! Hurry and get up. Have you seen your father? Have you seen your grandfather?"
The responses she received were all negative. Old Mrs. Zhao's heart sank into an ice cellar. Without a word, she ran towards the pond.
The others, fearing something might happen to her, hurried after her. Aunt Zhao quickly instructed,
"Eldest, go check the outhouse first to see if your grandfather is there. You all search elsewhere."
"Mother, Grandpa isn't there."
Zhao Xiaohua: "Aunt, I've already searched over there, and he's not there either."
Zhao Dashen slapped his thigh in exasperation. "This is bad, this is bad!" he exclaimed, quickly leading the younger generation to chase after her.
"Mother, you're running too fast! Where are you going? What if you fall?"
"Second, Mother can't run anymore. You hurry, hurry to that small pond, see if your father is there?"
"Okay, okay, I'm going. You rest here and wait for them to help you before you walk further, alright?"
"Fine, fine, you go quickly. Don't worry about me."