Chapter 290: Seekong Altar

“Mr. Xiao Luo is good at selling ducks!”

Ji Siying made another entry in her diary. Since she arrived at Xiao Luo’s village, her diary was now filled with entries, jotting down every minute details of Xiao Luo’s daily activities. She overlooked nothing and even noted down mundane activities such as what Xiao Luo liked to eat, or what kind of TV programs he preferred.

After noting everything she observed, she made a habit of summarizing them afterward when time allowed. Her purpose was to understand Xiao Luo’s daily habits and see if she could discover any leads or clues to unravel the secrets of his unique powers.

It would certainly have been awkward if Xiao Luo had found out that she was taking detailed records of his daily activities.

…

…

The morning was a lively affair with the crackling din of firecrackers welcoming the New Year’s Eve.

On this very morning, it was the tradition of the people from Luo Village to present their offerings at the main altar of the Seekong Shrine. Sacrificial offerings of chicken, burning of incense, setting off firecrackers, and the blare of trumpeting suona[1] horns rendered the atmosphere ever so festive.

Seekong had been a notable elder of Luo Village, having served as the village’s shaman during his time, and the Seekong Shrine was a memorial erected in his honor. And as far as village traditions went, it was equal, if not even more significant than the Xiao Clan ancestral temple.

According to local folklore, Seekong possessed mystical powers and was adept at preparing fulu talismans and divine water. It was also said that he was invulnerable to swords and spears, and would not succ.u.mb to fire or drowning. War had once broken out in the past, and after men of the Xiao clan consumed the divine water, their fighting mettle was unrivaled. Their bravery and skills in combat were enhanced while thrusting spears and slas.h.i.+ng blades could not penetrate their bodies. The enemy became terrified and was driven into panic and disarray, fleeing in all directions. And in this way, they defended the land of Luo Village.

Seekong’s ability to prepare Fulu and divine water was pa.s.sed down over the generations, and his successor was an old man by the name of Xiao Quanren. He was now Luo Village’s shaman, and it was still customary for him to be invited to every funeral and wedding in the village. To this day, even when villagers had fish bones stuck in their throat, they would request a fulu from Xiao Quanren and drink it down. Without exception, the fish bones would be dislodged upon swallowing the fulu and flushed harmlessly into the stomach.

This was not an isolated case, there had been multiple cases, and yet, none could be explained scientifically. The locals believed that the miracle was a manifestation of Seekong’s spirit.

It was because of Seekong Shrine’s long history in healing and solving the villagers’ problems that it had secured its place in their hearts.

Then there was the divine water, prepared with mountain spring water mixed with the ashes of Fulu and chicken’s blood before it was sealed for seven weeks. This sacred water was stored in a ma.s.sive wooden barrel and was placed in the innermost part of the shrine. The barrel was secured with a lock, and its key was held by the old man, Xiao Quanren himself.

The divine water was as clear as the spring water it was derived from, and even gave off a refres.h.i.+ng fragrance. On the fifteenth day of every other month, the altar would be open to receive offerings. The shrine would be packed with people from the Village coming to consume the divine water, pray for immunity against sickness, and be blessed with longevity.

“What time will people be able to drink the divine water today?”

After learning about its unique qualities from Xiao Luo, Ji Siying was very curious and longing to try the divine water.

Xiao Luo put down his teacup and glanced at her teasingly. “You wish to drink the Divine Water as well?” he said.

“Yes, this is a long-practiced tradition here, so I would like to experience it.”

Ji Siying responded, nodding her head, then added, “Don’t you want to drink it too, Mr. Xiao?”

Xiao Luo smiled and said, “Nah, I’ve had too much of it growing up. It doesn’t have any special taste; it tastes just like plain water. But if you wish to drink it, I can take you to the altar after dinner tonight to have a look. Who knows, you might just get the chance to taste it?”

Since he had nothing to do at home anyway, taking his liaison officer to familiarize herself with the customs of Luo Village seemed like a good idea.

“Alright.”

It suddenly occurred to Ji Siying that Xiao Luo may have acquired his prowess and strength from consuming all that divine water when he was growing up. She now felt an urge to try drinking some of it herself.

At dinner, Xiao Luo’s grandmother told him that Aunt Taoxiu’s son, Xiao Ping, had returned to the village. Things had not gone very well for Xiao Ping as the clothing business that he and his wife had started had suffered losses, and they were left with nothing.

They lost their 100 thousand-dollar capital, but on top of that, they also borrowed from loan sharks to sh.o.r.e the business and now owed another 200 thousand dollars. Aunt Taoxiu’s family was a low-income household, and their primary source of income depended entirely on Aunt Taoxiu and her husband, Xiao Youfu, mixing cement and stacking bricks to build houses for other villagers. Xiao Ping already had the burden of caring for his three children, and the failure of his business would undoubtedly make things worse for his family.

“Ping and his family went over to Xiao Qiudong’s house earlier,” Xiao Luo’s grandmother said.

“For what reason?” asked Xiao Luo.

“To borrow money, I suppose.”

His grandmother sighed as she lamented, “They could only come up with 80 thousand dollars even after taking out all their savings. If they don’t pay off the 200 thousand dollars in the next few days, it will become 300 thousand or even 400 thousand dollars.”

Ji Siying paused, still holding her chopsticks, and asked, “Isn’t loan-sharking illegal?”

Xiao Luo answered, “Yes, it is illegal. But this is a remote mountainous area, so the authorities do not have much of a presence here. Loan-sharks flourish in a place like this.”

“Oh.”

Ji Siying nodded then continued with her dinner.

Xiao Luo’s grandfather then spoke, “Xiao Luo, our family has close ties with your Aunt Taoxiu’s family. Ping’s great-great-grandfather and your great-great-grandfather are brothers by blood. Over the years, Aunt Taoxiu has also been rather caring towards your Grandma and me. If you can help, then do so, alright?”

“Mmm, I got it, Grandpa,” Xiao Luo replied with a smile.

…

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At precisely eight o’clock that night, the Seekong Shrine burst into life. The place was bustling with visitors amid a cacophony of gongs, drums, and cymbals being struck and the distinctive report of firecrackers being set off. A bonfire raged in front of the shrine’s entrance, adding to the mystical ambiance of the event. Many youngsters who had returned out of town joined the festivities and sounded the ox horns and conch horns. In front of the altar, incense and candles were lit, and people were kneeling in wors.h.i.+p.

Xiao Luo and Ji Siying’s appearance immediately caught everyone’s attention.

“Xiao Luo, your girlfriend is here with you too!”

“Hurry up, get your girlfriend, and pray to Seekong together. She is going to become Luo Village’s future daughter-in-law.”

“Yes, yes!”

The crowd said excitedly.

“Alright,” Xiao Luo replied with a smile.

Under the flickering glow of the candle-lit altar, Ji Siying’s cheeks took on a scarlet shade, giving her an alluring blush like someone flushed after having several drinks. She stared at the Seekong Altar with a deep curiosity. The building itself was ancient, with its two pillars showing signs of having outlived the vicissitude of times. The rhythmic beat of gongs and cymbals filled the air, and the old shaman, Xiao Quanren, was drawing fulu symbols in the air with a burning paper talisman in his hands while reciting Taoist chants.

This was an old traditional ceremony carried out countless times over the centuries, and what she saw made her feel like she had been transported back to ancient times!

Caught up in the moment, she was most certainly unaware that many of Luo Village’s young men were ogling. Her beauty made them all somewhat envious of Xiao Luo, none more so than Xiao Qiudong. When he laid eyes on Ji Siying, he couldn’t help thinking how she resembled those female lead actresses in the movies. On the other hand, his wife, Li Honglian, had unfortunately not taken care of her looks after childbirth, and all he saw now was a grotesque and obese woman whom he kept at home. Comparing her to Ji Siying left him feeling depressed.

“Luo!”

A young man with a round, smiling face came over and gently punched Xiao Luo’s chest. He said, “Wow, Xiao Luo, you found yourself such a beautiful girlfriend.”

It was Xiao Ping. He was only two years older than Xiao Luo. However, the stress from having three children showed on his wrinkled face, adding quite a few years to his countenance.

“Ping!”

Xiao Luo greeted him. Seeing that he wasn’t looking gloomy, he a.s.sumed that Xiao Qiudong had lent him the money.

“Are you not going to introduce me to your girlfriend? You must know that all the single men in this village are envious of you,” Xiao Ping said with a smirk.

“Haha, stop teasing me.”

Xiao Luo forced a smile, in a sense wis.h.i.+ng that it was true, but unfortunately, he and Ji Siying were merely colleagues.

He duly introduced Xiao Ping and Ji Siying.

“Miss Ji, welcome to Luo Village, and I hope you will enjoy your stay here. Let me take this opportunity to tell you that Xiao Luo is a good, honest, and dedicated man. He is without a doubt the most outstanding man in our village,” Xiao Ping said.

“A-he-hem…”

Just when Xiao Ping had finished speaking, a faint cough drew their attention. Xiao Qiudong stepped over.

Footnote:[1] Suona: Chinese double-reeded horn

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