IMMFBCG Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Friends

Yè Xuě and Xú Zhòu went into Bái Zǐ’áng’s room to discuss the matter of replacing the statue of the deity.

When Bái Zǐ’áng saw only Yè Xuě return, he casually asked where Bái Liú had gone. Upon learning that Bái Liú had been forced to work overtime again, he didn’t know what to say.

The bonus approved by the Taoist Association, along with the income from Xuánzhēn Temple after expenses, was just enough to replace the statues in the main hall of the temple with golden ones. However, this meant that the expansion of the temple would need to be delayed further, as the temple’s image was more important.

The craftsmen had already been found, and once the statues were completed and an auspicious date was set, they could begin the work.

After discussing the golden statues, the head of the temple, Bái Zǐ’áng, brought up the issue of recruiting for the temple.

With the increasing number of visitors to Xuánzhēn Temple, a few of them, including Sù Xīnghé, were no longer enough to manage the growing crowds. Bái Zǐ’áng decided it was time to hire some new Taoist priests.

Yè Xuě asked, “Do we still have enough guest rooms?”

Bái Zǐ’áng replied, “For now, yes. Xú Zhòu just cleaned out a few rooms yesterday, so we should be able to accommodate a few more.”

“Where will the replaced statues go? Is there space in the side hall?”

Since the new statues would be installed, the old ones had to be taken down. This was different from the earlier situation where only the clothing of the Three Pure Ones was changed; the statues in the main hall needed to be replaced with golden ones. The space needed for these statues was much larger. And the old statues couldn’t just be placed randomly, as it might offend the gods. Currently, the only available space in the temple was the side hall, but it didn’t seem like enough.

They could allow believers to take the statues home, but typically, people only took small statues for worship, not large ones.

When Yè Xuě asked, Xú Zhòu suddenly remembered something. “Oh, by the way, Lú Xuézhēn’s family plans to take a statue home.”

“Really?” Yè Xuě asked, curious. “But doesn’t Lú Xuézhēn’s family have good feng shui? Would they still need a statue to ward off evil and protect their home?”

Usually, people invited statues for exorcising spirits and ensuring peace in their homes.

Xú Zhòu smiled and explained, “He’s planning to invite the Emperor of Culture, Wénchāng Dìjūn.”

“Oh~” Now Yè Xuě understood.

Lú Xuézhēn was about to take the college entrance exam, so he wanted the deity associated with success in exams to bless him with good fortune.

With that, the side hall would have enough space.

Bái Zǐ’áng clapped his hands and decided, “Then let his family come to Xuánzhēn Temple when the time comes.”

After the discussion was over, Yè Xuě and Xú Zhòu didn’t stay any longer in Bái Zǐ’áng’s room and went on to do their things.

On the way back, Yè Xuě ran into one of her employers and picked up some items.

When she entered her room, she found it unusually quiet.

Yù Qī was sitting at the desk, looking somewhat complicated.

Yè Xuě placed the items on the desk and casually remarked, “I helped a client solve a small problem a couple of days ago, and this is a local specialty she brought back. Want some?”

Yù Qī nodded lightly.

Noticing the odd atmosphere, Yè Xuě first glanced at the cotton doll sunbathing nearby and then turned her attention back to Yù Qī, who seemed somewhat strange, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yù Qī hesitated, his expression uncertain, before shaking his head. “Nothing.”

Yè Xuě didn’t press further but asked another question. “Did you flip the cotton doll over earlier?”

Yù Qī paused for a moment before answering, “…I didn’t get around to it.”

Yè Xuě walked toward the window, and as she approached, she heard the cotton doll’s voice softly murmuring, “You know your stuff.”

“Know my stuff? What’s that supposed to mean?” Yè Xuě suddenly asked.

The cotton doll went silent at once, remaining mute like a real doll.

After hearing the conversation, Yù Qī’s expression became even more puzzled. Earlier, when the cotton doll asked that question, Yù Qī didn’t understand what it meant but still answered, “It’s cotton.”

The cotton doll first acknowledged his answer and then began cursing Ruan Xīnghuá and Wèi Xīngténg for their lack of taste and poor aesthetics, going on for several minutes without repeating itself. Some of what it said even changed Yù Qī’s perception of it.

It wasn’t until Yè Xuě returned that the cotton doll quieted down, now seeming like an obedient child.

Yè Xuě bent over to get closer to it, and as she did, she noticed a faint smell of alcohol coming from the cotton doll.

Surprised, she asked, “Little one, did you drink?”

There seemed to be some clear wine on the offering table in the side hall, and the cotton doll, while being infused with incense, had likely drunk some unknowingly. Now it was drunk.

The cotton doll didn’t say anything.

After a long while, it let out a small burp.

But it quickly stifled the sound, trying to maintain its image in front of Yè Xuě.

Yù Qī looked at it and sighed. “So you’re drunk.”

Yè Xuě went to the side hall to grab a copy of the Tao Te Ching, and as she passed by the back door, she suddenly saw a ghostly figure huddled in the corner, eating something.

She walked over and found it was a handsome male ghost, though his face was unfamiliar.

Even though he looked like a regular person, it didn’t change the fact that he was stealing food from the offerings of Ànzhī and Chén Sù.

Yè Xuě was furious. “What the hell? Do you dare steal food in front of the temple gate? Don’t you know who the father of Xuánzhēn Temple is?!”

She grabbed a willow branch from the wall and was about to hit the ghost.

The ghost, upon hearing this, looked around in confusion but saw nothing.

He then touched his face, as if understanding something, and looked up at Yè Xuě. When he saw the weapon in her hand, he panicked and quickly explained, “Daozhang, it’s me! I’m one of your own!”

His voice sounded oddly familiar.

Yè Xuě lowered the willow branch in surprise and asked, “Ānzhī?”

The car accident ghost twitched his lips in embarrassment and sighed, “Uh, Daozhang, you don’t have to be so formal. Using my full name makes it feel distant.”

Yè Xuě studied him carefully, surprised. “Why do you look different?”

After all, he had previously appeared as someone who had been run over by a car, wearing a mask to avoid scaring people. Now, he looked much more normal.

The car accident ghost seemed quite pleased with his new appearance and explained cheerfully, “I’ve always looked like this, but since I died in a car accident and didn’t have enough Taoist energy, I had to keep the appearance I had when I died. But now that I’ve spent some time in the temple, officially being honored by Taoist practices and receiving incense offerings, I’ve naturally returned to my original form.”

Chén Sù was able to maintain her original appearance because she had been dead for a long enough period and had enough Taoist energy to keep her appearance intact.

That’s why the car accident ghost had called her “playing young.”

Yè Xuě nodded, “That’s great. At least we don’t have to worry about you scaring anyone.”

The car accident ghost narcissistically touched his face and asked, “Daozhang, don’t I look handsome?”

Yè Xuě, speaking sincerely, replied, “I still think Yù Qī looks better.”

“…” The car accident ghost was momentarily speechless. “If you’re comparing me to Mr. Yù, the competition is already over!”

Then he thought something was off. “Wait, why do I feel like you two have gotten closer since you came back for the holidays?”

Yè Xuě rarely mentioned Yù Qī before, but now it seemed like she often spoke his name.

Yè Xuě smiled, “Yeah, we’re together now.”

The car accident ghost laughed heartily, “Daozhang, you know how to joke!”

Yè Xuě kept smiling, watching him.

The car accident ghost kept laughing, but then his expression froze, and he suddenly realized, shocked, “Wait, you two are together?!”

Yè Xuě replied, “What else would it be? Am I playing with you?”

The car accident ghost hesitated, then seeing the look in Yè Xuě’s eyes, quickly corrected himself, “Oh, I mean, you two are meant to be together! It was impossible for you not to end up together!”

Yè Xuě decided to stop teasing him and chatted with the car accident ghost for a while before preparing to leave.

As she walked a few steps, she turned back and reminded him, “Oh, remember to sweep the front path. Also, when you’re done eating, take away the fruit plate and other leftovers. If we get fined, I’ll deduct your rations.”

The car accident ghost replied, “…Got it.”

…

A few days later, Yè Xuě received a call from Hè Sīqí.

“Ā Xuě… Are you free lately?” Hè Sīqí asked.

Yè Xuě hadn’t had any business requiring her attention recently. “I’m free. Why? Is something wrong?”

Hè Sīqí sighed, “It’s not me, it’s my niece.”

“Hmm?” Yè Xuě remembered the ghostly girl, Xuān Xuān, and asked, “What happened to your niece?”

Hè Sīqí explained, “Well, lately my niece has been crying at the same time every day, and no matter how we try to comfort her, it doesn’t work. At first, we thought she had wet herself and was uncomfortable, but when we changed her diaper, it was still clean.”

Yè Xuě thought for a moment and asked, “Could she be hungry?”

Hè Sīqí sighed, “Not really. She was just fed, so she shouldn’t be hungry so soon. We also had the hospital check her, and her health is fine. We just don’t know why she keeps crying. The hospital is a bit heavy with yin energy… Do you think it might be…?”

Yè Xuě remembered a similar situation in Fèngyáng Village, though that time it was due to the child accidentally getting entangled with the Firecracker Ghost. Since fireworks were banned in Haicheng’s Fifth Ring, it shouldn’t be something like that.

After thinking for a moment, she said, “I’ll come over and take a look.”

Hè Sīqí smiled, relieved, “Thanks, Ā Xuě.”

After the holiday, Yù Qī got busy and often had to handle company matters.

Yè Xuě didn’t have Yù Qī accompany her. After saying goodbye to him, she took the bus to the city hospital on her own.

Hè Sīqí had been waiting at the hospital entrance early and rushed over when she saw Yè Xuě, hugging her. “Ā Xuě, it’s been a long time!”

“Long time no see.” Yè Xuě hugged her back and then released her.

As they walked together, Hè Sīqí continued talking about her niece’s situation.

“By the way, Ā Xuě, my sister-in-law doesn’t believe in ghosts or spirits, so I told her you’re my friend and came to check on Xuān Xuān.”

Yè Xuě asked with a smile, “Her name is Xuān Xuān?”

Hè Sīqí nodded, “Yeah, Hè Xuān. She likes the name. Whenever we call her that, she always smiles sweetly…”

Then Hè Sīqí sighed again, “But recently, no matter what we call her, she just won’t smile anymore.”

The two arrived at the hospital room on the sixth floor. Hè Sīqí opened the door and said, “Sister-in-law, I brought my friend over.”

Hè Sīqí’s sister-in-law, Yú Sī, was quite delicate-looking. When she heard this, she smiled at Yè Xuě and said, “You must be Yè Xuě. Sīqí often mentions you.”

Yè Xuě smiled and greeted, “Hello, sister-in-law.”

Hè Sīqí glanced around the room and asked, “Where’s my brother?”

Yú Sī said, “He went to get some hot water.”

Hè Sīqí pulled Yè Xuě over to sit beside her. Hè Xuān was peacefully sleeping next to Yú Sī, showing no signs of crying.

Hè Sīqí whispered, “Xuān Xuān just finished her milk and is napping, but at exactly 3:00 in the afternoon, she’ll wake up and start crying, like clockwork.”

Yè Xuě checked the time on her phone—it was almost 3:00, just two minutes to go.

Since they didn’t want to disturb the baby, everyone in the room spoke in hushed tones.

As the time passed, approaching 3:00, a ghostly figure drifted through the wall into the room. A chill filled the air, but Yú Sī and Hè Sīqí only felt a slight cold and turned up the heater.

Aside from Yè Xuě, no one else noticed the ghostly presence.

The ghost, purposefully ignoring everyone else, went directly to the bed and softly called out, “Xuān Xuān, I’m here to see you!”

Sensing the presence of the cold energy, the baby opened her eyes and immediately started crying.

Yú Sī quickly picked up the baby and gently comforted her, “Xuān Xuān, don’t cry, Mommy’s here.”

Hè Sīqí reached out, “Sister-in-law, let me hold her, you rest for a bit.”

The female ghost, hearing the crying, grew anxious and flustered, calling out, “Xuān Xuān, don’t you recognize me? We’re the best of friends! I’ve been coming for days, and you still don’t recognize me?”

Yè Xuě cleared her throat lightly, pretending to cough.

The female ghost, hearing the familiar voice, turned around, and upon meeting Yè Xuě’s gaze, fell silent. “…”

She recognized the Taoist priest who had been with the ghost official, and awkwardly smiled, “Master, you’re here too?”

Yè Xuě gave a small nod, signaling to them to step outside to talk.

Reluctantly, the female ghost gave one last look at Hè Xuān before following Yè Xuě out.

Hè Sīqí, holding Hè Xuān, saw the baby’s nose redden from crying, looking incredibly pitiful.

Yè Xuě leaned in and gently touched the baby’s soft hand.

The crying suddenly paused, and Hè Xuān sniffled, gazing at Yè Xuě with blurry eyes.

Then, she stopped crying altogether, her expression softening as she stared at Yè Xuě and even smiled, giggling softly.

Yú Sī exclaimed with joy, “She stopped crying!”

Hè Sīqí looked at Yè Xuě, as if wanting to say something.

Yè Xuě, dispersing the yin energy around Hè Xuān, said to Hè Sīqí, “I’ll step outside for a moment.”

Hè Sīqí seemed to guess what was going on and nodded, “Okay.”

As soon as Yè Xuě stepped outside, the female ghost hurried over, “Master, why does Xuān Xuān recognize you but not me?”

Yè Xuě glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby and then said, “She doesn’t truly recognize me; we just met before we were reincarnated, so she subconsciously feels drawn to me. And by the way, what are you doing here?”

The female ghost pouted, looking a bit sad. “I made Xuān Xuān a gift. I wanted to give it to her, but every time she saw me, she cried. I’ve come so many times, but I can’t seem to give her the gift.”

Yè Xuě noticed that the ghost was holding a longevity lock, and her tone softened. “She drank the soup of the Lady Meng, which causes her to forget past lives. The Xuān Xuān you’re seeing now is just a normal baby, so naturally, she’s scared of ghosts. She’s not afraid of you specifically.”

The female ghost felt a little better upon hearing this.

Yè Xuě continued, “Give me the gift. I’ll make sure it gets to her.”

The female ghost brightened. “Really? Thank you, Master!”

Yè Xuě took the longevity lock from her, hesitated for a moment, and then gently advised, “She’s still small, and it’s not good for her to be around yin energy for too long…”

The female ghost smiled. “I understand. Once I get the gift to her, I’ll leave. The ghost official told me that my turn to reincarnate will be soon, probably in a few years. Maybe then, Xuān Xuān and I can be friends again!”

Yè Xuě smiled. “If it’s meant to be, it will happen.”

The female ghost took a step back and quietly said, “I won’t go back in.”

Yè Xuě nodded.

She put the longevity lock in her pocket, and as she returned to the room, she saw the female ghost standing outside the window, watching them.

Yè Xuě walked over to Hè Sīqí and took the longevity lock from her pocket. “This is a gift for Xuān Xuān.”

Yú Sī, seeing it, hurriedly said, “Isn’t this too much? Such a valuable thing…”

Yè Xuě smiled and shook her head, insisting, “It’s meant for Xuān Xuān.”

She placed the longevity lock beside the baby, and as Hè Xuān sensed her presence, a soft smile appeared on her face.

Yè Xuě glanced back at the window, giving a subtle nod.

The female ghost, watching her place the longevity lock near the baby, smiled and then waved goodbye to Yè Xuě before turning and leaving.

Hè Sīqí was taken aback, whispering, “Ā Xuě, what’s going on?”

Yè Xuě smiled, looking at Hè Xuān’s joyful face, and explained softly, “It’s nothing. She won’t cry anymore.”