Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 2

connected to the main road, she and her husband had set up a small shop at the front of their house to sell various small items.

In the past two years, her son and daughter-in-law had moved to the south for work. They sent money back regularly and occasionally sent fashionable goods from the south. However, the quantities were small to avoid accusations of speculation. Some items were kept for her grandson, while the rest were sold in the small shop. Hua Yingpo had bought an electronic watch and some canned meat for her daughter from Third Grandma’s shop—items that were hard to find locally.

Thanks to this small business, Third Grandma not only avoided spending all the money her son sent back, but also managed to save some for herself.

Today, Third Grandma’s shop had closed early. The sky grew darker, and even the moonlight seemed dim in the pitch-black night. The dim light at the door of Third Grandma’s house appeared surrounded by a strange green hue. 

Hua Yingpo stopped about ten steps away from the door. “What a strong evil spirit,” she murmured.

Holding a peach wood sword upright in front of her chest, Hua Yingpo’s brows furrowed, and her face turned blue and purple.

Third Grandma became even more anxious when she saw this. Her husband and grandson were still at home. If the thing inside was really something not to be provoked, would they encounter trouble while she was away?

“Third Grandma, follow me,” Hua Yingpo said solemnly.

Without daring to ask further questions, Third Grandma obediently followed her.

One step, two steps, three steps…

With a “creak,” the door, which had been half-closed, opened completely.

“Ah!” Third Grandma screamed, her hands clutching Hua Ying’s clothes tightly. Hua Ying, walking in front of her, nearly suffocated from being strangled.

“What are you screaming about in the middle of the night? You almost scared the soul out of me.”

It turned out that her husband had been waiting for her and was about to go out to look for someone. The scream had startled him.

“Why are you here? I thought… I thought…” The old woman, still in shock, glanced at her husband, who was standing in front of her with a perplexed expression. “Where’s our granddaughter?”

Since they had raised their grandson as a girl for many years, they privately called him their granddaughter.

Hearing this, Third Grandma glanced at Hua Yingpo in confusion, having been misled by her earlier behavior. She had thought that the one who opened the door was not human. But her husband appeared normal, so why did Lady Hua act as though something terrible had happened to her husband and grandson?

“I invited Lady Hua here,”Third Grandma said, pointing at Hua Yingpo.

“No need to explain. I can see a living person in front of me,” the old man said, leading Hua Yingpo to the room where the grandson was. “Since that boy came back from the back mountain, he’s been in a daze. He was speaking nonsense earlier, and now he can’t even talk.”

The old man led Hua Yingpo to the room where their grandson was lying.

“Luckily, your family worships Huang Xian,” Hua Yingpo said as they passed the main hall. She gestured to several pictures of guardian gods hanging on the walls. “I’ve already communicated with Huang Xian through divine thoughts on the way here. Though he hasn’t received your offerings yet, his kindness has already prevented most of the disasters from affecting your family.”

These words seemed to relieve Third Grandma’s doubts. It was Huang Xian who had been protecting them, temporarily blocking the malicious force. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been just her grandson suffering.

Third Grandma, feeling guilty for doubting Lady Hua, grew more convinced of Huang Xian’s power.

“In truth, as long as you honor the immortal, the immortal will naturally bless your home with peace. Unfortunately, today’s disaster was brought back by your grandson from outside.”

By the time they reached the child’s room, Hua Yingpo stopped in front of the door. Holding her peach wood sword in one hand, she pointed at the boy lying on the bed with the other.

“What a strong ghost,” Hua Yingpo muttered as she raised her peachwood sword again.

Entering the room, the air seemed thick with darkness. 

Had Sheng Baobao been there, she would have seen the swirling dark clouds inside the room, the sinister energy swirling around the bed, forming skull-like shapes that leered at them.

Sheng Baobao, though uncomfortable, didn’t know how to dispel it.

Hua Yingpo, focused on the task, noticed the oppressive energy and the abnormal atmosphere in the room.

“I will help, as your family offers sacrifices to Huang Xian every year. But this thing is powerful, and I’m afraid it will take a lot of my energy.” Hua Yingpo said after a long pause, her face filled with concern. “I will help you as long as you value your family’s lives. I will do anything to save you.”

Third Grandma was convinced of what Hua Yingpo said. She realized that the tightness in her chest had started when her grandson first became ill. At first, she thought it was just anxiety, but now, after hearing Lady Hua, she realized it was most likely a result of being targeted by the evil force.

What could be more important than the lives of her family?

The moment the Yin energy touched the peach wood sword in Hua Yingpo’s hand, it dissipated into smoke. The mass of Yin energy seemed to possess some intelligence. After several unsuccessful attempts, it cautiously retreated, unwilling to approach the group.

While Hua Yingpo remained unaware of the subtle change, the old man who had stayed in the room noticed the difference. He had always felt suffocated and uncomfortable when alone with his granddaughter in this room. He had thought the room was poorly ventilated, but now, with Hua Yingpo present, the oppressive feeling was gone, and the air seemed to have cleared.

The old man’s heart stirred. Perhaps Lady Hua’s abilities weren’t just village gossip. She might really possess some sort of magical power.

“This child brought something back from the graves in the back mountain,” Hua Yingpo said, pointing at the boy with her peach wood sword.

“He brought back some thorns from the graves, ignorant of what he was doing.”

Third Grandma thought she was referring to the thorny plants that grew on the graves.

“No,” Hua Yingpo corrected. “There’s something else. He took something from the graves without asking the owner.”

Hua Yingpo shook her head. “So now… the owner has come to find him…”

The second half of her sentence was barely a whisper, but it was enough to send the old couple into a cold sweat.

“Wh… what… what is it…”

The old woman, who was easily scared, almost started crying. Besides those few thorns, what other dirty things had her grandson brought back?

“Old man, go search through our granddaughter’s pockets.”

The old woman urged her husband. Her granddaughter had been in a daze when she returned, and hadn’t changed her clothes yet. If she had picked up something, it would most likely be in her pockets or her schoolbag.

The old man began searching the child’s pockets while the old woman rushed to check the schoolbag.

“I found it! I found it!” The old man cried out. As he searched through the child’s trouser pocket, his hand brushed against something hard. He pulled it out, revealing a black stone. It was definitely not something they owned.

The old couple, who had already started to believe in Hua Yingpo’s supernatural abilities, looked on in awe.

The old man handed the stone to Hua Yingpo with a nervous expression, as though he were throwing a hot potato. “Lady Hua, is this the stone you’re talking about? Now that it’s been returned, will the owner… the owner… leave?” The old man asked with a trembling voice. 

If the stone had been taken from a grave, then its owner must be a ghost. No one could live with a restless spirit in their house.

“It’s easy to invite a god, but difficult to send one away,” Hua Yingpo said solemnly. 

She took the black stone, muttered an incantation they couldn’t understand, and then pulled out a piece of yellow talisman paper. Wrapping the stone in the paper, she placed it in her pocket.

“Prepare three bowls of uncooked glutinous rice, offer them in front of the Huang Xian’s table, light three incense sticks, take a bowl of well water, and bring the child to the main hall.”

Hua Yingpo issued the instructions. The old couple, already convinced of her powers, quickly followed her orders without question.

“I will call back the child’s soul first,” Hua Yingpo instructed as she took the bowl of well water. She sprinkled incense ash from the burner into the water. After asking for the child’s birth date, she began calling the soul.

“Wandering souls, where are the three souls? The seven spirits are coming… Now please ask the mountain god, the five wandering generals… The gates of heaven and earth are open, the thousand-mile boy sends the soul, the soulless… born… Please ask the Supreme Lord Lao to hurry and obey the order.”

Once the last word was spoken, Hua Yingpo dipped her fingers into the bowl of water and sprinkled it on the child’s crown, shoulders, back of the hands, knees, and soles of the feet.

She repeated the incantations and sprinkling of water three times. Then she took a handful of glutinous rice from the incense table, placed it in a gauze bag, and wiped the child’s five orifices with it.

“Hu—”

After performing the ritual, Hua Yingpo wiped the sweat from her forehead.

“The soul has been called back. Let the child sleep now.”

Hua Yingpo waved her hand and motioned for the old man to take the child back to the room.

“Summoning the soul is just the first step. If the stone hadn’t been returned, the owner of the stone could have called the child’s soul away at any time,” Hua Yingpo said seriously. “I must take this stone back and communicate with its owner through the energy left behind. The stone’s owner is very powerful, and I cannot be sure he will give the stone back easily. Afterward, there’s a high possibility I’ll have to fight with him, and even if Huang Xian helps, I might still be seriously injured.”

“What can I do?” The old woman thought, her heart heavy. If Hua Yingpo couldn’t drive away the evil spirit, the entity would continue to trouble her granddaughter. “Lady Hua, please help us. We won’t let you suffer. How about this—I’ll add another twenty yuan and a chicken to replenish your strength?” The old woman quickly raised the offer.

“This…” Hua Yingpo hesitated for a moment. “Forget it,” she finally said. “Since you truly respect Huang Xian, I will help you this time.”

Hua Yingpo gestured to the yellowed images of the guardian deities in the main hall, and with a reluctant nod, she agreed.

A smile played at the corner of her eyes, though she concealed it well.

Finally, the old woman hurried back to the house to fetch 70 yuan. As for the two chickens, a duck, and five cakes she had promised, she would bring them all tomorrow.

“The child has lost her soul. When she wakes up, she will be weaker than usual. Make sure to give her some nourishing food.” Hua Yingpo took the money, gave a few final instructions, and left.

As she departed with the black stone, the dark clouds surrounding the boy began to stir. After a brief moment, it seemed as if the clouds made a decision, leaving the child on the bed and following Hua Yingpo.

Before long, the gray mist around the boy became barely visible.

“Old woman, come and see if our granddaughter’s complexion has improved,” the old man called out happily from the room. The old woman, still preoccupied with the money and things she had promised, rushed to her granddaughter’s bedroom without hesitation.

“Yes, it’s better!” The old woman cried out in joy as she pressed the back of her hand to the child’s forehead. The previously feverish temperature had dropped.

“This Lady Hua is truly amazing. Tomorrow, let’s add two more canned meats when we send things over. Lady Hua’s daughter loves them.”

The old woman was no longer concerned about the cost. Nothing was more important than the well-being of her family. She wanted to ensure that Lady Hua would be even more attentive when helping her grandson with the exorcism.

“It should be, it should be,” the old man murmured, deeply impressed. What had happened tonight had opened his eyes. From now on, he would never mock the women in the village who believed in witches. This Lady Hua was truly remarkable!

Later that night…

“Haha, I made another 70 yuan, and got a few chickens and ducks. I’ll cook one for Bao to make soup tomorrow.”

Hua Yingpo counted the money in her hand under the moonlight. The 70 yuan was made up of ten-yuan bills, as well as smaller denominations of five, two, and one yuan. It was a thick stack.

She licked her fingers and counted the money as she walked, unaware of the black gas trailing behind her, trying to enter her body.

That’s right—this Lady Hua, who had fooled the two elderly people and most of the locals, had no real ability to communicate with Yellow Immortal. She was nothing more than a charlatan, relying on her cleverness to deceive others.

She couldn’t survive in Xiaoyanggang at the time, so she retreated deep into the mountains. Her adoptive father was a hunter, and she learned some hunting skills from him.

During those years, she lived on tree bark and grass roots in the mountains. Occasionally, she caught small animals, but she dared not cook them for fear of being discovered. Several times, she nearly died after wandering into wild animal territory.

Sheng Wukun was someone she met in the mountains. Others believed Sheng Wukun was brought back from outside after the seventh or eighth year. In reality, they had already been sharing their struggles and relying on each other long before that.

They lived in a mountainous area, where the highest peak reached nearly 2,600 meters. The oldest locals had probably forgotten that a Taoist temple once stood on that mountain. During the war, all the young and middle-aged monks had gone down to help the army, leaving only the elderly behind, who withdrew from the world.

The children who went down never returned, and the elderly passed away one by one, until, in 1948, a heavily pregnant woman arrived at the long-abandoned temple and knocked on the door.

At that time, only one old monk remained in the temple. The woman died after knocking, and the old Taoist didn’t even have time to ask her name.

Sheng Wukun was the child the old monk rescued from the woman’s belly after she died. He was fortunate to survive, sustained only by the rice porridge the old monk provided. From then on, he depended on the old Taoist in the temple.

The old Taoist told him of the war raging down the mountain, where death was widespread. His senior monks had been gone for over ten years to aid the world, but none had returned. He didn’t know if the land they once inhabited still belonged to them.

During his time in the temple, the old Taoist taught him to read and intended to teach him Taoism. However, before he could begin his studies, the old Taoist died. A drought followed, and the small plot of land they had cultivated yielded no crops. Sheng Wukun, determined to gather the things the old Taoist left behind, eventually left the temple.

Since the old Taoist never took him down the mountain, Sheng Wukun quickly became lost. He wandered from one mountain to another, where he met Hua Yingpo.

Sheng Wukun learned from Hua Yingpo that the war had ended. As for why his senior monks didn’t return, it could have been due to the long journey, a preference for worldly life, or…

He knew that the first two possibilities were highly unlikely. No matter how distant the road, there would have been some news.

In the deep mountains, Hua Yingpo told Sheng Wukun about life below, and he used the books left by the Taoist to teach her how to read. Their bond grew stronger.

But life in the mountains wasn’t ideal. They had no clothes or shoes, and they were constantly at risk from wild animals.

In the first year after the drought, Hua Yingpo watched the trees sprout across the mountain and the streams fill with rainwater. She knew it was time for them to descend.

The livestock the villagers believed were stolen by the weasel were actually taken by Hua Yingpo and Sheng Wukun. They were agile from their time in the mountains, making it easy for them to do so without leaving a trace.

The weasel’s paw prints were fabricated by Hua Yingpo. They had once caught a weasel in the mountains, and Hua Yingpo made use of its scent glands to make their plan flawless.

When they descended the mountain, Hua Yingpo claimed to be a messenger of Huang Xian. That summer, the weather was favorable, and the plants thrived. Hua Yingpo’s claim that the Yellow Immortal would bless them with a bountiful harvest was not exactly a prophecy, but the fact that the weasel stopped causing trouble followed by the good news of the harvest served as “proof” of her connection to the divine.

To be safe, Sheng Wukun never appeared in public. He was Hua Yingpo’s shadow, and together, they accomplished many things that appeared extraordinary to outsiders.

During the Cultural Revolution, Hua Yingpo was imprisoned and locked in a cowshed. It was Sheng Wukun who secretly set fire to the leader’s house. As the fire spread, he shouted to put it out, waking the family from their sleep.

The weasel paw prints found after the fire were also left by Sheng Wukun. He used the confusion to blend into the crowd, muttering that this was Huang Xian’s revenge. The villagers, frightened, believed it and released Hua Yingpo.

Due to their unconventional upbringing, both Hua Yingpo and Sheng Wukun lacked respect for the law and morality. They had depended on each other for so long and saved each other from death on numerous occasions, so they saw one another as their most important companion.

In the seventh or eighth year, Hua Yingpo discovered she was pregnant. Wanting to give their child a legitimate identity, Sheng Wukun began to show himself to the public.

Over the years, they solved many “supernatural” events with their cleverness. Whenever they encountered something they couldn’t solve, they would claim the person seeking help lacked sincerity toward the Yellow Immortal, deflecting responsibility onto others.

Now, more than 20 years later, Hua Yingpo was well-known locally, and most people believed she truly had supernatural abilities.

Today was just a coincidence. Hua Yingpo’s adoptive father’s gravestone had fallen, and after lunch, Sheng Wukun went up the mountain to repair it. On his way back in the evening, he passed by a grave site and saw the young boy collecting tribulus plants and putting a stone into his pocket.

Sheng Wukun relayed the events he witnessed to his wife exactly as they occurred.

This was their unspoken understanding. Every day, they would share what they had seen and heard, as they never knew when a seemingly insignificant detail would turn out to be critical for their “demon-exorcising” operations in the future.

For a liar, information was key. Sheng Wukun would often socialize with women to hear gossip. Everyone knew he was Lady Hua’s husband, so they treated him like a sister and were eager to share their stories with him.

Additionally, Sheng Wukun had made a point of befriending a group of idle second-rate people, gathering valuable information that others didn’t know. Together, the couple could confidently claim they knew more about people than the local grassroots cadres who handled identity registration.

To enhance her mystical image, Hua Yingpo memorized the basic manual left by the old Taoist who had raised Sheng Wukun.

The rituals she performed to summon souls were based on the records in those books. The incantations in the books sounded convincing, and whenever she performed rituals, she was able to deceive others.

Along with the manual, the peach wood sword and Bagua mirror left by the old Taoist also became key tools for their deception. These items appeared old and authentic. Once, when Hua Yingpo performed a ritual for a wealthy family, the head of the family offered to buy the Bagua mirror at a high price, believing it to be a rare antique.

Hua Yingpo refused to sell it. She wasn’t in need of money. She had already decided that the mirror would be an heirloom passed down to her daughter. From then on, she kept the mirror on the bedroom wall and stopped taking it to her rituals.

As for the peach wood sword, she still carried it with her. After all, it was just a piece of wood, and Hua Yingpo thought, no matter how old or valuable it was, it was hardly worth much.

“Isn’t that Lady Hua?”

Soon after Hua Yingpo left, a middle-aged couple appeared on the path she had just passed, with the man carrying a child on his back.

“Our Runzhu has been on an IV drip at the health station for three days but hasn’t gotten any better. Should we take her to Lady Hua for a checkup?” The man asked his wife, glancing at Hua Yingpo’s receding figure.

“…Let’s wait a little longer.” The woman was one of the few in the village who didn’t believe in the supernatural.

The girl behind them opened her eyes at their words, casting a deep, troubled look at Hua Yingpo. It was a gaze too heavy for someone her age.

The so-called Lady Hua was a fraud. Jiang Runzhu knew that the truth about her would remain hidden for more than ten years, but now that she had been reborn and knew what was to come, she had no intention of letting her parents fall into the trap.

But…

A hint of complexity appeared in Jiang Runzhu’s eyes. If she remembered correctly, Hua Yingpo’s daughter had died this year, likely in the past few days. The villagers said that Lady Hua had meddled in something she shouldn’t have, and that’s why she was retaliated against. She and her husband had magical powers that protected them, so the evil forces couldn’t harm them but took out their wrath on their child instead.

The reason behind this rumor was that the day before the child died, Lady Hua had performed a ritual for a family in the village and saved their child.

Jiang Runzhu’s gaze lingered on Hua Yingpo’s hurried retreat. Could it be that the child’s death was destined to happen today?

She knew that Hua Yingpo and her husband were con artists, so she didn’t believe in ghosts or gods. She figured the child’s illness was sudden, but Jiang Runzhu wasn’t sure if she should warn Hua Yingpo.

In the end, she decided against it. The child was fated to die.

Jiang Runzhu bit her lip, struggling with her own thoughts. She wasn’t sure how to warn Hua Yingpo—the couple was so treacherous, nearly evil.

She lowered her gaze and pressed herself against her father’s back. In the end, selfishness won out.

Meanwhile, Hua Yingpo returned home. Sheng Baobao had to study the next morning and had been coaxed to sleep by her father. Hua Yingpo didn’t want to disturb her daughter, so she quickly wiped her face and body, tiptoeing back to her room.

The moment the door opened, the Bagua mirror hanging on the wall emitted a burst of golden light. Hua Yingpo and Sheng Wukun couldn’t see it, but the yin energy that clung to Hua Yingpo was immediately suppressed.

After Hua Yingpo closed the door, the yin energy that had gathered again hesitated. It seemed wary of the strange room and stayed away.

It lingered around the main room for a few moments before sensing something else—something with more vitality. Slowly, it crept toward another door and slipped through the gaps on all sides.

Inside the room, Sheng Baobao lay with her eyes tightly shut, as though lost in a sweet dream.