Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 5

Sheng Baobao doesn’t have to go to school on weekends, but for Hua Yingpo and Sheng Wukun, there’s no rest as long as there’s business.

Early this morning, Hua Yingpo is called away by an old client. The client’s father has passed away, and they ask Hua Yingpo to come help select a Feng Shui burial site. Before leaving, she reminds her husband to draw more talisman paper, as their stock at home is running low.

The materials needed to draw talismans are quite simple—yellow paper, Cinnabar, and a brush.

(Translator’s Notes: Cinnabar, also known as mercury sulfide (HgS), is the primary ore mineral of mercury. It is a red pigment that was historically used in ink, paint, and tattoos. This naturally occurring mineral is also referred to as vermilion.)

Despite their reputation outside, and the rituals they perform before drawing, such as fasting, bathing, and burning incense to pray to the gods, these steps are not strictly necessary in practice.

To save on costs, Sheng Wukun buys large sheets of yellow paper that were intended for other purposes and cuts them himself, rather than buying the more expensive paper meant specifically for talismans.

He checks the remaining talisman papers and notices there are only a few peace talismans left, along with a dwindling supply of the popular exorcism and spirit-suppressing talismans. He quickly cuts two more sheets of yellow paper and decides to spend the day drawing more talismans.

However, just as he finishes cutting the paper and mixing the cinnabar, someone comes to the door.

It is a man who went up the mountain to tend to the family grave and found that the tombstone is crooked. Fearing it might be a warning from the ancestors, he doesn’t dare to fix it himself and comes to ask Hua Yingpo to check it out.

Since Hua Yingpo is out, the man has heard of Sheng Wukun’s reputation and asks him to take a look first.

Whenever someone calls for help, there’s always a fee, so Sheng Wukun doesn’t hesitate to take the job. He quickly gets dressed and prepares to go.

“Sweetheart, I’ve put canned bayberries, peach cakes, and dried fruits on the table. If you’re hungry, feel free to take some. And if any of your classmates come to visit, remember to stay within the village.” He gives his daughter a reminder and then leaves.

Once her father leaves, Sheng Baobao feels a little bored and wonders what she could do. Her gaze eventually lands on the stack of cut yellow paper.

“Aoao—”

The little black dog, oblivious to her thoughts, keeps playfully licking her.

In all her lives, Sheng Baobao has never encountered a dog so eager to lick people. It rubs against her whenever it can. She often wonders if she has somehow coated herself in honey, attracting the dog’s incessant affection.

She finally decides to name the little black dog “Hua Xiaolian,” a name that suits its licking tendencies.

“Do you think I should try it?” Sheng Baobao playfully pushes the dog aside and walks over to the table with the yellow paper. “Since you love licking so much, you might as well do it more.”

She picks up the brush and places the tip of it near Hua Xiaolian’s mouth. She doesn’t know why, but something seems to guide her to do this. Hua Xiaolian eagerly licks the brush up and down with its tiny pink tongue, almost as if it is blessing the brush.

“Aw!” After the act, Hua Xiaolian proudly barks at Sheng Baobao.

Sheng Baobao takes the brush back. To the naked eye, the brush seems no different from before. Hua Xiaolian, being a spiritual entity, leaves no saliva behind.

However, when she uses her special sight in this world, she sees that the brush is now coated with a faint golden glow, making it look like more than just an ordinary object.

Maybe Hua Xiaolian’s saliva has something to it. Sheng Baobao doesn’t have time to dwell on why she hasn’t turned into a little golden person herself, despite being licked and rubbed by the puppy every day.

She dips the brush into the cinnabar, holds her breath, and begins to draw.

Despite having a few extra sheets of paper on the side, talismans are not easy to create. After several failed attempts, Sheng Baobao finally manages to draw a talisman that is acceptable.

She picks up the talisman paper, admires it briefly, and then places it back into the box for talismans.

It isn’t as difficult as she initially thought. With determination, Sheng Baobao rolls up her sleeves and gets to work.

By the time Hua Yingpo returns, all the cut talisman papers have been drawn, and the scrap paper has been tossed in the wastebasket. The brush and cinnabar container have been cleaned as well.

“Bao, where’s your dad?”

Hua Yingpo glances at the refilled box without thinking much, assuming that the talismans have all been painted by Sheng Wukun.

“Dad was invited away by someone. They said he was going to visit the grave.”

As a third-grade primary school student, Sheng Baobao still has to deal with her weekend homework. She feels that her brain in this world seems sharper than in her previous life. She’s sure it has something to do with the genes of each body. She would never admit that she was slow-witted in her last life.

“Okay, go back to your room and do your homework. Mom will cook for you. Don’t let the smoke from the kitchen bother you.”

Hua Yingpo notices the half-eaten can of bayberries and the peach cake with a missing layer on the table. She knows that her husband has a good sense of balance and would never let their daughter go hungry. But she also realizes that these snacks aren’t as nutritious as a full meal. So, Hua Yingpo sends her daughter back to the bedroom, tidies up the table, and prepares to cook lunch.

“Lady Hua, I came to ask for a talisman.” Just as Sheng Baobao closes the door, someone else arrives at the house. The visitor has come to request talisman paper. “My son is going to work in the south, and our family is worried about him. They asked me to come and ask for a talisman.”

The visitors are a mother and her son. The mother, appearing to be in her fifties, is small and frail, looking at her son with a loving expression. The boy, at around fifteen or sixteen, is still considered a child by most. At such a young age, having to go far away for work makes the family quite anxious.

Hua Yingpo knows that many people who work in the south have made a lot of money in recent years. Many in the village envy them, and whenever someone comes back from working away, other families beg them to take their children with them. No one can say for sure whether it’s easy to make money outside, but the money those workers bring back is clear for all to see. Families who have built small second-story houses in the village are usually the ones whose children have gone to work out of town. Some even earn more than local state-owned factory workers.

For many families, studying is just a means to make money. If there’s an opportunity to make money earlier, why not take it?

As a result, more and more young people leave for the south in recent years. Like the boy in front of her, Hua Yingpo has seen many youngsters who have dropped out of school early and gone to work.

“When you go out, not only should you ensure your safety, but you should also ask for a talisman to calm the spirits. When you arrive at your destination, place it by your bedside to ensure the safety of the family.” Hua Yingpo takes two talisman papers from the top of the box.

“That sounds right,” the woman nods, agreeing with Hua Yingpo’s advice.

“Mom, I don’t need so much, just a talisman to calm my mind will do.”

The boy doesn’t seem to share his mother’s concerns. Having studied for a few years, he doesn’t believe in these so-called charms. In his view, Hua Yingpo is simply a fraud. The only reason he agrees to his mother’s request is to make her feel better, as otherwise, she wouldn’t have allowed him to go south with his cousin.

“The child is young and doesn’t understand.” The woman glares at her son and then turns back to Hua Yingpo, smiling apologetically, “Lady Hua, I’ll take the two talismans you mentioned.”

The talisman paper is reasonably priced—five yuan for a peace talisman and six yuan for a spirit-suppressing talisman.

Though it’s a fair price, it’s still not a small sum. The woman works early every morning, picking vegetables from her private plot to sell at the market. After deducting the cost of fertilizers and seeds, she only earns about twenty yuan every half-month.

After receiving the money, Hua Yingpo folds the talisman paper into a triangle and mutters something over it.

“Okay, carry this peace talisman with you. Just make sure not to leave it behind except when you’re bathing. And the spirit-suppressing talisman, place it under your pillow when you’re in your rental house. Be careful not to get it wet.”

Hua Yingpo hands the talismans to the boy. The woman tries to take them for him, but Hua Yingpo stops her.

“Since you want to protect him, it’s best not to meddle with other people’s karma.”

Hua Yingpo’s tone is serious, making the woman uneasy. Even the boy, who has doubted her, instinctively obeys.

“Is it really that mysterious?” The boy mutters to himself, but places the two talismans into his chest pocket. He doesn’t believe in the mysterious arts—he only agrees to carry the talismans to appease his mother.

That’s what the boy thinks.

Shortly after the mother and son leave, Sheng Wukun comes home.

“Have you finished drawing the talisman paper?”

After returning from the mountain, Sheng Wukun feels a bit thirsty. He pours himself a cup of cold tea as soon as he gets home. After drinking the tea, he notices the table has been cleaned and casually asks the question.

“Didn’t you draw it?”

Hua Yingpo freezes. She and Sheng Wukun exchange a look before their gaze shifts to their daughter’s room.

“Mom, I forget to tell you.”

Under the scrutiny of her parents, Sheng Baobao feels a twinge of guilt. She lowers her head and nervously twirls her fingers.

Perhaps she acted impulsively. She isn’t sure whether her parents are truly deceitful, but what if someone buys the talisman she drew and something goes wrong? What happens then?

Sheng Baobao lacks confidence in the talisman paper she drew. She can’t guarantee that it will be as effective as the ones her parents make.

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Hua Yingpo quickly pulls her daughter into a hug, trying to comfort her. “Look at you, you’re scaring our baby. It’s just an ordinary piece of yellow paper. It doesn’t matter who draws it.”

Sheng Wukun, feeling wronged after being glared at, holds his tongue. Still, the two people in front of him are his beloved family, so he quietly accepts the situation.

“Mom, are you really liars?” Sheng Baobao perks up her ears, her question clear. Hua Ma’s stance is obvious—it’s ‘just an ordinary yellow talisman paper.’

“How can you call it a lie?” Hua Yingpo argues, “If I hadn’t sold the amulet, that woman would’ve worried endlessly about her son going away. She would’ve been anxious day and night, fearing for his safety. If something happens to him, no amount of money could cure her heartache. The amulet I sold is meant to bless her.”

She pauses before giving her daughter another reminder.

“But don’t tell anyone about this. If outsiders find out, your parents won’t be able to make money. Without money, we won’t be able to buy you your favorite canned meat or that pretty dress.”

It’s clearly a scare tactic, but Sheng Baobao has to pretend to be frightened.

Now, she faces a moral dilemma. Knowing that her parents are deceiving others—what should she do? Expose them? Or pretend to be ignorant and watch more people fall for the scam? Sheng Baobao will never expose them, but she does feel uneasy about allowing the deception to continue. Maybe she will have to come up with a way to make her parents genuinely turn into spiritualists and turn their lies into reality.

“Ah Juan, has your daughter been at her aunt’s house for a while? Why hasn’t she come back yet? You remember the boy I mentioned before? He’s my nephew from my mother’s side. He works as a driver at a steel plant, earning 150 yuan a month. He’s honest and filial. You should let the two children meet someday.”

In a narrow alley in the county, two women, who have just returned from shopping, stop to chat.

“I have to go back soon. I have soup on the stove at home. I’ll go back first.”

The woman who was called looks somewhat haggard. As the other woman speaks about her nephew, she quickly interrupts and finds an excuse to leave.

Her house isn’t far, and as soon as she enters, she locks the door behind her. Then she covers her mouth, slowly slides down along the door, and collapses onto the floor.

“Woo woo woo—” Her sobbing is chilling.

“Why are you crying? Aren’t you worried the neighbors will hear you?” A man, a few years older than her, emerges from the room. “Come inside quickly,” he urges, glancing nervously at the walls.

The woman wipes her tears, stands up, and walks back into the room.

As soon as she enters the main room, she’s hit with a foul, decaying smell. Her tears start to flow again.

“Caifeng’s body is starting to stink. We need to bury her.” The man speaks bluntly while lighting a cigarette.

“We can’t bury her just yet. Caifeng died unjustly. We can’t let her go like this. We should call the police.” The woman disagrees and drops to her knees in front of him.

Caifeng is their daughter. Five days ago, Caifeng went to visit her aunt in Lin County. That night, the aunt sent a message saying Caifeng never arrived. The couple, frantic, grabbed a flashlight and went searching. They found her body in the woods just outside the county. She was naked, bruised all over, her eyes wide open, and she had already passed away. The couple can immediately tell what happened.

Feng Juan, the mother, wants to call the police, but her husband won’t allow it. Instead, he insists on bringing the child’s body home that night.

“Why call the police? Do you want everyone in the county to know what happened to our daughter? You have other daughters. If this gets out, how will they live?” The man takes a deep drag from his cigarette, his expression pained and angry. “I always tell her not to dress like that. Now look what happened. If people hear about this, they’ll say our girl was asking for trouble. If that’s the case, how can anyone respect her?”

He crushes the cigarette butt in his hand on the table. “We’ll say she drowned at her aunt’s house. We’ll hold the funeral quickly. At least she can be laid to rest without more shame, without being slandered after death.” The man wipes his eyes, his face reddened with grief.

“But our Caifeng dies unjustly.” The woman’s heart breaks as she thinks of her daughter’s tragic end. She kneels, her voice filled with helpless sorrow.

“Let’s just leave it like this.” The man, unable to see his wife like this, rubs his face and leaves the room.

The woman stares vacantly at the room before suddenly running out of the yard. Half an hour later, another woman is at the police station, reporting a case.

Author’s note: People’s words can be cruel. In situations like these, the most harmful thing to the victims is often the malicious gossip from those around them. Some girls might muster the courage to call the police, but they are often crushed by the cruel judgment and malicious comments of others.