290 Seekong Altar (1/2)
”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.
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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 succumb 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 slashing 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 passed 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.
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 massive 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 refreshing 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 shore 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.”