Chapter 1 (1/2)

Chapter 1: Restless paranormal activities

“East-wind!” Granny Liu picked up a tile and discarded it after a glance.

“Pong, Bamboo sets!” Grandpa Zhang grinned joyfully as he took the East-wind tile and place it in front of him, then he discarded the unwanted piece.

“You’re not done there, I’m just getting started. Hu, I win!” Grandpa Zheng, a butcher who sold pork all of his life in the market was always a loud talker. He took the East-wind tile from Grandpa Zhang and revealed all of his tiles.

As for me, I’m just keeping them company and gleefully watching them play Mahjong.

“Pay your dues, pay your dues!” After we checked Grandpa Zheng’s tiles, he stretched out his hand and asked for the ‘prize money’!

Next, paper monies were placed in front of Grandpa Zheng, each money had the face value of 10 billion. He happily took all the money and put into his bag.

“It’s time for us to leave now! Xiaofan, thank you for keeping us company.” Grandpa Zheng took a look at the clock and nudged Granny Liu and Grandpa Zhang. The three of them stood up and smiled at me with grat.i.tude.

“It’s my pleasure to accompany my old neighbors.” Today is the last day of the Hungry Ghost Festival. The three of them had sneaked out from the opening gates of h.e.l.l to the living world for leisure and for Mahjong while I hung out with them. Now, it’s their time to call off the game.

“Now, now!” The three of them took out the money they’ve won during the game and placed it in front of me. They nodded their head at me, indicating they were leaving.

“Xiaofan, build a family while you’re still young.” Granny Liu had always been kind to me before she joined the afterlife; even now, she sent her regards to me before she left.

I replied Granny Liu with my waving hands so that she knew I got her message.

My name is Cheng Xiao-fan. I have a foster dad named Cheng Zhen-yi. He found me when I was an infant, abandoned and nearly died. It was he who pulled me out of the h.e.l.l’s gate. He owned a store for religious goods in town. You ask me what a religious goods store is? It is a shop for the deceased, selling some rituals incenses, funeral wreaths, offering mourning service for funerals and sometimes writing some eulogies. Nevertheless, he managed to make ends meet while taking care of an unfortunate soul – me.

Even though there were numerous religious goods stores in town, the demands were great as many people died each day. Thus, whenever someone died, business would come knocking at his door, customers were usually generous, rarely any of them haggled over prices. Despite being an owner, my foster dad moonlight as a Taoist. People who knew about this would sometimes invite him over to carry out rituals for funerals. No one cared whether it actually worked, they’re just seeking for closure. As time went by, my dad and his shop earned quite a bit of fame in town.

My foster dad took care of me as if I was his own flesh and blood, he pa.s.sed on every knowledge he had to me like I was his only disciple. Twenty plus years, he never had his own family. Because, like what he always said, people in our line of work has five disadvantages and three lacking aspects in life; he didn’t want to involve others in it.

He was an owner, a Taoist, as well as a medium. Sounds complicated? A medium – it means a person who mediates communication between the deceased and the living. However, this world is about balance, where there are advantages, there must be disadvantages; the livings walks their worldly path while the deceased stays in the afterlife. As a medium, the disadvantage is a short lifespan. Thus, my father kicked the bucket before he hit 50, leaving behind his store for me so that I could survive.