Wang Wu

Liu Yuanzhou walked into his family's courtyard and saw two piles of snow heaped in the middle, while the ground had been swept spotless. His father and elder brother must have already cleared the snow.

He lifted the door curtain and entered the central cave dwelling. Seeing his parents and elder brother all seated on the kang, he said, "It's freezing outside."

His mother, Zhang Shi, hurriedly said, "Second Child, get up on the kang." Then she said to Liu Da beside her, "Get down there and add some more firewood to the stove."

Liu Yuanzhou quickly said, "I'll do it." After adding some firewood to the stove, he took off his shoes and jumped onto the kang as well.

Zhang Shi was sewing shoe soles and sighed. "Sigh, in just over ten days it'll be Da Wa's wedding day, yet such heavy snow has fallen. What rotten luck is this?"

Liu Da puffed on his dry tobacco, his face equally clouded with worry. Zhang Shi was choked into coughing twice and snapped, "What are you smoking for? Go smoke outside—you're choking us to death."

Liu Da silently pinched out his tobacco.

Though Liu Yuanbo was anxious as well, he did not show it on his face. He comforted his parents, saying, "Dad, Mom, don't worry. There are still more than ten days left. The snow will have melted by then."

"Let's hope so." Zhang Shi sighed.

Time slipped away, and before they knew it another seven or eight days had passed. It was the sixth day of the eleventh month, Crouching Tiger Slope's market day.

Liu Yuanzhou returned from Third Master's home, and the moment he entered, his mother Zhang Shi complained, "Where did you run off to so early in the morning? The whole family's been waiting for you."

The date for Liu Yuanbo's wedding feast had been set for the tenth day of the eleventh month, less than five days away. Thus, Zhang Shi had said the night before that the entire family would go to the market the next day to purchase everything needed for the feast and wedding.

Liu Yuanzhou hurriedly apologized to his mother. The family then rushed out, with Liu Yuanbo pulling the flatbed cart while Liu Yuanzhou and Liu Da supported it from either side. The four of them left their courtyard and headed straight for Crouching Tiger Slope.

Along the way, they ran into Liu Chuang and Zhang He, who were also going to the market. Liu Chuang asked, "Second Child, are you going to buy things for the wedding feast?"

Liu Yuanzhou nodded. "Yes. The day is only four days away, so we need to get most of the things today." Liu Chuang and Zhang He said they would come along and help, since they had nothing important to do at the market anyway.

The group soon reached the market and split into two parties. Zhang Shi and Liu Yuanbo went to the temporary market to buy supplies, while Liu Da, Liu Yuanzhou, and the other four arrived at the butcher's stall. Liu Yuanzhou said to his father, Liu Da, "Dad, go in and buy the meat. Hu Wa and I will go see where fish are being sold."

Liu Da went into the butcher's stall to buy meat. Liu Yuanzhou left the flatbed cart outside and asked Zhang He to watch it, then took Liu Chuang into the temporary market to look for fish. Crouching Tiger Slope was, after all, a small market town. There were no fish shops, only fishmongers who came on market days.

After searching the market for a while, Liu Yuanzhou and Liu Chuang found a fish stall. It sold only carp, all frozen rather than live fish; after all, few people in the north ate fish. The fish were not expensive—one weighing around two jin cost six coins. Liu Yuanzhou bargained the price down to five coins each and bought over twenty, as planned.

After paying, Liu Yuanzhou loaded the fish into a basket. Just as he was about to call Liu Chuang back, he saw Liu Chuang staring somewhere and patted his shoulder. "Let's go. What are you looking at?"

"Second Child, look—isn't that the hooligan from Small King Village, Wang Wu?" Liu Chuang pointed at someone not far away.

Liu Yuanzhou looked in the direction he pointed. It really was Wang Wu, wearing a ragged sheepskin cap, his hands tucked into his sleeves and his shoulders hunched as he darted glances around the crowd. "It's him. So what? We don't seem to have any friendship or grudge with him," Liu Yuanzhou said.

"I just saw him steal Fourth Grandma's money pouch," Liu Chuang said quietly. Fourth Grandma was a lonely old woman in the village, with only one daughter who had married into another village.

"Are you sure you didn't see wrong?" Liu Yuanzhou asked with a frown.

"I definitely didn't see wrong. Fourth Grandma was looking at that cloth stall just now, and this brat sidled up and reached into her pocket to take out a money pouch," Liu Chuang said firmly. Then he asked, "Should we go get the money back now?"

Liu Yuanzhou pondered for a moment. "Keep an eye on Wang Wu first. Don't let him slip away. I'll go bring Fourth Grandma over."

Liu Yuanzhou asked the fish seller to watch the fish for him, saying he would return shortly to collect them. Fourth Grandma had not gone far. Liu Yuanzhou walked up to her and asked, "Fourth Grandma, here for the market? Check whether your money pouch is still there."

Seeing it was Liu Yuanzhou from her village, Fourth Grandma did not think much of it. "Second Child, what's wrong?" she said, reaching into her pocket. Then her expression suddenly changed. She felt around her other pockets as well, and cried out in shock, "My money is gone!"

Liu Yuanzhou hurriedly comforted her. "Don't worry, Fourth Grandma. I saw who took your money. Come with me." As he spoke, he led Fourth Grandma toward Wang Wu.

When Liu Chuang saw Liu Yuanzhou bringing Fourth Grandma over, he immediately stepped forward and grabbed Wang Wu's arm, shouting, "You brat, you dare steal money from someone in our village? Are you tired of living?"

Wang Wu's arm was suddenly seized, and he was accused of theft. He immediately cried, "What nonsense are you talking about?" At the same time, he struggled hard to break free.

"Fourth Grandma, he's the one who took your money pouch," Liu Yuanzhou said to her, stepping forward to seize Wang Wu's other arm.

With both arms held, Wang Wu knew today's matter would not be easily settled. He stopped struggling and glared viciously at Liu Yuanzhou and Liu Chuang.

"You bastard, give back the money you stole from me!" Fourth Grandma shouted, repeatedly slapping Wang Wu's shoulder.

The marketgoers nearby stopped at the shouting and looked over. Before long, a ring of people had formed around them like a human wall.

Seeing more and more people gathering, Wang Wu grew anxious. He snarled at Fourth Grandma, "What nonsense are you spouting? Which eye saw me steal your money? Keep talking rubbish and I'll kill you all."

Frightened, Fourth Grandma staggered back several steps. She looked at Liu Yuanzhou, then Liu Chuang, utterly at a loss. Liu Chuang had a fiery temper. He grabbed Wang Wu's arm and twisted it behind his back, making Wang Wu hunch over and howl.

"You say you didn't steal it? Fine. We'll go to the pavilion and let the officials judge this case," Liu Yuanzhou said. Then he asked Fourth Grandma, "Fourth Grandma, what color is your money pouch? How much money is inside? Is there anything else in it? Tell the officials at the pavilion all of that clearly, and let's see how he tries to deny it." The authorities had established a rural pavilion at Crouching Tiger Slope and assigned officials to manage village security, taxes, labor service, and other matters. The pavilion's constables were generally called officials.

The moment Wang Wu heard they were going to see the officials, his heart skipped a beat. A thug like him feared officials most. With a turn of thought, he forced a smile onto his face and said, "Brothers, let's talk this over. No need to trouble the officials. Ah, I remember now—I picked up a money pouch from the ground earlier. Let go of me, and I'll take it out so you can see whether it belongs to this old lady."

Liu Yuanzhou gave Liu Chuang a meaningful look, and Liu Chuang released him.

Wang Wu slowly reached into his clothes, took out a money pouch, and waved it. "Is this yours?"

The moment Fourth Grandma saw the pouch, she hurriedly said, "It's mine, it's mine."

Wang Wu tossed the money pouch forward and shouted, "There, take it!" Then he turned and ran.

Without thinking, Liu Yuanzhou reached out for the money pouch. Liu Chuang, however, kept a wary eye out. Seeing Wang Wu had already turned to flee, he reached out and yanked his waistband. With a snap, Wang Wu's waistband broke, and his cotton trousers whooshed down, revealing his pale bare backside.

Liu Chuang froze. Liu Yuanzhou froze too. The crowd watching fell silent, then burst into thunderous laughter. Several young women quickly covered their eyes, secretly spat, and muttered, "Hooligan. Shameless."

Wang Wu was dumbfounded as well. Mortified and furious enough to die, he bent over, pulled up his trousers, and ran off without looking back.

Liu Yuanzhou picked up the money pouch from the ground and handed it to Fourth Grandma. She took it, tucked it away, and repeatedly thanked Liu Yuanzhou and Liu Chuang.

After the crowd dispersed, Liu Chuang looked at Liu Yuanzhou with an innocent expression. "Second Child, I really didn't do it on purpose."

Liu Yuanzhou did not know whether to laugh or cry. Shaking his head, he said, "Hurry up and let's go."

Meanwhile, Wang Wu fled the market in a sorry state, holding up his trousers with both hands. Passersby kept casting sidelong glances at him. Someone who knew him shouted, "Wang Wu, what happened? Did you crap your pants? Hahaha!"

Wang Wu ran out of the market and hid in a corner by a wall. He hastily tied up his trousers with a strip of cloth, which he had snatched from some stall earlier. Thinking of himself standing bare-bottomed before everyone's eyes, he nearly wanted to die. How am I supposed to keep hanging around Crouching Tiger Slope after this? Grief surged from his heart, and tears actually began falling with soft patters.

After a while, he wiped away his tears, his heart filled with hatred. If I don't avenge this, I'll write my surname backward. He swore to himself. He emerged from the base of the wall and headed into the village. Before long, he arrived outside a courtyard surrounded by walls. This was already at the edge of the village, with a small river beside it. Wang Wu entered the courtyard and walked straight to the entrance of a cave dwelling at the side. Knock, knock, knock. He knocked three times.

"Is that Wang Wu? Come in," someone inside said.

Wang Wu lifted the curtain and pushed open the door to enter the cave dwelling. The interior was brightly lit. At a desk near the window sat a man in his thirties, with a white cloth wrapped around his head and a short, thick beard. He was holding a brush and bent over the desk, writing something.

When the man saw Wang Wu enter, he set down his brush, raised his head, and frowned slightly. "What is it?"

"Master, you have to avenge me." Wang Wu pulled a long face and recounted what had just happened. Finally, with a tearful voice full of resentment, he said, "Master, please perform a rite and make those two brats suffer a terrible illness, so they can neither live nor die."

"What nonsense are you talking about? I only use rites to cure illnesses and save people. How could I harm people?" the man barked.

Wang Wu craned his neck and stared at the man without saying a word.

"Still, since you call me Master, I cannot simply stand by and watch you be bullied," the man said, his tone changing. After pondering for a moment, he asked, "You know those two men, don't you?"

"They seem to be from Liu Li Village. I'll ask around and find out who they are," Wang Wu hurriedly said.

"Good. I have three talismans here: one for illness, one for plague, and one for crippling. Choose one." As he spoke, the man opened a pitch-black wooden box on the desk and took out three yellowed talisman papers, each the size of a palm and covered in strange symbols.

"I choose the illness talisman," Wang Wu said carefully. He still held these mysterious talisman papers in great awe.

"Fine. Find a place with water. Burn the talisman at the third quarter of the Hour of the Rat, and before the fire goes out, silently recite the name of the person you wish to curse nine times. Within seven times seven, forty-nine days, he will surely suffer a serious illness." Expressionless, the man picked one talisman from the three and handed it to Wang Wu.

Wang Wu was delighted. He accepted the talisman with both hands, carefully folded it, and tucked it into his clothes. "It won't kill anyone, will it?" he asked uneasily, looking at the man.

The man gave Wang Wu a disdainful look. "He won't die."

"That's good." Wang Wu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had not intended to curse anyone to death.

"I've helped you avenge your grudge. How is the matter I asked you to handle?" the man asked again.

"I've found everything out. In the dozen or so villages around here, there are five stone grottoes with carved Buddha statues. I know all their exact locations and can take you there whenever you wish," Wang Wu quickly said.

"Good. There's no rush. I'll notify you when it's time to go." Delight appeared on the man's face. Looking at Wang Wu, he smiled and asked, "How is the cultivation method I taught you coming along?"

"Every night, I silently recite the formula and incantation, but I haven't felt anything yet," Wang Wu said quietly, lowering his head and not daring to look at the man.

"You need to practice with more dedication." The man's tone was dissatisfied. Then he waved his hand impatiently. "If there's nothing else, get out."