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墨書 Inktalez
On the morning of December 21, 2012, I particularly remembered this date because it was a friend's birthday, coinciding with the much-discussed apocalypse. I received a call from this friend, Ding, who was my university classmate. After graduating, he had been working in Guangzhou. He invited me to his birthday celebration. We were quite close, and in the past, birthdays were usually just small gatherings with a few classmates from Wuhan, which I enjoyed. So I happily agreed to attend. Knowing my personality and that I preferred quieter settings, Ding assured me that this time it wouldn't be the usual crowd; there would be a few colleagues as well, but he promised it wouldn't exceed ten people in total. Although I wasn't fond of being put in such situations, since it was his birthday and I had already agreed, I decided to set aside my reservations and support him.
That day turned out to be nothing like the "darkness will never lift" scenario that had been predicted; there were no earthquakes or tsunamis. Instead, it was a beautiful sunny day. The rumors about the end of the world had been rampant for ages, yet many still believed them. Some even thought they were being deceived, which I found hard to comprehend. Optimistic people would see a future even in an apocalypse, while pessimists would treat every tomorrow as the end.
The dinner gathering was scheduled for the evening at a Hubei restaurant where Ding had reserved a private room. The time was set for five-thirty. I’m not someone who dislikes being punctual or arriving early. When I walked in right on time, I found the room already filled with people. Aside from Ding, I didn’t recognize anyone else, and there were mostly girls present. I felt puzzled about why he had invited me. I shot him an annoyed glance before greeting everyone and finding an empty seat.
This kind of gathering was dull for me since everyone was unfamiliar and the spotlight wasn’t on me. After Ding introduced me around, it became clear that he intended to play matchmaker for me. I wasn’t interested in meeting someone this way and felt no chemistry with anyone there. Besides, I always thought that being in my line of work made me somewhat abnormal; at that moment, I had no intention of looking for a partner. So after the dishes were served, I quietly sat there eating while listening to their gossip.
I initially thought we would finish quickly and leave so that I could later confront Ding about this setup. However, they began discussing something intriguing—ghostly affairs—which made me unable to resist chiming in.
The person sharing the story was a married woman with a three-year-old child; she appeared to be the oldest among the group and was referred to as Sister Ou by Ding and his colleagues.
Sister Ou's tale sounded quite exaggerated. She and her husband were from Shantou but worked in Guangzhou. Their child had been living with her parents back home until they brought him over in September to start school in Guangzhou at three years old. However, after bringing him over, they encountered some unbelievable occurrences.
Sister Ou’s son, affectionately nicknamed Dou Dou, had previously lived in Guangzhou without any unusual incidents. But after moving back this time, he inexplicably pointed at a corner of the room saying things like: "Who are you? Why are you in my house?" or "I'm not scared of you! If you don't leave, I'll call my dad to beat you!" This happened mostly at night—sometimes right before bed when he would suddenly get up and speak out loud or shout at a corner even before the lights went out. His expression was serious; he didn’t seem to be playing at all. Each time this occurred, it terrified Sister Ou and her husband.
After she shared her story, everyone expressed their astonishment and began voicing their opinions—some claimed he must have seen something; others thought he was just playing around; some suggested Sister Ou was joking or that her child might be experiencing separation anxiety leading to fantasies; others speculated about psychological issues.
Only Ding remained silent with a sly smile directed at me. It made me feel uneasy because I knew he expected me to help if possible. He understood my profession but never disclosed it himself; that’s part of why we became friends. While contemplating this situation, I figured if someone involved invited me to help out, I generally wouldn’t refuse. After hearing their various speculations, I finally spoke up: "This situation probably isn't as simple as it seems."
The room fell silent suddenly since I'd hardly spoken all night; my unexpected comment caught everyone off guard. It wasn’t my intention to captivate them with my voice—I knew they wanted to hear my perspective.
The sudden quiet surprised me as well. Quickly, I asked Sister Ou if Dou Dou had shown any other unusual reactions besides this one. She shook her head indicating no.
I continued: "Let me share my thoughts on this matter. First of all, Dou Dou is only three years old; it's highly unlikely he'd play pranks like this at his age—children in the city can play but not like this. Secondly, Sister Ou isn’t lying; no parent would joke about such things. As for psychological issues—that's even less likely; if there were any problems, they wouldn’t manifest solely through this incident. Therefore, I believe he has genuinely encountered something unclean."
After finishing my statement, another round of chatter erupted among them. One skeptical girl eagerly countered: "How could that be possible? If such things existed, wouldn’t the world be chaotic? Why should we believe in science then?"
I didn’t feel like explaining or answering her question at all. Sister Ou happened to be sitting next to me when I asked her: "Did Dou Dou ever act like this when he was back home?"
She said, "No, everything has been normal."
I asked, "So before you came here, did you visit any places, like the ancestral graveyard, the ancestral hall, caves, the Land Temple, or the Hermitage?"
Sister Ou mentioned that they had visited the ancestral hall on their way here. Her family said that Dou Dou needed to study, so they went to pray for their ancestors' blessings for Dou Dou to excel in studies and achieve first place. They also visited the Land Temple but hadn't gone anywhere else.
I said, "Then the problem might lie here. Did anyone in your family say that the ancestors should follow Dou Dou and bless her with good health and such?"
Sister Ou looked at me in surprise and said, "How did you know? Many people around us say that. The ancestors wouldn't really follow Dou Dou, would they?"
I replied, "I don't know if it's the ancestors, but I can assure you that something is definitely following."
The skeptical girl chimed in again, "How do you know? Are you a Taoist? By the way, what do you do?"
However, several other girls were genuinely interested and began to ask me about Taoism.
I said, "I might as well say I'm not a Taoist. I'm just speculating, but I know some friends who practice it. If Sister Ou needs help, I can contact them for you."
Sister Ou agreed, saying it was fine. Xiao Ding's friend spoke eloquently and had a reasonable analysis. It really seemed reliable.
I blushed at being praised in front of everyone and asked for Sister Ou's number, saying I would have my Taoist friend reach out to her after I got back. She thanked me.
Then everyone changed the subject and slowly wrapped up this rather awkward dinner. Someone suggested going karaoke, but Sister Ou said she had to go home to take care of her child and wouldn't join. I also made an excuse to decline. In my mind, I was planning when to invite those classmates over again to celebrate Ding Qingzhu's birthday.
Since Sister Ou's house was on my way, I offered her a ride. She gladly accepted. After the car started moving, Sister Ou asked if she could have my Taoist friend's phone number. She wanted to call him directly for a consultation; it seemed more polite that way.
I told Sister Ou, "Actually, I'm the Taoist I mentioned; it's just that this profession is quite sensitive. Although it's not as strict as an Embalmer—who can't even hand out business cards or shake hands—it’s still considered a sensitive profession, so I didn't mention it earlier."
Sister Ou looked at me incredulously and said, "That's surprising! You're so young; your image of a Taoist is completely different from what I imagined. But I still believe you because I feel you're right. If it is the ancestors following her, would it be beneficial for Dou Dou? But even knowing it's the ancestors following her makes me very scared."
I said, "Not all Taoists are charlatans. I work in this field. As for the one that Dou Dou cursed at, I can't be sure if it's one of your ancestors. How about I go home with you now and take a look? Then I can make a judgment."
Sister Ou replied, "Sure, that would be best. This matter has seriously affected our lives. We're constantly on edge, and my husband and I are starting to feel a bit paranoid."
Sister Ou's home was not far from the dining place, so we arrived quickly. Upon entering the house, I saw Sister Ou's husband and Dou Dou. He was a very cute little boy, full of energy, and he didn't seem at all like someone haunted by a Spirit God. Aside from being a bit overly energetic, he appeared completely normal.
I really liked lively children, and soon I was playing with him. After we got comfortable with each other, I asked Dou Dou, "How many people are there in your family?"
Dou Dou replied, "Dad, Mom, and me."
I asked if anyone else came to play with him.
Dou Dou said, "There's also Grandma. She often watches over me in the room where we sleep. Sometimes when Dad and Mom are not home, she comes to play with me."
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