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Chapter Eighty-Six: The River of Forgetfulness
To be honest, even though a long time has passed since Lin Xiaoqi's incident, I have never truly forgotten her. Whenever someone sets out on a journey, I always think of her, recalling the words she said when she left, remembering how she promised to wait for me below, and thinking about her voice, her appearance, and her smile. Perhaps it is because I am too lonely, or perhaps it is because I have always been alone in this world with only one or two people to think of, or maybe it is because I still care about her in my heart! In any case, she has never disappeared from my mind.
Now, suddenly hearing Lin Xiaoqi's name from Ghost Granny's mouth, how could I not be surprised? How could I not be anxious? You see, I always thought she had reincarnated; how could she still be down there? Did she not reincarnate? Was what she said about waiting for me true?
I really want to know all of this; I can't help but feel anxious.
However, looking at Ghost Granny, if I don't tell her about the way to reincarnate, she won't easily speak. So, there's no choice; I thought that if violating the rules of the Underworld means violating them, then so be it. After all, it's just a few casual words. Whether or not she can find a good family ultimately depends on Ghost Granny's own fate.
With that in mind, I said to Ghost Granny: "The way to reincarnate isn't complicated; just walk towards the bright and sunny places and avoid the stormy and rainy areas."
"Oh? Can one see the weather of the living world when entering reincarnation?" Ghost Granny asked in surprise.
I shook my head and replied: "Although there are sunny days and rainy days, the world you see on the road to reincarnation isn't the weather of the living world; it's just a space. Just remember that if you encounter dark and rainy weather, don't be afraid. Make sure not to enter any houses or caves; just keep walking. When you arrive at a place with clear skies, that will be a good destination."
Having said that, I didn't elaborate further because I've already said what needed to be said; whether she can do it depends on her.
In fact, what I said was true. If a soul encounters thunder and lightning during reincarnation, it signifies entering a poor family's door. The soul may become frightened by the thunder and lightning and hide everywhere. At this point, they might see a cave overgrown with wild grass or a dilapidated thatched house and would then burrow inside to escape the terrifying storm.
However, what these souls don't know is that the cave or thatched house in the storm isn't actually a real house; it is merely the placenta of a poor family's pregnant woman. Once a soul enters this cave or thatched house, they will never be able to come out again.
When encountering dark clouds and thunder without fear and continuing forward, generally soon enough the clouds will disperse from above, revealing clear skies. It is said that those who are destined for wealthy families will see bright sunshine and clear skies during their reincarnation process. A gentle breeze carrying the fragrance of grass will brush against them; the ground will be covered in lush green grass with blooming flowers among them, and a rainbow will arch across the sky—clearly a paradise on earth. Before them will appear a magnificent palace adorned in gold and jade with a seven-colored rainbow above it, surrounded by colorful butterflies fluttering around. Entering this splendid palace means being reborn into a wealthy family.
Upon hearing my explanation, Ghost Granny seemed to understand as well. She nodded thoughtfully and then smiled at me in gratitude for my guidance.
Seeing that she understood, I said, "Uh, about Lin Xiaoqi..."
Ghost Granny pretended to suddenly realize and smiled, saying, "Look at me being so forgetful. I've been preoccupied with the matter of reincarnation and completely forgot to mention her to you."
I chuckled, thinking to myself that this was not forgetting at all; she was clearly doing it on purpose to force me to talk about reincarnation. However, even though I thought this in my heart, I still had to put on a show and smiled awkwardly, waiting for her to tell me about Lin Xiaoqi.
Ghost Granny said, "Here's the thing. I have a Sister down below who originally had a maid. The maid was clever and very much to my liking. Not long ago, I visited my Sister, but I found that the maid was missing. When I asked my Sister, she told me that the maid had been forcibly taken away by someone named Pan Shenbao. When I heard this, I thought to myself, aren't you Pan Shenbao? So I became curious and asked a few more questions, only to find out that the maid had quite a connection with you. Moreover, according to my Sister, the maid has been waiting for you at the Naihe Bridge instead of reincarnating. Sigh..."
Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but think of the old woman who wanted Lin Xiaoqi to be her maid. Could it be that the Sister mentioned by Ghost Granny is that old woman?
Thinking of this, I hurriedly asked, "Is the maid you're talking about Lin Xiaoqi?"
"Yes, who else could it be? That maid's name is Lin Xiaoqi. Sigh, she really is a lovesick girl," Ghost Granny nodded and sighed.
Hearing this made my heart feel mixed emotions, as if a bottle of seasoning had been knocked over—there were feelings of warmth, sadness, and everything in between. Yes, it turned out she was still thinking of me; she was waiting for me. I realized I wasn't alone because our hearts still wanted to be together. However, hearing Ghost Granny say that she hadn't reincarnated and was still waiting for me at the Naihe Bridge made me feel very sad and desolate.
Indeed, even I didn't understand myself anymore; I didn't know whether I wanted her to wait for me or if I wanted her to reincarnate.
With these complex emotions swirling in my heart, I continued asking Ghost Granny: "You mentioned earlier that Lin Xiaoqi inquired about me; did you two meet?"
Ghost Granny replied, "Yes. Since I'm so familiar with you, when I heard my Sister finish talking about you and Lin Xiaoqi's situation, I went to the Naihe Bridge to find her and indeed saw her there."
"Is she doing well now?" I was very worried about her.
"Her? Sigh, it's hard to say," Ghost Granny sighed heavily upon hearing my question, as if she found it difficult to speak.
This has made me very anxious. From the looks of it, it seems that Lin Xiaoqi is not doing well at all. So, I pressed her for information, asking her to quickly tell me about Lin Xiaoqi's current situation.
In the end, Ghost Granny had no choice but to sigh and say, "To be honest with you, she is not doing well down there, it's terrible. When I saw her, she was in the River of Forgetfulness!"
Hearing this, I was stunned, my heart ached as if I had been suddenly pricked by a needle. Yes, although Ghost Granny's words were simple, they struck me like a bolt from the blue because I knew very well what kind of place the River of Forgetfulness was.
The River of Forgetfulness lies beneath the Bridge of Helplessness. It is a river that blocks souls from entering the path of reincarnation. The Bridge of Helplessness is the only bridge in the underworld leading to the cycle of rebirth. Regardless of whether one is good or evil, they must cross this bridge to reach their place of rebirth. However, the distinction lies in that those who did good in life walk on the upper bridge made of gold, silver, and jade, while those who did evil walk on the dilapidated and narrow Board bridge, with the raging waters of the River of Forgetfulness beneath their feet. The water in the River of Forgetfulness is icy cold and filled with ghosts and serpents. Most souls in this river are those who were evil in life; such people walk on the lowest layer of the rickety Board bridge when crossing the Bridge of Helplessness, swaying precariously over the tumultuous waves below. Many evil souls fall into the river and are unable to reincarnate for eternity.
Thinking that Lin Xiaoqi was also in the River of Forgetfulness shocked me because any soul that falls into this river suffers daily from its icy waters and is tormented by the bites of snakes and insects within it; it is truly a hellish place!
Imagining Lin Xiaoqi enduring such torturous suffering made tears fall uncontrollably from my eyes. Although men do not easily shed tears, I could not help it. I urgently asked Ghost Granny, "Why? Why is this happening?"
Ghost Granny sighed; perhaps Lin Xiaoqi's plight moved her as well, so her emotions were also sorrowful. She said, "Because Lin Xiaoqi had reached the time for reincarnation, but she was unwilling to go. The Ghost Messenger urged her on, and in the end, she had no choice but to jump into the River of Forgetfulness!"
Upon hearing this, my body trembled as I recalled what she had said when she left: that she would wait for me down below. I couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "Why were you so foolish?"
Indeed, at the other end of the Bridge of Helplessness is Meng Po. Any soul that crosses this bridge to reincarnate must drink a bowl of Meng Po soup brewed by her, which makes one forget their past lives. It is said that if you do not wish to forget your past life, you must jump into the River of Forgetfulness beneath the Bridge of Helplessness and wait for a thousand years; then you can avoid drinking Meng Po soup. Such individuals are not nonexistent; some souls jump into the River of Forgetfulness to wait for their beloved from this life in their next life. During these thousand years, they will see their beloved walking across the bridge time and again but cannot be heard no matter how loudly they call out from within the river. For a thousand years, they witness their beloved crossing the Bridge of Helplessness again and again and drinking bowl after bowl of Meng Po soup. Perhaps one hopes they won't drink it but fears they cannot endure the torment of waiting in the River of Forgetfulness for a thousand years...
Now I finally understand why Lin Xiaoqi ended up in the River of Forgetfulness; she must have jumped in to wait for me because she feared forgetting me after drinking Meng Po soup.
Thinking about all this made my heart ache even more. In my heart, I repeatedly shouted why—why did you do this? Jumping into the River of Forgetfulness to endure its biting cold waters and being bitten by snakes and insects—was it worth it? You are too foolish!
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