Chapter 14: Ghost Market

What makes Sun Laiding even more fearful is that ever since that steel pen appeared in her schoolbag, every night she unconsciously gets up, takes the pen and continuously writes legal documents on her notebook.

The content of those legal documents is entirely her grandmother accusing her of stealing fifty yuan.

"Sister, I'm scared." Sun Laiding said with a trembling voice, "I took the steel pen to my grandmother's grave to apologize to her, begging her to forgive me, but it was useless."

I buried the steel pen in her grave, but when I woke up, the pen was back in my schoolbag.

I also tried burning it with fire, but it wouldn't burn away; I threw it into the river, and it automatically found its way back……

I really had no other choice; a few days ago I went to town to find my parents, pretending the school needed to buy study materials, and got fifty yuan from them, only to be scolded by my parents; I went to the grave and burned the money for my grandmother, but it was useless—she still kept demanding money from me.

That's how the whole thing actually happened.

It's hard to imagine how such a young child has endured facing this situation alone for over a month.

No wonder she looks so exhausted.

I asked again: "How did you end up coming to my family's pawn shop?"

After all, the pawn shop had just reopened; this line of business had long been in decline, and ordinary people would never come to it on their own.

Sun Laiding said: "A few days ago, when I went to find my parents, I passed by here and saw a big brother come to your shop to pawn a piece of paper, so I thought, if paper can be pawned, then a steel pen should be able to be pawned as well."

"Sister, I know this is a bit much to ask, but I just got fifty yuan from my parents and can't ask them again; could I pawn the steel pen with you for fifty yuan, then burn an offering for my grandmother once more to see if it works? Once I've saved up the money, I'll return it to you."

Hearing Sun Laiding's words, my heart felt like it was breaking.

What era is this, that parents would actually deprive their own biological daughter like this!

Although I also had a rough childhood, living with my grandmother these years, she raised me very well.

Compared to Sun Laiding, I am truly much happier.

It makes me miss my grandmother a bit.

I reached out and hugged Sun Laiding, then said to her: "Dingding, I can accept this steel pen; in a sense it belongs to the category of yin‑evil objects—perhaps a trouble for you, but for my family's pawn shop it's a good thing."

I thought it over, held up five fingers, and said: "I'll give you five thousand yuan to buy out this steel pen—does that work for you?"

"Five… five thousand yuan?" Sun Laiding waved her hands in disbelief, "Sister, you don't need to pity me; it's not worth that much."

But I insisted: "Dingding, the pawn shop is open for business; I'm a businessman, and businessmen don't make loss‑making deals. Believe me—I say it's worth it, so it is."

This steel pen is indeed a yin object; once taken in, it can later be used to make offerings to the unclean things in the main hall.

As for whether it's really worth five thousand yuan, I don't know either.

My grandmother had saved up a sum of money for me early on, to pay for my studies.

Now I can't temporarily return to school to continue studying, but taking out five thousand yuan from that savings to give to Sun Laiding could slightly improve her life—at least ensuring she'll have money to buy sanitary pads when she gets her period.

In that case, I also feel it's worth it.

"Dingding, the pawn shop has its own pawning rules." I continued, "Pawning is divided into dead pledge and live pledge. Dead pledge means you only pawn and never redeem, settling money and goods on the spot; live pledge means we agree on a period and a redemption amount, and within that period you can bring money to redeem the steel pen. Which do you choose?"

Sun Laiding without hesitation said: "I choose dead pledge."

I nodded, took out the last pawn ticket, ground the ink, and filled it in carefully.

The pawn ticket exists in two copies; after Sun Laiding signed and left her thumbprint, I then stamped the pawn shop's big seal.

Afterwards I handed her one copy of the pawn ticket and the five thousand yuan.

Sun Laiding held the pawn ticket and the money, her hands trembling, her eyes red from crying, and she repeatedly thanked me.

"Dingding, keep this money to yourself, don't let anyone know, use it wisely, study hard—I hope you'll keep getting better."

Sun Laiding nodded firmly: "Sister, I will definitely do that."

But she didn't just take the money and leave; instead she hesitated and asked: "Sister, will that steel pen appear again in my schoolbag tomorrow morning?"

Her worry is not without reason.

But my grandmother understands yin‑yang and feng shui; I've been exposed to it since childhood and have learned a bit of skill.

The reason I dare to accept this steel pen is also because I know how to lay to rest her grandmother's obsession.

"Dingding, your grandmother is haunting you because she has an extremely strong attachment to those fifty yuan; you thought repaying her money would settle the matter, which is correct in idea, but your method was wrong."

Sun Laiding wondered: "Then what should I do?"

"The money you burn for your grandmother is currency used in the yang world; she can't use it in the yin world." I explained, "To appease your grandmother's resentment, you need to give her some yin‑world offerings; once she's satisfied, her resentment will naturally fade."

Sun Laiding's eyes lit up at once, and she eagerly said: "Sister, please teach me."

I thought it over and gave her a list: "Prepare one portion each of chicken, duck, fish, and pig's head, plus plenty of incense, candles, paper money, and gold ingots—my shop sells those. Tonight, take these items to your grandmother's grave and make an offering; if she accepts it, she won't come looking for you again; if she doesn't, come back to me and I'll think of another way."

Sun Laiding noted everything down and hurried off to get them.

I filed away that steel pen, then slept soundly.

The next afternoon, Sun Laiding came.

Her thin little face was full of joy as she said she had done exactly what I told her last night; in her dream she saw her grandmother sitting before the grave, counting money while eating heartily, feeling very satisfied—and truly forgave her.

That steel pen also never appeared again in her schoolbag.

Sun Laiding thanked me profusely; after finally seeing her off, I turned around and noticed in the hexagonal palace lamp under the west side of the corridor, beside the dim green firefly, a speck of gold light like a bean had appeared, lingering without fading.

My heart stirred—could this not be merit?

I helped Sun Laiding—have I accumulated merit?

Overjoyed, I grabbed a bamboo pole and wanted to lift down the hexagonal palace lamp to offer it in the main hall.

Liu Junyan needs merit.

But before the bamboo pole even touched the hexagonal palace lamp, a low shout came from behind: "Don't move it!"

I started, pulled back the bamboo pole, turned my head, and saw Li Qingying dressed in a black leather jacket, wearing a black backpack, hands in pockets, standing coolly at the bottom of the steps.

I exclaimed delightedly: "Qingying Sister, you've finally come!"

Li Qingying nodded.

I withdrew the bamboo pole, while greeting her into the door, and asked: "Qingying Sister, why can't we touch that hexagonal palace lamp?"

"I don't know either." Li Qingying said, "But the lamp is so ancient; inside it holds merit and yin‑soul. If ordinary people could touch it, do you think it could still hang there properly?"

It seems like that's the reason.

"Where is the Seventh Lord?" Li Qingying asked.

I took her to the back and opened the main hall doors.

Without me saying, Li Qingying knew that Liu Junyan was in that black coffin.

She stepped forward, lit three sticks of yellow incense, with a plop rushed to the black coffin and knelt down, knocking her head three times: "Seventh Lord, Qingying has come; rest assured, I will protect Xiao Jiu well."

After inserting the yellow incense into the burner, she turned and asked me: "Where should I stay?"

I quickly got the keys, brought her out, and pointed to the east and west wing rooms, saying: "These rooms you can pick any; any will do."

Li Qingying chose the first room in the east wing.

It was a suite, divided into inner and outer rooms, with a fairly large area.

I helped her tidy up.

While working, I also told her about the plan for Fifteen to go to Gui Shi.

Li Qingying obviously knew Gui Shi, she said: "Gui Shi opens its gates precisely at midnight; I'll take you inside. Inside Gui Shi there is Fengdu Bank, where you can exchange Fengdu currency; you can also bring good items with you, and there is barter trade in Gui Shi."

I noted them all down.

That morning, the fifteenth, I selected two purely yin items from the antique shelf and placed them in the main hall.

I also went to the bank to withdraw some money, to be used later to exchange for buying pawn tickets.

Before setting out that evening, I inexplicably took the pen that Sun Lai Ding Dang had brought in, thinking perhaps I could exchange it for some useful trinkets in Gui Shi.

Everything ready, that night Li Qingying drove me to the land temple behind the seafood market.

A few people were already waiting there.

When midnight struck, the small land temple suddenly became towering, and the surrounding scenery changed.

The temple's gate turned a yin-red, shrouded in a mist.

Li Qingying took my hand and led me to step across the threshold.

At that moment, I felt my mind go blank, as if I had fallen into a dream; the next instant we were standing in Gui Shi.

Gui Shi is huge; everywhere is a gray haze, with peculiarly styled buildings scattered along the streets, and the streets throng with many…odd-looking people…not to mention they aren't all human.

Li Qingying led me straight to Fengdu Bank, we queued to exchange Fengdu currency, and at another window I managed to buy a pawn ticket.

The clerk sitting at the window looked at me with a grin and sighed: "It's been years; finally someone's come to buy a pawn ticket again, little lady, do well."

I returned a smile and gave an affirmative hum.

Having just stepped out of Fengdu Bank and steadied myself, I heard someone across from me call: "Xiao Jiu, it's really you."

I looked up and met a pair of beautiful peach-blossom eyes—it was Hu Jun!

Hu Jun walked over a few steps, smiling and asked: "Xiao Jiu, you came to buy something?"

"Just some pawn tickets," I asked, "Did you also come to buy something, Hu Jun?"

Hu Jun nodded: "I've been looking for something; I come to Gui Shi every month to try my luck."

I asked curiously: "What is Hu Jun looking for?"

"A bow," Hu Jun said, looking at me with deep meaning, "a bow without arrows."