Strangely enough, when I returned to the long street of Sanchuan Ghost City, I actually felt that this place was harmonious again. However, when I was in the county town before, it seemed more like an unreal feeling in comparison now. Pull away. And at the door of the room where Da Mao was originally imprisoned and where the silly girl is now imprisoned, there were two men standing side by side. They were no longer the man from yesterday, but two of the three people I had hidden in the bamboo forest. But the woman was nowhere to be seen. I took a sneak peek and found that although the door was closed, the lock was not locked. If I guessed correctly, the woman was in the house at the moment, with that silly girl. As for what they were talking about. , but I don’t know.
Perhaps it was because Da Mao told me the unusual things about these people at the earliest, so I paid special attention to this house and these weird-looking people. When I passed by them, the two men who were still whispering to each other stopped talking, and then looked at me, just like when I came here yesterday. I pretended that nothing was wrong and passed by them openly, because through this day's observation, I found that although there were more people here at night, they actually didn't know each other, which meant that they didn't know each other. I don’t know if I’m here to buy ghosts or to sell ghosts, and I don’t even know that Damao and I have other purposes for coming here.
Returning to the small shabby house, I checked the incense ashes on the ground and found that there were no traces of anyone breaking in. Da Mao was sleeping soundly on the tattered quilt. I walked to him and knelt down to wake him up, and then let him eat something. Then at about two o'clock in the afternoon, we went out and walked back to the room where Jiama Tan lived. .
Due to the abruptness of the previous visit, we did not break in directly during our visit this time, but knocked on the door first. However, Jiamatan replied from inside the house that there was someone here, so let’s move to another place. I said softly, Brother Jiama, it’s me. I bought something from you last night. I don’t understand something and I want to ask for advice.
Soon Jiama Tan opened the door, and the room was still dark. Perhaps he had been accustomed to this kind of darkness, so when he opened the door, the outdoor light was not particularly bright, but it still made Jiama Tan slightly Keep your eyes open. Reflecting the light, I saw this man with a bearded face who was extremely depressed, as if he had just woken up. And I said before that I wanted to ask for advice because I bought a ghost from him last night. It was probably this reason that prompted him to open the door, otherwise if I directly said that I wanted to inquire about the situation, he probably would not pay attention to me.
After entering the house, Jiamatan went back to his ragged straw mat and didn't ask Damao and I where to sit, because there was nothing in the house and there was really no place to sit. Jiama Dan asked me a little sleepily, "Tell me, what don't you understand? When you bought it last night, I saw that your skills were very skillful." There was a kind of ridicule and ridicule in his tone, as if he was saying that I spoke in roundabout ways and refused to speak directly. In fact, Jiama Dan knew very well that Damao and I came to him today not because of the ghost from last night.
I felt a little ashamed. Seeing him being so direct, I didn't bother to hide anything. I asked Jiama Tan, do you know who the people were in the place where my brother was imprisoned? It was the room where the little girl now lived. Jiamatan said, that little girl has been here for more than half a month. She is noisy every day. Out of the rules, no one dares to do anything to her. I don’t know exactly who the guards are. , but they have been here since I came here to sell ghosts.
I asked Jiamatan, I saw that the guard left last night, and only a few people came until this morning. Have they always been like this? Jiama Dan said, that's not true. The various masters who were invited before took turns guarding twelve hours a day, but every time they changed shifts, the previous few people would leave here. live here. However, the little girl was quite relaxed. They came here around noon every day and kept watch until the evening, taking the little girl out for a walk, and then went back. There were often seven or eight people guarding her. I asked Jiamatan, do you know why this is? Jiama Dan said, why else? They need to find what they are looking for. Otherwise, who do you think is full and does not sell or buy anything, and still sends people to station here all day long?
It seems that Jiamatan knows something about the situation, but if I continue to ask, maybe he will not tell me the truth. So I said to Jiama Tan, I took a look at that girl yesterday and she seemed to have some intellectual problems, is that right? After saying that, I stretched out my finger and circled it several times on my right temple, which meant that my brain was not working well. Jiamatan said, there is no need to ask, have you ever seen an older girl from any family asking for sweets like a child? Before I could answer, Jiamatan went on to say, it is said that half of the people with this kind of lunatic woman can see ghosts. Although I don’t know whether this is true or not, this little girl can see ghosts. I'm sure of this. I nodded and pointed at Damao and said, this brother of mine is Master Tianyan. He also confirmed this to me yesterday. I heard that the group of people were looking for a ghost, but they couldn't find it after searching for a long time. It was a female ghost, which was relatively easy to identify. Brother Jiama, did you know that there really is such a ghost in this market?
Jiamatan said, most of the people who come here are like me and are in such a state of poverty. If they are not desperate, who would be willing to do this business of buying and selling ghosts. But the people here are all skilled, and what they put out for sale may not necessarily reveal their family background. As far as I know, many people here have ghosts on their hands that are much more powerful than those sold at the stalls. Just pick one up, They can all be put to great use. Even for myself, I only sell what I am willing to sell. You have to be cautious, because everyone wants to buy well at one time, and don’t you do the same? Yesterday I spent a long time selecting and bought the best ghost I put up for sale.
I couldn't help but look at the talisman of soldiers and horses on my body. The soul of the dead man who committed suicide that I bought from Jiama Dan last night was currently going through the cycle in it. I asked Jiama Dan, who are these people? You see, I won’t beat around the bush with you. I also hope that Brother Jiama will keep his word, which is considered as a kind of help. Jiama Dan snorted and said, "Young man, the reason why I didn't teach your store a lesson yesterday was because you claimed to be Senior Qin Bukong's apprentice. I gave him some respect. Isn't it a little bit arrogant to come here today to inquire about things?" So rude. I had expected that he might say this, so I said to him, I won't let you tell me how much your news is worth in vain, just bid. You came here to sell ghosts just to make money. We each get what we need, even if no one owes anyone anything.
Maybe what I said was very direct and naked. Jiama Dan had to compare it in his mind and see if telling me some of the things he knew would affect him. So he looked at me and was silent for a long time, but seeing that both Da Mao and I had serious expressions, he frowned and said, young people, what do you want to know? I told him, first, I want to know if there really is a female ghost here wearing a green cheongsam with a bullet in her head. Second, I want to know the identity of the person behind the guards, because I I know they are the same people.
After saying this, I took out all the remaining money I had and placed it all in front of Jiama Dan. At this moment, I also know that although Jiama Dan seems enigmatic, and I believe he is a truly capable person, the most important thing for him is money. Although money is equally important to me, it is something external to me after all. Even if I don’t have it, I can easily earn it back. At least I won’t be like Jiama Tan, who eats carrots and greens every day. I want to come to this dark place. The place sells ghosts.
Jiama Dan stared at the money on the ground, then he was silent for a moment and said to me, remember, you did not hear the following words from me. If there is any trouble in the future, don't drag me into the water. I was overjoyed, and then I promised, don't worry, the children of the world should keep their word. And I also realized that since Jiama Dan said such words, it proved that he was also aware that there was a very complicated relationship behind it, which might lead to a dispute.
Jiamatan said that this ghost market has existed for a long time. It was just a free selling market a long time ago. The rules are the same as now. Everyone gets what they need. No one will know anyone outside this bamboo forest. There is a rule when entering here. No matter how many ghosts you bring, you must sell them all here, otherwise you will not be allowed to leave. Although there is no explanation of this unwritten rule, if you don't follow it, will there be anything bad? There will be consequences, but everyone does it because they are afraid. When you enter the ghost market, you see the bamboo forest on the street, but when you leave the market, you leave from the other side. This is called no turning back. After you walk out, you have to keep silent about everything here.
Then I understood why Jiama Tan's business didn't seem to be doing well, and apart from the one who committed suicide, the ghosts in his hands were not very competitive, and the price he sold them for was really not cheap. , no wonder I haven’t been able to leave after staying here for so long. It turns out there are still such rules.
Jiama Dan pointed at Damao and said, this little brother came back again, presumably not to be nostalgic, but to investigate. In this case, before you come here, you should have inquired about the actual situation of this market in recent years. The controller was a person with a military background, and the green cheongsam woman he was looking for who was shot and killed was said to be a very important woman to him. People here occasionally mentioned that she was this person's in-law in his previous life.
