The heavy silence lingered for a long time before the most senior, Village Chief Tian, finally broke the ice: "Listen here, young nephew, what exactly did you all get up to yesterday? Did you drink some untreated water, eat something spoiled, perhaps some poisonous mushrooms? Let me tell you, those colorful things in the mountains—the brighter they are, the more toxic they are! Better not even touch them." Village Chief Tian, being the only university graduate in the village and thus a well-read intellectual, naturally spoke with a distinct difference from the rougher villagers. As soon as he spoke, he hit the nail on the head, immediately assuming these boys had secretly eaten something without telling their parents and were now suffering stomach ailments. As for why only Liu Dashao was fine, that was even simpler: perhaps he hadn't eaten any! Right?

"No, we didn't eat any poisonous mushrooms, nor anything strange," Liu Dashao replied, shaking his head with his gaze lowered to his chest, looking guilty.

"Why are you always hanging your head, kid? Aren't you usually quite capable? I hear you even tricked the town postman into the mass grave, and he happened to run into a will-o'-the-wisp. The poor young man nearly scared to death, crying out for his mother and father," interjected Gou Dan's father.

"It wasn't me, it was Tian Guoqiang," Liu Dashao mumbled, rubbing his nose.

"You…" These words infuriated Village Chief Tian, causing him to immediately scowl and glare.

"It was him," Liu Dashao pouted.

"That’s all ancient history, what good is bringing it up now? All I want to know is what’s wrong with my child!" Little Mazi’s mother, whose temperament was rather fiery and fiercely protective of her son, was the first to lose her patience and blurt out.

"How should I know."

"You say you don't know again! Then why are you fine! Don't tell me you did something to my son!" Little Mazi’s mother was practically ready to start cursing in the street.

"I…" Liu Dashao started, then stopped, stammering and biting his lip, appearing hesitant.

"Sister-in-law, don't scare the child," Village Chief Tian mediated, forcing a smile at Little Mazi’s mother and guiding her back to her chair. He then pulled a pack of opened 'Da Tuanyuan' cigarettes from his pocket, offered one to Gou Dan’s father, placed one in his own mouth, lit it with a match, and began puffing smoke. Cigarettes were a rare treasure in those days, usually only afforded by cadres, so Gou Dan’s father’s eyes lit up. He didn't smoke it but tucked it carefully behind his ear, planning to savor it slowly over the next few days.

Village Chief Tian walked up to Liu Dashao, looking directly into his evasive eyes. After calculating something internally, he spoke in the tone of an elder: "Dashao, I know you’re hiding something in your heart. Don't keep it from your uncle; just tell me! I guarantee you, no matter what it is, I won't blame you, and the other parents won't either."

"Uncle Tian…" Liu Dashao was flustered that his thoughts had been exposed by Village Chief Tian so easily.

"Tell me! If you don't speak, Guoqiang and the others will be in danger," Village Chief Tian’s words were hard to resist.

"Then…" After a fierce internal struggle, Liu Dashao finally made up his mind: "Fine, I'll tell you!" And so, he spilled everything—how the four of them agreed to play cards that night, how they went to the Lingguan Temple, how they got separated, and even recounted the dream he had last night—like pouring beans from a bamboo tube. The parents were left stunned, glancing at each other, mouths agape.

"No wonder, no wonder... I kept wondering why my child felt cold and hot, delirious—it turns out he's been possessed!" Little Mazi’s mother slapped her thigh and immediately burst into loud sobs: "Oh, my ancestors of eight generations! My Little Mazi! Your mother is counting on you for old age support, don't make me a white-haired person burying the black-haired one!"

Gou Dan’s father, being more taciturn and steady, offered no immediate commentary nor joined Little Mazi’s mother in her dramatic performance of shouting at the heavens and the earth. He merely looked to Village Chief Tian, hoping he would come up with a solution.

"Hmph, Sister-in-law, not to criticize you, but your temperament is truly one to believe any rumor. I hear if it thunders in America, you go out to the yard to collect your bedding." Village Chief Tian let out a disdainful snort through his nostrils. "Tales of ghosts and gods have always been vague and baseless. What is there to believe in?"

In his eyes, those so-called deities and monsters were merely clever methods used by rulers in feudal society to confuse and deceive their subjects. Those ghostly things were mostly fabricated nonsense. Take that Five Manifestations Lingguan Temple in the mountain hollow near the village, for instance—it cost the previous village chief a fortune, and they burned incense and made offerings daily, yet people still died, couples still fought, and crops still failed. It hadn't protected anyone; it was purely wasteful. Because of this, Village Chief Tian held absolutely no reverence or fear toward these acts of feigning divinity; he merely let out three cold laughs to affirm his stance and attitude.

"Village Chief, please don't say that. My Little Mazi is in this state; if it’s not a lesson from the Lingguan Masters, then what is it!" Little Mazi’s mother wiped her tears. "Don't forget, your Guoqiang fell ill right alongside Little Mazi and Gou Dan. If your mouth angers the Lingguan Masters again, not only will our two families cease their lineage, but you, Village Chief Tian, won't escape unscathed either!"

"You... Sister-in-law, why are you so unenlightened!" Village Chief Tian felt immense helplessness and pity for this uneducated rural woman still clinging to the old feudal ways. "They are sick! The immediate priority is sending them to the town hospital to have a doctor figure out what’s wrong with them." He pointed at Little Mazi’s mother. "The way you're acting is harming your own son! Don't you understand!"

"A doctor? You think I haven't invited the veterinarian at the village clinic? He’s useless! With his ability, he might as well have lived his years inside a dog's belly."

"Watch your words; don't insult someone's character. Doctor Wang is a Party member who volunteered to come down to the countryside to care for us," Village Chief Tian corrected him.

"Bullshit!" Little Mazi’s mother shot him a scornful look. "No, I must go find Granny Guan Hua. Now only her ritual can save my baby."

"You absolutely may not go!" Village Chief Tian blocked the doorway. "Scientific problems require scientific solutions. That old Granny Fan is just a shaman, a raving lunatic. Besides, the doctor from the clinic has already gone to town to fetch a real physician. Relief will be here in a few hours, so why are you rushing? Sit down, have some tea, and wait!"

"How can I not be anxious? Everyone has a heart that feels; what parent wouldn't worry when their child is in trouble? You think I’m like you, a tiger who still eats its cubs!" Little Mazi’s mother was completely enraged by Village Chief Tian now. Her sharp sarcasm made his face turn green and purple in turns, like a freshly picked eggplant.

Just then, Liu Laoshi’s shout echoed from outside the village: "Dashao, Dashao! Where did you run off to, you little rascal..."

"Dad, it’s Dad!" Liu Dashao, whose head was throbbing from listening to the two argue, instantly lit up upon hearing Liu Laoshi's voice and rushed out of the room, shouting as he ran: "What is it? I'm right here!"

"Heh heh, you little rascal. I went to Village Chief Tian's house looking for you, couldn't find you, and figured you might have wandered off somewhere else. That’s why I came to Gou Dan’s house, and sure enough, I found you. That’s good, saves me running all over the place looking for you," Liu Laoshi’s honest, weathered face broke into a smile.

"Why are you looking for me? I need to go take care of Guoqiang at Village Chief Tian's house later; he's sick," Liu Dashao said.

"Guoqiang’s body is usually tough as steel; how did he get sick so suddenly? Alright, Dad understands. You inherited your grandfather's skills and know a bit of traditional Chinese medicine; you’ll be perfect for looking after Guoqiang," Liu Laoshi nodded. "But you come back with me first. It won't be too late to look after Guoqiang after Granny Fan takes a look."

"Granny Fan? Which Granny Fan?" Perhaps the argument had scrambled his thoughts, and Liu Dashao didn't quite grasp the situation immediately. As he took a proper look, he realized that an elderly woman in plain attire had been quietly trailing Liu Laoshi the whole time. Her clothes were so unremarkable and she hadn't uttered a word that he hadn't even noticed her presence until now. Looking at her, he momentarily thought she must be some kind of female monkey that had popped out of a crack in a rock.