Ma Xiaoyan jumped off the cart with a gasp. “Oh, get down, Qiangzi! How did we end up on this road?”

Tian Guoqiang didn't need telling twice; he was already off, his forehead slick with cold sweat. “Did we take a wrong turn? I thought the cemetery was supposed to be at the third bend?” Ma Xiaoyan snapped, “You must have misread the map in the dark! Hurry up and reverse!”

Tian Guoqiang spun the vehicle around, scooped up Ma Xiaoyan, and sped off. You wouldn't have seen such haste even in a military retreat. This time, Tian Guoqiang rode as if his wheels were on fire. Seeing a main road ahead, he pedaled furiously a few more times and swerved onto it.

Tian Guoqiang widened his eyes, using the faint moonlight to scan the area. When he reached the third intersection, he asked Ma Xiaoyan, “This is the one, right?”

Lu Huanghuang looked closely at the trees lining the road. “Yep, this is it, no mistake. I know these three trees like the back of my hand!”

Tian Guoqiang sighed with relief and sharply turned the vehicle. As they rounded the corner, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. To their left, fluttering in the wind above the mounds, were strips of paper offering—it was as if they were welcoming Tian Guoqiang back.

Both Tian Guoqiang and Ma Xiaoyan felt a jolt of icy dread and tumbled off the vehicle. Ma Xiaoyan cried out, “This doesn’t feel right at all!”

Tian Guoqiang was near tears. “What’s there to be afraid of? This must be where…” His voice trailed off, choked by fear. Just then, a sound—a drawn-out “En-ah”—drifted from the roadside. It sounded like a man. Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang whipped their heads around, but the roadside was empty, not a soul in sight.

They exchanged a look, both faces ashen.

Tian Guoqiang whispered, “Yanzi, did we imagine it?” As he spoke, he cursed himself for being foolish—how could two people hear the same thing wrong? Suddenly, from somewhere behind them, another “En-ah” sounded. This time, it was unmistakable: a man groaning, sounding deeply uncomfortable. Ma Xiaoyan urged, “Quick, Qiangzi, let’s get the bike and go home!”

Tian Guoqiang whimpered, “Oh, Yanzi, my legs are weak!” Ma Xiaoyan cursed him inwardly for his lack of backbone. She said, “Then push the bike and come with me!”

The two of them were drenched in sweat, desperate only to get home. But as they retreated, they found themselves facing a single intersection on this road. No matter how they turned, they ended up back on this very path. After the fourth turn brought them back to the same spot, Tian Guoqiang’s face crumpled, and two tears rolled down his cheeks. “Oh, Yanzi… I don’t think we can get out of here!”

Ma Xiaoyan chastised him internally: she had wanted company, and instead, she’d brought a spineless burden. But fearing the boy was truly terrified, she tried to comfort him. “It’s fine, let’s look again. Are we just spooked and taking the wrong turns?”

Tian Guoqiang cried, “There are only so many forks on this road, how can we keep missing it… Oh, I shouldn't have been so eager for a fast bike ride!” Just as Ma Xiaoyan was growing frantic, the “En-ah” sound echoed again. Tian Guoqiang flinched, letting go of the bicycle, which clattered to the ground with a crash.

“Oh, Yanzi, it’s back!” Ma Xiaoyan was terrified too, instantly wanting to shout for Young Master Liu. But then she thought, he wouldn't hear her out here, and shouting would only scare Tian Guoqiang even more.

“En-ah—” Just as Ma Xiaoyan was filled with panic and fear, the sound drifted through the road again. Tian Guoqiang covered his head and sank to the ground. Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Ma Xiaoyan: “Oh! I’ve heard this sound before! I recognize it!”

Tian Guoqiang scrambled up, his legs shaking like a sieve. “Yanzi… what do you mean?… This… this ghost… you know it?” Ma Xiaoyan spat, “You’re the one who knows this ghost!” She paused, then added, “That’s Wang Sanlian’s voice!”

It turned out Wang Sanlian had worked alongside Ma Xiaoyan in the production brigade. Whenever he was exhausted from labor, he would squat down and moan “en-ah en-ah.” Back then, people mocked him, saying his squatting groan looked exactly like someone struggling to pass stool. He had a ready defense: “If a person isn’t feeling well, humming a bit makes them feel better!”

Tian Guoqiang was so scared he was about to collapse. “What are you saying, Yanzi? This… this Wang Sanlian… you mean he’s dead? Turned into a ghost?” His voice trembled so badly it was barely audible as he spoke. Ma Xiaoyan frowned. “I think it might be his soul crying out, maybe his living soul has left?” Hearing talk of ghosts and souls, Tian Guoqiang regretted coming out tonight, knowing things had been strange in the brigade lately.

As the two stood paralyzed by fear, the sound obligingly came again with a drawn-out “En-ah.” Tian Guoqiang jumped, and then jumped again when he heard Ma Xiaoyan clap her hands. His brain felt numb. He heard Ma Xiaoyan declare, “That’s him!” She paused, thinking hard. “How about we follow the sound?” Tian Guoqiang urgently protested, “Yanzi…” Ma Xiaoyan cut him off, “We can’t turn out of this maze anyway. We might as well follow the sound and see where it leads!”

Tian Guoqiang stared blankly. “What if it leads us to our deaths?” Ma Xiaoyan slapped him. “You’re a man, why are you so afraid of everything? I’m not scared. At worst, I’ll bump into a real ghost, and I want to see what it looks like!”

That slap seemed to snap Tian Guoqiang back to reality. He silently got the cart moving and followed behind Ma Xiaoyan. Strangely, the sound kept echoing ahead of them. After walking for an unknown time, they finally saw another bend. Ma Xiaoyan let out a long breath. Gathering their courage, they pushed the cart around the corner—and there it was, the road they recognized. This path led straight to the Wang family home.

Elated, Ma Xiaoyan quickly said, “Qiangzi, hurry and get back on the bike!” Tian Guoqiang managed a wry smile. “Xiaoyan, my legs are still a bit shaky, and my heart won’t stop pounding. I don’t dare ride anymore…”

Ma Xiaoyan cursed him playfully, “Useless!” Then it struck her: if this truly was Wang Sanlian’s living soul, he might be in serious danger right now. She and Tian Guoqiang quickened their pace toward the Wangs' house.

They arrived at the Wang residence in under ten minutes. Li Hong was frantic, holding a kerosene lamp and peering out the door. Seeing Ma Xiaoyan and Tian Guoqiang, she rushed to meet them. “Oh my, why are you so slow? You have a high-tech thing like a bicycle, why didn’t you ride it?”

Tian Guoqiang finally felt a warmth spread through him upon seeing the lamplight and blurted out, “Oh, Auntie Li, you have no idea, on the road…”

Ma Xiaoyan coughed twice and shot Tian Guoqiang a warning look. Li Hong asked, “What happened on the road?” Tian Guoqiang grunted vaguely, “The bike broke down!”

Li Hong, worried sick about her husband, ushered them inside. Stopping before the room on the left, she said, “He’s in there. Oh, he’s been burning up all day!” As Tian Guoqiang stepped inside, he suddenly heard an “En-ah,” and his scalp tingled. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor. “Oh heavens, that sound is exactly the same as the one on the road!”

Li Hong helped him up. “You students are too coddled. Just walking makes your legs weak, and you insisted on riding a bicycle!”

Ma Xiaoyan went in and was startled to see Wang Sanlian’s face was completely blue-black. She touched his head—it was scalding hot. She wondered aloud, “How can a high fever turn his face blue like this?”

Li Hong broke into a sweat upon hearing that. “Oh, that’s why it’s a strange illness! We called for Mr. Liu, but the Squad Leader wouldn’t let him come…”

Ma Xiaoyan secretly chuckled; the Squad Leader was probably no less trouble than Li Hong herself. She placed the thermometer under Wang Sanlian’s armpit and asked Li Hong, “When did this illness start?” Li Hong blushed. “This morning. He didn’t even go out to work today…”

“What about last night? Was he fine then?”

Seeing Li Hong hesitate, Ma Xiaoyan knew she was holding something back. She said firmly, “I don’t think this illness is minor. If you don’t tell me clearly, I probably won’t be able to treat him!”

Hearing this, Li Hong began pacing frantically. “Oh, that wretched man! I told him not to go out at night, but he wouldn't listen, and now he’s caused this trouble!”

Ma Xiaoyan knew she had hit the mark. “Tell me clearly what happened. How did this start?” Li Hong’s face flushed deeply. “Don’t tell anyone about this, okay? We’ve always been close, and don’t tell Mr. Liu either. We—we made a mistake…”

Ma Xiaoyan grew impatient. “Why are you talking in riddles? Just say it quickly, we aren’t outsiders!”

Li Hong lowered her voice. “He went night-fishing in the Liudang yesterday!”

With that, Ma Xiaoyan understood. Liudang was a large, flowing lake in the brigade, connected by narrow channels at both ends, widening into a large lake in the center. In the middle was a sizable island, nothing but mud and weeds, which nobody ever visited. Every year when fish were distributed, they were caught collectively from this central lake. Normally, you couldn't even fish there, let alone fish at night. Night-fishing meant secretly stealing fish after dark, a serious offense at the time—it was theft of collective property.

Ma Xiaoyan assured her, “Don’t worry, we won’t say a word. A man who’s starving will always try to find a way to eat!” Li Hong sniffled, wiping her eyes with her apron. “He left home around midnight last night, taking a large wooden basin to use as a boat. When the first rooster crowed, I heard him crashing back. I went out to meet him, and his face was white, his eyeballs wouldn’t even roll. Oh, I was so scared I couldn’t speak! He groaned twice, dropped the basin, and the first thing he said was: ‘Oh, I have no face, no face…’” He seemed utterly lost. I asked him what happened, but he just kept repeating, ‘No face, a faceless man!’ After those few sentences, I thought he’d been caught and was terrified. I helped him inside to sleep, thinking if someone came to arrest him tomorrow, I’d just deny everything.

As she spoke, tears streamed down Li Hong’s face. “Who knew that when he slept, he never woke up, and he just kept saying ‘no face, no face’… Oh, is there… is there any cure for this?” Finishing, she squatted down and began to weep softly.

Ma Xiaoyan panicked slightly and rushed to help her sit up, only then remembering the thermometer. She turned back to retrieve it. In that instant, she saw Wang Sanlian staring blankly at her with eyes like dead fish. This sight truly made Ma Xiaoyan break out in a cold sweat.

Then Wang Sanlian moaned twice, mumbling thickly through his mouth, “Oh, no face, no face…”

The story branches here. Let us follow Liu Dashao and Yang Baosan, who walked quickly and soon reached the Yang household. Liu Dashao was very interested in the cat Yang Baosan had mentioned. He told Yang Baosan, “You said your mother’s cat chased away Lin Anxing. That cat might have a strong connection to you. Let’s go see your mother first.”

Yang Baosan was extremely reluctant to visit the dilapidated hut, but since the Yin-Yang Master had spoken, he couldn't refuse. He followed along. Yang Baosan’s dog looked at them once at the doorway, then silently trotted back inside without even barking. Liu Dashao immediately felt something was amiss; if that were the case, whatever was causing trouble in the homestead must be formidable.

The door to the hut wasn't locked. Liu Dashao and Yang Baosan pushed it open easily. Seeing the scene inside, Liu Dashao’s heart ached. The room was pitch black, and in the gloom, he could vaguely make out a ragged bed in the center, the floor covered in scattered, withered straw. The person lying down stirred upon hearing them and slowly sat up. “Who is here to take my life?” The voice belonged to Yang Baosan’s mother, Old Granny Zhang. Granny Zhang was reportedly seventy-three, the oldest person alive in the village.

Liu Dashao looked at the room and truly wondered how the old woman had managed to live so long. Granny Zhang asked again, “Who is it? If you’ve come for my life, come and take it!”

Yang Baosan flushed. “Mr. Liu, please excuse her. She’s just always strange like this!”

Liu Dashao’s nose stung with emotion. He quickly said, “Grandma, it’s me, Dashao! Do you remember? Liu Dashao!” Hearing her son’s voice, Granny Zhang was about to get angry, but then she heard Mr. Liu was also present and brightened. “Oh, Mr. Liu, Mr. Liu! You’re here! Sit, sit!” Saying this, she tried to sit up on the bed. “Oh dear, there’s no chair. You sit on the bed. There’s no lamp, come slowly!”

Liu Dashao turned to Yang Baosan. “Squad Leader, my grandmother has a few more things to say and will probably need a lamp. See if you can fetch one?”

Yang Baosan snorted but couldn’t argue and turned to get the lamp. In the dark, Liu Dashao helped Granny Zhang sit by the edge of the bed, asking, “Grandma, how is your health? Have you finished the medicine Xiaoyan gave you last time?”

Granny Zhang’s voice was hoarse with emotion. “Good, good. I’ve been hoping to die soon. You and Xiaoyan are kind people. Grandma only hopes you two find spouses and have children. Ah, it’s just a pity for Daoist Master Zhang; he didn't live long enough to enjoy family happiness!”

Just as they were speaking, Yang Baosan returned with a lamp. There was nowhere to set it down except a rickety, broken three-legged table. In the lamplight, Liu Dashao saw that the straw bedding was almost entirely gone, and the ragged bedsheet was nearly disintegrated. He sighed. “Grandma, I heard you kept a few cats and dogs. What’s the story there?”

Upon hearing this, tears streamed down Granny Zhang’s face. She said, “Oh, it’s all my fault. I have such bad luck; I’ve harmed all these cats and dogs!”

Yang Baosan grew impatient. “The Master is asking you a question, why are you crying like you’re wronged? Speak properly!”

Liu Dashao quickly intervened. “Grandma, tell us about your cats and dogs. I’ll see what’s going on. Your homestead is experiencing terrible disturbances. For the sake of your two grandsons, please tell us what’s happening!” Granny Zhang wiped her tears and recounted the entire history of the cats and dogs she had kept.

It happened during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year. The brigade distributed some dates, sugar, and glutinous rice to all elders over sixty. The person delivering the goods knew that Yang Baosan was usually unkind to his elderly mother, so he brought the provisions directly to her door. The old woman, who usually starved half the time, was quite happy to receive even this small amount. She put it on the small stove, boiled some red date porridge in a broken pot, and, fearing her son would see, carried it into the hut and shut the door. Just as she was waiting for the porridge to cool, she heard something scratching frantically at the broken door.

Curious, the old woman leaned on a stick and slowly opened the door. What she saw made her jump. Standing at the threshold was a large, calico cat, holding a small gourd ladle in its mouth, looking timidly inside. When Granny Zhang saw the cat begging with a ladle, she paused, thinking she had lived this long and never heard of such a thing.

She squinted her dim old eyes and took in the cat’s appearance, which brought tears to her eyes immediately. The cat was so thin the bones showed, but its belly was so swollen it dragged on the ground. One of its paws was bloody; it was a pregnant mother cat, injured somewhere. Granny Zhang realized the cat, holding a ladle, must possess some spiritual awareness. She was a kind-hearted person who couldn't stand to see any small creature suffer, nor could she stand to see people in torment. Wiping her tears, she placed the small gourd ladle inside the hut and poured a full ladle of the freshly cooked red date porridge into it. The cat was remarkably docile, circling Granny Zhang’s legs once before eating. The cat must have been starving for a long time, as it cleaned the ladle completely. Granny Zhang felt pity and poured a little more porridge. After eating, the cat looked up at Granny Zhang; its eyes were full of tears. This made Granny Zhang’s own eyes well up, and she said to the cat, “Cat, even people have nothing to eat, why are you begging? If you don’t mind living in a thatched hut, stay and keep me company!”

The cat seemed to understand the human words and stayed with Granny Zhang. Her belly grew larger, meaning she would give birth soon. Granny Zhang worried: once the kittens arrived, how could she possibly feed them all? She thought she might have to give them away.