Fengdu City, a place full of mysteries, whenever it is mentioned, people will always think of the eerie eighteen layers of hell and the ghostly ghost town of Xudu. Although the eighteenth layer of hell is only the imagination of the ancients, the ghost city of Xudu, this real place, is indeed awe-inspiring. It is located in Chongqing and is also known as Fengdu and Bazibedu. Although the ghost town of Fengdu today does not have much to be frightening except for the man-made ghost model, the past history is not like this.
This story was told by a friend surnamed Jiang, and we all affectionately called him **. It is a personal experience of his grandfather. The family has been in business for generations, dating back to his grandparents' generation. Grandpa named Jiang Beiwang, born in the late Qing Dynasty, grew up in **. The place where he lives is only a step away from Fengdu City. In that era, the reputation of the ghost town of Fengdu was far and wide, especially the temple fair held during the Chinese New Year every year, which was even more lively. And Jiangbeiwang embarked on the road of doing business at that time.
Jiang Beiwang mastered many crafts when he was young, such as candy blowers, dough kneaders, etc., all of which were at his fingertips. In his spare time, he would go out to set up a stall, and later earned the first pot of gold in his life with these crafts, opened a shop, and the business became bigger and bigger, and the scope of involvement became wider and wider. In addition to being good at business, he also has another amazing skill that has earned him the nickname "Living Bad" by many. The origin of this title is inseparable from what happened to Jiang Beiwang when he was twenty-three years old.
At the end of that year, Fengdu City ushered in a grand temple fair as promised, and people walked out of their homes and flocked to the streets to celebrate the festival. However, there is a widespread saying about the temple fair in Fengdu: the temple fair must end after five o'clock in the evening, and everyone must go home, otherwise after five o'clock, it is not necessarily people who wander the streets. Although this had some superstitious overtones, Jiang Beiwang did not take it to heart at that time.
On this day, he went out early, came to Fengdu City, occupied an excellent position, and began to blow the sugar man. Because of his fairness and craftsmanship, and because people are in a happy mood and willing to spend money for their children during the Chinese New Year, his business is particularly prosperous. As five p.m. approached, there was still a steady stream of customers waiting in line to buy candy men. In order to make more money, Jiang Beiwang decided to delay the stall. Seeing this, the stall owners next to them comforted: "Young man, this is a ghost town, hurry up and go home, this year, money can be earned at any time, and life is more important!" Jiang Beiwang always responded with a smile after hearing this: "Soon, quickly, leave after blowing this last one!" ”
However, at the last moment just before five o'clock, the streets that had been bustling with activity instantly became empty, the sun quickly set, and the sky grew dark. Seeing this, Jiang Beiwang began to pack his things and prepare to leave, but he was a step late and had already missed five o'clock. At this moment, a low voice suddenly sounded in my ears: "Boss, a candy man!" Jiang Beiwang looked up and found that a stranger had appeared in front of his stall at some point.
The man was wearing a long robe and had a pale face, but his cheeks were smeared with bright red rouge, and he looked particularly strange. It is naturally difficult for business people to refuse customers' requests, but Jiang Beiwang also keeps an eye on it. He learned a trick from a merchant in the same village to spot ghosts: use grains to ward off evil spirits. So, he took out a bowl with a pinch of whole grains in it, placed it in front of the stall, and told the guests to throw the money into the bowl after blowing the candy man.
Jiang Beiwang began to blow the candy man, and at the same time noticed that many figures suddenly appeared on the originally empty street. And the person in front of him stared at him directly, as if there was something special. Jiang Beiwang felt a little hairy in his heart, and the skill of the candy man was also made one after another, and finally he finally blew a sugar man. After the man took the candy man, he took a large ocean from his bosom and threw it into the bowl with the whole grains. Hearing a crisp sound, Jiang Beiwang looked down and saw that the ocean had turned into a stone after falling into the bowl.
He was startled and realized that he might have encountered a ghost. Thinking of the merchant's advice, he didn't dare to act rashly, cold sweat flowed, and the clothes behind him were already soaked. But strangely, the ghost did not leave after dropping the money, but still stared at him motionless. Jiang Beiwang didn't dare to speak, nor did he dare to look up, he could only silently pack his things and prepare to leave.
At this moment, the man suddenly laughed and said, "You are very good, come and help!" Hearing this, Jiang Beiwang was stunned for a moment, and was about to ask, but his eyes were dark, and he passed out directly. When he woke up again, it was already three days later. The family told him that it was a merchant in Fengdu, who found him and sent him home, and when he returned home, he burned for three days, but the fever could not go away, but on the fourth day, he suddenly recovered and woke up.
Jiang Beiwang remembered what happened before he fell unconscious, but he was still confused, and he didn't dare to tell his family. However, that night, as soon as he fell asleep, a person's voice suddenly came from his ear: "Jiangbei look, Jiangbei look, come over!" Jiang Beiwang subconsciously agreed, but the voice gradually faded away and disappeared into the darkness. Since then, Jiang Beiwang's fate has changed dramatically, and he is no longer just an ordinary trader, but is involved in a world full of mystery and danger.