Chapter 49: Telling Old Tales Under the Tree
Ten years ago, there was a massive flood in the Liujiang River. The stone bridge over the river was broken in the middle, but actually it wasn't the flood that caused it. Someone passing by on the day saw a very long black shadow in the water, likely a walking dragon[1], which broke the bridge. Unfortunately, the creature didn't succeed in its transformation into a dragon and remained in the river, causing havoc and eating many people a few years ago.
There was a family in Luojiawan outside the city that was poor and couldn't afford a coffin or a burial plot when a family member died last year. The body was kept in the main hall and absorbed human qi. It didn’t smell even after a long time. Its nails and hair grew longer and longer. In the end, the frightened villagers pooled money to buy a plot and buried the body hastily.
That very night there was a thunderstorm. The body actually crawled out of the earth, leaving traces all the way from the grave to the village entrance. Luckily, it crawled slowly and dawn broke just when it reached the village entrance.
It was said that the unmarked common graves outside the city often saw ghostly activity…
Of course, the old man's stories weren't all true. Some were fabricated, either by others or himself. Some were things he'd heard in his youth or even as a child, that he had remembered until now, and passed on to the next generation.
Some were things he had actually seen. These stories, not always particularly interesting and often very short, had the advantage of being close to home, many taking place just outside the city, in the city, or even on the next street.
Other adults sometimes joined in, adding details and enhancing the sense of reality. They either claimed to have seen or heard similar things or made a show of earnestly explaining the reasons for these supernatural occurrences based on their imaginations or what they had heard, of course using mystical and strange terms and reasoning.
Many true ghost legends come from such origins, passed down through generations, with even falsehoods becoming truths.
At least, the children believed them without question. They listened with wide eyes, both scared and excited, unable to tear themselves away. Some children, wanting to appear brave, would either make small talk or move around to pretend they weren't bothered. Or they would ask their peers if they were afraid. Any hesitation from the other party would give them comfort, allowing them to laugh and tease in order to diminish their own fear, so that they could embrace this kind of addictive thrill.