Chapter 168: The Changjing Ghost Market
May 17th was a bright sunny day.
It was the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. With the sun at its peak, the world’s yang energy reached its zenith while the spirits and ghosts grew weaker. Even the most powerful of ghosts dared not venture out during the day.
From early in the morning, the sun shone down directly on the earth, making it feel scorchingly hot even when covered with cloth. It was truly a typical summer day.
The Daoist expressed gratitude to the family from whom they borrowed lodging, while Heroine Wu took out a small handful of copper coins. She offered a few flattering words before the host accepted them.
The little girl beside her, seeing this, felt she too had borrowed a place to stay and didn’t want to be treated differently. Thus, she took out a small handful of copper coins from her own pocket, trying to offer them to the host. The host, being kind-hearted, couldn’t accept the coins again after already taking Heroine Wu’s money. The little girl, imitating Heroine Wu, began to speak in her gentle, soft voice, saying a string of identical flattering words.
The host still refused to accept her coins, leaving the little girl confused. She stared blankly at the host, unable to figure out what was wrong.
It wasn’t until the Daoist spoke up that the host finally accepted the coins. The little girl was instantly filled with joy.
After leaving the village, as they walked along the road, she remained cheerful. She blew on her newly picked horse dung jiaojiao and playfully jumped beside the Daoist, stepping on his shadow.
The ground was still a bit muddy.