UGB Chapter 66 A Poor, Elderly, and Beautiful Wife
Chapter 66 A Poor, Elderly, and Beautiful Wife
After the matter in Xu County was concluded, Song Quyou's residence became lively.
However, no one came to see him; they all wanted to meet Su Tang.
After all, given this young lady's family background, it's always a good idea to cultivate a good relationship with her.
Su Tang had been somewhat annoyed by the disturbances these past few days, but she still managed to see everyone she was supposed to see.
This made Song Quyou, who was drawing talismans next to her, truly re-evaluate her senior sister. She always appeared polite and well-mannered despite seeing so many people every day.
Just then, two old men came in from outside, carrying two bright red sea fish. They were so nervous that they tripped over the threshold of the courtyard.
"Excuse me, is this Master Song's home?"
Song Quyou, who was folding paper cranes, got up, walked down the steps, and bowed, saying:
"Gentlemen, my surname is Song. What brings you here?"
The two old men, wearing straw hats and thin, wrinkled clothes, looked at Song Quyou, who was dressed as a Taoist priest, and then exchanged glances. They were somewhat awkward and pushed each other, not knowing who would speak first.
Song Quyou remained calm and stood quietly to the side.
Finally, one of the old men spoke up:
"Master Song, we were originally fishermen by the sea, and now we are forty-nine years old. We have been without wives and children for most of our lives. A few days ago, we met a woman who did not mind my old age and poverty and married me."
Not long after the marriage, my wife's younger sister came to live with us and married my brother, so the family was happy.
But fate had other plans; our wives were both beautiful, and they were snatched away by a vicious demon.
Song Quyou frowned almost imperceptibly, his gaze sweeping over the rough, dark hands of the two old men. The cracked fingernails and thick calluses were etched with the indelible marks of fishing net lines.
Taking advantage of a lull in their conversation, Song Quyou led the two old men to the stone table in the courtyard and began to speak:
"Please speak slowly, how did that Yaksha kidnap people?"
The old man's eyes reddened, and he choked up as he said:
"Just five nights ago, when my brothers and I returned from hauling in our nets at sea, we saw a dark, seven-foot-tall thing squatting on our roof. It was holding an iron fork, had a blue face and fangs, and was covered in blue scales."
It held one of them under each arm, trapping my wife and younger sister under its arms, so they couldn't even scream.
His voice trembled as he spoke, and after wiping away his tears, he continued:
"We grabbed our harpoons and charged, but with a single wave of its hand, a thick, black, stench hit us, and we fell to the ground. When we got up, both we and the thing were gone."
Song Quyou did not respond immediately, but instead turned his gaze back to the two red-scaled sea fish with their gills strung with straw rope.
The fish's eyes were slightly cloudy, its gills were dark, and its scales were slightly dry. Judging from the time, it had indeed rushed here from the seaside.
"The Taoist priest can distinguish between good and evil, and will help both humans and demons."
Therefore, after hearing that the Taoist priest had helped the demon monkey of Naxu County to correct its nature, we rushed over.
As they were talking, Su Tang's door was suddenly pushed open, and a woman in brocade robes came out.
She wore a polite smile, spoke gently, and was impeccably courteous. Before leaving, the woman held her hand affectionately, like a close sister.
Only after seeing the woman out of the courtyard did Su Tang turn around, her smile fading slightly. She rubbed her temples, clearly looking tired.
Song Quyou pondered for a moment, then asked, "Did that yaksha leave any traces?"
The two old men exchanged a glance, as if they had thought of something.
"The Taoist priest left a trace. After that yaksha left on the roof, the roof was covered with foul-smelling black water, and the straw on the roof was rotten by the black water in less than half a day."
Upon hearing this, Song Quyou frowned. "Gentlemen, is the black water still there?"
"Keep it, keep it."
The old man nodded quickly and said, "We didn't dare to move it, so we used a broken earthenware pot to catch the rotting grass."
Song Quyou nodded, took out two yellow talismans from his bosom, and handed them to the two old men, saying, "Old men, if you encounter that Yaksha again, you can take out these yellow talismans, which will surely deter the monster from approaching."
Furthermore, I need to prepare some things before I can subdue that Yaksha. As for the black water at home, I'll deal with it when I arrive tomorrow.
The two old men thanked them profusely, carefully tucked the yellow talisman into their pockets, left their address, and also left the two red-scaled sea fish behind.
Song Quyou could not refuse, so he had to accept the gift. He escorted the two slightly hunched old men to the courtyard gate and watched them disappear at the end of the stone path.
Turning back to the courtyard, Su Tang was leaning against the door, holding a teacup in her hand, her gaze fixed on the two sea fish.
With a slight twitch of his brow, he said, "This fish is a red snapper that only grows among the nearshore reefs. It's not easy to catch, and those two old men must have put in a lot of effort."
Song Quyou carried the fish into the kitchen, washed his hands, wiped them on his clothes, sat on the stone steps, and began to fold the paper cranes he had set aside earlier, saying as he folded:
"An elderly man, poor, and with a beautiful wife—you, junior brother, don't believe such a good thing."
Su Tang took a sip of her tea and continued, "You think those two old men were lying?"
Song Quyou shook his head: "It's not necessarily a lie, it's just that there's something I'm hiding."
"Junior brother, has something come to mind?"
"In the scriptures, the records about Yakshas are inconsistent. Some say they are fierce, while others say they are kind. But what is certain is that male Yakshas are ugly and menacing, while female Yakshas are graceful and charming."
It was rather strange that the demon went to the two fishermen's house but did not kill anyone or destroy the house; it only kidnapped the two men's wives.
As for those two old men, they sought me out because I distinguish between good and evil, and I would help both humans and demons. After hearing this, it was hard for me not to think of their wives as evil spirits.
"You mean, the wives of those two old men might be demons?"
Song Quyou did not answer. He folded the paper crane's wings, examined it in his palm for a moment, and then said:
"Two impoverished fishermen, nearing fifty, who had lived most of their lives without wives or children, suddenly found themselves married, and coincidentally, the wives were sisters."
I can't figure out what those two women are after. I'll have to see them and ask them myself.
After folding the last paper crane, Song Quyou stacked the cranes neatly, tucked them into his sleeve, went back inside to get his long sword, and then went to the backyard to pat the mountain scrambled bird that was leisurely dozing.
Shan Gao's plump belly bulged, his body bounced, and his small, beady eyes looked at Song Quyou with a dazed expression.
"A silent type?"
"Let's go for a walk."
Shan Gao yawned, shook his head, and followed Song Quyou in a daze.
Back in the front yard, Su Tang asked again:
"Didn't you say you'd go tomorrow?"
"This matter is suspicious. I plan to go and scout it out first. After all, the two old men are meeting me for the first time and are unlikely to tell me everything. I need to find out what's going on first."
……
Song Quyou took the gypsum and went out the door. He wasn't in a hurry and walked slowly along the bluestone alley.
Shan Gao followed behind, grumbling and complaining, "A walk? Would a silent fellow be so kind as to take me for a walk? Or is he going to drag me into some chore?"
"Taking you to the beach, isn't that just a stroll?"
The mountain squeaked, its four short hooves following reluctantly behind, its tail wagging wildly as it muttered:
"A sullen, taciturn person."
……
The two old men lived further east of Tangfang, closer to the sea.
As we approached our destination, the salty, fishy smell in the air grew stronger. It was the smell of mud, dead shellfish, and dried seaweed mixed together on the mudflats. People who don't often live near water wouldn't like this fishy smell.
Song Quyou stood outside the two old men's house, not going in, but just standing there, looking at the very special house structure.
The two houses were nestled in a sheltered spot in the valley, gray and bare of any roof tiles. One of the houses had a section of its roof collapsed, and the straw around the edges was rotten and black.
Judging by its shape, it looks like it was splashed on.
I strolled around for a while.
What Song Quyou couldn't understand was that although there were few people in the vicinity, each household was pretty much the same.
But in each courtyard, there was a place with straw laid flat, supposedly for storing firewood, but it wasn't piled up high like the kind of firewood people usually store.
It's as if they're trying to cover something up.
Song Quyou said to the mountain caltrop beside him, "You have a sharp nose, can you smell any evil spirits?"
The sago shook its ears, twitched its nose a few times, and sniffed the air hard.
"The surrounding area smells of fish and mud, but I can't smell anything else."
Song Quyou's brows twitched slightly as he walked along the gravel path to the courtyard of the nearest house.
I strolled slowly along the courtyard wall of that house.
The scrambled pig followed behind, its snout pressed against the ground, grunting:
"There's a strong fishy smell under the straw."
Song Quyou squatted down and carefully examined the flattened straw, which was covered with fine fish scales. There were footprints, handprints, and traces of water flow around it.
Just as Song Quyou was about to reach out and uncover the straw, he was filled with doubt.
But then a thunderous shout rang out: "Hey! What are you doing here, you thief? Sneaking around like this doesn't seem like a good person."
Feeling guilty and inexperienced, Song Quyou heard someone shout and rushed forward, leaving a trail of shadows behind him.
The mountain gypsum, which had been sniffing around, quietly watched the fierce man with the harpoon rushing towards them in the distance.
Seeing that the phytoestrails hadn't moved, Song Quyou hurriedly turned around and shouted, "Run! What are you standing there for?"
Realizing what was happening, the mountain scorpion immediately took flight and disappeared into the wilderness.
Song Quyou ran two miles in a flash, followed by Shan Gao, whose four short legs swung wildly behind him, grumbling in dissatisfaction:
"Silent type! Is this what you call taking a stroll?"
A man and a pig squatted behind the rocks, panting. The scrambled pig pawed at the ground with its hooves and said angrily:
"You run fast enough to leave a pig like me behind, is that something a human would do?"
Song Quyou straightened the folds in his Taoist robe, his expression unchanged: "Your four legs aren't slow."
Also, what did you smell by that straw?
Shan Gao recalled, "It was a strong fishy smell, nothing else."
Song Quyou glanced at the warm sun gradually setting in the west, let out a long sigh, and said, "Let's go take another look tonight."
……
After resting enough behind the rocks, Song Quyou led Shan Gao for a stroll along the beach.
Although the mountain worm was a strange beast, it also had the nature of a pig. When it arrived at the beach, it kept rooting around in the sand with its snout, looking for some plump razor clams.
Song Quyou stood quietly to the side, watching the sea and waiting for nightfall.
Shan Gao, having gathered some sand, came to Song Quyou's side and said, "Here's the gourd for you."
Song Quyou looked down at Shan Gao, his eyebrows slightly raised.
I took a crystal-clear bead from its mouth. It was as lustrous as a pearl, but even more translucent. I didn't know what it was.
Song Quyou picked up the bead between his fingers, sniffed it, and smelled nothing but the smell of the sea.
After eating its fill, the mountain scrambled eggs began picking up trash, happily placing each object it unearthed next to Song Quyou.
Before long, a small mountain of miscellaneous items appeared beside Song Quyou.
Song Quyou didn't care about it and was happy to have some peace and quiet.
Until the things Shan Gao picked up became increasingly strange, starting with various seashells and ending with a small handful of silver.
The mountain caltrop was still digging diligently when it picked up another piece of silver and threw it at his feet, humming, "This beach is very fertile. Dig a little longer, and you'll have enough fish and meat to eat every day."
Song Quyou picked up the loose silver in front of him, cradling his face covered in sand, and said, "One piece of loose silver is one thing, but this is over thirty taels of loose silver. Where did you get it from?"
Shan Gao pouted and said, "Inside those tattered clothes."
Song Quyou looked at the large pit not far away, walked over, and saw a tattered piece of clothing, wrinkled and full of torn holes.
What's even stranger is that these clothes aren't made of expensive silks, unlike clothes that would cost over thirty taels of silver.
Song Quyou squatted down and pulled the tattered clothes out of the sandpit completely.
His clothes were made of coarse linen with loose stitches and frayed cuffs, typical of an ordinary fisherman's attire.
But there was a hidden pocket sewn inside the collar, bulging with more than thirty taels of silver that had been bulging out of the mountain yam, and two translucent beads stuffed inside.
This is unusual.
……
The sky gradually darkened, and the crescent moon slowly climbed higher.
Song Quyou patted Shan Gao's round head and said:
"Let's go, let's get down to business."
Shan Gao yawned, still chewing on half a razor clam shell, and mumbled:
"In the middle of the night, instead of sleeping, you insist on being a thief. You Taoist priest are truly unique."
……
Back in that mountain valley, the few families living there had already turned off their lights.
Song Quyou slowly approached, only to hear the sound of rushing water and the suppressed moans often heard in such places.
Song Quyou pressed down on the mountain calf's back, signaling it to be quiet.
The man and the pig huddled along the mountainside, circled around to the low slope beside the house, and looked down from above.
Under the moonlight, in the courtyard of that family, the straw was lifted to reveal a stone-built pool more than ten feet wide.
The water shimmered and sparkled under the moonlight.
Two figures, a man and a woman, were lying by the pool, stirring the water with a loud splashing sound.
Song Quyou had excellent eyesight; he squinted slightly and made out the woman's appearance.
With delicate eyebrows and slender eyes, her fair skin made her seem unlike a fisherwoman who spent her days exposed to the sea breeze.
Half of her body was submerged in the water, her long, black hair floating on the surface like a clump of scattered seaweed. Her arms were wrapped around the man's neck, and she was breathing heavily.
The man was a fisherman, his dark arms embracing the fair-skinned woman.
Tender, splashing water.
The cheeky mountain scrambled teeth chuckled softly:
"Hehe...! I thought that taciturn guy had something important to do, but it turns out he just peeks at other people having sex."
Song Quyou withdrew his gaze and looked at the cheeky Shan Gao beside him. Although he spoke sarcastically, his beady eyes couldn't bear to look away for even a second.
As it watched, a silly smile involuntarily crept onto its lips.
Song Quyou reached out and pressed Shan Gao's head down, whispering:
"Don't make a sound, look at that woman."
Shan Gao snorted in dissatisfaction, then peeked out again, following Song Quyou's gaze to take a closer look.
Under the clear moonlight, the woman's figure in the pool appeared tender and alluring, accentuated by the shimmering water.
Upon closer inspection, her lower body, submerged in the water, faintly shimmered with a fine layer of scales. Her two legs were not distinct, but rather appeared to be joined together, swaying gently with the ripples.
"They are mermaids."