Lao Duozi

Clatter, clatter... Creak, clack, clack... A metallic scraping sound approached rapidly. Zhang Laifu wanted to run, but it was already too late. He wanted to hide the hat, but there was no time for that either. Through the crack in the door, he could vaguely make out a figure outside. An old man with pure white hair and beard arrived before the doors of the ancestral shrine. The old man looked to be in his seventies, his face deeply wrinkled and devoid of expression. His eyes were entirely pitch-black, without any whites, save for a pinpoint of red in the pupils. Though his skin had no color to it, every vein stood out with sharp clarity, like worms writhing, contracting, and pulsing beneath the surface. He pushed open the door, entered the ancestral shrine, and stepped behind Zhang Laifu, letting out a low, raspy exhale. "Huuuh!" The old man thought Zhang Laifu would turn around, but Zhang Laifu stood motionless. With his back turned, Zhang Laifu murmured in admiration, "What a fine thing!" "Huuuh!" The old man exhaled once more. "Take a look, isn't it a fine thing?" Zhang Laifu turned around holding the hat, presenting it to the old man. Caught off guard by the sudden question, the old man seemed momentarily awkward. After a brief silence, he spoke: "What fine thing are you talking about?" Zhang Laifu handed the bowler hat over. "This is a fine thing." The old man took the hat and felt over it for a long while, but didn't seem to find anything special about it. Zhang Laifu had a clay knife hidden in his right sleeve. He had originally intended to stab him while the other man was examining the hat. Yet the old man's gaze remained locked firmly onto Zhang Laifu, giving him no opening to strike. His hands continued to feel over the hat, but he never cast a single glance down at it. Could he be blind? If he was blind, that would make things even easier. Just as Zhang Laifu was thinking about taking the gamble, he saw the old man bring the hat to his ear and tap it twice, listening intently to the sound. Thump! Thump! "Ah! A fine thing! Truly a rare treasure—this is a fine bowl!" The old man's eyes lit up, which made Zhang Laifu think he wasn't blind after all. Perhaps realizing he had lost his composure, the old man held the hat up in front of his face. A moment later, he slowly lowered it. Color had returned to his skin. The pulsing veins were gone. The pitch-black whites of his eyes had turned white again, and his pupils were black once more. Watching the old man's face transform, Zhang Laifu's palms broke into a cold sweat. Wearing a kindly smile, the old man asked, "Young lad, what brings you to a place like this?" Zhang Laifu answered truthfully, "I'm here to watch the Lin family's manor." "Watch over this broken-down wreck? Is there anything left here to steal?" While speaking, the old man kept his eyes fixed on Zhang Laifu, yet his ear remained pressed tightly against the hat. Zhang Laifu said, "I'm just trying to earn a living. Ten silver dollars a month to look after the place." "Silly child!" The old man chuckled. "With such a wonderful bowl in your hands, why would you care about ten silver dollars?" Zhang Laifu smiled along with him. "Senior, how should I address you?" The old man smiled. "They call me Lao Duozi. I used to pilot boats for the Lin family. The old master and I were sworn brothers. "Back when Old Lin first bought this property, the two of us would often drink and gamble here. There was always a guest room reserved for me in this manor year-round, and Old Lin even specially assigned several maidservants and older maids to look after me. "In the blink of an eye, all these years have passed. Such a fine manor has gone to ruin, and who knows where Old Lin has gone. Only this lonely old man is left, coming back to look around whenever I have nothing else to do." He spoke with such melancholy that Zhang Laifu sighed along with him. Lao Duozi waved his hand. "No need to dwell on old memories. Little brother, what is your name?" Before Zhang Laifu could speak, Lao Duozi added a warning: "Little brother, the thing I hate most in this life is being lied to. Anyone who ever lied to me ended up in the Canghan River feeding the fishes. "My ears are exceptionally sharp. The moment you lie, I can hear it. So you'd best tell me the truth." Zhang Laifu did indeed tell the truth: "My name is Zhang Laifu—Lai as in coming, and Fu as in good fortune!" "Say it again?" "Zhang Laifu, the Fu of good fortune!" Lao Duozi listened closely for a moment. The voice was solid and steady; it was indeed the truth. "That's a good name. You're an honest child, and a fortunate one at that. "Now tell me, where did this bowl come from?" Zhang Laifu answered truthfully, "I dug it out of a willow tree." Lao Duozi found that strange. "How could a hat be dug out of a willow tree?" Zhang Laifu said, "There was a hollow in the tree, covered by a piece of bark. I pulled the bark off and found this hat inside." Hearing this, Lao Duozi's smile vanished instantly. "Laifu, don't talk in circles with me. Did you steal this bowl, or did you rob someone of it?" Zhang Laifu shook his head. "I didn't steal it, and I didn't rob anyone!" Lao Duozi pressed further, "If not stolen and not robbed, did you just pick it up? You really didn't know beforehand that such a bowl was inside that willow tree?" Zhang Laifu answered cleanly and decisively, "I really had no idea." Every single word fell into Lao Duozi's ears. The pitch and timbre were pure, without the slightest falsehood. Lao Duozi nodded slightly. "Laifu, your fortune has truly arrived. Do you know how to use this bowl?" "No, I don't," Zhang Laifu answered honestly. "A good bowl needs good soil. As for what kind of soil it takes, I'll help you figure that out. Can you trust me?" Lao Duozi asked, holding the bowler hat. His fingers clutched the hat tightly. "Of course I trust you. It's my good fortune that a senior like you is willing to help me. It's getting late, Senior, so I'll be heading to bed." Zhang Laifu left the ancestral shrine. "Go on to sleep, then." Lao Duozi remained standing quietly in the shrine, the hat still pressed against his ear. Zhang Laifu stepped out of the central courtyard and circled around to the west wing-courtyard, intending to slip out of the manor from there. Just as he reached the wing-courtyard gate and pushed it open, Lao Duozi was standing right outside. "Laifu, it's late. Go to sleep." How did this old man get here? How did he know I was trying to leave? "I'm just going out to take a piss. I'll go right to sleep once I'm done." That was definitely not the truth. Zhang Laifu didn't need to piss at all right now. He tightened his grip on the knife in his sleeve. "Laifu, go to sleep. Hurry up and sleep." Lao Duozi didn't seem to discern whether those words were true or false. "I'm really just going out to take a piss..." "Hurry up and sleep, it's getting late." Lao Duozi repeated the exact same phrase over and over. Helpless, Zhang Laifu closed the gate, returned inside the wing-courtyard, found an empty room, and lay down. What now? He couldn't get out. He could only hope He Shengjun would come tomorrow, and figure something out then. The next morning at daybreak, Zhang Laifu opened his eyes to find Lao Duozi standing right beside his bed. "Senior, up so early?" Zhang Laifu greeted him. "I haven't even washed my face yet. How about I come find you in a bit..." Lao Duozi cut him off: "Laifu, you're awake." Zhang Laifu was already sitting up; apparently, the old man really was blind. "Laifu, you truly are blessed with great fortune." "Is that so?" Zhang Laifu shivered, thinking the old monster was about to make a move. Lao Duozi produced the bowler hat. "I pondered it all night, and I finally know what kind of soil this bowl needs." Zhang Laifu nodded repeatedly. "That's wonderful! You go right ahead and prepare the soil, and plant whatever you'd like..." Lao Duozi cut him off once more: "Laifu, go into town and buy some top-quality tobacco leaf. Have it shredded and blended, and bring it back to me." "You're sending me to town?" Zhang Laifu stared blankly. Could there really be such a good thing? Lao Duozi drew two silver dollars from his robe and handed them to Zhang Laifu. "Make sure it's good tobacco leaf. Don't try to skimp, and don't get greedy with my money. This is your bowl, after all; I'm doing this to help you." Zhang Laifu reached out, and the two silver dollars dropped from Lao Duozi's hand into his. Taking the money, Zhang Laifu turned to leave, but Lao Duozi spoke up behind him: "Laifu, go and return quickly. You'd better listen to me—I'm doing this for your own good. "If you aren't back before dark, something terrible will happen, and you'll be the one to suffer for it."