Volume 1, Chapter 53: Going Up the Mountain to Hunt

Having finished our lukewarm meal, Master Ma prepared some double-bang firecrackers and flash bombs, just in case a tiger really did come down the mountain so we could use the firecrackers to scare it away.

I figured Master Ma was certain in his heart that no tiger would descend, otherwise he would have at least bothered to prepare a hunting rifle.

In the evening, Brother Dayong came into Master Ma’s and my room, saying he wanted to sleep with the two of us so that if any unexpected situation arose, we could look out for one another.

Master Ma nervously shut the door and said, "There is something I am about to tell you that you might not believe. Tonight, your truly will put on a show for you, and whatever happens afterward, you can make your own judgment."

Brother Dayong smiled honestly and said, "Master Ma, what kind of talk is that?"

Master Ma said with utmost seriousness, "You’ve been working away from home for years now. How much money have you saved?"

Brother Dayong felt a bit embarrassed. He scratched his head and said, "Between working odd jobs and farming, I've got fifty or sixty thousand yuan at home. How much do you need? I have ten thousand yuan in a current account."

"I am not asking to borrow money from you. Just listen to me, and I can pretty much save your life."

Brother Dayong was somewhat bewildered. He couldn't understand what Master Ma was driving at at all.

I understood even less. What Master Ma was saying could only be described as a complete mismatch, completely off topic.

Master Ma said, "I bet you that beast is definitely coming tonight."

Master Ma’s sudden declaration left Brother Dayong completely at a loss for how to respond. One moment he was asking about money, and the next he was talking about a tiger.

I didn't even know what to say.

"In a little while, past nine o'clock, after everyone else has gone to sleep, we'll get down to business."

"Master, what are we going to do?"

"Just follow my arrangements."

The lights in our room were turned off early. The three grown men lay on the brick kang, staring at each other with wide eyes.

After lying there for over an hour, Master Ma called for us to get up.

Master Ma certainly had his ways. Instead of staying in the warm room, he insisted on climbing up onto the roof.

However, I liked this idea. The house was quite tall, so a tiger shouldn't be able to get up there.

We quietly propped a ladder against the back of the house, hauled cornstalks up to the roof, and hastily built a small makeshift shed. We even wired up a lightbulb, though we didn't turn it on yet.

There was no wind at night, and it was damn cold. The three of us sat on the rooftop, our jaws chattering uncontrollably from the freezing temperature.

Still worried, Brother Dayong lowered his voice and said, "Master Ma, what if the tiger really comes? My wife is still down there."

"Don't worry, it'll be fine."

I muttered to myself, of course it's fine, it's not your wife down there.

The night sky over the mountain village was brilliant, the sporadic flashes from a couple of exploding firecrackers serving as the finishing touch. The air was thick with the rich atmosphere of the upcoming New Year, and I couldn't help yearning for my first New Year's Eve spent away from home.

By past eleven o'clock, even the sound of firecrackers had faded, and the entire village plunged into silence and darkness.

By this point, my legs had gone completely numb, and in my heart I still couldn't figure out what Master Ma was up to.

Master Ma asked in a low whisper, "Xuzhu, do you understand what this is all about?"

I shook my head.

Master Ma asked again, "What are we doing right now?"

"Catching a proxy ghost."

Master Ma gave me a solid thump on the head without the slightest hesitation and scolded, "If it weren't almost New Year and I weren't in such a rush, I'd make you suffer for a couple of days just to teach you a lesson."

Right at that moment, an earth-shattering tiger roar rang out from directly beneath the window.

Brother Dayong panicked instantly, trying to stand up and rush down to protect his wife.

Master Ma pressed him down firmly with a heavy hand and whispered, "Don't move. Let's see what happens."

We cautiously crawled to the edge of the eaves and looked down. My scalp instantly went numb: a majestic, patterned fierce tiger was pacing back and forth in the courtyard, the white steam exhaling from its nostrils looking utterly terrifying.

By this time, my wits were completely scattered. The fierce tiger paced back and forth in the courtyard, its occasional roars chilling to the bone.

Wait, something felt a bit off.

Master Ma gritted his teeth and said, "Turn on the light."

The moment Brother Dayong flipped the switch, a two-hundred-watt lightbulb illuminated the courtyard as bright as day.

The tiger froze for a split second, then sprang up with a sudden bound and bolted away on two legs.

It was a human.

A human wearing a tiger skin.

Master Ma gave the word, and we quickly scrambled down to the ground. A tiger skin was left behind in the courtyard. I reached out and touched it; it felt prickly and surprisingly like real tiger fur.

And motherfucker, there was a pocket sewn inside the tiger skin containing a portable cassette player, which was continuously replaying the recorded roars of a tiger.

Brother Dayong went and knocked on the door to explain the situation outside.

Upon entering the house, the sisters Meiyun and Meiling, along with their mother-in-law, were all there. Only Dayong's father-in-law was missing.

I understood now. I finally understood completely.

Everyone looked toward Master Ma. Master Ma lit a cigarette and took a few fierce drags.

Meiyun asked, "Mom, where is dad?"

Meiyun's mother stammered, "He must have gone to the outhouse."

Brother Dayong seemed to have figured it out as well. He pulled his wife Meiyun behind him and asked solemnly, "Mom, what is this supposed to mean? Is dad playing ghosts to scare people?"

"What are you talking about?" Meiyun was the first to take offense.

Just then, Meiyun's father returned. He glanced at us with cold eyes and demanded harshly, "Why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night? What are you up to?"

Brother Dayong asked, "Dad, where did you go?"

"To the outhouse. What about it?"

Master Ma sighed and said, "Old brother, for the sake of some money, you ruined three lives. Was it worth it?"

Meiyun's father let out a cold snort and snapped impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense with me. If you want to stay here, stay; if you don't want to live here, get the hell out."

Without a moment's hesitation, Brother Dayong pulled out his phone and said, "Then let's take this to the authorities."

At that moment, Meiyun's mother let out a wail, dropped straight to her knees before Brother Dayong, and began pleading for mercy in a torrent of tears and murmurs.

Meiyun still didn't understand what was going on and kept asking questions left and right. Since it was family business, it wasn't appropriate for Master Ma and me to interfere. Seeing us remain silent, Brother Dayong angrily blurted out, "Our dad! The tiger was played by our dad!"

"Ah? What the hell?"

Meiling was equally stunned. She couldn't believe this was true and pressed further, "Dad, what is going on?"

Meiyun's mother broke down completely, sobbing as she explained that Meiyun's father had grown deeply envious seeing everyone else in the village getting rich, and had consequently devised a scheme to make quick money.

He had spent all day pondering how to get rich quick, but lacking any other skills, Meiyun's father had set his sights on the wealthy family of his younger daughter, Meiling.

When Meiyun's mother choked up and couldn't make herself clear, Meiyun's father grew angry and simply confessed to the whole thing.

As it turned out, Meiyun's father was indeed a man of high intelligence. Coveting his younger daughter's family fortune, he had hatched a venomous plot.

When the first snow had fallen, Meiyun's father had sought out Sun Peng, saying he wanted to make a fox-fur coat for Meiling. Suspecting nothing, Sun Peng had brought along his own father, and the three of them had gone hunting in the mountains whenever they had free time.

They actually managed to bag a few foxes, all of which Meiyun's father had taken away.

Sun Peng had been quite pleased with himself, thinking his wife would be able to wear a fox-fur coat before the New Year—it would be an absolute surprise.

But Meiyun's father harbored malicious intentions. He had secretly gone back up the mountain and sprinkled pig's blood all over the areas where he and the father-son duo usually went hunting.