Capítulo 2: Chapter 2 Fatal Mistake_1
Qian Yixiu had just floated towards the direction of the Netherworld Path when she was stopped by two people with big heads and small bodies, tethered to the other end of the rope lock. These two, one had the head of a bull and the other the head of a horse.
They were the legendary figures, Bull Head and Horse Face.
"You can't go to the Netherworld Path," Bull Head told Qian Yixiu, "your allotted time in the living world hasn't run out, you don't have the necessary guide for the road there."
"Ah, one needs a guide to go to the Netherworld Path?" Qian Xiu asked, utterly surprised.
Horse Face said, "Of course, did you think just any ghost could travel on the Netherworld Path? If that were the case, why would there still be talk of lost souls and wandering ghosts? It was supposed to be that kid who died, and the guide was for him, yet you sought death willingly. Since you look so different from him, Black Deictic and Brother Ma, who are impartial and fair, wouldn't let you pass through."
Qian Yixiu said, "If the child was the one meant to die, and even his guide to the Netherworld was ready, why did you hook my soul instead?"
Feeling ashamed, Bull Head said, "It's our fault for drinking a few too many last night, our hand slipped, and we hooked the wrong one."
Horse Face gave Bull Head a fierce stare and muttered under his breath, "You had to spill the beans again, you really are a pig. No wonder I've been a government official for thousands of years without a promotion, with a foolish partner like you, even ten thousand more years would see us stuck at the bottom."
Qian Yixiu was furious. It turned out her life wasn't supposed to end yet, but because they drank too much, she had become a victim of their error. What was even more infuriating was that they wouldn't admit their mistake. Her voice rose uncontrollably, "You made a mistake, and you think you can just muddle through this? No, I must go to Black and White Deictic and argue my case. It's your negligence, your disregard for human life, that caused my untimely death. The error is yours, I refuse to believe they won't provide me with a guide."
Snorting dismissively, Horse Face replied, "I advise you to calm down, keep causing trouble and you'll offend me, then I'll make you a lost soul and wandering ghost for life."
Qian Yixiu was scared, for when under someone else's roof, one must bow their head. Her attitude immediately softened, and she pleaded in a low voice, "Master Ma, Sir Bull, please do me a favor and get me a guide. I don't want to become a lost soul and wandering ghost."
Bull Head, embarrassed, said, "What can we do, without a guide you can't go to the Netherworld Path, and if you can't go there, you can't be reincarnated, which indeed would make you a lost soul and wandering ghost..." then turning to Horse Face, he said, "This is our fault, brother; we can't just leave her soul drifting forever. Let's go and plead with Old Bai to show mercy and let her off the hook. Old Bai is reasonable; he'll definitely help out."
Horse Face's face grew even longer, and he glared at Bull Head while scorning, "You think that just because Old Bai always has a smile on his face, he is easier to talk to than Black Deictic? You're such a pig! No, pigs are more cultured than you. You've suffered losses from him for thousands of years and still haven't learned. Going to beg him again... Old Bai is a smiling tiger; he's all sweet-talk in front of us, but the moment our backs are turned, he'll go snitch to Black."
Bull Head, not taking offense, simply replied, "Brother Ma is overthinking this; Old Bai isn't like that."
Horse Face burst out, "Helping the very one who sells you out to count their money, you ox! Just this month we got our bonuses docked and faced criticism. Who do you think snitched on us?"
Bull Head was about to respond when Qian Yixiu interjected, "Leave those matters for later, you can fight about that another time. Think of a way to let me get reincarnated now."
Horse Face frowned and said, "What's the rush, I'm working on a solution, aren't I?" He pulled out a booklet from his chest, flipped through it, and said, "Hmm, here's a young child who is fated to die young, and they look very similar to that kid who was supposed to die. This guide might work. Since your life is not meant to end, continue living as another identity. You're supposed to live until the age of eighty-eight; we'll come for your soul then."
Am I going to cross over? Qian Yixiu was overjoyed.
With his usual naivety, Bull Head said, "Brother Ma, crossing over should be handled by the cross-over deities, right? It wouldn't be right for us to take their job, would it?"
Impatiently, Horse Face said, "Idiot, we'll just invite him out for a round of drinks another day."
Horse Face asked Bull Head to continue fetching those whose time was up. Meanwhile, he led Qian Yixiu towards a dark void.
They passed through one black hole after another and finally arrived in a world where the sky was clear and bright. It was night-time, with countless stars embedded in the deep blue sky, and a full round moon hung diagonally in the air. Moonlight, like water, poured down, clothing everything in a layer of serene glow.
Qian Yixiu had only seen such a beautiful night scene when she was in elementary school. Even after returning to the countryside later, she never saw such a deep and bright night sky again.
They floated above the edge of a mountain, looking down at a village nestled against it. A small river flowed from the distance and wound its way further into the distance. The water shimmered under the moonlight, encircling the village like a jade belt.
On the village paths, occasionally one or two people hurried past, all dressed in ancient clothing.
It seemed that this place must be ancient times, or what people call a parallel space.
They descended and entered a courtyard at the edge of the village. The small yard was completely visible under the moonlight, with earthen walls and houses also constructed of yellow mud, their roofs thatched with straw. It was much poorer than her childhood home, which at least had tiled roofs—this house must belong to a family in extreme poverty.
Directly opposite the main gate were four thatched houses, to the left were three houses already somewhat dilapidated, and to the right were two small side rooms. Under the eaves were placed hoes, shovels, baskets, and other farming tools.
A jujube tree full of small green dates stood to the left of the yard, and to the right was a small peach tree. The peach tree bore fist-sized fruits, sparsely hung, green with hints of red that looked so sour they could make one's teeth tingle.
From one of the thatched house's windows where a light shone, the sounds of a woman crying could be heard.
Then, a young man's consoling voice followed, "Mother, don't be sad. Perhaps I'll make something of myself in the military, and if I secure an official position, then father, mother, and sister can live a good life."
The woman sobbed, "Weapons do not have eyes, and whether you'll even return alive is uncertain, let alone hope for you to become an official. It truly is like it's raining even harder on our leaky house, our family is already struggling, and yet you still have to join the military."
A man's voice, weak as if hanging by a thread, said, "Ah, I'm to blame for all this. If I had died earlier, our family might have had it easier."
The woman cried, "What are you saying, Husband? Our home only feels like a home because you're alive."
Qian Yixiu floated outside the window and saw four people inside the house. A middle-aged man lay on the bed, his face pale and cheeks sunken, covered with a blanket even in the summer heat—clearly a man gravely ill. There was also a walking stick leaning against the bed head, suggesting that the man was not only in poor health but also lame. A woman in her early thirties sat crying by the bedside, beside her stood a boy about fifteen or sixteen years old, and a girl of about five sat at the edge of the bed.
On seeing that she had to transmigrate into such a family, the excitement Qian Yixiu had felt immediately plummeted. Preferable to machinations and power struggles, she would rather rely on modern knowledge to farm or do business, but ending up in such a destitute family was too hard.
She then begged, "Master Ma, look at this family—sick and weak, and the only able-bodied one has to go to war. In ancient times, going to war meant almost certain death; he is likely not to return. Could you possibly find me a better family? I don't ask for wealth or great fortune, just one where everyone is healthy."
After all, you need a healthy body to start a revolution.
........................
Thank you to Ni Yun for the reward, thank you to "Not strong but still pretending to be" for the peace charm, thank you to f2238 for the reward, and thank you to all the dear readers for your comments.
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