Street Stories: A True Account of a Group of Blind Men in the Underworld

As soon as Lin Hai spoke, Qiao Yang immediately realized that he had gotten himself into big trouble.

If this inn doesn't let you stay, the other villagers certainly won't let you stay either; if you walk at night in this freezing weather, once you get lost, you could freeze to death in the ravine.

Even more critically, the tigers and wolves in the mountains are nocturnal animals. Although he had some martial arts training and Lin Hai was quite strong, he was completely blind. In the pitch-black wilderness, fighting for his life against ferocious beasts would likely be a losing proposition.

Thinking of this, Qiao Yang didn't dare to delay for a moment. He quickly turned around, put on a big smile, and spoke in an extremely gentle and humble voice towards the shopkeeper:

"Shopkeeper, please calm down and don't take it to heart! My brother here is straightforward and loves to joke around; he doesn't always speak without thinking. He absolutely didn't mean to offend you!"

As he spoke, he bowed slightly, demonstrating impeccable manners.

"It is a great fate that we met here in these deep mountains today. In the future, when we come to Xinglong County again, we will definitely come here only to make a lasting friendship."

The shopkeeper spat and pointed his pipe at Lin Hai: "You can stay here, but he—can't!"

The word "no" was pronounced heavily and forcefully, like a nail being driven into wood.

Qiao Yang's smile remained unchanged, but his heart was burning with anxiety. He could sense the shopkeeper's stubbornness—

This old man is the kind of person who is very stubborn. The more you try to persuade him, the more obstinate he becomes. But if you don't try to persuade him, he'll have to spend the night in the wilderness.

"Look at what you're saying! We're inseparable, we eat from the same pot, we walk the same road, how can we be separated?"

Qiao Yang took half a step forward, his tone carrying a hint of pleading:

"Sir, if you find us noisy, we'll sleep quietly and won't cause any trouble. You can still pay the rent, whatever you want."

The old lady rubbed her hands together, hesitant to speak, and secretly tugged at the old man's sleeve.

The shopkeeper shook off his wife's hand and stared at her in silence for a long time. The firewood in the stove crackled and popped, casting flickering light and shadow on the wrinkles on his face.

He looked Qiao Yang up and down: Although this young man was blind, he was quick-witted in his speech and actions, neither humble nor arrogant, and did not seem like an annoying person.

"snort!"

The shopkeeper finally spoke in a rough voice, though it was still harsh, the hostility had lessened considerably:

"Alright, alright, I'll let you stay for your sake. But let me make this clear beforehand: don't tell fortunes in the shop, don't cause trouble, and leave first thing tomorrow morning!"

Qiao Yang quickly thanked her, then turned and pulled Lin Hai along with the old lady into the inner room. His palms were sweaty; the struggle he had just gone through felt more tiring than performing a set of boxing moves.

Lin Hai remained silent, his face alternating between pale and flushed, knowing that his words had caused trouble. If Qiao Yang hadn't smoothed things over in time, the two of them would likely be in grave danger tonight.

Qiao Yang and Lin Hai went into the inner room. The hot kang (heated brick bed) dispelled some of the chill from their bodies. Before long, two bowls of steaming millet rice, a dish of salty and crisp pickled vegetables, and a pot of cabbage soup with oil floating on top were served.

Before the two had even put down their chopsticks, a commotion arose outside.

Immediately afterwards, a group of villagers pushed and shoved their way into the house, crowding the kang (a heated brick bed) and the floor, with the sounds of adults talking and children playing mingling together.

"I heard two storytellers have arrived?" a gruff-voiced man shouted. "Tell us a lively story! It's so cold and stuffy at night, this will help relieve the boredom!"

Lin Hai was still upset about being scolded by the shopkeeper earlier. He leaned against the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) without saying a word, his face gloomy.

Qiao Yang knew that this remote mountain village was isolated, and if they didn't surrender tonight, trouble would inevitably arise. They were blind to the fact that they were living under someone else's roof.

He then burst into laughter, his voice loud and clear, radiating boundless energy:

"Since the villagers don't mind that we're not good with words, I'll tell you a story from 'The Legend of Ji Gong,' just to warm you up and relieve your boredom!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qiao Yang began to speak, his voice loud and clear, with distinct intonation and clear pronunciation.

Even though he was blind, his expression still changed with the plot. With a raised hand and a falling gesture, one could almost see Ji Gong's madness as he entered the world, laughing and scolding people. He vividly told the stories of the common people and the demon-slaying, making people feel as if they were there.

When the story reached a particularly dramatic and wonderful point, everyone held their breath, and the entire room fell silent; when it reached a humorous point, everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere was extremely lively.

The storytelling went on until the wee hours of the morning. The villagers reluctantly dispersed only after the shopkeeper urged them to go home and sleep, praising the blind man's narration as even more captivating than seeing it with their own eyes.

Qiao Yang then learned from the villagers' casual conversation that the family's surname was Chen, the old man was the shopkeeper, who was hot-tempered but kind-hearted, and the old woman was gentle, honest and kind.

The next morning, before Qiao Yanglinhai even got out of bed, he was awakened by the rich aroma of millet.

Feeling sorry for the two blind people who were always out working, Aunt Chen secretly steamed two pounds of millet rice and specially stir-fried a plate of fresh cabbage, as a token of her heartfelt concern.

After the two had eaten and drunk their fill, they prepared to depart. Qiao Yang bowed in farewell to Manager Chen.

"Uncle Chen, we've troubled you greatly. We'll take our leave now, and we'll definitely come to visit you again another day!"

Manager Chen still had that gruff, rough manner, but he couldn't hide his enthusiasm:

"Don't call me 'sir'! When you're traveling, three generations are considered inferior, but young and old are all brothers! You think highly of me, so next time you come to Xinglong, feel free to stay at my place!"

Qiao Yang felt a warmth in his heart, knowing that although Manager Chen had a bad temper, he was a genuinely straightforward and kind person.

Later, whenever the two passed through this area, they indeed stopped at Chen's shop every time. Aunt Chen always took good care of them, providing them with fragrant and hot meals, a warm kang (heated brick bed), and a quiet room, treating them like family.

After leaving Chenjiadian, the two spent the night at a farmer's house in a mountain gully. The next day, they trudged through the thick snow and finally arrived at their godparents' house.

As soon as I entered, the old lady greeted me loudly, her voice full of joy:

"Oh, you're finally back!"

As she spoke, she held Qiao Yang's hand tightly, asking him about the hardships of their journey. She then quickly brought over hot water, urging the two of them to warm themselves by the fire and dispel the chill.

Upon hearing that the two fortune tellers had returned, the villagers flocked to their door, some asking about their own fates, others seeking divination for their children's futures. Qiao Yang and Lin Hai were so busy that they didn't even have time to drink water or relieve themselves.

Fortunately, the old lady had made it clear beforehand that no one was allowed to tell fortunes for free, so the two of them made quite a bit of money that day, which was a small success.

The next morning, after having breakfast, Qiao Yanglinhai decided to head back to his hometown.

But the old lady refused to let him go, clinging tightly to Qiao Yang's arm, her tone stubborn and reluctant:

"Just one more day! Just one more day! My daughter and I haven't had enough time to chat. If you leave now, who knows when we'll see each other again!"

Qiao Yang felt bad. They had already troubled them for several days, and their in-laws had covered all their food and supplies. How could he possibly trouble them any further? He insisted on leaving, but when he turned around to look for Ma Gan, he found that Ma Gan was gone.

"Where's my horse pole? Where did it go?"

Qiao Yang's voice suddenly became urgent, a sense of unease immediately washing over him. Without Ma Gan, the two of them, being blind, would be unable to move an inch...