Daomu Biji: A Thousand Faces

Ah Tou looked a little lost, but she grabbed onto Liang Yanyan and retreated into the darkness.

Liang Yanyan noticed that she started heading back towards her house and asked, "You dare to go back?"

"You were right. There’s no point in calming down at a distance,” Ah Tou said. “Running away works on some occasions, but not with this matter.”

She had seen a lot of chicken soup for the soul (1) on the internet, which all seemed to be very reasonable. But today, she suddenly understood why those online principles were useless—they were all trying to use a single method to solve all the situations in the world, which was impossible. When it came to figuring out whether it was better to avoid something or face it head on, it was actually more important to distinguish when to avoid or face it. 

Liang Yanyan was silent as the two supported each other and returned to the house. Ah Tou put Liang Yanyan on the sofa and looked at the second floor, but there was nothing there. The room was very dark since the light had gone out, but there was a light coming in from the neighbor’s window.

Liang Yanyan took off her clothes and pulled out the phone she had stuck under the sofa cushion. The call was unexpectedly still going on.

She used the screen light to illuminate her ribs and found that a part of her ribs was sunken in. 

If she received any more damage there, the rib would puncture her lung. She looked around and pulled out the leftover tin foil. After tearing off a few pieces from the cardboard box Ah Tou handed to her, she used the tin foil to wrap it around her wound.

"Do you usually have cramps?" Liang Yanyan asked Ah Tou. 

Ah Tou paused for a moment, "Uh, yeah."

"Where are the painkillers?"

"I usually just put up with it and it gets better in a couple of days. A friend bought me painkillers before, but I didn't take them much because they say they’re not good for you. They’re probably all expired."

"Where are they?”

Ah Tou had no choice but to go to the bathroom and search through the vanity cabinet, eventually finding some, “They’re really expired.” 

Liang Yanyan grabbed them, took three pills out of the blister pack, and immediately swallowed them.

"I'll tell you a story," Liang Yanyan said as she looked at her. "I’ve died once before, so I have my own way of dealing with this kind of thing. Usually, I can handle things like this with some technical skills, but I'm afraid they won’t work this time. You have to help me."

Ah Tou nodded, "No problem."

"I need to ask you some questions first." Liang Yanyan looked at Ah Tou. "In your life, have you ever done anything that went against your conscience?”

Ah Tou was stunned for a moment. She didn’t understand what that had to do with fighting the ghost, but she didn’t want to make trouble. Assuming the answer would be useful, she thought for a bit and then nodded, "I think as long as we’re humans, we’ll do something that goes against our conscience."

"If you had the opportunity, would you make up for what you did?"

Ah Tou looked into Liang Yanyan's eyes.

"You have to tell the truth," Liang Yanyan said.

"I wouldn’t,” Ah Tou said.

“Why not?”

"If you did something that went against your conscience, then you must’ve benefited from it. If the benefit you received at the time didn’t belong to you, then there’s no way to make up for it even if you can go back in time. Such a guilty deed has already been done and can’t be changed. We shouldn't try to atone for it."

"That's what you really think."

"Is it useful for you to fight the ghost?”

Liang Yanyan looked into Ah Tou's eyes and touched her face.

"I’ll enter a state of suspended animation in just a moment. When the time comes, I won’t be able to control my attitude towards you. But I do know one thing: my attitude will be influenced by what you’ve just told me and the attitude you’ve just presented to me. Remember, the person that you will see soon isn’t actually me. If you think I pose any danger to you, just leave me and run away."

Ah Tou didn’t understand.

"You have to take full responsibility for what you’ve just said," Liang Yanyan said as she turned on the bathroom faucet. She filled the sink, wet a towel, and laid back on the sofa with the towel covering her face.

Since the wet towel was adhering tightly to her face, Liang Yanyan quickly had trouble breathing and blue veins began to appear on her neck. But she didn’t move at all.

****

TN Notes:

(1) “Chicken soup for the soul” is feel-good motivational stories (often used disparagingly because the stories don’t really effect change in people’s lives)