Chapter 0004 The Boy in the Wedding Dress
Mrs. Li said, "Xiaoyong likes playing outside with a few Thai kids, and he often brings back things he picks up. Could that be the problem?" I asked her to bring me everything Xiaoyong had picked up so we could eliminate possibilities. If the problem wasn't there, we'd consider other options.
After a while, Mrs. Li returned from the bedroom with a pile of objects and placed them on the table. I couldn't help but laugh. "What are these things? Small stones, plastic balls, paper scraps, used lighters... What's this red cloth bundle?" I reached out, picked up a small red cloth package, and unfolded it. Inside was a pendant on a chain. The pendant was oval, made of baked clay, about the size of a matchbox. Embedded in it were several peculiar items: small white plastic beads, an iron nail, a tiny piece of white gauze, and a small bell.
I flipped it over to look at the front. Embedded there was a black and white photo. Although slightly worn, I could still make out a young, pretty woman wearing a white veil. But she wasn't smiling; she looked troubled.
"What is this thing?" Old Li and his wife leaned in to look.
Old Li said, "It looks like a necklace with a woman's photo. Maybe it belongs to her husband?"
Mrs. Li agreed, "Must be. Husbands put their wives' pictures in a necklace and wear it every day. I heard foreigners like to do that."
I asked, "Was this necklace wrapped in that red cloth when Xiaoyong picked it up?"
Old Li nodded. "Yeah, I remember asking Xiaoyong where he got it. He said he was playing by the road and found a red cloth bundle containing this necklace. He thought it was fun, wore it around his neck, and came home. I felt uneasy because the woman in the photo wasn't smiling, so I took it off, wrapped it back up in the red cloth, and put it in a drawer. It's been there ever since. You don't think this thing is causing the trouble, do you?"
I didn't know what it was either. I pulled out my cousin's high-end phone, took photos of the front and back of the pendant, and sent them to Frank Fang via MMS. Less than ten minutes later, Frank Fang called back. His tongue was even thicker, meaning he'd had plenty to drink. I asked if he saw the photos. Frank Fang slurred loudly, "No time to look... look at any photos. You... you need to talk more with the little boy. Try to pump him for info, find out where the root of the problem... problem came from. If there's a Yin Spirit, it usually only comes out... comes out in the middle of the night..."
"Yin Spirit? What's a Yin Spirit?" I quickly asked, but Frank Fang stopped speaking. Thunderous snoring came through the receiver. It was deafening—he had clearly passed out drunk, but the call was still connected. I had no choice but to hang up and call my cousin to report. My cousin said, "Well, you'll have to put in the hours tonight and find out more about Old Li's son. Old Li and I go way back. We worked in the same commune during the Cultural Revolution. I was only seventeen then and always starving. He helped me out with food several times. He's doing it tough now. If you can help, charge him less or nothing at all. I'll cover your loss."
Since my cousin put it that way, I couldn't refuse. I told Old Li, "I'm going to have a chat with Xiaoyong. Here's the plan, Mr. Li. You and your wife will have a tough night. Let your wife rough it on the couch in the living room, and you sleep on the outer edge of the bed in the bedroom with me. I need to monitor Xiaoyong's condition and communicate with him tonight."
Old Li and his wife were very moved and nodded repeatedly. Old Li asked humbly, "Please put in extra effort for my Xiaoyong. Also, I heard from your cousin, Boss Wu, that there are people in Thailand who specialize in this kind of business—exorcising evil and curing spiritual diseases—but the fees aren't cheap. I don't mean anything by it, but I just want to ask, if he can be cured, how much will it cost..."
I told him not to worry about the money for now, and that we'd talk price after I assessed the situation.
That night, I was cautious. I didn't sleep in the bed with Old Li. Instead, I sat on a bamboo chair, which was hard and uncomfortable, making my neck ache. I had to slide down to lie flat in the chair. I had Old Li sleep on the edge of the bed. I removed the gag from Xiaoyong's mouth. Old Li said, "The boy usually acts up after 9 PM, and it's worst around midnight."
"Untie the restraints," I said. "We're two grown men, there's nothing to fear. Just lock the door, and make sure there are no weapons in the room."
Old Li did as he was told. Xiaoyong was sobbing, his face drenched in tears. I said, "Xiaoyong, don't be afraid. Uncle will chat with you tonight, okay? But you have to promise not to be naughty." Xiaoyong kept nodding, tears welling in his eyes.
The night deepened. Old Li, Xiaoyong, and I slowly drifted off to sleep. The chair was hard, and I was very uncomfortable. I was starting to doze off when I vaguely felt someone moving around the room. I half-opened my eyes and saw a short person in white standing in front of me. I tried to sit up, but my body was lying too low in the chair, and my lower back had no strength. I couldn't manage to push myself up. A voice sounded in my ear. It was a woman's voice: "Why? Why today?"
She repeated this line dozens of times. I tried to use my hands to push myself up into a sitting position, but my whole body felt paralyzed, as if anesthetized. The short woman in white slowly moved behind me. I couldn't see her, and I couldn't hear any footsteps, which terrified me even more, but my limbs wouldn't obey. A voice came from behind me: "Why did you bring me here? Are you willing to help me or not?"
The voice repeated this a few times. I wanted to turn my head, but my neck wouldn't move an inch. I was terrified and frustrated, unable to understand why my body was so out of control. Was this the legendary sleep paralysis?
Then, the short woman in white suddenly leaned her head over my shoulder from behind. That's when I saw clearly that this person was Xiaoyong! He was wearing a white veil on his head and a white wedding dress. His eyes stared straight at me. Imagine a six or seven-year-old boy dressed in an adult woman's wedding gown—the sight was utterly grotesque. My face and Xiaoyong's were inches apart. My breathing was rapid, yet Xiaoyong's breathing was steady, as if he were asleep. But his mouth was moving, emitting the woman's voice: "Take me back quickly! I want my husband! I don't want to be here!"
I had never experienced anything like this! My heart nearly leaped out of my chest. My eyes were wide, and I was gasping for air, but I couldn't move. Xiaoyong repeated the phrase several times. After perhaps less than ten minutes, he slowly moved back in front of me, paused briefly, then slowly climbed onto the bed and lay down where he was supposed to be sleeping. Only then did I realize that only Old Li was sleeping soundly in the bed; Xiaoyong was gone.
A while later, I was violently jolted awake. My body could move again! I immediately used my hands to push myself up, my face drenched in cold sweat. I calmed myself down and walked to the bedside. Old Li was deep in sleep. Xiaoyong was lying flat inside, perfectly still, but his eyes were wide open, staring at the ceiling.
I was startled, thinking Xiaoyong was dead in his sleep, and quickly went over to check. Xiaoyong's eyes suddenly shifted and focused on my face. I stumbled back, crying out. The noise woke Old Li. He sat up and asked, "Wh-What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing. Just check on Xiaoyong," I stammered, still shaken.
Old Li turned on the light. Xiaoyong's eyes were closed, and he was breathing rhythmically, seemingly sound asleep. Old Li said, "The kid was very quiet tonight. No trouble at all. That's a relief." My heart was still racing, and the cold sweat on my face hadn't dried. I didn't dare stay in the bedroom anymore, so I made an excuse to sleep in the living room and let Mrs. Li go into the room. Sitting in the chair, I didn't dare turn off the living room light, barely making it through the rest of the night leaning against the wall.
The next morning, I woke up before 5 AM. By 6 AM, Mrs. Li had made breakfast. My head was pounding. I said, "Black magic must be treated with black magic, but right now, I can't confirm that Xiaoyong has an evil affliction. I need to investigate from different angles to be sure. You stay home and wait for my news." Old Li and his wife nodded repeatedly.
Breakfast was simple: rice porridge and a small dish of pickles. To accommodate me, Mrs. Li had specially stir-fried an extra dish of lettuce. It seemed Old Li was cutting back on living expenses as much as possible to save money. Xiaoyong sat across from me, eating. I stole glances at him. The boy showed no abnormalities and seemed completely unaware of what had happened last night. But every time I remembered his grotesque figure draped in the white veil, I got the chills.
I drove away from the poor district. That simple meal had left a bad taste in my mouth, so I found a Tom Yum Kung restaurant for another meal. I had just ordered my food when Frank Fang called. The moment I answered, he yelled loudly, "Where did you find that amulet? Listen up: get away from it fast! Don't you dare touch it with your hands!"