Chapter 0011 Horse Eating Neng
I said, "Mr. Fang, you truly only see money. Can't you talk about anything else?"
Frank Fang scoffed, "If I'm not talking about money when doing business, what should I talk about? Don't just look at you; even for my own father, I'd at most give a 10% discount!"
I was utterly defeated, but I also knew that the Five Poisons Oil was not easy to prepare, so I didn't argue. I counted out five 1,000 Baht bills and handed them to him, then put the necklace on. I actually thought the price was worth it. This thing was like a cure-all and a royal decree for me. With it, I wouldn't need any Arjan or Kruba masters. I could tell exactly where there were evil spirits, accurately to the centimeter, making it more effective than a police dog or radar.
Frank Fang counted the money, then held out his hand again. I asked, "Didn't we agree on 5,000 Thai Baht?"
"You forgot the two pieces of advice I gave you last time? Each was 5,000 Thai Baht," Frank Fang chuckled. I was too angry to speak, realizing he hadn't been joking at all.
Seven or eight days later, I returned to Shenyang. After taking care of my personal business, I met Sister Gao at a traditional pork stew restaurant. Sister Gao looked to be in her early forties, tall and robust, even stronger than me. She was energetic, outspoken, loud, and aggressive—a typical Northeast Chinese woman. Sister Gao was very generous, immediately ordering eight dishes and ten bottles of beer. I said we couldn't possibly eat that much and suggested cutting a few dishes. Sister Gao immediately glared at me. "What do you mean? Are you looking down on me, or do you think I can't afford it?"
Since she put it that way, I had no reply. Sister Gao was a heavy drinker and immediately toasted me. My alcohol tolerance was negligible compared to hers. After two bottles, my face was red and my neck was thick, and I refused to drink anymore.
Sister Gao looked at me disdainfully. "A man from the Northeast, and you can't even finish five beers!" I thought, If only I had brought Frank Fang, we'd see who collapses first. I quickly changed the subject and asked her about the amulet.
At my question, Sister Gao angrily pounded her fist on the table, startling me and causing the surrounding diners to look over. She said, "Don't even mention it! I've been married for sixteen years, and that old man has been dissatisfied with me ever since we got married. He says this about me is bad, and that about me is bad. Brother Tien, you judge fairly: My family paid for the house, I earn more than him, so what else does he have to complain about?"
I thought for a moment and asked her, "Is there a flaw or habit of yours that he particularly hates?"
Sister Gao immediately retorted, "None! I don't do anything wrong. All my relatives and friends admire me. He has a pile of bad habits that I don't even complain about, and he dares to pick on me?"
I asked, "What are his bad habits?"
Sister Gao said, "He's very weak-willed, you know? Once, we took my mother to the mall to buy clothes. When we were on the bus, my mother stood in front of a young girl, and the girl saw my mother but wouldn't get up to offer her seat! I scolded her a few times, and the girl actually looked wronged, saying she wasn't feeling well and had just come from the hospital. You see how much these young people lie now? How could it be such a coincidence? I dragged her up, and she actually started crying! The most infuriating thing was that my husband actually said I was wrong! I was so mad, I slapped him."
My mouth fell open. "You... you slapped him just because of that?"
"Yes! A husband who doesn't side with his wife is despicable! Why did I ever marry him?" Sister Gao was still angry, seemingly reliving the scene.
I asked, "Besides that, is there anything else?"
Sister Gao thought for a moment. "There's so much more. Once, I was walking Qiūqiu—"
"Qiūqiu is..." I asked.
Sister Gao impatiently said, "Oh, that's my dog! Don't interrupt me. Qiūqiu peed under a street vendor's cart selling jianbing guozi (Chinese crepes). The old woman selling the crepes actually kicked it! I went right over and smashed her cart. The woman demanded compensation, but I cursed her out! My husband came over again and advised me to compensate her, saying I was wrong! Don't you think there's something wrong with him?"
I was completely speechless. I had a brand new understanding of Sister Gao's personality, and I definitely didn't want to ask her any more questions of this nature. Sister Gao said, "That deadbeat always says I'm unreasonable. Am I unreasonable? Is it wrong to demand someone give up a seat for my own mother? Was it wrong to teach a lesson to someone who kicked my dog?" I quickly assured her she was not wrong.
Sister Gao asked, "What kind of amulet do you recommend? I don't understand them. That deadbeat got angry one day and said he couldn't take it anymore and wanted a divorce. I beat him until his face was swollen and told him that if he ever mentioned it again, I'd cripple him. He stopped bringing it up, but his heart isn't with me, and that's not a solution, is it, Brother Tien?"
I smiled and said, "That makes sense. How about this? I'll ask the masters in Thailand and send you pictures, descriptions, and prices of the amulets within the next couple of days. Right, you want the effective Negative-energy Amulet, right? Those start from 5,000 RMB, and some go up to 10,000 RMB." Sister Gao thought about it and said it had better not exceed 5,000 RMB.
After the meal, as we were settling the bill, Sister Gao suddenly remembered something and asked somewhat sheepishly, "Oh, right, there's one thing I wanted to ask. That deadbeat always sleeps with his back to me and hasn't touched me for two months. Can this change?"
I laughed internally and casually said, "You're an old married couple. A little less intimacy is fine."
Sister Gao glared at me. "How can that be fine? Let me tell you, little brother, haven't you heard that women are like wolves at thirty and tigers at forty? I'm forty-five, I'm a tiger! You have to find a way to make him touch me more!" I nodded repeatedly.
After paying the bill, at least four of the eight dishes on the table were virtually untouched. Seeing the waste, I asked the waiter for takeout boxes. Sister Gao was displeased. "What are you packing up? We Northeast people need to have some boldness! Don't be so embarrassing, alright? I hate people who pack up leftovers after eating. Are you that poor? Do you have to take leftovers home, or your family won't eat?"
If I thought I could beat her, I would have punched her after hearing that. After saying goodbye to Sister Gao, I thought that any normal man, let alone her husband, would want a divorce from a woman like her. I called Frank Fang and told him about the situation. Frank Fang said he was at an Arjan's house commissioning amulets and that a batch of the powerful "Horse Eating Neng" Negative-energy Amulets had just come out. Each cost 5,000 Thai Baht, and he would sell them for 10,000. I thought that was a great deal, a net profit of 3,000 RMB—what a perfect job! I asked him to send me pictures and the effects of the amulet.
About ten minutes later, a multimedia message arrived. The photo showed an oval amulet made of gray mud. The pattern on it was a horse with a woman under its belly, connected by a thick object, and some deep red liquid dots were visible in the center. The accompanying text read: "Arjan Guang's newest consecrated Horse Eating Neng Negative-energy Amulet. Powerful marital harmony and anti-infidelity. 10,000 Thai Baht. Shipment upon payment."
I texted Frank Fang asking what "Horse Eating Neng" meant and what the image represented. He didn't reply for a long time; he was probably drinking or womanizing. Back at home, I had to search online and actually found the meaning of "Horse Eating Neng." It turns out these three words are a transliteration of a Khmer term, referring to a form of ancient Cambodian torture used to punish married women who had cheated on their husbands. The woman would be tied beneath the belly of a stallion, and the stallion would be given a large dose of animal aphrodisiacs. The stallion, in its frenzy, would copulate with the woman until the poor woman died.
I shivered, unable to understand how an Arjan master could link such a cruel form of torture with an anti-infidelity amulet. I truthfully forwarded the photo to Sister Gao. She didn't understand it but directly told me she wanted to pay cash for goods in hand. I told her it could only be shipped upon payment. Sister Gao said, "What if you take my money and don't deliver the goods? Do you think I'm stupid?"
I smiled. "This line of work relies on referrals and reputation. Besides, the Thai master will only give me the amulet once he sees the money. His goods are in high demand. You decide. If you don't trust me, find someone else."
That night, Sister Gao texted me agreeing to pay first but insisted on paying in person and getting a receipt, which I agreed to. The next day, Sister Gao handed me 5,000 RMB. I immediately wired 2,000 RMB to Frank Fang using an instant transfer service.
About six or seven days later, the goods arrived. This time, I met Sister Gao at her home while her husband was at work. I saw a framed photo of Sister Gao and her husband on the table. Her husband was thin, a bit shorter than her, and looked quite gentle. When I opened the package in front of her and handed her the amulet, Sister Gao asked curiously what the red color on the amulet was. I told her it was a woman's menstrual blood. Sister Gao was disgusted. "What the hell? That's revolting!" I said that Thai Negative-energy Amulets are like this—the materials are Yin objects, which makes them effective. I gave her the accompanying paper, which contained the Katha (mantra) and chanting instructions personally written by the Arjan master. I explained the rules and told her to wear it often and that she didn't need to remove it when she and her husband were intimate.