Chapter 0024 The Woman Wearing Sunglasses at Midnight
I said, "This is a normal phenomenon. The Guman Thong containing a spirit, and the incense, have the same effect; they can influence people in various ways. You need to seize the opportunity to promote amulets to customers. If a customer seems very interested, recommend the more expensive ones to them."
Sun Xicai finally found the trick. In less than ten days, he sold five or six amulets, ranging from a few hundred to three or four thousand RMB. He was particularly happy and invited me to the shop for a drink that evening, genuinely asking for knowledge about Thai amulets and Guman Thong. I told them some typical, sinister case stories, which made Wang Jiao and Sun Xicai stick out their tongues, their faces displaying a mixture of belief and doubt. Wang Jiao said, "If Negative-energy Amulets are that powerful, then get one for Xicai and me to attract financial luck! That way, we won't have to watch the shop or go to work. How great would that be!"
I knew she would say that and quickly refused. "Amulets carry risks. I've said that Negative-energy Amulets cannot be handled lightly. A person's wealth is limited in a lifetime. If you insist on getting rich quickly, you will definitely have to give up something that belongs to you, perhaps health, perhaps longevity." These words temporarily scared them off.
A week later, Wang Jiao called me. I found this strange, as usually Sun Xicai would take the lead in everything, fearing I might seduce his girlfriend. Why the change this time? Wang Jiao said on the phone that she had something important to tell me and wanted me to visit the shop. When I arrived at the amulet shop, Wang Jiao closed the door first and nervously said, "Brother, Xicai and I... we want to take a few days off. We have some business back home in Xinmin."
"What is it? Do you need my help?" I asked.
Wang Jiao said, "No, no. Could you keep an eye on the shop for a few days?"
I agreed, but seeing Sun Xicai's shifty eyes and strange expression, I immediately became suspicious, knowing the two of them were hiding something. Under my questioning, Wang Jiao revealed the truth, her face full of fear. "Brother, your amulet shop has a ghost!"
I was surprised. "What? The shop has a ghost? What do you mean?"
Wang Jiao said, "There's a very strange female customer who comes to the shop every day but never buys anything. And after she leaves, I notice that the fruits, snacks, and drinks offered to the Guman Thong decrease. Isn't that spooky?"
"Is she a thief?" I asked.
Sun Xicai stood up. "Impossible. The shop is so small. I can see her every move clearly. Besides, sometimes things aren't missing but damaged. For example, half the drink is gone, a banana is cut in half, and fresh apples rot quickly, like they've been sitting for half a month."
That was truly odd. I asked what the woman looked like. Wang Jiao said, "About thirty years old, dressed very plainly, and she comes to the shop around twelve o'clock every day. She doesn't buy anything, just looks around for a bit and leaves. She doesn't answer when we talk to her. I was afraid she was mentally ill, and if I asked too much, she might have an episode and hit or curse someone, so I stopped asking. Your amulets in this shop must be attracting ghosts. Anyway, I'm not watching this shop anymore!"
After hearing their account, I did find it very strange. I agreed to let them take a few days off to go back to Xinmin, and I decided to personally watch the shop starting tomorrow to find out who this woman was.
The next morning, I arrived at the shop early. I first filled the cup in front of the Guman Thong with Coca-Cola, replaced the offerings with fresh apples and bananas, and recited the incantation twice. Then, I sat down and read the ledger. There were no customers all morning. Near noon, a customer came in with an amulet, saying he accidentally dropped it and cracked the casing, asking if I could repair it. I asked for the customer's name, checked the sales record, and it clearly stated that this amulet had been sold to him for 1,000 RMB half a month ago. I asked the customer to leave the amulet, telling him it needed to be sent to Thailand for the temple monks to repair personally, but I would charge 500 RMB for shipping, and he could pick it up in ten days. Alternatively, it could be simply fixed with glue, but that might affect its efficacy.
The customer thought about it and reluctantly pulled out 500 RMB for me. I chuckled inwardly, thinking I had made an extra 500 RMB. Just then, the customer complained, "I spent 1,500 RMB to get the amulet, and now I have to pay 500 RMB to fix the casing. This thing is really expensive!"
I was stunned and quickly asked him how much he had paid. The customer said, "1,500 RMB, isn't that right?" I repeatedly confirmed it, saying he got a bargain and that I wouldn't sell it for 3,000 RMB if Thai amulets weren't still relatively uncommon. After writing a receipt, the customer left, and I was furious. So Sun Xicai padded the bill and skimmed 500 RMB off me for selling an amulet! I pulled out my phone, about to call him, when the shop door opened, and a young woman walked in.
The woman was about thirty years old, with fine, fair skin. She wore very large sunglasses that covered almost half her face. She had a good figure, wearing a silk blouse and tight, cropped denim pants that highlighted her curves.
She looked at me and walked around the shop a few times. I checked my watch. It was exactly twelve noon. Could this be the woman Wang Jiao mentioned? I said to her, "Feel free to look around. Authentic Thai amulets. Your wishes will be answered. Would you like to buy one?"
The woman ignored me. After walking around for a few minutes, she seemed not to have found what she was looking for and slowly walked out of the amulet shop. I stood at the door, watching her disappear around the street corner through the glass. When I turned around, I was stunned. The cup of Coca-Cola placed in front of the Guman Thong's table was only half full, even though I had poured it full that morning. One banana was also missing; I clearly remembered putting down five. What was going on?
That night, I set up a table and played mahjong with a few classmates in the shop. I was on a winning streak, so we played a few extra rounds and didn't break up until five or six in the morning. I first bought some things from the fruit shop across the street and replaced the offerings in front of the Guman Thong. Twelve noon had passed long ago, but the woman hadn't come. I was a bit disappointed. Around five in the evening, I intended to close the shop early, but a wave of drowsiness suddenly washed over me. I sat down and actually fell asleep.
I don't know how long passed, but I was awakened by a chill. Looking outside, it was completely dark and raining, with the faint sound of thunder in the distance. I checked my watch. It was 11:30 PM. I had slept for over six hours. Standing at the door, the entire street was dark except for the light in my shop; no other business was open. A gust of wind blew in, making me shiver a few times. I decided it was too late to go home and would just sleep in the back room. As I was about to pack up and close the door, I saw a figure with an umbrella walking toward the amulet shop from across the street.
I stood still at the entrance. The figure came closer and closer. When she reached the shop door, I could see clearly that it was a woman—the same woman who had come in yesterday noon. Strangely, the woman was still wearing sunglasses. I found this very odd, thinking, It's so dark, can she even see the road?
I stepped aside, and the woman propped her umbrella outside and walked straight into the shop. I closed the door. She walked around the shop as before. I couldn't help but ask again, "What exactly do you need? I have lived in Thailand for several years. All the amulets, Guman Thong, and accessories in this shop are consecrated by authentic Thai temples. I offer a ten-fold refund for any fake!"
The woman paused, looked at me, and continued walking around the shop. Having lived in Thailand for years, I had encountered many amulets, Guman Thong, minor spirits (xiaogui), and Arjan masters. I considered myself an amulet expert. I figured that this woman was very likely possessed by something unmentionable. So, I casually picked up a string of olive pit beads on the table, pretending to handle them while softly reciting the incantation provided by Arjan Tam.
The incantation was in Pāḷi, specifically used to ward off evil spirits. As I softly chanted the spell, the woman's body suddenly shook. She lowered her head and held onto the shelf, as if she felt unwell. I walked over and asked, "Ma'am, are you alright?" The woman exhaled, shook her head, straightened up, and prepared to walk out the door.
I became even more certain. I stepped back a few paces and continued to chant softly. The woman stopped, stood still with her back to me, and slowly began to trace circles with her feet as the axis, making a low, continuous "Ah-ah" sound. I was very familiar with this situation; it was the manifestation of a ghost spirit starting to possess or leave its host. I braced myself and walked behind her, reaching out to pat her shoulder.
The woman slowly turned her head, expressionless, her mouth slightly ajar. The "Ah-ah" sound came from her mouth. I mustered up my courage, thinking, In for a penny, in for a pound. I reached out and removed her sunglasses, but the sight made me immediately drop them. The woman's eyeballs were a grayish-white color, like two peeled grapes, particularly conspicuous under the lights, and she stared blankly at the ceiling.