Chapter 8: The Sugar Figure

“You rascal, while the Scripture of Salvation can dissolve the baleful qi, it shouldn’t be this fast. How did you manage it?”

The Old Taoist had been taking a short nap when he suddenly felt a shift in the Heaven and Earth Vital Energy. Opening his eyes, he discovered to his great astonishment that all the baleful qi in the courtyard had completely vanished.

After all, someone who has practiced cultivation possesses an exceptionally strong personal magnetic field, and such a person can significantly influence the surrounding magnetic field. If the Old Taoist personally performed a ritual to eliminate baleful qi, he would undoubtedly be far more effective than any ordinary eminent monk.

But Ye Tian was just a kid. How many years had he even been involved with esoteric arts? To clear all the baleful qi in such a short time was something even the Old Taoist himself couldn’t achieve.

Upon hearing the Old Taoist’s words, Ye Tian, who was munching on a tanghulu candy bought by Aunt Miao, mumbled with his mouth full, “How should I know? Master, this Scripture of Salvation is pretty handy…”

Ye Tian had made up his mind not to tell anyone about this. Perhaps the Old Taoist might believe him, but if he told his father or classmates, they’d surely think he was crazy.

“Strange, truly strange…”

Seeing that Ye Tian couldn’t offer an explanation either, the Old Taoist stroked his beard, a puzzled expression on his face. However, modern society was different from the past. With prosperity in science and technology, many things were difficult to reason out, leaving the Old Taoist with no choice but to let it go.

Ye Tian, being a child at heart, couldn’t sit still for long. After a while indoors, he hopped up and said, “Hehe, Master, I’m going to play at the town fair. I’ll be back for dinner in the evening…”

Maolu Town was dozens of miles away from the village where Ye Tian lived. Even during holidays, he rarely got to go. If he hadn’t felt obliged after accepting the candy, he would have run off to the town to play much earlier.

The Old Taoist waved his hand. “Go on. Remember this household so you don’t get lost on your way back.”

With his Master’s permission, Ye Tian ran out happily. As he was leaving, Aunt Miao stuffed a “Worker-Peasant-Soldier” banknote into his pocket, making Ye Tian so thrilled he felt like bubbles were about to come out of his nose.

In those days, even during holidays when adults gave lucky money in the countryside, it was usually just brand-new fifty-cent or one-yuan bills. For weddings or baby births, the customary gift money was generally only one or two yuan.

Moreover, it was still two years before the 1988 issuance of the fourth series of Renminbi. A ten-yuan note was already the largest denomination in circulation.

So, this “Worker-Peasant-Soldier” note was like an astronomical sum to Ye Tian. Besides seeing such a “large” bill in his father’s hands, he had never held one himself.

…

Village fairs in the countryside were usually liveliest in the morning. Even though it was just past noon, there were still plenty of people around. Ye Tian wasn’t shy. Hearing the sound of gongs and drums ahead, he squeezed his way through the crowd.

“Hey, a monkey show.”

Using his small, agile body to his advantage, Ye Tian squeezed into the inner circle of the crowd. He found an old man with three monkeys performing a show in the middle of the space.

“Respected folks, those with money, please support us with money. Those without, please support us with your presence. This old man thanks you all.”

After one of the monkeys turned a few somersaults, the old man cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd. The monkey immediately held up an enamel mug with both paws and began soliciting money from the onlookers.

Those with money tossed coins of one or five cents into the mug. Those without money retreated backward. Ye Tian touched the “Worker-Peasant-Soldier” note in his pocket, thought for a long moment, and finally retreated as well.

The Old Taoist had once taught him that everyone in the Jianghu had their own difficulties, and one should help if possible. Since Ye Tian couldn’t bear to part with the ten yuan, he felt too embarrassed to watch the show for free.

Fortunately, this fair wasn’t limited to just one performance. After leaving the monkey show, Ye Tian ducked into another area where a man was breaking a large stone on his chest and selling “Shaolin Great Strength Pills.”

After wandering around the fair for a while, it was already three or four in the afternoon. Ye Tian now stopped in front of a stall where a vendor was blowing sugar figures.

The stall was essentially a carrying pole. At one end was a long rectangular cabinet on a stand. Below the cabinet was a semicircular wooden cage with an opening, housing a small charcoal stove. On the stove sat a large spoon filled with maltose syrup.

The wooden frame had two levels, each with many small holes plugged with already-blown sugar figures.

The vendor would scoop a little hot maltose syrup with a small spatula, knead it in his hand dusted with talcum powder, then hold a piece with his mouth. After blowing a bubble, he’d quickly place it into a wooden mold coated with talcum powder, give a strong blow, and the desired sugar figure would be ready.

The children gathered around watched with longing eyes. Those with money stretched out their hands to buy, while those without money just watched hungrily, unwilling to leave.

These things weren’t very expensive either. For ten cents, you could get one made to your request. But after standing there for a while, Ye Tian pinched the ten-yuan note in his pocket and decided to turn and leave.

Ye Tian’s father, as an educated youth who hadn’t returned to the city, and having married a woman not from the local area, had no land to farm.

Even though Ye Dongping had clever hands—he could work as an electrician, was good at carpentry, and often helped people make furniture—he earned at most ten or twenty yuan a month.

Although Ye Dongping often caught fish for his son to eat, overall, father and son lived quite poorly. Ye Tian wanted to take the money home to give to his father.

Just as Ye Tian turned away, a shout suddenly reached his ears. “Ye Tian! Hey, it really is you! What are you doing here?”

Following the voice, Ye Tian looked over and saw, on the other side of the sugar figure stall, a chubby boy about his own age waving excitedly at him. The digital watch on his wrist was quite eye-catching.

“Guo Xiaolong?”

Seeing him, Ye Tian couldn’t help but wear a wry smile on his face. The more you tried to avoid something, the more you ran into it. Given Guo Xiaolong’s nature, he’d probably spread news of Ye Tian’s current attire all over the school after the term started.

But there was no avoiding it now. Guo Xiaolong had already come over to him and pointed at an adult nearby. “Ye Tian, that’s my grand-uncle. He came from the United States. I brought him to the fair…”

Although Ye Tian and Guo Xiaolong got along fine at school, they weren’t that close. Ye Tian knew the kid was just trying to show off to him. He gave a casual laugh and said, “Ah, that’s nice, Xiaolong. Your digital watch is really cool…”

“Of course! My grand-uncle bought it for me. I’m the only one in the whole school who has one…” Hearing Ye Tian’s words, Guo Xiaolong puffed out his little chest again, raised his wrist to eye level, and pretended to check the time on it.

Ye Tian was a popular figure at school. Even though he was mischievous, his grades were always top of the class. Having a chance to show off in front of Ye Tian was an opportunity Guo Xiaolong naturally wouldn’t miss.

“Xiaolong, who is this?”

The elderly man Guo Xiaolong had pointed at earlier, seeing his young relative talking to a little Taoist, became curious and also wandered over to this side of the stall.

“Grand-uncle, this is my classmate, Ye Tian…” Speaking to this grand-uncle from the United States, Guo Xiaolong’s voice dropped a few notches.

“Oh, your classmate? Then why is he dressed as a Taoist?”

The old man was somewhat curious. When he left his hometown, he was only in his teens, just a few years older than these two children. Now, after three or four decades, upon returning, he found many things about his hometown very familiar and dear.

“This… I don’t know either…”

Guo Xiaolong scratched his head and looked at Ye Tian. “Ye Tian, why are you dressed like that? Did you really go up the mountain to become a Taoist?”

“I didn’t become a Taoist. My Master is the abbot of a Taoist temple up the mountain. I came down with him today, and wearing this is convenient…” Ye Tian explained to Guo Xiaolong. He didn’t want to be teased about this when school started. That would be so embarrassing.

“Ah, back then, the Maoshan Taoist Temple was burned down by the Japanese. Reconstruction had just begun when I left the Mainland. I should find time to visit it.”

Hearing Ye Tian’s words, the old man sighed, a faint trace of melancholy between his brows. But then he chuckled. Why was he getting sentimental with children? He pointed at the stall and said, “Xiaolong, go on, get a sugar figure for your classmate…”

“No, thank you, Grandpa. I don’t want one…”

Even though his family circumstances weren’t great, having grown up with his Master, an old hand in the Jianghu, Ye Tian understood from a young age the principle that small gains could lead to big losses. You shouldn’t take things that aren’t yours, and you shouldn’t accept favors for which you haven’t worked.

“Take it, child. You called me ‘Grandpa,’ and that shouldn’t go unrewarded. Grandpa bought it for you.” The old man laughed upon hearing this, picked up a Sun Wukong sugar figure, and handed it to Ye Tian.

This Sun Wukong sugar figure was a set. Not only was the figure itself nicely made, but it also came with a glutinous rice bowl. Sun Wukong’s belly was filled with maltose syrup.

When you got tired of playing with it, you could poke a small hole in Sun Wukong’s bottom, let the syrup flow out, catch it with the glutinous rice bowl, and then eat both the bowl and the syrup together. It was a favorite among children, but also the most expensive, costing eighty cents each.

Being able to show off in front of his classmate also pleased Guo Xiaolong. Seeing Ye Tian’s continued refusal, he spoke up. “Ye Tian, if Grand-uncle gives it to you, just take it.”

Ye Tian really did like this Sun Wukong sugar figure. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Alright then. One should not refuse a gift from an elder. Thank you, Grandpa!”

“Hehe, Xiaolong, your classmate is very polite.”

Hearing Ye Tian’s words, the old man smiled without further comment. There was only one Sun Wukong sugar figure left on the rack. He paid for two sugar figures, then stood to the side, watching with great interest as the vendor blew a new one. This craft skill was something you could only see domestically.

“Maybe I can read his physiognomy for him.”

Ye Tian still felt uncomfortable accepting something for nothing. After a moment’s thought, he looked at the old man and silently chanted in his mind, “Tortoise Shell, Tortoise Shell, come out quick…”

It couldn’t be helped. That Tortoise Shell in his mind appeared and disappeared unpredictably. Ye Tian didn’t know how to summon it. After muttering “Tortoise Shell” for a long time, there was still no movement at all.

“Arcane Repository!” Having no other choice, Ye Tian suddenly remembered the two characters in the center of the Tortoise Shell and tried silently chanting them in his heart.