So-called hungry ghosts are those who are constantly hungry and void, hence the name "hungry"; they are timid and fearful, hence the name "ghost"!
...
The Preta realm is one of the six realms in Buddhism, a presence of unfathomable depth.
...
I don't know much about Zhang Si. My impression of him is that of a petty person. Whether in the story of 'Demons' or in Wang Ren's memories of his fellow disciples' lives, Zhang Si's wise moments are almost nonexistent. Most of the time, he's more like a synonym for foolishness among his peers.
However, this Zhang Si gives me a different feeling. His wisdom doesn't seem feigned.
Suddenly, he, who was lying in bed, turned over and sat up...
He said, "If I can seal our memories onto this part, I can seal the old man's scheming ability into his mind. That way, I can deal with him with a perfect plan."
...
The woman fell silent after hearing this. She turned to pour water, her back slender and alluring. Through her thin clothes, hints of pale, dry skin could be seen.
"You're always so full of wild ideas."
Zhang Si was not discouraged by the woman's 'cold water.' He sat on the edge of the bed, watching her retreating figure, gesticulating excitedly, "Maybe this will really work."
"Of course not."
"Why?"
"I don't understand what you're talking about at all. You sound like a madman, and how can a madman deal with a wise schemer?"
"A schemer is just a madman who appears calm."
...
The woman turned her head, revealing her face to me. Though she had braids and a good figure, her face was not young, lined with many wrinkles. Such a woman should be close to fifty years old.
Zhang Si, on the other hand, was in his prime, likely not yet forty.
An older woman is like a mother, and this woman appeared to be at least ten years older than Zhang Si. Even so, I still saw a look of affection in her expression.
"Then what do you want to do?"
"I want to write it down."
"Write what?"
"I glanced into time and saw you. When you look at me, I see all the time that follows."
...
Zhang Si wrote the character with powerful strokes, then gazed at it, a faint smile on his lips. "This is my chip to win against him."
The woman looked at Zhang Si, and Zhang Si looked at the woman. Then he opened his arms and embraced her, smiling, "Wait for me. When I break free from that old guy's chains, I'll marry you."
...
Dreams are like snowflakes drifting in the air, all fragments, beautiful and ethereal. At this point, it's hard for me to describe what this dream is like. It's as if I were Zhang Si, and Zhang Si were me.
I can fully feel Zhang Si's emotions, that anticipation for the future. This anticipation is very much like a drowning person encountering two straws of hope.
This ethereal feeling continues. One second I was sitting by the bed, conversing with an old woman, and the next I was back in Wende Courtyard. I thought I had woken up, only to realize I hadn't; I was still in the dream.
Because in Wende Courtyard, there was an old gentleman. Unlike the imposing figure I imagined, he was an old man in a padded jacket. At this moment, the old man was sitting by the stove in the south room, his eyes half-open, looking at me, no, he was looking at this body of mine.
"Where did you go?"
"I went to Cai Shi Kou to buy the tofu you like."
Wende Old Gentleman listened to Zhang Si's words and smiled faintly. "There's an opera house over there. I often go to listen to operas. You'll come with me next time."
"I'm uncultured, I won't bother Master."
"That's a valid point. You're uncultured and unworthy of listening to operas."
Hearing Wende Old Gentleman say this, Zhang Si gritted his teeth in secret, though his face remained humble and obedient.
Wende Old Gentleman was unconcerned by Zhang Si's lack of reaction. He picked up a stove hook and lifted the lid of the stove, looking at the fire. "Zhang Si, you're lying again."
"Yes!"
"Have you found a way to deal with me?"
"I have."
"Tell me about it!"
"As long as I write the character 'Seal' on your palm, it will all be over."
"That simple?"
"As simple as that."
"Then you write it!"
Wende Old Gentleman extended his hand. I was stunned. At that moment, I felt as if I had traversed time and space, becoming Zhang Si. Or perhaps I was in a dream, awed by Wende Old Gentleman's dignity. At the same time, my curiosity completely overshadowed all my senses. Did this 'Seal' character not originate from Wende Old Gentleman?
Zhang Si extended his hand, trembling, his heart pounding. He never expected things to become so easy. He even thought that this old man, whose life seemed godlike, would ultimately be destroyed by his own confident pride.
...
Everything would end with a single character, 'Seal.' Time itself seemed to thicken with anticipation.
Bang bang bang!
The sound of knocking on the door broke the atmosphere. Wende Teacher smiled naturally, "Go open the door first."
Zhang Si went to open the door and saw a sweating attendant. This was the tea attendant from the opera house. Zhang Si's heart skipped a beat. He remembered the woman had said that if he didn't marry her after she died, she would send the tea attendant to break down his door.
"She's dead."
"Nonsense."
Just a short while ago, the woman was talking to him; how could she be dead?
"She really is dead."
Zhang Si left the courtyard with Wende Old Gentleman's permission, but this time he ran out without a second thought. There were few streetlights in Beijing back then, and the night was very dark. His feet crunched on the snow. Zhang Si ran non-stop, sweat pouring down his face. He stumbled and got up again. Finally, he rushed into the opera house and saw the woman's corpse.
With a thud, Zhang Si knelt in the snow, sobbing hysterically.
I could feel his pain. Hearing footsteps, Zhang Si turned his head and saw Wende Old Gentleman.
"How could this happen?"
"I gave the tea attendant at the opera house some money and bribed him. He told me some things about this woman. Today, the woman found him, they argued, and the attendant pushed her. Her head hit a pillar of the opera house, and she died."
"You killed her?"
"No. It's precisely because I didn't that I've come to explain. You know Master; Master never cared about a single life. If I had arranged it, why wouldn't I admit it?"
"She's still dead."
"That is your destiny. You are fated for the hungry ghost aspect. Your throat is as narrow as a needle, your stomach as vast as a sack, and your legs are thin. You are weak and gain nothing your entire life."
"Nonsense."
"I am not mistaken. The so-called hungry ghost aspect is not about form, but about intention. This means you will never find happiness in this life. Even if happiness is placed before you, like delicious food, your belly can hold it, but you cannot eat it because your throat is as thin as a needle. This is the karmic debt from your previous life. You are very intelligent, devouring others' personalities. But in the end, you find you have nothing, leaving you with nothing but a skeletal frame and a capacious belly that is merely a semblance."
...
Zhang Si listened, looking at Wende Old Gentleman in surprise. Wende Old Gentleman sighed and continued, "Since you joined me, I've taught you metaphysics to help you overcome the hurdle of destiny. But you have never truly understood the sentient beings of the hungry ghost realm. The human hungry ghost realm is second only to hell. You can understand the taste of the human world, you have the talent and wisdom to devour others' lives, but you just cannot consume it. Knowing the deliciousness but not tasting it is heaven's punishment for you."
"I will definitely solve this problem!" Zhang Si roared at Wende Old Gentleman.
"How will you solve it? This actress is already dead."
"So what if she's dead? So what if it's the hungry ghost realm? Even if I can't eat it, I can still hide her in my memory."
"How will you do that?"
"With the 'Seal' character that I comprehended."
Wende Teacher smiled. "Sealing? How can human talent, destiny, and opportunities be defeated by a mere 'Seal'?"
...
Wende Teacher's smile blurred in my eyes, the halo rotating and intertwining. When I focused, I saw only a mass of light, candlelight!
Were there no electric lights at night then? Perhaps not.
In the study of Wende Courtyard, there was still candlelight. Zhang Si was using a carving knife to engrave characters onto a part. I had seen this part before; it was the part that Da Huang had not installed on the gramophone.
I don't recall any characters on that part, but at this moment, I can see it very clearly: 'I glanced into time and saw you. When you look at me, I see all the time that follows.'
The character is written with powerful strokes, then gazed at, a faint smile on his lips. "This is my chip to win against him."
Although it's clearly one person, you feel differently when you look at him from different angles.
A throat as thin as a needle, a belly as vast as a sack. You can understand the flavors of the human world but cannot taste them. This is the punishment brought by the hungry ghost realm. Is this really the case? I don't think so. This is Wende Teacher's scheme; he wants Zhang Si to suffer a lifetime under his mental chains. Yet, Zhang Si ultimately broke Wende Old Gentleman's plan. He placed his soul and that woman into the gramophone. Accompanied by the enchanting Shanghai music, I saw that woman again...
It seems the woman greatly enjoyed this song. She was arranging flowers to the music, and I was facing a piece of calligraphy: 'With one true friend in the world, one can have no regrets.'
It looks as though I have just put down my brush, but this calligraphy was not written by me; it was written by Zhang Si. The woman walked towards Zhang Si. I saw her face and felt she had become much younger.
What is happening?