Chapter 115: A Painted Lady on the Peach Branch, Retribution Unfolds on Fourth Spinning Street

"Grass turns green after the rain, though white hairs come late in leisure."

Song Mo picked out a living branch that still bore green leaves, examining it carefully. It was about two fingers thick and free of any wormholes—truly satisfactory. Looking left and right to ensure no one was around, he tucked the peach branch away and left.

He no longer wandered, heading straight back to the morgue. Once inside, he closed the door, peeled the bark off the peach branch, washed it clean, and began to carve it carefully with a small knife. For an ordinary person, carving such a thin branch would be incredibly difficult, but for Song Mo, it was a trivial task. Before long, the figure of a lady appeared on the branch, her cloud-like hair slightly tilted as if in a lazy, sidelong glance. The lady had a slender frame, her silk robe partially unfastened, and her peach-blossom eyes held a look that was part longing and part resentment—it was already seventy or eighty percent lifelike.

Song Mo was not doing this out of a whim to show off his skills; he was casting a curse. In his past life, he had heard that carpenters possessed the art of "yansheng"—a form of malicious sorcery—and he had heard tales of it.

During the Tiansheng reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, there lived a man named Lu Ji in Fenning County, Hongzhou Prefecture. He and his wife, Mei Niang, ran a steamed bun shop. Their buns had thin skins and generous fillings, and were priced fairly. Coupled with the couple's kindness, their business was booming. Because Mei Niang was exceptionally beautiful, the neighbors privately called her "the Steamed Bun Xi Shi."

A few years later, as their business grew, the shop felt too cramped. The couple decided to expand and build two large tiled houses. Having saved money from years of selling buns, they chose an auspicious date and began construction. Since Lu Ji and his wife were always helpful, the neighbors came to assist when they heard about the project, and the couple treated them to fine food and wine daily.

In those days, one had to be very careful when building a house, especially with carpenters. Ancient carpenters were known to practice the art of yansheng, and one dared not offend them; no matter whose house they worked on, they had to be treated with the utmost hospitality. On the day construction began, Lu Ji and his wife followed local custom, hosting a banquet for the craftsmen and offering them the ritual "fish-head wine."

Among the craftsmen was a man named Ge An. His father had been a carpenter, so Ge An had learned the trade from him since childhood. While he was a skilled craftsman, his character was poor; he was lazy and gluttonous. In previous years, whenever he had money, he would spend it on drinking, gambling, and visiting brothels. He had squandered his family's fortune, and his parents had died of anger because of him. The villagers knew his nature and no one was willing or dared to hire him.

Lu Ji, however, had grown up with him and treated him like a brother. Ever since Ge An’s parents died, Lu Ji would help him every few days, often sending him food for fear he would go hungry. Mei Niang did not approve, as she always felt Ge An looked at her with malicious intent, but she was too embarrassed to tell her husband directly. With such a major project as building their new home, she felt unsettled every day, fearing something might happen, so she and her husband supervised the work day and night.

One day, Lu Ji went out to buy the main beam for the house and had not returned by nightfall. Fearing for her husband, Mei Niang stood at the door waiting. Just then, a drunken Ge An passed by. Knowing Lu Ji was out, he saw Mei Niang standing alone and leered at her, saying, "Beauty, it's too cold out here. Come inside."

As he spoke, he reached out to pull her toward the house. Mei Niang suppressed her anger and said with a forced smile, "Brother Ge, you’re drunk. Go home and rest; we have to work tomorrow."

Ge An grabbed her, sneering, "What kind of good life do you have with Lu Ji? Just kneading dough and doing menial labor. Come with me, and I’ll let you eat and drink to your heart's content every day."

As he spoke, he kept pawing at her hands. Infuriated, Mei Niang pushed him away and shouted, "Lu Ji treats you like a brother, and yet you have designs on his wife! Do you have any humanity left? Leave at once! If you continue to act so recklessly, I will call for help, and you will regret it."

Ge An refused to give up, but just then, several neighbors happened to pass by. Mei Niang quickly called out, "Everyone, please help! Ge An is drunk; could someone take him home?"

The men reluctantly helped the drunken Ge An home, but Mei Niang did not notice the hateful glare he cast her way.

The next day, Ge An came to work as usual and did not harass her again. Mei Niang assumed the matter was over and saw no need to pursue it, thinking it was better for everyone. Soon, the house was completed, and the couple moved their shop into the new building. They expected a joyful life in their new home, but to their dismay, disaster struck the Lu household repeatedly.

First, while Lu Ji was out buying flour, his horse was spooked; he fell from the cart and broke his leg. The physician said it was unlikely he would ever walk properly again. Then, Lu Ji’s father, previously a healthy man, began to babble nonsense all day for no reason. Finally, their son, Lu Xiaobao, fell gravely ill with a high fever that would not break. With so many misfortunes happening at once, Mei Niang was busy tending to the three of them, and the shop had to close.

Not long after, a man calling himself Daoist Qingyun knocked on their door, claiming he had come to repay a debt for buns from two years prior. It turned out that two years ago, while wandering, the Daoist had been starving and penniless, and the couple had given him free buns and even provided some for his journey. Now, passing through again, he had come to thank them.

Mei Niang invited him in and called for her husband. The Daoist was surprised to see Lu Ji on crutches, and without a word, he began to pace around the house. He had sensed something wrong the moment he entered. Suddenly, he leaped up, reached for the roof beam, and pulled down a small, sealed oil-paper package. Inside was a piece of ancient, yellowed paper with strange characters written in cinnabar. Besides this, there were three horrific drawings: one showed a malevolent spirit clinging to a man; the second showed a man being trampled under a horse; and the third showed a small boy lying in bed with a raging fire beneath it.

The couple realized immediately that a carpenter had cursed them. Daoist Qingyun was furious: "How truly venomous to use such dark arts to harm your household!"

Lu Ji, in disbelief, said, "I have never done an evil deed in my life and have always treated my neighbors with kindness. I cannot imagine who would want to harm us."

Mei Niang suspected Ge An, but she had no evidence. The Daoist sighed. "Benefactor Lu, you have not wronged others, but some people are born with cruel hearts that cannot be warmed. I know you are kind, but such people must be taught a lesson. Let me return the favor in kind."

After the Daoist set up an altar in the courtyard at dusk and performed the ritual, he burned several charms, swung a wooden sword, and chanted. Suddenly, the yellow paper and the drawings burst into flames, turning into a beam of light that shot into the sky.

The Daoist turned to Lu Ji. "The curse is broken; your health will slowly recover. Let me leave you with these words: one should not have the heart to harm others, but one must have the heart to guard against them." He left without even waiting for Lu Ji’s thanks.

That very midnight, screams of agony erupted from Ge An’s house. Neighbors rushed over to find him clutching his legs, weeping in pain. His legs were stripped to the bone, as if crushed by a horse; the bones were shattered, and he would never walk again. It was a sight too gruesome to behold.

...

If a carpenter who cast a curse had it broken, he would suffer the backlash of the spell. But Song Mo was not afraid. He was not a carpenter; what was there to fear?

Song Mo tucked the carved peach branch into his tunic and, acting as if nothing had happened, headed toward Sifang Street, slipping into the back alley of the Li residence. Seeing that no one was around, he tossed the branch onto the roof of the Li house.

"La-di-da..." With that, he hummed a tune and walked away from Sifang Street, as if he hadn't a care in the world.