002 Ghost City
Maybe it's really because the poor ghost Lao Zeng was making trouble with me just now, and not a single customer in front of my stall didn't come after a long time. I was dying of snacks and barbecue at the stalls. But my master didn't care, he only turned over twice and continued to sleep with him.
I was upset, and I scolded Lao Zeng again. At this time, a timid voice came from the front of the stall.
"This roasted gecko is so fragrant......"
I looked up, and I didn't see anyone, no, not even a ghost. I shook my head, and I guess someone passing by muttered that.
"What's the use of muttering? You can taste two strings of incense! "I also picked up the fan from the oven on the grill and shook it.
"This roasted gecko is so fragrant......"
"Who? Who's talking, exactly? I slammed to my feet, but there was not a single ghost in front of the stall.
I seemed to sense something, so I poked my head out.
"Hey! You're a big-headed ghost! ”
Xiao Ming struggled to hold his huge head with both hands, stood on tiptoe, stretched out his nose to smell the roasted gecko. He was so short that I couldn't see him when I sat at the back of the stall.
"Incense, huh? Do you want to eat it? I asked, and deliberately fanned Xiao Ming with a fan.
"Incense! I want to eat! Xiao Ming's saliva was already soaking his chest.
"And how many strings do you want? With or without chili? With or without cumin? With or without incense ash? I asked again.
"Well, I just want to eat a bunch and add ......," Xiao Ming said.
"Just a bunch?" I was stunned for a moment, but still picked up a string of roasted geckos and sprinkled them with chili, cumin and fragrant ash. This business that came to the door with a long time can sell a bunch of it.
I handed the roasted gecko to Xiao Ming, but he couldn't free up his hand to pick it up, so he only opened his mouth wide, apparently wanting me to feed it directly to his mouth.
"Wait!" I suddenly took the roasted gecko back, Xiao Ming didn't bite a bite, his head knocked on the roast stall, and almost didn't overturn the stall.
"You, did you bring any money?" I asked hesitantly.
"I, I don't have any money...... Xiao Ming said pitifully. His mouth was flattened, his brows furrowed, and he looked so aggrieved.
"You don't have any money? How can you buy something to eat if you don't have money? ”
"I, I just want to eat!" Xiao Ming seemed to be about to cry.
"Alas......" I sighed helplessly, looked at the roasted gecko in my hand that had been sprinkled with chili, cumin, and fragrant ash, and then looked at Xiao Ming.
"Alright, alright, let's take it and eat it!" I stuffed the roasted gecko directly into Xiao Ming's mouth, and helped him pull out the skewer by the way.
"Uh-huh, thanks! Hmmm, delicious! Delicious! Xiao Ming smiled, chewed carefully, held his head and walked away.
"This business is done, alas...... Forget it, who called him cute? I sat back on my stool and continued to stand at the stall.
This ghost market is not particularly lively, there are probably more than a dozen stalls in Lala, and there are less than a hundred people and ghosts. People set up stalls, and ghosts are customers. The stalls were placed in the open space between the graves, and there were food stalls like me, but the things they sold were different. The consumption power of the market here is not strong, and if you have to compete with the same industry, both sides will have to go out of business.
In addition, there are shroud stalls, book stalls, chess stalls, mahjong stalls, cigarette stalls, and so on. The chess stall is a game of people and ghosts, and the stall owner puts the endgame, and the ghost who thinks he is sure that he can win will come to challenge, and if he loses, he has to give the lottery head. I don't seem to have seen a stall owner lose, it's a draw at most, and I don't know what is wrong with it.
The mahjong stall is a ghost and a ghost, using a special paper mahjong, and the stall owner is only responsible for collecting water money. The big tobacco stall is dedicated to serving those Qing Dynasty relics, so that they can reminisce about the fairy times of the past. As for what the stall owner made of opium and where it came from, I don't want to ask, and no one cares about it here.
There is a small earthen platform over there, and a grass-headed opera troupe is performing excerpts. There are only three or five actors in total, with simple outfits and vulgar dramas, but the ghost audience at the bottom still watches them with relish.
In one of the corners, a monk sat with his eyes closed, wearing a tattered monk's robe, and nothing was shown. Master said that he was an ascetic, and he came here for free to give the ghost a super. If there is a ghost who feels that he can't live a ghost life, can't think about it, and can't commit suicide, you can go to him for help. But I've never seen a ghost patronize his business.
There can be no open fire in the ghost market, only ghost fire lighting. The ghost fire is green and shining, and people with bad eyes don't care about it. The ghost fire is lit with a ghost fire talisman, which was drawn by the master. I wanted to learn, but the master said that I didn't have enough basic skills and couldn't draw. What are the basic skills and how to practice, but the master has never taught me. Other stall owners also don't know how to draw ghost fire talismans, so they can only go to the old man to watch the grave and buy them for ten yuan a piece.
It's not just a ghost fire talisman, a living person can't see a ghost without a yin and yang eye, and they have to buy a yin eye charm to stick on their body. Then there must be a yang amulet, which can put away the yang energy on the living person, which is not only to protect the living, but also to take care of the feelings of the ghost. After all, yang and yin are still incompatible.
The people who come to this ghost market to set up stalls are definitely not franchises, and their occupations on weekdays are more or less related to the dead. The shroud shop still sells shrouds, which are sold to the families of the deceased during the day and directly to ghosts at night. The employees of the funeral home and crematorium are bold, so they come to open a book stall, a chess stall, and a mahjong stall. The drum troupe, which specializes in helping people with funerals, comes here to sing a few plays by themselves to earn some extra money.
Of course, there are also serious people who come to sell noodles and meals, such as Uncle Li, who set up a noodle stall diagonally opposite me, is an honest man. There are many children in the family, and the expenses are large, so he wants to earn more, and after doing business during the day, he will invite others to bring him in to do ghost business at night. Uncle Li was not bold enough, he was worried all day long, his body was covered with talismans, and there were glutinous rice, black dog blood and peach wood swords hidden under the stall.
Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes, and where there are ghosts, there are also ghosts, and there will also be ghosts in the underworld who deceive the good and fear the evil, are lazy and want to eat the overlord's meal. Glutinous rice can generally be used by default by everyone, and the ghost pain of being beaten will only be for a while, and it will not cause serious damage. The black dog's blood is overbearing, and once the ghost is splashed on the body, it will be wiped out. The blatant use of black dog blood in the ghost market is intended to cause public outrage.
The peachwood sword is another story. This is a Taoist weapon, and you have to understand the Tao to use it. Ordinary people use it, it's no different from ordinary wooden sticks, and they can't hurt ghosts.
There are flags in all directions of the ghost market, which are placed by the old man who watches the grave, and only a thick fog can be seen from the outside, and you can't see the scene inside. Besides, no matter how bold anyone is, he will not run to the mass grave in the middle of the night. Even if there is, just make some noise to scare him, and don't pee your pants and run for your life?
I was bored thinking about it when suddenly there was a foul smell wafting in the wind. I covered my nose and looked around, and from a distance, I saw Lao Xie, the shoe-eater, and Lao Zhu, the stinky mouth, who had finished watching the play, were coming to me with their shoulders on their backs.
I hurriedly raised my hand and shouted, "I'm sorry! The dishes you two have set are still brewing! Please come back next time! ”
Lao Xie and Lao Zhu were very disappointed when they heard me shout, and left with a sigh. I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. The taste of these two brothers is so unique, although the ghost stinks money and does not stink, and the business that should be done has to be done, but when it can't be done, it's better for me to stay away from these two!
Let's go back and talk about my mess. It is said to be a food stall, but what can be sold are strange, dirty, smelly and disgusting things. I've been with Master for so long, and even though I'm used to spitting and spitting, I still have a rejection mentality. However, flies bite and dung beetles push dung, each with its own taste. Ghosts and humans don't have the same tastes, so I'm just a good fit. There are even many regular customers with unique tastes who like to order food from me, which cannot be bought at other stalls.
After sitting for a while, Lao Xing came on a tall horse, followed by two little ghosts. The paper horse is a shroud stall to honor him, old and majestic!
Lao Xing was a general before his death, but he was beheaded by the boss because of the defeat, and his resentment did not dissipate, so he became a headless ghost. He is the leader of this mass grave, not only oppressing ghosts, but also collecting protection money from the living.
Lao Xing stretched out his hand and gestured at me. I glanced back at Master, and Lao Xing seemed to have shifted his attention to my Master. The master, intentionally or unintentionally, turned over and turned his face away. Every time it's like this, I feel that Lao Xing still has scruples about my master, but one person and one ghost have never spoken. Lao Xing took Ma Zai, and every stall had to charge protection money, and when I came here, if I didn't collect it, I would break the rules and lose face.
I had no choice but to say to Lao Xing: "Just now, the poor ghost came to me to make trouble, and I couldn't make a few dollars in one night. I'm going to give it to you again, then I can't even pay the venue fee. Why don't you take a look, what do you want to eat at my stall? ”
Lao Xing thought for a moment and pointed his finger at the pot of five-poison porridge. I spread my hands, and it seems that this porridge can't be sold anyway, so I can't take it home and eat it myself. So I took it over and handed it to Lao Xing. Lao Xing didn't have a head, so he directly picked up the pot and poured it into the cavity. The two imps at the bottom were drooling. Lao Xing finished eating the porridge, returned the pot to me, and rode away with the little ghost.
The rest of the time, I basically sat at the back of the stall and fought mosquitoes. There was a bunch of flies around the stall, buzzing. Flies are not rushed, and the more flies there are, the more customers like them. It was just before midnight, when the ghost market was about to disperse, and finally two more diners came.
When the time came, Master woke up on time. He stood up and said, "Close!" So he began to put away the tables and chairs on his own.
I've also started to close the stall here, and most of the ingredients can be saved for next time. Anyway, these things don't talk about what is fresh or not, hygienic and unhygienic, and there is no industrial and commercial bureau, food supervision bureau or anything in this ghost city to check all day and night.
"Hey, why didn't Aunt Lin come today?" When I was closing the stall, I dug out a bag of hair, black, white, gray, and red. I made a special trip to the barber shop to receive it, and it was the "specialty" that Aunt Lin ordered last time.
"Alas, tonight is really, those who should not come, those who should not come!" I shook my head and thought, tonight is for nothing!
After closing the stall, I followed Master to the exit of the ghost market.