My Daoist Life Chapter 69: The Founder Bridge

In the bridge tunnel of the Founder Bridge in Changshan Town, three boys and a girl sat on the ground. Beside them stood a flag made of half zhang of red cloth, which read: ancestral skills, especially for rheumatism, effective on the spot, proved effective for one hundred times.

These four people were Huang Shulang, Ma Jindong, Li Lijuan and I. I was trying to figure out a way after seeing He Dachao off. We asked the village people for half a zhang of red cloth, with which Li Lijuan made a flag by hand. The characters on the flag were cut with white cloth, which were st.i.tched onto the flags with a needle by Li Lijuan. Although Li Lijuan was young, she was clever and skillful. The flags she made were also very beautiful.

I had long been optimistic about the Founder Bridge, which was the only way that must be pa.s.sed for the people in Changshan Town to go to the market. The visitors flow rate here was quite large. Normally, this is a gathering place for fortune tellers and rat poison peddlers. During the Spring Festival, some people with good calligraphy wrote the rank of ancestors and sold couplets here. In order to get a seat in this geomantic treasure, we came quite early intentionally. Before it was dawn, we arrived with flashlights in our hand.

Grandpa didn't want me to do this, but I was determined to do so, so he had to send me here before he took Old Huang home. Black Beans also went to the street with me, but I didn't dare to let them run, so they lied p.r.o.ne beside us one by one honestly. Many people preferred to eat tonic food in winter. It was said that dog meat was a tonic food. Clever as these fellows were, they were no match for the machinations of those people.

However, in the morning, there were many onlookers, but no one came to care of our business.

"Little kids, how do you charge?"

There were always people coming up and asking.

"Two hundred yuan is needed for each person. Take money when it works. If it doesn't work, it's free." Li Lijuan was very patient. Huang Shulang had yawned, while Ma Jindong sat aside in a daze. I had what I saw, smelled and learned all kept in the pubic region.

"Where're your parents, little kids? How can they don't care of you but let you come out to swindle by false pretences? Aren't you afraid that the public security bureau will arrest you in?" On hearing that two hundred yuan was asked, the man said immediately.

"How do you know we're lying when you haven't even tried? If we can cure rheumatism, isn't it more than fair to charge two hundred yuan? If we cannot cure the disease, we ask for nothing, how can you say we swindle by false pretences? Li Lijuan had a quick wit and she said a lot at once.

Seeing that Li Lijuan, a child, was so talktive, the person felt surprised. "Eh? As a girl, why are you so talktive? I'll give it a try. If you can't cure me, I will not only give you no money, but also take away your sign. I won't let you cheat here. You'd better go home and study hard at such a young age."

"You can take it away. But how much will you pay us if your rheumatism gets cured?" Li Lijuan asked.

"Isn't it two hundred yuan?""The man asked, puzzled.

"With ordinary treatment, of course it's two hundred yuan, but if it's people like you, it's a confrontation. Naturally more would be paid."Li Lijuan smiled.

"Well, if you cure my rheumatism, I'll pay you twice as much." The man sat down on the stool we had set up.

"Uncles and aunts, grandpas and grandmas, you have heard that and please make a witness for us. The uncle said..." I didn't know that, Li Lijuan was really skillful. Once that person spoke that out, directly she held him there.

The man smiled helplessly, and he did not play it scoundrelly. He took out four hundred yuan from his pocket and put it aside on the empty stool. "That's done! As you said, if you cure the rheumatism on my leg, you take the money. If it's not cured, I'll smash the sign."

As soon as the crowd saw the stir, they immediately gathered around. There were people in the crowd who knew the middle-aged man.

"Liu Huadong, how can you believe this?"

Liu Huadong said with a smile, "I won't lose a piece of meat anyway. Just have a try."

I knew that none of these people would believe it. After all, it was hard to believe. Although I had cured many people in the Eight Corner Mountain, not many people knew me outside the Eight Corner Mountain. I'm not worried anyway. Even if there was only one customer a day, that was a profit. Even if I didn't make a deal, it was just a day's delay. I was not a busy person that attended numerous affairs every day. Whether time was spent in Founder Bridge or Eight Corner Mountain, no difference was there.

Without saying a word, I began to ma.s.sage Liu Huadong. After being ma.s.saged for only once, Liu Huadong became immersed in daze. He didn't think my ma.s.sage skills were solid. It did have an effect on his rheumatism. After repeated ma.s.sages, I stopped.

"Well? Shall we take the money?" Li Lijuan fully believed in me. Liu Huadong became stunned, without saying anything. The people around were anxious.

"Liu Huadong, is there no effect at all? Just smash up the booth. Little kids also came out to deceive!"

Liu Huadong came to his sense after being called by that man. He smiled, "You are wrong, my rheumatism really got relieved. The child's ma.s.sage really worked. Girl, this four hundred yuan is my medical fee. Can I have your names, please?"

"My name is Li Lijuan. His name is Huang Jingyang and he is our teacher. His name is Huang Shulang, who is my elder fellow brother. And his name is Ma Jindong." The more Li Lijuan spoke, the more confident she became.

"Yes, yes. I'll bring some more friends over soon. Master Huang, If someone suffers backache, would your ma.s.sage be helpful?" Liu Huadong asked.

"It is helpful. My father's waist is not … not good. He always complained that his waist waist ... waist ached. It was treated… treated by my master...He's cured. My mom says he is as good, good … as a cattle." Ma Jindong came forward to the scene and said this immediately.

Ha ha ha...

The whole audience laughed, and the laughing voice even had the Founder Bridge shaken up.

Liu Huadong wiped the tears out of his eyes and smiled, "I'd better go now. Soon I will bring a friend to see whether your master can make my friend as good as a cattle."

How can we four children understand what these grown-ups were laughing about? We thought that they were laughing at Ma Jindong said that his father was like a cattle.

Liu Jindong walked a few steps before turning around to the crowd and said, "Everyone, do not only stay here and look! You who have rheumatism, come to get treated quickly! I suffered from rheumatism and I know that 200 yuan is not enough only calculating the money spent on plasters every year. Here you can get well with one ma.s.sage, I actually made some money though I spent four hundred yuan."

"Who knows you're not one of them? You're a good actor. But it's not that easy to fool us!" Someone shouted.

"That's what you say. The money I gave was not in real RMB? Besides, it's not that none here knows me. Will I be a capper? Besides, they didn't ask you to pay first. If it doesn't work, you don't have to pay. But some people are shameless that though they get cured they say that they are not. It should be watched out." Liu Jindong said.

The man laughed and said, "I have seen many tricks like yours. First you made me have a try. But after trying I find it is ineffective, then you would say I don't want to pay money for it. What should I do then?"

"Uncle Liu, forget it. People don't believe us. We don't care. It is fair and voluntary anyway. We made four hundred yuan today, and that's OK."I said loudly.

Liu Jindong laughed, "Then you wait for me to come back, I call several friends to come over. If you do cure them, you'll not be treated unfairly."

After I cured Liu Jindong, the people around me were ready to move, but because of the middle-aged man, those who were ready stepped back.

"There are too many liars these days. Don't believe them. How can ma.s.sage be so magical? Do not be deceived. Go to a regular hospital if you get ill. I am Yuan Liang, a doctor from the health clinic of the town. If you are pestered by any disease , please go to the health clinic and ask me." With Yuan Liang saying so, the people present began to discuss in succession.