Otherworldly Merchant

I asked Li Mazi to think of a solution. He replied that he didn’t have any. 

We didn’t sleep that night and tightly wrapped the prayer beads in a piece of clothing, finally locking them in my safe. After everything was done, I waited for the bald old man’s call.  

If he had trouble, he would definitely call us. 

If there was no call, it meant that the Buddhist prayer beads wouldn't affect him any further.

Everything went fine for the next several days. The prayer beads stayed in the safe, and the bald old man wasn’t bothered by the chantings. He did call me, but just to keep me apprised of his situation.

Until one day, I ran into trouble. Sure enough, this matter wasn’t going to end this easily. 

That day, I saw Yin Xinyue was upset, so I asked her, “What’s happened?”

Yin Xinyue discreetly told me, “The Tax Bureau is now keeping an eye on us. Actually, our company used to cheat on tax, and I’m now in charge of tax in the company, so I’m worried about being investigated.” 

Seeing her sulking, I was also upset. Soon, I remembered the bald old man. He worked for the city’s government, right? This would only be a small matter for him. 

That’s why I called Li Mazi and asked him to visit the bald old man. 

Li Mazi reassured me then left.

Afterward, everything went strangely smoothly.

On the same day, the Tax Bureau staff left Yin Xinyue’s entertainment company alone. Her company then rewarded her with a big chunk of money, which she shared with us because we had done her a big favor. 

However, I felt ashamed. This was the first time I had done something that violated my principles. 

Although almost all companies had been cheating on tax, I couldn’t keep myself clean, and I was now an accomplice as well…

I spent the day with a troubled conscience.

Unknowingly, night fell. Just like every day, I opened a bottle of liquor and prepared a plate of beef for my supper.  

I didn’t know why, but the liquor I drank and the meat I ate that night weren’t tasty at all. I didn’t drink much but I felt a little tipsy. I couldn’t help but force a smile. It seemed that doing something bad for the first time had really taken quite a toll on me!

While I was distressed, someone outside the door called out, “Merciful Buddha.” 

I involuntarily shivered as I guiltily remembered the Buddhist prayer beads. Had the strange voice started to torment me as well? 

However, at this moment, I noticed that it was just an old monk standing at my shop front. I exhaled in relief. 

The old monk was shifty-eyed with dirty clothes and was holding a big, leafy fan. At first glance, he looked like a beggar. However, his eyes were full of compassion, as if he could see through the whole world.

I immediately stood up and greeted him, “Good evening, old monk. How can I help you?” 

The old monk smiled and replied, “I’m here to ask Benefactor to return an item of mine.”

I was confused, looking at him. “Return what?” 

“Can I sit and talk?” The old monk beamed kindly.

I invited him in to sit and poured him a cup of tea. After the old monk finished the tea, he pointed at the liquor tumbler in my hand. He obviously wanted to drink some liquor.

I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry. “You are a monk and yet you also drink liquor?” 

The old monk answered, “Why can’t I? If I don’t keep liquor in my heart, when I drink it, it’s just a cup of tea.”

This old fellow was interesting and seemed likable. So, I poured him a cup of liquor. 

The old monk finished a cup of fifty-two percent highly distilled homemade liquor but his countenance remained unchanged. He gave me a thumbs up. “Excellent! Good liquor!” 

I was amused. It seemed I’d just met a monk who ate meat and drank liquor.

I didn’t know what was going on here. This old monk looked dirty and he occasionally would pick his feet and bring his finger to his nose to sniff. If he were on the street, people would avoid him in disgust.

However, sitting here with him, I didn’t feel disgusted. Quite the contrast, my anxious heart slowly calmed down. The old monk drank three cups of strong liquor in a row, however, he still didn’t look drunk as he beamed warmly at me. 

“You’re really terrific!” I exclaimed, “You’re such a good drinker, you don’t even look tipsy.” 

“Merciful Buddha, liquor can’t intoxicate you, you can get yourself drunk. I don’t have liquor in my heart, how can I be drunk?” said the old monk. 

I was a little bewildered, but I thought that the old monk’s words had a hidden meaning.  

“Young Benefactor, you look a bit downcast.” The old monk then wore a vulgar smile. “Feeling guilty because of the evil in your heart?”

I got angry. “What are you talking about? How could I have evil in my heart?” 

“You’d better not.” The old monk’s eyes seemed to be judging me. 

“What the heck do you want me to return?” I lost my temper as my patience reached its limit. It seemed like the old monk could see through me and his recent words felt really offensive. 

The old man reached out his hand and said, “Justice.” 

“Justice? What justice? What do you mean?” I sat up and glared at the old monk. 

This old monk was really bizarre and he seemed to know my thoughts. 

“Justice for people whose houses were taken. Justice for workers who were exploited and abused,” replied the old monk. 

“You’re crazy!” I screamed, “Go away! I thought you were a senior monk, it turns out you’re just a swindler!” 

The old monk laughed. “Thank you, Benefactor, for your justice. I’m leaving now.”Then, the old monk grabbed a cube of beef and put it into his mouth. “Thank you, Benefactor, for the beef.” 

At that moment, I was speechless, quietly cursing the old monk in my mind. This bastard, which asylum he had escaped from to get to my shop?

That night, I wasn’t in the mood to run my shop. I decided to close the shop early and went to bed.

However, I kept rolling around in my bed and couldn’t sleep as my thoughts were filled with what the old monk had said. And the more I thought about it, the clearer my head became.

The old monk, the prayer beads…

The prayer beads and the old monk!

I suddenly remembered one thing the bald old man had said. The prayer beads would unknowingly return to him. And now, that old monk came here asking me for justice. Was the prayer beads the justice the old monk had mentioned?

If it wasn’t, how could things happen so coincidentally? 

My head heated, I rushed to my safe nearby and opened it. 

The scene I saw startled me. The safe was still locked properly but the prayer beads I had put inside were gone. 

That old monk had stolen the prayer beads!

But how did he do that? Did I just meet a ghost? 

I was scared and called Li Mazi, asking him to come to my shop. 

He came over, his eyes still drowsy. “You called me at midnight, is there new business?” 

I pulled Li Mazi to take a seat. Anxiously, I told him what had just happened...

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