Those with an unstable mind are mostly of the fox and mouse kind.

  At that time, I was so angry that my bladder was about to burst. You say this vicious old lady almost got me killed by a train back then. Fortunately, I was lucky and managed to get through it. Didn't we say that the grudge was gone? Why did you come out to harm people again on New Year's Day today?

  Isn't it said that I've become a homebody? But can a homebody be so protective of their home? Isn't this nonsense?

  In the homes of ordinary people in Northeast China, there is still a custom of worshiping the "Baojia Xian" (Home Guardian Spirits). But what exactly are these spirits? The so-called Baojia Xian refers to five animals: foxes, yellow weasels, snakes, hedgehogs, and mice, which are the most common wild animals in rural areas. In Northeastern Chinese folk religion, they are believed to be the easiest to cultivate into spirits and the most likely to interact with humans, and these spirits are revered as "Xianjia" (Spirit Families).

  Among the immortals, there are also distinctions of high and low, noble and humble. The most evil among them are called the "Four Great Immortals", which include fox spirits, yellow weasels, snakes, and pythons. In this type of immortal hall, one can often see spirit tablets or images with titles such as "Chang Tianlong", "Mang Tianlong", "Hu Cuihua" and so on, who are members of these four categories.

  The 'Huang San Tai Nai' worshipped in our home is the 'Huang' among the Four Great Immortals. The term 'Tai Ye Tai Nai' is a respectful title for those with high status in the household guardian deities.

  The book returned to its rightful owner, I gazed at Old Lady Huang San, who was squatting on the ground, using her pinky nail to scratch my little nephew's sole, and my heart was filled with rage. To think that most of the five flaws and three shortcomings on me were also inseparable from this old lady! And today she actually wanted to harm my little nephew?

  No way, must be knocked down!

  But now with so many people, I didn't dare to act, and could only squat down beside my little nephew, pretending to tease him while giving a sideways glance at Huang San's wife.

  It also saw me staring at it, but instead of getting angry, it smiled. I pointed to the courtyard outside with my chin, meaning that we should talk outside. It understood and got up, stepping out of the wall with its small feet. As soon as it left, my little nephew stopped crying.

  I didn't dawdle either, and followed her to the courtyard, closing the door behind me. I saw her standing in the corner of the yard, staring at me with a smile. I walked up to her and said sternly: "I'm telling you, old lady, wasn't everything already agreed upon? Why did you go back on your word? What's the point of bothering my little nephew for no reason?"

  That Huang San Tai Niang saw me talking to it like this, still didn't get angry, she opened her mouth, and her voice was just like that passing immortal from a few days ago, softly saying to me: "Youngster is quite capable now, can actually see your Tai Niang. Who says I'm regretful? Does your family's Tai Niang seem like someone who doesn't keep their word?"

  I stared at it and thought in my heart, isn't this called regret? What's called regret?

  So I said to him: "You didn't regret it, why are you still provoking my little nephew? Hmm?"

  That Huang San Tai said with a mixture of tears and laughter: "You little rascal, how dare you say that your family's grandma? Today is New Year's Day, I've been waiting left and right, but no one from your family has given me dumplings for Grandma, do you want to starve Grandma to death?"

  I heard it say that, the big stone in my heart fell to the ground, and I thought to myself: "Oh, it's just craving dumplings!" It scared me to death, I thought something was wrong again. So I said to it: "Auntie, didn't you see when you came in earlier that the dumplings weren't cooked yet? When they're done, I'll personally bring some over for you. How about that? Don't tease my little nephew anymore, he can't take your teasing."

  Huang San Tai laughed and said to me, "Yes, I saw it earlier too. Just as I was about to come back, I saw that little kid from your house, his appearance is really interesting. So I teased him a bit, nothing big. Anyway, since there's nothing else, I'll head back first. Remember, once it's cooked, send some over to me."

  I saw that it was just a mischievous kid, and didn't have any other intentions, so I also smiled. After all, the guardian deity is the "deity" that protects the home. It's not good to provoke it, so I smiled and said to it: "Alright, Grandma, when it's cooked, I'll pick out a few big ones for you first. Do you want soy sauce, vinegar, or whatever?"

  That old lady walked into the warehouse where it was enshrined without looking back and said, "No, I only want the meat filling, you know?"

  I said behind his back with a flattering tone: "Got it, sir~~~."

  After seeing it pass through the warehouse gate, my heart finally fell completely. Alas, you say I'm easy-going, but looking at it now, this old lady has really changed her ways. It seems that this "home-protecting immortal" can indeed protect the home, and giving it some dumplings is also warranted.

  Then I went back to the house to see my elders off, and they put the dumplings in the pot. Before long, the dumplings were cooked, and my elders who played mahjong also packed up the mahjong table. My father took firecrackers and fireworks to the yard and set them off. With the sound of firecrackers, this year passed like that.

  For me, this is really an extraordinary year, several times almost lost my life, but foolish people have good fortune, now back home for the New Year, can have a hot meal to eat, it's quite satisfying.

  I am filled with emotions, only because I am a person with a bitter fate. Looking out the window, firecrackers are bursting into bloom, and my heart is filled with endless sighs. This whole year has been a tragedy, just as I was about to finish making dumplings, I suddenly remembered something.

  It's about that passerby immortal, the one who was called 'Hu Lao Qi'. Of course, this Hu Lao Qi has nothing to do with Calabaza, what I'm thinking of is what he said to me when he left.

  The world is going to be in chaos.

  I'm actually quite concerned about this sentence, coming from an old fox's mouth, what does it mean? Thinking now, the number of unsolved cases in my head is simply too many, including those who robbed the Night Fox of his peach skin and let the female ghost go, as well as that guy who played with people's lives, what are they after?

  I remember Ninth Uncle once told me that Tai Sui Pi is a highly ominous object, prone to breeding evil spirits, and its appearance is indeed an omen of great disaster.

  Is there some connection between them?

  Fortunately, that Taoskin is still in Harbin where I live now, and it's being suppressed by a 'Three Forests Water Symbol'. Placing it under my bed should prevent any major mishaps.

  Lately, I've always had a feeling that something is going to happen, maybe it's just my nerves being too sensitive, or maybe it's because of the current cultivation level of "San Qing Shu". But later on, I thought about it and it's not possible, because I'm studying "San Qing Fu Zhou" even if I practiced it upside down, it's still impossible to predict the future.

  I suddenly remembered that Hu Laoqi and Huang Santai are also one of the 'Four Great Immortals', so I'll ask Huang Santai later to see if she knows anything.

  At this time, the dumplings were also cooked. My father scooped out a few from the pot and put them in a small dish, ready to go out. I knew he was going to offer sacrifices at the ancestral hall, so I walked up to him and said: "Dad, let me go instead. Things have been a bit unlucky lately, I want to try my luck."

  Old dad saw me say that, and nodded. He said to me: "Well, go ahead, burn some incense, and resolve your doubts."

  I nodded and took the bowl from my old man's hand, inside there were three dumplings. I thought this wouldn't be enough, so I scooped out six more from the pot, for good luck, nine dumplings should be enough for that old lady to eat.

  Many years of drifting outside told me that the sentence "asking people to send gifts first" is a famous saying, I know it. Now I want to ask Huang Santai about something, if I don't give her some benefits, I estimate that old lady won't tell me anything.

  So I took three small cups and fetched a bottle of white wine from the box, told my family that I was going out to make a phone call, and then walked out of the house door to the warehouse.

  On New Year's Eve, every household has the custom of "hitting lights", so all the lights in each room are turned on, and my warehouse is no exception.

  I walked into the warehouse and saw the shrine dedicated to Huang San Tai Nai, on top of which was a red paper with the words "Huang San Tai Nai's position" written in ink that had faded slightly. It was indeed Mr. Liu's handwriting from back then. I first placed the dumplings on top of the shrine, then filled three cups with white wine, and afterwards took the incense sticks next to it, lit them with a lighter, and inserted them into the incense burner.

  "After I finished all this, I opened my mouth and said softly: 'Grandma, I've come to deliver dumplings for you, please come out quickly.'"

  After finishing, I bowed three times in front of the god seat. Then, on the wall, a figure slowly emerged. It was the old lady with small feet. She appeared on the wall like a painting, from blurry to clear, and finally came down from the wall vividly.

  Only seeing the pointed mouth and cheek of it, after seeing me, it smiled, then twitched its nose to smell, I thought that after all it was still a fox mouse, even if it became an 'immortal', it couldn't resist the temptation of delicious food. So I respectfully said to it: "Madam, just cooked, please enjoy slowly."

  Huang San Tai didn't say a word, smiled at me and then walked to the altar, stretched out her hand and grabbed the dumplings. She wasn't afraid of being scalded, picked them up and stuffed them into her mouth.

  As I watched it eat, I suddenly felt a bit strange because after it picked up one and put it in its mouth, the dumplings on the plate didn't decrease at all, just like they hadn't been touched. Now I understand that it's indeed the same as that passing immortal, not eating food but rather the essence of food. No wonder when that passing immortal finished drinking those three cups of wine, the wine became watery. It seems the essence was extracted.

  I'm watching this scene in front of me and I find it thrilling, after all, I've been listening to these stories since I was a kid, about great immortals appearing, and wine losing its flavor. That's what emotions are like.

  After it had caught nine times in a row, it let out a satisfied burp. I thought to myself that this old lady must be full, so I said to her again: "Granny, you've been taking care of my family year after year, it's really hard on you. I've even prepared some wine for you especially for the new year, why don't you relax a bit?"

  Huang San Tai Nai smiled at me and said, "I didn't expect you to be so filial, knowing that I, your great-grandmother, have been working hard. Well, I won't let you down either. Is there something on your mind? Speak up."

  She picked up a cup of wine and suddenly sat down cross-legged in mid-air, floating. Then she took small sips of the wine.

  I thought to myself, this is indeed a case of "the older the ginger, the spicier", you old yellow skin are really cunning, knowing that I wouldn't be showing courtesy for nothing. Thinking of this, I didn't stand on ceremony with it either. Originally, I did have something I wanted to ask it.

  So I said to her: "Granny, to be honest with you, I've encountered something outside that I don't quite understand, so I wanted to ask you about it."