Corpse Retriever

In remote parts of China and some areas of Southeast Asia, there are still traditions where families send their children to live in temples for a time before bringing them back home. A simplified version of this exists inland: getting a child godparents.

Li Sanjiang looked at Liu Jinxia and asked, “You think it’ll work?”

Liu Jinxia nodded. “If you’re willing to go that far, it should work.”

She was a latecomer to this trade, having mostly fumbled her way through it. But back in the day, she had considered learning the real craft from Li Sanjiang.

In the end, she didn’t, because she realized Li Sanjiang wasn’t entirely reliable.

You could say he lacked skill, yet somehow he always had some trick up his sleeve when things went south. But if you claimed he was truly capable, he often left messes behind—like this time.

Still, one thing Liu Jinxia was sure of: the old man had some unexplainable quality about him.

She remembered her father-in-law saying that during the Republican era, Li Sanjiang had been conscripted three times. Everyone taken with him had disappeared without a trace, but he always managed to sneak back home in one piece.

He was in a trade riddled with taboos, yet he had remained perfectly healthy all these years. You couldn’t even call him a loner, not quite—he’d never married, but had lived a carefree, comfortable life.

By all logic, he should have been dead ages ago. Yet he looked ruddy and spirited, outliving many younger than him. Liu Jinxia was a whole generation younger and felt she’d probably go before he did.Hosting a Sacrificial Rite for the living to dispel misfortune only works if you have the luck to bear it. Li Sanjiang clearly did—he had so much of it, it overflowed.

Li Sanjiang stood up, stubbed out his cigarette, and was about to leave when Liu Jinxia called him back.

“Uncle Sanjiang.”

“Hmm?”

“I was just too worried about the child earlier, sorry if I sounded harsh.”

Li Sanjiang gave her a look. “You got something to say?”

Grinning, Liu Jinxia said, “Well, since you’re going to do all this, holding one rite or two makes little difference, right? How about I send my Little Cuihou to stay at your place too? She can keep Little Yuanhou company. What do you think?”

“Knew it—never anything good from that mouth.”

Li Sanjiang walked out without looking back. Holding the rite for Little Yuanhou was one thing—he had a responsibility there, and it was also for Hanhou’s peace in old age.

He’d lived free and easy his whole life. Losing a bit now to secure that wasn’t a bad trade. It beat toiling half a life for your children like most folks did.

But for Liu the Blind’s family? If he dared to take that on today, he might as well prepare to drop dead tomorrow!

“Little Yuanhou, come on, Great-Grandpa’s taking you home!”

“Coming, Great-Grandpa!”

Li Sanjiang took Li Zhuiyuan’s hand and left Liu Jinxia’s place. On the way, he said, “Little Yuanhou, Great-Grandpa wants to discuss something with you.”

“Yes, Great-Grandpa?”

“There’re a lot of kids at your house now, and it’s getting cramped at night. My place has more room, and I get lonely living alone. Would you come stay with me for a while, keep me company?”

“Great-Grandpa…”

“Hmm?”

“Is something wrong with me?”

“Uh…” For once, Li Sanjiang regretted how sharp the kid was. “Don’t worry, Little Yuanhou. Whatever it is, Great-Grandpa will handle it. You don’t have to be scared.”

“It’s okay, Great-Grandpa. I can get used to it.”

“Spit that out right now! That’s not something to ‘get used to’!”

“Ptooey, ptooey.”

…

When Li Zhuiyuan was brought back, Ying’er was jumping rope with her two younger sisters in the yard.

Two benches were set four meters apart, a loop of elastic band tied between their legs.

“Rubber ball, banana pear, marigolds bloom twenty-one. Two-five-six, two-five-seven, two-eight-two-nine-thirty-one…”

“Yinghou, are your grandparents back?” Li Sanjiang called out.

“Oh, Great-Grandpa, Yuanzai.” Ying’er and the others spotted them. “Grandpa and Grandma just got back.”

“Good.”

Li Sanjiang let go of Li Zhuiyuan’s hand and went inside, where he found Li Weihan and Cui Guiying.

The couple thought he was there about the “statement,” and quickly gave him an update.

After hearing them out, Li Sanjiang nodded and reassured them, “Alright, the matter with the Big Bearded family is settled. Don’t think there’ll be any more fallout.”

Li Weihan asked, a bit hesitant, “Uncle, that Little Oriole… has she been dealt with?”

Li Sanjiang’s eyelid twitched. Dealt with? What was he supposed to do—dig under the Big Bearded’s fishpond with a shovel and shout to see if she answered?

Logically, someone freshly dead shouldn’t have been capable of such a fierce haunting. That she chased them ashore was bizarre.

But whether Little Oriole had vanished after getting revenge or was still lurking in that fishpond as a shrine to something foul, Li Sanjiang wasn’t planning to find out.

“She won’t bother you again. Just remember the date and make an offering for her next year, just as a gesture.”

“Got it, Uncle. We’ll mark it down.”

“Good. But there’s something else I need to discuss with you.”

Li Sanjiang explained the issue with Li Zhuiyuan but left out his own mishandling—no need to embarrass himself.

Cui Guiying turned pale. “Dear heavens, it’s not over yet?”

Li Weihan stayed calm and told his wife, “The worst is over. This part’s nothing. Uncle knows what he’s doing—just follow his lead. Go pack some clothes for Little Yuanhou.”

Li Sanjiang waved a hand. “He’s not going to prison. You can still visit. Bring his things tomorrow. He won’t stay too long—half a month at most. Think of it as me enjoying a bit of grandfatherhood, haha.”

His relaxed tone calmed Cui Guiying. She wiped her tears and said, “We really appreciate it, Uncle Sanjiang.”

“Come now, we’re family. Alright, set the table, light the candles, pour three cups of wine—we’ll do a little ceremony, mark his Homecoming Rite.”

The rite was simple. A table with candles was placed in the yard. As Li Sanjiang chanted, he led Li Zhuiyuan three times around the table.

Then, Li Zhuiyuan picked up the three cups of rice wine one by one: the first he poured to the sky, the second he splashed on himself, the third he flung toward the family members standing inside the house.

The key was that during the entire ritual, Li Weihan, Cui Guiying, and the other siblings had to stay inside the threshold, silent and still.

The rite ended.

“Alright then, Hanhou, see you tomorrow,” Li Sanjiang waved. “I’ll be taking the kid home now.”

He hoisted Li Zhuiyuan onto his back and walked out of the yard.

From over his great-grandfather’s shoulder, Li Zhuiyuan turned, smiling, and waved goodbye like he was just off to visit relatives.

Inside, Li Weihan held Cui Guiying close, eyes locked on the boy. Pan’er, Lei’er, Huzi, and Shitou had been told to stay quiet, but they all squeezed past their grandparents to peer outside.

At that moment, the sun was just setting. Warm orange light spilled over everything, casting a soft halo across the yard.

Li Zhuiyuan suddenly felt a strange sense of detachment. He had a feeling this scene would etch itself into the depths of his heart—a moment he’d often return to in memory.

Like flipping to a page in…

An old, yellowed photograph.

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