Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Wan Family Sets Out with the Carriage

I looked at the man and said, "I want to go to the Wan Family Gate. Do you know how to get there?"

He replied, "I do. I can take you."

Suspicious, I pressed, "You're not lying to me, are you?"

He said, "I died inside the Wan Family Gate myself. How could I not know the way?"

I shook my head on purpose. "I don't believe you. Tell me in detail—how did you die?"

He stared at the roast chicken above the fire and spoke, "My name is Gao Dog. When I was alive, I was an apprentice at the Xu Carriage House..."

I had been an apprentice at the Xu Carriage House for three years. Just as I was about to finish my apprenticeship, my master assigned me a task: I was to go to the owner's mansion, bring back a carriage. The horses and carriage were ready; all we needed was someone who could drive.

My master told me, "When the owner arrives, don't say you're an apprentice—you're a driver. Otherwise, we'll lose this business. Pull yourself together. Big families are hard to serve. If you do well this time, you'll be out of your apprenticeship."

Those words made me happy for quite a while. As an apprentice, you get meals but no pay. Once I finished and became a proper driver, I’d earn wages. Who wouldn't want to graduate quickly?

I was so delighted, I thought of nothing else. If I'd had the sense to worry, things wouldn't have gone wrong.

Normally, people came to the Carriage House to hire carriages, not people. If a family could afford horses, surely they’d have their own drivers.

My master said that the owner would come after dinner. But I waited at the gate until dark and saw no one. Waiting, I leaned against the door and fell asleep. I was sleeping soundly when suddenly someone pushed me. I groggily opened my eyes and was startled awake.

I saw an old man with a deathly pale face and red-tinted eyes, standing rigidly before me. I was so terrified, all sleep vanished.

The old man spoke in a shrill voice, "Are you the driver from the Xu House?"

Hearing him speak, I finally relaxed. The Qing Dynasty was nearly over, and many eunuchs sought work, often hired by wealthy families. I’d met several; they spoke just like this.

I stood up and said, "That's me. What would you like me to do?"

"Good! Follow me," he said, turning and walking away. I grabbed a lantern and hurried to catch up.

According to the Carriage House rules, on night roads, you walk ahead of your employer, lighting the way.

The old man chuckled, "You’ve got some sense. You look strong—have you practiced martial arts?"

"A few years," I replied absentmindedly, chatting as we left the city.

As we walked, something felt wrong. We were heading into the mountains.

I asked, "Sir, where are we going?"

"To the Wan Family Gate!" His answer sent a chill down my spine.

I recalled how, after dinner, everyone at the Carriage House vanished—even the guard dog was tied in the back. So the Wan Family Gate had come down the mountain for people again.

Behind me, the old man laughed, "What’s wrong? Afraid now you know I’m from the Wan Family Gate?"

His voice changed, as if his head was pressed to my ear, laughing coldly in that shrill tone.

I laughed back, "Come now, working for the Wan Family Gate is a blessing I’ve earned, isn’t it?"

He chuckled, "You know how to talk! Do your work well, and not only will you get your pay, if the mistress is pleased, she might reward you extra!"

Now his voice sounded as if he were two steps away.

Thankfully, I hadn't run or begged for mercy. If I'd said a wrong word, he might have reached out from behind to strangle me.

I discreetly touched the knife hidden in my clothes, then smiled, "Rest assured, sir, I work carefully and won't shame my master."

His voice turned cold, "You’d better mean what you say, or you’ll regret it."

After that, he fell silent, only speaking again when we reached halfway up the mountain. "Stop! Don’t go further. Take the side path to the left."

As a Carriage House apprentice, I did odd jobs and had chopped wood up these mountain paths. I couldn’t say I walked them every day, but almost. There was no side path here; to the left was a cliff.

I was about to speak, but swallowed my words.

Whether the one behind me was human or ghost, I couldn’t expose him then. If I angered him, he’d attack me on the spot.

Best to do as he said. If it came to life or death, I still had my knife. At worst, I’d stab him even if I died.

I raised my lantern and stepped into the wild grass at the roadside.

The old man laughed again, "Good, you know the rules, know your place. If you do well, don’t go back—work with me from now on."

That made my scalp tingle. How was I supposed to answer?

If I nodded, I’d never return. If I didn’t, I might not make it past this patch of grass.

I could only smile, "Thank you, sir, for your favor. When I finish, I’ll tell my master and come back to follow you."

He was pleased, "Good lad!"

Just as I breathed a sigh of relief, the old man kicked me from behind. I toppled into the grass, rolling several times before stopping.

Before I could get up, I saw a pair of cloth shoes appear in front of me—the old man had caught up. But his toes didn’t touch the ground!

Three inches above the earth—wasn’t that a ghost?

He knew I was looking at his feet but didn’t care. "Get up, follow me. The mistress is waiting!"

At this point, I dared not disobey. Enduring the pain, I rose and hobbled after him. As I walked, I glanced back—the direction I’d fallen was pitch black, not even the shape of a mountain visible. It didn’t look at all like a cliff fall.

Had I not fallen from a cliff?

I was still wondering how I might get back when a grand mansion appeared ahead.

I had never seen a residence so imposing—the gate was taller than the county office.

The old man led me inside. A chill crept over my body, and the people milling about all had pale faces or stiff features, looking as lifeless as corpses.

I kept my head down, not daring to look, following the old man deeper into the mansion until he called out, "Stop there," and I halted.