Folk tale: The soul of the deceased told him late at night that he saw the shoe prints on the wall and said: The bell must be tied to the bell
In ancient times, there was a small mountain village called Qingyang, where mountains and rivers depend on each other, and the folk customs are simple. In recent years, however, the village has been shrouded in an eerie atmosphere. It is said that in the dead of night, there are always ghosts wandering around the village, and the villagers often find inexplicable shoe prints on the walls, which are not left by the living, and seem to hide some kind of secret that no one knows.
There is a young man named Applejack in the village, who is brave and kind, and is curious about the strange things in the village. One day, Applejack meets a gray-haired old man under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village. The old man told him that these ghosts and shoe prints were the result of an unknown past in the village, and that only by finding the "bell and bell man" could the mystery be solved and the village restored to its former tranquility.
Applejack listens and is determined to find the "bell tyer". He began to wander around the village, asking the elders about the past. However, whenever the matter is mentioned, the villagers are always afraid and avoid talking about it. Applejack is not discouraged, believing that if he tries to find a clue, he will find clues.
Late one night, Applejack is patrolling the village alone when she hears a muffled cry. He followed the sound and found that it was coming from an abandoned mansion. Applejack cautiously pushes open the courtyard door, only to see that the courtyard is overgrown with grass and desolate. When he walked into the room, he saw a vague figure sitting on a chair in the hall, sobbing quietly.
Applejack boldly asks, "Who are you, and why are you crying here?"
The figure slowly raised its head, revealing a pale and haggard face. It turned out that it was a dead ghost, a young woman from the village many years ago. She tells Applejack that she died of a bad fate, and that she has no peace in her soul after her death, so she can only wander around the village. And those shoe prints on the wall are the ones she left behind before her death, implying the key to solving this mystery.
The woman continued: "Back then, I fell in love with a scholar in the village, but we couldn't be together because of family grievances. Later, I chose to elope for love, but unexpectedly encountered an accident on the way and died in Huangquan. My soul has never been able to let go, and every time in the dead of night, I will return here to find the truth of the past. ”
Applejack can't help but feel a wave of sympathy in her heart. He decides to help the soul solve the mystery and let her rest in peace. He asked, "Who is the 'bell that must be tied to the bell'?"
The woman sighed, "He is the scholar who fell in love with me back then. Only by finding him can the mystery be solved. ”
Applejack listens and has an idea. He said goodbye to his dead soul and began to search the village for the whereabouts of the scholar. After some twists and turns, he finally found out that the scholar had now changed his name and lived in seclusion in a remote part of the neighboring village.
Applejack immediately travels to a neighboring village and finds the scholar. After he explained his intentions, the scholar showed guilt on his face and admitted his mistakes back then. He tells Applejack that he was in great pain when he couldn't be with the woman he loved due to family pressure. Later, when he learned that the woman had died because of him, he was even more remorseful, so he changed his name and lived in seclusion here to repent of his mistakes.
Applejack listens to this, and her heart is mixed. He understands that in order to solve this mystery and let the souls of the dead rest in peace, the scholar must face his past and take responsibility.
So, Applejack returned to Qingyang Village with the scholar. When they came to the abandoned house, they saw the dead still weeping. When the scholar saw the dead soul, he immediately burst into tears, he fell to his knees and choked up: "It's me who is sorry for you, it's me who hurt you......"
Seeing this, the souls of the dead also cried even more sadly. She told the scholar that she had been unable to let go of her feelings all these years, and her heart was full of resentment and unwillingness. But now, seeing the scholar so guilty and remorseful, the resentment in her heart slowly dissipated.
Applejack takes the opportunity to say, "Now that you've all been honest with your past, it's time to solve the mystery." Do you know the shoe prints on the wall? They are the ones you left behind when you were alive, and they are the key to solving this mystery. ”
Hearing this, the scholar nodded. He took a deep breath and said slowly, "Those shoe prints were actually prepared by me to elope with you back then. I wanted to take you away and escape from the shackles of your family, but an accident happened on the way......"
Speaking of this, the scholar couldn't stop crying. The dead soul also wept silently, and she finally understood the truth of the year.
Seeing this, Applejack was filled with emotion. He said: "Now that you all understand the truth of the matter, let's put an end to this evil relationship together." ”
So, under Applejack's guidance, the scholar and the dead soul walk into the mansion together. When they came to the place where the woman was killed, the scholar knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times. The Revenant also slowly walked over to him, reached out his hand, and gently stroked his hair.
At this moment, a strange power spread through the courtyard. I saw that the shoe prints on the walls gradually blurred and dissipated, as if they had been erased by some force. And the body of the revenant became more and more transparent, and finally turned into a ray of light and disappeared into the air.
The scholar stared at all this blankly, his eyes revealing indescribable grief and relief. He stood up and said to the air, "I can finally let go, you must rest in peace in the spirit of heaven." ”
Applejack stands quietly and witnesses the touching scene. He knew that the mystery had finally been solved, and the souls of the dead had been laid to rest. He patted the scholar on the shoulder and said, "The past is gone, what you have to do now is to live a good life and stop letting regret and guilt bind you." ”
The scholar nodded, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes. He thanked Applejack for her help and said that he would start over and live well.
Applejack also feels a pang of relief and contentment. He understands that while the story is full of bizarre and weird, it also reveals the complexity and truth of human nature. He believes that as long as he tries to find and face the truth with his heart, he can solve any mystery and liberate his soul.
Since then, there have been no strange incidents of ghosts and shoe prints in Qingyang Village. The villagers have gradually returned to their former tranquility and serenity. Applejack has become more mature and brave because of this experience, and has become a highly respected figure in the village.
This story has been passed down in Qingyang Village and has become an eternal legend. It tells people that no matter how bizarre and strange things they encounter, as long as they try to find the truth and face the past, they can find a solution to the problem and let their hearts be relieved and at peace.
And the mysterious old man and the abandoned mansion have also become the talk of the villagers after dinner. Whenever they mention it, they sigh and rejoice in the end of that relationship, and praise Applejack for her bravery and wisdom.
As the years go by, Qingyang Village is still quiet and beautiful. The folk tale about "the bell must be tied to the bell" is forever engraved in the hearts of the villagers and has become their common memory and inheritance. As time passes, life in Qingyang Village returns to its former tranquility, but Applejack's heart never calms down. He often recalls the grievances of the dead soul and the remorse of the scholar, and often thinks about the deeper meaning behind the story.
One day, Applejack meets a strange Taoist priest under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village. The Taoist priest holds a whisk in his hand, and his eyes are deep, as if he can see through people's hearts. He smiled and said to Applejack, "Young man, you have an extraordinary aura on you, and you seem to have experienced something unusual. ”
Applejack's heart flutters when she hears this, and she tells the story of the dead and shoe prints. After hearing this, the Taoist priest stroked his beard and smiled: "Everything in the world has cause and effect, and everything you have experienced is predestined. But your courage and wisdom have changed the outcome of this fate. ”
Applejack humbly shook her head and said, "I just did what I was supposed to do, but I still have doubts in my mind. ”
The Taoist priest asked, "Oh, what are you confused?"
Applejack pondered for a moment, then said, "I still don't understand why the ghost chose to tell me all this in the middle of the night, and why she left those shoe prints as clues. ”
When the Taoist priest heard this, he smiled slightly and said, "That's because you have some kind of special fate with her. Your kindness and bravery made her feel the warmth and hope of the world. And those shoe prints are her guidance and trust in you, and she believes that you can solve this mystery and let her rest in peace. ”
Applejack listens to this, and it dawns on her. He looked at the Taoist priest gratefully and said, "Thank you for the guidance of the Taoist priest, I understand." ”
The Taoist priest nodded and said, "Young man, you still have a long way to go in your future. Remember, no matter what difficulties and challenges you face, be kind and brave so that you can go far. ”
With that, the priest drifted away, leaving Applejack to ponder in place.
Since then, Applejack has worked harder to live and work. He always remembered the teachings of the Taoist priests, and faced everything in life with kindness and bravery. And that story about the dead soul and shoe prints has also become an eternal wake-up call and inspiration in his heart.
As the years passed, Applejack became a respected elder in Qingyang Village. He often tells young people the folk tale about "the bell must be tied to the bell", hoping that they can draw wisdom and courage from it to face the challenges of life.
And the story of the dead soul and the scholar has also been passed down from generation to generation in Qingyang Village and has become an eternal legend. It tells people that no matter how much suffering and hardship they encounter, as long as they have love, courage, and wisdom in their hearts, they will definitely find a solution to the problem and let their hearts be liberated and at peace.