A dog barks at the form,
A hundred dogs bark at the sound.
When I was young, I experienced many things, but as my memory fades, I can hardly remember a few. Let me talk about one thing related to me, and I remember a few details.
There was a hunchbacked old Taoist in Chixian County, extremely destitute. According to reason, Chixian County had a thriving incense industry, and a Taoist was respected. Moreover, even if he couldn't do anything else, he could at least sell some pills or exorcise evil spirits from people's homes in exchange for some silver. But this old Taoist seemed to have some integrity and disdain for such things. Some people pitied him and gave him some food, but he scolded them and made them angry.
I have seen him a few times. He often wore a dark blue Taoist robe, which hung down because of his tall and hunchbacked figure, making him look like a woman carrying a baby. His hands, as withered as fire sticks, often stroked his white beard. His eye sockets were deep, and there was a pink scar on his forehead. It is said that this scar was from a fight with someone. I secretly sneered at his overestimation of his abilities, but didn't pay too much attention to it.
The first and fifteenth of every month were lively times in the county. Farmers from the countryside came to sell their food, such as old pumpkins and eggs, to buy seeds with the money they earned. This old Taoist also liked to wander around during this time, as it was a rare opportunity for him to talk freely. He walked along the street with his hands behind his back, listening and joining in when he encountered groups of people. If he happened to be in a conversation, it suited his taste even more. Over time, he even formed a set of theories. It was mainly because he had a silver tongue, and some people believed him without question. After hearing him speak, people in the county also found his words somewhat reasonable. Combined with his eccentric personality, they simply regarded him as a strange and extraordinary person.
But what really made me familiar with this destitute old Taoist was his involvement with the government. At that time, the county was recruiting labor to build embankments and prevent flooding. Because it was a large project and involved hard labor, the county became a place for women and children. Every woman had to take care of household chores and also bring food to their husbands or sons, making them busy. Some people simply wrapped themselves in coarse cloth and went out with their children on their backs, not caring about their appearance. The old Taoist, who happened to come down from the mountain, saw this and was quite indignant. He appeared to be in great distress, and whenever he met someone, he would complain about the lack of humanity and morality in the government. He said that men were having a good time outside while women suffered and endured hardships. As if afraid that others wouldn't believe him, he brought up the stories of Zhaojun and Mulan to support his arguments, which were quite convincing. For a period of time, he lamented the government's cruelty towards women and children, just like Dou E in the execution ground. After a few days of shouting, perhaps realizing that some people resonated with him, he found new arguments to advocate for the grievances of women and children in the county. He openly criticized the government for not considering the well-being of women, children, and the elderly, even considering it shameful to publicize their suffering. At that time, I was also considered one of the "victims of injustice," but I didn't feel a sense of justice. I was just worried because he was not one of the laborers, nor was he the wife or child of those people. However, I have to admit that he had a silver tongue. The number of people on strike increased day by day, and the government had no choice but to find the old Taoist and secretly give him some silver to resolve the situation.
I don't know how the embankment was eventually built, how the turmoil was resolved, or whether the old Taoist really achieved justice. I only remember that when the old Taoist was talking about his so-called achievements with the farmers selling old pumpkins at the market, he seemed to have been reborn.
The last time I saw him was still at the market. He was surrounded by three or four people, seemingly arguing about something. After asking someone, I learned that the old Taoist had repeated his actions and wanted to earn some dishonest money. I watched him flatteringly in the crowd, feeling somewhat dazed. He no longer had the spirited appearance when he sought justice, but instead looked like a rat crossing the street. He was still hunchbacked, and the ugly scar on his head became more prominent. The more I looked at it, the more frightened I felt. That pink scar looked like a mouth that had been sewn shut.
He was still talking, but it wasn't his mouth.
Who sewed that mouth shut again?
After that day, the old Taoist disappeared from the county, and no one saw him again. Some said he died, some said he was arrested by the government, but there was no way to know for sure.
I heard from the adults that this old Taoist had his own name, called Liuyun Daoist.
I have to admire him for coming up with such a fitting name.