One dog barks at the form,
A hundred dogs bark in response.
When I was young, I experienced many things, but with the fading of my memory, I can hardly remember a few of them. 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 prosperous incense industry, and a Taoist was respected. Moreover, even if he couldn't do much, he could at least sell some pills or exorcise demons and ghosts from people's homes in exchange for some small change. But this old Taoist seemed to have some principles and refused to do these things. Some people pitied him and offered him food, but he scolded them and made them angry.
I have seen him a few times. He often wore a dark blue Taoist robe, and because he was tall and hunchbacked, the robe hung down, resembling a woman carrying a baby. His hands, as withered as firewood, 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. I secretly sneered at him for overestimating himself, but I didn't pay too much attention to it.
The first and fifteenth of the month were lively times in the county. Farmers from the countryside came to sell their produce, 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 engage in high-spirited discussions. He walked along the street with his hands behind his back, listening to conversations and joining in when he encountered groups of people. If he happened to be in a chat, it pleased him even more. Over time, he even developed a set of theories. It was mainly because he had a silver tongue, and some people believed in him deeply. After hearing him speak, people in the county also thought he made some sense. Combined with his eccentric personality, they simply regarded him as a strange and extraordinary person.
But what really made me familiar with this destitute Taoist was his involvement with the government. There was a time when the county recruited labor to build a dam for flood control. Because it was a large project and involved hard labor, the county became a place dominated by women and children. Every woman had to take care of household chores and also bring food to her husband or son, 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 be coming down from the mountain, saw this and was quite indignant. He appeared to be in great distress, and he criticized the government for lacking humanity and righteousness. He complained that men were enjoying themselves outside while women suffered and toiled. As if afraid that others wouldn't believe him, he brought up the stories of Zhaojun and Mulan to support his arguments, and he spoke eloquently. For a while, he passionately criticized the government and the harsh treatment of the laborers, resembling Dou E at the execution ground. After a few days of outcry, perhaps sensing that some people resonated with him, he came up with new arguments to seek justice for the women and children in the county. He openly criticized the government for not considering the well-being of women, children, and the elderly, and even regarded publicizing their suffering as shameful. This was extremely infuriating. 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 did have 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 money to resolve the situation.
I don't know how the dam 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 be reborn.
The last time I saw him was still at the market. He was surrounded by three or four people, as if they were arguing about something. After asking someone, I learned that the old Taoist had repeated his actions and wanted to make some dishonest money. I looked at him in the crowd, his flattering demeanor making me feel somewhat dazed. He no longer had the spirited appearance he had when seeking justice, but instead resembled a rat crossing the street. He was still hunchbacked, and the ugly scar on his head was even more prominent. The more I looked at him, the more frightened I became. That pink scar looked like a mouth that had been sewn shut.
He was still talking, but it wasn't his mouth.
Who had sewn that mouth shut?
After that day, the old Taoist disappeared from the county, and no one saw him again. Some said he died, while others said he was arrested by the government. 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.