Folklore: The baby starts the game, and the mother takes off her painted skin

Chapter 8 Peeling
Could this be the reason why this Painted Skin Ghost Mother of mine stayed in this town, to peel people’s skins?

If she didn't peel the skin, where did she get the human skin she usually used? !

The more Liu Bai thought about it, the more he felt that this was the case.

All he could hear was the man crying. Liu Bai blinked and finally saw clearly where he was.

He was now lying on a soft chair inside the counter, covered with a small blanket, and his nose was filled with the faint scent of peach blossoms.

On the left is a counter, and on the right is a row of wooden shelves, which are filled with numerous incense sticks, paper money, and paper figures of painted horses.

Not far in front of him was Madam Liu, who was doing business.

At this moment, she was completely different from the indifference she showed when facing Liu Bai. Instead, she said in a friendly voice:
"Everyone in this town knows each other well, so they wouldn't do such a cruel thing... It's unlikely. Brother Zhu, this was most likely done by a ghost or some evil spirit."

"Brother Zhu, you should go ask Master Ma for help first."

"Use these paper money and other things first, and come back to me when you run out of them. I can easily discuss money and other things."

After hearing this, the man surnamed Zhu cried and said, "Thank you, Madam Liu, thank you. I will go and invite Master Ma now. I won't say any more to you. I will go back first."

"Okay, you go back first. Remember to come to me if you need help." Madam Liu was very enthusiastic.

But Liu Bai was amazed when he heard it.

My mother is really cruel. She killed someone and skinned the dead body, and the living people in the family came to him to buy incense, candles and paper money...

Isn't this just making money from both the living and the dead?
Even eating up the entire family is probably not as cruel as this.

Liu Bai immediately understood why she opened this incense and candle shop.

Footsteps were heard outside the counter, and the man seemed to be going out. Madam Liu just smiled and watched him go away until he could no longer be seen.

Madam Liu turned around, but when she looked at Liu Bai, her eyes had returned to their coldness.

"Don't delay my business while you're here!"

"I know." Liu Bai nodded obediently, not daring to say anything more. If she became ruthless and wanted to skin him alive again, that would be troublesome.

Madam Liu felt that he might not understand what she said, so she added, "Don't let them see you leaving, and don't talk in front of them."

Liu Bai nodded vigorously.

Madam Liu then went out from the counter, and no one knew what she was doing outside. Liu Bai could only lie on the soft chair and stare at the things on the shelves in a daze.

After a long while, he heard no sound, so he couldn't help but ask, "Mom, are you there, Mom?"

"Ah."

Liu Bai felt relieved when he heard Madam Liu's voice from outside. He then asked, "Mother, who is that Mr. Ma? Why do you go to him when you have problems?"

Madam Liu said nothing.

After a while, Liu Bai asked again: "Mom, what were those beads you gave me yesterday?"

"Yinzhu." Madam Liu's voice seemed to have a hint of impatience.

Liu Bai asked again: "Mom, are there really so many ghosts outside this town... then wouldn't everyone be afraid to go out?"

"They can't see it." Madam Liu said coldly.

"Is it just me who can see it?"

"Ah."

"Then why is this..." Before Liu Bai finished speaking, he felt his eyes go dark. Madam Liu stood outside the counter, looking down at him with cold eyes, as if she didn't have any emotion at all. "Didn't you hear what I just said?"

Liu Bai weakly retracted her head into the blanket and said aggrievedly, "But I can't see my mother. I... I'm scared."

Madam Liu sneered, "Why weren't you scared when someone broke into the Hu family's old house yesterday?"

No, mother, it’s boring if you keep bringing this up... Liu Bai didn’t dare to say anything.

But when he poked his eyes out from under the blanket again, he found that Madam Liu had returned to the counter. She seemed to be embroidering something very small, about the size of a palm.

Liu Bai had achieved the purpose of his test, so he stopped provoking and just silently looked at Madam Liu's profile.

Neither of them spoke, but the silence was broken by the shouting outside the door. "Madam Liu, Madam Liu."

When Liu Bai heard the voice of the wet nurse Huang Yiyi, he felt a little familiar. After all, this was the first voice he heard when he traveled through time.

"What's wrong? Why are you still acting like a little girl even though you're married and have children?" Madam Liu smiled again.

"Oh, Madam Liu, you are saying this again." Huang Yiyi complained, then leaned his upper body on the counter and was about to speak.

But when he saw Liu Bai lying on the soft chair, staring at him with his big eyes, he said "uh" and suddenly held back all the words.

Madam Liu turned around and glared at him.

Liu Bai looked so innocent... I clearly didn't do anything.

"Don't worry about him, let's talk it out."

Soon, Huang Yiyi's voice was lowered outside, "Madam Liu, you don't know, the ghost in the Hu family's old house is gone!"

"What? It's gone? Wasn't it the God of Land who did it?" Madam Liu's surprised voice sounded.

Tsk, your acting is so good that even an Oscar winner would have to admit defeat... If Liu Bai hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would probably have been fooled by Madam Liu.

"Yes, Mr. Ma thinks so too. He just went to burn incense with the mayor, and the God of Land said no."

"Master Ma said that maybe the ghost left on its own."

Huang Yiyi's voice was sometimes loud and sometimes soft, and it was obvious that she had grasped the essence of gossip.

"That's good, that's good, otherwise I would have almost closed down my shop." Madam Liu seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Bai was listening with boredom, and just as he turned over and headed towards the counter, he was startled.

A person... a scarecrow about the size of a palm, was sitting inside.

After noticing Liu Bai's gaze, it blinked and smiled.

Who wouldn't be scared when seeing this?

Just as Liu Bai was about to speak, the scarecrow raised a finger to his mouth and made a gesture of silence.

It had only four fingers on each hand and made a lot of gestures... Liu Bai didn't understand anything.

It could only whisper, "I am the servant ghost accepted by the Queen, my name is Xiaocao."

"Xiao Cao has met the master of the main family."

So... this is the little ghost raised by Madam Liu?

Just as Liu Bai came to his senses, he heard the Painted Skin Ghost's mother ask, "I heard that the old lady from the Zhu family was skinned by a ghost?"

"what?"

Huang Yiyi was surprised and asked, "When did this happen?"

"Maybe it was this morning. Zhu Yourong was just buying paper money from me, and I heard what he said." Madam Liu's voice was flat, as if she just wanted to find out something.

Huang Yiyi heard this and said quickly: "There is such a thing. I will go and ask around and come back to tell you later."

She didn't even bother to drink a sip of water before she immediately got up and left.

After hearing this, Liu Bai, who was at the counter, couldn't help but praise his mother's acting skills. She even knew how to get herself out of the situation through a third party.

The means are indeed quite sophisticated.

However, with the methods that Mr. Ma has, if he really finds his painted-skin ghost mother, he will only die.

After all, the hanged ghost that Master Ma couldn't beat couldn't even last a single encounter in front of Madam Liu.

While Liu Bai was thinking, Madam Liu also walked in from outside.

She glanced at his expression and knew what he was thinking, but for some reason, she took the initiative to explain.

"not me."

(End of this chapter)