PCJ – Chapter 161 Catching Sheep

“Your name is fine as it is, we’re all used to it. If you change it, I won’t get used to it,” Zhang Manyin said. He couldn’t read much and didn’t understand why Zhang Jiaohua wanted to change his name. There were many people in Meizi Village with worse names, and they were called that from childhood to old age. Once a name is given by parents, how could it be changed so easily?

“Change it. Grandma supports you changing it. Your grandpa is just lazy and doesn’t want to walk that far. But this is a matter that will affect Jiaohua’s whole life. Even if it were ten times farther, we would go. Jiaohua is still young, and it’s fine to call him Jiaohua now, but when he grows up, it wouldn’t sound right. If he studies hard and gets into university, people might look down on him,” Ma Donghua was very angry at Zhang Manyin’s attitude.

“Jiaohua, what name do you want to change to? Have you thought it through?” Zhang Manyin asked after a while.

“Just change the characters but not the sound. Change ‘叫花’ (Jiaohua) to ‘教化’ (Jiaohua),” Zhang Jiaohua replied, appreciating his grandmother’s words.

“教化 (Jiaohua). Isn’t that the same? What’s the point of changing it?” Zhang Manyin muttered.

Zhang Jiaohua immediately pouted.

“教化 (Jiaohua) is good. Did you come up with it yourself? Grandma was worried that she wouldn’t get used to the new name, but if it’s like this, there’s no need to change how we call you. That’s settled then. Old man, tomorrow take Jiaohua to town and get his name changed,” Ma Donghua decided.

Although Zhang Manyin was reluctant, under Ma Donghua’s decision, he obediently took Zhang Jiaohua to town the next day.

Zhang Manyin didn’t want to go to town to change Zhang Jiaohua’s name, not because he didn’t like him or was really against the name change, but because he had a superstitious fear of the place where names were changed. In his view, only the police and troublemakers went in and out of the police station, and he never thought he would have to go there himself.

As they approached the police station, Zhang Manyin’s legs started shaking.

“Grandpa, why are you so slow?” Zhang Jiaohua, eager to change his name, couldn’t wait to get to the police station.

Zhang Manyin and Zhang Jiaohua didn’t know exactly where to go, only that they needed to find Director Luo. This was instructed by the elderly Luo Yongming. Zhang Jiaohua remembered it clearly.

“What are you two here for?” The gatekeeper stepped out of his room. Usually, he wouldn’t bother people going in and out, but seeing Zhang Manyin and Zhang Jiaohua hesitating at the entrance, he approached to give them directions.

“We’re looking for Director Luo,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

“What do you need Director Luo for? He’s in his office, second floor of that office building,” the gatekeeper asked casually and then directed them.

“We have some business,” Zhang Manyin said awkwardly.

“You looking for me?” Police Station Director Luo Changjun was surprised to see an unfamiliar old man and a boy.

“An elder named Luo Yongming told me to find you,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

“Luo Yongming is my father. Why did he ask you to see me?” Luo Changjun knew his father liked to meddle in things since retiring, which was understandable since he had nothing else to do at home.

“I want to change my name. The elder told me to come to you,” Zhang Jiaohua explained.

Luo Changjun remembered hearing about this during the New Year from his father.

“You’re Zhang Jiaohua? My father mentioned you. Your family’s wine is very good,” Luo Changjun said.

“Unfortunately, my parents went to Guangdong, so they can’t make some for you now,” Zhang Jiaohua said casually.

“No, no, don’t get me wrong. I’m not asking for wine. Let’s go change your name. Did you bring the household registration booklet?” Luo Changjun asked.

“Yes, yes,” Zhang Manyin, who had been silent, quickly replied.

In those days, changing a name or age was relatively simple if you knew the right place. Even ethnicities could be changed for college admission advantages.

With Luo Changjun leading the way, the name change was quickly completed.

The name on the household registration booklet was changed to Zhang Jiaohua. From that moment, Zhang Jiaohua became Zhang Jiaohua.

On the way back, Luo Changjun kept rubbing his neck. Zhang Jiaohua couldn’t help but ask, “Uncle Luo, is your neck uncomfortable?”

“Yes, it’s a bit sore. It’s yangzi.” Luo Changjun said, rubbing his jaw and neck. From his expression, you can tell that he is very uncomfortable.

In Meishan dialect, “yangzi” referred to swollen lymph nodes due to inflammation.

“Uncle Luo, should I try treating your yangzi?” Zhang Jiaohua asked, looking at him earnestly.

“You know how to treat yangzi?” Luo Changjun was surprised.

Zhang Jiaohua nodded, “I’ve learned a bit. Want to try?”

“Let’s give it a try,” Luo Changjun agreed, thinking it couldn’t hurt.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Jiaohua was very serious. He pinched Luo Changjun’s neck while chanting, “Living in the East Sea goat, five tigers catch the goat, one, two, three, four, five, gold, wood, water, fire, earth. I invoke the Supreme Old Lord’s decree: catch and kill the goats completely, catch and kill the goats’ thief.”

As he chanted, Zhang Jiaohua drew symbols in his palm and gently pinched the swollen lymph nodes with his fingers.

Initially, Luo Changjun wanted to laugh at Zhang Jiaohua’s seriousness, but the discomfort in his neck gradually disappeared with each pinch.

This left Luo Changjun stunned. This phenomenon couldn’t be explained by science. How could swollen lymph nodes return to normal so quickly? Yet, he clearly felt the change.

Seeing Luo Changjun frown, Zhang Jiaohua worried he had failed, “Uncle Luo, how do you feel?”

“It works. I don’t feel any pain now. Your method is really amazing,” Luo Changjun said, his eyes full of wonder.