PCJ – Chapter 319 Clash with Evil Spirits

“Step on the ladder, rise with each step; put the beam high, put it straight. The beam meets the auspicious day; the sun rises, bringing wealth and treasure. The stars shine overhead, and with blessings, may all things go smoothly year after year. Fortune as deep as the East Sea, and life as long as the Southern Mountains; a phoenix perches, and the dragon is embroidered on the ground. The grand hall rises high, filled with joy.”

Ladders were set up on both sides to lift the beam tree to the roof. Red cloth was tied to the beam tree, and people on the roof were pulling the beam tree up with the red cloth. Zhang Jiwang sang a verse with each step up the ladder.

“First step up the ladder, rising high; the Queen Mother meets the heavenly peach. The peach is not left unpicked, as Lu Ban’s disciples come along.”

…

When they reached the roof, the beam tree had to be placed across the two brick gables directly above the main hall. This required skill, as the beam must be perfectly straight. There’s a saying: “If the top beam is not straight, the lower beams will be crooked.” The beam is one of the most important parts of the house and is closely related to its feng shui. Usually, a feng shui master would have already examined the house site to ensure everything was in order. The carpenters, being experienced craftsmen, were expected to get the beam right. They carefully hewed the beam to make it square, and some beams were even carved with intricate designs, showcasing the carpenter’s craftsmanship.

However, nothing is guaranteed. Sometimes, even when the beam is perfectly straight, and the brick holes in the walls are properly aligned, the beam simply won’t fit. Some carpenters go their whole lives without encountering such a situation. Zhang Jiwang, for instance, had never experienced this problem before. But today, something went wrong during the beam-laying ceremony.

One end of the beam fit perfectly, but no matter what they tried, the other end wouldn’t go in. The measurements were correct, but the beam just couldn’t be lifted into place.

Zhang Jiwang remained calm and glanced at the workers pulling the beam from above.

“Uncle Jiwang, this end is too heavy! It’s stuck!” The bricklayers on the gable became anxious. This was an important event for the family, and everyone was related. If they botched the job, it would be embarrassing for everyone involved.

“Don’t panic, don’t panic. Let me check again.” Zhang Jiwang inspected the situation. Everything appeared fine, but the beam seemed stuck and wouldn’t move.

Realizing something was wrong, he quickly called out in a loud voice, “The host offers a silver-inlaid pot and three cups of wine to the gods. The first cup is for heaven, the second for earth, and the third for the deities. May the gods bless the host with great fortune and a long life.”

He then shouted to the workers on the roof, “Pull harder, pull harder, put some strength into it.”

The workers gave the beam another pull, and the red cloth creaked as it stretched. But the beam remained stuck, refusing to budge.

Down below, the people waiting to celebrate the beam-laying noticed that something was wrong. Clearly, something was amiss.

The bricklayers pulled with all their might, but the red cloth stretched so much that it looked like it might snap, which would cause a major disaster.

“Stop pulling! Stop pulling! The cloth is about to break!” One of the bricklayers urgently signaled to Zhang Jiwang, shaking his head vigorously.

Zhang Jingbing became anxious and quickly climbed up the ladder, asking Zhang Jiwang, “Uncle Jiwang, what’s going on?”

“Ah, I think we’ve encountered a ‘clash with evil spirits.’ We need to dispel the bad energy before the beam can be placed,” Zhang Jiwang replied with a helpless shake of his head.

“How did this happen? I’ve never heard of such a thing!” Zhang Jingbing was practically jumping with frustration. The new house had drained the family’s savings, and they had even borrowed money. He planned to go work in Guangdong after the new year to pay off the debts. If they couldn’t place the beam, who would dare live in the house?

“Jingbing, go find Jiaohua and see if he has a solution. This kind of thing is beyond us carpenters. If my master were still around, a carpenter who studied the ancient Lu Ban techniques would surely know what to do. But none of us local craftsmen have ever seen Lu Ban’s book. I’ve only glimpsed a few diagrams in my master’s possession,” Zhang Jiwang admitted, somewhat embarrassed. He knew he didn’t qualify as a true master carpenter.

Zhang Jingbing hurried down the ladder, nearly slipping in his haste.

Zhang Jiaohua and Zhang Yuanbao had been waiting below for the beam-laying, not expecting that the beam would get stuck halfway up. They had no idea how long it would take to complete the ceremony.

“Jiaohua, is the beam stuck? It hasn’t moved in ages. If we keep waiting, we’ll be late for school. If Zhang Shunlin catches me, he’ll make me stand on the platform all day.” Since Zhang Yuanbao had run away from school once, Zhang Shunlin no longer sent students out of the classroom as punishment but made them stand at the front instead. Zhang Yuanbao had already stood at the platform several times since then.

“I don’t know. Something seems off,” Zhang Jiaohua replied, feeling that the house site was giving off bad energy, a kind of ‘clash with evil spirits.’

“I think Grandpa Jiwang didn’t fix the beam properly. One end is stuck, so the other can’t be moved,” Zhang Yuanbao suggested.

Zhang Jingbing came down the ladder, frantically looking around for Zhang Jiaohua. “Has anyone seen Jiaohua?”

“Jiaohua’s in the back with Yuanbao!” someone called out.

Zhang Jiaohua overheard Zhang Jingbing calling for him and walked over.

“Jiaohua, Jiaohua, come quickly!” Zhang Jingbing waved excitedly when he saw him.

Zhang Jiaohua approached.

“Jiaohua, Uncle Jiwang says our house might have hit bad energy, and we need you to help resolve it. If we miss the auspicious time, it’ll bring bad luck,” Zhang Jingbing explained.

“But I’ve never handled a beam-laying ceremony before,” Zhang Jiaohua hesitated. Even in his dreams, he’d never done this. He had, however, helped his Taoist master in locating auspicious burial sites.

“We have no other choice now. Please, just try to help,” Zhang Jingbing pleaded.

“Jiaohua, make sure to throw down extra sweets when it’s time! I’ll be right here waiting,” Zhang Yuanbao called out. He envied Zhang Jiaohua’s opportunity. If it were him throwing the beam-laying gifts, he’d stash some for himself. The person on the roof always kept a little something for themselves before tossing the rest down to the crowd.

“I’ll give you some extra from home later,” Zhang Jingbing promised with a wry smile.

Zhang Jiaohua climbed up the ladder to where Zhang Jiwang was waiting. “Uncle Jiwang, how did we hit bad energy?”

“I have no idea. I’ve been doing this for decades and never encountered anything like this. But today, here we are. You’d better think of something,” Zhang Jiwang said, his forehead glistening with sweat.

“I’ve never done this either. I’ll just have to give it a try,” Zhang Jiaohua replied, scratching his head.

He remembered a ritual chant for dealing with evil spirits during house construction, so he began quietly reciting: “The host builds this house on an auspicious day. The Purple Star shines from above, bringing wealth and fortune. May silver flow like water into this house, bringing sons and gold. I invoke the Six Stars of the South and the Seven Stars of the North, in the name of the Supreme Lord Laozi, I command you: make it so!”

As Zhang Jiaohua completed the chant, he formed a hand seal and pointed toward the beam. Suddenly, it seemed to lighten by several times. The red cloth, which had been creaking under the weight, now fell silent.

The bricklayers felt the difference immediately. With a light pull, they effortlessly lifted the beam into place.

“Uncle Jiwang, we did it! Hurry, we’re running out of time to complete the ceremony!” one of the workers called out.

Zhang Jiwang quickly grabbed the beam and fixed it onto the roof. “The gods listen to the carpenter’s words, as Lu Ban arrives at the beam-laying ceremony. The decorative beam is placed before the hall. The wind brings the beam into place, and the master carpenter’s skills are sweet as the cakes he bakes.”

After securing the beam, Zhang Jiwang climbed to the roof, pulling Zhang Jiaohua up with him. “Jiaohua, you’ve been the biggest help today. Come, help yourself to a good drink later. But first, let’s finish the ceremony.”

“Come, throw the buns from the east. Catching the beam means gaining gold. Toss from the four corners, and your firstborn will become a scholar,” Zhang Jiwang chanted, scattering some buns toward the east. The crowd below scrambled to grab them.

Another bricklayer tossed some buns into the main hall. “Toss the buns into the main hall, and the host’s descendants will study diligently, gaining both fortune and prosperity.”