After securing Su Xingran and confirming that everything was alright, they went to check on Su's parents. Su's parents remembered Su Xingran's words: no matter what, they had to pretend to be unconscious and not give themselves away.
Seeing that Mr. and Mrs. Su were also lying slumped on the bed, Mrs. Su went over and nudged Mr. Su a few times, calling out "Second son, second son, second son!" several times, but Mr. Su didn't move. She then nudged Mrs. Su a few times, calling out "Second son's wife, second son's wife, second son's wife!" but Mrs. Su didn't move either. "Eldest daughter-in-law, let's go out and call Aunt He in. The second son and his wife have already fainted."
After the two women, mother and daughter-in-law, had left for a while, Mr. and Mrs. Su opened their eyes. It was already very dark, so all they could see was darkness. Mr. Su was trembling with anger. His own mother, accompanied by the sorceress He Ergu, had come to their house to subdue their daughter, and Ranran had been right all along.
In the darkness, Su's mother grasped Su's father's hand and patted it silently a few times. She was also angry and wanted to rush out and confront them, but she couldn't act impulsively and ruin Ranran's plans. She knew the pain in the man beside her—his own mother bringing a sorceress to their door, treating his daughter like a ghost and trying to exorcise her. She could only pat his hand to comfort him. Unseen by Su's mother, tears welled in the eyes of this grown man.
Zhao Xiaohua, having reached the gate, found Aunt He standing in a concealed spot. "Aunt He," she said, "we've confirmed it; the entire family of three is unconscious. We've tied up that girl too. You can go in now."
He Ergu followed Zhao Xiaohua into Su Xingran's house. After taking a few steps inside, she seemed to remember something and retreated to the doorway, locking the door behind her. Inside, Old Lady Su was sitting. Upon seeing He Ergu, Old Lady Su stood up.
"Take me to that girl's room," Aunt He said, not saying much to them. "It's already very late, and if we don't finish soon, it'll be even later." Old Mrs. Su walked in front, followed by Aunt He and Zhao Xiaohua. The three of them entered Su Xingran's room.
Old Mrs. Su held the kerosene close to Su Xingran's eyes, and Aunt He saw her—Su Xingran was tied to the back of a chair. "Where's the black dog blood and rooster blood you prepared?" Aunt He had come carrying something covered by a long strip of cloth.
We brought them and put them outside in the yard. Just as it got dark, Old Mrs. Su and Zhao Xiaohua hid them in a secluded spot not far from Su Xingran's house. Zhao Xiaohua just went out and brought them back in.
"Bring it in, I need it." Aunt He removed the long strip of cloth, revealing what was hidden underneath: a peach wood sword. Copper coins were tied to the blade, and the hilt was bound with red cloth, making it look quite legitimate.
While they weren't paying attention, Su Xingran quietly opened her eyes and took a look. She saw the peach wood sword in He Ergu's hand, which was tied with copper coins and red cloth. Her lips twitched. The tools were quite complete. It was a pity that she was not a wandering ghost. She was a soul that had returned to its place.
After Zhao Xiaohua brought in the dog blood and chicken blood, Aunt He took out a blank piece of yellow paper and a brush from her pocket. She dipped the brush in the chicken blood and drew on the blank yellow paper. Soon, several talisman-like yellow papers appeared. "Step back a little, I'm going to start the ritual."
Then, Aunt He took the peach wood sword, stuck the talisman on the end of the sword, pointed at Su Xingran and muttered, "Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, may the gods appear from all directions..." At the end of the chant, Aunt He took out a small bottle from her pocket, opened the cap, and took a sip.
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