Literary Master: Starting with Refusing to Be a Child Star

Chapter 64 Making a fortune from the war

The "Tales of the Tang Dynasty" team is helping to publish Luo Jinnian's collection of suspenseful short stories.

Luo Qingli added two short stories: "The Old Corpse in the Mountain Village" and "Monkey's Paws".

"The Haunted Village" is an old film. The story begins with a reckless spirit summoning game. Four young people in Huangshan Village play a "soul summoning game," dripping their blood into water containing corpse oil in an attempt to summon the dead. Xiaoming, who possesses the ability to see ghosts, refuses to participate but witnesses a female ghost in blue appear in the room, while the other participants claim to have seen a "female ghost in red." After the game ends, horror ensues as the participants die one after another in mysterious ways.

The truth behind the final curse is revealed:

It was the polluted pool in Huangshan Village that was the source of all the disasters. Chu Renmei's resentment was channeled through water; everyone who drank from the pool would become the target of her revenge. "Fa Mao" discovered that Xiao Ming and he had both been affected, but Chu Renmei spared those with deep feelings.

To save himself and his beloved Cissy, "Fo Mao" chooses to drink the pool water, confronting the evil spirit and attempting to resolve its resentment with sincere feelings. Meanwhile, Xiao Ming dives into the pool to rescue his girlfriend trapped at the bottom, hoping to put the bracelet back on Chu Renmei's wrist for salvation, but tragically, Chu Renmei takes his life.

"Early Spring Tea can actually write such a traditional suspense novel? And it's quite well written. I haven't read such a classic horror folk story in many years."

As a "childhood nightmare" for countless people born in the 80s and 90s, "The Haunted Village" has repeatedly been listed as the "number one Hong Kong horror film" and holds an extremely high position in the hearts of movie fans.

It belongs to the standard serious psychological thriller/horror film category.

"Monkey's Paw" is a classic short horror story written by British author W.W. Jacobs in 1902, and is hailed as "one of the most thrilling novels in the world" and "a model of British thriller."

It tells a classic horror fable about wishes and their consequences: a monkey's paw that can grant three wishes plunges the warm-hearted White family into an abyss of no return.

On a cold, damp, snowy night, Mr. White received this mysterious monkey paw from India from a retired sergeant. Despite the sergeant's stern warning, which stated that the previous owner had ended up "seeking death," the White family, at their son's urging, half-jokingly made their first wish: £200.

The next day, the wish came true in a horrific way—their son, Herbert, was swallowed by a machine in the factory, and the compensation he received was exactly £200. Tormented by the loss of her son, the heartbroken mother forced her husband to make a second wish using a monkey's paw: for their son to come back to life. Late at night, a strange knocking sounded at the door, each knock more urgent than the last.

Old White realized with horror that outside the door might be his monstrous son, buried for days and unrecognizable. Amid his wife's screams and final struggles, Old White trembled as he made his third wish. The knocking stopped abruptly, leaving the reader with endless fear and profound reflections on human nature.

This story has also profoundly influenced later works and has been adapted into film and television works many times.

The quality of these two suspense stories is beyond doubt. The editors at "Da Tang" magazine praised them highly, saying, "These are authors born for this."

"The Haunted Village" tells a story of resentment, the hatred Chu Renmei feels after being betrayed—a deep-seated pain that even death cannot alleviate. But in the end, true love dissolves the resentment. The moment Fa Mao drinks the pool water for love, fear transforms into courage, and hatred is defeated by love.

"Monkey's Paw" is about desire and its consequences. You get what you pay for. You think you're making a wish, but you're actually signing a contract you don't even understand.

These two stories, when put together, are actually telling the same story—

Everything in this world has a price.

The author they keep talking about is still calmly looking at the middle-aged woman across from him, her head bowed and her hair disheveled, in court.

As it ended, Luo Jinnian watched the woman leave alone, then took her father's hand and walked past without saying a word.

It was impossible to fail; the middle-aged woman didn't even have the energy to appeal for custody, and the case was almost over in one lawsuit.

"But I really hope she'll give up custody of herself."

Luo Jinnian was still not satisfied.

The woman didn't even glance at him in the end.

It's not that I don't want to watch, it's that I'm afraid to.

Luo Jinnian found it somewhat amusing. He had mentally rehearsed this day countless times, imagining her screaming hysterically, or begging the judge to give her another chance, tears streaming down her face. He had even wondered if she would suddenly lunge at him, grab his hand, and cry out his name.

But nothing happened.

She remained quiet throughout, sitting quietly in the dock, listening quietly as the judge read the verdict, and quietly packing her things to leave.

"Is she sick?" Luo Jinnian suddenly asked.

The father paused for a moment, and after several seconds said, "I don't know."

"I think she's sick," Luo Jinnian said calmly.

"Da Tang" sent him the book cover and asked him what the book title of the collection of short stories and novellas should be. "Hmm, let's call it the New Year's Goods Shop."

A New Year's goods shop? Such a gloomy book with such a bright name, the contrast is huge.

Luo Jinnian chose this name for two reasons: firstly, it was based on his own name, and secondly, it was because the Lunar New Year had just passed, and he wanted to give it as a New Year's gift to his fans who liked his work.

(Luo Jinnian)

Thank you to all the netizens who have been concerned about me along the way. Things have come to a satisfactory conclusion. Fate always likes to play tricks, but courage is the hymn to humanity.

[By the way, tagging @EarlySpringTea, his new book is about to be published; suspense fans definitely shouldn't miss it.]

Luo Jinnian has now gotten used to using this as a way to promote himself.

Even after separating from the middle-aged woman and truly becoming the "other people's child" she talked about, she knew nothing about Luo Jinnian's writing.

If Luo Jinnian's identity as a writer is ever exposed, I believe she will feel even more regretful. I look forward to that day.

The last time he returned to the home that was the source of his suffering, he could still recall crawling out of the dark, gloomy room, his frail body seemingly blown away by the wind. Thankfully, he had raised the boy very well now.

The sun always shines after the storm. The past is the past; this is Luo Jinnian, and he has many new tomorrows ahead.

Weibo followers: 324 million.

There was absolutely no exaggeration; at least Luo Jinnian herself didn't buy a single bit of the product.

Before the incident, he only had a little over 200 million followers, but after the big battle, he gained 100 million followers.

The big battle was not without its benefits. At least now Luo Jinnian's popularity has increased, and he will definitely be on the list whenever classic cases of unfortunate child stars are cited in the future.

"They've really made a fortune off this war."