There was very little business in the shop all day. As soon as the sky turned dark, I shut the doors, closed up shop early, and lit two candles on the table.
Shen Xuanrou carried over the incense burner that I usually used for her offerings and placed it between the two candles. "Little ghost," she said softly, "come out now."
No sooner had she spoken than the lights in the room dimmed and the candle flames flickered. A tiny figure, no bigger than a palm, poked a chubby arm out of the incense burner, scrambled up, and stood on the table, scattering ash everywhere.
Chapter 38