Chapter 1, The Crossroads

Xie paid his respects to my grandparents with a bow and then turned to leave. Unexpectedly, the next day, someone discovered Xie hanging from a tree in the cemetery of my family.

Not far from the door was a crossroads. At that time, because I was still young, my father took me to the crossroads, found a small stick on the ground, and began to draw circles on the paper. (According to folklore, it is said that there are many ghosts and spirits at the crossroads, so to prevent them from taking things, a living person draws a circle to signify that this is a possessed item, which will be protected by the spirits.) I stood by watching my father, and after he lit the paper money, strange things began to happen.

This also has its significance; if there is an abundance of food on New Year's Eve, it signifies a bountiful harvest in the coming year. We cooked a pot, and the leftovers were placed outside on the cover to freeze. Just after we finished our meal, we heard a loud crash in the yard. Father immediately ran out to check, and after a while, he returned to say: "It's nothing; the dumplings on the cover fell over, but I picked them all up."

Grandfather hurriedly said: "Alright, go ahead!" Xie said: "The greatest regret of my life is that I haven't left behind even one son or half a daughter. When the day comes that I am no longer here, there won't even be someone to break a bowl to guide the way (in rural Northeast China, a son is required to break a bowl to guide the funeral procession). Today, you must promise me that if you have children in the future, you must adopt one for me."

The doctor said that our medical conditions are inadequate and that we need to go to a larger hospital. Therefore, my parents took me to my third uncle's house in the provincial capital

At this moment, my father became a bit restless and said to my mother, "Wife, please close the window," because on New Year's Eve, every family wants to be bright and cheerful. Therefore, my mother reluctantly went to draw the curtains and cover the books.

Then, feeling increasingly frustrated, Xie went to my grandfather's house (at that time, my grandfather had already married my biological grandmother) and knelt down as soon as he entered the door

At a glance, there is no one in front of me! My snowball just happened to hit the pile of paper that Grandma was burning.

There was no way out; after all, I was unwell. Later, I don't know who shamelessly suggested a remedy to my mother, saying that drinking castor oil would help. We didn't have any castor oil at home, so what could we do? My mother took leave to accompany me back to my grandfather's house in Meihekou.

But at that time, out of curiosity, I secretly turned back to take a look and vaguely saw two elderly women fighting.

At this moment, Dad also sensed that something was amiss, so he told Mom about the incident of burning paper. Mom asked, "What should we do now?"

I am a follower of Buddhism and have a keen interest in certain folk matters. I have been researching some supernatural phenomena. Although I am not particularly skilled in any ghost-catching techniques, I do have some knowledge in this area.

Father hurriedly pulled open my clothes and saw a clear purple mark imprinted on my stomach

I heard my father say that when my fourth aunt first entered the door, the two of them, for some unknown reason, had a heated argument, with my fourth aunt cursing at her elder, while the elder remained silent, working in the fields.

Not long after I finished speaking, I realized that the pain had subsided, and when I lifted my shirt, the purple marks on my abdomen had also disappeared

It can be said that the Xie family has a good background; their parents were once well-known landlords in the area, but later fell from grace. This Xie family member, although ultimately divorced due to her inability to bear children, was always cherished by my grandfather. Just imagine how this Xie family member could have endured such suffering

I was around 6 years old, though I can't quite remember if it was exactly 6 or 5, that year on New Year's Eve. It is customary here to burn paper on New Year's Eve, and afterwards we return home to set off firecrackers and eat dumplings

At that time, I was in so much pain that I was rolling on the bed. There was no other way; my father knelt by the window and bowed his head, saying: "Mom, the child doesn't understand, he's upset with you. Please don't be like him; after all, he is your little grandson. Look at how much trouble this is causing the child; can you bear it? If the money is not enough, I will send you more, but no one thinks of their grandson like this, do they? Hurry and go, next year I will come home to pay my respects at your grave." You see how much trouble this is causing the child; can you bear it? If the money is not enough, I will send you more, but no one thinks of their grandson like this, do they? Hurry and go, next year I will come home to pay my respects at your grave.

Father reignited the joss paper, and after it was burned, he led me back home, constantly reminding me not to look back along the way

It was still my grandfather who buried the Xie family at the edge of our family graveyard

Speaking of those drifters, they have no land, no house, and with a wife deceased, they are even more destitute and unable to send money.

Let me talk about the personalities of my two grandmothers. The first grandmother, surnamed Xie (hereinafter referred to as Grandmother Da), who hanged herself, is said by the villagers to have a very outgoing personality and a tendency to stand out in situations.

Grandfather and grandmother hurried out to support her, saying, "What happened? Let's talk it out properly, what are you doing?" To their surprise, Xie was kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down her face. She raised her head and said, "Old Wang, considering our past bond, please grant me a request.

I said with a stiff neck: "Really, she is just lying there, an old lady."

Mother did not take it seriously and thought it was the neighbor's cat that had come to steal some food. (In the cold winter of Northeast China, dumplings taken outside freeze solid, so they are not dirty)

Because my hometown is too far away, we would burn incense at the crossroads on New Year's Eve. At that time, we all lived in communal housing, which was the kind of arrangement where one alley connected to another.

One day, I was playing upside down on the sofa, with two marbles in my mouth, which are toys that little boys often play with. When I sat up, I accidentally swallowed one. At that time, the adults at home didn't think much of it, as it is common for children to swallow things carelessly. After a while, it would just come out fine.

At that time, watching the Spring Festival Gala in the evening was a must-have program. The whole family would sit together on the kang to watch the gala. When I turned my head, I suddenly noticed a person outside the window looking in. I shouted to my mother, "Quick, look! Someone is peering into our window."

Mother glanced and said: "What nonsense."

My surname is Wang, and I live in a small border town at the foot of Changbai Mountain. My ancestral home is a rural area located about 200 kilometers from here

Later, Xie remarried a vagrant from the same village, but who could have known that fate would play a cruel trick? This vagrant was indulged in all vices—drinking, gambling, and debauchery. When he returned home after drinking too much, he would beat Xie.

Later, my grandmother gave birth to a total of 7 children for my grandfather, consisting of five sons and two daughters

One day, that blind drunkard had too much to drink again. He stumbled into the house and received a severe beating. Finally, exhausted from the beating, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep

My paternal grandmother passed away when my father was in his teens, which meant that neither my mother nor I ever had the chance to meet her

At that time, the winters in Northeast China were cold, and the people there were practical. They preferred to make things in large quantities. My mother made a lot of dumplings, along with various dishes.

However, three months passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, I experienced daily stomach pains. Both of my parents worked in the mines, which were state-owned, so the conditions were relatively good. I attended a public kindergarten, and due to my constant stomach pain, the kindergarten staff took me to the mine hospital. (In that era, the mine hospital provided free services for the children of workers.) Upon examination at the hospital, the doctor said there was something in my stomach. This alarmed the teachers, who hurriedly called my parents. Upon hearing the news, my parents rushed to the hospital. (In that era, the mine hospital provided free services for the children of workers.) Upon examination at the hospital, the doctor said there was something in my stomach. This alarmed the teachers, who hurriedly called my parents. Upon hearing the news, my parents rushed to the hospital.

Once the Lunar New Year has passed, the year can be considered as having concluded

As soon as my mother drew the curtains, I clutched my stomach and cried out in pain, and the pain was particularly severe. My mother thought I had overeaten and was experiencing bloating, so she placed her hand on my stomach to warm it. However, the more she did so, the more something felt off. I then heard my mother say, "Old Wang, come quickly and see what’s wrong with your son. His stomach is so cold that I can’t keep my hand there."

Until now, I still do not like my fourth aunt. My grandfather told each of his sons about my grandmother, instructing them to bring some paper offerings for her during the New Year. Since then, every New Year, my father and I have to burn paper money for both grandmothers.

My grandfather lowered his head for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said, "Fine, I will agree to you."

This is related to experiences from childhood to adulthood. It is often said that these are feudal superstitions, but in fact, there are many things that people cannot explain. Below, I will share a few personal experiences; as the saying goes, belief brings existence, while disbelief brings absence. This is merely to entertain the esteemed readers.

The taller one came running towards me. At that time, it was dark, and I couldn't see her face clearly when she got close to me; I only knew that she was touching me here and there.

My third uncle was relatively influential during his time in our family. He was once the captain of a flying squadron in a certain air force regiment and later took a minor official position after transitioning to civilian life. Since he had no sons, he treated me very well. He provided me with plenty of clothing and food when I was young. Upon hearing that I was ill, he hurriedly took me to a major hospital in Changchun, directly seeking out an elderly professor. After a series of examinations, it was confirmed that the glass ball was the culprit, having remained lodged in my duodenum.

The professor said that I am too young and not suitable for surgery. Either I should wait a bit longer until I am older for the operation, or I should try some folk remedies. Just because of this old saying, I was truly tormented during that time. I tried everything, from eating whole chives to drinking sesame oil. Drinking bowl after bowl of sesame oil was incredibly frustrating for me

Upon entering the home, firecrackers were set off and dumplings were cooked, marking the family's celebration of the New Year together

My grandmother, who is also my paternal grandmother, is particularly honest

Because I was still young and hadn't thought much about it, I just assumed she was playing with me. I casually made a snowball and threw it at her stomach. At that moment, my father suddenly shouted: "What are you doing? You've put out the fire."

My grandfather has two wives. The first wife, who is also my grandfather's first spouse, is of the Xie family. Due to her inability to bear children, she was divorced by my grandfather with a written notice during an era that placed great importance on continuing the family line.

I vaguely saw two elderly women appear beside the fire. One was shorter and the other was taller. The shorter one was bending down, picking something up from the ground