Chapter 001 This "girl" is not human

Upon hearing this, my mother nodded slightly. She is a kind-hearted and simple farmer woman, naturally in agreement with my actions. She said, "Come inside quickly, my girl. The meal is freshly prepared. After you finish eating, let our dog Si go with you out of the mountain. You never know when a few wild wolves might appear in these hills. Oh, my child, it is truly dangerous for you to come here alone."

But I regretted it as soon as I picked her up, feeling as if my insides were turning green with remorse. To my surprise, she felt as light as a feather on my back, as if I were carrying a bundle of cotton!

I nearly fainted when I heard that, it's over, this time it's really over! What if she wakes up thirsty in the middle of the night and drinks my blood, what should I do?

"Aren't you usually quite fierce? Why are you acting timid at this moment?" I glanced at Da Hei, cursing inwardly. I placed the girl on the ground, not daring to look at her, standing there trembling. On one hand, I was frightened; on the other, she was too cold, making me feel frozen.

I spent the entire afternoon in a daze, while the "girl" seemed completely unrestrained, even taking out her makeup kit to touch up her appearance. However, in my view, no matter how beautiful she was, it had nothing to do with normal human beings; she looked unsettling no matter how you looked at her.

The girl slowly turned her head. It was noon, and the intense light shone on her already fair little face, making her complexion appear even more pallid. If she were not so extraordinarily beautiful, I would surely think I had encountered a ghost in broad daylight.

That was an autumn thirteen years ago when a "girl" suddenly entered my life and completely disrupted my existence

In the evening, my mother arranged a room for her to sleep in, and she readily moved in, appearing quite satisfied with the room. In the countryside, there is plenty of space, and there is no shortage of rooms. However, I lay on my bed and simply could not fall asleep. By midnight, unable to sleep any longer, I got up from the bed and remembered that during the day she had given me two hundred yuan, which I considered a bit of a gain. But when I took the two hundred yuan out of my pants pocket and looked at it, I was so shocked that I almost fainted—indeed, it was two large bills, but the denomination was 1 billion each.

If it is not a person, then what could it be? I dare not think any further

I turned around and saw her looking at me with an expectant gaze. I thought to myself that it was indeed a bit excessive to leave such a delicate girl in this desolate village, so I said to her: "Then you should come with me first, and let my mother cook something for you at my home"

I finally brought the girl home, and this journey felt no less than a 25,000-mile Long March to me. Upon entering the courtyard, I didn't even know which leg to step forward with first. The dog, "Big Black," which was tied up in the yard, surprisingly did not bark at the sight of the girl and obediently retreated back into its doghouse.

Father has not yet returned from the city on business, leaving only Mother at home. When she saw me bringing back such a beautiful and delicate girl, Mother was somewhat surprised and said to me: "Si Gou, why are you only back now for dinner? Who is this girl?"

"You, which village are you from?" I stammered after staring at this "fairy" who had descended from the sky for more than a minute.

This girl is both soft and delicate, her touch is incredibly pleasant, yet damn it, she is chillingly cold with not a hint of warmth at all

Mom said this and ushered her into the house. She politely greeted Mom, and I stole a glance at her; she looked even more beautiful when she smiled, making her instantly likable. It was evident that Mom was very fond of her, warmly inviting her in for a meal. Only I knew what was really going on; I truly felt a burden I couldn't express, and I wasn't sure if this could be considered inviting a wolf into the house.

What I am about to recount to you is a bizarre and extraordinary event. You may choose to listen to it as a story or dismiss it with a laugh, for although this is a personal experience of mine, when I recall it now, it feels as if I have merely dreamt it. It captivates my thoughts and lingers in my mind, yet at times I feel as though she never truly existed in my life.

Before I could say anything, the "girl" smiled and said, "Thank you, Auntie. You are truly thoughtful!"

"Well, I am quite ill right now, and I can hardly walk. Please carry me to your home, and I will give you more money." As she spoke, she reached into her pocket and handed me two hundred yuan.

Old Lady Sun glanced in my direction, her eyes slightly closed, her face no longer bearing the usual mysterious expression. She sighed and said to Liu Genggui: "Genggui, listen to your elder, the farther you stay away from this girl, the better..."

I was born in 1982 in a remote mountain village in Jilin Province. Like many children from remote mountain villages, I spent my childhood and adolescence in a monotonous and uneventful manner

I am not the kind of person who becomes paralyzed upon seeing a beautiful girl, but at that moment, I was inexplicably captivated, as if I were under a spell, unable to take my eyes off her. Holding a dull scythe in my hand, I stood there in a daze, gazing at her. Looking back now, I realize how foolish I must have appeared.

Upon hearing this, I did not find anything strange. This place is not far from the Changbai Mountain range, and this girl must be from the city, having gotten separated from her family while playing in Changbai Mountain. Looking at how fashionable she was dressed, and then at myself, I felt utterly out of place, as if we belonged to two different worlds. With this thought in mind, I lost the motivation to meddle further and picked up my sickle, preparing to head home for lunch.

What expressions do people exhibit when they are extremely tense? At that moment, I did not have a mirror, but I estimated that my face must have been even paler than hers

I was so frightened that my legs felt a bit weak, and I dared not turn around to look at her. At that moment, there was not a single figure on this desolate path. The autumn wind blew in gusts, and unexpectedly, a strand of her black hair was blown into my mouth. The icy sensation on my back made my heart feel even colder. Now I could basically confirm that the girl I was carrying on my back was definitely not human

I forced a smile, not daring to reveal my thoughts to my mother, for fear that it might provoke this troublesome "thing," and who knows, my mom might suffer as well. "Mom, she is a girl from the city, probably lost while traveling to Changbai Mountain, and she sprained her ankle at our place, so I brought her back."

Stumbling and swaying, I carried her into the village. At the entrance, I encountered Liu Genggui, a small wealthy landowner in the village. His family owns the most land in the village, with dozens of acres, making him somewhat of a second-generation rich kid in Helong Village. This guy is about my age, naturally lecherous, and spends his days scheming after the village girls. At this moment, seeing me return with such a beautiful girl, his eyes darted around, glancing over at me. I had no mind to pay him any attention and kept my head down, continuing towards home.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my hand and looked at her with a hint of fear. Ever since I was a child, the village's enigmatic old woman, Sun, often told children stories about the supernatural and ghosts. I grew up listening to her ghost stories, so could it be that I really encountered a ghost in broad daylight today

In the remote countryside, there isn't much to eat. My mother prepared a dish of potatoes stewed with green beans, accompanied by pickled radish, and steamed a large batch of buns. Initially, my mother thought that the girl from the city would be quite delicate and unable to adapt to this farmhouse cuisine. To her surprise, this "girl" enjoyed the meal heartily, even complimenting the food. She chatted with my mother just like in the books, showing no formality at all, yet her demeanor suggested she was a refined young lady.

She sat there without moving, her hand constantly covering her left foot, seemingly as if she had sprained it. She scrutinized me for quite a while and said: "I came to the mountains to play with my family, but I got separated from them and lost my way..."

My mother was having a great conversation with her, while I silently sat by, my heart racing, and it took me over ten minutes to barely eat half a steamed bun

As I was about to leave, the girl's voice, sweet as sugar, came from behind me, "I am thirsty and hungry right now. Can you take me somewhere to rest for a while?"

To this day, I still clearly remember that on October 3, 2000, this day, which could not be more ordinary, was, for me, unforgettable for a lifetime

As the saying goes, simplicity is the essence of life. I once thought my life would continue as it always had, but the unpredictability of the world often leaves one astonished

"Grandma Sun, don't you know everything? Can you help me take a look? My family is so wealthy, yet I can't seem to meet such a beautiful girl. Look at how poor Yan Sidog is, and yet he managed to bring back such a lovely girl. Where is the justice in that?" Liu Genggui said to Grandma Sun, heartbroken.

But this slight support of mine unexpectedly startled me into a cold sweat

I dared not speak, only hurried home on my two trembling legs. I could even hear my own heartbeat, and the "thing" on my back remained silent, merely wrapping her delicate, fair arms tightly around my neck, resting her head against my ear. If the group of infatuated boys in the village had seen this enchanting scene, they would have been envious to death. But now, only I knew the truth: I was having a terrible day, caught up in a big mess, because her head had been resting by my ear for quite a while, and I hadn't heard her breathe even once.

The girl showed a look of joy, stood up from the ground, but her legs gave way and she almost fell again. I hurried over to support her; it seemed that her left foot was indeed quite injured.

Liu Genggui stared at the girl I was carrying on my back as if he had lost his soul. Seeing us walk away, he stamped his foot and cursed under his breath, then began to gossip with Granny Sun, who was sitting under the big tree at the village entrance

It was already past 1 PM after lunch, and the "girl" told her mother that she wanted to go home. Her mother really liked her and insisted on not letting her leave, insisting that she stay for the night. I became anxious upon hearing this and said to my mother: "Mom, if she wants to go home, just let her. Our environment here can't compare to the city; what if we make her feel uncomfortable?"

I bravely reached out and touched her forehead; it felt icy, as if I were touching a block of ice. I said, "Sister, this is not a fever you have; this is a chill!"

The Golden Week of October is also a busy time for farming in Northeast China. On that day, I was busy harvesting corn in my own field. Just as I was sweating profusely, cutting down the last few stalks of corn at the edge of the field, I prepared to sit down and take a break. At that moment, I suddenly noticed a slender and graceful girl sitting on a small path at the edge of the field. She had her face turned to the side, and her long, black hair obscured her features. Although I could not see her face clearly, from her figure and her stylish attire, I had never seen such an enchanting girl in my life.

Mother said: "What time is it now? There isn't even a motorcycle in the village. If you don't send her out of the mountain before it gets dark, what will happen if she encounters a wild beast? Let this girl stay at home for one night, and you can send her out tomorrow morning."

I declined, but she insisted on giving it to me. Accepting someone's money to help them out of trouble is one thing, and besides, she is so charming; I wouldn't be at a loss in any case. So, I picked her up and headed home.

Upon seeing me in this state, she smiled gently and said, "I have a slight fever, so my body feels quite cool."