Chapter 003: The Woman in Red

With every drop of water, Mother would call out towards the door, "Xiao Tong, it's time to come home!"

In this way, calling out repeatedly, my mother had to walk towards the northwest direction of our home, and then stand at the intersection, calling out seven times in accordance with the directions of east, south, west, and north.

It is said that this can summon the child's soul back.

Someone covered my eyes with their hand, and then I heard my mother shouting in my ear: "Datong, what are you doing?"

This person is a woman, with long black hair wetly draped over her face, dressed in a bright red outfit, her skin pale to the point of being frightening, and her eyes are looking directly at me

The next day, my sister had blood coming from her nose and ears, and she developed a high fever

Hearing my mother's words, I involuntarily raised my eyes towards the entrance, only to see a vague figure waving at me. At that moment, I was so frightened that I clung tightly to my father and shouted, "There is someone, there is someone"

The methods of calling the soul are divided into two types: one is the midday ritual, and the other is the midnight ritual

At that time, my younger sister had just turned one year old

As the hand that covered my eyes was removed, I saw my own reflection and couldn't help but be frightened, causing goosebumps to rise all over my body

"What did you say you bumped into? He climbed onto the second duck by himself. That is the filth of the mountain lake. This child is so big yet can still see it. Just now, he even told me something happened. He came over." The mother spoke, glancing mysteriously outside, and then asked me, "Datong, is there anyone at the door now?"

The parents of the two ducks were so frightened that they forgot to cry

Then I will go overnight to bring him here. Hearing my mother's words, my father also left with a serious expression.

It seemed that my mother was quite experienced, as she picked me up without a word and walked outside

My mother spoke and spat twice in the direction I was pointing

"What did you hit?" Upon hearing his mother's words, the father asked.

Finally, it is necessary to place the sieve inside the bed before going to sleep.

This is the default rule of the mountain village

I did not know what that was; in any case, upon seeing it, I unconsciously asked my mother, "Mom, who is that? I have never seen them before"

This continued to be called out repeatedly until the paper was torn by the water droplets, at which point it came to an end

At that moment, I noticed that there was an additional person beside my mother, though I did not know when they had appeared.

The parents of the two ducks asked her what was wrong, but she remained silent and simply walked out with her head down

The materials required are a spoon, several sheets of grass paper used for grave offerings, and an iron basin

Then you should hurry, or it is likely that the child will not survive. " Watching my father leave, my mother finally returned to coax me to sleep, gently patting my head and saying, "It has burned."

That night, after Songshu sneaked back, Mother went to bed and held my younger sister without taking a shower

After preparing the materials, the mother sat in front of the door, wrapped the spoon in grass paper, and then placed a little water in the basin. With one hand holding the spoon, she used the other hand to dip a few drops of water onto the grass paper wrapped around the spoon

At that time, the family was poor, and such fine timber, which was needed for building houses, was unaffordable. Generally, one would secretly go to the cemetery on the mountain to steal a tree.

"Look at this child," my mother said as she placed me on the bed and turned to my father, saying, "I suppose my calling isn't enough; I need my dad to come. He is older and more experienced, and he can handle it better."

I looked at my mother, feeling my vision becoming increasingly blurred. For a moment, I did not know what was happening; my whole body felt lethargic, painfully sore, and I was drowsy.

When I was a child, I did not understand the principle behind it, but every time my mother called my sister, I found it very effective, because the next day my sister's fever would subside

Calling the soul is a traditional custom in the mountains of my hometown, which can be considered a superstitious practice. It is something I have experienced and witnessed since childhood. My parents, in particular, are well-versed in this practice, so I have known what it is or how to call the soul since I was young

And I must cooperate with my mother

I also do not know when it happened, but I unexpectedly climbed onto the back of the second duck, using its arm to choke my own neck

Mother knew that younger sister had been upset, but it should not be very serious, so she prepared to call out to her sister

At that moment, I seemed to understand something, and I was so frightened that my whole body trembled, clinging tightly to my mother's embrace, not daring to move at all

After preparing the materials, my mother will first lull my younger sister to sleep. Then, she will cover the sieve with a black cloth, holding the sieve in one hand and a spoon in the other, walking outside while tapping the sieve with the spoon.

It is said that this can help children bring back the souls they have lost home

But just before falling asleep, I remember asking my mother what was wrong, and who was the woman in the red dress

This time, upon seeing that I had encountered great misfortune, my mother wanted to call out to me. However, she felt that it would not suffice for her to do so; it was necessary to find an elder to handle the situation, as only they would have the authority to manage it. Therefore, she asked my father to invite my grandfather over.

"This child has been possessed tonight." Upon returning home, my mother handed me over to my father and said, "We need to call his soul back."

The materials required are a sieve, a piece of black cloth, and an iron spoon

Just as I was struggling, desperately trying to break free from the grip of the second duck, I suddenly felt a darkness enveloping me.

Of course, in such a calling of the soul, the best scenario is for the child being called to respond on their own. However, at that time, my younger sister could not speak, so I had to take her place.

I do not know what my mother is saying, but strangely, after she finished vomiting, the woman in the red dress suddenly disappeared

And I must stand by and respond: "I am back."

One night, the father and mother secretly cut down a pine tree in the cemetery on the mountain and dragged it back home in the dead of night

I remember that the last time my mother called the soul was for my younger sister

The methods that mother used to call back my sister's soul were also learned from grandfather, so in this regard, it is evident that grandfather has more experience.

The method for noon is quite simple; it can be done at home.

Upon hearing my words, my mother’s expression changed dramatically. She suddenly turned to look in the direction I was pointing, but it seemed she could see nothing at all. With a heavy expression, she said, "How could it still be following us? Bah, get lost!"

And I have to follow behind and respond: "I am back"

I cannot recall the subsequent events clearly; however, I remember that before I fell asleep, my mother said: "This is bad, the daughter-in-law of the Hong Song family is still here"

My maternal grandfather is an elderly traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, known for his particularly kind and gentle demeanor. He has a white beard and bright, sparkling eyes, and his health is quite robust. When I was young, I especially enjoyed pestering my grandfather to play.

Such a program needs to be conducted again in the evening, but it should be done using a different method

Then call out all the way home

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At that moment, I was completely stunned and had no idea what was happening

I rested my head on my mother's shoulder, still feeling puzzled about the situation that had just occurred

With each knock, my mother would call out, "Xiao Tong, it's time to go home!"