Chapter 7

As far as Song Xingguo was concerned, the fight between the “money-losing goods” wasn’t worth bothering over. He leaned against his chair for a nap, not even opening his eyes. As long as nobody was missing a limb or seriously injured, a few slaps were nothing. Still, when he had time, he planned to remind Chunzhi: if she had to hit someone, she couldn’t leave marks on the face. Scars would lower the price when it came time to sell.

There wasn’t anything good to eat in times like these. Song Chunzhi didn’t mind. She just grabbed a coarse grain bun and took a big bite. As long as it was food, it could help her grow stronger. She wasn’t picky.

After over a decade without tasting real food, everything was delicious now. She devoured a whole bun in one go, washed it down with porridge and pickled cucumbers, then casually said to Zhao Wanmiao, “Mom, the cucumbers are too salty. Next time, use less salt. You probably haven’t cooked in so long that you forgot how much to use. That’s not okay.”

“You sure didn’t hold back even though it’s salty,” Song Chunhua snapped as she gripped her coarse bun tightly, eyes filled with resentment.

Her face was still sore, yet Song Chunzhi was completely fine. Not only did she not cook, but she also had the nerve to complain. It was outrageous. Just thinking about how her ten-plus years of blissful living had been interrupted made it hard to eat.

Under the table, Song Xingguo gave Zhao Wanmiao a hard kick and scolded her with a disapproving look, “Do you think salt is free? Who were you trying to choke to death with that much?”

He then turned to shout at Song Chunhua, who was seated next to Zhao Wanmiao, “If you don’t want to eat, get out. Don’t sit here being an eyesore.” None of them gave him peace. His heart only ached for Jiawang. It was already nighttime, and he wondered whether Jiawang had eaten.

As night fell, the summer air was filled with the chirping of insects. A cool breeze drifted through the window, making the curtain flutter and bringing a hint of relief.

Song Chunzhi slept deeply, her eyes shut tight. Suddenly, her body trembled, and she found herself standing beside the bed. When she turned her head and saw her own sleeping body, she realized her soul had left it again.

She was full of questions. Even if her rebirth had granted her a golden finger, it couldn’t possibly make her soul leave her body this often. Worse, she worried frequent out-of-body experiences might damage her body. She cherished her life now more than ever.

“Mom, I don’t want to stay in this room. Look at this place! There’s nothing here. I want to sleep in my own room.”

Song Chunhua had just returned from the village clinic with Zhao Wanmiao after having her injuries looked at. They had gone in secret behind Song Xingguo’s back. After all, it cost money, and he wouldn’t be happy about it. She frowned in disgust at the room next door as she spoke.

Originally, Song Chunzhi had been hoping to eavesdrop on what Zhao Wanmiao and Song Chunhua planned to do about her. But her spirit body leaned too close to the wall and passed right through it.

Inside, she saw Song Chunhua clinging to Zhao Wanmiao, acting spoiled. Song Chunzhi was momentarily stunned. Having been a ghost for years in her past life, she knew ghosts could walk through walls. But hadn’t she been reborn? Did that mean her soul in this state could not only interact with the real world but also possess ghost-like powers?

This discovery thrilled her. There were things people couldn’t do, but ghosts could. No, she thought, her soul could. Right now, she essentially had a superpower.

It seemed that although Heaven had shortchanged her in her past life, it was finally compensating her in this one. And if that was the case, then she wouldn’t be holding back anymore.

“Sweet girl, just stay here tonight,” Zhao Wanmiao said softly while carefully applying medicine to Song Chunhua. “Tomorrow, I’ll go find Granny Liu. Song Chunzhi’s been acting strange lately, better not provoke her right now.”

“Granny Liu?” Song Chunhua looked at her mother in surprise. Wasn’t that old woman involved in that kind of thing? The brigade had been promoting science and stamping out superstition. But after today’s bizarre change in Song Chunzhi, she hesitated to object.

What if it was true? In the past, Song Chunzhi had been meek and obedient. Whatever Chunhua said, she did, never a word of complaint, let alone raising a hand. But today, when Chunzhi struck her, that look in her eyes had been vicious and terrifying.

She didn’t dare keep thinking. Clutching Zhao Wanmiao’s arm tightly, she whimpered, “Mom, sleep with me tonight. I can’t fall asleep alone. Song Chunzhi is just next door… I’m scared…”

Of course Zhao Wanmiao wouldn’t refuse her darling daughter. But just as she was about to respond, she noticed the medicine bottle she had placed on the table earlier now floating in the air directly in front of her. Her face went pale with fright.

Stammering, she turned to Song Chunhua and said, “Chun… Chunhua, look…”

Song Chunhua, still irritated and searching for a clean bedsheet, turned her head with a frown. She couldn’t stand filth and refused to sleep on anything that Song Chunzhi had touched. But the moment her eyes landed on the medicine bottle floating in mid-air, her jaw dropped in shock. She pointed at it and finally managed to stammer, “Mom… the… the medicine bottle…”

At that moment, Zhao Wanmiao realized it hadn’t been her imagination. Just like the incident earlier that day, she was face-to-face with something unnatural. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed onto the floor, clinging tightly to the trembling Song Chunhua.

Nervously, she glanced toward the next room. Could it be that Song Chunzhi really was a ghost? Otherwise, why would there be so many spirits in their home lately? She must have brought them in.

“Please spare me… I’ll burn you spirit money tomorrow… I’ll burn plenty, so you’ll never run out…” Zhao Wanmiao began to beg, trembling.

She didn’t care anymore whether it was superstition. Her life was more important. She immediately made the promise, her daughter still shivering in her arms, too terrified to move a muscle, afraid the ghost would rip her apart at any moment.

Watching Zhao Wanmiao beg and Song Chunhua frozen in fear, Song Chunzhi was in an excellent mood. She hadn’t expected that the two of them, for all their scheming, would be such cowards.

Remembering how Song Chunhua had used her as a stepping stone in her past life, anger surged in her chest. She hurled the floating medicine bottle straight at Song Chunhua’s face.

“Ahhh!”

When the medicine bottle suddenly struck Song Chunhua, her face, still tender from the ointment applied earlier, throbbed with fresh pain. She let out a cry. Seeing the bottle that had just been floating fall onto her, her eyes rolled back and she fainted on the spot.

Zhao Wanmiao hurried to hold her tightly, her body trembling as she looked around nervously.

The dim kerosene lamp flickered in the wind, casting eerie shadows around the room. Goosebumps spread across her arms. The entire place felt cold and haunted. She immediately began promising to the air, “I won’t just burn joss paper tomorrow. I’ll burn gold ingots too. Just let us go. If you’re hungry for someone’s soul, go to the neighbor’s place. They’re worse people than we are.”

Song Chunzhi nearly laughed in disbelief. Even a tiger wouldn’t eat its own cubs, yet Zhao Wanmiao was worse than a beast. She was actually trying to redirect a ghost to someone else’s home.

Furious, Song Chunzhi grabbed the bundle of clothes next to her and hurled it at Zhao Wanmiao. Clothes scattered all over her, wrapping around her head and shoulders as she shrieked in panic. But instead of sympathy, she received a good round of punches and kicks.

Feeling thoroughly satisfied after venting her rage, Song Chunzhi sneered at the two unconscious women lying on the floor. She had originally intended to check on Song Xingguo in the east room. After all, in her previous life, he had played a big role in her tragic end. But before she could move, a familiar wave of weightlessness surged over her.

When she opened her eyes again, the sky outside had already begun to lighten.

From the noise next door, she could tell that Zhao Wanmiao and Song Chunhua had woken up. Remembering Zhao Wanmiao’s words from the night before, her expression grew cold. It seemed Zhao Wanmiao wasn’t just biased, she truly wished for her death.

Looking out the window, she saw Zhao Wanmiao quietly slipping out of the house. Song Chunzhi immediately got up and silently followed her outside for a short while. Then, without delay, she made her way to the village chief’s home.

She arrived at a house with stone steps leading to the entrance. The front door was open, and inside the courtyard, Grandma Sun was sweeping. When she saw her, Song Chunzhi called out, “Grandma Sun, is the village chief at home?”

“Chunzhi, you’re here so early,” Grandma Sun replied, turning at the sound of her voice. She smiled and pointed toward the kitchen. “He’s cooking. Have you had breakfast yet?”

“Not yet. I need to speak with the village chief,” Song Chunzhi answered honestly. Her pale face showed clear signs of tension and hesitation.

As Song Qingde stepped out of the kitchen, she pretended to hesitate, then cautiously said, “Village Chief, you might want to come take a look. My mother is burning joss paper at home. She’s been dabbling in that superstitious stuff.”

“I know I probably shouldn’t have come, but I’m afraid she’ll get into trouble. Please, don’t tell her I told you. If she finds out, she’ll beat me to death.”

“What?” Song Qingde was already surprised that the eldest daughter of the Song family had come to find him. She had always been quiet and obedient, doing her chores without complaint. But this was serious. He quickly handed his kitchen knife to Grandma Sun and tried to calm the visibly shaken girl.

“You did the right thing. Superstition isn’t just wrong; it can have serious consequences. You’re saving your mother by doing this.”

The commune had been loudly promoting science and denouncing superstition. For Zhao Wanmiao to defy this now, she was either stupid or fearless.

Song Qingde immediately called his son, Song Xinhua, and daughter-in-law to go with him. He didn’t want to cause a public scene. After all, a village chief in a neighboring village had gotten punished because someone there was caught performing superstitious rituals. He wasn’t about to let Zhao Wanmiao ruin him too.

“Mom, are you sure this won’t get us in trouble?” Song Chunhua asked nervously.

On the table lay freshly brought yellow joss paper, silver ingots, and all sorts of other ritual items. Her heart pounded. Despite her lingering fear from last night, she couldn’t help recalling all the brigade’s warnings against superstitions. It didn’t sit right.

“It’ll be fine. Your dad won’t be up this early. As long as we keep our mouths shut, no one will know,” Zhao Wanmiao reassured her, focused entirely on getting rid of the ghost.

She had even gotten two talisman papers from Granny Liu, one for each of them. She believed that with these, no kind of ghost would dare come near.

“Zhao Wanmiao, what do you think you’re doing?”

Song Qingde and his party arrived at the Song household. Standing by the window, he saw them tossing joss paper into a lit brazier. His face turned red with anger as he shouted.

Zhao Wanmiao jumped at the sudden voice. When she turned and saw Song Qingde and the others outside the window, she froze. What rotten luck. The first time she tried this, and she got caught red-handed. Regaining her senses, she rushed to toss the rest of the paper into the fire, trying to destroy the evidence.

“Hmph! Trying to destroy evidence now?” Song Xinhua’s wife, Wang Cuiqin, charged in with a bowl of water and doused the brazier. She then grabbed Zhao Wanmiao’s arm and snatched the remaining items. This was proof of wrongdoing; it needed to be preserved.

Wang Cuiqin glanced at the stunned Song Chunhua and sneered. “What a ‘good’ daughter. Watching your mom break the law and not even trying to stop her. What a waste of an education.”

“What’s all this ruckus so early in the morning?”

Song Xingguo came out of the east room with a scowl, ready to shout. But when he saw the village chief standing in the courtyard, he quickly changed his tone and hurried over. “Third Uncle, what brings you here? You should’ve called me.”

“My goodness! Zhao Wanmiao’s actually burning joss paper at home. That’s superstitious behavior. Is she tired of living? That’s a serious offense! They’ll take her away for reeducation, right?” cried the daughter-in-law of Granny Feng from next door. She had followed after the village chief out of curiosity, and now she was shouting excitedly at the drama unfolding.

“Superstition?”

Song Xingguo’s face changed. “There must be some mistake. No one in my house would…” But before he could finish, he saw Wang Cuiqin dragging Zhao Wanmiao out of the room with yellow paper still in hand.

He was both shocked and furious. He had thought her talk of ghosts yesterday was just nonsense. He never imagined she’d actually dare to burn joss paper. This woman had truly lost her mind.