Chapter 3 Stillbirth

  Zhang Shennu remained motionless on the table, and I thought she had fainted from knocking her head too hard. Just as I was wondering, Zhang Shennu's entire body started shaking after four or five minutes of stillness, and eventually, even the rice in the bowls on the table fell onto the tabletop due to her violent trembling.

  Everyone in the house was watching very nervously, but no one dared to speak.

  Suddenly, Zhang Shenpo stood up abruptly, grabbed the bowl of water on the table and took a big gulp, then walked into the room in front of Xue Fei's bed, splashing water on her face three times.

  After Zhang Shenniang sprayed for the third time, Xuefei burst into tears with a "wow", and San Gu immediately rushed into the room to hug Xuefei's sister, comforting her like a three-year-old child, telling her not to cry, don't be afraid.

  Zhang Shenniang walked out of the room, looking tired. Xue Fei's father quickly moved a stool for Zhang Shenniang to sit on, and Da Mei's father came forward to ask Zhang Shenniang if the child was okay.

  Zhang Shenpo waved her hand and called San Gu out of the room, asking her to prepare a large rooster, paper man, incense candles and other items. She would come over again tonight.

  San Gu heard Zhang Shenpo say this and knew that Xue Fei's sister was only temporarily awake, so she couldn't help but worry again, wanting to speak but stopping herself in front of Zhang Shenpo.

  Zhang's godmother saw it in her eyes, but didn't make any explanation. She just told San Gu to prepare according to what she said and then went home.

  After Zhang Shenniang left, the adults in the house also dispersed, leaving only Xuefei's sister, Dabo and Damei's father. Dabo complained to Damei's father, "That place is too dirty, you shouldn't have taken these kids there." Damei's father had nothing to say, only saying that he would come over again tonight and asking San Gu to call him if anything happened.

  Third Aunt asked Big Uncle to go to the town to buy things that the shaman had instructed, and also told me to go to the kitchen to make a bowl of ginger soup for Xue Fei's sister to drink.

  Everything was ready, and Zhang the Taoist priestess arrived just after nine o'clock at night. She was different from daytime, wearing a set of ritual attire, but I couldn't call out the names of those things she brought, only knowing they were the tools for her to invite immortals and perform rituals.

  I only saw Zhang Shenniang change into a long gown with floral patterns similar to the quilt, and then she was rushed into the room. At the same time, there were also Dabo and San Gu as well as Xue Fei's sister, and after the door closed, Zhang Shenniang told us not to come out no matter what until she called for us.

  The village didn't have electricity, so we lit a kerosene lamp in the room, while Zhang Shenniang had many candles lit in the main hall for her ritual. In our room, we only heard Zhang Shenniang singing and talking occasionally, with the door closed and unable to see anything. It wasn't until around eleven o'clock that Zhang Shenniang opened the door and let everyone out, but she kept me behind.

  I'm very puzzled, definitely afraid but also dare not say unwilling.

  Third Aunt gave me a dollar and told me to listen to Zhang Shenniang's instructions, she and Eldest Uncle have always stayed in the main hall, not afraid. Hearing Third Aunt say this, I could only agree to follow Zhang Shenniang's arrangements.

  One yuan was a big deal back then, an ice pop only cost two or three cents, which is equivalent to at least 10 to 15 yuan today. For a rural kid, it's unthinkable to spend money except for New Year's pocket money.

  But I couldn't be happy because I was really scared.

  Zhang the fortune teller told me to lie down on the bed and not move, no matter what I saw, don't be afraid, nothing will happen. Hearing Zhang's words, I did as she said, and after repeatedly reminding me, she closed the door and retreated to the main hall.

  I was the only one left in the room, lying on the bed and starting to think wildly, the more I thought about it, the more scared I became. Then I wondered why Zhang Shenpo had left me in the room, could it have something to do with my birthday being on Qingming Festival? I couldn't figure it out, and before I knew it, I was getting drowsy.

  Just as I was about to fall asleep, I vaguely heard someone calling me from a distance outside the window. I immediately woke up with a fright but my whole body was paralyzed and could only open my eyes. Listening carefully again, I couldn't hear anything, but soon I felt like someone was calling me again.

  I was so scared that I didn't even dare to breathe loudly, eagerly waiting for Zhang Shenniang and San Gu to push the door open at this moment, but the hall seemed to be empty, quiet.

  He called out again, and this time I really heard it clearly. He was calling Ah Mei, not me. The voice sounded like a eunuch's, repeatedly calling "Ah Mei, Ah Mei".

  The sound was getting closer and closer, until it reached the bottom of the window, and seemed to be right next to my ear. Each call seemed to have a magical power, just like when I was a kid and got lost, hearing my mom calling me. I almost couldn't help but respond to it, even though it wasn't calling me.

  That thing at the bottom of the window kept calling out "Ah Mei", and when no one responded, it stopped.

  Just as I thought it was gone and let out a sigh of relief, I saw a long, thin green hand squeezing in through the window. The windows of rural mud-brick houses are very small, no more than half a square meter. Such a small window still has many vertical wooden bars separating it, leaving only a gap of about five centimeters wide.

  After its green hand squeezed in, it also squeezed its head in. The huge skull squeezed through the narrow gap, and the entire face was twisted. It immediately squeezed its head and hands in, leaving only its neck still outside the window. Finally, it squeezed its whole body in, and I finally saw what it looked like, similar to Uncle McDonald's.

  This thing squeezed in just now with a face and hands, but it has already turned into a green cloud floating in front of the window. Even without the kerosene lamp shining on it, this green smoke is emitting a faint green glow.

  This green smoke and fog drifted from the window to the bed, constantly shouting "Ah Mei Ah Mei". As I watched it float over my head, I was so anxious that I almost wet my pants. At this moment, the door was kicked open with one foot, and Zhang Shenpo rushed in with a copper sword.

  The copper sword was only forty centimeters long, with a few copper coins strung on the hilt and a small piece of red cloth tied to it. The blade shone like molten iron. After Zhang Shenniang came in, she didn't say a word and swung her sword at the green smoke, chopping wildly. The green smoke suddenly flew out the window like a balloon with a jet stream behind it. Only then did I see that Zhang Shenniang's sword was smeared with rooster blood.

  After the green monster flew out of the window, Zhang Shenpo put away his sword and called in Uncle and Third Aunt. Third Aunt helped me up and asked if I was okay, I shook my head palely. Uncle asked Zhang Shenpo what that green fog was just now.

  "Zhang the godmother said: 'This thing is called a banana ghost, it likes children the most. If at midnight a child is alone at home and blows a whistle randomly, it's easiest to attract this banana ghost, which will call out their soul and take it away. After death, their body will also be stolen by it and buried under a banana tree as fertilizer.'"

  The old man was shocked and asked Zhang Shenniang: "Why isn't it that dead son of Guo Xi?"

  Zhang the fortune teller shook her head and said, "I don't know either, things aren't over yet! Call a few young men to come with me for a trip later, and also ask San Gu to borrow some flashlights."

  The eldest uncle listened to Zhang Shenniang's instructions and immediately called four young men from the village, around 20 years old, to San Gu's home. Two of them were the eldest uncle's sons.

  Not long after, San Gu also brought back three flashlights.

  It was already past twelve o'clock, and Zhang Shenniang led the four young men and me out of the door. We had been walking for less than ten minutes when I asked Zhang Shenniang where we were going.

  Old Lady Zhang said that children should not ask questions randomly, or they would get lost if they followed others. Actually, I wanted to retort back that I was no longer a child, already 14 years old, but because of my height of only 1.4 meters, I didn't dare speak out and just quietly followed behind her. When we walked into the bamboo forest, I knew without asking, although following Old Lady Zhang, I still felt scared.

  Zhang the shaman took out a talisman from her cloth bag and burned it before entering the bamboo forest, saying this was to greet the great immortals (mountain spirits) here, so they wouldn't bother us on our way. She also instructed us to just walk and not talk nonsense, we all promised not to speak and followed Zhang into the bamboo forest. I walked in the middle, holding onto Zhang's hem, but after tonight's scare from the banana ghost, I didn't dare look around here either.

  We walked to the depths of the bamboo forest, but hadn't reached that small stream yet when Zhang Shenpo stopped in her tracks. We also came to a halt behind her. Just as I was about to ask Zhang Shenpo why she had stopped and wasn't moving forward, ahead of us it was pitch black...

  Under the bamboo root, there was a faint cry of a baby. Although the cry was very small, it was very clear to hear, just like a crying baby being covered under the quilt.

  Zhang Shenniang whispered to the young men to turn off their flashlights, but they were also afraid and reluctantly turned them off under Zhang's orders. I seemed to hear the sound of swallowing in their throats as they swallowed with fear.

  I recall that night, the 15th, when I alone ventured into this bamboo forest, unaware that this small path only led to the banana ghost and deep mountains. If it weren't for those three balls of ghost fire appearing and scaring me out, who knows how I would have died, just thinking about it is terrifying. Suddenly remembering those three balls of ghost fire, I didn't feel much fear, but instead a sense of gratitude.

  After turning off the flashlight, we all stood still and didn't say a word. The baby's crying gradually subsided and finally couldn't be heard. Zhang Shenniang called on the young men to turn on the flashlights again, and we continued to head deeper into the bamboo forest.

  Before long, we arrived at the small stream. After crossing the stream, we reached the place where I picked bamboo leaves during the day. Zhang Shenniang asked me where the upside-down winnower was that I saw during the day, and I pointed it out to her. Then, Zhang Shenniang took a flashlight and alone entered the bamboo thicket, walking to the place I had pointed out.

  Zhang the godmother called us to come in too, and we also crawled into the bamboo thicket, came behind Zhang the godmother. I saw that the dustpan was turned over by Zhang the godmother, empty with nothing inside. Yesterday morning I still saw a small leg exposed, could it be that the dead child came back to life and ran away? That's too scary.

  Zhang Shennu pulled the bamboo and called us not to get lost, and walked for nearly a hundred meters, coming under a tall banana tree. This banana tree is exceptionally tall and strong, about three stories high, and you can tell it has a very strong vitality at first glance.

  Zhang Shennu walked around the banana tree several times, looking at it again and again, then muttered to herself: "It's definitely this one."