The villagers say that anyone who uses this method will quickly become pregnant and give birth to a boy after eight months.
At first, my grandmother didn’t believe it, but now, after Auntie Pearl repeatedly gave birth to baby girls, she had no choice but to try it herself.
Early one morning, my grandmother went to several houses in the village, asking about the method of "summoning a boy."
But, without exception, everyone just mumbled and couldn’t explain it clearly. Eventually, they told her to go to the Mad Monk who lived in the dilapidated temple at the top of the mountain.
I knew that Taoist priest. I often ran into him when I took the cows up the mountain. He came to the village about a year ago, and it was he who brought the method of "summoning a boy" to the village. The villagers respected him to some extent.
Reluctantly, my grandmother packed a basket and hurried up the mountain with Auntie Pearl.
On their way out, she didn’t forget to scold me a few times.
"You worthless girl! Stop trying to slack off by holding this little burden all day. Remember to feed the pigs and wash the clothes."
I nodded obediently. After all, in this house, if you wanted to get a meal, you had to work hard.
By the time the moon was high and the stars few, I had reheated dinner several times before my grandmother and Auntie Pearl finally came back.
I gently comforted my little sister in my arms when I noticed the sharp glint in my grandmother’s cloudy eyes as she looked at the baby in my arms.
Auntie Pearl gritted her teeth and took the baby from me.
I returned to the pigsty, curling up in a pile of hay.
In the dead of night, my sister’s cries became unbearably sharp.
Not only that, smoke began rising from the kitchen. Curious, I stretched my neck to look in the direction of the kitchen.
I saw my grandmother moving about the kitchen, while Uncle Vance sharpened the kitchen knife.
The cries of my sister grew louder, but soon, they quieted down.
I couldn’t help but swallow nervously and wrapped myself tighter in the worn-out quilt.
Before long, Auntie Pearl came out holding a large bowl and set it on the small table in the yard. She was holding ritualistic items.
She began to bow in front of the bowl, muttering words I couldn’t understand.
But I knew that Auntie Pearl was "summoning a boy!"
Afterward, she bowed heavily to the bowl.
Suddenly, a cold wind swept through the peaceful night. My grandmother, frightened, hid behind Uncle Vance.
A moment later, my eyes widened in shock. I saw three dark figures surrounding Auntie Pearl, laughing eerily.
Then they rushed into Auntie Pearl’s body, one after another.
I couldn’t control myself and screamed.
"Ah~!"
The figures were startled by my scream. My grandmother, realizing what had happened, came over angrily and grabbed my ear.
The pain was sharp, and my ear burned.
"You stupid girl! If you scare the ‘boy’ away, you’ll pay for it."
Looking at my grandmother’s furious face, I clamped my mouth shut. My eyes had always been able to see things that others couldn’t.
Those so-called "boys" were just a bunch of "wandering spirits!"
But I couldn’t tell my grandmother. My mother had always warned me before she passed away: never let anyone find out this secret.
Especially not the family!
I lay awake all night with my quilt wrapped tightly around me. The next morning, I saw Uncle Vance carrying a small red box and heading out.
I knew, my sister was gone.
I felt a pang of sadness. She was so small and had never even had a taste of her mother's milk.
I quietly followed Uncle Vance, watching as he carelessly tossed the box containing my sister into Grief Hollow. That was the place where deceased infants were left to rest.
After Uncle Vance left, I quietly opened the box that held my sister. Her once-pink skin had turned an ashen gray, her tiny body curled up, and there was a large, blood-soaked hole where her heart should have been.
I didn’t have the proper tools, so I dug a large hole with my hands and buried her.
I sat by her grave, tears falling uncontrollably.
More than fear, it was guilt.
"Little girl, do you think it’s too late to cry now?"
I turned around to see the Mad Monk, wearing tattered clothes, standing behind me.
It was the same Mad Monk who lived on the mountain.
I watched him warily but didn’t speak.
He wasn’t angry. Instead, he walked over to me, his eyes filled with a greedy, undisguised hunger.
"Your eyes... they're really beautiful!"
My hand instinctively touched my eyes, and I took a cautious step back.
He didn’t mind and plopped down on the stone beside me.
"Why are you afraid? I won’t touch you until I’ve kept my promise."
I pressed my lips together and asked the question that had been on my mind.
"The ‘boys’ that entered Auntie Pearl’s body... are they ghosts? And what about the others..."
