“What!”
Quinn ran out so fast he didn't even get the apron off his waist.
The moment he saw that small body, his legs buckled and he broke into loud, wailing sobs.
“My boy, you can't even swim. What were you doing down at the river?”
The villagers who'd found the child crowded around, shaking their heads and sighing.
“There was something off about him. He walked straight toward the river, cradling something the size of an egg.”
“A few of us called out to him. He wouldn't listen.”
“The look on his face, like a ghost had gotten hold of his mind.”
Hearing that, Quinn threw himself into another fit of howling, clutching his son's body and refusing to let go.
In the end it was Quinn's own brother, arriving back, who pried him loose.
Once everyone had gone, the mother came out of the room too, trembling on her feet.
Her cloudy eyes were brimming with tears.
But I couldn't say if it was just my imagination.
Somehow the white hairs at her temples seemed fewer than before.
Seeing her come out, Quinn, so heartbroken a moment ago, suddenly lifted his head and scrambled to her feet.
“Ma, I've got such a hard life.”
“All these years, and Simon was the one child I finally managed to have.”
“Who could have guessed he'd treat the golden egg like a toy and carry it down to the river to play with.”
“Now he's gone, the golden egg is lost too, and I don't even have the money to bury my own son!”
Aching for him, the mother helped him up, and she understood exactly what Quinn was getting at.
“Don't grieve just yet, Quinn. Looking after your own health matters most.”
“Simon was a devoted boy from the day he was born. As his grandmother, I certainly can't stand by and do nothing.”
“Once the hen lays another egg, I'll bring it over to your house.”
“Whatever else happens, let's see the child properly buried first.”
The sudden, terrible news swept away every trace of the joy the hen's golden egg had brought.
I sat blankly on the bed, turning it over in my mind for a long time, getting nowhere.
A hen laying golden eggs. An ox speaking like a man.
Things this impossible, and yet every one of them had happened right in front of my eyes.
Still in a daze, I heard the ox in the yard start butting its head against the fence in a panic.
“A child's pure life-force is the richest of all.”
“The old woman's had a taste now, and she's coming for your daughter. Go and look, quick!”
I jumped, terrified, and shoved the door open at once.
At the back gate, the mother was pressing a golden egg into Emma Abbott's hands.
“Emma, your school fees are due soon, aren't they?”
“Grandma knows you've been the most devoted child since you were small. How could I bear to watch you miss out on your schooling?”
“It's only that Simon's accident happened today, and I didn't want to hurt your uncle and aunt's feelings.”
“So Grandma's giving this golden egg to you. You have to hide it well, and never let anyone else see it!”
The tenderness in the mother's eyes was no different from before.
For all that she'd favored Quinn's family these years, she'd always been wonderful to both children.
When Emma fell ill, the mother would sell her own blood to scrape together the medical fees.
When Simon felt unwell, she'd sit up all night at his side.
How could a plain, honest old woman like her suddenly turn a murderous hand on her own grandchildren?
While I hesitated, the old ox in the yard thrashed harder still.
“Men die chasing money, birds die chasing food.”
“One golden egg for one life!”
“This little girl's fortune was weak to begin with. The moment she takes that golden egg, she'll be dead by tonight, no question!”
