“The secret wine of our Chenjia Village has a rich and mellow fragrance that makes people want to get drunk just by smelling it.
Most importantly, drinking the wine in this altar can extend one’s life by a hundred years.
This secret recipe has been passed down from generation to generation. Now, our family has such a jar of wine.
However, my younger brother was immersed in this wine altar, suffering torture day by day.
The villagers all call the baby in the altar the ‘Fairy in the Wine’.
01
Father held the newly – born younger brother in his arms, his eyes shining brightly: “The ninth day of the ninth lunar month. Good, it’s so good.”
His face was full of greed because a child born on this day could be used to make the secret wine.
Only one child is born on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in Chenjia Village every ten years.
And that child is the most important part of making the secret wine.
They break the limbs of the child born on this day, pull out the fingernails of the ten fingers, sew up the eyes and mouth, and put the child in the medicinal wine.
If the child is still alive on the day of the full – moon, then the medicinal wine can be made.
And my younger brother happened to be born on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month.
The villagers are not allowed to drink this secret wine. It is said that they will die suddenly if they drink it. But for outsiders, it has miraculous effects.
“A – yue, put this bag of fingernails under my pillow.” Father threw a small flower – printed cloth bag to me and then stared straight at the little bloody figure in his arms.
The flower – printed cloth bag must be placed under the pillow of a blood – relative to suppress the restless soul of the ‘Fairy in the Wine’.
I took the cloth bag blankly and stammered in fear: “Father, this is younger brother…”
Before I could finish speaking, there was a bloody handprint on my face.
It was a slap from father, and his hand was full of younger brother’s blood.
“Do as I say! Don’t block my way to wealth.” His fierce eyes made my body tremble.
At this time, the weak mother also rushed forward: “Mine, it’s my child…”
Mother is a madwoman. She hasn’t been sober for several times over the years.
At this time, however, she keenly realized that her child might not survive.
But Grandma came in cursing and pulled her away impatiently, saying, “Crazy woman, you can have another child! The Fairy in the Wine is not so easy to get! Get back to your room.”
Her fierce look was exactly the same as father’s.
I closed my eyes in fear, and only the continuous scolding and heart – rending cries were left around me.
02
Although there is a child born on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in the village every ten years, not every child can successfully become the Fairy in the Wine.
In our village, there hasn’t been a Fairy in the Wine who survived the full – moon in nearly a hundred years.
Therefore, my father was very nervous, for fear that my younger brother couldn’t survive until the full – moon day.
He would enter and exit the room where the secret wine was placed many times a day.
Strangely, my younger brother actually lived in the wine altar for many days.
According to my father and grandma, every morning, the wine in the altar would be half less than the previous day.
So, after the first rooster crowed every day, father would fill the wine altar with wine again.
“Mother, I think this time it will surely succeed. Twenty – nine days have passed. After tonight, we can sell the wine and live a rich life.” Father rubbed his hands, beaming with joy.
He had already contacted Boss Wang outside the village, waiting for the day when the secret wine was successfully made.
The wine on the full – moon day was the only one in the village now!
After that, the wine would be taken once every ten years. The efficacy of the wine after that was not as good as the first time, but it still had the effects of prolonging life and curing all kinds of diseases.
In the eyes of my father and grandma, this wine was real money!
Father walked out of the door with a big smile: “He’s still alive. Mother, you don’t know. The wine is golden and smells so fragrant!”
“My son, the rich life is coming soon. No one in the village knows that our family has a Fairy in the Wine. Don’t worry, mother has kept this matter well.”
What happened to my younger brother in the golden secret wine?
After they went out, I secretly slipped into the room where the secret wine was placed.
I tiptoed to push the door open. In the middle of the floor, there was a wine altar, which didn’t seem different from an ordinary one.
I leaned closer and looked down, only to see a small baby. He was floating face – up in the wine in an extremely awkward way.
His face was blue, and his small eyes and mouth were tightly sewn up with thin threads, while his hands and feet hung down in the wine.
Only the slightly heaving chest showed that he was still alive.
Yes. In their eyes, my younger brother was just a living thing that could bring money.
I took a look into the altar and was so scared that I sat down on the ground, my eyes trembling slightly: “Younger brother, you, you’re still alive… Sister is coming to see you.”
There was no movement in the wine altar, and it was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
I tried to stand up and wanted to reach out to fish him out.
“You bad girl, what are you doing in here? Don’t ruin my good thing.”
At the critical moment, father rushed in front of me and kicked me to the ground.
“I, I just came to see how younger brother is. Tomorrow is his full – moon day, and I want to come and see him.” I stammered, and my ribs tingling pain hurt.
“Get out of here quickly. Don’t get in the way here. Your grandma and I will take good care of him.” He looked at me impatiently and made a gesture to drive me away.
Grandma raised her hand and pushed me out of the door forcefully. With a bang, they closed the door tightly, as if they were afraid that this wealth would slip away.
Standing outside the door, I stared fixedly.
Just now, in front of the wine altar, I seemed to see younger brother open his eyes and show a strange smile.
I frowned. Was it my illusion?
03
I stood outside the door for a long time until a giggling sound came from behind me.
I suddenly looked back and found that it was my already – mad mother.
She was pulling her hair, and the corners of her mouth were raised in a big arc, looking a bit scary.
Before I could say anything, she turned around and left.
She bounced back to the room: “My dear misses me.”
I looked at her in surprise, not understanding what she said.
I followed her into the room on tiptoe and saw her sitting on the bedside with her back to me, fumbling around.
“Found it, found it.” She pulled out the flower – printed cloth bag.
There was an unclear gloomy light in her eyes.
I got closer, wanting to tell her that the flower – printed cloth bag couldn’t be touched.
But she carefully untied the flower – printed cloth bag: “Eat it, eat it. My dear, my dear hurts so much, so much.”
“Mother, this can’t be touched.” I quickly bent down to get back the flower – printed cloth bag.
“My dear hurts so much. Let my dear go. Yue’er, let my dear go.” A trace of pain suddenly appeared on her face.
I stared at her face, and the hand I raised gradually dropped.
When mother was pregnant with younger brother, she would touch her belly every day and shout foolishly: “Dear, there’s a little dear inside.”
Dear was younger brother’s baby name.
While I was in a daze, mother had taken out the fingernail pieces in the flower – printed cloth bag and stuffed them into her mouth desperately.
She ate so eagerly that she was even a bit embarrassing. But there was a smile in her eyes.
I couldn’t help patting her back: “Dear will be fine.”
She suddenly looked up at me, and then she laughed.
I looked back at her and suddenly also showed a smile.
Our laughter mixed together, and there was an indescribable strangeness in the dim room.
04
That night, my father kept guarding in front of the wine altar.
When I was sleeping in a daze, I only heard a commotion coming from that room.
I quietly got up and carefully lay on the window, looking up inside.
“Mother, what should we do? Boss Wang will come to pick up the goods tomorrow. It’s over. The duck in hand is about to fly away.” Father’s anxious voice came.
“How could this child be so disappointing! I’m so angry.” I saw Grandma pounding her chest and stamping her feet, looking heart – broken.
“Mother, I have an idea. Listen to me. Ergouzi next door also had a baby, just one day earlier than ours. How about…” A trace of cruelty flashed in his eyes.
“I’ll go and steal that child. It’s so late, and no one will know. Sew up his mouth and eyes, and who will find out.” As he said this, he got up.
Grandma looked hesitant, pulling his sleeve: “This… Will there be any trouble?”
“It’s just a little difference. This wine can be considered made more or less. But Boss Wang will come to check it in person. Let’s deal with it tomorrow first. After we get the money, why should we worry?” Father’s tone was full of pride.
That was a huge sum of money, enough to buy the whole village. Father’s eyes were wide open.
Outsiders would fight tooth and nail to get this secret wine that can extend life by a hundred years.
He slipped out secretly and soon came back with a child in his arms.
“I’m really unlucky. When I went, the child was just awake. When Ergouzi saw me, he held the child and wouldn’t let go until I promised to give him half of the money.” He pouted, spat, and muttered unwillingly.
“Forget it. The matter tomorrow is important. I’ll get the needle and thread and get ready to do it. I hope we can deceive Boss Wang.”
05
Grandma brought the needle and thread, and then the child’s miserable cries came.
Father quickly covered the child’s mouth, and blood trickled down from between his fingers.
I clenched my fists, couldn’t help closing my eyes, and my body trembled slightly.
After a while, before I could react, they had put the child into the wine altar.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the child entered the wine, he lost his breath.
“My little ancestor, you have a good life but don’t want it. Why did you…” Grandma was also anxious and couldn’t help reaching out to keep fiddling with the small child in the wine altar.
Suddenly, the child in the wine altar coughed violently.
He coughed louder and louder, more and more violently.
Grandma looked at him with joy and quickly withdrew her hand: “He’s alive, he’s alive. This child is blessed.”
Hearing this, I just laughed coldly.
Blessed? How about giving this kind of blessing to you?
“The thread for sewing the mouth has all come loose. What should we do? Should we sew it up again?” Father frowned, with a trace of hesitation in his eyes.
“We can’t sew it again. Once in this wine altar, he is the Fairy in the Wine. We can’t interfere with him anymore. Otherwise…”
Grandma sighed. She was too anxious just now and reached out to fiddle with the child.
Now that she came to her senses and remembered the rules of making the secret wine, she didn’t dare to move anymore.
“Well, that’s it. But if he cries and makes noise, I’m afraid it will alarm the villagers.” A trace of tension flashed across father’s brows.
The villagers were already jealous. If they were caught, they would surely expose that the Fairy in the Wine was fake and prevent him from getting that huge fortune.
“If it really doesn’t work, we can only sew it up again!” Father’s face was full of cruelty.
But as soon as father’s voice fell, the child in the altar stopped making a sound.
Father quickly looked down: “This child is quite worry – free. He’s more promising than ours. He doesn’t cry or struggle.”
It turned out that the child just sank quietly in the wine, neither crying nor making noise.
Grandma was happy: “Son, the Zhang Shaman who lives at the east end of the village is always mumbling. She’s not happy with her own life and curses that there’s black air on us two.”
“It’s not black air. Look at how jealous she is. I think this is unstoppable wealth.” Father swallowed, his eyes full of greed.
The two of them were blinded by wealth, staring closely at the altar, and the smile on their lips became even wider.
But I looked at the wine altar in surprise. The altar seemed deeper than before, and there was a faint trace of blood color.
I silently took a few steps back and left quietly.
06
That night, I slept very well and soundly.
Until Grandma appeared at my bedside and pulled me up.
She pinched my arm hard: “You bad girl, so lazy. The rooster has crowed, and you’re still not getting up.”
She was scolding, but her words were a bit slurred.
She used to be sharp – tongued. Why was she a bit unclear today, and there was still a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth?
“What are you looking at? Boss Wang will come soon. You clean up quickly.” She covered her mouth and shouted at me vaguely.
“I’m really unlucky. That rooster pecked my mouth and leg. When I get the money, I’ll kill it.”
So that’s it. But the blood at the corner of her mouth kept oozing out, and strands of blood leaked from between her fingers, staining her fingers red.
I looked at her limping appearance and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
With her like this, she surely couldn’t hit me anymore.
I took a broom and went to that room.
Father’s eyes were tightly closed, as if he was sleeping soundly.
His mouth corner…
I frowned and woke him up: “Father, wake up quickly. Boss Wang will come soon.”
“Boss Wang, is Boss Wang here? Please come in quickly.” He was a bit confused and jumped up straight.
I was so scared by him that I took a few steps back.
“You bad girl, you scared me. It hurts so much. I bit my mouth, and blood came out. What bad luck.” He covered his mouth with one hand.
But the blood had clearly come out before he woke up.
“It hurts so much. Go and see how your younger brother is.” He also started to speak unclearly.
“Father, younger brother is soaked in the water and still breathing.”
Even though I already knew that there was a different person in the altar, I still pretended not to know.
However, the Fairy in the Wine was actually standing upright in the wine, with only his head exposed in the air.
Obviously, his limbs had been broken.
“Okay, go out and clean up. There will be a distinguished guest coming soon. We can’t dirty the guest’s eyes.” He said, pointing outside the door.
Just a few words, and he was already out of breath.
I lowered my head and stared quietly at the wine altar.
“I stared at it all night. I’m so tired that I don’t have much strength now. Go and bring me some breakfast.” Seeing that I didn’t look at him, he threatened to raise his hand again.
Feeling his anger, I turned around and ran out of the room in a flash.
The smile the Fairy in the Wine showed just now was exactly the same as the one on my younger brother’s face yesterday.
Although his eyes were sewn shut, he still opened them. His eye sockets were full of blood, which slowly dripped down his cheeks and into the wine.
07
After cleaning the house, I went out and headed straight to Granny Zhang’s place.
She was lying on a bamboo chair in front of the door, her eyes half – closed. “You’ve finally come.”
“Granny Zhang, have you been waiting for me?” I stared at her and slowly approached.
“There’s going to be a big disaster in your family. I’m not exaggerating. Only I can save you all in this whole village.” She looked at me with a hint of pride in her eyes.
“Granny Zhang, you can’t save them. And my mother and I don’t need your help.” I sighed.
“Yue girl, don’t you care about your father and grandmother’s lives? You’re so heartless at such a young age.” She sneered and suddenly stood up.
“Granny Zhang, twenty years ago, your child was also made into a Fairy in the Wine by your family. Don’t you hate them?”
“Of course I do. But your father and grandmother did save my life once.”
“Oh, was it them who saved you?” I couldn’t help laughing. It was really ridiculous.
Twenty years ago, Granny Zhang’s child didn’t survive the full – moon and died the next day.
Granny Zhang was devastated and wandered around the village listlessly every day.
A few days later, a big fire broke out in her house and couldn’t be put out.
She struggled to crawl out of the house. She was only two steps away from the door, but she fainted due to exhaustion.
“It wasn’t them who carried you to a safe place and dragged you out of the fire. It was me.” I said coldly, laying the truth in front of her.
“It was you? At that time, I was smoked so much that I couldn’t see clearly. I was in a daze. When I woke up, I saw your grandmother and father shaking me in front of me.” She looked at me in shock.
“Naturally it was me. With their characters, how could they save you? Haven’t you seen clearly in all these years?”
“Yes, it couldn’t be them. Hahaha, all these years, I’ve mistaken the person. Yue girl, you can go back. I won’t meddle in their affairs anymore.” She suddenly realized and laughed sarcastically, then lay back down.
I turned to leave. As long as Granny Zhang didn’t interfere, everything would go smoothly.
“Wait, Yue girl. Here are two amulets. You and your mother can each have one. Even if you’re confident, it’s better to have more protection.” She said seriously.
As she spoke, she took out two red triangular talismans and solemnly handed them to me.
“Remember, dissolve these talismans in water and drink them. They might save your and your mother’s lives at a critical moment.” She was very serious and repeatedly told me.
“Thank you.” I tightly held the red talismans.
“Don’t mention thank you. You accepting my talismans is considered me repaying your kindness from that day.” She waved at me, indicating that I could leave.
08
When I got home, there was no one in the house.
Grandma and father were gone. I hurriedly went to the last room.
Before approaching the room, I smelled a strange fragrance.
“Father, Grandma, where are you?” I called out a few times, but no one answered.
Pushing open the door, there was only the wine altar in the room.
The color of the altar body was deeper, already dark red.
Suppressing the uneasiness in my heart, I walked towards the altar.
“Sister, sister.” A baby’s voice calling came from the altar.
Was that my younger brother? How could it be!
Instantly, my hairs stood on end, and my heart in my chest was pounding.
My feet involuntarily continued to move forward.
It was as if someone had heavily pressed the back of my head, and I stretched my head straight towards the wine altar to look inside.
The baby in the wine altar had opened his eyes, and the corners of his mouth were grinning to the ears.
His pair of pitch – black eyes were like abysses, trying to suck me in.
My movements were stiff, and uncontrollably, I picked him up.
He giggled and put his arms around my neck.
The cold and damp touch scared me and made me want to escape.
The wine on his body instantly wet my shoulders.
“Sister, they’re coming. Dissolve the red talisman in water and give it to the two of them to drink.”
His childish voice carried a hint of low – pitched bewitchment.
My mind went blank, and I just nodded mechanically.
When I came to my senses, the younger brother on my shoulder was gone.
I looked at the wine altar tremblingly. He was still immersed in the wine, without any abnormality.
I tightly held the red talisman in my hand, with a trace of hesitation between my brows.
Should I really use the life – saving talismans given by Granny Zhang for my father and grandmother?
09
By the time I finished my work, it was already dark, and the night was quiet.
I saw father and grandmother walking in a servile manner, followed by a thin and shriveled old man.
Was this Boss Wang? So this was what a rich person looked like.
I looked at him and the bodyguards behind him thoughtfully.
“Boss Wang, please come in. This wine is finally made today. It’s really extraordinary!” Father smiled obsequiously.
Strangely, at this time, father and grandmother’s legs and feet were okay again, and there was no blood at the corners of their mouths.
“Hurry up and show me. I have to inspect the goods before giving the money.” Boss Wang coughed a few times, and his hoarse voice was full of eagerness.
“Sure, sure. I’ll take you right there. This wine is a once – in – a – hundred – year sight.” Father led the way obsequiously.
“Father, Grandma, you must be thirsty. Here, have some water to moisten your throats.” I seized the opportunity and handed them the cups.
“Boss Wang, this is the new tea in the village. Please have some tea.” I handed a cup of tea with a smile.
Father and grandmother had been waiting eagerly for a long time, so they were naturally thirsty and tired. They took the cups and drank up the water in one gulp.
Boss Wang just glanced at the cup, waved his hand, and said casually, “No need. Just take me to inspect the wine.”
Father led the way obsequiously, and soon they arrived in front of the wine altar.
“Is this the fairy wine?” Boss Wang’s eyes showed a trace of solemnity.
“Ah, yes. It’s definitely fairy wine! As long as you drink this wine, you can live to be 200 years old!” Grandma’s wrinkles on her face almost smoothed out with her smile.
“Mother, look at what you said. Who is Boss Wang? 200 years is not enough! This fairy wine is a secret recipe left by the immortals in the sky in the past!” Father said with a pretentious air, trying to raise the price a bit more.
“Oh? Did an immortal really come down to earth? I’ll take this wine. According to the price we discussed before, add another 10%.” Boss Wang said in a serious manner.
“Sure, sure. I’ll seal the wine right away. You can take it back and drink it slowly. You can also be an immortal in the mortal world.”
Father quickly scooped out the wine and sealed it.
“I also want the Fairy in the Wine! Name your price.”
At this time, Boss Wang’s bodyguards outside the door all rushed in.
“This, this isn’t appropriate, is it? I won’t sell the Fairy in the Wine! He’s my son. How could I bear to sell him?” Father looked at the few big and tall men in front of him, stammering as he spoke.
“Can’t bear to? Can’t bear to but you made him into a Fairy in the Wine? Money is closer than a son. That 10% is the price for the Fairy in the Wine.”
Boss Wang said, raised his hand, and winked at the bodyguards.
“Well, 10% it is. Alas, you haven’t given the money yet! We may not have seen much of the world, but we know that it’s a deal of cash on delivery.” Father swallowed, thinking that the additional 10% was quite a lot.
“This is the deposit. The rest of the money will be sent to you after I go back and have someone confirm that the wine is okay and I drink it.”
“But this…”
“What, you don’t believe what Boss Wang says? Then do you believe our fists?” One of the bodyguards leaned close to father, putting his hand on his shoulder.
Another bodyguard put a suitcase on the ground and looked at him sarcastically: “Count it yourself! Does Boss Wang look like he would cheat you out of that little money? Ungrateful thing.”
Father stared at the opened suitcase, his eyes wide, as if he wanted to throw himself into it.
Grandma was stunned: “My goodness, I’ve never seen so much money in my life! It’s still my grandson who’s promising, unlike my granddaughter, a good – for – nothing!”
While they were still lost in the joy of getting huge wealth, Boss Wang and his group had left quietly with their things.
I looked coldly at their receding backs. Some people really like to court death, don’t they?
Turning my head, I glanced at father and grandmother: “Father, Grandma, quickly put the money away. Don’t let the neighbors see it and get robbed.”
“Yes, yes. The bad girl is right! This money has to be hidden well. No, we have to leave the village tonight. Pack our things now, or this money might not be safe.”
This money was never yours. What’s the point of talking about whether it’s safe or not? I just turned my head and stopped looking at them.
10
At night, the corners of father and grandmother’s mouths started bleeding again.
But they seemed to have no feeling.
I went to mother’s room.
She wasn’t asleep yet, just sitting blankly at the bedside.
She giggled: “Dear is an immortal in the sky.”
At this time, father walked in quickly and picked up the cloth bag under the pillow.
“Found it. Hurry up and come with me! If it weren’t for the fact that only the women in the village can give birth to a Fairy in the Wine, you think I’d want to take you two?”
As he spoke, he put the cloth bag away and kept urging us.
My mother and I looked at each other. I was suddenly shocked. In that glance, she was clear – minded.
“You bad girl, if you delay our time, you’ll be in trouble. We’re leaving the village right away, deposit the money, and live near Boss Wang’s house. Then we can get the rest of the money.” Grandma came over and pinched me.
The blood from the corner of her mouth flowed down and dripped on my hand.
I shrank my hand from the heat and was scolded by her again.
11
At night, it was quiet. The villagers had no entertainment and had already gone to bed.
On the way to the village entrance, we encountered no obstacles.
“What, you want to leave? I’ve calculated the time. Don’t try to renege on your debt. Where’s my half of the money?”
Just as we were about to step out of the village, a familiar voice came from behind. It was Uncle Gouzi.
“Ergouzi, Boss Wang hasn’t given the money yet! I’m going to ask him for it. He said he’ll give the money after drinking the wine.”
Father paused, and quietly pushed the suitcase behind my mother and me.
“Who are you kidding! For such a secret wine, he took it away without leaving a single cent. Would you agree? If I believe you, I’m a fool.” He grabbed father’s arm tightly and refused to let go.
“Ergouzi, it’s really not that I don’t want to give it to you. I’ll give it to you when I get the money.”
But Uncle Gouzi wouldn’t listen and was about to shout right then.
A look of determination flashed in father’s eyes. He suddenly took out a knife and stabbed it into his stomach.
Grandma, who was next to father, was so scared that she covered her mouth. The splashed blood stained their clothes.
Father turned around and looked at us, his eyes full of cruelty: “Drag him away and throw him into the river. Many failed Fairies in the Wine have been thrown into that river. He’s not the only one.”
I looked at him in shock. Blood was also oozing from the corner of his eye.
He was blood – thirsty, covered in blood, with a terrifying smile on his lips.
With the blood of Uncle Gouzi on him, mixed with the blood constantly oozing from the corners of his mouth and eyes, he looked like a Rakshasa from hell.
After throwing Uncle Gouzi into the river, father heaved a sigh of relief: “I’d like to see who dares to stop me from getting rich! Whoever blocks me, I’ll kill them!”
I frowned at him. The thick smell of blood on him was nauseating.
I covered my mouth and forced down the urge to vomit.
Mother slowly put her arm around me. Her body was trembling slightly.
“Don’t be afraid, mother. After tonight, we’ll be free.” I whispered in her ear.
She seemed to be reassured. She still held me, but regained her calm.
“Yo, I like to hear that! Those who block the way to wealth deserve to die!”
A hoarse female voice came from behind. It was very familiar.
“Granny Zhang, what are you doing here? What, do you also want a share? You’ve seen what happened to Ergouzi.” Father wiped the corner of his mouth and sneered.
“Oh, I don’t like sharing. I want it all.”
Under the moonlight, the person behind her slowly emerged.
12
“Boss Wang, how could it be you! Weren’t you supposed to have gone back?” Father looked at him in disbelief.
“You two are in cahoots? How could this be!” He raised his hand and stared at them.
“Hahaha, what Boss Wang. You’re so stupid. I’ve never left the village.” He held his belly and laughed heartily.
At this time, Granny Zhang also slowly showed some smiles.
“Idiot, you still want to leave the village! If you had stayed in the village quietly, we wouldn’t have taken action against you today.” Granny Zhang approached him and grabbed his neck with one hand.
“The Fairy in the Wine needs to be suppressed by blood – relatives. If you weren’t useful, you think I’d keep you? You even wanted to escape. You’re really courting death.”
She was a thin shaman, but her strength was incredibly great! Father had no power to resist.
“Bitch! Let go of me! My son, mother is coming to save you.” Grandma bit her arm hard.
“How dare you bite me?” Granny Zhang was furious and raised her hand to viciously shake off Grandma.
Grandma fell to the ground with a bang, her mouth full of blood.
That was the blood she got from biting Granny Zhang’s arm when she was thrown away.
Granny Zhang viciously stepped on Grandma’s face and ground it: “Old woman, I’ll deal with you later. I’ll make you live in agony and die in despair.”
Grandma coughed a few times, spat out several mouthfuls of blood, and stared at her with venomous eyes.
I couldn’t help laughing beside them: “Hahaha, this is so funny. Evil people against evil people, interesting!”
“Girl, you’re still laughing. It’ll be your turn soon. Brother Wang, catch her for me.”
Granny Zhang withdrew her foot, her eyes showing a hint of mockery, and approached me.
13
“Oh, really? Granny Zhang, who is this ‘Brother Wang’ you mentioned? Is he your lover, perhaps?” I sneered, my face full of contempt.
“Mind your own business. Brother Wang and I have had a relationship for many years. You have no right to mock me.” She was a bit ashamed and angry.
“Yes, a relationship for many years. The two of you, an adulterous couple, have been having an affair for a long time. Poor your husband, he was kept in the dark at that time.” I stopped smiling and just felt extremely disgusted.
Having her long – hidden secret exposed, she angrily reached out and slapped me hard.
I spat out a mouthful of blood and turned to stare at her: “That child of yours wasn’t your husband’s at all. It was your lover, Brother Wang’s. And that fire was set by you yourself.”
“You’re quite smart, girl. Tsk tsk, what a pity.”
“Pity? What’s a pity? Pity that this body won’t belong to me anymore? Pity that I’ll become old and ugly like you?” I sneered.
“Shut up! How do you know all this? What else do you know?” She was visibly flustered.
Just as she finished speaking, Granny Zhang suddenly let out a shrill scream and fell to the ground.
She tried to cover her head, but her body kept convulsing.
Blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth, dripping onto the messy grass beneath her.
“Alan, what’s wrong with you? What’s going on?”
Brother Wang, who had been holding me, let go of me and rushed to Granny Zhang’s side.
“What could be wrong? You’re about to get what you want, aren’t you? Is the substitute talisman working? Granny Zhang, I cherish my body the most. You don’t need to worry about it.” The words I slowly uttered left them stunned.
“What do you mean! I clearly felt that the talisman had been used. So now, whose body am I going to enter?” Granny Zhang suddenly stopped twitching and looked at me with terrified eyes.
14
Twenty years ago, Granny Zhang had an affair with her lover and had a child.
That child was born on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month.
She then persuaded her husband and mother – in – law to cruelly make the child into a Fairy in the Wine.
However, her child died the next day, and the making of the secret wine failed.
Just then, the affair between her and her lover was discovered by her husband’s family. She became ruthless and set a big fire, sending them all to hell.
Over the years, she hid Brother Wang in the village, and the two of them lived quite happily.
The only reason she didn’t leave the village was that she hoped to wait until someone could successfully make the secret wine one day.
And my younger brother had been targeted by her since the day he was born.
Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. But she, in order to gain an extra hundred years of life, killed her own child.
“You wanted to drink the secret wine and live happily ever after with your lover. But you’re a villager and can’t drink this wine, so you set your sights on me.
“Because you know that I’m not a villager at all.”
I leaned close to her ear and said word by word. She suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with fear and shock.
That’s right, I’m not a villager.
I’m not my parents’ biological daughter at all.
15
That year, my mother gave birth to a daughter. Father and Grandma became more and more displeased with her and often beat and scolded her.
She couldn’t bear it, so she started to pretend to be crazy. And her daughter was weak and didn’t survive the full – moon.
Alone, she held her daughter and wandered around the village . Father and Grandma didn’t care about them at all and didn’t even know that the child had died.
She walked numbly outside the village and witnessed the process of me being abandoned. And I was only a few days old.
She held the cold child in her arms and then looked at me, crying and lying on the ground. After a long time, the kind – hearted mother finally sighed and took me home.
Her real daughter was buried on the mountain outside the village.
She hoped that her daughter would be far away from this village in the next life.
Father and Grandma didn’t know at all that the baby in my mother’s arms had been replaced.
Because they had never looked carefully at the little baby in her arms. Not even once.
From then on, I became my mother’s daughter.
And all of this that happened outside the village was seen by Granny Zhang and Brother Wang, who were having a tryst in the grass.
Granny Zhang said sinisterly: “That baby’s body will surely be mine in the future.”
16
She waited for so many years and finally waited until I grew up.
And she also finally waited for my younger brother and the secret wine.
Granny Zhang on the ground roared and tried to get up and pounce on me.
I slowly took a step back and smiled without saying a word.
Brother Wang beside her glared at me angrily and roared: “Bitch! Go to hell!”
He ran towards me like crazy.
Just then, my younger brother suddenly appeared out of thin air.
My younger brother’s body floated in the air, just like when he was in the wine.
He suddenly opened his scarlet eyes, the corners of his mouth curved up, and he let out a咯咯咯 laugh, which was terrifying and strange.
His seemingly soft and weak arms wrapped around Brother Wang’s neck. His arms tightened more and more, and Brother Wang let out a painful “aha” sound from his throat.
The more he struggled, the more he couldn’t breathe. He suddenly knelt down on the ground, his tongue sticking out, and bright red blood gushed out of his mouth.
“Cough, cough, Brother Wang! I’ll kill you all!” Granny Zhang looked at us, her eyes full of intense murderous intent.
“You must be very curious. You clearly took him back and locked him up, but he can still appear here.” I stared at Granny Zhang, who was powerless to resist, feeling extremely happy.
“That’s because his fingernails were already swallowed by my mother. The blood – relative suppression on him day and night has long lost its effect. Hahaha.”
“How about that? My heartless and stupid father and grandmother dragged him back when he could have been freed. ”
My mother swallowed the fingernails,removed the blood – relative suppression on my younger brother. My younger brother died the day before the full – moon. As long as his body was properly preserved, he could leave on the second day.
But at that time, because the time was too short and his power was weak, he was still wandering around the wine altar.
What father and grandmother did was to change his body and keep him in the wine altar.
He couldn’t leave this village and was full of resentment.
At this time, I had already stood beside my mother.
My mother looked at me and my younger brother and showed a happy smile: “These evil people all deserve to die!”
Yes, they all deserve to die!
The people on the ground were worse than animals. Tonight, it was time for everything to end!
17
“Younger brother, did you bring the wine?” I asked him calmly.
His little arm lifted up and pointed straight at the riverbank.
I quickly walked over and poured all the wine into the river.
As soon as the wine in the altar entered the river, the river started to roll, like boiling water, with white smoke rising.
Countless shrill screams came from the river, all from the babies who were thrown into the river because the making of the Fairy in the Wine failed.
Their blood – relative suppression was still there, and they were imprisoned in the river day and night, unable to leave.
This wine could解除了the suppression on them.
They roared and shouted in the river. Soon, these sounds gradually subsided.
Then, one by one, small babies climbed out of the river.
They were covered in blood, and at this time, they all opened their eyes.
“Go, find those who hurt you. It’s time for you to relieve the resentment in your hearts.” My younger brother spoke slowly, not at all like a baby.
The babies on the ground simultaneously showed strange smiles, laughing “Heh heh heh” and crawling towards the village.
Granny Zhang on the ground had already fainted. When she woke up again, she couldn’t believe it as she touched her face.
“This, whose face is this? No, what’s going on! I don’t want it, ah,Puh.” Her eyes widened, and she struggled to raise her hand.
“Hahaha, Granny Zhang, you wanted to live a long life, right? So how do you feel now? You’re now in my grandma’s body.”
I squatted down and looked at her with contempt: “How is it? In my grandma’s body, feeling the weakness of old age. The substitute talisman can only be used once. You’re finished.”
She wanted my young body, but I made her enter my grandma’s old body.
The so – called “killing someone by breaking their spirit” is just like this.
“The talisman you gave, I gave it to father and grandma to drink. Grandma bit off a piece of your flesh and drank your blood. And when she was thrown away by you, the blood she spat out splashed on your face and into your mouth.
She swallowed your blood, and you swallowed hers. The contract was formed. She became you, and you became her.”
The resentment of the Fairy in the Wine would make her blind, distort her mouth, and make her hands and feet feel as if they were broken, in extreme pain.
At this time, the child she had thrown into the river had also crawled onto her.
“All the pain you’re suffering now is self – inflicted! What you’re suffering is not even one – ten – thousandth of what he has endured.”
I looked at the baby on her and smiled slightly.
I turned and left, and a faint chewing sound came from behind.
My father was now screaming in pain on the ground.
But he would soon stop screaming.
Because my younger brother had crawled onto him.
Not far away, in Granny Zhang’s body was my grandma.
I walked up to her and giggled: “Grandma? No, you’re not my grandma at all. You’re just a vicious, greedy, and stupid old woman. Just wait. After father, it’ll be your turn.”
I stood up and watched as my younger brother finished dealing with father.
He immediately rushed over and started attacking grandma.
Looking at all this around me, I felt extremely happy.
I took my mother’s hand and nodded slowly to her: “Mother, let’s go. This evil village has nothing worth our nostalgia.”
The Fairies in the Wine in this village, after their resentment dissipated, would disappear and be reincarnated.
They would be freed, and so would my younger brother.
My mother and I gradually walked away, never to return.
From a distance, I seemed to see those small children slowly waving at us.
