Chapter 1: Introduction (Part 2)

At that time, grandmother was very fortunate because she was already married. So only grandmother’s younger sister can marry the “monk’s bones”.

Grandmother’s younger sister was only twenty years old at that time that’s why she was not satisfied with the decision of the villagers. But the villagers abruptly put a red wedding dress with a red curtain on her and then they put her inside the coffin together with monk’s bones on the mountain.

The villagers didn’t understand why, but since they offered a bride, the monk’s grievances have quiet down. And since then, the village turbulent era has ended and that tragedy became no longer a big thing to the villagers.

But grandmother was part of that era and their life got ruined. So she chose to be the village witch doctor and can only stay in the village. Even grandfather got also involved and the whole family felt bitter.

So mother’s childhood was dull because of grandmother. But, the village people know that grandma was a real witch doctor and grandmother has been helping them. But still, mother really hated grandmother.

After all, the village people deliberately keep a distance to grandmother’s house. They will only come and visit her when they were in difficulties. And when the Cultural Revolution ended, our relatives and neighbors began to move out the village.

Mother left grandmother too and went to the city to study. Later she got married and only tried to contact grandmother when she got pregnant with me. After that mother took the initiative to return home.

It’s not because she didn’t miss grandmother, but because there was something about my grandmother.

It’s been a long time since the villagers haven’t seen the snow. But when my parents got in the village and I was born that year, it unexpectedly rains in snow.

They said that snow symbolizes a good sign of harvest, so grandfather boasts to my father so much. During that time father had already three daughters.

Oldest sister died young, second sister and third sister were in the town. But because mother and father were actually wanting to have a son, they secretly got pregnant with me even if the policy doesn’t permit it and gave birth to me.

However, I was born a girl. According to Grandpa, my father got really disappointed. He turned away and didn’t even look at me.

Originally, grandma was aware that mother will give birth to me and just bravely invited them to come to the village for the snow. So when they called father before, grandmother intentionally didn’t tell them that I will be a girl.

After a year, my mother left the village again and let grandmother take care of me.

Mother completely ignored grandmother because she was not just an ordinary person. She is the village’s midwife and also a witch doctor. Mother had asked her more than once about her baby’s gender, but grandmother kept silent about it.

She was”Hurt”. She gave birth to the fourth daughter and her husband’s family got completely scornful.

For this, she hated grandma completely for keeping it a secret. After knowing those things, I can finally understand why I don’t have a memory about mother visiting grandmother’s house again. And why grandfather often said that I was the cause of this trouble. He also said that when I was born that year under the snow, it was supposed to be a good harvest but the results were instead a three years of catastrophe.

In my memory, whenever grandpa got drunk, he will always shake his head, point his finger and yell at me.

Grandmother will often show her worried eyes at me, whenever grandfather obsessively saying: “Well, why are you destined to be a girl? if it is a boy…”

By then, grandma will touch my soft hair to comfort me. That year I was only seven years old and I still don’t understand why the grandmother need to be worried.

I know my grandmother will never hurt me.

But sometimes she will hold me softly and say: “Little girl the time will come when other human or ghosts will exist in this world and live in the same space as us. So if one day you will be able to see them, don’t be afraid of them.”

“Afraid of what?” I asked grandma many times, but she didn’t say anything.