Chapter 168
One day she was cutting her nails and saw him next to her, so she cut his nails too.
Wang Jiazhi recalled the ancient books about how hair and nails could ward off evil spirits and said with a smile, "If that's the case, then nails shouldn't be thrown away casually."
He laughed and said, "It's not that easy. If a person is lucky, you can't just curse him. And those powerful methods can be used out of thin air without the help of horoscopes, hair, or nails."
Wang Jiazhi didn't believe these things at first, but after that incident, she started to care about them.
"If that's the case, then if I hate someone, regardless of whether they're good or bad, and I want them to die a miserable death, wouldn't that be a huge sin?"
He laughed and said, "Things like this can't be done casually. People who do these things have their reasons for doing them and their reasons for not doing them. If you harm others without reason, you will be harmed."
She sighed in her heart: "You still know how to harm the world and I don't know how much backlash you will suffer."
The Chinese New Year is just a few days away. The streets are very busy and the shops have put on festive new decorations.
He was not at home these days, so when my mother asked what they were having for the New Year's Eve dinner, she smiled and said that she was alone, so it would be the same as usual.
She hadn't decorated her home in any special way; it was just like any other day. The bustle of activity in every household outside, busy cleaning and decorating, only made her seem even more isolated from the world.
Not long after her mother passed away, her father took her younger brother abroad. She lived alone and had no concept of festivals.
Even during the Chinese New Year, it was no different from any other day for her.
She remembered that during the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong, all the relatives who could go home had left, and there were only a few people in the dormitory.
In a previous letter, Xiaoshuang's parents reminded her to wear new clothes and prepare some fruit snacks. Even if she was alone outside, she should have a simple New Year ceremony for good luck.
Xiaoshuang hadn't prepared anything. They slept in the dorm that day, only to be awakened by the clatter of fireworks. Remembering that the shops outside were closed and the cafeteria was only open until two o'clock, they hurried out to get food. That day, they were even given red bean paste dumplings.
She hadn't felt the same melancholy that she missed her family during the holidays before; she was used to being alone. She was also young then, and even though her father didn't want her, she still felt she had a future. That year had been peaceful, with neither joy nor sorrow, but seeing the fireworks, she was overcome with grief. She sat on the steps outside her dormitory and watched for a long time.
That morning, she was awakened by the sound of firecrackers. The din of fireworks outside was too loud, making it impossible to read or paint. She turned on the phonograph and embroidered the remaining pillowcases in one go. She figured this was a way to wrap up something from the past year, a meaningful endeavor.
When he was not at home, she only ate one meal a day. In the evening, her mother asked her to come downstairs to eat. Although she said it was the same as usual, there were still twice as many dishes on the table as usual.
Grandma and the little girl were particularly careful with her that day. It was not until she was eating that she realized that they were afraid that she would be sad to spend the New Year alone and take her sadness out on others.
She thought that today was the day for ancestor worship on New Year's Eve, so of course he had to be in the main house.
Embroidering flowers all day was exhausting, and after playing with the cat for a while, she felt tired and crawled into the quilt, leaving only her head exposed, like a hibernating animal. Fireworks were dazzling outside, and she turned off the lights in her room. She gradually fell asleep to the sound of the fireworks.
Grandma tiptoed up and saw that the lights in her room were off. She put her ear to the door and listened and it was quiet inside, so she tiptoed down again.
Then he said to the little girl, "How can this aunt be so careless? It's New Year's Day, everyone else is bustling with activity, but she's so cold and lonely here. Does she really not care, or is she just pretending?"
The little girl said, "It's okay if they don't care and don't cause trouble. But those people at home, crying and making a fuss, trying to commit suicide and smashing things, but no one can stand it."
A-ma said, "How could our master tolerate her doing that? If she dared, he would have kicked her out long ago."
The little girl said, "That's exactly what she said. She seems to know nothing, but I'm very smart. If she's not an ordinary person, how can she live here?"
She woke up in a daze in the middle of the night and saw him coming back.
"Why are you back?"
Seeing her hair fuzzy and her confused look after sleeping, he felt that this little girl was really carefree. He was afraid that she would be sad to spend the New Year alone, so he came back on purpose.
She was unexpectedly happy that he was back, and he snuggled into her arms and said, "Shouldn't you be at home?"
"I came back as soon as I found nothing."
He placed a thin cinnabar bracelet on her hand.
"Wear it this year and don't leave it."
"Why?"
"People born in the Year of the Sheep are in trouble with Tai Sui."
She laughed and said, "There are so many people born in the Year of the Sheep, and you actually believe this."
"It's better to believe it. Some things require awe."
Wang Jiazhi suddenly realized that it was the same year she had been killed, leaving two bodies exposed in the wilderness. Yes, Lai Xiujin was the same age as her, also born in the Year of the Sheep, and had been killed together with her.
She shuddered at the thought.
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