My Cousin's Oddity

p your job"Jiang Qiyun confined me behind a tree, leaning slightly forward with a low chuckle. "Mu Xiaqiao, you said you didn't mind. Why do your eyes change like that when I mention Qingrui and Qingl...My hometown is in a relatively remote small county town in the mountains. Transportation was very inconvenient in the past, but now that the highway has been built, it only takes four or five hours to get back.

I really don't want to go back home. Although it's where I grew up, the thought of being "isolated" and raised as a sacrifice makes me very uncomfortable.

I don't even have a deep impression of my mother passing away. I only remember that when I was little, a very gentle aunt used to lull me to sleep and tell me stories. When I got older, I started sleeping on my own. Every day, someone would pick me up and drop me off at school.

At that time, I lived in a small courtyard by myself. I used to think it was my grandfather's love for me, having a personal maid to wait on me. Now looking back, it was to isolate me, preventing me from learning Taoism or magic, so that I wouldn't be disobedient when I became a sacrifice.

How could I possibly love a home like this

Even if I dislike the Mu family, I'll still bear the Mu surname.

My dad is currently lying in the hospital's VIP intensive care unit. My grandfather has people taking turns to look after him, and I have a glimmer of gratitude for him.

"Besides, my brother and I are just naive kids. If we want to make it in this world, we need the backing of our family. There's no way we can get out of this."

Once I had a slight fever break, I started packing some simple luggage and took a leave of absence from school.

The night before we left, my older brother took me to see Old Lady Wu for a check-up. My lower abdomen looked unchanged, but I could feel a warmth swirling inside.

"Girl, a spirit child can't be calculated by the normal pregnancy time." The old woman gave me a cup of calming and fire-reducing flower tea.

"With seven as the base, forty-nine days make a month, and after seven months... it's about eleven months in the normal calendar," the old woman said, stroking her cat Ling.

"That's July next year" I smiled. "Time flies…"

The old woman nodded and said, "For the first three months, there wouldn't be any visible changes in your body because the most important thing for a spiritual fetus is the gathering of essence, qi, and spirit. In the fourth month, it takes shape and becomes a fetus, and your body will also undergo some changes. And in the last month, the spiritual fetus will rapidly absorb nutrition to grow and accumulate strength to prepare for birth, at which point your belly will grow very fast."

I nodded, my body didn't matter anymore.

The old woman pinched my pulse and cautioned, "You're not yet two months along, you still need to be more careful."

"Hmm..."

"Are you still bleeding Any bloodstains"

I shook my head and smiled, "Those two prescriptions of yours for preserving pregnancy and invigorating the kidneys are so expensive, of course they work."

The old woman also smiled: "Actually, it's mainly because you want to keep this child here that the child can continue to sleep peacefully."

Her words were laced with a touch of warmth, softening my heart.

》》》

As the car got closer to home, my mood worsened.

My ancestral village is quite famous in this region—because it’s wealthy.

There are twenty to thirty small houses in the best feng shui area of the village, all belonging to our family.

The house is made of blue bricks and white walls, with a front courtyard and back garden. Every corner is carefully designed according to Feng Shui principles. At first glance, one might think it's the former residence memorial hall of some great figure.

The village head clerk is also one of our family, which means that starting from this area, everything is under Grandpa's control.

At the back of the mountain stood an ancient and venerable mansion, which was the abode of the old master.

The atmosphere here is not at all like that of a gathering place for practitioners of "feudal superstition," but rather resembles a secluded paradise with an ancient charm.

My father left home early and didn't build his own house here. Every time he came back, he lived with my grandfather. Anyway, I have lived in his big mansion since I was a child.

The grandfather is in good health and still oversees the family affairs. My grandfather and his siblings are required to visit him in the morning and evening, and all major decisions are made by the grandfather.

My dad's generation is now the backbone of society, almost all of them working hard outside their hometowns. As for us, the great-grandchild generation, we are still just along for the ride.

Upon my return, everyone at home looked at me differently. The news of Grandpa kneeling before me had spread like wildfire, and people whispered that I was no ordinary person now, having served such a powerful sorcerer.

My cousin's wife was very upset about me making her kneel. She said I was amazing, that I even made the ghosts dizzy. Because of this, she was punished by our grandfather. But once words are spoken, they can't be taken back. Now everyone my age looks at me with mocking amusement.

"Cousin, you've gotten even prettier!" Sixteen-year-old Chen Susin exclaimed loudly.

I've had about ten boys in my lifetime, but only three girls. In our family, girls have always been precious, and she was spoiled by the elders at home.

Before Grandpa came out, she didn't follow any rules at all. She loudly asked me questions about everything and anything.

Another cousin, Mu Yunliang, was my age. He chuckled lightly and said, "Susin, children shouldn't talk nonsense! You asked such a shy question, how can you expect Xiao Qiao to answer"

Many people smiled knowingly after hearing this.

I sat in silence, not wanting to speak to these people.

"Ghost marriage is a thing of the yin, in their eyes, I'm a monster for being alive after entering one. I should be dead for that to be normal."

My brother put his hand on the back of my chair, looking like a rascal: "Mu Yunliang, you're still sucking your thumb, aren't you Eating too much is bad for you. Look at you, your head is full of water, and everything that comes out of your mouth tastes like milk."

Weaning late was his one "stain," my brother bluntly stomped on him, leaving him with a black face.

My older brother is a bit of a rogue, fearless and reckless. Being the eldest son and grandson, he holds a different status, so he's unafraid to confront people harshly, and no one can really stand up to him.

Mu Yunliang endured it silently, his eyes constantly glaring at me, his disgust for me undisguised.

After dinner tonight, Grandfather went straight to the point and said: "September 9th is coming soon, and the Qingshu Guan Temple will hold a ceremony to worship the gods. This year, the head of the family needs to attend, but I'm too old to travel far, so everyone discuss it and choose a deputy head of the family to participate."

I feel like this has nothing to do with me. We're just bystanders, the younger generation doesn't have a say in this.

When I heard Second Grandpa and Third Grandpa put forward my grandfather, I found it amusing: a bunch of old men in their sixties and seventies, almost as cunning as foxes, putting on such a show of feigned sincerity.

After they had discussed for ages without reaching a conclusion, I yawned out of boredom. Immediately, Taiye said, “Xiao Qiao, go and rest first.”

I didn't refuse, I took my backpack and went to the courtyard first. Our family's courtyard is very old, with separate bathrooms for men and women.

Aunt Zhang had already prepared a big pool of water. As soon as I got in, I heard someone coming in behind me——

> shouted, "Little Princess, please say something! What place is this Oh my, people are already fighting over houses over there!"I, damn it! My temples are throbbing. These bastards would be better off...