I don't believe in ghosts today

Hyakki 5

"Mother."

Hearing the child's childish voice, Qin Yan opened her eyes and found herself sitting in a kindergarten classroom with colorful flowers drawn with chalk on the blackboard.

Sitting on the small bench in front of her was a little girl with shofar braids, wearing a red dress sprinkled with white florals, her cheeks were pink and white, like a little person made of dough.Even if she didn't speak, Qin Yan knew who she was - her face shape was exactly the same as when she was a child, only her eyes were different.Those eyes are slender and gentle, with the corners of the eyes slightly raised, they look exactly like Ah Cheng.

Qin Yan's lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a word, only tears kept falling down her cheeks and onto her pants.

"Mom, don't cry." The little girl stood up, opened her fleshy arms, and hugged Qin Yan.

The child's body is very cold, and when held in his arms, it is like a soft ice cube.Qin Yan buried her face on her small shoulders, her heart was pierced like a knife, and she couldn't stop her tears.

"Every year, every year..." Qin Yan finally called out her name cautiously. "Mom has always wanted to see you..."

"Me too. Mom, aren't you happy that we finally met?" Niannian held Qin Yan's face and gently wiped away her tears with her small hands.

"Happy, mom is very happy." Qin Yan held her daughter's tender hand, weeping and smiling at the same time. "But mother hopes that she can see you every day."

Every year bowed his head sadly. "Mom could have seen me every day. But for my father's sake, my mother decided not to do it every year."

"I didn't want you." Qin Yan cried tremblingly. "You are my baby, my only child. Mr. Rao promised me that he would make you live well. I really didn't know at that time that things would turn out like this..."

Niannian raised her head and nodded sensibly. "Mom, I don't blame you. This time we have no fate, and we will definitely meet again in the future."

Qin Yan clutched Niannian's hand, weeping uncontrollably.

The bell for the end of get out of class rang, echoing in the empty classrooms and campus.

"Mom, it's almost time." Nian Nian looked back at the clock on the wall. "You should go back."

Qin Yan's hands gently stroked her daughter's face, shoulders and arms.When she thought that she might never see the little person in front of her again in this life, her heart ached like it was about to be torn apart.She used to think that Ah Cheng was the person she loved the most in this world.Only after seeing Niannian did Qin Yan realize that she was wrong.If she could really choose again, for the sake of her daughter, she would even give up her life.

"Can mom stay here and be with you forever..."

Yearn shook his head. "Mom, you don't belong here, you should go back to your world and continue your own life."

"Let me stay, Mom, please..."

Qin Yan cried and begged, but Nian Nian still just shook her head. "Mom, I actually want to ask you, can you stop locking me in the fish tank and water cup?"

Qin Yan's heart was suddenly filled with panic, and she grabbed her daughter's shoulders forcefully. "Niannian, are you leaving mom?"

Nian Nian looked out of the window, her small face showed a loneliness and loss that did not belong to this age. "I also want to be like other children, running in the sun, playing on the grass, raising cute puppies and rabbits, and eating meals made by my mother... I don't want to be locked in a fish tank, where I can't see anything. I can't go either."

Qin Yan understands that in this conspiracy carefully planned by the adults, Nian Nian is the biggest victim.Every year is obviously worth having all the good things in this world, to pursue your dreams, and to live a splendid life.It was she who ruined Nian Nian's future with her own hands, no matter how cruel the result was, she had to bear it by herself.This is the final responsibility of being a mother.

But looking at the soft little person in front of her, she couldn't help herself.She wanted to stay every year, but in fact it was only out of selfishness and cowardice.Let Nian Nian live in such a way that life is worse than death, at least she will feel better in her heart, pretending that she is not the murderer who killed Nian Nian.

"Mom, promise me, okay?" Nian Nian stared at her with those same eyes as Ah Cheng. "I promise, I will definitely come back to you."

Qin Yan wiped away her tears and took a deep breath. "Niannian, it's my mother who is sorry for you. At least in the end, I must be a good mother."

"Great, thank you mom." A smile finally appeared on Niannian's face, innocent and sweet, like an ordinary child.She closed her eyes, stood on tiptoe, and gently pressed a kiss on Qin Yan's face. "Goodbye, Mom."

Qin Yan hugged Niannian tightly, trying her best to remember this moment.Suddenly, her arms were empty, and she woke up from the dream. In front of her eyes were pale walls and weird mirrors. The red candle was almost burnt to the end.

Qin Yan walked to the table, picked up the red thermos, and went back to the bed to open it.The thin embryo slightly swayed its limbs, floating in the turbid liquid.

Qin Yan's tears dripped into the jar, causing small splashes.

As if she had lost her soul, her mind went blank, and she stumbled back to the first floor, where Zou Hao, Uncle Xu and Zhou Yunling were all there.Qin Yan looked at their faces one by one, with no expression on her face, only her eyes filled with tears.

"Help me send Nian Nian away." She held the thermos tightly. "Whatever you want, I will."

Goddess Duan nodded. "You have decided, let's go. She has become a ghost now, and the process of salvation may be very painful. But you have to know, it's all for her own good."

Goddess Duan led Qin Yan along a small path to a secluded hillside outside the town, while the others stayed in the shop and waited.

Everything was ready, and there was a pile of firewood in the open space, with a stone in the middle.On the left and right sides of the woodpile, there are two small spirit-calling banners, and a small wreath made of white paper is hung on the top of one of them.

Goddess Duan placed the wreath on the stone and turned to Qin Yan. "Put the baby here."

Qin Yan opened the thermos, put her hand into the warm water, and fished out the little lump of flesh and blood.Nian Nian twisted gently in her palm.Qin Yan lowered her head, kissed Niannian on the forehead, and carefully placed her in the middle of the wreath.

Goddess Duan struck a match, lit the fire, and murmured: "The Supreme Commander, surpass your lonely soul. Get out of the sea of ​​suffering and be reincarnated as an adult. Those with heads will surpass, those without heads will rise, kill with guns and knives, jump into water and hang ropes... "

Touching the dry firewood and blades of grass, the small flame from the match soon rose up and turned into a large clump of dancing flames, encircling the stone.The tongue of fire engulfed the wreath, and began to burn the tender skin of the embryo that had not yet been fully formed, sizzling.Immediately, the embryo screamed ear-piercingly, danced its delicate limbs, and struggled desperately.

"Kneel in front of my stage, let the gossip shine, stand up and go out, and surpass others. Whether you are a man or a woman, you are responsible for yourself, rich or poor, you will recruit yourself..."

Seeing Nian Nian in pain, Qin Yan burst into tears, knelt down in front of the fire, and kowtowed three times. "Niannian, you must forgive mother... If there is a next life, you must still be my daughter..."

"... Order to save the others, and save them from death in a hurry." The curse in the mouth of the sorceress Duan came to an abrupt end.

The fire was still burning, but there was nothing on the stone.Only a cloud of black smoke rose from above the flames, rose into the air, and dissipated without a trace.