The old woman cackled, "Buy burial clothes."
I felt it was an ill omen. I wasn't dead yet! Why would I buy burial clothes?
But I still forced a smile:
"Auntie, I don't want burial clothes. I only want to buy rice and eggs to sell."
"Sell?"
The old woman was stunned and looked at me with surprise.
But soon, as if understanding something, she stopped urging me to buy burial clothes. She turned and walked towards the inner room:
"Wait here, I'll get them for you..."
With that, she slowly entered the inner room.
I vaguely heard her muttering, "So, he's a middleman."
And something about borrowing lifespan.
I didn't know if I heard correctly, but her words were strange.
I stood in the house, feeling very uncomfortable.
This old wooden shack was far more eerie and terrifying than Master Gu's wooden house.
Although Master Gu's shop was dim, with burial clothes and paper figures, it felt much more comfortable compared to the old woman's shack.
Inside the house, many strange paper cuttings were pasted on the walls.
They weren't auspicious characters for good fortune or longevity.
Instead, they were paper figures or grimacing faces.
Furthermore, although the house was sealed on all sides,
a cold breeze could still be clearly felt.
The various burial clothes hanging in the house weren't on hangers.
Instead, they were suspended from shoulder seams by fine threads woven from what looked like hair.
They swayed back and forth in the room, occasionally illuminated by the firelight, making one's heart pound.
It felt as if people were hanging from the rafters, swaying in the lamplight...
As I stood in the room, nervously surveying my surroundings,
a black shadow darted past my feet. It looked like a large black cat.
I quickly dodged.
Then I saw the shadow leap onto the table.
By the light of the lamp, I clearly saw what the shadow was.
My expression changed drastically, a look of shock spreading across my face.
The dark thing was actually a large black rat.
The rat was as big as half a cat.
Its body was plump, its tail longer than chopsticks, its fur dark and shiny, and it wasn't afraid of people.
It twitched its nose, making "squeak, squeak" noises, its whiskers bristling.
With glowing green eyes, it glanced at me.
Right in front of me, it raised its forelimbs and perched on the oil lamp's base.
Avoiding the flame of the wick, it stretched its head and began to drink the lamp oil.
It made "pata pata" sounds that sent shivers down my spine.
I grew up in the countryside and had heard elders say that rats drank lamp oil,
but I had never actually seen it.
Seeing it now, especially such a large rat, I was very shocked.
I stood stunned for a moment, then decided to shoo the large rat away.
"Go on, get away from here!"
I yelled, trying to scare the rat away.
But the large rat wasn't only unafraid of people; after drinking some lamp oil, it turned its head.
It stood on its hind legs, its entire body upright,
baring its teeth at me, revealing its rodent incisors, and glaring fiercely.
It emitted "squeak, squeak" sounds.
It was the first time I had seen a rat dare to threaten a human and stand on its hind legs; I was very surprised.
I had been haunted by ghosts recently and was afraid of them everywhere.
But I wasn't afraid of this beast.
"Beast!"
Seeing a measuring ruler nearby, I grabbed it, ready to strike.
But at that moment, the old woman's hoarse voice echoed from inside the room:
"Young man, don't hit it."
Hearing the old woman's voice, I abruptly stopped.
Then, I saw the old woman emerge from the inner room, carrying a small cloth bundle.
Upon seeing the old woman, the large rat darted down, jumping off the table.
It scampered up the old woman's leg and onto her shoulder.
Then, it nudged the old woman's ear repeatedly with its head.
The old woman chuckled and reached out to stroke the large rat.
At the same time, she admonished it:
"You greedy thing.
I've told you not to come out when there are guests.
Not everyone knows you, but you never listen.
What if you get hurt? How would this old woman live!"
With that, she grabbed the large rat with one hand and held it in her arms.
I watched this, feeling my worldview shatter.
This large rat was the old woman's pet.
I had seen people who kept cats, dogs, and lizards, but this was the first time I had seen someone keep a large rat as a pet.
"Auntie, is this... is this your pet?"
I asked with astonishment.
The old woman chuckled a few times:
"This isn't a pet, it's my son."
"S-son..."
I stammered, my eyes wide with disbelief, feeling incredibly unnatural.
But the old woman didn't elaborate further and continued:
"Young man, what you wanted is in here."
She then handed the small cloth bundle to me.
I took it and saw it contained over ten shelled, cooked eggs, still steaming.
Beside them was a plastic bag filled with glutinous rice.
Seeing that I had gotten what I needed, I felt happy.
I didn't pay much attention to the old woman's large rat, which she claimed was her son.
After all, many people who keep cats and dogs call their pets their "babies" or "little ones." It was commonplace.
Perhaps this old lady just had different hobbies and liked raising rats.
Seeing that I had my items, I reached for my money:
"Auntie, how much for these?"
Upon hearing this, the old woman waved her hand:
"Young man, my supermarket doesn't take money!"
"Y-you don't take money? It's free?"
I was stunned.
But the old woman shook her head and, with a forced smile, continued:
"Not free, not without cost. I only want your fingernails..."