Although Chu Yue had seen ghosts before, she was still a little nervous seeing one in the car.
But with me there, she didn't say anything.
Instead, she nervously clutched the corner of my clothes.
I looked at the woman and the little girl.
Then I spoke again:
"Sister, life and death are predetermined.
I don't know how your daughter passed away.
But since she's gone, you should let go!
Everyone has their own destination.
When they reach their stop, they get off the bus.
Clinging on will only harm your daughter and yourself.
She's still young and doesn't understand anything.
But I believe you do. Untie the rope, set the child free, and set yourself free..."
I tried my best to help the woman let go.
The woman didn't answer me immediately.
Instead, she kept shaking her head, shaking her head, and shaking her head.
"I, I can't bear to part with Xingxing. She, she is my everything, everything..."
At the last word "everything," the young woman, with red eyes, yelled at me.
The ghost child was holding the woman in the driver's seat.
She kept calling out in a milky voice:
"Mom, don't cry, Mom, don't be angry. Xingxing won't run around anymore, Xingxing won't run around anymore..."
I didn't get angry, just calmly watched the woman.
From her emotions, I could feel her somewhat twisted love for her deceased child.
Only after she finished her outburst did I speak to her in a deep, serious tone:
"She is your everything, but have you thought of her?"
Upon hearing this, the woman immediately retorted:
"Of course I have. Xingxing's father ran away with all our money and his mistress.
Everyone advised me to abort her, but I didn't.
I gave birth to her, and I raised her myself.
I gave Xingxing all the beauty I could create.
But, but Xingxing, Xingxing got sick, she got sick, sob sob sob..."
As she spoke towards the end, the woman's voice became increasingly choked with sobs.
Finally, she was weeping uncontrollably.
In our line of work, pregnancy is seen as a karmic connection.
A new soul has reincarnated for a pregnancy to occur.
Abortion, on the other hand, is a sin, creating vengeful infant spirits and ghosts.
However, in reality, it's incredibly difficult for a single woman to have the courage to give birth.
The hardships involved are beyond my comprehension.
But I could sense some of it from her emotions.
However, that was only for her life.
After death, it's a different matter entirely.
So, I continued:
"Sister, that was during your life.
In life, you were a good mother, a good parent.
You accumulated great merit and will surely have blessings.
But after your daughter's death.
Your actions now are only harming her.
If a wandering soul cannot report to the underworld within the stipulated time, they will be punished.
When the underworld officials eventually capture them,
they will inevitably be subjected to cutting, hacking, tongue pulling, and grinding.
Do you truly wish, because of your inability to let go,
for your daughter to suffer punishment after she departs?"
My tone had also become much louder.
Upon hearing this, the woman froze.
Looking at the little girl's wronged expression in the mirror in her hand, tears flowed uncontrollably.
I looked at her and continued:
"I don't know who put the soul-binding rope on you.
But I hope you will remove it.
Free yourself, and free your child."
The woman fell silent and didn't answer me for a while.
I didn't speak further, leaning back in the car.
Chu Yue also watched us nervously, unable to interject.
But she understood the general situation from our conversation.
The woman cried for a long time, saying a few words to the little girl's ghost:
"Xingxing, Xingxing, Mom is sorry to you. Mom was selfish."
"Mommy..."
The little ghost probably didn't understand what "selfish" meant, as she was too young.
She just used her chubby little hands to wipe the woman's crying eyes, but couldn't wipe away the tears.
The scene was somewhat touching.
Chu Yue, looking at the little girl in the bronze mirror, was no longer as tense or scared.
Instead, she became emotional amidst the woman's continuous self-reproach.
After a while, the woman's emotions stabilized somewhat.
Then she turned to me and said:
"Daoist, can, can you help Xingxing?"
I nodded:
"I can write a petition talisman to help your daughter open the Yin Gate and send her below."
The woman nodded:
"Thank you, thank you."
As she spoke, she held the mirror and said to the little girl:
"Xingxing, Mom will untie the rope for you now."
The little ghost heard this and was overjoyed:
"Really, Mommy? That's great, that's great! The rope makes Xingxing's neck uncomfortable..."
The woman, looking at the little ghost happily clapping her hands in the mirror, also smiled.
But her smile was somewhat forced and reluctant.
Finally, she put down the mirror, glanced at the rope loop on her right pinky finger.
Then, with a sudden pull, she removed the loop.
But the rope loop seemed to have taken root in her skin.
The moment the woman pulled off the loop, it tore off a piece of skin from her pinky finger.
Blood instantly welled up.
Seeing this, Chu Yue quickly handed over a tissue:
"Sister, you're bleeding..."
But the woman didn't take it, instead facing the empty passenger seat:
"Xingxing, you are free. Mommy was too selfish. I hope you will be well in the future."
"Mommy, Mommy..."
The little ghost hugged the woman again, her voice milky.
Perhaps she didn't quite understand what we were doing.
Without the soul-binding rope, the woman could no longer hear the little ghost's voice, nor could she see her in the bronze mirror.
I just watched and continued:
"The girl was young and had not incurred any sinful karma.
Her premature death in this life was to avert misfortune.
In the next life, she will surely grow up healthy.
If you and your daughter have fate, you will meet again..."