Before long, we arrived at our destination.
The old town, outside a very dilapidated old residential building.
Motorcycles and cars were parked all around, along with a lot of clutter.
So, we had no choice but to walk in.
The woman led the little female ghost ahead, and the little female ghost hopped along, babbling about going home, very happy.
Chu Yue and I followed behind, mostly silent.
After a while, we entered an old building and came to a room on the third floor.
The room was very clean, with several old dolls on the sofa, and it was even evident that they had been mended with needle and thread.
But the little female ghost loved them upon seeing them.
As soon as she entered the room, she went to hug the dolls.
"Please sit, I'll get you some water,"
The woman said, ushering us inside.
I waved my hand:
"Sister, no need to be polite, we're here on business. Let's send the girl on her way soon!"
As I spoke, I glanced at the little female ghost on the sofa, playing with the dolls.
The woman glanced too, and almost held back her tears again.
She nodded and went into the inner room.
I walked up to the little female ghost, and then said:
"Little sister, what's your name?"
The little female ghost, holding her dolls:
"My name is Huang Xingxing, I'm two and a half years old, and I'm about to start kindergarten."
The little female ghost said earnestly.
She was so cute, it was a shame she died young.
I played with her in the living room for a while.
The woman then came out of the room with a few clothes.
She said to the little female ghost:
"Xingxing, which outfit do you want to wear later?"
The little female ghost pointed to a white dress:
"Mommy, I want to wear this one, this dress is pretty."
The woman nodded and had the child choose shoes.
A white dress, a pair of small red shoes, and a very old teddy bear.
These were the things the woman had prepared for the child's final journey.
Since the child had only been dead for half a month, the incense and candles in the house were still lit.
I took the opportunity to use them.
Inheriting my master's legacy, I carried a few yellow talismans for self-defense at all times, as well as some spare yellow paper.
I first asked for the child's birth date and time, wrote her name on the yellow paper, and drew a road-opening talisman.
I fumed the clothes and shoes with incense, and finally burned them in a fire basin.
After they finished burning, I sprinkled the ashes onto the child.
The little female ghost then put on the white dress and red shoes, holding the teddy bear again.
She looked very cute.
But her hair was a bit messy, so I asked the woman to comb her hair one last time.
The woman nodded, picked up the comb fumed with incense, and began to comb her hair.
As she combed, she shed tears.
She kept murmuring, telling the little female ghost to be good down there, and to come back to find her mother in the next life, and so on.
Over and over again, she said it countless times.
I took out a cigarette and waited patiently.
Chu Yue watched the woman sitting on the sofa, combing the air.
She wasn't scared, but rather felt a pang of sadness.
Just as the atmosphere was heavy with silence, the little female ghost, being combed, suddenly cried out:
"Mommy, it hurts!"
Hearing "it hurts," we all instinctively looked over.
We saw the little female ghost covering the back of her right hand, looking wronged.
"What's wrong, Xingxing, let Mommy see, let Mommy see..."
After speaking, the woman hurriedly picked up the little female ghost's hand.
Upon seeing it, her face was filled with surprise:
"Xingxing, what happened?"
I was standing not far away and also saw the back of the little female ghost's hand.
On the back of the little female ghost's right hand, there was a red mark, with a faint glimmer of light.
This had not been there before.
"What is this?"
I was a bit surprised.
Logically, apart from the talismans on me and Chu Yue's phone charm, there was nothing else around that could harm the little female ghost.
I also hurried over.
"Mommy, your tears just dripped onto Xingxing's hand, and it hurts!"
The little female ghost said aggrievedly.
Hearing this, the woman quickly apologized, wiped away her tears, and afraid of hurting the child again:
"I'm sorry Xingxing, I'm sorry.
It's my fault, it's my fault..."
But upon hearing this, I was filled with joy.
When my master explained various strange tales to me in the past, he had mentioned this briefly.
This situation is called "Niang Mu Ji" (Mother's Mark).
It is said that when a mother sees off her child, under certain special circumstances.
For example, profound maternal love, extreme grief, anger, or other emotions.
The mother's tears can scald the child's ghost, leaving a mark.
And this mark will follow the ghost for one lifetime.
Even if reincarnated as a human again, it will follow them as a birthmark for life, disappearing in the life after next.
If such a mark appears, then the previous life's relatives may be able to find the child reincarnated through this mark.
Moreover, there is a saying among the people.
Children born with birthmarks are people who carry memories from their past lives.
I had only heard of it before.
I never expected to witness it with my own eyes today.
With excitement, I quickly stepped forward to examine it.
The faint light quickly disappeared, and on the back of the little female ghost's right hand, a reddish birthmark resembling a water droplet appeared.
"Sister, this is called Niang Mu Ji. It will follow the child for a lifetime, and even when she reincarnates, this mark will go with her.
If you still have fate in the next life.
You will be able to find the child's reincarnation through this mark."
I said with surprise.
In the grand scheme of things, fate is predetermined.
Although there is no mother-child relationship in this life.
This rare "Niang Mu Ji" appeared unexpectedly at this time.
It shows that there is definitely a connection between them.
It's just that this connection needs to continue in the child's next life.
So, this means.
In the next life, this mother and daughter will surely be reunited...