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Now that I think about it,everything is connected.
They went to great lengths to find me and tricked me into going back to worship the Silkworm God in order to bewitch me with insects and save their precious son's life!
I told Grandma and the others what had happened.
My father was so angry that he almost smashed the stool.
"But I vomited after drinking that water at that time."I thought the water was dirty but was too embarrassed to say it at that time.I forced myself to drink it and then went to vomit.
Grandma shook her head:"For this thing,as long as you drink it,only the water will be vomited out.It's useless."
"What should we do next?Sister?"
"Tomorrow I'll go and ask Sister Sang to buy some divine water.You stay at home and watch over Yueyue.Xiu,come with me tomorrow."
"Okay.Sister Sang lives far away.Let Mr.Zhang drive us there."
Sister Sang lived in the neighboring province.Since I was a child,I had heard Grandma and the others call her Sister Sang,but I had never met her.I only knew that she had a lot of mysterious things,but they cost a lot of money to buy.
Grandma nodded,then leaned on her crutch and knelt in front of the Bodhisattva.She lit some incense,closed her eyes,and murmured something.
Since it was too late and Grandma Da would come over early the next morning,my mother wanted Grandma Da to stay the night so that she wouldn't have to go back and forth.
But Grandma Da waved her hand and said it was just a matter of going from one end of the village to the other,and it was good to walk more.
So my father had to escort Grandma Da home and pick her up again before we set off the next day.
When I woke up after sleeping,I felt a bit of pain on my back.I looked in the mirror,but all I saw was the chicken blood and ash that had been smeared on my back last night.It was dirty and I couldn't see anything clearly.
My parents and Grandma had already set off early.Grandma Da was in front of the Bodhisattva with her eyes closed,chanting something.
When Grandma Da heard that I was up,she brought in another basin of the thing from last night and said that I had to keep smearing it.
So I lay on the bed and let Grandma Da continue to smear my back.
It is said that although Sister Sang was in the neighboring province,usually a day would be enough for a round trip.But this time,it took Grandma and the others three days to come back.
During this period,my biological parents also called me,asking me to come and stay with them again.I made an excuse that I had something to do at my adoptive parents'place and couldn't go.They kept asking in detail.Finally,they couldn't help but ask if I was in good health.According to Grandma Da's advice,not to let them know our current progress,I said I had a fever recently and was recuperating at my adoptive parents'place.I dealt with them a few words and then hung up the phone.Before hanging up,I faintly heard someone on the other side say,"That shouldn't be right."
When Grandma came back,the mud and ash on my back had become a thick layer.It was really uncomfortable to keep smearing without washing,and my back hurt more and more every day.I couldn't sleep well and kept urging Grandma to solve it quickly.
"Sister,why did it take so long?If you hadn't come back soon,I'm afraid I couldn't hold on any longer."
"The divine water is here.It wasn't easy to get.Hurry up,Yueyue.Go take a bath.Later,smear the divine water all over your body and it will be okay."
Grandma's voice seemed different from before.As she spoke,she pulled Grandma Da into the kitchen.
Hearing that I could take a bath,I couldn't wait for a second.I rushed into the bathroom and took a good shower.
When I was about to get dressed,I took another look in the mirror.Goodness,the original small bumps had grown a circle larger.My entire back was a bit swollen,and the skin covering it was somewhat transparent.Looking closer,there were already the shadows of insect bodies inside,wriggling slightly one by one.
I put on my clothes with trembling hands and cried,telling Grandma that the insects on my back had grown.
Grandma nodded and said nothing.My mother was stamping her feet anxiously beside her.
Grandma Da was holding a bowl of water.Grandma was kneeling in front of the Bodhisattva,still with her eyes closed,murmuring something.
My mother took out a new incense burner from her bag.It was shiny gold.She said she almost forgot and was about to replace the old one in front of the Bodhisattva.
But Grandma suddenly reached out and stopped her,not allowing the replacement.She said it was the same without changing and asked her to put it away first.
My mother looked puzzled:"Didn't you say you had to buy this?"
Grandma stammered:"I was in a hurry at that time.Now I think it's not very useful."
My mother wanted to say something more,but was stopped by Grandma Da:"These are all small matters.Let's talk about it later."
Grandma Da stood next to Grandma,occasionally fiddling with her palm.
I stood beside my parents.My parents pulled me back two steps and whispered.
"Mr.Zhang,I think Mom is a bit strange."
"Can't be,right?"
"Look,before buying the gold incense burner,Mom also said she had to buy it.Now she doesn't let us use it."
"Mom is old.It's understandable.You saw that she even went to the wrong public toilet."
"This is different.I always feel a bit uneasy."
"You women just think too much.How could she harm Yueyue?"
My mother shut up,but I also felt that Grandma seemed a bit strange.I couldn't tell exactly,but it just felt odd.
Just then,my phone received a text message.I turned sideways to look at it,and immediately my whole body turned cold.The text message read:Don't trust them.
Them?
Who were they?
"Who are you?"I replied to the other party,but there was no response.
Grandma called me to drink the divine water.I made an excuse to go to the toilet,deleted the text message on my phone,and then hid the phone.
When I came out,Grandma was smiling and holding a bowl of water with some dirty things floating in it,asking me to drink it.
Under the watchful eyes of Grandma and the others,I gulped it down,and then pretended to be nauseous and rushed to the toilet.
Late at night,while they were all asleep,I tiptoed to the toilet,opened my phone.It was quiet,with no new messages.
I couldn't just sit and wait for death.According to the time calculation,I only had two days left.
Who exactly were the"them"that the other person mentioned?
Grandma?My mother?Grandma Da?Then what about my father?
According to what my father said,Grandma had gotten lost before?Then could she have been replaced?
Had my mother and father also been replaced?
Grandma Da had been with me all the time.She couldn't have been replaced,but how could she not have noticed the abnormalities of Grandma and the others?
Who was the other person again?
Whom should I trust?
No,I could only trust myself.
