Chapter 2 Return of life in the Year of the Snake

I took a deep breath and said doubtfully: "Grandma!"

Grandma stared at the river, just shook her head, not wanting to say anything.

She collected the remaining incense paper money on the river beach, as well as the empty bowl with the pig's head meat, stood up tremblingly, and said to me: "If I can't come in the future, you will come, but you shouldn't be needed."

This sentence has no beginning or end, but I don’t know why, when grandma said this, she looked at me with complicated eyes, full of pity.

After that night, grandma fell seriously ill and looked very weak while lying in bed. After two days of staying up, her face was completely disfigured.

When I walked in, my eyes were slightly open, I was squeaking, and finally I was weak and asked me to call my aunt back.

A few years ago, my aunt brought back a man. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that this man was really good to my aunt and he was not a bad person.

But grandma was stubborn and disagreed, and wouldn't even let the man in. The two finally broke up on bad terms, and my aunt and grandma also had a bad fight, and rarely came back throughout the year.

But this time grandma fell ill suddenly, and my aunt rushed back. She only wiped grandma's body and washed her face, but rarely spoke.

Grandma was lying on the bed and asked her aunt if she blamed her, but her aunt didn't say anything.

Grandma's eyes wandered around, she stared blankly at the ceiling, and said something incomprehensible and strange.

"Last night, I had that weird dream again!"

A few years ago, grandma dreamed that she went to the market to buy vegetables, but when she walked to the market, she met the third grandfather from the village.

At that time, the third grandfather was surprised when he saw my grandma. He asked my grandma why she was here. He also said that this was not the place she should come and asked her to go back quickly.

People in the surrounding market gathered around grandma to watch her, as if she were watching a monkey trick, and several well-meaning people reminded grandma that this was not the place she should come.

Later, it was the third grandfather who sent grandma out of the intersection, urging her to leave quickly.

After grandma woke up, she remembered that the third grandfather had been dead for many years.

However, grandma said last night that she went to that place again. The difference was that this time no one said she shouldn't come. Everyone asked her for money to buy straw sandals and clothes.

Grandma said with tears in her eyes: "I'm afraid this illness won't be cured."

"Nonsense!" my aunt yelled.

Although my aunt complained about her grandma, she still couldn't let her go.

Auntie went to the kitchen to make medicine, and grandma was lying on the bed. She has become much older these days, but her heart seems to be clearer, and she can see some things more clearly than before.

Looking back, she said to me without any concealment: "It's time to let you know some things."

I didn't say anything, and grandma sighed with reminiscence: "The black snake your grandfather killed was actually a snake fairy who was about to shed its skin and turn into a dragon. When your grandfather was buried, there were

An old woman wearing a black cloth gown with many snakes wrapped around her body came to our door. She didn't take our lives, she just said that in future generations, anyone born in the year of snake must be sacrificed to the snake god, otherwise they would have to pay for their lives with blood. She left

When I was there, I saw with my own eyes that her exposed skin was covered with snake scales."

"Grandma, are these true?"

I feel very uneasy because I was born in the Year of the Snake, Dingsi, and my five elements belong to water.

Grandma's face was extremely calm, and she said, "The Snake Goddess under the command of the Snake God gave me a chance to atone for my sins. If there are no descendants born in the year of Snake in the family, of course everything will be fine. If there are any descendants of the Snake God, they will be sacrificed to the Snake God."

, this grudge can last from generation to generation and will never be eliminated."

Seeing that my face turned pale, grandma stroked my head and said, "Grandma didn't tell me before because she was afraid that you would worry. Now that you know, don't be afraid. Grandma has already thought of a countermeasure for you."

I pursed my lips and said softly: "Grandma, have you been going to the riverside to worship the snake god every year these years?"

Grandma grabbed my hand, patted it gently, nodded and said: "When I am poor, I burn incense and pray, and when I am rich, I sacrifice three animals. Every year I go to the riverside to worship the snake god in person. It has been ups and downs for more than ten years without interruption.

."

Every time when worshiping by the river, grandma would arrange the sacrifices and then start chanting sutras. Grandma said that this ritual is called inviting snakes.

Then the snake is given. If when you open your eyes, the sacrifices in front of you are gone, it means that the snake god has forgiven grandma's sins again.

Grandma said that if the snake didn't leave, she wouldn't be able to come back.

There was a murmur in my heart, and I asked my grandma about snake gallbladder with a trembling voice. I thought, as long as snakes have snake gallbladder, why did grandpa have to pay such a high price.

Grandma smiled bitterly and said, "The snake gallbladder your grandfather is looking for is actually the inner elixir of the snake's life essence, which can bring people back to life."

"The snake god has been worshiped by me for more than ten years and has allowed me to live until now. Now I know that my time is short, but I have already seen through life and death. The only thing that makes me uneasy is you!"

For more than ten years, my grandma went to Yuanjiang River every year to worship snakes, rain or shine, which brought us peace.

My aunt fell in love with a guy born in the year of Snake, but my grandma broke up with her.

It took away many memories from grandma over the long years, but it did not take away her heart.

Grandma showed a kind smile, stretched out her dry brown and skinny hands to grab me and said: "Grandma died once, and she has already seen through it. This year happens to be the year of the Gengzi Snake, so let grandma do it for you.

Let's finish it."

"No matter what, you must live well in the future."

Grandma was lying on the bed and talking a lot. She looked melancholy and tireless.

That night, I lay in bed and couldn't sleep. For some reason, I always felt that something was going to happen to my grandma.

I don't know why I was asleep, but I felt a chill on the back of my neck in a daze. The feeling of being spied on was very strong, so I turned my head and looked towards the dark glass of the window.

One look at it almost scared me to the point of screaming.

"grandmother……"

I murmured in fear.

Outside the glass window, grandma stood upright, looking straight at me through the window.

I shivered and stared for a while, then I saw a black snake wrapped around grandma's neck.

The snake's head slowly raised, its eyes were outside the window, shining with a faint green light, it opened its mouth, spit out the snake's message, and made a hissing sound.

Grandma also followed the snake head, opening her mouth and sticking out her tongue, making a hissing sound.

Through the glass, I watched one person and one snake spit out messages, and a voice called me in my mind, "Bai Yao, Bai Yao..."

I opened my eyes and saw grandma grinning outside the glass, sticking out her forked tongue, and hissing at me.

And the snake wrapped around her neck lunged towards me with its teeth bared, as if it was about to penetrate the glass and pounce on my face.

I was so frightened that I suddenly opened my eyes and sat up from the bed.

It's a dream.

I took a deep breath, and my back was already wet with cold sweat.

At this time, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a gust of cool wind blew, which was biting.

My aunt came in with a panicked expression and said tremblingly: "Yaoyao, get up quickly, something happened!"

I vaguely saw tears in my aunt's eyes, and my heart suddenly tightened, so I quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

The aunt said: "Your grandma threw herself into the river!"
Chapter completed!