(Perhaps this story isn't particularly frightening, but it did indeed happen.)
There was a loud knock on the door. I wondered why the visitor didn't use the doorbell. I got up and opened the door to find an elderly woman standing there.
The woman appeared to be in her sixties or seventies, dressed in a worn but clean gray cotton robe. She had a large, heavy burlap sack slung over her shoulder. She looked kind and gentle, with a round face and big eyes, but she didn't speak.
"Who are you looking for?" I asked. The old woman didn't reply, only glanced at the house number and muttered to herself, "Did I get the wrong house?"
Just then, my friend came out and, seeing the old woman, exclaimed, "Second Aunt, what brings you here?" He rushed over to help her with the bag.
The old woman finally smiled, and my friend and I helped her into the house.
After some introductions, I learned that this old woman was my friend's Second Aunt from his hometown. She had been very kind to him during his childhood.
"Xiao Si, you haven't visited us in so long," Second Aunt said, her voice tinged with a hint of reproach.
"I've been busy, you know how much I like to explore and find new things," my friend replied, scratching his head with a sheepish grin.
"If only our Cuì were alive, she'd be your age now," Second Aunt sighed suddenly.
"Cuì? Didn't you only have my cousin?" my friend asked, puzzled.
Second Aunt's expression turned sorrowful, and I saw her calloused fingers rubbing together.
"You wouldn't know about Cuì. She died before you were born, and the family decided to keep it a secret. No one was allowed to mention her, so naturally, you wouldn't know," she explained.
"After all these years, tell me what happened. I want to know," my friend urged.
"Your parents had just married, and I soon became pregnant with Cuì. Everything went smoothly at first, and when Cuì was born, everyone was overjoyed. Our family cherished both boys and girls. Cuì was incredibly beautiful, more so than any other baby girl in the village. She was also very well-behaved and rarely cried.
"But ever since Cuì was born, the house was never peaceful. First, my wound reopened, causing severe bleeding. I almost died, scaring your grandmother half to death. It took two months before I recovered enough to take care of Cuì. During that time, a village woman named Li Ma nursed her. Li Ma had her own child but stopped nursing Cuì after two months, claiming strange things happened whenever Cuì was around. Her own baby became irritable and fearful, crying whenever Cuì was near. Moreover, Cuì drank milk voraciously, almost starving Li Ma's own child.
"We didn't pay much attention to these claims and took Cuì back. But the days that followed were filled with dread. Your grandfather, Fourth Uncle, and your uncle all fell gravely ill. We also suffered frequent thefts and mysterious disappearances of livestock. Rumors spread that Cuì was a bad omen, bringing disaster to anyone who came near her.
"I fiercely defended my daughter, refusing to believe she was a curse. But soon, even I had to admit that everyone who interacted with Cuì faced misfortune, from minor financial losses to serious illnesses.
"Your grandfather finally called in Liu the Blind to consult. Liu the Blind was a famous fortune-teller known for his accurate predictions. Despite his blindness from birth, he had a reputation for helping people avert disasters. Liu took Cuì's birth details and ours, then called me aside.
"'You need to be prepared. This child is no ordinary person. She was born to bring calamity upon her family. First, her mother, then her father, brothers, and grandparents will fall. She alone will thrive, taking all the family's fortune,' Liu said.
"I was shocked and questioned him. 'How can you say such things? Cuì is beautiful and well-behaved, how could she be so heartless?'
"'Believe it or not, she is a cat spirit. You, being born in the year of the Rooster, and your husband, born in the year of the Rat, are especially vulnerable. If you don't act, you won't survive her eighteenth birthday. If you don't believe me, I can draw a talisman on your chest. If she refuses to drink your milk, it means she is indeed a cat spirit, and you must let her starve to save your family,' Liu replied.
"With a heavy heart, I let Liu draw the talisman. He warned that on the third day, Cuì would die, and many cats would come to escort her spirit. We were not to leave the house or make any noise.
"Sure enough, Cuì refused to nurse, pushing me away with her tiny hands. Her cries were heart-wrenching, but my family held me back. Her screams grew weaker over the next three days, and our home was surrounded by dozens of cats. The oil lamps refused to light, leaving us in darkness. The cats' eyes glowed eerily in the night, and their cries echoed Cuì's.
"On the third night, Cuì's cries faded, and she passed away. The cats remained, meowing lowly in the pouring rain. Only after a long time did they finally disperse. We found Cuì's body cold and stiff, her eyes wide open. It was heartbreaking.
"We buried Cuì on the hillside, away from the family plot as Liu instructed. He said her spirit must not enter the family grounds or it would ruin our family's fortunes.
"After Cuì's death, we were constantly haunted by cats. They appeared at night, their green eyes glowing in the dark. Their cries were chilling, and they seemed to vanish when we tried to chase them away. This went on for months until Liu returned.
"He listened to our troubles and said, 'She doesn't want to leave. Though she is dead, her spirit remains. You must find a black kitten born the night Cuì died and bring it to me.'
"We searched everywhere and finally found a completely black kitten born during the storm. The family keeping it thought it was a divine sign and treated it with great care. After much effort and money, we brought the kitten to Liu.
"The moment the kitten saw Liu, it began to meow loudly. Liu smiled and said, 'Though pitiful, I cannot let you harm this family any longer. Your fate is intertwined with theirs, for better or worse. Today, we end this.'
"He drew a talisman in the air and placed his left hand on the kitten's head. The kitten immediately calmed down. After a long ritual, Liu instructed us to keep the black kitten as if it were Cuì, to repay our debt. Once the kitten passed away naturally, our troubles would end.
"The kitten lived with us for over ten years, then died of illness. It was incredibly well-behaved, and we treated it like a daughter," Second Aunt sighed deeply. "Fate was cruel, and we were destined to part."
My friend, silent, comforted Second Aunt, "Don't be too sad, it's been so long. Why did you come today?"
Second Aunt smiled, revealing the contents of her burlap sack—fruits, cured meat, and other local specialties.
My friend beamed, "These are all my favorites. Thank you, Second Aunt."
"No need to thank me. I actually came to ask you to return to the countryside. Your grandmother has found a good match for you. You must come back and meet her," Second Aunt said.
My friend was stunned, while I couldn't help but laugh at the idea of him going back for a matchmaking.
After much persuasion, Second Aunt insisted she couldn't stay, but she made him promise to visit by the end of the month. It didn't matter if things worked out, but he had to go.
After seeing her off, I teased him, "So, you're going for a matchmaking? I should head back home then."
He suddenly smiled and said, "Want to come with me? Who knows, there might be more stories waiting for us in my hometown."
Without thinking, I agreed. With a month of vacation ahead, why not? We parted ways to pack our things, ready to embark on an adventure to his mysterious hometown.