Witch

Chapter 3

Looking at the faint figure appearing beside the water mirror, I felt a surge of joy. "Kui'er."

As beautiful and radiant as ever, Kui'er's eyes held a gentle warmth: "Hundreds of years have passed in the blink of an eye. The witch is still the same as I saw her back then, while Kui'er has been in the underworld for many years."

"Do you regret not asking me to grant you immortality back then?" I asked with a smile.

Kui'er shook her head, looking uncomplaining: "In this life, having hated and loved, spending a lifetime with my beloved and seeing my children around me, is enough."

Happiness lies in the ordinary; knowing how to cherish it brings contentment. I nodded in agreement: "Kui'er, you're right."

Kui'er bowed deeply to me, saying, "Kui'er is going to be reincarnated. Before I leave, I will meet the witch one last time to say thank you. That will be enough for me."

The witch bid farewell to her old friend, never expecting anyone to still remember her. Kui'er had vanished, but the witch felt a warmth in her heart, suddenly not feeling alone. Even the patter of rain outside sounded like raindrops dancing lightly on the leaves. The water mirror remained quietly there, as if Kui'er's appearance had been nothing but an illusion. But I will remember that woman whose smile was as radiant as a sunflower, and I will remember her simple happiness.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [9]: On rainy days, there are no customers in the flower shop. I lazily lean on the counter and watch the crowds coming and going through the glass. They all look rushed. It's past 5 o'clock, which is the time to get off work. Most people are busy rushing home for a meal. Life is really hard for people. The witch doesn't need to worry about food and clothing, but in the hundreds of years she has lived, she has done quite a few jobs to pass the time. If you count them carefully, you could write a thick memoir of her career. The most memorable one was working as a maid in the Wu family.

My entry into the Wu residence was purely by chance. That day, I was passing by the street when I saw several women following a steward in his fifties into the Wu residence. I followed them in to join in the fun. Master Wu and his wife seemed to be very kind people. They didn't say a word about me being an extra and just let me stay. As a result, I became Miss Wu's maid without even realizing it.

Aunt Liu led me to Miss's boudoir. The Hu mansion was truly vast, with pavilions, terraces, winding paths, and several corridors that made me dizzy and disoriented. Aunt Liu, nearing 60, couldn't help but nag, "Xiao Luo, you must serve Miss well. Don't think that just because our Miss is a distant niece of the master and mistress, she's any better than their own daughter." "Xiao Luo, you should do more and talk less. Do whatever Miss asks you to do; that's our duty as servants." "Xiao Luo..." I replied perfunctorily. The old say, "Old people talk a lot," and "Old trees have many roots"—that's absolutely true.

Miss Wu was feeding fish by the lake, where weeping willows swayed gently. She wore a pink dress with a blue pleated skirt embroidered with plum blossoms along the hem. Her rosy face, reflected in the water, appeared even more delicate. Seeing Aunt Liu and me, she smiled slightly, tossed aside the crumbs in her hand, and wiped her hands clean with a silk handkerchief. She was a rare beauty, but at first glance, I sensed her unusual nature and couldn't help but scrutinize her from head to toe. Miss Wu's sharp gaze met mine, and her smile instantly froze. The oblivious Aunt Liu continued her rambling introduction: "This is the new maid. Madam said she'll serve Miss. Her name is Xiao Luo."

Miss Wu nodded. "Thank you for your trouble, Aunt Liu. Please convey Shui Hong's thanks to Madam." Aunt Liu replied with a smile, "Not at all, not at all, it's my pleasure," and went back to report to Madam.

Only Miss Wu and I remained by the lake. She pretended to be nonchalant and casually pointed to the water, saying to me, "Xiao Luo, look how happily the fish in this lake are swimming." I bent down, picked up a pebble, and threw it into the water, immediately startling the fish that were searching for food, which then scattered in all directions.

“Miss, fish swim in the water, but Xiao Luo prefers to stay on the shore,” I replied casually.

Ms. Wu smiled faintly: "I'm just afraid that if I walk along the river too much, I'll inevitably get my shoes wet."

I shook my head: "Unless the river is very long, there's always a limit. How could my shoes get wet?"

Miss Wu gazed at me intently for a moment, then relaxed and stepped forward, smiling as she took my arm. "From now on, we're best friends. In public, you can call me Miss, but in private, you can call me Shui Hong. Xiao Luo, is that alright?"

"Whatever you say, Miss, I'm just a servant." I pretended to be submissive.

A hairpin was taken from her head and inserted into my hair. Miss Wu took a step back, looked me up and down, clapped her hands and laughed, "It suits you very well, Xiao Luo."

"Trying to win me over?" I chuckled inwardly, bowed my head, and dutifully thanked them.

Miss Wu Shuihong walked ahead, and I followed closely behind, tentatively asking, "Why did you come to the Wu residence, Miss?"

Shui Hong glanced at me and replied calmly, "My husband and wife saved my life. They are elderly and helpless, so I'm here to keep them company for a while as a way of repaying their kindness."

As we were talking, a young man walked towards us. Shui Hong frowned and urged in a low voice, "Let's go."

We quickened our pace and left. I curiously glanced back and saw the man standing blankly under the willow tree, staring at us with a somber expression.

"who is he?"

“Yu Han, the son of an old friend of the master,” Shui Hong explained to me hurriedly.

I asked, puzzled, "Why are you avoiding him?"

Shui Hong paused, looking at me with a half-smile: "Don't tell me you don't understand. If there's no ending, why start?"

I thought you would like human love.

Shui Hong couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Aren't all those past examples enough? Do you have to add me to the list? Xiao Luo, others may jump headlong into that doomed pit, but I will never be one of them. A lesson should be learned from every single one; there's no reason why someone shouldn't learn from it."

I felt relieved and suddenly began to like Shuihong's straightforwardness; perhaps we could become friends.

Life at the Wu residence was comfortable and pleasant. I only needed to serve Shui Hong, who rarely asked me to do anything. In my spare time, I would mostly find a place to nap or eat the tonics sent by the madam for her. Shui Hong was very shrewd and generous to the servants, so everyone in the mansion liked and respected her. When the madam fell ill, she stayed by her side for three whole days without sleep. After the madam recovered, she looked haggard. When the master often had headaches, she personally brewed medicine using a folk remedy and served it to him, curing his headaches. Therefore, the master and madam often praised her in front of outsiders, while Shui Hong would just smile quietly to herself.

Only when she was alone with me did she take off her mask, revealing a weary expression: "Being a person is so tiring. There's no freedom, and you have to be careful and watch what others think. If you don't do something right, people will have something to say about you."

I made her a cup of tea and handed it to her, saying, "You've grasped the true meaning of life so quickly; I think you have a real talent for being a person."

Shui Hong took the cup, took a sip of tea, and said self-deprecatingly, "I've watched it for so many years, I must have learned something."

"How many years?" I asked curiously.

Shui Hong looked at me hesitantly, then finally admitted frankly: "Almost 900 years."

I clicked my tongue in envy: "After so long, they must be ascending to heaven soon."

Shui Hong smiled gently: "I could have ascended to heaven by now, but to repay my debt of gratitude, it's alright to postpone it for a while."

"Why would the master and mistress save you?"

"I was careless for a moment, and when I got drunk, I revealed my true form and was captured by hunters. My life was in danger, but thanks to your kindness, Madam, you bought me and released me." Shui Hong said with gratitude.

So that's how it is. I suddenly understood Shui Hong's intention. Even an alien would be grateful for someone's kindness and would try to repay it.

I thought this kind of warm life could continue forever, until one day, a skilled Taoist priest came to the mansion, claiming that there was evil spirits in the mansion and that he would act on behalf of Heaven to rid the people of this evil.

Yu Han ran to the embroidery tower in a panic, panting as he warned Shui Hong, "Miss, hurry up! A Taoist priest has come to the manor and says you are a fox demon and wants to capture you."

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [10]: Shui Hong and I exchanged a glance. What's meant to happen will happen. She smiled faintly: "You believe a Taoist priest spouting nonsense?"

“We didn’t believe it at first, but the Taoist priest had a mirror, and after showing it to the master and mistress, they believed it. I quickly came to tell Miss to leave when no one was looking, because the Taoist priest is coming here soon.” Yu Han said anxiously.

Shui Hong's expression changed, and I advised, "It's time to leave. Why drag this out to an embarrassing end?"

Shui Hong bit her lip, as if she had made up her mind, and said goodbye to me: "Xiao Luo, I hope we can meet again sometime." To Yu Han, she hesitated, but finally sighed heavily, "Young Master Yu, take care." Then, she silently jumped out of the window. Yu Han cried out in surprise and rushed to the window to look.

"Don't worry, she's fine," I reassured him.

A cacophony of voices filled the air. It was the Taoist priest, leading a group of people to the embroidered pavilion to capture a demon. The master and mistress shrank behind the priest, their faces ashen, and asked tremblingly, "Taoist priest, can you really capture that fox demon? Don't let her escape and harm people again." The Taoist priest, smugly brandishing a peach wood sword in his right hand and holding a Qiankun mirror in his left, said triumphantly, "With me here, you have nothing to fear. Subduing demons is our duty."

At that moment, I suddenly felt heartbroken and felt sorry for Shui Hong.

Yu Han asked in bewilderment, "Everyone has seen how Miss Shui Hong treats the master and mistress. How could she possibly harm them?"

I was somewhat disheartened and packed my bags: "Those people never look at things in depth. As long as they feel threatened, they forget all the good things others have done for them and wish they could kill them as soon as possible."

As I carried my bundle downstairs, I ran into the Taoist priest. He looked at me suspiciously, then scrutinized me closely in the mirror, shaking his head, quite puzzled. I inwardly scoffed; how could he possibly discern a witch's origins? Madam Wu pulled me aside and earnestly inquired, "Xiao Luo, do you know that Shui Hong was originally a fox demon? Did she ever harm you?"

Seeing the concern on her face, I found it all laughable. Shui Hong's sincere heart had been trampled underfoot, and now she was concerned about a servant she had no connection with. I gently pushed the lady's hand away, and amidst her astonished expression, I left the Wu residence without looking back.

It turns out that people watching a play often get caught up in their own emotions without realizing it, which is really undesirable. I sighed, and as I looked down, the hairpin in my hair fell off. It was given to me by Shui Hong. I bent down to pick it up, brushed off the dust, and carefully put it back in my hair.

"Xiao Luo." A familiar voice sounded beside me. I looked up and saw Shui Hong standing next to me with a smile. Suddenly feeling a warmth in my eyes, I laughed and said, "Why aren't you leaving yet? Are you waiting for that Taoist priest to come out and arrest you?"

Shui Hong scoffed: "Why bring up that Taoist priest for no reason? Xiao Luo, I've finally come to my senses. Anyway, I've repaid my debt of gratitude, so I can ascend to heaven with a clear conscience."

"And what about Young Master Yu Han? Have you repaid his kindness to you?"

Shui Hong paused for a moment, then smiled frankly: "I will remember his kindness. Fortunately, it never started, otherwise how would it have ended?"

Aren't you afraid he'll never forget you?

"Whether you remember or forget, it has nothing to do with me, Xiao Luo. That was never something I should have gotten involved in." She held my hands and said sincerely, "I came to thank you. I am very grateful that you never exposed me."

It was such a small thing, yet it worried her so much. My nose tingled with emotion. "Shuihong, let's go. There's really nothing in this world for you to miss."

She nodded slightly, released her hand, a gentle smile appearing on her face, and whispered, "Take care." Then she turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Later, I never saw Shuihong again, and I suppose she wouldn't remember me from my mortal life either; she has already ascended to heaven. I, however, must continue to live in this mortal world. I carefully keep the hairpin she gave me; so many years have passed, the pearl has yellowed, but every time I see it, I can't help but think of Shuihong, hoping that one day she will appear before me and say, "Xiao Luo, we meet again." A witch's wish, so humble, yet so profound.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [11]: Liking and disliking are just feelings, and sometimes the difference between the two is only a step. The witch likes many things: freshly baked bread, the morning scent of grass, newborn kittens and puppies, and beautiful flowers, from bud to withering, all of which are beautiful. Many beautiful things do not last long, so we should learn to appreciate them and cherish them, so that their existence is not in vain.

On a weekend night, the witch indulged herself and went to a dance hall. She always wanted to prove her existence, to prove she was still alive, amidst the frenetic, energetic music. But the louder and more chaotic the music, the more lonely she felt. After the splendor comes decay, just as one moment it's paradise, and the next it's all over.

Tonight I wear a blue silk dress, a white gold chain around my neck with a pear-shaped pearl pendant, like a teardrop lying quietly on my chest, and my hair is all piled up and held in place by a hairpin. The witch loves the soft, cool touch of silk against her skin, rippling like water as she moves.

Holding a glass of chilled champagne, I slowly sipped, watching the swirling crowd in the ballroom. As the melody of "Moon River" played, couples twirled past me, one, two, three, boom, swirl, retreat, retreat, advance, advance, one, two, three, twirl, twirl. The ceiling lights flickered, casting colorful projections onto the floor. No matter how they twirled, the men and women seemed confined to the small space of the ballroom, yet they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. I smiled coldly from a corner, comfortably leaning back in my chair.

"Ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta..." Someone was humming a soft rhythm in my ear. I glanced over out of the corner of my eye and saw a woman in a white dress sitting next to me. Her long, wavy hair hung down her back, and she was looking at the people in the middle of the ballroom with envy.

"Why don't you go jump?" I suggested lazily.

She smiled kindly at me, shook her head with a hint of regret, and said, "Just look at it."

As the music ended, the crowd dispersed from the dance hall, and another piece of music began. With its soft and soothing melody, more couples appeared on the dance floor.

Although she was in a corner, quite a few people were paying attention to her. Two or three people had already come over to invite the woman next to her to dance, but she always smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, I don't want to dance."

Seeing her lightly tapping her toes to the beat, not seeming completely uninterested, I became curious: "Are you waiting for your dance partner? Why aren't you dancing with them?"

She was somewhat startled, shook her head quickly, touched her leg, and whispered, "I am a cripple."

"I'm sorry." I immediately felt apologetic. I shouldn't have reopened someone else's wounds out of me out of curiosity.

She looked somewhat sad, with tears glistening in her large eyes, but she still comforted me: "It's okay, I'm used to it. I used to be a normal person, but a car accident made me a cripple. But sometimes I still wish I could move my body freely like them, even just once, instead of being dragging my limp and unable to walk properly like I am now."

A tiny, insignificant wish is a dream for her, but commonplace for those around her. Perhaps it is because we are so used to what we have that we neglect it and fail to appreciate it.

As the cha-cha music began, a young couple on the dance floor attracted particular attention. Not only were they perfectly coordinated and their dance steps were flashy and skillful, but the man was also very handsome. Every time he tossed his head or turned around, he drew applause from the onlookers. He smiled smugly and danced even more energetically.

The woman beside him stared intently at the people dancing on the dance floor, not even blinking.

"May I have your name?"

She replied absentmindedly, "Die'er, my name is Qiu Die'er."

"Butterfly, let's go dance," I said casually.

She snapped out of her daze and looked at me with some surprise: "I already told you, I'm a cripple."

I took the pearl necklace from my neck and hung it around hers. She didn't understand my intention at first and just stared blankly at my actions. After a while, she realized what I was doing and hurriedly tried to take off the necklace: "What are you doing? I don't want your pity."

“Wearing this, you can walk and dance like a normal person.” I stopped her from doing so.

She paused for a moment, then laughed, "How could that be? Look at me, I'm still like that..." As she spoke, she stood up, but then all her movements stopped, except for her eyes and mouth, which were wide open.

"You are an angel?" she finally managed to utter after a long pause.

Her words cheered me up: "Just consider it a gift from an angel, but the miracle lasts until midnight, like Cinderella's glass slipper."

She was so grateful that tears welled up in her eyes, and she thanked me repeatedly.

"Go dance and enjoy the night," I suggested casually.

The champagne in my glass was empty, and I was a little thirsty, so I got up to go to the bar to buy a drink. Before I even got to the bar, someone bumped into me hard, and I almost fell. I barely managed to stand up.

The person who bumped into me acted as if nothing had happened, merely glancing at me disdainfully before loudly laughing and joking with his companions: "What the hell, where did this clumsy idiot who can't see where he's going suddenly come from? Minghua said he wasn't coming, so how come he's here before us?"