Witch

Chapter 7

A hint of shame flashed across Zhi Mei's face: "Sister is 56, and I'm 52."

Zhili glared at her angrily: "Zhimei, why did you have to tell her?"

I sighed, "Give up. What you've done is too heinous. How can you use someone else's youth to maintain your own beauty?"

"So what? They all did it willingly. When have I ever forced them?" Zhili retorted defiantly, pulling me into the beauty room. It was filled with all sorts of dried flowers, including long strings of angelica leaves and dried nightshade petals. A diffuser nearby held a blend of violet, honeysuckle, lemon oil, and wild hyacinth scents, all in different proportions, creating a harmonious and natural fragrance. A woman lay on the beauty bed with a black face mask on, and I smelled a familiar scent. Sure enough, it was exactly what I expected.

"Miss Li, are you willing to pay any price for beauty?" Zhi Li leaned down and asked the woman applying a face mask softly.

The woman answered incoherently, "I...of course...willing."

Zhili looked at me smugly. "See, everyone gets what they want. They are all doing it willingly. A beautiful woman is well taken care of in this society, so of course they know what they want. I provide them with the opportunity to be beautiful and charge them a price in return. It's very fair."

I was speechless. I thought I was here to save the victims and seek justice from Zhi Mei and Zhi Li. However, were there really any victims in this matter? Perhaps Zhi Li was right. It was a case of each getting what they wanted. They knew what they wanted and were willing to pay the price.

Zhi Mei stepped forward, took my hand, and earnestly said to me, "What my sister said is true. We never forced them. They all did it willingly."

With my witchcraft, I can revert Zhi Mei and Zhi Li to their original forms, but who will be grateful? No one has even sought justice for them. I believe what Zhi Mei said; her eyes have told me she's telling the truth. How can I bear to let Zhi Mei and the others return to their old, gray-haired, and frail appearance? If this world has a distinction between good and evil, I don't know where to categorize them. After all, they're doing business with clearly marked prices, a willing buyer, willing seller arrangement.

As I walked out of Meilifang, I caught a glimpse of Zhili's mocking smile, laughing at my meddling. Zhili saw me to the door and whispered to me, "Sister Xiaoluo, we only take one or two years of youth from each person, it doesn't matter, and we always ask for their consent beforehand, we don't take it without asking. Besides, neither my sister nor I will live very long after exchanging our youth with witchcraft, it's a price we have to pay."

I gave a bitter smile. To gain something, you have to lose something. Is it worth paying the price for beauty? The moonlight was gentle and bright, illuminating the way back. After saying goodbye to Zhimei, I walked back to the flower shop with a bit of a sullen mood. When I got close to the flower shop, I found Mingran waiting for me in the moonlight. A faint tenderness rose in my heart.

I took his arm, looked up at him, and asked, "Am I pretty?"

After a moment's thought, Mingran replied with a smile, "It's not beautiful, but it is beautiful in my heart."

I couldn't help but laugh; that was the answer I wanted. I was already very satisfied with Mingran's reply.

Beauty House disappeared the next day. I don't know where Zhi Mei and Zhi Li went. They didn't even say goodbye to me. But Beauty House will not disappear from this world. As long as there is demand, it will continue to exist. Zhi Mei and Zhi Li will have the youth and beauty they want, but that has nothing to do with me anymore.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [23]: In the afternoon, Qianqian was brought to my flower shop by Mingran. It was during the summer vacation, and Qianqian's parents went on a trip. Mingran also happened to have something to do today, so I volunteered to take care of the little girl. As soon as she saw me, Qianqian excitedly jumped into my arms, hugged me affectionately, and called me "Aunt Luo".

Mingran winked at me: "I'm entrusting her to you. She's just hoping you'll teach her magic."

Qianqian, dressed in a floral print sundress, had two thin braids that swayed gently with her movements. Her dimples were deep when she smiled, and she was as lovely as an angel. With a mature air, she told Mingran, "Uncle, you go to work. I'll have a lot of fun with Aunt Luo."

Mingran and I exchanged a glance, unable to suppress a laugh. Mingran glanced at her watch, then said goodbye. Qianqian snuggled up to me, pleading, "Auntie Xiaoluo, will you teach me magic?"

"Why do you want to learn magic?" I asked her curiously.

The little girl's eyes darted around. After thinking for a moment, she clapped her hands and laughed, "It's great that I can turn into anything I want!"

I laughed and playfully pinched her nose, teasing her, "You know what this is called, getting something for nothing."

"What does 'getting something for nothing' mean?" Qianqian asked me, puzzled.

"It's about wanting to get a lot of things without working." I tried to explain it to her in the simplest terms.

Qianqian seemed to understand but not quite: "If I use magic to help others and they give me things, does that count as getting something for nothing?"

“Helping others isn’t about getting anything in return,” I corrected her.

“But last time I helped Lily get dressed, she gave me chocolate.”

"So you dressed Lily just so she would get chocolate?"

Qianqian smiled sweetly: "Of course not, I only helped her because I wanted to."

With the lively and lovely Qianqian by my side, time flies by. She helps me arrange the flowers, like a little flower fairy flitting among them. When customers come in, she always rushes to ask, "Auntie, what kind of flowers do you want?" When others praise her, she looks at me with pride.

In the evening, Mingran called to say he had to attend a last-minute meeting and couldn't get away. I hung up the phone with a bit of regret and leaned down to ask Qianqian, "So, what do you want for dinner?"

Qianqian cheered, "I want to eat McDonald's." These things that amuse children are considered junk by adults, but they are incredibly novel to children. To reward her for helping in the afternoon, I locked the store and took her to McDonald's.

The moment I stepped outside, I clearly saw Lan west's black cloak flash by around the corner. Startled, I took off after him.

"Lanxi".

It was indeed her. Lan west stopped in her tracks, her cold gray eyes glancing over: "What do you want?"

I took a breath: "You didn't just show up here for no reason."

"Keep a close eye on that child." Lanxi gestured to Qianqian in the distance.

"You mean Qianqian will have an accident?"

Lan Xibing smiled slightly and said, "I didn't say that. I just said to keep a close eye on that child."

I immediately understood and felt grateful: "Thank you, Lanxi."

A hint of warmth appeared in Lanxi's cold gray eyes. With a flash of his black cloak, he disappeared.

In all my years with Lanxi, we've been neither enemies nor friends. Lanxi says that Death has no friends and cannot have friends; once she softens her heart, she can't bring herself to do it. But Lanxi, aside from her innate duty, has her own thoughts. Even though I've sabotaged her missions many times, and despite her harsh words, she hasn't taken any action. She even warned me about Qianqian's situation. I suddenly realized that Lanxi has always considered me a friend; I just had never considered that possibility before.

Qianqian ran towards me with a smile, grabbed my hand, and asked, "Auntie Xiaoluo, who was that person just now?"

"Her name is Lanxi, and she's a grim reaper." I hesitated for a moment before telling her the truth.

Qianqian exclaimed, "Death? Your friend is really interesting."

I was somewhat surprised: "Aren't you afraid? Death is the god who controls life and death."

"Does being scared mean you won't die?" Qianqian blinked her innocent eyes as she looked at me.

I laughed: "No." Children's words are sometimes so insightful, more valuable than a thousand or ten thousand words from adults. They get straight to the heart of the matter.

When we arrived at McDonald's, it was already dark. Inside, many children were eating fast food with their parents. Qianqian and I found a seat by the window and sat down to eat. McDonald's was bustling with activity. Besides the advertising songs playing, there was also the laughter of children playing. Qianqian happily swung her legs, biting into her hamburger, and smiled at me happily.

Children are easily satisfied; the fulfillment of even the smallest wishes can make them feel happy. Looking at Qianqian, I was filled with emotion.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [24]: “Aunt Luo, can I have this?” Qianqian put down the hamburger and pointed to the coin I had casually placed on the table.

I nodded: "But can you tell me what you want it for?"

"I put it in the pig's belly," Qianqian told me with a smile as she carefully hid the coin in her skirt pocket.

She exaggeratedly stretched out her arms to show me: "I've saved so much, so much!"

Seeing her so satisfied and proud expression, I couldn't help but kiss her: "I know, little rich girl."

The city lights made the night vibrant and lively. There was no moon tonight, but many stars. Qianqian and I walked back hand in hand. The mischievous little girl broke free from my hand and started hopping on hopscotch, following the color of the paving stones. Her little floral dress rose and fell with her jumps, like a flower that could bloom and fade at any moment. The coins in her pocket jingled pleasantly, as if accompanying her movements.

Suddenly, the little girl stopped in front of an advertising board. I followed her closely and saw her staring blankly across the street. There, an old man with a crippled leg and only one hand holding a cane was begging. His hair and beard were all white. Passersby either ignored him or went around him. Only two or three people put money into his begging bowl.

"Aunt Luo, why is he begging for food?"

I told her, "Because he can't work, this is the only way."

Tears welled up in Qianqian's eyes: "Grandpa is so pitiful, Aunt Xiaoluo, can I give him my money?"

The road was bustling with traffic, and remembering Lanxi's warning, I hesitated: "How about another day?"

"Then Grandpa will go hungry today, won't he?" Qianqian pleaded, tugging at my clothes with her little hands.

I had no choice but to give in and pulled her hand to cross the road. We had just reached the middle of the road when we heard a loud crash and the sound of glass shattering behind us. I was startled and turned around to see that the billboard we had just been standing on had collapsed and landed right where we had been standing. If Qianqian hadn't insisted on crossing, someone would have been killed.

Qianqian, unaware of what was happening, pulled me across the road to the old beggar. We carefully took out all the coins from our pockets and put them into the old man's begging bowl before she smiled happily.

Amid the old man's words of gratitude, I pulled Qianqian away. As we turned the corner, Lanxi peeked out from the shadows, looking at the little girl, then looked up at me and said, "She saved herself."

Her grey eyes held a smile, a smile that lacked the chill of death but instead carried a touch of human warmth.

"Auntie Death." Qianqian became interested in Lanxi's black cloak and long scythe, and even wanted to go forward to touch them, but luckily I stopped her in time.

I teased Lanxi: "See, you can't scare a child."

Lanxi looked down at Qianqian helplessly and suddenly said, "Death itself is not scary; what is scary is humanity's imagination of death."

With a flick of the black cloak, Lanxi vanished instantly. The little girl stared wide-eyed, and after a long while, murmured, "How amazing!"

On the way home, Qianqian and I held hands. The streetlights stretched our shadows long. The July night was a bit hot, but Qianqian and I were both very happy because there was always a cool night breeze blowing, from our faces all the way to our hearts.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [25]: On a hot afternoon, I heard cicadas chirping desperately in the trees. These little creatures, which have been dormant underground for several years, have only two months of real life left. How could they not sing wildly while they still have the strength? Although I was a little annoyed by their chirping, I couldn't help but understand their pitiful background.

There was no air conditioning in the flower shop, and the little shop should have been unbearably hot. But I'm a witch, and with a few tricks, I turned the flower shop into a cool place in the heat. Even the flowers in the flower buckets stood tall and straight, full of energy.

With no customers around, and to kill time, I picked up a book. "The English word 'aphrodisiac' comes from the name of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and desire. She was born from sea foam after Cronus castrated Eurynaus and threw his genitals into the deep sea. The beautiful Aphrodite was born from the foam. In Botticelli's famous painting (The Birth of Venus), this goddess emerges from the sea, only her flowing hair covering her body, standing gracefully on a seashell..."

Seeing this, I couldn't help but smile. No matter where you are, from ancient times to the present, drugs have always existed. It's just a tool. It all depends on the user's intention. Just like love, it can be a good remedy for suffering, or it can be a poison that plunges you into an abyss of no return.

The doorbell rang, and I looked up to see a beautiful face. The woman was wearing a flowing floral chiffon dress, and despite coming from outside where the temperature was over 30 degrees Celsius, she looked refreshed and sweat-free. Her skin was as white as snow, which made her bright eyes appear even more like pools of water. What a beauty! Even the well-traveled witch couldn't help but secretly admire her.

"What kind of flowers would you like to buy?" I asked the customer as usual, getting up to inquire about their needs.

The woman stared intently at me, then suddenly smiled and said, "Witch, it's been a long time."

I was startled and looked at her closely. She smiled, her lips slightly pursed, and that familiar look seemed to be...

"Bao'er?" I was somewhat surprised.

Bao'er smiled and took my hand. "That's me."

"You haven't drunk the Meng Po soup yet?" I was a little incredulous.

Bao'er looked sullen. "It's been so long since we last met, and you're already asking such an unimportant question as soon as we meet again?"

"You didn't come here to ask me about him again, did you?" I asked, voicing my doubts.

Bao'er spread her hands helplessly: "I have been reincarnated as a human. Apart from my memories of my past life, I don't have the same high level of magic as you, witch. That's why I'm begging you to come."

I met Bao'er in the early years of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty. At that time, she was called Bao'er and was only four years old. She wore a white satin robe with fox fur trim, had bright eyes, and was a beautiful girl. Everyone loved her. Later, I learned that her father was Fengxiu, an official in the Ministry of Justice, who was an important minister of the court.

She noticed my unusual behavior and spoke frankly with me. Bao'er said that she had come to this world to seek revenge, to find her husband Shun from her previous life, and to avenge the grudge from that past life.

Four-year-old Bao'er's face was filled with hatred: "He was originally just a peasant, working the fields and cultivating the land at Mount Li. Everyone thought he was exceptionally virtuous and talented, but little did they know that it was all just a facade. He even deceived the court officials and my father. Ehuang and I were impressed by his magnanimity in forgiving those who harmed him. Who would have thought that he would eventually imprison Emperor Yao and Crown Prince Danzhu and seize the throne? Ehuang and I regretted it too late. In order to avenge him, we pretended to be obedient to him. During the time of Shun, everyone thought that Ehuang and I were crying because we had lost Shun. Little did they know that we were grieving because we could not kill him with our own hands."

It's rather strange that such a past was recounted by a four-year-old girl, but one can imagine that the grudge must have been immense, which is why she chased after it from her past life to her reincarnation.

"Why not drink the Meng Po soup? Since you've already been reborn, why dwell on those old stories?" I advised her.

Little Bao'er knelt down beside me, pleading with me to find Shun's whereabouts. The witch, unwilling to get involved in such trouble and add unnecessary complications, kept giving her the runaround. As Bao'er grew older, she mentioned it less and less in front of me, and I thought she had forgotten about revenge.

Who knew that one day Bao'er would run to me excitedly and tell me that she already knew who Shun was in this life. That year she was only fourteen years old, and she had already grown into a beautiful young woman. She was wearing a light red satin dress embroidered with plum blossoms, with gold and silver thread trim on the cuffs, and a string of translucent green jade beads hanging on her chest, making her look pretty and charming.