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墨書 Inktalez
My grandfather finished speaking and turned off the light.
I closed my eyes, ready to fall asleep. In that half-asleep, half-awake state, I heard the sound of a sheep eating. It was loud, as if it were right inside the house.
I opened my eyes and followed the sound, only to see my grandmother kneeling on the floor, her face buried in the slop bucket, eating what was inside. The noise she made was exactly like that of a sheep feeding.
I was so frightened that my soul felt detached from my body. Just as I was about to scream, my grandmother turned to look at me. Her eyes glowed with a green light, unlike any human eyes.
I let out a loud "Ah!"
At that moment, my grandfather woke up and turned on the light. Meanwhile, my grandmother slumped onto the floor, as if regaining her senses. Realizing she had been eating from the slop bucket, she started to gag, trying to force herself to vomit but unable to do so.
My grandfather asked, "Xiao Qi, what’s wrong?"
I replied, "Grandma is drinking from the slop bucket."
My grandmother shot me a glare and said, "Nonsense! I was just sleepwalking."
She had a history of sleepwalking when she was younger, but it had been decades since she last did so.
My grandfather patted my shoulder and said, "Don't be afraid; it's fine."
My grandmother got up from the floor; her belly was noticeably larger—she had consumed all the slop in that bucket.
Rubbing her stomach in pain, she said, "What should I do? I can’t throw it up."
My grandfather said, "I'll go get some sesame oil."
With that, he went to the storage room.
Only my grandmother and I were left in the room when she suddenly leaned closer to me and squinted her eyes sinisterly. "What else did you see?"
Unconsciously, I glanced at her shadow and saw that the figure speaking to me was clearly a monster with a sheep's head and a human body.
I was terrified beyond belief and just as I was about to run away, my grandmother grabbed my shoulder tightly. She stared at me intently, repeating, "What else did you see?"
Just as I was about to scream again, my grandfather's voice came from outside: "Old woman, I've brought the sesame oil."
Hearing his voice made my grandmother release her grip on me.
I hurriedly ran behind my grandfather and clutched his clothes tightly. He looked at me in confusion and said, "Xiao Qi, why are you on the floor? It's too cold down there; come up onto the bed."
After saying this, he handed the sesame oil to my grandmother and added, "Old woman, drink this sesame oil; it will help you throw up the slop in your stomach."
My grandmother glanced at the sesame oil in her hand and muttered to herself, "Such good sesame oil wasted just like this."
My grandmother only took a small sip of sesame oil before placing the bottle back on the table.
My grandfather said, "Old woman, just that little sip won't do. You need to drink more."
My grandmother shook her head. "No more, it's too wasteful."
After saying this, she climbed onto the bed. I instinctively glanced at her shadow; it was human-shaped, not the monstrous figure of a goat-headed creature.
Could I have seen it wrong?
Just as I was feeling confused, my grandfather turned off the light.
I was afraid of my grandmother and didn’t dare sleep beside her, so I ran over to sleep next to my grandfather.
Soon, both my grandparents fell asleep and began to snore, which finally allowed me to close my eyes and drift off.
The next morning, I was awakened by my grandmother's cries. She was clutching her stomach, her face covered in cold sweat, and her belly looked even more swollen than the day before.
My grandfather said, "Old woman, let's go to the hospital in town."
My grandmother frowned and replied, "Who goes to the hospital during a festival? It's bad luck."
My grandfather sighed. "Old woman, at a time like this, don't worry about luck. Just come with me to the hospital."
With that, he went out to prepare the mule cart.
My grandmother struggled greatly but finally managed to climb onto the cart while holding her stomach.
My grandfather turned to me and said, "Xiao Qi, stay home and watch the house. Don't go anywhere; your grandmother and I will be back in the afternoon."
I nodded in agreement. "Got it."
After they left, I was alone in the yard.
It was a festive day, and every household was lively. I played with firecrackers in the yard and went out to have fun with the other children in the village.
By afternoon, when I returned home, smoke was rising from other houses as they began cooking, but mine was still empty; my grandparents had not yet returned.
I felt a bit hungry and remembered there was half a piece of goat head meat in the pantry. My grandmother had bought it from town for the festival feast.
I ran to the pantry and cut off a small slice of goat head meat; just a tiny piece that my grandparents probably wouldn’t notice missing.
Holding that small piece of meat, I went inside and hesitated to eat it all at once; instead, I savored it bit by bit, chewing slowly.
The lamb head was truly delicious, and soon, I had finished it all, yet I still felt hungry. My stomach grumbled, but I dared not eat more of the lamb head; that was meant for special occasions.
I sat idly in the yard, lost in thought, when suddenly the gate swung open. Two young people walked in, a man and a woman. The woman was my aunt, and the man was likely her boyfriend. He was dressed stylishly, wearing eye-catching leather shoes, and his belly was slightly rounded, as if he were expecting a child.
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