Chinese Folklore: Unexplained Supernatural Events Part Eleven

In our region, there is a belief that when a person's soul is asleep, one part of their soul can easily wander. This belief is often associated with experiences of sleep paralysis or ghostly encounters during sleep. Some individuals frequently claim to dream about deceased loved ones or strange, eerie places resembling the afterlife, such as the underworld. It is explained as an imbalance of Yin energy and low luck. For instance, my mother often dreams of deceased individuals, experiences peculiar dreams, and sometimes dreams of places resembling the underworld. People with such experiences often have disordered homes, and their souls are believed to be restlessly wandering, leading to poor mental health and disrupted sleep patterns.

My grandfather passed away within six months of my grandmother's death. Before their passing, they lived with my uncle and aunt. Regrettably, my aunt treated my grandparents very poorly, to the extent that they didn't even dine together. When my grandfather fell ill and was hospitalized, my uncle and aunt visited him only once and provided minimal care. It was my mother and my cousin who shouldered the responsibility of looking after my grandparents.

This period was emotionally heavy, and my aunt's behavior was particularly distressing. Her mistreatment of my grandparents was evident not only in their daily life but also during my grandfather's illness. In contrast, my mother and cousin cared for my grandparents with love and a strong sense of responsibility, which deeply moved me.

This experience taught me the value of family bonds and highlighted the unfortunate choice some people make to evade their responsibilities during difficult times. While we cannot change the past, we can learn from it and cherish the family we have in the present, working together to maintain harmony. This story serves as a reminder that, no matter how challenging the circumstances, we should remain united and face them together, for the family is our most crucial support system.

Now, let's continue with our story. In the past, I never used to speak with them or even avoided them, as I had a strong aversion to their behavior. I held deep resentment toward them for being such bad people who showed no filial piety to their own parents. Especially my aunt, who frequently criticized my grandfather as unclean without considering how she would fare when she grew old.

What's most pitiful is that shortly before my grandfather's passing, my uncle and aunt went out to play mahjong. My grandfather didn't even have anyone to accompany him in his final moments. It was my mother who went to my grandmother's house and discovered my grandfather had passed away. She had to call my uncle and aunt back from their mahjong game.

On the seventh day after my grandfather's death, my aunt was cooking in the kitchen. We, people from Wuhan, love drinking soup, and we typically use a pot called a "吊子" (diào zi) for this purpose. This pot is usually hung inside the kitchen. Suddenly, she saw my grandfather standing at the doorway. As she turned around, the sturdy nail holding the pot broke, and the pot fell on her head, causing a large black mark around her eye.

She later went to my mother and asked her to speak well of her to my grandfather. (I thought to myself, she probably didn't even pay her respects properly to my grandfather, so she deserved it.)

Around the 5th or 7th day after my grandfather's passing, it was a gloomy afternoon. At that time, my niece's child was with my aunt, and she put the child to sleep.

Just as she was falling asleep, my aunt suddenly couldn't move. She saw my grandfather standing at the foot of the bed, accusing her of being a bad person. She was so frightened that she couldn't even move, just trembling. My niece's child stared at my grandfather the whole time. When my grandfather was about to leave, he touched the child's head, told the child to sleep, and the child fell asleep. Then, my grandfather left, and my aunt was able to move again.

After that, my aunt was terrified. She even converted to Christianity and refused to participate in traditional Chinese rituals, including tomb-sweeping during the Qingming Festival. She claimed that believing in Jesus meant she could not believe in traditional Chinese practices. I think she was plagued by guilt and was afraid my grandfather would come after her. Someone as disrespectful as her, I believe, won't find salvation even if she believes in extraterrestrial beings. She'll have to bear the suffering in the afterlife for her lack of filial piety.