The Bringer of Misfortune

My life was a wild tragedy, a severe case of bipolar disorder where emotions surged and crashed like a rogue tide. When I was manic, the world bent to my will. The village gossips who slandered me? I dug up their ancestors’ graves and sat down to discuss proper parenting methods. The exploitative boss who docked my salary? I torched his entire office, then tipped off the tax bureau. And then, in a sudden death, my chaotic soul transmigrated into the body of Lin Xiaocao (Lâm Tiểu Thảo), a miserable girl in a 1970s dramatic romance novel.

The moment I opened my eyes, I saw the horrific scene: Sister-in-law Zhao Chunhua (Triệu Xuân Hoa) was sitting on my bedridden, emaciated father, Lin Jianguo (Lâm Kiến Quốc), slapping him violently. “You old man, saving your pension for the coffin? Give it to me to buy a house for Bao Ni (Bảo Nhi)! I’ll finish you today!”

The original host, Lin Xiaocao, was weeping on the floor, clinging to her eldest brother’s leg: “Brother, that’s father’s medicine money! Please, don’t let sister-in-law hit him anymore!”

The eldest brother, Lin Daqiang (Lâm Đại Cường), chewed sunflower seeds, his face full of impatience: “He brought it on himself. Xiaocao, don’t be idle either. Wang Ermazi (Vương Nhị Ma Tử) from the next village offered 500 dowry. Marry him for the money, just enough for Bao Ni’s house deposit.”

You’ll be contributing your own damn head!

In a flash, all of the original host’s fear and reason were devoured by my mania. I snatched the carrying pole behind the door and swung it, hitting Lin Daqiang squarely on his crown.

CRACK! The sound of the pole striking the skull was sickeningly crisp. Lin Daqiang couldn’t even let out a cry; sunflower seeds scattered everywhere. His eyes rolled up, and he collapsed onto the floor, blood quickly staining his face.

The scent of blood ignited my nerves, and the last thread of what might be called sanity snapped. I felt nothing but pure exhilaration.

“Aaaah! Murder! Lin Xiaocao, you lunatic, you’ve killed someone!”

Zhao Chunhua finally reacted, screaming as she rolled off my father and lunged toward Lin Daqiang.

“Daqiang, Daqiang, don’t scare me! Lin Xiaocao, you bitch! He’s your older brother! How could you do this?”

I balanced the blood-stained pole in my hand, curling my lip into a grin, revealing eight white teeth: “Sister-in-law, don’t rush… it’s your turn now.”

Frightened by my smile, Zhao Chunhua instinctively backed away: “You, what do you want to do? I’m warning you, murder means a life for a life! I’m going to report you, they’ll give you a bullet!”

“Report me?”

I took a step forward, the tip of the pole close to her nose: “Go on, hurry. My life isn’t worth much anyway. I’ll take two people with me before I die. It’s a guaranteed profit.” I lowered my voice, looking her in the eye: “I hear you love your precious son, Lin Bao Ni, the most. What do you think will happen if I sneak into his room tonight?”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Zhao Chunhua shrieked, her voice trembling noticeably.

“Watch me.”

I swung the pole CRASH! against the nearby Eight Immortals Table. A chunk of the solid mahogany table shattered. Zhao Chunhua flinched violently, her pants wet.

“I’ll count to three. Drag this dead pig out of here, or the next swing will be at your head. One… two…“

Before three, Zhao Chunhua erupted with unnatural strength. She dragged the unconscious Lin Daqiang away, scrambling out the door so fast she didn’t even dare to stop for her dropped shoe.

The house was finally quiet. I turned to look at my father. He was just skin and bones, his eye sockets sunken. He smelled of stale urine. The slaps he’d received were brutal, half his face swollen, his mouth bloody. He flinched away as I approached.

“Father, don’t be afraid. I am Xiaocao.”

Setting the pole down, I sighed. Although the soul inside was different, as long as I was in this body, I would live as a human for the original host. And as for those who had bullied her, I would show them what they called: “A bad person meets a worse one.”

After tending to Father’s wounds, I went to the kitchen for food. The rice bin was empty, the flour bag spotless, and even the smoked meat hanging from the rafters was gone. Zhao Chunhua, that starved cat, must have hidden it all. They sucked the blood of the original host and Father, fattening themselves while letting Father starve to the bone.

I sneered and used a brick to smash the lock on Zhao Chunhua’s room. Under the bed, I found two boxes of malted milk, and in the locked cabinet, a bag of white flour and several catties of pork. No wonder Father couldn’t even get thin porridge. They were feasting in here.

I took everything, started a fire, cooked rice, steamed buns, and braised the pork. The aroma soon filled the courtyard.

Just then, the courtyard gate was kicked open.

“Who stole my family’s meat to eat? Aren’t you afraid of getting a rotten stomach?” Zhao Chunhua charged in, followed by Lin Daqiang with a bandaged head, and their snot-nosed, chubby son, Lin Bao Ni.

“Lin Xiaocao, you lunatic! That was my oversight earlier. Now I’ll deal with you!” Lin Daqiang held a kitchen knife, his eyes fierce.

I sat by the stove, taking a leisurely bite of the hot braised pork. “Smells good. Oh, you’re awake? Your head must be harder than it looks.”

Lin Bao Ni’s eyes widened at the sight of the meat. He screamed: “Mom, that’s my meat! I want to eat meat!”

Zhao Chunhua pointed at me: “Lin Xiaocao, you jinx! This meat is for Bao Ni’s health! You don’t deserve it! Spit it out!” She lunged at me to snatch it.

Without looking, I flung the scalding hot bowl of braised pork directly into her face.

“Aaaah!” Zhao Chunhua shrieked, clutching her face and rolling on the ground. “If I can’t eat, none of you will!” I stood up, dusting my hands.

Lin Daqiang charged with the knife. I dodged and grabbed a piece of firewood from the stove, striking his knee.

CRACK! Another strangely satisfying sound of breaking bone. Lin Daqiang screamed and collapsed, the knife flying away. I didn’t give him time to breathe. A kick sent him sprawling, and I stepped on his bandaged head.

“Eldest Brother, did the last strike not teach you a lesson? Oh, I forgot to mention: lunatics don’t go to jail for harming people. If you dare to touch me again, I have ways to make your life worse than death.”

This time, Lin Daqiang was truly terrified. Just then, the chubby Lin Bao Ni rushed out and bit my calf. “Let go of my dad, you wicked woman!”

His teeth were surprisingly sharp. I sucked in a cold breath, then shook my leg, flinging him away. Lin Bao Ni sat down and cried hysterically: “Grandma! Grandma, save me! She wants to kill people!”

A frail old woman with a cane stumbled into the yard. It was Grandma Lin, whose favoritism was severely skewed. Behind her were the village Party Secretary and several nosy villagers.

“Chaos! Chaos! Lin Xiaocao, you unfilial wretch! Are you trying to anger me to death?”

Zhao Chunhua, ignoring her stinging face, scrambled to hug the Grandma’s leg, wailing: “Mother! You must stand up for us! Lin Xiaocao is mad, she wants to harm the whole family!”

The Party Secretary, an elderly man in his fifties who valued face and rules, looked grim: “Xiaocao, what exactly happened? Why did you beat your siblings?”

I ignored him, took a bowl of porridge, and fed Father. Once he finished, I slowly walked out.

“The Secretary asks what happened? Why don’t you ask them why they tried to starve my bedridden father to death? Why they took his life-saving money to buy a house? Why they wanted to sell me, an innocent girl, to an idiot for 500 yuan dowry?”

The villagers began to murmur: Is it really that cruel? Look how skinny Old Lin is, he’s probably starving.

Grandma Lin slammed her cane: “Nonsense! Did I ever let her starve? She’s sick and doesn’t want to eat! The money for the house is to carry on the Lin family line! What do you girls know? You are a bringer of misfortune!“

I laughed, tears welling in my eyes. “I am a bringer of misfortune? Then are you an old harbinger of disaster, or an old wretch who just won’t die?”

Grandma Lin choked with fury. I stepped in front of her, holding out the original host’s calloused hands: “I started washing clothes and cooking for the whole family at six. At 12, I was working in the fields for work points. The dowry money for Lin Daqiang’s wedding was earned by me. The milk money for Lin Bao Ni’s birth was saved by me, starving myself. Which penny in this house isn’t my blood and sweat? And now you call me a bringer of misfortune?”

I pointed at Zhao Chunhua: “And you! You’ve been married into the Lin family for 10 years, never swept the floor once, never washed a single bowl! All you do is eat and sleep, good for nothing, no different from the pig in the sty! Do you have the face to scold me?”

“Enough!” The Party Secretary yelled: “You’re all family! This uproar is outrageous! Xiaocao, no matter what, hitting people is wrong. Apologize to your siblings, pay some medical fees, and we’ll let this go.”

“Apologize? Pay money?”

“Secretary, are you blind or heartless? My brother tried to sell me and kill my father! That was legitimate self-defense! As for medical fees, you won’t get money, but you can have a life! Anyone who dares to touch me, I will burn this shabby house down! We all die together!”

I pulled a matchbox from my pocket, struck a match, and tossed it into the pile of dry firewood. The fire flared up instantly.

“Ah! Fire!” The villagers scattered in panic. Lin Daqiang and Zhao Chunhua crawled out desperately. Even Grandma Lin dropped her cane and ran like a rabbit.

I stared at the blazing fire, a single thought in my mind: If I can’t live a peaceful life, no one else will either.

The fire was eventually put out, but half the roof was gone. The Lin family looked at the black ruins, their faces grim.

Lin Daqiang, nursing his still-bleeding head, gritted his teeth: “Lin Xiaocao, you and I are not done!”

“Anytime.” I sat on the only remaining long bench, flipping a rusty sickle in my hand. “But, Eldest Brother, you’d better think carefully. Next time, I won’t burn the house. I’ll burn the people.“

Lin Daqiang recoiled, not daring to utter another word.

Life settled into an uneasy calm. Zhao Chunhua no longer dared to hide food, serving proper meals and never skimping on Father’s portion. Lin Daqiang hated me but swallowed his anger, fearing my violent tendencies.

Then, the “peaceful” days ended. I returned from the fields one day to find a stranger in the house, wearing a Terene shirt and gold-rimmed glasses, looking like a man of status: Cadre Chen (Cán bộ Trần) from the city.

Lin Daqiang smiled falsely: “Xiaocao is back! Come meet Cadre Chen from the city.”

Cadre Chen adjusted his glasses, examining me: “Comrade Lin Xiaocao, a truly outstanding appearance.”

I walked straight to the water jar: “Get to the point. Say what you have to say quickly, or get your stink out of here fast.”

Cadre Chen’s smile froze. Lin Daqiang quickly mediated: A factory worker spot at the textile mill was brought back as a favor, meant for Bao Ni. Cadre Chen suggested I take the shift first, and Bao Ni would replace me when he was older.

I put down the ladle, turning to leave. “Not interested.”

“Hey, hey, Comrade Xiaocao, don’t rush.” Cadre Chen stopped me, lowering his voice: “If you agree to work, I’ll not only arrange light duty for you but also give you an extra 30 yuan a month. Moreover…” He leaned close, exhaling warm air: “As long as you serve me well, getting a permanent position won’t be out of the question.”

My stomach churned. So this was the real purpose. I stared at him coldly: “Shut your dog mouth! Or I’ll stitch it up right now!”

“Do you think you’re some kind of chaste martyr? You’re a crazy woman no one wants. All I need is one word, and you won’t be able to stay in this village.”

“Is that so? You can go in, but I can make sure you can’t come out!”

I grabbed the shovel leaning against the wall. Lin Daqiang and Grandma Lin rushed to restrain me. I kicked Lin Daqiang away and swung the shovel directly at Cadre Chen’s shoulder.

“Aah!” He screamed, clutching his shoulder and falling to the ground.

“Get out! If I see you again, I’ll break both your dog legs!”

He fled. Lin Daqiang trembled with rage: “Lin Xiaocao, you ruined Bao Ni’s future! I’ll kill you!”

“Come on then!” I brandished the iron shovel.

Just then, a deep voice echoed from the doorway: “What’s going on here?”

I turned to see a tall man in an old military uniform, carrying two wild rabbits. It was the original host’s fiancé, who had been missing for three years: Gu Ye (Cố Dã).

Gu Ye’s appearance was like a bomb. The Lin family stared dumbfounded. Lin Daqiang’s lips trembled: “Gu… Gu Ye, you’re not dead?”

Gu Ye walked straight to me. “I’m back.”

I took the rabbits, raising an eyebrow: “You bastard, you finally decided to come back?”

He paused, his ears turning slightly red: “I had a mission at the front line, couldn’t contact home. You must have suffered.”

“My money is only for Xiaocao.” Gu Ye pulled a thick envelope from his pocket and put it in my hand. “This is my demobilization pay and allowance, 3000 yuan in total. It’s all yours.”

3000 yuan! A huge sum in the 70s. Lin Daqiang and Zhao Chunhua’s eyes were bloodshot with greed, trying to grab it.

I pulled my hand back, tucking it into my shirt: “If you want to snatch the money, ask my shovel first!”

Gu Ye stood in front of me: “My money is only for my wife. Anyone who dares to touch it is against me.”

With Gu Ye backing me, the Lin family dared not provoke me for the time being. He was surprisingly obedient. If I said east, he wouldn’t go west. I started to suspect he had a masochistic tendency, but being spoiled like this felt good.

However, the good days didn’t last. Cadre Chen wasn’t going to let the shovel incident go. Within days, rumors spread: I tried to seduce Cadre Chen and beat him when rejected. They also claimed Gu Ye was dishonorably discharged. The worst rumor was that Gu Ye and I were a criminal couple, conspiring to harm the whole village.

That night, the 3000 yuan I hid under my pillow vanished. I immediately suspected Zhao Chunhua.

The next morning, Zhao Chunhua took a basket and hurried out, claiming to visit her mother. I glanced at Gu Ye; we quietly followed.

Zhao Chunhua didn’t go to her mother’s. She turned into the small woods at the edge of the village. Someone was waiting there: Cadre Chen.

Zhao Chunhua pulled a bulging cloth bag from her chest: “The money is all here. The job you promised for Bao Ni…”

Cadre Chen weighed the bag, smiling smugly: “Rest assured. But the money isn’t enough. That little girl hit me. This is not over. Tonight, you put a sedative in her dinner. I’ll bring people to catch them in flagrante delicto.”

The audacity! Stealing my money and planning to ruin my reputation!

I was about to rush out, but Gu Ye held my shoulder: “Not yet. We catch a thief red-handed. We’ll let them stage a show tonight.”

That evening, Zhao Chunhua was exceptionally attentive, cooking a table full of delicious food and even bringing out aged rice wine.

“Xiaocao, I was narrow-minded before. This cup of wine is my apology. Grown-ups don’t hold grudges against minors. Drink up.”

I took the wine cup, looking at the murky liquid. “In that case, I won’t be polite.”

I tilted my head and drank it down. Zhao Chunhua’s eyes gleamed with undisguised joy.

Not long after eating, I held my head, swaying. “My head is spinning.” I stumbled into the room, leaning against the wall. Gu Ye rushed to help me, but halfway to the bed, he too staggered and fell onto the bed, unconscious. Zhao Chunhua peeked in, a look of triumph on her face, then quietly closed the door.

Late at night, the courtyard gate silently opened. A few dark figures tiptoed in. Cadre Chen led the way, followed by five or six hooligans, two of whom carried cameras.

“The drug worked. They’re sleeping like the dead,” Zhao Chunhua whispered.

Cadre Chen adjusted his collar, his face twisted into a lewd grin: “Tonight, Lin Xiaocao will be mine. I’ll show her what happens when you hit me with a shovel!”

He shoved open my bedroom door. Moonlight filtered in through the window, highlighting the shape of bodies under the quilt. Cadre Chen lunged at the bed, reaching for the blanket.

As he pulled back a corner, a fierce buzzing sound erupted.

“Ah! What the hell is this?” Cadre Chen shrieked like a stuck pig, leaping up.

Under the quilt was no person, but a large, disturbed wasps’ nest. The enraged swarm flew straight at him.

“Help! Save me!” Cadre Chen ran, clutching his face, which was already swelling into large lumps. The hooligans were also stung, covering their heads and running wildly.

Zhao Chunhua stood paralyzed in the doorway until the wasps descended on her. She shrieked, running for dear life.

At that moment, Gu Ye and I emerged from behind the wardrobe, completely unharmed. I held the bamboo stick. Gu Ye held a rope.

“Surprised, Cadre Chen?” I squinted, smiling at his pig-like, swollen face.

“You… you weren’t drugged?” Zhao Chunhua’s eyes were wide with terror.

“Your pathetic sedative? I poured it down the toilet for the maggots.”

I swung my stick at Zhao Chunhua’s butt, sending her sprawling. Cadre Chen tried to run, but Gu Ye grabbed his collar.

“Where are you going, Cadre Chen? Didn’t you say you wanted Lin Xiaocao to beg you on her knees?”

“I… I was wrong! I won’t dare again!”

What followed was a brutal beating. Cadre Chen and the hooligans, already stung and swollen, were thoroughly thrashed by Gu Ye and me. I paid special attention to Cadre Chen’s face and his ‘third leg,’ ensuring he’d tremble whenever he saw a woman.

Finally, we tied them up like candied haws on a stick and dragged them to the village threshing floor. I beat the gong and drum, waking the entire village to watch the spectacle.

“Fellow villagers! Today, I, Lin Xiaocao, called you here to witness what this pair of stray dogs did! They stole my fiancé’s demobilization money, drugged me, plotted to frame and defame me, and engaged in corruption! Every charge is enough to ruin them!”

I threw the stolen money and the sedative on the ground.

Cadre Chen, his face a swollen mess, still tried to sound tough: “You’re slandering me! I’m a commune cadre! You’re breaking the law! I’ll report this higher up!”

Gu Ye delivered a kick straight to his mouth, knocking out two front teeth. “The Military Department’s vehicle is coming now,” Gu Ye said coldly.

At the mention of the Military Department, Cadre Chen went limp, wetting his pants.

The vehicle arrived shortly. Soldiers pulled Cadre Chen and the hooligans into the car. Cadre Chen’s combined crimes of hooliganism and embezzlement would guarantee a long prison sentence. Zhao Chunhua, as an accomplice, was also arrested.

I stood at the village entrance and declared loudly: “From now on, anyone who dares to side with those two Lin family burdens is confronting me, Lin Xiaocao!” The crowd fell silent.

Six months later, Gu Ye and I had completely rebuilt the house. Father’s health had improved greatly, his face rosy. Lin Bao Ni was sent to a reform school to be disciplined.

One day, I was sitting in the courtyard, chewing sunflower seeds. Gu Ye hugged me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Wife, when will we get married?”

I’d seen his kindness over the past six months. Despite my bipolar disorder, my awful temper, and the occasional outburst where I’d smash the house, he never complained. Instead, he was always inclusive and protective. When I had a manic fit, he would quietly clean up, then hold me tightly until I calmed down. Once, I bit him, taking a chunk of flesh, and he didn’t even flinch, only asking if my teeth hurt.

I pushed his face away, speaking proudly: “Still checking? Who told you to disappear for three years and not show your face?”

“Wasn’t it to protect the country?”

Just then, Lin Daqiang, shamelessly, appeared at the gate, kneeling and crying: “Xiaocao, I know I was wrong! For Mother’s sake, give me a bowl of rice!”

Before I could move, Gu Ye rushed out: “Scram!” He dragged him out like trash. “If you ever set foot in this courtyard again, I’ll break your legs!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Gu Ye’s fierce expression. When this man lost his temper, he seemed more like a psychiatric patient than I did, but I liked it.

I stepped out, standing next to Gu Ye, looking down at Lin Daqiang: “Did you hear that? Those are my man’s words. My husband and I are both sick, specializing in treating those who don’t know better.”

Under the sun, Gu Ye and I exchanged a smile. This was my life in the 1970s. Though it was still a chaotic, wild ride, as long as I had this man by my side, it wasn’t so bad.

I think my bipolar disorder might have been cured by him. And even if it wasn’t, who would dare say anything? After all, being Crazy really feels great.