Since that day, Grandpa's health worsened rapidly. In less than a month, he was bedridden. I remember it clearly—one day, Grandpa called me to his bedside. He tried to reach out and touch my face, but he didn’t even have the strength to lift his hand.

　　“Gouwa, what will you do if Grandpa is gone?”

　　“Grandpa...” I cried, leaning over him, sobbing softly.

　　“Silly child, if something happens to Grandpa, go find Lao Wu or Wang Chunsheng. They will help you. Don’t stay here alone. Grandpa doesn’t want you to be bullied, understand?”

　　I nodded, tears streaming down my face.

　　“Good boy,” Grandpa smiled, but I couldn’t bring myself to smile back.

　　“Gouwa?”

　　“Gouwa?”

　　Someone called out from outside. I walked to the door and saw that it was the village chief, Wang Chunsheng.

　　Wang Chunsheng had always had a good relationship with Grandpa. He was one of the few in the village who didn’t see me as a bringer of disaster.

　　“Chief, what brings you here?”

　　“I came to check on your grandpa, Gouwa. How’s he doing? It’s been almost two months now.”

　　He was carrying a coarse cloth bag filled with freshly dug peanuts.I didn't say anything, just glanced at Grandpa.

　　Wang Chunsheng put the peanuts on the bench by the door and walked straight in.

　　“Lao Wang?” He sat by the bed, looking at Grandpa, his voice low.

　　“It’s Chunsheng…” Grandpa’s voice was weak, but audible.

　　“Gouwa…” Grandpa glanced at me. I stood there, still wiping my tears.

　　Wang Chunsheng sighed, giving me a knowing look. He knew what Grandpa wanted to say.

　　“Don’t worry, as long as I’m here, Gouwa will be fine.”

　　“Good! Good!” Grandpa’s expression finally relaxed a bit.

　　“Chief, my Grandpa…”

　　Wang Chunsheng looked at me, his expression heavy.

　　Grandpa had no sons or daughters, just me, his only grandson. But I was only nine and seen as a disaster bringer by the whole village.

　　Wang Chunsheng didn’t know what would happen to me if Grandpa passed away, and neither did I.

　　“Gouwa, you’ve always been a sensitive child, thoughtful. Even if I don’t say it, you know. Your Grandpa probably doesn’t have many days left.”

　　Wang Chunsheng spoke plainly, without hesitation.

　　I nodded. By that time, I already understood what death meant to a person.

　　But I couldn’t bring myself to believe, or accept, that Grandpa would one day leave me.

　　Seeing my silence, Wang Chunsheng stood up and patted my shoulder. “If anything happens, come find Uncle Chunsheng.”

　　Then he turned to leave. Before stepping out, he looked back at me and Grandpa one last time.At that moment, my mind was a mess. I didn’t know what to do or what to say. I stayed by Lao Grandpa’s side, looking at his wrinkled face, feeling an indescribable sadness.

　　I don’t know how long I sat there before I fell asleep, my head resting on the edge of the bed. In my dream, I was with Grandpa again. He carried a shoulder pole, taking me to the market to sell vegetables, making toys for me, and flying kites in the field.

　　Scene after scene of those memories appeared in my dream. Suddenly, a clap of thunder shattered my dream.

　　I opened my eyes and saw Grandpa lying there peacefully. Looking outside, I realized it was already dark. That beautiful dream had lasted from noon until nightfall.

　　I felt a deep sense of loss, realizing that beautiful moments always seem so fleeting.

　　“Grandpa! Grandpa!”

　　I called out, but Grandpa didn’t respond. My heart tightened as I reached out to feel his breath. Once I was sure he was still alive, I let out a sigh of relief.

　　Suddenly, my stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten all day. I poured myself a bowl of rice soup from the pot and drank it quickly.

　　Outside, the sky was filled with lightning and thunder. By the time I finished my soup, it had started to rain.

　　The rain wasn’t heavy, but it kept falling intermittently.The next morning, the sky was still overcast. As usual, I woke up and went to check on Lao Grandpa first. Seeing him sleeping peacefully, I decided to prepare some breakfast for him.

　　Just as I got the fire going, Chen the carpenter and Li Xiufen arrived with a group of people. This time, they were clearly prepared, carrying tools and looking furious.

　　“You little brat, come out here!” Li Xiufen yelled, her voice choked with tears.

　　I was puzzled, holding a basin of vegetables in my hands.

　　“Aunt Xiufen, why are you here again?”

　　Li Xiufen’s eyes were brimming with tears as she shouted at me, “It’s all your fault! My husband died last night. He’s dead, do you hear me?”

　　I was in shock. My hands trembled, and the basin fell to the ground.

　　“Aunt Xiufen, Uncle Tiezhu is dead?” I found it hard to believe. Tiezhu was as strong as an ox. How could he die after just a few days of illness?

　　“It’s you! You little jinx, you killed him!”

　　Her words made me panic. “It wasn’t me! How is this my fault?”

　　Chen the carpenter roared, “Not your fault? You’ve caused so many deaths, and now even your Grandpa isn’t safe! And you dare say it has nothing to do with you! You cursed child!”

　　I was momentarily stunned, feeling a mix of frustration and anger.

　　“That’s right! You little devil, if Lao Wang dies, it’s because of you!” Li Xiufen screamed at me.

　　At that moment, I felt a chill run through my body. I couldn’t understand why they blamed me for everything or why they used Grandpa to accuse me.

　　“It’s you who caused his death!”

　　“It’s you who caused his death…”

　　These words echoed in my mind, and I couldn’t help but burst into tears, running towards Grandpa. I thought they couldn’t be more hateful, but they relentlessly followed me, shouting as they came inside.

　　I ran to the bed, huddling in the corner, curling up into a ball. Their fierce expressions and constant shouting terrified me. Thankfully, they didn’t dare to come up on the bed with Grandpa between us.

　　“You little brat, get down here!”

　　“Get down here!”

　　“Cough, cough…”

　　Grandpa suddenly coughed a couple of times, trying to sit up. I immediately went to help him sit up.

　　“You scoundrels, why are you tormenting a child?” Grandpa glared at Chen the carpenter and the others with no trace of fear in his eyes.

　　“Lao Wang, your grandson is the one bringing disaster to our village. He’s a jinx, a calamity!” Li Xiufen shouted.

　　“Lao Wang, Tiezhu died yesterday because of this little brat!” Li Xiufen pointed at me, her face full of rage.

　　“Shut up!” Grandpa suddenly yelled, his body stiff as he turned around and got out of bed.

　　“Can’t you all see? Gouwa is just a child. What harm can he do?”

　　Chen the carpenter and Li Xiufen exchanged glances, as if they had made a decision.

　　“Lao Wang, he’s not even your biological grandson. Stop protecting him!”

　　At Li Xiufen’s command, she lunged at Grandpa, and Chen the carpenter seized the opportunity to jump onto the bed from the other side, grabbing me and lifting me by the waist to take me away.

　　I cried out loudly for Grandpa.

　　Grandpa, desperate, found a surge of strength and pushed Li Xiufen away, trying to stop Chen the carpenter from leaving.

　　“Give Gouwa back to me! Give him back!”

　　“Lao Wang, let go of me, let go!”

　　Seeing Grandpa holding on so tightly, Li Xiufen attacked him again.

　　“Why are you just standing there? Come help!” Li Xiufen yelled.

　　Other villagers rushed in to help Li Xiufen, pulling at Grandpa.

　　“Let go, Lao Wang! Let go!”

　　“Let go of my grandson, let go…”

　　As Grandpa shouted, his voice suddenly stopped. He collapsed onto the ground, unmoving.