The Young Girl's Chronicles of Demon-Slaying

Chapter 10: Auntie

What exactly did Song Wencheng and Lin Yuqin discuss upstairs? Did they get into an argument? Fang Heng had no idea. All he knew was that after more than ten minutes, Lin Yuqin came downstairs. She looked quite calm—it was hard to tell if she was upset—and as soon as she arrived, she told Fang Heng to take a shower. When they reached the upstairs bathroom, all her clothes were already in the laundry basket—they’d been bought that very morning. After washing, they’d been dried in the dryer and were ready to wear right away. He didn’t bother to check them; he just started undressing. In a few quick motions, he stripped down completely, revealing the delicate, budding body of a young girl. She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, examining her reflection. What a tiny little person—no more than about 1. 5 meters tall, thin and frail, with hardly any flesh on her body. Her weight was probably less than half that of an average adult, wasn’t it? Still, though she was a bit thin, she was pretty and adorable, with a small, delicate face, delicate eyebrows as faint as smoke, and a pair of almond-shaped eyes that sparkled with life. Her pupils were bright and clear; every time she blinked, she gave off a lively, spirited impression. Her delicate, straight nose was charming, and her small lips were naturally pink and glossy. Although they say a girl changes a lot as she grows up, a little girl who’s been a beauty in the making since childhood is bound to turn out just as lovely when she grows up. However, inside this little girl—who was destined to become a beauty—resided the soul of a twenty-four-year-old adult man of the opposite gender. No one would believe such a thing if it were told, and even Fang Heng—who had already looked at himself in the mirror twice—still couldn’t get used to this sense of dissonance; it always felt as if he were in a dream. Warm water cascaded down over him as he let the stream wash over his body, silently scrubbing himself with his hands. His hands glided over his chest, which was just beginning to show a hint of curve; his abdomen, soft as cotton; and his smooth, fair thighs… The sensation in each area seemed both the same and different—at once unfamiliar and familiar—leaving him conflicted. With a blank expression, he scrubbed his entire body, rinsed off the shower gel—considering his shower finished—then dried himself off and got dressed. He felt his mind growing increasingly calm. Even though less than two days had passed, he was already beginning to get used to it—or perhaps he had simply resigned himself to his fate? Once dressed, he stood in front of the mirror, raised his right hand, and looked at the Buddhist prayer beads on his wrist. As for the origin of this string of prayer beads, there was really nothing special about it—he’d simply bought it on a whim from a street vendor. At the time, the vendor had asked for thirty, but he thought it was too expensive, so he haggled and finally bought it for twenty-five. He’d been wearing it on his right wrist ever since—for quite a while, actually, about two or three years. He would occasionally fiddle with it; every bead on the string—whether in appearance or to the touch—was perfectly ordinary. Judging by the price he paid, it clearly couldn’t have been made of any precious wood—probably just scraps of ordinary wood, right? Yet now, this prayer bead bracelet—as ordinary as they come—had radiated a golden Buddhist light that very day when he was beset by the female ghost in the lake. It was likely this radiant light that saved his life. But while being saved is one thing, why he subsequently transformed into a girl remains a complete mystery—could this be the price he paid for his rescue? Regardless, as long as he still had this string of prayer beads, he still held a sliver of hope of returning to normal. He just hoped that day wouldn’t be too far off—otherwise, he really wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold on. He held the Buddhist prayer bead bracelet for a moment, then realized he’d been in the bathroom too long. Gathering his thoughts, he stepped out, turned off the light, and returned to his room, where he found Lin Yuqin helping to fold the clothes they’d just bought that afternoon. “All washed?” Hearing the sound, Lin Yuqin turned around. Seeing that it was Fang Heng, she smiled and praised, “Hengheng is so pretty! She’ll definitely grow up to be a beauty!” Although it was meant as a compliment, hearing it was truly disheartening. He felt a mix of emotions—smiling or getting angry both seemed inappropriate, so he could only walk over with a blank expression. “It’s too late to buy a wardrobe now. I’ve temporarily packed your clothes into a suitcase. From now on, you’ll have to look for your clothes in the suitcase when you take a bath.” The suitcase Lin Yuqin was referring to was a large, dark blue one—the kind people usually only bring on long trips or vacations. “Mm-hmm!” Fang Heng nodded slightly, but he also felt that this aunt was speaking strangely. She always seemed to be making plans for his future, constantly talking about “later” and “in the future.” Didn’t she know that he was eventually going to the Orphanage? Or was it… that she wanted to adopt me? He hadn’t thought about this all day, and it wasn’t until now that the thought suddenly flashed through his mind. Once that thought took hold, he couldn’t help but reflect on how this aunt had treated him throughout the day. Not to mention all the clothes she’d bought him—even though they were all girls’ clothes—she’d also taken him to an amusement park and treated him to plenty of delicious food. The way she’d been so kind to him… even his own mother probably wouldn’t have gone this far. On top of that, this couple—one a professor at Nan’an Conservatory of Music, the other the head of surgery at the Municipal People’s Hospital—had stable jobs and likely earned quite well. Between their salaries and bonuses, their combined annual income was surely well over 200,000. Although they already had a son, he was twenty-one and attending college in another province. He probably wouldn’t have any objections to having a younger sister—he might even be overjoyed at the prospect. Taking all this into account, being adopted by this family would truly be a stroke of good fortune. Fang Heng thought to himself silently. Back when he was an orphan, because he was so young and naive, he had waited at the Orphanage for his biological parents to come and take him home. As a result, he missed the deadline for adoption and lost the chance to experience the joy of family life and feel a parent’s love. As a result, even after he became an adult, whenever he saw children holding their parents’ hands as happy families strolled down the street, he would feel a pang of envy. More than once, he asked himself: If only he hadn’t been so naive back then and had been willing to be adopted, might he have had a happy, loving family of his own? If that had happened, he would certainly have taken good care of his parents and gotten along well with his older or younger siblings. He would have studied hard, worked diligently to earn a living after graduation, and done his utmost to repay them. As time passed and he grew older, these thoughts grew fainter yet sank deeper, like aged wine, buried in the depths of his heart. It has been a lifelong regret. And now, he had become a child again, as if time had turned back. Could it be that Heaven had deliberately made him this way to make up for his past regrets? He stared blankly as Lin Yuqin closed her suitcase, pressing down on it with both hands. One could only imagine how many clothes she’d bought that morning to fill such a large suitcase to the brim. And then there were the shoes—sandals, flip-flops, and cloth shoes, several pairs in all—bought on the way back from the amusement park that afternoon while she was out grocery shopping. They were all neatly arranged on the shoe rack by the door, quietly waiting for their owner to put them on. Maybe… Lin Yuqin really does want to adopt him? Should he ask? Fang Heng hesitated a bit. What if he was just imagining things? That would be so awkward! Just as he was hesitating, he saw Lin Yuqin close the lid of her suitcase, then suddenly, as if she’d just remembered something, say, “Oh, right! There’s one more thing I haven’t given you yet. Wait a minute!” With that, she left the room, but returned shortly afterward holding a package. Fang Heng immediately noticed the words “teen girl” written on it, along with something resembling a band-aid, and a sense of foreboding crept into his heart. Sure enough, Lin Yuqin walked over, shoved the package into Fang Heng’s hands, and asked, “Do you remember when you’re supposed to come?” Fang Heng stared blankly at the overnight sanitary pad in his hand, momentarily at a loss for how to react. The word “period,” written in countless crimson characters, slowly flashed across his mind like a barrage of text. He’d been a girl for less than two full days, and all he’d been thinking about was how to change back. He’d also worried about what to do if he couldn’t change back—what would he do with those two lumps of flesh on his chest? But he’d never once considered the other unavoidable issue that came with becoming a woman. That was the monthly period! It wasn’t until Lin Yuqin shoved a sanitary pad into his arms that he realized the troubles of growing up weren’t just about physique and body shape—there were deeper, more headache-inducing issues at play. He would have figured it out gradually over time, but now that Lin Yuqin had suddenly brought it up, he was momentarily at a loss. Staring at the item stuffed into his arms, he didn’t know whether to throw it away or keep it. Lin Yuqin asked a few questions—all about when “that time of the month” would start, whether she’d experience menstrual cramps, and other highly personal issues for girls. These are questions every girl inevitably faces around the ages of twelve or thirteen; even for those who develop a bit later, it should have started by fourteen at the very latest. However, as Lin Yuqin chattered on, the girl kept her head down the whole time, showing no reaction. Finding this odd, Lin Yuqin asked, “Hengheng, what’s wrong?” “Nothing, nothing at all,” Fang Heng replied with a dry throat, finally snapping out of her daze. Could she be shy? Lin Yuqin thought to herself as she saw Fang Heng still keeping her head down. It’s normal for girls to feel shy about these kinds of things—maybe I was too direct and not tactful enough? After thinking it over, she decided to put the topic aside for now. She’d find another time to talk about it when the atmosphere was more formal and serious—then he probably wouldn’t be so shy. With that in mind, Lin Yuqin didn’t mention “that time of the month” anymore and instead said, “If there’s nothing else, you should go to bed early! If anything comes up, be sure to tell Auntie, okay?” “Mm-hmm!” Fang Heng gave a soft nod. Seeing this, Lin Yuqin let out a quiet sigh and turned to leave the room. (End of Chapter)