My name was Yvette, the fourth daughter after three sisters.

My grandmother pampered me, hoping I could invite a younger brother into the family.

Soon, we received good news—my mother was pregnant again, and the village doctor said it was a boy.

But my grandmother's attitude towards me changed. She said all the good food, drink, and fun things should be saved for the baby boy.

I ended up just like my three older sisters, who also failed to invite a younger brother.

I cursed, "What's the use of bringing younger brother? It's almost like summoning a ghost."

As it turned out, my mother gave birth to a stillborn baby.

Gradually, I began to notice that everything I said seemed to come true...

***

My mother, nearly forty, was pregnant again. The family called a well-known village doctor to determine the baby's sex.

He said, "Based on my experience, there's a 99% chance it's a boy."

My grandmother happily pulled out all her savings, a wrinkled 200 dollars, and stuffed it into the doctor's hand.

Her face was wet with tears, but they were tears of joy she couldn't contain. "Wonderful! The Chad family will finally have a successor."

After the doctor left, I went to my grandmother to make good on her promise. "Grandma, if I've invited a younger brother for our family, does that mean I can go to school now?"

My grandmother shoved my hand away with such force that I, unprepared, fell to the ground.

"School, school! None of your three sisters went to school; why should you? Who do you think you are?"

She achieved her goal and revealed her true face.

I protested, "But you promised."

Grandma retorted, "You're already twelve; what's the point of going to school now? Look at your sisters. They can't even read, but they all married well. Especially your second sister; she got a dowry of sixty thousand dollars."

She began counting on her fingers. "Deborah, fifty thousand dollars; Lestie, sixty thousand dollars; and Amanda, the poorest marriage, only thirty thousand dollars. That's a total of 140,000 dollars, enough to build a house, but we still need a bit more for a bride."

Seeing my stubborn gaze, she shot me a disdainful look, as if she was looking at something dirty. "What bad luck, having to feed and clothe you. When you turn sixteen, I'll have your parents marry you off right away."

After speaking, she left without looking back.

Moments later, she shouted from the kitchen, "Yvette, come here and stoke the fire."

I muttered discontentedly, "Yvette, Yvette! What kind of girl has a name like that? Might as well call me Trouble!"

This time, my grandmother took extra care of my mother during her pregnancy.

My usually timid mother sighed to me, "It's nice being pregnant with a boy. I've never received such treatment before."

Every day, Grandma cooked eggs, and every month, she had my three sisters bring home a slaughtered chicken in turn, calling it filial duty.

The whole family was eagerly awaiting the birth of this unborn brother.

Soon, the due date arrived.

My mother was in labor for two days, screaming in pain, and finally gave birth to a stillborn baby.

The midwife came out holding the baby, and Grandma and I rushed forward to see what happened.

The baby was indeed a boy, but his face was blue, his lips pale—he didn't look like a healthy baby at all.

The midwife held her hand under the baby's nose to check for breath. After a long while, she said solemnly, "Bella, don't be sad. The baby is gone."

Grandma refused to believe it. "No, I don't believe it! He just can't cry. How could he be dead?"

She reached out to pinch, twist, and slap the baby, leaving marks on his delicate skin that quickly faded.

But the baby remained silent, his eyelids unmoving.

My father, unable to bear it, stopped her frantic behavior.

"Prepare for the funeral."

Only then did Grandma realize her wish had once again been unfulfilled.

The Chad family still had no male heir.

At the funeral, the adults wailed loudly.

My three sisters returned, but our expressions were indifferent. Occasionally, we pretended to cry, saying symbolically, "Poor brother, what a bitter fate."

Luckily, Grandma was crying so hard she could barely breathe and didn't have the energy to care about us sisters.

Three days after the baby's burial, we were cleaning up the house with Grandma.

Suddenly, a man dressed as a Taoist priest walked in uninvited.

"Ah!" he exclaimed theatrically.

We stopped what we were doing, all eyes turning to him.

"There seems to be a lingering spirit here!"

Hearing this, Grandma's spirits lifted, and she rushed to grab the Taoist's hand, crying, "Is it my grandson? Does he not want to leave? Oh, my poor child."

The Taoist's gaze swept over us sisters one by one, finally resting on me.

He looked at me meaningfully for a long time.

Then he turned to my grandmother and continued, "Watch your words and deeds. This is karma..."

"What?" The old woman raised her tear-filled face, confused.

"Your grandson's spirit is indeed still here. It seems the resentment of someone here is too strong, and it has summoned him back."

"Children have a lot of energy and like to play. You might want to check if there's a dead sparrow behind the house." The Taoist pointed at me.

I froze until my third sister nudged me with her elbow. I snapped out of it and hurried to the backyard.

Sure enough!

I returned to the main room and reported what I had seen.

Grandma suddenly knelt at the Taoist's feet, crying and begging him to take my brother's spirit away so he could be reincarnated into our family again.

The Taoist muttered some incantations and drew a talisman, which he burned to ashes over a candle flame.

Everyone felt a sudden chill sweep through the room, swirling dust on the floor and rushing out the door.

"I have taken the spirit with me. He will be reincarnated."

Before leaving, the Taoist emphasized again, "Watch your words and actions."

Grandma thought that her habit of badmouthing villagers and taking small advantages had provoked divine anger. She kept beating her chest in repentance.

The Taoist's words, "He will be reincarnated," gave Grandma and my parents hope for another pregnancy.