Qin Yan glanced at her several times and saw that she really was only watching everyone play.
Scratching her head, she joined the paper effigies and started playing aimlessly with them, though she had no idea what was going on.
After playing for a while, she ran back to Weird Mother.
"What are you doing?"
Weird Mother said, "I'm making bodies for the children."
What she was weaving in her hands was a paper doll.
"When a body breaks, it can be replaced."
Qin Yan wanted to go home.
"I'm going back. Grandpa and my uncles will worry about me if I'm not home."
She took out a ruby necklace and stood on tiptoe to put it around Weird Mother's neck.
"This is for you. It's very pretty."
Weird Mother lowered her head, her pale fingers stroking the necklace around her neck.
"Thank you, my child."
But when Qin Yan said she wanted to leave, Weird Mother refused no matter what.
Whenever she got some distance away, Weird Mother would bring her back and hold her, constantly murmuring, "My child."
"Child, don't run away. It's dangerous outside."
"Mommy will protect you."
After being caught and brought back from her fifth escape attempt, Qin Yan sighed and patted her shoulder.
"All right, all right. I won't run away. Happy now?"
Surprisingly, Weird Mother didn't smell unpleasant.
Her body was just very cold, like a stone kept somewhere chilly all the time.
There was even a faint scent of incense offerings.
Qin Yan looked at her thick mass of ink-black hair.
"Let me brush your hair."
Weird Mother agreed and sat obediently on the stone steps, her pitch-black eyes staring blankly toward the Red Moon without moving.
Qin Yan took out a brush and began working through her hair bit by bit.