South Mao, North Ma.

Summary

The narrator recounts their first experience with a ghost possessing their mother, Ma. One evening, while Ma went to gather firewood, she returned distressed, leading to a chaotic scene where family members attempted to exorcise the spirit by burning her nails. Despite the pain inflicted, Ma later claimed she felt nothing during the episode. As the narrator grew older, they questioned whether these incidents were signs of mental illness. A subsequent incident occurred during a family dinner after Ma remarried, where she exhibited strange behavior while drinking and smoking, seemingly channeling the spirit of her deceased husband. This time, the family remained calm, believing the situation would resolve itself without intervention.

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