Jing-sei entered this world on the 4th day of the 4th month at 4:04 pm. Chun Wa cried desperately as her husband Li reached out to hand their baby to her, batting away his hands in terror.

“She is cursed!” she screamed. No amount of cajoling on the husband’s part could compete with centuries of superstition. The number four was so unlucky that it was forbidden even to speak it.

Li sat rocking the crying baby in his arms, trying to get her to drink some goat’s milk and ignoring his wife’s crazed ramblings. Chun Wa refused to give Jing-sei any milk, shouting, “I don’t want her. You should give her to the mountain! This girl will bring sÇ? to our house.”

Chun Wa tossed and turned restlessly that night, refusing food or water, despite the fact that she’d lost a lot of blood during labor. Li fell asleep holding tiny Jing-sei in his arms.

When Li awoke later, it was to find his wife lying pale and still. Her last words had come true: sÇ? had come to their house during the night and stolen Chun Wa’s spirit.