บททั้งหมดของ Don't Open the Red Jar: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 9

My folks ran a meat stall in our small town.There were plenty of other meat stalls around, but ours was the only one that was absolutely slammed every single day. We literally couldn't keep up with the demand.And the reason for that was our signature product—aromatic pork.An ounce was 60 dollars. That was right. It was that expensive. And even at that insane price, we still sold out instantly.Lately, I'd been looking pretty run-down. That was because I had been having the same nightmare for a month straight.In the dream, a blurry shadow kept getting closer and closer while calling out to me. It was the voice of a woman."What are you looking at? Have you heard back about that job yet?"Mom casually handed me a piece of pork jerky before sitting down beside me with a glass of water.I'd been sitting out in the backyard by myself for a good while."Sis, I really want to play with you…"It was that voice again! I stared dead ahead unblinkingly."Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Sure enough, Grandma's attention was immediately drawn to the bag. I got curious about what was inside too, but she just grabbed it and went straight into the house.I was just about to leave when she suddenly came after me and shoved 1,000 dollars into my hand. "Here, take this 1,000 dollars. The time has come."Huh? Had hell frozen over? And why did Grandma look so revitalized all of a sudden? It was like she'd shed years off her age in a second.I was confused. "Time? What time?""Just take it and don't ask questions!" she barked, then went back through the gate. This time, she didn't come back out.I muttered to myself, "How weird…"Well, free money was free money. Getting a penny out of that stingy woman was usually impossible.Seeing how she had shut her doors tight, I guessed there was no way I was staying there anymore. So, I hopped on my bike and headed back home.Just as I was trying to sneak into my room, I heard Dad's voice. "You sent her to my mother's?"Mom sighe

"You saw it? You saw the face clearly?" Mom screamed at me like a madwoman."I-I saw it in my dream just now."I backed up a few steps, pressing my back tight against the door."No, that's not possible. It's not time yet. I need to find him. Yes, I'll go find him."My usually carefree mother was now acting neurotic while she clutched her own hair. She glanced at me a few more times, muttering unintelligibly under her breath."Honey, calm down! It's the middle of the night. We're not going to find him!"Dad grabbed Mom, patting her back as if he were soothing a child.Mom looked like she had lost her soul, her eyes empty. "What do we do? We still had a few years left, didn't we? Was I too greedy? What am I supposed to do?""Mom, Dad, I'm an adult. What are you so afraid of? If it involves me, I have a right to know, don't I? Why are you two being so secretive? What is actually going on?"My chest felt tight. Why did my family have to exclude me? I wasn't a little kid anymore. I

Mom, who had been in agony just a moment ago, was suddenly shaking with rage. "Who in their right mind says no to money? I did my best to take care of her while she was alive."Now that she's dead and can no longer feel anything, she might as well help me out as a way of repaying me."Do you have any idea how much I suffered to raise her, just for her to be toyed with and dumped outside naked? Do you know how embarrassed I was back then? She shouldn't have been born with the same face as me!"I was dumbfounded. Aunt Marlene's mind was that of a seven-year-old. She was basically just a child. It was at that moment that I finally understood that one could truly love someone and truly hate them at the same time.Mom believed that she had sacrificed way too much for Aunt Marlene to just die so disgracefully and humiliate her like this.So when she found out her dead sister could bring them fortune, she agreed immediately, even if it meant investing decades.Dad stood off to the side,

The guy was unexpectedly young. He had a righteous, upright look about him, but there was a sinister smirk playing on his lips."People are simply greedy. They're never satisfied. I told them time and again not to touch it until the time was right. But what happened? They didn't listen, just like the ones before them."His voice was casual, like he was commenting on the weather.My voice was terrifyingly calm. "You're the guy?"He clicked his tongue at me. "You're an interesting one, a lot better than your parents.""If you hadn't shown up in the first place, none of this would be happening."The icy sensation on my back grew stronger. Aunt Marlene… She seemed to be trying to merge with me as she was burrowing into my body with everything she had."It was a mutually beneficial deal. They could make money, so why wouldn't they do it? If they'd just done what they were told, they would've been set for life. But you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat."The man shrugged.