The Whole Family’s Darling: A Three-Year-Old Blessing

Little Jiu, a ginseng spirit, is reborn with a gift for good fortune and becomes the Ma family’s cherished little darling. Her parents dote on her, and seven or eight older brothers and nephews have her back. Little Jiu thinks being human is pretty nice. The Ma family may be poor, but ever since Little Jiu arrived, their lives have been getting better and better. She goes up the mountain to gather herbs and finds fleeceflower root. She feeds the chickens, and the hens all start laying eggs. She even sits outside her front door, and a wolf comes right to her and knocks itself dead. Little Jiu hugs her little bowl and slowly sips her milk, keeping her good deeds to herself.