The Spirit Medium Interpreter: Listening to Small-Town Gossip in the South

First line: Lin Zhaozhao wakes up one morning to discover she can understand plants and animals, as long as they’re complaining.

Second line: The banyan tree downstairs recounts the details of the neighbors’ argument last night, the rooster at the market brags about how it tricked the owner into letting it live three more days, and even the succulent her mother keeps complains, “Your mom waters me too often! My roots are going to rot!”

Third line: When every cat, dog, bird, and tree in the city starts spilling neighbors’ secrets, pointing out business opportunities, and even helping her find clues about her father, who disappeared years ago, Lin Zhaozhao covers her ears and wails, “Help! I just want to quietly be a good-for-nothing!”