The Demon Concubine of the Countryside

A clap of thunder rang across the sky. Liu Meier jumped, and the spoon in her hand trembled. The green beans in the pot were a little burnt. She had only just picked them moments ago.

Oh no, burnt again. She shook her hand without thinking, and in an instant the pot was empty. Carrying it, she stepped out of the kitchen and looked up at the sky. There had been thunder, but it was all noise and no rain. It seemed unwilling to let a single drop fall.

That was drought. Shiling County had gone a long time without rain. Everyone had been hoping for some, and the county magistrate had even asked a Taoist priest from the mountain to perform a rain-making ritual. But all it brought was clouds, blotting out the sky without a drop of rain.

Liu Mei…