My sister Stella cultivates a special type of golden mushroom, but she only sells them to men – older men, to be precise. Despite the exorbitant price, customers keep flocking to our door. Stella always takes them to a small wooden cabin to select their mushrooms. From inside, I can hear her painful gasps and moans. Every man who emerges looks incredibly satisfied, as if they’ve shed years off their age. Meanwhile, Stella’s face grows paler, and her belly swells larger day by day. One day, another elderly gentleman came looking for my sister. He arrived in a luxury car with bodyguards, dressed in an expensive suit, but he treated Stella with utmost respect. “Miss King, I’d like a larger golden mushroom, please,” he said politely. Stella glanced at him expressionlessly. “Certainly. The larger size costs an extra ten million dollars.” “No problem at all,” the man agreed without hesitation. To be honest, in all the years I’ve lived with Stella, I’ve never actually seen these golden mushrooms she grows. Whenever a customer comes, she always takes them to the small cabin next to our mansion. Stella has never allowed me near that cabin. This time was no different. She told me to stay in the house while she escorted the old gentleman outside. His two bodyguards tried to follow, but Stella wasn’t pleased. “Surely you know my rules if you’ve come this far?” she said coldly. The old man immediately apologized and ordered his bodyguards to wait where they were. Soon after, I could hear Stella’s labored breathing coming from the cabin, accompanied by the man’s painful groans. The two bodyguards were startled and wanted to rush in. I quickly stopped them. “Have you forgotten my sister’s instructions? No one is allowed near the cabin.” Despite my words, I was worried about Stella too. What exactly was she doing in there? After what seemed like ages, the sounds finally stopped. When the man emerged with Stella, he wasn’t carrying any mushrooms, but his face was glowing. Not only had his wrinkles disappeared, but his previously white hair had turned gray. The bodyguards looked shocked. Stella, on the other hand, looked even paler than before. I thought I caught the faint scent of blood in the air. As soon as the old man and his bodyguards left, Stella nearly collapsed. “What’s wrong?” I rushed to support her. Stella didn’t answer my question. She just asked me to help her into the house and, as usual, sent me to town to buy some medicine. I hesitated for a moment before asking, “Are you really selling mushrooms? Why do those men…” “How many times have I told you not to ask about the cabin? Just focus on your studies,” Stella interrupted sharply. Stella and I are twins, but she was born a few minutes earlier. She acts more like a mother to me, and can be quite strict. Thanks to her mushroom business, we live in this big mansion. I attend the best schools, and she’s set aside a substantial inheritance for me. I both respect and fear my sister. So I didn’t dare ask any more questions and went out to buy the medicine as instructed. We live halfway up a mountain, and our mansion is the only building for miles around. To buy medicine, I have to go all the way down to the town. “Luna, what exactly does your family do? Why is someone always getting hurt?” the pharmacy owner asked curiously. Seeing my confused expression, he elaborated, “These are all blood-replenishing medicines. You wouldn’t need them so often unless someone was losing a lot of blood.” 2. Remembering the scent of blood on Stella, my heart clenched. Was she injured? I thought she was just selling mushrooms – why would she be hurt? When I returned home and gave Stella the medicine, I asked if she was injured. “No,” she said curtly, pushing me out of her room. Soon after, an even stronger smell of blood wafted from her room. I panicked and kept knocking on her door. “Where are you hurt? We should go to the hospital if it’s serious!” Suddenly, the door flew open. Stella stood there, her face dark with anger. “Who told you I was injured?” “…The pharmacist said those medicines are for blood replenishment. He said only people who lose blood regularly would need them.” “Why do you believe everything others say? Those medicines are fertilizer for the golden mushrooms.” I wanted to say more, but Stella had already slammed the door shut. A few days later, another elderly man came to buy golden mushrooms. He was extremely respectful to Stella. “Miss King, a friend recommended me. I’d like an even larger golden mushroom,” he said. Stella’s face was still pale, but she simply said, “A larger size costs an extra ten million dollars.” “Of course, no problem at all,” the man agreed readily. For these men, it seemed money was no object. “You’re not feeling well,” I said to Stella, worried she couldn’t handle it. “We’ve run out of the medicine you bought the other day. Go down to town and get some more,” she told me. I knew Stella was trying to get rid of me, but faced with her stern gaze, I didn’t dare disobey. After walking a short distance, I circled back and quietly approached the cabin. I pressed my ear against the wall. There were no voices inside, just some rustling sounds that sent chills down my spine. I leaned in closer and heard the man gasp softly. “What an enormous golden mushroom!” Then came the sound of crunching, as if he was eating the mushroom. I was startled. So Stella really was selling mushrooms in there? Just then, the man began to groan in pain. Frightened, I took a step back and accidentally stepped on a twig. “Who’s there?” Stella’s alert voice came from inside. I quickly ran away. By the time I returned with the medicine, the old man had already left. Stella was lying weakly on the bed, her face as white as paper. I rushed over to her. “What’s wrong? You’re scaring me.” “It’s nothing. I’ll be fine after a couple days of rest. Did you buy the medicine?” “How can it be nothing? Let me take you to the hospital.” I tried to help Stella up, but she immediately stopped me, her tone turning cold. “Are you not listening to me anymore?” “I’m just worried about you. What kind of mushrooms are you growing? Why do you look so awful every time after a customer leaves, while those men seem to get younger? What’s really going on?” 3. At that moment, I didn’t notice that Stella’s belly seemed to have grown significantly larger. “Growing those mushrooms takes a lot of energy. I’m having trouble managing it alone. Go online and post a job listing. We need to hire some helpers, but only women.” “I can help you…” “No.” Stella cut me off before I could finish. “You just focus on your studies. After you graduate, find someone you like and get married.” “Why can’t I help? I’m in college now. If you teach me, I’m sure I can do it well.” “I said no, and that’s final. Now go post that job listing.” Stella pulled rank on me again with her authoritative tone. I had no choice but to go and post the job advertisement online. Because Stella offered such a high salary, many people applied. I thought Stella would interview them, but she didn’t ask them any questions. She just took out a device that looked like a blood pressure monitor and had them wear it. Different percentages would appear on their wrists, flashing in different colors. 50% and below was red, above 50% was yellow. But none showed 100%. As the number of applicants dwindled, Stella’s brow furrowed deeply. I suspected she was looking for someone who would show 100%. But even after all the applicants had been tested, no one reached 100%. In the end, Stella chose the person with the highest percentage, a woman named Holly Summer. Holly kept thanking Stella profusely. The monthly salary Stella offered was $600,000 – more than Holly could earn in years elsewhere. But Holly’s joy was short-lived. After Stella took her into the cabin twice, Holly’s face became frighteningly pale, almost devoid of color. The men who came to buy mushrooms even complained quietly that the mushrooms weren’t big enough, though they didn’t dare let Stella hear. Stella frowned in dissatisfaction as she looked at Holly. “She looked so strong and healthy. How is she so useless?” When I returned from buying more medicine, Holly was nowhere to be seen. Stella said she had left. But Holly’s luggage was still in her room. After her second time in the cabin, Holly had been bedridden. Stella gave her many medicines, but nothing seemed to help. I wanted to take Holly to the hospital, but Stella wouldn’t allow it. She just sent me to buy more medicine again. When I left, I clearly saw Holly’s hand dangling lifelessly from the bed. Now Stella’s face was covered in sweat, and her clothes were stained with dirt. As if she had just buried something. I looked at Stella in horror. Had Holly really died? And had Stella already buried her? I also suddenly realized that Stella’s belly had grown much larger, as if she were several months pregnant. “Your… your belly…” I stammered. 4. As far as I could remember, Stella had always lived in this mansion. She never went down the mountain or had a boyfriend. How could her belly suddenly get so big? Stella was keeping too many secrets from me. She pulled her clothes to cover her belly without explaining anything. Instead, she told me to keep posting job listings online. I couldn’t help but shout, “Is Holly dead? That’s a human life! How can you act like nothing happened?” “So what if she’s dead? Why are you making such a fuss? Are you trying to let everyone know someone died here?” Stella replied coldly. I stared at her in disbelief. Suddenly, the person before me felt like a stranger. Our father died in an accident before we were born, and our mother mysteriously disappeared soon after. Stella had always taken care of me. She gave up her chance to go to school and grew mushrooms to support my education, giving me the best material life possible. She was my only family left in this world. But I realized I didn’t know her at all. “Are you pregnant? Who’s the father?” I asked. Could it be one of those men who came to buy mushrooms? Stella gave me an inscrutable look but still explained nothing. “Hurry up and recruit more people,” was all she said before returning to her room. I stood there, my mind in chaos. Then I contacted Holly’s family and sent them all the allowance money Stella had given me over the years. I had seen Holly’s application – she had a bedridden mother and a father with cancer. I hoped the three million dollars could help them somehow. Even though I didn’t want to, I still posted the job listing online as Stella asked. Stella had sacrificed so much for me; I couldn’t disobey her. But thinking of Holly’s death, I posted the ad on a small platform with little traffic. I deliberately wrote it in an exaggerated way that would make people think it was a scam. For several days, no one came to apply. I wondered if Stella would give up on hiring. That day, I was about to go downstairs when I saw Stella return with a strange woman. The woman was filthy and kept giggling stupidly. She looked like a homeless person with mental disabilities. I watched Stella put the measuring device on the woman’s wrist. It showed only 50%, flashing red. Stella frowned, deep in thought. Just then, another customer arrived. Without a suitable helper, I thought Stella would refuse, but to my surprise, she agreed. Stella took the man and the mentally disabled woman into the cabin together. I quickly crouched down beneath the cabin to listen. I heard the man’s angry voice from inside. “Miss King, I paid an extra 20 million dollars, and this is the tiny mushroom you give me? My friend said he got one as big as a bowl for the same price, but mine is only as big as a cup. Aren’t you cheating me?” 5. The cabin fell silent for a while. Then I heard Stella say, “Wait.” Suddenly, the mentally disabled woman let out a terrified scream. After a long time, Stella’s voice came again. “Is this satisfactory now?” The man laughed with satisfaction. Then I heard the crunching sound of someone eating a mushroom. When the man came out, I saw that he looked energetic and vigorous. His slightly hunched back had straightened, and he seemed at least ten years younger than when he went in. Stella stayed in the cabin. I was worried something had happened to her and was about to go in when a ghastly pale face appeared at the door. I instinctively swallowed hard. Stella’s expression was terrifying. And her belly was even bigger than before. I glanced inside the cabin. It was pitch black, with a strong smell of blood wafting out. The mentally disabled woman seemed to be lying on the bed, completely motionless. “Who told you to come near here?” Stella blocked my view with her body. “I…” “Get lost,” she snapped. It was the first time Stella had ever been so angry with me. I felt hurt – after all, I was just worried about her. That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. I got up and went to the window, suddenly seeing Stella dragging something out of the cabin. In the moonlight, I saw the face of the mentally disabled woman. It was deathly pale, her wide-open eyes staring right at me. I covered my mouth tightly to stifle a scream. Stella dragged the body towards the back of the mountain. I noticed a large patch of dried blood on the woman’s wrist. Terrified but curious, I followed her. At some point, Stella had dug a large pit on the back of the mountain. She threw the mentally disabled woman’s body into it and began filling it in, muttering to herself. “If I wasn’t in such urgent need of blood, I wouldn’t have chosen you. Seeing how crazy you were, it’s better that you’re dead. At least you won’t suffer anymore.” What did Stella mean? Urgent need for blood? What did she need blood for? I had a bold guess. Was Stella using human blood to grow the mushrooms? She often took blood-replenishing medicine because she was constantly losing blood. Now that her body couldn’t handle it anymore, she had to use other people’s blood. But why was Stella’s belly getting bigger? And why did the blood donors have to be women? The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Stella had too many secrets. Seeing that Stella had finished burying the mentally disabled woman, I didn’t dare linger and quickly ran back to the mansion. I had just lain down when my bedroom door was pushed open. Someone slowly approached my bed. I controlled my breathing, pretending to be asleep, but my hands were sweating under the covers. Stella stood by my bed for a long time, then sighed softly and tucked me in before quietly leaving. My heart was pounding. I thought she had discovered me. After Stella left, she didn’t return to her room. I heard her going downstairs. It was already 2 AM. What was Stella doing up at this hour? 6.
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