Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Half a Face
Today is their big day, and as a brother-in-law, he should have come to the hall to congratulate him, but he is very familiar with that bride's face and that bride's body...
Later, Ma Chuanxiang told his grandfather that the thumping in his chest and the swallowing of his saliva were not because of the woman's charm, but because of the same fear as the previous scream.The reason why he was able to remain calm in such a frightening situation all relied on his other unknown identity—a habitual thief.His identity was hidden so secretly that even Ma Jinlong, his father who had raised him for more than 20 years, didn't notice it.But there is a person who clearly knows his other identity, but that person will not tell this secret to others, because that person has mental problems.We found out later that the man was actually the younger brother of the alcoholic.
"This is my girlfriend. We came back this time to prepare for marriage." Ma Zhongchu smiled sweetly, and glanced at the woman several times with affectionate eyes.
The woman seemed much more generous.She put down the wooden bathtub full of water, stretched out her hand to Ma Chuanxiang and said, "You are his godbrother, right? He often mentioned you in front of me, saying that you protected him from being bullied by others when you were young." It contains the water where the woman washed her body, and there are many soap bubbles floating, which arouses people's imagination.
Ma Chuanxiang wiped his hands on his clothes for a long time before he took the woman's hand and said with a smile, "Hello!" There was still black wet dirt on his hands.In Ma Chuanxiang's heart, this woman has an inseparable connection with these mud and dust.He was afraid that the woman would recognize him when she saw the dust.
However, Ma Chuanxiang's worries are obviously unnecessary.Not only did the woman not recognize him, but she gave him a gentle and pleasant smile, then withdrew her hand and bent down to lift the wooden bathtub.
The woman's hands are soft.
Ma Zhongchu hurriedly helped the woman lift the other side of the wooden bathtub, and helped her pour the foamy bath water into the gutter under the steps.
Ma Chuanxiang bit her lip, afraid that they would find the broken sack.But I don't know if it was too dark, or they didn't notice the torn sack at all, the two of them carried the wooden bathtub back to the main room.Ma Chuanxiang was secretly happy, but said calmly: "It's late, you go to bed. I'll go to rest after washing my hands and face."
Ma Zhongchu said: "Brother Gan, let Lili sleep in my room tonight, I will share a bed with you."
Ma Chuanxiang stared at his brother-in-law with wide eyes, and then at the woman.
Ma Zhongchu said embarrassingly: "Well...we have agreed that we will sleep together after we get married."
Only then did Ma Chuanxiang recover from the freeze, and let out an "oh". "Go to sleep first. I'll come over to the pressurized well and wash my hands." After finishing speaking, he turned and stepped out of the gate, and walked straight to the pressurized well facing the gate. Burlap bag.
He didn't go directly to get the sack.He walked to the pressurized well and washed his hands, wet his face with his hands, and then walked towards the door.At this time, Ma Zhongchu and the woman were no longer in the main room, so he hurriedly found the sack from the dark, and tiptoed into the small bamboo forest beside the house.Because Ma Zhongchu wanted to sleep in the same room as him, it was impossible for him to take the sack to the bedroom.Without this woman, maybe he would have no scruples, but since there is an extra outsider, he has to be more careful.
Because there is a mountain behind the house and there are many weeds on the side of the house, it is very easy to find a simple hiding place for the sack.Ma Chuanxiang put the sackcloth bag in the grass of the bamboo forest, and then went into the house to say hello to his brother whom he had not seen for many years.
"Brother, that woman is very beautiful! Could it be your girlfriend?" Ma Chuanxiang said so, but in his heart he was very sure that the woman was just a colleague of his brother, and he just stayed here overnight on the way.Although the brother-in-law had just explained that the woman came back to marry him, and the woman did not express any objections.But it was really hard for him to accept that such a godbrother could meet such coveted luck.
"I didn't lie to you, she really came to marry me." Ma Zhongchu was already lying on the bed, casually flipping through Ma Chuanxiang's book. "Brother, when did you start studying antiques?" Ma Zhongchu raised the book in his hand and asked Ma Chuanxiang.
"Ah?" Ma Chuanxiang was a little distracted, but immediately covered it up with a smile, "How can I study antiques? I just watch and play when I have nothing to do." Ma Chuanxiang hurried to the bedside as he said, and snatched the treasure from his brother-in-law. Book.
"Why are you so nervous? I didn't realize you love books so much before!" Ma Zhongchu was a little dissatisfied with Brother Gan.
"Don't change the subject, tell me, are you lying to me? She...she...she really..." In fact, it was Ma Chuanxiang who wanted to change the subject, but he responded very well.
"She's really my girlfriend." Ma Zhongchu paused, and simply sat up straight with his legs crossed.
Ma Chuanxiang is familiar with his brother's body language and confirms that his brother is telling the truth.His mouth opened wide, and he didn't close it for a long time, with a jealous and "admired" expression.
Then, Ma Zhongchu told Ma Chuanxiang the whole process of their love.
And Ma Chuanxiang didn't have the heart to listen to his brother's words at all. What hovered in his head was another gloomy but full of lust picture, and the sound of the drunkard's younger brother panting.
"Brother, it's not that I'm jealous of you. I think she likes you for a purpose." Ma Chuanxiang said sternly, with a strange expression on his face.
Ma Zhongchu squinted at him.
Ma Chuanxiang shrugged uncomfortably after receiving such a glance from his brother-in-law, raised his eyebrows and asked, "Haven't you thought about it? Why does she fall in love with you with such a good condition? Besides, I..."
"Besides, how are you?" Ma Zhongchu immediately asked sensitively.
"I...hehe...what else can I do? I can only tell you a few doubts. Whether you listen or not is up to you." Ma Chuanxiang licked his slightly pale lips, "I think this woman is a little weird .like... like..."
"Like what?" Ma Zhongchu's eyes fixed on Brother Gan's face.
Ma Chuanxiang raised his hand and scratched his arm as if feeling unwell again, his eyes avoided Ma Zhongchu, his mouth wriggled for a long time before he choked out an inexplicable sentence: "It's like the old antique in that book..."
Ma Zhongchu looked in the direction Ma Chuanxiang pointed, and on the opened page happened to be a photo of a porcelain vase of unknown age. On the vase was a picture of an old man with a protruding forehead riding on the back of an old buffalo. "Four words.
Seeing those four words, Ma Zhongchu couldn't help laughing.
Ma Chuanxiang laughed dryly, then stretched his neck and asked, "What's so funny? Do you think my metaphor is inappropriate? Or mistakenly think that I'm jealous of you?"
Ma Zhongchu waved his hand and said with a smile: "You have taken care of me a lot since you were a child, how could I think you are jealous of me?"
"Then what are you laughing at?" Ma Chuanxiang was sullen.
Ma Zhongchu explained: "Do you know the meaning of 'Purple Qi coming from the east'? It is said that before Lao Tzu passed Hangu Pass, Guan Yin liked to see Zi Qi coming from the east, and knew that there would be a sage passing through. Soon, Lao Tzu came riding on a green ox." It used to be a metaphor for auspicious omens." Ma Zhongchu still couldn't help laughing, and he added: "So, I don't think there is anything weird about it, but I think Luo Lili is like a fairy descending from the earth, and I am the lucky one who saw the purple air."
"Is it numb or not? I got goosebumps when I heard it." Ma Chuanxiang lay down on the bed, pulled up the quilt and covered her head, "No matter what you say, I feel flustered when I see her. It's not a good thing Signs, you'd better not be with her. Of course, there is nothing you can do if you insist. "
Ma Zhongchu leaned in front of Ma Chuanxiang's covered head, and whispered, "You panic because you saw her beautiful?"
Unexpectedly, Ma Chuanxiang jumped up from the bed, his face changed drastically, and he shouted loudly: "I was afraid of her and panicked!"
Ma Zhongchu stared blankly at Brother Gan who was suddenly so nervous, and didn't react for a long time.Ma Chuanxiang's shadow was reflected in Ma Zhongchu's eyes, terrifying like a devil.Brother Gan's almost gaffe voice was still lingering in his ears.Ma Zhongchu saw a few drops of sweat oozing from the tip of Gan's nose and forehead, and his face was as pale as a sheet of paper.
"Brother, what's wrong with you?" Ma Zhongchu finally said a word.
"Brother, I'm not scaring you, let alone jealous of you. I think the woman you brought is unusual, and there must be something unknown in it." Ma Zhongchu saw a kind of expression on the face of his godfather that he had never seen before. The fear he had seen before, the great fear seemed to produce an indescribable magic power, causing Brother Gan's familiar face to gradually deform in front of him.The skin on Brother Gan's face quickly became dry and wrinkled, and the change was frighteningly fast, just like a plump and fresh pear lost a lot of water in seconds, and it became air-dried after four or five days.
darken...
wrinkled...
changing tide...
Ma Zhongchu saw a young face in his twenties that instantly aged.He even vaguely saw Ma Chuanxiang's appearance decades later, with a face as old as his current godfather, with high cheekbones!
He rubbed his eyes and shook his head vigorously, but the godbrother in front of him was gone, only the old face of his godfather.
"Godfather..." Ma Zhongchu opened his mouth and called softly.
"No! I'm not the old man, I'm your brother, I'm Chuanxiang!" Ma Chuanxiang grabbed Ma Zhongchu's shoulder with both hands, and his nails dug deep into Ma Zhongchu's flesh. "Brother, she is such a monster! You have fallen into her hallucinations! Brother, see clearly, I am your elder brother. You have to see clearly."
"Brother?" Ma Zhongchu's tone was not very sure.
"Yes. I'm your brother." Ma Chuanxiang grumbled in his throat, "Come on, let's go and see that woman quietly. I think, for a monster, night is not a good time to sleep."
"What are you going to do?" Ma Zhongchu held Brother Gan and asked nervously.
"Why are you nervous?" Ma Chuanxiang said disapprovingly, "I'm sure that woman didn't breathe when she was sleeping. Do you believe it?"
Ma Zhongchu stared suspiciously at Brother Gan's face for a long time, and said in a deep voice, "Is it you who fell in love with me? Who didn't breathe while sleeping? Are you trying to find an excuse to plot against her? Brother, I know that you are very lustful, and you are as virtuous as the younger brother of the wine shop! It's just that you usually pretend to be elegant and know how to cover up. But she is my woman, do you hear clearly?"
A wine shop is a drunkard.
Ma Chuanxiang said angrily: "What do you mean! Do you think I want to moles her? Pooh!"
Ma Zhongchu was sprayed on the face by brother Gan's saliva, and quickly raised his hand to wipe his face with his sleeve.
"Even if I do that again, I won't do anything to you, brother! For a new woman, you actually turned your back on me as a brother. Right? I don't think you even recognize the old man together! I see you It's the same as the lyrics in "Thirteen Discords", if you have a wife, you will lose your parents and brothers!" Ma Chuanxiang scolded fiercely.
Ma Zhongchu is a very generous and honest person. Hearing Brother Gan's scolding, he immediately lost his temper, and obediently said, "I'm not that kind of person. Or... we'll listen to you and go and have a look?" Ma Zhongchu looked inquiringly. Look at Brother Gan, waiting for him to make the final decision.
So, Ma Chuanxiang took his brother-in-law to sneak close to the woman's bedroom.That bedroom used to be where Ma Zhongchu slept.During countless nights when she was a child, Ma Chuanxiang sneaked into Ma Zhongchu's room and stuck a straw ear into Ma Zhongchu's nostril, causing him to sneez loudly.Ma Chuanxiang is never tired of such pranks, and Ma Zhongchu often dozes off in the next day's class due to lack of sleep at night, which is one of the reasons why Ma Zhongchu cannot be successfully admitted to high school.
So, even though the moon was very faint and dark that night, and you couldn't see your fingers in the main room, the two godbrothers walked to the door of the bedroom together without bumping into each other.
"You push the door." Ma Chuanxiang said to his younger brother.
"I can't." The honest Ma Zhongchu shook his head and said.
"Why?" Ma Chuanxiang asked in a low voice.
"What if she is awake and she finds out? Don't treat me as..."
Ma Chuanxiang said angrily: "Stop talking! It's so annoying. If you don't come, I will come!" He stretched out his hand to press the door, and pushed hard.
The door moved with a bang, revealing a crack, but it didn't open.Ma Chuanxiang knew that the wooden latch was already rotten, and any more force might break the latch.But he didn't want to make too much noise.He slipped a finger into the crack of the open door, and fiddled with the latch in short sections.
This is how he opened the door of his brother-in-law before, disturbing his dream.But this is nothing, his more experience comes from countless ancient tombs.And when he fiddled with the latch, he happened to have the illusion of opening the door of the tomb.
For him, behind the door of the tomb lies a strong desire and hides an unexpected surprise.He is used to resting during the day and active at night like a mouse.
Ma Zhongchu didn't know that his brother-in-law was no longer the brother-in-law he knew before.Of course, he won't know this for the time being, but he can see that Brother Gan's eyes glow like a mouse's at night, his hands are as sharp as a mouse's claws, and his face is as thin and long as a mouse's.
The door latch was fiddled with by his fingers, and the nails rubbed against the wood, making a creaking sound like a mouse climbing a beam, and Ma Zhongchu's ears were itchy.
"Brother, is this not good? Or, let's go to the window and have a look." Ma Zhongchu finally had the courage to express his opinion.
The creaking stopped abruptly.
Brother Gan put down his hand, bit his lips, and said, "In this case, we won't be able to check to see if she is breathing."
Ma Zhongchu said: "Brother, you don't have to use your fingers to detect her breath. Can't we just look at the window to see if her chest rises and falls?" Ma Zhongchu said while putting his hands on his chest, Swing up and down, imitating the way people breathe.
Ma Chuanxiang said "oh", left the door and walked towards the door.Ma Zhongchu hurriedly followed behind.
They step out the gate.
The moon outside was so pale that it was almost gone, like a drop of milk dripping on the cotton clothes with excellent absorption, leaving only a faint trace.Under such moonlight, when Ma Zhongchu looked at Brother Gan in front of him, only a silhouette was left, and he couldn't tell where the nose was and the eyes were.
In Grandpa's words, such a moon is a hairy moon, which indicates that there will be heavy rain in the near future.
The two of them came to the window, hunched over lightly, then slowly straightened their waists, and their eyes gradually rose from the window sill.
It's a pity that everything in the house is tightly blocked by curtains.
"Forget it, let's go, brother?" Ma Zhongchu retreated in his heart.
"Look at mine." Ma Chuanxiang snickered, and then took out a wire from his cuff.Ma Zhongchu didn't know why Brother Gan was carrying a wire with him, but he couldn't open his mouth to ask. He just watched in a daze as Brother Gan inserted the wire through the gap in the window and hooked it with the small hook at the end of the wire. The corner of the curtain.
Just like pulling back the curtain on the stage before the opening of the circus, Ma Chuanxiang gradually opened the curtain.
"Even if you draw the curtains, you may not be able to see whether she is breathing." Ma Zhongchu muttered to the side.
Ma Chuanxiang's attention was all focused on the curtain that was gradually raising a corner, and she had no time to answer what Ma Zhongchu said.Ma Chuanxiang opened his lips and bit his lower lip with his upper teeth, concentrating on moving the wire in his hand appropriately.
Since Ma Chuanxiang's eyes were fixed on the curtain all the time, and the part where the curtain was pulled was just in front of Ma Zhongchu, so Ma Zhongchu saw the scene behind the curtain before Ma Chuanxiang!
When Ma Zhongchu saw the woman lying on the bed, it was naturally impossible to see whether the woman's chest was moving or not under such light.But this is not the most important.
The most important thing is that Ma Zhongchu also saw another person standing beside the woman's bed!And that man was leaning over the bed, slowly peeling off the woman's face!
A chilling scream pierced the silence of the night.
Ma Zhongchu and Ma Chuanxiang immediately returned to the main room, kicked down the door of the bedroom and rushed in.
"Stop pretending! Show your true colors quickly! We've all seen it!" Ma Chuanxiang shouted sharply.
What puzzled Ma Zhongchu was that there was only one person lying in the room at this time, and the figure who was peeling off the skin had disappeared!Disappeared too fast!
Luo Lili sat up lazily, rubbed her face, and asked softly: "It's the middle of the night, why are you arguing? Don't you know to knock on the door when you come in?" His tone of voice caused Ma Chuanxiang to gurgle several times.
Ma Zhongchu said timidly, "Lili, was there someone in this room just now?"
Luo Lili scratched her loose hair, her eyes widened.
Ma Chuanxiang managed to regain his composure, pointed at Luo Lili and said, "Don't pretend, I've seen everything." After saying this, Ma Chuanxiang immediately thought of the beauty of the naked woman peeking out of the window when she was taking a bath. carcass.So, Ma Chuanxiang emphasized again: "I saw everything!"
Ma Chuanxiang and Ma Zhongchu had heard the old man tell the story of the skinned ghost more than once—an ugly ghost who peeled off the whole body of a beautiful woman, and then wore it on her body to conceal her original shape.Such skinning ghosts use their beauty to lure men and absorb their blood.
Ma Zhongchu was skeptical about such legends, but Ma Chuanxiang didn't believe it at all.If Ma Chuanxiang believed in the existence of ghosts and gods, he would not engage in surreptitious business—tomb robbery.
But later, according to Ma Chuanxiang himself, the moment he saw Luo Lili, his original point of view changed immediately.He believed that this woman came to his house not only to harm his brother-in-law, but also to harm him.After the drunkard's younger brother had an accident, he became more determined in this way of thinking.
When Ma Chuanxiang asked Luo Lili, Ma Zhongchu walked around the house and checked all the places where people could hide, but found nothing.
"What are you doing? You came into my room in the middle of the night? What did you see?" Luo Lili's questioning tone was slightly angry. Facing Ma Chuanxiang's fierce questioning, instead of being timid, she talked back.
The night is as quiet as water, and the people sitting in the house seem to be at the bottom of a deep well, with bursts of coolness piercing through their clothes.
Ma Zhongchu didn't find the person he saw just now, but he found the light switch. With a bang, the light came on.The sleepy Luo Lili immediately raised her hand to block the light.
Ma Chuanxiang immediately rushed over, grabbed Luo Lili's raised hand, and said with a sneer, "You're still quibbling! The ghost's first reaction is to be afraid of the light. You've already exposed your secrets, so why are you so quibbling!" Said, trembling all over, holding the switch with his hands and not daring to let go.
"Aren't you crazy! I'm not afraid of the sun, why should I be afraid of lights?" Luo Lili shook off Ma Chuanxiang's hand and gave him a loud slap. "I have already seen that you are not a good person, don't try to find excuses to take advantage!"
Ma Chuanxiang hurriedly covered her hot face, pointed at Luo Lili and was speechless.
Luo Lili turned to Ma Zhongchu and said, "Are you my man? How could you let other men come into my sleeping place casually!"
During the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Hao, the last emperor of the Sun Wu Dynasty, once peeled the skin of people's faces.
After the death of Wu, Sun Hao descended to the Western Jin Dynasty.
One day, Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty Sima Yan played chess with his servant Wang Ji, while Sun Hao was watching the game.
Wang Ji asked Sun Hao, "I heard that you stripped people's faces and feet when you were in Wu. Is this true?"
Sun Hao replied: "As a minister, if you are disrespectful to the monarch, he should be punished like this."
At this time, Wang Ji's legs were stretched out under the chess table, and his feet stretched to the side where Sima Yan was sitting. After hearing what Sun Hao said, he immediately retracted his legs.This incident shows that Sun Hao made no secret of the fact that he had used the punishment of skinning. It can also be seen that a person of status like Wang Ji can't help feeling afraid when he hears the punishment of skinning.
During the period of the Sixteen Kingdoms, Fusheng of the former Qin Dynasty stripped the faces of some condemned prisoners and asked them to sing and dance for fun.Gao Shi, the ruler of the Northern Qi Dynasty, was also used to skinning people.When Hou Jing fled from northern Qi to the south and returned to Xiaoliang, Gao Cheng ordered the arrest of Hou Jing's wife and son, first peeled off their skin, and then fried them to death in a large iron wok with oil.The young master Gao Heng inherited the brutality of his grandparents and fathers. He often skinned people and took pleasure in watching the pain of the skinned people with his own eyes.
According to Ma Jinlong, who is familiar with history, the skinning punishment before the Six Dynasties was only the skinning of the face, and later it went on to skinning the whole body.In the early years of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan, the ancestor of the Yuan Dynasty, killed Ahema and destroyed his family.Ahema had a concubine named Yinzhu. When the warriors searched her closet, they found two familiar human skins, each with two complete ears attached.
The samurai asked her what was the use of storing the human skin.
Yinzhu said that this is used for cursing, put it on the sacred seat, and the human skin will respond when the curse is recited.
Therefore, Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty ordered Yinzhu, the painter Chen, and two other cronies of Ahema, Cao Zhengui and Wang Tai, to be sentenced to a total of four people, and to be skinned for public display.
There was no punishment for skinning in the Qing Dynasty, and there is no record of this aspect in the official history, unofficial history and notes of the Qing Dynasty.However, it cannot be said that the torture of skinning has completely disappeared.
"Baling County Chronicle" records: When the Japanese imperialists invaded our country, they skinned the Chinese who resisted them.Li Kuizhou, a native of Xinqiang Township, Baling County, once organized a guerrilla team of more than 30 people to fight against the Japanese army stationed here.The guerrilla team he led once took advantage of his familiarity with the terrain along the Xinqiang River to wipe out a Japanese squadron that came out to sweep, and personally killed a Japanese major and three sergeants.
All of a sudden, this guerrilla team became famous, which greatly encouraged the confidence of the local people to resist the aggression.
Li Kuizhou has an old mother who lives by the Xinqiang River and makes a living by fishing and washing sand.
Because of the traitor's betrayal, the enraged Japanese soldier captured Li Kuizhou's old mother and lured Li Kuizhou to show up to save his old mother.
Li Kui Zhou Zhongji, after being arrested, was brutally stripped of his face by the Japanese soldiers.The traitor who betrayed him heard Li Kuizhou's screams, and was so frightened that he wet his pants on the spot.
Later, Li Kuizhou died young due to wind injury infection.
Not long after Li Kuizhou died, the traitor who betrayed him died in his bedroom.The neighbors heard the traitor shout Li Kuizhou's name before he died, and begged Li Kuizhou for mercy.
Just when Ma Zhongchu was about to answer but was speechless, his godfather pushed the door open and entered.His godfather's face was flushed, like Guan Gong who was playing tricks on the stage, and he even imitated the beautiful bearded man and stroked a few poor beards on his chin, and shouted: "You bring a strange man into the house Don't tell me, what face is there to blame my son?"
As expected, Ma Zhongchu's godfather was born in an opera, and his characters are round and sonorous.If she took a step forward and yelled "呔——" before speaking, then the woman surrounded by three men must have thought that they were singing and not looking for trouble.
Luo Lili, who was sitting on the bed, was dumbfounded.
Ma Chuanxiang rubbed her slapped face vigorously, walked up to his father, and corrected him: "It's not that she's hiding a strange man, but she's hiding herself!"
Now his father was a little confused about the situation: "I was woken up by you just now, and I heard you said that she hid someone in the house, why do you say that she is hiding someone in the house now? How can I hide?"
Ma Zhongchu said: "Father, you didn't even see it, why did you say that she brought a strange man into the house?"
His godfather said confidently: "Didn't you and your brother both see it?"
Ma Chuanxiang said: "Father, didn't she bring a man in. Those two people are one person at all!"
His father and his godbrother immediately turned their eyes on Ma Chuanxiang, and asked in surprise: "The two are one person?" Luo Lili on the side also frowned beautifully, and stared sideways at Ma Chuanxiang.In Ma Chuanxiang's words, Luo Lili acted as if she really didn't understand.And the more Luo Lili pretended, the more Ma Chuanxiang believed in his judgment.
"Yes! The two people we saw are actually her alone!" Ma Chuanxiang had a cold and smug smile on his face, as if all of Luo Lili's schemes would be exposed under his smile, as if his smile could Luo Lili took the initiative to take off the mask of a beautiful woman, revealing the blue-faced fangs under the mask.
Ma Zhongchu said anxiously: "What do you mean? At first you said she was an antique, but now you say that the two people we saw are one person. What are you going to say?"
Ma Chuanxiang took a deep breath, as if it took a lot of courage to tell that secret.
Luo Lili was still sitting there stiffly, with a complicated expression.Ma Zhongchu couldn't tell whether she was going to cry or laugh.Under the light, she looked so pitiful that she needed someone to cherish her.Ma Zhongchu pinched his nose, feeling a little unbearable.After all, this was her first night here, and it was not easy to travel long distances here, not to mention that her little feet, which were only suitable for wearing high heels, walked five or six miles on the uneven mountain road.
Although his godfather and godbrother have always defended him, but he was born in the opposite house after all, and sometimes he inevitably feels the sadness of being dependent on others, and he has to go along with the two of them in unwilling things.
For Ma Zhongchu, this beautiful woman's willingness to be with him is already a great blessing from heaven. Even if he found a strange man in this room, he would not or would not doubt Luo Lili.What's more, he didn't understand what brother Gan meant by "two people are one person", and he didn't want to understand.
"About the legend of skinning, haven't you heard of it?"
As soon as Ma Chuanxiang said the words, the other three people in the room gasped!
Empress Ma Zhongchu realized later: "Brother, what do you mean... the person next to the bed just now was her? The person on the bed we saw was just a pair of human skin?"
Ma Chuanxiang said, "Yes."
The woman laughed, and she laughed so heartily that she bent down, covered her waist with her hands and trembled non-stop, like a pear tree in a rainy season.
Ma Chuanxiang snorted and asked, "Did I expose your trick and you just covered it up with a smile?"
The woman covered her mouth with one hand, and said in a muffled voice: "Didn't you see that there was another person in this house? Did you find him out? Didn't you say that I am a monster wearing human skin? Come, come here, come here Pinch me twice to see if you can tear off the human skin I'm wearing!"
Ma Chuanxiang said sharply: "You don't need to quibble! Since you can put on human skin before we enter the door, you won't let us tear off the human skin so easily! If I hadn't met you before, I wouldn't be so sure of you It's a monster in human skin!" Then, Ma Chuanxiang looked Luo Lili up and down with a strange look, as if standing in front of him was not a beauty, but a blank sheet of paper on which he wanted to Look for the marks that have been left behind.
"You've seen me before?" the woman stopped laughing and asked with a puzzled face.
Ma Chuanxiang's father was also taken aback: "What did you say? You, have you seen her?"
Ma Chuanxiang looked at the woman, then at his father, and said triumphantly, "Yes, I've seen her before!"
"But I haven't seen you." The woman said coldly.
Ma Chuanxiang said: "Of course you won't admit that you have met me! Because you are embarrassed to mention it. I am a man, so I am not ashamed, so I dare to say it." When Ma Chuanxiang said this, his heart was pounding Jumping, he was afraid that the woman would tell that she had indeed seen him, and she would tell all the scandals he had done.But he thought, for a woman, this matter should be ashamed to say.What's more, she was cheating her godbrother's affection. Once she said it, godbrother would definitely not treat her so well again, and her secret plot would come to nothing.
The alcoholic's younger brother was so scared that he peed his pants when he saw her because he didn't have as much thought as he did.
"Why should I be embarrassed? I don't know you at all!" The woman waved her hands angrily and defended loudly.
Ma Chuanxiang took a few steps back and said, "You're a good disguise!"
The woman suddenly became angry: "What am I pretending to be! I have nothing to pretend! I don't understand what you are talking about! I am too lazy to entangle with you!"
After finishing speaking, the woman picked up the clothes beside the bed and put them on her body, glanced at Ma Zhongchu who was standing beside him with her two phoenix eyes, and said angrily, "Did you bring me home just to interrogate me? Well, I'm leaving now!"
"I...I..." Ma Zhongchu "I" didn't say a word for a long time. I just watched the woman I love put a few simple things in the luggage bag, and watched her lift the luggage bag. go outside.
But Ma Chuanxiang took a step across, blocked the woman's way, and said with an evil smile: "Seeing that I exposed your old background, you want to run away, don't you?" He stretched out a thick hand on the woman's weak shoulder .
The woman looked sideways at the hand on her shoulder. There was still unwashed black mud in the nails of that hand. "Since you know that I'm a skinner, aren't you afraid that I'll retaliate against you?" The woman's smile was more evil than his.
Later, according to the drunkard, at the same time that night, the drunkard heard some strange sounds in bed.His skinny son was sleeping next to him, snoring lightly.But apparently it wasn't snoring he heard.
The drunkard said that he clearly remembered that it was the first night the woman came to this village, because his brother was so frightened that he lost control of his urine, and he covered his nose with one hand and washed his trousers with the other.Since his wife left without saying goodbye, he has been both a father and a mother at home.When he thought of that night, he could faintly smell a smell of urine.So he still remembers that night.
The drunkard said that he was not afraid of thieves, not because he boasted of his courage, but because his family was really poor.In his words, "Even if a thief comes with a knife, he can at most scrape a little dust on the wall of our house."
But what woke him up in the middle of the night was not the sound of the thief's footsteps, nor the sound of the thief breaking the door.
Although he drank alcohol during the day and his head was like a mess, curiosity prompted him to get up and walk out of the bedroom with his slippers on.
The voice came from my brother's room.
This time he heard clearly, the sound of "creaking" was like a windmill husking rice.At the same time, I heard my brother's panting voice.
The drunkard wondered, it was so late, what was his brother busy with?
He walked gently to his younger brother's room, and opened the door carefully.
The scene in front of him made the alcoholic both ashamed and angry.
The drunkard's brother slept on a plank bed with a bundle of freshly chopped dry wood.The dry firewood is tied down the waist with a straw rope.His younger brother had his arms around the bundle of rough, dry wood, and his lower body movements put the drunkard to shame.Only then did he realize that it was time to find a woman for his younger brother.According to the conditions of the younger brother, the daughters of ordinary families would definitely not want to marry him, but if the other party was deaf or dumb, they might be able to make do with it.
At that moment, the alcoholic was as if enlightened, slapped himself on the face, and vowed to go to the city to work for a while to earn some money for his younger brother to prepare for a happy event. By the way, he asked who was actually married The girl who won't go out, ask if she can make do with his brother.
However, it's outrageous that he actually held a piece of dry wood and made such an obscene gesture!What if the son sees it!
The alcoholic was hesitating in front of the door, not knowing whether he should step forward and slap his younger brother awake, or kneel by the bed and cry bitterly with his poor brother in his arms.
The alcoholic's younger brother stopped suddenly.The drunkard was taken aback, thinking that his younger brother heard him coming.
Unexpectedly, my brother suddenly said a word: "Okay, Chuanxiang, let's go..."
The drunkard shuddered all over, feeling a chill from the bottom of his feet to his scalp in an instant.
The drunkard's younger brother let go, and there was a snoring sound.The drunkard tiptoed to the bed, reached out and touched his younger brother's forehead, which was covered with cold sweat.
The drunkard sighed, turned and walked back to the door.
Just when he raised his foot and was about to cross the threshold, there was a "bang" sound behind him, which made him turn around in a hurry.I saw that the bundle of dry firewood had been scattered.The straw rope was broken and twisted like a big yellow snake being pinned down.
And almost at the same moment, the drunkard heard a scream from the village.It was the voice of Ma Zhongchu, the Ma Zhongchu who brought back a beautiful woman.
The scream that the drunkard heard was Ma Zhongchu's utterance when he saw a stranger exposing Luo Lili's face.The drunkard vaguely felt that his younger brother's abnormal behavior was related to Ma Zhongchu's screams.
The drunkard returned to his sleeping place with limp steps, and did not close his eyelids all night.
Also staying up all night was Ma Zhongchu.
His brother-in-law was so frightened by Luo Lili's neither soft nor hard words that he took three steps back, and Luo Lili walked straight out the door.Ma Zhongchu's feet could not move as if they were nailed, and he could only hear the footsteps of the woman who was about to marry him gradually going away.
他的干哥和干爹拍了拍他的肩膀，各自回房睡觉去了。他独自一人坐在骆丽丽刚才睡过的地方，用手去摸她的肌肤挨过的被单，用脸去亲昵她的头发枕过的枕头……
“路遇大姐得音讯/九里桑园访兰英/行过三里桃花渡/走过六里杏花村/七宝凉亭来穿过/九里桑园面前呈/眼看人家十数份/那一边竹篱茅舍围得深/莫非就是杨家门/待我上前把门推/为什么青天白日门关紧/耳听内边无声响/不见娘子枉费心/屋旁还有纸窗在/我隔窗向内看分明……”
马中楚听见干爹在隔壁的房里哼着一曲戏文。但是他唱到“我隔窗向内看分明”的时候却没有接着唱下去。马中楚痴痴地等了一会儿，却只等来干爹的鼾声。
“干爹，你们在讨论什么呢？”
铜铃一般悦耳的声音打断了马晋龙的讲述。女人笑眯眯地站在我们面前，两只眼睛弯得像初一的月亮。
马晋龙立即干咳了一声，用拳头在嘴角擦了擦，一本正经道：“我请了马家的长辈来给你们看日子，他说今天晚上不适宜结婚。对不对？”马晋龙故意扭了头去看爷爷，要爷爷附和他的意见。
爷爷笑了笑，没点头也没摇头。
女人道：“谢谢干爹的好意啦。不过我们家的中楚把待客用的猪都买来宰了，我们能等，这猪肉可等不了啊！”
马晋龙脸色涨红，指手画脚道：“这猪肉什么时候都有得买，但是结婚一辈子差不多就一回。哪里能因为猪肉变质就急着结婚的呢？”
女人毫不示弱，针锋相对道：“我们家的中楚在外挣点儿钱不容易，这头猪没有少花钱，我们可不会拿着闲钱去打水漂。”
马中楚生怕媳妇跟干爹吵起来，连忙在中间打圆场道：“你们都少说几句吧。既然是家门长辈来了，就坐下喝点儿茶。有话好好说，行不行？”
女人听马中楚这么一说，立刻取了茶具来，给每个人斟上一杯茶水。
马晋龙端起茶水正要喝，女人拿出一个红红的大“囍”字贴在了正对面的墙上。马晋龙将茶杯重重地磕在桌子上，沉声道：“要结婚？可以。但是至少把你这个到处漏水的房子检修一下再结婚吧？不然客人来了哪里知道喝的是茶水还是雨水？”
骆丽丽笑道：“我连你这个干儿子都敢嫁，难道还怕这个到处漏水的屋丢脸？”
她的一句话噎得马晋龙半天没有话说。马中楚听了她的话，不怒不恼，只是一个劲儿地偷着笑。
马晋龙摇了摇头，对爷爷说：“这里我是坐不下去了。岳云哥，我们走吧。”说完，也不等我们是不是还要喝茶，兀自起身出了门。
爷爷和我只好跟着走出来。马中楚跟在身后一个劲儿地道“对不起”，仿佛说那话的不是骆丽丽，而是他。
走出门来，爷爷拉住马晋龙，劝道：“我看这劝也是劝不住了，你就让他们结婚好了。说不定那个女人真是喜欢你干儿子呢。就算她是剥皮的鬼，也不见得就会害你干儿子。”
马晋龙显然憋着一肚子的气没地方消，他愤怒地摆摆手，道：“真是麻烦岳云哥了。他既然护着他的小媳妇，忘了养他长大的干爹，那我也没有办法。是不是？真到了他被害死的那天，我已经尽到了做爹的责任。”
爷爷劝道：“哎，说什么话呢！可没有做爹的诅咒做崽的！你早些回去休息吧。他们结他们的婚，你睡你的觉。”
我插嘴道：“酒鬼的弟弟还没有消息呢。”
马晋龙道：“他那个弟弟本来就不太聪明，也许是一时发疯跑了。俗话说，家鸡打得团团转，野鸡打得满天飞。过不了多久肚子饿了，他就会自己走回来的。”
爷爷问道：“你不是看见他被剥了皮吗？怎么还会回来呢？”
马晋龙支支吾吾道：“当时雨也这么大，我看是看见了……但是……但是也不太确定。加上当时被吓得不轻，哪里还敢凑过去看！”
哗啦啦的雨一直没有变小，虽然穿了雨衣，但是我的裤脚已经湿淋淋了。对面的双乳峰在雨帘后面若隐若现，如同含羞不敢见公婆的新娘。
我和爷爷告别了马晋龙，沿途返回。
一路无话，我在想着我的心思，爷爷也在想着他的心思。我们的心思有一个焦点，那就是即将成为马中楚的妻子的女人。
走到快到家的时候，爷爷终于打破了我们两人之间的沉默，他说：“亮仔，你知道吗？我们这个村里也曾经发生过一件类似的事情。”
“哦？”我惊讶不已，“什么类似的事情？”
爷爷道：“那还是解放之前的事情了，一个省城的财主的女儿爱上了我们村里的一个小伙子。”
“哦。”我心想，这又是一个公主与穷小子的爱情佳话。
“当时我们村里的人都觉得这不可思议。人家女儿千好万好，放着那么有钱的公子哥不嫁，为什么偏偏死心眼看上在她家做长工的小伙子？”
我也有着同样的疑问。虽然牛郎织女的传说一直在人们口中流传，但是真正发生在现实生活中的，实在是比流星还少见。即使有，大多也像流星一样转瞬即逝了，保持不了很长的时间。我们在现实生活中最常见到的，还是开局美丽，结局悲伤的故事。想想身边的例子，确实是这样。而完美的爱情故事，你不相信只能证明你不够浪漫，完全相信证明你不够现实。
“直到了新婚之夜，那位千金小姐才告诉那个小伙子，她长着一条常人没有的尾巴。”
爷爷讲得平白无奇，我却听得心惊肉跳。
“尾巴？那个女人长了一条尾巴？”我大声问道。
爷爷点头道：“那位千金小姐跟小伙子解释，说她之所以不嫁门当户对的公子哥，是因为她知道，如果那些公子哥发现她长了一条尾巴，一定会一改哈巴狗似的奉承吹捧，转而去另觅新欢。她选择嫁给一穷二白的小伙子，则是图个安稳。小伙子能够继承大量的家产，也不会对她变心。”
“那么，那个小伙子有什么反应呢？”我急忙问道。
爷爷道：“他说他是真心爱上这位千金小姐，并不在意她是不是有一条见不得人的尾巴。”
我想也是，他该庆幸自己走了桃花运还来不及，哪里敢对这位千金小姐不满意？
“可是结婚后不久，这个小伙子觉得，既然自己这么有钱了，那么花点儿钱请个好医生给妻子剪去尾巴好了。”我以为之前的话就是结局，没想到原来爷爷的故事还没有说完。
“然后呢？”我翘首期待着一个完美的结局，就像捧着安徒生童话期待灰姑娘最后跟王子在一起那样。
“那位千金小姐执拗不过，只好在小伙子的安排下做了手术，剪去了长在身上二十多年的尾巴。”爷爷道。
我喜滋滋道：“她为何不在结婚之前就剪掉尾巴？这样的话，她的选择余地就大多了。”
爷爷叹了口气，幽幽道：“剪去尾巴后不久，那位千金小姐还没有出院就死了。”
我愣了。
时间已经是半夜。
屋外的雨还在淅淅沥沥地下着，从屋檐流下的雨水仍旧滴滴答答着。
几盏红烛，两碗米酒，两个人影。
地上的锅碗瓢盆里盛满了水，斑驳的墙上贴着朱红的“囍”字和相随相伴的鸳鸯，东边的墙角上还有一只肥大的蜘蛛静静等待猎物落网。
据后来马中楚讲，爷爷和马晋龙离开之后，骆丽丽忽然由兴奋雀跃变得落落寡欢。在为数不多的几个亲戚朋友吃完简单的婚宴离开，剩下一桌的残羹冷炙之后，骆丽丽强打起精神收拾碗筷。马中楚连忙上前帮忙，并说了几个不咸不淡的笑话逗她开心。骆丽丽这才勉强拉扯出一丝笑意。
“我们还有一个属于我们自己的婚礼！”骆丽丽神秘兮兮地对她的新婚丈夫说道。
马中楚一边收拾饭桌一边问道：“这不就是我们的婚礼吗？”
“当当当！你看！”
马中楚不知她从哪里掏出几根红蜡烛来。马中楚笑了笑：“你买蜡烛干什么，也没听说这几天要停电哪？”
骆丽丽不回答他的话，兀自跑到衣柜前，打开柜门，转身却拿出两碗散发着香醇味的米酒。发涨的饭粒漂浮在酒水上面。
马中楚惊讶不已，他放下手中的碗筷，问道：“咦？你在衣柜里藏了米酒？之前我怎么没有闻到一点点酒味呢？”
骆丽丽走到马中楚面前，轻轻地刮了一下她的新婚丈夫的鼻子，娇笑道：“你这个猪鼻子怎么会闻到呢？”
马中楚憨厚地笑了笑，道：“我的鼻子对酒啊、蒜啊这些气味很灵敏的。怎么会闻不到呢？你说我猪鼻子，我干哥还说我的鼻子是狗鼻子呢，灵得很！”
骆丽丽脸上的笑容骤然消失得无影无踪，“别提你那个好干哥了！说起来我就生气！一看就知道是头色迷迷的狼，我来这里的第一个晚上就被他搅和得没睡成觉。你别提他，免得坏了我的好兴致！”骆丽丽一边说一边将蜡烛点上，然后熄了灯。一个宽大的影子和一个娇小的影子立即扑在了墙壁上，随着烛火一晃一晃。
马中楚尴尬道：“不怪他。当时我也亲眼看见了你的床边还有一个陌生人……”
骆丽丽立即打断他：“你还让不让我过好这个婚礼了？”她用力将两碗米酒往桌上一磕。香醇的米酒从碗里溅出来，顺着碗沿流到桌上，又顺着桌子的脚流到地上。
马中楚的目光顺着流出的米酒，看到了地上的锅碗瓢盆。他抬起头看了看屋顶，叹了口气道：“这雨什么时候能停一停啊！”他一阵寒心，娶了个这么漂亮的姑娘，却没有一个可以挡风挡雨的房子让她住。
她跟着自己从遥远的地方来，劳累奔波，头一个晚上却被干爹、干哥逼得离家出走。第二天，回到老家的时候发现这个倔强的女人睡在门口，他欣喜得差点儿蹦起来。马中楚记得，他曾经跟骆丽丽说过，他原来的家在干爹的房子正对面。他小心翼翼地将女人喊醒。
女人睁开眼来，看见面前一副愧疚模样的马中楚，竟然没有半点儿生气的样子，她拉住了马中楚粗糙的手，温柔地问道：“要不，我们住到这个房子里来吧？”
在遇到这个女人之前，马中楚不是没有想过要接一个普普通通的女人回来。只要那个女人不嫌弃他穷，懒一点，凶一点，他都可以接受，甚至允许她一天到晚趴在麻将牌桌上，他都愿意为她倒洗脚水。只要女人跟他好好过一辈子，他甚至设想过那个女人有脚臭，有着一边吃饭一边抠脚丫的恶习，他都认了。
而这个女人，是他从前想都不敢想的，可是，就是这样一个女人，居然毫不责怪他昨晚赶走了她，居然还好生好气地叫他一起住到更加丑陋、更加破旧的老房子里来。
他想着想着，不禁眼眶湿润了。他狠狠地抽了自己一巴掌，骂自己不是东西。
女人连忙捂住他的脸，着急道：“你这是干吗？我又没有怪你！”
马中楚哽咽着说不出话来。
马中楚想着想着，又要流眼泪了。他用那双砂布一样粗糙的手擦了擦眼角，从骆丽丽手里拿过几支蜡烛，跟她一起将剩下的带着喜庆的红蜡烛点燃。
红蜡烛的火焰似乎不太习惯这个潮湿的空间，四处飞溅的雨水让巍巍颤颤的烛火处于随时熄灭的危险边缘。
“你知道我为什么喜欢你吗？”骆丽丽端起了一碗米酒，送到自己的嘴边，“嗯，有点儿甜。”
马中楚笑笑，端起另一碗米酒，胳膊如僵硬的树干一般一动不动。
骆丽丽的脸上绽放一个迷人的笑容，她将柔软的树藤一般的手缠绕在她的新婚丈夫的胳膊上，“我们喝个交杯酒？别人结婚不都是这样的吗？虽然我们没有证婚人，没有司仪，但是我想……这些仪式还是需要的。你说呢？”
马中楚点点头，缓缓道：“骆丽丽，对不起……”
“来，喝酒吧！”骆丽丽似乎没有听到他的道歉，喝下了一口米酒。
“嗯。”马中楚仰脖喝下一大半。
骆丽丽将手从丈夫的胳膊上抽回，愣了半晌，问道：“这就完了吗？还有没有其他的仪式我们忘记了？”
马中楚摇摇头，道：“我没有结过婚，没有经验。”
骆丽丽听了他的话，捂住嘴巴笑了起来，身体颤颤地如同巍巍颤颤的烛火。
“你笑什么？”马中楚小心翼翼地问道。这时，墙角的蜘蛛在网上动了动前面的两只瘦瘦长长的腿。它似乎也学着女人的样子捂住了嘴巴偷笑，生怕烛火下的两个人听见。
骆丽丽笑道：“这种事情，谁会有经验？真是笨！”
马中楚挠挠头，憨笑道：“说的也是哦。我怎么说出这样的话来呢？呵呵。”
“那……我们接下来该做些什么呢？”骆丽丽眉头微蹙。
“是啊，我们接下来该做些什么呢？”马中楚放下了手中的米酒，捏了捏下巴。
“你以前没有看过别人怎么结婚的吗？你就没有记住一些？”骆丽丽将求助的目光投向那个憨实的男人。
马中楚眨了眨眼，似乎不太自信地回答道：“看是看过，酒席吃过之后，还有人偷偷留在新娘新郎的窗下偷听。”
骆丽丽脸上一阵羞红：“笨蛋，我不是说那个。我的意思是，进洞房之前我们还要做些什么。比如说交换戒指呀、咬苹果呀什么的。”
马中楚低下了头，“可是……可是没有戒指，连一个苹果都没有……”
女人发现了他的低落，连忙抓住他的胳膊道：“我不是说要那些东西，我是想，我们可不可以模仿那些仪式来进行一次？毕竟……对于女人来说，婚礼是生命中非常非常重要的一次记忆。我不希望以后回想的时候觉得自己的婚礼有欠缺……”
女人附身从地上捡起一根稻草。那是马中楚办婚宴之前搬烧火的木柴时从草绳上掉下来的。那根稻草弯弯扭扭，好像是在束缚木柴的时候累坏了身子。干瘪的稻草上沾着集聚成珠的雨水。女人一手捏住没了稻谷的稻穗，另一手顺着稻草捋下，将包在外面的稻叶除去，露出金灿灿的稻秆。
女人灵活的手指在稻秆上转了一圈，将金灿灿的稻秆缠绕在手指上，打上一个漂亮的结。
“嗯。”女人将打好结的稻秆递给马中楚。
马中楚后来说，他傻愣愣地看着女人完成这一系列动作，忘了接过女人手里的稻秆。
“嗯——”女人再次哼了一声，将金灿灿的稻秆伸到他的眼前。
“怎么了？”马中楚丈二和尚摸不着后脑勺。
“拿着，然后戴到我的手指上。像别人的婚礼上给新娘戴戒指那样。”女人弯了弯嘴角，侧着头对马中楚道。
马中楚迟疑地接过干瘪的稻秆，拿在眼前看了许久。
“对，这是你要送给我的戒指。你看它的颜色，是不是跟真金很相像？”女人凝神看着稻秆的眼神，让马中楚有一种想哭的冲动。自从父母离他而去，留下他一个人在这个孤零零的世界上后，他从来没有流过眼泪。但是面对这个女人，他多次不争气地吸起了鼻子。
女人将白嫩的无名指伸到马中楚面前。
马中楚全神贯注地将那个圆形的稻秆套进女人的手指，轻轻地将稻秆推到手指的第三个指节上。
女人缩回手，细细打量手指上的稻秆，仿佛欣赏着世上最珍贵的宝石。
马中楚声音有些哽咽道：“我以后挣了钱给你买个货真价实的戒指。这个假戒指你先留着，等我拿真戒指跟你换。”
女人欢呼雀跃道：“是真的吗？”末了，她又微微一笑：“我嫁给你，又不是为了一个戒指！能给我戒指的人多了，但是我都不稀罕。”
马中楚轻轻捻住女人的无名指，柔声问道：“那么，是什么使你决定嫁给我呢？我连一个真的戒指都不能给你。”
女人俏皮地瞟了马中楚一眼，眨眨眼问道：“如果……如果我说是为了你这一身皮子，你会相信吗？”
马中楚打了个寒战：“为了我的皮子？”
女人转过身去，怒道：“哼，原来你不肯。”
马中楚后退了两步，冷声问道：“原来你……你真的像干爹、干哥说的那样……”
女人转回身来，嬉笑道：“我不过是开个玩笑，你还当真了！”一阵风从房顶掠过，房顶的瓦片叮叮当当响了一阵，像是一只肥大的老鼠从鱼鳞一样的瓦片上跑过。
马中楚抬头看了看头顶，幽幽道：“我不只对不起你，也对不起我的干爹和干哥。他们一向来都很维护我的。我以前从来没有违背过干爹的意思。今天晚上的喜宴他们都没有来，肯定是还生我的气呢。”叹了一口气，他又说：“本来应该由干爹来做主婚人，由干哥来做证婚人的，不知道现在他们在干什么呢。”
女人扶着桌子坐下，细声道：“也许他们现在正在诅咒我……”
马中楚在女人面前蹲下，拉住女人的双手央求道：“我们已经结婚了，他们再怎么阻碍都没有用了。明天我们一起去向他们道个歉，好吗？”
女人小嘴一翘：“不！凭什么我得跟他们道歉？我又没有做错什么！要去你自己去，我是不会去的。我就真不懂了，他们为什么非得在我们俩之间作梗？”
马中楚叹了口气，不再说话。
女人低头抚弄无名指上的稻秆“戒指”，语气软了下来：“我知道你跟你干爹、干哥的感情好，只要你答应以后好好对我，那我……就跟你去向他们道歉吧……”说完，女人极不舒服似的扭了扭身子。
马中楚立即转悲为喜，激动地抓住女人的手，道：“好好好！就算你不提出来，我也会对你好的！”
女人勉强笑了笑，挽住她的新婚丈夫的手，娇声道：“那么，我们去睡觉吧？”
马中楚欣喜非常，突然觉得浑身有使不完的劲儿，猛地拦腰抱住女人，用力一甩，将女人娇柔的身子扛在了肩上。女人“哎哟”叫唤了一声，随即懒懒地伏在马中楚的肩头，任由他扛着自己一步一步走进破旧的新房……
有人说，下雨其实是天与地的一次交合，电闪雷鸣则是天与地交合之时的动作与声音。正是这种交合，使得大地之上的万物生长，使得人世之间鸟语花香。
这是一条非常难以进入的通道，通道口的芳草被雨水淋得湿滑湿滑，通道周壁也是湿漉漉的。但是这些困难都阻止不了他的进入。
因为，通道底端有着无比暧昧的诱惑等着他的抵达，等着他的欲望，等着他去发泄。对于他来说，这是一个令人战栗的神秘之地，同时，这是他发泄日常生活中剩下来的力量的途径。
大雨将所有的人困在屋里，往日做农活儿的力气渐渐在体内聚集，再聚集……
当力量聚集到一定程度的时候，就必须发泄出来。就像天与地的交合一样，当天空的小雨滴凝聚到一定程度的时候，雨水就从天而降。
对于他来说，此时才是一天的开始，而黎明的第一道光线则是一天的结束。从开始的兴奋到结束的疲软，他体会着这人生中最大的乐趣。只有在这个过程中，他才能忘记所有的烦恼，抛却所有的沉闷。
但是，当真的面对那条湿漉漉的通道时，他有着一丝犹豫，有着一丝害怕。他想起了酒鬼的弟弟，那个丑陋而猥亵的家伙。他不知道酒鬼现在找到他的弟弟没有，他的弟弟是不是真的被剥了皮，是不是被揎了稻草。他想，如果那张皮还有知觉的话，应该被干枯而粗糙的稻草撑得难受。如果他被剥了皮，那么他的肉身又在哪里呢？他还在这个带着霉味的雨中垂死挣扎吗？如果他再碰上骆丽丽，是骆丽丽吓得尖叫呢，还是他吓得转身就逃？
这些千奇百怪的想法在他的脑海里盘旋了许久，像一群纠缠不舍的苍蝇在耳边嗡嗡聒噪。
他猜想，他的干弟马中楚此刻应该正在跟那个女人快活。今天是他们的大喜日子，作为干哥的他本应该去祝贺，但是，那个新娘的脸，那具新娘的身体，他都再熟悉不过了……
对于我来说，第二天的早晨与第一天没有任何两样，我仍旧从迷迷糊糊中醒来，仍旧听见雷