Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Hades: A Story from Sixty Years Ago

In the Underworld, Huangquan'an, and Naihe Bridge, the one who stopped Wuyan was a man, no, a male ghost. He said, "I'm Erlang, Xiaocui. I've been waiting for you for sixty years." Erlang has been here for sixty years and is an old ghost.But he looked only in his twenties, the same as when he died sixty years ago.It turns out that time stops in the underworld, and it turns out that a ghost can never grow old without reincarnation. But he is still an old ghost, and there are few ghosts in hell who are more qualified than him except the king of Hades, the judge, and Po Meng who cooks the soup.Even the bull's head and horse noodles were changed one after another, but Erlang never reincarnated, wandering in hell for sixty years.

He said: "Xiao Cui, I have been waiting for you, why did you come here now? How have you been doing these years?" Wuyan took a step back, and said to the side: "You have misunderstood the person, I am not Xiaocui, I am twenty-five years old this year, why would I have to wait for sixty years? Unless you recognize me from a previous life." "Could it be that you have been reincarnated?" Erlang was in a daze, "No, I have been waiting for you here, for your sake, I have never drank Mengpo soup, but Naiheqiao, after waiting for sixty years, you have not come, so what Will it be reincarnated?"

Mentioning Mengpo soup, Wuyan felt even more thirsty, she pushed the old ghost away: "Don't get in my way, I'm tired from walking, I'm going to drink a bowl of soup to quench my thirst." "You can't drink it." The old ghost stubbornly blocked the way, "You can't drink the soup until I find out who you are, otherwise, you will forget me." "I don't remember you now." Wuyan was angry and funny, she looked at the bowl of soup longingly, she wanted to stretch out her hand in her throat, grab a bowl and drink it first.However, the old ghost's attitude was so resolute, and his tone was so affirmative, she thought she probably couldn't hold him back, besides, he had been waiting for sixty years, and she only delayed for a while, so it wouldn't be too bad to go against his intentions, right?

She stood still, and since she couldn't hide, she might as well cooperate: "Okay, what do you want to know? You're almost done asking me to come over." "Who are you?" "Zhong Wuyan." "Zhong? Your surname is Zhong?" The old ghost understood a little bit, "Who is your father? Who is your mother?" "Father Wang Ruoyu, mother Zhong Wanqing." "Your mother's surname is also Zhong? You follow your mother's surname? Then who is your grandpa? Who is your grandma?" "Do you want to check your household registration?" Wuyan was thirsty and annoyed, "What do you want to know? Do you want to ask my teachers from elementary school, middle school and university and who is my deskmate?"

"Don't interrupt, tell me, who is your grandfather?" "Zhong Ziming." "what?" "My grandfather Zhong Ziming and grandma Han Cuiyu. By the way, they are the same age as you. Do you know them?" "Han Cuiyu? It turns out that you are Xiaocui's granddaughter." "The Xiaocui you are talking about is my grandmother? Are you waiting for my grandmother here?" Wuyan was extremely surprised. She began to be interested in this old ghost. He and her family have some connections, right?What kind of story is it? "Now let me ask you, who are you?"

"Erro." "Erlang? No surname?" "I don't have a surname, so I'm called Erlang. This is my stage name." Erlang said proudly, "I am a martial arts student. I was a well-known figure in the martial arts in Beiping sixty years ago. I was called 'Huo Wusong'. I've sung and played, I don't know how many people are fans of me, including your grandma Xiaocui..." When I talk about sixty years ago, I always feel that it was dusk, at least it was afternoon, the sun was pale and weak, and it had no shape, but there was no light or heat. The furniture in the room seemed to be covered with a layer of dust. The pendulums of the clocks on the wall clock and desks are still, the trees don’t move, the flowers don’t smell fragrant, and even the wind stops in mid-air, as if waiting for someone outside the painting to come in and wake them up.

People in that era were not real, they were shadows in the stories, actors on the stage, and guises on the lintel of the tavern. Although there were actions, speeches, singing, reciting and fighting, they were not real, like beating The guys are rehearsing the play, putting it out for the modern people to see. All stories have protagonists, male protagonists and female protagonists. In the story of the old ghost, there are two male protagonists, one is the old ghost himself, and the other is the faceless grandfather Zhong Ziming, but there is only one female protagonist, which is Zhong Ziming’s. Wife Han Cuiyu.

The old ghost is standing in front of him now, maintaining his old appearance for sixty years.Although Wuyan has no idea about the beauty and ugliness of a man, but looking at the old ghost's tall stature, broad shoulders and arms, square face, sword eyebrows and star eyes, straight nose and square mouth, he may be considered a handsome man, Wu Sheng is not The former star, the star, can't be too ugly, right? Grandpa's appearance is faceless and familiar. He has touched it countless times since she was a child, and Rachel has described it to her many times: the black hair is neatly combed, the gold-rimmed glasses are on the nose, the top hat is on the head, and the hands There is a civilized stick in the house, and a pair of polished leather shoes on the feet. It is like this all year round, no matter whether it is cold or warm, it is always a suit and leather shoes.In summer, I sometimes take off my coat and put it on my arm, revealing the starched white shirt inside; in winter, I add a Kesmi coat over the suit—from the time I remember nothing twenty years ago to today. In this way, it would not be much different sixty years ago.As long as the wrinkles on the face are smoothed out, it's almost the same.

As for grandma, Wuyan couldn't imagine it.The grandfather said that my grandmother died of a sudden illness sixty years ago, and he never remarried. He raised his daughter as a father and mother alone, and never complained.Wuyan's parents are abroad, and she grew up with her grandfather since she was a child, and she obeyed him, respecting him more than loving him.Zhong Ziming's speech is somewhat cold and serious in the pile of old papers, separated from the times and people's hearts, as if it is not meant for people to listen to, but just written down for people to read. If it can be seen by others, it is mostly impeccable and meaningless, and may not be true-only if it is not credible, it is necessary to seek help in black and white.

Wuyan has been used to obeying her grandfather since she was a child, and believes every word he says, even if she is lying.She never thought that she would know about him sixty years ago, let alone that there would be an episode in his marriage with his grandmother. Grandpa keeps many photos of grandma in his collection, and he often takes them out to look at them and shed tears—but the photos can’t be touched with hands, Wuyan can’t figure out how beautiful grandma is, but according to the old ghost, she has A bit like himself, otherwise he wouldn't admit his mistake. "But you don't have the style of your grandma." The old ghost looked at her carefully and said, "Xiao Cui was so beautiful back then, so beautiful that it shocked the whole Shanghai Beach, with a pair of eyes looking forward, and a smile, it would make people bankrupt. "

"How much property do you have for her?" Wuyan was a little displeased at being criticized for her appearance, and couldn't help but unceremoniously put the old ghost in the army and killed him as a disgrace, "It's okay to convert all your property into money and then rice. Not enough for my grandfather's barn." "That's true." The old ghost bowed his head willingly admitting defeat. Wuyan couldn't bear it, and turned to comfort him: "But you are younger and handsome than my grandfather, and your appearance is much better. If you take the test as a TVB artist, you will soon become a big star. Nowadays, martial arts students are popular again, Jackie Chan, Jet Li They are all very popular, and there is Schwarzenegger in Hollywood, who is also running for governor. In terms of appearance, my grandfather must not get points like you." "That's not necessarily true." I didn't expect the old ghost to speak seriously on behalf of his rival, "Your grandfather is about the same age as me, and he is a son of a family. How can he be so bad? Besides, your grandfather's appearance is not only not bad, but he is also very decent. Quite well, gentle, handsome, talented in both English and French, he speaks foreign languages, and those fashionable ladies will drool after him. Zhong's enterprise is a big family in Shanghai, and he is the young master of the Zhong family. The person who came back to China to take over the family business, really needs people, money, status, status, knowledge and knowledge, I can't compare with him." "Really?" Wuyan didn't expect the old ghost to be so fair, and couldn't help but widen his eyes, "Is my grandfather really as good as you say?" "Could it be that I can't make up for him? In terms of wealth, status, knowledge, and style, my grandfather and I are really different. If you want to say that you are better than him, there is only one thing: it is me, not him, that your grandmother likes." Haha, I, Erlang, will die in this matter all my life, but it is also in this matter to raise my eyebrows, and I am not wronged to die! Death is worth it!" Wuyan couldn't help being a little shocked, and also a little puzzled, silently thinking, it turns out that my grandfather was such an amazing person, and it turns out that my grandmother was so beautiful when she was young, but it's just that I don't seem to see any of these fine traditions in me. Not only can a pair of eyes not look forward to flying, but they can't even see at all, so they have to pretend to be fishy eyes—maybe even worse than fish eyes, because fish can see, right? Erlang began to tell stories. The clothes worn by the people in the story are unrealistic, a bit like costumes: long silk dresses that drag the floor, peach red embroidered cheongsams, large shawls with tassels, dancing skirts with two cranes or orioles perched on them, shoulder pads high Yes, the heels are also high, the vents of the cheongsam are also high, there are tall cocktail glasses, tall bar stools, high hanging windows, high diamond lamps, and the Everyone is high above the sky, soaring, wishing to die, half dreaming and half awake. People and things in the old era are like a cursed movie set, still and silent, covered with thin dust and dim light, once the storyteller starts to tell, the light and shadow of the set will move, People and things are alive, the light shines through the dim light little by little, with texture, the sun warms up, the wind starts to blow, the fragrance of flowers hits people, the wine in the glass is shaking, and the phonograph is singing, it is Li Xianglan's "Night Comes" Fragrance", but the lyrics are a little different from what Wuyan heard before: "You dance as much as you can and I sing as much as you can The hotter you dance, the crazier I sing only warm only crazy I didn't live up to this good time I'm looking for stimulation, I want to be slutty Because I can't forget the happiness I have today Not to be exciting, not to be slutty Only then can I live up to the lights, the red wine, the beautiful moon, the round flowers and the fragrance dance as much as possible sing as much as possible Don't miss out on a good time" It is completely in the tune of grandma, as if the whole "Evening Fragrance" is like a song sung for grandma. It is said that grandma Han Cuiyu is a leader in the social scene in Shanghai.She is the daughter of a diplomat, she doesn't like to study, she doesn't like to work, and she doesn't like to be too awake. She sleeps during the day and dances at night, or she watches theaters and movies. Day and night are reversed, love and sex Also often upside down. ——I don't know how my grandfather fell in love with her, and whether they started love or sex first. Grandpa is such a serious person, shouldn't he sleep with a strange lady?However, if grandma is so romantic, she may not have the patience to wait for grandpa to slowly develop a relationship. Her favorite saying is "Life is weak as a spider's web".She said: Life is as weak as a spider's thread. When it is connected, it becomes a web. If you are not careful, it will be broken by the wind and become a wandering spirit. No one could understand what she said, and she didn't expect anyone to understand her. Just drinking, just dancing, just listening to plays and watching movies, between one dance and another, between one man and another, she sometimes stops and thinks, drinks a lot , looking at the moon, wearing a champagne-colored silk dress that stretches the floor, raised his head, stroked his hair, and said, "Life is weak like a spider's silk." No one wants to understand her, but her style is fatal. All the men in Shanghai's social circle are eager to dance with her. Without her, the party will be eclipsed. The host will feel ashamed, because everyone will ask "" Why didn't Miss Han be invited?" When Young Master Zhong returned to China for the first time, his family held a grand party for him. It was a celebration and a welcome, a show off and a statement. Young Master Zhong wanted to further develop the family business, and he would be the new executive director of the Zhong Group in the future. After such a party, there will inevitably be a series of parties involved. People are vying to invite him, businessmen want to do business with him, and those who marry their daughters want him to be their son-in-law. Every party is like a blind date. There are men's judgments and women's jealousy. Perhaps she and him had met at a dance, introduced by the hostess or hostess of the party.They didn't dance or even clink glasses.But she told him that life is weak like a spider's thread, and he said that he is a master at weaving a web, and he will not let go of any thread to become a wandering spirit. Maybe at that time, she should understand that he wants to take people's souls as his own, and he is simply a Satan who buys people's souls. This story happened before the old ghost Erlang met Xiaocui, and more than 60 years before Wuyan was born, so it is difficult to have a deep understanding.In short, Xiaocui married Young Master Zhong, and their wedding was a sensation in Shanghai, adding flower arrangements to the tabloids for a long time. However, Xiao Cui was not happy after marriage—this is what Gui Erlang said—she realized after marriage that she and her husband were completely different people, and it was not as simple as one marriage and one marriage.What she wants is the love of the unity of soul and body, but Zhong Ziming thinks that love requires the absorption of soul and body. He not only wants her body to belong to him completely, but also wants to possess her soul. He simply thinks that married women don't have to If you have a soul again, you can give it to your husband for safekeeping. They started fighting, endless arguments, reprimands, tears, and throwing things.At first Zhong Ziming let his wife think that it was a normal mood swing of a woman during pregnancy. However, after they had their daughter Zhong Wanqing, this situation not only did not improve, but intensified. Xiaocui drank more alcohol than before and came home later, wishing she could stay in the theater all night without having to face reality. That's how Xiaocui and Erlang got along. "Are you dating my grandma?" Wuyan almost wanted to shoot the case—if there was a case here—"Aren't you a martial artist from Beijing? What are you doing in Shanghai?" "The big boss in Shanghai invited us to sing." The old ghost replied innocently, "Singers, of course, go wherever there is a cast. At that time, there was a saying in the Liyuan circle that red is not called red in Beijing." , Shanghai is really popular when it becomes popular. The big bosses in Shanghai spend a lot of money, inviting the Beijing troupe to sing opera, not to mention the full package of pick-up and drop-off, food and lodging, and the rewards are also generous. On the singing stage in Yuyuan, they agreed to sing for only one month. I wanted to come back after making money, but after I got to know your grandma, I couldn’t bear to leave Shanghai.” Erlang doesn't have a last name, and he doesn't know who his parents are.He was led into the theater troupe by his master at the age of four, and he was the second among eight brothers, so he was called Erlang. Later, civil and martial arts were divided into classes, and he was very hands-on, so he naturally became a martial arts student.Practicing is very hard, and eating is not very full, but finally there is something to eat.Practicing on the three nines in winter and three days in summer, every day before dawn, I go to the base of the city wall to hang my voice, stepping on stilts from standing on the flat ground to standing on the board and then to the stacked square bricks, one stop is like a stick of incense, It can take half a morning to hold the big top, and when he faints, he wakes up with a leather whip and then stands up again. "Good to meet", "Tiao Lianhong", playing Wu Song in "Lion House", Yue Yun in "Eight Hammers", Zhao Zilong in "Changban Po", Zheng Ziming in "Packing Melon Garden", Playing Gao Chong in "Picking the Pulley" and Sun Wukong in "Heavenly Palace", the actors are low-class actors, and they are the villains of the house; but when they are on stage, they become heroes and become dragons and phoenixes among people. Erlang likes to sing opera very much.Whether it's a long back, a bunt, an arrow jacket, a hooked face or a handsome one, a monkey-faced mahatma or a red-faced Guan Gong, he can afford everything and play handsomely.His favorite character is Wu Song, and he believes that his Erlang is Wu Erlang, and he is destined to play Wu Song. "Wu Song Fights the Shop", "Lion House", "Happy Forest", one Wu Song play after another, won him the nickname "Living Wu Song". After listening to it, he became more and more convinced that he was the reincarnation of Wu Song. Now that he has become a role and has a reputation, he naturally has many fans, many halls, and many red envelopes. He came to Shanghai and met Han Cuiyu. It is a singing stage in Yu Garden. It is not a big building, but it is small and unique. The distance from the entrance of the stage to the corridor of the hall is only three or four meters, which is convenient for watching operas.The stage is on the top of the mountain, with octagonal eaves, the base of the platform is half facing the pool, and there are sub-stages on both sides. There are screens on the stage to separate the front and backstage. , engraved with four couplets, he only remembered the north one, which Xiaocui read to him later: Looking at the tower from a distance, leaning against the setting sun to add to the evening scene; hearing the wind and the moon floating together, taking advantage of the good time. At that time, there were many female fans who followed him.Every time he took the stage, female fans threw sweets, handkerchiefs wrapped in silver dollars, perfumed handkerchiefs, and even gold rings on the stage.He liked them and their fascination with him, but he didn't love them. He loves no one.A hard childhood and hard work made him not understand tenderness. Both Wu Erlang and Monkey King are ruthless heroes. Erlang can't distinguish between roles and characters, and gradually believes that he only needs loyalty and not love. However, among the many cosmetics, Han Cuiyu is different. She didn't really want to praise him at first, but just to pass the time.But when she was half drunk, watching Wu Erlang on the stage gobble up the beef in the Jinggang Tavern, which was not worth three bowls, she couldn't help raising a glass to him.Erlang drank on the stage, and she drank off the stage. Erlang was just putting on a show on the stage, but she was real in the audience—of course she was drunk. Erlang had already noticed this coquettish and self-willed young mistress of the Zhong family. In his mind, she was Pan Jinlian who married Wu Dalang. No matter how cute she was, she was also a sister-in-law.But after all, he is his own person, so he can't just watch her marry Ximen Qing. He paid special attention to her, and when he saw her drunk, he thought that he must send her home, and not let frivolous people take advantage of it. This is how Erlang got to know the young master of the Zhong family, oh, he really pales in comparison - this is not the wretched and incompetent Wu Dalang, nor is this the extravagant Ximen Qing, this is simply the Chengfu who sits in the top spot on Liangshan with deep thought and thoughtfulness Song Jiang. The sister-in-law suddenly became an irrelevant family member. It turned out that Xiao Cui was not Pan Jinlian, but Yan Poxi.Erlang didn't know whether he was disappointed or relieved, but when he saw Xiaocui again on the stage, he still felt close, but the kind of closeness had changed, not kindness, but intimacy. He has had her in his heart ever since.They flirt with each other on and off the stage, and express their feelings in the midst of rushing to tune in, singing, singing, reading, and hitting. Every gesture of his is for her, and every look of hers is also for him. She is his heroine and he is hers. favorite. He finally fell into her eyes. Wuyan became more and more shocked when he heard it, and couldn't help interrupting the old ghost again: "My grandfather didn't know about this?" "He seems to know a little bit. But it's not in Shanghai anymore, but in Peiping—I went back to Peiping with the theater troupe. Within a month, your grandma came after me and lived in a hotel, still sleeping during the day. We went to the theater at night, and sometimes we went dancing. Later, when the money ran out, she wanted to go back. I couldn’t bear it, so I borrowed money from everywhere to let her continue to live. I didn’t want to let her be wronged, so I still lived in the best room in the hotel. My point Bao Yin, how many days can you support? At this time, someone from Shanghai came, a distant relative of your grandpa, who was ordered by your grandpa to pick your grandma back home. He said that your grandpa had already heard about me and Xiaocui, but as long as When Xiao Cui goes back, he can let the past go." "Are you agreeing to break up?" "It was agreed at the time. Before we broke up, the last time we met was on a snowy day..." The winter came very early that year, the plum blossoms bloomed early, and the snow fell early. The sky was full of red and white entangled together, which was extremely shocking. Erlang and Xiaocui lowered their heads and passed under the red and white plum tree. Occasionally, they leaned against the tree, which disturbed the plum blossoms all over the world, and made their faces fall.The two held hands, knowing that this might be the last time they met, and there was a kind of tragic joy in their hearts—distressed because of the separation, happy because of the meeting; miserable because of the future, happy because of this moment. They hugged and kissed, and they even made love on the snow in the midst of the white snow and red plum blossoms all over the sky. They wished they could hug each other and freeze to death, turning into a pair of ghosts who loved each other. Then they realized that if they could die together, why couldn't they live together? The idea of ​​elopement suddenly arises at this moment, and once it emerges, it cannot be sunk, and once it is ignited, it cannot be extinguished. They hugged and discussed the details of elopement enthusiastically: Is it now?no.They are penniless, and they will become beggars before they leave Beiping, and they can't wear such clothes, which are too eye-catching.So when?I have to go back once, go back to Shanghai with that distant relative first, spend a few days perfunctory, pack some soft clothes, and have enough money to protect them from fleeing to the ends of the earth; do you want to take your daughter Wanqing with you?It's too pitiful to keep her, and it's too unbearable. She will become a motherless child in the future, and may suffer from her stepmother.But bringing them along is not only inconvenient for them, even Yu Wanqing may not be a good thing. It's better to live with a rich and powerful father than with a nameless mother, right?No, let her continue to be the eldest lady of the Zhong family. Zhong Ziming will treat her well. After all, she is his eldest daughter. Even if he will marry again in the future and have new children, this is the first one after all. Make her angry. Xiaocui has thought about everything, even thinking about whether she can disguise herself and come back to visit secretly when her daughter gets married.She thinks so far ahead, and because of her long-term thinking, she thinks that she has planned well enough and thought clearly enough that nothing will be missed. She was used to being drunk, dreaming and dying, while he regarded Wu Song as fearless in everything. Neither of them thought that there were actually many loopholes in this plan, so they broke up hastily. She went back to Shanghai first, and he followed by another train. They had an agreement to elope on the night of the full 15th month next month, and the meeting place was by the Suzhou River. "Have you succeeded in leaving?" Wuyan held his breath and was thrilled. The old ghost's eyes were moist, but there were no tears, and the tears were taken away by Huang Quan, and he said sadly: "Of course not, if I succeed, why would I wait for your grandma here alone? " "You died since then?" Wuyan was shocked, "How did you die?" "I don't know." The old ghost was at a loss, rubbing the back of his head, as if it was still hurting, "I was waiting for your grandma by the Suzhou River, but she didn't come when I waited a second time. I am very anxious and have thought about many terrible things, but I believe that she will not break her promise and will not lie to me. An actor must not miss the stage, and a lover must not miss the appointment. Even if she does not come, I will wait. I originally planned to keep doing this I'll wait until I die. But suddenly, someone knocked on the back of my head, and I don't know anything..." "and after?" "Later, I fell into the Suzhou Creek, drifted with the current, and flowed all the way to the Yellow Spring, where I became a lonely ghost and waited here." "You still don't know how you died?" "I don't know. It's because I don't know that I don't want to drink Meng Po soup. I'll wait here, wait for your grandma to come, and ask her face to face if she regrets it. But I have been waiting for sixty years, and she has always I didn't come; I go to the underworld to look for her every July 14th Ghost Festival, but I can't find her. Little girl, tell me, where is your grandmother?" "I don't know." Wuyan said puzzledly, "I've never seen grandma. Grandpa said that grandma passed away, but Grandma Wu told me that grandma actually eloped with someone. The person she mentioned should be you gone." "Grandma Wu? Who is Grandma Wu?" "She is our family's nanny. She has served my grandfather for more than 50 years. My grandfather asked me to call her Grandma Wu." "For more than fifty years, then your grandma's servant was replaced after she disappeared." Erlang said thoughtfully, "It seems that your grandpa sent away everyone who knew the inside story, so who else might know where she went? For so many years, she has never seen anyone when she was born, and she never saw ghosts when she died, so what else can I do besides waiting for her here?" One must die, and one must go to hell, maybe waiting here is the safest way. Wuyan has some sympathy for Erlang, but also some admiration for him. "Actors can't miss the show, and lovers can't miss their appointments." He was so serious in both acting and acting. "See you or leave, until death." He really did it.He waited for his grandmother in Suzhou Creek during his lifetime, and waited for his grandmother at Naihe Bridge after his death. Life and death, he has always been loyal to his love and waiting. She couldn't help feeling a sense of confidant for him. Before she died, what she had been doing was "waiting".