Chapter 4 Diao Tian Yi

Diao Tianxia Yi (1) There is a good place called Nilang That is the hometown God gave us—— Three great mountains surround the plain, Bamboo canopies stand densely all over the hills. A wide dam sleeps under the mountain, Like a flattened foot forward. There is a green lake below, You can see the shining waves from the top of the mountain. Everyone here works like an old cow, Everyone can speak like a happy bird. There are able craftsmen, With a good heart and a good heart. ——Ancient Song of Yunnan One evening in June 1870, the sun seemed to be sick, pale, slow, lonely, dazed, and reluctant to set.For some reason, Nilang Town looked even more decayed under the setting sun.The houses smelled of decay, and the streets were muddy and filthy.People walked with difficulty, young people and old people walked in almost the same way, moving forward cautiously.The flies flew around in groups, buzzing, making passers-by dizzy.Someone is reprimanding the fly: It's almost dark, and you still come out to seek death?

16-year-old Gao Shimei and her father Gao Yingkai came out of the pharmacy and returned home soon.Gao Shimei found an earthen jar, lit the stove, and decocted medicine for her mother in the yard.There was no light on the stove, and a thick puff of smoke billowed from under the medicine canister.Father lit an oil lamp in the room.The dim light swayed in front of his father, and a distinct shadow extended from the room, mixed with thick smoke on Gao Shimei's head, and drifted to the dark sky together. That night, Gao Yingkai and his son were unaware of the plague that was happening in Nilang Town.When Gao Shimei brought a bowl of decoction to her mother's bedside, people died in every corner of Nilang Town.Under the dim oil lamp, Gao Shimei was thinking about a problem.Why is my father a carpenter?Gao Shimei felt very strange.Searching through his memory warehouse, he has never seen his father do woodwork for a day, could his father really build beautiful houses with his hands?Gao Shimei thought, as long as his father builds more beautiful houses, Nilang Town will become younger?At this time, it was as if there was a magical rope pulling Gao Shimei, letting him go straight along his own train of thought, and soon he entered the weird stories about his father that were circulated in Nilang Town.

It is impossible to verify the exact time of the first story, but the location is certain, which is Taihe Street in Nilang Town.There is no doubt that the owner of the house is Zhou Zhongyue.The story goes like this, one year Zhou Zhongyue's family wanted to build a new house, so Gao Yingkai was invited to be a master.When Gao Yingkai arrived at Zhou's house, he saw a handsome little boy lying on the bed, motionless and pale.Of course, it is not accurate enough to use the word pale now.Because between pale and pale, there is also a meaning of fairness or whiteness.In short, it was a special kind of white color, and Gao Yingkai couldn't help but shuddered when he saw it.Zhou Zhongyue told Gao Yingkai, my son has been ill for more than a year, and he can't take any medicine.Gao Yingkai said slowly, is he your son?With such a pale face, aren't you afraid?Zhou Zhongyue said, my son's face was already pale.Gao Yingkai said, I don't believe it.Early the next morning, Gao Yingkai told Zhou Zhongyue again that your son was going to die.Zhou Zhongyue asked in surprise, what did you say?My son is dying?really?so what should I do now?Gao Yingkai said, let me help you cure your son's illness.Zhou Zhongyue nodded, then shook his head again.Gao Yingkai never spoke again, just stood in a fixed position, doing his unchanging wooden work very seriously every day.Zhou Zhongyue felt that between him and Gao Yingkai, there seemed to be a strange thing separating them.When he approached Gao Yingkai, the single-minded expression on Gao Yingkai's face would gradually disappear, and his body would also become ethereal.Others don't feel this way, only in Zhou Zhongyue's eyes can that kind of wonderful illusion happen.

The little boy's condition continued to worsen, and his tongue turned black, like a scary little animal dancing in his white lips.Zhou Zhongyue was terrified and asked Gao Yingkai, is my son really going to die?Gao Yingkai said, you should ask yourself, it was you who hurt your son.It turned out that there was an old tree in front of Zhou Zhongyue's house, which had been dead for many years. The trunk and branches had turned white, and it looked like a gray-haired old man.However, on such an old tree full of lifelessness, a lark flew over every day.The little boy looked at the lark in a daze every day, and had no intention of studying.After a long time, the little boy was able to understand some bird language and some rhythms when the lark sang.Seeing that his son was not studying hard, Zhou Zhongyue was very anxious.One day, Zhou Zhongyue discovered that his son was talking to the lark, and the conversation between the man and the bird became more and more emotional, and his son burst into tears. The lark also flew from the tree to the window sill, and the cry was different from usual, as if it was telling the little boy. what.Zhou Zhongyue walked over, grabbed the lark, and tore it to pieces.I saw bright red blood dripping from my father's fingertips on the ground, and bird feathers fluttered in the wind.The little boy was so angry that his eyes turned white, his lips trembled, and he suddenly passed out.Zhou Zhongyue desperately called out his son's name.After a long time, the little boy woke up to his father's terrified cries. While beating his father's chest, he cried and said, "You give back my lark, you give me back my lark... you know what?"How pitiful and sad the lark is... It flew to me early this morning and told me that its parents died of illness last night... The little boy was sobbing and very sad.No matter how his father, mother, brother, and sister tried to comfort him, it was of no avail.From then on, the little boy was sick, his face was like a white paper.

Diao Tianxia Yi (2) Gao Yingkai accelerated the progress of building the house and worked at Zhou Zhongyue's house day and night.He didn't want to explain anything to Zhou Zhongyue.Zhou Zhongyue was even more puzzled, and asked Gao Yingkai, what does your working day and night have to do with saving my son's life?Gao Yingkai said, you will understand later. Finally, the new house was built.Gao Yingkai urged Zhou Zhongyue to move quickly.At that moment, something strange happened.As soon as the little boy moved into the new house, he recovered from his illness, his face became more rosy every day, and his eyes became brighter every day.He also loves reading and singing, and not long after, he actually wrote a masterpiece of phonology "Tai Lv" that shocked the government and the public.At that time, people have not understood the secret.Until one day, when Zhou Zhongyue walked into his son's room, he found a vivid lark on the window lattice.There is a flower beside the lark, which attracts bees and butterflies.Undoubtedly, both the lark and the flowers were carved from wood, and they were gifts from Gao Yingkai to the little boy.

Gao Shimei was tightly bound by her father's story.Looking at the red starlight in the oil lamp, he was repeating some details of the story just now in his mind.Mother seemed to flip a bit in the beautiful mood of that story, and groaned.The father gently stroked the hair on the mother's face to the sides with his hands, and then gently stroked the mother's forehead.With the rhythm of father's movements, the flame of the oil lamp kept shaking.Mother's expression was vague, like a faint dream, waiting for the dawn sun to caress.It was noisy outside, with voices, shouts, and dogs barking.But to Gao Shimei, all that is distant, empty and strange.Because another story about the father has already begun:

This time, the protagonist of the story is a little girl, and the time and place are still so vague.But it does not affect the clarity and moving of the story.At this point, the story has entered Gao Yingkai saw a little girl being abused by her stepmother.Her stepmother forced her to use two very large wooden barrels to fetch water from a pond far, far away.If the water she brought back was not enough, the stepmother would beat her severely and not let her have enough food.Obviously, the stepmother wanted the little girl to go to the pond to fill the water, because the bucket was big and heavy, and she had to keep the water in the bucket from spilling out, so the little girl would fall into the pond and drown .Gao Yingkai scolded, there is such a vicious woman in Nilang town?It's true that you don't need a knife to kill!Gao Yingkai knew the little girl's own mother before, so he was determined to help the little girl subdue that black-hearted woman.Gao Yingkai modeled on the little girl's big water bucket and made two new ones, almost identical to the original ones.The difference is that there is a woman's face at the bottom of the new bucket, which is the little girl's mother who died many years ago.On that day, Gao Yingkai secretly gave the new bucket to the little girl, and smashed the old bucket to pieces.Afterwards, Gao Yingkai helped the little girl fill it with water, and the little girl saw that the mother in the bucket was looking at her and smiling.The little girl's eyes were filled with tears immediately, and she said many things from her heart to her mother.Those words were warm and beautiful, each deep in the bucket and evoking a response.The scene at that time not only moved Gao Yingkai, but also awakened some memories of the little girl's mother.

When the little girl swayed and picked the bucket into the house, most of the water had already spilled out.When the stepmother saw it, she picked up a stick and was about to beat the little girl.The little girl was not afraid of her either. She stood by the bucket and looked at her mother-in-law inside, saying that her stepmother was going to beat me.The stepmother felt strange, so she walked over and saw that the mother of the little girl in the bucket was glaring at her, her lips opened and closed, her eyelids fluttered up and down, her whole face was like a ball of beating fire, which made the stepmother's heart burn. Pain, she felt very dangerous, immediately fell to her knees, facing the bucket and the little girl, kowtowed for mercy.Since then, Nilang Town has lost a vicious woman, and there have been many beautiful and moving songs, which are the little girl's heartfelt hymns, sung for Gao Yingkai.

That night, because she was accompanied by her father's story, Gao Shimei felt that everything in Nilang Town was beautiful.That night, he suddenly asked his father, "Why is my name Gao Shimei?" His father told him, "I begged for your name for you." Gao Shimei didn't understand. So Gao Yingkai told his son such a story.When you were young, your health was not good and you often fell ill.Your mother and I carried you to a place one mile away from the east gate, where there was a huge boulder, like a screen wall.We let you kowtow to it and worship it as godfather.And begged a stone character from godfather for your name.Originally, after worshiping Jushi as a godfather, you will be as strong and strong as that stone, without getting sick.However, you are still weak and cry at night.Your mother and I carried you to a fortune teller again.It was a blind man, staring at two big white eyeballs, with pointed and long fingers.He touched your head, and you cried out in fright.He was chanting words, I don't know if it was a mantra or a prayer?Finally, the fortune teller said that your family will have a great carpenter with extraordinary craftsmanship. He can carve things that fly in the sky, walk on the ground and swim in the water with wood, and look like they are alive.No, not like alive, but with life, with a soul.Those things are the descendants of your Gao family.So, a certain generation of your Gao family will be wiped out because of this.At that time, I thought, isn’t it me that the carpenter the fortune teller mentioned?In the whole town of Nilang, whose craftsmanship can be compared with mine?But I can't let the Gao family lose their children and grandchildren. I must raise you to continue the incense of the Gao family.Therefore, your mother and I took you to the home of a man named Mai and worshiped him as godfather.Because the old man surnamed Mai gave birth to more than a dozen sons in his life, none of them died young, and all of them were strong and healthy, like mules and horses.That day, you kowtowed three times to that man surnamed Mai, and I offered four dishes of wine and food.The man surnamed Mai gave you the word Mai with a smile on his face.From then on, you can eat and sleep better day by day, like a little pig, growing stronger and stronger.So, the word Gao Shimai is your lifeblood.But after a long time, Shi Mai becomes Shi Mei when it comes and goes in and out of other people's mouths.Hahaha Shi Mi is a good name too.

Diao Tianxia Yi (3) After Gao Shimei heard it, she also thought it was a good name. There was a rustling under the mother's bed all the time.The father moved the oil lamp over and saw a little mouse lying in the mother's cloth shoe, already dying, struggling occasionally.The father said: "There is no need to beat it, it is dying." In fact, Gao Shimei didn't want to beat it, and he didn't want to hurt anything that day, let alone a poor young mouse? Immediately afterwards, there were rat noises on the floor, in the yard, and in those messy places... chirping chirping chirping chirping chirping chirping buzzing buzzing... obviously, the mice were in pain Moaning, there are also active ones, either throbbing restlessly, or roaring frantically.

At that time, the mother struggled and said to Gao Shimei: "I... have a headache... My stomach hurts." The father asked with concern, "Should I take a few more sips of medicine?" Hey.Mother's lips opened slightly, and a mouthful of thick black bloody phlegm spit out and rushed into the bowl.Gao Shimei held her mother's hand tightly and asked: "Ama, Ama, what's the matter with you?" His father said: "Your mother is having a fever, go find a piece of sackcloth, wet it with cold water, and put it on your mother's head." Go." Gao Shimei went to the kitchen to find a clean sackcloth, and then carried a wooden bucket to fetch water from the well.The well is some distance away from his home.For some reason, he walked faster and faster, and his heart became tighter and tighter.He saw several little boys catching mice at the entrance of the alley. Those big and small mice were half dead and easy to be caught.Several little boys each caught several mice and threw them into the sky one by one.When the mice landed, some screamed in despair and pain, while others were silent.The little boys were very disappointed in the silence.Immediately afterwards, the little boys caught a few bigger mice, threw them hard into the starless sky, and waited for the screams of the mice.There are too many rats, running and rolling all over the street.Gao Shimei felt sick. Back home, Gao Shimei found his cat sleeping on the stone steps at the door, purring convulsively from its throat and clenching its teeth.He put down the bucket and picked up the cat. In an instant, the cat died, with blood dripping from its mouth. Her father urged Gao Shimei in the house: "Shimai, Shimai, come and see your mother, she is dying." Gao Shimei threw the dead cat on the ground, ran into the back room, saw her mother shaking violently, her teeth clenched, Eyes closed.Gao Shimei picked up his mother, and with his hands, he found terrible hard lumps growing on her abdomen, armpits and neck.Maybe it was the pain all over her body that made her grin her teeth, and the beating oil lamp made Gao Shimei feel that there were ghosts inside and outside the house.He looked at his father, and his father looked at him.Both father and son look to each other's faces for comfort or strength.Just then, the oil lamp flickered a few times, and the flame died down, and in a moment transformed into a pure spark.For a moment, the sparks suddenly went out, and nothing existed in the world at that time. The father and son stood in the dark.Time seemed to stand still.Gao Shimei clearly felt that something empty had penetrated into his body, which was his feeling or fear of death.But he dared not tell his father, who might be waiting for him to speak then. In fact, the mother left them at that very moment.But father didn't know.There was no sound in the room, only the snorting of their father and son.Gao Shimei couldn't bear the oppressive and empty atmosphere, and walked out of the room in the dark.Under the gray sky, he saw that the door of the neighbor was open, and he longed for a little fire inside, so as to alleviate his fear, but the inside was also dark and gloomy, and a woman whimpered from time to time.Gao Shimei returned to the house.His father said to him: "Shimai, your mother may be asleep, go to bed."Gao Shimei asked: "Where is the oil pot? I should find it to add some sesame oil to the oil lamp and light it again. That would be good." The father said: "There is no more sesame oil." Gao Shimei entered her room in the dark.At the beginning, he didn't sleep well. He crawled flat on the bed, carefully distinguishing the footsteps on the street.In the past, at this time, Nilang Town had already seemed to be dead, but something major seemed to have happened tonight, and Nilang Town had always maintained a state of sleep but not sleep.There were people walking on the street all the time, and the footsteps were in a hurry.Later, Gao Shimei fell asleep at some point, as if sinking into the abyss of night, unable to climb out again.Perhaps when it was almost dawn, my father discovered that my mother's life had ceased because of the coolness of my mother's body.The father calmly woke up Gao Shimei and let him return to the cruel reality.Gao Shimei has already heard the changes in the family from her father's voice.Gao Shimei suddenly wanted to cry, but she couldn't cry no matter what, not even tears.Gradually he felt his father standing stiffly in front of him, and he could still imagine his father's glassy eyes and mournful face.His father said to him, "Your mother is dead." After that, there was no other sound in the room.Gao Shimei neither uttered the bitter cry that her father imagined, nor expressed surprise.Because he already had a premonition that all this was coming, and he could not refuse or avoid it.The father is very disappointed with his son's performance. He may think that his son is a heartless and unintentional person.In fact, Gao Shimei had already suffered the pain of losing his mother at that time, but he couldn't cry no matter what.Pain without cries made him experience double grief. Diao Tianxia Yi (4) When the first ray of sunlight penetrated the old flower window and shone on his mother's bedside, Gao Yingkai had finished washing his wife's body.It was also at that time that some unfamiliar old women came in and asked if there was anyone dead in the Gao family?The father said: "My mother-in-law died." The women said: "Scratch disease occurred in Nilang Town yesterday, and many people died during the night. The Lafayette of the Jiuyan Temple said that anyone who died last night must be rehabilitated within today. During the burial, the man who carried the coffin had to take off all his underwear, and the women were not allowed to see it, so they had to hide at home." With great difficulty, my father invited seven or eight men, two of whom were old men over 60 years old.Because more than 90 people died in Nilang Town last night, and every family was busy asking men to carry the coffin. How could there be so many men in the town?And the living men keep dying.too terrifying.Overnight, Nilang Town completely declined and turned into a hell on earth. Originally, my father also planned to report the funeral to relatives, make funeral flags, blue lions and white elephants, golden boys and jade girls, white cranes, etc., decorate the filial hall, ask the chief official to point the Lord, and then go to the funeral.But seeing such a terrifying scene in Nilang Town, all of that will be avoided. Seven or eight men, topless, carried the coffin of Gao Shimei's mother, and slowly walked out of the city gate.Not far in front of them, there were already three or four groups of coffin-bearers, all naked, wearing nothing but straw sandals on their feet.Immediately afterwards, Gao Shimei saw behind her, a group of coffin-carrying men appeared, still naked, not even wearing straw hats.There were hardly any pedestrians on the road, only some men returning from the funeral.The group of men expressed great disgust and indignation at the practice of the coffin bearers of the Gao family not taking off their pants.Because, in this way, the soul of the deceased and the God of Plague would hide in Gao Shimei's crotch and be brought back to Nilang Town by them, thus endangering more people. Suddenly, an old man appeared in front of Gao Shimei and the others. His hair and beard were all white, and his teeth seemed to be gone.In vague language, he ordered Gao Shimei and the others to take off their pants immediately, and they could not wear anything on their bodies.Gao Shimei watched the seven or eight men, including Gao Yingkai, quickly take off their pants, exposing their lower body to the sun.At that time, 16-year-old Gao Shimei must have blushed on her face and neck, because it was the first time he saw so many men's naked bodies, and they were so different.Some muscles and bones appear clear, flexible, well-proportioned and shiny, in line with people's beautiful imagination.Some are fat, some are thin, some are black, some are white, all show unreasonable exaggeration and irony in some way.The most disgusting thing was the old man who ordered Gao Shimei and the others to take off his pants. He didn't have a decent muscle in his body, he was shriveled and dirty, his bones were protruding, and he looked eerie.Anyone who sees is afraid.Seeing Gao Shimei in a daze, his father came over to help him take off his pants.He was so nervous that his father's hands were shaking.Gao Shimei felt that the whole world was shaking.Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Gao Shimei felt ashamed.When his father finally pulled his panties down, he pushed his father's hands away, pulled the panties up from his thighs, covered his shame, and ran away.Gao Shimei's sudden action frightened everyone present. From that day on, people believed that the god of plague was brought back to the city by Gao Shimei.The number of people suffering from headaches, fever, chills, body pain, and unconsciousness is increasing day by day, and most of them can only suffer for more than ten hours before dying.In order to scare away the plague god, Lafayette said that the work of carrying the coffin should be done by women, and they are not allowed to wear straw hats and straw sandals, and they must still be naked.Men hide at home.It is said that the purpose of doing this is to drive away the god of plague with the filth of women.However, people in Nilang Town continued to die.At that time, someone described it like this: "When people die in the daytime, don't ask the number. People and ghosts share the same room in the coffin. When people die at night, they dare not cry, and the plague god exhales and shakes the lamp. Three people walk together, and before ten steps, two dead people suddenly cross the road."How to do it?Lafayette made another note and found the most powerful woman from Nilang Town. She has been married to four men, but she is still a widow.Let this hard-fated woman, with a willow stick in her hand, beat those women who came back from carrying the coffin.That was not a symbolic slap, but a real slap.In terms of quantity, seven seven forty-nine lashes are required, seven seven means to go...go...to tell the plague god to go away and go away.In terms of severity, every woman who carried the coffin had to be beaten to the point of being bruised and screaming. Even so, people in Nilang Town continued to die.Before long, it was completely taken over by the plague god.Some of their families died, and some fled to other places.Many streets, ten rooms and nine empty rooms, dogs barking like howling, birds singing like weeping, and all of these are related to Gao Shimei, so that after a long time, some people still say that it was Gao Shimei who brought the god of plague into Nilang Town, People always look for the factual basis of the God of Plague and death from him. Some people even turned around and ran away in fright when they met him, as if they had met the God of Plague. Diao Tianxia Yi (5) During that period of time, Gao Yingkai also often said: "Nilang Town is over, Nilang Town is over, Nilang Town is hopeless." Every time he said this, Gao Shimei felt extremely lonely and cold, and kept asking My father admitted his mistake: "Abba, I was wrong, I was wrong. I shouldn't have offended you that day, and I shouldn't have come back in my underpants." My father always said, "Shimai, I didn't blame you. You didn't bring the plague god back. Yes. Think about it, if you have the god of plague on your body, then the father and son can still live to this day? Think about it, is this the truth? But, public anger is hard to break, and you must listen to your father in the future!" After a pause, the father continued Said: "Actually, the God of Plague has been in Nilang Town for a long time, and has not left yet. We must find a way to drive it away." After listening to his father's words, Gao Shimei gradually calmed down, and he said to his father: "Abba, your There are many ways, just save Nilang Town! If this continues, the people in our Nilang Town will die. Dad!” Father said: “I can’t think of any good way now. Nilang Town has experience There are always a lot of people with ideas, and if they need us to do something, we will do it." Sure enough, within a few days, someone asked why so many people died in Nilang Town?It was not because of the plague god, but because of the local poison in Nilang Town.Therefore, they mobilized many people, dug a huge hole in the center of Nilang Town, pulled cart after cart of charcoal, pushed it into it, and then lit it.Half an hour later, the hole in the ground was completely red, so red that it was scary.No one has ever seen such a big hole, and no one has seen such a golden red fire.The huge heat engulfed the surrounding houses, and gradually spread, as if it was going to engulf the entire Nilang Town.The fire burned for three days and three nights, and people couldn't sleep for three days and three nights.No matter where in Nilang Town, people felt burning to the bones and sweating all over.At the same time, I felt the ground creaking and trembling slightly.After more than ten days, the earth will be a little cool.Therefore, people say that the poison in Nilang Town has been discharged, and Nilang Town seems to be peaceful. However, Da Duangong, a dancer on Zhongzha Street, said that digging a hole to detoxify is simply unreasonable. What if the land father-in-law was burned to death?Guilt, sin.In order to make atonement, after careful preparations, Da Duan Gong set up an incense table in front of the cave, and began to dance the gods.I saw that the 14 assistants invited by Daduangong were all people who had participated in dancing gods and exorcising ghosts and evil spirits before. They were dressed up as bull heads, horse faces, Liuding, and Liujia, and they sat in two rows on the ground. Holding a dragon knife in his hand, he kept clamoring to defend Nilang Town.Daduangong sat on the altar, muttering words.It is said that it is asking the gods to possess him.After this process is completed, it means that the gods have descended.So, Daduan took a bowl of clean water, took a sip and sprayed it on the bull's head, and the bull's head immediately jumped up from the ground and yelled "moo".Then he took another sip of water and sprayed it on the horse's face. The horse's face hissed and jumped a few times at the same time.Proceed in this way until Liuding and Liujia stand up completely.Afterwards, Duke Daduan said that God was about to issue a decree, and signaled the copyist next to him to pick up a brush and prepare to record.Daduangong closed his eyes and shook his head, saying: Scholars and ordinary people do not respect the gods.The plague god was angry, and the people were robbed.Burning the earth and burning the land adds to the crime.My God descended to the earth by imperial edict to persuade and transform the common people. From now on, men, women, old and young, all men, women, and children will reform themselves, and everyone will live in peace. After the decree, Niutou, Mamian, Liuding, and Liujia, escorting Daduangong, brandishing swords and sticks, went to the streets and alleys to expel the plague. However, what is incomprehensible is that after the detoxification of the earth and the jumping of the gods, the pruritus has not been suppressed, but it has intensified to devour the people.More than 100 people died in Nilang Town.On that day, Gao Shimei saw the most tragic scene.When a person dies and there is no coffin, a wooden cabinet is used.No one carried the coffin to the funeral, so the dead were thrown into the lake. Gao Shimei said: "If this continues, we will die." When he said this, his lips were chapped and blood gushed out.He wiped it with the back of his hand and continued: "Abba, people think you are a magical carpenter, please save us, save Nilang Town!" After listening to his son's words, Gao Yingkai stayed up all night.He lay on the bed and said to Gao Shimei, Shimai, do you know that I am not from Nilang Town.I am not a son of the Gao family either. My original name is Gong Ziliang, and my hometown is Yangquan Town.Gao Yingkai is famous for singing Guan Suo Opera.People in ten villages and eight villages all know him.Later, Gao Yingkai got old and couldn't sing or dance anymore.According to the old rules of theatrical troupes, each role is passed down from father to son, son to grandson, and generation to generation.Therefore, the character Gao Yingkai sang——Guan Yu, must be inherited by me.However, an accidental event changed my fate.That year, I was 18 years old, and I was fully qualified for the role I sang.Gao Yingkai let me sing, but he completely left the troupe.But Gao Yingkai is a person who can't rest.One day, while we were singing opera in Beidou Village, he took his mother to pick cress flowers on Yangzong Lake.It just so happened that that day encountered a storm that had never happened in a century, and the parents' boat never returned.Also on that day, after I finished singing, I put the mask on the altar of Lingguang Temple.Out of curiosity, a young master carpenter surnamed Gao came to the altar to look at my mask.My throat tightened for a while, so I hurriedly stopped him, saying that it’s okay to have a look, but you can’t touch it with your hands, otherwise, if you touch its ears, your ears will be deaf; if you touch its eyes, your eyes will be deaf. blind.After speaking, I went to eat.However, after I left Lingguang Temple, Master Gao forgot what I said.He said that this is Guan Shenggong, how mighty!On the one hand, he couldn't help touching the eyes of the mask with his hands.Around that time, I reckon, my parents' little wooden boat disappeared in the lake.At that time, I had just picked up my job, and the wind outside the door made it unbearable for both the door and us, and we suddenly had a feeling of being swept away.Although it wasn't raining, we held our breath, imagining that something unreasonable was happening somewhere.But Master Gao felt pain in his eyes after touching my mask, and he cried out in pain.When we returned to Lingguang Temple, we saw that Master Gao's eyes were wide open, but he was not blind.why?Everyone said that because Master Gao was a carpenter with spirituality, Master Guan Sheng was reluctant to let him become blind, and wanted him to help more people build more houses and make more wonderful furniture. , Carve more exotic flowers and plants... In short, let his miraculous craftsmanship be passed down.Master Gao knew that he had escaped a catastrophe, which meant that there was a certain connection between me and him.After he realized this, he decided to take me as an apprentice and tell me all his secrets about woodwork.I am also amazed by his craftsmanship. As long as the house he builds, although the area and height are exactly the same as those built by other carpenters, it always feels extraordinary, spacious, bright and tall.Always get compliments from people.And the wooden boat he built can run smoothly and never bump no matter how big the wind and waves encounter.Too bad my parents didn't have the luck to own a little wooden boat like that. Diao Tianxia Yi (6) Shi Mai, you don’t know, Master Gao brought me to his hometown Nilang Town.He unswervingly handed over all his unique skills to me, and I naturally became a member of his family, and eventually became the son-in-law of his family, which gave me a new name—Gao Yingkai.After the death of Master Gao, I became the most famous carpenter in Nilang Town. In the hearts of people, I am no different from Lu Ban reincarnated. As long as the houses I built, the furniture I made, and the doors and windows I carved, they were all spread. It's amazing.In fact, people's beautiful legends about me almost transplanted the stories that happened to Master Gao to me.How can I have such a high skill?I understand that the distance between me and Master Gao is still very far.To be honest, my specialty and interest is mainly singing Guan Suo opera.In the days when I was a carpenter, every night I danced the Qinglong Yanyue knife in my dream and sang loudly: wearing a golden helmet is so bright, and the red face is red. I have been in Caoying for a long time, and today I am going to the ancient city. Township.When I came to the ancient city and called the door, why didn't the third brother speak up?After singing, I felt that time was reversed, and I saw my biological father, who told me to pass on Guan Suo opera from generation to generation.I have lived up to my father's painstaking efforts.When Nilang Town was gradually declining and no one asked me to do woodwork for more than ten years, I swore that when my Shimai grew up, I must teach him to sing Guansuo opera.During that time, I also quietly brought a few young apprentices.Now, the apprentices have been able to independently go to various villages and villages to "step on the village", "step on the street" and "go home", but I don't allow them to go out easily, because I am afraid that they will cause me trouble and cause trouble. Right and wrong. At this moment, Shi Mai, I think of Nilang Town and Guan Suo Opera.I connect them and there is a real power between them.Nilang Town needs Guan Suo Opera, and Guan Suo Opera can save Ni Lang Town.This must become a fact, a fact that the folks and elders in Nilang Town dream of.How did I forget?When I was very young, there was a plague in my hometown Yangquan Town.I remember that it was the cow that suffered at first. People looked at the cow's buttocks strangely, and shot out a puff of shit like a water gun, which was one or two feet long.After shooting, the cow seemed to have been pulled out of its muscles and bones, limp on the ground, and died after a while.Immediately afterwards, people also had diarrhea like cows.The difference is that people still vomit, some vomit with their heads down, some crawl on the ground and vomit, and when the contents of the stomach are vomited, they vomit until the eyes can't see anything, and the brain can't think about anything. , fell to the ground, and died of exhaustion.People play dragon lanterns, set off fireworks, and sing lanterns to suppress evil spirits; light incense, worship the emperor and pray for the grace of heaven.People closely link their destiny with those activities, and hope that those activities will achieve the desired effect and purpose.However, the ruthless reality has shattered people's dreams, cattle are still falling, and people are still dying.The cattle are all gone, and the people are dwindling.How to do it?Someone thought of the Guan Suo play, and the upright General Five Tigers in the play.It was such a small idea that found a way out for Yangquan Town.When people changed to singing Guan Suo opera, a miracle happened, those who vomited stopped vomiting, and became energetic one by one, and the plague god was suppressed.Since then, people have remembered the status and role of Guansuo Opera in real life. Wherever the God of Plague appears, people there will invite people from Yangquan Town to sing Guansuo Opera.Shi Mai, my dear son, indeed, Guan Suo opera can suppress evil spirits, wherever Guan Suo opera goes, once it is sung, people can see the light of gold and iron horses, and feel the power of swallowing thousands of miles like a tiger Any demons and ghosts will be terrified and run away when they hear the news.石麦啊，你已长大了，你明白了我的意思吗？我讲了那么多，就是要让你真正理解我的一片苦心，让你能够看到尼郎镇的美好前景。尼郎镇不会衰败的，你要相信。石麦啊，夜已深了，我知道你已睡着了，我听到了你轻匀的呼吸声。但我相信，你一定在梦中听见了我说的话。是啊，夜是黑的，但它不违背我们的声音，不违背我们的期待。我不说了，明天我们就去唱关索戏吧！ 天还不亮，高应楷就走出家门，把他的徒弟们一一唤醒，说今天要在尼郎镇公开唱关索戏了。徒弟们一听，是高师傅的声音，立即体验到了做徒弟的幸福滋味。他们等待这一天，等待得太漫长了。现在，这一天终于来临了，每个人都兴奋得如同体内有火，按捺不住内心的激情，一大早就来到高家祠堂。 神奇而迷人的关索戏开始了。高石美与邻居们一样，只是其中的一个观众。高石美看到20个人，头戴20个面具，每个面具都是神的象征。高应楷是大红脸，丹凤眼，在早晨的阳光中，被赋予了温暖、威武、愉快的意味。其他的显得很古怪，有蝴蝶脸、风火脸、葫芦脸、黑脸、紫脸、蓝脸、褐脸……形态各异，但都神气非凡，执戈持盾，威风凛凛。高石美越看越感到晕眩，越晕眩越想看，他不敢乱动，他周围的人也不敢乱动。一种无形的力量在震撼着他们的心。他还听到了一种声音，那是面具里的人在说话，高石美听不清他们正在说什么，他只觉得那不是一般的语言，是神在说话。 雕天下一(7) 一会儿，开始“点将”了。 高石美看到一个头戴粉红色面具的人叫道：关云长大总兵，听令！ 紧接着听见高应楷答道：听令！ 那个头戴粉红色面具的人随即又说：打红旗，披红铠，红人红马，红将军，领兵一支，带领十万兵马，镇守南方丙丁火，不可迟误！ 高石美听见父亲答道：领旨！ 高石美总觉得那个头戴粉红色面具的人，不像神而像人，动作很优雅，走起路来很用劲，特别是立定站住的时候，脚下犹如被什东西深深吸住了，一动不动。看起来这是个非凡的人，那些五大三粗、威猛无比的神，都要曲膝跪拜在他面前，听他调遣。高石美清晰地听他派出了五位将军，分别镇守在东、西、南、北、中等五个方位。最后，高石美还听到他命令五位将军： 到一州，平一州，处处平安； 到一镇，平一镇，四海永清。 高石美从心底里感谢这个人，因为这个人给他一种满意和幸福的感觉。高石美问旁人：“那个像人一样的神是谁？”几个旁人争先恐后地回答，是刘备，是刘备。高石美感激地点点头，他牢牢记住了“刘备”的模样。又有人指着那五位将军告诉高石美，关羽是撞天虎、张飞是飞天虎、赵云是巡山虎、马超是抓天虎、黄忠是座山虎。高石美一一把他们铭刻在心。他们对高石美有一种特别的魔力。很长很长时间，高石美望着他们发呆。他们的形象丰富了高石美的心灵和想象。高石美明白，从一见到他们的形象开始，他就一直处于内心的狂喜之中。 关索戏的出现，很快就让尼郎镇的百姓露出了长久未见的笑容。越来越多的人加入了“踏街”的队伍。还有一些人要拜高应楷为师，学唱关索戏。高应楷说：“学唱关索戏有许多规矩，不能想唱就唱，想说就说。如果不守规矩，就会受到神的惩罚，轻者嘴疼鼻痒，重者脚跛眼瞎。” 即便如此，但为了驱逐瘟神，仍有不少人来到高应楷面前念叨，表示无论如何也要跟他学戏。因此，高应楷也只好不停地接收徒弟。原来的老面具不够用了，高应楷就教儿子用木头雕刻新面具。于是，高石美白天跟着父亲到尼郎镇“踏街”，晚上则在父亲的指导下雕刻面具。 让高应楷想不到的是，儿子高石美对雕刻面具很入迷，他非常会使用自己的眼睛，就像有神灵在暗中帮助他。一块杨木到了他手里，他就有一种强烈的雕刻欲望。高应楷叫儿子一边看样本，一边雕刻。可高石美就是不听父亲的话。一拿起雕刀，他就进入了对关索戏的回忆，一会儿想到人，一会儿想到神。那些平时像叫花子一样的人，带上面具，立刻就变成了神，就可以进入另一个世界？就可以降妖伏魔？高石美相信他们有那种非凡的能力。不过，那些神为什么又要听从那个名叫刘备的人的命令？刘备戴的面具很显然是人的模样。这样说来，人有时要变成神，而神有时又要变成人。isn't it?戴上神的面具时，人更像神；而戴上人的面具时，神更像人。人有神性，神也有人性？高石美悟出了这个道理，相信那些都是事实。因此，尽管高石美的刀法很笨拙，但他大胆而自由，所雕刻出来的面具与他父亲雕刻的放在一起，人们一眼就能看出这是高石美雕的，那是高应楷雕的。高石美雕刻的面具，简直是面目全非，形态各异，即使是同一角色，高石美今天雕刻出来的和明天雕刻的一比，也有许多不同之处。比如说，高石美为父亲雕刻的关羽的面具，他雕刻得像京剧南派的关羽脸谱，大红脸、丹凤眼、卧蚕眉、五绺长须，两片微微肿胀而浑圆的嘴唇，柔软而光洁。丹凤眼里还包含着一种陌生和遥远的光芒。这是高应楷最无法容忍的一个面具。他不戴，也不敢把它轻意毁掉。第二次，高石美同样雕刻关羽的面具，但他构图夸张，该细的不细，该粗的不粗，他在关羽的脑门和鼻梁之间，连刻三条从大到小的云纹，虽然表现出关羽义胆忠心的精神和威严不凡的气概，但总给人一种恶梦似的幻觉和幽灵般的气息。对于张飞的蝴蝶脸，他则把蝶身雕刻在鼻梁上，触须雕刻在鼻尖上并向两边卷曲，张开的大口则占满整个下颏。张飞两眼圆睁，张口大吼的勇猛神态，在高石美的雕刀下呼之欲出。人们都说，高石美雕刻的面具很有特点，浓眉、大眼、虎口、勾鼻，浓墨重彩，威风凛凛。人们戴上这种面具，都感到伏魔降妖的功力更足了。 雕天下一(8) 但是，高应楷不能接受儿子的这种雕法。父子之间常常争执不休。高石美发现父亲离他越来越远了，以至于他对父亲所说的每一句关于木雕的话，都非常厌倦和反感。高应楷则对儿子越来越失望，认为高石美的雕刻是胡作非为，是对神灵的亵渎，他担心高石美迟早会出事的。高应楷干脆叫他不要学雕刻了，去学唱戏。但高石美不听，他整天埋头雕刻面具。父亲去唱戏的时候，高石美就呆在家里对着自己雕刻的面具说话，他能与它们沟通。他的面部表情与它们一样丰富，他觉得自己就是一个面具。他甚至忘记了瘟神，忘记了尼郎镇，忘记了父亲，忘记了关索戏，他对雕刻面具一天比一天入迷。他活在自己的面具里，不想与人多说一句话，当有人走近他的时候，他就发火。高应楷一方面感到无法战胜自己的儿子，甘拜下风。由他吧！他想做什么就做什么。另一方面，高应楷又在神像面前，为儿子祈祷，请求神灵不要降罪于他，不要与他这样年幼无知的人斤斤计较。 高石美辛辛苦苦雕刻了几十个日夜，使父亲的每个徒弟都有了一个适合自己角色的面具。尼郎镇到处是高石美雕刻的五虎上将，数十百个，无一雷同。不久，瘟神终于被镇压下去了，尼郎镇渐渐露出了一些活气。当然，人们不会忘记高应楷和他儿子的功劳，他们把高应楷父子俩的声名传播得很远很远。 阳泉镇的乡亲父老在得知高应楷在尼郎镇大唱关索戏的消息之后，派人来教训高应楷，说：“关索戏是能随便乱唱的吗？你把关索戏带到尼郎镇来糟蹋，乱招徒弟，胆大妄为，破坏了世代相传的老规矩。从今天起，尼郎镇不得再唱我们的关索戏。否则，我们阳泉镇的乡亲父老要来打掉你的牙齿，撕破你的嘴巴。”对此，高应楷妥协地说：“其他人可以不唱，但我们父子俩总可以唱吧？”那位来者说：“可以，但你的姓名只能叫龚自亮，不得叫高应楷。而且你儿子也只能姓龚。” 高石美看见父亲低下了头。