Chapter 24 Graveyard

Fearing that they would encounter Qing soldiers immediately on the road, the group of them continued to hide in the reeds for a long time. They did not dare to set off until they estimated that the danger had passed. However, they did not dare to go back the same way. Detour back between the mountains and fields.In this way, the wrong road has really gone a lot.As a result, when they braved the rain and arrived at Jalan Mountain exhausted, it was already midnight. Although Mao Xiang was exhausted physically and mentally at the moment of panic in the reeds, and all thoughts were lost, he felt that it seemed unnecessary to even come back, but once he was on the road, he couldn't help becoming anxious, especially when he hadn't expected the road ahead. It made him regretful and irritated that he had been delayed so long.Therefore, when he finally set foot on the familiar mountain road, passed through the bamboo forest, and was about to enter the cemetery, Maoxiang sat on the bamboo pole, but his restless heart had already flown into the house. "Ah, how are they doing now? Are father and mother okay? The Qing soldiers haven't come yet, have they? Well, why don't you light the lamp? Is it because I'm afraid of provoking outsiders, or—oh, God bless, everything is safe!" He gripped the handrail tightly, staring intently at the dark cemetery, thinking anxiously.

"Master, we're here!" A pretentious voice sounded from the side. Mao Xiang was startled for a moment, only then did he realize that the bamboo pole had stopped.He hurried down.Until now, there was not a single night watchman in the cemetery to respond, which made him somewhat puzzled, but he had no intention to think about it.He tossed off the bamboo hat, took three steps at a time, and quickly walked to the upper room where his parents stayed. The door to the upper room was ajar.There was no light and no sound inside. "Well, could it be that he fell asleep?" Mao Xiang thought, gently pushed the door open, and found that the living room was dark, and only the outlines of a few tables and chairs could be vaguely seen.Whether it is the bedroom of the parents in the east or the bedroom of the maidservant in the west, they are all hidden in darkness.He hesitated for a moment, then stepped across the threshold, walked eastward, and called softly:

"Father, mother, the child is back!" Called twice, but no answer.He began to feel that something was wrong, so he raised his voice: "Father! Mother!" He called and walked in.The windows inside were probably all boarded up and shut, adding to the darkness.Maoxiang was busy in his heart, he couldn't wait to find the fire, so he stretched out his hands and touched the bed.But even touched a few directions, but failed to get it right, and there was still no response in the room.He was even more frightened, and was about to turn around and touch again, when he accidentally tripped over something under his feet, and staggered and fell straight down.At this time, he no longer doubted that something must have happened. He quickly got up and yelled loudly, "It's a mistake! It's a mistake!"

"Hey, here we come! Here we come!" As the light flashed, Mao Cheng rushed in with a torch. "You bastard, where's the master and wife? Where did you go?" Mao Xiang stared and asked sharply.Thanks to the light, I can now see more clearly: the room is a bit messy, several boxes are open, and the contents inside have obviously been turned over; What is surprising is that Mao Qizong and his wife Ma Shi have indeed disappeared. "Are you deaf? Let me ask you! Where are you, Master and Madam?" Because the servant did not answer with his eyes wide open, and because the knee was so painful from the fall just now, Mao Xiang asked frantically again, but He forgot that the other party was actually the same as himself, and had just returned here.

"Ah, ah, master, master..." Before pretending to be "ah", there was another burst of fire and footsteps outside, and the other two servants rushed in with panicked faces, and said nervously: "Master, it's not good, they, the people here , all, all are gone!" "What? They're all gone! This, how could this happen?" Mao Xiang asked palely, and subconsciously stopped rubbing his knees.Seeing that the servants were stupefied and no one could answer, he suddenly pushed Mao Cheng away and limped out. "So, the Tartars must have been here! That's for sure, otherwise... But where did they go? No dead people were seen here, so they got wind of it beforehand and fled? Yes, they must have It’s because I couldn’t wait until I came back, so I had to run away first! But, it’s not that no one waiting is left behind, at least, Xiaowan shouldn’t have left without waiting for me to come back! But she even left me behind It’s really unreasonable! Now tell me where to find them!” Mao Xiang endured the pain, hurriedly inspected one empty room after another, and gradually became frustrated, and his anger rose, "...well, but , But could it have been taken captive by the Tartars?" As soon as this thought flashed through him, he was stunned as if he had been slapped on the head.Indeed, this is not impossible. A while ago, the Qing soldiers went out to suppress and loot everywhere, and how many villages suffered. I have seen it with my own eyes, so there is no guarantee that they will not come here as well.So, what happened to the father, mother, wife, child, baby brother, um, and Xiao Wan?Are you being beaten, killed, or humiliated?Whether they are still alive, or already... Thinking that they may no longer be alive, Mao Xiang's heart feels as if it has been taken off all at once, and the blood in his whole body froze immediately.He stared wide-eyed and stood there blankly, various horror scenes of blood and death began to overlap in front of his eyes.Suddenly, his chest rose and fell sharply, he jumped out of the corridor, opened his throat towards the rainy night sky, and yelled wildly in a crying voice:

"Father! Mother! Father! Mother! Where are you two elders? Where are you!" He stretched out his arms and yelled and yelled as hard as he could, turning his body in all directions.However, in the boundless darkness permeating the world, the mournful and heart-piercing voice seemed so lonely and weak, almost without any echo, it disappeared into the vast rain... Finally, Mao Xiang was completely desperate .He stopped shouting, only to feel the hot tears keep coming.He staggered a few steps, put his head in his hands, and knelt down on the muddy floor in despair and powerlessness. "Here, here, we are here!" A strange voice came suddenly.

Mao Xiang jumped up suddenly in astonishment, and followed the prestige.Through the dim light of the sky, he vaguely saw: in the grass in the distance, a group of people suddenly stood up; then, from the shadow of the bamboo bushes farther away, another group came... These were scattered in the cemetery The shadows in the village appeared so suddenly and unexpectedly, and it was also in the dark night of the wind and rain, that for a moment, Mao Xiang just stared blankly, almost unable to tell whether they were the ghosts of the living or the dead. However, Mao Cheng and the others beside him were already cheering loudly.He also finally recognized: those are real living people!It was his father, mother, younger brother, wife and children, as well as Dong Xiaowan and the male and female servants. Although they were all soaked by the rain, they were all there. The Qing soldiers took him away... It was at this moment that Mao Xiang's panic, which was almost scattered due to extreme terror, returned to his cavity again.Finally, he let out a long breath, looked at the family members approaching one after another, and bit his lip silently...

After half a day, the family returned to the house, lit the lamps, boiled water, changed clothes, and settled down.After experiencing this false alarm, each other inevitably asked about their respective situations after parting.From his father's mouth, Mao Xiang knew that a lot of things happened in the cemetery in the half day after he left.First, Zhang Weichi sent someone to send an urgent letter, informing that Ganpu Town would soon be occupied by the Qing army, and that he had already fled, and told Maoxiang not to go again.But at that time, Maoxiang was already on the road, and his family members were very anxious, so they immediately sent people to chase him. They didn't know whether Maoxiang and the others were going too fast, or they were chasing in the wrong direction, or they didn't pursue him.Zhang Weichi's letter also said that now that the Qing soldiers are roaming around, they may also transfer to Jashan.He told the Mao family to be prepared and be careful; he also said that the Qing soldiers came from the direction of the sea, and if they wanted to escape, they could only go northeast, and it would be safer to flee to the Qinshan area.He also intends to flee there. If the Mao Xiang family also decides to go, they may meet up at that time.After Zhang Weichi's messenger left, the family was very anxious because they were worried about Maoxiang, and they were afraid that he would not be found if he came back, so they dared not leave.However, the surrounding wind gradually became tense. At first, it was the farmers guarding the cemetery who reported that the Tartar soldiers were approaching; If they dared to stay, they flew away, making their family panic and nervous. They wanted to flee immediately, but Maoxiang disappeared after a long time.In the end, I had no choice but to take my luggage and hide in the cemetery for the time being, in case of accidents...

"Fortunately, you're finally back!" Mao Qizong said with a tired expression, "Everything has been packed, and we can go on the road immediately. It's already late now, and the Tartars don't expect to come again, so we can leave tomorrow morning. But There is such a mess all around, we have to beware of local thieves taking advantage of the night to rob us!" Mao Xiang kept his head down slightly, listening attentively.Now that his family is safe and sound, his mood has somewhat settled down.After listening to his father's instructions, he responded humbly: "Yes!" Then he said with concern: "Then, please father and mother rest first. The child will go to take precautions, and come to the house at dawn." Please go, two adults." After Mao Qizong stood up and was supported by the maids into the dormitory, he also left the upper room and hurried out.

The air-cooled cemetery was dark.After the false alarm just now, it is now the middle of the night.The rain that had been raining all day seemed to have finally stopped; but the moon was still hiding behind the thick clouds, refusing to show its face.At the foot of the house and in the grass, those unknown autumn insects probably sensed that the sky would clear up, and began to sing hesitantly and intermittently.From a distance——from the pond behind the bamboo forest, a group of frogs called "Boom, Boom, Boom"... After his eyes got used to the darkness, Mao Xiang found that under the eaves of the verandah area, there were many people standing or sitting crowded together, buzzing and talking, in the dimness, sometimes the flashes of eyes could be seen blinking.Mao Xiang knew that they were his servants, because he didn't get the master's order, and he didn't know if he was going to flee here soon, so he kept waiting.He remembered his father's instructions, so he stopped, called Mao Cheng and other deacons over, and ordered them to send people to patrol around the cemetery in shifts to prevent bad people from entering; the rest immediately rested, But they are only allowed to lie down with their clothes on, and they are not allowed to unpack their luggage. After the fourth watch, they all have to get up and prepare to set off on the road.After finishing the arrangement, he went back to the east ear room. Although he was very tired, and Dong Xiaowan had spread out the pillow mat again, he didn't dare to be careless. Like everyone else, he didn't take off his clothes, just kicked off his shoes, and lay down .

Because of something on his mind, he didn't fall asleep for a while, and finally got a little dazed when he heard a dog barking "Wow, woof" outside. "Well, it's so late, who will come?" He thought in a daze, struggling, suddenly woke up, turned over and sat up, and heard the sound of chaotic footsteps coming outside the door. "Uncle, Uncle, Zhang Xianggong! Zhang Xianggong is here!" An excited voice reported. Mao Xiang's heart moved: "What? Zhang...Could it be Zhang Luofu?" He didn't have time to think, he quickly put on his shoes, ran over, and opened the door.The light of the lantern came through immediately.Under the dim light and shadow, Zhang Weichi's familiar smiling face really came into view! "Oh, you, why are you here?" Mao Xiang stepped out of the door, grabbed the other's arm with both hands, and asked in surprise. "Brother, I don't worry about brother!" Zhang Weichi said with a smile. "But, it's so late—hey, good, good! Brother came just in time!" Mao Xiang said again and again, looking at the old friend's face that looked exhausted due to the long journey, he felt his eyes warm and tears followed. surged up.Indeed, as foreigners living in different places, they can be said to live in a remote place and have no relatives in this area. Especially after the fall of Haining and the Qing army's eastward advance, their family's situation has become more dangerous than ever. There may be a fatal disaster imminent at any moment.Although Maoxiang tried his best to keep calm in front of his family, he was actually very nervous and frightened inside.In particular, there are parents, a weak wife and a young child, and a newborn brother, all of which must be taken care of by him alone, which makes Maoxiang often feel isolated and exhausted.Now Zhang Weichi's sudden arrival, to him, is really no different from a person struggling in the mud, suddenly seeing a powerful arm stretching from the shore.And when he thought of the dangers Zhang Weichi took to come here at such a moment, and the hardships he experienced along the way, Mao Xiang's heart became even hotter and he was deeply moved.Since this kind of gratitude cannot be expressed in words, he had no choice but to stop talking, only holding Zhang Weichi's hand tightly, and leading his friend into a nearby room. This is a room for living, but in order to escape, all the daily necessities have been put away, only a table and a few chairs are left.Maoxiang asked that there was still hot water and food in the kitchen, so he ordered them to be delivered immediately; then, regardless of the rules that he should retreat and wait, he asked the guests to wash their faces and eat, while chatting eagerly.Because of his nervousness, Mao Xiang didn't have the time to inquire about the situation of Haining's fall in detail, and the topic soon focused on this escape.According to Zhang Weichi's introduction: Hangzhou, Haining in the west, and the area around Haiyan have all fallen into the hands of the Qing soldiers. If they want to escape, they can only flee to the east.With a large group of people like Maojia with a lot of luggage, it is naturally safer and more convenient to go by water.However, there is no direct waterway near Jalan Mountain, so tomorrow we still have to go overland to Niuqiaoyu.He has already prepared a ship to meet him there.However, from here to Niuqiao, one must cross the main road leading to Ganpu, where the Qing soldiers are most likely to be encountered, and it is also the most dangerous location. "Brother, I'm afraid I don't know what's going on on the road, so I'm going carelessly. If I bump into you head-on, it will be broken!" Zhang Weichi, who had already washed his face, dipped his swollen feet into the steaming water basin , picked up the bowl and chopsticks, and said, "So after much deliberation, I couldn't rest assured, so I decided to come here temporarily. Fortunately, brother and others have not left yet, and finally the gods blessed me, and my brother did not make this trip in vain!" While Zhang Weichi was speaking, Mao Xiang was listening silently.As the initial period of excitement gradually passed, and because of Zhang Weichi's arrival, he suddenly felt that he had a sense of support. He was no longer as nervous as before. On the contrary, the suppressed feeling of exhaustion disappeared at this moment. become stronger than ever.He listened to his friend's narration dullly, even indifferently, and a bored voice echoed louder and louder in his heart: "It's rushing, avoiding, and guarding again, but I've had enough! I don't want to talk endlessly like this It's dragging on! Let's end it quickly, yes!" Therefore, Zhang Weichi had finished speaking, and the room was silent for a long time, but he still didn't say a word. "Then, brother intends to..." "If you don't run away and stay, will it work?" Mao Xiang stared at the lamp flame on the table and asked hoarsely. "Brother, you mean - not to escape?" Zhang Weichi was obviously taken aback, he stopped chewing, turned his face, and his small eyes opened round. "Yes, it's too difficult in such a big family with only my younger brother!" "But……" "No!" Maoxiang turned his head abruptly, and interrupted roughly, "I really can't hold on anymore! I'm afraid that if you escape out, if it doesn't work out, it will be worse, so you might as well stay here, maybe you can survive!" Zhang Weichi looked at his friend deeply, as if he understood Mao Xiang's distress.He put the bowls and chopsticks back on the table, was silent for a moment, and finally replied slowly: "It's fine if you don't escape. I just want to survive, but there is one thing—" "what?" "Shave your hair off!" "This……" "You have to shave your hair off!" Zhang Weichi emphasized, "Wherever the Tartars came here, they raped and plundered, not to mention raped and plundered. They even forced everyone to shave their heads. Anyone who disobeyed will be killed immediately." If you see someone who doesn't shave their hair, they will be killed immediately if they disagree with each other. Unless you have shaved your hair beforehand, he will think you have surrendered, and his subordinates will be more merciful." Mao Xiang opened his eyes and tried to argue at first.But after opening his mouth a few times, he found that if he decided not to leave and wanted to survive, he really had no choice but to follow what the other party pointed out... Gradually, the light of hope in his eyes came back again. In the dimness, the five fingers were clenched into fists.Finally, he slapped the armrest of the chair vigorously, and lowered his head in frustration...