Chapter 13 -4

When these things happen, anyone who is concerned about this matter and wants to see the results can go to that side to have a look.Even if a person stands at a higher and farther place, he will be calm and calm, looking at those shining sharp knives, chopping and chopping, and the long poles, slanting back and forth.For strategic reasons, the two sometimes ran after each other and resolved everything in silence. They all had their own rules and would never do any harm to those around them.These people's blood is extremely hot at this time, but their minds are still very clear.As usual, those present also had guarantees for the boss. They recognized this method and allowed this kind of atmosphere, so that the local people believed that disputes outside the law could only be resolved by the light of the sword. This kind of settlement Since it is just, it should be approved by God.

As usual, the war should be over when one man falls.At that time, when a leader or a person with a certain status of this kind saw a person who had fallen and lost the ability to defend himself, he yelled loudly to stop the incident, and everyone used their voices to stop it. Aid to the injured: "Tigers and leopards will not eat those who are shot down, and heroes will not beat injured tigers and leopards!" According to the style of ××, attacking a wounded thing should be a shame for oneself, so everything is taken care of. While shouting, everyone immediately surrounded and rescued the injured person, the victorious one. At this time, without saying a word, they slowly and calmly wiped the blood from the knife on the sole of the straw sandals, or dropped the knife , Went to the field to wash the blood on his hands.The owner of the tavern sells these people the strongest shochu in normal seasons, and gives them the best medicine at this time.He has all the medicines and wines that are suitable for use, and most of them are made according to the ancient recipe during the Dragon Boat Festival. They are usually put in small magnetic bottles and hung on the wall of the tavern, ready to be used at any time.A person who was wounded by a knife needs medicine powder on the wound, while another person needs a little drink to suppress the shock!The proprietor of the tavern appeared to be very caring and generous in this matter, never asking for a penny from anyone.

Later, the wounded left, and the owner of the tavern was fine, so he brought the knife back and hung it up. While scooping wine from the big *# for the customer, he talked to the customer about the pros and cons of using his knife. Objective and selfless criticism, judging from his comfortable attitude, he does not forget every war in which his two knives have been used, but he is not very happy to notice the pain of those people. After this strange custom was seen by people in the city, he learned everything from the tavern.When I went back to the castle for dinner, I saw the boss of the XX castle, and told the boss that in the opinion of the people in the city, excessive bloodshed is a dangerous thing, and there should be a way. be judged.

"Teacher, I was very negligent. I forgot to tell you about this matter, but you discovered it first." The master explained the reason for the preservation of the custom to his friend. "First thing, you should think that the enthusiastic boss is a perfectly good man, because he doesn't take advantage of it; and second, you should admit that the fight was very lawful, because there was no trickery in it.  … Yes , yes, you will say: Since the local gods of XX are fair, why not let the gods deal with it? I can tell you that they can’t just because there is a god, there is no reason for bloodshed. The god of XX can preside over everything , but if there is a dispute, the law cannot be equal. To entrust this judgment to God and swear before God requires a rooster, and a test of justice requires a pot of hot oil. Many of these people quarrel just for a little reputation, and some quarrel The value is not much more than a chicken or a pot of oil. Teacher, think about it, is there any better way to resolve the anger of the two parties besides being so fair? According to a hunter, or a single worker, and a In terms of pure and straightforward Hmong masculinity, their behavior is quite right."

The city man said: "When I first saw this thing, I couldn't hide my surprise." "Of course, sir. But it is inevitable, and I have already said the necessity." The city people showed a little bit of urban air for the two prepared weapons. The master saw his friend had a weakness that could be ridiculed, so he showed a little pity during the conversation.The city man understands this, but he does not take it as an insult, because he does not deny this habit.He said: "If we want to know a little of the inherent nobility and bravery of this nation that has disappeared, this custom has its own value."

"Teacher, I agree with you. This is a duel! This is a very beautiful custom that is similar to all primitive civilizations in China. It is about to be wiped out! The city replaced it with framed and murdered." , so European civilization has gradually lost this kind of honest duel." "Sir, I can't completely agree with you. Are murder and frame-up a new invention? Absolutely not. Murder and frame-up in China are popular among those with status, and developed as early as other aspects of Chinese civilization. Yes, all history is full of such records. Also, if we are not lacking in interest in this matter, this matter... oh, oh, I remembered, the poison in the ×× place, everything about None of the records in the border areas neglect this point, sir, can you allow me to know some details from your side?"

"About this matter, I don't know what words should I use to answer you, because I have lived here for fifty years, and I have never seen such a monster whose profession is poison. From some travelers and the footprints that have not yet passed I have read many absurd accounts in the various records of the troublemakers in XX. Those records that seem to have been witnessed are really ridiculous. But I have to say: there are a lot of poisonous insects and weeds here. Those things that the hunters put on the bamboo arrows of the small crossbows need poison to shoot down the tigers, and those grasses that grow by the roadside can kill people or live people.But these natural poisons are by no means prepared for entertaining distant guests! "

"One of my friends once said that this unreliable legend should be traced back to the rumor of 'anti-framing' in history. Jiang Chong used this method to make an emperor kill a prince. For a while, there may have been bloody incidents of many ethnic groups." "Teacher, I think your friend's opinion is very correct, and I admire it very much. But we are neither historical experts, so we can't get results from this.I believe in the real existence of Gu poison, but it is another kind of delusion, which is unacceptable and hopeless.Because as far as I know, the arms and voices of girls in the border areas are a deadly poison to a young man from a foreign country. "

"Sir, all the water has to flow into the sea, and our problem has turned to this again. I don't want to hide anything from you. I actually encountered a strange thing the day before yesterday." The people in the city said As his friend, speaking of what he saw and heard in the chestnut forest, what position did that woman occupy in his impression.He thought it was extremely strange, not because of the woman's beauty, but because of the woman's intelligence.Due to the influence of the woman, he himself seemed to be much wiser at that time, which he could not understand.

He said it so frankly that the master of the castle couldn't help his happy smile afterward. At that time, the two of them were standing under a sycamore tree in the courtyard. They had just finished dinner and looked up at the sky together.The sun hides in the west, the moon rises at the beginning of the month, and the sky is blue and blue.A little while ago, the hawks and sparrows who lived in the woods behind the castle, in order to attract their late companions, relied on a kind of instinctive flocking, and each used their bodies as mobile dots in the sky above Wangshan Castle. , gathered countless feathered birds, and drew a huge circle, which pushed in all directions, and finally disappeared into the woods.

Instead of the dense flowing black dots, there are pale stars sticking to the outer space.The master asked his friend if he was still interested in going outside the fort together. Soon they left the castle, descended the slope, and reached the main road at the corner of Pingtian. The ensemble of insects is beginning to be played in Hirata far and near, milky white mist floats everywhere, there are people resting on the grass, and there is a sweet fragrance in the air.On Changban, passing through Daling in the outskirts, there were businessmen who had returned late from the mine and drove across Daling by moonlight, and the sound of copper bells under their horses' collars was very clear.There was a ball of fire at the end of Pingtian, and human voices could still be faintly heard under the fire.The large border ridge is like a long snake, its back is extremely black, and the foot of the ridge is silver-gray inlaid with mist.Looking back, look at the castle, the moonlight has changed the color of the castle, one side is peach gray, the other side is dark purple, behind is a black forest, setting off the huge outline of the castle, increasing its mysterious meaning, as in A realm that can only be encountered in a dream or in other worlds. one Everything proves that the dusk here also has the characteristics of dusk.People in the city place their bodies in this place, just as they put their souls in a piece of music at another time. Everything is extremely clear and yet extremely blurred, and everything seems to exist as if it does not exist. A slight sigh.Isn't this precisely the weakness of urban people?The Master has noticed his friend. "Teacher, look, this kind of weather should mean something to us!" "From the point of view of a city, if we pretend to be smart, we should write poetry; if we are really smart, we should keep silent." "Yes, yes, sir. You remember what I said last time, and you agree with my interpretation. In this case, words are dross of dross. Silence of the mouth is necessary in this case, just as For the mouth is silent, the heart can cheer. (He glances at the moonlight.) But it's a little early, wait a minute, you'll hear those young throats uttering thanks for the good night and love for it.If we can sit on the grass a little ahead, we might as well hear the second or third watch.Where these songs stop, there are shining eyes, soft arms, and a heart that is as soft as the night.We should also walk around, because we can stop at the most melodious bird among all kinds of bird sounds. " "I lay down on the fresh and fragrant straw and watched the shooting stars thrown from all corners of the sky. I once had that once in my dream." "Teacher, happiness is twins, you might as well review your old dreams." The two of them rested on a large grass plot in the flat field and lay down on their backs. The deep blue and quiet sky is inlaid with some rare pale stars, covering the head as beautiful and gentle as an embroidered quilt, the moonlight and the place are in harmony with the darkness, like a pattern made by a skilled craftsman.Beside the ensemble of weed killers and insects, I can only hear insects flapping their wings in the night air, as if there are countless spirits with tiny wings coming and going. The person in the city said: "Master, restore your XX style, use your gorgeous language, and give a beautiful picture for the legend in this scenery." The master of the fort told his friends some songs that XX people often sang under the moonlight, and the legend about the origin of this song.That kind of narration is worth listening to. The narration itself is a poem at the same time, and people in the city seem to forget the past of time. If the conversation had not been cut off by the happy and healthy singing of a man in the distance, the two of them would not have been in a hurry to end the conversation. I don't ask how long the Wuchao River is, I don't ask how much light the fireflies can put out. If you want to go, don't ride a shooting star, You have the heat and you are always the sun. Don't ask me where I'm going to fly, All the hawks and sparrows in the sky have their own nests. Even when the sun comes, it should go back behind the mountain, You just ask the moon "Will you come tomorrow night?" This song is just a piece of immeasurable and qualityless thing sliding in the moonlight. After the explanation of the master of the castle, people in the city understand that it is a song sung duet at dusk when men and women part ways, and only then do they understand the meaning of the lyrics.After the master waited for the singing to stop, he said: "Teacher, pay attention to the word 'some' at the end of this song. It was sung by the servant who followed the witch everywhere. The lyrics are still clear after thirty years. picturesque! This is the last sound of "Chu Ci", which is enough for those specialized researchers to discuss.This kind of song is a little tonic for the men and women of the ×× farm, because it can make people forget about excessive fatigue. " People in the city said that because of the narration of the general, the listeners really forgot to be tired. Let’s say he understands a truth, that is, from those urban people who eat meat and drink alcohol, they can only speak vulgar and vulgar words, and from those who eat brown rice all day long, they can hear lingering and elegant singing voices. His disposition made him heartbroken for God. After they left the grassland, they walked through the chestnut forest where people in the city came alone last time, went up the Changlong, and walked slowly on the Longjiping Road, looking around, the earth seemed to be resting, a big and The fast-flying fireflies flew over the heads of the two of them, and the people in the city said: "This night traveler with a lamp looks so in a hurry." The master said: "It's just a firefly on an errand. Look at the other side, on the side of the ferns and gardenias, aren't there many small torches that are just as leisurely as we are? They don't seem to be Shining light to light their own way, they are only to guide the spirits in their procession." Talking and laughing like that, the two of them walked the entire length of the Long Long, and if they go further, they should go to the forest behind the castle.The man in the city was worried about encountering a big snake under those big trees, so he asked his friend to go back to the original road.In front of the chestnut forest, they heard the sound of reed pipe music in the flat field, and the two walked slowly towards the sound. When they got close, they saw a farmer in white clothes under the moonlight. Lying on his back on a patch of grass, he happily blew on his pipe made of two reed branches. The two of them did not want to disturb the happy man or spoil his interest, so they stood silently under the moonlight, I have been listening for a long time. The dew in the moonlight moistened everything, and the sound of the reed pipe, after midnight, seemed to be wetted by the dew under the moonlight, flying away in all directions, and it was also slightly heavier. 10. Reappearance of God The visitor from the city, lying under the linen tent with a thin quilt that smelled of hay, thought about his current status, and felt that it was an adventure to come to this strange place.People's lives and concepts are different from metropolises, but they are closer to nature.Everything is poetry, everything is picturesque, everything stands out, and yet how utterly absurd it seems!Is there really a god who made all of this, or a group of people here made a god?The location itself is neither heaven nor hell, but rather an abstract realm.When we face a certain kind of music, it is often as if we feel the existence of the entity from abstraction, combining excitement, joy, and a little melancholy to form an invisible rocking chair. Emotions or souls seem to be swinging on this invisible chair.At present, it has turned from reality to blur.Everything is not a dream, only in this way, the result is just the same blur as a dream. The brand-new sensory experience seems to be inspiring and educating him.He was thinking this way and that in a daze: ... who sent the matter?If I really came to this weird place and fell in love with a girl, should I stay here and enjoy the absurd passion and listen to this son of God ruling my life, or take her away and take her to the place where wealth, power, and the city Manners, morals, tailors, barbers, go to the distorted world, abuse the body and soul of this semi-primitive creature? He couldn't help laughing, because this imaginative walk seemed to take a long way, and he had to turn back a little.A ray of sunlight reflected on the wooden slatted panes.In the distance, someone was shaking a pulley with water, and the sound was like a singer singing solo, or a woman calling someone.Dew is dripping from the leaf tips of the big bamboo in front of the window.His attention shifted to these facts that he saw and heard.Knowing that it was getting late, he should get up. He sized it up and then went to the mine to have a look, and went there alone to talk to several manufacturers and ask about the situation in the mining area before the accident.He wanted to "go down to earth" and did not refuse to "go up to heaven".Because he guessed that the girl he was talking to in the chestnut forest should live near the mining area, and if he accidentally met that girl again, he would like to know a little more about her life experience.This longing is not so much love as curiosity.The character of a scientist is in excavation and discovery, and the process from excavation to discovery contains the meaning of value.He seemed to forgive himself, thinking that this kind of soul-digging of a creature was a little innocent selfishness. After getting up, a young man with a red face brought him a bucket of warm water and waited for him to wash his face.When he arrived, he brought breakfast and invited him to eat.No master.After asking the young man, I learned that Tianmao Mao Mao had already set off at dawn, and had gone to work across Changling, and he would not be back until noon.When visitors from the city saw the young man who was waiting on him, he was optimistic and happy to talk, so he chatted with the young man.Ask him what is the most interesting thing in the country, and what he knows.The lad just laughed.When he had to speak, he said that he could sing some songs to seduce women, and he could also pretend to catch bobcats and farting weasels. He has been to the city twice, and he has also seen a play in the city, playing Wu Song Fighting the Tiger.He also said that there are operas in the countryside in February and March. Sometimes people are invited to sing from afar, and sometimes the locals themselves play the role. The horse was the yellow puma.There are also dramas when fulfilling wishes in the twelfth winter and the twelfth lunar month. The wizard sings and everyone harmonizes, often singing all night long, and only resting before dawn.They slaughtered pigs and sheep, boiled the mutton in an open-air cauldron, and at the end everyone cut the meat and dipped it in salt water to serve wine, ate up the meat, and gave the head and tail of the sheep to the wizard. ... The visitors from the city were very pleased with this new companion, and asked him if he could accompany him to the mine.The young man said that the master originally wanted him to accompany the guests. When the two of them passed the mine, they took a detour around the mountain road behind the fort.Turning around in the pine forest, there are little furry rabbits scurrying everywhere.The long-tailed pheasants of the valley called in the forest.The woods are as fresh as freshly washed. The young man walked all the way to express his opinions on grass, trees and personnel, and sang with puns to the guests in the city. One song seemed to have the effect of two songs. The young man happily told the guest that he will be fifteen years old this year, and it will take five years before he can ask for a wife.The daughter-in-law has already made up her mind, she is the daughter of the black-faced farmer who pretends to be Yu Chigong in the village.The girl is also fifteen years old this year. Among the fifty-six girls in the village, she is the only one with black braids, bright eyes, the fastest weaving linen, and the softest singing voice.When he got married, the master of the castle would give him a female cattle, four piglets, and a set of farming tools so that he could start his own business.Because he has no father or mother, Yu Chigong wanted him to find a wife, but he would not do it.He also wants to open an oil workshop in the future.Opening oil workshops is a big business in the countryside, just like people in the city are determined to be governors and soldiers, so when I talked about it, I laughed when I said it, and I laughed when I heard it. People in the city say, "Everything will be done if you put your heart into it." The young man said, "One is wood and the other is bamboo. If you have a heart, he doesn't. It's not easy to do well." "Don't talk about bamboo, can't bamboo be used as a flute?" "You don't know what kind of person Yuchi Gong is." At the foot of the mountain, a little shepherd boy sang on the back of a big black water bull with a lazy voice.The young man teased the shepherd boy and sang: You don’t sing as many songs as I do. I have three cows’ hair in total. I sang for three years and six months. (How much?) I just sang my white buffalo with one ear! The little shepherd boy knew the young man, so he roared and made fun of him, saying, "You are a yellow horse, not a white-haired cow." The young man happily replied, "I am not a white-haired ox. In three years I will show you my water-gun ox. I will not allow you to eat cow dung, and the ox will not eat plums." The little shepherd boy smiled and said, "Go into the city with a short pole, and you leave yourself alone." Roaring at the cow, he walked down to the paddy field. A visitor from the city asked, "What does it mean not to allow cattle to eat plums?" The lad just laughed.After a while, he said, "The Taishang Laojun's surname is Li, and there is no reason in the world for a cow to eat the master's son." When I arrived at the small street at the foot of the mine, I saw many women sitting in front of the door beating stones and sand, and there was the sound of nails and nails everywhere.And there are miners pulling bellows on the street and burning hardened steel drill bits. (These drill bits have to be burnt once a day as a rule.) Some people have been chopping wood to build a new house on the burned vacant land, and it has been completed in a few days.Everything seems to have a kind of vitality, but at the same time, it seems that the people in the city can't help feeling a little bit emotional.Because cinnabar mercury has been transferred from the hands of soldiers two thousand years ago to the hands of modern scientists. It prolongs life and wards off evil spirits. The living conditions are completely similar to those of the workers two thousand years ago. Have seen the mines, the weather is fine.The guests in the city thought that the master would not come back for a while, so they might as well go around.I asked the young man who was accompanying me if there were any places nearby, such as a big temple or a big cave, and I could take him to see them.The young man said that he had visited several temples in this place, and there were only a few stone temples on the mountain, but the distance was far, and it took more than half a day to go back and forth.The best way to go is to ride a horse. There are quite a few caves, and the bigger and more interesting ones are also on the ridge. It takes more than ten miles to go back and forth, and you have to ride a horse.There may be leopards in the caves, because these caves on the mountain are usually inhabited by people or wild animals, so it is convenient to bring a gun when you go. The young man thought for a while, and asked the guests in the city if they would like to see the well.The well is at the west end of the mine, and the water gushes out from the sand on the flat ground. It is not frozen or dry all the year round, which is very interesting.So they went to the spring to see the well. When the two arrived at the well, they realized that there were three square wells built with red stones in succession, each of which was bigger than the other.Transparent water flows upwards from the white sand and flows out to form a stream. (This stream is the stream that surrounds Zongye’s Fortress!) Seven or eight large wooden barrels were placed beside the well, covered with straw mats, and an old man kept pouring water into the barrels. Because of the excellent water quality, bean sprouts grow particularly fat and tender.Both sides of the stream bank and well rails are also built with strips of local red stone.There are more than a dozen large willow trees near the water, the leaves are yellow, and the narrow leaves fall all over the stream, like countless small fish floating in the sun.Squatting under the willow tree were more than a dozen young women, wearing blue silk handkerchiefs and big silver earrings, chatting and laughing while washing and washing vegetables.Everything is not bad. Some of the women had seen him on the small streets of the mining area a few days ago, and knowing that he was a "committee" from the city, they talked softly to each other and looked at the visitor with dark eyes.But he has an ulterior motive, trying to pick out a gem among several gems.A few young women seemed to know what was on his mind, seeing his eyes searching for the kind person among the crowd, but they didn't see him, they whispered to each other.The guests in the city saw that the situation was not right, and thought, this is not going to work, I am alone, but there is a large group opposite, talking or singing, I am not an opponent, it is better to leave early.As soon as he left the well, several very young women began to sing.After hearing the singing, the young man couldn't help laughing, "What are they singing?" "They sing very well. There are many willows and thrushes by the well." The guests in the city asked the young man to explain, but he reasoned that he did not understand what song was being sung. The song of the woman by the well turned out to be the love song from the local legend that the master of the castle had told him not long ago.The lyrics of the song are--a bird raised in a cage can't fly far away, but a person who grows up at home is not easy to find. If I have a man who gives love to women, Even in the middle of the night, he had to knock on her door. The guests in the city knew that the song meant to make fun of him, so they asked the young man to sing a song to answer them.The young man refused to speak, because he knew that there were too many people talking, and two fists were no match for four hands, so it was better to walk.But another song was sung over there, which was meant to make fun of the young man.The young man's throat was itchy, so he went to sit under a big camphor tree, and sang a song: The bean sprouts at the source of the water are white and abundant, and they are all watered by the well water, and they will become thin when they are heated. Looking at the appearance, it looks better than all the dishes. Although what he said was bean sprouts, the meaning was satirizing women.The woman's answer was still an old song, and the arrow was aimed at the young man. Little crow following Phoenix, come up, come up, let me ask you whether this matter is right or wrong. You can't forget other people's things, you can't forget, Where is your own woman? The young man smiled and said, "She laughed at me, let's do it again." Then he sang another one, comparing the woman to a thrush, who can only sing under the willow tree, and when winter comes, she can do nothing up.After listening to it, the woman answered another one, still citing the legendary old song. The young man knew from the end that there was a "Master Song" here, so he didn't dare to continue speaking, and said to the guests in the city, "A good man doesn't suffer from immediate losses, I can't beat them." So the two walked towards the fort, and when they turned over the hill, the singing by the water spring was still in their ears.The two sat under a coniferous pine tree and listened to a song. The words were not clear, but the tone was very beautiful.The guests in the city thought to themselves, "How can this kind of swearing and laughing make people angry?" I also asked the boy why he ran away and did not dare to sing back, and then he learned that there is a habit in this place. Every year, whoever is the best at singing and quoting old songs can be called the master of singing.He recognized that the voice he sang earlier was the voice of Master Song this year, so he surrendered willingly.In the end, he smiled and said, "You have to use a big chicken coop to cover the fish, and you have to ask Master Song to sing. If you don't go, you can't do it!" In the Rotary Fort, the two climbed up the watchtower and played for a while, talking about the genre of local singing. Only then did the guests in the city know from the young man that there are three commonly used songs here, one is seven-character four-sentence head or five-sentence one-turn The children on the head, watching cattle, chopping firewood, and cutting pigweed sang at will.A kind of parallel puppet with puns or quotations from old sayings and old things, it is sung to adult men and women when expressing their love.A kind of word with few words and long syllables is sung in the situation of praising God and mourning.The first requires agility, the second requires enthusiasm, and the third requires a good throat. Nearly noon, a bell ringing under the horse's collar was heard in the distance, and the young man said it was the ringing of the horse string ring of the master.The two of them went to the river under the fort to have a look, and the master really came back. As soon as the master saw his friend, he jumped off his horse and apologized. "Teacher, I'm sorry. I have something to do. I left the house early in the morning. Can't you get there?" The master said, pointing the tip of his horsewhip towards the mine, which happened to be the direction of the water source in front of the mine! When the guests in the city thought about the singing just now, they couldn't help but feel a little hot on their faces.Said to the master, "There are so many singing birds in your place!" The master understood what the friend meant, and said with a smile, "Bees have stings to make honey. God put these two things together for a purpose. But, teacher, those who have stings don't necessarily use them to sting people." , Those who eat honey will not be afraid of thorns,-don't be guilty!" "I don't mean to take any honey." "Then there is no need to feel guilty. There are antidotes for all poisons in our small place. As for the matter of a girl, it is another matter. But there is still a way. There is a snake doctor for snake bites. When singing is poisoned, singing can be used to eliminate it." The general master looked at what he said, maybe he said it was a little far away, and it didn't fit the current facts, so he said again, "Mr. A Zhuangzi went to see and fulfill his wish. I just passed by there, and the people there invited me to dinner, so I told them that they have guests and thanked them. If you are happy, I will accompany you to have a look." The guests in the city said, "I come here, except for the bloody duel on the field, I am happy to see everything!" After dinner, the two of them rode over the yellow dog, and when they arrived under the big pine tree in front of Zhuangzi, it was almost dusk.I saw a field in front of the village, which was cleaned up, and many people were arranging the scene of the worship ceremony: some people used white ash to draw the boundary of the land, making five squares and eight grids; some tied bamboo poles and erected arched bamboo gates; , the bucket is filled with grains; someone chops oil and firewood and binds a big fire.On the other hand, some people burned a large pot of boiling water in the open air, scraped off the pig wool for sacrifices, hung the packed pigs and sheep on the ladder, disemboweled them, and took out their internal organs.Everyone is busy preparing for the ceremony.A middle-aged wizard and two assistants, with red scarves wrapped around their heads, were also busy back and forth. The owner of the village is a small landlord. He wears a moon-blue home machine cloth shirt and a green Ningxia silk jacket, and is present to direct.Many children and women were talking and laughing nearby.There are people everywhere on the big straw pile nearby.In addition, several dogs squatted on the road with bare eyes and concentrated attention to watch the excitement. The preparation turned out to be a kind of soil thanking ceremony.By the time everything was arranged, it was almost time.At that time, the waka helpers invited from Zongye's fortress and the mine also changed into freshly washed trousers and coats, and came to the field.When all the fires in the arena were lit, the scene suddenly became solemn. The wizard put on a satin robe as bright as blood, put on green velvet shoes, and took a bronze sword, an ox horn, and a magical object made of variegated silk (each piece of colored silk represents a person’s name, and each piece of colored silk represents a person’s name. This son of God is the son of the adoptive father, and they all offer such a colorful silk, which is expected to prolong their lives.) The assistant beat the drum and the gold, and set off three earthen cannons, and the wizard was fully clothed on it. Calling the wind and rain to summon ghosts and music gods, the carved horns make a shrill and exciting sound, spreading across the wilderness and reaching heaven.In a slow and serious posture, kneel down and dance to the fighting altar.And use a low-pitched singing voice to match the majestic golden drum, dance and sing. At the beginning of the first stage of the performance ceremony, prepare to welcome the gods to descend from the sky, enjoy the people's wine and food on the ground, and all kinds of entertainment that the people pay respect to the gods.After about one hour, it was over.Bull horns are used as the main musical instrument in the ceremony, because the sound of the horns not only calls out to the gods, but also invites about 300 people, men, women and children from far and near villages to participate in this grand event! When the ceremony is over, the master invites the wizard to rest on the reserved seat.More and more spectators participated, and the conversation became noisy. In the darker places, there were young women's handkerchiefs, shining eyes, and clear laughter everywhere.The owner of Wang Shanbao and the visitors from the city had already handed over the horses to his attendants at that time, and they were sitting in a corner of the field, becoming honored guests, drinking the honey tea offered by the owner.Someone in the city felt that he had been led into an extremely absurd dream by his friend, so he became interested in everything at present. Judging from all the arrangements, I must know that this ceremony will become more and more interesting, so I waited with great interest. The second ritual is to welcome the gods, performed by two wizard assistants.Since the gods came to participate from all sides, the two assistants each put on a short embroidered dress, which symbolized the clouds in the sky. .On the one hand, he sang and sang to entertain the gods, and proposed various god names. (Most of them are heroes and sages in history. Every time a name is proposed, the chords in the four corners of the field must cheer with respect.) They also sang the names of various Lingshan scenic spots and praised their benefits, but in the end they thought that all the benefits were worthwhile. It is not as good as the local people's intimacy and love for God. It is more interesting to come here on a good night to enjoy the joy of people and God.Although the lyrics are not as good as "The Songs of Chu Wenya", the emotions are equally lingering.The musical instruments have been replaced with small copper cymbals and small cymbal drums, and the tone is joyful with a hint of bleakness.Slowly, the male and female gods took their positions, and the second ceremony ended after a short harmony song. After resting for a while, all kinds of candles on the altar and in the ground were on fire, and a solemn ceremony followed one after another.Sacrifice, libation, table.The great wizard and his two assistants put on gorgeous robes, held magic treasures, and danced in various poses.Like a sacrificial frame, the master lay behind the wizard, carrying a yellow watch of dignity.The field is bright as day.The audience fell silent.After arriving, the wizard took the yellow watch, sang the carols on the watch, and burned it with fire. After the ceremony in the table above is over, the rest period is longer.It's past midnight, the moon is white and the wind is clear, and the night is far away.The host ordered four strong men to bring two large vats of sweet rice wine to the field, and please everyone present to quench their thirst.After eating the sweet rice wine, everyone became more excited and energetic.Because I know that after the ritual ceremony above, there will be a scene to entertain the gods, and the ceremony will turn from solemnity to lightness, and there is no lack of humor in the lightness.The first three ceremonies were dances between choruses, but this time it should be a dramatic dialogue.It is composed of two assistants of the wizard and five peasants, old and young, performing in front of the gods.Although the meaning is to entertain the gods, the current status of the gods is just like a distinguished guest, a relative of age, who comes here to have fun with the people.Instead, the real target was transferred from God to the audience of more than three hundred people. The first part of this kind of entertainment drama is a romantic comedy. The plot is that the father-in-law and his son-in-law gamble and make an oral contract to bet on winning or losing.If the father-in-law loses, he will give a bull and a cow as a dowry when marrying his daughter; if the son-in-law loses, he will be recruited to the father-in-law's family, and he will not be allowed to marry immediately. , When the tung tree bears fruit and becomes shaded, he cut down the tree to make a boat, and then took the oil bottle to the oil boat.的坐了船顺流而下，预备到桃源洞去访仙人，求延年益寿之方。到得桃源洞时，见所有仙人都皱着双眉，大不快乐。询问是何因缘，才知道事情原来相同，仙人也因为想作女婿，给老丈人派了许多办不了的事，一搁下来就是大几千年！这表演扮女儿的不必出场，可是扮女婿的却照例是当真想作女婿，事被老丈人耽搁下来的青年男子。 第二段表演小歌剧，由预先约定的三对青年男女参加，男的异口同声唱情歌，对女子表示爱慕，致献殷勤，女的也同样逃避，拒绝，而又想方设法接近这男子，诱引男子，使男的不至于完全绝望。到后三个男子在各种不同机会下不幸都死掉了。（一个是水中救人死掉的，一个是仗义复仇死掉的，一个是因病死掉的。）女子就轮流各用种种比喻唱出心上的忏悔和爱情，解释自己种种可原谅处，希望死者重生，希望死者的爱在另外一方面重生。 第三段表演的是战争故事，把战士所有勇气都归之于神的赐予，但所谓神也就恰恰是自己。战争的对方是愚蠢，自私，和贪得，与人情相违反的贪得。结果对方当然失败灭亡。 三个插曲完毕后，巫师重新穿上大红法服，上场献牲献酒，为主人和观众向神祈福。用白米糍粑象征银子，小米糍粑象征金子，分给所有在场者。众人齐唱“金满仓，银满仓，尽地力，繁牛羊”颂祝主人。送神时，巫师亢声高唱送神曲，众人齐声相和。 歌声止了，火燎半熄，月亮已沉，冷露下降。荒草中寒蛩齐鸣，正如同在努力缀系先前一时业已消失的歌声，重组一部清音复奏，准备遣送归客。蓝空中嵌上大而光芒有角的星子。美丽流星却曳着长长的悦目线路，消失在天末。场坪中人语杂乱，小孩子骤然发觉失去了保护人，锐声呼喊起来。 观众四散，陆续还家，远近大路上，田塍上，到处有笑语声。 堡中雄鸡已作第三次啼唤，人人都知道，过不久，就会天明了。 总爷见法事完毕，不欲惊动主人，就拉他的朋友离开了田坪，向返回王杉堡大路走去。一面走一面问城里客人是不是累了一点。 两人走到那大松树下后，跟来的人已把两匹马牵到，请两人上马，且燃了两个长大火炬，预备还家。总爷说，“骑马不用火炬，吹熄了它，别让天上星子笑人！”城里来有却提议不用骑马，还是点上火把走路有意思些。总爷自然对这件事同意。火把依旧燃着，爆炸着，在两人前后映照着。两人一面走一面谈话。 城里的客人耳朵边尚嗡嗡咿咿的响着平田中的鼓声和歌声。总爷似乎知道他的朋友情感还迷失在先前一时光景里，就向他说，“老师，你对于这种简单朴实的仪式，有何意见？让我听听。” 城里客人说，“我觉得太美丽了。” “美丽也有许多种，即便是同样那一种，你和我看来也就大大不同。药要蜜炙，病要艾（爱）炙；这事是什么一种美？ 此外还有什么印象？ " 城里的客人很兴奋的说， “你前天和我说神在你们这里是不可少的，我不无怀疑，现在可明白了。我自以为是个新人，一个尊重理性反抗迷信的人，平时厌恶和尚，轻视庙宇，把这两件东西外加上一群到庙宇对偶像许愿的角色，总扰来以为简直是一出恶劣不堪的戏文。在哲学观念上，我认为'神'之一字在人生方面虽有它的意义，但它已成历史的，已给都市文明弄下流，不必需存在，不能够存在了。在都市里它竟可说是虚伪的象征，保护人类的愚昧，遮饰人类的残忍，更从而增加人类的丑恶。但看看刚才的仪式，我才明白神之存在，依然如故。不过它的庄严和美丽，是需要某种条件的，这条件就是人生情感的素朴，观念的单纯，以及环境的牧歌性。神仰赖这种条件方能产生，方能增加人生的美丽。缺少了这些条件，神就灭亡。我刚才看到的并不是什么敬神谢神，完全是一出好戏，一出不可形容不可描绘的好戏。是诗和戏剧音乐的源泉，也是它的本身。声音颜色光影的交错，织就一片云锦，神就存在于全体。在那光影中我俨然见到了你们那个神。我心想，这是一种如何奇迹！我现在才明白你口中不离神的理由。你有理由。 我现在才明白为什么二千年前中国会产生一个屈原，写出那么一些美丽神奇的诗歌，原来他不过是一个来到这地方的风景纪录人罢了。屈原虽死了两千年，《九歌》的本事还依然如故。若有人好事，我相信还可从这口古井中，汲取新鲜透明的泉水！ " 总爷听着城里客人的一番议论，正如同新征服一个异邦人，接受那坦白的自供，很快乐的笑着。 “你一定不再反对我们这种对于神的迷信了。因为这并不是迷信！以为神能够左右人，且接受人的贿赂和谄谀，因之向神祈请不可能的福祐，与不可免的灾患，这只是都市中人愚夫愚妇才有的事。神在我们完全是另一种观念，上次我就说过了。我们并不向神有何苛求，不过把已得到的——非人力而得到的，当它作神的赐予，对这赐予作一种感谢或崇拜表示。今夜的仪式，就是感谢或崇拜表示之一种。至于这仪式产生戏剧的效果，或竟当真如你外路人所说，完全是戏，那也极自然。不过你说的神的灭亡，我倒想重复引申一下我的意见，我以为这是过虑。神不会灭亡。我们在城市向和尚找神性，虽然失望，可是到一个科学研究室里去，面对着那由人类耐心和秩序产生的庄严工作，我以为多少总可以发生一点神的意念。只是那方面旧有的诗和戏剧的情绪，恐怕难于并存罢了。” “总爷，你以为那是神吗？” “我以为'神'之一字我们如果还想望把它保存下去，认为值得保存下去，当然那些地方是和神性最接近的。神的对面原是所谓人类的宗教情绪，人类若能把'科学'当成宗教情绪的尾闾，长足进步是必然的。不幸之至却是人类选上了'政治'寄托他们的宗教情绪，即在征服自然努力中，也为的是找寻原料完成政治上所信仰的胜利！因此有革命，继续战争和屠杀，他的代价是人命和物力不可衡量的损失，它的所得是自私与愚昧的扩张，是复古，政体也由民主式的自由竞争而恢复专制垄断。这不幸假若还必需找个负责者，我认为目前一般人认为伟大人物都应当负一点责。因为这些人思索一切，反抗一切，却不敢思索这个问题，也不敢反抗这个现象。” 城里客人说，“真是的！目前的人崇拜政治上的伟人，不过是偶像崇拜情绪之转变。” 总爷说，“这种崇拜当然也有好处，因为在人方面建造神性，它可以推陈出新，修正一切制度的谬误和习惯的惰性，对一个民族而言未尝不是好事。但它最大限度也必然终止于民族主义，再向前就不可能。所以谈世界大同，一句空话。原因是征服自然的应分得到的崇敬，给世界上野心家全抢去了。 挽救它唯一办法是哲学之再造，引导人类观念转移。若求永生，应了解自然和征服自然，不是征服另一种族或消灭另一种族。 " one 颗流星在眼前划空而下，消失在虚无里。城里客人说，“总爷你说的话我完全同意！可是还是让我们在比较近一点的天地内看看罢。改造人类观念的事正如改造银河系统，大不容易！” 王杉堡的主人知道他朋友的意思，转移了他口气，“老师，慢慢的来！你看过了我们这里的还愿，人和自然的默契。过些日子还可上山去看打大虫，到时将告给你另外一件事，就是人和兽的争斗。你在城市里看惯了河南人玩狗熊，弄猴子，不妨来看看这里人和兽在山中情景。没有诗，不是画，倒还壮丽！” 照习惯下大围得在十月以后，因此总爷邀请他的朋友在乡下多住些日子，等待猎虎时上山去看看。且允许向猎户把那虎皮购来，赠给他朋友作为纪念。 因为露水太重，且常有长蛇横路，总爷明白这两件东西对于他的朋友都不大受用，劝他上了马。两人将入堡寨时，天忽转黑，将近天明那一阵黑。等到回归住处，盥洗一过，重新躺进那细麻布帐子里闭上眼睛时，天已大明了。 城里的客人心里迷迷胡胡，似乎先前一时歌声火燎都异样鲜明的留在印象上，弄不分明这一夜看到的究竟是敬神还是演戏。 他想，怎不见栗林中那女孩子？他有点希奇。他又想，天上星子移动虽极快，一秒钟跑十里或五十里，但距离我们这个人住的世界实在太远，所以我们要寻找它时，倒容易发现。 人和人相处太近，虽不移动也多间阻，一堵墙或一个山就隔开了，所以一切碰头都近于偶然，不可把握的偶然。……他嘴角酿着微笑，被过度疲倦所征服，睡着了。 （留） 此集第一至第九章完成于一九三二年，第十章作于一九三七年