Chapter 21 Chapter Eight Twenty-One

Early in the morning, helpers came from the city with ropes and poles. When the old boatman's small white wooden coffin was carried by six people to the hill behind the collapsed pagoda for burial, the captain of the boat, Shunshun, the horse soldiers, Cuicui, the old Taoist priest, and the yellow dog all followed behind.At the side of the pre-dug square trap, the old Taoist jumped down first according to the rules, placed a little cinnabar grains and white rice in the four corners and the center of the trap, burned some paper money, and when he climbed out of the trap, the coffin-bearers would start to move .Cui Cui screamed hoarsely, lying on the coffin and unable to get up.After the cavalry soldiers pulled her away forcefully, the coffin could be moved.After a while, the coffin went down the trap, pulled the rope, adjusted its direction, and was covered by new soil, Cui Cui was still sitting on the ground sobbing.The old Taoist priest wanted to go back to the city to cook for others, so he passed away.The captain of the boat entrusted everything to the old horse soldiers and rushed back to the city.The helpers all went to the stream to wash their hands. Everyone in the family had their own affairs, and knowing the situation of the family, they would not bother them any more, and they would not disturb the master any more, and went home in transition.So there were only three people left in Bixiyu, one was Cui Cui, the other was an old horse soldier, and the other was the bald Chen Sisi who was sent by the boat master to temporarily help take care of the ferry.Because the yellow dog was hit by the bald man with a stone, he seemed very unhappy about the bald man, and barked softly.

In the afternoon, Cui Cui discussed with the old horse soldier, asking the old horse soldier to go back to the city and entrust the horse to the people in the camp to take care of it, and then return to Bixiyu to accompany her.When the old horse soldiers turned back to Bixiyu, the bald Chen Sisi was sent back to the city. Cuicui still used the yellow dog to get the ferry by herself, let the old horse soldiers sit on the high cliffs on the bank of the stream to play, or sang to her with a hoarse throat. Three days later, the boat owner came to discuss taking Cui Cui to live at home, but Cui Cui wanted to guard her grandfather's grave and was unwilling to go to the city immediately.Just ask the boat boss to go to the yamen in the city to say a word. Xu Yangmabing lives with her temporarily, and the boat boss obediently agrees and leaves.

Since Yang Mabing is in his fifties, his ability to tell stories is better than that of Cuicui's grandfather. In addition, he is very concerned about everything, and he is diligent and clean in doing things. Therefore, staying with Cuicui makes Cuicui seem to have gone to a grandfather. , but got a new uncle.During the transition, someone asked about her poor grandfather, and thinking of her grandfather at dusk made Cui Cui feel sad and desolate.But this desolate life will gradually fade away after a while.Every day at dusk and at night, the two of them sat on the high cliff by the stream in front of the door, and talked about the old stories about that poor grandfather lying in the wet soil. Cui's heart is soft.He also talked about how Cuicui's father, the soldier who wanted love and honor at the same time, how he could make girls fall in love with the brave attire of the green battalion at that time.He also talked about how Cuicui's mother was good at singing, and how the songs she sang were popular at that time.

Time has changed, and everything is naturally different. The emperor no longer sits in the country, and ordinary people don't need to talk about it!Yang Mabing remembered that when he was young as a groom, he took the horses to Bixiyu to sing to Cuicui's mother, but Cuicui's mother ignored her, but now he has become the sole backer and trustee of the orphan, he couldn't help but smile wryly. Because the two would talk about their grandfather and the family every evening, and later they talked about everything before the old boatman died, so Cui Cui understood many things that his grandfather did not mention when he was alive.The singing of the elder brother, the death of Shun Shun’s eldest son, the indifference of Shun Shun’s father and son towards their grandfather, the Zhongzhai people used the mill as a dowry to lure the elder brother Nuo to send the elder brother Nuo to him. Being forced by the family to accept the mill, the intention is still on the ferry, so he is angry, and the cause of his grandfather's death has nothing to do with Cui Cui... Everything Cui Cui didn't understand, now he understands everything.After Cui Cui figured it out, she cried all night.

After April 7th, the captain of the ship Shun Shun sent someone to invite the cavalry into the city, and discussed how to take Cui Cui to his home as the wife of the second elder.But since the second old man is in Chenzhou, let's not mention this matter first, and move to live across Hejie, and wait for the second old man to come back to see what the second old man thinks.Ma Bing thought he had to ask Cui Cui about it.When he came back, he told Cui Cui about Shun Shun's intentions, and then made an opinion for Cui Cui, thinking that since the status was uncertain, it would not be good to go to a stranger's house, and it would be better to wait at Bixiyu until the second elder came back by boat. At that time, let's look at the meaning of the two elders.

After this method was decided, the old horse soldiers thought that the two elders would return soon, so they still entrusted the horses to the care of the camp masters, and spent their days in Bixiyu as Cui Cui's companion. The White Pagoda in Bixiyu has something to do with the feng shui of Chadong. If the pagoda collapsed, it would be impossible not to build a new one.In addition to the camp management in the city, the tax bureau, and various businesses and civilians donating some money, there are also people in the major villages donating money with booklets.In order to achieve the achievement of this pagoda, it is not for the benefit of only one person. Everyone should do their best to accumulate virtue and benefit, and everyone should have the opportunity to donate money. Therefore, a large bamboo tube with knots at both ends was also placed on the ferry, and the middle part was sawn. Even though the transitional people were free to put money in, the bamboo tube was full of horsemen and sent to the head of the city, and brought another bamboo tube back.When the transitional people saw that the old boatman had disappeared and Cuicui's braid was tied with a white thread, he knew that the old man had finished his work and lay quietly in the pit, and he would look at him sympathetically. Holding Cuicui, she took out money and stuffed it into the bamboo tube. "God bless you, those who die go to the west, and those who live will be safe forever." Cui Cui understood the meaning of those donors, and her heart was sore, she hurriedly put her body on her back to pull the boat.

In winter, the collapsed White Pagoda was repaired again.But the young man who sang under the moon and caused Cuicui to lift her soul slightly in her sleep because of the singing, has not yet returned to Chadong. ………… This person may never come back, maybe "tomorrow"! Completed from the winter of 1933 to the spring of 1934