Chapter 22 Chapter Twenty

Chimao Granny said to Heizi, "I see a spiritual light." Heizi asked, "What aura?" The red-haired granny didn't answer. The red-haired mother-in-law put her haggard hand on Heizi's forehead, and she showed a smile that had been rare for many years, and that smile made Heizi tremble. Heizi seemed to see the morning light on the road ahead in the dark night, a voice penetrated his body and mind, and he felt cold all over.He thought that after going through this cooling down, he would become stronger and no longer afraid of death.He experienced all kinds of death in the years of growing up. Death taught him how to live better. Death is actually not terrible. Like birth, it is two forms that a person must experience. Life is death, and death Immediately.

Chimao Granny took her hand back and told him, "Heizi, you can go on your way now." Heizi is going to the county town to take the college entrance examination. He has picked water and chopped firewood for Chimao Granny for a few days, and he came to say goodbye to Chimao Granny.The red-haired mother-in-law gave him strength. He walked out of the red-haired mother-in-law's house. He saw Wang Songguo, the secretary of the brigade.Wang Songguo was waiting for him at the gate of Grandma Chimao's house.He also saw Wang Songguo's wife and children.Wang Songguo said to his wife and children: "Go back, don't send them off. It's not about life and death. Besides, I may not pass the exam. I'll be back in a few days." The wife left with the children.

Heizi and Wang Songguo left the village. Under the old camphor tree at the entrance of the village, my mother was waiting for Heizi, but she stopped him.Heizi said: "Mom, you go back, hey." His mother was holding something tightly in her hand.She pulled Heizi's hand over and let go of the tightly clenched hand. Inside was fifteen yuan that she was sweating out of.She put the money in Heizi's hand and said, "Hei'er, take it with you. The poor are rich and rich, and you need to bring more money when you go out. If you should buy something delicious, buy something delicious. Don't waste money, mom." Looking forward to your good news. I know, how many years, you have been waiting for this day."

Heizi smiled and said, "Mom, stop talking, go back quickly." Mother wiped her eyes, smiled, and went back in a hurry. On that early summer morning, Heizi and Wang Songguo walked towards a road full of hope, which was a road leading to the outside world. No matter what the result was, after all, they walked out with full confidence.Their coarse clothes fluttered in the morning wind, like two flags, plain and generous. Yes, no one knows how old Chimao Granny is.No one will tell you Chimao Granny's actual age.No one in Quliu Village is disrespectful to the Chimao Granny. The legend about the Chimao Granny seems to be far away, but also full of a strong legendary color.

Chimao Granny saved a village. Those days seem far away. The young Chimao Granny stands at the entrance of the village and looks out on the road leading to the town. She is waiting for her husband Chimao to come back.She waited from morning to night, the course of a day is also the course of her life, she did not wait for red hair. The person who came back told her that Chi Mao was captured by Qing soldiers in the county town, beheaded, and hung his head on the city wall.She didn't expect that Chimao would be a revolutionary party, would be killed by Qing soldiers in the county town, and his head would be hung on the city wall for public display.Chimao told her that he would definitely come back the day before August 15th.So, on the day before the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, Grandma Chimao waited at the entrance of the village for her whole life.

The red-haired granny did not cry. She returned to the village silently. She set up a mourning hall at home, and sat in front of Chimao's mourning hall without closing her eyes for three days and three nights. Chimao Granny left Quliu Village after a few days. No one knew where the lonely red-haired granny had gone.That experience was blank for the people in Quliu Village.Chimao Granny never mentioned that experience to anyone. Chimao Granny returned to Quliu Village the day before the Dragon Boat Festival next year. She is all black. When she floated over from the village road, the villagers thought they had seen a ghost during the day, and were scared to hide. When the Chimao Granny walked into the village, everyone came to their senses, "It is the Chimao Granny who has returned."

The first thing she did after returning to the village was to pick a lot of peach branches.People asked her, "What are you doing picking peach branches for?" She didn't answer. She took all the peach branches home. It was late at night, and there was a white shadow floating around in the village. A man got up to urinate at night. Seeing the white shadow, he was so scared that he almost fell into the latrine. He pulled up his pants and went home before he could wipe his butt. The next day, peach branches were planted on the lintels of every house. That is the Dragon Boat Festival.

The festival should be joyful. People in poor villages always let their depressed souls be released and relieved for a moment during the festival. Through the festival, they can find a passage for themselves through the years. A group of people rushed towards Quliu Village aggressively. It was a team of Qing soldiers. Qing soldiers rushed into Quliu Village. They held foreign guns in their hands and steel knives on their waists. Unarmed villagers. The leader, Dingdai Hualing, was riding a tall horse with a murderous look on his face. He took the murderous Qing soldiers around the village, was disappointed, and left angrily.The villagers came out of their homes one after another after the Qing soldiers left, and they were still in shock.

The red-haired granny's door remained open. When the Qing soldiers came, she didn't close the door either. She has turned her home into a Buddhist temple. She sits cross-legged on the futon calmly, chanting scriptures with her eyes closed. In the afternoon of the Dragon Boat Festival, news came from other villages that the Qing soldiers had carried out massacres in this mountainous area. Those who knew the news in advance and had connections with the government had peach branches planted in their doors. Knowing that this should not be killed, the family without peach branches will be killed.

The massacre by the Qing soldiers terrified the people in Quliu Village. They came to the house of the red-haired mother-in-law one after another. What they saw was a devout believer.The appearance of Chimao Granny closing her eyes and reciting scriptures made the villagers feel a certain mystery.How could Granny Chimao know that Qing soldiers were coming to loot Quliu Village?How did she know Taozhi's secret?How did the young Chimao Granny convert to Buddhism?Why didn't she go to a nunnery to become a monk, but eat regular vegetarian food at home? People in Quliu Village will never know these secrets. Stones can't speak, and rivers won't tell you the truth.Anyway, that's how Chimao Granny saved the whole village.

In the long years since then, Chimao Granny has been the most respected person in Quliu Village. Anyone who disrespects her will cause public outrage. The "Cultural Revolution" made trouble with the Red Guards. A group of Red Guards from the county town came to Quliu Village.The young generals saw an old wooden sculpture of Guanyin Bodhisattva, futons and wooden fishes on the altar of Grandma Chimao's house, and felt that this was a feudal relic, the Four Olds, and should be eliminated. Chimao Granny turned a blind eye to the Red Guards who rushed into the house, and she sat cross-legged on the futon like that, reciting scriptures devoutly.The Red Guard young general was enraged by Chimao Granny's silence and disdain. They yelled to smash the Buddha statue and arrest Chimao Granny to fight. At this moment, many villagers came from all directions in the village. They held poles, hoes and other farm tools. These farm tools were their weapons at this time, and the dumb uncle was also inside. These people are all ordinary people in Quliu Village, and there is not a single brigade cadre or militia.They surrounded Grandma Chimao's house in groups. The red-haired granny has no expression at all. In the eyes of the Red Guards, she is just a piece of wood. The Red Guards spotted the crowd surrounding them. They panicked. They smashed up many temples and ancestral halls in the countryside, and never encountered opposition from the masses. Unexpectedly, they were surrounded by the masses in this old woman's house. Someone in the crowd shouted angrily: "Get out of Quliu Village quickly, or you will taste the dictatorship of the poor and lower-middle peasants!" The crowd shouted: "Get out! Get out!" Since ancient times, the law does not blame the masses, and the Red Guards had no way to compete with so many poor and lower-middle peasants armed with farm tools, so they had to walk out of the red-haired mother-in-law's house in desperation and scurry away. After the Red Guards left, the villagers fell silent and dispersed without a sound. Chimao Granny seemed to have nothing happened, she was still reciting her sutras and practicing her deeds. Grandma Chimao's chanting and practice seems to have never affected others. She is not like some magic sticks in the countryside who eat "flower element" and use the reputation of Buddhism to deceive the people.The red-haired granny was silent.She just does her own thing.Some women in the village would sit next to her and chant scriptures with her when something went wrong, but she never advised others, and she would not object if you were willing to meditate for a while. There is a kind of spiritual power in the red-haired granny. Heizi felt it as soon as he arrived in Quliu Village. Heizi should be said to be Granny Chimao's closest friend. After the dumb uncle died, Heizi took on the task of taking care of Granny Chimao. During the growth of Heizi, Chimao Granny used a kind of spiritual power to influence Heizi.Heizi is an atheist. He never believed in ghosts and gods since he was a child, but in his subconscious, Chimao Granny injected a simple, kind, and iron-like thought into his spiritual space. Heizi has witnessed Chimao Granny's detached attitude and indescribable tenacity towards everything in many days. He sat on the side, watching the red haired mother-in-law recite scriptures. On summer nights, mosquitoes buzzed in Grandma Chimao's house. Heizi wanted to burn some mosquito-smoking herbs in Grandma Chimao's house, but Grandma Chimao stopped him. He saw many mosquitoes biting the red-haired grandma's head and face. The red-haired granny was indifferent to the mosquito bites, and just let the mosquito suck blood like that, without any expression of boredom or pain. Heizi was shocked. The mosquitoes couldn't fly after being sucked full, and rolled down from her head and face. Another wave of mosquitoes pounced on it. During these long nights and long years, the Chimao Granny's tolerance for mosquitoes is amazing.Heizi couldn't imagine that an old man could have such concentration.In her spiritual space, there is no pain anymore, she is a fairy living in the world! Grandma Chimao seems to have no bed at home. In Heizi's memory, Grandma Chimao didn't have a bed at home. She doesn't need a bed. Except for walking on the country roads, she just sat cross-legged on the futon.She also sits when she sleeps.She was very peaceful when she fell asleep, her hands clasped together.This is not a Buddha, so what is it? When Heizi was young, he would follow the example of Chimao Granny and sleep without a mosquito net at night, so that mosquitoes would bite on his body.After a while, his body was extremely itchy. When he scratched, his whole body was covered with red spots and purple spots, and there were streaks of blood.He thought, no matter what, he couldn't bear the bites of mosquitoes, and he didn't understand why the red-haired granny could do it. Sometimes, he sat cross-legged, trying to imitate Grandma Chimao's sleeping appearance.After a while, his legs became numb, and he couldn't fall asleep anyway, so he had to give up. What makes Heizi even more unbelievable is that the Chimao Granny is not afraid of the cold. In the coldest winter, she only wore a single coat and a pair of cloth shoes. When she was walking on crutches in the bitter winter wind, the wind blew up her loose clothes and pants, which looked like a layer of dead tree bark, which could not protect against the cold at all, but the red hair Grandma doesn't feel cold at all. She walked in the bitter wind and walked in the spring breeze no different. Heizi believed that there was something mysterious about Chimao Granny throughout her life.Heizi firmly believed in this point.The day before the dumb uncle passed away, Heizi came to Chimao Granny's house.Chimao Granny said to Heizi: "Heizi, your dumb uncle is going." Heizi felt very strange, the dumb uncle is fine, how could he go? He asked, "Impossible?" The red-haired granny stopped talking, she just kept chanting.She will not prevent the dumb uncle from dying, everything seems to be predestined.The red-haired granny seemed to be deaf to the deaths that happened in the village, she never asked about anything, she thought everything was so logical. After the dumb uncle sent Bilian back, Heizi went to see Chimao Granny, but she was indifferent. Heizi thought, the red-haired granny and the dumb uncle are so close, as long as the red-haired granny persuades the dumb uncle, the dumb uncle will definitely change his mind and take Bilian back. Heizi said to Granny Chimao, "Grandma Chimao, the dumb uncle has sent Bilian back to Hebei Village. You can persuade him to bring Bilian back, Bilian is so pitiful." The red-haired granny had no expression on her face. She ignored Heizi. Simply put, she didn't say a word to Heizi.Heizi was extremely disappointed, why did Chimao Granny just sit back and watch.Chimao Granny never mentioned this matter to Heizi. Chimao Granny's attitude sometimes makes Heizi feel really confused. When Heizi was eight years old, a man who looked like a senior cadre came to the village. He was wearing a military uniform, followed by a few followers, and they went straight to Grandma Chimao's house. Big cadres are not young anymore. As soon as he entered the red-haired mother-in-law's house, his eyes were moist. He choked up and said, "Grandma Chimao, do you still know me?" The red-haired granny had no expression on her face, she just said, "I never knew you." The big cadre said: "You old man, think about it carefully, I am Zhou Xun, the head of the Zhou Xun team that you saved a life back then." The red-haired granny said calmly: "My lord, you can go, I really don't know you." The big cadre was very sad: "How could it be, is your old man—" Chimao Granny's tone was a bit cold: "When I'm not too old to be confused, you don't need to say any more, you'd better go." The big cadre stood up with infinite sadness, and walked out of the Chimao mother-in-law's house.When the big cadre left, he left two hundred yuan for Grandma Chimao. Chimao Granny said to Heizi who was at the side: "Heizi, send this money back to that person." There was a sense of deterrence in the words of the red-haired granny. Heizi took the money and chased him out without saying a word. He said to the big cadres: "Grandma Chimao asked me to return the money to you." The big cadre said, "Take it back, I won't take it back." Heizi said, "No, Grandma Chimao said she doesn't want the money." The big cadre said: "Then give it to you!" Heizi said, "I don't want it, Chimao Grandma said, I want to give it back to you!" Heizi's firm gaze made the big cadre's eyes twitch. He withdrew the money, looked back at the old Quliu Village, and left desolately. The chief cadre walked from the town to Quliu Village to visit his savior Chimao Granny. That happened in 1929. At that time, Zhou Xun was a regiment commander of the Red Army. He was chased by the Kuomintang to Quliu Village after he was injured. During the few days when Heizi and Wang Songguo went to the county town to take the college entrance examination, Heizi's mother was restless. She was always worried that Heizi would not do well in the exam.When she came to Chimao Granny's house, facing the wooden sculpture of Guanyin Bodhisattva, she murmured, "Guanyin Bodhisattva blesses and bless Hei'er to go to high school in one fell swoop." Chimao Granny said: "I see a spiritual light." In August 1977, the postman delivered two admission letters. The township postman Lao Chen rode a bicycle all the way into the village.The arrival of Lao Chen, a township postman, excited the people of Quliu Village.Every time people heard the bell of his bicycle, they rushed to the door and waited to see if there was a letter from their relatives far away.Lao Chen came to Heizi's house on his bicycle.Mother was already waiting at the door of the house.In fact, Heizi also heard the bicycle bell, but he didn't dare to go out, he was afraid of being disappointed. How many times, the bicycle bell rang through the door, but there was always no sound. Lao Chen said to Heizi's mother who was waiting at the door: "Congratulations, old sister-in-law. Hurry up and take the letter from Peking University." Old Chen also had a smile on his face. He hadn't sent this kind of letter for many years, and now he can send this kind of encouraging and exciting letter again. Could he not be sincerely happy? The mother was overjoyed, and she shouted: "Hei'er, come out quickly, there is a letter from Peking University!" Heizi stood up in shock, and rushed out as fast as he could.As soon as he received the letter, he saw the bright red words "Peking University" on the envelope, and his heart almost jumped out.He couldn't wait to open the letter, it was the admission notice. Heizi stayed there for a while, then jumped up and said to his mother, "I've been admitted to college—" Mother smiled, and there was sweetness and bitterness in that smile. Lao Chen saw their mother and son happy, and left quietly. He still has to go to Wang Song country to deliver the admission notice. He sighed, a little sad, but he was more pleased that Quliu Village could produce college students. He said to himself: "Golden phoenixes flew out of the village." He rode on his bicycle and headed towards Wangsong Country. Heizi ran out the door with the admission notice in his hand. He ran in the village, shouting as he ran, "I'm admitted to university—" The villagers were surprised, "Has Heizi been admitted to university?" Many people went to Heizi's house to congratulate him. Heizi ran out of the village, he ran up the river embankment, he ran down the river embankment, and rushed to the ferry. The ferry was quiet, a new ferry was moored on the shore, and the boatman who took over as the punter lay in the cabin and fell asleep. Heizi stopped screaming, and looked at the sobbing river, tears streaming down his face. He yelled: "Father, I'm admitted to university, Dad!" He squatted down with his head in his arms, and he whimpered.His two fathers who were buried by the flood did not know if they heard his cry.The cries of Heizi floated on the surface of the water, dense and pervasive, and the whole river was filled with the cries of Heizi. Both Heizi and Wang Songguo have been admitted to university, and there are many discussions in the village.This is the first time that college students have been born since liberation.During those few days, the villagers invited Heizi and Wang Songguo to drink one after another.They eat and drink from house to house. Although there is no good wine or food, the affection among the villagers is sincere. When the villagers invited Heizi and Wang Songguo to drink, Heizi's mother fell into confusion.Heizi's travel expenses and school expenses made her worry. She didn't know what to do. Heizi was admitted to university, so logically speaking she should be happy, but once her happiness wore off, her heart became heavy. She sold everything that should be sold, but still couldn't make up enough money.Every day when folks come to invite Heizi, she puts on a smiling face to deal with the warm and honest folks. As Heizi's school date approached day by day, mother's heart was burning with fire.She is in a hurry, no matter what, she has to pay for her son's school expenses, even if it is to sell blood. Just when she was very anxious, Li Yuanxin came to the door. That night, Heizi was invited to drink again.During this period of time, he was busy and had little time at home. His mother understood him, he was promising and respected by others, she was happy for him, and she would not stop him from being happy.A mother's love for her son is always implicit, silent, and unspeakable. Li Yuanxin entered Heizi's house. Premature maturity made him look very old, and he was not as happy as his father, even though his father told him to live happily before his death, but the burden of life and the depression of the soul kept him from being happy.Over the years, he and Heizi have been somewhat estranged. He has to work and take care of the house, so he doesn't have much time to be with Heizi.But they are still good friends.During the few days when Heizi went to take the college entrance examination, he felt sour and uncomfortable. If his father had not died, he could also go to the university entrance examination with Heizi.Heizi was admitted to university, and he was really happy for Heizi from the bottom of his heart. Li Yuanxin originally wanted to treat Heizi to a meal like the villagers did, but he gave up the idea when he saw the villagers scrambling for it. Mother hurriedly gave up his seat to Li Yuanxin, poured him a bowl of tea, and took out a cigarette for Li Yuanxin to smoke.Li Yuanxin was smoking, looking at the haggard Heizi's mother, feeling uncomfortable.Mountain women are hard-working, too much work makes them age prematurely, they rush on the country roads, and use their blood and sweat to build a paradise for their sons and daughters day after day.They are innocent and fearless. "Heizi has been admitted to university, and you have also made it through." Li Yuanxin said. Mother smiled wryly. She knew that after Heizi left, she would fall into another kind of pain and darkness, and all her relatives would leave her.That's the harsh reality. Li Yuanxin finished smoking a cigarette, took out a paper bag from his pocket, and handed it to Heizi's mother: "I wanted to treat Heizi to a meal, but it was too late. I knew very well that Heizi was going to a big city to study." University still needs to spend a lot of money. This is my little wish. I can’t spend more with my friend Heizi. If you need my help in the future, you must tell me. We are in the countryside, as long as the money in the field The grain harvest is not bad, no matter what, there will be food to eat, and it will not be easy for Heizi to be outside." "This--" Heizi's mother took the bag of money, but she didn't know what to say, she didn't accept it, and she didn't accept it. Li Yuanxin stood up and said, "I'm going back first, so don't push around. I'll see Heizi off when he leaves." Li Yuanxin left. Heizi's mother looked at his back, feeling very uncomfortable. Mother didn't expect that in this night, Chimao Granny would also come with a cane.As soon as she entered the door, she said, "I see an aura." Mother hurriedly offered her seat. Chimao Granny didn't say anything, she also took out a red cloth bag from her bosom, and handed it to Heizi's mother: "Heizi has served me like my own grandson for so many years, I don't have anything for him, this is what I kept for many years If you sell it and use it for Heizi to go to college, he won the number one prize!" After speaking, she left. Heizi's mother opened the red cloth bag, which contained a pair of jade bracelets, jade bracelets from the past. Heizi and his mother were still moved. Suddenly, a person hurried over and said to Heizi, "Hurry up, Heizi, the red-haired grandma is calling you." Mother asked: "What's the matter with Chimao Granny?" The man said, "Grandma Chimao is going." "What?" Heizi opened his eyes wide. The man was in a hurry: "Hurry up, go quickly, don't ask so many questions, Chimao Granny told you to go there quickly." Heizi and his mother ran over quickly. The red-haired mother-in-law sat on the futon.She closed her eyes.Many people gathered around her house. She murmured, "I saw a lot of people, and they came to pick me up. Oh, and the Bodhisattva came too, and the Bodhisattva came to pick me up too." She said again: "Heizi, is Heizi here? I want to see Heizi." Heizi squeezed in. He saw the peaceful and peaceful face of the red-haired granny. He said softly, "Grandma Chimao, I'm here." The red-haired granny opened her eyes. Her eyes brightened instantly, and a white light entered the depths of Heizi's soul.She said: "Heizi, you are leaving Quliu Village, and I am leaving too. I saw many people coming to pick me up, and Bodhisattvas. I am going on another path." She stretched out her withered hand, touched Heizi's face, and said, "Heizi, the Bodhisattva will protect you." She handed the small string of beads in her hand to Heizi. Heizi took the string of beads. He watched the red-haired granny's eyes close, and her hand slowly slipped down. She sat upright on the futon and went. Heizi didn't cry.He heard a voice like sunshine from somewhere in the dark: "Heizi, I am not dead, don't be sad, I just walked down one road, and we will meet again on another road." The red-haired mother-in-law died of no illness. On the morning when Heizi left Quliu Village, the weather was fine and the smell of dew was strong. All the villagers went to the entrance of the village to send Heizi and Wang Songguo off.The brigade sent a tractor to take them to the town for a ride.Wang Songguo was admitted to the Normal University in the provincial capital.This day is like a festival in the countryside. Many villagers have smiles on their faces, but their eyes are full of confusion. They think that it is a good thing for Heizi and Wang Songguo to be admitted to college, but the villagers do not have an accurate judgment on the world outside the mountain. There is a vague fear. The mother also had the concerns of the villagers in her heart. Regarding her son's future, she didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse, but she knew how important this step his son took was, so even though she was full of contradictions in her heart, she smiled and sent Heizi on. up the tractor. Before the tractor started, the mother stuffed a small cloth purse tightly sewn with thread into Heizi's hand.After the tractor started, my mother shed tears silently.Her eyes clouded, and she couldn't see her son on the tractor rolling on the dirt road in the country. There was a burst of dust behind the tractor, and Heizi's eyes were blurred. He felt that the faces of his mother and fellow villagers were blurred.As the tractor gradually left Quliu Village, Heizi still held the small cloth purse tightly in his hand, and he knew that it was full of grains and stove soil.Heizi thought to himself that the cloth bag his mother gave him had two meanings, one was to remind him not to forget the country, and the other was to remind him that no matter where he went, the grains and family affection growing in the countryside would always be there. enrich his life. Thinking of this, Heizi looked up at the distant mountain that was about to be crossed. He found a layer of black clouds rising on the other side of the sky, and he felt uneasy. He knew nothing about the future, just like he just arrived. It's like Quliu Village didn't know anything about the future.