Chapter 8 Chapter 7: Tail Girl

The busy and non-busy Li family were stunned at the same time, and finally walked in the direction of Yin and Yang reluctantly.Different degrees of fear even appeared on the faces of the older generation. Li Nuoyi was also very surprised, "Why did you choose a tail girl!" "What is a tail girl?" I asked curiously, even if I have a lot of research on folklore, I have never heard of this word. "Wei girls are a kind of taboo. Only when an elderly person in Liluo Village dies abnormally, a Wei girl will be selected from his relatives. At the funeral, Wei girls should sit with the coffin and be carried with the corpse. to the place of burial."

Li Nuoyi explained absently. "Did your grandpa die abnormally?" I frowned. Both of us saw the death of old man Li with our own eyes. Although he was in a state of excitement when he was about to die, no matter how we judged it, he still belonged to the category of natural death. "Why did you choose the tail girl? The old man was there when he burped his fart, it's only normal that he died." Obviously, I am not the only one who is puzzled.Among them, Li Nuoyi's third uncle shouted at Yin Yang in puzzlement, his expression was very excited, but more of it was fear.

What is he afraid of?I observed the expressions of the old and the young in the Li family one by one, and found that most of the older generation showed signs of fear. Yin Yang said calmly: "Everyone knows what happened in Liluo Village recently, so I won't explain much." This sentence immediately stopped all the voices of opposition and doubt.Most people fell silent, their faces were cloudy and uncertain, and they didn't know what they were thinking. I squinted my eyes and kept analyzing the conversation in my head.There must have been some strange things happening in Liluo Village recently, not only related to the death of Mr. Li, but also causing panic in the village.As for the curse on Li Nuoyi, it also happened recently. Could it be related to some things that Yin Yang said? "If you must choose the tail girl, then choose."

The third uncle lowered his head dejectedly, muttering something all the time. The second aunt's eyes lit up suddenly, "Wei girls seem to be unmarried young women who are under the generation of children, right? It's a pity, I only have sons in my family." "That's right, what a pity. My daughter is already married. In fact, being a tail girl is a very filial thing." Hearing the second aunt's words relieved a group of people who did not meet the conditions. "It doesn't matter if it's too young. I'm not sensible. I'm afraid it will mess up a good funeral ceremony."

The other group of people saw the situation and immediately put aside the conditions. Many people were just booing, talking, and looking at Li Nuoyi at the same time. "Among the granddaughters, it seems that only Nuoyi is eligible." The third uncle looked at her without blinking, with a proud expression on his face. Li Nuoyi's face changed, and he held my hand even tighter, "I'm already married." She pointed at me, "Actually, A Ye and I registered in Canada before we came back, and we have done everything between husband and wife. I am not pure anymore, I am already a wife!" She said without blushing. This shameful lie came out.

"If you haven't held a wedding in your hometown, you can't count it as a marriage." The third aunt waved her hand, and said in an irresistible disgusting tone, "The old man loves you the most. You won't be able to make some sacrifices after he dies. Young people nowadays are simply too immoral and heartless." "Me!" Even though Li Nuoyi's words were dexterous, she was choked up by her words and lost her voice.It is really difficult to justify being suppressed by relatives with righteousness.Especially when everyone is on the opposite side of you and intends to punish you.

"That's not good." Finally someone stood up and said something fair, it was the door-to-door son-in-law Wu Shengze, he touched the back of his head, still with the same simple and honest appearance. "In any case, since my little niece is already married, and she doesn't want to, don't force her to do it to her. Although my daughter is only six years old, she is still obedient. Let her be the tail girl and show some filial piety. " These words are reasonable, but they have blocked all of Li Nuoyi's room for rejection. If Wu Shengze's daughter is really allowed to become a tail girl, I am afraid that the whole Liluo Village will gossip about Li Nuoyi behind her back. There is no way to be a human being.

In this place where the shares have always been tied to the land, losing the support of local farmers is equivalent to losing the company's share. I didn't expect that seemingly honest and honest Wu Shengze to be so vicious. "Forget it, let me be the tail girl. Among the younger generation of the Li family, I am the only one who can do it." Li Nuoyi waved his hands dejectedly, looking haggard. Yin Yang took the opportunity and said, "Okay, since the tail girl has been confirmed, let's allocate the vigil time and confirm the date of burial." He took out the auspicious and unlucky map of the zodiac that he had just drawn, and spread it out on the table: "The days have not been very good recently, and the body of Mr. Li will not be buried until six days later. If you want to watch the night, start with the sons first, and tomorrow night it will be the grandchildren." One day for each generation, and everyone takes turns guarding until the body is buried. As for the generations of Momo, Huihui, and Chenchen, because they are too young, they will not participate."

Momo, Huihui, and Chenchen are the unique titles of generations in some areas in the south. The children of the grandchildren are called Momo, Momo's children are called Huihui, and Huihui's children are called Chenchen. The old man Li died at a relatively young age, and some "Momo" juniors were still young, and they didn't know what a funeral was, and they were indeed not suitable to be sent to watch the night. Putting away his business, Yin Yang seems to be ready to leave. "That's it. I'll come back at seven o'clock tomorrow morning. Except for the night watchmen tonight, all other idlers should leave. The yang energy is too strong, and the old man's soul will not dare to come back."

Except for Mr. Li's son and daughter, the rest of the people left as promised. The huge courtyard was freed from the original hustle and bustle, and it seemed extremely deserted and depressing. We also walked out of the old man's old house, standing not far away, looking at the darkness around us, not knowing where to go for a while. "Where are we staying tonight?" I asked. Li Nuoyi looked at me with black and white eyes, "My parents have a house here, and I haven't gone back since they died. Now, I don't want to go back, it's cold, everything here, people, including buildings , disgusts me."

"Then let's barely spend the night in the car." I can understand that feeling very well.After all, he and she are actually the same person in some respects. "It's so uncomfortable to fall asleep." She thought about it for a while, and her spirits jumped up, "Didn't you bring your camping equipment? Let's set up a tent in the middle of the woods. I have never slept in a tent in my life. It must be very interesting." "Row." I agreed.Silently watching this strong girl fighting hard for her own destiny, she felt a slight pain in her heart. The two of us walked to the off-road vehicle, unloaded the camping equipment, and carried them to the woods not far away.She sat on the camping mat and ate the snacks she brought. I skillfully set up a huge tent that could accommodate four people, picked up tree branches, and lit a campfire. The atmosphere of camping suddenly came out. "A Ye, you've been tired all day, would you like some supper?" The red light reflected on her face, and Li Nuoyi's beautiful face flickered with the flames.Her lake-like eyes twinkled like stars in the sky, she just looked at me peacefully and asked softly. Only then did I realize that from noon yesterday until now, apart from some unnutritious snacks, I hadn't really eaten a normal meal, so I nodded, "I'm really hungry. It's good to eat something before going to bed." "I'll make it for you. There are still some vacuum-packed vegetables and meat in the car, which is enough." Li Nuoyi nodded happily. She set up a pot on the fire, poured some mineral water into it to boil, and then turned over the food to prepare for disposal. I sat by the fire, watched her busy, and asked casually: "The so-called tail girl in Liluo Village should not be that simple, right? Why is no one willing to do it? Do you have something about this?" Hiding it from me?" Li Nuoyi's hands trembled as she was busy up and down, she raised her head and smiled unnaturally, "Why, it's no big deal for a tail girl, no one wants to do it, it just feels unlucky That's all." "Really?" I looked at her until she lowered her head with a flushed face. "Really!" She nodded, but she was still stubborn and unwilling to tell the truth. "Forget it, I'll find out sooner or later." I didn't ask any more questions, I picked up a bottle of beer and took a few gulps down my stomach.Simple meals are prepared quickly, and some vegetables and meat are boiled in the instant noodles, which taste really good. After eating, I looked at my watch. It was already a quarter past four in the morning. It seemed like a long time after I had been tossing around for so long, but I did the math, and it was only an hour.Human life and death are actually not as complicated as imagined. Will it be the same after I die?The sons, daughters and descendants of the scheming show fake sad faces, but they are actually happy in their hearts. The grandchildren of Li Nuoyi's generation will not be sad for the death of the old man for even a second. They only care about the inheritance and their own vested interests. With such a group of descendants, from a certain point of view, the death of the old man of the Li family may be a relief. The camping tent that was set up was very large, with two rooms on the left and one on the right, and a small living room in the middle.I threw the pajamas inside and told Li Nuoyi to go to the right to rest.There are only less than two hours left before dawn, and no matter what, I need to sleep to restore my energy.Besides, in Liluo Village, there are many things that I care about that need to be investigated. She glanced at me, unzipped meekly, and got in. After I extinguished the campfire, I drank the beer in my hand and stared at the starry night sky in a daze. It is far away from the city, there is no pollution, and the stars on the sky seem to have no gaps, very beautiful.A breeze blew through the woods, and the icy air brought a sense of drowsiness.In this place where the air is fragrant and sweet, I should be in a good mood, but my heart has always been depressed. Ever since I came here, I have a bad premonition. In the depths of the darkness, it seems that something has been watching us, no, it should only be Li Nuoyi and her.It's just that I, who is always in danger, felt some slight signs.Could that be the source of the so-called curse on her body?There is also the tail girl, this role-playing also makes me very concerned. The indestructible plant barb on the road was obviously thrown on the ground by someone.What if it wasn't a car that ran over, but a person?Just thinking about it makes me shudder.I'm afraid that with a length of more than ten centimeters, it will penetrate directly from the sole of the foot to the depths, and it will not be possible to pull it out. All of this is more like a conspiracy, a bureau.The person who made the arrangements may not be targeting Li Nuoyi, but they have indeed implicated her in time. What a headache, after returning to her hometown, Li Nuoyi's gentle personality has changed a lot, at least I can't guess her behavior anymore. Sitting outside for a few minutes, I thought a lot.Finally, I felt that it was too cold outside, so I entered the tent.Close the flysheet and shrink into the sleeping bag.Before I fell asleep, I heard the sound of the zipper being unzipped. In the dark, I saw Li Nuoyi timidly walking into my tent, wearing pajamas and holding a sleeping bag in his hand. "Aren't you asleep yet?" I asked suddenly. She was taken aback and giggled in embarrassment: "I, I'm afraid. So, so. People, go out now." After she finished speaking, she wanted to slip away. I smiled and patted the place next to me: "Come here." "Really?" There was surprise in her tone. "Just tonight, don't tell the guardian girl." The squeeze of relatives and the death of relatives must have made Li Nuoyi particularly vulnerable now.Tonight, I rarely softened my heart. "Well, don't tell her to death." Li Nuoyi got into my sleeping bag excitedly. She lay in my arms, leaning against my chest, and moaned comfortably. I closed my eyes again, Li Nuoyi searched for my palm and clenched it tightly.Her little hands were a little cold. Before she fell asleep, she murmured in my ear: "Aye, actually, I'm really scared." "I'm here, don't worry." I hugged her tightly. She seemed really relieved, her whole body relaxed, she held my hand firmly, and fell asleep. It didn't take long before dawn, and the sun shone on the earth, driving away the cold and bringing warmth and light. It was almost eleven o'clock when I woke up.The sun's rays are like thorns, projected onto the outer tent, haloing out circles of light one by one.There was nothing beside him, and Li Nuoyi was nowhere to be seen in the sleeping bag.Turning over and walking out of the tent, she saw her cooking breakfast with a camping gas tank in an open space. Seeing that I woke up, she turned her head and smiled sweetly like a good wife and loving mother, and pointed to a distance not far away, "The toiletries are there, and breakfast will be ready soon." In the direction of her finger, there was actually a small stream. Because of the darkness last night, she didn't notice it at all.I scratched my tangled hair and washed myself in the stream water.The stream is very clear, and groups of small fish can be seen swimming by from time to time. The tranquility that I haven’t seen for a long time makes my heart calm down a lot. "Come on, let's eat." Breakfast is poached eggs and instant spaghetti. Compared to the simple conditions, the taste is already very good. Looking at my messy hair, Li Nuoyi covered her mouth and laughed, she gently scratched my hair with clean water, and then found pomade to straighten it out.Looking at his masterpiece with his hands behind his back, he nodded in satisfaction. Although I had supper last night, the hunger in my stomach is still very substantial.After eating breakfast in threes and fives and twos, I realized that she was sitting opposite me, holding her head with her hands, and was looking at me in a daze. "Why?" I was embarrassed when she saw her. "It's nothing. I just think that the more you look, A Ye, the more handsome you are, and the more attractive you are. Unlike those men who are full of makeup and powder, walking on the street, I can't even figure out their gender." Her eyes were so radiant that she was almost infatuated. "Stop talking, it's like a romance novel." My face is hot. "Shy, Ah Ye is shy." Li Nuoyi smiled and straightened her long hair.She tied her hair into a neat long ponytail, and combed some black hair on her temples to hang over her ears, "Does the left look better? Or the right?" She put the long ponytail on her left shoulder, tilted her head to think, and pulled Go to the right and ask. "It's all good." I answered vaguely. "Sure enough, as it is said on the Internet, asking men these things is tantamount to asking for nothing." Li Nuoyi said these words, but the happy expression on his face still did not dissipate at all. She seemed quite content with her life now.Although her grandfather's death last night hit her hard, she obviously didn't want her depression to affect me. After tidying up my appearance and changing into more casual clothes, she and I went to Mr. Li's house. None of the relatives were there, and the rest were all people who were invited to help.After burning some paper money, Li Nuoyi stood blankly in front of the coffin containing Grandpa's corpse, staring at the corpse for a while. "Let's go out for a stroll." I gently tugged at her arm. "Ok." After she nodded slightly, she walked out of Li's house with me. Last night, I didn't really see the topography of the whole Liluo Village. It wasn't until I left Li's house that I finally figured out the appearance of the village. Liluo Village is indeed located on a shallow hill.This shallow hill is located in the mountains, with an altitude of more than 3,200 meters from the GPS, which can be regarded as a plateau canyon landform. There are not too many other trees in Lili Village, all the fields are planted with a kind of green, round shrubs, only some pine and cypress trees are planted in some farmers' homes as decorations. The Li Family Courtyard should be built on the highest point of the shallow hill, occupying a large area. "Haven't you always wondered what a fence looks like? That's all." Li Nuoyi drew a circle in the air with his fingers, circling all the green bushes in his sight. Sure enough, I was thinking just now that the thing that can be planted on a large scale in Liluo Village should be the fence. I found a fence nearby, and I observed it curiously. I saw that this kind of plant was about fifty centimeters high, and the tallest one was only over eighty centimeters. It was round in shape, with oblate leaves and sharp tops, and the branches were covered with green thorns. I carefully broke off a thorn and put it in my hand to look at it. The whole body of this thorn is emerald green and only less than one centimeter long. A smaller version of our tire's green spine. "Are all fences this small?" I asked. Li Nuoyi nodded. "It is recorded in the history of the village that the largest fence is only 1.5 meters high. The ratio of thorns is proportional to the height of the tree, and the ratio is about 1:50 or 80. If you want to grow to have the height we saw last night Given the size of that thorn, I estimate that the fence will have to grow at least nine meters, which is simply impossible." "maybe." I don't know the specific situation of the plant like Lili, and it's hard to make a judgment, so I didn't waste any more energy on this matter, but I secretly noticed it in my heart. "What are the parts used to make the essence?" I sniffled. The so-called essence, after being diluted thousands of times, becomes the perfume that is popular all over the world. There are many types of essences, but most of them will be judged by the human sense of smell as a stench, but the shrubs called hedges under the eyes do not emit the slightest smell, even I, who is a plant Can't even smell the fragrance. "you guess." Li Nuoyi smiled slyly. I looked at her expression, and then looked at the fence again.I tore off a leaf and sniffed it in front of my nose, but there was no smell. After thinking for a long time, I said hesitantly: "Could it be the rhizome of a plant?" "Wrong," She took the thorn in my palm and said, "It's its thorn." "How is it possible!" I was amazed that essences can be extracted from many plants and animals.The sachets or internal organs of animals, while the flowers and leaves of plants are mostly in it. It is very imaginative to guess that it is the rhizome, but the answer is still beyond my imagination. "Every year in February and March, the hedges start to grow thorns, and when winter approaches, the entire plant's thorns will fall off. Farmers usually take advantage of the time when the hedges sprout and grow thorns in February, and the thorns are not formed. It’s just picked before the shoots. The thorny branches and leaves contain a chemical substance, which is very pungent. It was all accidentally discovered by my father who studies chemistry, and it has developed into a unique industry in Liluo Village.” Li Nuoyi also picked off a leaf from the plant, and gently crushed it with his thumb and forefinger. "It is said that the sea has changed, but in fact, human beings are the creatures that have changed the most in nature. Who would have known that this kind of plant that only grows in Liluo Village will change the whole village?" "More than ten years ago, Liluo In the village, there are only some weeds that hinder the growth of crops, which are inexhaustible. No matter how the farmers shovel them, they can’t kill them. But more than ten years later, the farmers treat the crops as weeds instead, and the fence It has become a cash crop and a unique way of making money for this village.” Sighing, she murmured and continued: "My parents built factories in the city and formed a company. In order to reduce costs, farmers are encouraged to buy shares with land, and all fences planted are purchased by the company. " "It was nothing at the beginning. The people in the village are as simple as they are. Everyone is excited and happy because of the increase in income. The essence extracted through the thorns of the fence will produce a special smell, which has conquered many perfumes all over the world. The sales volume and price of the company went up immediately. Soon after, my company was successfully listed, and the original shares in the hands of local farmers became convertible money.” "Everything has changed since then." Li Nuoyi's face was full of grief. "Originally, the Li family had a good solidarity. Although it was poor, it was a big and harmonious family. But later, in order to fight for land, they took more shares. In the end, the brothers turned against each other and the sisters became enemies." "Afterwards, everyone thought that my dad was just sitting back and reaping the rewards. He worked so hard to plant hedge trees. Mom and Dad only need to sit in the company's office to take away most of the profits." "My uncles and aunts asked my parents to hand over the management rights and give away a large part of the shares. This is simply nonsense. They don't know what a company is or what management is. They just want to make more money." "To this day, the whole family has completely lost their family ties. The bottom line is that it's all about money." After Li Nuoyi summed up the situation of his own family in one sentence, he looked at me, "Finally said it, huh, I feel much more comfortable." This kind of thing happens in many family businesses. It's a deadlock. I can only listen to it, but I can't solve it at all.Gently patted her on the back, motioning for her to take me around. After wandering around for a while, suddenly a black shadow swooped over.