Chapter 3 Chapter Two Costin and Hu Daxian

I suddenly remembered the place name Genhe. Could it be that this place name doesn’t exist at all?After a long search on the Chinese map hanging on the wall, I finally found this name—a county-level city under Hulun Buir, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.In any case, as long as there is this place, it can be verified that the trip to Shandong in the past few days was not a dream, and Director Wang and Jingjing should not be fictitious characters.Well, maybe it was the telegram sent by Jingjing's friend on her behalf. Thinking of this, she finally opened up her heart.The Genhe River on the map is located in the northeast of Inner Mongolia, in a high latitude area, adjacent to Mohe in Heilongjiang. The marked place names around it are very sparse, and it seems that it may be more desolate than imagined.Thinking about it carefully, when I agreed to Director Wang and the others, it was entirely out of excitement and without careful consideration. Looking at the unfamiliar location on the map now, I can't help feeling a faint worry.But he couldn't tell what he was worried about.I called my hometown and told my parents exactly what happened.Parents were very happy when they heard that their son could not only enter the civil affairs system but also become a director and assigned a house.Their generation has not yet got rid of the iron rice bowl thinking mode, and they think that being a civil servant is the most reliable career.The support of my parents undoubtedly gave me another dose of reassurance. This time I am determined to leave Beijing.

Within two days, Director Wang sent his secretary to contact me and told me the bus route to Genhe.Tell me to wear more clothes, the weather is a bit cold over there.I also left his contact number and asked me to tell him the train number after booking the ticket, so that they can send someone to pick up the station. After buying the train tickets, I had a drink with Gangzi, Xiao Yuan and some good buddies I met in Beijing, and we all shed tears and said goodbye.Xiao Yuan even bought a small noodle car and took me all the way to Beijing Railway Station.When everyone makes an appointment to wait for me and Jingjing to hold a wedding, they must all be there no matter what.I thanked my brothers for their kindness and wept a lot.

There was nothing to say along the way. The train at that time hadn't gone through a few times of great speed increase, and it seemed listless when running.After tossing and reversing, the train finally drove into Genhe Station.As soon as you get off the train, you will be greeted by cool air.Taking a deep breath, it goes without saying that there must be N times more negative oxygen ions here than in Beijing.There was a thin layer of snow on the ground, and several freight trains were parked on the platform, and the wagons were full of wood.The station is a bit crude, and it should be a work of the Cultural Revolution era. The white-painted slogan "Industry learns from Daqing, agriculture learns from Dazhai" is faintly visible on the wall outside the waiting room.There were not many people leaving the station, and even fewer people were picking up the station. The exit of the train station seemed deserted.A well-mannered, tall young man held up a cardboard with the word "Peach" written on it, causing the crowd to look at each other in blank dismay.Those people said: "This way of selling fruit is quite strange, I haven't seen it before." I recognized that these two words were written for me, so I hurried forward to shake hands with him and told him to accept it quickly. Supernatural powers, don't laugh generously here.The young man's surname is Luo, and he is the secretary of the bureau chief who called me. Although he is a native of Inner Mongolia, his accent is no different from that of our hometown.This brought me back a little kindness.

A Cherokee was waiting by the side of the road.Under the guidance of Secretary Luo, we boarded the car.Chatting in the car, I learned that he is also a student who has just graduated a few years ago, not a few years older than me. "Where are we going?" I couldn't help asking. "Oh, the director has explained everything to me. First, I will arrange a place for you to live and familiarize yourself with the environment. In the evening, Director Wang will personally host a banquet for you as a distinguished guest. Take a good rest. I will report to the bureau tomorrow to handle personnel matters. Procedures. I will officially start work the day after tomorrow.”

Well, they arranged it very thoughtfully, so I don't need to think too much about it.I leaned my face against the window and looked at this strange town.This is an ordinary northern city, mostly bungalows, and most of the buildings are two-story. The windows and doors are pasted with colorful cloth dry glue, which seems to be a bit of commercialization.Because it is winter, there are not many pedestrians going back and forth on the street.It is obviously colder here than Jinan, the temperature is about twenty degrees below zero, but there are still some young people on the street without hats and gloves.Some raised their collars, and some wore ear buns with local characteristics.

"Director Tao, let me introduce to you the situation on our Genhe side." Secretary Luo was very polite, but I was very uncomfortable when Director Tao called me. "Call me Tao Zi. You're welcome, we are considered the same age." I looked away and smiled at him. "Well. Our Genhe City is next to the Greater Khingan Mountains, adjacent to Oroqen Banner, Erguna City, Yakeshi City, and Mohe County and Tahe County in Heilongjiang Province. It is a place of 20,000 square kilometers in total. It is the highest latitude in our country It is one of the most famous cities in China, and it is also the Qi city with the lowest temperature in Inner Mongolia. In winter, it can reach minus 30 to 40 degrees. When it is the worst, it can reach over 50 degrees at night. So your clothes should be a little lighter. It is necessary to add some clothes."

After listening to the introduction, I still shivered.Fortunately, I am originally from the Northeast, and I have a good foundation in cold resistance. Sometimes in Jinan, there are more than 30 degrees below zero at night, but 40 to 50 degrees, my God, I can’t imagine it. He went on to say with great interest: "However, Director Tao is from Heilongjiang, and he should adapt to the climate here soon. We have five towns, one township and three sub-district offices under Genhe River. Among them, the forestry office is stationed in Inner Mongolia. The five forestry bureaus affiliated to the Daxinganling Forestry Administration are Genhe Forestry Bureau, Delpur Forestry Bureau, Jinhe Forestry Bureau, Alongshan Forestry Bureau, and Mangui Forestry Bureau. Our cemetery is located in Mangui Forestry Bureau .”

The road started to get bumpy.I noticed that the road was not very far, and there were very few houses on both sides.The size of this small town is really too small.This makes me more or less disappointed.Maybe I'm about to start living the life of a rural person. The car stopped in front of a row of houses.The surrounding area is a row of farmhouses that couldn't be more ordinary.Every household is a semi-enclosed brick house, with a fence made of high-quality wood in front of the courtyard.The family in the middle is different.In addition to the brick wall, there is also a magnificent courtyard gate.There are also two small stone lions half a meter high on both sides of the gate.It seems that the people living in the courtyard are not high-ranking officials, but they should be rich families.

Secretary Luo helped me carry my luggage in, and while I was courteous to him, I followed him into the courtyard.The yard is much bigger than expected, with many rooms.He didn't lead me into the north room, but turned a corner and entered the east room. "Director Tao, this is your dormitory, are you satisfied with it?" I glanced around the room.A wooden single bed, covered with brand new quilts, the quilts were folded neatly like tofu blocks.There is also a desk, a few chairs, a wardrobe, coffee table, desk lamp, and even thermos bottles, cups, and desk lamps. Although the styles are a bit old-fashioned, they are obviously unused, and some even have price tags. Not torn off.

"You guys are so thoughtful, I really don't know how to thank you." "Director Tao, this yard is the staff dormitory of our Civil Affairs Bureau. I'll go to the one next to it and stay for a while, so you can take a good rest. I'll call you when Director Wang and the others come over." Once again, I am very grateful to send Secretary Luo out.Open the suitcase, take out some daily necessities and place them scattered in the house.A double "Hi" imprint on the wall came into my eyes.It appears that this house has been used as a new home before.Although a thorough cleaning was done before my arrival, the imprint could not be erased.The room is very warm, and it is very comfortable to take a nap in this temperature.Anyway, I don't know what to do to pass the time, so let's sleep for a while.

On the night of Ghost Festival, a huge black curtain was drawn in the sky. Under the big cypress tree, I held Mr. Guan who had just passed away in my arms.And those people standing silently around, Captain Chen, Director Sun, Director Sui, Brother Meng, Xiaojing, Accountant Shi, Xiaowang, Old Wangtou, Mr. Sun, Zhang Shuqing... I kept crying and shouting. Calling Teacher Guan: "Teacher Guan, Teacher Guan." "Teacher Guan!" I sat up suddenly.It turned out to be a dream, and my forehead was covered with sweat.Looking around, it was a warm room, the setting sun outside the window shone in through the window framed with grilles, and a piece of orange filled the room.It's been a long time since I had this dream, why did I dream of the scene in the cemetery in 1995 at this time.I remembered that I was in the dormitory of the Civil Affairs Bureau of Genhe City.Looking at the time on the pager, it was already five o'clock in the afternoon.The long train ride along the way made me very tired. Although I felt refreshed after this short sleep, I felt that the muscles all over my body were a little tight.On the wall facing the bed is a small yellow decoration, which looks like it was written with a brush.Hey, there are still calligraphy works here, I suddenly became energetic.Stretched, put on shoes and stood closer to watch.what!I was taken aback and had to wake up.That's nothing else, it's the character "聻" in seal script.An exorcism talisman that I am familiar with. Is this place haunted too?In the past, I often chatted with Mr. Sun and learned a little about Yin and Yang.Generally, places with heavy yin energy are easier for evil to invade.Hot weather in the south is positive, and cold weather in the north is negative.Cities with many people are full of yang energy, while villages and towns are relatively sparsely populated and yin energy is bred.This is why there are so many strange things in the northern countryside.And the Genhe River where I am now is adjacent to the Mohe River in the extreme north of our country, and it is winter again.It is very important to guard against evil spirits.Of course, I'm basically an atheist, and I don't believe in ghosts or ghosts.But my previous work experience in the cemetery told me that although ghosts do not necessarily exist, things that we cannot explain still happen from time to time.Aggravated prevention shouldn't be such a bad thing. "Director Tao, Chief Wang is here." Following Secretary Luo's shout, the sounds of cars and people outside came into the room.I put on my coat and went out. The banquet in the evening was very rich.Director Wang brought a deputy director and several cemetery staff to meet me.He introduced me one by one.Pointing to a strong young man, he said, "This is Captain Xiao. He is the captain of the construction team of our cemetery. He is from Mangui Town. This cemetery is not big, and there are a lot of repairs and repairs. It is all under the leadership of Captain Xiao." He worked it out bit by bit. When no one was there before, he has been taking care of the big and small affairs of the cemetery. After you take office, the two of you will have to cooperate more." Captain Xiao laughed, revealing two rows of white Straight teeth.He stood up and took the initiative to shake hands with me, and his voice was like a bell: "We are all rough people, and we don't know what management is. It's good that Captain Tao is here. If there is anything that needs the cooperation of brothers, just talk." I thanked him and looked him up and down.This Captain Xiao is twenty-seven or eighty-eight years old, tall and strong, and is 1.8 meters tall. Although he is wearing a sweater, he can see through the clothes that his whole body is full of muscles, like a trainer.Looking up, you can see a flushed face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, straight nose and wide mouth, and short hair standing on end, as hard as steel needles.With this look, it goes without saying that the girl next to him must be indispensable.I can't help feeling ashamed of myself. The second person Director Wang introduced to me was Suo. Everyone called him Daya. He was a hunter and a member of the Daur tribe.But apart from his curly beard, he really can't see any difference from the Han people.In his forties, his face was covered with wrinkles prematurely.It is said that he grew up in the deep mountains with hunters, and he knows the dense forest within hundreds of miles. He is a good guide and hunter, and his marksmanship is extremely accurate.He is in charge of the security guard and construction team of the cemetery. To put it bluntly, the physical work is basically his. The third person is Lao Su, who is a Han Chinese. His hometown is Qiqihar, and he is half a fellow with me.He is less than sixty years old this year. His wife died and left his hometown to wander here. He has been working in the cemetery for almost two years.Because he didn't have a home, he lived alone above the cemetery for many years. He usually cleaned and cooked for meals.This old Su was relatively thin and bony, with obvious signs of premature aging. At present, there are only these three people in the cemetery, which is quite different from the configuration of our cemetery. I asked Director Wang in puzzlement: "Why is there no person who carved or wrote the stele in our cemetery? Could it be that they are all carved with a computer? Also, why is there no library?" Stewards and accountants? What if the tomb account is sold?" After hearing my question, Director Wang was a little stunned, "Didn't Director Sun tell you before you came? Our side is a deserted tomb." "Ah, deserted tomb? What do you mean." I was really confused. "That's right. Our Mangui Forest Farm Cemetery was originally a martyr's cemetery. During the Anti-Japanese War, many comrades were sacrificed here. After Japan surrendered, the government paid for the old cemetery and buried the remains of the martyrs here. After a fire broke out, some families set up their tombs near here. The civil affairs department planned to build a cemetery in this area. As a result, the local people did not buy it. It cost money. In the end, the cemetery construction plan came to an end. Now this so-called cemetery is composed of a monument to the people’s heroes, less than 200 martyrs’ tombs, and 30 to 40 ordinary citizens’ tombs. It has been closed to the outside world since 1995 .” "No business? Then what do you ask me to do?" I really don't understand.Does an abandoned cemetery need a college graduate to manage it? Director Wang saw through my thoughts, and said in a low voice, "Taozi, you only know one thing and don't know the other. Some people will go to the cemetery to wreak havoc. Our staffing is short and manpower is tight, and we lack a unified plan. Someone like you I can rest assured that talents are here to preside over the work.” "Sabotage? Why?" I really don't understand.To destroy the martyrs' cemetery, what kind of vicious person must be able to do it. Director Wang sighed: "Oh, it's a bit boring to say. Some people don't know where to get the news, insisting that there is a key to open the treasure in the cemetery. Some gangsters are always watching the cemetery. But you don't have to be too nervous , as long as we pay attention to protection, they don’t dare to mess around. In addition, you must remember that we are paid by the state. You are a college student. Since you are the director, you must give everyone correct guidance. Superstitious statements must be resolutely cracked down." "Naturally. I know how to do it." "That's good. This is a mobile phone issued to you by your unit. The telephone bill bureau will reimburse you. If you have anything to do, you can contact me directly." Director Wang handed over a Motorola flip phone.I was shocked. I had a mobile phone in 1997. I didn't even dare to think about it before. With trembling hands, he took the phone and put it carefully in his pocket.I am determined to be the director no matter how difficult I encounter, and I will not let down Director Wang's trust and support for me. In the early morning of the next day, after completing the personnel procedures, the bureau sent Secretary Luo to accompany me to the cemetery to familiarize myself with the situation.Not long after the car started, it entered the territory of Mangui Town and drove into Ningcui Mountain.The majestic mountain stands straight into the sky, and the stone steps are inlaid on the top of a protruding tiger's head cliff, which seems to be suspended in the air, which is absolutely wonderful.Pieces of birch forest stand straight and straight on both sides.Most of the hillsides are covered with snow, and a layer of white mist rises from the low-lying places, which is fresh and dazzling in the sun.I didn't expect such a fairyland on earth to exist in the deep mountains.The car passed Ningcui Mountain and soon saw the cemetery in the distance. Undoubtedly, the cemetery here also faces the south and the north is surrounded by mountains and rivers.Judging from the surrounding terrain, it doesn’t matter where you are, the location must be decided by the experts. In detail, Xun is the land of auspiciousness." From the appearance, with such a good geomantic omen, it is not an exaggeration to build a martyr's cemetery, or even a mausoleum for dignitaries and emperors. An unassuming cemetery gate is set at the foot of the mountain.There are hundreds of bluestone steps from south to north, and at the end of the steps, a three-foot-high monument can be seen far away.Next to it are cemeteries.The management office is a row of bungalows on the hillside.Not far from the management office, there is still a pool of stagnant water, which has frozen into a small skating rink at this time.Obviously this pool is not natural, but dug artificially for the sake of Feng Shui pattern. Captain Xiao, Daya and Lao Su all came out to greet the car when they heard the sound of the car. I was flattered.Quickly follow them into the house.The room of the management office is bigger than the Huai’an cemetery I used to stay in, and the light is good. There are all kinds of desks and chairs in the room. There is a very delicate birch bark box on the table, and there is a river forest The map of the district also has a double-barreled shotgun. After sitting for a while, Secretary Luo and the driver said goodbye.Captain Xiao volunteered to take me to the mountain to investigate the situation of the cemetery.Daya is a hunter, very simple and enthusiastic, and wants to go together.He did not forget to carry the shotgun on his back.I watched the process of him carrying the gun, and there was a trace of anxiety in his eyes.Captain Xiao saw what I was thinking, and said with a smile: "Director Tao is fine, now black bears and wolves seldom come to harass the border people. It's just a habit to carry a gun on your back. If you encounter roe deer or hare or something, you can't do anything." Add meat to us." "Hehe" I was taken aback by others, so I smiled embarrassedly at Captain Xiao. The three of them filed out and climbed up the bluestone steps.The Monument to the Martyrs is getting closer and closer.I have seen clearly the eight characters "People's Heroes Are Immortal" engraved on the monument.The strokes are strong and strong, and I can recognize Chairman Mao Zedong's handwriting, which must have been engraved according to the handwriting on the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tiananmen Square, Beijing.The surface of the stele is already a little worn out, and there are still many thin cracks on it.More than 180 tombstones of martyrs are quietly lined up on both sides.These steles have been severely damaged, not to mention that the paint in the writing marks has long since peeled off, and some even the names of people are unrecognizable.An inexplicable emotion stirred in my heart.I stopped talking, and they didn't talk, and it suddenly became very quiet at this moment. "klee-klee-klee" A cry resembling that of a puppy or a woodpecker resounds loudly across the sky.When I raised my head, the sun was shining brightly.I had no choice but to set up the lotus with my hands, and from between my fingers, I saw a majestic figure passing by high in the sky.It looks like an eagle. I was about to ask the two of them what kind of eagle this is and whether I can shoot it down with a shotgun, only to realize that Captain Xiao and Daya were also looking up, with an inexplicable panic in their eyes.However, their expressions quickly returned to calm, and it can be concluded that they must be hiding something from me. I pretended to be nonchalant and asked casually, "There are still eagles in our forest farm." Captain Xiao replied: "Yes, and it's not an ordinary eagle. It's Costin." "Costin, what a strange name, what is Costin." I asked again. "You will know this slowly, and you can't explain a sentence or two clearly." Captain Xiao shut the door for me, feeling that the secret between them might be in this kind of bird. I stopped talking and secretly wrote down the strange name "Haitongqing". In the evening, another Cherokee took us down the mountain.Old Su was the only one who lived in the cemetery.I couldn't help asking Captain Xiao: "Is it okay for Lao Su to be alone in the deep mountains and old forests?" Captain Xiao smiled and said: "It's okay. The temperature in the forest area is low at night, so he usually doesn't go out. Besides, Ah Hu will help him." "Ahu? Is there another watchman who works night shift?" "What, Ah Hu is a big wolf dog. He is very sensible. He has been locked in the dormitory for fear of scaring you during the day." "Oh." The car drove along the Panshan Highway for a while before arriving at Mangui Town.Captain Xiao and Daya got off the car here, and the driver and I were the only ones left in the car.After chatting for a few words, I realized that he also lived in the dormitory of the bureau, and I shared the same courtyard. Under the sunlight of sunset, the forest looks more green.However, there are many trees that have been blown down on both sides of the road, and it seems that no one has cleared them for a long time.Could this be an abandoned lumberyard?I asked myself stubbornly in my heart: Where did these wood come from?How much forest has been destroyed by this discarded wood?How many animals lost their homes?The driver told me: Mangui is a big tax-generator.However, the uncontrolled logging has caused extensive damage to the environment, and many black holes in the forest have appeared.The bark of the trees is peeled off and transported to factories for oil refining, and the wood is used to make paper and chopsticks, but a large amount of wood is still wasted.After listening to his explanation, I felt a real shock.The wealth left to us by nature is running out, should we just consume it in vain? Just as he was thinking, the driver slammed on the brakes.There was a piercing scream from the tires, followed by a muffled "bang", as if the car had hit something.Before I understood what was going on, the person flew forward, hit his head heavily on the windshield, and lost consciousness instantly. When I opened my eyes, I felt a huge pain in my forehead. Needless to say, it must be a big bag.The driver seemed to have been hit more seriously than me. His stomach was scratched by the steering wheel, and he was a little embarrassed, frowning and humming endlessly.I groped out of the car to see what the car had hit.The sun goes down quickly in the mountainous area, and it disappears three times and two times, which makes me feel a little more scared.It's nothing else, I'm really afraid that the car will break down, and I will be trapped in this ravine with black lights and blind lights. If I don't freeze to death, I will scare people to death.Turning to the front of the car and taking a look, I couldn't help but gasped.Strange, there is obviously nothing in front of the car.Why did the driver brake just now?What happened to that loud bang?What exactly did the car hit? I recalled the muffled sound just now, it didn't seem like it hit a wood or a telephone pole, but it seemed like it hit some flesh and blood.The person who knocked down struggled away?Impossible, with such a severe impact, let alone a human, even a tiger would have to rest for ten and a half months.What's the matter?Is it a ghost again?I had just been to the end of the sky before I came here. People said that it would be bad luck for an official to go there. Now that I am an official after I go, it seems that I will not escape bad luck.There is also the spell in the dormitory, and I don't know who it is for.Thinking of this, he suddenly felt cold all over his body, and his teeth kept hitting each other up and down rhythmically. "Ah! My God, something big has happened now." Such a voice undoubtedly startled me again.It turned out that the driver got out of the car at some point.Standing on the other side, looking down at something.I quickly followed, following his gaze and looking down.A fluffy thing on the ground curled up there motionless, with some blood still on its body. "This, what is this?" I have never seen this kind of animal, and it is still curled up, so I can't identify it clearly. The driver raised his head. I was frightened by his expression this time. His face was ashen and his eyes were staring straight, like a ghost. "Why so unlucky." He was talking to himself again. "What's going on?" I looked confused, and I really didn't understand what made him so shocked and scared.Why are the people here a little weird, it seems that I should pay more attention. "It's over, this time it's really over. I offended Hu Daxian." "Hu Daxian?" I understood a little bit, he was talking about the fox.The old people in the Northeast know that there are four kinds of animals that cannot be offended. The folks call them the "Huhuang Bailiu" and the Four Great Immortals.Hu is a fox.Huang is a weasel, and there are many weasels in the north.Bai is a hedgehog, very similar to a small porcupine, with needles all over its body, and it is said that it can also become sperm.The willow is a snake, and the north is called a worm.In the old days, worshiping these people was very common in the north, especially in Hebei and Northeast China. Many legends about the Four Immortals have been passed down from generation to generation.Among the four immortals, the fox is the most powerful.There are two main reasons why people are in awe of foxes.One is because the fox is a beautiful and cunning animal, which makes people feel mysterious.Another reason is that it likes to make nests in warm places, and some graves have become their best nests.Often appearing in the middle of the tomb, it is inevitable that there will be a lot of immortality.People say that a fox will become a spirit when it gets old. If you offend it if you say it is a fairy, it will punish you. So if you say it is a fairy, it will be happy when it becomes a fairy.But today the driver ran over it to death, no wonder the driver was shocked and frightened. "It's okay, it's okay. Don't listen to those superstitions. Isn't it just a fox. Let's say something nice and leave quickly." I comforted the driver while pressing my forehead that was still in severe pain.After thinking about it, he had no choice but to go on and on and on about the dead fox.Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with the car, except for a crack in the left headlight.We went back to the dormitory smoothly.Eat dumplings at night.Secretary Luo knew that I was not very familiar with the people in the courtyard, so he took the initiative to help me arrange this and that, and even introduced me to everyone. Everyone heard that I was the new director of the cemetery. Secretly amazed and then awe-inspiring.