Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Friends leave

Although Zha Wenbin is neither humble nor overbearing in front of everyone, this kind of life is really not what he wants.Too many people regard him as a high god, some are respectful, some are worshiped, and most of them are looking for the future for their own benefit. Everyone is like this, everyone wants to predict the second half of his life, but Cha Wenbin never said anything.What is half a sentence?That is when fortune-telling and fortune-telling, only half of it is said. It turns out that fortune-telling is an unspoken rule in their profession, and there are two main reasons. The first reason is that as far as the secrets of heaven are concerned, they cannot be leaked too much.Everyone has their own destiny, and in the numerology, there must be their own misfortunes and fortunes. If they are all broken one by one, and then find a way to break it, then it will be a violation of the rules.Taoist priests can do some magic and understand some spirits, so they will inevitably have to deal with things from another world. If they talk too much, they will lose their jobs. Will there be a good end?

Cha Wenbin is today, and his daughter is the best example.Another one, a true Taoist would not sell these things in exchange for money. If you take too much profit from the little devil in exchange for yourself, then I am afraid there will only be one end, that is, to make money but not to spend it. The second reason is actually to avoid mistakes.This metaphysics is a very profound thing. Throughout the ages, who dares to say that he has penetrated the way of heaven, can understand the past and present, and predict the future?There is too much knowledge here, and it is too complicated. Ordinary Taoists may have accomplished something as long as they can uncover a small corner of it. It is inevitable that there will be miscalculations or mistakes, so they often have something to say. It is more ambiguous.

For example, the phrase "don't go out next Wednesday" is the truth.He may know that that day is not good for you, but what exactly is it, maybe he knows, maybe he doesn't know, but if you just say that, you won't be able to obey. If nothing happened on this day, and you passed it peacefully at home, you would think in your heart: This person is quite accurate, staying at home today, as expected, nothing happened.In fact, the fortune teller had already given you a hint before that, that day was not good for you, and he told you a way to break it, as long as you follow this way, you can escape.When I saw it the next day, yo, I really let myself escape yesterday, and I couldn't help thinking that that person was right, and he was the one who let me survive the disaster.

If it happened that something happened to you yesterday, but you avoided it because of his words, then he is not a leaker.Because he just told you what you were going to do, not what you would have been. Therefore, this half-sentence is a very profound knowledge, coupled with the broad and profound Chinese language, no matter how you explain it, it will be smooth in the end.But the difference between an expert and a fool is that one half-sentence is for himself not to be condemned by God, but he tells the truth; the other half-sentence is purely to lie and fool people. As for the difference, real Taoist priests are often very poor, and they will not accept other people's money. If they really want to give it, they will take a small amount, but it is not for their own use, but to buy some incense candles Offerings and paper money honor those friends in another world who were offended by him.

After more than a month of this kind of life, Cha Wenbin felt that he could no longer stay.In the big city of the provincial capital, there is no tranquility and easy-going that he wants. More and more people admire him as a god, which makes him feel very disgusted.Just as Qingming was approaching, he was going to go back to sweep the tomb, thinking that he would just go back to Hongcun to be a farmer in the days to come. That night, a large group of people gathered at He's house to drink and eat. Since Cha Wenbin came back, Zhao Yuanxiao came to him with wine and meat whenever he was free.That night, Cha Wenbin told everyone about his thoughts, and decided to entrust the child to Mr. He, because he needed better treatment and recuperation, and he planned to go back.

This old man knew that Cha Wenbin was a free-spirited person, and he really couldn't get used to living in this city full of tall buildings, so he didn't force him. Besides, his son had become a little devil in the compound, the old man They all regard him as their own grandson. Zhuo Xiong also had to go back to Sichuan with a swollen face, and they hadn't gone back to see it after being out for so long, and the two planned to go back to sweep the grave.One is to pay homage to Zhuo Yugui, no matter what, he also has the grace of nurturing himself; the other is to pay homage to Qifeng Mountain, where too much of his past is buried.

Although this Chaozi is still working in the establishment of the archaeological team, but after Lao Wang left like this, he didn't think much about doing this business any more. He planned to change to other jobs. He has a smart head.Mr. He knew that he couldn't hold back this son, so he let him go. That night, only Leng Yiran didn't seem to be very willing to leave Cha Wenbin, looking a little unhappy. On the second day, Cha Wenbin declined Zhao Yuanxiao's offer and went to buy a ticket by himself.When he got into the car, he realized that Chaozi next door was laughing at him.

The kid planned to go back with him to play for a few days, and also to see if there was any business to do in the countryside.After asking, Zha Wenbin found out that this kid was going to do some work of dismantling antiques, which was worthy of his two years of professional knowledge. After half a day of bumpy driving, they changed to minibuses and tricycles, and it was past noon when the two of them arrived home. No one has lived in this house for a long time, so it is inevitable to clean it. In the afternoon, I went to the town to add some food, wine and daily necessities. In the evening, I made a pot of rolling and drinking, but I felt uncomfortable.

Tomorrow will be Ching Ming. Cha Wenbin took out the white paper bought in the town during the day, and trimmed a few strings of "marks" with scissors.In fact, it is a small white spirit-calling banner, cut to look like a string of copper coins, wrapped in a small red paper on the head, making a doodle, hanging on a small wooden stick to carry. In the early morning of the second day, Cha Wenbin went up the mountain with Chaozi, marked the graves of his master and his parents, placed offerings, lit incense paper, and took a hatchet to wrap the weeds next to the graves. It was hoeed, the drainage ditch was dug again, and then it went down the mountain.

They have to go to Wangzhuang, because Chaozi's mother is buried there. Borrowing motorcycles from the village, they rushed to Wangzhuang.This was the first Ching Ming Festival after Chaozi's mother passed away. He was old, and Chaozi was afraid that he would be sad, so he made an agreement with his father to go alone. But before he got to the top of the mountain, Chaozi saw a man in khaki clothes squatting there, and the burned paper money was floating everywhere with the mountain wind.Chaozi's eyes became moist all of a sudden. "Father, didn't you agree not to come?" Chaozi walked over quickly and said.

He Lao is getting old, his back is also bent, and his head is full of white hair.Seeing Chaozi and Wen Bin coming, he straightened his clothes and stood up. Although he forced a smile, the red eye circles had already betrayed him. "Last night I dreamed that your mother said that it was too cold to sleep, and it felt lonely to sleep alone. I came here early in the morning." Mr. He told Chaozi to the grave of his beloved wife. He and Mrs. Wang have always had a very close relationship. Well, in these years of ups and downs, I have never blushed, so it is no wonder that I dream of her. Cha Wenbin patted Chaozi on the shoulder and said, "Go pay homage to your mother first. Mr. He, come here for a while, I have something to ask you." At a place more than ten meters away from Chaozi, Cha Wenbin said: "I dreamed of the old lady last night, what did she tell you?" He Lao smiled and said: "Wen Bin, you have already seen it, don't say anything. From now on, you should pay more attention to that kid in my family. This kid has a good heart, but he has a bad temper and is prone to mess. My family The old lady said it was cold, why don't you go down quickly to accompany her and be her companion? I am old and can see things openly, sooner or later, I will trouble you to help us both be buried here, here is Fengshui Well, you chose the seat yourself again, I can trust you." Cha Wenbin was a little embarrassed, and said again and again: "No, I didn't mean that, I..." Mr. He shook his hand: "I know, you are an expert, why can't you see that, that's why you called me here. It's not that the old woman wants to find me, but that my own time has come." After finishing speaking, he Tremblingly, he took out a piece of paper from his pocket and gave it to Cha Wenbin.Zha Wenbin took it over and took a look. It was a laboratory test sheet from the Provincial People's Hospital, which clearly stated: Liver cancer in advanced stage. "The doctor said there is still one month left. I plan to move to her mother's house. When the time comes, please help me." He Lao glanced at He Yichao, who was burning paper, and said, "Don't tell that kid, I'm afraid he will accept it for a while." No." Facing the approach of death, everyone has a different mentality, there is fear, there is reluctance, there is survival, and there is death, but there are not many people like He Lao who have taken life and death lightly.You must know that two nights ago, he was drinking happily with a group of young people, so he must have known his body already. Cha Wenbin turned his back, with a rippling in his eyes, he walked slowly towards Chaozi, and murmured, "There is still one month and seven days left." After paying homage to Mrs. Wang, Mr. He insisted on going to live in Wangzhuang, and refused to let Chao Zi go with him, so the two of them had to go back to Hongcun first. On the fifth day, Zhuo Xiong came back from Sichuan with a chubby face, and the four brothers got together again.Although this Lao Wang and them are not really close buddies, they were born and died together anyway, so naturally there is such a relationship, especially the sloppy face. As soon as he came back, he asked Cha Wenbin if there was any news about him.In the meantime, they also asked Zhao Yuanxiao to ask someone through the village phone. They only said that Lao Wang was picked up shortly after they left. As for where he went and how he was, there is no further information. Chaozi started to take the other two buddies to collect antiques in the streets and alleys. At that time, grandma’s village was the place they often went to sweep, so I could occasionally see these young men from other places.Especially Chaozi, when he sees me, he will often buy me some food, as well as things like fishing hooks and kites that boys like more. Mr. He died one month and seven days after the worship that day, just as Cha Wenbin predicted.That day Zha Wenbin got up very early, before dawn outside, he packed up his things and woke them up one by one. At that time, Chaozi and the others had gotten to know each other very well in Hongcun, and the three-wheeled satchel from the village head's house became the favorite thing of these soldiers. At first they always borrowed it, but later the village head simply made one Shun Shui's favor, half sold and half given to them. At that time, as soon as he bought a bag, Cha Wenbin often asked Chaozi to drive him to Wangzhuang, saying that he was talking to his father.At that time, Mr. He, although his days were numbered, was full of energy. He enjoyed drinking tea and discussing with Zha Wenbin every day, showing no sign of serious illness at all.At that time, Chaozi also found a lot of treasures in Wangzhuang under the name of collecting waste products. Among them, there was a piece of jade that could be traced back to the Warring States Period after being appraised by Mr. He.Chaozi thinks that his career can really start. With his major and Mr. He's experience, he will surely be a great success in this industry. Mr. He was also very relieved that this stubborn and used to son started to walk on the right path.At that time, what Mr. He told him most was how to be a human being, rather than appreciating antiques. He repeatedly emphasized that good collections must be dedicated to the country, and only cultural relics in museums can exert their maximum value.Strange to say, He Yichao, who has always been most afraid of the old man's troubles, was able to hold back his temper and listen to it. Later, he really sent the jade article to the Provincial Museum, not because it was so precious, but because it was the last one. For a piece of cultural relic that Mr. He appraised, Chaozi can be regarded as fulfilling the old man's wish. Cha Wenbin said to the sleepy Chaozi: "Go and wash your face, and then go to your grandmother's house to see your father." Chaozi didn't know what Cha Wenbin was doing, rubbed his eyes and said, "Is it so early to see my father?" Cha Wenbin looked up at the sky and said, "Before dawn, there is still time." As soon as he finished speaking, Chaozi's heart skipped a beat, and he lost his sleepiness for a while.He knew that Cha Wenbin would never do things without a clue, and thought that there was something wrong on the other side, and he needed to solve it.After all, this was his hometown, he washed his face indiscriminately, and then went to start the bag. Not wanting Zha Wenbin, he twisted the key, threw it to Zhuo Xiong and said, "Come and drive today, Chao Zi will sit behind me." Chaozi became more and more inexplicable. He has always been riding this motorcycle by himself, not because of his good skills, but because cars were not popular in that era, and it was very cool for a young man to be able to ride a bag.Zhuo Xiong is kind-hearted by nature and does not compete with the world, so naturally he will not grab the limelight. Zhuo Xiong also didn't understand, but his brothers rarely didn't listen to what Zha Wenbin said.This bag can only seat three people, and the volume with the fleshy face was placed there. Cha Wenbin asked him to take the car to the village after dawn.At that time, there were no urban and rural minibuses, but people with a little sense had already bought the kind of agricultural three-wheeled trucks and began to carry people. The route was from Hongcun to the county seat, and Wangzhuang would be passed through. Taking advantage of the night, the red headlight shone through the big trees passing by, Cha Wenbin sat in the small bucket and said to Chaozi: "I'll tell you something, you It’s best to be mentally prepared.” Chaozi was really prepared early in the morning, and immediately replied: "Wangzhuang is haunted, isn't it? Are we going to clean up the dirty things?" At the same time, he was still thinking, it could be that the old man was tricked Bar? "Your father..." Zha Wenbin glanced at Chaozi when he said this, and saw that kid's face turned pale instantly, "Your father is sick, and I brought you there today for you to see." "Sick?" Chaozi was startled, "What's the matter with the old man? Hasn't he been fine for the past few days?" Cha Wenbin held back his tears and said calmly, "Liver cancer, terminal." Chaozi only felt a "boom" in his head, as if the whole world was about to collapse. "You already knew?" "Yeah." Cha Wenbin nodded. "Then why didn't you tell me earlier? Why not?" He was yelling, yelling at Cha Wenbin. To that shock. With a "crack" brake, the car stopped. Zha Wenbin didn't refute. He wouldn't say that your father told me. He understood Chaozi's current mood, so he just said: "Don't stop, keep driving." In the night, a three-wheeled trolley carrying three men galloped along the road like lightning.What remained behind them were tears that fell to the ground drop by drop. He Yichao did not see his mother die, it was his lifelong regret, so this time he would not let his father leave just like that, but Cha Wenbin's sentence that dawn is the limit made him want to fly for the first time The impulse kept urging Zhuo Xiong to speed up. When we arrived at the entrance of Wangzhuang Village, the village was pitch-dark, and the sound of motorcycles made the dogs in the village boil all of a sudden, and they flocked to the entrance of the village.But seeing this car from a distance, none of these dogs ran with their tails between their legs, because there was a demon king in that car, so many dogs whizzed past by rubbing their thighs with his shoulder bag , this car is no less than the death king to them. At the door of Wang Xin's house, Chaozi jumped down and knocked on the door first. After a while, a sleepy voice came from inside: "Who is it?" As if he couldn't wait any longer, Chaozi raised his big foot wearing military leather shoes and kicked the door hard. With a "crack", the door latch broke in two, Zhuo Xiong suddenly stepped up the accelerator, and the crossbar shot into the door with a "boom". Wang Xin was on the bed. Hearing this movement, he thought it was a devil who had entered the village, so he dared not come out of the room.Chaozi didn't care about this, and rushed into the west wing room first, where Mrs. Wang used to live before leaving the pavilion, and now Mr. He lives there, followed by Cha Wenbin and Zhuo Xiong. With a "snap", the incandescent lamp that wasn't too bright was turned on. Chaozi looked up and was almost scared to death.Mr. He was sitting at the table and glaring at himself! "Father..." Chaozi shouted. He seldom called Mr. He "Dad", but usually called him "Old Man", because he was the old son of Mrs. He and Mrs. Wang, and he was also the only son in the family. He was very strict with him, but Mrs. Wang loved her son very much. "Bastard!" He Lao scolded, a father's majesty and a scholar's self-restraint were fully revealed at this moment.He was so angry that he wanted to stand up several times but couldn't do it, but he still slapped the table vigorously and said angrily: "I always do things in such a frizzy manner, how can I make great things happen in the future!" "Father, I..." Chaozi was at a loss for words for a moment, and he didn't know what to say. In his limited memory, he had never seen the old man get so angry, because the old man was engaged in academic research. The world can be said to be Taishan Beidou, but he has devoted his whole life to the museum, and he has not left any of his collections. Mr. He stopped looking at his son, and the muscles on his face began to soften. He returned to his usual elegant appearance, turned to Zha Wenbin and said, "Wen Bin, is it time?" While talking, Cha Wenbin saw He Lao frowned obviously, and he knew it was caused by pain. Cha Wenbin didn't speak, just nodded. He Lao still smiled and said: "Then I will trouble you, and I will leave this kid to you to watch over. If you don't want to go out, prepare first, I still have a few words to say to this kid." Cha Wenbin led Zhuo Xiong out of the room and closed the door gently.Wang Xin outside was wearing a coat and came out with a stick. Seeing that it was Cha Wenbin, he asked, "It's Mr. Cha, what happened?" Cha Wenbin glanced at the sky again and said, "The fate star has fallen." After saying this, Wang Xin raised his head without knowing it, and a shining meteor flashed across the sky and disappeared into the vast night sky towards the west. "Bang! Pop!" A firecracker flew into the mid-air of Wangzhuang, which was peaceful in the early morning, when the sky began to dim, and then exploded.The person with good ears woke up immediately, then lay on the head of the bed, jumped up when he heard the other two firecrackers, and rushed out of the courtyard door as fast as possible. Firecrackers go off three times, this is the first thing people need to do after dying in the countryside.The general meaning is that someone has passed away, let me know, this is a rule left over for thousands of years, and it will not work if it is more or less.The people I met on the road asked each other whose family was sending out a funeral, and whose family was most likely to die. The old people looked solemn, thinking that which childhood playmate should leave first this time, maybe the next one in the village will be their turn.The women don't need to call, they have to hurry up and get ready to help. If there is a funeral in the countryside, the helper will go to sea.Those who are young and in the prime of life are representatives of their own families, so they are naturally ready to contribute, such as lifting the middle, building the grave, and some of them have to be the foot.In those days, reporting a funeral was also a very grand event.As for the children, they were kept at home by the older grandmothers, for fear of getting into trouble.In fact, most of the children don't feel sad on this kind of occasion. On the contrary, they will feel very lively because this is a rare big gathering of the whole village. After a while, almost all family representatives from the whole village gathered at Wang's house.Everyone was talking about who died in the Wang family.Sharp-eyed people saw early in the morning that the Taoist priest Cha Wenbin had put on his purple and gold Taoist robe and was standing in the courtyard of the Wang family. The obituary was written by Cha Wenbin himself. The time when He Lao died was written on big red paper, and he also calculated which zodiac signs and horoscopes are for him. This is to tell everyone that you have to avoid some people. Got to be rushed up. When they learned that it was Mr. He who passed away, the people in the village began to sigh.Although Mr. He is not from Wangzhuang, he is better than a fellow here.Mr. He is honest and kind-hearted, and he is the most knowledgeable among those who can get along with relatives here, and he is an expert.Those old folks in Wangzhuang who needed to go to the provincial capital to do errands basically went to him.As long as the folks go, Mr. He will probably stay with them for a meal and then arrange to spend the night at his own home. "Mr. He is a good man!" Everyone in the village said so. According to the usual practice, Zha Wenbin himself was the mortician for a while.Because Mr. He is Chaozi's only son, the bathing for the old man falls on his nephew Wang Xin. When the daughters-in-law in the village put on the shroud for Mr. He, they found that the old man's chest was so thin that only his ribs were left. Tears were falling down like beads in pain. He always walked with his eyes closed, and Chaozi kept kneeling after he left.Wherever Mr. He's body was, he knelt down, refused to get up, and even walked on his knees. The wooden gate of the Wang family was dismantled and placed in the main room, and two long long benches were taken and placed underneath. On top, there was a thin quilt covering her body.Mr. He was very peaceful, as if he had fallen asleep. Later, when people were tidying up his room, they found that the spittoon under the table had turned red.The old man walked very decently, and walked very calmly. Cha Wenbin thought to himself that he must organize this funeral for him, so that his old friend can go through the last journey. The mourning hall is located in the main room, and many people have passed away here, maybe even Mrs. Wang didn't expect her daughter and son-in-law to leave here eventually. A large black coffin had already been tied up with thick hemp ropes, and it was carried in "Zhi Ya, Zhi Ya", and it was also padded with two large benches. It was placed side by side beside He Lao, with a pale white Funeral curtain.This coffin was originally prepared for Mrs. Wang's wife. She is now the oldest person in the Wangzhuang. She has lost her husband and then her daughter. Now her son-in-law has come ahead of her. The coffin will be used first for the son-in-law. Although the old lady of the Wang family was strong and healthy, she couldn't stand the blows one after another. She was lying on the bed and weeping dryly, while several grandchildren's daughters-in-law were taking care of her. The filial sons of the Wang family were all wearing white filial piety at this time, wearing filial piety clothes, with hemp ropes around their waists, standing on both sides of the mourning hall to receive the guests who came to express their condolences.He Yichao and Wang Xin, the juniors, their daughter-in-laws, and relatives of He Lao's grandchildren were dressed in filial piety, kneeling in front of the mourning hall and crying loudly.There is a saying in the countryside that the more people mourn, the smoother they will go. He Yichao's eyes were red, paper money was burning one after another, and he couldn't hold back all of a sudden, sobbing loudly: "Father, you just closed your eyes and left to find my mother. How could you bear to leave me alone in this world? I haven't even married yet, and you haven't even embraced your grandson yet... ..." What he was talking about was asking Mr. He to take care of his mother after he went down. When the others heard him cry, they couldn't help feeling sad, and they all started crying.As he said that, Chaozi rushed towards his father's body like crazy, but was pinned to the ground by Zhuo Xiong and Hengroulian.Chaozi cried so much that his nostrils were bubbling, and his face was covered with tears or snot, which was really sad. Zha Wenbin didn't have to do religious rituals during the day, but he also had other things that Taoist priests wouldn't bother to do on weekdays, but this time he did it himself. The first thing is to write elegiac couplets. After someone dies in this village, they have to write a pair of elegiac couplets, which are about the same size as Spring Festival couplets, but they have to use white rice paper as the base, write in thick black ink, and paste them on both sides of the gate. People are not allowed to post red couplets during the Spring Festival to show that they have kept their filial piety for three years and they are not allowed to participate in any celebrations.Mr. He's elegiac couplet pasted at the gate was written by Cha Wenbin himself. The first couplet: The crane is gone with the shadow of the cloud The second couplet: The sound of the cuckoo is still cold with the moonlight Horizontal batch: Baowu Star Shen These big characters are all square and square, and the strokes are sonorous and powerful, all written by Cha Wenbin in one go.After reading this elegiac couplet, some calligraphy-loving old people in Wangzhuang all commented in private that the words written by Taoist Zha are really beautiful and powerful! The second thing is to write a funeral letter for the sender. It was not convenient to communicate in the countryside at that time, and telephones were not yet popular, let alone mobile phones.Earlier, when people reported funerals, they would choose the able-bodied people in the village and let him carry the funeral letter.In the past, people who reported funerals were given a new pair of cloth shoes, which had to be made of laminated soles.Later, in order to save trouble, people distributed a pair of liberation shoes instead, and asked him to wear them to notify relatives far away to attend the funeral. This funeral is very particular, and Zha Wenbin told the messengers about the precautions. First, try to walk as much as you can, which represents a kind of respect for the deceased. If you really can’t do it, you have to drive a car, and don’t talk too much with others on the road. You can’t show the things in the envelope to strangers. Second, if you meet a person with a long way to go and need to stay overnight, you can’t stay at the farmer’s house. This is disrespectful, and it will bring bad luck to them. I can’t hold back anymore, so I can only choose those old ancestral halls in the village. Make do with one night. Third, when you arrive at the recipient's home, you are not allowed to enter the door. You have to call out the owner outside the door, which is also to avoid bringing bad luck into the house. What's more, you are not allowed to eat with the recipient on the road. The recipient's first meal must be here. Wang Zhuang came to eat white tofu, and he could eat some dry food brought from here to satisfy his hunger on the way. Fourth, after returning to Wangzhuang, you need to take the person to the mourning hall to kowtow and burn incense before returning home.Before entering the door, you need to take off your shoes, enter the door barefoot, then grab a handful of rice mixed with tea and throw it out of the door behind your back, and then you have to take a bath and change clothes immediately, this is also to prevent the person who reported the funeral from getting bad luck.Because it was a mourning letter, some lonely ghosts on the road saw it and followed, looking for a chance to reincarnate, and easily brought it into their home. So sending letters is really hard work, and most of the people who are willing to deliver letters have good friendship with the host family.Fortunately, Mr. He and the Wang family are usually highly respected, so they don't have to worry about who will deliver the letter. The third thing is to write a few celestial master talismans and hang them on the gate.This kind of black talisman paper was pasted for the door god, the purpose is to prevent those wild ghosts from rushing in to reincarnate.It is also for the sake of keeping the master's family safe during the next seven days. After doing this, Zha Wenbin guarded the long sleep lamp all day, adding some oil to it from time to time, fiddled with the flame, so that it would burn more vigorously, muttering in his mouth to let He Laolu see clearly, Don't fall.At this time, Cha Wenbin really didn't look like a Taoist priest, but like a person who lost an old friend and felt lonely. The women in the village are busy washing vegetables and dishes; the men are divided into several groups, one group sets up a tent at the door, and eats under the tent, while the other group is responsible for killing pigs and sheep and making tofu, which is Some of the most important things on a white wedding are responsible for moving tables and chairs, while others are responsible for entertaining guests. In short, everyone in the village performed their duties and were not idle.In the materially underdeveloped rural areas, people rely on solidarity and helping each other.If one family is in trouble, Wanjia will come to help. Originally, Mr. He's funeral was handled in this way according to the rules. No one thought that after Zha Wenbin's repeated instructions, something unexpected happened in the end. There was a man named Hu Changzi who was sent to deliver the letter. He got such a name because he was long-legged and tall, and his surname was Hu. The eldest son Hu is a warm-hearted man. When something happened to the Wang family, he rushed into the courtyard to beg for work.One of the people in charge of entertaining guests is called "Zhike". This Zhike is equivalent to the current temporary manager of the Wang family. He is responsible for dealing with internal and external affairs, arranging and entertaining condolence guests. Prestige did it. Hu's eldest son was just in his early thirties that year. Because the family conditions were not good and his wife married late, he only had a son in the first month of that year.After the son was born, the eldest son Hu straightened his back even when he walked in the village. In their words, the aisle brought a gust of wind. But this person is poor, and has no status in the village since ancient times. In order to make a good impression on others, he can only help others' families so that others can remember his kindness. This is what rural areas pay attention to. At that time, Lao Wang's family had a distant relative in the neighboring county of my hometown.You don’t have to call these distant relatives for weddings in the countryside, and they won’t blame you; but if you don’t call for funerals, people will think you are looking down on them, so you have to tie the knot.So, at that time, as long as someone's family held a funeral, there must be a lot of faces in the village, and all the seven aunts and eight aunts would come from thousands of miles to attend the funeral.Funerals are the best way to see how wide a family is. At that time, the rich family had to hold a funeral, which was written in the genealogy, and anyone who could have some relatives and stories would be notified, for fear that someone who was missed would not be shouted at by others in the future.However, this old He is a cultural person who hasn't been born in this small mountain village for hundreds of years. As long as he is invited, he will have a bright face. That county was administratively included in Anhui Province. At that time, there was a road between this county and my hometown, but it was very inconvenient to take a long detour and take several buses. A little-traveled trail climbs over a mountain and passes through it.In addition, that relative lived in the mountains, so few people from this family were willing to receive letters from this family. When he heard that no one cared about this difficult task, Hu Changzi patted his chest in the Wang family compound and promised that he would complete the task.The person who pointed out the guest was worried that no one would give it to him, and when he heard that Hu Changzi was willing to go, he was so happy that he immediately took a few more pieces of white rice cakes from the basket and wrapped them for him, and asked the accountant to take out two packs of cigarettes and put them in his pocket. , patted Hu eldest son on the shoulder and praised him as the most promising young talent in the village. This eldest son Hu has never been praised so much for his life. He was so moved that tears rolled in his eyes. A group of old ladies laughed. Hu Changzi lamented that he had finally made a name for himself in this village. He kept everything Cha Wenbin said in his heart, and went out with his canvas bag on his back. In fact, he had never been to the place where the letter was delivered, so he could only know the general direction, thinking that he had a mouth, so he couldn't ask along the way when he arrived?Then he stepped on his eternal brand 28 big bar bicycle that he bought only when he got married and headed towards the back of Wangzhuang. There is a big mountain behind this Wangzhuang, called Lion Mountain, with an altitude of nearly a thousand meters, which is considered a high mountain in Zhejiang.The top of this mountain is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round. As long as you climb over this mountain, you will reach the border of Anhui. In the past, some Anhui farmers brought tea and mountain products to Zhejiang for sale, and they followed this path.On our side, there are also some farmers who choose some dried bamboo shoots and herbs to sell to them.But these were all before the founding of New China. It should be said that there is an ancient road here, connecting the business exchanges between two adjacent counties.Later, because their respective economies developed and there was a market in the local area, the common people did not have to suffer this hardship and waste a little money. The eldest son Hu was born and bred in Wangzhuang, so he naturally heard the old people talk about this way.On weekdays, the villagers of Wangzhuang often go to Lion Mountain, but most of them go up to the middle of the mountain. What are you doing up there?As the saying goes, relying on the mountain to eat the mountain, relying on the water to eat the water, this mountain has also raised a village to a certain extent, chopping firewood, digging herbs, picking tea... There used to be a piece of high-quality wild tea on the mountainside of Lion Mountain, because The terrain is high, so it will be half a month later than ordinary green tea.Because the tea juice is fragrant and the shape is beautiful, some peasant women will go up the mountain together to pick two or two teas. It is said that there is a better tea on the top of the Lion Mountain, but no one has dared to go up to pick it, because people say that there are wild ghosts on the top of the mountain, and you must not go there. It was rumored from the local hunters. Actually, Hu Changzi's father died on this mountain. Before the country implemented gun control, most people in rural areas had a self-made earthen gun, fired with black powder, without rifling, and mostly filled with shotguns. The amount of gunpowder depends on the size of the animal you plan to hunt. The stuff is also called soil gun.Although the accuracy is poor, the short-range power is quite astonishing. If you use tin strips to twist them into bullets and put them in, you can directly bring down a two hundred catty wild boar from a distance of 30 meters. At that time, after the autumn bustle was over, several villagers made an appointment to go up the mountain to hunt wild boars, and chased the pigs with dogs until they were trapped on the top of the mountain, and then the hunters surrounded them from all directions and shot. A father and son participated in this hunting operation: Hu's eldest son's father and his own grandfather. Both of these fathers are good at hunting.分开搜山之后，这胡长子的爷爷就隔着灌木丛慢慢往上摸，只看见不远处有两只猪耳朵不停地忽闪着，这老爷子朝着手掌心“呸”了一下口水，慢慢举起那火铳瞄准，以他这么多年的经验看得出来这是一头野猪正在觅食呢。 “砰”的一声枪响，那对大耳朵就往地上一头栽了下去。胡老爷子的枪法那可是一等一的。这老爷子大声喊着自己儿子的名字和其他村民，通知他们猪已经打到了，赶紧过来抬，自己则兴奋地拿出砍柴刀劈开荆棘往里面冲，等他走过去一看，傻眼了，那躺在血泊中的正是自己的亲儿子！ 等到其他兴奋的猎户赶到现场时，胡老爷子已经晕倒在了自己儿子身旁。据王庄的老人们讲，胡长子的老爹脑袋瓜子直接被小拇指粗细的锡条弹轰开了小酒杯那么大的洞眼，因为锡在火药击发后，会带着非常高的温度，所以整个伤口当时还呈现出烧焦的样子，可谓惨不忍睹。 那一年小胡长子也不过两三岁，还是走一步摔两步的娃娃。家里的顶梁柱没了，胡长子的老妈在一个月后悄悄收拾行李跑了出去，再也没回来过。而当年这件事没有闹大，而胡老爷子在误杀了自己的亲儿子之后，也是悲伤自责万分，每天抱着小胡长子念叨着他看见的真的是一头黑面獠牙的大野猪。没过一年，胡老爷子就日渐消瘦、一命呜呼了。直到临死前，他还说自己看见的是头野猪。 后来这件事，人都说是那山上有野鬼要来勾命，不然胡老爷子那种老猎人怎么会把自己儿子当野猪给打死了。久而久之，那座山的上半截也就没人再上去了。而胡长子从小也是吃百家饭长大的，家道一没落，便成了如今村里身份最低的几个人了。 胡长子这辆二八大杠可是用了他足足存了两年的钱买上的，为的就是娶媳妇那天可以扎着大红花把她给载回去。这会儿他已经骑着车到了山脚，据说这山的那一头他还得骑上几个小时，才能到那个村庄去送信。 这小子不仅个子高，力气也是很大。穷人家的孩子都这样，从小使苦力使惯了。现在，胡长子正把那二八大杠扛在自己肩膀上哼着小曲往上爬。他是知道自己老爹当年那回事的，可是他早就忘记了老爹长啥模样，十五六岁起就在这狮子山上砍柴了，不过也没上过那山顶，因为山脚的柴就足够这小小的王庄用的了。 这下半山的路，因为常年有人活动，是有一条小路的，胡长子不知道都走上多少回了，哼哧哼哧不费力就上到了半山腰。他觉得心里美滋滋的，这件事儿过后，村里人肯定都会觉得他热情，不然怎么会比别人多发了一包烟，多领了几块米糕呢。 越想事情越美，就索性停了下来歇歇，掏出那白花花的米糕，就着旁边小沟里甘甜的溪水……胡长子只觉得这辈子都没被人如此重视过。吃完了不算，他又摸出那包印着精美贴的阿诗玛香烟，放在鼻子下面嗅了嗅又舍不得拆，这可是高档货啊，纠结了半天终于拆出一支点上，品了几口，吐出几个圈圈，猛吸了一口气感叹道：这才叫生活啊！ 这吃饱喝足外加过了烟瘾，胡长子背着二八大杠便继续上路了，此时也不过早上八九点钟，山上湿气重，再往上走便是几十年来都无人踏足过一步的地方了。 那句世间本无路，走的人多了也便有了路对于现在的胡长子来说是再合适不过的了。这山方才过了一半，那脚下的路就不见了踪迹，满眼过去都是藤条枝蔓，杂草丛生。胡长子这是走一步、停一步、砍一步，肩膀上还扛着自行车可就没之前那点轻松劲儿了。 他一边嘀咕着，一边心疼脚上那双崭新的解放鞋——全都让这条路给糟蹋了，这走了没多远就跟刚下地干了农活一样，糊得满脚泥。 有路，那也是几十年前开出来的小毛路，这会儿哪里还辨得清楚，只能靠着大致的方位，在这些老树藤里钻进钻出，忽然就觉得前面的路一下子开阔了起来。 胡长子大喜，心想着这小山包也不算难翻嘛，不是有条路摆在这里嘛。他就顺着这条小山路一直往上爬，不知道从什么时候开始，那头上的汗就跟下雨一样开始往下淋，脚下的步子走得也是越来越沉。 话说这胡长子走着走着，就觉得肩膀上扛着的二八大杠开始变得沉重起来，而且是越来越重。他这人力气倒是不小，两百斤的粮食扛在肩膀上能够走上五里地不带喘气的，今天扛个几十斤的自行车却觉得不行了，便想找个地方歇会儿。 这怪事立马就来了。每当胡长子想歇的时候，肩膀上的自行车就会变得更沉，压得他几乎不能动弹，这手想要把车子放下来，却怎么都不肯听自己使唤；若是他咬咬牙坚持，这种被压的感觉又会立马轻松一点。 胡长子几次试着把自行车卸下来都没成功，而且似乎这条山路也越走越让他胆战心惊起来。 原本小路两边是老树林立，里面杂草丛生，全是一人多高的灌木丛遮着，可是现在他似乎看见了那些灌木丛中隐约有一两个隆起的小山包。 这小山包是啥？他没敢往心里想去，只想着快点赶到山那头把袋里的丧信给发了，可是脚下的步子已经有些迈不开了，就在那停下准备歇歇，这实在是走不动了。 忽然，他听见自己背后传来一声小孩的笑声。这荒山野岭的，哪来的孩子？胡长子便抬头一看，这里的树实在是太高太密了，连同那天上的太阳也一并给挡住了，虽说现在是晌午时分，但此时却像是太阳已经下山了一般，那孩子的笑声也越发明朗了，就像在自己耳朵根子边。 胡长子心里有些害怕了，他有些后悔接这份差事了，据说那门远方亲戚就是因为路难走，所以王夫人和老爷过世，这丧信都没发成，若这一次何老的依旧没人肯送，这点亲戚关系肯定就此断了。 他心里挺矛盾，要是回到村里说是因为自己胆子小，不敢送信，让人家断了亲戚，指不定会被别人看成个啥样，那算是在王庄彻底没法混了。但若要继续赶路，自己的腿肚子都已经在发软了，那孩子“咯咯咯”的笑声一刻也没停过，他是真不敢再走了。 就在他愣在那里，走也不是回也不是的时候，胡长子突然觉得自己的耳朵被人狠狠拧了一把，他猛地回头一看，当即三魂吓掉了两魂半，这肩膀上扛着的哪还是自行车啊，分明是一口黑魆魆的大棺材！在那棺材之上，有一个穿着寿衣的小男孩正笑嘻嘻地看着自己，可那脸色一看便知不是正常人，因为那是一张惨白的脸，就像是用面糊糊涂上去的一般，还有两个小红圆点点。 胡长子“妈呀”一声尖叫，也不知是哪来的力气，把肩膀上的自行车往地上狠狠一扔。只听见“哐当”一声，那崭新的二八大杠便被他给扔到了旁边一棵大树上，撞得那铃铛直响。胡长子知道自己八成是见鬼了，吓得屁滚尿流，连翻带滚，一个跟头往下山滚了七八米，只听见后背“轰”的一声，撞到了硬物上，疼得他当即就背过气儿了，好一会儿才缓了过来。 等他再转头看，自己原来是被一块长满苔藓的石头给挡住了，他暗自庆幸要是没这块石头可真就得摔死了。扶着那块大石头晃晃悠悠地站了起来，想把自己的后背揉上几下，抬头一看，这里满是那种一个个的小山包，每个小山包前都有一块石头竖着。 胡长子颤抖着身子低头一撇，手上扶着的那块石头上还刻着字呢！他虽然不识字，但却清楚得很，这玩意儿是墓碑，合着自己什么时候就窜进了乱葬岗了！ 他也不管什么自行车了，抱着脑袋没命地往山下跑，也不知跑了多久，终于看见山脚下出现了村庄的模样，这时候他又听见了那孩童的笑声。胡长子心想完蛋了，这回肯定是被山里的野鬼给缠上了，双腿一发软立马就坐到了地上，想着自己的孩子尚在襁褓，媳妇又还年轻，指不定在自己死后就带着娃娃马上改嫁，他那叫一个绝望啊。 没一会儿，那些笑声就越来越近，只见一个穿着碎花红衣的小女娃从林子里头钻了出来。胡长子一看，妈呀，又来一个！这下他是真没力气再跑了，心想这是死定了，脚跟子一软便朝着那小女娃跪下了，嘴里说道：“求求大仙放我一马，我这家里还有刚出世的娃娃，回去之后一定多烧点金银财宝给您……” 那小女娃莫名其妙地看着这位大叔给自己磕头下跪，立马喊了一声：“爷爷快来看啊，这儿有个疯子。” 胡长子抬头一看，一个背着背篓的老头牵着那小女娃正警惕地看着自己，那老头见他那疯样便骂道：“哪里来的神经病，到这里撒野吓我孙女！” 这胡长子一听，是人的声音，再一看，确实是两个大活人。常年在农村生活的他一看这装扮便知道是采药人，便抹了眼泪和鼻涕说道：“我是一送信的，还以为遇到鬼了。” “呸！”那老头骂道，“光天化日，哪来的鬼，我看你就是来诅咒我们爷孙的，看我不打你！”说完那老头就随手捡了根木棍向胡长子打来。 胡长子举手便挡，说道：“别别别，我是从王庄来的，给人送信，刚才真遇到鬼了！” 那老头狐疑地看着胡长子，问道：“你送的什么信？送信怎的送到这山上来了？” “丧信，我是从王庄过来的。”胡长子说完，就急着想把兜里的信掏出来作证明，却被那老头呵斥道：“别拿出来，真晦气！呸呸呸！”然后那老头便急忙扭过头去带着孙女往回走。 胡长子追了几步喊道：“哎哎哎，老大爷，我跟您打听个事儿，这是哪儿啊？” 那老头头也不回地丢下了三个字：“方家村！” 方家村？胡长子回头看了一眼，叹道：“妈呀，我竟然翻过了整座狮子山！” 这方家村已经是属于安徽了，隔着狮子山的那一头就是王庄，翻过来的第一个地方就是方家村，穿过方家村再往前走上一段路就是接信人所在的禾木冲了，没想到自己歪打正着还真走了下来，就是那辆自行车给丢了，连同自行车一起丢的还有那袋子白花花的米糕，他为了方便就顺手把袋子系在车把上。胡长子一想到这儿，心里就发毛，那口黑魆魆的大棺材和那个小孩…… 他不敢再作停留，跟在那老头的后面保持着二十来米的距离，一直下了山，终于在太阳下山前赶到了何木冲送了信。 带着那个接信的远方亲戚，他是死活也不肯翻山了，袋里又没钱，最后两人只好转车走。那会儿的公共汽车可不像现在，随去随走，又是傍晚，等他们两人饿着肚子转回到王庄的时候，都已经是何老要出殡的那一天了。 话说这胡长子到家之后也没敢说丢车的事儿，只是按照查文斌之前的吩咐撒了米和茶叶，倒头就睡。 那查文斌在这几天里又干了些什么呢？他已经连续两夜都没合眼了，省城里来的那些人，他也认识不少，白天管招待，晚上忙着做法事，还得抽空安慰超子。 第三天这金馆长亲自带着车队来拉何老的遗体时，胡长子那二十出头的小媳妇抱着哭得稀里哗啦的娃娃就冲到了王家大院，嘴里只喊：“救命啊，救命啊，我家长子不行了！”