Those things in Lao Hou Cun er

Grandpa was eighty-two years old when he left. It was a happy funeral, so the sadness didn't last long.

We still have to go to school, adults still have to work, the dead are gone, and the living always have to live at home.

One afternoon, some friends and I went to play under a persimmon tree under a small slope in front of the door.

There are three persimmon trees in a long string over there. A tree belongs to the last family in the village. There is only one old woman left in that family, and her mouth is broken.

As long as we play there, if she knows, she will definitely scold us for ruining her persimmon.

It's not that we only favor her persimmon tree. The key is that her persimmon tree is particularly easy to bully.

Adults fork their forks a little higher than their knees, grow straight horizontally, one meter long, and then grow up slowly.

It is not dangerous for children to climb up, so we all like to climb there and climb that branch naked.

The second tree belongs to my fifth wife. After Wu Ye left, Wu Yejia's children became rich and took Wu Ye to live in a tall building in the county.

The second tree is tall and slippery, and adults are not easy to climb when they are tall, so we all don't love the second tree.

The first tree and the second tree are luxuriant and intertwined. We always like to climb from the first tree and then fall on the second tree. In this way, we will be scolded by the old woman.

I was scolded yesterday. My mother asked me not to go, and I don't want to go either. Think about it. Because of grandpa, I haven't hidden persimmons for a long time. I used it up last time. I'm going to soak more this time.

Soaking persimmons is actually very simple, that is, find an empty bottle that has been canned, wash it clean, take water, put some alkali and put green persimmons on it, and it will not be bitter or astringent in a few days.

It tastes sweet and the children like it. When I was a child, there were very few snacks, all of which were created by myself.

Thinking, I must pick persimmons and climb trees.

I have an appointment with a little girl as old as my sister next door. She got the name because she was black.

Her brother, a Japanese, got the name because he had a blue birthmark under his nose.

There are even younger hairy children, Xiangxiang, Jingjing, Nannan ... and so on. And jade beans, of course.

A big boy like my brother Yulu naturally disdains playing with us girls.

When we set off for persimmon tree in groups, we just walked on the slope when Yudou suddenly changed his face and retreated two steps.

I looked back at Yudou, his face was getting whiter and whiter.

"What's the matter with you? Do you still want to go, retreat! "

Jade bucket just shook his head and didn't speak. I was about to speak when Yudou suddenly turned and ran home and closed the door.

In the village, we don't close the door during the day. Even if all the family members are out, we will leave the door open and we are not afraid of others coming in to get things.

I took Black Girl and Jingjing and said discontentedly, "Go for a walk, whatever!" ! Love to go or not. "

Yudou grew up in poor health, so she didn't get along with the children in the village. Among these hairy children, I am the oldest, so I smell like a big sister.

After hearing what I said, who cares about Yudou? They all ran to three trees.

When I came back at night, Yudou was lying on the kang, talking nonsense with cold.

It's called a local doctor, and I can't see why.

Grandma looked at it and was worried.

He took a porcelain bowl, filled it with half a bowl of water, and went to the back kitchen alone.

After grandpa left, grandma walked behind alone. No matter what dad said, grandma insisted on staying and filming clean.

As soon as I saw that my mother called several people, the front was in chaos, so I followed my grandmother to the back.

Grandma saw me following and said, "Come in."

I followed, and grandma closed the door. "Go and turn on the light."

I let out a cry and groped towards the kang. I groped along the edge of the kang and found something soft, continuous and fluffy. Surprised, I withdrew my hand, took a step back and called, "Grandma ..."

In the dark room, except for the small wooden frame window beside me, there is still a glimmer of moonlight. The room is really opaque.

Grandma didn't answer, and my heart beat drums even more. My trembling voice shouted again, "Grandma, are you still there?"

"Cough ~" There was a deep cough at the kitchen door. I'm relieved that grandma is still here.

So I said, "Grandma, you are still there! I thought you were out. Did you put anything on the kang? Touch soft and hairy things. Did dad buy the wool blanket last year? Why is it paved now? It's too hot! "

I remember last winter, grandpa's health became worse and worse, so my father bought a blanket and spread it under grandpa to keep him warm.

As I said, I groped for the wall and the lamp rope. When I pulled it, the dim light came on. I looked back at the kitchen door.

I saw grandma standing there staring blankly, looking at the bowl in front of me, so I could only see her side face.

I seem to see the blue light from one of my grandmother's eyes. I stayed at the small window, afraid to move or catch my breath.

Suddenly it was dark outside the window, and the cold wind blowing in from the papery window made me shudder again.

Grandma squatted down and took half a bun in her hand.

He said to the bowl, "Eat! Eat and go! There is nothing to remember here. " Grandma said, breaking the steamed stuffed bun into pieces and throwing it into the bowl.

I know this kind of ceremony, which is the most common and commonly used ceremony in our village. Almost everyone has seen it, and it is called "wooden beam".

Just take three chopsticks and put them in a bowl with half a glass of water. When chopsticks fall, those bad things will leave.

Grandma's is slightly different from usual.

I also unconsciously looked at the bowl and saw three more chopsticks standing upright. I was puzzled when I didn't see grandma holding chopsticks. I walked carefully to my grandmother for fear of disturbing anything.

Just when I was near my grandma, grandma suddenly stood up, chopsticks fell, and half a bun in the bowl disappeared.

My eyes were full of surprise and I asked curiously, "Grandma, where is the bun?"

Grandma didn't answer me immediately, but picked up the bowl and turned it around the small stove for cooking for herself three times. I don't know what she said. He opened the door, threw the water out, and said, "The baby is in poor health and can't stand your praise. Don't come in the future. "

I just looked at my grandmother and saw her putting chopsticks under the wooden cabinet behind her door and pressing the bowl on them. Took my hand and walked to the kang. She sat on the edge of the kang and asked softly, "Did Yudou tell you what she saw?"

I shook my head and said, "We were going to pick persimmons and soak them together, but as soon as Yudou got to the slope, she stopped walking. Instead, she took two steps back and looked scared. Jade bucket was timid since childhood, and I didn't take it amiss. She ran back and closed the door, so I went to pick persimmons and left it alone. "

Grandma nodded, didn't ask me anything, and said, "Go to bed on the kang! Yudou will be ready tomorrow. Go to school together. "

I let out a cry and got on the kang only to find that it was still a patched black velvet mattress and a hard quilt stained with pulp. There is no wool blanket at all.

I stammered, "Milk, I just ... felt it ..."

Grandma suddenly changed her face and said seriously, "What did you touch?"

Looking at grandma's serious face, I suddenly dare not speak.

In fact, grandma is a good-tempered person, a little stubborn and avant-garde in thought. At the very least, she is not patriarchal.

Maybe it's best for me that she took me with her since I was a child. When my father is away, she always secretly gives me a dime to buy food.

But suddenly such a serious grandmother really startled me and shook her head and said nothing. I couldn't help saying, "I touched the wool felt and saw grandma's blue eyes."

Grandma sighed and said, "broken baby, what are you talking about?" You must have touched it wrong. Your eyes turned yellow because you didn't look at the milk. What are the blue eyes? Your father bought your grandfather that wool felt, and your grandfather liked it very much, so he put the milk in the coffin and let you take it away. This baby ... "

"But ..." What else do I want to say.

Grandma interrupted me directly, "but what, go to bed, there is a class tomorrow!" " But it's too late to think of it. "

I left my pie mouth and reluctantly took off my clothes and lay down. Sleep with my grandmother.

Grandma also lay down and turned off the light. After a while, there was a "click click ~" sound from under the cabinet. I can hear you. It was the sound of the bowl touching the wooden chopsticks. I was nervous and scared. I covered my head with a quilt.

Grandma suddenly said, "When I tell you to go, you go. Why are you still here? " How many times can I help you? If you don't say you're killed, something will happen sooner or later. You don't see what the village has become. It's not easy for her to be alone, and the baby can't come back. Let's go, let's go. "

Grandma said that the bowl really stopped ringing. Although I am only in the fourth grade of primary school, I also believe in science. After all, I was born under the red flag of the post-90s generation and grew up in New China.

The teacher told us from an early age to believe in science and not to be superstitious about these things. It is because we are too backward here that the village goddesses are allowed to eat and drink everywhere.

However, at this moment, I have shaken my faith in science.

So I slept in a daze until the next morning. I dare not look under the cupboard or the bowl. I washed my face in a hurry, wiped my face with persimmon vinegar oil made by my grandmother, and ran to the front room.

My mother slept on the kang with Yudou, and Yulu slept on the veranda. It's usually a pair of Yulu and Yudou. They are trapped in the cave and sleep on the kang, while my mother falls asleep on the veranda.

When my mother saw me coming out, she went to see Yudou. Jade bucket still has a towel hanging on his forehead. My mother picked up the towel, Yudou opened her eyes, sat up, got off the kang, and her head stopped hurting. She felt much better.

In my heart, I think grandma is a god.

I went to school with Yudou, found my most convinced, youngest and superstitious teacher Chen, and asked him, "Teacher, when you said Mu Liang, you put three chopsticks in the water and stood up. How do you explain this scientifically? "

Actually, I don't quite understand what science really means. I only know that science can explain all magical things and turn magical things into ordinary things.

It is something more magical than superstition, something that can solve all mysteries.

Teacher Chen saw me ask, and immediately took three chopsticks and a half bowl of water to show me. "Teachers can also do this ceremony." After that, she put the chopsticks into the water, did the same action as the witch, lifted the water from the bowl onto the chopsticks, and the chopsticks really stood up.

I opened my eyes wide and quickly said, "The teacher is too powerful. Tell me how this is done. "

The teacher said directly, "Actually! The principle of this method is to use the balance of three chopsticks to stand up in water and increase the friction with wood. You don't understand when it's deep. Something like this. In short, it is a lie. "

I nodded and asked, "What about blue eyes?"

Teacher Chen smiled and shook her head. "The teacher didn't see how people changed, so I don't know what's going on, but those deceptive tricks can be explained. You have to believe in science and you can't be fooled by them. "

I nodded, knowing that asking the teacher again would not explain anything, and left.

After school in the afternoon, I walked back with Yudou and a group of dolls in the village. When I got to the twirling plate at the entrance of the village, I could see the three persimmon trees.

Yudou glanced at the persimmon tree, dropped his schoolbag and ran back to the house. My mother hasn't come back from the field yet. It's time to hoe corn. It was not until dark that my mother came back from the field.

In autumn, it gets dark quickly. We were playing Woodenhead at the door, and it felt like it was getting dark.

My mother has a big cage of grass on her shoulder. My mother is very capable and famous in the village.

But I think my mother gave birth to the wrong child and should vote for a man. I am famous for my strength in the village. I don't like staying at home and doing housework like other women. My grandmother does all the housework, and my mother only works in the fields.

Grandma has cooked the soup. Usually in the evening, she eats a bun, mixes whatever she wants, and drinks some boiled water, which is what the village calls soup.

If there are leftovers at noon, heat them up and eat them for dinner.

When it's time for soup, we'll break up naturally. As soon as I entered the door, I saw Yudou lying on the kang, wrapped up.

My mother washed her face, looked at the jade beans on the kang and said, "It's not beautiful yet, or I'll ask your teacher for leave tomorrow and take you to Yaochier Hospital to see Hazi."

Yudou listened to his mother's voice, then leaned out his little head, blinked, bit his lower lip, hesitated for a long time, and then said, "Mom, I saw it."

I don't know what Yudou saw, so I looked up at my mother, but my mother became dignified and looked at my grandmother and said, "Mom, what's the matter?" Why don't you turn Hazi over? Wa told me quietly last night that she saw a monk hanging from the persimmon tree in front of our door. Although I arrived in the village late, I heard that a monk in the opposite temple hanged himself in our village. "

Hearing this, grandma stood up from the wooden chopping block burning in the stove and said, "It's him. I thought his grandfather had come back. MengMeng met his grandfather, and I think his grandfather has told him about the children. It turned out to be the way it is. "

As soon as my grandmother finished speaking, I couldn't help looking at the shadow. I was the only one whose shadow was pulled by the light for a long time and threw it on the wall, looking like a thief, with a big head, messy hair and thorns at one end.

I saw my grandfather. When have I seen him? Why don't I know?

But I didn't ask, and my grandmother didn't go on. She took out the steamed bread, picked up half a bowl from a big old bowl, and brought her wild vegetables to a small kang table. The small kang table is never placed on the kang, just next to the kang column, next to the column, and is usually used for eating.

Call Yudu down, and we had dinner together. Yulu just came back, took a steamed bread, put oil on it, and it was dinner.

After washing the pot, grandma didn't pour out the water. Instead, scoop it into a special basin to wash the pot water. I picked it up and turned it three times on the head of Yudou.

In the village, the water for washing pots is called bad water, which may mean disgusting water, dirty water and used water. But in my grandmother's eyes, it definitely means something else.

Rural people do everything they can. If there are cows and dogs at home, this stinking water is cows! Dog drinks. If there are chickens, they will also deposit the slag at the bottom of the bad water and leave it for the chickens to eat.

If the smell of oil is strong, give it to neighbors or close families. If there are cows at home, feed them.

Just like my grandfather's funeral, the sweet water, pot washing water, etc. taken from the table are very smelly, and they are all fed to cattle by the villagers.

If you need to borrow someone else's cow to farm or do something else, just wash a pot of bran (that is, bran screened from flour) with rotten water and feed it to the cow.

It's easier to borrow people. Have a casual meal, ordinary meal, whatever you want.

I'm sorry to feed the cows with water in my house today. Grandma said to my mother, "Go to the cooperative and buy us two pieces of black paper."

My mother wiped her mouth, knowing that she couldn't delay, took a flashlight and hurried to buy black paper. There is only one small shop in three villages, and my grandmother is used to calling it a cooperative. In the next village, she has to walk back and forth for 20 minutes and twist her plate to go to the next village.

And my grandmother grabbed a handful of mung beans from under the cupboard and threw them into the bad water. She went out with the evil basin, swept the dust on the kitchen stove with a broom and walked three times along the field at the door. She spilled bad water with a broom, and it's over.

When I entered the door, I scooped a bowl of rice bran with a bowl and dialed a flat bowl with my hand. Yudu gave me a poke with his hand. "What are you doing with milk!"

I made a hush gesture, don't talk, and covered my mouth for Yulu to see. Bored, Yulu went into the corridor and turned on the TV.

I watched grandma take off the chestnut square cloth used to wrap her head, and put a bowl of corn husk upside down on the cloth on the chopping board, without spilling a grain. Anyone who has drunk corn porridge knows how small the particles are.

Grandma picked up the four corners of Baotou cloth, wrapped the bowl tightly, picked up the bowl wrapped in cloth, and turned the mouth of the bowl three times against the top of Yudou's head. I don't know what I'm saying.

He walked from the kang to the cauldron, turned the bowl three times clockwise and three times counterclockwise, and put the bowl and cloth together on the cauldron.

The wooden cover is flat, like a chopping board, with a crossbar in the middle for easy lifting.

At that time, all the chopping boards were occupied, and we were still chopping vegetables on the big pot cover. I'm surprised that grandma obviously didn't tie up the four corners of the cloth. The cloth that grandma grabbed was like being tied up and didn't spread at all.

At the moment, I don't know what science is and what superstition is, because I just want to know what grandma wants.

Grandma took out three sticks of incense from the drawer of the cabinet, which were not lit and inserted in the gap between the boards of the lid. What are you whispering about?

The bowl set suddenly moved, and grandma's face changed. Pick up the bowl with the bowl mouth facing down and the bowl mouth facing up, the cloth will spread out by itself, cover it on the bowl, and the four corners connected together will also spread out, and the circular outline of the bowl mouth will be clearly highlighted under the cloth.

Grandma pinched two corners and lifted the cloth. Suddenly she turned to me and said, "MengMeng, come and see."

I'm surprised, but I'm also curious about what I can see with a bowl of rice. When I stood on tiptoe and saw the corn in the bowl, the whole person was shocked.

My humble opinion is that a series of footprints are sunken on the stereotyped writing plane, which is very shallow, but you can see it clearly. I was about to say what I saw when Yudou suddenly turned pale and pointed to the direction of the back door. Her eyes were so big and white that they were about to fall. I was frightened, but I couldn't say a word. I can't even shout out. I was just about to turn around.

Grandma grabbed my head and wouldn't let me look back. She picked up the bowl and fell to the ground. With a bang, the porcelain bowl fell to the ground without making a big noise.

However, the bowl was broken and the bag fell all over the floor. I secretly looked down at a series of footprints on the ground.

Jade bucket suddenly let out a cry and fell on the kang. Grandma let me go, and I stepped on the ground for a while, mumbling something I didn't understand, and my voice became louder and louder.

I hurried to the kang to see the jade bucket. Jade bucket forehead sweat rolled down, trembling, curled up in a pile. He looked miserable, his mouth was open, but he didn't make a sound.

Mom bought back black paper at this moment, wanted to ask grandma something, opened her mouth, but never asked aloud. She put the paper on the stove and came to see Yudou.

Grandma grabbed the paper, covered the corn pot, pulled out three sticks of incense inserted in the pot cover and threw them on the paper, picked up a match, lit one and threw it on black paper.

Black paper burned, and Yudou suddenly opened his eyes and gave me a look. Eyes wide open, strange and distant eyes, scared me into a cold sweat.

After burning the black paper, Yudou lay down and fell asleep again.

I breathed a sigh of relief, my mother hugged me and we looked at my grandmother at the same time.

Grandma seems to have finished processing, and the whole person has relaxed a lot.

He said angrily, "the ungrateful thing helped you once, but that was wrong." It somehow found my grandson. I taught you a lesson today, and it won't happen again. "

After that, she stood up, picked up her own cloth, folded it into a triangle, wrapped it around her head, and said to the kitchen behind her, "Let you stay here and watch. There is nothing to say, but I didn't see who brought it home! " It's unkind not to look. Today, the baby is fine. If something happens to the baby, see if I will let you come back later. "

Grandma finished nagging, sighed and said to my mother, "burn some hot water and wipe the baby." It's okay. "

My mother nodded, while boiling hot water, and asked grandma what was going on.

Grandma explained, "The one in the temple opposite was not a good thing before his death. He got together with the goods from our village. Finally, the goods in our village got married and hung on the tree at the head of our village. "

"The motorcycle was dealt with at that time, thinking about making it convenient for him in the future, and directly letting Mr. Feng Shui of Yao Jiahe look at the land and bury it well. Because of this, people who don't listen to motorcycles are buried under acacia trees. As a result, they blame me and want to come back and find someone else. She is not alone now. "

Mom and grandma are still talking about the past years, but I don't listen at all. I looked at the dark back door and wondered what Yu Dou saw there. With a sigh, I walked into the corridor and watched TV with my brother. Yulu knows nothing about what just happened.

The next day, I couldn't help wondering what Yudou saw. Yudou said that she saw a monk hanging from a branch where we often play. I said it wasn't that, but what did she see at the back door? Yudou shook his head and said I was talking nonsense.

Yudou was afraid of trees for a while, so he seldom mentioned it again. It was dark, but he still didn't dare to go that way, which scared me for a while and watched the persimmon change from cyan to orange.

Never dare to climb that tree again and pick persimmons.

Everything is true, and my memory may be biased. After all, my grandmother has been gone for ten years, and is writing a novel "Handing down a Book to Become a Ancestor", which reminds me of those "superstitious things" in our village and wants to record them. My grandmother is a legend. I wanted to write a biography of my grandmother since I was very young, but I was too young, so my grandmother is gone and I can't write it if I want to. There are only fragmentary memory fragments, and my father doesn't like to talk about these things, alas ~)