Chapter 09: New Year’s Eve
It was the 30th day of the New Year.
Even on the previous day, the village had been struck by a tornado, enduring a great disaster that it had never experienced before, but the village had already recovered from the disaster in every household except those that had been directly harmed, after all, the New Year's Eve was different from the usual ah! By the afternoon of the 30th, the doors of every household in the village were covered with red couplets, creating a lively and festive atmosphere. The streets were decorated with hanging decorations, and the characters for ‘good fortune’ and ‘spring’ could be seen everywhere.
Just after lunch, the sound of firecrackers came from the fields around the village, this is the custom of the villagers to go to the graves to worship the dead, every year on the afternoon of the New Year's Eve, every family has to go to the ancestral graves to worship their ancestors and burn paper, set off a few firecrackers, and light up a few kicks.
After returning from the cemetery, a group of young people immediately gathered together to play cards and drink, of course, have to play a few small money, New Year's Eve, you say is not it?
In fact, really, the more people grow older, gradually there is no childhood for the New Year's immense love, in the bottom of the heart of how many times I look forward to the New Year's Eve, you can have new clothes to wear, there are delicious to eat, but also can be a lot of fun ah play ah …… people to grow up to the age of twenty years of age, New Year's Eve, nothing more than the absence of adult discipline, can be arbitrary Drinking and playing cards, in the true sense of the word, it seems that the New Year …… is nothing, right?
After an afternoon of playing cards and then going home to light firecrackers, the two uncles also came over to our home, the family reunion together, eat New Year's Eve dumplings, and incidentally drink some small wine …….
If it is a usual year, the night of New Year's Eve, and should play cards and play until two o'clock in the night before going home.
But this year I will not play cards with them a piece of play, I New Year's Eve night, to go to find Liu Yawen nagging to go, holding hands to go, kissing mouth to go ……
The person who has fixed the marriage is really a bullish ah! I'm going to go find my daughter-in-law!" Then in their gang of people extremely envious and jealous eyes, strutting toward the west end of the front street.
My new son-in-law to the door, the old father-in-law and mother-in-law, as well as great-uncle brother-in-law naturally want to warmly welcome, after some polite words, I said the intention, so the mother-in-law cheerfully called out the shy daughter, let her go out with me a piece of play, the New Year, has been at home is not bored? Go, and son-in-law a piece of round, to the temple to see, in the village around, the night of New Year's Eve, the cross street red-hot it …… is in fact happy to the two of us more exchanges exchange of feelings, as long as not to make a man in advance on the line.
On New Year's Eve, the village street lights are rare all wide open, every house is decorated, the streets and alleys are illuminated as if it were daytime.
Liu Yawen and I skipped all the way to the cross street, but unexpectedly found that the cross street is cold and quiet, in addition to the temple door of the grandmother's temple is open, inside the smoke, candle flames flickering in addition to the only two old lady guarded inside, listless nagging knocking, and even on that table, but also just set a bowl of meat, incense burner inserted in a few sparse children incense, no coarse incense. ……
This is very different from the usual year's red-hot energy, change in the past, the New Year's Eve, the cross street is absolutely crowded , red-hot, banging gongs and drums firecrackers. Grandma temple entrance lights, not to mention, inside is red and green dress up a new, big red candles at least have to point on dozens of, for the table of fruits and meat offerings have a seven or eight bowls, incense burner inserted full of thick incense, the highest can be more than a meter high it …… to come to the offerings of the people is a constant stream of people have to line up and wait for the temple is overcrowded! The temple is overcrowded, overcrowded.
This is strange ah, the defeat is also too fast a bit right?
Although Liu Yawen and I feel strange, but after all, there is nothing to see, had to follow the second street all the way to the east of the village. Occasionally can also run into some carrying baskets carrying baskets on the offerings of the old ladies and some old ladies small daughter-in-laws, but their offerings to go, but now it is the other temples, very few people to the cross street up.
However, these are not important, even if there is no those fresh fun things to see, I and Liu Yawen heart is also sweet, gorgeous, we two out of the main purpose, not to see the play ah, is to …… make out with the two of us, in a piece of time to say a few words that would be beautiful.
Simply, so cold days in the street skulking around is not much fun, I proposed and Liu Yawen to go to our home to sit a while, Liu Yawen hesitation, I have a strong request, Liu Yawen had to half-push like, was I pulled the small hand to the home.
I admit, at that time I really got up in the heart of the idea of lust, they have a hut it, if the two people in the house kissing and chatting for a while, naturally inevitably have to kiss the mouth, touch the hand, embrace embrace embrace, think of me on the body hot, dry mouth …… can not hold it.
But the thought of the New Year with a daughter-in-law back home, always have to let the daughter-in-law and the future mother-in-law nagging ah, my heart on the cool half of the child, alas, and so on after the marriage to solve the craving.
Liu Yawen obviously do not understand why my face for a moment appeared on the cunning sinister smile, a moment there is disillusionment, but she seems to realize what I was thinking, so the heart is a little panic, her two small hands clenched together, head down all the way to follow me, wearing a child can be used as a coat of the small red jacket, the two children pigtails hanging in front of the chest, the face in the light of the reflection, the red, like a ripe apple. The two ripe apple like, delicate and colorful ……
When I walked to the edge of the east canal, I should have turned left and headed north toward my home, but Liu Yawen suddenly stopped and said, "Hey, Yinle, look, what are those old ladies doing in front of Hu Laoshi's house?"
I turned my head to look, yes, copper lock lady gang of old ladies really in front of Hu Laoshi's house whispering, from time to time to the head of Hu Laoshi's home to look a few times, copper lock lady was surrounded in the center, it seems that Xu old lady hanged out, copper lock lady has been the leader of the old ladies.
"Did something happen at Hu Laoshi's house?" I muttered to myself, then pulled Liu Yawen, "Go, take a look."
"Don't, what's there to see?" Liu Yawen pulled me back, not letting me go.
I was puzzled, it's not just to take a look? I said, "Just take a look, are you still shy?"
"No, I am afraid, afraid of you to cause trouble, you always cause trouble ……" Liu Yawen pouted a small mouth.
"Huh." I was happy, immediately nodded like a chicken pecking rice and said: "Cheng Cheng, we do not go, we will look here."
After a while, the old ladies seem to have decided something, under the leadership of the copper locks mother, to Hu Laoshi's home to go, I thought to myself, is Hu Laoshi do not know that this group of old ladies have been killed in front of the house? Why didn't he come out so soon?
The old ladies flooded into Hu Laoshi's home, my side can not stand, immediately without saying, pulling Liu Yawen to Hu Laoshi's door to go.
To the door, through the fence door to the inside of a look, the gang of old ladies have entered the house, I gently pushed the fence door to a wide open to accommodate a person, side drilled in, and then greeted Liu Yawen also come in.
Liu Yawen some coy hesitation, but at my insistence, but also had to carefully from the doorway into Hu Laoshi's home.
Because of the New Year, so the house in the yard lights are on it, the street also from time to time people laughing and joking by, so I and Liu Yawen so sneaky look let people see the bad, the two of us gently walked to the east side of the window, here just in the shadow of the big elm tree, do not look at the two of us absolutely not found.
I guess you're asking, why don't you just go to the house? You know Hu Laoshi so well, and you don't care about the old ladies, why are you so sneaky?
Yes, I don't care, but the problem is that I'm following Liu Yawen, who hasn't become a woman yet, and definitely doesn't want to come face-to-face with those invincible old ladies, not to mention that her fiancé has a big grudge against these old ladies.
So considering Liu Yawen's mind, I had to come up with this plan.
I'm very curious about what exactly these old ladies are up to that made them come to Hu Laoshi's house with such a great deal of fanfare. Is it an offense or a request?
Liu Yawen this little girl seems to be very interested in this kind of eavesdropping on other people's conversations, feel very exciting, so very nervous pinch my hand, the atmosphere does not dare to come out, but full of excitement, stooped down and raised his head, big eyes staring at the window without blinking.
After listening to the conversation in the room for a while, I almost didn't laugh out loud, grandma, so it is such a thing ah! I pulled Liu Yawen and went outside, Liu Yawen whispered and struggled to say, "Wait a while ah, listen again ……"
"Listen to what listen ah? Might as well listen to me tell you, I know all about this." I smiled triumphantly, suddenly felt that the face is very sufficient and sufficient.
"Really? Oh yeah, I heard that you and Hu Lao Si are very close." Liu Yawen muttered a couple sentences and got up to follow me carefully outside.
I almost didn't fall on my head when I heard Liu Yawen's words, grandma, it seems that we are really famous in the village, but this reputation isn't very good, hanging out with the magician Hu Laoshi often, no good! Damn it! I really don't know what my mother-in-law and father-in-law are thinking.
After walking to the street, the two of us along the east side of the canal slipped to the north, Liu Yawen can not wait to urge me to hurry to tell her what is going on.
I heart that beautiful ah, feel special vanity look, unhurried and unhurried to talk about it.
The reason why the old ladies hesitated to go to Hu Laoshi's home, because they all dreamed, the same dream, a white-bearded old man gave them a dream, the old man on dragon crutches, the head also has a dragon's horns, big eyes staring round, blowing his beard and eyes on these old ladies to be reprimanded, warned them not to worship the gods all day long to worship the true God, since the flooding of the year 63 years! Since the flood in 1963, the Dragon King has come here to bless the village with good weather every year, but you heartless people only worship those messy things in the village, not the real God, what's wrong with that? This year this tornado is a lesson, turn back and hurry to the south embankment pump house west of the big willow tree in front of the building a temple of the Dragon King, so that the old Dragon King here to have a resting place, otherwise, the Dragon King will also be angry ……
A few old ladies dreamed, the next day a total, yo, we all did the same dream ah, feelings this thing is true, the dream of the old man, eighty percent is the old Dragon King, we have to build a temple, build the Dragon King Temple …… can build a temple of the Dragon King, then you have to look at the feng shui, to build the temple of the four flat and stable, sitting in the direction of where to face which direction, this has to have to pay attention to it. This all have to have to pay attention to it.
This will have to beg others Hu Laoshi, they are ten miles and eight villages have a famous yin and yang fairy, read the feng shui to drive away evil monsters, subdue the demons that is the professional masters. Moreover, the old Dragon King is not an ordinary fairy, it is a big god, these old ladies let the old Dragon King in the dream a rebuke, where still dare to talk to the old Dragon King ah? The old dragon king will be angry to Xu old lady's life, or wait for the old dragon king to calm down, and then set a close to it.
So, we have to find someone else Hu Laoshi to talk to the old Dragon King, Hu Laoshi is an expert.
The reason why I want to laugh after hearing, because I don't have to think to know, that drilled into the dreams of the old ladies pretending to be the old dragon king's white bearded old man, it will be the old age pretending to be, this is what it promised the old jiao thing, can not do it? Of course, the old age of the choice of these characters is still completely correct, and only to give these old ladies dream, will play a decisive effect. What do these old ladies do? Professional superstitious believers, superstitious faithful "rice death", they get the "old dragon king" hint, will certainly resolutely to implement the old dragon king's ideas, to ensure that the task is completed.
Of course, I did not tell Liu Yawen about the old woman, a girl, let her know so many strange and weird things is not good, in the future, all day long suspicious, that's not good, I do not want to marry a life only know how to pray to the gods to worship the temple of the woman.
However, the existence of evil things, is everyone in the village is clear about the matter, if I firmly said there is no evil things, then Liu Ya Wen is also certainly not believe. So I told Liu Yawen about these times, on purpose to speak into the feng shui problem, the day we dug up the snake monument, resulting in the village south of the cave mouth is wide open, the water gas and the north wind collision, directly resulting in tornadoes …… As for the dream thing, that is Hu Lao Si with Taoist magic ghost, Hu Lao Si wants to build a temple to suppress the village south of the cave mouth, but no money, had to let this group of old ladies to the village south of the cave mouth, but no money. The money, had to let this group of old ladies responsible for the collection of funds to build a temple.
So, Liu Yawen believed a seven or eight, she thought Hu Laoshi is very clever, to know, this group of old ladies in the village call for funds, that is eighty percent of no problem. Believe in superstition, naturally, will be the ass of the money out of the effort, do not believe in people, will not be in order to save so little money, and with these invincible old ladies beam, who are clear, this group of old ladies face can not be refuted, or else, humph, no end!
Liu Yawen suddenly realized, "Oh, so it is like this, hum, it is you guys who love to cause trouble, you see strike the village people harmed, alas …… in the future, you can not cause trouble, in case if you are out of order, what can I do ah?"
"Fear of widowhood?" I heatedly laughed and joked.
"Fuck you, who cares about you!" Liu Yawen's neck rose and pouted.
That look hooked me really want to immediately hold her hard to kiss for a while, and then salty piggy hands big move, in her body to touch two hand …… The problem is that the street is constantly coming and going, alas, this New Year's Eve, cold days, people at night, how do people love to slink around in the street? Is it a good feeling to be a light bulb?
So I was anxious to take Liu Yawen to our home, intending to make a big fuss.
As a result, after returning home, my mother was happy, immediately called the unmarried daughter-in-law to the hall, so that the daughter-in-law to accompany their own nagging children, rolling the skin to wrap dumplings …….
I was staring at the side of the dry eyes have no choice but to accompany the smiling face is very "happy" to help out at the side.
Liu Yawen heart must know that I am not happy, so she will from time to time to draw no one noticed the opportunity to sneak a few glances at me, and then gloating smile, smile,…….
When Liu Yawen squirming shouted a mother, can be my mother to the joy of bad, hey hey even body promised, the face of a Liu Yawen promised to be red through, want to say what can not say out.
My mother asked her what she had to say.
Liu Yawen shyly half a day, feelings asked a salty not salty not light words: "Mother, the New Year's Eve it, how you did not go out to burn incense ah?"
I almost didn't spray out, how did Liu Ya Wen ask such a question? Hurriedly interjected: "Where so many things ah ……"
"Go go, what are you talking about!" My mother immediately blocked my mouth, smiling to Liu Ya Wen said: "Wen'er ah, after the door to our family, do not mention this matter, your father and your grandfather do not like to go to the temple to burn incense to kowtow to the matter, we do not need to believe in that family, the ancestors have Fuming cover, what the gods do not need to pay respect … … …"
"Oh, that dare good ……" Liu Ya Wen nodded with a smile on her face, it seems that at home she is also tired of her mother's need to pay homage to this and worship that all day long.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law began to chat up again, like a mother and daughter.
I was wondering ah, it seems that women's nature is so, like to nag some have no …… okay, from this point on the point of view, the future of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law can get along to a piece of time.
……
The first time I saw a woman in the house, I was in the middle of the night, I was in the middle of the night, I was in the middle of the night, I was in the middle of the night, I was in the middle of the night, and I was in the middle of the night.
At eleven o'clock, the father finally came back from outside the door, a see Liu Yawen in it, and the mother is chatting with the pro cut it, the father complained: "What time is it, your dead mother-in-law, but also do not look at the time, so that the Yawen children to stay up so late at night ah?"
Mother then realized that the night is late, and hurriedly greeted me to send Ya Wen away.
Naturally, some polite conversation was inevitable, after which I walked out of the house with Liu Ya Wen.
Pedestrians on the street has been sparse, and so out of the alley, I immediately can not wait to embrace Ya Wen kissed for a while, which is a little reluctant to send Liu Ya Wen back.
Walking back, I specifically find Chang Yunliang home, playing poker Chen Jin called out to him tonight in Hu Laoshi's home to hear the words said again, Chen Jin also happy not, think this is really interesting, the village is not all the temples, are so from it? Some other day let the old age to help again, let these old ladies to the two of us also offer up, that is not a very face it?
I said don't bullshit, it seems that the Dragon King Temple is bound to be built, we are waiting for the second day of the New Year, to see the black dragon hole of the old scaly, how to remove the village of the evil spirit of it, and so on this is done, we are even a complete peace down.
Speaking, Liu Bin also ran out, listened to my words, Liu Bin said in surprise: "That's really the old age pretending to be the old Dragon King? Perhaps it is really the old auger of the Black Dragon Cave, I pondered, this old auger will not be a good thing ……"
Chen Jin said, "Bin Zi, I think the old auger is not a bad thing, don't say that people are bad just because they can't do you any favors, okay?"
"I don't mean that ……" Liu Bin hesitated for a long time, said: "Think about it, if it really is the old auger to the old ladies dreamed those words, that is to admit that it is in charge of the wind and rain, but our village is really the yearly wind and rain, but the village is really the yearly wind and rain. But our village really has good weather year after year? If it's really in charge of the river, and it's a good thing, then why is it that every three years, in the summer, a small child is bound to drown in the river?"
Chen Jin and I both froze, it is not, the village north of the downturn river flowing eastward more than a mile after the northeast corner of the village and the Busan River merged together, in that corner, every three years, is bound to drown a small child.
According to the village by the river bank, occasionally the river drowned a person, that is not unusual, but in case this situation has a regularity, then it is fishy not?
Liu Bin said, not unreasonable, since the old jiao have so much ability, occupy the entire river all the water aura, then it in the river, it should be the leader of the river, in this case, the drowning of children, if not a coincidence, then it must have something to do with it, at least, it has to know the reason for it, right?
Thinking of this, I beckoned and said, "Go, go up to Hu Laoshi's house, and let the old woman ask about it!"
"Yes, ask to go, in the future we still have to have children, guarding the river, can't not let the children swim to go!" Chen Jin thought far ahead.
So the three of them discussed and went to Hu Laoshi's house.
Wait until the Hu Laoshi home door, only to see the yard lights on, the house lights have gone out, people Hu Laoshi have gone to bed, yes, this is after zero hour, it is the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Chen Jin and I pondered, not to find Hu Laoshi, simply directly to find the old age, we came here is not to find Hu Laoshi, but to find the old age.
So the three jumped in from the fence door, directly to the cellar next to.
The old woman is still nestled in the deep cellar in the head, the three of us did not go down this time, in the top of the slight call a few times, the old woman will be very strange in the yard, as if from the ground low suddenly drilled out like, ask us what is the matter.
The three of us did not appear because the old man years old suddenly and weird and feel surprised and afraid, after all, already accustomed to, and know that the old man years old is not a person, a little bit of the very performance is normal. Straightforward to the heart of the doubt with the old man told once.
The old man thought for a moment and said: "I'm really not sure about this, after all, things have been over for so long, I have not been aware of the situation outside, tomorrow you ask Hu Lao Si it. But I can tell you guys, this matter is definitely not done by Old Jiao, it's not that kind of thing."
"Oh, then what you mean is that this thing is definitely not a coincidence, but there is a reason for it, is there?" I asked.
"It's a bit strange, I'll ask Old Jiao about it later as well, to see what's going on." Old Taiyang nodded and said.
Come on, there's no definite answer, then only tomorrow, tomorrow to say or not, it does not matter, anyway, it's still in winter, from the summer is still early, to say the least, it's another three years ah! If there is really something wrong, this summer, the river has to die a child, alas.
For the time being, no matter, just wait for the second night of the first month, see how the old auger to remove the evil in the village, perhaps, the old auger's move, will deter the eight evil, and then any evil will not dare to enter the village of our scourge of the people it.
From Hu Laoshi's house out of the time, it is already a little more than one o'clock in the morning, another two hours, the village should get up, in our rural areas here, early in the morning, before dawn in the courtyard lit a bunch of bonfires, called baked years, a year past ah!
After the bonfire is lit, dumplings are boiled, and when they are cooked, they are served in a bowl, but not eaten yet. You have to light a firecracker in the yard, and then light a few kicks to make it louder! After the firecrackers are lit, the dumplings are eaten.
After eating the dumplings, then you have to go to kowtow to pay tribute to the New Year, first of all, their own family elders, door to door kowtow, and then the village of good relations with the neighbors, the older generation, have to kowtow to pay tribute to the New Year.
Every year on the first day of the morning more than four o'clock in the morning, the village streets and alleys with the fair like, that people come and go, crowded ……
A place a custom, is so.