Centuries of Folk Secrets: Notes of the Bone Collector
Chapter 2 Invited to Huang's Mansion to Collect Bones
Chapter 2 Invited to Huang's Mansion to Collect Bones
敛骨
The days passed day by day like this, and more than ten years passed in a flash.Yan Qiniang still earns a living by collecting bones for others, but she has an extra hobby, that is, she likes to smoke big cigarettes.Regardless of whether it is old shredded tobacco or green tobacco leaves, she likes them all, and she can even smoke the most pungent frog's head tobacco.Because of her heavy smoking, Yan Qiniang suffered from old lung disease when she was only in her 30s, and she coughed all day long.
My name is Yan Gulang, and I am the boy on Yan Qiniang's back.Yan Qiniang felt that I was born and raised by her, so I had to take her surname. As for my first name, it was to commemorate my dead father, Gu Xiong.I don't have the slightest impression of this father at all, but I vaguely know that he was a short-lived person who dealt with rotting corpses during his lifetime, and his only achievement may be to give birth to me.
After living for 17 years, I have never called Yan Qiniang a mother.It's not that I don't want to, but that Yan Qiniang won't let me shout.As long as I can remember, Yan Qiniang asked me to call her Yan Qiniang like everyone else.I have never thought about this matter, but I dare not ask.Because everyone in Wa Town knows that Yan Qiniang has a strange temper, she will naturally say what she wants to say, if she refuses to say it, no matter how much she asks, it will be a waste of effort.Just her mouth is even tighter than a door lock.
The children in Wa Town all know what Yan Qiniang does for a living, so they don't play with me.But I am not alone, because I have bones to accompany me.This "bone" is not a meat bone to eat, but a wolf.A few years ago, Yan Qiniang went to a foreign country to collect bones for others, and happened to meet a litter of wolf cubs that had just been born, so she picked a little wolf cub to bring me home as a companion, and named it Bones.
Although Bone is fierce outside, he is very honest at home because he is afraid of Yan Qiniang.As long as Yan Qiniang pointed her finger at it, it immediately lay obediently on the ground, not even daring to breathe.As for me, the bone is not afraid, but it obeys me.Over the past few years, Bones and I have become the best playmates.Sometimes, I am reluctant to eat delicious food, and I have to feed it to the bones.Even when I sleep at night, my bones will lie on the edge of my kang.Every morning, it wakes me up with its wet tongue.It can be said that in the whole town of Wa, Bones was the only friend I had since I was a child.
Besides the bones, I also have a chain of bones.This bone chain is made of dark gray hemp vines, and three rotting bones are tied to it.
The first rotten bone was a human bone, that is, the rotten bone of my father, Gu Xiong.This is a half crescent-shaped clavicle, both sides have been sharpened.In Yan Qiniang's words, hanging this rotting bone has two meanings, one is to commemorate my short-lived relative, and the other is that the bone master's bone can play a role in restraining Yin and reducing evil. Save your life.
The second rotting bone is the wolf's fang.When Bone was still a wolf cub, Yan Qiniang pulled a tooth out of its mouth and tied it to my bone chain.She said that this is the rule of the elders. Spike teeth can ward off evil spirits, and they will not get dirty when worn on the body.
The third rotting bone was still a human bone, but it was my own bone.When I was just 17 years old, Yan Qiniang took out a joint bone in the index finger of my left hand.Afterwards, my index finger was shortened, so people in the town called me "Yan Jiuzhi".Yan Qiniang explained that this is the rule of the bone master - the ancestors have long explained that when the bone master reaches the age of 17, 36, 54, and 69, he will mutilate himself to comfort the spirit.Although I am not yet a bone master, my father and mother both do this job, so I will have to rely on this job sooner or later.
Since the rotting bone will dry out and oxidize, I will soak this bone chain with a special potion every night, and wait until dawn before wearing it around my neck.This potion is made from vinegar, choking ashes, wolf urine, and charcoal wall water. Rotten bones soaked in it can last for a hundred years, and even the color does not change at all. It just smells a bit smelly, but it can be worn on the body for a long time. , I'm used to this smell.
Yan Qiniang has a habit of picking up jobs on weekdays, and only picks jobs that she thinks are safe.In those years of war and chaos, no one's family had a good time, and they were all from the village. They didn't look up and down, so even if the owner didn't have a lot of money and couldn't pay for it for a while, she would still help others. .If she feels that this job is not fair, then it doesn't matter if it is the poor or the rich who come to beg her, even if these people talk about it, it is useless, even if they hand over two gold ingots, she will never answer, and will still send people Get kicked out.
Because of Yan Qiniang's weird temper, everyone in the town respects and fears her. Although they greet her politely when they meet, they talk about her behind their backs.Yan Qiniang also knew that she was a different kind in this town, and what she was doing was digging graves to collect bones, so she rarely interacted with people in the town except for normal food and clothing needs.Regardless of whether it was a holiday or a normal day, no one came to visit Yan Qiniang's house, and occasionally there would be a knock on the door, which meant that the victim must have come to the door.
Over the years, Yan Qiniang has been relying on craftsmanship to make a living.There is no land at home, so naturally there is no farm work.When I have nothing to do, I practice at home.Because the job of bone gathering is about lightness and quickness, only with agility can one live for a long time. If the basic skills are not up to standard, sooner or later he will die in the grave of the owner's family.
On this day, I came back from playing outside with my bones, and when I entered the door, I was shocked by the sight in front of me.There were more than a dozen big men standing in the yard, all of them were dressed exactly the same—they were wearing white jackets inside, black silk satin jackets outside, and there were leggings on the trouser legs.I reckoned that these burly men with big arms and round waists should belong to the nursing home of some rich family. I don't know why they came to my house, which made me a little puzzled.
"Woman, what do you think! I asked you to do things for my master Huang, just to give you a high look, understand? Stop talking nonsense, pack up your things and go with us." A big man impatiently He yelled at Yan Qiniang, his words were quite domineering.This guy is bald, with a shiny head, and a half-foot long scar on his face. When he speaks, his face is piled up all over his face. It is not an exaggeration to describe his appearance as "stern".
Seeing the arrogant and domineering look of this "scar face", I couldn't help but glance at him.This guy was wearing a yellow silk satin suit, and he looked like the leader of this group of people.I don't know which nursing home this is, but they are so fierce when they come to invite someone to do something. It seems that they lack of education on weekdays, so they develop such violent and rude habits.
Yan Qiniang was neither angry nor annoyed, neither anxious nor impatient, she just asked coldly: "Is your master Huang Shide from Sui Town?"
Hearing Yan Qiniang's question, I couldn't help but gasped, thinking that this time I really ran into an evil star, and unexpectedly found such a victim.If you say that Huang Shide is known to everyone in the nearby towns, everyone knows it!It is said that when he was young, he passed the examinations for several times, and all of them lost his name in Sunshan. He did not inherit his ancestral business until he was 30 years old.For decades, he used all kinds of despicable means to monopolize dozens of businesses in several nearby towns, and he did a lot of outrageous things.The villagers secretly called him "Yellow Tiger", implying that he has a bad stomach and can eat people without spitting out bones.What's more, every day, a yellow paper man with Mr. Huang's name is cut out, soaked in horse urine and burned. It is said that this is a complaint to King Yama. An early death is retribution.
"That's right, my master is none other than the famous Huang Shide! This is the head of our Huang family's nursing home—Master Long, have you heard of it? People respectfully call our Lord Long the 'sword-scarred dragon'. Our Master Long holds Holding the dragon spear, pointing to where to hit, one hit is accurate; the right hand is holding the life-threatening knife, saying where to cut, every knife is bloody. He is a famous and famous person in the Kanto region!" Before "Scarface" When he opened his mouth, a tall and thin man beside him stepped forward and rushed to speak.This guy was thin and tall, a bit like a stalk, with a face longer than a donkey's face, and a pair of eyes rolling around. It looked like he was not a kind person.He is more in awe of the "scarred face" around him, and there is a kind of flattery in his words, which makes it easy to connect him with a slave.
"Skinny dog, why are you arguing with this country girl! I guess the widows and children in this poor country don't know much about it. You mentioned my name indiscriminately, didn't it scare them all to tears?" Scarred Dragon scolded with a smile Dao, although on the surface he blamed the skinny dog for being meddlesome, but the flattery that the skinny dog gave him was quite useful, and even a smile appeared on his face full of sloppy flesh.
Yan Qiniang didn't care about the names of this group of people, she just replied coldly: "What a coincidence, I have been feeling cold recently, and the doctor has repeatedly told me not to go out, I think you should find someone else. Besides, Mr. Huang's family has a big business, I will definitely find someone capable of holding back bones. How dare a village woman like me who is not good at learning make a fool of yourself in front of you masters! If I miss the important matter of Master Huang, I will not be able to bear it at that time."
"You're a girl, and you talk nonsense. I've inquired about it before I came here, and you've got the loudest sign in a hundred miles around. Don't toast and eat fine wine, it annoys me. I will just set fire to your broken house, and by then, let's see if your mouth is still hard." Scar Dragon said with a snort, staring at the few houses of my house, looking like It's not holding back any good fart.
"Stinky bitch, if you dare to make Lord Long angry, believe it or not, I'll chop you up!" The thin dog smiled frivolously, and then said, "People call you 'Ghost Face Qiniang', come, let Lord Dog see , What does the 'ghost face' behind the black veil look like?"
Yan Qiniang snorted coldly, and as soon as the thin dog's hand stretched out in front of her, she grabbed it suddenly, then buckled and pulled, and locked the thin dog's neck tightly with her arms.Before the skinny dog could struggle, Yan Qiniang had already pulled out a dagger and pressed it against his chest, and said slowly: "I still have a nickname, 'Yan Luo Qiniang'. If you really want to see my appearance, It's okay, but you have to go to Yan Luowang to register first. How about it, do you want me to give you a ride?"
I saw them move their hands, so I picked up a water-carrying pole and ran to Yan Qiniang's side, with very wide eyes, staring at these people.The bones were unambiguous, and he jumped over in a few steps, screaming at the group of people.
"Stinky bitch, no, female ancestor, please be merciful! Master Long, Master Long, you can save your brother!" the thin dog wailed with all his strength.Yan Qiniang didn't show mercy, and grabbed his stomach hard, making his face flushed, even when he said these words, he was trembling.
Scar Dragon was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said: "Oh, this bitch still has a knife with her. Skinny dog, you kid is doing it on your own! I told you a long time ago, don't see this bitch Just lean on them, this time you will encounter something hard! That bitch, put the knife away, you orphans and widows, I don’t even bother to do it. Let me tell you, if I really annoy you, I will tear down your bones and see who will gather them for you."
I have lived in the town since I was a child, and I have lived for more than ten years, and I have never seen this kind of formation, so I can't help but feel a little nervous.None of this group of people is a good guy, if we really do something, Yan Qiniang and I will definitely not be able to take advantage of it, and I am afraid that even the bones will be poisoned.I didn't have any ideas, so I could only pin my hopes on Yan Qiniang, but through a layer of black veil, I couldn't see her expression, so I had to stay where I was.
Yan Qiniang knew in her heart that this matter cannot be avoided.After thinking for a while, she sighed and said, "Forget it, it's a blessing or a curse, and if it's a disaster, I can't avoid it, so I'll go with you."
As soon as the words fell, Yan Qiniang let go of the thin dog, but still held the dagger in her hand.Seeing that he had saved his life, the thin dog hurriedly ran towards Scar Dragon, fearing that Yan Qiniang would play tricks behind his back.He looked back while running, his appearance was both embarrassed and funny.
"Gu Lang, you and Gu Gu take good care of the house, don't go out and run around, and wait for me to come back." Yan Qiniang gently rubbed my head, and then looked at Gu Gu beside me.
"Qiniang, I want to follow you..." I choked up and said.These years, Yan Qiniang and I have lived together, and we have never been separated for half a day. When I heard that Yan Qiniang was going to abandon me, my heart was filled with bitterness and desolation.
"That bitch," Scared Dragon shouted at the top of his voice, "take this brat with you, lest you get distracted from your work and ruin my master's affairs. It's really a bitch. But the brain, it’s not that I invite you to dinner, you think you will go back on the same day!”
Seeing that the scarred dragon was fierce and irritable, I was a little scared, and subconsciously lowered my body and hugged the bone.Bones is more courageous than me, with a pair of eyes fixed on the scar dragon, not even blinking, and occasionally humming a few times without showing any weakness.Maybe it sensed my fear, and it took the time to lick my hand with its wet tongue, as if to encourage me.
"Yo ho," Scarred Dragon grinned, "this kid can still play with the wolf cub. Well, let's take this little wolf cub with him too. But the ugly words can be said in the front, after entering the Huangfu , if this little wolf cub dares to bite people indiscriminately, I will stew it in the current wine and vegetables."
Yan Qiniang ordered me to pack my things, and secretly told me not to wander around in Huang's mansion, not to leave her sight, and take good care of the bones, lest this little thing make trouble.Huang Shide is not a good thing, and these nursing homes are not good people. This act is more dangerous, so we have to be careful to avoid causing trouble to the upper body.
Seeing Yan Qiniang's solemn expression, I quickly nodded, signaling that I would obey her, and then turned around to help her pack the things she needed.Since ancient times, no matter how poor the bone master's family is, the three treasures of bone gathering must be indispensable.According to Yan Qiniang's words, the three treasures of the bone collector are the lifeblood of the bone collector, if one of the treasures is missing, the bone collector will be considered dead.
The first treasure is Qinxiang candles, which can be divided into long and short.Bone masters will light incense candles in front of the graves of the dead before they do the bones for others to show their respect.Among them, long candles are used to worship the ancients, and short candles are used to worship the bones.In addition, bone collectors should determine the number of incense candles according to the age of the deceased, which is generally calculated according to Jiazi.If it is a deceased person within 60 years, four longs and four shorts are enough.
The second treasure is the corpse collection box.There are three kinds of boxes, the first one is gold foil box, which is specially used to hold male corpses; the second is silver foil box, which is specially used to hold female bones; the third is water foil box, which is specially used To hold the bones of children.Each of these three kinds of collecting boxes has its own function and implication. It is a big taboo if the bone collecting box is used wrongly by the bone collecting box.
The third treasure is the flat shovel for bone respect, which is divided into gold-plated flat shovel, bronze flat shovel, and blunt iron flat shovel.Bone masters have been begging for work on the bones of the dead all their lives, and they especially respect the bones of the dead. When collecting bones, they are not allowed to touch the bones of the dead with their skin.Therefore, the patriarch left this kind of bone-respecting flat shovel for future generations to show worship to the bones of the dead.In general, gold-plated flat shovels are mostly used for tombs, bronze flat shovels are mostly used for tombs, and blunt iron flat shovels are used for tombs.
Huangfu Liangu
After I tidied up all these bony things, I got into the carriage of Huangfu with Yan Qiniang.In those days, rich families all had carriages, and there was a hood on the carriages that could protect them from wind and rain.Generally, the carriages in rich people's homes are pulled by two horses, while the carriages in Huang's house are pulled by four horses.There was also a large red velvet flag tied to the side of the carriage, with a big "yellow" character embroidered with yellow thread on it, which was very impressive when blown by the wind, and could be seen clearly even two miles away.
The bones were also stained, and for the first time in his life, he sat in a carriage.But this little thing is very dishonest, always stretching its neck to poke outside.Perhaps it was this novelty that made it very excited. Several times, its little paws almost caught the ass of the horse.I pulled it and pressed it under my body, for fear that it would cause any trouble again.
Scar Dragon and Skinny Dog followed the carriage on horseback, and some nasty jokes popped out of their mouths from time to time.These people are big and rough, they can't say anything without women and money, and they will grin when they are happy.Some people simply hummed a ditty, regardless of whether others liked it or not, anyway, they sang it very enjoyable.
Yan Qiniang felt that this trip was not as simple as holding back bones, so she repeatedly told me that if the situation was not good, I would run away with my bones.I have depended on Yan Qiniang since I was a child, so I refused to agree, which made Yan Qiniang angry and annoyed.I didn't dare to speak anymore, but I secretly made up my mind, no matter how dangerous this time is, I will live and die with Yan Qiniang.
After a long ride, our group finally arrived at Huangfu.To say that this Huangfu is really grand, there are two clay statues of Pixiu standing at the entrance, and the surrounding courtyard walls are more than ten feet high, which are both fireproof and windproof.The front of the courtyard is a three-storey parallel high-rise building, all of which are constructed of stone.Auspicious words such as "wealth and honor" are engraved in relief on the forehead, lotus flowers and vanilla are engraved on both ends, and geometric patterns are arranged around it.The window grilles in the mansion are mainly geometric figures, with figures, flowers and plants engraved in the middle.All carving works are exquisite and lifelike.
I have never seen such a magnificent house, and I was dazzled and dizzy for a while.Bones was very excited, like a runaway wild horse, running around, very happy.I was afraid that this little thing would cause some trouble if it was unruly, so I hugged it forcefully in my arms.Bones was reluctant, but he couldn't resist me, so he could only struggle to show his little head and look around curiously.
Before seeing Huang Shide, Dao Scarlong briefly explained a few words, which probably meant that Mr. Huang is a rich man, and he should not be less polite when meeting him, let alone be rude to Mr. Huang, especially Yan Qiniang. If Mr. Huang shines his knife, they will be completely rude.To this, Yan Qiniang didn't say much, but just snorted coldly as a response.
We followed Scar Dragon to the main hall of Huangfu.There is a banquet table in the middle of the main hall, and there is one person sitting in the main seat and the side seat of the banquet.The person in the main seat is an old man, about sixty years old, wearing ingot satin gown, wearing pearls, jade and gemstones, dressed extremely richly, but he is a little thin, his hair and beard are also a little gray, and he looks a little old-fashioned.He would cough dryly from time to time, and he could tell that his bones were not very strong.
"Master, people are here." Scared Dragon said respectfully to the old man sitting in the banquet seat, and then glanced at me and Yan Qiniang, "This is our Master Huang Shide, hurry up and salute Master Huang!"
"No, no!" Huang Shide coughed twice and said, "Is this the Grimace Qiniang? The old man has heard that it is not easy for this woman to make a name for herself! Come, sit down, let's eat chatting. Cough...cough..."
Seeing Yan Qiniang nodding, I stood beside the table with my bones in my arms.Having grown up so big, I have never had a banquet before, so I can't help being a little excited.On weekdays, the folks in the town will also hold banquets when they hold red and white events, but Yan Qiniang never takes me to the banquet.The people in the town thought our mother and I were unlucky, so Yan Qiniang never bothered them, let alone let me go.At this time, the dishes on the table were full of aromas, and most of them were unfamiliar to me, which made me salivate.The bones are like me, the tongue sticks out and grows, if I didn't hold it down, I would have clawed it with my claws.
"May I ask why Master Huang came to me this time? Our orphans and widows know some bone-holding skills, and we rely on this bone-holding skill for a living all year round, but it's just a job to deal with people, and we won't be able to get on the stage after all." Yan Qiniang He didn't care about the banquet, but asked Huang Shide straight to the point.
"It's easy to say, easy to say! I will introduce a person to you first. The person next to me is the most famous Fengshui master in Kanto——Mr. It can be said that he has the skill of penetrating the sky and the earth, and has the method of subduing demons and ghosts in his heart." Huang Shide stood up with a smile, and introduced the people sitting at the side of the banquet , the words are quite respectful.It seemed that he valued this person very much.
Seeing that Huang Shide admired this person so much, I took a few more glances.I saw that this man was over forty years old, with a bun on his head, a thin face, an aquiline nose, a black mustache at the corner of his mouth, and a gray-yellow goatee on his chin.He was wearing a long gown, which seemed to be wrong, and he had a weird and unpopular appearance.However, this guy's eyes are quite energetic, like the sharp eyes of an eagle. When I looked at him, I couldn't help feeling flustered and feeling unspeakably uncomfortable.
Mr. Leng glanced at Yan Qiniang, nodded his head, and there was still a smile on the corner of his mouth.This kind of superficial smile is both treacherous and weird, and also reveals a trace of contempt, which makes people feel uncomfortable after looking at it.
"Since there is an expert like Mr. Leng to help, why does Mr. Huang still find our orphans and widows? With our little ability to play with rotting corpses, we probably can't help Mr. Huang." Yan Qiniang ignored Mr. Leng , but stood up and asked Huang Shide.
Before Huang Shide could speak, Mr. Leng laughed and smoothed things over. He said: "This statement is wrong, this statement is wrong! Since ancient times, there is a saying, 'There are rules of conduct, and rules of conduct,' how can it be broken? Rules. Although I have the understanding of heaven and earth and know the impermanence of yin and yang, I can't do everything myself. Besides, the gloomy work of collecting bones will naturally be done by artisans who collect bones. If I go to dig graves to collect bones, you guys Can hard-bodied craftsmen still get a job?"
"Ghost Face Qiniang, don't be overly modest, what this old man wants to do is really useful for you. You don't know, this old man has been rich for most of his life, but he has not enough children. His only son died of a serious illness a few years ago. Miss me The five generations of the Huang family are single, but now the old man has no sons and half daughters under his knees. This is to cut off the lifeblood of my Huang family! Over the years, the old man has also taken several concubines, but these concubines are not up to date, and so far they have not been able to conceive me The flesh and blood of the Huang family. Every time I think of this, the old man feels ashamed of the ancestors of the Huang family!" Huang Shide sighed and continued, "Fortunately, God has eyes, let the old man meet someone like Mr. Leng. Master. Thanks to Mr. Leng's guidance, I finally learned the mystery. Over the years, my Huang family has not been able to continue. It turned out that it was the ghost of my dead son. He was 20 years old when he was buried. He is old, and he failed to marry him during his lifetime, and he never made a companion for him after his death. He will definitely not give up. If the old man wants to continue his son, he must let him enjoy all the joys, otherwise how will the grievances and yang worries be eliminated? Woolen cloth?"
After hearing this, Yan Qiniang thought for a moment, then said slowly: "I can only go to the grave to collect my bones, I don't understand Yin and Yang's worries. Mr. Huang, the bones of the dead are far away from others. The world should not disturb you, even your own relatives must be reasonable. You must know that the filth of this tomb is not something that moves randomly, and it will dispel auspicious weather if it is light, and it will harm your family if it is serious. I hope Master Huang will think more about it."
Huang Shide coughed twice, sighed again, and said, "How can this wealth and honor be destroyed by the old man! If the Huang family has no blood when the old man dies, who can the old man's wealth be entrusted to?"
"Master Huang, don't need to sigh, I will ensure that you will pass on the family line." Mr. Leng smiled slightly, and said again, "Ghost Face Qiniang, have you ever heard of the method of yin bones matching yang people?"
Yan Qiniang shuddered, and asked, "Mr. Leng is talking about 'hell bone superimposed sun'?"
As soon as I heard the words "Minggu stacking sun", I was taken aback.I have heard Yan Qiniang mention this method before, which means that the yin and yang are superimposed, and a pair of male and female bones is required. The male bone should be a ghost bone, that is, a dead human bone, and the female bone should be a yang human bone, that is, a living human bone. Two sets of bones After they are all prepared, they will be collected by the bone master, and then placed in the coffin according to the posture of the female and the male.The folks call this method a marriage of the underworld, which means marrying a living woman and a dead boy, which is equivalent to burial.People superstitiously believe that after the "deep bones and sun", people will have good luck and auspiciousness around their bodies, which can ensure the well-being and wealth of future generations.
This method of "deep bone overlapping sun" is extremely despicable, and the selected woman is extremely miserable. Not to mention her life, she has to be cut off from her whole body, leaving only a white skeleton for burial.Because this method is too heaven-defying and needs to be introduced with living human bones, very few people have dared to use this method for thousands of years.I don't know where this Mr. Leng learned about this kind of bone-strengthening secret method, and he recommended it to Huang Shide.
"That's right, Grimace Qiniang is really knowledgeable!" Mr. Leng stroked his beard, stood up and paced and said, "This time I invite you to come here, I have two things to ask for. The first thing is for the death of the Huang family." The second thing is to put a pair of Yang human bones in the coffin of the Huang family's dead son, so as to ensure the continuation of the Huang family's good fortune."
"Mr. Leng is a person who has attained the Tao. How can he not know that the method of 'deep bones stacking the sun' is against the heavens? God has the virtue of good life. Wouldn't it be a waste of life to sacrifice the bones of the dead with living bones? For many years, I have paid attention to morality, art, Taoism, and rules in everything. I don't want to do things like this. I hope that Mr. Huang and Mr. Leng will forgive me. I can't do this job, please find someone else. "Yan Qiniang snorted coldly, turned around and was about to leave.
"Hey, this is up to you." Mr. Leng gave Yan Qiniang a look of disdain.
"Ghostface Qiniang, if you don't want to drink a toast, do you want to drink as a punishment?" Huang Shide coughed and said harshly, "Is my Huangfu a place where you can come and go freely? Since you have entered the Huangfu, you must You have to listen to the old man. If you help the old man, the old man will give you gold and silver, but if you don’t know the person, don’t blame the old man for being cruel. If the dead son of the old man is not worthy of a human bone, then the old man will bury your orphans first. widow!"
As soon as the words fell, Scar Dragon led a group of burly men to surround the main hall of the Huang Mansion.These big men all held knives and axes in their hands, and their faces were ferocious, like evil spirits just released from hell.
I saw Huang Shide turned his face, and quickly ran to Yan Qiniang's side with the bones, feeling both scared and worried.Bone was very excited, and yelled at Scar Dragon and his group several times. If I hadn't caught it, it probably would have rushed up long ago.
Yan Qiniang was very calm, dragged Gu Gu and me behind her, and then said in a cold voice: "Lang Lang Qian Kun, does Master Huang want to kill our orphans and widows?"
"In these days, killing a person is easier than trampling an ant to death, cough..." Mr. Huang coughed a few times, took another sip of tea, and said, "Qiniang, why are you doing this? You let the child follow you Suffer. Look at this child, I am afraid that he is not even ten years old. Oh, poor child, he has become a short-lived ghost before he is married, what a crime!"
"Master Huang's words are very true. In this troubled world, morality, art, Taoism, and regulations are all bullshit. Grimace Qiniang, as the saying goes, 'He who knows the current affairs is a hero', you can't kill the child's life." !Master Huang has already prepared the man with the bones. You won’t bother with such bloody things as skinning and deboning. You can just stack the bones and bury them. , kill two birds with one stone, why do you stick to etiquette?" After speaking, Mr. Leng glanced at Yan Qiniang.
Yan Qiniang looked at the group of scarred dragons holding sharp knives, then at me and the bones, and said after a long delay: "Forget it, forget it! It's a blessing or a curse, and it's a disaster that can't be avoided. There will be a catastrophe in the end. Ni Ye. I will obey you, as long as I can keep my son safe, I will go all out!"
"Just promise, just promise!" Huang Shide nodded, and greeted with a smile, "Come on, come on, Ghost Face Qiniang, take your seats quickly. The old man will toast you a glass of wine in person to calm you down."
"Thank you, Mr. Huang, for your kindness. Our orphans and widows are just rural women and children. We have never eaten such a sumptuous banquet, and we dare not sit at the same table. I hope that Mr. Huang will make it perfect. Just give me some porridge and light vegetables, and let my mother and son return home." room to eat." Yan Qiniang refused Huang Shide without even thinking about it, her words were very cold.
"Forget it, if that's the case, then I won't force you." Huang Shide waved his hand at the scarred dragon, and ordered, "Take them to the back room, order them not to move around without permission, and then send some people to take care of their food and drink. spread."
Yangbones
Rather than saying that Yan Qiniang and I were taken to the back room of the Huang Mansion, it would be better to say that we were escorted to the back room of the Huang Mansion.With the lessons learned by the thin dog, these nursing homes dare not approach Yan Qiniang, for fear of being stabbed by Yan Qiniang if they are not careful.Even if she doesn't get popular, if she is caught by Yan Qiniang and turned into a hostage, it will be an embarrassing thing to lose face.
Scarred Dragon relied on his excellent skills, and after sending our mother and son to the door of the wing room, he yelled carelessly: "Bitch, take good care of this little pup and that little wolf pup. It's not a place where you can walk around casually. The kitchen will bring food later, just wait honestly. Our ugly words can be said in the front, and the brothers are guarding at the front door, not to mention you, even a fly can't even think about flying out. You have a brain If you have the idea of escaping and playing with me, then you should take care of your own affairs first. I have killed countless people in my life, and I don’t care about including you orphans and widows.”
Yan Qiniang ignored Scar Dragon's threat, but carefully looked at the courtyard wall.It doesn't matter at this point, she actually sighed heavily.It turns out that the wing rooms of the Huang Mansion are all built side by side, neither against the wall nor against the trees, and the surrounding walls are at least four or five meters high, and the corners of the walls are sharp and polished, let alone people. , Even if it is a gecko, it is estimated that it will not be able to climb out.
Not long after we entered the wing room, the Huang Mansion sent people to bring us food, four dishes and one soup, both meat and vegetables.Yan Qiniang ordered me to eat first, and she picked up the pipe and pot to smoke the pipe.Maybe it was because she smoked a little urgently, she was choking and coughing, but she was still reluctant to put down the pipe and pot in her hand, letting the smoke fill the air.
After taking a few mouthfuls of food, I finally couldn't help but ask: "Qiniang, we... are we really going to help Mr. Huang 'Deep Bone and Stack the Sun'?"
Yan Qiniang took a deep puff of dry smoke, hesitated for a long time before saying: "Misfortune comes from the sky, but fate is doomed. Whether we help or not help Mr. Huang, we will die. These people are not kind, and what they do is like this." Such a bad thing that hurts nature and reason, how can it leave a way for us orphans and widowed mothers! For the current plan, only by pretending to please can we find a chance again. Gu Lang, listen carefully, if there is a chance to flee, you should run away decisively, and you must not Miss me and my bones."
Ever since I was a child, I have never dared to argue with Yan Qiniang. Hearing what Yan Qiniang said, I couldn't help feeling sour and almost weeping.Bones seemed to be aware of my sadness, and repeatedly licked my face with its wet tongue, and leaned closer to me.I picked up the bones with some affection, and then looked at Yan Qiniang, thinking that no matter whether this encounter is good or bad, we must live and die together.
After eating, I went out to defecate with my bones.When Yan Qiniang brought this little thing home, he was very unruly, and Yan Qiniang hit him with a pipe and pot a lot. Over time, it developed a good habit, that is, it didn't dare to defecate in the house.So every day after dinner, I would take it for a walk outside to get some fresh air.
Since the scar dragon warned us not to go out, I didn't dare to go far with my bones, so I could only wander back and forth in this row of wings.It seemed that the rooms in Huang's mansion rarely entertained guests, and there was no movement in the other rooms. Most likely, no one lived in them, and they were a bit deserted.But it's better this way, anyway, I don't like crowded places, just me and Bones, we still had a good time.
Maybe it's because of the change of environment, the bones are like a new daughter-in-law, very excited wherever they go, very curious about everything, but just shy and unwilling to defecate, the small nose is still sniffing around, it seems to be Find a suitable defecation point.
After searching for a long time, Gu Gu urinated next to a wing room.But before he finished urinating, it pricked up its ears vigilantly.Soon, it ran towards the door of this wing room, and let out a howling sound.
At this moment, the door of this wing room opened suddenly, and a head poked out.Seeing something strange, I quickly stepped forward to pull the bone back, and then rushed into the door and asked loudly, "Who are you?"
"Ah! Is...is this a dog or a wolf? My name is Qiaoqiao, and I lived here a few days ago. The master of Huangfu bought me and said...that he wanted me to be his son's wife." A little girl replied softly.This little girl was about fourteen or fifteen years old, with fair skin, two braids, and a pretty appearance, but her face was blushing all over, and she didn't know whether it was from shyness or frightened by her bones.
When I saw that she was a very well-behaved little girl, I breathed a sigh of relief, but when I thought about it, my expression changed, my eyes widened, and I asked in disbelief, "Could it be... Could it be that you just want to give Huang a piece of cake?" The yang-bone man that the master was buried as a dead son?"
Qiaoqiao blinked her eyes, and asked in a daze, "Little brother, what is a man with bones?"
This question put me in a difficult position. I didn't know how to explain it, so I scratched my head and asked, "How did you come to Huangfu? Are you alone? Where are your parents?"
"My parents have passed away, and I was sold here. The master here said that he bought me to be his son's wife, and said that he would marry me when the auspicious day came. He asked me to live here for a few days Here, people come to deliver food every day." After Qiaoqiao finished speaking, she bit her lips, her cheeks became more rosy, shy and cute.
I didn't know how to explain the ins and outs of the matter clearly, so I took Qiaoqiao to see Yan Qiniang.Qiaoqiao saw Yan Qiniang covering her face with a black veil, she couldn't help being a little scared, but she still knew everything Yan Qiniang asked and said everything.It turns out that Qiaoqiao's life experience is quite pitiful. Her parents died of illness a few years ago, and she was sold to a craftsman in the rivers and lakes when she was four years old.Over the years, she has been wandering around with craftsmen, relying on performing crafts to get some rewards to survive.But in recent years, there has been a lot of turmoil, and it is extremely difficult to find a meal in the rivers and lakes.The craftsman is also a big smoker, and he has to smoke a few puffs every day.In order to get money, he simply sold Qiaoqiao to Huangfu.
"The world is impermanent, and it's a crime for people to fall into the sword!" Yan Qiniang sighed deeply, picked up the pipe and started smoking again.
"Qiniang, we have to save this little sister, we can't let these bad guys harm her!" I looked at Yan Qiniang anxiously.
Yan Qiniang patted my head, looked at Qiaoqiao affectionately, and said to me in a low voice: "Do your best, obey the destiny! Don't tell her about the burial of Master Huang's deceased son, lest you scare her. When the time is right, I will think of a way to get you out."
I nodded obediently, and then looked at Qiaoqiao not far away, she was having fun with Bones.It may be due to the lack of playmates since childhood, Qiaoqiao is not only not afraid of bones, but has become much closer to bones.The little bone is very strange, it would turn angry when anyone touches it, but now it allows Qiaoqiao to be hugged and hugged, and occasionally sticks out its tongue to lick Qiaoqiao.Qiaoqiao and Bones are having fun, but they don't know that bad luck has come to them.
(End of this chapter)
敛骨
The days passed day by day like this, and more than ten years passed in a flash.Yan Qiniang still earns a living by collecting bones for others, but she has an extra hobby, that is, she likes to smoke big cigarettes.Regardless of whether it is old shredded tobacco or green tobacco leaves, she likes them all, and she can even smoke the most pungent frog's head tobacco.Because of her heavy smoking, Yan Qiniang suffered from old lung disease when she was only in her 30s, and she coughed all day long.
My name is Yan Gulang, and I am the boy on Yan Qiniang's back.Yan Qiniang felt that I was born and raised by her, so I had to take her surname. As for my first name, it was to commemorate my dead father, Gu Xiong.I don't have the slightest impression of this father at all, but I vaguely know that he was a short-lived person who dealt with rotting corpses during his lifetime, and his only achievement may be to give birth to me.
After living for 17 years, I have never called Yan Qiniang a mother.It's not that I don't want to, but that Yan Qiniang won't let me shout.As long as I can remember, Yan Qiniang asked me to call her Yan Qiniang like everyone else.I have never thought about this matter, but I dare not ask.Because everyone in Wa Town knows that Yan Qiniang has a strange temper, she will naturally say what she wants to say, if she refuses to say it, no matter how much she asks, it will be a waste of effort.Just her mouth is even tighter than a door lock.
The children in Wa Town all know what Yan Qiniang does for a living, so they don't play with me.But I am not alone, because I have bones to accompany me.This "bone" is not a meat bone to eat, but a wolf.A few years ago, Yan Qiniang went to a foreign country to collect bones for others, and happened to meet a litter of wolf cubs that had just been born, so she picked a little wolf cub to bring me home as a companion, and named it Bones.
Although Bone is fierce outside, he is very honest at home because he is afraid of Yan Qiniang.As long as Yan Qiniang pointed her finger at it, it immediately lay obediently on the ground, not even daring to breathe.As for me, the bone is not afraid, but it obeys me.Over the past few years, Bones and I have become the best playmates.Sometimes, I am reluctant to eat delicious food, and I have to feed it to the bones.Even when I sleep at night, my bones will lie on the edge of my kang.Every morning, it wakes me up with its wet tongue.It can be said that in the whole town of Wa, Bones was the only friend I had since I was a child.
Besides the bones, I also have a chain of bones.This bone chain is made of dark gray hemp vines, and three rotting bones are tied to it.
The first rotten bone was a human bone, that is, the rotten bone of my father, Gu Xiong.This is a half crescent-shaped clavicle, both sides have been sharpened.In Yan Qiniang's words, hanging this rotting bone has two meanings, one is to commemorate my short-lived relative, and the other is that the bone master's bone can play a role in restraining Yin and reducing evil. Save your life.
The second rotting bone is the wolf's fang.When Bone was still a wolf cub, Yan Qiniang pulled a tooth out of its mouth and tied it to my bone chain.She said that this is the rule of the elders. Spike teeth can ward off evil spirits, and they will not get dirty when worn on the body.
The third rotting bone was still a human bone, but it was my own bone.When I was just 17 years old, Yan Qiniang took out a joint bone in the index finger of my left hand.Afterwards, my index finger was shortened, so people in the town called me "Yan Jiuzhi".Yan Qiniang explained that this is the rule of the bone master - the ancestors have long explained that when the bone master reaches the age of 17, 36, 54, and 69, he will mutilate himself to comfort the spirit.Although I am not yet a bone master, my father and mother both do this job, so I will have to rely on this job sooner or later.
Since the rotting bone will dry out and oxidize, I will soak this bone chain with a special potion every night, and wait until dawn before wearing it around my neck.This potion is made from vinegar, choking ashes, wolf urine, and charcoal wall water. Rotten bones soaked in it can last for a hundred years, and even the color does not change at all. It just smells a bit smelly, but it can be worn on the body for a long time. , I'm used to this smell.
Yan Qiniang has a habit of picking up jobs on weekdays, and only picks jobs that she thinks are safe.In those years of war and chaos, no one's family had a good time, and they were all from the village. They didn't look up and down, so even if the owner didn't have a lot of money and couldn't pay for it for a while, she would still help others. .If she feels that this job is not fair, then it doesn't matter if it is the poor or the rich who come to beg her, even if these people talk about it, it is useless, even if they hand over two gold ingots, she will never answer, and will still send people Get kicked out.
Because of Yan Qiniang's weird temper, everyone in the town respects and fears her. Although they greet her politely when they meet, they talk about her behind their backs.Yan Qiniang also knew that she was a different kind in this town, and what she was doing was digging graves to collect bones, so she rarely interacted with people in the town except for normal food and clothing needs.Regardless of whether it was a holiday or a normal day, no one came to visit Yan Qiniang's house, and occasionally there would be a knock on the door, which meant that the victim must have come to the door.
Over the years, Yan Qiniang has been relying on craftsmanship to make a living.There is no land at home, so naturally there is no farm work.When I have nothing to do, I practice at home.Because the job of bone gathering is about lightness and quickness, only with agility can one live for a long time. If the basic skills are not up to standard, sooner or later he will die in the grave of the owner's family.
On this day, I came back from playing outside with my bones, and when I entered the door, I was shocked by the sight in front of me.There were more than a dozen big men standing in the yard, all of them were dressed exactly the same—they were wearing white jackets inside, black silk satin jackets outside, and there were leggings on the trouser legs.I reckoned that these burly men with big arms and round waists should belong to the nursing home of some rich family. I don't know why they came to my house, which made me a little puzzled.
"Woman, what do you think! I asked you to do things for my master Huang, just to give you a high look, understand? Stop talking nonsense, pack up your things and go with us." A big man impatiently He yelled at Yan Qiniang, his words were quite domineering.This guy is bald, with a shiny head, and a half-foot long scar on his face. When he speaks, his face is piled up all over his face. It is not an exaggeration to describe his appearance as "stern".
Seeing the arrogant and domineering look of this "scar face", I couldn't help but glance at him.This guy was wearing a yellow silk satin suit, and he looked like the leader of this group of people.I don't know which nursing home this is, but they are so fierce when they come to invite someone to do something. It seems that they lack of education on weekdays, so they develop such violent and rude habits.
Yan Qiniang was neither angry nor annoyed, neither anxious nor impatient, she just asked coldly: "Is your master Huang Shide from Sui Town?"
Hearing Yan Qiniang's question, I couldn't help but gasped, thinking that this time I really ran into an evil star, and unexpectedly found such a victim.If you say that Huang Shide is known to everyone in the nearby towns, everyone knows it!It is said that when he was young, he passed the examinations for several times, and all of them lost his name in Sunshan. He did not inherit his ancestral business until he was 30 years old.For decades, he used all kinds of despicable means to monopolize dozens of businesses in several nearby towns, and he did a lot of outrageous things.The villagers secretly called him "Yellow Tiger", implying that he has a bad stomach and can eat people without spitting out bones.What's more, every day, a yellow paper man with Mr. Huang's name is cut out, soaked in horse urine and burned. It is said that this is a complaint to King Yama. An early death is retribution.
"That's right, my master is none other than the famous Huang Shide! This is the head of our Huang family's nursing home—Master Long, have you heard of it? People respectfully call our Lord Long the 'sword-scarred dragon'. Our Master Long holds Holding the dragon spear, pointing to where to hit, one hit is accurate; the right hand is holding the life-threatening knife, saying where to cut, every knife is bloody. He is a famous and famous person in the Kanto region!" Before "Scarface" When he opened his mouth, a tall and thin man beside him stepped forward and rushed to speak.This guy was thin and tall, a bit like a stalk, with a face longer than a donkey's face, and a pair of eyes rolling around. It looked like he was not a kind person.He is more in awe of the "scarred face" around him, and there is a kind of flattery in his words, which makes it easy to connect him with a slave.
"Skinny dog, why are you arguing with this country girl! I guess the widows and children in this poor country don't know much about it. You mentioned my name indiscriminately, didn't it scare them all to tears?" Scarred Dragon scolded with a smile Dao, although on the surface he blamed the skinny dog for being meddlesome, but the flattery that the skinny dog gave him was quite useful, and even a smile appeared on his face full of sloppy flesh.
Yan Qiniang didn't care about the names of this group of people, she just replied coldly: "What a coincidence, I have been feeling cold recently, and the doctor has repeatedly told me not to go out, I think you should find someone else. Besides, Mr. Huang's family has a big business, I will definitely find someone capable of holding back bones. How dare a village woman like me who is not good at learning make a fool of yourself in front of you masters! If I miss the important matter of Master Huang, I will not be able to bear it at that time."
"You're a girl, and you talk nonsense. I've inquired about it before I came here, and you've got the loudest sign in a hundred miles around. Don't toast and eat fine wine, it annoys me. I will just set fire to your broken house, and by then, let's see if your mouth is still hard." Scar Dragon said with a snort, staring at the few houses of my house, looking like It's not holding back any good fart.
"Stinky bitch, if you dare to make Lord Long angry, believe it or not, I'll chop you up!" The thin dog smiled frivolously, and then said, "People call you 'Ghost Face Qiniang', come, let Lord Dog see , What does the 'ghost face' behind the black veil look like?"
Yan Qiniang snorted coldly, and as soon as the thin dog's hand stretched out in front of her, she grabbed it suddenly, then buckled and pulled, and locked the thin dog's neck tightly with her arms.Before the skinny dog could struggle, Yan Qiniang had already pulled out a dagger and pressed it against his chest, and said slowly: "I still have a nickname, 'Yan Luo Qiniang'. If you really want to see my appearance, It's okay, but you have to go to Yan Luowang to register first. How about it, do you want me to give you a ride?"
I saw them move their hands, so I picked up a water-carrying pole and ran to Yan Qiniang's side, with very wide eyes, staring at these people.The bones were unambiguous, and he jumped over in a few steps, screaming at the group of people.
"Stinky bitch, no, female ancestor, please be merciful! Master Long, Master Long, you can save your brother!" the thin dog wailed with all his strength.Yan Qiniang didn't show mercy, and grabbed his stomach hard, making his face flushed, even when he said these words, he was trembling.
Scar Dragon was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said: "Oh, this bitch still has a knife with her. Skinny dog, you kid is doing it on your own! I told you a long time ago, don't see this bitch Just lean on them, this time you will encounter something hard! That bitch, put the knife away, you orphans and widows, I don’t even bother to do it. Let me tell you, if I really annoy you, I will tear down your bones and see who will gather them for you."
I have lived in the town since I was a child, and I have lived for more than ten years, and I have never seen this kind of formation, so I can't help but feel a little nervous.None of this group of people is a good guy, if we really do something, Yan Qiniang and I will definitely not be able to take advantage of it, and I am afraid that even the bones will be poisoned.I didn't have any ideas, so I could only pin my hopes on Yan Qiniang, but through a layer of black veil, I couldn't see her expression, so I had to stay where I was.
Yan Qiniang knew in her heart that this matter cannot be avoided.After thinking for a while, she sighed and said, "Forget it, it's a blessing or a curse, and if it's a disaster, I can't avoid it, so I'll go with you."
As soon as the words fell, Yan Qiniang let go of the thin dog, but still held the dagger in her hand.Seeing that he had saved his life, the thin dog hurriedly ran towards Scar Dragon, fearing that Yan Qiniang would play tricks behind his back.He looked back while running, his appearance was both embarrassed and funny.
"Gu Lang, you and Gu Gu take good care of the house, don't go out and run around, and wait for me to come back." Yan Qiniang gently rubbed my head, and then looked at Gu Gu beside me.
"Qiniang, I want to follow you..." I choked up and said.These years, Yan Qiniang and I have lived together, and we have never been separated for half a day. When I heard that Yan Qiniang was going to abandon me, my heart was filled with bitterness and desolation.
"That bitch," Scared Dragon shouted at the top of his voice, "take this brat with you, lest you get distracted from your work and ruin my master's affairs. It's really a bitch. But the brain, it’s not that I invite you to dinner, you think you will go back on the same day!”
Seeing that the scarred dragon was fierce and irritable, I was a little scared, and subconsciously lowered my body and hugged the bone.Bones is more courageous than me, with a pair of eyes fixed on the scar dragon, not even blinking, and occasionally humming a few times without showing any weakness.Maybe it sensed my fear, and it took the time to lick my hand with its wet tongue, as if to encourage me.
"Yo ho," Scarred Dragon grinned, "this kid can still play with the wolf cub. Well, let's take this little wolf cub with him too. But the ugly words can be said in the front, after entering the Huangfu , if this little wolf cub dares to bite people indiscriminately, I will stew it in the current wine and vegetables."
Yan Qiniang ordered me to pack my things, and secretly told me not to wander around in Huang's mansion, not to leave her sight, and take good care of the bones, lest this little thing make trouble.Huang Shide is not a good thing, and these nursing homes are not good people. This act is more dangerous, so we have to be careful to avoid causing trouble to the upper body.
Seeing Yan Qiniang's solemn expression, I quickly nodded, signaling that I would obey her, and then turned around to help her pack the things she needed.Since ancient times, no matter how poor the bone master's family is, the three treasures of bone gathering must be indispensable.According to Yan Qiniang's words, the three treasures of the bone collector are the lifeblood of the bone collector, if one of the treasures is missing, the bone collector will be considered dead.
The first treasure is Qinxiang candles, which can be divided into long and short.Bone masters will light incense candles in front of the graves of the dead before they do the bones for others to show their respect.Among them, long candles are used to worship the ancients, and short candles are used to worship the bones.In addition, bone collectors should determine the number of incense candles according to the age of the deceased, which is generally calculated according to Jiazi.If it is a deceased person within 60 years, four longs and four shorts are enough.
The second treasure is the corpse collection box.There are three kinds of boxes, the first one is gold foil box, which is specially used to hold male corpses; the second is silver foil box, which is specially used to hold female bones; the third is water foil box, which is specially used To hold the bones of children.Each of these three kinds of collecting boxes has its own function and implication. It is a big taboo if the bone collecting box is used wrongly by the bone collecting box.
The third treasure is the flat shovel for bone respect, which is divided into gold-plated flat shovel, bronze flat shovel, and blunt iron flat shovel.Bone masters have been begging for work on the bones of the dead all their lives, and they especially respect the bones of the dead. When collecting bones, they are not allowed to touch the bones of the dead with their skin.Therefore, the patriarch left this kind of bone-respecting flat shovel for future generations to show worship to the bones of the dead.In general, gold-plated flat shovels are mostly used for tombs, bronze flat shovels are mostly used for tombs, and blunt iron flat shovels are used for tombs.
Huangfu Liangu
After I tidied up all these bony things, I got into the carriage of Huangfu with Yan Qiniang.In those days, rich families all had carriages, and there was a hood on the carriages that could protect them from wind and rain.Generally, the carriages in rich people's homes are pulled by two horses, while the carriages in Huang's house are pulled by four horses.There was also a large red velvet flag tied to the side of the carriage, with a big "yellow" character embroidered with yellow thread on it, which was very impressive when blown by the wind, and could be seen clearly even two miles away.
The bones were also stained, and for the first time in his life, he sat in a carriage.But this little thing is very dishonest, always stretching its neck to poke outside.Perhaps it was this novelty that made it very excited. Several times, its little paws almost caught the ass of the horse.I pulled it and pressed it under my body, for fear that it would cause any trouble again.
Scar Dragon and Skinny Dog followed the carriage on horseback, and some nasty jokes popped out of their mouths from time to time.These people are big and rough, they can't say anything without women and money, and they will grin when they are happy.Some people simply hummed a ditty, regardless of whether others liked it or not, anyway, they sang it very enjoyable.
Yan Qiniang felt that this trip was not as simple as holding back bones, so she repeatedly told me that if the situation was not good, I would run away with my bones.I have depended on Yan Qiniang since I was a child, so I refused to agree, which made Yan Qiniang angry and annoyed.I didn't dare to speak anymore, but I secretly made up my mind, no matter how dangerous this time is, I will live and die with Yan Qiniang.
After a long ride, our group finally arrived at Huangfu.To say that this Huangfu is really grand, there are two clay statues of Pixiu standing at the entrance, and the surrounding courtyard walls are more than ten feet high, which are both fireproof and windproof.The front of the courtyard is a three-storey parallel high-rise building, all of which are constructed of stone.Auspicious words such as "wealth and honor" are engraved in relief on the forehead, lotus flowers and vanilla are engraved on both ends, and geometric patterns are arranged around it.The window grilles in the mansion are mainly geometric figures, with figures, flowers and plants engraved in the middle.All carving works are exquisite and lifelike.
I have never seen such a magnificent house, and I was dazzled and dizzy for a while.Bones was very excited, like a runaway wild horse, running around, very happy.I was afraid that this little thing would cause some trouble if it was unruly, so I hugged it forcefully in my arms.Bones was reluctant, but he couldn't resist me, so he could only struggle to show his little head and look around curiously.
Before seeing Huang Shide, Dao Scarlong briefly explained a few words, which probably meant that Mr. Huang is a rich man, and he should not be less polite when meeting him, let alone be rude to Mr. Huang, especially Yan Qiniang. If Mr. Huang shines his knife, they will be completely rude.To this, Yan Qiniang didn't say much, but just snorted coldly as a response.
We followed Scar Dragon to the main hall of Huangfu.There is a banquet table in the middle of the main hall, and there is one person sitting in the main seat and the side seat of the banquet.The person in the main seat is an old man, about sixty years old, wearing ingot satin gown, wearing pearls, jade and gemstones, dressed extremely richly, but he is a little thin, his hair and beard are also a little gray, and he looks a little old-fashioned.He would cough dryly from time to time, and he could tell that his bones were not very strong.
"Master, people are here." Scared Dragon said respectfully to the old man sitting in the banquet seat, and then glanced at me and Yan Qiniang, "This is our Master Huang Shide, hurry up and salute Master Huang!"
"No, no!" Huang Shide coughed twice and said, "Is this the Grimace Qiniang? The old man has heard that it is not easy for this woman to make a name for herself! Come, sit down, let's eat chatting. Cough...cough..."
Seeing Yan Qiniang nodding, I stood beside the table with my bones in my arms.Having grown up so big, I have never had a banquet before, so I can't help being a little excited.On weekdays, the folks in the town will also hold banquets when they hold red and white events, but Yan Qiniang never takes me to the banquet.The people in the town thought our mother and I were unlucky, so Yan Qiniang never bothered them, let alone let me go.At this time, the dishes on the table were full of aromas, and most of them were unfamiliar to me, which made me salivate.The bones are like me, the tongue sticks out and grows, if I didn't hold it down, I would have clawed it with my claws.
"May I ask why Master Huang came to me this time? Our orphans and widows know some bone-holding skills, and we rely on this bone-holding skill for a living all year round, but it's just a job to deal with people, and we won't be able to get on the stage after all." Yan Qiniang He didn't care about the banquet, but asked Huang Shide straight to the point.
"It's easy to say, easy to say! I will introduce a person to you first. The person next to me is the most famous Fengshui master in Kanto——Mr. It can be said that he has the skill of penetrating the sky and the earth, and has the method of subduing demons and ghosts in his heart." Huang Shide stood up with a smile, and introduced the people sitting at the side of the banquet , the words are quite respectful.It seemed that he valued this person very much.
Seeing that Huang Shide admired this person so much, I took a few more glances.I saw that this man was over forty years old, with a bun on his head, a thin face, an aquiline nose, a black mustache at the corner of his mouth, and a gray-yellow goatee on his chin.He was wearing a long gown, which seemed to be wrong, and he had a weird and unpopular appearance.However, this guy's eyes are quite energetic, like the sharp eyes of an eagle. When I looked at him, I couldn't help feeling flustered and feeling unspeakably uncomfortable.
Mr. Leng glanced at Yan Qiniang, nodded his head, and there was still a smile on the corner of his mouth.This kind of superficial smile is both treacherous and weird, and also reveals a trace of contempt, which makes people feel uncomfortable after looking at it.
"Since there is an expert like Mr. Leng to help, why does Mr. Huang still find our orphans and widows? With our little ability to play with rotting corpses, we probably can't help Mr. Huang." Yan Qiniang ignored Mr. Leng , but stood up and asked Huang Shide.
Before Huang Shide could speak, Mr. Leng laughed and smoothed things over. He said: "This statement is wrong, this statement is wrong! Since ancient times, there is a saying, 'There are rules of conduct, and rules of conduct,' how can it be broken? Rules. Although I have the understanding of heaven and earth and know the impermanence of yin and yang, I can't do everything myself. Besides, the gloomy work of collecting bones will naturally be done by artisans who collect bones. If I go to dig graves to collect bones, you guys Can hard-bodied craftsmen still get a job?"
"Ghost Face Qiniang, don't be overly modest, what this old man wants to do is really useful for you. You don't know, this old man has been rich for most of his life, but he has not enough children. His only son died of a serious illness a few years ago. Miss me The five generations of the Huang family are single, but now the old man has no sons and half daughters under his knees. This is to cut off the lifeblood of my Huang family! Over the years, the old man has also taken several concubines, but these concubines are not up to date, and so far they have not been able to conceive me The flesh and blood of the Huang family. Every time I think of this, the old man feels ashamed of the ancestors of the Huang family!" Huang Shide sighed and continued, "Fortunately, God has eyes, let the old man meet someone like Mr. Leng. Master. Thanks to Mr. Leng's guidance, I finally learned the mystery. Over the years, my Huang family has not been able to continue. It turned out that it was the ghost of my dead son. He was 20 years old when he was buried. He is old, and he failed to marry him during his lifetime, and he never made a companion for him after his death. He will definitely not give up. If the old man wants to continue his son, he must let him enjoy all the joys, otherwise how will the grievances and yang worries be eliminated? Woolen cloth?"
After hearing this, Yan Qiniang thought for a moment, then said slowly: "I can only go to the grave to collect my bones, I don't understand Yin and Yang's worries. Mr. Huang, the bones of the dead are far away from others. The world should not disturb you, even your own relatives must be reasonable. You must know that the filth of this tomb is not something that moves randomly, and it will dispel auspicious weather if it is light, and it will harm your family if it is serious. I hope Master Huang will think more about it."
Huang Shide coughed twice, sighed again, and said, "How can this wealth and honor be destroyed by the old man! If the Huang family has no blood when the old man dies, who can the old man's wealth be entrusted to?"
"Master Huang, don't need to sigh, I will ensure that you will pass on the family line." Mr. Leng smiled slightly, and said again, "Ghost Face Qiniang, have you ever heard of the method of yin bones matching yang people?"
Yan Qiniang shuddered, and asked, "Mr. Leng is talking about 'hell bone superimposed sun'?"
As soon as I heard the words "Minggu stacking sun", I was taken aback.I have heard Yan Qiniang mention this method before, which means that the yin and yang are superimposed, and a pair of male and female bones is required. The male bone should be a ghost bone, that is, a dead human bone, and the female bone should be a yang human bone, that is, a living human bone. Two sets of bones After they are all prepared, they will be collected by the bone master, and then placed in the coffin according to the posture of the female and the male.The folks call this method a marriage of the underworld, which means marrying a living woman and a dead boy, which is equivalent to burial.People superstitiously believe that after the "deep bones and sun", people will have good luck and auspiciousness around their bodies, which can ensure the well-being and wealth of future generations.
This method of "deep bone overlapping sun" is extremely despicable, and the selected woman is extremely miserable. Not to mention her life, she has to be cut off from her whole body, leaving only a white skeleton for burial.Because this method is too heaven-defying and needs to be introduced with living human bones, very few people have dared to use this method for thousands of years.I don't know where this Mr. Leng learned about this kind of bone-strengthening secret method, and he recommended it to Huang Shide.
"That's right, Grimace Qiniang is really knowledgeable!" Mr. Leng stroked his beard, stood up and paced and said, "This time I invite you to come here, I have two things to ask for. The first thing is for the death of the Huang family." The second thing is to put a pair of Yang human bones in the coffin of the Huang family's dead son, so as to ensure the continuation of the Huang family's good fortune."
"Mr. Leng is a person who has attained the Tao. How can he not know that the method of 'deep bones stacking the sun' is against the heavens? God has the virtue of good life. Wouldn't it be a waste of life to sacrifice the bones of the dead with living bones? For many years, I have paid attention to morality, art, Taoism, and rules in everything. I don't want to do things like this. I hope that Mr. Huang and Mr. Leng will forgive me. I can't do this job, please find someone else. "Yan Qiniang snorted coldly, turned around and was about to leave.
"Hey, this is up to you." Mr. Leng gave Yan Qiniang a look of disdain.
"Ghostface Qiniang, if you don't want to drink a toast, do you want to drink as a punishment?" Huang Shide coughed and said harshly, "Is my Huangfu a place where you can come and go freely? Since you have entered the Huangfu, you must You have to listen to the old man. If you help the old man, the old man will give you gold and silver, but if you don’t know the person, don’t blame the old man for being cruel. If the dead son of the old man is not worthy of a human bone, then the old man will bury your orphans first. widow!"
As soon as the words fell, Scar Dragon led a group of burly men to surround the main hall of the Huang Mansion.These big men all held knives and axes in their hands, and their faces were ferocious, like evil spirits just released from hell.
I saw Huang Shide turned his face, and quickly ran to Yan Qiniang's side with the bones, feeling both scared and worried.Bone was very excited, and yelled at Scar Dragon and his group several times. If I hadn't caught it, it probably would have rushed up long ago.
Yan Qiniang was very calm, dragged Gu Gu and me behind her, and then said in a cold voice: "Lang Lang Qian Kun, does Master Huang want to kill our orphans and widows?"
"In these days, killing a person is easier than trampling an ant to death, cough..." Mr. Huang coughed a few times, took another sip of tea, and said, "Qiniang, why are you doing this? You let the child follow you Suffer. Look at this child, I am afraid that he is not even ten years old. Oh, poor child, he has become a short-lived ghost before he is married, what a crime!"
"Master Huang's words are very true. In this troubled world, morality, art, Taoism, and regulations are all bullshit. Grimace Qiniang, as the saying goes, 'He who knows the current affairs is a hero', you can't kill the child's life." !Master Huang has already prepared the man with the bones. You won’t bother with such bloody things as skinning and deboning. You can just stack the bones and bury them. , kill two birds with one stone, why do you stick to etiquette?" After speaking, Mr. Leng glanced at Yan Qiniang.
Yan Qiniang looked at the group of scarred dragons holding sharp knives, then at me and the bones, and said after a long delay: "Forget it, forget it! It's a blessing or a curse, and it's a disaster that can't be avoided. There will be a catastrophe in the end. Ni Ye. I will obey you, as long as I can keep my son safe, I will go all out!"
"Just promise, just promise!" Huang Shide nodded, and greeted with a smile, "Come on, come on, Ghost Face Qiniang, take your seats quickly. The old man will toast you a glass of wine in person to calm you down."
"Thank you, Mr. Huang, for your kindness. Our orphans and widows are just rural women and children. We have never eaten such a sumptuous banquet, and we dare not sit at the same table. I hope that Mr. Huang will make it perfect. Just give me some porridge and light vegetables, and let my mother and son return home." room to eat." Yan Qiniang refused Huang Shide without even thinking about it, her words were very cold.
"Forget it, if that's the case, then I won't force you." Huang Shide waved his hand at the scarred dragon, and ordered, "Take them to the back room, order them not to move around without permission, and then send some people to take care of their food and drink. spread."
Yangbones
Rather than saying that Yan Qiniang and I were taken to the back room of the Huang Mansion, it would be better to say that we were escorted to the back room of the Huang Mansion.With the lessons learned by the thin dog, these nursing homes dare not approach Yan Qiniang, for fear of being stabbed by Yan Qiniang if they are not careful.Even if she doesn't get popular, if she is caught by Yan Qiniang and turned into a hostage, it will be an embarrassing thing to lose face.
Scarred Dragon relied on his excellent skills, and after sending our mother and son to the door of the wing room, he yelled carelessly: "Bitch, take good care of this little pup and that little wolf pup. It's not a place where you can walk around casually. The kitchen will bring food later, just wait honestly. Our ugly words can be said in the front, and the brothers are guarding at the front door, not to mention you, even a fly can't even think about flying out. You have a brain If you have the idea of escaping and playing with me, then you should take care of your own affairs first. I have killed countless people in my life, and I don’t care about including you orphans and widows.”
Yan Qiniang ignored Scar Dragon's threat, but carefully looked at the courtyard wall.It doesn't matter at this point, she actually sighed heavily.It turns out that the wing rooms of the Huang Mansion are all built side by side, neither against the wall nor against the trees, and the surrounding walls are at least four or five meters high, and the corners of the walls are sharp and polished, let alone people. , Even if it is a gecko, it is estimated that it will not be able to climb out.
Not long after we entered the wing room, the Huang Mansion sent people to bring us food, four dishes and one soup, both meat and vegetables.Yan Qiniang ordered me to eat first, and she picked up the pipe and pot to smoke the pipe.Maybe it was because she smoked a little urgently, she was choking and coughing, but she was still reluctant to put down the pipe and pot in her hand, letting the smoke fill the air.
After taking a few mouthfuls of food, I finally couldn't help but ask: "Qiniang, we... are we really going to help Mr. Huang 'Deep Bone and Stack the Sun'?"
Yan Qiniang took a deep puff of dry smoke, hesitated for a long time before saying: "Misfortune comes from the sky, but fate is doomed. Whether we help or not help Mr. Huang, we will die. These people are not kind, and what they do is like this." Such a bad thing that hurts nature and reason, how can it leave a way for us orphans and widowed mothers! For the current plan, only by pretending to please can we find a chance again. Gu Lang, listen carefully, if there is a chance to flee, you should run away decisively, and you must not Miss me and my bones."
Ever since I was a child, I have never dared to argue with Yan Qiniang. Hearing what Yan Qiniang said, I couldn't help feeling sour and almost weeping.Bones seemed to be aware of my sadness, and repeatedly licked my face with its wet tongue, and leaned closer to me.I picked up the bones with some affection, and then looked at Yan Qiniang, thinking that no matter whether this encounter is good or bad, we must live and die together.
After eating, I went out to defecate with my bones.When Yan Qiniang brought this little thing home, he was very unruly, and Yan Qiniang hit him with a pipe and pot a lot. Over time, it developed a good habit, that is, it didn't dare to defecate in the house.So every day after dinner, I would take it for a walk outside to get some fresh air.
Since the scar dragon warned us not to go out, I didn't dare to go far with my bones, so I could only wander back and forth in this row of wings.It seemed that the rooms in Huang's mansion rarely entertained guests, and there was no movement in the other rooms. Most likely, no one lived in them, and they were a bit deserted.But it's better this way, anyway, I don't like crowded places, just me and Bones, we still had a good time.
Maybe it's because of the change of environment, the bones are like a new daughter-in-law, very excited wherever they go, very curious about everything, but just shy and unwilling to defecate, the small nose is still sniffing around, it seems to be Find a suitable defecation point.
After searching for a long time, Gu Gu urinated next to a wing room.But before he finished urinating, it pricked up its ears vigilantly.Soon, it ran towards the door of this wing room, and let out a howling sound.
At this moment, the door of this wing room opened suddenly, and a head poked out.Seeing something strange, I quickly stepped forward to pull the bone back, and then rushed into the door and asked loudly, "Who are you?"
"Ah! Is...is this a dog or a wolf? My name is Qiaoqiao, and I lived here a few days ago. The master of Huangfu bought me and said...that he wanted me to be his son's wife." A little girl replied softly.This little girl was about fourteen or fifteen years old, with fair skin, two braids, and a pretty appearance, but her face was blushing all over, and she didn't know whether it was from shyness or frightened by her bones.
When I saw that she was a very well-behaved little girl, I breathed a sigh of relief, but when I thought about it, my expression changed, my eyes widened, and I asked in disbelief, "Could it be... Could it be that you just want to give Huang a piece of cake?" The yang-bone man that the master was buried as a dead son?"
Qiaoqiao blinked her eyes, and asked in a daze, "Little brother, what is a man with bones?"
This question put me in a difficult position. I didn't know how to explain it, so I scratched my head and asked, "How did you come to Huangfu? Are you alone? Where are your parents?"
"My parents have passed away, and I was sold here. The master here said that he bought me to be his son's wife, and said that he would marry me when the auspicious day came. He asked me to live here for a few days Here, people come to deliver food every day." After Qiaoqiao finished speaking, she bit her lips, her cheeks became more rosy, shy and cute.
I didn't know how to explain the ins and outs of the matter clearly, so I took Qiaoqiao to see Yan Qiniang.Qiaoqiao saw Yan Qiniang covering her face with a black veil, she couldn't help being a little scared, but she still knew everything Yan Qiniang asked and said everything.It turns out that Qiaoqiao's life experience is quite pitiful. Her parents died of illness a few years ago, and she was sold to a craftsman in the rivers and lakes when she was four years old.Over the years, she has been wandering around with craftsmen, relying on performing crafts to get some rewards to survive.But in recent years, there has been a lot of turmoil, and it is extremely difficult to find a meal in the rivers and lakes.The craftsman is also a big smoker, and he has to smoke a few puffs every day.In order to get money, he simply sold Qiaoqiao to Huangfu.
"The world is impermanent, and it's a crime for people to fall into the sword!" Yan Qiniang sighed deeply, picked up the pipe and started smoking again.
"Qiniang, we have to save this little sister, we can't let these bad guys harm her!" I looked at Yan Qiniang anxiously.
Yan Qiniang patted my head, looked at Qiaoqiao affectionately, and said to me in a low voice: "Do your best, obey the destiny! Don't tell her about the burial of Master Huang's deceased son, lest you scare her. When the time is right, I will think of a way to get you out."
I nodded obediently, and then looked at Qiaoqiao not far away, she was having fun with Bones.It may be due to the lack of playmates since childhood, Qiaoqiao is not only not afraid of bones, but has become much closer to bones.The little bone is very strange, it would turn angry when anyone touches it, but now it allows Qiaoqiao to be hugged and hugged, and occasionally sticks out its tongue to lick Qiaoqiao.Qiaoqiao and Bones are having fun, but they don't know that bad luck has come to them.
(End of this chapter)
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