"Yes, that's right." Shao Zilong and I laughed together.
Shao Zilong asked again, "Then why is there a well in this tower? Why didn't your village let you know?"
"The well in this tower is not for fetching water for drinking, but for burial." Haitang said.
"Buried?" This shocked both of us.
"Yes, people in our village will be buried in this well after they pass away." Haitang nodded.
Only then did we both confirm that we had heard correctly.
Since ancient times, there have been many burial methods handed down. In addition to the more common burials and cremations, there are also tree burials, water burials, sky burials, cave burials, hanging coffin burials, sand burials, wind burials, as well as tower burials and urn coffins. Burials, etc., all kinds of strange things, countless.
For example, hanging coffin burials involve hanging the coffin on wooden piles inserted into the cliff, or placing it in cliff holes or crevices, or half-hanging on the cliff. The terrain is often extremely steep, facing an abyss, making it impossible to climb.
Another example is pagoda burials, which are generally used by Tibetan Buddhists. After the death of an eminent monk, he is first washed with mercury and spices, then scrubbed with camphor and saffron water, and finally wrapped in silk, put on cassocks, and placed in a pagoda vase. within.
In Shimen Village, people are buried in pagodas, which is somewhat similar to pagoda burials.
But according to what Haitang said, the people in their village were actually buried in a large well inside the tower.
Although there is also a theory of well burial among the people, generally speaking, only one person can be buried in a well.
But judging from Haitang's description, all the dead villagers of their Shimen Village throughout the ages were buried in the well in the tower.
This is unheard of.
"What will open this door?" I asked Haitang.
"Normally it is not opened. Only when someone in the village wants to be buried will the pagoda door be opened." Haitang explained to us.
Shao Zilong asked doubtfully, "Are the ashes burned first?"
Haitang shook his head, "It's a burial coffin."
We were both surprised when we heard, "Did the entire coffin be buried in the well?"
If this is the case, how deep is the well?
Or is there actually a mystery in this well?
However, every time the prayer tower was opened, the villagers could only pray outside the tower to see them off. Even when Haitang's parents were buried, Haitang was waiting outside with the crowd, so she didn't know what was going on in the well.
Shao Zilong wandered at the door for a few moments, eager to get started, "What should I do if my hands are itchy and tight? I really want to go in and have a look."
"You can't open it normally, otherwise the villagers will get angry!" Haitang hurriedly stopped him.
"Haha, I'm just saying, how can I do that?" Shao Zilong laughed.
"Oh, that's okay." Haitang breathed a sigh of relief.
At this time, there was a voice in the distance, probably some villagers coming this way.
Haitang looked nervous and whispered, "Let's leave quickly. No one is allowed to come here, so don't be seen."
"Then let's go." We left the prayer tower in a hurry before the other party came over.
After walking around for a while, I wrote down the topography and layout of the village one by one, and deduced it in my mind.
Shao Zilong was heard asking Haitang, "Have there been any babies in our village recently?"
"A baby was born at Aunt Six's house a few days ago," Haitang said.
"Male or female?" Shao Zilong asked.
"Male." Haitang said.
"Big fat boy." Shao Zilong said with a smile, "In our village, when a child is born, do we give him steamed buns or noodles?"
"The younger brother didn't survive." Haitang's mouth flattened and her eyes were red.
"Ah?" Shao Zilong was stunned for a moment.
I asked Haitang, "How did that child die?"
"I'm not sure. I heard he died of illness." Haitang shook her head sadly.
"By the way, if you give birth in the village, do you go to a nearby hospital?" I asked.
Haitang said, "Those who don't go to the hospital will be delivered by Granny Hai in the village."
"Who is Granny Hai?" Shao Zilong asked.
"Grandma Hai is the midwife in the village." Haitang said.
"Has she delivered all the children in the village? What about those before her?" Shao Zilong asked.
"It's also Granny Hai." Haitang said, "The person in charge of delivering babies in the village, we all call her Granny Hai."
"Is this passed down from generation to generation?" Shao Zilong said in surprise.
Haitang hummed, "There are not only midwives in the village, but also a coffin uncle, who specializes in making coffins, and a doctor, who specializes in treating patients."
"Oh, these supporting facilities are quite complete." Shao Zilong clicked his tongue.
I asked Haitang to take us to where Granny Hai lived.
"Over there." Haitang led us to the west.
After walking for a while, I saw a bungalow with a yard sitting under a large old locust tree in front of me.
This house is a bit boxy, and it looks a bit like the entrance of a mountain temple or an earth temple.
At this time, the door was closed tightly, and there were two stone statues about half a person tall placed at the door.
This statue is very weird, with only half a head, as if someone had cut it off from the skull to under the left eye.
The remaining eyes, one stone statue has a red eye, and the other stone statue has a blue eye.
The stone statue holds its hands on its chest, with three sticks of residual incense stuck on them.
"Grandma Hai doesn't like people going to her house, and she doesn't like making noises. Let's keep the noise down." Haitang reminded in a low voice.
"Then what will happen if we go up and knock on the door?" I asked, looking at the door.
"I don't know." Haitang shook his head, "But in the past, someone accidentally quarreled with Grandma Hai and fell ill the next day. People in the village were in awe of Grandma Hai."
"So you can only invite Granny Hai when you want to have a baby?"
"Yes." Haitang lowered her voice as much as possible, for fear that it would be too loud and could be heard from inside.
I didn't go up and knock on the door. Instead, I walked around the house and said to Shao Zilong and Haitang, "I'm a little tired from walking. Let's go back."
"That time." Shao Zilong stretched.
A group of us returned to Haitang's house. Haitang went to boil water and poured it for us to drink.
"What's wrong with that tower?" Shao Zilong asked me in a low voice while Haitang went inside.
I said, "Don't you smell the big bones and dirt?"
"F*ck!" Shao Zilong cursed, "It can't really be that..."
"It should be human bones." I hammered them to death. "Human bones were powdered and smelted into stone bricks."
"Bah, bah, bah!" Shao Zilong retched.
I laughed, "Who told you to have such a sharp nose? Now you know the benefits of nasal congestion, right?"
Shao Zilong took a sip of water and his face looked better.
In fact, this is nothing to ordinary people, but for someone with a particularly sensitive sense of smell like him, it is a burden.
"Human bones are used to make bricks. Is that thing a bone tower?" Shao Zilong asked with a dark face.
"A bit like."
"Damn! This village is really evil, and it can actually build a bone tower!"
