If before that, the skills I learned from my master were just introductory, then these three years, even when I look back many years later, I feel that this was the first stage where I began to improve my skills.
Master did not live with me in the countryside for a long time. Instead, he stayed in the village for about a month every two months. On other days, he would return to his home in the city. Because I was arrested before because someone reported me to me, the day I was taken away was also seen by the surrounding neighbors. Therefore, if the master does not stay at his home for a long time, the matter of my escape will definitely fall on the master if he gossips. However, when Master came to see me for the second time, I found that he had cut his hair short and was wearing a gray-white shirt. He no longer looked like a Taoist at all. He looked just like an ordinary person.
Of course I knew that all of this was forced by circumstances, and it was all caused by my involvement. So when I saw Master's new look, I was just stunned and didn't ask any questions. When the master was in the village, he took me to learn some new things, but most of them were the same as when I first became a master. He only taught them orally and forced me to memorize them. Master also asked Uncle Zhou and his wife, saying that if there is such a place in this village or neighboring villages that we can help, they can come to us at any time, as we are repaying our kindness.
Aunt Xu has always been very protective of me, fearing that my identity and Master's identity would be known by some people with ulterior motives, and they would report us. So in the first few months, she basically let me stay at home to read and study, and she didn't even let me help with the farm work at home, which made me feel like a freeloader. It was not until the end of 1966, when the New Year was approaching, that something happened in the village.
That day, Uncle Zhou said to me, son, if you have nothing else important to do, can you take some time to help me make piles of grain and grass? It will start to rain continuously in a few days. If the base gets wet, it will not be high.
Mianmianyu is a local nickname for a type of rain. Generally speaking, the rain was neither heavy nor light, but it rained heavily for many days. In this case, the air usually becomes extremely humid. It rains so often in Chongqing in winter that even the quilts and mattresses at home get damp.
So I happily agreed. During those days, Uncle Zhou's son took his daughter-in-law to his wife's natal home. The only labor force in the family was the old couple. There was really no reason to leave a living person like me alone. So that day I followed Uncle Zhou to their crop field, cut off all the grain and grass, and piled them into two tall haystacks. During this period, Uncle Zhou didn't say much to me, he just smiled silly. He is a person who loves to laugh very much. Even if no one says anything funny or happy, he always keeps smiling.
After finishing his work, Uncle Zhou handed me his wine gourd. I was also happy that day. It had been too long since I had exercised, so it felt very comfortable to be so tired, so I took it and drank it into my mouth. I am not an alcoholic. The last time I drank before that day was when I was depressed after finishing my first order. The wine gourd was made by Uncle Zhou himself. It was very strong. Looking at my distorted expression, Uncle Zhou laughed happily. Seeing that the sun was almost setting, Uncle Zhou said it was time to go home for dinner. So he took me back. But not far from home, I saw Aunt Xu standing at the door, talking to a middle-aged woman in black. But when we arrived at the door of the house, the middle-aged woman had just left.
I went to hang the sickle on the wall next to the door, but I heard Uncle Zhou ask, wasn't the third girl from Old Man Wang's family just now? How come you've been missing for so many years and now you're back home?
Uncle Zhou's words were sarcastic. Life in the mountain village was too boring. After hearing what Uncle Zhou said, I couldn't help but continue listening. Aunt Xu said, "Oh, you don't know. I almost didn't recognize this third child when he first came here. People who have lived in the city look different from us old ladies in the countryside." Uncle Zhou asked, why did she suddenly come to our house and why did she come to you since she had no contact with us in the past? Aunt Xu said, oh, this old man Wang left this morning. The eldest and the second are both sons, so they have to kneel down to greet guests. Why don't we let the third come and inform the villagers door to door that if they are friends or not, they all have to go and see them. One glance and say goodbye.
The death of a person was originally a sad thing, but now, after having held it in for several months, it sounded like an opportunity for me to help. So I went over and said to Uncle Zhou, "Grandpa and grandma, I have to deal with this matter." You can lend a hand. You know that my master and I both know how to do this. This is the ability to make a living. Since this person has passed away, the family must be very busy. If you are a fellow countryman, why don't you go and help.
But as soon as I finished speaking, Aunt Xu told me sternly, no, no, no! Your master has entrusted you here so that we can keep you safe and sound. Do you understand that you should not take the initiative to cause trouble by being the one in front? If you have anything, how can I explain it to your master?
Of course I understood Aunt Xu’s painstaking efforts and was entrusted by others, so I was embarrassed to say anything more. So I tried to change the subject and asked Uncle Zhou, "that old man Wang who passed away, did you come and go a lot on weekdays?" Uncle Zhou said that most of the people in this village have lived here for generations. Before liberation, they farmed the land for the landlords' families, so they all know each other and have been friends for decades. However, Old Man Wang is withdrawn and not easy to get in touch with, so no one is that close to him, even his neighbors.
Aunt Xu sighed and said, this person, whether he has a cheerful personality or a withdrawn personality, he was born to rush to die. After all, he is still a fellow villager. When he is gone, he should be given a good gift. , the last journey also allows people to remember our good deeds.
The implication is that they must be going to express their condolences. So I told Aunt Xu, "Grandma, take me with you too. I understand this, but I won't talk too much." Just go and have a look. Aunt Xu hesitated for a moment, and after seeing my repeated assurances, she finally agreed.
In fact, I don't know this family at all, and there is no reason for me to join in the funeral. It's just that life in the mountains is a bit boring, and my daily study is still about Taoism. This time Old Man Wang is holding a funeral. Firstly, I want to go out for a walk and have some fun. Secondly, I also want to see if there are any other practices for funeral customs in rural areas, because when it comes to metaphysics, its roots are always among the people. It comes from the mountains and countryside, and some customs preserved in small places may not seem worth mentioning to people who don't understand it, but if a knowledgeable person like me looks at it, they can see some clues.
So that night, Aunt Xu made dinner earlier than usual. After dinner, she asked us all to change into plainer clothes. Before leaving, Aunt Xu specially packed some eggs in a small box and took some fruits and vegetables. Then we walked out the door.
So in those years, despite the bad social customs, country people were still really simple. In happy events and funerals, what everyone cares about is the love, not what you gave. Even if you come empty-handed, it is still a valuable thought.
Old Man Wang's house is far away from Aunt Xu's house, which may take half an hour if you walk. Not because it's far, but because the road is extremely narrow and difficult to walk. It seems that the straight-line distance is only seven or eight hundred meters, and it would take dozens of minutes to go around the field ridge. In addition, it was already dark at that time, and the road was even more difficult to walk. If I didn't pay attention, I would step into the field and get mud on my legs. I saw a bamboo pole frame set up outside a house in the distance, with a layer of white cloth on the frame as a roof. I knew that was Old Man Wang's home. Judging from this posture, the mourning hall was quickly set up after the people left in the morning, which shows that before the death, the family had actually begun to prepare for the funeral.
Most funerals in rural areas are relatively simple. Generally, firecrackers are set off in the house, a gentleman is invited to perform a prayer or to lead the way, and the funeral will be buried on the third day. This is basically the custom in most rural areas. This means that if Old Man Wang's children are also people who follow customs, I should be able to see a companion at this funeral. This is barely one of the reasons why I came, because I might take advantage of my colleague’s rest to ask him about the news outside.
I must emphasize here that although my previous suffering was because I was regarded as a "cow ghost and snake god", ordinary people still basically follow customs when a relative dies at home. At this time, those Taoist priests or Mr. Yin and Yang, It is indispensable, just like going to the grave to worship during the Qingming Festival, but it is an exception and is not regarded as feudal superstition. This is also the reason why Aunt Xu agreed that I would come with her, because although we are worshiping the dead here, we cannot leave any excuse for feudal superstition to those who are interested.
After arriving at the mourning hall, Aunt Xu handed the things in her hands to a middle-aged woman and comforted her a few words. That woman was the one who came to Aunt Xu's house to inform her of the funeral. She was the third daughter of Mr. Wang. Both sons were kneeling in the mourning hall. On one side of their father's coffin, they were wearing linen clothes and their arms were wrapped with white gauze. In the center of the white gauze, there was a red mark. They also wore white cloths on their heads, knelt on the side, and kept burning yellow paper money in an iron basin.
Uncle Zhou and Aunt Xu asked me to wait outside the mourning hall. The two of them went in, lit incense sticks, burned some paper, and then took me to sit down outside. Out of politeness, they couldn't just leave after coming, so they still had to Stay with the deceased and his family for a while. What makes me strange is that since I first arrived here, I have been looking for traces of Taoist priests or Mr. Yin and Yang, but I have never seen them. Could it be that he had to wait until the night before the funeral to come?
Around 10 o'clock that night, Aunt Xu said she was tired and wanted to go back to rest first, but Uncle Zhou had a great chat with an old neighbor. I was afraid that my wife would fall while walking alone at night, so she asked me to take Aunt Xu home first, and then come over and wait for Uncle Zhou to go back together. So after I sent Aunt Xu home, I took a flashlight from home and hurried back.
But at this time, I heard a woman arguing loudly.
