I went into the hall, prepared what I needed, put on my headlamp, shouldered my hoe, carefully opened the courtyard gate, glanced back at the light that Grandpa Wu had already turned off, gently closed the gate, and walked towards Shantang'ao.
To get to Grandpa's grave, you have to cross a stream from home, then pass several rice paddies, climb a small hill, and walk down a hundred meters to reach Grandpa's grave.
The air in the fields was fresh at night, filled with the chirping of insects, and several fireflies flew around in front of me.
I crossed a small stone bridge and came to a field. In order to save time, I walked directly through the villagers' fields, but I didn't step on anyone's rice seedlings. I just walked along the drainage ditches and field ridges.
I climbed up the small hill in one go, and looked back at the direction of the village. It was almost nine o'clock at night, and only a few houses in the village had their lights on.
I turned my head and looked at Shantang'ao. The entire Shantang'ao was quiet, without even the sound of insects chirping. Where my headlamp shone, it was shrouded in mist, and I couldn't see the bottom or the edge at all.
The entire Shantang'ao is like a giant black mouth, opening upwards, as if nothing can escape its devouring power, or like a bottomless abyss, where when you gaze at it, it also gazes at you.
Before, I wouldn't have felt anything, but ever since I learned about Shantang'ao from Old Huang, I'm now filled with curiosity about Shantang'ao, but even more so with a fear of the unknown.
I don't know why my grandfather chose this place for his grave, and why the grave mound faces the location of Shantang'ao, as if he were guarding something to prevent it from coming out.
I took out a cigarette, lit it, took a few deep drags, and then walked towards my grandfather's grave. On the entire slope of Shantang'ao, there was only my grandfather's grave, sitting there all alone.
I arrived at my grandfather's grave. Nothing had changed. The branches I had cut down when I came to pay my respects before had turned into firewood. However, the villagers were quite wary of this place, and apart from the old man who herded cattle in the village, almost no one would come here.
I put the hoe on my shoulder down, lit three incense sticks and placed them in front of my grandfather's tombstone, bit my index finger and dripped three drops of blood onto the tombstone.
I took off my headlamp and put it aside, then knelt down in front of my grandfather's grave, bowing three times and kowtowing nine times. Each time my head hit the ground, I didn't pull back, but instead slammed straight into the hard soil.
Even in death, my grandfather couldn't find peace because of me, and he still had to make arrangements to protect me. If I had to say who I owe the most to in this world, it would undoubtedly be my grandfather.
"Even after you've passed away, I still have to bother you." I grabbed the headlamp next to me, put it on, stood up, bowed to my grandfather's grave again, and choked out, "Grandpa, your grandson is unfilial."
I walked over, picked up the hoe, and took a few steps to Grandpa's grave. I started digging at the mound of earth behind the tombstone with one stroke of the hoe.
Perhaps deep down I didn't want to do it, or perhaps I just couldn't bring myself to do it; my hoe didn't even go three centimeters deep.
I raised the hoe, hesitated for a moment, gritted my teeth, and dug down hard with the hoe. This time I used all my strength, and the entire hoe went in.
"Gurgle...gurgle...gurgle..."
Just then, the cry of a lonely bird came from somewhere.
I immediately tensed up and looked around, but the voice was rather ethereal, and I didn't know exactly where it was coming from.
Damn, this place is really eerie. The quiet Shantang'ao was just a moment ago, but this sudden cry of a lonely bird broke the silence.
"Gurgle...gurgle...gurgle..."
I had just turned around when the cry of the lone bird rang out again.
When I was a child, I heard the old people in the village say that if you don't pay attention to the call of the lonely bird, it's nothing, but if you listen carefully, you will hear a bad sound, as if your soul has been called away by it.
I shook my head, took a deep breath, ignored the cries of the lonely bird, picked up the hoe, and dug down again.
Behind the tombstone, I've dug a large pit with these two hoes, about 20 centimeters deep. I haven't seen the box that Grandpa mentioned yet, but he said the item is 30 centimeters deep.
As I raised my hoe again, about to dig downwards, a strange sound suddenly echoed from the ravine, "Cheep... Cheep..."
I shuddered, put down the hoe, reached out to hold the headlamp, and shone it around. However, the fog in the ravine was very thick, and my visibility was not very far. It was pitch black at the bottom of the ravine.
Moreover, the sound was ethereal and its exact location was unclear; it seemed to be in front, or to the left, or to the right.
I grew up in the countryside and have never heard this sound before. I'm sure it's not the chirping of insects or birds. As for what's making it, I have no idea. The sound is very eerie. Even though I'm a Taoist practitioner, I still feel inexplicably uneasy.
“Chatter...chatter..."
The sound continued, but I couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from.
I got goosebumps all over my body. I gritted my teeth and carefully looked around, but still couldn't find anything.
I suddenly remembered what my grandfather said in his letter: no matter what you hear or see, don't pay attention to it. After taking the things out, fill the hole with soil and go straight home.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead, took out a cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and then put the cigarette in my mouth. I cleared my mind of the jumbled thoughts, picked up the hoe again, and dug down hard.
I used all my strength in that hoe strike, but it was blocked by something after only two-thirds of the way in, and there was a sound of something colliding with it.
My eyes narrowed; it seemed the thing I was looking for was down there. I picked up my hoe and dug out the soil in the pit, and I saw the corner of a black object.
I picked up the hoe again, found a good spot to dig, and dug down with one stroke. Then, with a pry, I pried out a dark box, which rolled right to my feet.
I was overjoyed; the item had been found, and Grandpa was right after all.
I have no recollection of when this thing was put in. I watched the whole funeral procession when my grandfather was buried. Could it have been put in when the tombstone was erected?
Is it the village chief?
Or is it Hu Ergou?
These two people who had dealings with my grandfather were also present at the burial.
But thinking about these things now is pointless. I'm really curious about what Grandpa left me and why he hid it in a place like this.
I put down the hoe in my hand and bent down to pick up the box.
"hey-hey...."
"Chatter chatter..."
Just then, I suddenly heard a hoarse voice behind me.
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