There is a small village at the foot of the West Mountain called Liujia Village. The village is small, with only about 200 people, and most of the villagers make a living from farming and hunting.

There is an old willow tree at the entrance of Liujia Village, which has been eroded by the years, and even the oldest person in the village does not know its age.

At this time of the year, the willow leaves that cover the sky and the sun have already been extracted, layered and green, and the breeze blows, graceful and swaying. But at this time of the year, there is not a trace of green on the branches. The dry brown bark was raised and peeled off from the trunk, and the yellow willow fell down in a row, as if the old willow tree of unknown age had died.

At five o'clock in the morning, as soon as the sky was white, the villagers of Liujia Village got up early, men, women and children walked out of the house one after another, gathered in groups of three or five, and walked to the old willow tree at the entrance of the village.

Today is March 20, the spring equinox, and there is a local custom of worshipping the heavens. It is intended to pray for God's blessing, the new year will be smooth and rainy, the crops will be abundant, and the barns will be full of rice.

It's a festive day.

However, the faces of the villagers did not see the joy of a festive day. On the contrary, the old man staggered, shaking his head and lamenting from time to time, the middle-aged man with a frown on his brow and his heavy steps and a bitter face, the young man clenched his fist and kicked the stone, and was irritable, and even the lively and active children followed the adults step by step with their heads down, without the vigor and vitality they should have.

Duredom and depression enveloped the entire Liujia Village.

To be precise, the entire southern land is shrouded in this dullness and oppression.

Since the beginning of spring last year, there have been 48 days a year, and there has been no rain in the entire southern land. Nowadays, the rivers are broken, the lakes are dry, the earth is dry and cracked, the grass and trees are withered, and the eyes are full of decay and death. The crops in the fields have not been harvested in succession, and the common people have eaten up the stored grain, eaten up the bark of grass roots and trees, and are struggling on the brink of death.

Drought, the demon from the abyss of hell, has raised its scythe and is ready to reap the lives of millions of people in the southern lands.

In previous years, the spring equinox sacrificed to the day, Liujia Village was placed under the old willow tree with pig's head and three animals, and the old village chief read the sacrificial text, and then the gongs and drums sounded in unison, and the whole village celebrated the festival happily. But this year, it is impossible, because everything that can be eaten has been eaten, where are there any pig's heads and three animals, and even three bowls of white rice are a luxury.

The old village chief's name is Li Degui, he is seventy and six this year, his body is still healthy, if there is no serious illness and disaster, it will not be a problem to live for a few more years. Don't look at his age, but his brain is not confused at all. Nowadays, the drought is poisonous, and every household is counting the grains of rice to survive the day, so although today is the big day of the festival, he did not rigidly obey, he had to prepare sacrifices such as pig's head and three animals, but ordered the villagers to put three bowls of water on the table. He said that if the heavens had eyes, they would sympathize with the suffering of the people and would not blame them.

According to the instructions of the old village chief, the villagers placed three bowls of water on the altar under the old willow tree.

At six o'clock, the red sun leaped into the eastern sky, and the light spewed out, piercing the sky. Above the sky, there were no clouds, blue like washing, and it was a sunny day.

"Hey—" The old village chief stroked his snow-white long beard, looked at the blue sky through the cracks in the branches of the old willow tree, and sighed. It's another sunny day, and if it doesn't rain again, how can the people live.

Shaking his head with a wry smile, he walked to the altar with a willow cane, straightened his hair and clothes, and knelt on the ground. More than 200 villagers knelt down behind him.

Whew-

A gust of wind blew, and the dead willow fell one by one, hitting the heads and bodies of the people.

An old woman with gray hair trembled and picked up a wicker, held it in her rough and thin hands, her sunken eye sockets were full of tears, her forehead was against the wicker and she fell to the ground, she was sad in her heart, and couldn't help whimpering: "Grandpa Willow is dead." ”

The whimpering of the old woman aroused the desolation and sadness that everyone pressed in their hearts, and in an instant, the eyes of men, women and children were all red, and the sobs were continuous.

In the hearts of the people of Liujia Village, the old willow tree is more like a close relative who accompanies them to grow up, and the bond between them and the old willow tree, especially the old man, may not be clear, but it is unforgettable. Now that the old willow tree is dead, they are very sad.

"Quiet!" the old village chief scolded, causing everyone to immediately shut down.

The old village chief kowtowed to the altar three times, and then said aloud: "I bring two hundred and sixty-three people from Liujia Village, and I am sincerely afraid to tell the God of the sky and the gods of the four directions: since the ancestors established the village here, it has been more than 600 years, after droughts, floods, wars, I don't know how many of them, fortunately the protection of heaven and earth and the gods of the four directions, to help the people of Liujia Village to survive the disaster, and the blessing of the gods of the four seasons, wind, rain, frost and snow, should come from time to time, so that the five grains are abundant, the six animals are prosperous, and then the people of Liujia Village live and work in peace and contentment, passed down from generation to generation, and the spark is not extinguished. This heaven and earth are also given by the gods. Today's spring equinox sacrifice day, the pig's head and three animals should be sacrificed to repay the blessing of the gods of heaven and earth. However, the drought is poisonous, every household lives a few meters, hardship and hardship, and steals life, today offer three bowls of white water for the time being, and when this difficulty is overcome, it will be doubled to make up for it. I hope that the gods of heaven and earth will be sympathetic to our afflictions, and do not blame. ”

"Let the gods of heaven and earth be sympathetic to our afflictions, and do not blame. The crowd shouted.

"The ancestors had training, not hunting in spring, not cutting in summer, in order to raise mountains and forests. However, the drought was poisonous, and we had no way to live, so we had to go against the admonition of our ancestors and go into the mountains to hunt and find a glimmer of life. The spirits of our ancestors in heaven will be able to understand our sufferings and not prosecute the sins of breaking the commandments. I hope that the gods of heaven and earth and the ancestors will be blessed by the spirit of heaven and earth, and I will ensure that my son Lang will be safe in the mountain and return safely. ”

"I hope that the gods of heaven and earth and the ancestors will be blessed by the spirit of heaven to ensure that my son Lang will be safe in the mountain and return safely. The crowd prayed.

Nine bows are finished.

The old village chief kowtowed and got up, turned around, slowly piled up a smile on his face, beckoned to the crowd, and called: "Big baby, little pawn, you two come here." ”

Two teenagers came out of the crowd, one of them had a dark complexion, a tiger's back and a bear's waist, thick eyebrows and big eyes, named Niu Dawa, and the other teenager was half a head shorter than Niu Dawa, with the same dark complexion, although the figure was not a tiger's back and bear's waist, but it was also well-proportioned and strong, with an ordinary appearance, not ugly or handsome, this teenager's name was Zhang Xiaopaw.

The two are the same age, have just turned 16 this year, and according to local custom, they should perform the rite of passage on the day of the spring equinox.

Niu Dawa and Zhang Xiaopaw stepped forward and knelt under the old willow tree according to the instructions of the old village chief, the atmosphere at the scene was finally no longer so dull and depressing, and the crowd also resounded with laughter.

"Are these two boys the only ones to have a coming-of-age ceremony this year?"

"yes. Too little. Looking at Zhangjia Village next door, there are thirteen of them this year. ”

Syllable!

Before this person's words fell, an old woman raised her hand and slapped the back of the head, and the old woman twisted her eyebrows and scolded: "Stinky boy, you also know that the people in our village are not prosperous." On weekdays, if you try to work your daughter-in-law and give me a few more fat grandchildren, you just won't listen. Now I don't like to have a child. ”

"Mother, what nonsense are you talking about. The man was so ashamed of his mother's words that he couldn't wait to find a crack in the ground to get into. His daughter-in-law was even more unbearable, blushing like a monkey's ass.

Everyone was also stirred up by the old woman's joking remark, and they talked and laughed back and forth.

"Hey, old guys. Unconsciously, the big baby and the little pawn are adults, and we are really old. ”

"Not really. As the saying goes, don't compare your age with your children than anything else, and you will be older than you. ”

"Old Niu, this hunting baby should stay at home, right?"

"Don't stay. Lao Tzu planned to let him follow for a long time. There are still two and a half children in the family, and if something really happens, the Niu family can't be broken. ”

"Bah, what nonsense. ”

"Ahem-" The old village chief coughed twice, suppressed everyone's voices, and said to Niu Dawa and Zhang Xiaopaw who were kneeling on the ground: "Dawa, you are famous today Niu Guangmao, the word Lotte, and the meaning of Lotte's fate." ”

According to local customs, children are only given their milk names before they become adults, and the daimyo is given together with the table characters on the day of the coming-of-age ceremony and recorded in the family tree. If it is a woman, only the name is taken, and the table word needs to be taken when you are married.

Niu Dawa grinned happily, the big white teeth were shining in the sun, but he scratched the back of his head vigorously, he didn't know a few big words, and he didn't know what 'Lotte knows his fate' meant, so he looked confused.

"Lotte knows fate, is happy and carefree, and lives a chic life. The old village chief understood his confusion and explained.

Niu Dawa understood, and was very happy, and immediately kowtowed and thanked: "Thank you for the name." ”

"I-my baby is an adult. The mother of the eldest baby in the crowd looked at her son, her heart was full of emotion, and her eyes gradually moistened.

The old village chief stroked his white beard and nodded, then looked at Zhang Xiaopu, his eyes suddenly became pity, sighed, and said: "Child, you were abandoned under this old willow tree when you were an infancy, and there is nothing else to indicate your identity except for the name 'Zhang Xiaopaw'." Because you have a name and a surname, we can't take you under our knees to raise you, but let you grow up eating a hundred family meals, not to dislike you, but to respect your parents' grace to your fertility and name. Although I don't know where your roots are, at least let you know what your surname is, at least you know the surname of your ancestors. ”

The pawn understood. Zhang Xiaopaw kowtowed heavily, turned around and kowtowed to the crowd, and choked up: "If it weren't for the elders to raise and care for me, there would have been no Zhang Xiaopaw in the world, so everyone in Liujia Village is my dearest, great kindness, and the pawn is unforgettable." ”

"Stinky boy, if your parents hadn't left your name for you, Lao Tzu would have raised you as your own son. ”

"Good boy, love and righteousness, a man. ”

"Good boy, good boy!"

"We're so happy to see you grow up. ”

Everyone, you say a word to me, most of them are praise, because Zhang Xiaopu is indeed a well-behaved and sensible child, but he is scrambling to do anyone in the village who has a job, and he has a sweet mouth, a smart brain, and is very likable.

"Child" The old village chief called back Zhang Xiaopaw and asked, "Do you hate your biological parents?"

Zhang Xiaopaw was silent, he had asked himself this question more than a hundred times in the dead of night, and at first the answer in his heart was hate, very hate, hate them for not raising him. But although he grew up with age and the teachings of the elders of Liujia Village, he gradually let go of the hatred in his heart, but he didn't have a good feeling, so he could only say that he didn't hate it. And now, his inner thoughts have become complicated, both hating and thinking.

"I don't know, I want to listen to the village chief's grandfather's teachings. Zhang Xiaopaw couldn't tell what he was feeling in his heart, so he had to turn to the elders for help.

Elders have great wisdom.

"I'll show you something. The old village chief smiled and stroked his white beard, reached into his arms, took out a piece of white cloth, slowly unfolded it and handed it to Zhang Xiaopaw.