At that time, I thought of what Qiao Er's mother-in-law told me, and I was a little curious about what she was doing in front of Xiaochunniang's new grave, so I didn't rush back to the village, and walked along the path to the front.

There was also a ridge across the ridge, and I saw Qiao's second mother-in-law hiding in front of Xiaochun Niang's grave and burning paper.

Qiao's second mother-in-law must have felt that Xiaochunniang was pitiful, there were no relatives in the world who cried and mourned and sent to the grave, and no one burned incense and paper, so Qiao's second mother-in-law came over to burn her money on the road.

However, when I walked to the middle of the ridge, I saw that the second mother-in-law Qiao, who was facing away from me, grabbed a handful of things from the ground and put them in her pocket, because she was burning paper money with her back to me, and I didn't see anything.

"Grandma Joe."

I walked over and stood a short distance behind Grandma Joe and shouted.

Qiao's second mother-in-law shuddered, then turned around and turned around, and suddenly grinned when she saw that it was me, she pulled her hand out of her pocket and said, "Yawazi." Why did you come here, are you sending incense to Xiaochun and her mother? ”

I shook my head and said it was for my mother's grave.

Second Granny Qiao smiled kindly, because her teeth were black and swarthy and some had fallen out, and the wrinkles on her face when she laughed looked like wriggling earthworms, which looked a little terrifying.

Qiao's second mother-in-law asked me to send some road money to Xiaochunniang, and when I burned paper money in the past, Qiao's second mother-in-law said that Xiaochunniang's life was hard, and she hadn't lived a good life since she came to the village.

Later, until the burn was finished, it was cold outside and the ridge road was not easy to walk, I was afraid that Qiao's second mother-in-law would fall, so I helped her to send her back, and she praised me for being a sensible and obedient girl along the way.

I was a little embarrassed myself, until I entered the gate of her dilapidated old house, and when I was about to go back, the second mother-in-law Qiao suddenly grabbed my hand, and she hesitated for a long time and said to me, "Yawazi, go to the house with Grandma Qiao, I have something to say to you." ”

To be honest, the reason why I didn't dare to send her into the house was actually because I was afraid of the scene in the dim old house where Grandma Qiao lived, and I was afraid since I was a child, because she made shrouds, and the walls of the inner panels were full of Manchu coats and Tang costumes.

But Qiao's second mother-in-law said so, I was embarrassed to refuse, so I could only enter the house, the old house was dark and desolate, as if it had not been exposed to sunlight for more than ten years.

I can't see it clearly in the side room, but there is light in the hall, and there is a square table covered in black cloth in the hall, and there is an incense burner and tablet on it, like a spirit tablet.

When the second mother-in-law Qiao entered the house, I wanted to go over to look, but as soon as I walked to the table, the second mother-in-law Qiao poked her head out of the side room with a kerosene lamp, and beckoned me to enter the house.

When I stepped into the side room, I saw that it was full of shrouds, and I was naturally afraid of the dead people's objects, whether they were paper figures or shrouds, and I kept my head down and didn't dare to raise my eyes.

Second Mother-in-law Qiao sat on the old low stool, looking at the bitterness in my eyes, wanting to speak but unable to speak, and finally I couldn't help but ask Second Mother-in-law Qiao what was the matter.

After saying that, she staggered up and walked to the door to look outside, and closed the door.

"Ya baby, Grandma Qiao watched you grow up, knowing that you have been a sensible baby since you were a child, and Grandma Qiao wanted to say a word to you when she came to you."

Second Mother-in-law Qiao's eyes looked straight ahead, and it took a long time to turn around, and her expression was a little stiff and said helplessly to me, "This village can't live anymore, you better leave as soon as possible." Go to the city to study hard, and then spend it outside, don't come back. ”