The three of us arrived at Carpenter Zhang's house, and called Uncle Zhang outside, Uncle Zhang heard us shouting, so he opened the door and let us enter the house to sit, Uncle Zhang is over 60 years old, with a tough body and spirit, which is different from those old men. Life was difficult in that era, people aged fast, and other old men were already squatting on the wall to bask in the sun at this age, but Uncle Zhang has not been idle, making furniture, and his craftsmanship is still so good.

How good is the craft? One thing can prove it. That is the old grandson who has died in the village, Uncle Zhang was an orphan before he learned carpenter, the old grandson saw him pitiful, so he often helped him, and when he was about to starve to death, he saved his life, so Uncle Zhang was very grateful to the old grandson.

Uncle Zhang went out to the world when he grew up, and no one knew what Uncle Zhang was doing outside, and when Uncle Zhang came back with the carpenter's belongings on his back six years later, everyone knew that Uncle Zhang was a carpenter. Uncle Zhang is a grateful person, after he came back, he was very filial like his father, and there was no one in the village who didn't give a thumbs up.

Later, because of an incident, Uncle Zhang and Lao Sun Tou had a serious conflict. Here's the thing, at that time, the old grandson was very old, and Uncle Zhang was going to make a coffin for the old grandson, and the old grandson was naturally happy when he heard it. Then Uncle Zhang went into the mountain to find the wood to make the coffin, it took a month to find the wood, and then it was to make the coffin, when he did it, Uncle Zhang closed the door tightly, no one was allowed to look at it, and after another month, the coffin was finally done, the coffin was brushed with black paint several times, and the oil was brightened, and at a glance I knew that Uncle Zhang had a heart.

It was June, Uncle Zhang said that the day of sending the coffin, the old grandson was very happy, and prepared peaches and watermelons at home, ready to give the coffin to the person who sent the coffin. The old grandson, who was waiting at home, saw Uncle Zhang and another person, carrying a coffin, swaying in, his face became more and more ugly, slowly turning from red to purple, and he trembled.

You may think, how can the old grandson suddenly get angry, this has something to do with the funeral customs in the north, in the north the general old man is old, sons and daughters will prepare the coffin and longevity clothes, the thicker the coffin, the better the wood, the darker and brighter the lacquer, people praise the children for their filial piety. Rich people, at least eight people carry the coffin, but Uncle Zhang's coffin, two people swayed and carried it back, how can the old grandson not be angry, we have a rule for sending coffins here, that is, the coffin that is sent, can not be sent out, otherwise it will not be good for his family.

Uncle Zhang and the two put the coffin away, and the old grandson pointed at Uncle Zhang with a cane and said, "Zhang Gouzi (nickname), I am blind and I have seen you wrong, how did I help you, an ungrateful person, in the first place?" Why don't you send a coffin without papier-mâché? From this day forward, if you go to my door again, I will break your leg with a cane. ”

The more the old grandson scolded, the more angry he became, and in the end, it was his family who persuaded the old grandson to go back to the house, Uncle Zhang didn't say a word from beginning to end, and after the old grandson entered the house, Uncle Zhang put the watermelon and fruit on the table into the coffin silently, and then turned around and left.

From then on, the old grandson and Uncle Zhang had a feud, the two met, Uncle Zhang hurried to speak, the old grandson turned his head, snorted in his nose, and then scolded an ungrateful thing. Uncle Zhang didn't defend himself, because of this incident, the people in the village gradually looked down on Uncle Zhang.

In winter, the old grandson has 80 birthdays, people live for 70 years, not to mention the old grandson is 80, this is a big event in the village, the Sun family is a rich family on the village, such a big birthday is naturally carefully managed, the Zhuang neighbors on the village, their relatives have to come to celebrate the birthday, the scene is more grand than marriage.

On this day, the old grandson was particularly happy, wearing new clothes, sitting in the middle to accept the blessings of the children's relatives and friends, just when it was lively, Uncle Zhang walked in from outside, everyone stopped talking all of a sudden, looking at Uncle Zhang there, everyone knew about Uncle Zhang and the old grandson. As soon as the old grandson saw that Uncle Zhang was coming, he couldn't sit still on it, the crutches in his hand shook vigorously, and someone next to him persuaded the old grandson to say that he couldn't be angry on the big day. The old grandson suppressed the fire and said coldly: "The surname is Zhang, what are you doing here?" ”

Uncle Zhang said in a proper manner: "Old man, today is your old birthday, I Zhang Gouzi came to pay you a birthday greeting, and I also prepared a birthday gift for you." ”

When the old grandson heard this, he became even more angry, and said coldly: "Where is your birthday gift?" I'm just looking at you with a mouth on your shoulders. ”

Uncle Zhang said: "Don't worry, the old man, I haven't given your old man's birthday yet, and when I finish my birthday, I'll give your old man a birthday gift." ”

As he spoke, he kowtowed to the old grandson twice, and the old grandson looked at Uncle Zhang on it and said, "Zhang Gouzi, where is your birthday gift?" ”

Uncle Zhang said unhurriedly: "My birthday gift was prepared in the summer, let the old birthday star eat fresh today." ”

As he spoke, he walked to the corner of the courtyard, and no one asked what the coffin was like at the beginning, or what it was like. When Uncle Zhang walked to the coffin, everyone was very curious, stretching their necks and staring, waiting to see what birthday gift Uncle Zhang had prepared. Uncle Zhang opened the lid of the coffin unhurriedly, and the fragrance of melons and fruits came to the face, and then everyone saw a surprising scene, only to see watermelons and peaches in the coffin, the watermelons and peaches were as fresh as if they had just been put in. Everyone was stunned at first glance, that era was not like now, there were no greenhouses, and it was more difficult to see these things in the north in winter than to climb to the sky.

Uncle Zhang took out a few watermelons and peaches inside, and then respectfully walked into the house and said to the old grandson: "Old birthday star, when I sent the coffin, you entertained me with watermelons and peaches, I didn't use them at the time, so I put them in the coffin and waited for the old man to try them in winter." ”

Only then did the old grandson know that the coffin that Uncle Zhang built for him, although it looked light, was actually a priceless treasure, he walked down from the chair tremblingly, and when he came to Uncle Zhang, he said with tears in his eyes: "Zhang Xian, nephew, I am old and confused, I blame you." I, I, I'm on your knees and apologize. ”

As the old grandson spoke, he struggled to kneel. This frightened Uncle Zhang, he quickly knelt down and said: "Old man, you are trying to torture my Zhang Gouzi, if it wasn't for the old man's help, my Zhang Gouzi would have been a pile of white bones by now." ”

The old grandson said: "I, I feel uncomfortable, you sent me a treasure coffin, my old eyes are not knowledgeable, and I misunderstood the good nephew, the good nephew and me...... Don't say anything, if you still look old, be the righteous son of the old. ”

Uncle Zhang kowtowed to Godfather at that time, and this incident caused a sensation at the time, and Uncle Zhang's skills spread all over the surrounding towns and villages like wings. Later, the old grandson died, and he was buried in that coffin, and everyone said that the treasure coffin can make people's corpses not rot.

This is a story about Uncle Zhang's craftsmanship, others asked Uncle Zhang what kind of wood and method the coffin was made of, Uncle Zhang just shook his head, so far the wood of the coffin is still a mystery, but it is not that there are no clues, Uncle Zhang often sends the old man to smoke the cigarette pouch rod, with Uncle Zhang's cigarette pouch rod, no matter how many cigarettes he smokes, his mouth is not dry, and he does not cough. I have seen that kind of cigarette pouch rod many times, it is as black as iron, but it is very light in my hand, what kind of wood it is, no one can tell.

As soon as we went to Uncle Zhang's house and talked about my aunt's hanging, Uncle Zhang said: "I know about this matter, the hanging branches have to be sawed off, and the grievances in the ground have to be dug up, otherwise they will hurt people in the future. ”

As soon as we heard it, we helped Uncle Zhang's house, and the four of them took the family to the persimmon forest, and found the persimmon tree that my aunt hanged at that time, the hanging rope on the persimmon tree was still on it, and the wind shook slightly, looking at it from a distance, there was an indescribable weirdness.