The rooster outside had only croaking for the first time, and at most at four or five o'clock the horse butcher knocked on Grandpa's door again.

Grandpa was still snoring loudly. I opened the door in a daze, and before I could see who it was, the horse butcher asked breathlessly, "Where is your grandfather?" Did your grandfather get up? ”

I think the horse butcher is in a hurry, even last night there was no delay and no one got up so early.

I said, "Grandpa hasn't gotten up yet." "As soon as the horse butcher entered the door, he brought in the morning cold, which made me so cold that I hugged my arms and did not dare to approach. The horse butcher was only about thirty years old, and because of his work, he was very nutritious, and the short hair on his head was black and oily, as if it had been smeared with lard. It was late autumn, and the fog outside was very heavy, and the horse butcher's head was covered with a thick layer of fog and water that came into the house, and at first glance it seemed that all the green hair had turned white overnight, which scared me.

The horse butcher smiled apologetically, and asked nervously, "Where is your grandfather?" Wake him up, I have something urgent to look for him. ”

Grandpa heard the voice of the horse butcher in the back room and said in a loud voice, "What's the matter, horse butcher?" ”

"Something is wrong. Brother Yue Yun, something big happened. "The horse butcher seemed to be cold, and his teeth were rattling.

"What's the matter?" Grandpa was very calm. The two of them spoke like this through a door, as if an ancient official summoned a common man.

"It's weird!" The horse butcher spat on the ground, wiped it with the soles of his shoes, and said, "My daughter-in-law has given birth!" ”

"It's a good thing to be born."

"But don't you think it's strange? If you don't give birth sooner or later, you will be born at this time. It must be a ghost doing something again. Brother Yue Yun, do you say yes? The horse butcher stomped his foot.

The back room didn't speak for a while.

"Brother Yue Yun, you have something to say." The horse butcher said anxiously.

The door of the inner room opened, and the grandfather came out in his clothes and asked in disbelief, "Did your daughter-in-law give birth at this time?" ”

"Brother Yue Yun, can I lie to you about this?" The horse butcher grabbed Grandpa's hand. At that time, my grandfather's hands had not yet withered into pine bark, but there were a lot of calluses, and when I shook your hand, it hurt to pinch you. Originally, it was a pair of typical thick peasant labor hands, but he could pinch and calculate, which was more powerful than the average fortune teller. As long as the time of the child's birth is accurate, his hands can calculate the child's next life and present life, and even whether the child will come out first with his head or feet first, whether he will come out on his back or on his stomach.

On the day I was born, my father went to my grandfather's house to set off firecrackers to say goodbye, and my grandfather asked for the time of my birth, pinched his fingers, and said, go back and see if the child's left hand is turning to the side. My dad said he was too happy to see it. Grandpa pushed my father out of the door and said, "Go back quickly and see if the child's hand is not going well, and if so, I will give him a talisman to protect him." When Dad came home, my hand was turned sideways, and my palm couldn't reach my chest. Later, my grandfather cured my hand in a very strange way, and I will talk about this later.

The horse butcher said, "I went back from you last night, and before I reached the door of the house, Lan Lan came out of the house. When she saw me, she blamed me, saying, "Your daughter-in-law has given birth and still hasn't seen your ghost, and asked me to quickly find two diapers and pick up the child." I thought Lan Lan was lying to me, so I ran into the house and looked, and sure enough, she was already born. A few women in the neighborhood were helping out, and there was a mess. I was stupid at the time, how could such a coincidence! ”

"Not really!" Grandpa said.

"Brother Yue Yun, you give me an idea. I'm going to die in a hurry, and if I don't solve it within seven days, I'm afraid this son of mine will still not be able to save it. The horse butcher gave off his legs and knelt down.

Grandpa hurriedly helped him up, and said in a hoarse voice, "It seems that we have to hate him." It is to force you to have no choice, and you can only repay it in the most vicious way. ”

The horse butcher cried and hurriedly asked: "Don't look at the ordinary cow honestly, if the tiger moves its cowboy, it will also fight the tiger with its horns." If it really wants my son's life, I will do anything. ”

Grandpa nodded, and explained to him so, so, and so. The horse butcher wrote it down by heart.

It just so happened that my grandmother was not at home (that is, "grandma") for a few days, so she went to live at my aunt's house. And the two uncles are both living in the school, and my grandfather and I are usually the only two people at home. I heard my grandfather say that he was going out to hunt ghosts at night, so he clamored to go with him. Grandpa disagreed. I say that I am more afraid of being alone at home, if I encounter a ghost and no one protects me, it is better to follow my grandfather, even if the ghost wants to harm me, and my grandfather protects me, I am not afraid of grandpa. Grandpa laughed at my flattery, so he had to nod his head in agreement. Grandpa comforted me in turn: "There are a few young and strong men who are going with us, don't be afraid." ”

It was getting late, and the horse butcher brought seven or eight bold men from the same village, each with a blood-red strip of coarse cloth tied to his hand. Grandpa tied one himself, and another one for me. Everyone prepared dinner together, and there was wine and meat on the table, all brought by the horse butcher. I also gathered around and had a great appetite, but there were no chopsticks on the table, so I took the initiative to ask: "I'll go get chopsticks." ”

Grandpa said, "Don't take chopsticks, everyone wash their hands and eat with their hands." ”

I was confused, "Why don't you use chopsticks?" ”

The horse butcher explained to me, "Your grandfather is right. We can't use what the soul has used, or we'll get into trouble dealing with the ghosts. ”

When I thought about it, chopsticks were indeed used by spirits. According to our customs, every year when we eat during the Chinese New Year, we always have to put a few more pairs of chopsticks on the dinner table, and my mother said that it is reserved for the dead elders and is used to worship the ancestors. It's like a monk in a temple offering a bowl of pork or a bowl of white rice to a bodhisattva. As a result, I was inattentive during the Chinese New Year's meal, and I secretly glanced at the place where the empty chopsticks were placed, and I always felt that there were invisible people sitting there eating with me. Sometimes I stretch out my chopsticks to pick up the vegetables carefully, for fear of snatching them from the food.

The strong men were not polite, rolled up their sleeves and grabbed the meat in the bowl and put it in their mouths to chew, looking like they were going home. I was immediately affected by the atmosphere, and felt that it was a heroic thing to hunt ghosts, like a revolutionary martyr who would rather die in front of the enemy's guillotine. I boast that I am brave at such a young age, and I am so enthusiastic that I am ready to work with them to catch the evil spirits. I excitedly rolled up my sleeves and put my hand in the greasy bowl, thinking to myself that it was a pity that I didn't know how to drink, and that it would be better if I didn't drink some courage.

When the meal was finished, the butcher gave each of them a brand new hoe with a blood-red strip of coarse cloth tied to the handle, the same as the one on hand, but I did not. "You can just take a look from the side." The horse butcher said, "Whether a child trains his courage, a dignified man is not afraid of heaven and earth, and he will definitely have a bright future in the future." "I know he's flattering Grandpa, but I don't mind.

Grandpa pulled a square piece of yellow paper, on which were written twisted and crooked symbols, like a distorted spring. I don't understand. Grandpa glued the leftover wine with his hand and sprinkled it on the yellow paper, and then said, "It's all ready, let's go together." ”

The moonlight outside was still cold and silent, and the occasional owl could be heard chirping in the trees in the distance.