It's November night, and when the cold wind blows, you can't help but button up your coat. Today, because it is a day of work, I am wearing the uniform of Zongan Group, and a windbreaker jacket is added to the black skirt. Underneath are only wearing thicker stockings. During the day, under the big sun, it is no problem to wear it like this. But at night, on the slopes of this wilderness, as soon as the wind blew, I immediately sneezed.

Hearing my voice, Zong Sheng turned around and said, "Why don't you wait in the car?" ”

"No, I'll be with you." I replied, taking my flashlight, and strode after them. I thought it would really be cold for a night. As a result, as soon as I climbed the mountain, after a while, my whole body warmed up. In the end, he even gasped for breath, wiped his sweat, and walked to Niu Lifan's father's grave.

Niu Lifan took us up this way, and I also followed my family to sweep the grave during the Qingming Festival. In broad daylight, there have been cases where they couldn't find the graves of their ancestors, and as a result, they worshiped other people's graves. This is really not news in the countryside, almost every year Qingming will hear about such a thing.

When Niu Lifan walked us up, he didn't hesitate at all, it seems that this road is very familiar. There was no place to sit here, so I could only put my hands on my legs and asked, "Niu Lifan, you are quite familiar with this road, and you can find it in the middle of the night." ”

"I come here three or four times a year." As he spoke, he did not rest, but directly used a shovel to shovel all the weeds in front of the grave, revealing a platform.

Zong Sheng took out the things in the same way. Now it is placed on the platform with a black cloth and used to cushion the ground. Then there was a pair of candles, a handful of incense, and a lot of yellow paper money.

Zong Sheng laid out his things and asked suspiciously: "What about the basket, you don't bring a basket to open the grave?" I thought you had this in your hometown. We came directly from the city and there was nowhere to buy it. ”

The basket is a large round basket made of bamboo pieces. I used to see my grandfather collecting gold, and when he came up, the gold altar was to be put in a basket.

Niu Lifan has already started to light candles: "I didn't bring it, it's not necessary!" ”

Zong Sheng also sighed, leaned on the hoe and said, "You are already so sure, this is an empty grave, and you don't have any baskets." Why do we have to open a grave? What about after the grave is opened? ”

Niu Lifan let out a long sigh: "It's to give yourself an affirmation." It's hard for you two to stay with me tonight. When you are friends, let you suffer. ”

I knew that it was an empty grave, and I was sure in my heart, but I still wanted to open the grave to be sure. Niu Lifan lit candles, lit incense, stood at the head of the grave, and said respectfully: "Dad, I'm disturbing your rest tonight." There are some things that I have to open a grave to verify. Please bear with me. ”

He put incense in it and poured it wine. After that, the two men stood there smoking, no one spoke, and everyone's hearts were very heavy.

After the cigarette was finished, Niu Lifan stepped forward and spilled the wine. I started burning paper money, burned a lot, and lit some paper money and threw it away to make it burn. This one should be for wild ghosts. After doing this, Niu Lifan took a hoe and started work. Zong Sheng also went over to help.

The wind blows, and the candles that have not yet burned are whirring. I looked around with some fear. As soon as the flashlight swept over, Zong Sheng said: "Look at it, don't shake it like this." Those will be unhappy. ”

I understood what he said, and quickly withdrew my gaze, there should be a lot of wild ghosts watching us in the vicinity.

The two young men were also busy for more than twenty minutes before they dug up the golden altar.

Zong Sheng took the rope, stood on the excavated soil, and stretched out his hand to tie the edge of the golden altar. I also stood next to it, and my heart became afraid. Say to yourself over and over again, "This is an empty altar!" This is an empty altar! ”

Zong Sheng tied the rope and tried to pull it, his brows furrowed, and he said to Niu Lifan: "You shouldn't have done a grave removal for anyone." ”

Niu Lifan shook his head: "My own family, my mother, but my mother hasn't moved the grave yet." I originally thought that this year's big cold would pick up gold for my mother to move to the grave. Now in the matter of the Shen family, on the day of the big cold, didn't you say that my grandfather's grave would be opened? My mom, I'm like waiting until Qingming. What's wrong? ”

"I followed Lao Bei, and I have moved the grave several times, but all of them are brought up by other relatives, and I won't let Mr. mention it."

"What are you talking about?" Niu Lifan was puzzled and wanted to go to the Golden Altar, thinking that Zong Sheng said that this matter should be done by relatives. But as we all know, it's an empty altar.

As soon as Niu Lifan's hand touched the rope, Zong Sheng opened his hand, and then whispered: "The weight is wrong!" Although I have not mentioned the golden altar, I have hugged the empty altar several times, and this altar is not the weight of the empty altar. ”

Our hearts chuckled. The two of them looked at each other and didn't speak, and now this accident makes us not know what to do. I said on the side: "Could it be an empty altar, but because of the soil, it will have the illusion of heavy weight when it is lifted." ”

"No, it doesn't feel like it. It's heavy! The contents are heavy! Much heavier than bones, even with the rubbing of soil moisture, it won't be that heavy. ”

Everyone looked at Niu Lifan, this is his father's grave, and it has been opened. But we don't have a basket. To mention this or not to mention it?

Zong Sheng suddenly looked up at me and asked, "What time is it?" ”

"It's past eleven o'clock." I said. It took us a lot of time to come up and open the grave.

Niu Lifan also asked: "That old gentleman, I really told you that he is my father." Is that right? ”

"Hmm." Zong Sheng said, "He cheated to death to protect you." So that the Shen family could not find him. When your grandfather laid it out, your father saw it and recorded it. But before the building could be officially built, your grandfather died. The Shen family will naturally want to find your father. Even if your dad doesn't help, he will find a way to get the records of your grandfather's bureau at the beginning, give it to Lao Bei to study, and let Lao Bei continue. But your dad never took you, and he cheated to death, all to protect you. It's just that he didn't expect that it would be such a coincidence that I found you and picked you up again. ”

"That is to say, this must be an empty altar!"

I reminded me, "If you remember the right position, it must be." Your dad is still alive. We saw each other the other day. ”

Niu Lifan bit his lip: "Bring it up!" ”

Zong Sheng also hesitated, this matter was completely beyond our expectations. This has to be brought up directly, if there is some magical thing resting inside, or if there is a lot of resentment, all three of us are in danger. But don't mention it, it's already like this now, say sorry and fill it back?

Zong Sheng hurriedly shouted: "You Xuan, put aside everything on the black cloth." ”

I quickly complied. As I moved things, he drew eight symbols, eight directions that he placed on the black cloth. said to Niu Lifan: "After the golden altar is up, put it on the black cloth and press it on the talisman. ”

As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of wind blew, and the talisman was blown out of place. Although I don't know how Zong Sheng determined the position of the talisman, the talisman was clearly eight sheets, and in that direction, it became a circle.

"Wronged influence?" Niu Lifan said, swallowing his saliva.

"Isn't it just a little winding?" I hurriedly put it back in place.

Zong Sheng said: "This kind of thing can't be put there. Put it well, but a gust of wind blew. Tonight is more auspicious. ”

Zong Sheng took out the red thread and compass from his overalls, and a few minutes later, on this platform, he was enclosed in the red line along with the tomb, and where the red line turned, he placed a yellow paper money with a sacrificial gin on it. Wine was also poured.

After arranging the eight talismans, Zong Sheng said, "If you encounter something in a while, you take You Xuan and go first." Your ability, it won't be a problem to leave with her. Don't look back, what's there, I'll deal with it. Bring it up. ”

Niu Lifan bit his lip: "I know, actually, I believe what you say." I know my dad is still alive. But...... I am...... I was angry that I had been deceived by them for so many years, and I came to open the grave in the middle of the night. ”

Zong Sheng pulled the rope and wrapped it around his arm, while saying, "Don't talk about this, what you decide to do, you have to do it well." It's not about holding anyone accountable, but trying to do a good job and trying to live. ”

Niu Lifan is older than us, but it can be seen that he is not as calm as Zong Sheng in the face of such a thing. I don't know what happened to Zong Sheng in the more than ten years since he left the village, but the calmness he showed was definitely not what a twenty-four-year-old boy should have.

Niu Lifan didn't speak again, sniffing, feeling that he was about to cry. He pulled another rope, which was also wrapped around his arm. Zong Sheng said: "It's very heavy, one, two, three will be pulled together, from the beginning of the movement, to the place on the talisman, you can't let it touch the ground, you can't fall back again." ”

"Good!" Niu Lifan responded, "One, two, three!" Yes! ”

It could be seen that the two men were carrying the golden altar with great strength. Little by little, the golden altar came out of the mud. I also became nervous, and under the light of the flashlight, I could even see the green tendons on Zong Sheng's arm.

Finally, Jintan was completely out of the mud, and although they were still exerting themselves, they were obviously much more relaxed than just now.

The two of them carefully placed the golden altar on the eight talismans of the black cloth, and then the two of them sat directly on the ground. The teeth that had been clenched all the time were released and gasped for breath.

I looked at the altar with a flashlight, and there was nothing out of the ordinary. Zong Sheng gasped and asked, "Do you dare to wipe it with paper money?" ”

"What don't you dare. It should be an empty altar. "I answered. They're all so tired, we have to give them a break.