After burning the body of the cat-faced old lady, the five of us sat for a while in the artemisia grass in the autumn wind.

We woke up early in the morning and walked around the rugged mountain road to find traces of the cat-faced old lady, and our mouths became dry all the way.

We followed the trail out of the artemisia grass and came to the mass grave not long ago, where Ji Zizheng looked at his grandfather's low grave. I kowtowed a few times seriously, and didn't say anything, just tears.

After that, we walked along a trail in the direction of Miaozi Village, walked for about half an hour, and finally saw Miaozi Village under the mountain fog.

Along the way, An Xiaowu's stomach was already growling, and An Xiaowu, who has always had excellent eyesight, pointed to the head of Miaozi Village and shouted: "Zizheng, your grandma is waiting for us at the door, hurry up and go back to eat!" ”

We look out into the past. I saw the back of an old man half-squatting on the bridge, looking a little desolate.

Ji Zizheng's grandmother's family is located at the head of the village, and there is an earthen bridge at the head of the village, and on both sides of the bridge are patches of reeds, Ji Zizheng said. There were many small shrimp and small fish in this reed, and many loaches were born after no one renovated the mud for a long time, and his grandfather often carried fishing nets to catch loaches, and each time he caught a small bucket full of them.

Ji Zizheng said that when he was young, he especially liked to eat loaches. The loach is wrapped in batter, put it in the oil pan and run the oil, fry the outer layer of batter to golden brown, and then take it out and put it in the straw cover, let it dry for three or five minutes before eating, the surface of the fried loach will be particularly crispy, the meat inside is particularly tender, and the meat of the loach will be soaked in a tuhma of oil, every time he is full or greasy before stopping, his stomach is old and round, like a watermelon.

Ji Zizheng said this, and we swallowed our saliva as well. Want to try this legendary noodle loach.

Ji Zizheng said that her grandmother was the best cook in the village, and he ran excitedly to the back of the squatting on the bridge, but after running a few steps, he suddenly stopped, his brows furrowed.

"It's not grandma." Ji Zizheng said.

"Other old people." Song Gang walked towards this back as he spoke, but Song Gang stopped after a few steps, he looked back at us and whispered, "Why are you crying?" ”

We heard Song Gang say this. Listening carefully, I really heard this back crying, at first I thought it was the sound of the wind blowing and the reeds, but listening to this crying whining sound is indeed strange.

The old man's back was thin, sitting at the head of the bridge in black, with his back to us, and it looked like an old lady, who kept her head down, looking a little desolate.

Although the old lady looks a little pitiful, we still have some hair in our hearts because of the cat-faced old lady, but there are many of us, and we are not too afraid.

"Granny?" We shouted to the old lady as we passed.

The old lady didn't seem to hear us.

"I'm old, and my ears are not good." As soon as Song Gang spoke, he went up and patted the old man's back, and asked politely, "Grandma, why are you alone...... Yes! ”

Before Song Gang could finish his words, he screamed in fright, and fell to the ground as soon as his feet were weak, and the old lady turned her head, and we found that it was a skinny big black dog.

The big black dog looked old, the skin on its face was loosely collapsed, there was not much sparkle in its eyes, and the traces of bulging bones could be clearly seen on its bony ribs. Its head is covered with gray-white hair, and its eyebrows are already shiny, and it looks back at us like a human being, which makes people feel creepy and tremble.

Song Gang pointed his shotgun at the big black dog and wanted to shoot, but at this time, Grandma Wang suddenly trotted out from the door of the house and said, "Xiao Gang, don't shoot, don't kill it!" ”

Grandma Wang trotted out, panting in front of the big black dog, and Song Gang hurriedly put down the shotgun.

"Grandma, it's all fine! It's going to hurt! Ji Zizheng said. Douli is a ba.

Grandma Wang said: "Dumb has lived for twenty-three years, and he has never bitten anyone!" ”

Twenty-three years? I was a little shocked in my heart, the life span of a dog and the life span of a human is usually a ratio of 1:5, that is to say, the life span of a dog for one year is converted into the life span of an adult is 5 years, so the big black dog has lived for twenty-three years, which is equivalent to a person living for 115 years, I am afraid it has already had human wisdom.

As she spoke, Grandma Wang touched the head of the big black dog and said, "Dumb, what are you doing here?" ”

The big black dog lowered its head and let out a low aggrieved sound, and it stretched out its paws to wipe its face, and we realized that it was actually wiping its tears.

Grandma Wang patted the big black dog on the back and said, "Dumb, go home." ”

The big black dog let out another low whine and walked down the earthen bridge with its head down, but it had not taken a few steps before it suddenly stood up, its forelimbs curled in front of its chest, and its legs on the ground, which at first glance looked like a hunched old lady.

And Song Gang's hand holding the gun has been trembling, this strange scene is simply unacceptable, a dog has become a sperm, learning to walk, learning to cry, is it mourning for others, or for itself?

After watching the big black dog named Dumb walk away, Grandma Wang let us into the temple, and she had already prepared a meal and waited for us to come back.

Everyone didn't say a word, and after sitting around the dinner table, they all ate with their heads bored, and when they were about to finish eating, Ji Zizheng said: "Grandma, I want to eat noodles and loaches, buy more." ”

Grandma Wang's Jizi wanted to eat noodles and loaches, and said with a smile: "Okay, grandma will buy it for you." ”

"Zizheng, why don't we go, grandma is so old that it's inconvenient to walk." Song Gang said.

Grandma Wang said: "It's convenient, it's convenient, it won't take much time, today is August 15, and the little grandson wants to eat, and grandma will go to buy it." ”

Grandma Wang smiled and looked at Ji Zizheng bowing her head to pick up rice, she saw that Shi Xiaoxue finished eating the rice in the bowl, so she picked up her bowl and said, "Girl, grandma will go and serve you rice." ”

"Grandma, I'll do it myself." Shi Xiaoxue pressed the bowl and wanted to serve it herself.

"Grandma Sheng," Grandma Wang said that she had already filled a shovel of rice in the bowl, she looked at us and said: "You little babies must have something happened to run out, usually this time should be the day when Juan'er's child goes to school, grandma can't get out of this village, and the outside world doesn't know what has developed, you boys must protect Xiaoxue, don't let her hurt it, Xiaoxue's eyes I can see at a glance that it is placed on Xiaoyang's body, right?" ”

"Grandma......" Shi Xiaoxue was so ashamed that she lowered her head under the table.

I smiled and took her little hand, and she gently pulled it out of my hand and glared at me quietly.

And Ji Zizheng ate stuffily from beginning to end, and no one paid attention to it.

After eating, Ji Zizheng said, "Grandma, is there still liquor at home, I want to go and see grandpa." ”

Grandma Wang said: "Yes, it was the sorghum red that your grandfather used to drink, and your father brought it when he came a few years ago. ”

As soon as Grandma Wang's words fell, there was a sudden sound outside the temple wall that seemed to be an ode, this kind of sound I had heard, it was the sound of the whole village singing when the old lady who was sitting at the intersection in the middle of the village died a few days ago, but this voice was different from before, more like prayer and farewell, rather than an indescribable high-pitched tone like last time.

I put down the dishes and chopsticks and walked outside the temple gate, and I was watching a group of people walking in front of me carrying a spiritual bed, and the person lying on the spiritual bed was the same Grandma Wu we saw in the morning.

Ji Zizheng came out of the door of the house, and when he saw Grandma Wu's body, he was stunned for a moment, and he whispered: "It's okay in the morning, why is it suddenly gone?" ”

An Xiaowu, Song Gang and Shi Xiaoxue also came out of the door, and they were sad to see Grandma Wu lying sleepy on the funeral bed.

But in the crowd, we saw the big black dog Dumb who had been following the funeral procession with his head down, he shrugged his head and whined in his mouth, like a human cry.

We followed the funeral procession and heard the carols in their mouths, and our hearts were restless.

Obviously, each and every one of us had a cat-faced granny in mind.

When Grandma Wu was carried to her temple, we saw from the crowd that the huge statue of Grandma Wu was placed on the table of the Eight Immortals in the middle of the temple, and Grandma Wu's spiritual bed was blocked at the door of the temple, and three white candles were lit at the head of her bed.

The big black dog was lying under her bed, her chin spread flat on the ground, and an old lady stepped forward and ripped off the blue cloth strip on Grandma Wu's head and replaced it with a black cloth strip.