At the beginning of 1966, Mohe Village, Huma County, Daxinganling.

The bitter cold has closed almost everyone in the house, and although it is already the first month, there are very few people visiting the door.

But in the midst of the snowstorm, a woman was walking down the mountain with tears in her eyes, she was wearing a thick cotton hat, a gray-black scarf covering most of her face, and only a pair of big teary eyes leaked out. The woman's fingers wiping her tears were black and red, and there was dirty black mud between her fingernails.

At noon, when the weather was a little warmer, a middle-aged man who was out hunting spotted her. "Isn't this a girl from Qingyue'an, what's wrong with you?" the middle-aged man bolted the hound to a poplar tree next to him and approached the woman.

When the woman saw that it was an acquaintance, tears poured down her eyes: "Uncle Chang, the old goddess has to drive me down the mountain, please persuade her to go down the mountain! If I don't leave, she will beat me with an iron hook, I really can't come out!"

"Girl, don't cry, don't cry in this cold day. You go to your aunt first and ask her to cook you a bowl of stubble porridge to warm up. I'll go back to the village to find Second Master Tong to get an idea. ”

Uncle Chang's real name is Chang Dachun, he just turned fifty this year, his body is very tough, today's three-year-old grandson is hungry for meat, crying non-stop, Chang Dachun has no choice but to go out hunting in this cold day. Thinking that the set set up a few days ago was still on the mountain, I went up the mountain to see if there was any gain, but I didn't want to touch it.

The woman went down the mountain with Chang Dachun. Chang Dachun's daughter-in-law is a diligent person, and the small yard is cleaned up. "Old woman!" Chang Dachun shouted with an open voice as soon as he entered the gate of the courtyard.

A woman's voice came from the room, "What's going on?" The woman who came out was wrapped in a yellow leather coat and had fat cotton pants underneath.

"Mo Xun girl? Isn't this the Mo Xun girl of Qingyue Nunnery? What's the matter? What are you crying about?" Aunt Chang was also a warm-hearted person, and when she saw Mo Xun crying pitifully, she immediately welcomed her into the house.

"I don't know what's wrong with my master this morning, she has to drive me out, you said that she is in her eighties, can I rest assured that I live alone in the mountains? If I don't leave, she will hit me with a red-hot iron hook, you can look at me..."

"Why is this like this? Where is the fighting? Old man, you take the child out, I will give the girl some medicine, this is all scalded and foamed! What is this?" Chang Dachun listened to his daughter-in-law's words and took his little grandson to Tong Erye's house.

Most of the people in the village are the descendants of the Manchu Tong Jia clan in the Qing Dynasty, among which Tong Erye has the highest reputation, and it is also Tong Erye's bad luck. Second Master Tong taught the village from generation to generation, and people respected him, no matter what big or small things happened in the village, they were willing to ask Second Master Tong for an idea.

Tong Erye's house is in the east of the village, it is a big door with three large tile houses, it is said that this is the time of the show when the imperial court paid for repair, there is a plaque on the door of the side house, there are four big characters on it "scholarly door", although the whole yard has accumulated a thick layer of snow, but the plaque is clean. This plaque was made by the people of the village for Tong Erye in the early years. To say that Tong Erye's contribution to the entire village is particularly great, so he is also quite respected.

"Second Master Tong, something happened to Qingyue Nunnery on the mountain. Second Master Tong welcomed Chang Dachun into the house.

"What's wrong?" Second Grandma Tong was about to pour tea, but was stopped by Chang Dachun, "Second Grandma, don't be busy, I have to leave immediately." ”

"What's the hurry, sit down and talk slowly. What's wrong with Qingyue Nunnery?" Second Master Tong got up unhurriedly, and took out a few pieces of candy from the cabinet tremblingly and gave them to Chang Dachun's little grandson.

"Today, this little rabbit cub is not making a fuss about eating meat, and I will go up the mountain. As a result, I actually ran into Mo Xun's girl, who was crying and walking down the mountain. When I asked in the past, I actually asked the old goddess to drive her out, and if you want to say that the child has been with the old goddess for more than ten years, not to mention the work is neat, and the person is not bad, why did he drive it out. I'll take her home, and then I'm not going to look for you!" Chang Dachun told Second Master Tong the original thing, and Second Master Tong was confused.

"What did this girl do wrong? The old goddess had a strange temper, but she had always been very good to the child. Second Master Tong said, picking up the dogskin hat hanging on the wall.

"Who said it wasn't, I beat Mo Xun today, the blood is hula, and the attack is fierce!"

The two discussed it and decided to take Mo Xun up the mountain to persuade the old goddess, Mo Xun fled and was helpless, and he could still have a hot meal to eat with the old goddess, and the old goddess was old, and there was no one around to take care of her. The three of them had a simple meal at Chang Dachun's house, and then braved the wind and snow to go up the mountain.

Qingyuean does not believe in Buddhism, nor does it believe in Taoism, but believes in witchcraft, that is, shamanism. Unlike Buddhism, shamans abstain from eating meat, and the good men and women of the village often bring some prey or pork from the slaughter of pigs at home to the old goddess. The old goddess is also very keen to solve problems for the villagers, whose children are lost, whose old people are sick, are all trivial things. The old goddess is extremely accurate in her calculations, and she often has the power of rejuvenation, and people worship her as if they were gods.

Mo Xun was picked up by the old goddess seven years ago when she was picking herbs in the mountains, the old goddess took pity on her seriously injured and left her alone, Mo Xun was so thin at that time, his face was bloodless, and there was a large terrible scar on his back. After raising in Qingyue Nunnery for more than half a year, Mo Xun's face turned round, and the old goddess saw that her back went from hideous and terrifying to white and smooth, so she felt that this woman was a strange person.

After chatting, the three of them walked to the Qingyue Temple. The old goddess was kneeling in front of the statue with her head shaken, muttering something that people couldn't understand, which was said to the spirits and wild fairies around her, and naturally not ordinary people could understand.

"Old goddess, we sent Mo Xun back. On this cold day, if you drive her away, will you give her a way to live!" Chang Dachun said.

Tong Erye said to the side: "Yes, she made a big mistake, just punish her." This child has taken care of you for so many years, and there is no merit and hard work! Even if you have to get rid of her, you have to wait for the beginning of spring to get rid of her, and she will freeze to death if you drive her away now!"

"Mo Xun, do you know why I drove you away?" the old goddess stood up tremblingly. Turning around, a pair of cloudy eyes stared at Mo Xun tightly.

"Yes. Mo Xun seemed to have suffered a great grievance: "I was burning a fire, and you suddenly said that I killed someone, when did I kill someone, and who did I kill?" You don't make it clear, and then you want to drive me away." You beat me and scolded me, I admit it, Mo Xun killed your old man with this life, but why did you wronged me for killing?"

Speaking of this, Second Master Tong and Chang Dachun both widened their eyes, killing people?

"Stubborn!" said the old goddess's voice was filled with anger. She turned around and let Mo Xun ask no more and didn't speak.

If you say that Mo Xunya killed someone, I will send her to the bureau with my own hands, and I will never cover her up, if she doesn't kill anyone, you just can't tolerate her, we will take that person away, Mohe Village is so big, she will never be short of a bite to eat. Seeing Second Master Tong say this, Mo Xun looked at him gratefully.

To say that Mo Xun has run to Tong Erye's house a lot over the years, Tong Er's grandmother suffers from a leg disease, and she fell off the cliff when she was young when she went up the mountain to pick mushrooms. To say that the disease is not serious, but on a rainy day, it hurts badly. Mo Xun had to stay up all night, and then send it to Tong Er's grandmother in the morning.

Second Master Tong looked at it, and he also affirmed Mo Xun in his heart, and often thought about finding a good family for Mo Xun to marry, even if he bought a dowry for Mo Xun himself, but Mo Xun was a dead-eyed girl, whether it was the young master of the big official family or the intellectual youth from outside, he would not marry. When I asked the reason, I said that I got married, and I couldn't worry about the old goddess.

"This girl has a good heart, and she looks like a symbol, how many young men from these years have come to the door to ask for marriage, Mo Xun girl can't see it, she is twenty-five or sixteen years old this year, and a child of her age in the village will play soy sauce. She misses your kindness and doesn't marry, and takes care of you until she dies of old age, why do you have to drive her away!" Chang Dachun also helped to persuade.

"She is a great evil and good person, and my immortal family says that she carries hundreds of human lives on her back, and I must drive her away on this basis. The old goddess said.

Mo Xun defended: "Why did I carry my life on my back? I have been helping you deliver medicine to the village since I was rescued by you, and the mountain road is difficult to walk, and I don't know how many pairs of shoes I have broken." I can't say how many people I've saved, but I've never hurt anyone. The conscience of heaven and earth, the sun and the moon can be learned. ”

"Second Master Tong, Da Chun. Since someone asked you to send it over, I will give you face and let her spend the winter. But she must go before the beginning of spring, or it will bring disaster to the village!" the old goddess's voice was sonorous and resolute.

Second Master Tong sighed, since the old goddess gave in and gave face, he was not easy to get an inch: "The youngest son of my third brother's family works in the county seat, Mo Xun, if you can't stay here, I will tell you and talk and go, if you want to eat, there must be no problem." ”

Seeing that Second Master Tong said this, Chang Dachun also answered and said: "Yes, Third Master Tong's youngest son has a future, and he is the leader in the jade shop, Mo Xun You will definitely be able to work with him." ”

Mo Xun stopped crying: "It's not that I can't go, but I really can't let go of my master, if Second Master Tong is gone, you take care of my master." Second Master Tong patted Mo Xun's shoulder, this girl is a good person.

"It's useless what you say, even if you come back today, you have to leave before the beginning of spring, and no one can persuade you. The old goddess was tired of seeing it, so she urged Mo Xun to send Second Master Tong and Chang Dachun home, and then continued to kneel in front of the statue. Mo Xun picked out three sticks of incense from the incense box and handed them to Second Master Tong. Tong Erye took the incense, Chang Dachun handed over the match and lit the incense, then bowed three times and inserted it in the incense bowl.

"Let's go, it'll be dark when we go down the mountain in a while. Chang Dachun helped Tong Erye, the two wrapped their cotton jackets tightly, and braved the wind and snow to go down the mountain.