In 2012, Xin'an Town, Handan, Hebei Province. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

"Alas, I went at a young age, I really shouldn't have been!"

On a wide street in the town of Xin'an, a funeral procession was driving slowly down the street, and the voice that had just spoken was spoken by an old man on the side of the road.

"Forget it, life and death are destined for wealth and wealth in the sky, and the number of qi is exhausted, everything is nonsense!" The other heard the old man's words and said leisurely.

"The old Zhao family has died of their daughter, and you are here to lament and sigh. A woman's voice next to her scolded them both dissatisfiedly.

The team drifted away until it had just walked around the corner.

And just after the other side left, a man came from the north entrance of the town, and this person looked to be twenty-seven or eighteen years old. He is 1.8 meters tall, carrying a bag behind him, wearing a pair of glasses, looking polite, and has short black hair. Willow-like eyebrows, a straight nose, and a pair of eyes in the glasses are constantly flashing.

He saw so many people on the street, the ground was covered with white paper, and the sound of mourning and music left in the distance, and he already knew what was wrong.

"Alas, isn't that the kid from the Li family?" The old man just now was about to leave, when he saw a young man coming from the entrance of the town, pointing to him and the person next to him.

"Oh! I remember when he was a kid, I fed him. It's been so big in a few years. The woman echoed the old man.

"Looks like we're really old. The old man said regretfully.

"Li Xuyang. The woman waved her hand at the young man who had just walked into the town, and shouted loudly.

The young man shook his head when he heard someone call his name, and then when he saw who it was, he ran over with a smile.

"Aunt Hu, I haven't seen you for so many years, how are you?" Li Xuyang smiled and held Aunt Hu's hand tightly and asked kindly.

"Well, it's okay! I remember when I was a child! You were just on my shoulder, and now you're an adult. Aunt Hu sighed, as if complaining that time passed too quickly.

"Look at what you said, no matter how I change, am I still the little boy in front of you?" Li Xuyang said with a smile.

"Boy, don't keep talking to your Aunt Hu, have you forgotten your Grandpa Wang?" the old man said to Li Xuming a little unhappily, although he said so, his eyes still narrowed into a line, and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes were also exposed.

"Grandpa Wang, are you still so young? Li Xuyang turned around again and said hello to Grandpa Wang.

"Sharp-toothed boy. Grandpa Wang shook his head helplessly.

"Don't talk nonsense here, your dad should have been waiting for you at home for a long time, right? Go home first!" Grandpa Wang reminded, telling him to go home first.

"Yes, you come back this time, don't leave for a short time, go back to see your father first!" Aunt Hu also said.

"Well, Grandpa Wang, see you back Aunt Hu. Li Xuyang said, waved his hand at the two, and left.

"Alas, what a good child, why is it so miserable?" Grandpa Wang said slowly as he looked at the back of Li Xuyang leaving.

"Well, it can't be helped. Aunt Hu also sighed, and then went home too.

Li Xuyang walked on the streets of the town, greeting the crowds of people coming and going one by one.

The town is not small, with eight streets from north to south and four from east to west. The town has more than 1,000 households and a population of more than four thousand. The most important thing is that there is a 309 National Highway passing through the middle of Xin'an Town, which also divides Xin'an Town into two towns, north and south. And Li Xuyang's home is in the town to the south.

Li Xuyang's home is located in the middle of the town, and it can be reached in a maximum of ten minutes on foot from the entrance of the town. After graduating from junior high school at the age of seventeen, he went to join the army. After serving in the army for three years, he was arranged to work in Shanxi, and worked in Shanxi for a few years.

Originally, there was nothing to do, and Li Xuyang was also a person with a high salary, and he would send money to his family every month. His father, Li Yongan, is already old, and not only that, but Li Yongan's body is also getting worse day by day. Li Xuyang quit his job and went home, took care of his father, and by the way, helped his father take care of the business in the shop.

Li Yongan's business is also left by his ancestors, and he only sells shrouds, wreaths, papier-mâché cars, boys and girls, and so on.

Li Xuyang only knows about making these things, and he is not as vivid as his father did, he is just curious to follow his father when he was a child. Later, when I went to junior high school, I didn't have the slightest interest in those things.

Looking at the familiar streets and the familiar crowds of people, Li Xuyang had unconsciously come to the front of his shop. The door of the shop was hidden, because the door was facing north, and it was a little dark inside.

Li Xuyang pushed open the hidden door and walked in. As soon as he walked in, he heard an old and weak voice come into his ears.

"Do young people need something?"

When Li Xuyang heard this voice, what he wanted to say suddenly seemed to be stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say it, and he couldn't swallow it, which made him very uncomfortable. The only thing I could feel was tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Do you have a good coffin here?" After a while, Li Xuyang asked slowly.

After hearing Li Xuyang's voice inside, he first made an "um" sound, and then heard a hearty laugh.

"Stinky boy, who do you want the coffin for? for your father?" the person inside laughed and scolded.

"How dare you? Dad. Li Xuyang saw a somewhat emaciated figure come out of the darkness.

This person's figure is also very tall, half a head taller than Li Xuyang, but his white hair and thin figure make people feel like "this is skinny and bones".

"It's back. Li Yongan put down the small bamboo strip in his hand, and then looked at Li Xuyang, who was standing at the door with tears on his face.

"yes! Li Xuyang wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and replied.

"Have you eaten?"

"Nope. ”

The two of them were as reserved as if they hadn't seen each other for a long time, from Li Xuyang to the army, and after the service, they came back home for a trip, and they didn't come back until now, which is seven or eight years.

The Li family is a single family in Xin'an Town, and Li Xuyang has the impression that his grandfather Li Chengcheng is only a son of his father, and he is the only one who is here when he comes to his father. It has always been a one-way line, and despite this, the incense has not been cut off here at all.

And Li Xuyang's mother died early, and when he first remembered, his mother was gone. And it is said that when Li Yongan first remembered, Li Yongan's mother was no longer there. Although this question has been lingering in Li Xuyang's mind for a long time, he still hasn't asked it.

In the blink of an eye, it was noon, and the two of them had lunch. Li Yongan said to Li Xuyang: "Are you okay in a while? If it's okay, take a batch of goods to the old Yang family in the next village." ”

"Oh, what is it?" Li Xuyang did not refuse or agree, but asked what that batch of goods meant.

"A pair of boys and girls, a pair of white cranes, a pair of gold and silver buckets, a shroud, five filial piety clothes, seven wreaths, two of which are big and one small. Li Yongan took a list and read it to Li Xuyang.

"Okay. Li Xuyang readily agreed.

Just as Li Xuyang was loading these things into a car, a person quietly came behind Li Xuyang, and then suddenly covered his eyes with his hands and asked with a smile, "Who do you guess I am?"

"Wang Hongzhi. Li Xuyang replied lightly.

"It's really boring, I guessed it at once. Wang Hongzhi let go of his hand, then took out a box of cigarettes, and when he gave it to Li Xuyang, Li Xuyang refused when he said that he would not smoke.

"It's been seven years, and you're getting stronger. Wang Hongzhi took a cigarette in his mouth and gently knocked on Li Xuyang's chest a few times with his hand.

"You too! It's changed a lot! Only the cheap voice hasn't changed. Li Xuyang said jokingly.

", did you say that about your brother?" Wang Hongzhi glanced at Li Xuyang.

Wang Hongzhi has been Li Xuyang's best friend since he was a child, until Li Xuyang went to junior high school and went to join the army, the two rarely saw each other. Later, when Li Xuyang came back, Wang Hongzhi went to work outside to earn money, and a few years later, Wang Hongzhi married a wife and had a daughter, and now the daughters are three years old.

"I heard my grandfather say that you are back, and you ran over without eating, but I didn't expect you kid to know about coming back, I thought you had forgotten the place where you were born and raised!" Wang Hongzhi said with a smile.

"How so?" replied Li Xuyang softly.

"Okay, since you're here, help, don't stick around like JB. Li Xuyang said and took the boy and put it in the car.

"You're JB. Wang Hongzhi replied.

"You are. Li Xuyang fought back unceremoniously.

More than half an hour later, the whole car was filled with wreaths, and then Wang Hongzhi drove the car, Li Xuyang sat in the back pocket, and the two of them went to nearby Yangjiazhuang together.

On the way, Wang Hongzhi asked Li Xuyang, who was sitting behind, loudly, "Aren't you different from ordinary people?"

Li Xuyang was a little confused when he heard Wang Hongzhi's words, and asked rhetorically, "What's different?

"I heard my old man say, what do you Li family have that outsiders don't know, and what kind of book do you have. Wang Hongzhi said loudly again.

"The old man lied to you, right?, why didn't I know there was such a thing?" Li Xuyang smiled and shook his head.

Li Xuyang is Li Yongan's only son, what secrets in the family will not tell him? But Li Yongan has never mentioned anything, which can only mean that they are no different from others.

"That book is called funeral records, don't you know?" Wang Hongzhi turned his head and asked suspiciously.

"I don't know, drive your car well. Alas, lying groove, there is a ditch in front. ”