It is said that that year, in late winter and early spring, the cold wind was still a little biting, but buds had already secretly emerged on the branches.
The old Li Tou in the east of our village, who is old and has a very strong body, usually loves to smoke dry tobacco under the big locust tree at the entrance of the village, and tell some strange stories to the juniors.
No, something happened to the Wang family in the west of the village, and the old man Wang Laohan left overnight, and the whole village was immersed in sadness.
According to the old rules in our village, white things must be done in a hurry, which is respect for the deceased.
After the children of the Wang family discussed, they decided to ask the strong men of the whole village to help, among them, the second son of the old Li Tou family, Li Ergou.
Li Ergou, tall and powerful, is a well-known warm-hearted person in our village, who has a big and small affair, he always rushes ahead.
Early that morning, as soon as the sky was bright, Li Ergou got up, put on his white-washed blue cloth shirt, tied a thick hemp rope around his waist, and was very energetic.
When he arrived at Wang's house, the courtyard was already very busy, and the sounds of crying and talking were mixed, and the atmosphere was both heavy and solemn.
According to our custom here, before carrying the coffin, you must first eat a "road meal", which means that the deceased can eat and drink enough, so that they can go on the road with peace of mind.
On the dinner table, steaming rice, several plates of home-cooked dishes, and the most eye-catching is a stewed golden chicken thigh.
In our Yunyin Village, where supplies are not abundant, this is a rare good dish.
Just as everyone was about to move the chopsticks, Li Ergou suddenly stood up, grabbed the chicken legs, and walked to the old man sitting next to him, Wang Laohan's iron buddy Zhang Laohan, and said respectfully: "Uncle Zhang, you are old and in poor health, you need to eat more chicken legs to make up for your body." Zhang Laohan was stunned, and tears almost fell.
He took the chicken leg tremblingly, and said in a hoarse voice: "Ergou, you child, your heart is as good as a bodhisattva.
But how can I eat this chicken leg alone? As soon as the words fell, he was about to excuse himself.
Li Ergou insisted: "Uncle Zhang, you're welcome.
Our village pays attention to affection, Uncle Wang was kind to all of us when he was alive, and now that he is gone, we have to take care of you for him. As soon as he said this, everyone present was moved.
Zhang Laohan didn't shirk either, nodded with tears in his eyes, and carefully took a bite of the chicken leg, as if it was not only food, but also a deep longing and gratitude for his old friend.
The ceremony of carrying the coffin officially began, and eight strong men shoulder-to-shoulder, shoulder-to-shoulder, worked together to lift the heavy coffin, and walked step by step towards the cemetery outside the village.
Li Ergou led the way, his steps were as heavy as carrying a thousand catties, and he was silently thinking about Wang Laohan in his heart.
At this moment, Zhang Laohan quietly tugged Li Ergou's sleeve, and his voice was as low as a mosquito: "Ergou, there is something I have to remind you." Li Ergou turned his head and saw the seriousness of Zhang Laohan's face, and his voice was lowered: "Carry the coffin today, there may be a fork on the road, you have to pretend to be drunk, no matter what happens, don't open your eyes." Hearing this, Li Ergou was full of question marks, and was about to ask carefully, but Zhang Laohan shook his head and signaled him not to ask more, just do it.
Although Li Ergou was beating a drum in his heart, for the sake of Zhang Laohan's face, he still nodded and kept this in mind.
The team continued to move forward, the mountain road turned all corners, the cold wind swished, and the atmosphere became heavier and heavier.
When they were about to reach the cemetery, suddenly a strange fog emerged from the woods, and the whole team was tightly enveloped.
Immediately after, a low and strange voice sounded in my ears, sounding like countless ghosts crying, making people's hearts hairy.
Everyone was scared, only Li Ergou, thinking of Zhang Laohan's words, he couldn't bear the fear, closed his eyes, and pretended to be drunk and unconscious, no matter how much noise was around, he just didn't move.
At this moment, out of the strange fog, an old man in a black robe with a pale face slowly walked out.
He held a white bone staff in his hand, his eyes were as sharp as knives, swept around the people, and finally stopped at Li Ergou. "Hmph, you're pretty smart." The old man snorted coldly, and it seemed that he was quite surprised by Li Ergou's reaction.
He spoke slowly, his voice hoarse enough to make people tremble: "You mortals, if you dare to break into the path of the netherworld, you should be punished.
But for the sake of this kid's good temperament, and he is willing to pretend to be drunk and escape, I will spare you. After speaking, the old man waved his hand lightly, and the strange fog suddenly dispersed, and the mountains and forests returned to calm.
Only then did everyone come to their senses, knelt on the ground one by one, kowtowed and thanked the old man.
Li Ergou opened his eyes and looked at the old man's back, with mixed feelings in his heart.
Only then did he understand that what Zhang Laohan said was such an unfathomable arrangement.
He stood up, patted the soil on his body, and turned his head to look at the villagers who were also shocked, and his heart was warm.
He knew that this sudden peace was not only the mercy of the old man, but also the result of everyone helping each other and accumulating virtue and doing good. "Don't be afraid, let's go." Although Li Ergou's voice was a little hoarse, it was firm.
When everyone heard this, they all stood up, supported each other, and continued to walk towards the cemetery.
Along the way, everyone talked a lot, and they felt both scared and amazing about what had just happened.
Li Ergou walked in front silently, thinking about Zhang Laohan's words and the mysterious old man's appearance over and over again in his mind, and his heart was full of doubts.
Hey, this has to start from the beginning, our Yunyin Village is not ordinary, it is a place with a story.
As soon as Lao Li left, Li Ergou didn't feel good in his heart, he pondered, he had to find Zhang Laohan to talk about this matter.
That day, as soon as Wang Laohan's funeral was over, Li Ergou hurried to Zhang Laohan's house.
Zhang Laohan was sitting on the threshold, holding a dry tobacco pouch in his hand, his eyes were foggy, as if he was thinking about something big.
As soon as Li Ergou entered the door, he asked urgently: "Uncle Zhang, you have to tell me today, what is going on?" ”
Zhang Laohan grinned, patted the stone pier next to him, asked Li Ergou to sit down, and said, "Ergou, this matter has to start from the roots of our village." "It turns out that there is a spiritual vein under Yunyin Village, which has hidden many secrets since ancient times.
Every hundred years, there is a "Netherworld Trial" in the village to test people's hearts and wisdom.
What they encounter today is a once-in-a-century test.
"That old man is the patron saint of the underworld, using illusions to test people's hearts, only those who are kind and bold can pass the test." Zhang Laohan continued, "I heard my grandfather tell these stories when I was young, so I can remind you to pretend to be drunk and escape. ”
Li Ergou was stunned when he heard this, he didn't expect that he would participate in such an ancient trial.
He suddenly remembered the chicken leg, and his heart warmed. "Uncle Zhang, if I give you the chicken legs, will I also pass the test?" Zhang Laohan shook his head with a smile, "That chicken leg, I tested you."
If you really have the heart, you can help the people in the village more in the future, it will be better than anything else. ”
When Li Ergou heard this, his heart was open.
He understood that the real trial was not the demons and monsters outside, but the kindness and strength in his heart.
He secretly vowed to work harder to help people in the future and make Yunyin Village better.
Since then, Li Ergou's reputation in the village has become even louder.
Not only does he have great strength, but he also has a good heart.
When there is something difficult in the village, he is always the first to rush up and carry it with everyone.
Zhang Laohan has become the think tank of the village, and his stories and teachings nourish everyone's hearts like a clear spring.
In the blink of an eye, it was another year, the snowflakes were fluttering, and Yunyin Village was covered tightly by snow, white and vast, so beautiful that you don't want it.
At this time, there is good news from the village - the town on the other side of the mountain is going to hold a temple fair, and we are called to show our hands to the talented people in the village.
This is a rare opportunity for our Yunyin Village, which has been closed for a long time, and the villagers are all gearing up and ready to do a big job.
Li Ergou, the representative of our village, naturally has to pick up this burden.
He remembered the old stories that Zhang Laohan had said, and a bold idea popped up in his heart: Why don't we show the story of Yunyin Village to people outside in the form of performances?
In this way, we can not only promote our village, but also let more people know about our unique culture.
Just do it, Li Ergou gathered a few like-minded young men to discuss the script and rehearse the program together.
They decided to adapt the adventure of carrying the coffin into a short play, using a bit of humor and humor to tell the legend and changes of Yunyin Village.
After more than a month of intense preparation, the performance team of Yunyin Village set foot on the road to the town.
Along the way, they have overcome all kinds of difficulties, wind and snow, and their love and pride in their hometown have become their most solid backing.
The plot progresses, and the audience is deeply attracted by the story about carrying the coffin, pretending to be drunk, and trial.
Li Ergou played himself, and played his inner struggle and growth to the fullest; Other actors also showed their own talents, and vividly performed the customs and customs of Yunyin Village.
The most memorable thing is that at the end of the short play, the actors sang their own songs together.
The song is melodious and affectionate, as if it has traveled through time and space, connecting the past and future of Yunyin Village.
The lyrics not only contain nostalgia and sorrow for the deceased, but also blessings and expectations for the living, which moved everyone present.
"In that ancient and mysterious land/The story of Yunyin Village has been passed down from generation to generation/We have walked through the wind and rain side by side/Guarding this homeland with our hearts......" The performance ended, and the team of Yunyin Village received thunderous applause and cheers.
They not only won honor and respect, but more importantly, let more people understand the culture and charm of Yunyin Village, opening up a new path for the development of the village.
Back in our Yunyin Village, the villagers were really enthusiastic and spontaneously gave us a lively welcome ceremony.
Around the bonfire, everyone danced and sang loudly, just to celebrate our beautiful work this time, full of glory.
Li Ergou, this kid, stood in the crowd, looking at the familiar faces, his heart was so warm, and he was very grateful.
He knew in his heart that this achievement was supported by our fellow villagers, and it was everyone's concerted efforts that gave our Yunyin Village a new atmosphere and lived out.
In the dead of night, the bonfire slowly went out, but the heat and joy still lingered in my heart for a long time.
Li Ergou walked home alone, and he had mixed tastes in his heart.
He thought, thinking about his past years, those choices, and the emotion in his heart, it was really hard to say.
From the hairy boy who didn't know anything, to now becoming the pillar of the village, he knows that every step is not easy, but as long as there is love in his heart, dare to take responsibility, and do not give up, there is nothing in this world that cannot be done.
The road is still long, but Li Ergou can trust it, as long as everyone in Yunyin Village thinks in one place and works hard in one place, we will definitely be able to live a more prosperous life.
He also has to use his own way to guard this land that gave birth to him and raised him, so that the story of our Yunyin Village will be passed on from generation to generation......