Time ticked by, and I was getting impatient. His eyes were yellow, but the car was crawling slowly like a turtle. At this moment, Grandpa pointed to the edge of a green field." Drive there!”
The car stopped in front of a bumpkin. I didn't see anything different. Grandpa jumped out of the car and started to walk around the bumpkin. I followed behind him. I was a little surprised when I turned to the back of the bumpkin. There were actually more than a dozen bumpkins of all sizes behind this big bumpkin. I squatted down and grabbed a handful of dirt, then ran outside the circle and grabbed another handful. There was no difference. I ran to the bumpkin and grabbed another handful. It didn't seem to be any different. He saw his grandfather take a shovel from the trunk and shovel outside the village. After a while, a football-sized stone hit the shovel. His grandfather dug a few times along it and found another stone of similar size. I was shocked. This is a grave world stone. Below it…below it is a grave mound, but why can't I see it? If Grandpa hadn't stopped, I would have thought that he was just an ordinary country bumpkin. Grandpa dug down again, grabbed a handful of soil under the rock, and sniffed it. The soil was very dry, but it was actually wet further down. At this point, they had already confirmed that this was a grave.
His grandfather threw this away and ran to a few slightly larger country bumpkins behind him. He shoveled them down. There was also a marsh below, but the soil was easy to dig and very solid. Just like that, he took turns to dig a few of the country bumpkins. Some of the country bumpkins were covered in sand and were not easy to dig. I just looked at Grandpa and suddenly felt that I was wasting time. I forgot to use my eyes.
I took off my coat, took out Yengisar, and walked around these country bumpkins. I returned to the biggest bumpkin and stepped on it to see if the soil was solid. I retreated about ten meters and stood on a small hill. I looked down at those country bumpkins and began to deduce. If these were all graves, then there should have been trees, water, or a city here at the beginning, but there was nothing now. If it was a grave, the feng shui here should be very logical, but it was actually at the foot of a lonely hill. If they were nomads, they didn't need or know anything about Feng Shui. If they buried people here, it must be because someone lived here in the past. But where were the traces?
Speaking of dryness, there was still the ruins of Jiaohe City near the Flaming Mountain. But there should be a broken wall or something here. However, there was nothing. It was just unusually empty. If this was really a grave, there would be at least a dozen people. Nomadism also required water, and they usually wouldn't be far from a water source. There should be water nearby, but there was still nothing. I was a little discouraged. Why couldn't it be like in Sichuan where I had a place to deduce?
Grandpa picked up the Luoyang shovel, spat on his palm, and began to dig a hole vertically. I went up to help, but Grandpa asked me to stay aside. Sis Hua acted as if she had nothing to do with her. She stood in the shade and looked at Grandpa. "Grandpa, there's no water source, so it's impossible for the ancients to be here…So, there has to be a lake, right?"”
Grandpa said,"Move aside." Why are you so stupid? The water source doesn't have to be a river or something. You can dig your own well.”
I suddenly had an epiphany and walked to Sister Hua's side, begging her to take me around. She was a little surprised, but she didn't refuse. I picked up Grandpa's binoculars and said to Sister Hua,""Sis, let's find a water source. It should be an ancient well."
Sis Hua didn't say anything. The car started and circled around the grave to expand the search circle. In my impression, there was at least a very round well beside it. That was what counted as a well. However, after walking for a short while, Sis Hua stopped and walked to a collapsed area." This is the place you're looking for."”
I looked at where Grandpa was staying. It was at least a kilometer away from here. I squatted under the car and looked at the road. It was just a collapse. How could it be a well? I stretched out a leg and kicked a few times above the collapse. My feet felt very solid and there was not much change. "How can this be a well?" I muttered to myself.
Sis Hua didn't seem to agree with me." It's a well from thousands of years ago. The water below has dried up a long time ago. After a long time, the accumulated sand has also buried the well.”
I said,"Oh, I see. Then we can confirm that the place we passed by just now was the grave."”
I shouted excitedly for Sister Hua to go back and find Grandpa. The life of the nomads was really erratic. If it weren't for Grandpa's sharp eyes, who would have known that there was a grave here?
"Sis, why do you think they left?" I asked Sister Hua.”
"I guess it's a chaotic war," said Sis Hua.
I replied with an "oh" and the car quickly arrived at the big country bumpkin I had just found. Before I could see Grandpa, I shouted,"Grandpa, I found the ancient well, but it was buried.”
Before I could reply, I saw Grandpa holding a strange pottery in his hand. I curiously went up. This is something I've never seen before, it's made of clay. This thing was about the size of two palms, but its strange appearance made me feel that the ancient people must have contacted aliens at first glance. This was because it had a human face. It was very serious and had a faint smile. It even had a beard and seemed to be wearing an earpiece. This thing was well preserved, even the tip of the foreign elf's ear was well preserved. It had no neck, and I didn't know if I should call it a hand or a claw. It had four fingers and seemed to be glaring at the sky. Its body was like a leopard, very slender. What was even more peculiar was that ancient artifacts were supposed to be symmetrical or in pairs. However, the way the clay pottery sat was not symmetrical. One of its legs was lying down, and the other was turned out. Its tail made a circle around its back. The abdomen was hollow, and there was a hole that was open. It was estimated that five bamboo slips or swords could be placed during burial.
I squatted at the side and watched Grandpa dig. He first dug the Luoyang Shovel Thief Cave and began to dig when he reached the rammed earth layer. This thing was buried in an iron box. The iron box had been rusted to the point that the clay pottery was starting to show signs of rust and red spots. His grandfather was burying the soil. After burying it, he hung a mark on it. Then, he took out a map and made a mark. Then, he slowly walked to the small slope not far away. Along the way, he squatted down from time to time to take a look. In the end, he sat alone on a small slope, writing something while smoking. At this moment, there was only me and that strange earthenware left beside the grave. I picked it up again and looked at it. The more I looked at it, the more I felt that this thing had a big background back then. I used my imagination and even linked it to a UFO, wondering what the story behind it was.
As I thought about it, Grandpa kicked my butt." Why are you so happy looking at it? Pack up and go back!"
After saying that, Sis Hua also came over to pick up the tools. Grandpa wrapped the earthenware in oil paper and placed it in the car.
I was shocked." Ah, he's leaving just like that? So fast?"
"Yes, it's fast this time." The last time, it took me four days to find it. This time, I found it on the first day. Hehe, he had good taste and good preservation.”
I said,"Grandpa, are you also thinking that aliens visited Earth back then?”
Grandpa frowned." What aliens?”With that, she got into the car.
I followed him closely." That's it. Look, it's so similar to the Sphinx in Egypt, and it's even more lifelike than that. It's worth a lot. Think about it, it was impossible for Egyptians to come to Xinjiang back then. This actually coincided with that. Also, look at this expression!”
Grandpa said impatiently," What kind of human face have I not seen before? This is a tomb guardian beast. It's used to intimidate people. It's like a dead person. It's used to protect them."”
I was so stunned that my eyeballs almost fell out. I couldn't close my mouth for a long time." Grandpa, what beast did you just say?”
"Gravekeeper Beast!" Grandpa said.
This is my first time hearing it. I've heard of the Tomb Suppressing Token and the Tomb Suppressing Stone, but I've never heard of the Tomb Suppressing Beast. I said,"Grandpa, tell me about this. I want to learn."”
"This thing is very common in ancient tombs," Grandpa said. The ancients believed that after a person died and was buried, the evil spirits of the netherworld would eat their brains and liver. Therefore, burying a tomb beast could exorcise evil spirits. These things were buried in the soil. The gravediggers accidentally dug them up, so many of them could not be left behind. This time, it was rare to see such a complete one. However, this one was only worth ten thousand yuan. If it was a two-headed one, it would be worth a lot. There were very few two-headed ones on the market. He didn't know about it in the past, but he had found one and sold it for 250 yuan!”
I've learned something. I really don't know how to kill people. If I really tell others about this, it would be strange if I didn't become a laughing stock. I opened the oil paper and looked at the tomb beast. I asked Grandpa,"Grandpa, what's in the hole in the middle?"”
Grandpa said,"Well, after a person dies, he cuts his hair and wraps it in a silk cloth before stuffing it into this hole. Firstly, he wanted the Gravekeeper Beast to know who it was protecting. Secondly, he wanted the dead to know where his Gravekeeper Beast was.”
I looked at it and said,"Oh, telepathy through hair."”
Grandpa stopped talking and dozed off with his eyes narrowed. I was secretly glad that Sister Hua, who was cleaning up the " battlefield ", didn't hear that idiotic question just now. Moreover, it was a good thing that my uncle and the others didn't come. Otherwise, I didn't know how they would laugh at me again.
"Grandpa, who do you think is buried down there?" I asked. [-3uww] It shouldn't be bad. Look at how serious this Gravekeeper Beast is.”
Grandpa said,"Shh-put the baby properly, don't drop it." I'm going to sleep for a while. Don't make a fuss! If you continue to make a fuss, you can sit in front and accompany Xiao Hua to bask in the sun.”
I was excited and immediately said,"Oh, okay." Sis Hua, please stop the car. Grandpa wants to sleep alone for a while. I'll sit in the front, or I'll disturb him.”He looked at his grandfather nervously. The old man was still dozing off with his eyes closed.
Sis Hua drove for a distance and stopped the car. I was so excited that I quickly pushed the door open and got out of the car. I danced and sat in the front row.
The car continued to drive. I looked at Sis Hua, but she ignored me. I said,"Sister Hua, open slowly. Don't be in a hurry. Rest when you're tired."”
Sis Hua glanced at me." I'm not tired!"
I turned around and shouted,"Grandpa, I'll get you a glass of water. You've been talking for a long time. Are you thirsty?"”
Grandpa said,"Don't be noisy. We're sleeping!"”
I immediately turned my head and stuck out my tongue mischievously at Sis Hua." Sis Hua, I'll get you some water."”
Then, a miracle happened. No, a miracle! She actually smiled at me and shook her head. She was so gentle and beautiful. I felt like I was on the verge of melting. She said softly,"No, thank you!"”
I was petrified on the spot. If it wasn't for the hot water in that damn thermos that scalded me from the shaking of the car, I would probably still be here. When I came back to my senses, I didn't know whether to pour water or put down the thermos cup. After an hour, my mind was still blank. When I got home, I lay in bed and had several dreams. I dreamed of those snow-white teeth and that charming smile.
On the way back, we didn't go to the old herdsman's house again. To me, it would be best if I didn't go for the rest of my life. When I think of the experience of being bitten by a bug, and the blood on my grandfather's fingernail, my entire body would go numb. I can't think about this. Just thinking about it makes my back itch. I started rubbing against my seat. No, I have to find Grandpa. I stretched my head to the back seat. Grandpa was already snoring. I didn't have the heart to disturb him, so I simply leaned against the front window and scratched my back hard. At this moment, a miracle happened again. Sis Hua slowed down the car and pressed down on my back, giving me a shock. In the end, she pulled up my clothes, looked at it, and pulled it back to its original place. I sat up straight in embarrassment. She said lightly,"It's fine. Go back and wipe it with alcohol.”He took out two band-aids from his shirt pocket and handed them to me.
This inevitably made my blood boil and I felt fear and trepidation. I took the band-aid and said softly,"Sister Hua, you're so nice!"
When we returned, we returned the Jetta, but we still didn't see Uncle Halati in person. It was still the Uighur girl who received us. Grandpa handed the tomb beast wrapped in oil paper to her." Ask your father if he likes it. If he likes it, keep it. If not, I'll take it with me the next time we come."”
It was still the train to Urumchi, but this time because of the tight ticket, Grandpa's friend bought two berth tickets and a hard seat, so I had to take the hard seat. I was depressed all the way to Urumchi. Perhaps it was because I hadn't seen Sis Hua for the past few hours. I thought of Sister Hua countless times, but in the end, we only met when we got out of the car.
We didn't stop in Urumchi and took a bus back to the small town.
When I got home, the first thing I did was take off my clothes and rush into the bathroom to take a comfortable bath. Then, I jumped out of the bathroom and yelled at Dad. Dad looked at my naked appearance." How did you become like this after you came back? Are you agitated?"
I said,"No, look at my back and see if there are any bugs that haven't been removed. I was bitten by this thing on this trip."”
His father looked at it." Yes, I was bitten twice. Fortunately, it wasn't deep.”After saying that, I grabbed the alcohol and dipped it into the cotton swab. I grimaced in pain.
Dad patiently helped me put on the band-aid again. At this time, I suddenly remembered that the band-aid Sister Hua gave me was still in my pocket. I picked up my pants pocket and rummaged through it. I grabbed the band-aid and kissed it. Dad looked at me strangely and asked,"Why are you acting so weird when you're back? Band-aids aren't for big girls. Why are you kissing?”
I said," Haha, I just love band-aids. Haha…"
After dinner, I put on my slippers and walked outside. Second Uncle called." I've been calling you for the past few days, but you either didn't answer or turned off your phone. What are you doing?”
I said,"Grandpa and I went to visit the grave and just came back."”
Second Uncle said,"You damned brat, you didn't even tell me when you went." Let's go out and eat barbecue. Do you want to go?”
I said,"Go. I want to eat too. It's a midnight snack."”
After a while, Second Uncle picked me up in the car. When I got into the car, I realized that my uncle was dozing off behind me. I asked Second Uncle,"Second Uncle, what's wrong with Little Uncle?"”
Second Uncle said," This kid has become a spirit. He drank with his friends from last night until morning. He ate beef noodles and drank until noon. In the end, he almost spat out his gall bladder. I'll bring him to eat some roasted meat to nourish him."”
After a while, the car passed by the curb. The checkpoint was a checkpoint, and everyone had to be checked before they could enter or leave. After entering, they would see an endless mountain, and this side was the edge of the city. There were quite a number of restaurants. They weren't high-end, but the air was fresh and cool. Eating barbecue in the evening was really a kind of enjoyment. We found an empty space outside a yurt and asked the boss to move the tables and chairs over. We even brought cold beer.
His uncle was still retching when he was served. When the barbecue was served, he ate a few mouthfuls and continued retching not far away.
"Where are you going this time?" asked Second Uncle.”
I looked around and said,"Don't tell anyone. Go to Hami." We found a Gravekeeper there.”
Second Uncle squinted at me and asked,"Grave-guarding beast?" Is it complete?"
I said,"Complete." It was placed in a metal box. The box was broken, but the Grave-Suppressing Beast was still intact.”
Second Uncle grabbed a skewer of roasted meat and tore off all the meat in one go before chewing it heartily. When I finally saw him swallow it, I took the opportunity to say," You said that this Grave-Suppressing Beast looks really strange, and…"
"How many tomb beasts?" Second Uncle asked.”As he spoke, he picked up another skewer of roasted meat.
I took a sip of beer.”
Second Uncle said,"Alright, this time the things are still considered to be adjusted." " Alright, alright. Don't tell your uncle that he's back."”
"That's what I wanted to tell you," I whispered.”
We looked at each other and smiled. Then, we saw Uncle finally walk over normally. As soon as he sat down, he poured a cup of tea." I drank from dark until dawn yesterday. I'll stop drinking today. You guys drink."”
Second Uncle's alcohol tolerance isn't as good as mine. He'll be almost done in a while. I didn't persuade him. I ate the roasted meat while bragging. I heard some interesting news from my uncle.
My uncle said that the Russians are selling all the treasures we sold to them to China and auctioning them off. If he hadn't seen it on the Internet by chance, the sale would have been successful. He told his grandfather about this, and his grandfather called the Russians. Unexpectedly, it was because that person went bankrupt and handed over all his belongings. However, the auction was actually held in China. What a bunch of hooligans.
This news made people extremely angry, but there was nothing they could do. I asked my uncle,"Why did you sell the treasures of the Chinese to the Russians?" Isn't it good to circulate it in China?"
His uncle laughed." Are you stupid? Do you think that if we don't sell it, others won't? The difference in price is even higher than the capital. Moreover, if they were caught on the way, wouldn't they be betraying us?”
I think so too. His uncle continued," At the end of the day, we're f * cking thieves. Thieves have to sell their stolen goods. As for who we sell them to, of course, we'll sell them to whoever offers the highest price!”
This was an undeniable fact. I looked at the starry sky and sighed. That's right, we're thieves. If we're thieves, we have to consider selling our stolen goods. "Dali, why didn't you wake up after drinking too much? You talk nonsense all day long. Do you think my dad looks like a thief? I've followed him to rob tombs at least 70 to 80 times, if not 100 times. Every time, I only take a little. Do you think that's a thief? That's called…"
" What's your name?" his uncle asked, raising his voice by an octave. What do you think that is? You're still a thief!"
Second Uncle stood up immediately." What do you think Dad is? You're not a thief?"
I looked around and grabbed them." Are you two drunk? Lower your voice, it's not good for others to hear!"
The two of them also realized that they had lost their composure. They looked around and sat down. One of them drank wine and the other ate barbecue. I leaned forward and said," Let me tell you, at Grandpa's age, even if he's a thief, he's been stealing for his entire life. Even if he puts the money in the bank, it's enough to support our family." But why do you think he continued to make funny faces? I think that in between, it's not just about being a thief as you said. "I personally understand. This is considered a hobby. It's a wish to communicate with the ancients. It's an explanation to his teacher. Actually, you all know. Why don't you want to admit it? Aiya, let's not talk about it anymore. Long live Grandpa! Drink one for Grandpa!"
After hearing what I said, the two of them felt better. Little uncle poured the tea on the ground and poured a glass of beer. Second uncle also poured a glass. We clinked it hard."Drink one for Dad (Grandpa)!”
Then, everyone started to brag again as if nothing had happened.
We drank until one o'clock in the morning before Uncle drove us back. After that, I spent four days in peace. In fact, I locked myself in my room for three of these four days. I drew on a piece of paper the appearance of the tombs at Willow Spring Farm, as well as the trees in the distance and the small slope, hoping to find the trick to burying them.
On the first day, I found a detailed record of the changes in dynasties over the past two thousand years, as well as the characteristics of the treasures that might appear, as well as the characteristics and preferences of the foreign ethnic groups in Xinjiang. These things weren't as detailed as the books Brother Haozi gave me back then. I felt like I was looking for a needle in the ocean of Wang Yang.
The next day, at six o'clock in the morning, I woke up from the pile of papers and thought of a new method, which was to reverse the process. He began to reverse the landscape at that time and found some information about the process and age of the landscape change from the Internet in an attempt to restore the landscape from 2,000 years ago.
On the third day, I began to pay attention to the range of activities of the ancients, trying to recall every detail that might have been missed during the driving process that day. Then, I put myself in that environment and imagined how I would survive. Slowly, my vision began to clear up, and I began to feel a little confused.
"I think that two thousand years ago, there was a tribe that might have eaten up a grassland and moved here to escape famine, war, or to escape from the pursuit of their enemies. There should have been an underground river or spring here. They felt that this place was quite suitable for development, so they set up camp here. They could climb up the hill every day to see if the sheep had gotten lost. If the northwest wind came, they could take shelter on the other side of the hill. However, life was destined. The elderly in the family passed away first. The old man might have wanted to be closer to the water source, or he might have wanted to be by his loved ones 'side, so he asked not to be buried too far away, so he held a grand funeral that day. Due to the fertile land, the tribe developed rapidly and attracted outsiders from time to time. One of the tribesmen might have contracted an infectious disease for some reason, which then infected many people. Therefore, they hurriedly buried many people and then left this unlucky place. Because the place where the number one person of the family was buried was very suitable for suppressing demons and driving monsters, they asked him to bring these people who died of infectious diseases to the Elysian World. However, they were afraid that he could not handle it, so they sent another Gravekeeper Beast. Even if he could not handle it, it was still possible to protect himself. In the end, after 2000 years of great changes, all that was left was this tomb.
After freeing myself from my deduction, I began to study the models of the utensils from two thousand years ago. Although I had seen many of them, when I looked through them again, it was inevitable that some new things would jump out in front of me.
On the evening of the fourth day, Grandpa gave me a call." Min 'er, why didn't you call me and urge me to go and see the grave bun together?”
I was a little surprised." I really want to go, but I need to understand a lot of things. So I'm not in a hurry. I also advise grandpa not to be too anxious, haha.”
"Hahahaha, good, good! Patience, no curiosity, good!"
I said,"Grandpa, when are we leaving this time?”
Grandpa said," I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, which is Friday. Saturday is the weekend. There are many people, so it's safe."”
I said,"Then I'll go with you." Grandpa, do you want to spend the night?"
"Of course," Grandpa said. This time, it's not like before. It's almost like winter at night. Bring more clothes. It's best to bring a sweater or something. Alright, I'll call your uncle. Rest well!”
After I finished my grandfather's call, I was not interested at all because so far, all I knew about these graves was speculation. I don't like this uncertainty. I know that Grandpa already has a plan in mind, but I…Sigh, let's continue reading.
The day before departure, Uncle came to my house for the first time, which surprised me. The uncle was very direct." We're leaving tomorrow. I feel different when you come back this time. Will it affect the digging of the grave tomorrow?”
I thought for a moment." No, don't worry. I'm fine!"
Uncle picked up a piece of paper in my room. When he saw what I had drawn, he flipped it over and pointed at the pile of circles in the middle." This is the grave you went to visit this time, right?”
I was a little surprised, but I didn't show it." Yes, I was just studying it to see if I missed anything.”
The uncle took out a book on the bed, A Short History of China, and flipped through it."You're very hardworking! Alright, there's no harm in learning more!”
I repeatedly thought about Uncle's purpose for coming, but I couldn't figure it out for a moment. I asked,"Uncle, how can you tell that I drew a grave and not a random one?”
Uncle said," Hehe, setting up camp at the foot of the mountain, you can advance or retreat. A lone mountain to avoid danger, there is much to be done. The water can live, and the country can rely on the trees! The reason was very simple. The grave was buried here and lived next to it. Firstly, it was filial piety. Secondly, it was nostalgia. This was the so-called Dao of the ancients. Whether they understood it or not, they were doing it subconsciously.”
Uncle's words reminded me. It seems that this is not far from my estimation. This makes me very gratified. I continued to ask," Even if it's as you said, how many people do they have? Can they be called a country?”
The uncle looked at it and said,"It's hard to say. Have you looked around?" Was there anything different?”
I said,"I walked around, but I didn't find any place that looked like a human's residence. Moreover, it's all desertified." Say, once this land turned into a desert, what would be left?”
The uncle thought for a moment." He might have left something behind. Desertization might mean that there were many people living there, many animals eating grass quickly, and the grasslands were damaged. However, this would take about a few hundred years. Think about it, when the grass is almost eaten, the sheep will not grow fat. If they don't leave, they can only wait for death. It could also be a war. Because of the war, people would die. If they died, they would be burned, and even the tents would be burned!”
"Burn them all?" I interrupted. Aren't you going to take the things with you?"
Uncle said," Take away all the food, utensils, especially iron and gold. They think that the tents were used by the people they killed. It's unlucky. Moreover, the people riding on horseback were all light, so they usually did not bring these things, so they could only burn them. And once there was a fire, the greatest damage would be to the grassland itself, understood?”
I nodded, almost understanding. "Hehe, I almost understand. But Uncle, you didn't come to me today just to tell me about the grave, did you?"”
Uncle said,"Your second uncle told me that he found you a master in the mainland. I heard that you've learned it." Hehe, not bad, the child has made a name for himself!”
I complained." I told him not to tell, but he still told me.”
Uncle smiled. It was rare to see him smile so brightly. He said," That's right, Min-er. You have to remember that this is not your career. It's fine if it's just a hobby." We're also betting our future!”
I nodded." Don't worry, Uncle. It's just a hobby of mine. I don't want our family's craftsmanship to be ruined by me!”
Uncle felt a little gratified and patted my head." That's good, that's good. Alright, we'll set off at six tomorrow morning. Wake up early. I'm leaving. I'll go back and prepare.”
When he left my house, my uncle said,"Don't worry, I'll keep your matter a secret."”
I stood at the door and thought about two things. First, I'm afraid I'll have to let Uncle down. I still like digging graves." Second, why would I keep it a secret? In the family, my uncle, second uncle, and Sis Hua all know that I've returned from my studies. Grandfather is such a smart person, how could he not tell? He just didn't say anything.
I shook my head and went back to my room to pack my things and prepare to leave.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。