introduction
Because I grew up in this place, and because this is my hometown, I am very familiar with this place and have a deep affection for this land. I love this altar that once nurtured and cared for me. I am familiar with every grass and tree here, I am familiar with every brick and tile here, I am familiar with the gullies here. I'm familiar with every face I've seen here in my life, because they've given me help and love. I was also familiar with every folk legend here, because these legends had once made me toss and turn in bed, unable to sleep at night.
I always like to talk about the Half Calamity Ravine because it has many magical places and many legendary mysteries. It had the beauty of legends, as well as the horror and wonder of legends. There was the legendary bitterness and also the legendary happiness. The Half Calamity Ravine was a terrifying place, but it also had many symbols of light. There might be many evil people buried in the Half Calamity Ravine, but there were also many heroic deeds that moved people to song and tears. It could be said that anyone who stepped into the Half Calamity Ravine would either step into heaven or hell. There was no third possibility. Because apart from the people who are talking about the terrifying and absurd supernatural events, Half Calamity Ravine also hides half of our village's history.
The reason why I chose my short story, The Legend of the Keeper and the Half-Calamity Ravine, as the first chapter is because I didn't personally investigate, collect evidence, collect materials, and then process them into a work. I found a thick stack of papers among the Keeper's belongings. If I were to stack them one by one, they would be three meters tall. This was what the Keeper had left behind, and it allowed me to discover the Keeper's wish. In other words, the Keeper had been studying the Half Calamity Ravine since he was alive. I was merely sorting out the words left behind by the Keeper, so I made The Keeper and the Legend of Half-Calamity Ravine the first chapter of the book.
The Keeper and the Legend of Half-Calamity Ravine
When I was very young, about six or seven years old, the landscape structure of my village was two completely different step-like structures. On the east side was a high platform, and on the west side was a lower platform that extended westward about two and a half meters from the west of my house. According to someone who was ten years older than me, the east side was not flat. The main street used to be a deep ditch, and it was also a ditch that was level with the west side. It was about four to five meters wide. There is a road on the west side of my courtyard wall, and there is a ditch on the west side of the road. The depth of this ditch was about two and a half meters, but the width was much smaller, about two meters wide. However, the direction of this ditch was from north to south, which was different from the original ditch on Main Street. The ditch on the main street runs from east to west. These two ditches meet about 100 meters northwest of my house. About one li to the west, there was a deep pit that occupied an area of about ten acres. The depth of this pit was about ten feet. Moreover, there was water all year round. Even in winter, there was still water. However, this water was not running water. It was the water that flowed down from the western mountain area and the rainwater that flowed out from the village during the rainy season. It gathered here and formed a smelly puddle. For some unknown reason, the older generation called this place Half-ditch.
I don't know the origin of its name. However, there was a saying that he didn't know if it was accurate. It was said that during the Tang Dynasty, Yuchi Gong fled here after being defeated and was surrounded. With no other way out, Yuchi Gong used his halberd to poke out this huge pit. He landed on the eastern edge of the pit, and the other soldiers fell into the bottom of the pit. All of them died, and only one escaped. I don't know if it's true, but I know the purpose of this ditch. There was another ditch to the west of Banban Gully, and the west was connected to the Hetao in the mountain area. Therefore, the purpose of this ditch was to prevent the village from being flooded in summer.
Half-ditch was a very unlucky place in the eyes of the older generation. However, this place was indeed rarely visited when I was very young. The terrain on both sides of the ditch was also very flat. In that era where the harvest depended on the sky, the water source here was also sufficient, so it should not be abandoned. However, it was abandoned. No one cultivated the four to five meters of land on both sides of the ditch. Therefore, from Banjiegou to Hetao in the western mountains. The two sides of the ditch were overgrown with weeds, and the grass here was very lush. Not to mention children, even adults would not be able to see anyone in the summer. His entire body was submerged in the grass. Looking from afar, it was like a small stone thrown into the sea. There are many graves on both sides of the ditch. I remember it when I was young. There were children who died early. In the countryside, some people who died suddenly were also buried there. Also, according to the elders, some people who were killed by stray bullets while walking during the war were buried there if no one came to identify their bodies for a long time. There were also some people who had betrayed their comrades and revolutionary martyrs at that time. They were shot and buried there. This was because these people were not allowed to enter the ancestral grave at that time.
The puddle in the middle of the ditch also had a foul smell all year round. Because the dead cats and dogs in the village were all thrown into that pit. It was said that the mosquitoes and insects in the pit were similar to the Gadflies. If they bit people, they would not be able to recover. First, it was red and swollen, then pus came out. Then, the flesh began to rot piece by piece. The final result was…
Therefore, adults would definitely stop children from going there to play. The adults rarely went to that place because there was no value to go there because there was no land beside it. However, this half-ditch was also a place that people had to go to because the two sides of the ditch were the only roads that passed through our village in the western mountainous area and then went east.
Since this ditch was about a mile west of our house, we didn't go there to play, so we were used to it and didn't feel that it was unlucky. It wasn't until I heard the words of an old pedant in our village who was called a lunatic by normal people and a series of things that happened later that I decided to take control of it. But this was all in the future.
There is an old pedant in our village. It doesn't seem strange how much knowledge the old pedant has. When I was young, that person was still very important in my heart. I thought he was still very magical. He knew everything. Ancient, modern, astronomical, and geographical. In any case, she was quite willing to listen to him reason and talk about some things. My parents didn't object to me getting in touch with him, but the other people in the village didn't have much contact with him because everyone said he was crazy. In fact, this person was very normal. Perhaps in that era, there were very few cultured people. Not to mention cultured people, even those who could read a few words were pitifully few. He was more cultured, so his words were not easily accepted by others. And he could not agree with others, so he was out of place. The people in the village could hardly tolerate him, and he might feel very lonely.
Later on, in the late 1970s. A female Rightist, an associate professor from a university, came to our village. The associate professor of this university got along well with him, but it didn't cause a sensation in that era. It didn't cause rumors that people often talked about romantic affairs between men and women in that era. Because that female associate professor was too beautiful, and this old psychopath was too ugly. But after all, both of them were cultured people, so they had more in common. They were the only ones who got along in the village. I joined later. Because the associate professor's calligraphy was quite good, by chance, the associate professor accepted me as his disciple, so I was able to come into contact with two cultured people. Of course, the associate professor gave me a good hand. But the Keeper has also given me many things. The Keeper's language and logic skills were quite strong. I don't know if there was logic at that time, but the Keeper did teach me how to write good articles. At that time, my parents were extremely unwilling to let me go out and play, so they didn't object to me being with the Keeper and the right-wing associate professor.
The right-wing associate professor went back to the city to implement the policy, while the Keeper and I were still together. They talked about interesting topics, sometimes for a long time. We were two generations, since the Keeper was a few years younger than my father. But in terms of seniority, we are of the same generation. But when it comes to dating, the two of us are like friends. It was precisely because of our special relationship that I was fortunate enough to learn many secrets of Half Valley.
When I was 13 or 14 years old, it was raining heavily on a Sunday. Unable to do anything in the rain, he went to the Keeper next door. The Keeper had been a bachelor at the time, and he had remained a bachelor ever since. Once, he almost got rid of the group of bachelors, but due to various reasons, he failed to do so. Because he was ugly, he had never found a wife, so he lived in the barn of the production team. All his belongings were there. Because the living environment didn't taste too good, I was the only one who frequented the place. Therefore, sometimes the lonely Keeper would be eager for me to chat with him. It was on this day that the Keeper revealed a secret about Half-ditch. I was quite interested in this secret, and I still remember it deeply.
I remember that day when I entered the room, the Keeper was so happy that he jumped three feet off the bed. Moreover, this action was extremely incompatible with his age. "Aiya! My brother, you're finally here. Otherwise, I'll suffocate to death today."
"What's wrong, brother? You old scholar, old psycho.”
"I've been thinking about a problem for a long time, but I don't know if it makes sense. Brother, you're here. It's just nice. Let's discuss it and see if my brother is right.”
"What kind of question can stump you?”
"Little brother, you've really stumped me this time. You said that Half-ditch should be called Half-ditch? Or should it be called Half Calamity Ravine?" The Keeper asked as he wrote on the Kang mat.
When I heard this, I burst out laughing. No wonder people call you a lunatic! What difference did it make to call these two words with the same sound? I smiled and asked,"Brother, is it that important?"”
"Yes, brother, yes, definitely. Because this involves something, I think it's necessary to correct it. Half a ditch should not be called half a ditch, but half calamity ditch.”
"Brother, tell me your reasoning. If it makes sense, we'll call it Half-Calamity Ravine from now on.”At that time, I was just casually dealing with it. I thought that since it was the same sound, the villagers wouldn't be able to tell the difference. But the Keeper was serious, and from his expression, he seemed to be taking the matter seriously.
The Keeper rolled up a Cannon cigarette and took a deep breath. He told me meaningfully,"Brother, I'm not stupid!" I know everything, but I can't talk to them and I can't pee in the same pot. However, some things were clear in his heart. Did you hear them fight and scold each other yesterday?”
"Yes, Keeper," I replied. Did you discover any new research trends?”
The Keeper took another deep puff."Do you think that Zhu Zi was right to curse?”
I pondered for a moment and replied,"There's nothing wrong with that, right?" He didn't say anything bad!”
The Keeper sighed." He didn't say anything bad, but he distorted history. Do you know that?"”
"Is it that serious?"”The Keeper leapt three feet into the air, his voice exasperated."Yes, definitely. Did you know that their family members were the victims?”The Keeper paused, as if muttering to himself,"You don't know, you're still young! Let me tell you, Grandpa Zhu Zi was shot before the Liberation, killed by the Eighth Route Army. But how did Zhu Zi's father scold him yesterday? He said that his family had been bullied by people for a lifetime. What kind of red line was it? His father is distorting history. I feel awkward when I hear it. Zhu Zi's grandfather betrayed the 8th Route Army and let eight soldiers sacrifice themselves in Banjiegou! Take note, I will change its name today. I am talking about the 'tribulation' of the 'tribulation' difficulty. You have to prove it to me, understand, brother?”
"Yes, I know, I know." I responded casually.
"I'll tell you the whole story now. I can't remember exactly what year it happened, but it's true. It's not a story. You know that, right? There were eight soldiers of the Eighth Route Army, ready to lure the Japanese into the minefield of Banjie Gully. On both sides of the Half Calamity Ravine, the 8th Route Army had dug holes to hide in advance. Once they were lured there, the 8th Route Army would drill into the hole and pull the grenade. After killing a portion of them, there would probably not be many left. Then, they would destroy the remaining Japanese. Who knew that when the Eighth Route Army led the enemy into the minefield, they had also hidden them well. When they pulled the mine, it did not ring, not a single one. At that time, our weapons were not good enough. The grenade did not explode, so we could not beat them. Only when the thunder exploded could they form a situation where they were outnumbered and win. If the thunder didn't ring, it wouldn't work. In the end, eight soldiers from the Eighth Route Army were all killed by grenades in the cave. Do you know why the thunder didn't ring?”
I heard it and was shocked." I don't know. Why didn't it ring?”
"It was Zhu Zi's grandfather who removed all the wires of the mine, so the mine didn't go off. The poor eight soldiers of the Eighth Route Army didn't even have a single intact bone. Do you see that grave beside Banjie Ravine? That big grave belongs to the eight soldiers of the Eighth Route Army. However, there were no corpses inside. People had just collected the blood, meat, bones, and so on in the hole and buried them there. Where would they find corpses?”
"Oh, brother, there's such a thing!”
"Yes, when something happened, the higher-ups knew that there was a mole and sent people to investigate. Sigh! That's not right! You should know about this because your father also knew about this at that time.”
"Oh, he didn't tell me,"
"After the investigation, it was Grandpa Zhu Zi who did it. The higher-ups sent someone over and shot Zhu Zi's grandfather when he was asleep. Zhu Zi's father said that he had walked the red line in the past. Wasn't this distorting history? Therefore, I feel that since these eight soldiers of the Eighth Route Army died there, the Half Ravine should no longer be called the Half Ravine, but the Half Calamity Ravine.”
I thought about it seriously. Yes, it should be called Banjie Ravine.”So now that they were walking west for eight miles, the tombstone in the Cemetery of Martyrs at the foot of the mountain had the words " Comrade so-and-so sacrificed himself in Banjie Gully of a village on a certain day of a certain year " written on it. It should be the masterpiece of the old scholar. Because the Keeper was a traffic officer at the time and a cultured person, the government had appointed him to write the manuscript of the inscription when they moved the graves. So the Keeper must have changed the name to Banjie Gully in a moment of anger during the relocation of the Martyrs 'Tomb in the late 1980s. Anyway, our village is not a well-known village. Other than the township-level map, there are no signs on other higher-level maps. Not to mention the Half Calamity Ravine. No one would take the Keeper seriously over a single word.
The Keeper's character was genuine. No matter what happened, there had to be a principle. The Keeper would be very unhappy if this principle was violated. Sometimes, he would even get angry. Just because they had argued and said something that went against the truth of history, the Keeper believed that there was something wrong with their thinking and that they wanted to distort the truth of history. The Keeper knew exactly what was going on, so he had his own opinion of the Zhu family. From then on, Zhu Zi's family, as well as his uncles and uncles who were related to Zhu Zi, seemed to have formed a feud and did not speak much anymore. Even when others took the initiative to talk to him, he liked to ignore them. It was his actions that had caused the Keeper trouble, a disaster of no small scale. The Keeper's heart was hurt by the blow.
As I said before, the Keeper was highly educated. However, even if they were ugly, their appearance and level of education were definitely not comparable. How should he put it? This person had once been a cultural teacher in the Jin-Cha-Ji region. Later, he was sent back to our village to do underground work as a traffic officer. Perhaps the organization had also considered his appearance! Perhaps this kind of appearance would annoy anyone who saw it. Although it was easy to attract people's attention, no one would associate him with important matters. However, his true identity was precisely a person who took on an important task. Since the organization had considered his appearance to be very safe, they had no choice but to mention his appearance. This person's appearance could not even be described as ugly. It was simply wretched. Not only did he have a knife-like face, but he also had a face full of pockmarks and a pair of triangular eyes with a bit of rotten eye rims. A lees nose, and an eagle's hook. It's enough for you to say that your face looks like this! However, he liked to keep two sparse small whiskers. He had a bitter mouth and a mouth full of big yellow teeth. Not to mention his figure, he had a wasp waist and had never straightened up when he saw people talking. He did not have any elegant demeanor. His behavior was a little obscene. Let's put it this way! If this person were to play the role of a traitor in the script, as long as he followed behind the Japanese without saying anything, as long as he revealed his lower image, you would want to jump over and kill him immediately.
However, such a person was absolutely loyal to his cause, country, and organization. Moreover, he was quite a decent person. When he took over as a traffic officer, there was no mistake or leak in the information he passed on. Because of his extraordinary memory, I think there is no doubt about this. He was able to recite volumes 1 - 3 of the Xinhua dictionary and the anthology. It was precisely because of their extraordinary memory that information was often burned after reading it, memorized, and stored in their minds. Therefore, the enemy had never found any information on him, so they had never suspected him.
Of course, during the war, this person was still young. However, in this peaceful era, this person's dressing was still not enough to attract people's attention. This was because he was wearing tattered clothes all day, and the patches were not very neat. As the clothes were not washed all year round, it was impossible to tell what color they were. From day to night, the ground beetle pulled on two shoes in five winters and six summers. In my memory, I have never seen the true colors of the two legs. It had been many years since she had seen him buy a piece of clothing for her. He had bought a book with a little money. Therefore, the barn he lived in had a lot of books. There were anthologies such as Marnley's anthology, ** anthology, Sunny Day, Golden Avenue, and Big Saber. There were all kinds of books.
Whenever I have time, I go to his place to read. She would read a book for a while, chat with him about the mountains for a while, and talk about political and social views for a while. People in the village often said that he was crazy, but if you really listened to him, you would dispel this idea, because this person often said shocking things. The words he said often contained deep philosophy that ordinary people could not understand. This was probably the reason why people called him crazy. However, I was very willing to listen to him. Although this person was rather old-fashioned, he was still very quick to accept new things and new ideas. Although his thoughts were slow, he could always keep up with the pace and rhythm of the times. Being slow was a common habit of the elderly, so it was not surprising. However, it was not easy to keep up with the pace and rhythm of the times. One had to be open-minded.
When I first entered junior high school, I didn't have the habit of having winter and summer breaks. I still had two autumn breaks. One was the wheat autumn holiday, and the other was the autumn holiday. It was a rainy day during the autumn break. I finished my homework and felt bored, so I went to the barn to look for his books. When I entered the door, I was shocked. The old-fashioned old pedant was wearing a pair of bell-bottom pants today. Of course, the opening of the pants was not very big. He was also wearing a white shirt. He was also washed clean. He also wore a new pair of cloth shoes on his feet.
I said,"Hey! Keeper bro, what's going on today? Why did you change your shotgun to a cannon?”
The Keeper smiled slyly.”
"Yes, you're still as good-looking as ever. You look young and agile.”
"What are you reading today?" The Keeper chuckled.”
"Are there any new novels?"
"Yes, but I won't let you see it today. I want to talk to you for a while, okay?”
"Sure!"
The Keeper rolled up another cannon, lit it, took a deep breath, and blew out a thick cloud of smoke. He said slowly," Society is going to change. I listened to the radio for a while today and the police spoke again. I haven't heard him speak for a long time. Therefore, I don't want you to read novels. You should study your cultural studies first!" That was the real deal. As the saying goes, learn mathematics, physics, chemistry, and walk around the world. In the future, society would definitely restore the college entrance examination. In other words, anyone could enter a university. It was impossible to recommend anyone anymore. If you pass, then go. If you don't, then don't. This was because his speech seemed to be " Spring of Science ", which repeatedly emphasized the important position and role of knowledge and science in productivity. This was a signal.”If he said these words to a farmer, others would definitely say that he was crazy, but I believe him. Sure enough, it was published in the newspapers within a few days. The college entrance examination was reinstated nationwide.
The situation had changed. The Keeper was more open-minded, dressed smartly all day, looked more spirited, and began to pay attention to his image. However, no matter how she dressed up and decorated herself, her image could only be said to be slightly better. The overall impression was still very bad. I also noticed that Zhu Zi's widow aunt went to the Keeper's barn a few times. I went home and told my parents about it. My parents criticized me severely, saying,"Children don't know anything. Don't talk nonsense. Zhu Zi's widow aunt might need the Keeper's help. Write a letter or something." I didn't question him back then, so I silently took my parents 'words seriously.
A few years later, I noticed that Zhu Zi's widow aunt was visiting the Keeper's barn more often. It had been about four or five years since I first saw the widow's aunt running to the barn, because I clearly remembered that I was already in high school at that time. Because of the heavy workload, there were fewer people going to the barn. He went there on purpose. As soon as he entered the door, he shouted,"Keeper, you're such a picky person.”
"Brother," said the Keeper,"I'd like to live like a human for two days! In the past, no one took a fancy to him, but now, someone finally took a fancy to him. Although I'm a little old, it's not a pity that I died. Your brother, I, can also live a normal life! But the problem was that it wasn't going well! Zhu Zi's family is against it!"
"The two of you have been together for so many years. Besides, they couldn't care less about this, right? She was his aunt, not his mother.”
"You don't know, Zhu Zi is instigating his uncles and brothers to cause trouble!”
"It's just that Zhu Zi and his uncles and brothers want your money, so we can't just give it to them. Haven't you saved up any money?"
"Sigh! It wasn't a problem of money! My brother, you don't understand! Do you know about the Half Calamity Ravine?"
"Yes, I know. At that time, Zhu Zi and the others were fighting with others. I interrupted and spoke up for others. Later on, I was unwilling to pay attention to them, so I offended Zhu Zi and the others. So they tried their best to stir up trouble and destroy my good things, wanting to take revenge on me!”The Keeper paused for a moment."They can't do anything to me, because I'm a veteran of the revolution! He was afraid that they would instigate the widow's son to make things difficult for the widow. If the widow couldn't take it anymore, he didn't want anything to happen.”
"Don't get angry, your brother. There will always be a way out when things come to a head. There will always be a solution.”I replied casually and went home.
When I got home, I told my father about it."I'm afraid the Keeper hasn't had a good time lately.”
Sure enough, in a few days, it was the busy season of autumn wheat harvesting. One evening, after a busy day, people picked up their rice bowls when they heard the sound of beating and scolding on the street. When I came out, I saw that the street was already surrounded by people. It was so full that I couldn't squeeze through. People were discussing that the widow's daughter-in-law was scolding the widow. Although she couldn't see it, she could hear the widow's daughter-in-law scolding the widow very clearly." You old woman, you shameless old woman. You can't leave a man for a day. You can't stand it when a man doesn't f * ck you…" It was extremely unpleasant.
The widow! She hugged her daughter-in-law's leg and begged,"Alright, stop scolding, okay? It's all my fault. Leave me some face!”
His daughter-in-law retorted,"You also have face. You know about face. If you knew about face, you wouldn't have run into that stinky man's house. You wouldn't have let that man ride you, and you wouldn't have let that man ride you. Are you going to lose your mind if you don't see him for a day?”
There were even some who were jeering at the side, dragging out a long tone."Oh! Look at the old broken shoes, look at the old slut!”As he said that, he threw in broken soles and old shoes. Of course, these people were all from the Zhu Zi family. The widow's son stood at the side and watched quietly. His face was expressionless, as if this matter had nothing to do with him. It was as if the old woman kneeling on the ground was not his mother.
The widow hugged her daughter-in-law's leg and begged,""Stop scolding me. I'll kowtow to you, okay? Can't you leave me some face?" As expected, the widow kowtowed loudly on the ground. In a short while, blood could be seen on her forehead. After watching for a while, the fight was endless. People were tired, and some people might think that the fight was a little too much. During the busy farming season, the people had worked hard for the whole day, so they left one after another. Humans might have a habitual behavior, but without onlookers, the fight would be boring. Perhaps the widow's daughter-in-law was tired of scolding her, or perhaps it was for some other reason, but the street was quiet. There was no sound until early morning.
The next morning, when the sky was just beginning to brighten, because it was busy farming time, people woke up earlier. However, those who were a little lazy might not have gotten up yet, and those who were diligent had just gotten up and walked to the fields when the village exploded."Someone drowned in Banjie Ravine. The woman's body has already floated up.”For a moment, the villagers all rushed to the Half Calamity Ravine, and in a moment, the area was completely packed. The Keeper had arrived as well. But the Keeper's face was grave and solemn, as if he had already predicted something. When the people fished her out in a flurry, they saw that she was a widow. She was indeed a widow. The Keeper squeezed his way to the front of the crowd with all his might. He glanced at the crowd, then quietly turned around and walked away. The Keeper couldn't say anything, either, because their relationship wasn't confirmed yet! He couldn't say anything. The Keeper returned to his own barn (the production team had been disbanded, so they had left two of the original barns for the Keeper. They had to give him a home!)）He had shut himself in for days and never left the house again, and had never seen the Keeper come out except to relieve himself.
Five days later, the widow's funeral was held near noon. The widow's son and daughter-in-law were crying so hard that they looked very sad and sorrowful. But who was the initiator of all this? They might have forgotten! If they had raised their hands a little higher, if they had behaved a little more self-restraint, then the outcome of the matter might have been different. However, even though the widow's son and daughter-in-law were crying quite sadly, they didn't let the widow enter the ancestral grave. Instead, they buried her hastily in the unmarked graves of Banjie Ravine. There was nothing but a bare grave. There were no paper flowers or wreaths, nor were there any offerings on the sacrificial table. The grave was not very big either. This made people wonder if the widow's son and daughter-in-law were crying to attract more people to know about this matter. Did he want people to know that this shameless widow, this widow who had lost enough face, was dead, and from then on, her family would appear very glorious and glorious? Moreover, because of this great action, his son and daughter-in-law would be able to stand up for their principles and become a role model in front of everyone. Otherwise, why would he refuse to let the widow go even after he died and insist on being buried here so hastily? He even threw the widow on a messy grave and let people come and go. When they saw this grave, did they remember anything? Was he thinking of the widow's insincerity or the unfilial behavior of his juniors? Let's not talk about it for the time being. In short, there would be people who thought of anything!
The Keeper had truly lost his mind after this incident, perhaps because of the widow's departure or some other reason. When he saw people, he didn't like to talk even more. Moreover, he didn't know what he was mumbling all day long. No one could hear it, but he was always mumbling. His gaze, which wasn't sharp to begin with, was now filled with a dull look. It was quite heartbreaking to see the Keeper. He felt like he couldn't hold on any longer, and one day he might…
On this day, his father was a little more at ease. He came back from the fields earlier, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Perhaps it was because the wheat had been planted, and there was no more urgent work. After coming back, he specially organized some food. There were fruits, just a few apples, and some eggs. There were only 30 to 40 of them! In the countryside at that time, it could be considered a relatively rich gift. "Go," he said to me,"take it to the Keeper! He's so pitiful. Let him nourish himself! The Keeper would have had a proper home by now if no one had been messing around.”
So I took these things and headed straight for the Keeper's so-called home. As soon as I entered, the Keeper saw me and said weakly,"Old brother, you're here."
"Yes, my father asked me to come and see you.”
"You're talking about my uncle! During the war, I had a stomachache and couldn't run. It was my uncle who carried me on his back. Otherwise, I would have lost my life long ago. I didn't expect that because of my uncle's back, I would have lived for more than a few decades. However, thinking about the crime now, it would be better if my uncle didn't carry me back then! I would have died long ago! early death, early life. Of course, I'm not blaming my uncle for saving me. After all, he saved my life. I can't say anything else. However, what do you think is going on with this old brother? He couldn't help but feel this way! I, your elder brother, was once a clerk in the county government after the Liberation. Perhaps it was because of his appearance that he wasn't very likable. He knew his limits and requested to come back. However, the country gave me a salary of 30 yuan every month. I even got 10 points for looking after the barn in the production team. I even got a bonus at the end of the year. It was supposed to be a good thing. How did it become like this?”
"Alright, old brother Keeper, don't think too much. After all, life comes first. It's already in the past. No matter what you do, you can't salvage it, right?”
"Brother, you don't know, but I've let the widow down! The widow's man died a long time ago. You might not even remember. The widow's man died when the widow's son was less than a year old. It didn't matter if it was farm work or when money was tight. But the widow's son treated her like this. It shouldn't be! Think about it! Was it easy for a widow to raise a child? When this child was young, he ate, used, wore, and played better than others! I bought them all for him! I've worried about him a lot! If it weren't for me, would he have been able to get married? There was one time when his child was sick and his family had no money. He almost died. I was the one who paid for him to be cured. Why can't they give me and the widow even this bit of happiness? I told the widow about this when this kid was still young and ignorant. However, the widow always said that when the child grew up and got married, we would live together again! Otherwise, I'm afraid that the child will be wronged. I even promised the widow that I would not let her son suffer. But the widow said that she was afraid that I would have selfish motives if I had my own child.”The Keeper's voice was clearly tinged with emotion.
Therefore, I casually replied,"Alright, brother, don't keep talking about these things. The more you talk about them, the more uncomfortable you feel, right?”
"Alright, brother, let's not talk about it anymore. Let's have a drink at noon today.”The Keeper came out with a whole bottle of wine, scrambled a few eggs I brought, and picked out some fried peanuts that I had kept for who knows how long. The two of us started drinking. The Keeper said very little as he drank. And I'm not a talkative person, so if others don't speak, I won't. Just like that, the two of us downed a bottle of wine. I was probably really drunk. Because before this, I had never drunk alcohol. This was the first time I drank in my life, so it left a deep impression on me. It could also be because of this reason! Thus, I had a particularly deep impression of the Keeper.
After that, I went to university and joined a job after graduation, so I rarely went home. He would occasionally return home to spend time with his parents, so he rarely saw the Keeper.
However, there was once when I returned home. It was probably five or six years after I started drinking. Because when I came home, my parents might have gone to work in the fields and were not at home. I couldn't enter the house, so I stayed at the door. Suddenly the Keeper appeared and asked,"Brother, are you back to visit my uncle and aunt again? Alright, I should have come back to take a look. My uncle and auntie are blessed. You're also hardworking and filial. Why can't you enter the house? Come to my place for a while. Let's have a chat."
"Yes, alright." I followed the Keeper to his so-called home.
A few elderly women with children teased the Keeper."You old psychopath, why aren't you cursing on the streets today? Why do you know how to speak human language?”
The Keeper turned around, his scholarly demeanor completely gone."You all deserve to be f * cking scolded. None of you are good.”
When they entered the Keeper's house, they found that it was actually just two dilapidated rooms, not even a courtyard. The Keeper said to me,"Brother, this village is in trouble." Haven't you heard? In recent years, there has been a dance hall near the road in the east of our village. The young men often run there. I have never been to such a dirty place. People say that when young men go there, they will strip naked and jump around with naked girls. She had spent all her family's money in that place. In the past few years, there had been new ghosts in Banjie Ravine. Six young wives had died from drinking pesticide. They are all buried in the Half Calamity Ravine!" The Keeper paused, rolled up a cannon, lit it, and continued,"Brother, do you know about the martyrs 'graves from a few years ago? Moved away. Originally, the Martyr's Tomb was on the eastern edge of Banjie Ravine. Do you know why they were buried on the east edge? Because the 8th Route Army is good. The 8th Route Army is good. It's just to let them guard the west village entrance for us and not let the evil devils enter the village to harm our village. However, ever since they moved away, the feng shui of this village had been broken. Think about it, what kind of people are buried in Half Calamity Ravine! Those who died violently and had no master were all lonely ghosts! With these things, who would they be afraid of without the Eighth Route Army? Now that the martyrs 'graves had been moved away, they were proud. They ran into the village unscrupulously and rampaged everywhere. In the past few years, they had caused a lot of harm.”
At this moment, I heard the sound of the door opening. His parents had returned from the fields and were about to go back when his father stepped in and said,"Nephew, you should go over this afternoon too. The three of us should drink together.”
I remember very clearly that the Keeper came to my house for lunch, because it was the last meal the Keeper and I had together. As we ate, the Keeper told my father,"Uncle, when you were alive, you saved me once. Can you save me again after you die?”
"What is it?" his father asked.”
The Keeper poured himself a glass of wine, raised his hands above his head, and stood up, his scholarly demeanor restored."Uncle, if you agree first, I'll say that I'll toast you. I'll drink first.”The Keeper was still following the custom of the villagers drinking with the younger generation.
His father pondered for a moment." I agree. I'll do it too. Tell me!"”
The Keeper sat down happily."I'm so happy that you agreed to my request.”The Keeper drank two more."Uncle, you're the only one who can do this. No one will dare to refute you. Because you're powerful now, and we brothers have made a name for ourselves. Your words carry weight, and everyone listens to you. I told you, Uncle, I want you to say something when I die and bury me with the widow. You can do this. I know you can do it. Don't regret it.”His attitude was quite sincere and serious.
His father thought for a moment and said," No problem. That's public land. No one manages it, and it doesn't belong to anyone. I promise I'll do it for you." However, they could only be buried next to the widow, not together.”
"Uncle, that's what I want. I can't drag you down just because I want to see a widow when I die. Wasn't it? Uncle, I don't want to bring you trouble.”
I returned home a few months later to hear from my father that the Keeper was dead. His father kept his promise and buried him next to the widow's grave, but not with her. This was because there was a particular rule in the countryside that the family members had to agree to move someone's grave. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, and to avoid trouble for himself, his father had no choice but to bury the Keeper next to the widow.
After I heard what my father said, I walked to Half Calamity Ravine. First, I wanted to pay my respects to the Keeper. After all, he's half my teacher! Firstly, he wanted to take a serious look at Half Calamity Ravine. As it was already late autumn, the weather was getting colder. However, it was close to noon when I arrived at Banjie Ravine. The weather was still very hot. There had been very little rain in recent years. Thus, a scene that I rarely saw when I was young appeared in the Half Calamity Ravine, revealing the riverbed. However, the smell did not change. It was still quite strong, and its stench was suffocating. There were many skeletons on the riverbed. They might be the bones of cats, dogs, pigs, or the so-called evil people who would die a horrible death! Or a skeleton without an owner! In any case, it was densely packed and covered the riverbed. This was probably why the Keeper had mentioned that ever since the Martyrs 'Grave had been moved away, the demons and ghosts of Half-Calamity Ravine had started to turn into spirits. They could see ghost fires from afar at night!
But now, when I go to our village, I can't see the Half Calamity Ravine. Because the village had already been leveled, Banjie Ravine had also been turned into a homestead, and new houses were already everywhere. Half Calamity Ravine no longer had its past appearance, even its shadow had disappeared.
However, he occasionally heard his parents say that the village atmosphere seemed to have really changed. He heard news about whose wife was dating someone almost every day, but no one jumped into the river. He didn't know if it was because the Half Calamity Ravine was gone or because people were already used to such things. It was unlike the widow era, where people rarely saw strange things. The Keeper and the widow's graves were gone, too. He wondered if the matter between him and the widow would become history, just like Banjie Ravine. But I think the Keeper is right. Half-ditch shouldn't be called Half-ditch, it should be called Half-disaster ditch. Whether it was the legend of Yuchi Gong of the Tang Dynasty, or because the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army suffered a disaster here, or those unknown people who died a violent death, or those who could not enter the ancestral graves, they either caused a disaster to others or experienced a disaster themselves. Moreover, Half Calamity Ravine hid half of our village's history. Therefore, every time I write an article, I call this place Half-Calamity Ravine.
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