Chapter 3, Killing the Snake
However, Li Aiguo did not respond to Wang Xiuer's words this time. He originally had a dark expression, but at this moment, a strange smile suddenly appeared on his face
I do not know if it is my illusion, but I see that the severed snake body in the flames seems to still be struggling and writhing
Also because of the life-saving grace, the Lin family has a good relationship with my family. This time, my grandfather also privately advised Uncle Dogdan, but he did not take it to heart and still went, all for those few hundred yuan
I turned back as well and saw something writhing on the tree stump in the distance; amidst the blood and flesh, a snake could be discerned.
However, my grandfather did not answer me directly; instead, he said something that was completely unrelated to my question.
At this moment, grandfather said: "If you are not afraid, why burn that snake?"
At this time, it was already late. Li Aiguo instructed the villagers to return home and also asked Li Erwa to bring the village's old carpenter tomorrow, intending to find a way to dismantle the old locust tree and turn it into lumber, which could be used for building the primary school later.
However, Lin Xiaowei also went to the area within the nine zhang as mentioned by grandfather, and I am uncertain if anything will happen, which makes me somewhat uneasy. I kept my eyes on Lin Xiaowei, fortunately, she did not encounter any issues.
In the center of the tree stump, there is a very large tree hole, from which a snake, as thick as a small bowl, is poking its head out, hissing and flicking its tongue, appearing quite fierce.
It is too late, there is no time left.
In fact, I do not understand either, but my grandfather always likes to take me along no matter what he does
The fire raged for half an hour, until the tree stump and the strange snake were reduced to ashes, and only then did the flames begin to subside slightly
"Fang Wazi, do not go over there!" Grandfather said slowly, as he instead took up his pipe.
I glanced back at my grandfather; there was no change in the expression on his face. Could it be that my grandfather is not moved by such matters?
A very small angle, about the same thickness as a child's finger, is covered in blood, making its original color completely unrecognizable
On the other hand, Li Aiguo also did something that surprised everyone
I recognize the person who fell; he is Lin Xiaowei's father. My grandfather once saved his life.
This incident caused the villagers watching the commotion around to erupt in excitement once again
Moreover, what is even more peculiar is that the snake's head has two forked little horns.
"Shut up! What nonsense are you talking about?" Li Aiguo shouted at Wang Xiuer.
The severed snake head rolled to the ground beside Li Aiguo's feet, even baring its fangs and attempting to bite him. However, Li Aiguo stepped on it, and it remained pressed into the soil until he finally released it.
When he approached, Li Aiguo wore a faint smile and said, "Uncle Changsheng, didn't you say that smashing temples and cutting down trees would lead to trouble? Just take a look, what trouble has occurred? Aren't we all doing well?"
Li Aiguo was taken aback and took two steps back
Grandfather once left a yellow paper package for Lin Godan and instructed, "This item must be kept close to your person tonight. No matter what sounds you hear in the evening, do not go outside. Remember, absolutely do not go outside!"
Grandfather did not respond immediately; he merely stared at Li Aiguo. There was no particular expression on Grandfather's face, yet he seemed to exude a certain extraordinary aura
A burnt smell began to permeate the air, mingling with the previous stench of blood, creating an extremely unpleasant odor. A few individuals were even crouched to the side, retching violently.
This smile left everyone present perplexed, and I could not comprehend it either; only my grandfather beside me seemed to have no expression of doubt on his face
Upon hearing these words, Grandfather was also taken aback, and he stood up as well
In fact, I can guess that Uncle Godan is doing this not for any other reason, but certainly for his daughter Lin Xiaowei. He wants to earn some money to buy Lin Xiaowei a piece of clothing; he wants his daughter to have a better life.
My grandfather and I did not stay long at Lin Xiaowei's house, and her eyes were already red from crying; however, at least Lin Godan had woken up.
The countryside at night is pitch black, and one cannot see their own hand in front of them. Even the distant lights appear ghostly, like will-o'-the-wisps. My grandfather held my hand, yet I still felt a chilling wind, always sensing that something was following behind me, which was quite frightening
This remark must have struck a nerve with Li Aiguo, as his expression changed immediately when he stared at my grandfather. Gritting his teeth, he said: "If it bothers you, just burn it. Uncle Changsheng, I advise you to honestly continue being your old traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, or be careful that your old bones might fall apart!"
Things began to become increasingly bizarre, to the point that they could no longer bear these occurrences
Although the small forked angle is minor, it is quite evident. The villagers can see it clearly, and many of the onlookers have already begun to flee.
A large tree attracts immortals, while a locust tree attracts ghosts. Could it be that cutting down the old locust tree has led to swift retribution? If the immortals residing in the tree were to take offense, would those who just vandalized the village temple also be implicated? Many in the crowd who were watching had also participated in the temple vandalism, and each of them began to feel a sense of unease.
After dinner, my grandfather said to me: "Fan Wa Zi, let's go to Xiao Wei's house."
Li Erwa nodded and left, while Li Aiguo walked towards me and my grandfather
As she spoke, Lin Xiaowei had already run to her father, shaking him and crying softly.
Because everyone has heard the legends of the old Willow Tree Village, if the temple is smashed or the trees are cut down and the Dragon King is offended, the people of Yangjiazhuang will certainly face dire consequences
"What happened?" Grandfather turned around and asked
The villagers looked at Lin Xiaowei and her father with pity, but none dared to move. Li Aiguo, however, called upon Li Erwa to carry Uncle Gou Dan out.
"Grandfather, you must not let Xiaowei go!" I said, trying to break free from Grandfather's grip, but I couldn't muster any strength at all.
At that moment, my father walked over and said: "Dad, can you not bring along the ordinary child?"
The villagers were left speechless, and Li Aiguo turned back to look at my grandfather once again
This time was no different; I watched as Lin Xiaowei dashed towards the tree stump. I recalled my grandfather's words, and my heart sank. I jumped down from my grandfather's side, just as I was about to chase after her, but my grandfather grabbed me firmly.
However, it is truly remarkable that Uncle Dogdan has been able to endure until now, despite the old tree having shed so much blood this time
He let out a cold laugh and stared at my grandfather, saying: "Uncle Changsheng, your tricks to scare the common people are outdated. What era is this? Do you really think that this feudal superstition can still be useful?"
Father dared not speak any further, and Grandfather took me out the door
In fact, everyone in the village knows that Lin Goudan is an honest and simple person. During the New Year when the village slaughters pigs, he doesn't even dare to watch; if he does, he is sure to faint.
She is Lin Xiaowei, two years younger than me. Her mother died during childbirth, leaving just the two of them to rely on each other. Her father is her everything; when Uncle Godan passed away, it felt as if her world had collapsed.
The snake's head was also thrown into the tree hole, and both the snake's body and the tree stump were doused with gasoline. Li Aiguo tossed a match over, and flames over ten feet high immediately erupted.
With a swift swing of the axe, the snake's head was severed from its body, the axe embedding deeply into the tree stump. From the point where the snake's head was cut off, a stream of black blood gushed forth, and after a few struggles, the snake's body in the hollow of the tree fell still.
The snake in the tree stump is quite large, coiled motionless in the tree hollow, and it did not even flinch when the axe struck.
After leaving the house, my grandfather hurriedly pulled me towards Lin Xiaowei's home. In fact, I was also worried that Lin Xiaowei might be in trouble. After all, during the day, he entered the area my grandfather referred to as within nine zhang. There was no issue during the day, but what about at night
At that moment, I saw a girl with pigtails rush out from the crowd, crying and running towards the tree stump. Several nearby women tried to grab her, but unexpectedly, the girl ran too fast and could not be held back.
I whispered, "Grandfather, what is that?" To be honest, I was already drenched in cold sweat, as I had the constant feeling that the snake was staring at me.
He turned to the villagers and said: "Fellow villagers, did you all see that? Just because it looks like a bear, it can be called a dragon; it's simply nonsensical! Digging a hole under a tree and living in it makes one a dragon? If I, Li Aiguo, the village chief, were to dig a hole in this locust tree and live in it, wouldn't I become an immortal!"
"Village Chief, Dragon! Dragon!" shouted the widow Wang Xiue from the west of the village, her voice hoarse.
"Er Wa, go to the brigade yard and bring me a barrel of gasoline, and burn the snake and the tree stump!" Li Aiguo said, and naturally, Li Erwa immediately took action, bringing back a barrel of gasoline in just over ten minutes.
Today, a commotion has arisen in the village, and anyone with discernment knows that something will happen tonight. You still took your beloved grandson out in the middle of the night, are you not afraid of severing the Yang family's sole lineage?
At this moment, some of the onlooking villagers began to shout: "There is a snake in the tree!"
Li Aiguo was also quite startled by the sudden fall of Uncle Gou Dan. He crouched down, trembling as he slowly reached out to touch Uncle Gou Dan's breath. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief and say, "It's... it's nothing, Gou Dan just faints at the sight of blood"
In my childhood, whenever someone bullied Lin Xiaowei, I would stand in front of her. Those who bullied her were not afraid of me, but they feared my grandfather. In this way, I can say that I saved her many times.
Grandfather said that Uncle Dog Egg has nothing much going on, so I am not worried either
"Village Chief Li, I am not talking about you, Xiu'e. Open your eyes and take a look, isn't this obvious? Have you ever seen a snake with small forked horns on its head? Fellow villagers, who has seen it, who has seen it?" Wang Xiu'e pressed on aggressively, and after he finished speaking, many in the crowd echoed in agreement. In fact, this was indeed an obvious matter that Li Aiguo could not deny.
He swiftly snatched the felling axe from Li Erwa's hand and charged towards the tree stump. Raising the axe, Li Aiguo moved quickly and directly swung it at the head of the long, forked snake.
Li Aiguo finished speaking and left, and I followed my grandfather back home
However, this person was perfectly fine, so how did they suddenly fall to the ground? Could it really be related to the old locust tree?
What was initially just casual chatter turned out to have serious consequences, which took the villagers by surprise
Li Aiguo was also stunned for quite a while. The bleeding of the locust tree could still be explained, but what was the deal with the forked snake? Could it really be as the legends say, that a dragon is suppressed beneath Qingyan Mountain?
"Fart, you little brat, I will take care of this kid, how could anything go wrong?" Grandfather turned around and glared at my father as he spoke