Chapter 4, Grandfather's Grave
Wu Jiayi shot me a glance and said, "Isn't this all forced upon us? When your grandfather left back then, he told my grandfather that his death could quell this disaster. Yet my father and your uncle still fell ill with a strange disease. After all, the living cannot be made to perish by the dead"
It was at that time that Wu Yue shared everything about my grandfather with Wu Jiayi's father, but even he did not know what could be done regarding a grandfather who had already passed away
What! Are you out of your mind! Why don't you dig up your grandfather's grave! I jumped up from the table in a flash
That night, the two of them booked two rooms in the county town and slept until the sun was high the next day. During lunch, Wu Jiayi mentioned her family matters. Not long after our family left, Wu Yue urged his son to take the entire family to the provincial capital, Changsha. It was only when Wu Yue was nearing death that he left Ling County to join his son in Changsha.
Where is the receipt
"How do you know he is in Yunnan?" I hurriedly stood up and followed.
"It's not that I didn't want to move, but rather that I couldn't find it." Wu Jiayi put down her chopsticks, took a tissue to wipe her lips, and then handed me another one
Although I understand that she has a point, I still have some reservations about her family's intention to disturb my family's ancestral grave. It seems that my grandfather was indeed exceptional; although there was an agreement with Wu Yue from years ago, he still kept something in reserve. That night, he was not buried at the location previously agreed upon with Wu Yue, but rather used that place as a cover and was buried elsewhere
Wu Jiayi sighed: "Because my grandfather promised your grandfather that he would not disturb his grave before he died"
Do not get agitated just yet. This is a picture book.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the foot of the mountain, where the population was sparse. Following the slope and passing through the thick bamboo forest, they climbed for about 200 meters and unearthed a small grave without a tombstone in a patch of overgrown grass. Looking at this dilapidated mound of earth, neglected and in disrepair, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in my heart, thinking that buried beneath it was my grandfather, and suddenly, a sense of closeness arose within me
No
Upon hearing her say this, I couldn't help but feel a bit angry and replied with a cold laugh, "According to your logic, if they find it, will they really dig up our ancestral grave behind our backs?"
Then why didn't your father move I continued to ask
On the morning of the second day, the two of them boarded a bus back to Ling County. After more than ten hours of bumpy travel, they arrived in Ling County at 11 PM. Since their ancestors left this place, they had rarely returned. For He Tushu, he had only come back once since his birth, and that was ten years ago. Therefore, apart from the language he could understand, it felt no different from a foreign land. Compared to the distant city of Shanghai, this place was an entirely different world. The undulating mountains everywhere, the clear and cheerful streams, and the bamboo forests covering the mountains like a sea of trees truly lived up to the local saying of "five hundred miles of mountains and rivers".
"Alright, I will go back with you." Although I know that the ancestral grave cannot be disturbed, in light of the current situation of the family, I also wish to place my hopes on my grandfather, who passed away decades ago.
After leaving the small restaurant, the two directly went to the hardware store to buy a hammer, a shovel, and two additional hammers, and then headed towards Yangluxian, located seven kilometers west of Ling County. Yangluxian is a rather ordinary small mountain in Ling County; the place discussed with Wu Yue back then was in the western suburbs of Ling County, not yet reaching Yangluxian. As they walked along the way, Wu Jiayi couldn't help but shake her head and sigh.
Wu Jiayi handed me a hammer, then looked at the setting sun in the western horizon, and said: "On the mountain, it won't be buried very deep. Now there is no one left, you see—"
"Why didn't your grandfather take the opportunity to dig up my grandfather's grave while we were away?" I said
Wu Jiayi said: "You do not need to know this. I do not understand why our ancestors did not act according to your grandfather's words, but regardless of whether you agree or not, I will return to take a look tomorrow. I do not wish to experience such a dreadful fate, nor do I want it to affect future generations." After saying this, she quietly looked at me, as if waiting for an answer
Wu Jiayi seemed to have anticipated my reaction and did not argue with me. She simply sat on the stool, silently watching, and waited until I had calmed down a bit before saying: "This is my grandfather's last words, and also the thoughts of your grandfather."
"Don't bother me!" I shouted, suppressing my voice. I threw away the shovel that Wu Jiayi had handed me and knelt down, knocking my head three times on the ground. Just as my forehead touched the ground for the third time, I suddenly heard a very faint sound coming from below! I quickly pressed my ear to the ground, and soon I heard a slightly clearer "squeak—squeak—" sound, which made my scalp tingle!
Wu Jiayi stood up and said lightly, "I indeed have no evidence, but your father is also aware of this matter, and he is currently in Yunnan." After saying this, she was about to leave
"Shut up!" I threw the cigarette butt on the ground and couldn't help but curse: "Let me dig up your ancestors' graves and see how you react!"
What the hell! No, what are you rambling about here! If you enjoy digging up graves, go dig up your grandfather's! If there's nothing else, please leave. I sat back down next to the stand, signaling that she should leave.