Chapter 33 (2/2)
The old village head was still on crutches, but he didn't look old. Instead, he carefully closed the door and announced something that made everyone panic.
”The gap in the levee can only be blocked for two days at most. It will soon be washed open again. We can't stop it at all.”
All the paper men showed a look of horror.
The village head pointed to the sky and continued: ”it's been raining for more than ten days. It's Rain God's anger. We have to find a way to calm down the anger of rain god, the rain can stop. Otherwise, if we go on like this, we won't live. ”
Someone murmured: ”is it to sacrifice Rain God?”
The village head's flat face became wrinkled, but his eyes showed a strange light: ”yes, you have to have a try, otherwise the big guys will not survive.”
”But where does the sacrifice come from?”
Another question was raised, which seemed very frightening. All the paper men closed their mouths and looked nervously from side to side.
Jiang Jiu's calm expression finally subsided.
The head of the village said, ”if there is a girl at home, raise your hand.”
The paper men on the scene looked at each other, but no one moved.
They can't understand what it means to sacrifice to the rain god.
There was a custom of sacrificing Rain God in the village long ago. Before the founding of the people's Republic of China, every year when the rainy season came, Hejia village would offer sacrifices to the God of rain, praying for good weather and good harvest. It is said that the Rain God likes beautiful girls, so every year when he worships the rain god, he will choose the most beautiful one from the eight to fifteen year old girls in the village as a sacrifice to the rain god.
The tradition of offering sacrifices to the God of rain continued for many years, and the girl who was dedicated to the God of rain gradually got a nice name, called Sao qingniang.
The people in the village believe that the girls who are dedicated to the rain god have become gods. They become Sao qingniang, the servants who are deeply worshipped by the rain god. So whenever it rains, the villagers hang her paper-cut upside down under the window or under the eaves. In this way, she will hear the wishes of her relatives and ask the rain god to stop the heavy rain and let it clear up.
Generations of people in Hejia village believe it. It was only after the founding of the state of Xinhua that their traditions were interrupted.
It has not been held for many years.
Now suddenly listen to the village head said to sacrifice Rain God, no one is willing to let the family girl as a sacrifice.
Times are changing and people's thoughts are changing. Become more sober, but also more selfish.
Some are silent, some are hesitant, and some seem determined.
The village head looked around, stroked his crutch and said, ”don't you want to live? If you don't sacrifice the rain god, what will you do if the River breaks its bank? What about this year's harvest? ”
A tall man raised his hand first, but he didn't want to let his daughter be a sacrifice. Instead, he proposed timidly: ”otherwise, it will be called the old Qin family. Isn't his daughter just eight years old? If you look good, rain god will like it
Other people's eyes lit up.
Silent, hesitant paper men began to voice their approval.
Their eyes sparkle with a blazing light, and you and I begin to offer advice and suggestions.
”Yes, the girls of the old Qin family are the best.”
”Anyway, the old Qin family also picked it up. It's not a problem for them to raise another one in the future.”
”But Lao Qin, who has read books, hates feudal superstition. What if he refuses to do?”
”Cheat him out first, and tell him after the ceremony.”
”That's to say, I've been in the village for so long, and I always have to make some contribution.”
“……”
All kinds of voices gathered together, like a monster that ate people. The monster opened its mouth and gave off a fishy smell, saying, ”that's settled. It's the girl of the old Qin family.”
The fate of the Qin family was so hastily decided.
Outside the wind and rain, hung upside down in the window of the red sweep fine Niang mouth smile more and more big, eyes but shed red tears.
*
The time flow of the paper man world is very fast, and it's the next day in a twinkling of an eye.
The men in the village went to the riverbank again in spirit. Ginger greet stood before Qin's door, silently watching the thin and tall paper man carrying the shovel and leaving the door.
Seeing this, he understood what was going to happen.
The paper man's flat faces corresponded to reality in his memory.
He Laoda, he Laoer, he Laosan
The living and the dead are here at this time.
They secretly turn back after the thin and tall paper man, that is, Qin Shuyi, leaves home. They tied up Qin Shuyi's wife and forcibly took away the crying child.
The little girl was carried to the village head's house by them. The village head's mother-in-law changed her into a new red and green dress, combed her lotus head, drew her eyebrows and eyes, and gave her a pretty dress to elder he, urging her to go quickly
He went to the river with his child.
At the downstream of the breach of the dyke, a simple altar has been built. The village head takes the post of priest. Regardless of his wet body, he kneels and worships by the river, and his wrinkled body devoutly crawls into the muddy land.
When all the ceremonies are over, he Laoer and he Laosan bring the big stone together. He Laowu and he Laoliu tie the little girl and the heavy stone together with a rope. He Laoqi and he Laoba finally carry the big stone with the girl to the river, ready to throw it into the turbulent river.
Jiang Gu subconsciously steps forward, but hears a shrill cry behind him——
”Nannan!”
Qin Shuyi's wife stumbles over. Her body is covered with mud. The corners of her mouth are torn by biting the hemp rope, and the red blood like paint drips from her mouth. But she didn't care about anything. She rushed up and hugged her crying daughter and cried bitterly: ”you are killing people! She's only eight. You can't do that. She's only eight! ”
The papermen looked at him in silence and indifference. The flat face is as like as two peas.
He Laosi came forward to pull her, but she held her daughter tightly and refused to let go. Finally, he Laosi broke off her fingers one by one and separated her from her daughter.
Jiang Jiu even heard the sound of a broken bone. He stepped forward, moved back, and stood still.
All this is just a reappearance of the past, like a funny and cruel paper man play. He is just an intruded audience, and nothing can change.
Finally, the woman was pulled apart, and he Laoliu and he Laoqi mercilessly threw the girl and the boulder into the turbulent river.
Women's howling and cursing resounded through the sky, even the pouring rain could not be covered up.
She hated red eyes, suddenly broke free from the confinement of he Laosi, desperate to call her daughter's name and jumped into the river.
She caught her daughter's hand in mid air, but the stone was heavy and big, and the river was fierce and urgent. The mother and daughter held each other and sank to the bottom of the river in an instant.
Seeing the women jump into the river together, the village people panic.
”How can I explain this to Lao Qin?”
”Otherwise, I won't tell him. Let's say that Cuiping and Nannan accidentally fell into the river.”
”Yes, if the girl is gone, she can be raised again. If the mother-in-law is gone, don't Lao Qin work hard with us?”
In a few words, they worked out a plan and a set of words.
Jiang Jiu's eyes fell on the turbulent river. He saw that he Laowu's head was swollen and white in the water, and his turbid eyes were protruding and turning hard in his eyes. His mouth was wide open, as if he were asking for help. Sao qingniang, who is big in the palm of his hand, stands on his forehead and looks straight at Jiang Jiu. The corner of his mouth is a malicious smile.
But this time, Jiang didn't ignore it.
He stood by the river, staring at the little Sao qingniang: ”is that why you killed them?”
She grinned and giggled. Her voice was crisp and tender, but she was full of deep resentment: ”they should die.”
Unexpectedly, Jiang Jiu nodded and said seriously, ”they really deserve to die.”
These villagers are feudal, superstitious and selfish. Reluctant to give up their own children to die, but can not hesitate to throw other people's children into the river.
They killed two people, a happy family.
And their ridiculous sacrifice to rain god has no effect.
The torrential rain continued, and the river finally burst its bank. The whole Hejia village was submerged, some people were washed away by the flood, and some people died. There were nearly 50 families in this village, with a total of nearly 200 people, but only less than 100 people survived.
The old village head and he Laoba were washed away by the water, and there were no bones left.
He Laoer's wife and son got sick in the water and went there soon; He Laosi was blinded by the branch; He Lao Wu bumped his head and nearly lost his life; He Laoliu was broken by the collapsed beam and became a cripple from then on; Old he had a serious illness, and he has been lingering in his bed ever since
The only one who didn't have an accident was he Laosan, but he came back to avenge himself with ghosts all day and became a complete lunatic.
This is the retribution of Hejia village.
But it's not enough.
”It's not enough, it's two short,” she said
He Laosan and he Laoliu are still alive.
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Sao qingniang (vicious): bullying my father, killing you.
Greedy boy: the paper man must taste bad. Forget it, I won't eat you.
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At the end of the month, the little cute with nutrient solution irrigates the greedy cub a little bit!