C5 (1/2)

I will always remember that day, 2006, the eleventh of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, when my family encountered a major change. Completely destroyed my poor parents. My seven-year-old brother, Jin Faliang, is dead. As he climbed onto the roof of someone else's bungalow to play, he stumbled and fell. His head first hit the brick floor, knocking over a little brain, which was smeared with blood and white brains, and breaking his neck. He died on the spot. I went to the scene, saw a terrible scene, smelled the strong smell, and vomited.

His parents were sitting next to the body, pounding their chests and howling in silence. The eldest sister, Little Sister, also knelt down and cried along with them. I stood there like a chicken in the crowd, feeling the world lose its color and turn black and gray. Suddenly, someone pushed me hard forward, saying that your little brother is dead, why are you still standing there?

I was pushed to my parents, still standing, my mouth open in an attempt to cry, but I couldn't. He didn't know how to comfort his heartbroken family.

At this moment, I wanted to become a powerful person, even a normal person. Tell the parents who lost their youngest son not to be so desperate.

It was a long time before my world regained its color. The dark red blood and milky-white brain matter on the ground were exceptionally dazzling. His parents' cries had died down, and they were exhausted from crying. Mother raised her head and looked at me coldly. She said with a hoarse voice: ”Shier, go and push the carriage over here and load your brother inside. Find a place to bury him!”

Pappy thrust a shovel at me and said, ”It's different now. People don't bury other people in their places. ”You can go to my house and dig a hole. I'll clean up the corpse, put on some new clothes, and pack a box before sending it to the ground!”

When I opened my mouth to speak, tears were flowing down my face. ”Grandpa, buy Liang Zi a coffin. It's not comfortable in the box!”

Grandfather said: ”The child died will not buy coffins! This is an old rule passed down since many years ago! ”

I said, ”Rules are set by people, but they can also be changed by people!”

Grandfather said: ”Buying a coffin is not cheap, all the money saved for you to get married!”

Without further ado, I left the village with my shovel and came to the top of my own field. After a quick inspection, I chose a flat land with the most crops and began digging graves.

The sun was shining fiercely above his head. It was so hot that it could kill a person.

I was sweating and digging when I heard a rustle and looked up and saw a man coming up ahead of me, wading through the corn stalks that were up to his knees. She suddenly remembered, wasn't this the stranger who took me to a show a few days ago?

He stopped in front of me. His face was pale and green, and although he was wearing a black tunic, there was not a trace of sweat on his clean face. His hair was about ten centimeters long and parted in the middle.

I watched him. He was watching me, too.

More than a minute passed in silence.

He was the one who spoke first, ”Death is a kind of destination! No need to be sad! ”

My tears flowed again. ”My brother is only seven years old this year. He died too early!” He had yet to experience and try many things! To die at the age of seven is an early death! ”

The expression on the stranger's face did not change. It was as calm as still water. He took a photograph out of his jacket pocket and handed it to me. ”Look carefully at who this is!” he said.

I took it and looked at it. It showed a handsome middle-aged man with a smile on his face. He was about forty years old. With an indescribable familiarity. I quickly recognized him, but I wasn't sure. I stammered, ”This... This... Is it my brother Jin Faliang?! ”

”Yes, that's him!”

”But he's already dead! ”He died when he was seven. How did you get a picture of him in his middle years?” I doubt it.

The stranger grinned, but said nothing more.

”Also, who exactly are you? From the looks of it, you don't seem like a villager! ” I said again.

”The main reason I'm here is to tell you something!” The other party said.

”What is it?”

”Your brother Jin Faliang was killed by someone!”

”Who killed him?!” I asked, surprised.

”The heavens in the underworld have their own destiny. You will personally kill the murderer who killed your brother! ” The stranger smiled more meaningfully, said something like that, and turned away.

If it weren't for the picture in my hand, I doubt if I'd had a dream.