From Qingqiu’s <>. It's a spiritual evocation song from the hometown of old man Li, who sells steamed buns.
Original text:
Shadow ghost
"Shadow ghost, Yin and Yang road, don't look back, Qingming hanging, solitary grave, dark lamp, night road , the two realms of life and death, ghosts turn back..."
It is already spring, but the weather in March is still bitingly cold. There were already buds the size of fingernails on the tree branches outside the window, but they were shivering in the cold air. The old man said, "It's cold in spring, and it's been cold for more than three or nine days." Coupled with the cold drizzle, there is no joy of spring at all. Instead, there is a biting coldness and desolation everywhere.
I am a person who doesn’t like to get up early, but today I have an art class scheduled for the first period in the morning, so I had no choice but to reluctantly endure the biting cold and climb out of bed.
There are many breakfast shops around the entrance of the school. Old Li, who sells steamed buns, is one of the shops with good business. It can be said that I get my breakfast there every day.
As usual, I bought a few steamed buns and ate them while I was at it. I couldn't help it, it was too late to get up. If Bai Yi hadn't reminded me that today was an inspection by the Education Office, I might have been able to wait for another half an hour.
Sighing, biting the bun, I hurried to school. At this moment, the old man Li, who was selling steamed buns, held me tightly with his withered pole-like hands and stuffed two large meat buns into my bag.
I was puzzled when I saw it, "Uncle Li, what are you doing?"
Old man Li looked around with a strange look on his face. After making sure that there was no one else, he spoke to me. "Teacher An, can (you) help me ask Teacher Bai for help? My granddaughter has always said that Teacher Bai is great. But I am not familiar with him, and he has been taking care of my business. Can you call him for me? ?”
The old man spoke Mandarin with a strong local accent. It took me a long time to figure out that he wanted me to ask Bai Yi for help, so he gave me two big meat buns for nothing.
It is true that the old man’s granddaughter is also a second-grade student in this school. It is not surprising to know that there is Bai Yi. I just wonder what this old man wants to do with Bai Yi and ask him to help his granddaughter with tutoring? So I asked, "Uncle, do you want Teacher Bai to help your granddaughter open a small stove?"
The old man waved his hands nervously and brought his head closer. He lowered his voice and said to me, "I, my granddaughter is probably haunted by a ghost!"
I was stunned for a moment. Originally, I didn't believe in ghosts and gods in the world, but since the last time I returned to my soul, After what happened that night, my Marxist materialist ideas completely collapsed. Like the old man, I lowered my voice and asked, "Ghost?"
The old man nodded and dragged me into the back room of the bun shop. The room was very messy, with steamers everywhere and several large bags of flour piled in the corner. The old man moved a stool for me to sit on, and then began to recall what happened not long ago.
“My granddaughter is a child who doesn’t like to talk to others. I haven’t seen her get along with any of her classmates. At most, she can only find two children to dance with rubber bands. She likes to dance with rubber bands. But recently, she has stopped looking for people to dance with, and she is even more inattentive than usual. She spends most of her time in a daze except when she goes to school, eats and sleeps. At first, I thought she was having trouble with the children. Just a few days ago, I saw. It's something that scares half of my life!"
The old man swallowed, took a breath and continued, "That night I prepared the buns for sale tomorrow morning. The buns are made at night and steamed early in the morning. Yes. When I was packing my things, I found my granddaughter jumping up and down on the street corner. I thought what was this girl doing? I walked closer and called her twice, but she didn’t seem to hear me calling her. I kept jumping up and down. I was surprised and shouted twice. The girl didn't even look at me. Suddenly I felt that something was wrong. There was only me and my granddaughter at this corner, but...but... ...There were actually three shadows on the wall next to him.
Old man Li stretched out his dead wood-like fingers and made a trembling three gesture.
I was scared. I hugged my granddaughter and ran away, but the shadow suddenly turned around and held on to my granddaughter's shadow. Then I felt my granddaughter being grabbed by someone, and the force was surprisingly strong. I thought to myself, it’s over! It’s over! Hit something dirty. I, an old man, have had enough life, but my granddaughter is still young, how can I be dragged away by this... this ghost thing? I'm worried. He gritted his teeth and ran back with all his strength. Unexpectedly, the strength holding my granddaughter was gone. I took my granddaughter back to her room and stayed by her bedside all night.
When she woke up the next day, she looked like a normal person. I thought I was old and confused, but, but! There is a child-sized handprint on my granddaughter's arm. I'm sure what happened last night was not a dream! ”
I interrupted and asked, “Did you meet your granddaughter again?” "
The old man was a little excited, clenched his fist and said to me, "Yes! As soon as midnight comes, my granddaughter will go to that corner. I couldn't stop her and locked her in the room, but she actually banged her head on the door. And those things were hanging at the door of my house. I heard a knock on the door in the middle of the night, but no one opened the door. But there is clearly a shadow.
My granddaughter dances there almost every night. "After saying that, he covered his face with his hands and started whimpering in pain.
I saw that old man in his seventies or eighty years here with snot and tears in front of me, a young man, and I really couldn't stand it. So I couldn't stand it. I stood up, patted the old man's hand, and told him that I would tell Bai Yi about the matter and persuade him to help.
The old man thanked me profusely and gave me another five dollars. , six big buns with different shapes. I walked out of his shop and looked at the corner he mentioned. It was actually just the corner of the intersection.
This is an old city and it seems that it has not been renovated for many years. The road is so small that it is almost impossible for large motor vehicles to drive in. There are many such forgotten blind spots in this city. Due to the long-term lack of city appearance management, a lot of garbage is piled up there. To be honest, apart from being a little dirty, it is really hard to see. Nothing strange.
I was delayed by the old man for a long time in the morning, and it was impossible not to be late. As a result, Pan, a bald man in the teaching department (his surname was Pan, had a shiny head). Like poached eggs), he was trying to teach me a lesson, as if he was lecturing my son. He even picked out some mistakes that were too big to make, but after he magnified them infinitely, he took them to a new level and a new level. level. So a personal criticism meeting about my safety was staged in the office!
After a whole morning, I sat in the office unhappy during lunch break, sorting out the materials needed for the afternoon class. After finishing the work, I went to eat. I kept mumbling about how to make Pan Balding completely transform from a bald head to a bald head.
Bai Yi's desk happened to be directly opposite me, and I was waiting for him in the office. After everyone left, he finally let out a puff, and then couldn't stop laughing. I became even darker, thinking to myself, are you still a buddy? What kind of attitude is this that adds insult to injury?
I couldn't help but throw the book down, and said with a cold face, "Xiaoxiaoxiao, you will be caught with pigtails in the future. I also see how you will be scolded by Pan Balding like a grandson!" "
He saw that I was really angry, so he stopped laughing, but his mouth was still slightly tilted. It was obvious that he was still laughing at me in his heart.
"You It takes half a day to buy a steamed bun. I have kindly told you to arrive early. Pan Tuzi is here to inspect today. You are actually 45 minutes late for a whole class~ Bro! Very good and very powerful. ”
I remembered Old Man Li’s strange thing after he mentioned steamed buns, so I leaned forward, leaned in closer, then narrowed my eyes and said, “Can you help me?” You must be interested in this. "
Bai Yi shrank back as if he was uneasy, then raised his eyebrows slightly and asked what was going on. I told him exactly what the old man told me in the morning.
p>I saw him lowering his head and thinking for a while, muttering something in his mouth. Then he looked up at me and said very seriously, "You invite me to lunch, and we will go to Li's house in the evening." ”
“It’s me again! "I have no money." My salary is already pitiful. If it weren't for my parents' support, I would probably have to sleep on the street.
The entrance to the school in the evening is very lively, students are out of school, and there are obviously more vehicles. , the vendors at the door were selling all kinds of snacks and gadgets, and the noise was almost as loud as in the morning.
Bai Yi and I came to Old Man Li’s stall, and the business there was obviously not as good as in the morning. , looking a little deserted, Old Man Li looked at the stove alone and glanced into the room from time to time.
I walked up to Old Man Li first and told him with a smile that I had called Bai Yi. . If you have anything to do, let him help. In fact, I still hate the money for the two green pepper shredded pork dishes at noon...
When Old Man Li saw us coming, he stood up immediately and took the stall without paying attention. We entered the room. I felt the old man's helplessness and anxiety. Who doesn't care about his children? We sat down and the old man made tea for us. He also sat across from us and looked at us. There was a door in the room, his eyes were dim and frightening.
"Teacher Bai, it's great that you can come and take a look. I heard that you know these things very well, and you are knowledgeable, unlike us. Those who have studied really don’t know what to do..." The old man was obviously very restrained, and his words were irrelevant. I was amused that a knowledgeable person would come to help you with this. I would just call a psychological counselor.
I looked at Bai Yi, but he didn't answer. He just blew the tea leaves, took a sip, and continued to wait for the old man's words. I felt that if I continued like this, I wouldn't be able to explain things by night. It was clear, so he spoke first, "Old Bai... Look, you may be the only one who can help with this matter. The old man may be dazzled, but the child has not been in such a situation once or twice. If it is really dazzled, it's not that big." Many times, that’s cataracts..." I felt that the more I said, the more unreliable I was, so I simply stopped and laughed, picked up the tea cup and concentrated on drinking tea.
Bai Yi obviously didn’t like it. I interrupted first, tilted my head and frowned, then turned to look at the old man and said, "I have heard most of your granddaughter's things. But there are some details that I can’t tell for sure if I haven’t seen them with my own eyes. If you don’t mind, we would like to come and see them again in the evening. I won't bother you for too long, I just want to confirm something. "
Of course the old man wouldn't mind. Not only did he keep saying thank you, but he also wanted to keep us for dinner. Without waiting for us to refuse, he rolled up his sleeves and went to cook.
Although we are embarrassed, as two young bachelors, apart from going to the dining room every day to solve people's livelihood problems, there is really no place to spend their time eating. As for the kitchen, he was determined not to go, so having dinner was an advantage...
We saw his granddaughter during dinner. The girl was obviously a little surprised that the two teachers came to the house for dinner. and overwhelmed. He said hello like a mosquito and started eating without raising his head. The atmosphere was obviously tense...
I coughed and wanted to ask about Lao Li's granddaughter's recent study situation. It must be a question that a teacher should be concerned about.
"Classmate Li Ai, have you had any problems with your studies recently?" I regretted asking this question, and I don't understand the main subject...
"Very good. Thank you for your concern, teacher." Li Ai still didn't raise her head and continued to eat.
"Classmate Li, how do you feel when you walk at night recently?" Bai Yi asked.
The girl suddenly raised her head to look at Bai Yi, but quickly lowered her head again and said softly, "No, I didn't feel anything."
"Didn't anyone call your name?" ?" Bai Yi was still asking.
The girl's hands were shaking. She put down her chopsticks and did not eat or look up at us. The old-fashioned wall clock on the wall was ticking, and the heat of the food was slowly rising. The girl's face felt a little blurry for a moment.
Bai Yi frowned, looked at the child opposite, and softened his voice slightly, "Are you sure you didn't hear anyone calling your name?"
"I didn't, I just..." I heard someone reciting a children's song. I don't know what it was. He kept reciting it and then there was no sound..." The girl was stunned and said intermittently.
"What can you tell us? This kind of children's song?" Bai Yi nodded imperceptibly and continued to ask.
The child raised his head, but a strange smile appeared on his fair face, and said, "No, because this is a secret."
I said, "Whose secret do you share?"
The girl was a little anxious. She shook her head and said, "I can't tell you, 'he' will be unhappy."
I was a little speechless. Such a question was so meaningless. , and asked nothing. Children's songs, so weird. What kind of children's songs can make a girl play with her shadow every day. I looked at the old man again. He was a little excited. He might not be able to bear his granddaughter's weird behavior and was suppressing his fear. Suddenly he started to read: "Shadow ghost, Yin and Yang road, don't look back, Qingming hanging, solitary grave, dark lamp, night road, life and death, ghosts look back..."
The girl widened her eyes. He looked at his grandfather with eyes that were almost angry and shocked, looking at the old man resentfully.
The old man looked pale and said, "That's what the child was reading. I remember..."
The girl was very angry. She stood up and walked out the door. Old Man Li hugged Li Ai and almost pulled her in.
Bai Yi looked outside the door. The cold street lights shone on the uneven concrete road. Then he turned back and said to me who was feeling strange, "Let's go out and take a look."
It was completely dark, the weather was obviously not good, and there was no moon. It was such a cold weather and there were no pedestrians outside the house. Except for the areas illuminated by the street lights, the rest was a gray scene, and the rusty iron doors were blown by the wind and made a creaking sound. Occasionally a feral cat emerges from the base of the car, but immediately enters another dark space.
I wrapped my clothes tightly to prevent the cold wind from blowing into my clothes. Bai Yi walked beside me and said to me, "I'm calling out a name now. You can help me call it out. Don't panic if you see anything. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen. But remember not to stop. Take one step and call it out again." Do you understand?"
I nodded. Walking side by side next to him, we walked step by step from the door of Lao Li's shop to the cross corner not far away.
"Li Ai" Bai Yi took the first step. Nothing happened, I took a step and shouted "Li Ai"
So Bai Yi followed my voice and shouted a second time, taking the second step...< /p>
On the quiet road, Bai Yi and I were the only two people calling Li Ai’s name. Just when I was about to reach the corner, I felt something was wrong, right! My shadow turned into two shadows! One who clearly looked like a child. Much smaller than my own shadow. But he followed my pace, exactly at the pace of my pace. It's as if that shadow is mine. I looked at Bai Yi's again. Although his shadow didn't turn into two, it was trembling violently. That strange shadow wanted to pull me and Bai Yi's shadow. Caught between us, I looked sideways out of the corner of my eye. There was a vague figure between me and Bai Yi, it was between us.
I broke out in a cold sweat, held my hands tighter, and my senses were almost numb. It was Li Ai again, this name was as strange as a spell. I also shouted "Li Ai" and my voice was obviously shaking. It was no longer my original tone, hoarse and hollow.
I found that Bai Yi's voice had also changed. It was a voice as sharp as a wild cat meowing, and it was almost impossible to tell that what he was shouting was Li Ai.
I didn't forget that I had to follow closely without interrupting, and I also shouted. The sound didn't come from my mouth, but from around me. It was as harsh as the sound of plastic rubbing against each other.
The 13th time... We are about to reach the corner. Our voices have become three voices. Yes, the voices of Bai Yi and me, and then the voices coming from among us. Three voices and three shadows, only two of them are people in one space.
Finally I reached the corner. I could hardly stand. I really couldn’t imagine what I was carrying. I could feel it right next to me.
I licked my lips and glanced sideways at Bai Yi. He suddenly took my hand and stopped shouting my name. Fortunately, he didn’t keep shouting. I really couldn’t hold on anymore. Then It feels like calling the soul!
I stared at the shadow on the wall. It became very clear due to the street light, and it was obviously larger than when I was on the road. This shadow kept beating in a regular pattern, and then the children's song suddenly rang in my ears: "Shadow ghost, Yin and Yang road, don't look back, Qingming hanging, solitary grave, dark lamp, night road, two realms of life and death, ghost Look back..."
The shadow brought by us kept jumping, and the children's songs kept repeating. Do ghosts really look back? I didn't dare to look back, and I didn't want to look at that weird shadow. I suddenly wanted to run, leave this place, it was so crazy. This is a nightmare. But the hand holding me became obviously stronger. I knew that I couldn't run away, or that I couldn't run away at all. My shadow and the ghost were connected... which meant that the thing would follow me anytime and anywhere. If I run away now, my life will probably be dead.
After standing for a long time, I could hear the sound of several cars passing by. But there were still no passers-by. Only Bai Yi and I stood motionless at the corner, the cold wind making me shiver. The children's songs finally stopped, and the shadow stopped dancing. It was still connected to our shadow. Suddenly the shadow stretched out its hand, and I felt someone touching me. I couldn't bear it anymore and my teeth were chattering.
"You can leave." Bai Yi said, "As for the conditions you want, I will help you achieve it. I hope you abide by the agreement."
Suddenly the shadow slowly twisted. , like a pool of ugly black mist, gradually melted into the ground and disappeared around this corner. The cool lights still illuminate the street, and there are still no pedestrians on the road. The strength holding my hand finally relaxed, and I felt Bai Yi pat my shoulder. I nodded weakly, indicating that I was fine.
"Is everything okay? Will it come again?" I relaxed and felt that my legs were almost numb. I squatted down. Actually, I wanted to sit down, but it was too embarrassing. Bai Yi lit a cigarette, looked at me, and touched my head.
"No, it's not over yet, because we haven't fulfilled our promise to him yet."
"What promise?"
"I used It's a ghost-inviting technique, and it's also a spirit-conquering technique. It's been modified so that the one attached to Li Ai is attached to us. This technique can make the ghost promise you to do something, which is obvious. I don’t care if he wants to become a Buddha or not.”
“Then when did you agree to his request?” “I didn’t. It feels more and more strange.
Bai Yi shook his head, pulled me up and walked to Old Li's house, "Don't stand at the intersection and say like two idiots, go back to Old Li's house first."
Old Li The granddaughter has stopped making noises. The old man used almost all his strength to hold Li Ai, and now he is holding his granddaughter's hand, breathing heavily.
Seeing us walking in, indicating that his granddaughter was okay, he carefully let go of his granddaughter's hand, and the girl walked into her room dejectedly as if she had lost something.
"Old Li, you haven't told us that you have killed anyone before." After Li Ai closed the door to the room, Bai Yi asked. The old man's eyes widened when he heard it, and his whole body seemed to have been chopped. The old monkey who had lost his tail jerked violently
I couldn’t believe it, how could an old man selling buns kill someone? I suddenly looked at the old man cautiously, fearing that he might actually take out a knife and silence us.
The old man's eyes dimmed, and he slumped on the stool lifelessly. His hoarse voice seemed to come from his throat, "I killed him. He killed my biological daughter. My biological daughter." ! ”
I feel numb in my scalp. Although I don’t know this old man very well, I know that the buns he sells are delicious, he is very down-to-earth, and he is also very honest. He loves his granddaughter even more. How is it possible to kill your own daughter?
"Now you understand what that shadow is, right?" Bai Yi still stared at the old man, catching any expression on his face.
The old man held his head in pain, and his body slumped down from the stool. He lay on the ground and almost growled, "I know, why don't you know, when Xiao Ai was reading that song?" I knew it, it was a soul-calling song from my hometown, and I taught it to my poor daughter as a nursery rhyme.
I'm sorry for her, but she was born an idiot. How could I possibly support her? She will have to live in pain in the end. She might as well... might as well..."
I said coldly To "Just because you killed her, your blood is still on her body!" "
The old man looked up at me with tears streaming down his face, and shouted, "I didn't even have enough to eat at that time, I have to think about this family!" "
"Is your daughter also called Li Ai?" Bai Yi asked calmly.
"Yes, I want my granddaughter to be called this name and live in place of my daughter. I feel guilty about her. "
"You killed him right around the corner, but there wasn't even a grave. "
"I...I...I can't let my wife know..."
I can't stand listening anymore. This old man killed his idiot daughter and buried her. At the crossroads, he went back to live his life as if nothing had happened, and then said that his daughter was lost. The poor child was buried in the ground not far from the door of the house by her biological father because she was born mentally retarded.
“The agreement she asked me to make was to take her to her biological father, and I took her here. "Bai Yi looked at Old Man Li expressionlessly. Old Man Li was suddenly horrified to find that a black shadow was approaching next to his shadow, which gradually turned into a human form. He wanted to run away, but found that the shadow was firmly on the ground. Holding him, he seemed to be torn apart alive. Old Man Li watched in fear as the shadow pulled him, and he howled in pain. His shadow began to roll around, and the two shadows were entangled together. The ink dripping in the water twisted and merged.
I wanted to help, but Bai Yi held me back and shook his head. He said, "Human sins must be paid for with equivalent pain." , he didn't want his mentally retarded daughter to be a drag, so now he had to carry his daughter's soul and live with hers. And we can only watch, because this is the contract between us and ghosts.
After Bai Yi said that, he turned around and left the house. I looked back and saw the ghost dancing and pulling the old man, just like a newborn animal pulling its parents. The old man frantically pulled out the light bulb. , threw it out the door. He didn't want to see his shadow. He hid under the table, held his head, and shook his body as if to shake something away. The old man was obviously crazy, and Li Ai's low-heeled voice came out from the back room: "Shadow ghost, Yin and Yang road, don't look back, Qingming hanging, solitary grave, a dark lamp, night road, the two realms of life and death, ghosts look back ..."
I know that the old man has to pay the price for his selfishness, but Li Ai is innocent... But sometimes the debt must be repaid by the most important people.
Later, the old man’s bun shop never opened again, and Li Ai was taken to another city by her parents. It is said that the old man lived in a nursing home. Some people also say that the old man died not long after spring began. Anyway, besides his buns, he is sometimes mentioned by others now. Besides, no one ever mentioned him.
That day, I hurriedly walked around the corner and vaguely saw the shadows of two people. One shadow was squatting in the corner, and the thin shadow beside me was jumping happily. The soul-calling shadow echoed in my ears. Children's song...
Don't abandon your loved ones for any reason, because they have never left you.