哭丧（2）

爷爷回到屋子里，对炕上的奶奶说：“今天你别乱走了，老老实实的在家呆着，我到碾子山一趟。”

Grandpa returned to the house and said to Grandma, who was on the kang: "Today, don't wander around. Stay home like a good girl. I'm going to Nianzishan."

我奶奶颤抖的问他：“咱们是不是冲着啥了？”

My grandmother trembled and asked him: "Are we being haunted or something?"

爷爷没有说话。七点多的时候，他把昨晚上没吃完的黄米饭热了热，胡乱和奶奶吃了点后儿便背着家里一袋子高粱米和一坛子十几年的自酿白酒出门了。

Grandpa didn't answer. Around seven o'clock, he reheated the cornmeal left over from last night, hastily ate a little with Grandma, and then set out carrying a bag of sorghum and a jar of homemade white wine that had been brewed for over a decade.

所谓的“冲着啥”是东北话，的意思就是犯到鬼神之说，按现在的话来讲一般叫做见鬼了。

The phrase “being haunted” is a dialect expression from Northeast China, meaning being troubled by ghosts or spirits. Nowadays, it’s often described as “seeing a ghost.”

现代科学的解释就是对于一些突然产生幻想幻视幻听症状的人，往往因为经历某一个奇怪的事件或场景后发生，也有些地方的人就把这种现象称为“撞邪”。

Modern science explains that individuals who suddenly experience symptoms like hallucinations or auditory perceptions often do so after encountering a strange incident or scene. Some local people even refer to this phenomenon as "hitting evil."

但是世界之大，无奇不有。有很多事情是我们没有亲身经历过的，道听途说的故事往往都有个模棱两可的结局。

However, the world is vast, and there are countless mysteries. Many events are ones we haven’t experienced firsthand, and stories passed down often have ambiguous endings.

但是我爷爷奶奶的这个故事却间接的影响了我的一生，这是后话，容我日后再慢慢道来。

Yet, my grandparents' story has indirectly influenced my life profoundly; that is a later tale which I will share in due time.

奶奶现在确实很害怕。但是也得干活儿啊，她趁出门扫雪的时候问老翟头的老婆和四棱子的媳妇儿，昨天晚上听到什么没有。

Grandma was indeed very frightened. However, she had chores to do. While she was outside shoveling snow, she asked Old Zhai's wife and the wife of Si Lingzi if they had heard anything strange last night.

可是得到的回答都是啥也没听到。四棱子的媳妇儿问我奶奶咋了，奶奶把昨晚的事情原原本本的告诉了他们。

But their answers were all that they hadn't heard anything. Si Lingzi's wife asked my grandmother what was wrong, and Grandma told them about the events of the previous night in detail.

这帮老娘们儿听完后就炸庙了，这个说是闹鬼，那个说是闹仙儿的。弄的我奶奶越来越紧张，她们问我爷爷干啥去了。

The group of old ladies was scandalized; one said it was a haunting, another said it was about spirits. This made my grandmother even more anxious. They asked where Grandpa had gone.

我奶奶告诉她们，我爷爷一早起来就去碾子山请人去了。

Grandma told them that Grandpa had gone to Nianzishan to invite someone.

碾子山，那是位于齐齐哈尔市西北部，是大兴安岭的余脉，那里最出名的就要属神秘的蛇洞山传说了。

Nianzishan is located in the northwest of Qiqihar City, being a foothill of the Greater Khingan Range, and it is famously known for the mysterious legend of Snake Cave Mountain.

讲的是光绪初年，有一条大蛇从蛇洞山山顶的洞里钻出，探首至雅鲁河内饮水，尾端还尚在洞中，可见起身形之大。

The tale goes that in the early years of the Guangxu era, a giant snake emerged from a hole at the mountaintop of Snake Cave Mountain, reaching down to the Yalu River to drink water, while its tail remained in the cave, showcasing its immense size.

当时的俄罗斯人筑中东铁路时看见了这条大蛇挡住了铁路，导致火车不能通过，于是就用火炮轰它。

When the Russians were building the Central Eastern Railway, they saw the giant snake blocking the railway, preventing trains from passing, so they bombarded it with cannons.

大蛇生气了，摆动身体溅起的石头砸死了好几个人后就再次回到了洞里，此后再也没有出现过。倒是当地的老百姓把此蛇当作了神灵，年年供奉。

The giant snake became angry and, after smashing stones that killed several people, it returned to the cave and was never seen again. However, local people treated it as a deity and offered sacrifices every year.

说的是当年的碾子山脚下出了一位能人，名为刘树清。别人都称呼他为刘先生，这位先生做的是死人生意，他在蛇洞山下的村子里开了一家棺材铺，十里八村仅此一家。

It is said that a capable man named Liu Shuqing appeared at the foot of Nianzishan. He was commonly referred to as Mr. Liu, and he was engaged in the business of the dead, running a coffin shop in the nearby village at the foot of Snake Cave Mountain, the only one for miles around.

刘先生家祖传有一门手艺，据说是当年刘家的祖先在蛇洞山的蛇洞里捡到了一本天书，所以老刘家世代能掐会算，到了刘先生这代更是了不得。

Mr. Liu's family had a hereditary skill, as it was said that an ancestor of the Liu family found a heavenly book in the snake cave, enabling the Liu family for generations to perform calculations and predictions. By Mr. Liu’s generation, it had reached a remarkable level.

专门儿为附近的穷苦百姓看风水破煞选阴宅，谁家有红白喜事，找他定日子准没错。而且还精通驱魔降鬼之术，这在以前的那一片是出了名的，就连胡子土匪也要惧他几分。

He specialized in feng shui for poor local families, helping them choose burial sites. If any family had happy or sad occasions, consulting him for auspicious dates was foolproof. He was also well-versed in exorcism and ghost-retreating techniques, making him famous in the region, even feared by bandits.

而且他乐意助人，经常是免费给附近的穷苦百姓排忧解难。

Moreover, he was always willing to help and often offered free assistance to struggling neighbors.

就是这么一位刘先生，却又只有一点毛病，那就是脾气倔，他如果要是看不惯你这个人，你说出龙叫唤来他也不会帮。

Such an exceptional Mr. Liu, however, had a single flaw: he was stubborn. If he disliked someone, no matter who they were, they wouldn't receive his help.

而且他还极度的好酒，基本上是无酒不欢。据说他一天经常是从白天醉到晚上，而且就连出门帮人看地也是酒葫芦不离手。

He also had a penchant for alcohol, nearly drinking every day. It was said that he often drank from morning till night, and he would even take a wine gourd with him when going out to help others.

有人看见过他曾经自己喝酒却摆了两个海碗，而且还自言自语。后来大家知道了他饮酒后能“过阴”，于是他又多了个外号，叫做“醉鬼刘”。

Some people had seen him drinking alone with two large bowls and muttering to himself. Eventually, everyone learned that after a few drinks, he could "communicate with the spirits," earning him the nickname "Drunken Ghost Liu."

这个称呼并没有任何贬低的成分，而是形容他喝醉了以后能和鬼打交道的意思。

This title carried no derogatory connotation but referred to his ability to interact with the dead when intoxicated.

我爷爷这次急急忙忙的前往碾子山就是要请这位刘先生，前些年我太爷爷病逝后就是这位刘先生帮忙找的坟地。

My grandpa rushed to Nianzishan to invite Mr. Liu, who had helped find a grave for my great-grandfather when he passed away a few years prior.

而且他和我爷爷臭味儿相投，都爱喝酒。饭桌间几碗酒下肚，刘先生见我爷爷的酒量不次于他，大家又都是豪爽之人，便称兄道弟起来。

They were closely acquainted, both fond of drinking. Over a few bowls of wine, Mr. Liu noticed that Grandpa could hold his own, and both of them being straightforward men, they became brothers.

而且以后也没有断了联系，遇上逢年过节的两家都要走动。

Their connection never waned, and they would visit each other during festivals and holidays.

我爷爷先到了村子西边的赶车老鲍头儿那借了驴车，把东西往车上一放，就赶着车火急火燎往碾子山赶去。

Grandpa first went to borrow a donkey cart from Old Bao, who lived on the west side of the village. After loading everything onto the cart, he hurriedly set off for Nianzishan.

由于以前的土道，还下了雪，导致驴车很慢。花了将近一上午才赶到了刘先生的家。

Due to the old dirt road still being snowy, the donkey cart was slow. It took nearly the entire morning to reach Mr. Liu’s home.

刘先生的媳妇儿正在外面晾衣服，大老远就看见我爷爷赶着车过来，她忙上前去接我爷爷。

Mr. Liu’s wife was hanging out clothes outside and saw my grandpa coming with the cart from a distance. She hurried over to greet him.

由于平时两家很熟，也就不外道了，她对我爷爷说：“小崔啊，今年咋来这么早呢。吃饭没，快进屋，咋没看见弟妹呢？”

Because the families were quite familiar with each other, she didn’t stand on ceremony. She said to my grandpa, "Xiao Cui, why are you here so early this year? Have you eaten? Come in quickly; where’s your sister-in-law?"

爷爷把高粱米和白酒抬到屋子里，转身急迫的对刘先生的媳妇儿说：“大嫂，救命啊，我大哥呢？”

Grandpa brought the sorghum and white wine into the house and, turning around, anxiously said to Mr. Liu's wife: "Sister-in-law, help! Where’s my brother?"

刘妻见一向开朗的我爷爷今天怎么这副神情，不用想就是真出事儿了。

Seeing my usually cheerful grandpa in such a state, Mr. Liu’s wife immediately knew something was wrong.

于是她倒了一碗茶给我爷爷，并且让他先坐下。见我大哥平静了些后她说：“小崔到底咋了，出啥事儿了，你慢慢说，你那个死鬼大哥昨天又喝多了，现在在后屋躺着呢。”

She poured him a bowl of tea and motioned for him to sit down. As my grandpa seemed to calm down a little, she said, "Xiao Cui, what happened? You can take your time to tell me. That dead brother of yours drank too much again last night and is lying in the back room."