回魂压棺

我出生在农村，自幼跟我爷爷长大，家里就两个房间，爸妈睡一屋，我和爷爷睡一屋。这种状况一直持续到我去读大学。

I was born in a rural area and grew up with my grandfather. The house had just two rooms: my parents slept in one room while my grandfather and I slept in the other. This situation continued until I went to college.

我读大四那一年，爷爷突然去世了，没有任何的征兆，是晚上睡觉的时候走的。我从学校赶回去的时候，已经是第二天了，爷爷的灵堂就设在堂屋里，所有的一切都安排的井然有序。

In my senior year, my grandfather suddenly passed away, without any prior warning. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at night. When I rushed back from school, it was already the next day, and my grandfather's wake was set up in the living room, all arranged in an orderly manner.

我回到家后，第一件事是看爷爷最后一眼。长辈们把棺材打开，爷爷安安静静的躺在里面，脸色苍白，但是嘴巴却是张开着的，好像是有什么话说。

Upon returning home, the first thing I did was take a last look at my grandfather. The elders opened the coffin, and my grandfather lay quietly inside, his face pale, but his mouth was open as if he had something to say.

我问大伯，爷爷的嘴张开的，是不是还有什么遗愿没说出来？

I asked my uncle if my grandfather's mouth being open meant he had some unspoken last wish.

大伯听了我的话，瞪眼训斥了我一顿，让我不要乱说话。

My uncle, hearing this, glared at me and scolded me, telling me not to speak carelessly.

我不知道大伯为什么会突然间生气，却不好当着那么多人的面多问，只要不再说话。

I didn't understand why my uncle suddenly got angry but figured it wasn't the place to ask more questions in front of so many people; I decided to remain silent.

二伯比我回来的晚，到家的时候已经是晚上九点了。他在外地当警察，不好请假。回来之后按照惯例是瞻仰遗容。我也跟着去看了，发现爷爷的嘴巴还是张开着，不知道是不是错觉，我总觉得似乎比之前张的更大了些。

My second uncle came home later; it was already nine in the evening when he arrived. He worked as a police officer in another city and was unable to take leave. After returning, he followed the customary practice of viewing the remains. I went with him, and I noticed that my grandfather's mouth was still open. Strangely, it seemed to be even wider than before.

二伯也注意到了这一点，我听见他小声对大伯说道，爹的嘴怎么是张着的？要想办法闭上。

My second uncle noticed this too and whispered to my elder uncle, asking why father's mouth was still open and suggesting they find a way to close it.

大伯看了一眼周围，见没有外人，才小声说，都试过了，闭不上。

Elder uncle looked around, ensured there were no outsiders, and then whispered, saying they had already tried various methods but couldn’t close it.

二伯想了想，去拿了一条热毛巾，敷在爷爷的脸颊上，这是要让僵硬的肌肉变得松软，然后再合上爷爷的嘴。热毛巾换了三四条，然后二伯试着合上爷爷的嘴。没想到这个办法还真的管用，嘴是合上了，但却是歪的！

After pondering for a moment, my second uncle went to fetch a warm towel to place on my grandfather's cheek, trying to soften the stiff muscles before attempting to close his mouth. After swapping out several warm towels, my second uncle finally tried to close my grandfather's mouth. Surprisingly, it actually worked, but it was crooked!

爷爷生前并不是歪嘴巴，怎么死后变成歪嘴巴了呢？难道他真的是有什么遗愿没有完成？

My grandfather didn't have a crooked mouth in life; why did he end up with a crooked mouth in death? Did he really have some unfulfilled wish?

一屋人看到这场景，又是一阵痛哭。

Everyone in the room saw this scene and burst into tears again.

等过了一段时间，大家都安静下来后，二伯又问，嘴里放银子了没？（这是我们那边的传统，死后都要在嘴里放银子）

After a while, once everyone calmed down, my second uncle asked if silver coins had been placed in his mouth. (This is a tradition in our region where silver is placed in the deceased's mouth after death.)

我妈说放了，当时没找到爷爷生前准备的银子，她就把自己的一对银耳环放爷爷嘴里了。

My mother replied that they had put some in. Since they couldn't find the silver my grandfather had prepared before his death, she placed her own pair of silver earrings in his mouth.

大伯和二伯轮流在灵前守夜，只有我爸是一直跪在灵前，谁劝也不听。

Elder uncle and second uncle took turns keeping vigil by the coffin, while my father remained kneeling at the coffin, refusing to be persuaded otherwise.

爷爷一共三个儿子，我爸最小，但是和爷爷的感情却是最好。爷爷生前哪里都不去，就只爱住我家，赡养工作全由我爸一人负责。大家都知道我爸和爷爷的感情好，也就没去多劝。

My grandfather had three sons, and although my father was the youngest, he shared the best relationship with my grandfather. In life, my grandfather hardly went out and only loved staying at my house, with all responsibilities for his care resting solely on my father. Everyone knew how good their relationship was, so they didn't try to persuade him to get up.

爷爷在堂屋里一共摆放了五天，第六天上山。

My grandfather’s body was displayed in the living room for a total of five days, and on the sixth day, he was taken up the mountain.

这之前，全家人在风水先生的主持下，开棺看爷爷最后一眼，寓意送爷爷最后一程。

Before that, the whole family, under the supervision of a Feng Shui master, opened the coffin to take a last look at my grandfather, symbolizing sending him off on his final journey.

那是凌晨五点，天色刚蒙蒙亮。打开棺后，所有亲人都是倒吸了一口凉气！

It was five in the morning, just before dawn. When the coffin was opened, all the relatives gasped in shock!

爷爷脸色铁青，他的嘴竟然又张开了，而且比之前张的更大，那种幅度甚至已经超过了一个正常人能做到的范围，下巴都快要贴着胸口了！

My grandfather's face was an ashen blue, and his mouth had opened again, wider than before, to the extent that it exceeded what a normal person could do, with his chin almost touching his chest!

所有人都被这一幕吓着了，那个风水先生也没了主意，他说他也没见过这样的事情，反倒是问我大伯怎么办？

Everyone was terrified by this sight, and even the Feng Shui master lost his composure, saying he had never seen such a thing, and then looked to my elder uncle for guidance.

我大伯他们三兄弟商量了一下，决定按原计划不变，起棺上山！

My uncles discussed amongst themselves and decided to stick to the original plan: to carry the coffin up the mountain!

来给我爷爷抬棺的都是村里的壮汉，哪家有亲人去世，几乎都是找的他们。因为按照习俗，棺材一旦起棺，就不能在中途放下，必须一口气上山。所以抬棺的人必须很壮。（我们那里还不流行火葬，全部是土葬。）

The men who came from the village to carry my grandfather’s coffin were all strong villagers, typically recruited whenever someone passed away. According to tradition, once the coffin was lifted, it could not be put down midway and had to be carried up in one go. Thus, the bearers had to be robust. (In our area, cremation was not yet common; all burials are done in the ground.)

风水先生做好法事之后，来抬棺的四人分别拿着木槌在棺材的四角钉下一枚铜钉，然后搭好绳子，穿上粗木棍，扛在肩上，就等着风水先生的一声令下。一旁的烟火先生已经拿着打火机准备点鞭炮。

After the Feng Shui master performed the ritual, the four men who carried the coffin each used a wooden hammer to drive a copper nail into each corner of the coffin, then secured the ropes and placed a thick wooden pole on their shoulders, awaiting the master’s command. The fireworks technician beside them was ready to light the firecrackers.

风水先生拿着桃木剑，在法坛上重重劈下一剑，大喊一声：“起棺！”

The Feng Shui master slashed the air with a peach wood sword and shouted, “Lift the coffin!”

点鞭炮的烟火先生点燃鞭炮，一阵噼里啪啦的声音之后，四位抬棺的壮汉大喝一声“起”，只听见绳子嘎吱嘎吱的响，四人蹲着马步，可无论如何也直不起腿来。

The fireworks technician lit the firecrackers, and amidst the crackling sounds, the four strong men shouted “Lift” but heard only the creaking of ropes, as they squatted and tried with all their might yet could not stand up.

棺材没抬起来！

The coffin wouldn’t lift!

我爸他们当时脸色就不好看了，抬棺的红包是给了的。没想到他们居然出工不出力！但是这个时候又不好发作，我爸只好赶紧再包了四个红包，准备给抬棺的四人。

My father and the others immediately changed expressions; they had given the bearers red envelopes as customary. They couldn’t believe the bearers were willing to work without putting in effort! However, it was not the right moment to lash out; my father quickly prepared four more red envelopes for the bearers.

可万万没想到的是，那四人说什么也不收。其中一个说，老爷子是村里的长辈，大家伙都敬重，不可能不使劲抬棺。确实是这棺材太重了，就算给我们再多的红包，也抬不起来啊。

To everyone's surprise, the four men refused to take them. One man said that the old man was a respected elder in the village, and everyone held him in high esteem; it was impossible not to put in effort to carry the coffin. The problem was that the coffin was too heavy; even with additional red envelopes, they still couldn't lift it!

我爸无奈，只好把红包装口袋里，可是脸上却是急的要命。

My father, at his wits' end, stuffed the envelopes in his pocket, but his face was filled with anxiety.

还好前来送殡的队伍里，还有年轻的壮汉，听说棺材抬不起来，就主动来帮忙。于是又添了一条绳子，加了一条杆，然后按照前面的程序再走一遍。

Fortunately, there were younger, strong villagers in the procession who volunteered to help when they heard the coffin couldn't be lifted. They added another rope and another pole, then went through the same procedure again.

可是鞭炮声响完之后，棺材依旧没能抬起来！

However, even after the firecrackers went off, the coffin still wouldn’t lift!

这一下，大家伙都急了，人群里也出现了一些议论的声音。纷纷说我爷爷肯定是有什么心愿放不下。

Now everyone was anxious, and murmurs filled the crowd. They began to say that my grandfather must have some lingering wishes.

我爸担心村子里的人乱嚼舌根子，于是招呼大伯再添了一条杠，他们两兄弟亲自抬棺！

My father was worried that the villagers would gossip, so he urged my elder uncle to add another pole, and the two brothers decided to lift the coffin themselves!

八个人了，竟然八个人还是抬不动！

Eight men tried yet still couldn’t manage to lift it!

回魂压棺！

The soul was pressing down on the coffin!

我听见那个风水先生惊呼了一声，他之前也以为是抬棺的人出工不出力，可是现在他的脸色都变了。我看见他赶紧招呼我爸他们三兄弟，问老爷子生前是不是还有什么心愿未了。

I heard the Feng Shui master exclaim in surprise; he initially suspected the bearers were slacking off, but now his face had changed too. He quickly called over my father and his brothers, asking if my grandfather had any unfulfilled wishes.

我爸他们都说没有，平时好吃好喝的伺候着，没有什么没完成的心愿啊。

My father and his brothers all said no. They had treated him well during his life, so there were no wishes left unfulfilled.

我爸他们三兄弟想了好一阵，还不断的对着棺材说话，但是抬棺的那六人怎也抬不起来。最后我爸直接跪在了棺材前，一边磕头一边说，爹，你要是还有什么心愿，你晚上给儿子托梦，你这样不肯走，我们都不安生啊！

The three brothers thought for a long time while continuously talking to the coffin, but the six bearers couldn't lift it. Ultimately, my father knelt in front of the coffin, bowing his head, and pleaded, “Father, if you have any lingering wishes, please come to me in a dream tonight. If you refuse to leave us like this, we will be restless!”

我大伯二伯也都跪下磕头，第三代人中，比如我和堂兄堂姐们也纷纷跪下，顿时哭声一片。

My elder uncle and second uncle also knelt down to bow, and the third generation, including my cousins and me, followed suit, crying.

说来也怪，这一跪，之前八个人都抬不起来的棺材竟然被六个人就抬起来了！

It was strange; after we all knelt down, the coffin that had previously resisted eight men was surprisingly lifted by just six men!

我爸担心事情有变，赶紧招呼大家上山。

My father, fearing something unusual might happen, quickly signaled everyone to head up the mountain.

这一路上，我看见我爸连大气都不敢出，一直盯着爷爷的棺材，生怕他老人家一个不高兴就不走了。

On the way, I noticed my father didn’t dare to breathe, his eyes fixed on my grandfather's coffin, anxious that if my grandfather was displeased, he might not leave.

还好，棺材顺利的入了土，中间没出什么岔子。

Fortunately, the coffin was successfully buried without any incidents.

填坟的时候，家里人要求我们第三代先回来，不许我们待在那里，据说这也是习俗。

During the grave-filling process, the family insisted that we, the third generation, leave first and not linger there, as this was reportedly a tradition.

我跟着堂哥他们回了家，看着灵堂还没拆，但是爷爷却永远离我们而去了，心里很是难受，鼻子一酸，眼泪就忍不住的流了出来。

I followed my cousins home, looking at the still-assembled memorial altar, but my grandfather had permanently left us. I felt deep sorrow and, with a lump in my throat, couldn't help the tears from flowing.

我妈看见我哭，立刻把我拉到一边，很是严厉的训斥我，出殡第一天不许哭！

Upon seeing me cry, my mother immediately pulled me to the side and sternly scolded me, saying no crying was allowed on the first day of the funeral!

我不知道为什么，但是还是强行忍住了。后来我妈告诉我，要是出殡第一天哭的话，死去的人会不舍得离开。当然，这都是后话了。

I didn’t understand why but forced myself to hold back. Later, my mother told me that crying on the first day of the funeral would make the deceased unwilling to leave. Of course, that was a later conversation.

当天晚上，我睡在以前和爷爷一起睡过的房间，我总感觉爷爷还在我身边。

That night, I slept in the room where I used to sleep with my grandfather. I could still feel his presence beside me.

想到以前夏天睡觉的时候，爷爷都会拿着扇子替我扇风，可是以后再也不会有这样的时光了。我的眼泪又忍不住的快流了下来。

I reminisced about those summer nights when my grandfather would fan me; I knew I would never experience such moments again. Tears began to well up in my eyes once more.

但是想到我妈的话，我给忍住了，万一我爷爷舍不得走了怎么办？

But recalled my mother’s words, I managed to hold it in, worrying that if my grandfather was reluctant to leave, what would happen then?

迷迷糊糊中，我看见我爷爷走了进来，他和以前一样躺在我的旁边，侧过身子来，胳膊一上一下的，好像是在替我扇风。可是他手里根本就没有扇子啊。

In a daze, I saw my grandfather walk in as before, lying beside me, turning on his side, his arms moving as if fanning me. But he wasn’t holding a fan at all.

我揉了揉眼睛，仔细的看了看爷爷，却发现他大张着嘴巴，脸色铁青，身上穿的竟然还是下葬时候的那身寿衣！

I rubbed my eyes, looking closely at my grandfather, but to my horror, I found his mouth wide open, his face an ashen blue, and he was still dressed in the burial clothes from his funeral!

然后，我清晰的看见爷爷的嘴突然动了动。

Then, I distinctly saw my grandfather's mouth move suddenly.

“啊！！！”我吓得尖叫起来，睁开眼一看，还好这只是一个梦。

“Ah!!!” I screamed in terror, opening my eyes to find it was just a dream.

窗外的天还没亮，应该还是凌晨，我伸手想要摸一下放在枕边的手机看看时间。可是，我却摸到一张冰冷的脸。

The window showed it was still dark outside; it was probably still early morning. I reached to check the time on my phone beside the pillow. However, I touched a cold face instead.

我慢慢转过头去，借着微弱的月光，映入眼帘的，赫然是爷爷那张张大着嘴巴的铁青脸，而我的手，就放在他的嘴里……

I slowly turned my head, and in the faint moonlight, I was shocked to see my grandfather's face, wide-mouthed and ashen, with my hand resting inside his mouth...