自己爬出来的

我不是在做梦，而是我爷爷真的回来了。

I am not dreaming; my grandfather has really come back.

可是，爷爷不是已经下葬了么？为什么他的尸体会跑到我的床上来？

But wasn't Grandpa already buried? Why is his corpse on my bed?

没一会儿，先是大伯赶了过来，看到爷爷的尸体后就是一阵乱骂，“是哪个砍脑壳死的背时鬼，搞出挖人老屋（我们对坟的叫法）的事情！”

Before long, my uncle rushed over. After seeing Grandpa's corpse, he started to curse, "Which unlucky ghost went and hacked up the brain? Who disturbed the old man’s house (that’s what we call tombs)!”

然后是二伯。他看到了爷爷的尸体后，眉头都紧皱的像是拧到了一起，却没有多讲么子。

Then my second uncle came. Upon seeing Grandpa’s corpse, his brows furrowed tightly as if he was trying to squeeze something out, but he didn’t say much.

“现在啷个办？”我爸开口问道。他现在也是没了主心骨了。

“What do we do now?” my dad asked. He has lost his foothold too.

“还能啷个办？趁到天没亮，赶紧埋进去。小阳，你去村头喊陈泥匠，莫惊动其他人。老二老三，我们三个把爹老子的身体抬到坟里去。”大伯吩咐着。

“What can we do? While it's still dark, let’s hurry and bury him. Xiaoyang, go to the village entrance and call the bricklayer Chen. Don’t disturb anyone else. The second and third, the three of us will carry Dad's body to the grave,” my uncle commanded.

虽然大家都没说，但其实大家都心知肚明，发生了这种事情，是不可能大张旗鼓的办，更加不能让其他人晓得。否则的话，村里人肯定会闲言闲语，戳断我们家的脊梁骨。

Though no one said it, everyone understood that with something like this happening, it was impossible to make a fuss about it, especially not letting anyone else know. Otherwise, the villagers would definitely gossip and wreck our family's reputation.

穿上鞋子之后，我就朝着村头的方向走去。快出院子的时候，我回头看了一眼，发现我把他们三兄弟齐刷刷的跪在床边，恭恭敬敬的磕了三个头，然后才开始搬尸体。

After putting on my shoes, I headed towards the village entrance. Just as I was about to exit the courtyard, I turned back to take a look, and found the three brothers kneeling by the bed together, respectfully bowing three times before they started moving the corpse.

我走得很急，生怕这件事会被其他人看见。还好村里的路我都熟悉，否则天没亮走村路，非要摔跤不可。

I walked quickly, fearing that others would see this incident. Luckily, I was familiar with the paths in the village; otherwise, I would surely fall in the dark.

按照道理来说，盛夏的早晨不会太冷，加上我又是一路小跑，身体肯定不会觉得冷。

Logically speaking, it shouldn't be too cold on a summer morning, and since I was running, my body shouldn't feel cold at all.

但是我却是越走越冷，总感觉身后脖子有人在给我吹冷气。

But I felt colder and colder, sensing a chilling breeze blowing at my neck from behind.

农村的清晨，鸡都没叫，大家基本上都在睡觉，而且身后哪里有脚步声？更别说会有人给我吹冷气了。

In the rural morning, even the roosters hadn't crowed; everyone was essentially asleep. How could there be any footsteps behind me? Let alone someone giving me chills!

可如果没有人，那我脖子上的阵阵凉气到底是怎么来的？

But if there was no one, then where was the cold air on my neck coming from?

我很想回头看一眼，但是又想到老一辈教给我的，晚上走夜路不能回头，因为回头一次，就会把肩上的火焰吹灭一把，很容易招鬼！

I really wanted to turn back and take a look, but I recalled what my elders had taught me: never turn back when walking alone at night, because turning back even once would extinguish the flame on your shoulder and easily attract ghosts!

说实话，作为大学生的我，以前是从来不相信这些的，但是在遇到我爷爷这件事之后，我开始对我之前的世界观产生了怀疑。

To be honest, as a university student, I never believed in these things before, but after encountering the incident with my grandfather, I began to doubt my previous worldview.

因此，即便是莫须有，我也只是硬着头皮往前走，不肯回头！

So, even if it's groundless, I pushed forward with determination, refusing to turn back!

坚决不回头！

Absolutely no looking back!

好不容易挨到了陈泥匠的家门口，我发现我的后背都已经湿透了，大夏天的，竟然是冒冷汗冒的。

After what felt like ages, I finally reached the bricklayer Chen's house. I realized my back was completely soaked; despite it being summer, I was sweating cold sweat.

我尽量小声的喊着陈泥匠的称谓，生怕被隔壁的邻居们听见。

I tried to call out quietly to him, fearing the neighbors might overhear.

可是陈泥匠一直没有应我，我不得不开始敲门，声音越敲越大，陈泥匠的声音终于传来，问道：“谁啊？”

However, Chen didn't respond for a while, so I had to start knocking on the door, and the knocking grew louder. Finally, Chen's voice came from inside, asking, “Who is it?”

“陈叔，是我，小阳。”我低声回应着。

“Uncle Chen, it’s me, Xiaoyang.” I replied softly.

陈泥匠打开门，我简单的把事情小声的讲了一遍，陈泥匠的眉头也皱了起来，回屋拿了一个泥匠桶子，就和我一起去爷爷的坟地了。

Chen opened the door, and I explained the situation in hushed tones. His brows furrowed, and he went back inside to grab a bricklayer's bucket before heading to my grandfather's grave with me.

我们到坟地的时候，我大伯他们已经到了。我上前去看了一眼我爷爷的老屋（我们对坟的称谓），发现并没有被挖开的痕迹，只在坟顶上有一个洞，刚好容得下一个人进出。

When we arrived at the grave, my uncle and the others were already there. I approached to take a look at Grandpa’s old house (the term we use for the tomb) and found that there were no signs of it being dug up; there was just a hole at the top of the grave, just big enough for one person to enter and exit.

我准备走近点儿以便看清楚，却被我二伯催着回去。我想要留下来，他们都不允许，讲死者入土，隔代的亲人是不能到现场的。

I was about to step closer for a clearer view when my second uncle urged me to go back. I wanted to stay, but they wouldn’t allow it, saying that relatives from another generation shouldn’t be present when burying the deceased.

我虽然不晓得为么子，但还是听话的回去了。

Although I didn’t understand why, I obediently returned.

我爸他们一直弄到十点多的时候才回来。

My dad and the others toiled until past ten before they finally came back.

事情忙完了，大伯请陈泥匠到屋里吃饭，这是传统。

Things settled down, and my uncle invited Chen in for a meal, as was tradition.

席间，陈泥匠一直皱着眉头，好像有什么心事，我看了一眼我二伯，他和陈泥匠一样，也是眉头紧锁着。

During the meal, Chen kept frowning, as if preoccupied with something. I glanced at my second uncle; he looked just as furrowed in thought.

最后在我大伯的追问下，陈泥匠终于把他担心的事情讲了出来：“启东哥，这件事我看你还是再找个风水先生看哈子，廷公的坟有古怪。”

Finally, after persistent inquiry from my uncle, Chen voiced his concerns: “Qidong, I think you should find a feng shui master to take a look; there’s something odd about Tian Gong’s grave.”

“么子（什么）古怪？”

“What’s odd?”

陈泥匠没开口，我二伯却开口道：“如果是盗墓的人倒斗，从外往里挖，那么坟口子的开口方向应该是表面大，里面小，越挖越小，这个应该好理解。

Chen didn't respond, but my second uncle spoke up: “If it were grave robbers digging from the outside in, then the opening of the grave should be larger on the surface and smaller inside. This should be easy to understand.

但是爹老子的坟，大家刚刚都看到了，很明显是里面开口大，外面开口小——也就是讲，这个口子，是从里面往外面挖的！”

However, as we just saw, it’s quite clear that for Dad's grave, the opening is larger inside and smaller outside—meaning that the opening was made from the inside out!”

二伯顿了顿，继续道：“也就是讲，爹老子是他自己从坟里爬出来的！”

My second uncle paused and continued, “This means Dad must have climbed out of the grave himself!”

二伯的话，即使是在这大夏天里，也让在场的所有人背脊一阵发凉！

Even in the summer heat, my second uncle’s words sent chills down everyone’s spines!

如果真的像二伯说的那样，爷爷的尸体是自己从坟里爬出来的，那么这件事就已经不是科学能够解决的了。

If it were true, and Grandpa's corpse had climbed out of the grave by himself, then this matter was beyond scientific explanation.

总之，已经完全超出了我的理解范围。于是我试着去打破。

In short, it had completely surpassed my understanding. So I tried to break the silence.

“会不会是盗墓贼从其他地方打孔进到坟里，然后从里面打洞出来？这样看上去就好像是爷爷自己从里面挖洞出来一样。”我说出我的想法。

“Could it be that grave robbers dug a hole from another location into the grave, and then broke through from inside? That would make it look as if Grandpa dug out himself,” I suggested.

二伯点头表示有这个可能，但是陈泥匠却是摇摇头，猛吧咂吧咂几口旱烟之后，才缓缓说道：“修坟的时候，我就是怀疑小阳的想法，所以特地进坟里看过……”说完他接着摇摇头，没有把下文说完。

My second uncle nodded, acknowledging the possibility, but the bricklayer Chen shook his head. After a few puffs on his dry tobacco, he slowly replied, “When we were fixing the grave, I suspected what Xiaoyang suggested and specifically went inside to take a look…” Then he shook his head and didn’t finish his sentence.

但是大家都晓得，他摇头就表示没有其他人进去过。

But everyone understood that his shake was a signal that no one else had entered.

吃完饭后，我大伯要给陈泥匠包修爷爷老屋的红包，被陈泥匠拒绝了。他说这件事太邪乎，他也不晓得老屋该不该修，反正钱肯定是不得要咯。

After the meal, my uncle tried to give Chen a red envelope for fixing Grandpa’s old house, but Chen declined. He said this matter was too sinister, and he didn’t know if the old house should be repaired, but for sure, money wasn’t going to be accepted.

说完他转身就走了，边走还边在说，造孽啊，修了一辈子的老屋，还没碰到过啷个邪门儿的事。

After saying that, he turned to leave, muttering about how it was a terrible event, having never encountered anything so strange in his lifetime of fixing old houses.

等到陈泥匠走后，二伯讲他到镇上找个人。他没讲是找哪个，不过大家都晓得，他应该是去找陈泥匠口中的风水先生了。

After Chen left, my second uncle mentioned he was going to town to find someone. He didn't specify who he was looking for, but everyone knew he was probably going to find the feng shui master Chen mentioned.

整个白天，屋里的人都阴沉着脸，很显然是在担心爷爷的事情。一直到吃晚饭的时候，大伯才讲，他今天晚上去坟地里守一晚上，看看到底是哪个不长眼的狗东西敢动爹老子的老屋。

The whole day, the people in the house wore gloomy faces, clearly worried about Grandpa’s situation. It wasn't until dinner time that my uncle mentioned he would spend the night at the grave to find out who dared disturb Dad's old house.

他还是相信这是有人在乱搞。

He still believed someone was messing around.

我虽然害怕，但是还是坚持要跟着去。毕竟这是我爷爷，我不可能看到他的老屋被人刨开。

Though I was scared, I insisted on going along. After all, this was my grandfather; I couldn't just stand by while his old house was being dug up.

我爸见我态度坚决，没有多说什么，这件事他也没有了主意。不过吃完饭后，他也跟着我们来到了爷爷的坟边。

Seeing my firm determination, my father didn’t say much. He had no plans for this matter either, but after dinner, he came along with us to Grandpa’s grave.

这个时候天刚刚黑，大伯和我爸在附近找了些柴火，然后在不远处燃起了篝火，这不是为了取暖，而是为了照明。

At that moment, the sky had just darkened. My uncle and dad gathered some firewood nearby and lit a bonfire not far away; it wasn’t for warmth, but for light.

借着火光，我看见爷爷的坟墓安安静静的座立在那里，似乎和平常的坟墓没有什么两样。

By the firelight, I saw Grandpa’s grave standing quietly as usual, seemingly unchanged from any regular grave.

但是一想到爷爷从坟里爬出来，就觉得透露着一股子难以言喻的诡异。

But just thinking about Grandpa climbing out of the grave gave it an strangely eerie vibe.

仿佛是一头洪水猛兽，似乎只要一张嘴，就能把我们三人给全部吞没一样。

It felt like a fearsome flood beast that could swallow all three of us whole with just one open mouth.

三个人围坐在火堆旁，此时此刻也顾不得炎热了。再说了，不知道为什么，今天的天气竟然不是很热，即便是坐在火堆旁，都还是觉得后背有点冷。

The three of us sat around the fire; at this moment, we didn’t care about the heat. Oddly enough, it wasn’t very hot that evening; even sitting by the fire, I felt a coldness creeping on my back.

我不知道我爸和大伯是不是这样，我又不敢问，害怕他们担心。

I didn’t know if my dad and uncle felt the same; I didn’t dare ask, fearing it would worry them.

时间就这么流逝着，大伯和我爸都在有一茬没一茬的聊着，有时候甚至都牛头不对马嘴。

Time passed slowly. My uncle and dad chatted intermittently, sometimes even talking past each other.

我知道，他们两个心里其实也是害怕的，所以才会用这样的方法来转移注意力。

I knew they were both actually scared, which is why they were trying to distract themselves.

突然，我听到身后有脚步声响起，我立刻回头大喝一声：“谁？”

Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me, and I immediately turned around and shouted, “Who’s there?”

但是我什么也没看见。大伯和我爸问我怎么了，我说我听到有人走路的声音。

But I saw nothing. My uncle and dad asked what was wrong, and I told them I heard someone walking.

大伯和我爸对视了一眼，然后我爸说他去看看，让我待在这里别动。

They exchanged glances, then my dad said he would go take a look and told me to stay here.

说完话，我爸从火堆里拿了一根烧着的棍子当火把，又从一旁捡了一根木棒，这才朝着我身后的方向走去。

After saying that, my dad grabbed a burning stick from the bonfire as a torch and picked up a wooden stick from the side before heading toward the direction behind me.

我和大伯都站在篝火旁看着我爸，心里有些着急。爷爷的坟地虽然不算太偏，但是也绝对不是一般人都会来的地方。

My uncle and I stood by the bonfire watching my dad, feeling a bit anxious. Although Grandpa’s grave wasn’t too remote, it certainly wasn’t a place anyone would just come to at this hour.

这么晚了，到底会是谁来这边呢？

Who could it be, coming here so late?

“站住，别跑！”远处，我爸突然传来一声大喊，紧接着，我们就看见我爸钻入丛林里，他手上的那点火光随着时间的流逝越来越远，以至于最后被黑暗吞没。

“Stop! Don’t run!” from afar, my dad suddenly shouted, and just then we saw him disappear into the bushes, the little bit of firelight in his hand gradually fading away into the darkness.

有那么一刻，我很想哭。我害怕我爸会出什么意外，发生了这么多事，我已经再不能承受更多的打击了。

At that moment, I wanted to cry. I was afraid something might happen to my dad. With everything happening, I couldn't bear any more shocks.

我和大伯坐在篝火旁等了一会儿，时间至少已经过去半个小时了，但是我爸还没有回来。

My uncle and I sat by the fire for a while longer; at least half an hour passed, but my dad still hadn’t returned.

我开始有些着急了。大伯也是，他起身，对我说，我去寻你爹，要是我半个小时没回来，你就先回家去。

I was getting anxious. My uncle was too; he stood up and said, “I’ll go find your dad. If I’m not back in half an hour, you should go home first.”

大伯也去了，整个坟地就只剩下我一个人。

My uncle left, and soon I was the only one left at the grave.

四周一片漆黑，我很害怕，不敢往其他地方看，只好不断的往火堆里添加柴火，生怕这唯一的火光也熄灭了。

It was pitch black around me, and I was scared. I didn’t dare look elsewhere, so I just kept adding firewood to the bonfire, fearing the only source of light would extinguish.

我的后背还是好冷，于是我转过身来，准备烤一下后背，而且后背靠着火堆，面朝外面，也更安全一些。

My back remained cold, so I turned around to warm it and leaned against the fire, facing outward for safety.

我的手里握着手机，每隔一会儿就看一下时间。已经是晚上十一点多了，大伯离开也有二十分钟了，我开始越来越害怕，在这漆黑的夜里，在爷爷的坟地边上，我似乎都能听见自己的心跳和呼吸声。

I held my phone in hand, checking the time every few minutes. It was already past eleven at night; my uncle had been gone for twenty minutes, and my anxiety grew. In this pitch-black night, next to Grandpa’s grave, I could almost hear my heart beating and my breath.

“沙沙沙……”我突然听到有声音传来，而且，是从我爷爷老屋那边传来的！

“Rustle, rustle…” Suddenly, I heard a sound coming from the direction of my grandfather's old house!