还有一座坟

陈先生喊完，就慌不择路的跑了。中间还差点摔倒，幸好被紧随其后的二伯抓住了。可是陈先生并不在乎，还是一个劲儿没命的往前跑。

Mr. Chen shouted and then ran away in a panic, nearly tripping in the process. Thankfully, he was caught by his second uncle who was following closely behind. However, Mr. Chen didn't care and kept running with all his might.

他这一跑，大家都跟着跑了，那种场面，用一个以前学过的成语来形容，叫做，落荒而逃。

As soon as he ran, everyone followed suit; that scene can be described by an idiom I had learned before: "fleeing in disarray."

我跟在大伯身后，我爸在我侧身后，冥冥中我回头看了一眼，那诡异的一幕还在继续，这个场景深深的烙印在了我的脑海里，挥之不去。

I followed closely behind my uncle, and my dad was by my side. In a moment of intuition, I looked back, and the eerie scene continued, deeply etched in my mind and refusing to fade away.

进了村子之后，大家伙就都散开回自己的家了。我妈已经做好了饭菜，她还不知道已经找到了我爸，可是她还是和以前一样做好了饭菜等我们回来。

Once we entered the village, everyone scattered back to their homes. My mom had already prepared the meal; she still didn’t know that my dad had been found, yet she carried on, as always, preparing the food and waiting for us to come back.

当我妈看到我爸的那一刻，我才觉得，什么荣华富贵，其实都是假的，只有家人才是实实在在的。赚再多的钱又能怎么样，死了以后还不是一捧黄土？

The moment my mom saw my dad, I felt that all the riches and glory were ultimately insubstantial; only family was real. No matter how much money one earns, what does it matter when it all returns to dust after death?

我从来没有看见过我妈和我爸拥抱的样子，按照他们的说法，村里人不时兴这一套，可是就在那个夜晚，在昏暗的灯光下，我妈紧紧的抱着我爸哭泣，生怕一松手我爸就会消失一样。

I had never seen my mom and dad embrace before; according to them, villagers didn’t do such things. But that night, in the dim light, my mom held my dad tightly and cried, as if afraid he would disappear if she let go.

我不知道我妈在得知我爸失踪之后是什么样的状态，特别是她唯一的儿子还昏迷不醒，那个时候她，我想应该是人生最绝望的时刻。

I can’t imagine what my mom’s state was like after learning about my dad's disappearance, especially since her only son was unconscious. At that time, she must have felt at her most desperate.

还好她挺了过来，现在她的丈夫和儿子都平安无事，这也算是爷爷去世以后，唯一的幸事了。

Fortunately, she pulled through. Now her husband and son were safe, which could be considered the only good fortune since grandpa’s passing.

陈先生的家在镇上，天已经黑了，他不可能再回去，只好留在我家住一宿。自从他进门以来，我就看见他一副惊魂未定的样子，时不时的还会看一看院子外面。

Mr. Chen's home was in town, and it was already dark; he couldn't go back and had to stay at our house for the night. Since he entered, I could see he was still in shock, occasionally glancing outside the courtyard.

而他看的那个方向，如果我没记错，就是我爷爷老屋的方向。

The direction he was looking, if I remembered correctly, was toward my grandpa's old house.

饭桌上，陈先生的双手都还在颤抖，似乎还在害怕。大伯和二伯没有说什么，我也只好安安静静的吃饭，什么也没问。毕竟我也害怕问了之后，会惊吓到我妈。

At the dinner table, Mr. Chen's hands were still trembling, seemingly still frightened. My uncle and second uncle didn’t say anything, and I could only eat in silence, not daring to ask questions. After all, I was afraid that asking would frighten my mom.

陈泥匠死了，毫无征兆的死在了自家的院子里。这是晚饭后村里传开的一件事。二伯前去查看了一下，他是警察，有这方面的权力。

Chen the carpenter had died suddenly in his own yard. This was the news that spread in the village after dinner. My second uncle went to check; he was a police officer and had the authority to do so.

回来的时候，他说初步判断，认为是心肌梗死，也就是通畅讲的心脏病突发死了。

When he returned, he made a preliminary judgment, believing it was a myocardial infarction, or in common terms, a sudden heart attack.

这个判断很难让人信服，因为万鼠拜坟的事情已经在村里流传开了。那么多老鼠闹出来的动静，不可能瞒得住。

This judgment was hard to accept because the rumor about the rats paying respects at graves had already spread in the village. The noise made by so many rats couldn’t possibly be concealed.

甚至已经开始有人谣传，凡是沾了我爷爷坟的人，都要死。一时间，人心惶惶，所有人都不敢和我们家接触了。

Some even began to spread rumors that anyone who had stood near my grandpa's grave would die. For a time, everyone was in a panic, and no one dared to have contact with our family.

吃了晚饭之后，大伯说要去陈泥匠家守灵。这是必须的规矩。因为不管怎么说，陈泥匠的死都和我家有关。

After dinner, my uncle said he would go to Chen the carpenter's house to keep vigil. This was necessary and a tradition. After all, no matter how you looked at it, Chen the carpenter's death was related to our family.

我说我也要去，大伯害怕会出事，一开始是拒绝的。可是陈先生却说，他去去也好，于是就跟着大伯二伯前往村头的陈泥匠家。

I said I wanted to go too, but my uncle initially refused out of fear that something might happen. However, Mr. Chen said it was fine for him to go, so he followed my uncle and second uncle to Chen the carpenter's house at the village entrance.

我没想到的是，陈先生也跟着过来了。只不过他一直走在后面，不说一句话。

What I didn’t expect was that Mr. Chen also came along, though he kept walking behind and didn’t say a word.

陈泥匠家的灵堂已经搭好了。因为他没有子嗣，所以对于他的死因并没有人愿意去深究。

Chen the carpenter’s funeral altar was already set up. Since he had no children, no one was willing to delve deeply into the cause of his death.

否则按照我二伯的说法，要去镇上甚至是市里面做法医鉴定，谁愿意为了一个不相干的人出这份钱，谁又愿意为了他耗费人力物力？

Otherwise, according to my second uncle, they would have to go to town or even the city to conduct a forensic examination. Who would be willing to spend money for someone they had no connection with, and who would want to waste human resources on him?

因此，经过村支书和村里的一些老人商量后，决定由大家凑钱，给陈泥匠摆三天的道场后，就下葬。

Thus, after discussions among the village head and some elders, they decided to pool money together, set up a three-day ceremony for Chen the carpenter, and then bury him.

到了陈泥匠的灵堂后，发现只有一个王二狗在看灵。不过想想也对，没有谁愿意和陈泥匠拉扯上太多的关系。

When we arrived at Chen the carpenter's altar, we found only one Wang Ergou watching over him. It made sense; no one wanted to be too closely associated with Chen the carpenter.

可王二狗不一样，他是个酒鬼，而且还是个单身汉，只要给他点钱，给点酒，他什么都愿意干。

But Wang Ergou was different; he was a drunkard and also a bachelor. As long as you gave him some money and booze, he was willing to do anything.

看到我们来了，王二狗就跌跌撞撞的走了。等王二狗走后，二伯叫我去把院子的门关上。

When he saw us arrive, Wang Ergou stumbled away. After he left, my second uncle told me to close the courtyard door.

回来的时候，大伯和二伯正忙着生火，陈先生站在陈泥匠的灵堂前，上了三炷香。

When I came back, my uncle and second uncle were busy starting a fire, and Mr. Chen was in front of Chen the carpenter's altar, offering three sticks of incense.

陈先生上完香后，叫我跪在灵堂前，给陈泥匠磕三个头。虽然不知道原因，但是我还是照做了。不管怎么说，陈先生可是救过我爸命的人，他的本事还是有的，不得不佩服。

After honoring the incense, Mr. Chen told me to kneel in front of the altar and bow three times to Chen the carpenter. Although I didn’t understand why, I complied. After all, Mr. Chen was the one who had saved my dad’s life; I had to admire him.

如果我的大学老师，知道我佩服一个搞封建迷信的人，估计会跳起来指着我的鼻子骂。

If my university professors knew that I admired someone engaged in feudal superstition, they would probably jump up and scold me, pointing their fingers at my nose.

大伯和二伯生完火后，也给陈泥匠敬了三炷香。我大伯还对着陈泥匠的灵位讲，陈老弟，小阳哈是个娃娃，你就算有么子心愿，也不要找他，你找我，做大哥的帮你完成。

Once my uncle and second uncle finished with their incense, they also offered three sticks to Chen the carpenter. My uncle even spoke to Chen the carpenter's spirit, saying, "Brother Chen, Xiao Yang is just a child; even if you have some wish, don’t seek him out; come to me, your elder brother, and I will help fulfill it."

一切都弄完了之后，我们四个人就坐在陈泥匠的灵堂前，院子里燃着篝火，和之前一样，这也不是为了取暖，而是为了照明。

After everything was finished, we four sat in front of Chen the carpenter's altar. A bonfire was lit in the courtyard, not for warmth, but for illumination.

火光摇曳，印在大伯他们的脸上，岁月在他们脸上留下的痕迹在火光下显得更加沧桑。我看见他们都紧皱着眉头，知道他们肯定是有什么心事。

The flickering flames cast shadows on the faces of my uncles, the traces of time becoming more pronounced in the firelight. I could see that they were all frowning, clearly troubled by something.

特别是陈先生也跟着我们来陈泥匠家守灵，这有些不合情理，想来应该是有什么事要说，但是在我家又不方便讨论。

Especially since Mr. Chen had also come to keep watch at Chen the carpenter's house, it seemed unreasonable, suggesting there was something he wanted to say that wasn't convenient to discuss at our home.

果然，还是我二伯最先开口说话：“老同学，这里也莫外人，你有么子话就直接讲。”

Sure enough, it was my second uncle who spoke first: "Old classmate, there are no outsiders here; if you have something to say, just say it directly."

陈先生抽了一口旱烟，没有开口讲话。大伯和二伯也没有再急着追问，而是耐心的等待着。

Mr. Chen took a puff of his pipe but didn’t speak. My uncle and second uncle also didn’t press further, patiently waiting.

陈先生又抽了一口烟，看了我一眼，然后问我，小娃娃抽烟不？

After another puff, Mr. Chen glanced at me and then asked, "Kid, do you smoke?"

我摇头说不抽。

I shook my head and said I didn’t smoke.

陈先生点点头，讲，好角色。不抽烟是好事。以后也莫抽。等你大学毕业了，到外头找个地方安顿下来，就莫要回来咯。

Mr. Chen nodded and said, "That's good; not smoking is a good thing. After you graduate from college, find a place to settle down, and don’t come back here."

我讲这儿是我老家。

I replied that this was my hometown.

陈先生笑到起讲，穷山恶水的，有么子好住的。老不老家的有么子关系？等你到外头安了家，你的娃娃的老家不就是外头了嘛。

Mr. Chen laughed and said, "In this poor and harsh land, what's good to live in? What does it matter if it's your old home? Once you settle down outside, your children’s hometown will be there."

就像你爷爷到这里安了家，所以这里就是你老家一样。

Just like your grandpa settled here, thus this became your old home.

我不清楚陈先生为什么会突然和我讲这些，毕竟我和陈先生还是第一次见面，但是他好像又和我很熟的样子。

I was unclear as to why Mr. Chen would suddenly say this to me since this was our first meeting. Yet, he seemed to speak as though he knew me well.

陈先生讲完这些之后，拍了拍我的肩膀，然后对我二伯讲，你爹老子的尸体就不要再去找咯，你找也找不到滴。

After saying that, Mr. Chen patted my shoulder and then told my second uncle, "Don't try to look for your father’s body; you won’t find it."

我二伯还没开口，我大伯就不同意了，他讲人死为大，都讲究一个入土为安，要是连爹老子的尸体都找不到，等我死以后，哪有脸下去见他？

Before my second uncle could respond, my uncle disagreed, saying that death is paramount; there is a principle of being buried peacefully. If you can’t even find your father’s body, how can you face him when you die?

陈先生摇摇头，讲，你就算下去了（我们这边一般不说死了，而是换了个说法，叫做“下去了”），也是见不到他咯。

Mr. Chen shook his head, saying, "Even if you go down (we generally don’t say someone has died but use a euphemism like 'gone down'), you still won't see him."

二伯问，为么子？

My second uncle asked, "Why not?"

陈先生叹息一声，狠狠的吸了一口烟，然后才讲，你爹老子沉寂了大半辈子，么想到临死的时候玩了啷个一手。

Mr. Chen sighed deeply and took a long drag from his pipe before continuing, "Your father has been entangled for most of his life, and who would have thought that right before death, he played such a trick?"

我这么跟你讲，人都有三魂七魄，你晓得吧？

Let me tell you, every person has three souls and seven spirits; you know that, right?

人死了之后，这些三魂七魄是要离开身体的，但是呢，你爹老子把他自己的魂魄困到了他的身体里，所以，就算是你下去了，也是看不到他滴。

When a person dies, these three souls and seven spirits are supposed to leave the body. However, your father trapped his own soul within his body, so even if you go down, you won't be able to see him.

我们三个都听傻了！特别是我，一个接受了十几年辩证唯物主义教育的人，听到一个中年人讲这个世界上存在三魂七魄，更是一种莫名的荒诞。

The three of us were stunned! Especially me, having received over ten years of education in dialectical materialism; hearing a middle-aged man speak of three souls and seven spirits existing in this world was absurd beyond belief.

他这不是摆明了讲，这个世界上存在鬼么？这叫我十几年竖立起来的世界观，一时无法接受。

Isn’t he outright saying there are ghosts? This challenged the world view I had built over many years, and I found it hard to accept.

而且陈先生讲的，不仅仅只是存在鬼那么简单，而是还能把这个东西困到尸体里面，这就更加难以让人接受了。

Moreover, what Mr. Chen said wasn’t just about the existence of ghosts; it implied that one could trap these souls inside a corpse, which made it even harder for me to accept.

如果没有遇到这些事情，我肯定会给陈先生冠上一个封建迷信的帽子。我大伯二伯也很难以接受，可他们难以接受的是，我爷爷的灵魂不能轮回转世这件事，而不是世界观的问题。

Had I not encountered these events, I would surely have labeled Mr. Chen as a practitioner of feudal superstition. My uncle and second uncle also found it hard to accept, but what they struggled with was the issue of my grandpa's soul not being able to reincarnate, rather than the worldview itself.

所以我没有说话，等着陈先生继续说下去。可是大伯却焦急的问陈先生，我爹老子为么子要啷个做？

So I remained silent, waiting for Mr. Chen to continue speaking. But my uncle, however, asked anxiously, "Why would my father do that?"

陈先生又重重的吸了一口烟，这才继续讲，这个等哈子再讲，我问你们，你们晓不晓得，廷公那座坟有问题？

Mr. Chen took another heavy drag from his pipe before continuing, "This can wait; let me ask you, do you know if there’s a problem with the tomb of Lord Ting?"

下葬之前肯定不知道，但是现在就算是我都知道这坟肯定有问题了。要是没问题，我爷爷又怎么可能三番两次的爬出来？

Before the burial, they surely didn’t know, but now, even I know that there must be an issue with that tomb. If there were no problem, how could my grandpa have crawled out so many times?

但是问题出在哪里，我们都不晓得。

But where the problem lies, none of us knew.

陈先生看了看我，又看了看大伯二伯，这才语不惊人死不休的讲道：“廷公的坟下面，还有一座坟！”

Mr. Chen looked at me, then at my uncle and second uncle, and then astoundingly declared, "Under Lord Ting's tomb, there is another grave!"