A small plot of land in a mountain village

Chapter 91 Inscription

The weather cleared up after the fishermen returned from outside the village, and the rainy days were over. This relieved the villagers who were worried about drying their rice, as any more rain would have caused the rice to sprout.

The weather was nice, and the muddy streams in the farmland below the mountain had receded, leaving a yellow watermark on the edge of the fields, proving that the stream had once risen to this level.

Many vegetables were soaked in the stream for a day, covered in mud, which shows how fierce the flood was.

As the floodwaters receded, small puddles remained along the edges of the fields, each teeming with fish. This morning, walking along the road, I saw a large group of children gathered around these puddles, using nets to catch fish.

The little girl held a clear glass bottle with a green seaweed inside. She would giggle as she put in a small fish or shrimp.

After a heavy rain, the dirt road at the foot of the mountain became muddy. A thick layer of yellow dust stuck to my slippers, making me feel taller as I walked.

Many villagers outside began to lay out bamboo mats along the roadside, taking advantage of the good sunshine to quickly bring out their rice to dry.

I saw my dad pulling his tricycle up the road.

"Dad, where are you going to take this to dry in the sun?" He hurriedly went to the back of the tricycle to help push it.

The roads are slippery when it rains, making it difficult to ride a tricycle, especially since the cargo bed is filled with several baskets of rice.

I pushed my tricycle to the gravel road leading to Shan Kaixin Xiaozhu. There was an open space there, perfect for drying rice.

The two men carried the rice stalks down. They hadn't brought bamboo mats from home, but they had brought a bundle of plastic sheeting.

I poured the grains out of the basket; the top layer didn't feel warm yet, but the grains at the bottom were already starting to heat up. The grains weren't fully dried before being pressed down, and they're already generating heat. If it rains for a few more days, the grains at the bottom of the basket will sprout tiny green shoots.

Besides bringing the plastic film, they also brought a bamboo fence, which looks similar to Pigsy's nine-toothed rake. It can be used in the afternoon to turn the dried grains more evenly.

This year, Zhang Niu planted less rice because he didn't want to plant more. Too much land would ruin his health. He just planted some glutinous rice so he could make rice wine in the fall.

Rural people work from dawn till dusk. Especially those who are hardworking, they look like they are sixty when they are forty, with gray hair and hunched backs.

Zhang Niu told his father to work less, because health is the most important thing now; when illness strikes, it's like a mountain collapsing.

The grains are dried on a plastic film. Since Zhang Niu lives nearby, he can come over in the afternoon and comb them evenly.

If the weather is good, you can remove the husks in two or three days and carefully select out all the empty husks from the grains.

Having nothing to do, Zhang Niu returned to Happy Cottage. He prepared to go into the orchard to take a look; it had become a habit, and if he didn't go that day, he felt like something was missing.

Looking at the green fruit on the tree, Zhang Niu figured the cherries would be ripe in about two weeks. He had picked a few a few a few days ago, but they tasted bitter.

Once the cherries ripen, the peaches, bayberries, plums, and pears will follow suit, and I'll probably be busy then. The fruit trees closer to where I live are growing exceptionally well. But in more remote corners, the difference between the two is quite significant.

Unconsciously, they walked to a corner near the mountain. This place led directly into the mountains, and Zhang Niu had never planted any thorny trees here. It was just to make it easier for him to enter the mountains; he usually just placed some branches here to conceal the entrance.

Looking at the sparse fruit in the corner, it seems that I have neglected to water quite a few fruit trees with the space water.

Looking at the fruit trees ahead, Zhang Niu wasn't watching his footing when suddenly his footing gave way, and he fell forward with a "thud" onto the ground. "What happened? Why did we fall like this?" was Zhang Niu's thought as he fell.

I stood up and brushed the dirt off myself. I realized I was standing lower than others. No wonder I tripped and fell.

The ground has sunk 30 centimeters, forming a depression where Zhangniu is now standing. It also contains a lot of yellow muddy water.

He jumped up. Zhang Niu plopped down under the fruit tree, staring at the hollow in front of him.

The long, narrow depression is about four meters long. It's located in a very remote corner, and no fruit trees have been planted there; instead, it's overgrown with weeds.

This place is really strange. I've never heard of land sinking down like this, and even if it did, it couldn't be this big. If you came here at night, you really wouldn't notice it.

Zhang Niu sat there pondering, racking his brains but unable to come up with a solution. He could only suggest that the soil would become unstable on a rainy day. He would fill in the depression when he had time.

Never mind, I'm going home.

In the orchard, the melon seedlings planted among the fruit trees are now beginning to spread green vines.

I went inside to wash my face and saw the little one sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the TV.

I don't know if buying this TV was a good thing or a bad thing. Now the little one sits quietly watching Animal World. Every time an animal appears on screen, he waves his paws at it.

Last time I saw an Amazonian man-eating crocodile on TV, I was so excited that I squealed and immediately called out the thug hiding under the headboard. I even compared myself to the crocodile on TV.

As Zhang Niu sat on his bedside pondering matters that night, he suddenly heard, "Recently, in the suburbs of XX province, an ancient tomb that had been excavated by grave robbers has been discovered..."

The word "ancient tomb" caught Zhang Niu's attention; he noticed that his own features resembled those of an ancient tomb.

None of the famous officials in his area had ever heard of it, so how could there be an ancient tomb? He couldn't help but laugh, realizing he was being too presumptuous.

Despite my thoughts, I still watched some TV. It was about an ancient tomb that had been excavated, and all the valuable treasures inside were taken away by tomb raiders, causing considerable losses to the country.

Zhang Niu wasn't very interested in the various stories told inside. However, he became interested in the ancient tomb in the pit and the inscription on the stone tablet.

Archaeological activities are now flourishing in many places, with enthusiasts going on mountain adventures in hopes of getting rich overnight. Even the world's top ten treasures have been revealed, attracting a large number of enthusiasts to travel to various countries.

Zhang Niu scoffed at the idea of ​​archaeology. He felt that archaeology was almost the same as tomb raiding. Only the terminology was different; both involved excavating the tombs of predecessors and boasting about one's achievements.

I remember a family in a town near Zhangjia Village who claimed to have dreamt one night that their ancestors said they had buried treasure. Afterwards, that family demolished their mud house and hired a construction team to dig. Back then, Zhang Niu's school wasn't a boarding school. He would run there after school.

The neighbors pointed and whispered among themselves. The family ignored it, firmly believing their ancestors' words were true. When they dug three meters down, they found an entrance and led their relatives inside.

According to later accounts, the tunnels in that area were very long, at least a dozen kilometers long, and were said to lead into the mountains. There were many white skeletons left in the tunnels, and not many other valuable items, except for about a hundred rifles.

It was said to be a rifle, but nothing else came of it. The tunnel entrance was then sealed with cement, and a small villa was built on top of it, which caused quite a stir.

Now Zhang Niu can see that magnificent villa whenever he goes to town.

I don't understand why I would think of this kind of thing when I see tomb raiding. Do all young people have this kind of impulse?

That night, Zhang Niu dreamt that he found himself holding a huge pile of antiques and laughing heartily.

In the darkness, a rumbling sound rang out.

The sound did prompt the wolves to rush over and investigate, but they found nothing.

When Zhang Niu woke up early in the morning, he realized he was holding a little one. He vaguely remembered holding something in his dream, and the little one was still fast asleep.

After breakfast, Zhang Niu picked up a hoe and planned to cover up the hole from yesterday.

Arriving at the same place as yesterday, Zhang Niu muttered, "Ah, why has this place sunken down so much overnight?" What puzzled Zhang Niu was that a stone tablet was protruding in the middle of the long, narrow depression.

"Huh, why is there a stone tablet here?" I've heard that there are boundary markers in the mountains and forests. Could this be a mountain and forest boundary marker? I should go down and take a look.

Zhang Niu jumped down into the depression. The pit seemed a bit deeper than yesterday, and there was also a stone tablet that had inexplicably appeared. He squatted down in front of the stone tablet and reached out to wipe off the yellow mud on it, but to his surprise, the words "boundary marker" did not appear.

Forest boundary markers are square stones with these two characters engraved on them, standing at the edge of forests. You can still find them in many farmlands or in village alleys.

Wiping away the dirt, instead of the words "boundary marker," it was covered with densely engraved small characters, all in ancient script. Zhang Niu could vaguely recognize a few.

Zhang Niu, squatting there, was completely baffled. Suddenly, the words "ancient tomb" from last night came to mind. Could this be an inscription on an ancient tombstone?

The stone tablet wasn't very heavy, only about a hundred pounds, but Zhang Niu strained with all his might. Holding the tablet, he shouted "Lift!" The tablet started to wobble slightly at the bottom. Gritting his teeth, he shouted "Lift!" again.

Zhang Niu pulled the stone tablet, which had been uprooted from the ground, out of his hands and laid it flat on the ground next to the fruit tree.

The water underfoot flowed into the hole that had just been dug out, making a dripping sound.

"Is it empty down there?" He couldn't help but walk to the entrance of the hole. He listened quietly as he approached the entrance.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, this time Zhang Niu heard it clearly, "It really is empty down there." But he quickly realized, how could there be a cemetery in his orchard?

Zhang Niu was at a loss, seeing many treasures in tombs on TV. But the thought of the traps and mechanisms inside sent chills down his spine.

Nowadays, the dead are simply cremated and the matter is over. Unlike in ancient times, when people had to choose auspicious burial sites to ensure their descendants' well-being. It was incredibly troublesome.

Zhang Niu returned to the fruit trees and looked at the inscription on the ground. He never expected to find this in his own orchard.

If you can figure out what's written on it, you can find out what it is. I quickly remembered Uncle San in the village; wasn't he well-versed in ancient history? Going to him would be the right thing to do.

He didn't even take a shovel or anything; he just carried the stone tablet on his back and headed home.

The stone tablet weighed about a hundred pounds. The road wasn't far, but Zhang Niu still had to rest several times along the way.

"What are you carrying back?"

Turning around, I saw it was Liang Shanhui, who was there to get the vegetables. "He just wanted to see what was written on it."

Liang Shan laughed and joked, "What characters are you so interested in? It's not some inscription on a tombstone in the mountains, is it?"

Liang Shan's guess was spot on! "I'm planning to let Third Uncle take a look and see what this thing is."

My third uncle's extensive literacy was unknown to everyone in the village, and he had even been a teacher before.

They tied the stone tablet to the back of the motorcycle and drove towards their third uncle.

"Third Uncle, are you home?" someone called out from outside the door.

"Who is it? Are you home? The door's unlocked, come in!" a voice came from inside.

In rural areas, there's always a door in the front yard. It's usually ajar; if it were anyone else, Zhang Niu would have already pushed it in, but here he has to behave himself.

He opened the wooden door with his head and went inside. His third uncle, who had just come out of the courtyard, saw Zhang Niu carrying a stone slab and asked, "What brings you here?"

He gently placed the stone tablet on the ground, wiped his sweat, and said, "It's all for this stone tablet." He pointed to the stone tablet covered in yellow earth on the ground.

"A stone tablet?" Uncle San initially thought it was a stone slab, but now he saw that it was covered with yellow mud.

"I found it in my orchard, so I brought it here for you to take a look at," he said, scratching his head sheepishly.

"You, you didn't study enough. Now you know you don't recognize it, do you? There's a well over there. Wash yourself clean first." Uncle San was actually a little curious about why Zhang Niu would take a stone tablet down like that.

Since we're going to read the words on the stone tablet, Uncle San should go back and put on his reading glasses.

The well water, drawn at this time of year, is warm and inviting. Standing at the wellhead and looking down, you can see several red goldfish swimming around. Many people in the countryside like to keep a few fish in their wells—a living well that keeps fish alive.

Holding a bamboo brush used for washing clothes, he brushed away the dirt, revealing small characters arranged in rows. After cleaning, a white stone tablet appeared before him. The small characters in many places had become blurred, and the edges of the tablet were also broken, clearly indicating that it had been buried underground for a long time.

The third uncle who came out was wearing black reading glasses and holding a magnifying glass in his hand.

The third uncle, who had just entered, couldn't help but let out a soft "Eh!" He immediately recognized it as a burial tablet. "Zhang Niu, this is a burial tablet! Tell me honestly, where did you dig this up? This is disturbing the peace of the dead!" he said, his face filled with anger.

My third uncle is actually the least likely person to disturb the peace of the dead. He gets a little annoyed as soon as he sees them.

Zhang Niu hurriedly stood up and explained, "Third Uncle, listen to me, don't rush. You also need to think about whether I have the guts to dig it up."

That's true. "Then continue. If you don't come up with something good, don't blame your uncle for getting angry."

It was all Zhang Niu's fault for not explaining clearly when he came in. He hurriedly said, "I found this stone tablet in my orchard. There was a large depression in the ground where the stone tablet was exposed. I was just curious, so I brought it back." He rubbed his hands together and chuckled.

"You came from an orchard?" Still a little skeptical, he looked at Zhang Niu, trying to see if he was lying.

Zhang Niu knew his third uncle, but he still didn't quite believe him. "Third Uncle, once you've checked this tombstone, I'll take you there to see for yourself. Then you'll know if I'm lying or not." Words can't be trusted; seeing is believing.

"It's not that Uncle doesn't believe you, but this inscription shouldn't exist in our place. I'd better take a look first." Uncle was still interested in the inscription; those who have read a lot about history naturally have the desire to study it.

He crouched down and moved the magnifying glass over each word, his expression changing several times. Zhang Niu, standing nearby, had no idea what his third uncle was seeing.

After looking at it several times, he stood up and said, "The stone tablet you brought back is an inscription from the Tang Dynasty."

"Ah, the Tang Dynasty?" This surprised Zhang. Taking back the stone tablet and saying it was from the Tang Dynasty was like suddenly being told that he had won five million in the lottery.

"Okay, take the stone tablet home. I'll explain in more detail later." He patted his back a few times, then turned and went inside.

He carried the still-wet stone tablet into the room.

"Just put it in that corner, be gentle, there's a towel there to wipe it clean." The third uncle, sitting in the chair, looked visibly tired.

"kindness."

Pick up a towel and wipe the stone tablet clean.

"This stone tablet is preliminarily determined to be from the Tang Dynasty. The small characters carved on it all belong to the Tang Dynasty, and the content of it roughly mentions the Tang Dynasty," said Min Kou Cha.

The inscriptions usually consist of between one hundred and two hundred characters, briefly recounting the person's life.

Zhang Niu listened attentively.

Seeing that Zhang Niu did not interrupt, the third uncle continued his story.

"This inscription tells the story of a clan chief."

"What? The clan chief? Zhang Niu thought he was some important figure, but it turns out he's a clan chief."

"Yes, he was from a southern province. His life story is quite simple. It revolves around the life of the clan leader. He died at the age of fifty-one, which is considered a long life. However, it's a pity that much of the writing below is illegible."

"I never expected that a clan leader could emerge from this place. But why would he be buried here? Is it written on this?" he asked curiously.

"That's why I said it's a pity. The handwriting has become blurred over time, which is why I let you move in. We'll take another look later." Uncle San said helplessly when talking about the blurred handwriting.

"Then what about the stone objects you found around this stele?" he asked hurriedly, inquiring about anything else nearby.

"No, it's just a corner of the stone tablet protruding from the depression, that's why we moved it back." He explained in detail what he saw there.

"Then let's go take a look." Uncle San was very excited when he thought of this, because there was a clan chief's tomb in his mountain village.

Zhang Niu was a little worried about his third uncle's health.

Uncle San noticed Zhang Niu's worry at a glance and chuckled, "It's alright, you can walk a few steps, don't worry."

Since his third uncle had already spoken, Zhang Niu didn't say anything more. He packed his things and headed towards Happy Cottage.

Update: I've been a bit busy these past few days, sorry for the inconvenience. Please vote for me!