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墨書 Inktalez
The sun was blazing.
As the saying goes, it's nice to rest under a big tree.
A gentle breeze swept through the myriad of grass and trees, creating ripples on the river's surface.
In an instant, I felt a wave of tranquility, leaning against the tree, I dozed off again.
When I opened my eyes once more, the sun had dipped low in the west, and the mountains on the horizon slowly swallowed it whole.
Another evening breeze rustled the leaves by my ear, while my stomach grumbled in response.
The clouds in the sky were either tinged with a hint of red or seemed ready to disperse or gather together.
I turned over, enduring the pain as I stood up; I was simply too hungry to ignore it any longer.
The water of the Min River had receded somewhat. Venturing deeper into the mountains, I found some wild fruits to satisfy my hunger. By the time I returned to the riverbank, the moon had already risen, and a few scattered stars twinkled in the sky.
In the river, the moon seemed to have "fallen" into it, creating an indescribably beautiful scene.
I sat by the riverbank, biting into the wild fruit while gazing at the moon, feeling a pang of longing for my grandfather back home. I wondered how he was doing all alone.
Lost in thought, I took another bite of the wild fruit and chewed it slowly.
After some time, I cupped some water in my hands and splashed it on my face.
At that moment, suddenly a song rang out. "Don’t be afraid! No matter how fierce and relentless the flying stones are, they won’t break us. Next year, this place will bloom with flowers again. We’ve grown accustomed to shouting our hometown dialect; there’s nothing in our dictionary that means fear."
The singing drew closer, thick with a Sichuan accent. The sorrow flowed freely under the moonlight, and I felt a warmth at the corners of my eyes.
A small Fish Lantern glowed brightly in the center of the river as the song continued:
"Hey zo hey, we brave the rough waves oh
Hey zo
Hey zo hey, together we greet the rapids oh
Hey zo
Hey zo hey, everyone working together
Hey zo
Hey zo hey, we climb over dangerous shoals oh
Hey zo..."
A bamboo raft floated on the water, with a bamboo pole submerged beneath the surface, coming into my view.
I gathered my thoughts; leaving this place was crucial. I shouted at the raft, "Hey, big brother, can you take me across?"
"What did you say?" a voice called back from the river.
I continued to shout loudly, "Big brother, can you give me a ride?"
"I can give you a ride, but I can't take you across. Just wait a moment; I'll paddle over."
I responded with an acknowledgment.
With the sound of splashing water from the bamboo pole, the raft approached. The big brother wore a straw hat around his neck, a sleeveless shirt on his upper body, coarse linen pants on his lower body, and a pair of straw sandals. His skin was dark, and he carried a Fish Lantern. He smiled widely, revealing very white teeth, and appeared to be around forty years old.
"Come aboard!" he said.
I stepped onto the bamboo raft but nearly lost my balance and almost fell off. The big brother steadied me and said, "Make sure to hold your ground! I'm about to set off."
I adjusted my balance as water surged through the gaps in the raft, rising to my ankles.
The big brother continued to sing:
"A battle without enemies, only relatives,
The weapon is every greeting from those with yellow skin.
A hard bone and two ounces of old white liquor,
We fight until the end.
Though the roads in Shu are difficult,
We merely shout our calls."
Chuanlu Danger Again
"At most, it will just wear out our clothes."
Heaven can convict us at will,
We do not understand kneeling,
Life and death are just a nap."
I listened quietly, unable to resist asking, "Big Brother, what song is this? It's really nice!"
Brother Ferryman scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "This is our Chuanjiang's chant. Everyone who works on the boat knows how to shout a line or two."
"Big Brother, can you teach me to shout a couple of lines?" I asked.
Brother Ferryman readily agreed.
Then he sang a line, and I followed:
"Rise up, invincible,
Together we chant the spell,
Let Heaven see what our temper is like,
Surviving is the greatest victory,
Rest in peace, dear departed,
Let us, the living, strive."
Brother Ferryman taught me, "You can't sing it like that. You have to sing it in the local dialect; otherwise, it loses its original flavor."
I tried to sing in the local dialect, but it still lacked the charm of Brother Ferryman's voice.
I asked, "Big Brother, why are you still working in the river at night?"
Brother Ferryman replied, "There's been flooding lately, and with more water, there are more fish. So I come out at night to fish; the fish are sluggish at night and easier to catch."
I thought about it and realized that many things are better done at night.
Brother Ferryman, with a hint of his accent, asked me, "What are you doing out here alone at this late hour?"
I couldn't tell him the truth, so I said, "I'm an adventure enthusiast who got lost in the mountains at night."
"Oh..." Brother Ferryman responded. Then he added, "Little brother, you're not from around here, are you?"
I nodded.
"That explains it; I can't believe you'd dare to come here alone for an adventure," Brother Ferryman said, sounding somewhat apprehensive.
My curiosity was piqued, and I asked, "What's wrong with this place?"
Brother Ferryman took a deep breath.
At that moment, the bright moon was climbing higher in the sky, and the sound of water splashing from his bamboo pole was crisp.
Brother Ferryman said, "This stretch of river is quite sinister; many people have drowned here, including some top-notch experts in breath-holding. They drowned right here. Many seasoned boatmen have also rowed through this area and ended up sinking."
Hearing him say this made me realize that this stretch of river was different from where we had entered before. However, there didn't seem to be anything particularly strange about it.
So I said, "Big Brother, there's nothing unusual about this place!"
He chuckled a few times and said, "Little brother, you're young and unaware of danger! Let me tell you a story."
I readily replied, "I'm all ears."
Brother Ferryman cleared his throat a few times before he began, “This story happened a few years ago…”
“There was a village nearby, where the people had fished in this river for generations. Although life was not prosperous, we were content and did not complain. During festivals, we would even pay homage to the River God.
One day, as usual, the villagers went fishing, but that day something went wrong. None of the fishermen returned; they simply vanished without a trace.
The villagers searched downstream for dozens of miles but found no bodies.
Rumors began to spread about water ghosts, claiming they had dragged the fishermen away. These water ghosts were said to have green faces and sharp teeth, devouring anyone they encountered in a single bite.
During that time, whispers circulated everywhere, causing people from miles around to avoid fishing in this river.
Yet, some still dared to defy the warnings, and they too met with tragic ends.
The villagers even hired shamans to perform rituals, but it was all in vain. From then on, no one dared to visit the river again.
In search of a way to survive, the villagers gradually left until only a few households remained.”
After listening to Brother Ferryman’s tale, I couldn’t deny much of it. However, I had seen a water ghost myself; it certainly didn’t have a green face or sharp teeth, and it couldn’t devour a person in one bite!
My brother spoke with such vividness that it felt as if he had experienced it firsthand.
I pondered silently; unless he was referring to something other than a water ghost, which was certainly possible.
I interjected, “Why didn’t the last few families leave?”
Brother Ferryman replied, “I don’t know. But the strangest part is that those families who refused to leave continued to fish for their livelihood. Eventually, they too mysteriously disappeared—perhaps they were consumed by the water ghosts.” With that, my brother sighed deeply… gazing up at the bright moon in the sky before suddenly shouting:
“For thousands of years of legends,
There has never been mention of any death god,
Only living souls crawling out from their graves.”
"Whether the legends are true or not, let our breaths bear witness to the world."
I was captivated by his singing and didn’t interrupt. Once Brother Ferryman finished, I asked, "Brother, since this place is so eerie, why do you still dare to fish here?"
Brother Ferryman chuckled and replied, "Now that China is liberated, we must break free from superstitions!"
I praised him for his insight, saying he was right. He humbly waved his hand and said, "Little brother, it's not easy to be alive!"
I nodded, beginning to change my impression of him.
I said, "Brother, you are a wise man. Unlike me, who has lived so many years in confusion."
Brother Ferryman responded, "Don't flatter me; I'm just an ordinary Boatman!"
I replied, "You can't say that! Just your perspective has taught me a lot."
Brother Ferryman paused with his bamboo pole and waved his hand at me.
We had a pleasant conversation along the way. Finally, he brought me to the shore and told me that not far ahead was the village where he lived, which had a few households.
As we were parting, he invited me to visit his home once I entered the village.
I agreed and asked, "Brother, aren't you coming ashore?"
Brother Ferryman said to me, "Forget it; I won't go back. I didn't catch many fish today; my wife will tease me when I return."
I laughed a few times and didn’t press him further. I watched as his small boat and the fishing lights faded from my sight.
I stood there for a moment before sighing, feeling my mind clear a bit.
Turning around, I followed the path Brother Ferryman had pointed out and walked toward the village.
The mountain path was nearly overgrown with weeds, giving the impression that no one had walked this way for a long time. However, considering there were only a few households in the area, I felt somewhat relieved.
After walking for a mile or two along the mountain road, I finally caught sight of the village outline under the moonlight. I quickened my pace, eager to reach the village.
But as I approached, an unsettling feeling washed over me. The village was completely dilapidated, devoid of any signs of life. Under the moon's glow, it appeared even more desolate and decayed.
I reached the front of a house and tried to push open the door. As it creaked open, cobwebs clung to me, and dust fell from above, making me cough incessantly.
Inside, there was a bed and a table with an oil lamp on it. Moonlight seeped through cracks in the roof, illuminating the dust that covered everything.
I called out, "Is anyone there? Hello?" Before I could finish my sentence, a piece of roof tile fell from above.
I quickly stepped back outside.
There was no one here! Brother Ferryman wouldn't have tricked me, would he? I thought to myself.
As I walked, I shouted again, "Is anyone here? Hello?" But there was no response; the silence was unnerving.
Suddenly, someone patted my shoulder!
I whipped around and came face to face with a smiling figure. Startled, I shivered and instinctively took a step back, cursing, "You monster!"
At that moment, I heard a voice say, "Monster? You deadbeat! Old Sun, it's me! Fat Ma! You can't be that out of it! Come here; let me check your head."
Recognizing that familiar voice calmed me down. It was indeed Fat Ma, standing before me with an oil lamp in hand.
Still shaken, I scolded him, " Fat Ma! Don't go scaring people at this hour!"
Fat Ma paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Old Sun, I thought you were a ghost! Sneaking around like that at night."
"I'm not sneaking around," I replied defensively.
"Alright then," Fat Ma said. "Enough of that. It's just good to see you're alive."
I was frozen in place by the words "Fat Ma." He waved his hand in front of my eyes and said, "What are you daydreaming about? There are no girls around here."
Hearing that, I finally got used to it; this was Fat Ma's true nature! However, he wasn't wrong—being alive was what mattered.
After a moment, I asked, "What about the two of them?"
"They went to look for you. They haven't come back yet," Fat Ma replied briefly.
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