Republic of China

Chapter 302: Corpse Recoverer

There is a Yellow River ferry in the north-central part of Henan Province. It is said that many years ago a corrupt official built a large garden in his house, with an area of ​​five to six hundred acres. He planted many exotic flowers and plants. The flowers bloomed all year round, and there were dozens of flowers near and far. People here come here to watch the excitement and flowers, and it was called Peach Blossom Pu in ancient times.

The people of Yan and Huang all know it, especially those who live near Jiuqu of the Yellow River. They must know that the Mother River not only nurtures and nourishes generations of descendants of Yan and Huang, but also kills people when the mother gets angry. Changing the course of the Yellow River will definitely cause large-scale harm.

Taohuapu was swallowed up by the rolling floods. Since then, there has been an additional ferry in the north of Zhengzhou, Henan Province, called Huayuankou.

Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. No matter how scary Mother River’s temper is, many jobs have been created directly or indirectly afterwards.

The ferryman is also called the boatman.

There are no cross-river bridges these days. Anyone who wants to travel between the two sides of the Yellow River must take a boat, unless you are awesome enough to fly a fighter jet. Unfortunately, there is no air force in the Central Plains.

In the south of Huayuankou, major cities in the Central Plains are connected in all directions, so the ferry business here is very prosperous.

But again, there are pros and cons in everything. People always say that you can’t get your shoes wet if you stand by the river. There are too many ferries transporting people. In the 1920s when infrastructure was extremely lacking and backward, accidents were inevitable. It is inevitable that countless people fall into the water and drown every year, so in addition to ferrymen, there is also a prosperous profession in Huayuankou.

People who fish for corpses are also called water ghosts or water monkeys.

"Dad, the sun hasn't come out yet, why is the work so urgent? Didn't you agree to go have a wedding banquet today?"

In the waters where the incident occurred, there were several red wooden floating objects on the water with an area of ​​about 200 feet. This was a sign placed by nearby ships at the time of the incident.

There are three rules left by the founder. One of them is not to fish during thunderstorms. Of course, this also includes all bad weather. After all, if you don’t have a diving suit or an oxygen bottle, the error tolerance rate is very low.

"Don't worry, go set up the table and burn incense to honor the Dragon King." The father made the decision for his son and asked him to continue making preparations.

As for the life-threatening technical job of fishing for corpses, because you can make a lot of money in one trip, you get very involved.

"It's going to thunder!?" The young man hurriedly looked up at the sky. It wasn't windy and sunny, but there were no dark clouds at all. It didn't look like it was going to thunder or rain. But for those who eat this bowl of rice, experience is the most important. The weather was normal, but the breeze blowing from the north made the young man realize that there was indeed a possibility of heavy rain.

It’s not that you can’t earn money by risking your life, but you have to accept the possibility of being risked by your life.

"Don't do it?" The father threw the hemp rope on the board of the boat and said angrily: "If you don't do it, how can you marry the little girl of the Zhou family? Her money-loving father wants to kill two scalpers. How can our family survive? The old rich man of Nanyue Village can afford this money. He is willing to give four scalpers as betrothal gifts, as long as the Zhou family's little girl becomes a concubine. I am willing to do such a good girl's work? "

When you urgently want your family members' bodies to be fished out as soon as possible without being soaked to death, then the significance of the body fisher cannot be measured purely in terms of money.

The father prepared the tools and said, "Do you think I'm old? I keep saying that I'm very young and I'm always stubborn. Look at the top of my head, I'm afraid I'm going to tick off the white man (it's thundering and it's raining heavily)." Otherwise, why do you think I would charge three times the price?”

It’s not that newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. This young man has grown up by the Yellow River since he was a child. When he was early ten years old, he followed his old father out to collect corpses. Even if he has a son in old age, there is nothing the father can do to make a living these days. That's great. Who doesn't want his son to learn piano, chess, calligraphy and painting? The prerequisite is that you have to be able to afford food.

Compared with starving to death, mustering up the courage to dive into the water to retrieve corpses seems to be nothing, and it would be even more troublesome to switch to other professions.

When the young man heard this, he became alert and thought that it was really a life-and-death situation. The best he could do was fish the body out as soon as possible so that it wouldn't be completely changed beyond recognition.

He really wanted to continue to persuade his biological father to stop doing it, but marrying the daughter of the Zhou family was her biggest dream.

The young man was speechless. He didn't expect that his own father was doing this.

"No! Dad, are you crazy? You told me so many times when you entered this business, why did you change your mind? No, no, no! We won't do this job anymore and let those who want money rather than their lives do it!"

"."

Since it is a time-honored brand, it must be highly skilled and have sufficient experience.

I am getting older day by day. Even if I still encounter this kind of opportunity in the future, my body is still strong enough to support it, so I must seize the opportunity to bring my daughter-in-law in.

Two scalpers are not a sky-high price, but there was a famine in northern Henan and central Henan last year, and until the beginning of this year, victims who could not afford to live had to run away. Therefore, two scalpers are definitely a rare commodity in Henan Province, and it is really not something that ordinary families can afford.

Many times, the cruelty of life is often more unforgettable than death.

The young man knows the principle of doing things according to his ability. Having grown up at Huayuankou, he knows best the saying that those who are stubborn will drown in the water.

On the one hand, there is temporary danger, on the other hand, there is lifelong happiness. The young man is caught in a dilemma and is struggling in his heart. Even if he cannot marry the daughter of the Zhou family, he does not want to see her become a concubine for the old rich man of Nanyue Village.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, there was nothing wrong with Kawamoto during the thunderstorm, and he was not in a hurry to reincarnate.

Fortunately, this father is a long-established brand in Huayuankou for decades, otherwise he and his son would have been involved in the death.

The young man's face was full of anger, but his paddling speed was not slow at all.

In an era when it was common to get a wife with a bowl of rice and a quilt, there were also families who were willing to pay more than they could afford.

Just like that early in the morning, a pair of men who specialize in fishing for corpses rowed a boat towards the upper part of the river.

But the problem is that in this case, let alone three times the price, you can't do it even if it's thirty times the price.

According to the internal accounts of those who fished for corpses, when thunder strikes, lonely souls in the water will be frightened, and they will easily run around in a panic.

They are all forced by this fucking world.

So from a rational point of view, the father who has been a corpse collector for thirty or forty years certainly knows how dangerous it is to work in thunderstorms, but wealth can be found in danger. Only in this case, the victim will choose the most reliable one and fire The price is also the highest.

"what?"

Although it was an out-and-out tragedy, the groom died on the way to get married, and the boat capsized in the deepest part of the river. It was extremely difficult to salvage it, but my biological father had been fishing out the body of Huayuankou for thirty or forty years. It's not difficult for him to do this job, right? Why is his expression so serious?

They are gambling with their lives to earn an unstable income, and there is nothing wrong with the high wages.

No wonder my biological father is so anxious.

"Dad, leave it to me for a while. I'll be back up in no time. Just sit down and smoke."

Landlords and wealthy people are a different matter. The more disaster years come, the richer they become.

At this moment, the wooden boat has almost arrived at the center of the Yellow River. There are not many boats on the river, because all old people who rely on water to make a living know that the weather is going to change, and to be on the safe side, there is no rush.

The old man looked a little helpless, "The one we went to fish for was the bridegroom of the Yan family, Guan'er. The boat he came to pick up the bride capsized, and he and the few players who played, played, and sang were all thrown into the pond."

It is the obsession of every Yanhuang people to rest in peace in their bones. If they don’t enter this soil, they will not be able to rest in peace. Besides, corpses floating on the water of the Yellow River from time to time are not good after all. Therefore, the existence of corpse collectors is absolutely necessary, but relative to The ferryman's job is long and the water flow is long, while the corpse fisher's job is not so intensive, but the profit is more.

The miserable cries came from far and near, coming from a boat next to the floating object. There were more than a dozen people in it, and they seemed to be the groom's family members.

"Master Meng Wu is finally here, hurry up and fish him out. Alas, a happy event has turned into a funeral."

Indeed, what was supposed to be a marriage turned out to be white hair and black hair. Life is full of joys and sorrows, but it is just like this.

The speaker was a member of the groom's family, who was considered the most emotionally stable one. He had also rushed to Huayuankou to find someone to retrieve the body.

After the ship approached, Master Meng's expression became more solemn. He said coldly: "Who asked you to mourn here? You all grew up drinking the water of the Yellow River and don't know the rules? Take them away quickly!"

In the community of corpse collectors, it is taboo for family members to cry on the spot at the scene of the incident, especially in the water area where the incident occurred. This does not mean that corpse collectors are all hard-hearted and do not understand empathy. The problem is that empathy cannot solve any problems. Countless facts have shown that Crying and mourning on the spot will most likely not work.

Not to mention metaphysics, this kind of heart-wrenching cry will also affect the mentality of the person who retrieves the body. This business is about gambling, but it must be done according to one's ability and cannot be forced, but when encountering someone who is in grief, Dear relatives, I believe that as long as your heart is warm, you will want to do your best, and the more so, the easier it is for accidents to happen. "Oh, I can't persuade you. Mr. Meng Wu, please be more patient."

Meng Wuye didn't want to waste any more words. Now the wind on the river was blowing stronger and stronger, and dark clouds were gradually gathering in the sky. There was no time to waste any time.

"father."

Xiao Meng set up the table at the bow of the boat and gave half of the bamboo incense to his father. The father and son knelt down side by side, praying to the Dragon Prince for his convenience, and imploring the gods and little ghosts not to interfere with it.

After worshiping, Xiao Meng slaughtered a big rooster and threw it into the river. It was basically ready.

"Dad, let me first—"

"Hold on top and I'll go down in person."

After Meng Wuye tied the rope around his waist, he simply jumped into the river.

People who don't understand this 'craft' may have a hard time imagining the hardships involved. Every time the body fishermen jump into the water, they are not sure whether they will survive the next second.

Hidden in the turbulent river, there is a cold, strange and strong sense of loneliness, which doubles the pressure. Of course, you will also encounter corpses in various forms of death.

Some committed suicide, some accidentally fell into the water, some were murdered, etc. Each time, the person who retrieved the corpses had a deeper understanding of life and a greater awe of the invisible and intangible power in the world.

The more you watch, the stronger and calmer your heart will become. Just imagine that you always see the sight of corpses in the "Giant View", and those who are not strong in their hearts will be frightened to death. This is the meaning of the so-called terrifying diving rope.

And Fifth Master Meng is indeed an expert. He soon surfaced from the water, carrying a corpse that was choked to death.

Meng Wuye gasped repeatedly and then dived into the water again. Time and time again, every time he surfaced, there was a corpse in wedding clothes on his back, but there was no groom.

"I'm going to look for it in a deeper place. I'm afraid it will sink to the bottom. When the time comes, I'll pull the rope and come down to help."

While he was talking, a drop of rainwater hit Mr. Meng Wu's face.

boom--

A thunder in the dense clouds shook the sky.

The boats still on the river rushed to both sides of the river as quickly as possible.

And this thunder is also destroying the psychological defense of the Meng family and his son.

If you go any further, you won't be able to guarantee it.

To gamble or not to gamble?
"Five times! If not, I'll pay ten times! I'll give you as much as you want to fish out my son! Even if it takes my life!"

The mother on the boat next door was screaming heartbrokenly. He could see that the Meng family and his son were trying to retreat, but their son's body had not been recovered yet. How easy would it be to salvage it again after the heavy rain? He may not have been washed away by the river, and there will be no burial place, so as a mother, she must let her son be buried in peace no matter what.

At any time, there must be a brave man under the heavy reward.

There is no courage, but the reward is not strong enough.

Although Mr. Meng lives on the south bank and the Yan family lives on the north bank, they are all fellow villagers and both parties know each other. Just like the Yan family knows that the most powerful corpse collectors at Huayuankou are the Meng family and his son, and the Meng family and his son also know that the Yan family If you have some wealth in Yuanwu Town, you will definitely give it to me.

This time it was Meng Wuye's turn to hesitate. He felt that the river was getting more and more turbulent. He was afraid again and regretted that he should not force it. But after Xiao Meng passively made up his mind, he prepared to run all the way to Heihe, and he would fish out the body. After being fixed on both sides of the wooden boat, he plunged in with all his strength and would not stop until he achieved his goal.

Finish the work, then happily marry a wife and support your father in his old age.

The fist is afraid of the strong young man, but the stick is afraid of the old man. Young people are really powerful when they are motivated. Xiao Meng is more agile than his father in the water.

There are rough waves on the river surface and undercurrents below the river surface.

The activities of the Meng family and his sons have greatly increased in difficulty.

But they were indeed the most powerful corpse collectors at Huayuankou. They finally saw a bright red color along the river bed.

Just as Xiao Meng was about to swim over excitedly, his movement suddenly stopped.

He saw that the groom's body did not completely sink to the bottom, nor did it intend to float to the surface of the water. Instead, it stood upright in the water and started walking.

This glance almost frightened Xiao Meng, and he reminded him of the second part of the three "not fishing out", standing underwater and not fishing out the corpse.

Whether he had heard of it or not, when this scene actually appeared in front of his eyes, Xiao Meng's excitement was washed away by panic, and he was also afraid.

He had to rely on his own father at the critical moment. He was also afraid of Fifth Master Meng, but he also knew that he had no choice, so he went to this point and went back empty-handed. His own brand was completely destroyed in his hands.

on!
Fifth Master Meng mustered up all his courage and swam towards the groom. From a close distance, he could see the ferocious facial features of the groom when he was choked to death.

Never mind, never mind!

Just treat it as an ordinary corpse and fish it up!
Meng Wuye wrapped the hemp rope around the waist of the corpse, but when he was about to pull it, he saw that the hemp rope broke inch by inch.

Try again, break again.

The third time, it still broke.

At this point, Mr. Meng Wu really regretted it.

Inside Sanbulu, I encountered all three things today. I fished for corpses that had been there for decades, and the rope broke three times for the first time.

How about brothers fighting tigers, father and son fighting in battle, one of the Meng family father and son can always come up with a solution at critical moments.

Due to the fright just now, Xiao Meng exhaled a lot of air, leaving little time to hold his breath. After seeing that his father failed in three attempts, Xiao Meng had an idea and swam over as fast as he could, and then placed his body in the ear of the corpse. Bian said something.

There is no way to transmit sound underwater, but the amazing thing is that after saying these words, Meng Wuye's fourth attempt was successful, and the hemp rope never broke weirdly again.

Mr. Meng Wu, whether it’s the Dragon King appearing or something else, he should hurry back and talk about it now.

There was lightning and thunder over the river, and the wind howled.

The family members were relieved when they saw that the body was finally recovered. Their cries were no longer heartbreaking. At least they could be buried in peace.

After the Meng family father and son struggled to secure the body to the boat plank, they hurriedly paddled to the shore. The rainstorm had not yet reached its peak, and they would not be able to leave if they stayed for a while longer. However, he did not forget to ask his son. "What did you say under the water just now?"

Xiao Meng quickly collected the twine and replied, "I thought he might be able to hear us talking not long after he drowned, so I told him that his wife, who has not yet passed away, is still waiting for her, so go home quickly."

At this point, it seemed like a lucky victory.

In fact, the father and son did not know that God gave them opportunities several times, but they gave them up several times.

(End of this chapter)