4. Death I can no longer hear my grandfather telling us stories about Baiyin Mountain, because my grandfather has gone to another world, which is what the villagers call the underworld.

4. Death

I can no longer hear my grandfather telling us stories about Baiyin Mountain, because my grandfather has gone to another world, which is what the villagers call the underworld. My grandfather’s passing was not accidental. There were several times when my grandfather would lie on the bed for a long time and toss and turn when he was sick, and he would roar like a pig. Yes, it was just like the roar of the sows raised in the backyard before eating. Because I was deeply impressed by this. Every time my grandfather fell ill, he would The bed board he slept on made a creaking sound, especially at night. Together with his moans and grandma's long sighs, my sister and I were scared to sleep. We hugged each other tightly and huddled under the quilt, fearing that the god of death was not coming to take away grandpa but to take me away.

Several times, I really wanted to ask my father and mother why they didn’t ask Doctor Wang from the neighboring village to see my grandpa. Doctor Wang is a doctor from a neighboring village. Their village is not far from our village and can be seen from a distance, about 10 miles away. Doctor Wang is different from other doctors in that he often injects his cattle or pigs. As long as the cattle or pigs of that house stop eating, people will go to him. He also helps some people see doctors, gives injections and prescribes a few packets of medicine.

Every time when I wanted to find my father and mother, when I saw my father’s sunken eyes and my mother’s dull expression, I forced myself to swallow the words that came to my mouth, because I knew that we had no money.

At these times, I always stare at the Silver Mountain in front of the village, especially on moonlit nights, when the bright moonlight shines from behind the mountain, it looks like a basin full of silver shining white.

However, no matter how bright the moonlight is, the gorge at the top of Baiyin Mountain is always dark.

Darkness will expose the flaws of brightness. The brighter the brightness, the more infinite the darkness will become.

Grandpa was wrapped in white cloth and put into a coffin made of six wooden boards with a layer of black paint on the surface. He was carried by the family and walked in front. My father and second uncle were all dressed in white, just like the grandfather in the coffin. My sister, I and someone with our surname followed behind with a white cloth on our arms. Grandpa was put into a deep pit that had been dug in advance. In this way, Grandpa went to another world, and that deep pit ended all Grandpa's pain. I wonder if one day I will be like this when I get older.

After my grandfather left, I often saw my grandma secretly shedding tears.

Me too. But every time I shed tears, I would look at the Baiyin Mountain in front of the village, and the gorge on the Baiyin Mountain, like the gaping mouth of a beast. Nothing could fill it, and it seemed that it was going to swallow up the village, including me.