Second Piano Concerto

The next morning, Tan Shuo told Zhao Fei and Xiao Hei about his decision to go back. Zhao Fei agreed, and Xiao Hei tried his best to persuade him to stay, but the other three agreed, so Xiao Hei finally had to tell the villagers the news. And help them prepare horses and mules for the return trip.

The day before his departure, Tan Shuo cooked a table full of dishes with his own hands, and invited the villagers who became friends with them during the gathering, and they ate, drank and sang together.

In order to make this meal well, Tan Shuo used all the skills he learned from his grandmother.During these days, apart from collecting folk songs and conceiving works, what he devoted most of his energy to was learning how to cook with his grandmother in the kitchen of Xiaohei's house.He originally wanted to use this to enhance his relationship with his grandma, hoping that one day grandma would be able to sing ancient songs to them, but he only succeeded in half.But fortunately, his skills have been passed on by his grandma. There are two dishes that even Xiao Hei is ashamed of. Gradually dispersed.

Qin Haiou helped Xiao Hei's family pack up the dishes, and when he returned to the firepit, he saw grandma still sitting there, slowly sipping a bowl of rice wine, while Tan Shuo was sitting opposite her, fiddling with firewood in the firepit .

"I'm leaving tomorrow," Tan Shuo patted the low stool by the firepit when he saw him come back, "Let's sit with grandma for a while."

Qin Haiou nodded, sat down again, and enjoyed the last precious time while warming up by the fire.Today's grandma looks very happy. Xiao Hei once told them that grandma likes to drink when she is happy and does nothing else.Since eating tonight, Grandma's wine bowl has been full and empty, no one knows how much she drank, but she still has no intention of stopping, her eyes are bright and her hands are steady, as if she is not drunk at all.

Tan Shuo added a piece of firewood to the fire pit, and the low flames quickly sprang up again, shining brightly into people's eyes, and warming their insteps, knees and palms.The slight crackling of the firewood and the faint voices of the neighbors make the world by the firepit seem extraordinarily peaceful.Qin Haiou's heart was also peaceful. He thought that he would feel a lot of emotions on the eve of his departure, but he didn't. He was just immersed in the comfort and satisfaction of his body and mind, and he didn't have a thought to disturb the tranquility. He still had a certainty The feeling, that is, the good feelings brought to him by everything here will not disappear because of his departure.

Looking at the dancing flames and the quietly burning red charcoal, he gradually lost his mind, but at this moment of laziness and distraction, a low whisper came from nowhere, and he heard it at first glance. At the next moment, he thought it was someone talking in a low voice, but as the sound continued, he suddenly woke up, and he realized that it was not the sound of talking, it was grandma singing.

Qin Haiou immediately looked up, and saw that Tan Shuo was also stunned by the sudden surprise, and forgot to take out the pen and paper he carried with him.But Grandma didn't seem to notice their joyful expressions. She stared at the fire and sang solemnly and calmly. It was not only a ballad, but also a poem. With unique rhythm and intonation, she brought them into an ancient world. story.

According to legend, a long time ago, there was a village deep in the mountains. There lived two brothers in the village.Acha is smart and kind, and has learned medical skills since he was a child. People in the village are willing to ask him for advice when they are sick, injured or encounter difficulties.Ah Guang is diligent and brave, and is good at shooting crossbows, wielding knives, and hunting. If there are wild animals that disturb the village, he can always kill them or drive them away.The two brothers grew up and were loved by the people in the village.

One day, a man-eating monster came out of the village. The brave Aguang led the men in the village to fight it, but was repelled by it. A deep wound was scratched on Aguang's chest by the monster's claws.Zhai Lao had no choice but to gather the women and children on the hanging building, put away the wooden stairs, let the men guard the stairs, and confront the monster with guns and torches.

The monster couldn't be killed by the police, but it couldn't eat people either. It walked around the village three times, and when it became angry, it spread a terrible disease in the village. Anyone who got this disease would be like a wedge in the bone. It hurts like a bull's horn.The clever Acha tried his best to heal the patients, but he could not be cured. In the end, even he himself contracted this strange disease.

The elders of the village called the elders in the village to discuss the countermeasures. The elders said that according to legend, there is a magic medicine that can cure all diseases and a magic crossbow that can kill any monster. Send people to find the magic medicine and the magic crossbow, they can kill the monsters and save the lives of the people in the village.However, after fighting with monsters and epidemics, the men in the village were injured or sick, who should be sent?

At this time, Acha and Aguang stepped forward and volunteered to find the magic medicine and the magic crossbow.So, the people in the village prepared medicines, herbs and food for them, and the two brothers set off quietly while the monster was taking a nap in the middle of the night.

They walked non-stop day and night for three days, turned over the first big mountain, and saw a fertile terraced field in which a kind old man was plowing.When the old man saw the two brothers, he sang:

Ahhhh!

You young man who came from afar, why are there sorrows in your eyes?

Stay and help me grow terraced fields, and I will heal your wounds,

Here the mountains are green and the grass is green, and the sweet rain is not enough,

The food grown is higher than the mountains, enjoy the happy days!

The two brothers listened and sang:

Ahhhh!

Our home is on the other side of the mountain, with a big mountain in the middle,

People in the family are suffering, brother and brother come to find medicine and crossbow,

If medicine and crossbows cannot be found, no amount of food is needed.

Grandpa, please tell me, where are the magic medicine and the magic crossbow?

The old man said: "I will tell you if you promise to stay."

The two brothers shook their heads and continued walking for another three days and three nights. They turned over the second mountain and saw a lush forest. A strong hunter was walking on the mountain path carrying a big wild deer.The hunter saw the two brothers and began to sing:

Ahhhh!

You young man who came from afar, why are there sorrows in your eyes?

Stay and help me hunt, and I'll heal your wounds,

Here the mountains are high and the forests are dense, and the birds and beasts are not long enough.

The prey you hit is higher than the mountain, enjoy the happy days!

The two brothers listened and sang:

Ahhhh!

Our home is on the other side of the mountain, and there are two big mountains in the middle,

People in the family are suffering, brother and brother come to find medicine and crossbow,

If medicine and crossbow cannot be found, no more prey is needed,

Hunter, please tell me, where are the magic medicine and the magic crossbow?

The hunter said: "I will tell you if you promise to stay."

The two brothers shook their heads, and continued to move forward. After walking for three days and three nights, they finally climbed over the third mountain, but they had already eaten up all the food and the herbs they had brought, and Acha's body was like The bone hurt like a bull's horn wedged in, and Ah Guang's wound began to bleed again.At this moment, they saw a beautiful hanging building in front of them. A flower-like girl waved to them from the hanging building. She sang to them with a sweet voice:

Ahhhh!

You young man who came from afar, why are there sorrows in your eyes?

I am the god of the three mountains, and I guard the magic medicine and the magic crossbow,

Brother and brother, whoever is willing to stay, I will heal the wound for him,

From then on, marry me and enjoy the happy days!

The two brothers listened and sang:

Ahhhh!

Our home is on the other side of the mountain, with three big mountains in the middle,

People in the family are suffering, brother and brother come to find medicine and crossbow,

If medicine and crossbow cannot be found, no matter how beautiful the girl is,

Goddess, please tell me, where are the magic medicine and the magic crossbow?

The girl said: "I only heal my husband's wounds, anyone who wants to live can come to see me alone." After finishing speaking, she walked into the hanging building.

Ah Cha said to Ah Guang: "My brother, if you bleed again, you will die, you should go see her now!"

A Guang said: "The goddess only healed her husband's wounds. My conscience has not been taken away by the poisonous snake. The people in the village are still waiting for us to go back. I survived but my elder brother died. Be sad."

Acha said: "Don't be sad. After I die, one of my three souls will stay with you, one will go to our ancestors, and the other will go back to the village to take care of the people in the village for you."

A Guang said: "Since this is the case, neither of us will go to see her. We will walk back together until we can no longer walk, and our souls will go back to the village together."

So neither of the brothers went up to the Diaolou, they left there and walked back along the way they came from.At this time, an amazing scene happened. When they walked back, the pain on Ah Cha's body eased a little with each step, and Ah Guang's wound gradually stopped bleeding.When they climbed over a big mountain and returned to the forest where they met the hunter, Acha's strange disease and Aguang's wounds had healed, they no longer felt hungry and tired, and they were full of strength, the forest and the hunter were gone Yes, what remained there was a gleaming divine crossbow.The two brothers were very happy, and they took the divine crossbow and continued to walk back.When they climbed over the second mountain, the old man they met earlier disappeared, and the grain that had been planted in the terraced fields had turned into glistening magic medicine.The two brothers picked a lot of magic medicine, and finally returned to the village with the magic medicine and the magic crossbow.Aguang shot the monster to death with a divine crossbow, and Acha cured the strange disease of the people in the village with the magic medicine. Since then, the people in the village have lived a peaceful and happy life again, and the story of Acha and Aguang has also been told. People here have passed it down from generation to generation.

This is the story told by grandma with her singing, and it is one of the ancient narrative songs handed down by this nation.Grandma sang while drinking, and it took more than 40 minutes to sing the story completely. At first, only Tan Shuo and Qin Haiou sat by the firepit and listened. Later, Zhao Fei and Xiaohei’s family also came back one after another. Sitting in a circle around the house, lighting up the fire, listening to grandma singing.

Qin Haiou had never heard this kind of singing before, and he was fascinated by it. It took a long time after the end to come back to his senses, and hurriedly asked Xiao Hei about the content of the lyrics.This story is well-known in the local area, and Xiao Hei told it in detail, and Tan Shuo over there has roughly memorized the ballad.The two asked grandma many questions and discussed the details of the song. Grandma was in a good mood and answered them one by one.In the end, Zhao Fei took out his camera and took pictures of Grandma and everyone. They drank up the rice wine left over, and everyone was very satisfied.

This was the last night they stayed in the village. After Qin Haiou packed his luggage, his mind was still excited, recalling the songs he heard just now by the fire pond, as well as the melodies that have been imprinted in his mind during these days and the drums on the festival day. Sound, unable to fall asleep for a long time.He can't wait to start looking forward to Tan Shuo's works, and he can't wait to take Tan Shuo's head off to see what's brewing inside.He felt that they were off to a good start, and that feeling of parting softened the feeling quite a bit.A beautiful journey is over, and another uncertain but more attractive journey is about to begin.That night, Qin Haiou tossed and turned, and slept very little. Even when he fell asleep, he kept dreaming dreams about the piano, sometimes about the village.When he woke up again, it was still early and it was not yet dawn. He felt as if he hadn't slept all night, but he couldn't fall asleep anyway, so he simply got up and dressed, and wanted to take a walk in the village for the last time.

He went out of the house and walked down the wooden stairs. The stars in the sky gradually became paler, but they were still very clear.Qin Haiou found it strange that voices could be faintly heard from the main room. When he went over, he realized that the people from Xiaohei's family had already been busy in the kitchen and were preparing food for them to take on the road.Qin Haiou couldn't express the feeling in his heart. Seeing them, he didn't know what to say. Seeing him coming, Xiao Hei asked him to sit down and have breakfast first. The two had just chatted a few words when they heard someone call the door.

When Xiao Hei came to the door, he saw the little girl from the grocery store standing outside, holding a package wrapped in kraft paper in her hand.The little girl turned her black eyes, glanced at Qin Haiou in the room, gave the package to Xiao Hei, said a word and left.Xiao Hei handed the package to Qin Haiou, saying that it was given to him by the little girl. Qin Haiou opened it and found a small embroidered purse and a pack of instant noodles inside.

Xiao Hei smiled and said, "It must be because you often go to her place to buy instant noodles, so she thinks you like instant noodles."

Qin Haiou smiled, wrapped the things as they were, and put them in his backpack after eating.Not long after, Tan Shuo and Zhao Fei also got up, checked their luggage for the last time after dinner, and the three of them walked towards the gate of the village with Xiao Hei.

Except for Grandma, Xiao Hei's family followed them to the gate of the village to see them off.They walked out along the mud path when they came, and people on both sides of the road saw them and followed them off.The group of wandering dogs didn't know what happened, and followed behind the crowd to watch.As soon as they reached the gate of the village, they realized that quite a few people had already gathered there. Men, women, old and young were standing on both sides of the gate of the village. Seeing them coming, countless eyes silently fell on them.

The horses and guides leading the way were already waiting for them at the gate of the village.The four of them got on the horses, and someone in the crowd got the start, and the villagers sang folk songs to see off the guests one after another.The moment the song sounded, Qin Haiou's eyes became moist. He turned around on his horseback and looked at the village and the simple people living here. looking at them.Qin Haiou heard Tan Shuo laughing twice, not knowing what he was gesticulating, the dogs suddenly barked and chased after them, they chased until the horse's hoof before slowing down, and followed the horse's hoof to trot all the way along the sides of the field ridge.

The village and the send-off people got farther and farther behind them, getting smaller and smaller.After turning over a hill, the stockade is no longer visible.A dozen or so dogs reluctantly sent them over two miles, and finally stopped one after another.The last thing they saw was a yellow dog standing at the end of the mountain road behind them and barking at them from a distance, and intermittent shallow echoes came from the deep valley.

Qin Haiou turned around and looked at the road ahead, a complex feeling filled his chest, very sad but also very beautiful, tears fell down unconsciously.