◆ Voranc
There is a terrible, dark depression beside our house. Everyone calls it "hell". Surrounded by steep slopes on three sides, it looks like a deep pot, with only one exit hidden in the dark and mysterious forest. The hillside is covered with messy shrubs, phellodendron amurense, young elms, black wattle trees, wild cherry trees, and some messy things. There are weeds in the forest, which are only suitable for sheep feed. Here you can find heather, fern, equisetum, veratrum and other useless weeds. "Hell" is inaccessible and gloomy. When people come here, their hearts will involuntarily tighten. The only living thing there is a spring, which gushes from the moss-covered rocks at the bottom of the depression, flows into the outside world after a short tortuous process, and then disappears there. The gurgling sound of the spring resounded through the depression. The noise of the current was turned back by three steep slopes and echoed in the forest, becoming louder. The sound of running water day and night casts a more mysterious color on this gloomy and terrible place.
At first glance, you would think that such a place would not be profitable. My father rented the land for free. To tell the truth, "hell" is really useless, but occasionally you can cut a cart or two of hay from it to cushion the barn. When my father was in urgent need of flail stick and rake handle, he also went to "hell" to look for it. It is more durable than other places to use the elm of "Hell" as flail rod or phellodendron amurense as rake tooth.
However, that place is still an ideal place for grazing. Although the grass in Hell is not tall, it is juicy and animals are happy to eat it.
I have been afraid of this place for as long as I can remember. This is first attributed to its name. When my parents gave me Christian enlightenment education, I heard about hell from them; When I dragged my mother's long skirt to church, the church was also talking about hell. In my young mind, our local "hell" is exactly the same as the real hell, except that there is an endless fire in its depths.
I always feel that our depression is a bit like the entrance to real hell. There is a secret door leading there. This door is either hidden at the bottom of the depression or in the wooded valley at the exit. I always approach this place in fear and then run away as soon as possible.
Once, when I was less than six years old, my father asked me to go there to graze. This is really a terrible test for me, because I have never been there alone before. I really wanted to cry at that time. My father saw it, and he cheered me up with a smile and said:
"There are no ghosts in this' hell'. Go! "
My mother loves me dearly and quickly comes to comfort me.
"Don't you see, he is afraid of hell!" She said to her father.
However, I didn't get pity for it. I had to drive away the animals and try to slow down and get closer to this terrible place bit by bit. I intend to leave the animals on the hillside, but it's in vain. In an instant, the cattle disappeared into the depression.
I have no choice but to follow, because I am afraid that cows will go into the Woods from the valley.
Go inside.
I just sat at the bottom of the "hell" trembling, afraid to look back and take a good look around. The murmur that resounded through the depression made me feel as if someone was playing witchcraft. Nothing here can make me happy. Even though I like the trickle of my hometown and often build dams and mills on it, the stream can't bring me joy. I'm getting more and more scared. I'm shocked. I finally lost control and ran away from here crying loudly. I still can't stop running there. I keep running in the fields, and my parents are farming in tears.
"What's the matter?" Father was surprised.
"Animals are gone, all the animals ..."
Father's face suddenly became livid, and then gently waved and said:
"It's no big deal. Let's go and have a look. "
With a heavy and guilty heart, I followed my father slowly to "hell". When he came to the slope where he could see the whole depression, his father saw at a glance that the small herd of deer was still low. He stopped in surprise and began to count:
"One, two, three, ... nine ..." Nine animals are honestly eating grass below.
"What's the matter with you? Are you dreaming, young man? " Father felt very strange. But suddenly he seemed to realize why I lied, grabbed my hair angrily, pushed it down the slope, and I rolled down.
"Lie and go to hell!"
I finally heard what my father said, because fear seized my heart again. I cried so hard that my tears dried up, but I still trembled and couldn't calm down. I opened my puffy eyes and saw the animals looking up at me inexplicably. I can't calm down because of my father's lies. I am poor and desperate, so I have to hold my heart and wait for the time to go home. It's still a long time before dark. I drove the cattle from the low-lying area to the slope, where I waited until night fell on the dark bottom of Hell.
When I got home, I cried into tears and was in a mess. Father smiled, but mother said:
"Don't ask him to go to hell in the future. He is still young. If he is scared out of order, he will become a fool all his life. "
After this, I really won't be asked to eat grass in "hell". But I'm still as afraid of this place as I was at the beginning.
On one occasion, it happened to be Saturday night, my parents were sitting on the threshold of our house, looking thoughtfully at the sunny sky in spring. My mother sighed deeply and said:
"Oh, I really want to take a bouquet of lilies of the valley to church tomorrow, but I can't find it anywhere."
"Yes, it's a little late to find Lily of the Valley. If there is, it is in' hell'. "
I can't help shivering when I hear the word "hell". I waited until my parents got up and went to bed. I can't sleep for a long time at night, and this terrible place always appears in front of me. In my heart, my mother's sigh echoed. Lily of the valley and "hell", how incompatible these two things are! I especially like Lily of the Valley. I have searched all the valleys in front of and behind my house. But I didn't know they also grew in "hell".
I get up early in the morning. I must have sweated in my dream, so I'm still wet. I usually go grazing early in the morning. I have to be woken up every morning and dragged out of bed. I got up by myself today. Tiptoe out of the house. Mom and Dad are still asleep, because today is Sunday.
I came to the yard and stood down, as if I were still half asleep, full of a pleasant and wonderful sense of responsibility, although it was still a subconscious feeling for me. The spring morning has arrived. The real summer is not far away. Behind Bohoye Mountain in the distance, the flaming morning glow burns red for a long time, and the morning sun is about to show its round face. The sun shone on the top of Petra's mountain and painted it deep red. Grass, trees and shrubs are all covered with dew, and now they only glow slightly. When the sun rises, they will shine in the sun like gold grains and pearls in Huang Chengcheng, and it will be another scene. The morning mist in the distance moves slowly, as if nature is carrying a heavy load.
Suddenly, there seems to be a magical power that makes me take a new step, cross the field and go straight to "hell". I glanced fearfully at the dark depression from the slope. In order not to look, I closed my eyes and walked down, thinking that I would find the lily of the valley next to the rock at the bottom. I didn't open my eyes until I reached the bottom.
I saw many fragrant lilies of the valley, so I began to pick them in large quantities. Even in this case, I have no courage to look around. With excitement and sadness, I listened attentively to the running water and its chilling echo. In the quiet of the morning, it sounded louder than usual. I took a handful of lily of the valley and hurried out of the "hell". I ran home in one breath and got home just in time for my mother to go out.
At this time, the red sun on the horizon has put its first light into our yard, making it colorful. Mother stood in the sun, flushed and beautiful, just like a fairy from the sky. I ran to her while holding the lily of the valley, while still proudly shouting:
"Mom, mom ... Lily of the Valley ..."
I am immersed in happiness and infinite joy, and I am more radiant.
Mother's face is also filled with a happy smile; She reached for the bouquet in ecstasy and held it on her face. But before inhaling the rich and fresh flowers, she gave me a look.
"Why are you crying, my child? ……"
The big tear that just burst out of fear is still in my eyes, but I have completely forgotten it because I am intoxicated with the joy of victory. My mother guessed my feat and touched my head tenderly.