Demonstrative interjections such as ʨie^(31)po^(35) (绝播), po^(35) (播), and ʨio^(35) in the Huangxiao cluster of Jianghuai Mandarin are used exclusively for reference in the speech situation (here-and-now reference). With respect to pronunciation, demonstrative interjections in most dialects of the cluster are relatable to the proximal demonstrative alone, while only in a very small handful of dialects are they related to the distal demonstrative alone. In some dialects of the cluster, however, they are connected with proximal and distal pronouns at the same time, while in some others, demonstrative interjections that distinguish between proximal ones and distal ones have their pronunciations respectively related to proximal and distal pronouns. Presumably, demonstrative interjections are derived from the rhetorical question ʨiɛ^(35)(/na^(34)) pu^(213)sɿ^(34) .ti (这/那不是的) through sound ellipsis, sound weakening or other types of sound change. Compared with na^(21) (嗱) and ne^(21) (呢) in the Guangzhou Dialect of Guangzhou City, and tʂɤ^(51)pu^(51-35) (这不) in Mandarin Chinese, demonstrative interjections in the Huangxiao Dialect have completed their lexicalization process though they are still at the early stage of grammaticalisation.