On a sunny day, Zhao Huaizhi and I embarked on the road to Lizhen. The scenery along the way is like a flowing picture, plain and real. Zhao Huaizhi was as happy as ever with a slight smile, and I, still the same plain as water, asked him from time to time about the journey.
Brother Xian, you wait for me! Zhao Huaizhi suddenly quickened his pace, turned his head and shouted at me, his eyes flashing with a naughty light.
I quickened my pace and responded with a smile: "Yanzhi, why are you always so interested?" My tone was full of dependence and trust in this dear friend.
While we were talking and laughing, suddenly a thin figure passed by silently, and my purse was gone. I was stunned for a moment, but Zhao Huaizhi's reaction was faster, his eyes were sharp, and he chased after him in a few steps.
It was a child about eleven or twelve years old, with panic and anxiety in his eyes. Under Zhao Huaizhi's questioning, the child finally cried and told the truth - he needed money to treat his seriously ill sister. Zhao Huaizhi and I glanced at each other, and we both saw the unbearable in each other's eyes.
Little one, it's not right to steal, but your courage and heart for your family, we understand. Zhao Huaizhi said softly, with an unusual calmness in his tone.
Virtuous brother, are we...Before I could finish my sentence, he interrupted me.
I know what you mean, there's no need to ask. Zhao Huaizhi interrupted me, his eyes were firm, and without hesitation, he took out some silver taels for the child, and added some extra, which was enough for his sister's ** expenses.
The child took the silver tael, with tears in his eyes, and thanked him repeatedly, but he was reluctant and guilty. "I....How can I repay you? His voice trembled slightly, and he seemed extremely sincere.
Zhao Huaizhi smiled and waved his hand, "Remember, in the future, we must take the right path and bring positive energy to this world, which is the best reward for us." ”
We continued on our way to the town, unbeknownst to us, this act of kindness had quietly changed our fate. Walking on the road of spring gradually heating up, Zhao Huaizhi suddenly said: "There will always be all kinds of things in life, and sometimes, a small turn can make things completely different." ”
I nodded, thinking to myself, there are really no wonders in this world, but I am fortunate to experience all this with Zhao Huaizhi.
At this moment, the dust in front of me was flying, and a group of officers and soldiers suddenly appeared, and their target was actually the child we had just met...
In this way, Zhao Huaizhi and I watched the officers and soldiers take the child away, and what fell down was a steamed bun I had just given him, the child looked sluggish, the tears on his face slid down his cheeks, he struggled, no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't break free from the firm shackles, I saw the despair in his eyes, and his whole body was powerless to let others drag him away.
I looked at Zhao Huaizhi, he looked sad and angry, and he couldn't wait to go up and rob the officers and soldiers immediately.
Yanzhi, we are the people, they are officials. I tugged at Zhao Huaizhi's sleeve and signaled him not to be impulsive first.
How is it possible, he is obviously a child, how can he be a wicked person with a heinous crime, are you mistaken? Zhao Huaizhi's voice was a little excited, and he took a step closer to ask the official on duty.
But the officer's answer made the two of us unable to believe that the child was a habitual offender in this area, and that his parents were angry with him when his family had suffered an accident, and that his only sister had also been delayed by him and died. Don't look at him as just small, but the malice in his heart is beyond the reach of ordinary people. If you give him safely, it's okay, but he just wants your money, if he doesn't give it to him, he wants your life, and the locals avoid him. In the end, the official also warned us that if we lose our money, we will lose it, at least our lives are still there, so we should leave this place quickly.
When Zhao Huai heard this, he was angry and threatened to settle accounts with the other party, I wanted to stop him, but I couldn't.
I just wanted to ask the official again, how is the child now? Unexpectedly, when he turned around, the official disappeared.
I am not active in work, and I am ashamed of the emperor's kindness," Zhao Huaizhi muttered in a low voice.
Brother Xian, let's go outside and ask, the common people will probably have better information. “
At a young age, he was still a habitual offender, and when he grew up, he still had it.
The winter sun shines through the gaps in the new green leaves, and colorful spots of light fall on the dirt road, and Zhao Huai and I walk briskly to the town to find the whereabouts of the child. The street is lined with small vendors and steaming snacks with tantalizing aromas, but we can't keep up with the excitement.
Brother Xian, I always feel that something is wrong with this, even if this kid asks for money, he won't do that kind of unconscionable thing. I whispered my doubts to Zhao Huaizhi.
Zhao Huaizhi frowned slightly, and his eyes stared into the distance tightly, as if trying to find the hidden truth behind it through all this. "Well, I also feel that there must be something strange in this. ”
We walked into a tea shop, intending to find a place to rest and find out some news. The tea shop is full of people, a lively scene. We chose a corner seat and sat down, and while the people around us were drinking tea and chatting, we quietly asked an old man next to us.
The old man shook his head and looked at us with a look of pity and disdain, "That kid is a notoriously petty thief, who only thinks about how to cheat money, and does not cause trouble for the people of our town. ”
These words fell on our ears like a thunderbolt from the sky, making me and Zhao Huaizhi look at each other, but there were still doubts in our hearts.
Zhao Huaizhi stood up and made a compilation to the old man, "Thank you for the old man's advice, let's inquire further." ”
We left the tea shop and continued to search around town. However, whatever information we get from anyone is strikingly consistent with the previous statement - the child is a scheming and habitual offender. This kind of unanimous and chilling evaluation made our hearts sink, did we really look at the wrong person in the first place?
Just as we were about to leave, full of doubt and confusion, a woman, who looked quite old, grabbed my wrist tightly and said eagerly in a barely audible voice, "You ......."Don't believe what they say, the kid ......”
This sentence was like a dawn, which quickly attracted our attention, and Zhao Huaizhi and I glanced at each other, and a trace of firmness and determination flashed in our eyes. At this moment, we understand that behind this distraction must be a huge conspiracy that we have not yet touched.
Just as we were about to ask, a heavy footstep suddenly sounded, breaking the quiet ...... of the moment
The woman saw the movement and quickly left.
Zhao Huaizhi looked at the crowded streets, and a white figure gradually approached, "You are the strangers who were deceived today?" ”
Zhao Huaizhi pulled me behind him, stood in front of me and asked, "Who are you?" ”
Bai Yi boasted: "I am the son of Cui Hao, the dignified state capital, and I am also the official in charge of your deceived case." “
Zhao Huaizhi turned his head and glanced at me, then looked directly at me and said, are you leaving?
Obviously, Zhao Huai insisted on not buying the other party's account and chose to ignore him directly. I looked at the man in white and couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. But it wasn't mentioned on the spot. waited until the evening, when he returned to the inn, he mentioned to Zhao Huaizhi, "The man during the day, he doesn't seem to have an official position." “
We don't seem to have reported to the police. Zhao Huaizhi said suddenly.
Could it be that there is really a hidden meaning in this matter, and it is not as it seems. I thought about what I had discovered and what had happened today. It seems reasonable everywhere and reveals weirdness. It's like we didn't report to the official, but we had an official mission to undertake it, and we were the son of the state capital.
Zhao Huaizhi went out directly from the back door of the inn and got into a nearby house. I stood by the windowsill and watched the view. The truth is like the night sky, obscured by a huge black cloth, and if you want to create a peaceful and quiet environment, you will inevitably put a few night stars to decorate it, so as to coax the world, who knows that the next moment it will rain heavily.
But in two moments, Zhao Huaizhi came back. He went to the house of the woman we were talking to today. Zhao Huaizhi hurriedly drank two sips of tea, and said directly: "Brother Xian, don't you know, here, it's really weird, the woman told me today, the magistrate here was not originally surnamed Cui, but surnamed Gu, and the child came out of the family surnamed Gu before. ”
What else? "It's gone. Zhao Huaizhi looked at me.
I took one look at him and wanted to leave him and go back to my room, but there was no good news, it was useless.
Brother Xian, don't go, don't you want to know why? Zhao Huai looked at the teacup in his hand stubbornly. It's as if there's something left unfinished.
Zhao Huaizhi looked solemn, and then said, "That woman is the former slave of the Gu family." "This is still news that took a golden pimple to get.
When the cold wind blew the fallen leaves on the street, there was still a trace of residual heat of dinner in the kitchen of the inn, and Zhao Huaizhi walked over to cook a pot of hot soup, intending to let the warmth dispel the frost in our hearts.
As we savor this simple but heartwarming hot soup, an unexpected guest breaks the peace. There was a hurried knock at the door, and Zhao Huaizhi and I glanced at each other, both of whom saw the confusion in each other's eyes. I got up to open the door, only to see a man covered in snowflakes and shivering in the cold wind standing outside the door, like a sculpture from the middle of winter.
Is it cold? Come in, sit down, and warm up with some hot soup. My voice was hesitant, but polite to invite.
Zhao Huaizhi had been observing the sudden visitor until the man walked into the light, and his eyes suddenly flashed with surprise. The man opened his mouth at this time, and his lips were frozen purple: "Thank you, I actually ......."”
Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Huaizhi had already handed him the hot soup in his hand, but the visitor's hand slipped for a while, and the soup bowl slipped down the sleeve, and the hot soup spilled on the back of his hand along the sleeve. He gasped in pain and jumped. Zhao Huaizhi hurriedly stepped forward to help pat his clothes and alleviate the burns, but at this time, their eyes met, and they seemed to read familiarity from each other's eyes.
It turned out that this unexpected visitor was Zhao Huaizhi's old friend in the capital, his former playmate, and the current envoy of the capital.
In vain, I wanted to surprise you, but I didn't expect to be scalded out by a bowl of hot soup first. The visitor smiled wryly and wiped the soup from his hands, and said with determination and helplessness.
Zhao Huaizhi raised his eyebrows slightly, revealing a rare look of pleasure, and said in a deep voice: "Since you are here, then stay warm and warm, and talk about how you appeared here." ”
No one noticed, and in my eyes in the corner, there was more of an expectation than surprise that might lift the fog of it all. Just as Zhao Huaizhi and his old friends relived the past with stories and hot soup, I couldn't help but have a premonition in my heart: maybe, this encounter will bring us more unexpected turnarounds.
We told our old friends what we saw and heard today, and Zhao Huaizhi also said some speculations, coupled with the abnormal attitude of these villagers, it is difficult not to suspect that they are tired.
The next day, the streets were silent, as if they had been yesterday, and the long streets were as silent as if they were curfew.
Is the snow today not as heavy as yesterday? Zhao Huaizhi looked at the snow in the sky, and then looked back at the empty alley.
This means that something must have happened to keep the people closed.
What day is it? "I bent down and grabbed a handful of fine snow and let it go away with the wind.
Zhao Huaizhi shook his head, and the old friend also said that he didn't know. In this way, it must be because something happened that kept the people closed. It is not known why.
Zhao Huaizhi walked forward, walked directly to a wine shop on the corner of the street, stood in front of the door, turned around and stretched out his hand to me, asking for a wine jug, I shook my head, he turned to the old friend again, and the other party directly handed over the wine jug on his waist. Zhao Huaizhi raised his hand and opened the lid, the wine jug was facing down, and he poured it all out, and before I could stop it, Zhao Huaizhi was already done.
Brother Xian, go knock on the door," Zhao Huaizhi said.
Knock a few times, no one comes, and you must not increase it a few times, "bang, bang-bang".
Restaurant! Restaurant! The old friend shouted.
In the end, the store was annoyed, so he slowly came over to open the door, and just wanted to say something, he was pushed away by Zhao Huaizhi and entered the door in twos and threes. I put the flask on the table and told the store that I wanted to make wine, but I didn't expect the store to say, "It's closed today." “
Why? The old friend asked rhetorically.
Unexpectedly, the store said, this is a custom, every year today is closed for one day, when you came over, didn't you see that the shops all over the street were not open, you should go back quickly. Go from**back and forth**. After that, he will kick us out.
I pulled the store in, motioned Zhao Huai to make a move, and before the store could react, I quickly took him **.
Our move not only shocked the store, but also shocked our old friends. Don't blame you for doing extraordinary things in extraordinary times, don't blame them!
After flipping the move, the store was directly surrendered, and said breathlessly, "What are you going to do?" “
Why is there no one on the street? “
Do you have a problem with your brain? I've told you that it's going to close today. What else do you want? “
Hurry up," Zhao Huai took his hand and lifted it back.
The shopkeeper's face changed from horror to helplessness, as if he was forced to reveal an unspeakable secret, and he finally spoke, with a hint of reluctance in his tone: "Don't you really know? Today is. It was a special day in our town, one. A day of worship to the gods. Zhao Huaizhi frowned, obviously this answer made him feel very surprised.
Worship Day? There has never been such a custom in this town, when did it start? "I was in hot pursuit, and I felt that there must be something strange behind it.
The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "Yes." It is only in recent years, and it is all stipulated by the prefectural order. Zhao Huaizhi and I glanced at each other, and we could see a thick cloud of doubt in each other's eyes.
Zhao Huaizhi smiled coldly and asked, "Why does the county government want to hold such a god worship day?" What does it mean? The shopkeeper was obviously scared, but under Zhao Huaizhi's fierce gaze, he finally gritted his teeth and told the truth.
I don't know the specifics, but every year on this day, the people in the town don't go out, saying that it's to worship the gods, but in fact. In fact, they all know that they don't want to get into trouble. His words made us stunned, it turned out that there was such a deep conspiracy hidden behind this.
It seems that this trip is much more complicated than we imagined. A determination rose in my heart that no matter what, we would find out.
Zhao Huaizhi let go of the shop, "Okay, since that's the case, let's stay and take a good look at what kind of scene this so-called god worship day is." The old friend looked at me and Zhao Huaizhi and said, with an unquestionable determination in his tone.
We decided to stay in this town for the time being and find out the truth behind it all. And just as we were about to leave the liquor store, an unexpected voice sounded at the door: "You are from outside, right?" Be careful, the water here is much deeper than you might think. A figure walked in from the outside, it was a middle-aged man who looked quite dusty, and his eyes revealed a kind of well-informed vicissitudes.
We stopped and looked at the man who had suddenly appeared. He smiled slightly, as if he had read through our thoughts, and continued, "I know what you want, and maybe, I can help you a little." As soon as the words fell, the atmosphere suddenly became more mysterious.
Just as we wanted to ask more, he smiled mysteriously, turned around and limped into the inner hall, leaving a meaningful sentence: "See you in the evening." ”
Watch him disappear around the corner of the alley.