Shubai moved a small bench and sat down, finishing two bowls of rice.
Although he is thin, he has a good appetite, but eating only increases his strength, not his body.
After eating, Shubai tapped the rim of the bowl with his chopsticks and sat absentmindedly. His eyes looked at the compass. He remembered the previous scene where the young man in white took money from there. His eyes became darker and he thought to himself. If he leaves me here alone, isn't he afraid that I will take all the money and then set the house on fire
Or...he was staring at me from a corner that I couldn't see.
Shubai looked around alertly, as if a sharp knife was trembling in his heart. He moved his ears and sniffed slightly, trying to find some clues. At the same time, his footsteps moved in the direction of the compass. I put my fingers on the compass, twisted it left and right, and found that it was a little loose.
He turned a little in the opposite direction, and there was a snap, and the sound of the machine clasp being released was heard.
With a strong effort, Shu Bai lifted up the compass, and explored the space below with his hand. His palm touched several cloth bags with tight openings. His hands hung on these heavy money bags, and the blade in his heart trembled. The shock was so severe that he reached down, grabbed the money bag, and turned around to leave.
"You really think I don't dare to take it?!" Shubai gritted his teeth, with a fierce look in his eyes, he grabbed a bag, weighed it in his palm, and said, "I'll spend it all later, look at you guys Is this god truly benevolent or is he hypocritical?"
Shubai picked up the bag of money and walked out of the house. He turned his back and glanced back. Even one more glance at this lifeless house was so disgusting. He originally wanted to burn down the house, but thinking that the weather was dry now, he was still afraid of endangering the neighbors. If he burned down a street, it would be a big sin.
Shubai took the bag of money and walked outside the door, and began to think about how to spend the bag of money as quickly as possible.
Buy some gold, silver, jade and rare antiques... I don't know if it's enough, so I might as well go to a restaurant and order a delicious feast... No, those two people also went to the restaurant. What if they bump into each other
Then go to the singing house to learn the music from the literati? I'm afraid I can't even get in with my tattered clothes...
He thought angrily for a while and felt that he had to buy some clothes first.
When passing by a steamed bun shop, steaming hot steam floated out from the steamer drawers in large tracts, like white clouds that dazzled the eyes.
Shubai stopped, wiped the tip of his nose, and tightened the bag of money in his palm. He looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to him, so he took out a few coins and bought a cage of meat buns luxuriously.
The buns were hot to his hands, and he tossed them left and right in the palms of his hands. In the cold wind, they also rapidly dissipated their temperature.
Shubai stopped at the door of an exquisitely decorated clothing store. He hesitated for a while, until the buns in his hands became cold and he didn't have the courage to step in.
He grabbed the bun and took a bite. He didn't know what he was thinking. He suddenly became more dejected and walked towards an old street.
"Master." Shubai pushed open the ajar door, and there was a faint smell of smoke in the dark room.
Shubai shouted, opened the smoke-blackened curtain, and walked inside.
There was no light in the room, and in an old-fashioned recliner, an old man with withered white hair lay on his back. His old body was wrapped in rough linen-like clothes, like a large piece of wood that was about to die in autumn and winter.
"You're back?" the old man said slowly, his pipe gently tapping the bamboo armchair, and then pointed to a corner and said: "When the time comes, send these white copper corner ornaments to Old Man Li's mansion, and we will take care of the last part of the business. .”
Shubai quickly said: "I know."
The old man is engaged in the craft of forging copper, mostly making some ornaments, lamps and furnaces, or some paintings made of melted copper. The old man's copper paintings are very famous, and most of the paintings on them are some immortal beheadings. Scenes of demons slaying demons, or demons killing each other, the mythical aura seems to come out of the drawing board, lifelike.
Shubai asked: "Master, are we going to close the store?"
The old man said: "Close it, no one will come anyway."
Shubai responded.
The old man asked: "Are you looking for that old Taoist priest again?"
Shubai was silent for a while and then hummed.
The old man sighed: "If you can't kill you and unfortunately die, old man, I will have raised you for so many years in vain."
Shubai said in a weak voice: "It's the disciple who feels sorry for the master."
The old man tapped the cigarette rod slower and said, "I don't blame you. It's a good thing to repay a favor. If it weren't for your energy, I wouldn't have opened the door and let you in."
Shubai put his hands behind his hands, tightened the money bag, and said: "From now on, if I don't leave, I will follow the master wholeheartedly and pass on your old man's skills."
The old man smiled, and with a creaking sound, his old body pulled himself up from the bamboo deck chair and walked towards the hut behind the backyard.
"On New Year's Eve in two days, I will accompany Master to look at the lanterns." The old man said suddenly.
An ominous premonition suddenly arose in Shubai's heart. He could not grasp the source of this premonition. He hesitated for a while and then slowly said: "Okay..."
…
…
Ning put his chopsticks on the table for a long time, took a rare sip of wine, and looked at the river passing through the city under the tall buildings. On both sides of the long river, pedestrians and porters were walking back and forth wrapped in thick clothes, and women who had rinsed their clothes The man banged his clothes, but the back of his hands was clean and there were no purple frostbite.
Ning Xiaoling was looking at the dazzling menu again, thinking about what to eat next time, while fidgeting with her shriveled purse, her face full of distress.
"Brother, our family resources are limited, and we can't spend money like this in the future." Ning Xiaoling pinched the money bag, recalling its bulging appearance before: "This is our hard-earned money!"
Ning Changjiu smiled and asked: "Then why don't you go and drink flower wine?"
Ning Xiaoling held her purse and hesitated, "Isn't the money enough?"
Ning Jiujiu smiled and said: "Watching the sisters dance in the karaoke house is not as enjoyable as watching you get married and master dance with swords. If you really go to see it and disappoint Xiaoling, it will not only cost money but also be a waste." It’s better to leave a thought in your heart.”
When Ning Xiaoling heard this, she felt that it made sense. She put the money bag into her arms, carefully put it away, and said, "Then listen to senior brother!"
After eating, Ning Changjiu went downstairs with her.
The cold wind of winter passes through the hall, but the streets where people come and go are full of excitement and joy. Red lanterns have been hung high in front of many stores, and many tall horses have colorful ribbons wrapped around their necks. walking forward.
"Senior brother, when you left earlier, did you cast any spell on that boy named Shubai?" Ning Xiaoling suddenly asked.
Ning Jiujiu was slightly startled and said with a smile: "Junior sister, not only has her level improved, but her eyesight has also improved a lot. She has lived up to the little snow fox you exploited."
Ning Xiaoling asked curiously: "What spell did senior brother cast?"
Ning Changjiu said: "It's just a little skill, it's nothing."
Ning Xiaoling snorted coldly: "Senior brother is going to lose all his hair sooner or later if he strikes again!"
Ning Changjiu said: "Let's walk around the city with my senior brother. It's only been two months, but I still feel... like I haven't been back for several years."
Ning Xiaoling hummed and stretched lazily.
In fact, along the way, many people cast strange glances at this pair of senior brothers and sisters, not because of any special reason, but because they were really thinly dressed.
It has snowed several times this month. No matter how bright the winter sun is, it has no warmth. Of course, the remaining snow in the gaps between the green tiles is still difficult to melt. The ice hanging under the tile eaves reflects the sunlight, more like a canine tooth. The curtains can be hung until spring this year.
In the coldest month of winter, most people in a prosperous city are wearing fox and mink fur coats, but the common people are much different. The richer ones wear cotton or silk clothes, while the poor ones still wear fur coats. Robe made of kudzu.
Ning Jiujiu and Ning Xiaoling are both Taoists at the moment, and their ability to withstand the cold is of course different from ordinary people. Ning Jiujiu is still wearing a cold-proof coat, while Ning Xiaoling is just wearing a cold Taoist skirt.
She didn't feel cold at all, but seeing other people wearing so many clothes and getting strange looks made her feel a little colder mentally.
"Senior brother, let's go buy some thicker clothes and dress appropriately." Ning Xiaoling suggested.
Ning Jiujiu suddenly stretched out his hand and pointed toward the bridge: "Junior sister, don't panic, aren't there people wearing less clothes?"
Ning Xiaoling stood on tiptoes and looked along the position of his fingers.
Beside the big arch bridge across the river, under a big willow tree with withered leaves, a girl was wearing thin clothes, raising her long sleeves, dancing barefoot on the cold floor, and an old man was sitting next to her. , with a piece of black cloth over his eyes and a musical instrument in his hand, his voice was drowned by the crowd. Although it was difficult to hear clearly, it always had a touch of desolation.
Ning Xiaoling pulled his sleeve and said, "Senior brother, take a look."
Ning Jiujiu was dragged by her towards the bridge.
The approaching New Year's Eve is a very good day, and many wealthy families also like to ask for some luck at this time to earn some happiness. Even those begging on the roadside are willing to give a few more copper coins.
But there was no money in the basin in front of the father and daughter. Perhaps it was because the singing and dancing were too cool, the clothes were too plain, and the erhu was babbling, it was more like a funeral, and the destruction was in vain. The bustle in the city, and the bridge side is the busiest place in the city, so it would be a good thing to give them a place to perform.
The little dancing girl looked very young, about the same age as Ning Xiaoling, but she was extremely thin. When she danced, her dress was ill-fitting and made her look a little bloated. Her exposed ankles were even more skinny. , there is no sense of beauty at all, it only makes people feel sad and pitiful.
She seemed to be singing in the dialect of the city. Ning Changjiu could probably understand a few words. The lyrics seemed to be something like "The yellow trees are gone, the birds are gone, the white snow is leisurely piled up with broken monuments, when the ferry boat went away, the reeds turned into snow in a few years, and the pearls were yellow jade." Old man, sighing Naihe... Naihe."
The tone is gentle and sad, and it can be heard that someone has practiced music, but the lyrics are sad and really unpleasant. No one wants to listen to this on such a festive day.
Ning Xiaoling couldn't understand what she was singing. She just thought about the lonely days after her father, mother and brother died. She couldn't help but sympathize with her, so she took out her money bag, grabbed a handful, and sprinkled it into the basin. .
The old man playing the erhu was indifferent.
The dancing girl stopped, leaned down to Ning Xiaoling, bowed and thanked her, her thin face was slightly lowered, and her eyes shrouded in cold mist looked at her sadly, full of gratitude.
Ning Xiaoling's tender body trembled when she saw the weeping eyes, and she lined up some copper coins to go in. The girl's soft body was blessed again, and she kept thanking her, as if she could not help but feel weak at any time. to be poured to the ground.
After Ning Xiaoling finished her good deed, she straightened her back a little, waved her hand generously and said, "You're welcome, I'll jump on you."
Ning stood aside and watched for a long time.
It can be seen that this little girl is still good at it. This posture must have been practiced hard for many years. It is a pity that the old man who plays the piano seems to be ignorant of the style. The good-looking seedling dances such a depressing song and dance, sighing after sighing. No matter what, no one else is willing to give money.
Across the noisy streets, two rows of low eaves came into view.
After walking through the bustling neighborhood, under the short and old house, Ning Xiaoling sighed: "There are still many miserable people in this world."
Ning Jiujiu said: "Yes, so those who practice Taoism should shoulder more important responsibilities."
Ning Xiaoling nodded and said: "Actually, I know that even if I just gave her so much money, she will still be harshly treated by others in the future, and she might still not be able to even have a full meal... "
Ning Jiujiu hummed, many of these street performers were forced out by coercion and inducement. After they closed the stall, no matter how much they earned, the little girl might only be able to drink a bowl of porridge that was not enough to satisfy her hunger.
In the past, Ning Xiaoling might have found out all the people behind the scenes in a rage and brought them to justice, but now she just took advantage of the situation and stuffed more money with her.
Ning Jiujiu said: "This is also the reason why many immortals practice and are unwilling to come to the mortal world. This is already the case in the city. Those villages and towns in the mountains and fields that are invaded by wild beasts are much more miserable. After a demon attack, very soon It may be that there are ten rooms and nine empty spaces. People who practice Taoism will eventually have an ordinary mind. If they see these things too much, they will inevitably become bound to the human world. How to become an immortal?"
Ning Xiaoling sighed: "Practitioners who do not cultivate or do anything are supported by the world, but practitioners have to avoid the world as much as possible... Isn't this a waste of support from the world?"
Ning Jiujiu said: "But if there were no practitioners to slay demons in the God-abandoned Moon every year, the world would be even worse. This is the responsibility written into the cultivator's creed, and it can also be regarded as the greatest contribution that a practitioner has made to the world."
Ning Xiaoling asked softly: "But in my hometown, there are still mountain ghosts attacking the city..."
Ning Jiujiu said: "Because we can't kill them all. Even the biggest cultivator can't kill even the weakest mountain ghosts."
Ning Xiaoling was not convinced and asked: "Pursuants in the Purple Court Realm fly their swords and turn into rainbows in the blink of an eye. Those mountain ghosts are very powerful in our eyes, but under their swords, they are not worth mentioning at all."
Ning Jiujiu shook his head and said: "But they are not cabbage. They will not grow motionless in the ground. The world is too big and there are too many places to hide. Just like you close the door and start killing mosquitoes in the house, thinking that you The killing is complete, but when Yijue wakes up, he may find that there is still a bloated lump on his forearm."
Ning Xiaoling groaned and scratched her forearm subconsciously, feeling a little downcast.
Going deeper, all the way, the wooden door with the old red paint peeling off has a deep water-stained color, and the couplets posted are also very old. The words on it are almost unclear, and there are only a few children. He was holding a chair and hanging a brand new red lantern high in front of the door.
Red lanterns hang high and low along the street. If the long street were branches, then they would be bright red tidbits.
"It's still a bit festive after all." Ning Xiaoling said with emotion.
Ning Changjiu said: "We have also grown up through hardships. It is of course good to still have compassion after becoming rich, but it is not good to always be sad for the spring and autumn."
Ning Xiaoling murmured: "But it's winter now."
Ning Changjiu said: "Yes, the New Year will be in two days. Even a small border town will be very lively. If it is a wealthy place, it will be even more beautiful with a pool full of golden lights and shadows. When people are in it, they will often forget where they are. in the winter."
Ning Xiaoling raised her head and asked, "Senior brother, do you mean that if a practitioner is used to being pure and pure in the world, he won't care about the injustice in the world?"
Ning Jiujiu smiled and said: "Just say it casually, junior sister, don't think too much."
Ning Xiaoling said: "Senior brother must mean this!"
Ning Jiujiu sighed: "Actually, it is not incomprehensible that many practitioners have secluded themselves from the world for a long time, and have not experienced the world. What they practice every day is to compete with the illusory Dao. They are old, but their Dao heart is immature. If it is true, Traveling in the human world is likely to cause many tragedies in which people become angry and litter the land with corpses. It is also a good thing that they do not come to this world."
Ning Xiaoling nodded thoughtfully and said: "So the cultivation of the big sect places great emphasis on cultivating the mind, and Sister Marry is also very strict with us."
Ning Jiujiu held his hands in his sleeves and seemed to object to this statement, retorting: "You only know how to beat people when you marry the master. What do you know about true cultivation of the mind?"
Ning Xiaoling snorted coldly: "If you have the guts to say these bad words in front of Master."
Ning Jiujiu said: "I'm not stupid."
Beside a stone pier, Ning Xiaoling stopped. She sat on it, hammered her legs, and said: "Forget it, I can't walk anymore. There is nothing interesting in these dilapidated alleys. Senior brother, let's go back... "
Ning Changjiu said: "Okay, junior sister is in charge of money now, so naturally she has the final say."
Ning Xiaoling covered her purse and said, "Okay, but you have to go back another way."
"Why?"
"I'm afraid if I cross that bridge again, the last remaining money will be gone."
"But there seems to be only one bridge in this city."
"ah… "
…
When we returned home, it was already approaching dusk. The setting sun in the west filled the street with gentle light, and even the cold wind cooled down in the light. Ning Xiaoling stood at the door and looked sideways, with a rare feeling in her heart. Calm, just like the solid feeling of touching the wooden door with your fingers when returning home after a long journey.
If every day is so good, even if you don't go back to the mountain gate to practice.
However, this calm was soon broken.
"Senior brother! Why is there a bag of money missing! I said that boy can't be trusted! Senior brother, what are you doing to abuse good people? Good people are rewarded, but abuse of good people is not!" Ning Xiaoling opened the hidden grid under the compass, He squatted down and looked at the empty space inside, feeling very sad. The boy who stole the money was no longer in front of him, so naturally he could only transfer his hatred to his senior brother.
Ning Jiujiu walked to her side, looked in, and said softly: "Is she missing..."
…
…
(PS: It was the first day it was put on the shelves yesterday. Thank you all for your support. Thank you to book friend Ning Jiujiu for the leader and sister Miao for the guru! Thank you very much!!! Also thank you to book friends Flashwaltz, Clannad丶, Qiankun Wanyu, Butterfly Shang Beihai and Mo Chen Fenghe for their reward support! Thank you also to everyone who has subscribed to the official version ~ Thank you everyone for your motivation!)
(There’s another chapter tonight!)