I don't know why, the paper dust was not blown away by the wind, but kept circling back and forth in the mid-air in front of Fang Jie. Fang Jie raised his head and took a look, and even had the illusion that a familiar figure would appear on the paper dust in the next second. , smile to yourself. He waited blankly for a while, and finally smiled self-deprecatingly.
"I really thought you guys would come out and scare my boss."
He sat cross-legged on the ground, not caring about the dust on the ground at all.
After taking the second jug of wine handed over by Mu Xiaoyao, Fang Jie took a sip, looked around at the familiar scenery and fell silent, the cavalry dispersed to see if there were any horse thieves entrenched here, but found a dozen or so Beggars huddled up in dilapidated houses to keep warm.
The once prosperous small town is now as desolate as a ghost.
Fang Jie finished a pot of wine, thought of something, then got up, patted the dust off his body and walked forward. Mu Xiaoyao and the others followed behind him without saying a word. Fang Xie seemed to have no purpose, walked into an alley at random, and then walked into every courtyard.
"This is Widow Sun's home."
Fang Jie looked back at Mu Xiaoyao and smiled: "Do you still remember?"
Mu Xiaoyao nodded: "In those three years, every summer night, you often let the big dog carry you up the wall of Widow Sun's house to peek at other people taking a bath."
"Now that I think about it, she deliberately pretended not to know."
Fang Jie smiled and said: "She is also a hardy person. Her husband died long ago but she has never remarried. She spends her days alone in this yard. I don't know how many people want to hurt her. She deliberately got close to me. It’s not easy to harass others. I know that many people said that I didn’t come out at Widow Sun’s house on a certain night. What I said seemed to be true even with details. Widow Sun stood at the door and yelled Whoever made up the nasty things, I actually know that she said it herself."
"You didn't deny it."
Mu Xiaoyao nodded.
"I did it on purpose too."
Fang Jie hummed, with a bit of pride and bitterness in his smile: "I know that her life is not going well, Song Huo and those rascals in Fangu City are trying to take advantage of her all day long, but those people are actually not very courageous. I often flirted with Widow Sun intentionally, and then climbed on the wall of her house. This kind of thing got out a lot, and Song Huo and the others didn't dare to be presumptuous anymore. I know those rumors were said by Widow Sun herself. I never deny it, because I know it would be better for her. The reputation cannot be kept, so find a way to keep your body."
Shen Qingshan frowned slightly, seeming a little angry.
Women, especially widows, never seem to have any happy endings in this society.
For a person like Widow Sun, even if she guards herself like a jade, she can't keep her name. The daughter-in-law and the man in this family are all talking about her romantic affairs. The fabricated things are more real than the real ones, and the fake ones become real after being spread for a long time. The more this is the case, the more people will continue to harass and take advantage of it. Widow Sun knew this very well, so she simply made up a story by herself. Although her reputation could not be preserved, her body was still innocent.
Fang Jie opened the door and walked in, sweeping away the cobwebs in front of him.
This is actually the first time he has entered Widow Sun's house, so it is relatively unfamiliar. Basically everything that could be used in the house was taken away, and the kang mats on the kang were dilapidated. There is also a low table on the kang, with a lot of peanut shells on the table, and a broken bowl. It is obvious that people have lived here, and it is not known whether they are rioters or horse thieves.
Fang Jie felt his feet go soft, looked down and found that he was stepping on a ball of rags. He didn't know that this ball of rags was deliberately stuffed into his chest by Widow Sun when she teased him, and then she took it out angrily and threw it on the ground without picking it up, and there was no chance to pick it up again.
There was too much dust in the room, so it was a bit choking. Fang Jie picked up the rag and put it on the kang, then turned and walked out. When he went out, he found a dirty and worn embroidered shoe in the corner. He picked it up in the past, and after a moment of silence, he blew off the ashes on the shoes, and dug a hole in the yard with a Zhaolu knife to bury the shoes.
"I know you used me at the beginning, but I didn't care. You are really beautiful, and you are the most beautiful woman in Fangu City."
He buried the soil, clapped his hands and said with a smile: "It's just that when you really wanted to invite me into the yard later, I was reluctant... I must have disappointed you at the time, but I didn't feel regretful, you should You will not feel regretful, in this life, you are more pure than a lotus."
Walking out of Widow Sun's house, Fang Jie walked along the path, going into every house.
In each household, he will stay for a short while.
It was getting dark, Chen Xiaoru arranged for someone to clean up Li Xiaozong's original Biejiang Mansion, and then prepare dinner. Fang Jie left dozens of households and it was completely dark. When he returned to Biejiang Mansion, he stood in the yard and stared at the two wintersweet trees that were still alive.
I don't know why, but the sky is extremely dark.
There was clearly a bright moon, but it was so dark all around, it was as if you couldn't see your fingers when you stretched out your hands.
Everyone was very surprised and didn't understand why this small town looked so dark. There were no dark clouds, and the wind stopped. When I looked up, I saw the silver plate hanging in the sky, so low that it seemed that I could reach it by climbing the city wall. It should not be a very dark night, but it is so dark and depressing.
Fang Jie moved a chair and sat down in the yard, tightening the cloak around him.
"Everyone is looking at me from above, even the moonlight is blocked."
He murmured something, which frightened everyone in the yard.
…
…
Fang Jie asked people to light a lot of incense and candles in the yard, making the yard very bright. There was no wind at all, and the smoke from the incense rose and floated straight up. Chen Xiaoru originally planned to set up an incense case, but Fang Jie refused. He smiled and said that they just still miss this small town, and there are still grievances that have not been resolved. There is no need for an incense case. I just sit in the yard for a while.
He asked everyone to rest, only Mu Xiaoyao, Shen Qingfan and Big Dog Qilin accompanied him.
"You lived in this small town for those three years, and the people here must have treated you very well."
Shen Qingfan said softly.
Fang Jie nodded: "Actually, when you think about it, there must be quite a few people who scolded me behind my back. Song Huhu in the city was a rascal and often bullied others. I didn't know how to practice at that time, but my body was still strong and my martial arts skills were poor. It’s normal, but it’s enough to teach him a lesson. Once he led a few people from behind and tried to trap me with a sack and beat me violently, but I knocked out two front teeth.”
"When I left Fan Gu, he also came to see me off. He said that the most regrettable thing in his life was that he didn't beat me up. I said I'm really sorry. You won't have this chance in your next life. He He laughed, and then handed me a money bag, which is full of copper coins and broken silver. He said you take it, this is my dividend and the money I earned from carrying the bag. I have no face to give it to you. It's all clean. Buy a jug of wine on the way to drink, it's best to get drunk to death before I can relieve my hatred."
"I told you to keep it, and I'll get a daughter-in-law. He said you slept with the widows, and his life was dark. I laughed and told him to go straight to marry a widow who was cleaner than a white lotus flower. Song Tiger doesn't believe me. I gave him a foot. I didn't know that day that he really wanted to marry a widow, the kind that Ming was marrying."
Shen Qingfan didn't speak, feeling a little blocked in his heart.
"The people here are actually not harmonious. Just like the people in other places, one family is not in the same direction as another. It is common for them to fight when they meet without speaking. But they are all simple and honest. I know that if there is a crisis, even if the two families People who don’t speak will form a group. I like the atmosphere here, it’s always so down-to-earth.”
"Let's light some candles."
Fang Jie looked at the big dog and said, "Light it up, they can see me more clearly."
After speaking, he got up and walked to the middle of the yard.
Looking up at the sky, there seemed to be many pairs of eyes looking at him in the smog. Fang Jie kept his head up like this, and a smile gradually appeared on the corner of his mouth.
He seemed to see it, and they were laughing too.
"Little Fang Jie, remember to come back. I'll introduce you to the daughter of the Sun family on West Street. You haven't gone to see her yet. The girl is waiting for a reply!"
"Little Fang Jie, if you are capable, you will really eat me, do you have the guts?"
"Fang Jie, everyone has nothing to give you. Your sister-in-law knew you were leaving and made a few pairs of cloth shoes. She didn't sleep well last night. You take them with you. The layered-soled shoes are comfortable to wear and safe for walking."
"Brother Xiao Fang, will you come back? Mother said, you are going to the capital to be a high-ranking official. Where is the capital?"
These words echoed in Fang Jie's ears.
"Let's all go."
Fang Jie raised his head and said, "It's almost dawn, so don't miss anything. You have been in my dreams for three years, leave the matter of revenge to me, if you can't, you will wait until I die. Get ready to beat me with a stick. I didn’t believe in gods and ghosts at first, but today I firmly believe that you are all here. After listening to what I have to say, each of you will reincarnate. I will not leave the northwest for a while, and I will often burn some for you Paper money. Remember to drink that bowl of soup when you get to the underworld, and drink it when you cross the bridge. After drinking it, you will forget your previous life, and there will be no pain."
"I started looking for where your bones are at dawn. If you don't want me to bother you, just give me a hint. I don't think I can tell who is who after I find it. Choose a good place to bury them together. You have no objections, right?" , um, if you don’t speak, you don’t have anything.”
He talked to himself like a madman.
"Before I met you, I didn't know what home is. After this, I don't think there will be a place for me to miss like this."
He waved his hand and said, "No see."
I don't know if it's because of the dawn, or because of the sudden wind, the originally dark and frightening sky suddenly brightened up, as if a layer of veil in the sky was suddenly untied, and the stars and moonlight were all gone. spilled. The sky was no longer that impenetrable depth, and many stars became extraordinarily bright, twinkling, as if they were blinking at Fang Jie.
This is a very weird scene.
Everyone in the yard was a little surprised, but no one was afraid.
Fang Jie waved his hand to say no, and the sky became brighter.
I don't know how long it took, Fang Xie took a deep breath of the cold air, turned his head and looked towards the direction of the rising sun. The sun was very mild, covering the yard with a layer of light gold.
In the soft sunlight, Fang Jie suddenly discovered that a branch of the wintersweet tree in the yard had bloomed at some time. It seemed that there were no buds last night, but it suddenly bloomed today. Although the tree is still alive, many of its branches are already withered, and the little flower on the bare tree looks particularly eye-catching and bright.
Fang Jie looked at the little flower, and an arc was gradually drawn on the corner of his mouth.
"Look in that direction and see if there are any dirt bags outside the city."
Fang Jie pointed to the wintersweet flower and said.
Perhaps, this is the guidance they gave.
An hour later, a soldier quickly came back and reported to Fang Jie: "It has been dug out! There is a raised earth bag in a deep pit not far from the west of the city. When dug up, it is full of bones. I can't count how many people are crowded in Together, it’s hard to tell which is which.”
Fang Jie nodded, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Clean up slowly, don't rush. There is a large peach grove outside the city at the Fanghe Pavilion, which is also barren. But the scenery there is good, and all the bones will be moved there. Both Chen Qianshan and Lu Fenghou were transferred here, I changed my mind..."