It was midnight, and Zhang Lin was silently cleaning the rubble on the ground. She let many people read her jokes. Compared with the pain in her body, she was actually more concerned with having a swollen face the next day. Facing the pointing of relatives in this yard.
The roof was smashed into a hole by a meteorite falling from the sky, and the unburned piece of meteorite was still embedded in the floor of the house, emitting black smoke. And her man was frightened at the very first moment, and stopped beating himself up, and at this moment, he fell asleep on the bed on his own.
Although the sudden accident damaged the roof, Lin felt very fortunate. If it wasn't for this accident that interrupted her husband, she didn't know that the man who was in a state of excitement would not know when his atrocities would end. .
Lin straightened his sore back and looked at the messy room. There is no extra decoration in this barren bedroom, except for an ink painting scroll on the wall.
The picture depicts a big river, wild water and spring river, faint smoke and decaying grass, and there are reed grass in the vicinity, and a corner of the pavilion of Xianshan is faintly revealed in the clouds and mist on the other side.
The most striking thing is a small carp with its tail freely swinging in the vast smoke. The fish swims in the middle of the river, with a blue-black body and a bright red forehead. Its existence makes the whole dull picture lively and vivid. nimble.
Lin was a little dazed staring at the touch of red. She couldn't remember when the painting was hung at home. For some unknown reason, these days, she has been dreaming of the fish in the picture scroll, so that all her recent embroidery items have been habitually displayed as carp.
Although no one can know the pictures in her dream, even thinking about it plainly is enough to make Lin feel ashamed.
Since she was a child, her parents have disciplined her very strictly in terms of etiquette. Since she married into the Zhang family, she has abide by the virtues of women, be cautious, take her husband as the heaven, and never miss a step.
But I don't know why I have such dreams. In those dreams, the flexible carp slowly swam out of the picture scroll, came to her side, turned into a young and handsome man, and had a skin-to-skin kiss with her. , cross the neck and lie down.
That person whispered softly in her ear every night, and said words that made people's hearts rip.
Lin shi covered her face and felt deep self-blame, she spurned her debauchery and absurdity in her heart. But she had to be ashamed to admit that in those dreams, she had a joy she had never had before.
The fish wrapped around her so tenderly and meticulously that she could even clearly recall the touch of his cold fingers on her skin, cold and smooth, like a real fish, which made her tremble. Trembling, let her fall all the way into the abyss.
Lin shi looked up at the husband who was sleeping soundly on the bed. He smelled of alcohol, and he never even took off his shoes and socks. He, who had just beaten his wife, was now sleeping soundly on the bed.
Lin Shi sighed and, like any time before, called hot water, served her husband to clean his face, took off his shoes and changed clothes.
When taking off the robe for her husband, a dazzling smear of powder was brightly dyed on the alcohol-smelling underwear.
Lin's hand back, her husband likes to linger in the fireworks field, it is not uncommon.
At the beginning, she also wanted to resist.
Her parents always tried to persuade her,
"The sage has a saying, born as a woman, the humble first, and since you have married a husband, only the way of respect and obedience is a great gift for a woman."
"Child, be patient for a while. After a while, the son-in-law understands your benefits, and naturally respects and loves you."
The mother-in-law pointed to the bridge of her nose and scolded, "Men socialize outside for the sake of this family. You don't know how to serve carefully, but you are jealous. Jealousy is one of the seven things that mess up the family because of it. Come on fire, send you home."
Since then, Lin has never dared to say anything.
At this moment, she looked at the man lying on the bed, with loose skin, a fat stomach, and a skin emptied by the color of wine, but she was able to slap her fists and feet against her at every turn, slandering each other.
The only thing that can be done about this kind of life is to endure it endlessly, and be asked to be meek, diligent, and not jealous. When will these days end? Maybe she could endure it for a decade or two, when she gave birth to a son, the son married a daughter-in-law, and she became a woman like her mother-in-law, and she would pour out the backlog of anger on her daughter-in-law.
Lin stepped back a few steps and happened to touch the picture scroll. The swimming fish on the picture scroll is by her hand, the huge fish body, with a bright red forehead, almost swimming out of the picture, those black eyes stared straight at her.
She was startled.
Was this fish this big from the beginning
When did it get to this position
"Since it's been so hard, why bother yourself. Come with me and have fun together." The man's seductive voice sounded from the screen.
Lin's handkerchief fell and fell to the ground, trying to escape, but couldn't move. She watched the big fish slowly swimming, the huge fish head sticking out from the canvas, and the dark fish eyes looked down at her.
The fish finally opened its big round mouth towards her and swallowed her in one bite.
…
Yuan Xianger didn't sleep well, she could always hear the sound of rushing water in her sleep. Yuan Xiang'er opened her eyes and found herself on the edge of a big river with vast smoke and waves. In the reed field, an old man in white was sitting on the edge of the river fishing.
Beside him, a blue-black carp floated in the air and swam slowly.
Yuan Xianger knew that she was probably in a dream.
"He Bo." She came to the old man's side, "I have come to Lianghe Town, what do you want to tell me, and where are you now?"
The old man seemed to have not heard.
He smiled, leisurely, fishing by the river, and said with his chin in one hand: "I said Danluo, you don't want to eat humans, okay?"
The fish that was swimming in the air turned around and looked at them. Only then did Yuan Xianger realize that the fish's head and mouth were dyed with bright red blood.
"Why? I want to eat, what's the difference between humans and other creatures? Tigers and wild boars can eat it, and humans can also eat it." There was a muffled sound from the fish's stomach, "What's more, They sacrificed their own kind to me."
"But I used to be a human race. If you want to eat my compatriots like this, I have to stay far away from you." He Bo said.
Danluo swam around in the air, and around again, and finally said, "I've lived for too long, I always feel very lonely. It's rare to have someone who can talk to me. Forget it, while you're alive, I won't eat it. Humans are."
He Bo smiled, "Thank you then, my friend."
…
Yuan Xianger was awakened by a slight knock on the door.
She opened her eyes and Dahua had already opened the door. It was not yet dawn, and outside the darkened door, stood the pale girl Donger.
"Dong'er, why are you here?" Dahua led her little niece into the house, "Why did you come here alone in the middle of the night?"
"Auntie, I... Can I sleep here with you?" The little girl was obviously frightened, and she was shivering non-stop on a hot summer night.
Dahua put her on the bed, let her sleep between him and Yuan Xianger, and patted her on the back lightly,
"What's the matter? Are you scared by your father's reckless man? Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I will sleep with my aunt and sister Axiang tonight."
The little girl curled up in the thin blanket, her tiny body shivering,
"It's not my father... it's my mother..."
Her small whispering voice was drowned out by the darkness, and neither Da Hua nor Yuan Xiang'er, who were sleepy, could hear her.
After dawn, Dahua got up early to clean the courtyard, boil water to cook, and was very busy.
Yuan Xianger saw her husband before breakfast. The scholar who has been studying hard all the year round is a little weak and weak. After nodding and salute to Yuan Xianger from a distance, he avoids suspicion and intends to leave.
Dahua restrained her escaping temper, and stood outside the door to talk to him. With a bit of respect and restraint, she handed him a box of freshly steamed dim sum and watched him go to the study.
In Yuan Xiang'er's eyes, this man was pulling several harmless little demons on the top of his head and the back, and the invisible weight pressed his back a little.
This is probably a timid and stressed man in his heart. When a person's momentum is weak and his heart is full of anxiety, the little demons would prefer to squat on his shoulder and bully him like this.
After Dahua came back, Yuan Xianger teased: "Why are you so nervous when you talk to your husband? We've been married for more than half a year, and you're still shy?"
"You don't know, since my husband passed the Xiucai exam, the whole family has pointed to him in high school, and people are looking forward to asking questions every day, which makes me nervous too." Dahua sighed, "I am looking forward to his progress in my heart. , and I am afraid that he will really win the election and become an official. Then I am afraid that a butcher's daughter like me will not be able to stand on the stage in his eyes. "
"Don't sigh all the time, you have sighed so much since I came here." Yuan Xianger patted her shoulder like a child, "You feel nervous, your husband is only afraid that the pressure will be even greater, I think You should encourage him more. Instead of holding him respectfully, you will only increase his pressure."
"Is that so? My husband has read books on sages. How can a rude person like me be qualified to encourage him?"
"Sister Dahua is the best girl in our group. Don't look down on yourself. You listen to me and show the same energy as before. You are already husband and wife, and I think he needs your encouragement very much."
After eating breakfast with Dahua, Yuan Xianger is going to take Nanhe to the He Temple today. Verify that vague dream last night.
Dong'er's mother, the Lin family, walked through the ear door and came to pick up her daughter back.
"Dong'er, go back with mother." Lin's smile was gentle and loving. Her husband's drinking and violence last night didn't seem to have any effect on her. Instead of looking tired and haggard, she looked somewhat radiant.
When Yuan Xianger saw her yesterday, she was habitually hunched over her chest and lowered her eyebrows. But at this moment, he straightened his waist and neck, smiled sweetly, and saluted and talked to people calmly, like a flower that suddenly opened, adding that rare radiance.
But Donger uncharacteristically shrank behind Dahua,
"You child, what's the matter? You can't keep bothering your aunt and go back with your mother, can you?" Lin's tone was gentle, looking down at his daughter with her pale face down, stretched out her hand to pull her.
The five- or six-year-old girl seemed to see some terrifying monster, shook her head desperately, and avoided it in fear.
(Nan He, did you smash the roof yesterday? Did you notice anything? I feel a little strange.) Yuan Xianger contacted Nan He, who was still on the roof.
(No, she looks human, but there seems to be something wrong. I'm not good at distinguishing this, if Wu Yuan is there, I can tell at a glance.) Nan He's voice came.
(Yes, I always feel that this Zhang Linshi is different from yesterday. But I don't know what's wrong.) Yuan Xianger hesitated.
"Sister Lin, Dong'er was probably frightened last night. I was just about to go out, why don't she follow me to relax." Yuan Xianger smiled and said to Mrs Zhang Lin, in a negotiating tone, but in her hand She has already taken Dong'er into her own hands.
With the early morning sun behind her back, Lin's smile seemed a little stiff and false.
She opened her mouth to speak, but saw a silver-white Sirius fall from the sky, jumping into Yuan Xiang'er's arms, and her cold eyes turned to look at her.
"Is that so..." Lin shi took a step back, "Well then."
Yuan Xiang'er held Nan He in her arms and led Dong'er to walk outside the gate.
Yuan Xianger remembered the strange fish that ate people in her dream last night, and couldn't help but ask,
(Xiao Nan, let me ask you, if we never knew each other, would you also eat humans?)
(Before the excavation period, my body needs a lot of hunting and eating. Although it will not be indiscriminate, when hunting, humans and other animals are no different to me.)
(So not eating now, just because of me?)
(Well, because I like Ah Xiang, I also like all human beings.)
For the first time, Yuan Xianger truly realized that for many demons, humans are just a link in the food chain.
Queqiu Town, where she lived since she was a child, is so quiet and peaceful, and she has never seen excessive blood and darkness, probably because a powerful monster like Master has always lived there.
Walking along the way, I can see that Kyoto, the most stable city, is also due to the presence of the national teacher Miaodao.
In this way, where there are big demons restrained or where powerful human beings live, there will be far fewer little demons wanton cannibalizing people.
Lianghe Town has always been a quiet town in the past, because of the Hebo management.
But now, the newly spawned little demons can be seen everywhere on the streets here.