The car drove directly through the most prosperous area of K city, driving farther and farther, and finally drove to a place where the surrounding buildings were low and dilapidated - this kind of place exists in every city in the world, and all the people living here are cities. The lowest grassroots level among them.
The road began to be bumpy. You can imagine that once it encounters continuous rainy weather, there will definitely be large areas of water in such a place, and the road becomes narrower and narrower. The stretch limousine of Xu Ershao's family can no longer drive in, so it can only Can park.
This is a group of bungalows. Such houses are rare in the city. Large tracts of low bungalows form small alleys. If you look down from the air, they are as dense as a spider web, extending in all directions.
Here are small courtyards for each household, and the most authentic music of grassroots life can be heard in the courtyard: the clinking of pots and pans, the screams of children, the noise in front of the public water pipes, people walking on the street The vendors in the alley are selling their goods.
Chen Xiao and Baicai followed Gonggong as they walked through the alleys. They walked through small courtyard houses and saw a housewife who lived here carrying a small stool and sitting in front of the house. There was a basket full of dirty clothes in front of them. They scrubbed vigorously in large wooden basins, while others carried spittoons or toilets... In places like this, dozens or hundreds of households often share a public toilet.
The smell in the air in this place is also very strange - a mixture of oil fumes from the kitchens facing the street, low-end washing powder, the dampness in the alleys, and nearby public toilets - these are mixed together to form A strange taste that is difficult to describe.
Baicai walked here with an expression full of intimacy. She smiled at Chen Xiao and said, "You must have never been to a place like this. I grew up in a place like this."
At the end of the alley, there is a double-open red wooden door. Most of the red paint on the door has peeled off, revealing the broken wooden board inside. There is a jujube tree with an outer neck at the door, and a string of copper bells hanging on the tree. The breeze Hanging over it, the copper bell swayed gently - but it was already rusty inside, and the tinkling sound it made was no longer crisp, but had a harsh and harsh sound.
Standing in front of the dilapidated wooden door, Gonggong paused for a while, took a breath, and solemnly adjusted his appearance, then carefully opened the door and stepped in. He turned back and smiled at Chen Xiao, slightly embarrassed: "This is also the first time for me to meet this senior..."
This courtyard looks no different from an ordinary courtyard house. There are three large tile-roofed houses. The entrance faces the patio. There is an elm tree planted in the yard, and strings of elm leaves hang on the branches like copper coins.
The sound of an old-fashioned radio came from the door, and a piece of Peking Opera was playing. Chen Xiao listened carefully, and it was "Su San Qi Jie".
The three of them stood in the yard and watched for a while. The door on the left opened, and a wrinkled aunt came out. She was holding a basin of water for washing the pot, and poured it casually under the elm tree, and then very casually. He glanced at the three of them: "Here? Come in, one by one."
As he said that, he pointed at the door in the middle.
Gonggong smiled and glanced at Chen Xiao: "You go in first."
Chen Xiao did not refuse, strode over, knocked on the door first, and then pushed the door open.
The room is very spacious, with old-fashioned furniture in the middle. The mahogany chairs clearly bear the traces of time. Walking through the entrance hall, I look at a portrait of the God of Wealth hanging on the wall. There is a smell of sandalwood in the air.
Chen Xiao walked to the back room and saw a person lying quietly in an armchair.
This is a woman, and her long hair proves it. She has presbyopic eyes on her face. There is an old-fashioned radio next to the chair. She is wearing an old-fashioned cheongsam. On the coffee table on the left, there is a pot of fragrant tea and a small plate of flowers. He was holding a newspaper in his hand and reading it intently.
Chen Xiao walked closer, but the woman didn't say anything. She was still reading the newspaper quietly. Chen Xiao didn't say anything, just stood aside and waited patiently.
Take a closer look at this woman - she is no longer young. Although her face is still pretty, the corners of her eyes and mouth are full of wrinkles, leaving traces of time. Her forehead is still smooth, but those eyes are hidden behind her eyes. It is filled with a wisdom as deep as an ancient well.
This old house, old furniture, old radio, plus this young woman - standing in this place, Chen Xiao suddenly felt that his soul was filled with an almost ethereal calm and tranquility.
It seems that standing in this room is completely cut off from the outside world. There is only this kind of peace and tranquility left between heaven and earth...
Chen Xiao stood for two minutes. After two minutes, the woman seemed to have finally finished reading the newspaper. She sighed softly, folded the newspaper, then took off her eyes, rubbed her eyes tiredly, and then subconsciously reached out. Go get the tea cup next to you.
Chen Xiao immediately took a step forward, picked up the teapot first, and filled the empty tea cup.
The woman seemed to smile, still not looking at Chen Xiao, but the peaceful look in her eyes was so calm, and she took a sip of tea.
What is certain is that this woman must have been very charming when she was young, because she had a pair of extremely beautiful eyes. However, she is not the kind of woman with delicate and stunning facial features. The outline of her mouth is a little bigger, her lips are a little thinner, and her forehead is a little wider. Even when she reaches out her hand, her fingers are Not as "slender as jade fingers" - the joints of her fingers are slightly larger.
Then she stood up facing Chen Xiao - her body shape was naturally not comparable to that of a young girl, and her hips were slightly wider, and her waist was not slender enough... But it made people feel that this woman seemed to have A graceful and graceful outfit!
Such a woman is really not beautiful. But when you first see her, you will think she is very beautiful - this is an unreasonable beauty. It seems that every detail about her has a charm that cannot be described in words.
"My name is fireworks." The woman stared at Chen Xiao and pursed her lips with a smile: "Fireworks are just beautiful to set off, but nothing will be left after they are set off."
At this time, Chen Xiao suddenly remembered a sentence Gu Long once wrote: lonelier than fireworks.
There is no doubt that the woman in front of me is such a person.
Her name is Fireworks...a woman who is more lonely than Fireworks.
…
"I know your name is Chen Xiao... No need to introduce yourself. I know everything about you, your life experience, your experiences, and your current troubles." Yanhua pointed to another chair in the room: " sit down."
Chen Xiao was originally quite calm, but when he faced this woman, he seemed to feel vaguely at a loss under her bright eyes. He responded before sitting on the chair opposite the fireworks, but the fireworks seemed to smile: "You have ten minutes, don't be nervous, you are my guest here, I will answer any questions you have... Time It's within ten minutes. Oh, by the way, I'm sorry about your clothes. In fact, this chair is too old and should have been replaced a long time ago."
Well? What
Chen Xiaocai was stunned for a moment, but suddenly he felt the chair under his butt let out a groan, and then the old chair suddenly shattered and fell apart. Fortunately, Chen Xiao reacted quickly and stood up immediately, but the broken armrest of the chair was caught He pulled off his sleeve and with a sneer, the sleeve was instantly torn, leaving a tear of about ten centimeters.
Chen Xiaocai stood firm and stared dumbly at the gap in his sleeves. Thinking of the last words of the fireworks just now, his scalp began to tingle!
"Young man, you don't have to look at me like that." Yanhua picked up the delicate little tea cup again and took a sip with a kind smile: "Oh, by the way, don't worry if the cup breaks, just don't scratch your fingers. "
Chen Xiao was stunned for a moment, and with just a slight turn, his body accidentally bumped into a small coffee table next to him. He immediately knocked a glass to the ground and broke with a clang! He subconsciously reached out to pick it up, and when his fingers pinched a fragment, he frowned. The tip of his finger was cut by the fragment, and bright red blood slowly seeped out...
Chen Xiao was finally shocked!
He suddenly raised his head and stared at the fireworks: "You..."
Yanhua smiled softly and sat down gracefully: "Didn't you know who I was before you came here?"
Chen Xiao swallowed and glanced at the broken chairs on the ground, the broken cups, the wounds on his fingers, and the gaps in the sleeves of his clothes...
He swallowed hard, smiled reluctantly, and asked: "Just now...were these all designed by you? If I don't sit on this chair, will it fall apart? If it doesn't fall apart, it won't be broken. My clothes. If this situation didn't happen, I wouldn't be embarrassed and turn around, I wouldn't break this cup, and I wouldn't hurt my fingers by picking up the pieces..."
Fireworks was still smiling, but his eyes were deeper: "Do you think there are such coincidences in the world?"
Her voice carried a kind of tranquility and serenity: "One detail may be a coincidence, but when a series of coincidences are connected together... then it is 'inevitable'."
After a pause, she suddenly smiled again: "Oh, by the way, can you do me a favor?"
"… What?"
"It's just a little effort." Yanhua smiled softly: "When you leave later, at the entrance of the alley outside, please help me."
"The entrance to the alley? I don't understand..." Chen Xiao looked confused.
"This is also an 'inevitability'." Yanhua sighed, with a somewhat indifferent expression: "Actually, I am too talkative. Since it is inevitable, there is no need for me to specifically warn you."
Chen Xiao was at a loss, but in an instant, he suddenly felt blessed. Looking at the woman as beautiful as a firework in front of him, he couldn't help blurting out: "Could it be! Your power is... to predict the future?"
The light in Yanhua's eyes when she looked at Chen Xiao seemed to gradually dim. Then, with a faint sigh, she still stared at Chen Xiao, but her eyes were slightly sad.
"People like me are called 'prophet' or 'prophet' abroad. In China, they are probably called magicians or something like that."
"You... can really predict the future?" Chen Xiao was moved: "What things can you predict?"
Fireworks was silent for a longer time this time, and her final answer was only two words:
"everything."
…
"What does the person inside look like?" Baicai stood in the yard outside the door, feeling impatient and looked at Gonggong: "You..."
Gonggong smiled slightly: "Little girl, don't be too anxious... You'd better calm down and think about it now. When it's your turn later, you have any difficult questions that need to be answered."
"question?"
"Yes." Gonggong smiled mysteriously: "The person inside can answer any question you can imagine! Whether it has happened or never happened before! Any question!"
"Any questions? It doesn't matter if it didn't happen?" Baicai's eyes widened: "If I ask the people inside, I...who is my future husband?"
As she said that, Miss Baicai's noodles turned a little crimson and she couldn't help but glance into the room.
Gonggong smiled: "This question is very simple for the person inside, and he will definitely be able to tell you the accurate answer!" After a pause, Gonggong kindly reminded: "It's just that the opportunity is rare, and I personally I don’t recommend that you use such a precious opportunity to ask this kind of question. You might consider asking a more important question... "
Baicai fell silent and looked at her toes nervously...