Fifty-third bowl of soup (1)
Early in the morning, not long after the thin fog in the air dissipated, Xie Ze stood at the door of his mud house with a simple bag on his back. He hasn't been back for a long time, it should be... It must have been five or six years, he hasn't been back since he came to this world, now that he finally got some free time, he wanted to come back and have a look, after all, for the host, this place is the his home.
While Xie Ze was checking whether the roof was rotten, a question came from behind him: "...Is it Xie San?"
Hearing the sound, Xie Ze turned his head away, and quickly found the face and address in his heart to align with the other person, and nodded: "Aunt Wang, it's me."
"Are you back?!" Aunt Wang asked in disbelief. "We've been gone for so many years, and we thought you were—but it's good to be back, it's good to be back."
She looked at Xie Ze in amazement, he was a completely different person compared to five years ago. Five years ago, Xie Ze was thin and dark, with no strength in his body. When his parents died in his early years, he stopped studying. But now this Xie Ze is tall and straight, with healthy bronzed skin. The most important thing is that his temperament is completely different from before, otherwise he would be easier to recognize just by looking at his face.
Xie Ze smiled at Aunt Wang's family: "I'm back."
"Then... now that you're back, do you still want to go?" Aunt Wang asked curiously. Seeing that Xie Ze didn't intend to answer, and seeing that he was only wearing clothes made of ordinary materials, and that the luggage on his back was thin and small, she decided to leave. I cleared my throat embarrassingly, feeling that I asked too much. If someone doesn't get along well, isn't it hurting people's hearts? Hastily said: "Hurry up, go in and rest, your house has not been lived in for five years, and it took a long time to clean it. Auntie went back and called Uncle Wang to help."
"Don't bother." Xie Ze politely declined her offer. "I can do it myself."
After speaking, he took a step forward, the wooden door was already mottled and the locks were rusted. When I left, I took the key, but I didn't know where to throw it later. Xie Ze stretched out his hand casually, and tore off the copper lock. He smiled at the stunned Aunt Wang, and stepped into the yard.
Although the house is a mud house, although there is nothing in the yard, although the whole house smells musty... But it doesn't matter, he won't live here for long anyway.
The key to the door is gone, let alone the other rooms. Xie Ze rudely tore off all the locks, then went to the house, opened the doors and windows to let out the smell. Fortunately, the weather was nice. Five years ago, Xie Ze was very poor, and he didn’t have many things in the house. When he left, he took all the valuables with him. He moved out the table, bed, and bench, and first washed it with well water. After a while, put it in the sun to dry, the old clothes can't be worn now, Xie Ze packed them up and threw them away as garbage.
Of course pots and pans had to be washed, and he was hungry after working for a while, but it was a pity that there was nothing to eat at home.
Uncle Wang came back from the field and heard from his daughter-in-law that Xie San next door had come back, so he hurriedly came to see him, and warmly invited Xie Ze to have dinner at their house at noon, but Xie Ze refused.
He is not a host, and he never knows what rejection is, and he is even more delighted with the kindness of others. He doesn't need anyone to enter his life, besides, he can't accept anyone's favor because he is soft-spoken.
Seeing Xie Ze's refusal, the Uncle Wang didn't force him. He patted him on the shoulder and said that although he hadn't seen him for many years, his character had become more angular.
In the afternoon, Uncle Wang came to Xie Ze's house with a shovel and hoe, insisting on helping Xie Ze dig the ground. In the yard, the vegetables that Xie Ze had planted when he left were already rotten. Turn over the ground, even if nothing is planted, it will look cleaner.
Just breaking the ground like that, Xie Ze could finish it by himself in fifteen minutes. He also saw that Uncle Wang didn't come here specially to help him dig the ground, so he calmly waited for the other party to speak, anyway, he would not speak first.
Not long after, Uncle Wang finally couldn't hold back: "Xie San, where have you been for the past five years?"
"Go south and north, go anywhere."
Uncle Wang nodded and didn't ask any other questions. Basically, everyone in the village knew that Xie San was back, and they also knew that Xie San hadn't turned out to be a human being, so they returned to the village to return to their roots. Everyone doesn't say anything on the surface, but they are quite embarrassed in their hearts, so if you want to plant land, then plant the land for a lifetime, don't think too much.
Xie Ze was going to go into the mountain after searching. He didn't have much money on him. When he came back, he didn't bring anything except the thin bag. He came back light and simple. It's not as good as when he left. There are a few hundred coins.
He doesn't get close to anyone, not even the royal family who show kindness to him. In fact, he doesn't know why the host still wants to come back to this village in his heart, what's the point? He has no relatives or friends here, only a group of ignorant villagers.
It was early spring, when there was a lot of game in the mountains, Xie Ze killed a wild boar. This winter had just passed, and the wild boar was not fat, but the money sold was enough for Xie Ze to live on for a few days.
Five years ago, Xie Ze didn't have such skills, so he could only make a living by writing for others. He went to the town to set up a stall, and the money he made was not much, just enough to make ends meet. Fortunately, he is young, and although not strong enough, he is in good health, and has no other expenses except food, clothing, housing and transportation.
After changing the money, Xie Ze bought some rice, noodles and vegetables, and basically everything he needed. Few people he knew before can recognize him now, because his temperament is really different from before, although he is still The same height, but the strong muscles are not easy to mess with at first glance. It is a world of difference from the weak chicken five years ago.
An old man who sold roasted sweet potatoes thought he looked familiar. Xie Ze had set up a stall next to him in the past. The old man was very kind and could talk to Xie Ze.
But the old man didn't dare to admit it, Xie Ze gave him a flat look, stood still in front of him, and asked, "I want to buy some sweet potatoes."
The old man won’t go home until the sweet potatoes are sold out every day, but now it’s the beginning of spring, and summer is coming soon, and the business of roasting sweet potatoes will not be able to continue. He has to save more money while the sales are still good. In a few months. Wait until the weather cools down and then fire up the stove again.
Seeing that the business came, the old man wondered why this person looked so familiar, so he hurriedly asked Xie Ze how many he wanted. Xie Ze said flatly, "Give it all to me."
The old man was stunned: "Buy so much... why?"
"Go back and dry it in the sun." Xie Ze said, taking out the bank loan. He helped the old man take out all the sweet potatoes and packed them, and then gave the other party all the money in the silver bag.
Anyway, he was young and strong, so he just waited until he ran out of money to go hunting in the mountains.
The old man stood where he was, and was startled when he opened the silver bag. The money in it was enough to buy so many sweet potatoes. He wanted to catch up, but Xie Ze disappeared into the crowd within a few steps and was never seen again.
Back home with the things I bought, the sun had already set. Walking on the dirt road and looking from a distance, the whole village was shrouded in a layer of smoke. From time to time, there were a few dogs barking, and everyone was cooking dinner with lights on. Children were laughing and playing around in the village, while the elderly and men chatted in groups of three or five.
Xie Ze is undoubtedly strange and redundant. He is out of tune with the whole village—whether it was five years ago or now.
He walked forward without squinting, and with his super hearing, he could even hear the people talking about him. It was nothing more than running out for so many years and returning with nothing. In the end, he still had to take root in the village. At such an age, he even had a wife. You can't marry Yunyun.
Men seem to have a natural sense of superiority in front of Xie Ze, no matter how tall and strong Xie Ze is now, if he can't marry a wife, it means he is incompetent. After going out for five years and returning home with nothing, even the land at home is deserted, isn't that enough to be laughed at
This kind of unconscious malevolence is the most frightening, because people are often unaware of how much their thoughts go too far. Xie Ze ignored everyone and carried his things all the way home.
First, the oil lamps were lit, and the bed and the table were washed and dried during the day, and now there is no musty smell. The quilt at home has been covered for a long time, Xie Ze plans to get water to wash tomorrow, and sleep with clothes tonight, fortunately it is not cold.
The old man's sweet potatoes were still hot, which made Xie Ze, who was planning to cook some porridge, give up his idea. He sat on the threshold and ate a few sweet potatoes, looking up at the sky. He didn't get any skills in the previous two worlds, so the little boy will help him complete the task extra. At this moment, the moon is round and big, as bright as water, and the trees planted in the yard are not dead yet, and have already sprouted buds. Xie Ze closed his eyes, waved away the face that always appeared in his mind, got up and went to the yard, poured a bucket of cold water over his head, feeling cool, and then let out a long breath.
Don't think about anything.
It's getting late, and he plans to go to the field tomorrow morning to take a look. Anyway, he has to take care of the things that belong to the host. As for other things, we can talk about them later.
But lying on the bed, he still couldn't sleep, his eyes were open and he looked at the dark room. Over the years, he couldn't help reaching out and groping for the side, but it was always empty. He felt that he hadn't fallen in love with anyone, but if it was a habit, it would have lasted for too long.
In the middle of the night, hunger and longing can only be endured.
However, Xie Ze thought about it again, with her by his side, how could he live such a poor life? Even if she didn't care, as a husband and a man, he would never let his woman live like this.
Just thinking about it like this, I don't know when, but I also fell asleep in a daze.