Another week passed by. No one troubled Wu Hui and the others, everything was unremarkable.
However, this kind of plainness is somewhat disturbing. In just a few months, Wu Hui met all kinds of people, including businessmen, actors, and police officers. She began to believe that the ups and downs and exciting plots in the submissions she received could really happen in a short period of time.
If life really goes on like this, the remaining worries will eventually fade away until they are completely gone. Generally speaking, surprises really come when the story develops so that readers no longer have to worry about it. Until then, it's all just character development.
That’s it for now, let’s eat first.
She was deeply impressed by the small shop she went to with Mo Weiming last week. It was an ordinary riverside shop. Because it was located further east than the alley where Feiyunxuan was located, it didn't touch Qianhua Lane. And because the area was mostly residential areas, the prices were fair and the taste was friendly to the people. She couldn't forget the steamed fish she had last time, and she didn't have the nerve to snatch Mo Weiming's half, so she was considered capable.
It wasn't that she wanted to keep it to herself this time, but she remembered that Mo Weiming was on duty this weekend. Since he's not here, there's no problem in going to eat alone. To take a step back, even if he is here, there is no problem in going to eat alone.
It's not something that has been planned for a long time, but a "temporary idea". It's just a meal, what a big deal. She set off without any mental burden. The weather is really getting warmer. Taking a boat down the river, the refreshing wind blows on your face, making you no longer feel cold.
When we arrived at the store, there were more people than last time. It was probably close to meal time. They came last week because they wanted to go back before dark, not during serious meal time. Wu Hui ordered the fish from last time and another side dish that she was interested in before but was afraid she wouldn't be able to eat.
There were so many people this time that I couldn't choose a seat by the river, so I had to sit on the street side. This area was quite lively. She ate for a while and then looked out the window for a while. People travel in small groups, mostly families. Although it was a bit noisy, these noises just occupied her head, making it difficult for her to think about things that had not happened yet.
When she looked up, she caught a glimpse of a person in the crowd. He briefly caught her attention. Wu Hui had some impression of that figure, not his appearance itself, but the scarf he was wearing. It seemed that he was the one who appeared at the door of this store last time. Does that person live near here? It's not unusual either.
The young man's figure quickly disappeared into the crowd. Wu Hui couldn't understand why he refused to take off his scarf as the weather got hotter and hotter. The people around him turned a blind eye to this, as if they didn't think it was any strange behavior. Are residents used to it?
When we walked out of the restaurant, it was still dark. But Wu Hui was in a calm mood and decided to wander around more. Tomorrow is Sunday, I don’t mind going back a little later. With this thought in mind, she walked along the river for a while. There are not as many people as on the main street, but there are still many. There are couples of men and women cuddling closely together, an old man calling anxiously to his naughty grandson, and parents holding the hands of their children.
She looked at the family of four. The mother leads her daughter, the daughter leads her son, and the son leads his father. The two children were playing one behind the other, swinging their bodies as if on a swing with their legs, but holding each other's hands tightly. Wu Hui suddenly felt a little sour in her heart.
She had played such little games as a child. She also asked her parents if she wanted them to have a younger sibling. The two of them always looked a little embarrassed and told her that their conditions did not allow them to raise another child for the time being.
How much does it cost to raise a child? What conditions would allow her to have another younger sibling? She was so young that she had no idea about money, but looking back now, she doesn't realize how poor her life was. Compared to many families now raising multiple children, her time was even considered privileged. She basically has everything she wants, especially books inside and outside the classroom. She is always indispensable.
Maybe my parents’ standards are higher than other families’ standards. They are all intellectuals and hope that their children can live a secure life. People who have too many children, except for a few families who are so rich that they don't care about having another mouth, are a large number of people who have never read a book and have little money. Their children are bets and chips; the only thing they want to win may be their own future.
But Wu Hui can't say what it will be like in his later years. She has seen many less than optimistic examples. There are poor families who have given birth to a child, and they sell iron to support the child's education, and now they are living well; there are poor families who have had so many children that it is a problem to feed them, and they cannot afford to go to school. If you can't go to school, you can't make much money from farming in the village or working in the city. They can only afford to support their own families. They may suddenly think it's time to send their children to school, or they may continue the endless cycle.
Still need to read more.
Wu Hui didn't understand it at that time. She only reads because she is bored. She wanted to have a companion, but she couldn't imagine what she would lose. But even if she was really short of something, as a child, she probably wouldn't be able to notice it - because she didn't have a clear understanding of the standard of living, and naturally she wouldn't feel it if it was too much or too little. Maybe, the companionship brought by one more person can make her ignore these.
She thinks this way because her parents are always away from home, and they don't worry about her running around outside like a girl. She only has toys and books to keep her company. The only playmates and classmates in class also have brothers and sisters, and it seems that I am alone. But one day she stopped thinking about it: a pair of brothers in the same class had a fight over something she couldn't remember, leaving her with a bloody head. She was also called to the parents - and was beaten again. She thought it was fine to be alone.
After thinking so much, I walked a long way without realizing it. The road here is not easy to walk, there is no cement or bricks. It had rained a lot during the week, so it was still a bit muddy, but still manageable. There are no guardrails along the river, and the nearest residential areas have become primitive. There was no one around, just the monotonous chirping of the insect swarms.
Wu Hui was about to leave, but found a figure standing in front of her.
Is it...a woman? A somewhat fat woman. There was no light, and Wu Hui could only see vaguely through the moon. She was alone next to a tree, with the gurgling river just a few steps away from her feet. Wu Hui was a little worried. Could it be that he was encountering some difficulties and couldn't think about it for a moment, so he wanted to jump down? Even if I'm just secretly sad, this place is too dangerous and something will happen if I'm not careful.
Wu Hui is not a nosy person, but he is not a person who refuses to save others.
"It's too dangerous there," she shouted as she approached, "You'd better stay away!"
The woman with her head lowered slowly raised her head, but did not look at her. Wu Hui came closer and said to her:
"Are you in a bad mood? Why are you here alone? It's too late now, but you must pay attention to your safety."
"Can you see me?"
The moment the woman turned her head, Wu Hui ran away without looking back.
The woman wasn't fat - she was bloated. Bloated from being soaked in water for a long time. Not only that, there were pits and ravines on her face, as if something had eaten her. Even in the weak moonlight, Wu Hui could clearly see the strange undulations on the skin.
Wu Hui had never seen the corpse, but she was sure that it looked like this.
Because she remembered. The clothes the woman was wearing were exactly the same as the "shadow" he saw by the river that day.
I can't think so much anymore. On that day, no matter how bold Wu Hui was, she did not have the courage to confront a dead person. Even if someone is pretending, they don't have the intention to seek verification. If she really drowned... The idea of a water ghost looking for a substitute has been a classic story to scare children for hundreds of years.
Wu Hui felt that she was really crazy. Not now, but long ago. After all, it's never a good thing to see "dirty" things. It was too late to blame Mo Weiming now, and it was of no use. The top priority was to save his life. She ran as hard as she could in the direction she came from, but she couldn't get back to the road.
alright. At this time, all the ghost stories I had heard and read when I was a child came to my mind at an inappropriate time. It's really a classic ghost-on-the-wall approach. She was scared, but reason could still support her to take steps - she didn't know how long she could sustain it. She ran wildly along the river bank. It wasn't that she didn't want to go to the main road, it was as if there was an invisible force forcing her to go straight ahead. No matter how hard she tried to stay away from the river, the water was still squirming, rushing and spreading, trying to grab her and drag her into the depths of the water.
Finally, her foot slipped and she fell into the river. It didn't matter whether the soil near the water was too soft or whether her legs were so tired and weak from fear. She plummeted into the river, unable to touch anything solid with her toes. Doesn't the river here have a slope as a transition? Or maybe, that's one of the "water ghost's" tricks.
The struggle may be useless, but her survival instinct will still make her do such unnecessary things.
She didn't want to die.
Whether you can swim or not is meaningless at this moment. Water poured into the nasal cavity, cutting all the alveoli like a tiny nail. I can't tell where the fishy smell comes from, whether it's water or itself. The power was quickly lost from her body, and she even felt this process clearly. The desire to survive is not dead, but this strength is...
She thought a lot. From the strong "I don't want to die" to "Forget it", it probably only took a few minutes.
When she was about to give up her struggle completely, she saw a pair of pale hands reaching into the water from above.
The will that was dying was rekindled. Wuhui grabbed the extended hand desperately. A touch that was colder than solid ice or cold iron came, so vivid even in the water. But she couldn't care less. These cold hands were full of power, clamping down on her outstretched wrist, and pulling her to the shore like a hinge. The intense pain made her wonder if she was about to be torn apart.
She climbed ashore and the hands released her. She vomited a lot of water, and every cough was accompanied by severe pain. The fishy smell lingered, and she was pretty sure it came from her throat this time.
After her blurred vision recovered, she realized that she was still very close to the "scene of the incident" and she hadn't run very far at all. The water level where she was trapped was only shallow, and she was still a long way from the deep water.
The man stretched out his hand again, but he hadn't left yet. Wu Hui, who was kneeling on the ground, grabbed his hand again, which was still so cold. Wu Hui was pulled up and barely stood up straight. The moment she looked at her savior, Wu Hui suddenly fell into a trance.
White coat, gray scarf.
There is also a pair of eyes with golden crescent moons.
