On the third day of February, the awakening of insects occurred.
"Zhou Li" says: "Every time a drum is used, it will be the day of awakening." So: Jingzhe, during the Mengchun period, the insects start to move when they hear the sound of thunder; drum, the image taken; Mao, the drum is used to hide the insects. .
Xiaodongxing Mountain, suburb of Tancheng, Lihua Market.
morning.
Today's sky is gloomier than before. The fog in the mountains is very heavy and hazy, spreading to the market and covering many small streets with green tiles.
If Lihuaji is said to be a young girl sitting elegantly on the corridor of Xiaodonghang Mountain, then the intermittent mist has dressed this girl in a light gauze, adding a bit of intangibility. Resentment.
What are you complaining about? Naturally, there is resentment that the spring thunder has not come to wake up all things that are still sleeping, and they are eagerly waiting for all things to revive.
...
Shanxing Restaurant.
The second shopkeeper and Wen San have been replaced by the new shopkeeper and another waiter.
The door of the restaurant was also opened, waiting for the diners coming and going.
A restaurant is naturally a place where wine is sold and it is also a home. The place where the wine is sold is a place where people can eat and drink, and a place where people can stay. Therefore, a restaurant can also be used as a restaurant or an inn.
The big shopkeeper is a skinny old man who is having breakfast with a group of waiters.
There was a large bowl of steamed buns and buns in the middle, and next to it was a bowl of well-cooked porridge, a plate of kimchi, and nothing else.
The big shopkeeper chewed the steamed buns in his hand, took another sip of porridge, then took the chopsticks and pointed at the waiter who had just eaten and muttered: "Zhou Duzi! It's the Wake of Insects today. Go to West Street and buy some for the store." Here are some stored pears for everyone to eat to moisten their lungs, and I also want to buy a paper white tiger and incense for sacrifice today."
The waiter in the shop was a short fat man, with a lot of skin cracked by the winter and scabs on his face. He was flushed. Hearing what the big shopkeeper said he wanted to buy pears for everyone to eat, he ran to the big shopkeeper to get them with a smile. Use money to do things.
Jingzhe is a folk solar term. It turns from warm to cold and the climate is dry. It is easy for people to feel dry mouth and tongue, so they eat pears. As for sacrificing the white tiger, it is said that the white tiger is the god of talking and disputes. It will come out to look for food every year on this day. If you do this, evil villains will make trouble during the year, hinder your future development, and cause all kinds of troubles. Therefore, everyone has to buy a paper material containing a paper tiger and burn it with incense at the door to pray for good luck.
"Well, Jingzhe, as usual, we still have to eat pears and sacrifice the white tiger." The big shopkeeper muttered and gave him a handful of broken silver.
The waiter accepted it and went out happily. Unexpectedly, he bumped into two young people carrying lanterns.
The waiter hurriedly backed away and shouted to the two of them: "I'm sorry, sorry, two guests, what are these?" The waiter suddenly remembered the two people Wen San asked him to stay in the room when the shift was handed over, and said hurriedly, "Two guests, , but Guest Officer Xiaoyu and Guest Officer Yu?"
Xiao Yu nodded. He and Yu Liufei spent the night running around in the mountains. They also went to the mouth of the gorge in the morning. The mouth of the gorge was closer to the shore. Judging from the distance, the thieves who kidnapped Xiao Xiao should have come from that place. The location was on the shore, but the two of them traveled almost all over Xiaodongxing Mountain without finding any suspicious traces.
In desperation, the two had no choice but to go back to the inn to take a nap and make plans when they woke up.
The fat waiter was in a hurry to buy something. He fumbled around in his arms a few times, took out their house cards, and handed them over, "Wen San told me to call the two guests if they want to come tonight." If you want to stay, you have to pay more. Even though you didn't stay last night, your things were inside and the money will not be refunded. Well, if you two want to continue to stay, just pay the money to our boss." After saying that, he turned around and ran away. Went to the market.
The head shopkeeper glanced at the two of them, then winked at the waiter next to him and motioned for him to greet them.
The waiter came up to meet him, and Xiao Yu and Yu Liufei held lanterns in their hands.
The big shopkeeper wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief and stood up slowly. He was old, could not move very easily and walked slowly.
He called to the two of them: "Have you two young men found your sister?"
Xiaoyu shook his head and said to the big shopkeeper: "Thank you, shopkeeper, stay a few more nights. We are going to go to the mountains to look for it after we wake up." Before the big shopkeeper could reach the counter, Xiaoyu walked to the counter first. , took out the money bag from his arms and put a piece of ten taels of silver on the counter, "Keep this silver for now, just keep the room for us."
The big shopkeeper staggered to the counter, took out the account book, nodded slowly, and continued: "It's hard to find a lost person. Our youngest daughter also took a boat to her grandmother's house and was kidnapped by thieves. , but luckily I couldn’t find it after searching for several days.”
Xiaoyu asked: "But that gorge more than ten miles away from here?"
The big shopkeeper nodded and replied: "Yes, that's right over at Chestnut Bay. Many people with children in the market no longer take boats these days. Some even lock their children at home and don't even attend private school." Let go."
Xiaoyu was not in a hurry to go to sleep and continued to ask: "How long ago did the second shopkeeper lose his child?"
"Well...a month ago, I remember that it took three days and the fourth day to find it on the mountain. I feel sorry for my little niece. It's so miserable." The big shopkeeper wiped away his tears after finishing speaking.
Yu Liufei was not in the mood to listen to the old man's nagging, and said to Xiao Yu: "Let's go, Xiao Yu, let's go get some sleep and go up the mountain to look for him again when we wake up."
Xiao Yu replied: "Brother Yu, don't worry. You go over there to have some breakfast first. The shopkeeper and I will come over after we inquire about some more things. Let's go to bed after we're full, so as not to wake up hungry with nothing in our stomachs." It’s not easy to find someone.”
When Yu Liufei heard this, he looked at the steamed buns and other breakfast items prepared on the table over there, nodded, turned around and ran over there.
Xiao Yu stood at the edge of the counter and asked the shopkeeper: "Big shopkeeper, I want to ask a few more questions, do you know if there are any robbers and thieves in this mountain?"
Hearing this, the big shopkeeper frowned, thought for a while, and muttered: "Speaking of bandits, there is indeed a village on the other side of Beishan called Daojiazhai. There is a nest of bandits living in it. They all look vicious, but they are not Robbery of homes and houses rarely occurs here in Nanshan. It is rumored that they only rob officials' belongings. This is a taboo among the people. I can't tell, I can't tell, I don't know."
Xiaoyu frowned and secretly thought to herself that there was still a group of villagers robbing government officials in the south. When she woke up in the afternoon, she would go and see if there was any problem inside.
"Thank you, shopkeeper, for your advice." Xiao Yu thanked the shopkeeper and turned around to have breakfast.
The big shopkeeper waved his hand and sighed seriously: "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. You two young men also seem to be wandering in the world, so you go to the village and try to see if you can find your sister, but don't hold out too much hope. , after all, the haunting only happened for half a year, and Daojiazhai has been in the mountains for more than 20 years, so it probably has nothing to do with them."
"Okay, you, old man, are busy first. Let's have breakfast, and when we wake up, we will go to the north to have a look." Xiao Yu clasped her fists, and after finishing speaking, she went to Yu Liufei's table.
