(16)
After bypassing the ruins that separated the market from the mountains, the group returned to the bustling place. They braved the high sun at noon and moved forward in darkness under the bustling scene.
When they had free time a few days ago, Zhao Xiaomei and Ajuan visited the blacksmith Ersan in the mausoleum city, but found nothing except a better understanding of the city's scenery and people. At that time, she didn't need to be so humble and careful, but now, the little sister can only choose to walk in the deserted alleys, passing by the bustling avenues.
Perhaps this feeling of "rat crossing the street" is not pleasant, but it is also because of this that they can find the secret corners hidden in the town - places that outsiders never go, and Ayu's grandfather It is to live here.
After walking through the maze-like alleys, they finally managed to dodge the patrolling guards and most of the ordinary people wandering the streets and alleys, and arrived inside the mausoleum city without anyone noticing.
Ayu took small steps and led everyone to a large house. She walked up the steps in front of the door, called the door softly, and said, "Grandpa, it's Ayu who's back!" She repeated these words three times, during which the knocking on the door kept coming, and she finally called him out.
He was a man in his sixties, but he had arms as strong as any young man. His pale and messy hair grew loosely to shoulder length, and the long beard around his mouth was braided into delicate braids. Even though his face was covered with ravines representing age, it could not hide the look of a cold pine tree. Vigorous temperament.
"Ayu? Is it Ayu?" The old man squinted his eyes and carefully hid half of his body behind the door, as if he was ready to close the door at any time to stop the bad guys.
"It's Ayu, Ayu is back!" After saying that, the little girl leaned over with a delicate smile and let the other person caress her face and hair.
"Hehehe, I thought you ran away with that kid and completely left me, an old fool like me!" The old man looked at the group of people behind Ayu and replied: "This time, we brought back some Shenzi people. ?”
"Grandpa, let's go in first and talk later."
After saying that, Ayu took his grandfather's hand and jumped in. He looked smiling particularly touchingly, "If it hadn't been for the help of all the benefactors, with only the money provided by grandpa, Ayu would have lost his family." I can’t even go back…”
While the grandfather and grandson were chatting in front of him, Fu Wentao, who was wearing a black robe, also crossed the threshold with the help of others. He followed his predecessors and passed through thick weeds and dilapidated houses until they arrived at a place that looked like a blacksmith shop. .
It turns out that Ayu's family only makes a living by forging iron and making things. This mansion is probably the most valuable thing left to them by their ancestors. The house is dilapidated and dilapidated, but the vast area is occupied by growing miscanthus, and the crisscrossing roads are only a foot wide. That is to say: when walking around the house, you must have "friendly" contact with the miscanthus. If you are not careful, you may get white catkins all over your body.
Although the houses inside are dilapidated, they are still habitable, and one of them has been converted into a blacksmith shop.
Ayu's grandfather was not at all hospitable to guests. He was chatting and laughing with his little granddaughter. He walked directly back to the shop and continued his work. He swung the hammer and gave the unformed iron tool a hard blow. hit.
In that dark place with little light, only the blazing fire from the burning forge and the "sparks" that sometimes flickered and sometimes extinguished from the iron tools in the old blacksmith's hands dispelled the darkness.
The people who were slovenly when passing by the miscanthus bushes just now were unwilling to get close to the hot stove, so they rested at the door to cool off and tidy up their clothes, waiting for Ayu's summons.
After waiting for a long time, Zhao Xiaomei still didn't see anyone coming to serve tea in the big house. She felt very strange and told others: "It's such a hot day and I can't ask for a bowl of water. It's really miserable."
As soon as he finished speaking, a girl jumped out of the blacksmith shop, apologized repeatedly, and then replied: "I'm sorry everyone, this is the first time I've been away from home for so long, and I forgot to talk to my grandfather. Let’s make tea now!”
As soon as Ayu left, her grandfather followed him out and shouted to his granddaughter in the distance: "Ayu, please remember to send a new kitchen knife to Mrs. Gongsun in the inn later!" Ayu heard this from a distance. He said hello, and then disappeared from sight.
When the old man saw that Zhao Xiaomei and others were standing at the door, they were at a loss. He bowed and thanked his granddaughter again, and then introduced himself: "My surname is Tuoba. I really can't repay the kindness you have shown me. "
"Senior Tuoba, we don't need repayment. We just want you to take in Mr. Fu." Bai Feng said: "He is seriously injured and needs good medical treatment. Seeing that this place is very secretive, and Ayu also likes it, Therefore, I ask for this again and again.”
The old blacksmith glanced at the man with a broken arm timidly, and said doubtfully: "This request is not too much. I just ask him not to get crazy again, which scares Ayu so much that he can't sleep at night. If Ayu encounters something unexpected , if he seeks death by then, no one will stop him."
After Rune Tao heard about it, he still buried his face under the black robe and made no sound. Murong Yan on the side thought it was because of the other party's low mood, so she argued: "Old senior, Wen Tao will not do stupid things anymore, as long as he can stay here with peace of mind! We will also come to visit him... …”
After finishing speaking, Ayu brought several bowls of tea from a distance and served them to everyone. It was only then that everyone took a rest and relieved some of the heat.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. Not long after the room was set up for Fu Wentao, several uninvited guests came to the door.
There was a rough knock on the door, and Ayu was so startled that he hurried back to the forging furnace to seek help from his grandfather. The old blacksmith listened to the noise outside and replied to everyone quite confidently: "It's okay. This is a policeman I know well. I'm afraid he might come to ask questions, so hurry up and hide in the back room."
After hearing this, the others naturally obeyed and followed Ayu into the back room. This room had just been taken care of by Ayu, and it was decorated with fresh aromatherapy. The door faced the courtyard, just enough for curious people to secretly cover the windows and peek outside.
I saw three patrolmen wearing blue shirts and wooden hairpins on their heads, talking to the old man cordially. The leading patrolman held two portraits in each hand and asked the old blacksmith some questions.
Because the distance is so far, even the peepers have only a partial understanding. However, after the old blacksmith said goodbye to the patrolmen, he hurriedly ran to Ayu and asked her if she knew that an important criminal from the imperial court passed through this place recently. He must have remembered the content of the portrait, and then stared at the outsiders and considered Shao Qing carefully.
"It's... it's you!" The old blacksmith walked towards the young swordsman in shock. He looked up and down at the sword on his body with trembling hands, and said to himself: "I... my eyes are really dim... I can't recognize it... Bring out this sword!"
