Leng Ping took the piece of coarse cloth given by the store, looked at his mother reluctantly for the last time, and then covered it with the cloth.
"Let's go, the further away the better." The shopkeeper said unceremoniously, holding his hands behind his back.
"Old man," Zhuo Lengping suddenly turned around and knelt down towards him, "My mother must at least have a burial place. Please..."
"Money," the shop owner twirled a few fingers, "You ask me for something if you don't have money? I damn well know you want to cheat!"
Zhuo Lengping was anxious and kowtowed to him: "I want to lend you a shovel, any kind. I will definitely return it when my mother is buried! Please..."
"I'll tell you two words: No." The store owner said in a stern tone, "You don't have anything to pledge as collateral. I'll give it to you for free. It's only reasonable for you, a poor woman, to take it with you and run away. How about returning it! I'll wait for you." You guys are pretty good, so don’t push yourself too far, okay?”
She lowered her head and burst into tears, her tears falling to the ground drop by drop. She took a step forward with her knees, kowtowed four or five times, and said with sobs: "Please! My mother..."
"Stop being like this, I have to go back to work, and I don't have time to see you pretending to be pitiful." The owner of the store waved his hand and locked the door fiercely. The door lock made another "clang" sound, and this time The voice deeply irritated her, as if telling her that no one here would help.
She held the car with one hand and drove down the deserted street sobbing, but no one could hear her cry. Only the cold wind dried her tears over and over again.
The crying gradually stopped, Leng Ping gritted his teeth again and wiped his face soaked with tears. She could only stand up again and push her mother hard.
When she reached a field outside the city, she stopped the car and realized that her arms were sore and her feet were numb. She was so tired that she collapsed directly on the dirt and took a few deep breaths. Not long after, she turned over and climbed up, lifted her mother out of the car, and let her lie gently aside.
Then, Leng Ping knelt down on her knees and dug up the soft soil with both hands, piece by piece. Even if there was no burial place, she still wanted to dig a grave for her mother.
God knows how long she had been digging alone, but her hands were covered with thick black mud as if they were coated with earth paint. The makeup she wore at the Lu family had already been stained by the dirt, and no one could have imagined that she still looked like a woman.
"What are you doing?" She suddenly heard someone shouting from behind.
Leng Ping turned around and saw an officer and soldier in short clothes, holding a long knife and looking here with his forehead wrinkled.
"I'll ask you again: for what?"
"I...I'm burying my mother." Leng Ping replied timidly.
"How can you and other common people bury human corpses at will outside the city? I advise you to go out early and buy a cemetery!"
Leng Ping gave him a cold look, then stopped begging, and honestly carried her mother back to the car. Without saying a word, she held the two handles and pushed her straight back into the city.
It was getting dark, all the doors were closed, and not a single light was on. Zhuo Lengping pushed his mother to the corner of an alley and leaned against the wall. He looked around and couldn't even find the moon.
She couldn't see anything in the thick darkness and began to feel slowly scared. She heard the sound of wind passing through the streets around her, like ghosts crying and wolves howling; the squeaking sound of the cart made people uneasy. She closed her eyes timidly, not wanting to be swallowed up by the night.
But not long after, Leng Ping got rid of his fear and opened his eyes slightly. Because she knew that she could not escape the situation now, and she should face up to her situation and not make the current situation more difficult.
It's ridiculous to say that I am just an insignificant little woman, what can I do to change the status quo?
She found a glimmer of light from the many unknown answers in her mind, and this light seemed to pierce into the night sky: Only by selling her unique advantages into pieces of precious 'goods' can men with discerning eyes affirm this. The value of the 'goods' allows you to survive and live with dignity, so that you don't have to grovel in front of them and beg for mercy.
But Zhuo Lengping was penniless and did not have the advantage of having a wealthy family; he was born in poverty and had no advantage of being powerful; although her appearance was passable, she was not a beauty who would conquer the country, let alone the advantage of beauty.
She has so-called advantages. Although Zhuo Lengping herself doesn't know it yet, she will one day have full confidence to tell everyone that her only value is her penetrating and insightful intelligence.
Strangely enough, her intelligence was separated from herself and became something with a clear price tag like a commodity.
This is sad, but it can only be a living reality.
Dawn seemed a little earlier than usual this day. Before Leng Ping woke up, the golden light from the sky enveloped both her mother and daughter tightly.
Leng Ping slowly opened his eyes under the sunlight, let go of the hand holding the handlebar, and straightened up. After she regained consciousness for a while, she started pushing her mother away again.
She walked to a house and saw a man coming out from behind the door. She knelt in front of him and said, "Please bury my mother. I am penniless."
The man looked at her hesitantly and walked past without saying anything.
Leng Ping didn't complain, dusted off his clothes, got up, pushed the cart, and continued walking along the alley.
She was turning out of the alley and accidentally bumped into a pedestrian. She quickly stepped back and apologized.
The man was angry but still puzzled: "You don't have eyes when you walk, how can a few words of apology be enough?"
"really……"
"You are such a good woman. If you don't stay at home, why are you going out? You are so rude!" He waved his sleeves and walked away.
Leng Ping shook his head, lifted his hair, firmly grasped the handle of the car, and hurried on.
She gradually walked to the end of the city, asking everyone along the way, but no one agreed to bury her mother. Leng Ping sat by the wall, without crying, just raised his head silently.
"The county master is here, the county master is here, the rest of the people should leave as soon as possible..."
She heard someone banging a gong three times next to her. She turned around and saw an official about six feet in length, escorted by three or five sturdy sergeants, strolling down the steps of the mansion.
"The rest of the people are waiting to get out as soon as possible!" the subordinate who was beating the gong shouted again.
After listening to Leng Ping, he didn't dare to hesitate any more. At this moment, I can no longer worry about the crime of collision. The worst possible outcome is death! she thought.
Leng Ping said nothing, gritted his teeth, and rushed to the official. Just as he was about to pounce, he was blocked by several officers and soldiers.
"Be more fucking honest!"
Jun Bing grabbed her neck with his thick arms, making Leng Ping breathless for a long time, and she was almost strangled to death by him.
"Let her go."
Leng Ping immediately fell to the ground.
