It was night, and there was an old civet cat lying in a dilapidated doorway at the bottom of Willow Lane. The old civet cat's narrowed eyes suddenly opened as the tiles fell to the ground, his body stood up, and he jumped out with a meow. A black shadow disappeared at the end of Willow Lane, leaving only muddy footprints on the ground. The old civet cat followed the footprints and barked from time to time, making the night dark and gloomy. The people in Willow Alley worked hard during the day and had to rest for two hours late at night every day. The noise outside did not wake anyone up. After another half an hour, snowflakes began to float in the sky, one or two at first, then gradually became a continuous snowflake. In an instant, the sky and the earth turned white, and the remaining footprints of the man on the ground and the plum blossom paw prints of the old civet cat were covered. .
In the depths of winter, a curfew was issued in Yanzhuo City. The dusk drums beat at three o'clock in the morning until the morning bell rings at three o'clock in the morning. Every household is closed. Except for watchmen and government servants, no one is allowed to wander in the streets. The watchmen followed the yamen servants, one holding a bang and the other holding a gong. They were divided into four groups. They only walked along the main street and did not go into the miscellaneous alleys. They walked through the 4,416 streets and alleys of Yanzhuo City. There are 16 streets and alleys in Yanzhuo City. The north is dominated by yin, and the feng shui is smooth. It is a place where wealth can be gathered, and the wealthy businessman Bai's family in the city lives. The south is dominated by yang, and the official fortune is prosperous. The magistrate's residence is located here. The rest of the official merchants were grouped into sixteen streets and alleys. The common people live outside the sixteen streets and alleys. The dilapidated alleys surround the glorious mansions and pavilions, like a noble prince wrapped in a rag bag.
At this moment, a group of people walked to the north gate tower of the city, walked another three or two feet, and then exited the main city gate. The snow was still falling, and the clothes and hats of the group were all white. There was a faint rustling sound behind her, Hua'er stopped and looked back, but there was no one there. Looking up again, the snow was falling so hard that I couldn't keep my eyes open.
"We encountered this heavy snow on the first day of watch." Ahui said with a bitter smile: "If you want to be like an official and have a salary, it is worth suffering. Look at us, it's dark till the third watch, and our feet are broken. Wen. It’s better to go to the Bai family’s house to feed the birds.”
"Si Tiantai said that in the seventh year of Yuanhe, with five stars in a row, the country's fortune will be prosperous. Bah! It's prosperous! It's the official who is prosperous!" Fei Nu looked up at the sky. There was no star, and the moon was nowhere to be seen. The north wind howled. , the speech could not be heard clearly. Hua'er vaguely heard him mutter: "A caravan came from southern Guangdong and said that the place is so hot all year round that people get bedsores, but in June there is snow and frost. How can this bring good luck?"
The yamen servant in front turned around, and Hua'er took a quick step forward to talk to the yamen servant: "It's snowing so heavily, why don't you stop?"
While she was chatting with her, Zhaoye told Ah Hui and Fei Nu: "When you are on duty outside, you should not say many things. If it reaches anyone's ears, you will be beheaded. This is not in our unvisited Willow Alley, where we close the door Go ahead and say whatever you want.”
Ah Hui and Fei Nu both stuck out their tongues and completely stopped their mouths. This job was not easy to come by. The three previous watchmen suddenly fell ill, so Zhaoye persuaded the head watchman to get this job for them. Zhao Ye is cautious, for fear that if he doesn't make a tael of money, he will risk his life. Which one is more serious?
When changing the watch, Zhaoye told Hua'er: "Don't look back when you hear the noise, just go home, do you hear me? This is your first watch, so you are safe. There are strange things happening in Yanzhuo City at night these days, don't What you saw scared me." He went to tell the other two: "You too, go home with all your strength and don't stop."
"Brother Zhaoye, it seems that Yanzhuo City is haunted in the middle of the night." Ah Hui spoke to him.
"It's snowing so heavily that I can't see or hear anything clearly." Hua'er put the hourglass in Zhaoye's hand, looked at the flying snow in the sky, covered her head with a cloak, and called to Ah Hui and Fei Nu: "Let's go, it's not early Now." She was usually a smart, talkative and eccentric person, but on her first day on the job, she always felt like there was a cold wind on her neck. In addition, she seemed to be followed by someone, so she had no intention of joking and wanted to go back quickly. Ah Hui and Fei Nu quickly came to be brave, and she was afraid that they would say something again to cause trouble for Zhaoye.
"Be careful on the way back." Zhaoye warned again: "The snow is heavy, and there are ghosts in the middle of the night."
"A ghost? Let's see if a ghost like this brother can get close!" Ah Hui patted his chest. He was very tough, even if he encountered a wild beast, he would probably be beaten three times. The thin Fei Nu rolled his eyes: "I wonder if I can catch a ghost and sell it for a good price?" Fei Nu has a quick mind. He can't escape any object that comes to him. He can fly in the sky and run on the ground, even if he runs away from the walls of Yanzhuo City. In his eyes, those who are offered rewards are the basis for making a living. They can be sold through secret doors and pawned.
Hua'er knew in her heart that these two brothers were bold, so she smiled at Shi Ye, pulled their sleeves and walked out of the eaves. To walk back to Liutiao Lane from the north gate of the city, you have to pass through more than half of Yanzhuo City, from the third watch of ghosts to the fourth watch of thieves. Zhao Ye gave them a lantern and asked them to carry it to illuminate the road. This was the only light in the wind and snow, and it was blown by the wind like a ghostly shadow. Hua'er was already scared, so she tightened her cloak and just wanted to get home early. However, Ah Hui and Fei Nu were anxious, covering their vaginas to find the ground, so she had to stand there and wait.
A scream fell through the wind and snow into her ears, which was particularly frightening in the strong wind and heavy snow. Her scalp tightened and she held her breath. There was no big movement after the scream, only a vague whimper of pain, and then disappeared.
After the panic, he finally calmed down and wanted to go forward to find out. Remembering Zhaoye's instructions, he put out the lantern and hid in the dark shadows of the houses on the side, not daring to come out. My mind raced quickly to guess what caused the scream just now, but I saw two black figures speeding past in the snow under the moonlight. Hua'er breathed a sigh of relief, but still didn't dare to move. She prayed in her heart that Fei Nu and Ah Hui would come back soon, as she was afraid that she might be hit by something evil. The rustle of shoes on the snow could be heard in her ears, getting closer and closer, like a short knife scraping her ear bones, making her hair stand on end. She felt inexplicable fear, her hands began to shake, and she subconsciously covered her mouth. The moonlight bit into the shadow, and a square-toed shoe embroidered with an eagle poked out. He lowered his eyes to see the domineering shadow of the man flying on the snow, and pressed his body closer to the wall.
He held back his breath and didn't dare to spit it out. His eyes were looking for something that could be taken advantage of. He couldn't just let it go and he wanted to leave some injuries to the bad guy. I began to curse in my heart to embolden myself: You are a piece of shit that can kill you with a thousand swords, and you will not die a good death. If you are killed today, I will not let you go even if you are a ghost!
"Hua'er! Hua'er!" Fei Nu's voice rang, and the square-headed shoes stood there and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Hua'er's face turned purple because she was holding in her breath. Ah Hui's voice was like a life-saving straw. She gasped several times before she finally said, "Here!" After all, it was because she was young and careless, and her legs were still shaking! Staggering out, he saw Ah Hui and Fei Nu. He quickly walked up to them and asked anxiously: "Have you met anyone just now?"
"Meet each other? Never. Who else is willing to go out except for us in this snowy day? We will freeze to death." Ah Hui said, "We two brothers went to do errands and almost died from the cold!"
Fei Nu pushed him: "Don't talk nonsense! Hua'er is a woman after all."
Hua'er didn't have the heart to listen to these jokes, so she tugged on their sleeves and said in a low and urgent voice, "Quickly go!"
"Take the side road."
"Highway!"
"The path is close."
"The road is safe!" Hua'er walked hurriedly, and the scream just now lingered in her mind. The three people quickly disappeared into the snowy night. Two pairs of green eyes stared behind them for a long time before turning around and disappearing into the snow.
When she entered, Sun Po was still waiting for her. Seeing that she was shaking all over, she took off her cloak and pushed her into the bed, then lit a fire to dry her clothes. Sun Po didn't ask her if she was tired from the wake-up call. Seeing her posture, she knew that she was scared away. He just kept asking her: "Did you see anything dirty?"
Hua'er shook his head: "I'm holding the lamp, no."
"Then what's going on with you?"
"it's too cold."
There was the sound of dead branches breaking and falling to the ground outside. The flower jumped up from the kang and climbed to the window. It looked outside through the leaky window paper. It was pitch black and nothing could be seen.
Sun Po pulled her from the window to the fire and touched her forehead: "Are you scared?"
"It's the wildcat."
"Nonsense, that wild cat has been in the alley for a long time, you can't be scared by her."
Sun Po helped her smooth her hair, pinched her ears, and muttered something like, "Keep away monsters and ghosts, Amitabha, Amitabha..." After completing a set of strange rituals, Hua'er really felt like she had regained her soul. Wrapped in a quilt, he sat cross-legged on the wooden bed and told Grandma Sun everything about what had just happened. As he spoke, he tried to justify himself: My granddaughter was really not afraid. At that time, she even wanted to fight a hozen! His eyes widened, and he said again: You can't kill this pickled thing!
"What's there to fight for? Just run away when something happens, otherwise you won't be able to defeat those things even if you are strong! Not to mention that they are all good at martial arts. If you are still gathering energy, they will already be struck with the wind of your palm. I'll kill you." Grandma Sun threatened Hua'er, fearing that the heartless girl wouldn't be able to let go of what happened the night before and would stir up trouble again: "In the future, don't go outside the teahouse to hear the nonsense stories about the book, it's so harmful. people!"
Hua'er's parents died when she was still in her infancy. Grandma Sun had no children, so she took her to her side and raised her. Hungry all day long, Hua'er was fourteen years old and still thin and alone. Grandma Sun often cried because of this, and others comforted her: After all, she has grown too big! There have been no peaceful days in these years, and it is very difficult to pull people together. This flower's temperament is not like that of an orphan. She smiles all day long and has many clever ideas. There is only one thing: she is tough and has a black mouth. Most people cannot scare her.
Grandma Sun really loved her, and the neighbors also liked her. She grew up eating the food of hundreds of families!
She only slept for more than an hour, during which Sun Po kept rubbing her hands and feet to keep her warm. She muttered and leaned into Grandma Sun's arms, and talked in her sleep: Grandpa is back! Sun Po said: It's on the way, it's on the way.
When daylight came, she got up and prepared to go out to investigate. Zhaoye had just finished his job and was waiting outside Granny Sun's door. When he saw Hua'er, he pulled her to a deserted corner and asked her in a low voice: "I rushed home last night. What did I see?"
"how?"
"A stranger died in the city, in front of the Lianxinzhai near the north gate tower of the city."
"How did you die?"
Zhaoye gestured with his palms in front of his neck. Seeing Hua'er's eyes widened and thoughtful, he guessed what she saw, so he told her: "I don't know who is dying right now and why. You must not Say more. There is a curfew in the city, and anyone who dares to go out at that hour must be an extraordinary person."
Hua'er nodded, then shook her head: "I did see...a shoe...a square-toed shoe."
"If you saw it, pretend you didn't see it. The world is in chaos, and you may not know what will happen in the future. Don't meddle in other people's business." Zhaoye interrupted her and warned her again and again. Then he yawned: "I'm going to sleep for a while, and I'll go to the river to look for you later."
"good."
Fei Nu found a land by the river that had not yet been discovered by the official. He dug a hole in the river to catch fish. When he came back, he roasted it over the fire to quench his thirst. It's just that the journey is very long. They have to leave the city at dawn and can't return until dark. She went to Wang's house to call for Xianchan. Before leaving, Aunt Wang stuffed half a steamed bun into her arms. Hua'er resisted for a long time, and finally Aunt Wang became anxious: "You're freezing to death and starving to death outside the city? The snow hasn't stopped yet! Satisfy your hunger while you're hungry."
Xianchan also pushed her: "Take it. The housekeeper who helped out yesterday gave it to me. I still have it at home."
Xianchan is the same age as Hua'er, taller than Hua'er, and is very beautiful. She is also famous in Yanzhuo City. There are always swingers walking in the alley, wanting to catch a glimpse of her beauty. Pian Xianchan didn't look down on anyone. She stayed in her room all day doing embroidery and practicing small calligraphy. She said she couldn't throw away the things she learned for elementary school. If she could still go to school one day, she couldn't let others compare her.
"Brother Zhaoye is back?" Xian Chan held Hua'er's arm so that he could be warmer. When he asked Teruya, he glanced in the direction of his house.
"I came back. He said someone died last night."
"There are dead people every now and then in the city. In the end, they will all be cleared up. All the dead will be cleared away, not to mention those stolen babies. The wind has been blowing for days, and my mother dared not close her eyes at night and kept holding her little third brother in her arms." Cicada sighed: "She sometimes talks nonsense. She is the one she wants to lose."
As they talked, they arrived at the entrance of the alley, where Fei Nu and Ah Hui were already waiting. Ah Hui was still holding his six-year-old sister A Song. Although little Ah Song is Ah Hui's younger sister, she looks a bit like a flower, thin and not blooming. She kissed Hua'er. When she saw her, she grabbed her sleeves and stuffed her hands into her sleeves to keep warm. Hua'er was not annoyed and wrapped her big cuffs around her small cuffs to prevent the wind and snow from getting in. Freeze this little guy. The group of people walked out of the city. When they came out of the city, they saw the officers and soldiers searching one by one. Ah Hui whispered: "It's just another show."
"This time we are not just showing off." Hua'er's big eyes looked at the backs of the officers and soldiers: "This time the sword is sharpened."
There was a caravan lined up at the end of the group. The carriages and horses drove away in a mighty manner. There was only one house in Yanzhuo City with such a pomp. Fei Nu looked at the tall horse at the head and his eyes shone: "Second Master Bai's The caravan is back."
The Bai Mansion also has business in the capital, which is managed by Mr. Bai. He did not return to Yanzhuo City for a year or two, so people in the city knew his name, but not many people had seen him.
"Don't make any plans." Ah Hui knew Fei Nu, and he might have had some bad ideas, so he whispered to him: "You can't touch Mr. Bai's things. If you do, someone will die."
"Where did his things come from? Aren't they all from us? Why didn't you forget your uncle? He collapsed on his dock, was wrapped in a torn mat and carried away." Fei Nu said hatefully.
"The person in charge at that time was not Mr. Bai."
"They all have the surname Bai."
Hua'er was so cold that she stamped her feet on the ground: "I can't walk! I'm freezing to death!" She was like a thin stick, and the holes in the snow she stamped on were shallower than others. Someone in the caravan recognized her and yelled from a distance with all his strength: "Is that the flower that doesn't grow tall without enough food?"
The others all laughed, as if they could eat enough and grow taller. As for Hua'er, she snorted, twisted her face, and left.
The man added: "At least it is longer than last year. Last year it was like a little mouse."
Someone in the thick sedan coughed, and the rest of the people immediately fell silent. The laughing man even stuck out his tongue, and then died in the blink of an eye. Hua'er turned around and said, "That's right!" She took little Ah Song and left.
Fei Nu behind him asked Ah Hui, "Isn't it Mr. Bai who is sitting in the sedan chair?"
"Look at that posture, yes."
"Bah!" Fei Nu turned around and vomited. His eyes glanced at the tall horse leading the way, and he turned around and chased after him.
