Wang Ke said this, whether it was the people above or below, everyone looked to the left and right, it was true.
The west side is shady and does not get the sun. At this time, in late autumn, it was the season when moss was growing. As expected, this head stone of a water-avoiding beast was different from the others. It was completely dry.
"Come on, let's go up and have a look."
The three people in the river were lifted up one after another. Everyone squatted on the bluestone along the river and carefully discussed the water-sheltering stone under their feet. From the current point of view, the abnormality of this stone at least indicates that there is something underneath. But it’s hard to hide things somewhere, so why should I hide them in this place?
Also, hiding here obviously has something to do with the craftsmen at that time. That is to say, in the later stages of construction, someone has already taken action here. Discussing there. Suddenly, the gate of the cemetery creaked, and a head stuck out.
Wang Ke stood up and shouted: "Who?"
Everyone stood up. Just after entering, Wang Ke didn't lock the door from the inside because he didn't think about staying here for long. If anyone wants to come in at this time, naturally they can't.
Gu Maolin reacted quickly and ran over immediately.
However, when he arrived at the gate, instead of pushing the person out, he opened the door and let the person in. The two people stood in the corridor and started talking.
This is unacceptable to Wang Ke. Outsiders are not allowed to enter. This is discipline. Today, Uncle Geng went out and gave him thousands of instructions, how dare he play childish things?
Wang Ke left everyone behind and ran forward. When he was almost at the door, he saw clearly that the person coming was none other than the old salesman carrying a sash on his back and a rattle in his hand.
"Uncle, who are you looking for here?" From the first moment Wang Ke saw him, his sixth sense immediately had an inexplicable feeling, that is, maybe this uncle really has a story, why is he always pestering him? Woolen cloth?
"I, I, I want to see what you have for sale here?"
"Here? Is there anything for sale in the cemetery? Even if there is something for sale, can you move it?" Wang Ke pointed at the two stone furnaces behind him on the other side of the bridge.
"Hehe, comrade of the People's Liberation Army, you are making fun of this old man." The old salesman still stretched his head and took another look at where a few people were standing. "You really don't have any?"
"Really not, we still have work here, you can go out first." At this time, Wang Ke was no longer polite. As soon as he stretched out his hand, he invited the old salesman out.
"Well, if there is, tell me and I can pay a high price." The old salesman said and turned around and left. Wang Ke reached out and closed the door.
As the old man retreated, he reluctantly looked inside the cemetery again and again. Suddenly he asked Wang Ke: "Comrade, can I go in and have a look?"
Wang Ke shook his head, and the old salesman hesitated to speak. He sighed, exited Long En's door, and turned around to leave.
"Wait a minute, I have something that I can sell to you, but I can only sell it but not exchange it." Wang Ke stopped the old salesman.
A glimmer of light flashed in the old seller's eyes, and he asked: "Comrade of the People's Liberation Army, can you tell me what it is? If it is a cultural relic and antique protected by the state, I dare not accept it."
"That's not true." When Wang Ke said this, he saw the old salesman looking over his shoulder into the cemetery, with a complex look on his face unconsciously.
Wang Ke quickly said: "You can wait until lunch time to talk. Don't you always like to squat at the intersection when leaving the village?"
A rare shyness appeared on the old salesman's face, "Hehe, it's quiet there."
This is quite untrue. How can you find a quiet place to do business? It seemed that the other party had been keeping an eye on him and Gu Maolin for more than a day or two, but why was he, a salesman whom he had never met, keeping an eye on two People's Liberation Army soldiers? Is he really a spy? !
But this old salesman obviously wasn't, because before the army was stationed in Xishan for training, he traveled here from village to village.
Is it because they sent a few meals? But facing a person who helped him, he defrauded Gu Maolin of fifteen yuan. From every angle, he didn't look like a good person.
"Okay, you go to that person's quiet place and wait. When I come over at noon, I will bring you some food."
"Oh, thank you then. Don't worry, I won't eat your food for nothing."
The old shopkeeper was obviously very satisfied and staggered away. When he reached the intersection, he raised his hand and shook the rattle. But where was anyone around the cemetery? Clearly very proud.
Wang Ke locked the door and looked back. The wall of the cemetery was too high. It was three to four meters high and even ordinary young people couldn't climb in. Maybe this old salesman is really here to collect old goods.
Returning to the place where he was just now, Wang Ke looked at it again. It would definitely not work without a ladder. And if you want to destroy the riverside, you must get Uncle Geng's permission.
Several people discussed for a while, and Wang Ke suggested: "Daddy Wen, no matter what is hidden behind this water-avoiding beast? Let's take a long-term view. Now every plant and tree in this mausoleum is protected by the state, and we definitely need to ask for permission. Besides, , we don’t have ladders and tools and there really is nothing we can do.”
"Well, this news must be kept strictly confidential. Let's go back first."
Everyone walked to the cemetery, locked the door, and went straight back to the village.
When I walked into the village and turned east, I saw the old salesman from a distance. Sure enough, he kept his promise and squatted there like a statue.
Back at Uncle Geng's house, Wang Ke took a look and saw that Uncle Geng's wife was cooking, making corn dregs porridge and pancakes. Wang Ke and Gu Maolin were busy fetching water for everyone. After washing up, Wang Ke pulled out his shell box, opened the lock, took out the green glazed lamp from it, then sat in the yard and watched quietly.
Wang Ke made a plan to exchange this lamp for fifteen yuan. He couldn't let Gu Maolin feel a knot in his heart, and at the same time, he also taught the old salesman a lesson. But can this lamp be sold for fifteen yuan? Unless the old salesman is a fool.
So I need to find an excuse, an excuse that he can't refuse.
"Brother Bing, what are you thinking about?" A voice came from behind. Wang Ke turned around and saw that it was Ye Pianpian.
"But if you have nothing to do, go and help the aunt cook. Look, she has a child with her." Wang Ke didn't want Ye Xian to disturb him. Since they came to Longquanzhuang, Wang Ke found that Ye Qian was neither old nor young, and he paid no attention to concealing the relationship between the two. No, no, that's wrong. She didn't pay much attention to hiding her emotions.
"No, I just want to talk to you."
Wang Ke frowned, this girl was willful again. Maybe I should call her "Teacher Xiaoye" so that I can maintain some distance. She will get queasy when I call her "Xiaoye"!
"That's all right. You go and bring little Doudou over, and we'll help take care of her." Little Doudou is the child of Uncle Geng's niece, and now Uncle Geng's wife is helping to take care of her.
"Okay, come here." Ye Pian ran to hug the child, and Wang Ke quickly returned the lamp in his hand and locked it in the shell box.
When Wang Ke came out, Xiao Doudou was already playing at the stone mill in the yard, while Ye kept rubbing his neck.
"What's wrong?" Wang Ke held Xiao Doudou on the stone mill and played with him, but he asked Ye Qianpian.
"I also said that today I stretched my neck to take photos everywhere. I spent a long time in a cave and another half a day under a bridge, and my neck hurts."
"Yeah, that's right. The person who dug the hole couldn't carve anything right, but he carved it on the top of the cave. He had to let people look at it from bottom to top." Wang Ke suddenly thought about whether this was a kind of "picture language" "hint?
Yes! From bottom to top, from bottom to top, all the pictures are from bottom to top, and the symbols of the Yudai River Stone Bridge are also from bottom to top. If this logic makes sense, then it is the same person.
If it was done by the same person, he must be a soldier guarding the tomb. Then it makes sense to have your own lamp.
Lamp, lamp. Wang Ke thought of the old salesman again.
This sneaky old salesman has been following the reconnaissance team to Longquanzhuang ever since he saw them coming out of Chongling. He found out about their relationship with Uncle Geng, found out that they were inspecting Muling, and took the initiative to stick with them. Isn't this right? It’s normal!
He is afraid of contact in everything. With this contact, Wang Ke decided to contact the old salesman from the front.
"By the way, is the meal ready?"
"It's almost time, we just have to cook."
"Come on, why don't you come and hold the baby? I have to go out for a while and I'll be back soon." After Wang Ke said that, he stuffed Xiaodoudou into Ye Qianqian's arms, turned around and ran towards the main room.
"Auntie, if you have too many cakes, give me two." Wang Ke said as he ran to the chopping board, which was piled with cakes.
Wang Ke went back to the house and took out the lamp again. He took the two white flour pancakes he just got and left the small courtyard. From a distance, I saw that the old salesman was actually sitting under a mottled green oilcloth under the poplar tree opposite, holding his hand there and shaking the rattle for a long time.
Although they are a hundred meters apart, if you want to go there, there is a small river across the road, so you have to go around the middle of the village.
Wang Ke walked over quickly. He just wanted to reveal one truth. Does this old salesman have anything to do with the two tombs?
"Uncle, here are the pancakes for you." Wang Ke first handed over two pancakes.
"Thank you, thank you, comrade of the People's Liberation Army." The old shopkeeper was obviously a little surprised, because he had promised to come after dinner, but now he came in advance.
He took the cake, but was not in a hurry to eat it. Instead, he put it on the bag beside him and looked at Wang Ke intently.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Didn't you say you have something to sell me?" The old salesman couldn't help but feel disappointed when he saw Wang Ke squatting down with his hands empty.
In fact, Wang Ke hesitated a little when he saw this old salesman. He is a soldier of the People's Liberation Army, how can he lie to the elderly again?
"Take it out."
When Wang Ke squatted down, there was a bulge in his right pants pocket. Wang Ke thought for a moment and slowly took out the lamp from his pocket.
The old shopkeeper took it and stared at it with squinted eyes. Wang Ke observed the expression on his face calmly.
But the old salesman had no expression. Apart from wiping his hands carefully, no one could tell what he meant.
"Comrade of the People's Liberation Army, where did this lamp come from? I will not accept anything without a provenance."
"Picked it from a hole."
"Which hole?"
"A cave." Wang Ke pointed to Muling on the right.
"Comrades from the People's Liberation Army are just kidding. I have never lived in any cave in the mountains around the cemetery. There has never been anything like this."
Wang Ke looked at him and thought that the hole in the hole had lost its value, so there was no harm in saying so. "It's not the surrounding mountains, it's in the woods south of Muling."
"Oh!" The old salesman stood up, looked in the direction of Wang Ke's finger, and then said to Wang Ke: "Comrade of the People's Liberation Army, I believe you, I will accept this thing, how much do you want it for?"
"Fifteen yuan."
"Fifteen yuan?" This price obviously surprised the old salesman. The old salesman pondered, thinking about it, and seemed unable to make a decision.
"Is it too much?" Wang Ke asked.
The old salesman's body was trembling a little. He put the lamp back at Wang Ke's feet, as if he wanted to give up.
"Uncle, this is from the official kiln during the Yongzheng period."
"Comrade of the People's Liberation Army, do you understand?"
"Know a thing or two."
The old shopkeeper reached out and took the lamp back, and then said: "Since you understand, you know that this lamp is not worth anything at all. But..."
The old shopkeeper stroked the lamp with his hand, and then asked: "Give me a little."
Wang Ke shook his head.
The old salesman raised his head and sighed, and said, "Okay." He tremblingly went to take out the money in his pocket. Wang Ke almost wanted to give in, but thinking of Gu Maolin, Wang Ke finally held back.
The old salesman took out a roll of money, only fifteen or six yuan in total, took out three five-yuan notes and handed them to Wang Ke.
"Uncle, are you planning to go home?"
The old salesman nodded.
"Uncle, wait for me and I'll get you something to eat." Wang Ke pocketed the money, turned around and ran away.
Five minutes later, Wang Ke held a newspaper bag and brought five or six pancakes with some vegetables on them.
"What do you mean?" The old salesman's eyes were full of confusion. His eyes were very similar to those of the old man begging when he met him at the train station. That time Wang Ke exchanged three steamed buns for a shocking copper bowl.
"Uncle, it's not interesting. Go home early." Wang Ke seemed to have done something very wrong, and left in a hurry without asking the old man anything else.
