It's still night, and it's still the same woodshed.
Someone knocked on the door, opened the door quietly and walked in.
"Sister Abi, are you at home?"
Jiang Yu's heart skipped a beat when he heard the familiar voice. He turned his head and saw the gray-faced little girl walking in.
Chunyu, the little girl who betrayed Abi.
"Come, come, who is it?"
There were footsteps in the courtyard. Abi wiped her hands with a rag in her hand and walked in holding an oil lamp.
She was a little surprised when she saw Chun Yu: "Chun Yu? Why are you here?"
"Sister Abi!"
When Chunyu saw her, tears welled up in her eyes. She threw herself into Abi's arms and was so frightened that Abi almost knocked over the oil lamp in her hand.
Seeing that she was crying so hard, the girl put down the oil lamp in panic, hugged her and whispered to her.
"What's wrong? Don't cry. What happened? Is someone bullying you? Sister Abi will help you beat him up."
Chunyu shook her head, hugging Abi tightly and not letting go, sobbing and talking.
"Abi, Sister Bi...Priest Zuo Di, he, he came to my house today."
"He, he said, chose me to be the flower girl this year."
She grabbed Abi's clothes tightly and burst into tears: "Sister Abi, they all say this is a good thing, she is marrying the cave god! But my sister has not come back until now. I know, I know she must be He died in the mountains."
"That's not a cave god, that's an evil spirit!"
"Sister Abi, you promised that you would take good care of me and my mother-in-law. Please save me. I don't want to die, and I don't want to be a flower girl!"
Yin Ban'er looked at Chunyu hiding in Abi's arms and said, "It's really scary. Whether it's in the reincarnation of Yangtianwo or in reality, this girl is scared to death."
Shen Zhaixing turned around and looked at Jiang Yu's face. She just stood in front of the two people with a blank expression. Looking at Chun Yu's trembling expression of fear of death, she felt very ridiculous.
Should we say that the cave god deserves death, or that the human heart is terrible?
It's a pity that both of them have passed away in this farce, and no one can avenge them.
"If you don't cry in the spring rain, don't be afraid."
Abi didn't know how to reassure the girl, so she could only wipe away the tears on her face in a panic.
"Why did you choose the flower girl earlier? It's not here yet..." She was stunned, and suddenly remembered what happened this winter, and her words fell softly, "Is it because there was no snow last winter?"
Chunyu sobbed and choked her answer: "Priest Zuo Di said that there is no snow in winter, so we must sacrifice to the cave god in advance to ensure a good harvest this year, otherwise many people will die."
"But why me, Sister Abi, I don't want to die, I..."
Jiang Yu stood silently, with huge waves in his heart.
Yes, this is what she has always found strange.
The villagers who depend on the weather for their livelihood, what could make them do such a crazy thing.
It's nothing more than a life-related matter.
This makes sense.
Worshiping the so-called cave god is a prayer for survival. On top of the lives of most people, sacrificing just one person can exchange for the longevity of the bloodline. Is there anything more cost-effective than this?
The continuation of the Cave God Festival is the result of the transaction between the Cave God and the people here.
They chose to give up the [Flower Girl] in exchange for the continuation of the race.
"Hiss, it seems that the relationship between this cave god and these villagers is not one-sided oppression..." Yin Baner touched his chin with a very complicated mood.
"But it's hard for this little girl to accept it."
Shen Zhaixing continued what he said: "The hemp rope is specially cut at the thinnest places, and the fate is hard for the people."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a violent knock on the door, and some dust fell on the door panel.
"Abi, Abi, are you at home?"
The little girl in Abi's arms trembled when she heard this voice. She shook her head and tears fell silently.
"Sister Abi, help me! Please!"
Jiang Yu sighed, she knew what would happen next, it would be Abi hiding Chunyu, and the ones guarding outside were the priest Zuo Di and his team as they said.
"She couldn't refuse."
When the light words fell, Abi had already hidden the spring rain into the straw.
"Chun Yu, don't be afraid. Listen to Sister Abi and don't make a sound."
"Sister Abi will protect you."
There seemed to be some impatience outside, and they slapped the door panel hard.
"Abi, open the door. If you don't open the door, we will come in."
Abi stood up, cleared her throat, walked to the door in a few steps, suppressed the nervousness in her heart and shouted: "Here, who is it?"
"Open the door quickly, the priest is here."
"Chun Yu escaped. We suspect she escaped to you. Open the door quickly!"
Abi opened the door lock and was dazzled by the firelight at the door.
There were many people gathered around the door, led by a thin young man wearing a turban. The torch in his hand connected with the light behind him, illuminating the entire courtyard.
Jiang Yu followed her and had a clear look outside.
The tall old man stood behind the crowd, looking coldly at the panicked girl, his eyes filled with majesty and disappointment.
Just like what I saw before, the thick resentment on the old man's head was as thick as thick ink and seemed to be solid.
"The priest at this time should still be alive. Why is he carrying so much resentment at this time?"
Jiang Yu smiled softly when he heard what Shen Zhaixing said.
"Because he was the one who brokered the deal between the village and the cave god."
"Abi."
The old man shouted low and walked out from behind. The flickering firelight at night reflected on his white beard, which was cold and penetrating.
Abi's legs and feet were a little weak, but she was determined and refused to waver.
"Priest Zuo Di..." She bit her lower lip tightly and quietly moved to block the door.
"Abi, you are the child I watched grow up."
He spoke slowly, trying to use his emotions to influence Abi and make her give up her resistance.
"You are a sensible child. After your parents passed away when you were young, everyone in the village raised you. You should know what winter without snow means, and the meaning of the Dongshen Festival we have to do in advance."
"So are you willing to step aside and let us go in to find Chunyu?"
Abi was patted on the shoulder by the old man, feeling that she couldn't move.
But no, if he gives way at this time, Chunyu will be taken back.
She made up her mind to protect the girl in the room and only gave the old priest a reluctant smile.
"Priest Zuo Di... It's not that Abi wants to stop him from entering, but I haven't even had a mouse in my house. How could someone come in?"
"If there was some movement at night like this, how could the people in the house not know about it?..."
The old man sighed and looked at her deeply. Abi looked away under his gaze, not daring to look at her.
"Do you really know what you're talking about?"
"Do you want to protect Chunyu?"
"Priest, priest... what are you talking about?" Abi clenched her fists, and her lowered eyelashes cast a shadow on her face, "Chun Yu didn't come to my place at all, I..."
Priest Zuo Di took a deep look at her and turned around, "Xu Wa'er, search."
The young man nodded and waved his hand, beckoning the people behind him to step forward.
"No! What are you doing! Don't go in!"
Abi's thin body could not stop the dragging of so many people. She slapped the young man who was holding her arm desperately, "You, what are you doing! Let go of me!"
Xu Wa threw her behind him, turned around and said fiercely: "Do you think you can protect Chun Yu? Shut up, you idiot!"
No!
Chunyu was dragged out of the haystack!
"Let, let me go!"
"Sister Abi! Help me!"
The little girl's hair was grabbed by someone, and she could only raise her head and scream. She weakly broke the big hand that was holding her, but she couldn't shake the other person at all.
"Spring Rain!"
Abi struggled to get up from the ground and rushed to Chunyu, trying to save her, but she couldn't break the hands holding her.
The girl turned around suddenly and knelt down towards the old man who was standing against the light!
She banged her head and kowtowed to the priest until dots of ink spattered like plum blossoms appeared on the dusty ground.
Abi shouted with a hoarse voice and angrily: "Please! Let Chunyu go. The Lin family already has a Chunxia as a flower girl, Uncle Lin is dead, and Sister-in-law Lin is blinded by crying. If Chunyu becomes a flower girl again, Female, then her family will really be broken up!"
"I have been grateful to the Lin family since I was a child, and I regret not being able to save Sister Chunxia! I can't just watch you take Chunyu away!"
The old man looked pitiful. He looked at Abi and kowtowed, as if he couldn't bear it.
He waved his hand, and Chunyu was dragged to Abi. The little girl struggled with tears and looked at Abi who was kowtowing, trembling all over.
"Abi."
He sighed, "I originally thought you were a sensible girl. You grew up eating hundreds of meals in the village, and you got the favor of this boy Yun Lang. You know, Yun Lang was originally the one I identified as the next priest. Candidates, if you get married, you will officially have a family in our village."
"You had a great future, you could have a better life."
"But you hid the flower girl who married the cave god. Do you know the consequences of doing so?"
Priest Zuo Di looked at her, raised his hand to help her up, and put her hair that was scattered on her face behind her ears: "If you really do this, let the flower girl escape. There will be no snow in winter, and autumn will If there is no harvest, the whole village will die.”
"You repay kindness with hatred."
There was a commotion among the crowd, and some unpleasant sounds came to the front.
Abi paused. After hearing the last words of Priest Zuo Di, she turned her head blankly and looked blankly at the group of people behind him who had raised her. She saw the disappointed and resentful expressions on their faces. .
"priest……"
The old man's eyes were full of disappointment: "The Cave God Festival is about to begin, and we must not stop it. The flower girl is also indispensable. I will give you and Chunyu a chance to choose. If she becomes the flower girl, I will let her mother I won’t treat you badly when I take someone here and give it to you to take care of. If you come to be a flower girl, then Chunyu can go home. Think about it for yourselves and make your choice.”
