When Xiao Meng saw the visitor, she immediately became panicked. She lowered her head and apologized: "Brother Ya'er, I'm sorry, I won't dare to do it next time."
After saying that, she tilted her head in the direction of Zheng Quchi, grinned sheepishly, and ran away quickly.
Only the young man in Tsing Yi named Brother Ya'er and Zheng Quchi were left standing there.
"Are you the person Xiao Meng and the others brought back from the camp? My name is Gongchenya, and I am their headhunter. I heard that you are looking for medicine for wounds?" The young man spoke first.
Zheng Quchi tugged on the brim of his hat, raised his eyes and was a little surprised on the spot.
Unexpectedly, among this group of scavengers, there was such a young man with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes.
He was wearing a scarf mending jacket. He was young and energetic, and the thin one was not afraid of the cold. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and he was wearing a pair of cloth shoes. His hair was not as long and short as the aristocratic dress, but instead reached to his shoulders. He tied it with a cloth casually. He gave a tug, his playfulness was a little childish.
...Such a cute boy actually caused those people to vaguely think of him as the main one when they mentioned him. Does he have a powerful background, or does he have outstanding abilities?
"My name is...Chizi. I am looking for medicine. I was injured and now I need some medicine to clean the wound." Zheng Quchi said.
The young man's eyes were bright, and there was half a smile on his cheek when he smiled: "Ruler? Is it a ruler? Is it possible that your family is also a craftsman, so you chose such an interesting and nice name?"
The young man smiled so brightly that he showed his white teeth, which was pleasing to the eye, and no one felt that his words were offensive at all.
also?
Who else is also a baigong?
Zheng Quchi said: "Well, this name is actually very common, but your name is more special, Gongchenya, I don't know whether the surname is Gong or the compound surname Gongchen?"
"The surname is Gongchen... What about you, what is your surname?"
"I am a refugee who has abandoned my past and place of origin. I will belong wherever I wander from now on. As a woman, I will change my surname wherever I marry."
The young man didn't know if he had seen her face just now. He only mentioned something about medicine as an excuse, but then he started chatting with her about various miscellaneous things, just to inquire about her.
Did you notice something or suspect something?
In short, now Zheng Quchi is no longer the simple "Zheng Chuanhua" she used to be. She is also the "Zheng Shengsheng" who has the scheming to follow the city government.
He asked himself questions, and she only picked some answers that she could answer. If she couldn't answer, she would give vague answers and make excuses.
The two of them were going back and forth, seemingly chatting and laughing, and the atmosphere was harmonious and harmonious, but in fact the high walls made it airtight.
Gongchenya stared at Zheng Quchi for a long time with his big black eyes, then sighed and stroked his forehead: "Okay, okay, I won't ask anymore. You are so cautious. You don't look like a little girl at all."
"I've been married before, so I'm no longer a little girl." Zheng Quchi laughed.
Gongchenya froze for a moment.
"Marrying at such a young age? Are you fifteen?" he asked in surprise.
"I'm sixteen."
"You are getting married at sixteen. You are getting married so early. As far as I know, only Ye State has a law that stipulates that all people who turn sixteen must participate in the procession to get married." He clicked his tongue in surprise.
Zheng Quchi pretended not to hear his deeper meaning: "I just married young."
It was the first time that Gongchenya saw such a weird woman. She was completely covered up and kept secret about her past. Generally speaking, he would not deal with such a person.
But except for topics about herself, talking about anything else was quite comfortable and pleasant.
This can only show that she has something to hide, but she is an upright-minded and intelligent woman.
Gongchenya has an extreme temperament. If he looks uncomfortable at first sight, he will not interact with them in the future. But this woman named "Chizi" is quite pleasing to him, so he doesn't care about it. I'm willing to help her out.
"Okay, come with me and I'll take you to get the medicine."
The two walked into a makeshift tent. The top was paved with palm leaves, about half a meter off the ground. The two sides should be shielded by "ears" woven with asparagus grass, forming an arched living room.
She had never seen a residence of this type before, so she took a few more glances and wondered...could this be a crypt?
"Wait a minute, I'll go in and get the medicine."
He opened the straw curtain and crawled into the cave.
Zheng Quchi walked closer with a novel attitude toward things she had never seen before. She lifted the curtain and looked at the "pothole", and she happened to meet Gongchenya's raised eyes.
His eyes were bright in the darkness, and when he saw it was her, he opened them slightly, revealing doubts and inquiries.
Zheng Quchi's little face was immersed in shadows, except for his clear dog eyes, which were extremely moist, like treasures shining under the water under the sunlight.
Gongchenya looked at her pair of pupils and was startled.
His throat was a little dry and he said hoarsely: "Are you in a hurry?"
Zheng Quchi, on the other hand, was slightly embarrassed. She withdrew and said, "No, no, I'm just curious to see where you live. I've never seen anything like this dug underground before."
"Oh, yes, do you want to come in? Take a look around at will." Gongchenya said generously.
Zheng Quchi thought for a while and felt that it didn't seem like a big deal, so he walked down the three-step staircase.
It would be inaccurate to say that this is a crypt. It is indeed very different from a house built with mortise and tenon joints.
She raised her head and rolled up a corner of the slit through which light was transmitted, so that she could see everything inside very carefully.
A pillar supports the roof. There are dense wooden bones about 20 centimeters thick inserted into the wall. The whole thing is made of loess mixed with grass tendons, branches and leaves. There are also "buttresses" on the inside of the wall. The wall should have been exposed to fire. Barbecue, smooth and flat, solid and moisture-resistant.
This should belong to semi-burrowing, a primitive and ancient way of living. Unexpectedly, they still continue to this day.
She touched the hard wall and asked: "Is this a house you renovated? Is it built like this to keep warm and cold in winter?"
"Yes, it is also for concealment and to prevent predators such as snakes and rats at night. This area is in the suburbs with few pedestrians and has not been cleaned, so it is not safe."
"Then there should be trenches dug around here, right?" Zheng Quchi asked.
Gongchenya blinked: "Did you see it?"
"No, I just think that cave dwellers live underground, so they are not sensitive to certain movements on the ground, which also delays their movements. For protection, it is best to dig trenches around them to create obstacles and resistance, which will be safer. "
After listening to her words, Gongchenya felt that she had spoken to his heart. He nodded repeatedly: "You are right. Is this really the first time you have seen cave dwellers like us? I see that what you said is very clear. "
Zheng Quchi said: "Well, maybe it's the same thing. The formation and longevity of any building must go through the test of time. The best will survive. Cave dwellings have appeared in the early years, but due to the heavy moisture underground, and It is inconvenient to install a stove and difficult to get in and out, so it is not as livable as the current house.”
Gongchenya also knows this problem: "Yes, this is just a cave dwelling we found from our ancestors. After cleaning it a little, we will temporarily stay in the residence. Let's go up first."
After the two of them got out, Gongchenya held a small black jar in his hand. He said: "This is the medicine prepared by our doctor, but it can't cure all injuries. I have to take a look first." How are the wounds on your body?"
"Is there any difference?"
"Of course there are. For example, knife wounds, scratches and falls are all different. Besides, if the injury is serious, it probably won't work." Gongchenya said seriously.
Zheng Quchi was dubious about this, but since he was asking for something, he naturally had to do what the other person said: "Okay then."
"You come with me."
Gongchenya brought Zheng Quchi under a small tent they built. This was usually a place for cooking, and the ashes of the firewood were still warm. He moved a stone for her to sit down first.
The injured person is relatively weak, and it is freezing cold right now. It is unavoidable to lift up the clothes when checking the wound. At least it will be warmer here.
He squatted in front of her. The young boy had a fragrant orchid scent, which was refreshing and pleasant.
"They said you were injured on your arm, are you coming or am I coming?" he asked casually and cheerfully.
Zheng Quchi felt that the problem was not big, so he said: "I will dismantle it."
She lifted her sleeves to her arms, and then slowly removed a section. This was the first time she saw her wound. It was much better than expected. There was no fester or pus, but there was some redness around it.
Gongchenya came closer and observed carefully: "What kind of injury is this?"
"Whiplash."
She answered quickly, and this unexpected honesty made Gong Chenya stunned for a moment. He thought she was going to lie again.
"oh……"
Who can be whipped?
Fugitive?
or it could be……
"The wound doesn't hurt much anymore, but it has been a bit itchy for the past two days."
Gongchenya came back to his senses and said, "It's probably going to scab... Your wound medicine is pretty good. Who bandaged it for you before?"
Zheng Quchi paused and replied: "Do you still know how to distinguish medicine for injuries?"
"That's not true. It's just that there is a saying that a long-term illness makes a good doctor. I have seen a lot and can tell the difference. Do you have many injuries? Do you need help?" he asked.
Zheng Quchi hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell the truth: "If you need it, I have it on my body and on my back."
She could still do it on her own, but the wounds on her back were difficult to heal.
Gongchenya was stunned for a moment.
Although this whip wound no longer looks like the ferocious bruise at the beginning, Gongchenya has seen a lot of injuries, and of course he knows the severity of her injury. With such a whip mark, there are more on her body... …
How did such a petite and frail woman manage to make it all the way with such injuries?
Gongchenya's Adam's apple rolled, and he handed her the medicine jar and said, "I'll call Xiao Meng to help you later."
Zheng Quchi has no possessions, and the only valuable thing now is the gold and jade bracelet that "Liu Fengmian" gave him.
She took it out, held it in her hand, and opened her mouth: "I don't have any silver with me. I'll trade this with you for the medicine, okay?"
Gongchenya saw the back of her strong hand: "This... is very valuable."
Zheng Quchi said: "Compared with fate, it is just something external to the body."
Hearing what she said, Gongchenya smiled: "Is this given to you by someone else?"
Zheng Quchi lowered his head: "Why do you say that?"
"Because I heard you speak, you are a free and easy person. Once you have made a choice, you will not hesitate. If it is something you love and cherish and use it to save your life at a critical moment, you should not be so entangled and hesitant."
Gongchenya was thinking, could this be a gift from her husband? What about others?
Abandoned her, or died?
Zheng Quchi didn't defend himself and said directly: "No hesitation, let's change."
After giving him the gold and jade bracelet, she took away the medicine jar.
Gongchenya didn't intend to take away her cherished things, but when he thought that it was a token of love given by her husband, he suddenly said: "Then I will accept it first, but I will only help temporarily." You keep it, and when you have money later, you can redeem it."
"……Thanks."
He stood up with his knees up. A certain thought lingered in his mind for a long time, and finally blurted out: "Since you have fled here and have no relatives or friends, why not just follow us from now on. I think I am very compatible with you."
"Follow you? What are you doing?" Zheng Quchi was surprised by his invitation.
Gongchenya's eyes were bright: "Xiao Meng didn't tell you, what do we do?"
"She said you are scavengers, picking up some useful things from various places to sell for life." Zheng Quchi said.
"yes."
"What are you picking up? Is there anything in the camp that you can sell for money?"
Gongchenya smiled mysteriously: "That's a lot. Have you seen those military camp tents? They can be sold after they are dismantled. There are also wooden poles and various wooden buildings. They can be sold by transporting them to other places."
"You even sell this?" Zheng Quchi narrowed his eyes.
These were things she never expected.
"Why not? As long as someone bids in this world, we can pick up anything and sell it." Gongchenya said matter-of-factly.
At this time, Zheng Quchi seemed to understand the nature of their work.
No wonder they are called hunters... What is the difference between this and those mercenaries?
As long as someone bids, they will dig up even if it is a dead person's cemetery.
"Can I... think about it first?"
"Of course, ruler, I will call you by your name from now on. You can call me Ya, or Brother Ya."
The boy's various suspicions and tests were true, and his sincere invitation to her to join was true. He was quite a personality, with both the suspicion and vigilance of an adult and the straightforwardness of a young man.
——
Later in the evening, Xiao Meng filled a basin of hot water, came over to wipe her wound, and reapplied the medicine.
Zheng Quchi said out of courtesy: "Thank you."
Xiao Meng immediately blushed: "No, sister Chizi, I am apologizing to you. I was so sorry before. I was ignorant and offended you."
"Forget it, I don't blame you."
When Xiao Meng saw Zheng Quchi's injuries all over his body, he couldn't bear it: "Sister Quzi, do you have someone you like?"
Zheng Quchi had had a little sister before, so he naturally knew that once the other party started acting this way, there would be something to follow.
She made a quick decision: "I don't have anyone I like, but I am married."
"Really?" Xiao Meng raised his voice happily, as if he felt relieved: "That, that's good."
"What?"
Xiao Meng said sheepishly: "I, I like Brother Ya'er, and I was worried that... Sister Chizi would rob me, but since Chizi is married, I feel relieved."
(End of chapter)
