Chapter 36: Old things

After Lu Qingjiu left Shuifu Village, Yin Xun played alone for a long time.
He went up the mountain alone, got into the water alone, climbed to the millstone that was once the favorite of both of them, and looked into the distance.
There is a small road winding through the mountains in the distance. Whenever a newcomer comes from Shuifu Village, or an old one returns, he will definitely pass this road.
When Yin Xun looked at the road, he firmly held a few coins in his palm. These coins were game coins. He spent all his pocket money to buy them from the town. He wanted to give them to his friend Lu. Sake was used as a parting gift, but it was a pity that I couldn't give it to my friend in the end.
Yin Xun was not reconciled. He remembered the promise Lu Qingjiu made to him when he left. Lu Qingjiu said that he would come back again. Yin Xun thought that when Lu Qingjiu came back, he must put these coins in the palm of his friend.
Yin Xun's family situation is similar to that of Lu Qingjiu. Both parents go out to work, leaving the elderly and children at home. It's just that Lu Qingjiu's parents were more responsible. They took Lu Qingjiu out of Shuifu Village early and sent them to the city to go to school. Yin Xun was not so lucky. His parents' financial situation was average, so he had to stay in the remote Shuifu village for several years.
Yin Xun played with Lu Qingjiu since he was a child, and now he has become a lonely person as soon as Lu Qingjiu is gone.
Yin Xun, who was looking forward to his friend's return, waited, waited, and waited until...some summer night.
Yin Xun still remembers the weather that day. It was clear and hot, and there was no cloud in the sky. The bright moon hung over the black night sky, and the brilliant stars lit up the entire night sky. In the ears are the noisy calls of cicadas, and near the roadside, you can see little fireflies gleaming in the dense grass.
This was an ordinary night that couldn't be more ordinary. For Yin Xun, who had lived in Shuifu Village for a long time, he didn't feel any strangeness from it. At that time, he was still a bean sprouts of less than 1.5 meters, wearing loose T-shirts and shorts, and the slippers on his feet were glued. It was a bit inconvenient to walk. His grandma promised that the summer was over, so she bought him a pair of new ones. shoe.
Yin Xun was sitting on the millstone at the entrance of the village, holding two peeing crickets in his hands. He had just grabbed the crickets from the grass. At this time, he was still full of energy. move.
Although it was getting late, Yin Xun still had no intention of going home.
The public security in Shuifu Village is very good, and there is no deep water source nearby for children to play, so the children in the village have hardly had any accidents, and parents are very relieved. It is also his grandparents who are taking care of Yin Xun who are already old. The elderly will not have that good energy when they are old, and the children in the countryside are usually raised rough, so Yin Xun did not go home so late, and the family did not look for it. come.
If it was before Lu Qingjiu left, Yin Xun would probably go back with his friends, but now, Lu Qingjiu is no longer there.
Yin Xun, who was sitting on the grinding pan, was playing, and fell asleep in a daze. The grinding pan was very hard. The face of the person in front of him hurts, and Yin Xun seemed to hear the sound of water flowing while he was sleepy.
The sound became louder and louder, and the noisy Yin Xun opened his eyes blankly. However, when he opened his eyes and saw his surroundings, he was stunned. He saw that under the millstone, he did not know when there was a huge The water in the puddle is in a whirlpool shape, and the rushing sound of the water makes the water flow extremely turbulent.
Yin Xun looked at the puddle right in front of him with a look of astonishment. How could there be such a puddle of water on this flat ground.
Just as Yin Xun stared at the puddle in a daze, a pair of black hairy hands suddenly stretched out from the puddle and grabbed Yin Xun. The hands were thin, but with great strength, he easily grabbed Yin Xun's ankle and then began to drag him into the rushing puddle.
"Ah!!!" Yin Xun, who was frightened by this scene, let out a scream of horror. He reflexively reached out and grabbed the grinding disc, but his strength was completely unable to compete with the monster in the puddle, but he struggled for two or three seconds. Was abruptly dragged on.
The water quickly filled Yin Xun's nose and mouth. He widened his eyes and struggled with all his strength, but this did not make him out of danger. On the contrary...more and more oxygen was removed from his nose and mouth. For the first time, Yin Xun smelled death so clearly.
As the oxygen gradually exhaled from his lungs, Yin Xun's eyes gradually closed weakly. He was in a trance, as if he heard a crisp sound of coins falling.
Ah... I haven't waited for the sake... At the moment when he thought of this fact, Yin Xun burst out with great power again. He broke free from the black hand holding him and swam towards the top of the puddle.
I don't want to die... I don't want to die... Yin Xun thought, I haven't given the coins... to the sake.
With such obsession, Yin Xun's consciousness gradually blurred, and his vision was finally shrouded in darkness.
The family found that Yin Xun was missing, it was noon the next day.
The grandparents finished the meal, but did not see the grandson coming back. After realizing something was wrong, they looked around for a whole day, and finally found the trace of the grandson.
It was a pair of small slippers under the millstone, scattered around the millstone, and you could see how flustered the owner was when he left them.
The absence of the child is naturally a major event. Grandparents called the police and asked everyone in the village, but Yin Xun still couldn't be found. Yin Xun's parents also rushed home after receiving the news. They were devastated when they learned that their son was missing.
There is a crazy person in the village who said that the child was taken away by a water monkey, and everyone else regarded him as nonsense. There is obviously no water in this Shuifu Village, only a creek to the calf, and no one has ever died in the creek. , How can there be water monkeys.
The police concluded that the child might have been abducted by people passing by the village entrance, but at this moment, someone found Yin Xun's home.
Yin Xun had never seen this person. He only knew from the description of his grandparents that he was a young man. He covered his face with a cloth, and he could only see a pair of black eyes. Those eyes looked terrifying—only pupils. , No whites of eyes.
The man entered Yin Xun's house and told Yin Xun's parents that Yin Xun had died.
Yin Xun’s parents were distraught, and at the same time, they wondered if the man killed Yin Xun. The family was about to tie up the man and take him to the police station, but they watched the man turn into a pool of water and disappeared into theirs. before. Had it not been for their wet hands still in front of them, I am afraid they would be more willing to believe that they had just had a weird dream.
The next day, the man who turned into water came again.
This time Yin Xun's parents didn't dare to do anything with him, but listened to the man in a proper manner.
"Your son can't come back," the man said, "he is dead."
Grandma Yin Xun fainted directly after hearing the words, and the whole house was full of grief, and the mother and father cried loudly.
"But, I have a way to rescue him." The man said, "But after he is rescued, he can't leave Shuifu Village for the rest of his life. He has to stay here until the end."
"The last?" the only sane grandfather asked, "What is the last?"
The man smiled and shook his head: "I don't need to explain, he will know it himself."
Although the man’s origins are obsessed and suspicious, the family members who have no alternative can only choose to compromise. They set up a tombstone for Yin Xun according to the method the man said, and held a funeral. The funeral was very grand and everyone in the village came. participated. It stands to reason that the child's death should not be done in a big way, but Yin Xunjia did it for seven days and nights.
A few days after the grand funeral, Yin Xun, wet and wet, appeared at the door of his home. He was barefoot, and looked a little confused, as if he didn't understand why he was here.
The parents who saw Yin Xun were overjoyed after seeing their son, and his mother cried and laughed and carried him into the house.
Because Yin Xun's body had not been found before, the child who appeared suddenly was quickly accepted by the people in the village. Now that Yin Xun came back, it proved that the man did not lie. According to what the man said, Yin Xun’s family enshrined a shrine in the mountains of Shuifu Village. They wrote to Yin Xun in the name of Yin Xun and offered it with incense candles and melons. , The lights of this shrine are indelible, and the melons are unbreakable.
Yin Xun's family followed suit one by one, but Yin Xun's mother had other thoughts in her heart, she wanted to take her son out of Shuifu Village.
"You can't take him away, the man said, Yin Xun can't leave Shuifu Village." Grandpa wanted to stop his mother.
But the mother, who had lost her child once, was exceptionally determined. She said: "This place has problems, and the people here have problems. I can't keep my child here. I will take him away from here!" It seemed as if she had left here. , She will leave all this madness and forget the horrible black eyes of the man.
The father was silent, and the grandparents blocked the incompetence, so the next day, the mother took the little Yin Xun and walked on the way to leave Shuifu Village.
Father called the car early to wait at the entrance of the village, and the family of three walked in the direction of the car.
But when her mother stepped out of Shuifu Village, she found that Yin Xun, who had not spoken in her arms, began to melt. Water flowed down his body and his body gradually became transparent.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Child, this is a monster—monster—"
Yin Xun looked at his mother blankly. He only remembered that he was pulled into the puddle. He had no memory of the rest. He thought that the strange atmosphere at home was caused by his own playfulness, but he did not think of a deeper reason.
The mother left without taking Yin Xun, and got in the car that left Shuifu Village with his father, and never returned.
Yin Xun was abandoned in this small village.
Fortunately, apart from being unable to leave Shuifu Village, Yin Xun has nothing special compared to other children.
Yin Xun grew up slowly in this way, and he gradually discovered the difference in himself. At first, his grandparents did not intend to tell him about it. Until one day, he found a Buddhist altar where his grandmother went to worship. On... his name is written.
When Yin Xun saw the Buddha's niche, he vaguely felt something. After a long time, he understood what that feeling was.
That is the mission, always keep the mission of Shuifu Village.
Someone rescued Yin Xun who should have died, and gave Yin Xun a new life at the cost of inheritance.
Grandparents told Yin Xun what happened that year, about the strange man, about his mother, and about why he couldn't leave Shuifu Village.
Although he hadn't tried it, Yin Xun knew that what his grandfather said was true. He even vaguely knew why he became this way. But these things cannot be said, and words can be a curse. Some things, as long as they are said, will change reality.
Later, when his grandparents passed away, Yin Xun also grew up.
As an adult, Yin Xun was restricted in a larger area. He could leave Shuifu Village and go to nearby towns and villages. As for whether he could go further, Yin Xun did not try, because when he gave birth to this idea, there seemed to be a whisper among the mountains, telling him that he could not go. If he left, he would die.
Water Palace is his life and the root he can't live without.
At this point, the story should have ended in this way, but the arrival of Lu Qingjiu added a new chapter to the story.
"So what the are you?" After hearing this long story, Lu Qingjiu initiated an inquiry. He poked Yin Xun's arm. There was human tenderness and touch on it, which was completely different from the dead.
Yin Xundao: "I thought about it and thought I might have inherited a character like a mountain god..."
"Mountain God?" Lu Qingjiu asked.
"Yes." Yin Xun said, "I know what happened on the mountain, but in fact I only know. I can't do much. I feel more like an ordinary person."
Lu Qingjiu said: "I know everything on the mountain? What happened to the ghost that we encountered when we went up the mountain to hit the wall with Zhu Miaomiao?"
Yin Xun said, "Oh, I really thought that a child was caught by the puddle monster. The puddle monster was very troublesome. I couldn't drive it away, so I could only stare at it."
Lu Qingjiu said: "Oh..."
Yin Xun was a little tired by what he said, and took a sip of the tea in front of him. He said: "Sake, this is my experience. I told you all about it. Don't be afraid of me, I won't hurt you."
Lu Qingjiu nodded, but said nothing, as if thinking about something.
Yin Xun thought that Lu Qingjiu still couldn't let go of his identity, so he looked at Lu Qingjiu with sincere eyes, trying to tell him that he was really a good person.
Lu Qingjiu suddenly said, "Do you know everything about the mountain?"
Yin Xun said, "Yes, every plant and tree, every flower and tree, I know."
Lu Qingjiu said, "Do you also know what is more?"
Yin Xun nodded.
Lu Qingjiu said: "Then..." He suddenly asked, "When my parents encountered a mudslide, do you know where their bodies were?"
Yin Xun was dumb. He looked at Lu Sake's serious eyes and instantly understood that this issue was very important.
Also, the deceased pay attention to the peace of their own. It is difficult to feel at ease thinking that their parents do not even have a coffin as children.
"I don't know." Yin Xun said, "I found it, but there is no corpse of your parents." He was a little low. "Sorry, I only found your parents' backpack, but no one saw them."
Lu Qingjiu sighed. He did not speak, but gave Yin Xun a hug. He said, "It's okay, it has nothing to do with you. You have tried your best. Don't blame yourself, it's not your fault."
In fact, after this incident, Lu Qingjiu did not expect to find the remains of his parents. After all, he also saw the scene and knew that the mountain had almost collapsed in half. Under the power of nature, people are almost like ants, and Lu Qingjiu feels that it is enough to find the relics of the parents' backpacks. The reason why he asked Yin Xun this question is not to blame him. He just wants to know the approximate location of his parents' burial. Although it may be too deep to be dug out, at least he can worship.
However, Yin Xun said that he did not see the remains of Lu Qingjiu's parents, which surprised Lu Qingjiu and was slightly disappointed.
If Yin Xun is really the mountain of Shuifu Village, then the remains of Lu Qingjiu's parents that he could not find means that their remains may have been washed out of Shuifu Village following the mudslides that came from the collapse of the mountain. This area is too wide. Lu Qingjiu can only give up.
"Otherwise I will try again?" Yin Xun was still a little sad.
"No need." Lu Qingjiu shook his head, "You don't need to force it." He knew Yin Xun's character, and he must have given him such an answer after repeated confirmation. There was a smile on his face, "My parents are also open-minded people, they don't stick to this kind of thing, they just want me to live well."
Yin Xun showed a relaxed expression.
After talking about it all night, Lu Qingjiu finally untied Yin Xun’s heart. They also arranged to go to the mountain next time to see the Buddhist altar set by Yin Xun's grandparents. After that, the two said goodbye in the courtyard, Lu Qingjiu Watching Yin Xun disappear into his sight with a smile, he turned around and prepared to enter the house.
After turning around, Lu Qingjiu found that Bai Yuehu was standing behind him at some point, and the two eyes were silent and facing each other. Lu Qingjiu didn't collapse first and gave a wry smile.
"This guy has something to hide from me." Lu Qingjiu said, "What does the place I entered mean to Yin Xun?"
Bai Yuehu said: "Soul."
A dead tree, a lonely grave, weeds out of sight, and thorns on the grass are Yin Xun's soul.
Lu Qingjiu thought of Yin Xun's brilliant smile and the white tiger teeth on his lips.
What was Yin Xun thinking when he was smiling, and what was thinking when he was crying, did he give birth to that unseen weed when his mother was thrown to the ground and completely abandoned.
There is also the crow named Lu Sake standing on a dead tree...
Lu Qingjiu sighed deeply. He said, "There is a crow calling my name."
Bai Yuehu looked at Lu Sake quietly.
"I thought the crow called my name to take me away." Lu Qingjiu said, "I will think about it later." His tone was a bit bitter, "You said, will it be when I am away? The crow is calling my name too?"
Regarding Lu Qingjiu's question, Bai Yuehu knew the answer, but he didn't expect Lu Qingjiu to guess it so easily. Bai Yuehu has always liked smart people, so he found that he prefers the young man named Lu Qingjiu in front of him. He looked at Lu Sake with soft eyes, thinking that swallowing the person in front of him into his stomach would make him happy, just like he treats all his favorite things. But if you just swallow it, will the smooth skin of the young wheat-colored skin be scratched by sharp teeth, then he will feel a bit pity... Baiyue Fox perceives it, this is about a kind of like slightly different from appetite , Very novel.
"Yuehu?" Lu Qingjiu was stared at by Baiyuehu's gaze a little horrified. For some reason, a layer of goose bumps formed on his arm, as if his brain didn't realize it, but his body's instincts were telling the person in front of him. very dangerous.
Bai Yuehu laughed, his smile was very beautiful, his narrow phoenix eyes evoked a bewildering arc, he said, "But you are back."
Lu Qingjiu looked at him with a smile, and suddenly understood why there are so many scholars who are bewildered by the foxes in Strange Tales of Liao Zhai. Fortunately, he stabilized his mind and said in a low voice, "Yes, fortunately I am back. "
"Go to sleep." The next moment, Bai Yuehu reduced the smile on his face and returned to the usual lazy appearance, "It's not early."
"Yeah, it's getting late." Lu Qingjiu looked up at the sky. It was another clear night, the same as all nights, "Good night."
"Good night." Bai Yuehu said.
Lu Qingjiu turned back to the room, but Bai Yuehu stood in the courtyard for a long time without moving, falling into a certain kind of thought.
In the early morning, the heat awakened people from sleep. Lu Qingjiu got up to make breakfast and saw Yin Xun who was struggling with Xiao Hei in the garden.
Xiao Hei Dangkang's identity had been exposed, so he didn't care about it anymore, facing Yin Xun was the eighteenth company of quality. The sharp wording made Lu Qingjiu standing next to him stunned.
However, Yin Xun's face is obviously much thicker than Xiao Hei, and he refuses to let go at all.
Xiao Hei said: "Yin Xun, you want to be shameless, don't hold me, I'm so hot!!"
Yin Xun: "Drink, don't we eat jelly at noon?"
Xiao Hei: "You fucking—"
Yin Xun: "Hey, children can't speak dirty words."
Xiao Hei: "..."
Lu Qingjiu listened to Zhile. After processing Yin Xun's identity, the family regained the harmony of the past.
Baiyue Fox returned to his rocking chair, lazily like an 80-something old man, Yin Xun held Xiao Hei in the front yard to feed the chickens, but when he was feeding, he screamed: "Hey, Xiao Hei , Xiao Hei, what's wrong with you, wake up!"
Xiao Hei, who was still cursing the street just now, was paralyzed in his arms and motionless. After being picked up by Yin Xun, he still closed his eyes, and his breathing was very weak, as if he might lose his breath at any time.
Yin Xun saw that he was unhappy, and rushed to the house holding Xiao Hei and asked Lu Qingjiu what was wrong with Xiao Hei. Lu Qingjiu looked at the situation and said, "I don't know. Go and ask Bai Yuehu? He should Understand!"
Yin Xun said with a guilty conscience: "It's better for you to go. I ate the white moon fox's chicken legs yesterday. How dare I talk to him today."
Lu Qingjiu thought for a while, and passed by holding Xiao Hei.
After listening to Lu Qingjiu's words, Bai Yuehu with his eyes closed raised his eyelids and glanced at Xiao Hei. Three words came out of his mouth: "Heat stroke."
Lu Qingjiu said in shock: "Is heat stroke? Dangkang can still have heat stroke? What should I do?"
Bai Yuehu said, "I think it's hopeless."
Lu Qingjiu: "..."
Sure enough, his sentence was: "It's braised."
Lu Qingjiu: "..." Why are you so proficient? How many times have you surreptitiously simulated eating? ?