Chapter 09: Hu Laoshi’s plan
That night's night is very beautiful, the sky is starry, the moon is close to the time of the full garden, extraordinarily bright, bright moon spilled like silver moonlight, will be all things covered with a layer of light silver veil. Even though the moonlight is as frosty as frost, hanging high above the night sky, but unlike previous days, the stars in the night sky did not hide in the deep night sky, but competed to be the first to blink their eyes, to compete with the splendor of the Chinese moon.
After leaving the alley, we followed the edge of the east canal toward Hu Laoshi's house, and all the way we could see many villagers who were taking a cool ride at the edge of the canal.
When they found a few of us walking by, they have cast complicated gazes, those eyes, some are hate, some are admiration, some are helpless, some are ridiculous, and some are …… gloating.
But there are also people who will greet me with a hello and ask me the body so quickly ah? To pay more attention to rest, in the home quiet recuperation, less out of the wandering tour, recuperate the body and then play …… I do not know whether they are well-intentioned, or do not want me to come out of the house. After all, my reputation in the village has changed too quickly, from the previous days of the hero of the rescue, suddenly became indirectly killed the murderer, and suddenly became a sensation in the village of the demolition of the temple action of the bandit leader, boy, I really celebrity ah.
Privately, the villagers have already regarded us, especially Chen Jin and I, as the star of misfortune, as long as the two of us skulked on the street and wandered around the village, something was going to happen in the village.
For me to be bitten by an evil thing into a serious injury, also in the village spread, the villagers also reacted differently to this, after Chang Yunliang and Guo Chao's collection and organization, most of the villagers reflect the following:
One, gloating;
Two, self-inflicted sins, deserved;
Three, how did not bite him to death? It's a pity;
Fourth, I hope Zhao Yinle students this time a sick, paralyzed in bed, save out of the scourge of people;
Five, this is the consequence of invoking the gods, severe punishment.
……
Of course, there are villagers who hope for my early recovery and pray for my peace in their hearts, such as my gang of buddies, such as Liu Yawen and her parents and relatives ah, they are temporarily in the situation of not yet determined whether I am dead and crippled, they do not want this son-in-law to become a crippled or dead, of course, if I am crippled, then they will be resolute in the cancellation of Liu Yawen's engagement with me, but they do not want this, in the rural areas of that relative to the death and disability, they do not want this. I hope so, in the rural areas of that relatively speaking is still relatively thought feudal era, a girl fixed marriage if the marriage yellow words, then again want to get married, then have to lower the standard. Because it will be thought that the husband ah, will be thought that the style is not right ah, will be suspected of having certain problems by the in-laws dislike ah and so on and so forth.
Well well, in addition to them, I have saved the parents of the few small children estimated to have to pray for my peace hope that I get well soon.
And again, and again …… Guess there's no one left.
Grandma, what bad luck. I walk, while the child in the heart of the slander, mixed for twenty years, in the village even mixed so "good" reputation, alas ……
From the east side of the canal all the way, I all the way suffered from the villagers cast those poisonous eyes, the heart is like playing over the bottle, simply difficult to not be able to, let me feel that this is a kind of torment, and even implicated in the wounds of my footsteps, are aggravated by the pain, the pain of my body are sweating.
I secretly slandered: "Fuck it, love whoever it is."
Finally walked to the door of Hu Laoshi's house, found that between the dilapidated courtyard wall, the dilapidated doorway, the original broken fence gate is gone, not far from the doorway of the yard, scattered thrown a pile of broken wooden sticks. Brothers can not help but laugh bitterly shook his head and sighed, there are really people to see Hu Laoshi's broken fence door ah, even took so much effort to twist off the wire wrapped around the sticks, smashed the thick sturdy willow wood.
A few of us looked at each other a few eyes, toward Hu Laoshi's home, and then drew the gang of villagers on the edge of the East Drainage Channel:
"Look, in and in and in and in again."
"That silver music, the body is not yet well it, and then come to find Hu Lao Si, is not Hu Lao Si gave him what bewitching magic?"
"Come on, these kids are not a good thing, how can their adults not care about ah? Alas."
"Can't control, born bad seed."
"Can't say they're all bad, in fact, those kids are still good, but they're letting Zhao Da Niu's kids and Chen Lockzhu's kids bring them down."
"Our village some years ago out of the Chen Lockzhu and Zhao Erniu two scourges, this is not, the old scourge is not dead, and then added a new scourge, alas, sinning ah ……"
……
Chen Jin and I almost at the same time turned around and walked to the street, I yelled and cursed: "Which son of a bitch motherfucker blind grin? I am not a scourge of your daughter ah? What's wrong with your heart?"
"Who is it? Stand out if you dare!" Chen Jin stretched his fingers and pointed at the three to five groups of villagers one by one.
No one made a sound, just all in a small voice muttering, even if we can not hear what they are muttering, we also know, not what good words.
A few other buddies also walked out, looking for Yinle and Chen Jin are not going to be angry?
Yes, the two of us were really going to freak out, but we couldn't just rush up and beat them up one by one, could we? Not to mention the possibility of being wrongly accused, alone with so many people fighting at the same time, we two, our brothers and sisters all bundled together, that is not a rival ah.
The two of us like wolves, viciously in the east side of the canal side of a group of villagers looking for, want to find a target, and then kill an example of a hundred.
At this time Hu Laoshi shouted from the house, "Yinle, Chen Jin, are you here? Don't shout outside, come inside the house, I have something to say to you."
Other brothers and sisters hurriedly pulled me and Chen Jin to Hu Laoshi's home, we two also downhill, viciously at the crowd spit two mouths of spittle, before turning his head to Hu Laoshi's home to go. So behind us is another clamor of discussion, anyway, not a good word.
After entering the house, the house did not light candles, but the light is not dark, the moonlight through the window into the house, the light is even better than the candles, summer, but also gives people a kind of bright feeling, visually also very comfortable.
Hu Laoshi is sitting on the edge of the bed smoking bag it, a hand holding a fan gently shaking, see us come in also do not say anything, waved the fan, signaling us to find a seat to sit down.
I walked all the way down the road, just got angry again, gas and blood surging, blood pulse downward, the right leg wound feels swollen and painful, hurriedly walked to the edge of the bed, rolled over on the bed, leaning against the closet on the bed, the right leg stretched out straight, which felt a little more comfortable.
Through the moonlight outside the window, we can see that Hu Laoshi's windows, already half of the cracked glass, now even less five or six pieces, with a screen to nail up, which saves the window again, directly through the wind.
Brothers and sisters sitting in the house have been constantly swatting mosquitoes, at the same time with their hands fanning the wind, the result of the more fan the more hot, each child sweating.
Strangely enough, no one to speak, just sitting quietly in the room, Xue Zhigang took out a cigarette to spread a circle, so the brothers are smoking on, the room in the moonlight, smoke.
Finally, Hu Laoshi snapped knocked a few bags of cigarettes, coughed heavily, and then spit out a mouthful of pus phlegm on the ground, when most of the family house floor, but also brick paving, the reason for a long time, bricks are pasted on a thick layer of mud, simply can not see the original color of the red bricks, only the soil after drying and then flooded with moisture to reveal the color of the greenish-blackish.
Hu Laoshi said: "These days you have a very moist ah, ah ……"
"okay, make do, is the day is too hot, hot let a person irritable, let a person fire gas, sometimes can not hold, really want to beat people." Chen Jin said borderline, while saying, while the child put the cigarette in his mouth, both fists pinched in a piece, pinched hard to make a crunch crunch crunch sound.
I rubbed the swollen and sore right leg, said with a bitter smile: "Yes, I should count this little life is the most comfortable, lying in bed all day, someone to take care of, really beautiful, is fucking sometimes the wound pain, can be like death."
A few other buddies grunted perfunctorily, not knowing whether it is nourishing or not.
Hu Laoshi drooped his face, said: "I'm not comfortable, every night someone will come over to smash a piece of glass, throw a few bricks into the house, alas, if this goes on, in less than half a year, the bricks in the house will be enough for me to build a wall."
"That's good, if you smash a three or two years, you don't need to buy bricks, directly flip house bricks have." Chen Jin said with a smile on his face.
A few of us scanned the room, and saw that there were a few bricks, half and whole, in the dimly lit corner of the wall.
Hu Laoshi squinted at Chen Jin, he a little bit do not understand Chen Jin today is how, even say some upside down and out of tune words, Chen Jin hehehe smiled, just that the corner of the mouth, clearly show that he is sneering.
In fact, a few of us do not understand Chen Jin this kid why this attitude, to come when it is still good, is not just outside the village people to poke the spine, the fire did not spread out, to find Hu Laoshi this side of the fire? This is a bit unreasonable ah.
For a while, the room was a little quiet again.
I think this atmosphere is very unhappy, probably because of Chen Jin's attitude, Hu Laoshi a little bit do not want to speak first, to save by Chen Jin to the top of the gun with a stick, and brothers, even more reluctant to first raised, showing concern for Hu Laoshi, otherwise, Hu Laoshi certainly lion's mouth tube us to ask for money. We have learned before, that time to give him money, originally thought he would be embarrassed it, did not think that he simply do not hesitate, immediately very polite to receive, and then said so a few words of thanks for the polite words.
But honestly, I do not mind, really, not at all, because Hu Laoshi also need to eat, and our group of young people to mix it, the result is not even enough to eat, he is after all a widow ah.
I coughed twice, breaking the silence in the room, said: "Grandpa Hu, you can't just not say anything, let the village people just smash bricks into your house, right? Then go on like this, I estimate that the glass smashed finished, the demolition of the courtyard wall, the courtyard wall demolition finished …… I am afraid that your house will also have to let people to demolish it."
"Demolition on demolition, alas." Hu Lao Si sighed, a little helpless and a little aggrieved said: "I can put them what? If I hadn't kept my door closed and didn't dare to go out, maybe they would have caught me and dared to beat me to death. You children demolished the temple, have to say that I abetted, this is not, they can not afford to mess with you, every day to find my trouble, today almost dark, Zheng tong lock his mother and led two old lady to the yard scolded a pass, you say they do not mind tired, every day to scold, so old, where to so big spirit? Alas ……"
A few of us secretly laughed, the copper locks mother guessed is today in Yao Ming Tang side of the son touched a hard nail, the result of the angry body fire, and no place to vent, had to come to Hu Laoshi this soft persimmon on the pinch on the two to spread the fire.
"You just admit it? Always have to think of an idea ah, can not be so angry all the time, our brothers can not see past." I said tentatively: "How …… about a few of us to give your old head?"
"How to head out?" Hu Laoshi eyes lit up, hurriedly asked.
I thought in my heart bad, Hu Lao Si is really nonchalant ah, how to listen not to say this is polite words ah? I thought about it and said: "so, tonight, our brothers and sisters to go to Zheng copper locks their home glass also smashed to go, or, the Li family that old lady's glass, also smashed to go?"
"Hey don't ah, this can't be." Hu Laoshi hurriedly waved his hand and said, "This way people will definitely suspect that I did it."
Chen Jin snorted coldly and said, "What are you afraid of? They smashed the glass of your house, you smashed the glass of their house, afraid of a ball, you just deserve to be bullied, look at you that wimpy look!"
"Jinzi, don't say too much." I stopped Chen Jin at birth, then smiled and said to Hu Laoshi, "Grandpa Hu, this won't work, so tell me do you know who came to smash your house's glass? Surely it won't be those old ladies, they don't have the strength either."
Hu Lao Si nodded and said, "Well, they wouldn't do such a thing, those who smashed the window glass, are some small children, there are a few, a few big men, alas, you say they are not fed up? The children do not know what to do can be understood, ah, adults why also so do not know what to do? And …… I suspect that the gang of children came to smash the windows, also abetted by adults."
"Well, a quasi is like this." Chang Yunliang said with certainty.
Guo Chao interjected: "To say, it should not be so ah, you think, we are not just demolished these small temples in the village it, the elderly angry we understand, the old ladies women compatriots angry, also understandable, after all, they have always believed in this, but the old man's, why do they have such a big atmosphere ah? Also not to do this kind of evil thing ah."
"Also, what's wrong with the village people?" Liu Bin nodded and whispered.
Brothers nodded, thought deeply, for the gang of big men to make smashing Hu Laoshi's home glass this kind of thing and not ashamed, in our place, would rather choose to fight alone or directly dry fight to cool, this is too despicable, too not manly.
Hu Lao Si shook his head, sighed, said: "Alas, the village of these small temples ah, this year in the gang of old ladies flinging, the village people are out of money, out of money, out of effort, either from the new cover, either from the new repair, most of the people in the village are out of money and effort, the results let you so demolished smashed and burned, they can not be angry it? But because of this matter if openly with me, or you make trouble, they also feel ashamed, so, this is smashed my home glass."
"Then why don't they smash our home glass?" Chang Hanqiang said.
Chen Jin sneered, "Then they have to have the guts to do so."
Brothers nodded, think it is really so, most people's mentality is like this, bullying soft and afraid of hard, brothers at least there is a family at home, really if smashing the glass of any of our home was found, then have to do a fight, they will also feel weak and afraid of this. But on Hu Laoshi they do not matter, Hu Laoshi widow one, even if he caught and saw, so what?
But in my heart I feel that this is still a little bit wrong, the village's reaction to this is also a little too big. Originally in our plan, after the demolition of the temple, in the village caused a stir is certain, caused the village people's dissatisfaction is also certain, but to let so many villagers excited to such a degree, really a little people did not expect, is it that, usually those big old man in the heart, but also for the superstitious exceptionally passionate, no less than the village that the old lady?
Originally we thought, after the demolition of the temple, causing a stir, but the villagers at most will be like that night, surrounded us, but they are still holding the mindset of watching the show to treat this matter, will not and we have a positive violent conflict, at most those old ladies, plus a few old man, but then again, plus their families, plus a few old ladies, also even if they are holding up the dead. How could it not be enough to get the old men into the war, right?
I frowned and said, "It's still not right, the villagers' reaction is too strong, there's something odd." I scanned the circle of brothers and sisters and said, "In these few days, have you felt that there is something wrong in the village? Have you heard anything?"
"Which area do you mean?" Chang Yunliang asked in return.
"Suspicious things, right, the village people's discussion, including the gang of old men among themselves, have they said anything?" I said.
Chang Yunliang shook his head, "There is nothing ah, that is, a few old ladies running around the village all day, door to door strings to do the ideological work, so that the villagers are opposed to our families."
"I don't believe that those old ladies' drumming power is that strong." I said with a frown.
Chen Jin said, "Yinle, don't sell yourself short, what did you think of?"
I shook my head and said, "I didn't think of anything, I just think it's not right, it's strange, don't you guys think so?"
"Well, don't say, really strange ah, those old men all day like and the village old ladies and old ladies to get together a piece of muttering." Yao Jing said.
"Oh right!" Chang Hanqiang suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "I heard that all the temples in the village have been demolished, leaving the River God Temple and Dragon King Temple, right? But they are outside the village, so the village are now concentrated in the copper lock his mother's home to burn incense and kowtow to the gods, my mother also went that day, I heard that really invited down the gods, the copper lock mother also said, now we have to let the gods severely punished us."
Xue Zhigang said, "Then why haven't I heard you talk about it?"
Chang Hanqiang glared at Xue Zhigang, turned his head did not pay attention to Xue Zhigang, years ago, their two families because of the white fox spirit of the evil spirit inculcation of the reason, but also did a fight, although after the fact and make up, but the heart naturally still have a stigma, so for the Xue Zhigang with a reproachful tone of voice of the question, Chang Hanqiang lazily take care of, and also do not want to take care of, he felt that Xue Zhigang with this kind of tone of voice of the question, he answered, it is as if afraid of Xue Zhigang as if he was afraid of Xue Zhigang, losing face.
"Fuck, Hanqiang, just say it, why don't you say it earlier?" Chen Jin looked on from the side and said in anger.
Chang Hanqiang only then a spread his hands, said: "I heard about it, press simply did not take it seriously, they can invite a fart God ah, nothing more than to invite the evil thing ……".
Speaking here, Chang Hanqiang also seemed to realize what, suddenly stopped talking, scanned a circle of brothers and sisters, and finally stopped in my face, stuttered: "Yinle, the, the, can't be, is, is the evil thing, in messing up, right?"
My heart trembled, turned my head to look at Hu Laoshi, to answer such a question, he has the most authority, I can't talk nonsense based on speculation, what's more, I initially just felt strange and wrong, and didn't think in this aspect of the evil thing making trouble from it.
Hu Lao Si thought about it, nodded and said, "It is possible, I heard that night you guys in the grandmother temple, burned a big spider, is it true or not?"
"Of course it's true, several of us saw it, no, my injury is that big spider bite." I stretched my legs and said, "I guess that's a spider monster, not a spirit, otherwise, it wouldn't be so easy for us to kill it."
Chen Jin said, "Look, the village people don't believe it even if, even Hu Laoshi doesn't believe it, alas ……"
"I believe, how can I not believe." Hu Laosi glared at Chen Jin, the latter immediately glared back at him, Hu Laosi helplessly turned his head and said, "There are still evil things in the village, that old turtle spirit, also stayed in the River God Temple."
"Huh?" I sat up straight and said with a frown, "Then why didn't you say so earlier? Not greet us to finish it off?"
Hu Laoshi sighed, not in a hurry to answer, lit up a bag of cigarettes, smoked two puffs before saying, "There is no hurry, now that you have torn down all the temples in the village, the result is that the old ladies did not go to worship the River God Temple alone, but instead set up an altar to worship the gods in their homes, and this has become two places again, they don't know that there is nothing at all in the village temples, and they thought that the gods were all in there, and thought of inviting the gods all back. Invite all the gods back, so they invited away another evil creature, since there is an evil creature manifested, they will not go to the river god temple to worship during this period of time, the old turtle spirit can't hold back, naturally, it will fight with that evil creature to compete for the village people's beliefs, let them fight, and wait for both of them to be defeated, now let's do it, we don't have the certainty to get rid of that old turtle spirit."
"Does the old turtle spirit still dare to enter the village? Isn't it afraid of being killed by us?" Chen Jin said disdainfully, "You know, when it was acting strange in the river, when it touched the belt in Yin Le's hand, it turned around and fled in fear ……"
"That's not that it's scared, it's just not willing to invite trouble." Hu Laoshi barked two mouthfuls of cigarettes, and then said: "The old turtle spirit is not so good to deal with, with us a few if we really with the old turtle spirit hard, can get rid of it, but the old turtle spirit has always been careful and prudent, dealing with things steadily, will not be with us hard, in addition, I remind you ah, this time, you have to listen to me, without my words, no one is not allowed to go to the river temple there and the old turtle spirit fighting, will be something, you can't fight, you can't fight with the old turtle spirit. Something will happen, you can't fight it."
Chen Jin said disdainfully, "That means that without your participation, we can't do it at all."
"That's true." Hu Laoshi said seriously.
"Che, come on you, which time you say so creepy, so serious, the result ……"
"Jinzi, listen to Grandpa Hu this time, you say less." I realized that Hu Laoshi definitely didn't have a little bit of falsehood this time, and said, "Grandpa Hu, don't worry, we won't go there to do it without your words, but …… how do you know that the two evil things will definitely fight? And, the old bastard spirit will definitely win?"
Hu Laoshi said faintly but surely, "The nature of evil things, greed, selfishness, the old turtle spirit thought that the villagers in the downstream of the river at the end of the bridge, built the river god temple, is not for it to build it? Is not ready to worship it? But when it found that the villagers' faith object changed into another evil, it will think that it is evil in the fight with it, is a provocation, and cautious old turtle spirit, and found that the evil in the village mixed with the wind and water, and also nothing, will think that the village is safe, there will not be a crisis, it will appear and the other evil to fight for the villagers' beliefs, as long as in addition to the other side, the rest of the beliefs, it is it alone! Enjoy the …… and the other evil creature, just came to the village not long, was worshiped as the guest of honor, invited to the home to worship offerings, and people and loyal, it will be willing to give up these? Naturally, it will also fight with the old turtle spirit."
I nodded and asked, "Then what if the other evil creature doesn't dare to fight with the old turtle spirit and runs away?"
"No, it can't give up, when it wants to run, it will be too late, the evil creature is more conceited, it won't feel that the other party is stronger than itself, when it knows that the other party is stronger than itself, that's also the time to fight until life and death."
Chen Jin asked, "And how do you know that the evil creature will definitely lose to the old bastard spirit?"
Hu Laoshi laughed and said, "The evil creature itself thinks it's marvelous, but we can tell which of them is a bit more powerful." After saying these words, Hu Laoshi got up and walked to the offering table facing the door of the hall, lit two columns of incense and inserted them into the incense burner, then pinched up two pieces of talisman paper, muttered and chanted for a while, and reached out and shook his hand, and the talisman paper burned, and Hu Laoshi pinched up the burning talisman paper and turned around two times above the two columns of incense, and then waved the fire out. Mouth again recited, right hand index finger middle finger together, suddenly a finger between the two incense, strange things happened, only to see the two columns of incense above the smoke began to float up to a fixed direction, oblique, but not the slightest bit of chaos floating up, a column of incense out of the smoke to the northeast corner of the drift, the smoke column compared to another column of incense out of the smoke to be a bit thicker, and that column of incense on the smoke is slightly thinner, it is to the south of the west a few The smoke from that pillar of incense was slightly thinner, but it was drifting toward the south and west.
Two columns of incense burning speed is very fast, in a short while will be burned half of the children, Hu Laoshi retracted the gesture, so the two columns of incense out of the smoke once again to restore, curling up to the top of the floating up.
Hu Laoshi said, "This is Taoist magic, can borrow the incense out of the direction of the smoke, to determine the direction of the evil creature, and the two columns of incense out of the smoke column thickness is different, it represents the two evil creature itself the height of the evil power."
The brothers looked at the end of the scene, all froze, looking at the jaws, even Chen Jin, also had to nod and said, "This, should be accurate?"
"Absolutely accurate." Hu Laoshi once again revealed a childlike proud smile at this time, he was very satisfied with Chen Jin's expression and tone at this moment.
I asked, "That, do you know what the other evil thing actually is?"
Hu Lao Si shook his head and said, "It's unclear for now."
"What are we doing now?" Chen Jin said, "The people in the village, especially the old men, as Yinle said, are also strangely disturbed, could it be that the evil thing is causing trouble? Should we take some action?"
"No, that evil thing is not difficult to deal with, but besides it, it will run away the old turtle spirit." Hu Laoshi's expression became serious, he picked up the tobacco pouch and walked forward a few steps to the center of the room, the moonlight through the window right on his face, body, kind of a layer of hazy glowing clothes, I think Hu Laoshi probably intentionally want to make himself look a little mysterious it? Hu Laoshi smoked two mouthfuls of cigarettes, said faintly: "In the end is not an evil thing confuse the villagers in the mess with us, which I'm still not clear, but this is also possible, but we are now, can not act rashly ah."
"But if the village people are getting more and more violent, what should we do?" I frowned and said.
"Endure!" Hu Laoshi only said this one word.
"Bullshit, then how long do we have to endure?" Chen Jin said with dissatisfaction.
Hu Laoshi let out a long sigh and said confidently, "It won't be long, it should be just these few days."
"If …… the old bastard spirit doesn't act, are we going to keep waiting like this?" I asked.
"Well, wait, old turtle spirit, definitely won't hold back for too long." Hu Laoshi remained firm, "Even, it's just a matter of these few days."
I don't know why, at this moment, the brothers couldn't help but feel a long-lost admiration for Hu Laoshi in their hearts.
Perhaps it is because Hu Laoshi has never been so confident, right?
I can see, the brothers have been Hu Lao Si's confidence infected, are very confident, they believe that all things, are in Hu Lao Si's control, and in accordance with Hu Lao Si's plan, step by step towards the final Hu Lao Si expected end.
However, my heart is vaguely uneasy, because Hu Laoshi's plan, first of all, we have to endure, no matter what kind of things happen in the past few days, have to endure, Hu Laoshi can endure, and even endure humiliation. The key is, we young people, especially Chen Jin, can endure the unpredictable things that may happen?
When I thought of this, I suddenly had a bad feeling: things are not completely under Hu Laoshi's control, and even, it is likely to get out of control.