Republic of China

Chapter 117

"father?"

The slightly crying voice made my father stop in his tracks.

He also turned around and squatted in front of Zhao Sanyuan, patted his red face, and smiled from ear to ear.

"Your mother just likes to scare herself. Can't our son talk? He must be in trouble after recovering from a serious illness. We just need to raise him and he will be fine."

While he was talking, his father took out a bunch of small firecrackers from his arms. They were crumpled and only had about twenty firecrackers. It looked like they had been picked up and tied into a bunch, rather than bought first-hand from the market. .

The father thought he could make his son happy, but Zhao Sanyuan threw himself into his arms and started crying again.

It's not because he dislikes the trembling little firecracker.

It was when he saw his father reaching into his arms just now that he was only wearing a close-fitting singlet, with hay leaves stuffed in the sleeves on his chest and abdomen, and then a layer of coarse linen clothes on the outside. One can imagine how much pain he would endure in such a world of ice and snow. .

"Dad! It's cold! It's cold!"

The father was a little at a loss, but when he felt his son's warm little hands covering his fingers, he understood what it meant, and his eyes became red for a moment.

"Hey~ Dad is very energetic and is not cold at all. Cotton is extremely expensive this year, so you and your mother can wear it."

"Why are you telling your child this? How old is he? Go chop wood quickly." The mother pushed her husband, and then carefully wiped the snot on her son's face. "When Sanyuan grows up and takes the exam, I will give him some money." Let your father wear a cotton-padded jacket every day, even in the dog days of summer, because the heat will make him confused."

Zhao Sanyuan nodded heavily, "Take the merit test, win three yuan in a row, and let your parents live a good life!"

The sound of children playing could be heard outside the house.

From time to time, he called Zhao Sanyuan's name to ask him to come out and play.

"Go on, you'll get sick easily if you stay under the covers when you've recovered. Remember to come back for dinner soon. Don't let your mother and I chase you all over the village with a broom again." Mother patted Zhao Sanyuan's little head lovingly. After turning his head, he opened the curtain of the main entrance.

In the courtyard, my father was chopping firewood in the corner, unable to stop shivering every time the cold wind blew.

The two and a half-year-old children waved to Zhao Sanyuan.

"Look, I'm just saying that San Yuan will be fine if he's like a little calf, unlike you like Liu Mangfan, who coughs after just two steps."

"Pull him down, I can at least run away and understand. Who in our village doesn't know that Lao Kang's son has something wrong with his eyes? You can fall into a ditch without anyone to guide you, eh? Sanyuan, are you crying? It's weird. , remember you fell from the rafters last year without even shedding a tear."

Zhao Sanyuan wiped the corners of his eyes and said arrogantly: "Feng Da is just confused. Today is the New Year's Eve. You two won't come empty-handed, right?"

Kang Muang chuckled, "It's not like I'm giving you a gift on New Year's Day? The main reason is that I miss you and come here to take a look."

"What a fool, you're just greedy for Sanyuan's mother's pickled cabbage dumplings." Liu Mangfan was used to making trouble, and then he put his arm around Zhao Sanyuan's shoulders and whispered: "Do you still remember the bald old man who treated you before? I heard that He's brought back an energetic little girl, let's go and open our eyes quickly."

Shortly after.

Outside the fence of a small courtyard at the head of the village.

The three children moved forward on tiptoe. Before they could enter the yard, they saw Dr. Gao trotting into the hut holding his stomach, and then there was a crackling sound of squirting.

"It really stinks. Did Lao Gao eat daddy? His poop stinks even more than daddy."

"It's terrible. You can smell it from two miles away."

"By the way, Sanyuan, I just saw a small firecracker in your pocket. How about we light it and throw it into the pit? It will definitely slap Lao Gao in the face!"

"Good guy, I never thought you could be so cruel and ruthless, Liu Mangfan. Doing whatever you want will damage your moral character. Be careful that the underworld will mark you down."

"What is Yin De?"

"Yin De is."

Zhao Sanyuan was stunned. Thinking carefully, he didn't know what Yin De was. He just blurted it out.

Forget it, sir!

Exploding shitholes is the most important thing!

another space.

In the main hall of Yaowang Valley.

The flames of Ksitigarbha's large lantern array suddenly swayed, and the lotus lanterns on wooden positions A and B in the east were like candles in the wind, and might be extinguished at any time.

Liu Mangfan, who was holding the battle, his expression suddenly changed, and he immediately cheered up and struck the Ksitigarbha chime.

The ethereal and melodious sound of chimes echoed in the main hall, and the flames of the lotus lanterns on wooden positions A and B in the east were much more stable.

"Lao Kang! Sanyuan is trapped!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the remaining lotus lanterns all started to sway.

Kang Muang's heart sank.

Not only Sanyuan, but also Lao Gao and Shangguan Baitu were all hit!
Although this is reasonable and even expected, I really didn't want to think of it because it almost sentenced three people to death.

The horror of walking against the Yellow River is not that you will encounter mountains of swords or seas of fire. All the dangers come from the countless flowers of the other side of the road on both sides of the road.

Each flower represents a lonely ghost who will never be reincarnated. They have to endure endless suffering and torture every moment, and they will always watch the ghosts being picked up by the city god on the road to hell. And the ghosts who were escorted to the mortal world by ghost messengers to return to their souls.

These two points are the greatest punishment for the lonely ghosts on the Huangquan Road.

The only possibility to escape the endless pain is to wait for the ghosts to go back to the underworld. Because these ghosts have no escorts and are in a pure soul state, the lonely wild ghosts on both sides of the underworld road can return along the underworld road as long as they possess their souls. In the mortal world, even if the result is to be a lonely ghost in another place, it will be much better than being on Huangquan Road.

Unfortunately, there are too few crazy ghosts who dare to go back to the underworld. This is one of the reasons why the underworld traps these lonely wild ghosts on both sides of the underworld road, in order to deter some ghosts who want to return to the earth privately.

Therefore, when a ghost really goes back to hell, the boundless flowers on both sides will bloom instantly, forming a sea of ​​flowers and completely surrounding the ghost, vying to occupy the magpie's nest.

There was no real harm, and no pain at all.

The ghosts walking against the underworld can only feel the gentle graves of Xingfu Township, forever lost in the illusion of the most ardent desire in their hearts, until they are completely occupied by a lonely ghost, and instead become the flowers of the other shore that 'bloom' beside the road to underworld. Waiting in endless agony for the next ghost to come back to hell.

What is fatal is that the illusion transformed by desire originates from one's own heart, and there is no way to detect any clues. As long as you fall into it, even if your heart is like a rock, you will be unable to resist.

This shows how much of a shock it was to Kang Muang and others when Wang Dachui's mother went back to the underworld and returned to the world.

It is precisely because of this example that a few people dare to bet on this extremely small possibility.

bell bell -

The red wire connecting the lotus lanterns gradually trembled, and the many small copper bells tied above trembled one after another.

The louder the sound, the more dangerous Zhao Sanyuan and others are.

Every time Liu Mangfan struck the Ksitigarbha chime, his face would turn a little pale.

Blessings are unparalleled, and misfortunes do not come singly.

The lonely ghosts near Yaowang Valley seemed to have noticed something, and they all began to gather towards the main hall. It was foreseeable how crazy they would be when they saw three fresh but not completely dead yang bodies.

"Lao Kang! Even if we set up a large Ksitigarbha lantern array, we can't defend it. Is there anything you can do?" Liu Mangfan regretted that he still underestimated the horror of going back to hell. If he was just one person, he could protect him. It's manageable, but the pressure on three people is too much.

Should we give up Gaoshou and Shangguan Baitu?
No!

If he only saves three yuan, he will try to go back to the underworld to save people again when he wakes up!

Kang Muang rushed to the altar quickly. He had prepared many things for various emergencies. He stayed behind to accompany Liu Mang to protect the formation just for this moment.

He drank a full bowl of water and held it in his mouth. He held the Jiedao left by Zhao Sanyuan and flicked the blade continuously. When it reached No. 20 four times, he sprayed out the green water facing the wooden position A and B in the east.

The end of the Kanto Liao Dynasty is soaked in cinnabar, with dragons and snakes written on the outside of the large square lantern array of the Ksitigarbha, and continuous calligraphy and painting talismans.

"Chi Chi Yang Yang!"

"Sunrise in the East!"

"End the nightmare!"

"Keep away the bad luck!"

Each talisman on the floor tiles is different. Strictly speaking, this is a complete talisman array.Renzi, Guichou, Jiayin, Yimao, Bingchen, Dingsi, Wuwu, Jiwei, Gengshen, Xinyou, Renxu, Guihai.

The Twelve Earthly Branches Nightmare Suppressing Talisman is specifically designed to break the nightmares of hysteria. Ordinary people need to follow a twelve-day cycle and wear the corresponding talisman close to their body every day to break the nightmares.

However, there are very few people who can master the complete formation in conjunction with another formation.

"I serve Yuanshi Tianzun as urgent as a law!"

Followed by Kang Muang's deep shout.

The Twelve Earthly Branches Suppressing Nightmare Spirit Talisman I exudes red fluorescence. The head, talisman, courage and talisman's feet wander on the floor tiles as if they are alive. They climb on several lamps, and the flames stabilize again.

Immediately afterwards, Kang Muang wrote paintings, calligraphy and talismans on the door panels and wooden beds of the main hall, trying to keep all the ghosts out of the hall as much as possible, leaving only one door, which was also the passage for the souls of Zhao Sanyuan and others to return.

"Treating the symptoms but not the root cause can only delay it for a while. How about I ask the City God to help?"

"Old Kang, have you got donkey dung in your head? Are you the biological son of the City God? Asking the City God for help is like throwing yourself into a trap!"

"You can't attribute all your hopes to Sanyuan and the others, right? This is going back to hell, not going to the morning market or evening market. Once your lantern array goes out, they will never be able to return to the earth."

".I need an old object that is old and its sound has the effect of refreshing the soul. As long as I have this kind of thing, I can slightly interfere with the illusion that Sanyuan and the others have fallen into. But where can I go at this time?"

At this point, both of them realized something.

Perhaps it was just the fate of heaven that Zhao Sanyuan unintentionally left a glimmer of hope for himself.

Kang Muang and Liu Mangfan said in unison.

"donkey!"

In order to deceive the Yiguandao pursuers, Zhao Sanyuan bought a donkey cart from Fengcheng City. The old donkey was worthless.

If Zhao Sanyuan hadn't insisted on moving the donkey back to the teahouse, he would have killed it and burned it for meat.

But as luck would have it, there was an old copper bell hanging around its neck!
At the critical moment, Kang Muang did not dare to hesitate at all. A second more delay might cost Zhao Sanyuan and the others their lives. They had to rush out of the main hall to get the old copper bell, and they had to face countless lonely ghosts outside first.

Then he made a spell and cursed.

"Xuanzong of Heaven and Earth, Wan Qi is the root!"

"Cultivating thousands of calamities and proving my supernatural powers!"

"Inside and outside the Three Realms, the Tao is the only one!"

"The body has a golden light, covering my body"

Liu Mangfan did not worry about whether Kang Muang's golden light spell was effective or not. He had full confidence in Lao Kang's ability.

Right now I have more important things to do.

He lit all the 18 and the fragrant incense, walked around the two paper-tied people and Lao Gao who was lying on the board, bowed every three steps, and paid respects every five steps.

I could vaguely hear shouts outside the hall, it was probably Lao Kang chasing away the lonely ghosts that were surrounding him.

"Three yuan, three yuan, we agreed to go home together to celebrate the New Year. You must not fool Brother Liu, otherwise I will make you die without peace of mind."

I don’t know where to start, but I have regarded Sanyuan and Lao Kang as my biological brothers. We make money together and shoulder difficulties together.

Maybe it was when we were in Mao Shan, we worked together to protect the safety of one party, and when the incident was over, we walked away, and few people knew what happened.

Or maybe it was the conversation with his old immortal on the steps of Lao Wang's house that night that made him decide whether he should continue to work with San Yuan and Lao Kang.

But it must be admitted that the entanglement of fate started much earlier, stemming from those few slaps in the engineering team.

Thinking of this, Liu Mangfan couldn't help but smile a little.

so.

three yuan.

You have to come back.

Let Brother Liu and I have a chance to take back those slaps.

No matter what you see on the road to hell, it is all the illusion in your heart. Even if the illusion is countless times happier than the real world and gives you the comfort you most desire, your destination is still in this mortal world.

"Old bell! Got the old bell back!"

"You are hurt!?"

Seeing Kang Muang limping back to the main hall, Liu Mangfan's face turned pale. Without Lao Kang's help, the technique would never be successful.

"It's not serious. It was the old stubborn donkey who didn't want to have his bells taken off. He kicked me while I wasn't paying attention. They were all skin injuries. How are you preparing here?"

Liu Mangfan handed over the burning Shiba and fragrance in his hand, "Take them, hold your breath and close your eyes, try to use your mind to talk to Sanyuan and the others, but remember to protect your mind, otherwise your soul may also be destroyed." Pull it in."

"it is good."

Then Liu Mangfan took an old copper bell as big as a palm and shook it gently.

The clear and ethereal bell rang through the hall.

"Spring turns to winter and then reverses, and the lost path breaks the path."

"The sound of chilling cicadas hugging leaves makes it difficult for the waves of smoke to calm down."

"The mirror is wet with tears, and there are few people on the green mountain road."

"The old horse knows the way, and he is homesick and returns to Taotao."

old house.

It was snowing in the middle of the night.

On the night of New Year's Eve, the village is filled with lanterns and colorful decorations from house to house, and children are playing and the sound of firecrackers is heard one after another, creating a peaceful and peaceful scene.

The Zhao family father and son sat around the Kang table. The father mysteriously took out a small package from the bed cabinet, opened it and found half a shabby old book.

"Three yuan, the last time dad went to the market was not in vain. He bought this book from various old scholars through hard work. Although dad didn't know a few Chinese characters, he also knew that there was a story about a pretty widow in the book. It’s true, it’s always good to learn more. Come on, let’s see if you like it?”

Zhao Sanyuan happily took the old book, but before he could look through it, his mother came over carrying a plate of dumplings with an unkind look on her face.

"What are you blind about? In which book did you see the pretty widow? I'm so impatient. Hurry up and get the [-] taels of garlic sauce that I borrowed from Lao Kang's house yesterday." The mother turned to look at Zhao Sanyuan again. Ci Ai smiled and said: "Let's eat dumplings for three yuan. One of them contains a lot of money. Let's see who among us is lucky."

In fact, there is no need to rely on luck at all.

This was the first dumpling my mother made for Zhao Sanyuan.

"Oh~ it is indeed my son. He ate it all at once. He will definitely be successful when he grows up. Damn it, let's just wait and enjoy the blessings." The father smiled sillyly while holding the garlic sauce.

"Mom and dad, you guys should eat too." Zhao Sanyuan pushed the plate.

"You silly kid, we already ate while you were out playing. How can your mother and I still be hungry? These are all yours, hey~ don't stuff it, don't stuff it, why is this kid disobedient, dad? Just eat one, the main thing is that I don’t like the pickled cabbage stuffing.”

Although the happy life of the three of them is hard, they are very happy to have fun in the hardship. Zhao Sanyuan no longer thinks about those wild nightmares. In the dream, he has grown into a young man, as if he is both a ghost painter and a great dancer. It doesn't matter, what is in front of him Beauty is what matters.

But, deep down I always felt like something was missing.

In the midst of his thoughts, his mother went to clean up the dishes, and his father added firewood to the fire pit. Zhao Sanyuan was wrapped in a quilt and sat alone on the earthen pit. The warm feeling made him drowsy, but the rule of observing the New Year's Eve made him still reluctant. Hold on.

dong dong dong-

dong dong dong-

There was a shaking sound from the wooden window behind.

Zhao Sanyuan lazily turned his head to look, and found that Kang Muang was standing outside knocking on the wooden window at some point, with an urgent look on his face as if he had unzipped his trouser pockets.

"Sanyuan, wake up! Sanyuan!!!"

(End of this chapter)