The morning sunlight shines on the streets paved with blue bricks, making them look bright and shiny as if they have been splashed with water.

Yu Lie rode on the donkey in the bathhouse and stumbled into the southern boundary of the city.

There were very few people traveling at this time, and even those who were busy making a living seemed to have become lazy because of the approaching New Year, like bears about to enter winter.

The shops on the street are still open if they should be open, but except for those early morning shops, many shops are empty. There are not even people hanging around on the street.

Only Yu Lie, who finally returned to the southern boundary of the city after many days, started looking around here and there early in the morning.

What surprised and gratified him was that three years had passed and the scene in the south of the city had not changed at all.

The tofu noodle shop is still sold by a husband-and-wife team. The tofu porridge still looks white, tender and plump, and the tofu is also trembling. The quality is so good that early risers are eager to buy it.

The old man in the Storytelling Teahouse is more than half his age, and he is still sitting alone at the door basking in the sun early in the morning. There is an old dog next to him, lazily biting fleas on the dog's belly.

People are not old, and dogs are not too old.

In this area of ​​​​the south entrance of the city, Yu Lie just felt that he had undergone very big changes and was unfamiliar.

He thought about it carefully and found that it was right.

It has only been three years since he left Qian County. Although during these three years, many things, big and small, have happened to him, including ups and downs.

He thinks that these three years are the three years that determine his life. If he does not become a Taoist disciple in three years, he will never be able to follow the true path for the rest of his life.

But to others, it has nothing to do with them, that's all.

The days went on as usual.

Perhaps apart from Yu Lie himself, the only people who care about this are those who are close to him.

With such reverie, Yu Lie rode his donkey and clattered to a stone bridge.

Several skinny jujube trees were planted on both sides of the Banqiao, with old and curly branches.

The donkey stopped leaving after it got here. Yu Lie got off the donkey's back, and the soles of his new shoes made a rustling sound on the stone bridge.

He took out a few talismans from his sleeves, threw them on the sash hanging on the donkey's belly, and then said thanks:

"Thank you."

Eh!

The donkey snorted, shook the robe with the name of the bathhouse printed on its belly, and heard the sound inside. Then he held his head high, took crisp little steps, and left.

Although the donkey in the bathhouse is unleaded and guests don't have to pay to hire it, guests still have to pay some reward after riding it.

Otherwise, the next time you enter a bathhouse, the bathhouse owners won't have any objections, but the donkey may be mischievous and deliberately come up to you, carry you home, and then use the donkey's temper on the way.

You do evil.

These guys hold grudges and are beasts, and guests often don't get angry at them.

After Yu Lie let the donkey go, he stood on the stone bridge and looked at the other side of the stone bridge. He hesitated for a moment.

Across the bridge is where the Yu family is located.

In Diving County, not only every city is separated by water canals, but every house with a slight name is not distinguished by walls, but by water canals.

The richer and richer the family, the thicker and longer the rivers outside their houses and families are. Some are even like a moat, like a city within a city, and there are even vicious fish spirits feeding in the river.

snake.

In front of the stone bridge, Yu Lie stared at the word "Youyu" on the bridge, glanced at it for a few times, and finally took a step towards the inside of the stone bridge.

At first, he rolled up his sleeves and took small steps, but after taking a few steps, he suddenly felt something was wrong, so he took longer steps, put his hands behind his back, swung his sleeves and robe, and strode forward.

Now he is returning to his hometown in fine clothes, instead of coming in trouble. He has to show some Taoist style and manners, so as not to be seen by the people in the clan. Seeing him as a stranger, they thought he was a thief sneaking in and beat him out with sticks.

.

However, after crossing the stone bridge and entering the interior of the Yu family, and walking for more than a dozen steps, the scene of the clansmen coming and going that Yu Lie had imagined did not appear.

His pace slowed down, and he was surprised:

"Hey... I remember that there used to be a few breakfast stalls near this stone bridge for tribesmen who got up early to go out to buy breakfast. The prices were cheap, so there was no need to go to the city to buy food, and the quality was guaranteed. This

A few jobs can also take care of some of the old and weak in the clan...Why are they missing? Have they changed places?"

Naturally, there is not only one bridge in the Yu family's courtyard, but the one Yu Lie walked on was the same one he had walked back and forth when he was young, and had crossed countless times in wind and rain.

Especially his second wife, who once set up a breakfast stall here and supported a large family.

Surprised in his heart, Yu Lie continued to walk inside and discovered some clues and changes.

Although the road inside the stone bridge was clean, after turning a corner and completely entering the clan boundary, people outside could not see it, and the road became dilapidated.

It is different from the smooth scene in Yu Lie's memory. The current road is full of potholes and broken green bricks, which is completely out of place.

When he walked along the road in his memory to the inner courtyard, he found that although it was the New Year's Eve, there was no sense of the approaching New Year's Eve on the portals of the several courtyards he passed, and they were deserted.

Although it was still morning, it was so quiet and there were no dogs, which made me feel a little lonely.

Yu Lie took in all these signs and sighed with emotion:

"As expected, the old lady celebrates the New Year. Every year is worse than the last, and the family is getting worse and worse."

After a moment's thought, Yu Lie knew that the situation in the tribe was not going well, and perhaps something big had happened. As a result, they could only maintain their superficial dignity, but the lives of the people inside had become unsustainable.

However, these just made Yu Lie's mind wander a few times.

In the past, when the situation in the clan was good, his life was not very good, it was quite pitiful. No matter how miserable he was, he would not be much worse off than he was back then.

Yu Lie quickened his steps and hurried towards a certain courtyard.

Involuntarily, he also used the wind-controlling spell, causing the wind to rise under his feet, and he quickly crossed dozens or even hundreds of feet.

Finally, Yu Lie came to a courtyard where a family lived alone in a bamboo forest.

The courtyard is surrounded by a bamboo fence, and this is the only house sitting in a huge bamboo forest.

It's just that although it is backed by a bamboo forest, it is not that suitable. It is located in the shade, with little sunshine, and the feng shui is not good. It also gives people the feeling of being inserted into the bamboo forest.

The door of the bamboo forest courtyard is closed. Compared with other nearby homes, both the fence outside and the courtyard inside appear neat and tidy without any sense of clutter. There are two piles of withered yellow bamboos that have been swept up on both sides of the door.

leaf.

Seeing this neat appearance, Yu Lie breathed a sigh of relief.

He walked forward and immediately wanted to call the door, but when the words came to his lips, he restrained himself.

Yu Lie leaned in front of the bamboo door, took off the rope ring on the door, and pushed the door open on his own.

There was a squeaking sound.

He walked into the courtyard, and before he took the initiative to look for the residents in the courtyard, a familiar but old voice sounded:

"Eldest brother is back? What did the elders of the clan say, but he wants money and food back?"

The main door of the courtyard hall was opened, and a person who looked like an ordinary peasant woman groped her way out of the house, mumbling:

"This has been going on for how many days. You guys have been working for the Huang family for more than half a year. Even if it's not for the sake of in-laws, but for the sake of business, the Huang family can't default on our money and food. If

The old patriarch is still here..."

When Yu Lie heard the muttering, he immediately felt that the whole courtyard seemed to come alive.

He opened his mouth and blurted out the word "Er Niang", but Yu Lie's eyelids twitched slightly and his eyes fell on the other party's groping movements.

At this time, the peasant woman opened the door and saw Yu Lie standing in front of the main room. She squinted her eyes and looked at Yu Lie. She seemed to recognize that Yu Lie was not the "big brother" she called him, but she couldn't see clearly and didn't recognize him.

.

The peasant woman asked: "Hey! Who are you?"

She wiped the nebula in her eyes and said quickly: "Mother, I have an eye disease and I am going to be blind. When I see things, it becomes more and more blurry. I can't see your face clearly."

She seemed to be unable to see clearly, but she could still see the light. She bent over and immediately invited Yu Lie to sit in the main room.

Then, the peasant woman suddenly seemed to think of something again, and said with surprise on her face:

"Are you here to put money in?"

She raised her hand and said happily: "I heard from my eldest brother in the morning that today's discussion will probably be settled, and some of the Taoist disciples in the clan are willing to come forward to deal with it. Someone will come to call everyone over before lunch. No.

I thought of it so quickly."

Yu Lie stood at the door, frowning, and listened to what the other party said.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and immediately guessed most of what the other party didn't say.

The so-called "Huang Family" is a family adjacent to the Yu Family in Diive County.

This family became prosperous later than the Yu family. They received some help from the Yu family back then. Therefore, the two families have been intermarried for several generations, and many people in the family are related to each other.

By the time Yu Lie's generation came, the Yu family was in dire straits, but the Huang family was okay.

And because mortals in Diive County are not allowed to leave the city at will, there are curfews, etc., and sometimes it is troublesome to even leave their own residence, so people from the Yu family often go to the Huang family nearby to find some work.

For example, cutting wheat, picking tea, etc. are tasks that ordinary people can do.

Based on what the peasant woman said, it seemed that there was a quarrel between the Huang family and the Yu family over money and food. Now that the New Year is approaching, the quarrel has probably been going on for several days.

Yu Lie was silent and pondered for a moment, then suddenly nodded to the peasant woman and said calmly:
To be continued...