It’s early summer and the sky is getting bright early.
It's six or seven o'clock in the morning. The city has not yet fully woken up, and the vegetable market is already full of noise and excitement.
Liu Weidong dragged his remaining leg to the morning market.
Along the road, I met vendors and passers-by.
"Hey, did Boss Liu come to buy groceries in person again?"
"Have you become rich recently?"
"How many millions did you lose? When are you going to treat me?"
…
There was always a hint of malice in the greetings, making it hard to tell whether it was a joke or a taunt. Liu Weidong just responded reluctantly, and then walked away quickly.
He is a local and knows a lot of familiar faces in the vegetable market, but he specializes in picking out fresh ones. It's not that he is cool, but that for some reason, in front of those "acquaintances" recently, the bottom line of his bargaining is always higher.
A bit more expensive than others.
Whenever there is an objection, the other party will always say:
"How come you and your wife have made so much money from Mr. Hong's place? You will have enough to eat and drink for the rest of your life, and why are you still worrying about such a dime?"
He defended himself several times, but instead he was attacked by people who said he was "unkind" and therefore cowardly.
After walking around the market, he saw a few middle-aged women in the corner, whispering and pointing at him from time to time.
Liu Weidong recognized an old customer among them, and just as he was about to go up and say hello, the customer fled as if he had bumped into the god of plague.
His expression froze, and he left the market with a wry smile.
But the journey home was uneasy.
During this time, students begin to go to school one after another.
Unlucky for him, he bumped into a naughty kid.
The little kid in the red scarf was like a crow, and Liu Weidong was the carrion he was eyeing, running around him with his "double wings" spread out, croaking all the time.
"Liu Laizi! Liu Laizi! Liu Laizi! Liu Laizi..."
Liu Weidong couldn't help but glare, and the parents behind him who had been watching with smiles immediately intervened.
"What are you going to do?"
"he……"
"He's still a little kid and doesn't understand sense. Why do you, a grown-up like you, care about his kid?!"
Liu Weidong had nothing to say and ran away with his head down.
After returning home, I heard my wife's sharp curses when I got downstairs.
He happened to bump into a resident in the same building. The other person didn't say anything. He bowed his head and apologized as usual. Then he went home, cooked, packed up and went out to work as usual amidst the other person's complaints and his wife's scoldings.
”.
The way he "works" is very unusual.
First, he went to a certain government department building, hung up a banner with the four words "Ask for Justice" on it, and then spread out a white cloth with the whole story of Hong Daihai's collision written on it. It was actually a sit-in protest.
After that incident, his pet shop was hit by overt and covert attacks and could not continue to operate. If he stayed at home to take care of his wife, he would be rejected by his wife and asked him to go out to find a way to seek justice. But what could he do?
If Waiwu just protested like this, within a few months it would become known to the whole city, and it would become a joke among others.
He was looking sad.
Suddenly, a broom was driving away fallen leaves, and dust was blowing in my face.
"Don't litter."
A sanitation worker swept a few brooms at his feet. Liu Weidong quickly grabbed the white cloth, dodged and apologized.
…………
In the taxi on the opposite street, Li Changan had a panoramic view of this scene.
"That lame man deserves it."
The taxi driver next to him suddenly spoke, which aroused Li Changan's interest.
"How to say?"
The driver took down the taxi meter and chatted.
"This man used to own a pet shop. A few months ago, when the couple were taking a walk, they were hit by Mr. Hong's driver. The baby had a miscarriage and his wife became paralyzed. It was pitiful, but he insisted that Mr. Hong was hit by a drunk driver.
He is just kidding, what is Mr. Hong’s identity, and he hit him with his car? As a result, in the past few months, the business has stopped, and the paralyzed mother-in-law doesn’t care. She hangs banners at the government office every day.”
The driver's face was full of disgust.
"I've seen a lot of people like this. They're all unscrupulous people. They just want to bite off a piece of fat when they see someone rich, regardless of whether they are rich or not."
"How unscrupulous are these people?" Li Changan asked.
"What a surprise." The driver patted the steering wheel, "I'm telling you, a few days ago, there was a man named Bao in Fengshun Village..."
At this point, the driver's tongue came to a sudden stop, he looked at Li Chang'an, laughed a few words, and changed the subject abruptly.
"Teacher, where are you going?"
Li Changan fastened his seat belt and said with a smile:
“Fengshun Village.”
The driver's expression suddenly became a little strange, and Li Changan didn't say anything.
"What's the matter? Isn't your car going to go?"
"Let's go. Of course we have to go."
The driver heyed a few times.
"But it costs more."
…………
"I have arrived at Fengshun Village and will interview Bao Zhiyun in a moment."
"Don't worry, your identity must not be exposed."
"I know, be careful."
Li Changan hung up the phone, smiled and shook his head.
After being reminded by the Taoist priest yesterday, Captain Yuan immediately raised his vigilance against Hong Daihai's gang by several levels. This time when Li Changan went to the countryside to find Bao Zhiyun, he kept Li Changan from revealing his identity, for fear that the Taoist priest would reveal his true purpose and let Hong Daihai deal with it.
.
But how could he know that the battles the Taoist priests had seen were much more brutal than some local violent gangs!
The Taoist priest put away his cell phone and looked around.
At the foot is a country road, leading to a small settlement of about ten households in the distance, and on both sides of the road are large stretches of red thatch fields.
At this time of year, red grass ears are already heading. The bright red grass ears are as densely packed as rice fields in autumn, blown by the long wind, like the floating flames of a prairie fire.
This scene can be called somewhat magnificent, but the Taoist priest lost interest after looking at it for a few times.
Probably because this thing sounds mysterious, it is actually a kind of red thatch.
Li Changan is no stranger to it.
When I was weeding in the fields when I was a child, I hated encountering this kind of thatch the most. Not to mention the leaves, the rhizomes are deep and numerous, and they are connected to each other to form a network. You can't just dig out the roots and only get out the plant, because this is like helping it.
Once the seeds are sown, they will grow all over the field next year. Therefore, in Li Changan's memory, this thing is the most troublesome to deal with.
Unexpectedly, it has now become the main ingredient of a medicinal wine that claims to "prolong life, nourish yin and strengthen yang".
I don't know if the bubbles of "Red Mao Liquor" are accidentally popped one day, how to clean up the thatch all over the mountains and plains?
The Taoist priest shook his head. This was not something he could decide. He was too lazy to think about it. He looked up in the right direction and just went to find Bao Zhiyun.
…………
Bao Zhiyun is a five-guaranteed household and runs an ancestral Bodhisattva temple.
There are many such small temples in the countryside, and they are usually passed down from master to apprentice or from father to son.
Although the name is related to Buddhism, the presiding officer is usually not a monk, and what is enshrined inside is not entirely Buddha, but a mixture of Buddhism, Taoism and even local wild gods, all worshiped according to local preferences. The famous Jade Emperor, Nanhai Guanyin,
The unknown Pig King Bodhisattva and Ox King Bodhisattva.
In short, all the gods who are useful are placed together, and anyone who can be found is worshiped. It doesn't matter what path of worshiping the gods, it is called "worshiping the Bodhisattva".
This profession was very popular in the early years, but now it is in decline. Naturally, this is also the case in Fengshun Village.
Some time ago, the village allocated land near the temple to build a pig farm.
Bao Zhiyun thought that he had no children, no heirs to his temple, and that he would not live long as he was old. In addition, people around him took turns to persuade him, so he reluctantly agreed.
Unexpectedly, when I inquired later, I found out that the land in the temple was used to build a manure storage tank in the plan of the pig farm.
How can this happen?
The old man quit at that time.
But you can't say that someone went back on their word, because they didn't get the money or sign the contract, and they were reasonable. This temple was passed down from ancestors, and in some years it was considered a cultural relic.
This is to protect cultural heritage!
However.
Reasons can only be spoken and listened to by those who reason.
The company that undertook the construction of the pig farm was affiliated with the Hongmao Group, and the boss behind the scenes was also the son of Mr. Hong’s wife’s uncle. In this area of Qishui, he was a crab.
The small temple was demolished that night.
The old man was so angry that he made several fuss with the government to no avail. He threatened to go to Peking to appeal, but as soon as he arrived at the train station, he lost sight of him. Until a few days ago, when he showed up again, he was already a psychopath.
At present, he cannot live alone, so he has been entrusted by the village committee to his nephew to take care of him.
…………
Li Changan considered Bao Zhiyun's information in his mind, and then looked up to a small farmhouse on the roadside.
According to the address given by Yuan Xiaochuan, this should be the home of Bao Zhiyun's nephew Bao Chunming.
"Hello. Is anyone home?"
Li Changan shouted through the door.
"There is someone, who is it outside?"
Somewhat unexpectedly, there was an immediate response from the door. Then, the door opened, and a native dog rushed out and barked at Li Changan. The Taoist priest only glanced at him, and the native dog whimpered and rushed back with its tail between its legs, almost closing the door.
The person who walked out later staggered.
The man cursed "dead dog", turned around and smiled at the Taoist priest, and naturally wanted to shake hands:
"Who are you?"
"Excuse me." The Taoist shook hands and said, "My name is Li Changan. I am a reporter from Xiaoyu.com. This time I am here specifically to interview Mr. Bao Zhiyun..."
The identity of the Xiaoyu.com reporter was revealed after a discussion between the Taoist priest and Yuan Xiaochuan.
This website is a local media in the province and has some columns based on folk customs. It just so happens that the custom of worshiping the "Salt Water Goddess" in this area of Qishui remains, and the main god enshrined in the Bodhisattva Temple passed down by Bao Zhiyun's family happens to be her.
.
Therefore, it is perfect for Li Changan to wear this vest during this trip.
really.
"It turns out to be comrade journalist, please come in, please come in."
After hearing this, the man hurriedly asked Li Changan to come in, but the Taoist priest noticed that the man was about fifty years old, well-built, fair-skinned, and dressed casually, but he was wearing a pair of shiny leather shoes, a mechanical watch, and his hair was well combed.
Oily and shiny.
Bao Zhiyun's nephew Bao Chunming is a farmer who digs food in the soil. This person's image and style are not consistent with his appearance.
The Taoist priest asked directly:
"Are you Bao Chunming, Teacher Bao Zhiyun's nephew?"
"Oh, I'm not Bao Chunming." The man smiled, "I'm Bao Zhiyun's other nephew. My name is Bao Chunhua."
After saying that, he called out the three people in the room, one large and one small.
They were Mr. and Mrs. Bao Chunming and their daughter. The three members of the family came out neatly. There was no surprise in their expressions but they were a little nervous. Their clothes were clean, brand new and very formal.
The Taoist priest glanced at the time. It was the time to go uphill to do farm work, but the family of three was neatly dressed and none of them happened to be at home.
Ah.
This is really a "coincidence".
It seems that the tentacles of the red grass snakes are longer than imagined.
Li Changan remained calm.
"Excuse me, is Mr. Bao here?"
"exist."
Bao Chunming nodded repeatedly and pointed to a corner of the courtyard.
The Taoist priest took advantage of the situation and looked around.
There was a small shed built with asbestos tiles. Li Changan didn't pay attention to it before, thinking it was a doghouse or a firewood shed. Now that he looked carefully, the "object" huddled inside was clearly a big living person!
"We can't do it either!"
Bao Chunming quickly explained.
"He can't enter what is called a closed space. As long as there are walls on all sides, he can't even open the windows. He goes crazy as soon as he enters the house, so we built a shed for him in the yard."
After saying that, Bao Chunming’s wife was afraid that reporter Li Changan wouldn’t believe it, so she went back and scribbled FAW, and then said:
"Not only that, he is also very afraid of the dark, so the lights must be on all night long. There was a power outage in the middle of the night last night, and he made half the village unable to sleep."
The couple usually seemed to have a lot of bitterness, but now they took the opportunity to vent it all out.
He kept talking for a long time, until Bao Chunhua coughed hard several times and finally stopped.
The two of them laughed and said nothing. Bao Chunhua glared at them and said to Li Changan.
"We welcome reporter Li's request for an interview, but there are two points."
"Please say."
"First, because of his disease, no one can touch him. As long as he gets close, he will go crazy and hit people. If you want to ask, I'm afraid you can only ask here."
"It doesn't matter."
"Secondly, he doesn't pay much attention to others. Sometimes he won't even reply to you even if you scream."
"I've come here, but I still have to give it a try."
So, the Taoist priest moved a small bench and sat down in front of the shed, and took out his notebook and recorder in a pretentious manner. But at the first glance of taking a closer look at Bao Zhiyun, Li Changan's heart froze.
Bao Zhiyun was huddled in the innermost part of the shed with his legs in his arms. His clothes were dirty, his gray hair and beard were tangled, his expression was dull, and his eyes were unfocused.
The Taoist priest asked tentatively:
"Teacher Bao, I am a reporter from Xiaoyu.com, and my name is Li Changan. Did you hear me? I have something to ask you."
Bao Zhiyun was speechless.
"We have been in contact before, but some time ago, there was suddenly no news from you."
Bao Zhiyun was still sluggish.
Li Changan continued to say a few more words, and also mentioned "missing", "red grass medicinal wine", "train station", etc. in a roundabout way, but Bao Zhiyun didn't respond at all.
The Taoist priest couldn't help but sigh quietly.
People are really crazy, and they really can't ask questions.
In this case, there is no use staying here, but to perform a full show, the Taoist asked casually: "What do you think of the Salt Water Empress..."
I didn't expect it to be just half a sentence.
Bao Zhiyun, who had been dull throughout the interview, suddenly raised his head.
He stared straight at Li Changan, then suddenly lowered his head and pulled out an object, holding his hands flat in front of the Taoist priest.
The old man opened his mouth.
Suddenly burst into tears.
"Buddha."
That object was a statue of a god.
It's just an ordinary folk craft, the shaping and painting are quite careful, but it is already broken, the left arm is missing, and a piece of the mouth has been shoveled off to reveal the clay embryo.
But the Taoist priest sensed something unusual, something similar to the statue in Liu Weidong's home.
gods.
In other words, they are souls that are accidentally born from the faith and vows of sentient beings and from people's pious worship.
But in this age of Dharma, even such gods are rootless. Even if they worship endlessly, they are probably just ignorant and unable to develop complete wisdom. The same is true for the person in front of me. In addition, the temple has been lost and damaged.
The Dharmakaya has become a candle in the wind, dying.
The Taoist priest thought about it and stretched out his finger to lightly touch the statue.
Suddenly there was a blur in front of his eyes.
Immediately, she saw the statue transforming into a beauty in palace attire. Unfortunately, her left arm was missing and her face was speechless. She bowed to Li Changan Yingying, then raised her right hand and pointed somewhere.
Then he changed his body and transformed into a man. This man was slovenly and dirty, comparable to Bao Zhiyun, but Bao Zhiyun was dull, while this man was stupid. He tilted his head, with hair like a chicken coop, and grinned.
The mouth is open, revealing two rows of big yellow teeth.