Among the trees, I saw a house. Although it was not big, it was obviously still standing.
Sui Feng and Tang Zhao were both overjoyed, and Sui Feng did not hesitate and urged the donkey forward.
As I got closer, I discovered that it was a ruined temple. There was a fence in front of the temple, but it had collapsed in half, revealing an abandoned yard with only weeds and dry wells. It was very desolate.
Tang Zhao asked: "Is it the town platform?"
Nowadays, in various temples, the most common one is the Zhenyue Platform, which means suppressing the misfortune of the moon.
Sui Feng said: "No, how can the town platform be so small? It doesn't seem to be Grandpa Dongjun's temple."
Tang Zhao snorted: "Then I don't know who Mao Shen is."
Sui Feng shook his head. Tang Zhao had a split attitude towards ghosts and gods. On the one hand, he was timid and fearful of ghosts, but on the other hand, he had no taboos and had absolutely no respect in his heart and mouth. He was different. Most people in the world were superstitious and asked gods for everything.
Buddha bless him, he has always been in awe of ghosts and gods. Even though the imperial court has overhauled the town platform in recent years, honored Dongjun, and labeled various gods believed in by the people as evil gods and worshipers, and even the Earth Temple and the City God Temple have been abandoned, he still visits the temple.
Then I worshiped, not daring to offend any god.
However, since he was a believer, he did not delay staying in the temple. He followed his father to perform in the arena and lived in a dilapidated temple many times. How could he have the money to stay in a hotel every day?
The door of the ruined temple was closed, Sui Feng unloaded the donkey, found a tree in the yard to tie it to, and pulled out a flower gun from the cart. This was originally used by him for performing arts, but it was not as good as the real swords and guns used in battle.
The gun head is also made of pig iron, so it can be used for self-defense on the road.
Push door.
The old wooden door was motionless.
Push again.
The wooden door seemed to move inward a little, and then there was no movement.
Tang Zhao pushed the door open, but felt great resistance and said, "Is it locked? There is no lock outside. Is there any debris blocking the door?"
There was silence in the temple.
A gust of wind blew by, and Tang Zhao shivered. The sky was as dark as ink, and the night wind was as cold as a knife.
In the dark night of the wilderness, the grass and trees are all deserted. The bustle makes people nervous, and the silence makes people palpitate.
He patted the door again and asked, "Is anyone there? We were passing by. Please come in and rest for the night, and we hope you will be taken into custody. The wind outside is too cold."
Enduring the discomfort, he asked three times but received no answer. Instead, Tang Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and said, "There's no one around. Let's just open the door and go in."
After going through the passage just now, he felt a little psychologically shadowed. Although the deserted temple is not big, who knows what evil people are hidden inside?
No one is just right?
Even if there are ghosts, it might be better than people.
Sui Feng shook his head and said: "There is a little light in the crack of the door. It should be the ashes that have just been extinguished. There is someone inside, and they don't want us to come in."
Tang Zhaoxin brought it up again and asked: "Then let's..."
Sui Feng had much more experience in the world of martial arts. This kind of downfall was what he dealt with the most. He handed the flower gun to Tang Zhao, asked him to hold it towards the door, and said loudly: "Friends inside, we are just passing by.
Laohe, with little luggage, is living in a deserted mountain. You just heard the sound. We still have children here. It’s not easy for everyone to go out. Although you occupied this temple first, can’t you create a corner for us to rest?
?”
There was still no answer inside. Tang Zhao thought that Sui Feng emphasized that he must be cautious when going out. He didn't know the situation inside, so it seemed that he had to miss it again.
Unexpectedly, Sui Feng asked again, and suddenly gritted his teeth and said: "In normal times, we would definitely understand, but tonight we are too tired and can't stand the trouble. We can't be rude - Zhaozi, stand back."
Tang Zhao quickly backed away and saw Sui Feng raising his leg——
"boom!"
The old wooden door was kicked so hard that it was crooked. But it was crooked, so it didn't open.
Tang Zhao stared at the door tightly and said: "There is movement!"
Sure enough, there was a rustling sound inside, and after a while, the door opened.
I saw the door slowly move away, making a squeaking sound.
Tang Zhao felt furious in his heart. Thinking of the scene just now, it brought back countless stories in his memory.
A temple in the wilderness, a female ghost...
Grudge...
Zombies...
Secret room murder??
The door opened, and a young man stood at the door.
The boy was about the same age as Tang Zhao and was extremely thin.
Tang Zhao looks very thin now. Firstly, he has had a hard time recently and is much thinner than before. Secondly, he is born with a thin frame and his weight fluctuates. He is obviously thinner and fatter. Furthermore, he is pale and frail.
, you will look weak once you lose weight.
And around the group of human traffickers just now, there were several children who were thinner than Tang Zhao and were already truly "sallow and skinny."
But this boy actually looked weaker and thinner than those children. His skinny bones and lack of nutrition made his limbs look unusually long and slender, while his head looked bigger. This proportion made people instinctively feel uncomfortable.
The clothes on his body were very worn and patched, almost turning into rags.
Seeing his state, Tang Zhao couldn't help but glance at the top of his head.
Fortunately, my hair is still normal.
The boy's hair was slightly yellow, which was just a sign of malnutrition, not abnormal. It was even neater than Tang Zhao imagined.
So, he is no longer a refugee from the disaster area?
This is just an ordinary poor street boy.
That's... quite common.
Tang Zhao's family was well off when he was young. He had no worries about food and clothing. He still had enough money to study and read. He lived in a city, but he often saw beggars and poor people on the street corners. It would be more likely if there was a famine.
Even though his father said that this was already a peaceful time, it was at least much better than when he was a child. Apart from sinister disasters, there were no major natural or man-made disasters.
He had forgotten what it was like to see a street child when he was a child. He probably looked at it but seemed not to see it.
Only in the past six months since he left home has he gradually seen them clearly and sympathized with them in his heart.
Because his situation is very close to them.
Seeing this young man, Tang Zhao seemed to have seen himself. He couldn't help but feel sad. He squeezed out a friendly smile and wanted to explain his reckless behavior. Almost at the same time, the other party also showed a smile, and the corners of his mouth were pulled to both sides.
He showed his neat teeth, but for some reason, Tang Zhao just felt awkward looking at them.
"You two gentlemen, please come in." The young man leaned forward and opened the door.
Sui Feng stopped and said dullly: "We are either uncles or people passing by. Don't be afraid, I will never harm you. It was my fault for kicking in the door just now..."
"No -" the young man did not straighten up, but still said humbly, "It's the villain's fault. The villain is timid and afraid of the dark. When he heard the sound just now, his legs were so scared that he didn't dare to open the door. I didn't expect these two to be so kind.
Big brother, if I had known earlier, how could I not open the door?"
Tang Zhao said with a smile: "Isn't that right? I was also afraid of some evil spirits in the temple just now! It turns out that we are fighting wolves with a straw - we are afraid of both sides."
He thought he had told a joke, but the boy across from him didn't move at all. He said he was laughing, but he didn't feel at all relaxed about being laughed at. Tang Zhao was a little embarrassed and had to shut up.
When you walk into the temple gate, you will see firewood piled in the middle, half of which was burned to ashes, with traces of fire dancing in the ashes.
Sui Feng said: "Can you light a fire?"
The young man bent down and said, "Please do as you please."
Sui Feng took out the fire stick and ignited it easily with the still warm firewood. The flames were slender, beating with warmth and light.
The firelight illuminated the small temple. The four walls of this ruined temple were broken, and even the shrine had fallen to the ground. The incense burner was upside down, incense ashes were scattered everywhere, and there were only rubble and hay.
Sui Feng recited a few sins, raised the shrine, placed the statue in it, and bowed. Tang Zhao naturally had no intention of doing so. He took a few glances at the statue and found that he didn't recognize where it came from. It seemed to be Mao God.
The two of them sat next to the fire, and their bodies immediately felt warm, and Tang Zhao felt relaxed all of a sudden.
This day has been quite stressful.
Tang Zhao was not from a wealthy family, but his family was relatively well-off at first, and he had always had no worries about food and clothing. Later, when his family members died, his life was indeed getting worse day by day. But even so, he still had some financial resources and could afford to live in a cheap house.
The store is not as hard as Sui Feng and the others wandering around the world. They encountered several dangers before and were in great embarrassment. Only at this moment, facing a burning bonfire and feeling the warmth of the fire, did they feel a little relieved, as if they had found support.
.
When he raised his head, he saw that the young man was still standing on one side, with his head half lowered, and he couldn't help but said cautiously: "Come and sit down. My friend, is it because we look so scary that we scare you?"
The young man raised his eyelids slightly and met his eyes. In the light of the fire, their facial features were clearly visible.
Unconsciously, the boy's posture gradually relaxed.
It is true that Tang Zhao is good-looking, not only handsome, but also upright.
In the words of his teacher, "he has the face of a protagonist who serves the country and the people", and he plays the kind of villain that even the bad guys don't believe.
As long as you don't laugh.
It doesn't make you look bad when you smile, just a little silly at most.
And this young man himself is not crooked in appearance. Even though he is thin and withered, even though his smile is awkward and his posture is humble, he is still pleasing to the eye.
Tang Zhao greeted them again and again, and the young man came over with a low eyebrow and sat beside the two of them, with his hands on his knees, motionless.
Sui Feng unpacked the bag, took out the dry food and gave it to Tang Zhao. Tang Zhao took it and gave half of it to the young man.
The young man took it carefully, showed that smile and thanked him repeatedly.
After taking a bite of the dry food, Tang Zhao felt it was too coarse to swallow, so he kept rubbing it in his hands.
Sui Feng saw it and said, "Eat more, we have to go on a journey tomorrow."
Tang Zhao smiled bitterly and said: "I know. If Liangzi were here, he would definitely laugh at me for not having the life of a young master and for contracting the young master's disease. I... am not a person who cannot endure hardship."
Sui Feng took the dry food in his hand, pierced it with a flower gun, roasted it on the fire, and said: "If you can eat sweet food, who will suffer bitter food? You are not destined to suffer hardship."
Tang Zhaoqiang said with a smile: "With Brother Feng's good advice, one day our fortunes will change. Even if we eat dry food, we will also eat eggplants with a dozen chickens."
Sui Feng rarely smiled and said: "That's good. When you settle down, study hard, pass the exam and become a big man. Let me drive you and have a good meal."
Tang Zhao stared at the flames and said: "If I want to be prosperous one day, I must repay those who treat me well, and I must also treat the poor well."
Sui Feng was stunned for a moment and said: "I thought you would say that you must repay the humiliation you received today."
Tang Zhaodao: "It is natural to repay kindness with kindness and repay grievance with kindness. What is more important is not to become that kind of person." He gently pressed his chest and said, "I hope I remember how I feel today. Don't
This kind of hardship will be imposed on innocent people in the future."
Sui Feng took a breath, and even the boy next to him glanced sideways at Tang Zhao, then turned back.
After a while, Sui Feng said: "I don't know if you will still remember today in the future, but if you think so, you should really win the top prize."
Tang Zhao laughed and said: "Winning the first prize? How can I have that ability? I can't even pass the exam. Besides, I don't want to study in the future."
Sui Feng became anxious all of a sudden and said: "Nonsense! What do you want to do if you don't study? It's so easy to raise a child into a literate family. Now you are in trouble. You all hope to study well and stand out one day. If you don't want to think about your own future, I still don't think about it.
I wish there was one more good official in the world who could make decisions for us! Are you afraid that it will be difficult for you to study under someone else's care? Let's think of a way..."
Tang Zhao was stunned for a moment when he heard the word 'to live under someone's roof' and said: "I am just thinking about my future. Is this world still about studying? I didn't understand it before, but I have gradually understood it these days. Brother Feng, you are more knowledgeable than me.
Duo, do you think the world has changed?"
Sui Feng stopped talking, and after a while he said: "The world is in chaos. Since the evil disaster appeared, it has become more and more difficult to live. Today is fine, but after the evil disaster, everyone is gone. But I don't know if I will die tomorrow.
, don’t you want to live today? The imperial court is still there, and there are people who are quelling the chaos. In fact, life is gradually getting better. As long as you can still live, you have to run for it. In the end, if you want to honor your ancestors, you have to be a scholar."
Tang Zhaodao: "Speaking of honoring the ancestors, isn't the Xue family's lintel not glamorous enough? If a scholar has such a lintel, he must be at least a seventh-rank official. Each county canonizes a hero, what about the mansion, the plaque, the lintel and so on
The title is not bad either."
Sui Feng shook his head and said: "Compared to the county magistrate, it is not the case after all. It is a wild road. If there is a shortcut, why take the long way around?"
Tang Zhaodao: "I know, but Xia uses martial arts to break the ban, and promoting warriors in the world like this is clearly a sign of troubled times, just like the training of the brave regiment in the beginning of the country."
Sui Feng showed a confused look, and Tang Zhao said: "The so-called honoring the ancestors is nothing more than learning literary and martial arts, and selling the goods to the emperor's family. In the past, the emperor's family bought a lot of literature, but now they have to buy martial arts. If you can't keep pace with the times, you will still cling to the original market.
, you have to smash it into your hands. Take ten thousand steps back, don’t seek official titles from the court, and put self-preservation first in troubled times. If you don’t learn some methods of self-preservation, you don’t know whether you will die in the hands of humans or ghosts!”
Sui Feng's breathing was rapid, and he couldn't even say: "Nonsense!" The thin young man suddenly raised his eyelids and glanced at him, and then returned to silence.
The temple was quiet. The wind was blowing loudly outside the window, and the cold wind came in through the doors and windows, making the flames flicker.
Sui Feng stood up, stamped his feet, and said: "This won't work. The grass is close to the fire and can easily catch fire at night. You need to move it away."
This was his experience. Tang Zhao didn't listen and got up to help.
As soon as he moved, he heard someone say: "Don't move--" The voice was urgent and fast, and a figure rushed over, rolled up the hay, and blocked him.
Tang Zhao was stunned for a moment, then saw the young man leaning sideways, looking up again with a smile on his face, and said: "How can the two eldest brothers do such rough work? I'll do it." As he said that, he lay on the ground and gathered the hay neatly.
.
Tang Zhao was confused and glanced at Sui Feng. Sui Feng had a sullen face and held the flower gun tightly.
The young man rolled up the hay and put it on the open space on one side. As he spread it, he said: "Brothers, sleep here, it's clean and warm..."
Tang Zhao felt more and more strange. Suddenly, Sui Feng, who had been silent all this time, turned around and struck with a spear.
It was too late, but it was too late. The young man arched his body like a cat's fur and pounced on him.
Seeing him rushing towards him, Tang Zhao instinctively stopped him.
With a bang, the two of them bumped into each other, and Tang Zhao fell to the ground.
At the same time, a clump of straw was picked up and fell to the ground.
"Wow--"
Crying began, the child's sharp voice piercing the eardrums.
Tang Zhao stood up and raised his head.
Behind the straw pile, I saw two thin and pitiful children crying together.