The noisy streets were filled with figures. Pedestrians passing by outside stopped curiously and stood on tiptoes to look in. They could only hear vague lines and tried to push forward, causing a slight commotion in the crowded crowd.
In the gap between the moving crowd, on the small stage, a small wooden figure wearing a white pointed hat with the words "Get rich at first sight" written on his head, with a long tongue hanging out, holding a soul-destroying stick in his hand, and several puppets could be vaguely seen.
Acting in a play.
There are weird dolls, but it's rare to see such an image as the protagonist. In the eyes of the people watching, it's rare and strange.
On the stage, a puppet named Xie Bi'an rescued the mother and son, and set fire to the bully's family property. The people around him applauded and applauded.
“Good burn!”
"This kind of bully who takes someone's property and pushes him to death deserves to die. It's a pity that Bai Wuchang is kind-hearted and didn't take that person's soul to the underworld."
"Nonsense, you have to follow the rules. If he can take away people's souls at every turn, wouldn't he be able to do whatever he wants?"
"It doesn't matter what he does, as long as it looks good!"
Various voices were mixed together. Later, when Hei Wuchang came on stage, everyone realized that they were actually a couple. At the end of the newly compiled story about Guan Yunchang who conquered demons for thousands of miles, some people thought that the red-faced and long-bearded wooden sculpture looked familiar.
"Hey, there used to be a small theater troupe that also had this wooden sculpture. Apart from the different stories, the characters are very similar. I just haven't seen them recently. Why did they come here?"
Someone nearby also noticed it.
"It's true what you said. I've been waiting on the street for several days, but I haven't seen them coming recently. Could it be that it's this little brother?"
"I don't see it, even the car is different."
"Then go over and ask. I know a boy in that class."
Over there, in front of the high carriage, the puppet that Chen Yuan seems to be operating in his hands is actually pulled by magic power. He rides a long horse on the stage, crosses the pulling landscape background, breaks into the Hu army hiding the demon, and beheads him before returning.
, which attracted applause from the people watching, and at the same time, the play also came to an end.
When he got out of the car and bowed his hands to everyone, he also saw a little man in the tea shop opposite with two pigtails waving to him. Next to him was the Taoist priest Mingguang, who was looking at him with a smile.
"Big brother!"
Soon, a large group of children came out of the tea shop. The little girl named Qiaoer took advantage of her small size and squeezed into the gap in the crowd. She ran up to Chen Yuan in a cute way, with her hands behind her back and her little face raised with a smile.
: "It turns out that this is how the puppets pulled by the old cow are performed. I thought they were for chewing..."
The little girl raised her hands like claws, opened her mouth and made a "wow" sound, as if she wanted to bite.
Chen Yuan lovingly touched her head twice, then saw Mingguang coming over, "How come the Taoist Master has time to bring Qiao'er out?"
"Senior brother and Yuchen left the capital to look for the Celestial Master, leaving her in Pindao's care... then went for a stroll on the street... Oops!" Mingguang suddenly slapped his forehead, "I forgot the magic weapon in the courtyard, you go first
Help Pindao take care of Qiao'er, I'll come as soon as I go."
Chen Yuan opened his mouth slightly, and the Taoist priest in his eyes quickly squeezed out of the crowd and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Are you naughty?" Chen Yuan turned around and looked at the little girl who was glaring at the old cow. The little girl turned her face, pursed her lips with a smile, and shook her head vigorously, "No.
, Qiaoer is very well-behaved! She listens to the words of the Taoist priests very much!"
With that said, Qiaoer climbed into the car and saw the old man inside who was still dozing off early in the morning. He opened his upper arms and hugged him: "Master!!"
The crazy old man was woken up by this hug and suddenly smiled.
He casually took a few small carved wooden plugs and put them into Qiaoer's arms, pulled her to sit together, and started playing children's games.
Seeing that the old and the young were having a good time, Chen Yuan smiled and exchanged hands with the people around him again, said a few words, and then packed up and got ready for lunch.
"Little brother, wait."
Among the dispersed crowd, an old man wearing a green hat came over and said, "Let me ask you something, there was a theater troupe you were with before, right? I haven't been here for a few days, and half of the play I performed last time has not been performed yet.
It’s over, I can’t sleep at night, so I’d like to ask you when you can come over and finish the story.”
And a theater troupe?
Chen Yuan was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly remembered that when he was walking to the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall and taking shelter from the rain in a tea shop, he had heard from those traveling men that there was a theater troupe who came here, and he never expected to meet him.
But then, he frowned. According to the rules, the play was not finished, so it had to be completed the next day, otherwise it would ruin the reputation of this industry.
After thinking for a while, Chen Yuan closed the table in the side compartment and closed it upwards. After inserting the bolt head, she also found an excuse in her heart and looked at the old man.
"Old man, I am also with them. I have been looking for the place where they came first for many days. I don't know where they are staying. I can just go and look for them."
"I don't know the specific person, but there is a man named San'er among them. We have talked several times, and I heard them say that they would settle down at Meihuajizi in Sanli District on the western outskirts of the city. The rent there is cheap."
Chen Yuan thanked him, told Qiao'er and the crazy old man inside to sit tight, and pulled the bullock cart through the market. The old man behind him caught up a few steps: "Remember to tell the three children to finish the story quickly, I'm waiting for you.
Can’t sleep!”
The bullock cart gradually disappeared at the end of the street. When they left the west gate of Luodu, the little girl pulled the master out of the bullock cart. You chased me and I chased you on the road, laughing and joking. From time to time, she climbed up to the old cow and gave it to him.
Scratching the back of his neck made the old cow squint his eyes happily and moo non-stop.
But Chen Yuan could tell that the little girl was showing it to him deliberately, and hoped that Chen Yuan wouldn't have to worry about her.
"Big brother, give it!"
Qiao'er slid off Lao Niu's body, took out a handful of fried beans from his shoulder bag, and handed it over playfully: "Taoist Master Qingxu gave it to Qiao'er. Qiao'er can't finish it by himself."
In the little hand that was spread out, a handful of fried beans was grabbed by the other hand the next moment. The little girl was so angry that she looked at the crazy old man running in front, stamped her feet a few times, and chased after him.
"Master! Give it back to me! That's for big brother."
"I won't give it, I won't give it!"
The crazy old man waved the fried beans in his hand, stuffed a few into his mouth from time to time, lifted his pants, and continued to let the girl chase him.
Amidst the laughter, the oxcart has passed three miles. The fields on both sides of the road have been harvested. Farmers are busy turning over new mud. The flying sparrows are chirping on the field ridges.
When they arrived at the Plum Blossom Collection in front, Chen Yuan asked an old woman selling mountain products by the roadside if there was a theater troupe staying here. The old woman didn't know if she was mute, so she didn't say anything, but just raised her finger and pointed in front.
Fortunately, the collection is not big, and it is a long street that can be seen at a glance. I looked for a vendor in another collection and asked, and the other person had a strange expression, "Are you looking for them?"
"Well, I'm in the same theater troupe as them, you see." Chen Yuan pointed to the open door, revealing the large and small wooden carvings inside.
"Hey, go away quickly. The landlord knows that you are with them and will probably ask you to rent money!"
"what happened?"
"I don't know the details. I heard that the theater troupe who came here not long ago disappeared one by one after staying for a few days. They also made the house a mess and put yellow symbols everywhere!"
"Huang Fu? Where are they going? Can you give me some directions?"
The hawker was also kind-hearted and gave some advice. Seeing that Chen Yuan still wanted to look for someone, he had to get up and lead him to the street corner, pointing to the road below the collection, "Go over here, there is a small courtyard near the Li family forest.
There it is!”
"Good work."
Chen Yuan handed over to him, then got on the bullock cart and rushed over there. It was not difficult to find there. As soon as he passed there was a large peach and willow forest, and an ordinary small courtyard stood on the edge, which looked much more elegant and quiet.
The bullock cart stopped at the door. Before it passed, I saw a yellow talisman with rooster feathers dipped in blood and pasted on the side of the door above the courtyard gate. Judging from the color of the blood, it must have been pasted recently.
He knocked on the door twice, but there was no response at all. He pushed hard and the door was locked from the inside.
"Master, please keep an eye on Qiao'er outside. I'll go in and take a look."
Chen Yuan warned, and in the little girl's eyes, he jumped up to the top of the wall, and then lowered himself behind the courtyard wall. The courtyard was spread out on four sides, with houses in three directions, and it was so quiet that it made one's heart tremble.
After covering his eyes with magic power, Chen Yuan walked to the nearest house. There was nothing strange about it. Everything was neatly arranged, as if no one had ever lived there.
The only difference is that there is a yellow talisman at the door of each room.
When they arrived at the main room, Chen Yuan walked around and was about to exit when a low-legged cabinet placed next to the screen suddenly made a soft 'squeak' sound.
Chen Yuan's ears and eyes were so sharp. Following his anger, he flicked his wide sleeves and shouted: "Come out!"
The small door of the cabinet opened with a bang, and suddenly a figure fell outside, rolled and crawled to the ground, kowtowed vigorously towards Chen Yuan, and kept screaming miserably.
"Spare me! Don't eat me! Don't eat me!"
"San'er?"
Hearing the familiar voice, the kowtowing figure stopped immediately and slowly raised his face. The moment he saw Chen Yuan, he cried loudly and rushed over to hug Chen Yuan's legs.