The hardships I have endured and the sins I have endured over the years,
The extremely difficult road we have traveled,
All the ups and downs we have gone through have turned into tears.
The next day, Bao Zhan woke up with a splitting headache and didn't even know where he was. After looking around for a long time, he found that he was back in Baojiacun, lying on the bed in his old house.
Yesterday, the village party secretary drank too much and got into a fight with Director Hao. Director Hao said that he had arranged a room in the hotel so that the drunken Bao Zhan could have a good rest.
Secretary Bao said: "Why is little Baozi staying in a hotel? Where is he? He is home. Let him go home!"
The hens outside the window were cooing, and the shadows of the trees were dancing. No one had lived in the old house for a long time. Although it had been hastily cleaned, there was still a dull atmosphere in the house. The bedding was all new. It should have been Bao Zhishu's hug from home.
When I arrived, everything else was so old, the old boxes, old cabinets, old-fashioned chairs, everything remained as it was when I left home.
The old house is part of the past.
If a person could go back to his childhood home, he would feel like traveling through time. He would see the old calendar on the wall, the Chinese textbook on the table with the page "Young Runtu" open, and the old TV still playing
In its original place, the old clothes he loved to wear were hung behind the door. That door was where he had been coming in and out many years ago. He felt a little dazed, fresh yet confused, strange yet familiar.
Bao Zhan was born and raised here.
Both of his parents died when he was young. He has never seen his parents or had any memory of his family.
The old days of the Pomegranate Courtyard are filled with memories. Over the years, the pomegranate tree planted by his father and uncle has grown in luxuriant leaves. Although it is summer, Bao Zhan is deeply impressed by this tree.
One winter, heavy snow passed over the small village, leaving the pomegranate tree alone. He also stood alone in the snowy yard, and both he and the tree were silent.
From a very young age, Bao Zhan washed and cooked by himself, read and wrote by himself, and slept by himself. Although he was cared for by his close relatives, he always felt lonely, as if the whole world had abandoned him.
This child experienced the suffering of life prematurely, which made him extremely strong.
There is a three-wheeled stroller in the corner. The young Bao Zhan often rides on it, playing alone in the yard, looking up at the sky, staring at the flying birds and the falling yellow leaves. Now the stroller has long been rusted and looks like
It's sad.
The place where we played back then is now covered with moss.
Bao Zhan had become accustomed to the prosperous and indifferent city life. When he returned to his hometown, he immediately felt the strong human touch.
When all the close relatives in the village heard that Bao Zhan was back, they came to visit one after another. The whole village belonged to the same family, and the house was quickly filled with relatives. They all asked after each other, without politeness, only sincerity.
A simple middle-aged woman said: "Xiaobao, I know you are busy, so come home for dinner when you have time. My sister-in-law will fry crispy pork for you. You loved it when you were a child."
Bao Zhan called "Second Sister-in-law" and then agreed repeatedly.
Two childhood playmates came up to offer cigarettes, and Bao Zhan said he didn't know how to smoke. The kid who used to catch loaches together has now become a thirty-year-old man, smiling innocently, with traces of life's hard work on his face. Bao Zhan recognized it.
It took a long time to shout out their names in surprise.
An old lady with silver hair and a hunchbacked old man on crutches walked into the house, and everyone got out of the way. The old man was the patriarch of Baojia Village.
Bao Zhan stepped forward and called out Fourth Grandpa and Fourth Grandma.
Bao Zhan was a bit dull and was afraid of interpersonal communication. He was originally an introverted man. Facing the enthusiastic relatives, he was at a loss. He just took out the prepared gifts and distributed them to the elders. The fourth grandmother held Bao Zhan's head and cried.
Zongheng kept saying that Bao Zhan was a hard-working boy since he was a child and had suffered a lot. The fourth grandfather was talking nonchalantly. The old man couldn't speak clearly, and Bao Zhan only heard a few words: Go to the forest and burn paper.
The sound of car horns came from the yard, and the Public Security Bureau sent a police car to pick up Bao Zhan. Bao Zhan, as if he had been granted amnesty, took the opportunity to escape from the siege of the villagers.
The policeman who drove the car was named Sun Dayue, and he was responsible for driving Bao Zhan during the case. Although Dayue was a civil servant, he was still unmarried in his thirties. He had an old woman who was paralyzed in bed and had been ill for many years. In order to see a doctor for her old mother,
The family was extremely poor and owed a lot of money. He was a filial son and was unwilling to send his mother to an orphanage, so no girl was willing to marry him.
Accompanying them are female reporters and photographers from the county TV station, who plan to make a follow-up report on the "Human Centipede" case.
The car drove out of the village and headed towards the country road
, there are straight poplar trees on both sides of the road, each leaf is dazzlingly green in the sun, the sound of cicadas can be heard from the trees, the breeze gently blows through the surrounding golden wheat fields, and the old shepherd man is leaning on the grass under the trees.
Rest, in the distance, a harvester cuts wheat in the field.
Bao Zhan remembered what his fourth grandfather said. When he passed by a small town, he bought some commemorative supplies, incense, ghost coins, fire paper, and a bottle of wine. He found his parents' gravesite based on his memory, knelt down and kowtowed a few times.
Then he cried bitterly.
The hardships I have endured, the sins I have endured, the extremely difficult roads I have walked, and the ups and downs I have experienced over the years have all turned into tears.
The female reporter named Zhang Lei conducted a brief interview with Bao Zhan in the car.
Female reporter Zhang Lei said: "I also watched that surveillance video. It's a bit like the corpse chase in the movie. Do you believe in the corpse chase?"
Bao Zhan said: "Of course I don't believe it, the corpse can't walk or crawl."
Female reporter Zhang Lei said: "If the person in front carrying the fishing rod is the suspect, and the four victims crawling behind him, why don't they run away?"
Bao Zhan said: "They probably won't be able to escape."
Sun Dayue said: "Now, the suspect has not been arrested, and the case needs to be kept confidential. Your TV station should not report this."
Female reporter Zhang Lei said: "Don't worry, I'm just curious and asking casually. There is such a big case in our county and everyone is very concerned about it. These will not be broadcast until the case is solved."
Sun Dayue said: "Let Xiao Bao rest for a while. He was drunk last night and probably still has a headache now. Leave me my phone number and you can ask me if you have any questions."
Female reporter Zhang Lei said: "Okay, you provide me with some revelations, and I'll treat you to dinner. Where should we go next? Back to the Public Security Bureau?"
Bao Zhan said: "Let's find a witness."
In that surveillance video, five people lined up in a line, moving forward slowly. The person in the front was wearing a raincoat, of medium build, and carrying a fishing rod on his shoulder. The four people behind him were also wearing raincoats, like centipedes.
Crawling on the ground with slow and strange movements, the group of people passed the intersection of County No. 1 Middle School. It was raining at the time, and the surveillance camera was wet with rainwater, so the picture captured was a bit blurry.
The time shown in the video was three o'clock in the morning, and the streets were empty.
Bao Zhan thought of a man named Lao Yang, who ran a breakfast shop at the intersection and got up at three o'clock every day to do business. He probably witnessed the scene at that time.
There is a snack street in front of every school. The street is often messy, and sewage flows across it when it rains. The dumpling restaurant is next to the bun shop, and next to the Shaxian snacks is Lanzhou Ramen. The aroma of spicy hotpot and the stench of stinky tofu are filled together, and the sizzling squid is
The sizzling sound was mixed with the sizzling sound of chicken steaks being put into the oil pan. The sausage-making machine was still turning, the shovel had just turned over the pancakes, and the milk tea shop was covered with pieces of paper with messages from students on them.
It is no exaggeration to say that the most unforgettable and delicious snacks in a person's life are gathered at the school gate.
Because, after graduation, I can no longer eat it.
Because these all contain memories of youth.
Students who graduated from Jiaxiang No. 1 Middle School will never forget the local specialty snack: glutinous rice soup.
Grit soup originated from Jining City, Shandong Province, and is popular along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Qilu. It is said to be a famous delicacy, but outsiders actually don’t know it. The soup is made from beef bones or sheep bones, and is mixed with spices.
Onions and ginger need to be cooked over high heat for several hours until the soup becomes milky white. Crack an egg in a bowl, pour boiling bone soup over it, add thin slices of cooked meat, sprinkle with coriander, and top with
Sesame oil, color and fragrance are all available.
This kind of bone soup has nurtured the hardworking, kind, simple and strong children of southwestern Shandong.
Lao Yang Ji Tang was originally a simple wooden shed that could not be more simple. It was an illegal building. There was a signboard hanging above the shed, but it had been smoked by fireworks and the original color was difficult to recognize. One year, the strong wind in winter swept away half of the signboard.
, now only the word "Lao Yang" remains.
Later, Lao Yang rented a small shop. There was a big pot in front of the shop, a few old wooden square tables, and small mats scattered on the ground. Lao Yang was the earliest person to get up on this snack street. He would get up at three o'clock every day.
I have to get up and make bone soup.
Ten years ago, a bowl of this kind of soup without meat would have cost one yuan. Ten years later, Lao Yang still sold it for one yuan.
In the past ten years, the rent has increased dozens of times, the price of meat has increased several times, but the price of Lao Yang's glutinous rice soup has never increased.
Someone asked Lao Yang: "Why don't you raise the price? Are you stupid?"
Lao Yang replied: "Why should the price increase? The people who come to my place for breakfast are all coolies and poor students. What do you think the price should increase?"
No matter spring or summer
In autumn and winter, Lao Yang gets up at three o'clock every morning to light the stove and make soup. Many years ago, Lao Yang was still a young man. The first people to eat here were a group of coolies who loaded and unloaded at Dongguan Railway Station and worked on construction sites.
, there were also traders driving horse-drawn carriages and donkey-carts to haul goods over long distances, shouting at the donkeys and horses to park their vehicles. This group of people didn’t need to talk to Lao Yang at all. They just had to sit down at the small table, and Lao Yang would bring him a bowl.
If there are snowflakes in the sky and the north wind is howling, after drinking this bowl of hot glutinous rice soup, you will be sweating profusely and your body will be full of strength. Then you will hit the road and rush towards their lives.
In addition to selling soup, Lao Yang also makes fried pancakes. This kind of pancake is called Zhuangmo, which is very satisfying and can fill you up for a whole day.
The pancakes are rolled with scallions and pickles. The pickles are pickled by Lao Yang's wife. There is a large vat in the store filled with pickled radish strips and pickled cucumbers. These are grown in his family's vegetable garden and are free of charge.
supply.
Lao Yang was very indifferent to money. His glutinous rice soup shop was only open for one morning. After noon, he closed the shop and went to play chess.
During the college entrance examination that year, Lao Yang made a major decision: All students taking the college entrance examination would eat at the store for free, with each person getting a fried cake and a bowl of glutinous rice soup.
During the two days of the college entrance examination, Lao Yang's shop was crowded with students eating. Lao Yang's kind deeds relieved the huge pressure of the college entrance examination. The students thanked Lao Yang, and Lao Yang said: "Son, don't worry about whether you were admitted to Peking University or not.
Tsinghua, go home and visit more often."
Lao Yang's daughter-in-law was muttering beside her and complaining: "I've been eating and drinking for free these two days. How much money have I lost? I'm a fool."
Lao Yang yelled at his daughter-in-law: "Get out of here, don't be a fool (don't be disobedient), just go away and you'll be in trouble (you're causing trouble)."
Over time, this has become a traditional habit of the small shop. For many years, whenever the college entrance examination is held, students will gather in Lao Yang’s shop. It is said that if you drink Lao Yang’s glutinous rice soup on the day of the college entrance examination, you can perform better than usual.
In order to achieve better results, many parents came to line up for their students for good luck.
One year, the urban management wanted to confiscate Lao Yang's tables and chairs, not allow him to set up a stall in front of the door, and even beat Lao Yang.
This can be regarded as poking a hornet's nest. Almost every student who graduated from Jiaxiang No. 1 Middle School thought of Lao Yang's old kindness. Some already held important positions in the government. People from the municipal and provincial committees were involved in this matter. The urban management team leader was under pressure.
I personally went to the door of Lao Yang’s shop and bowed to apologize.
The police car stopped in front of Lao Yang's shop. Bao Zhan got out of the car and greeted Lao Yang with a smile.
When Bao Zhan was in high school, he had been an apprentice in Lao Yang's shop and worked part-time, so he was very familiar with Lao Yang and there was no need to be polite.
Lao Yang said: "Little Baozi, I heard that you have become a great detective. I will talk to you after I finish my work. Why don't you sit down for a while? You haven't eaten yet?"
Bao Zhan said: "Don't be in a hurry when eating. I'll help you first." He put on his apron skillfully, picked up the rolling pin and started to roll out the cake. He picked it up and put it on the spatula, brushed it with some oil and turned it over.
Finished baking the last few pancakes.
The customers in the store gradually dispersed, and Lao Yang brought everyone a bowl of glutinous rice soup and a piece of cake.
Bao Zhan was not polite. He picked up the pancake and smeared it with hot sauce. This hot sauce is very spicy and is made from a local Shandong pepper called "Wangtian Monkey". Then he rolled it with shredded pickles and stuffed it with a tree.
He took a big bite of the spring onion, then took another sip of the soup, and praised: "This meal is much more delicious than the big banquet yesterday."
Lao Yang asked: "Is it the smell?"
Bao Zhan said: "It really smells like before."
After dinner, Sun Dayue asked Lao Yang timidly: "Can you issue invoices here? Without invoices, reimbursement cannot be made." Dayue is a grassroots policeman and his salary is not much. In order to save his wife's medical expenses, he is usually very stingy.
Regarding this meal, he was a little hesitant whether he should rush to pay the bill.
Lao Yang said: "How can I have an invoice in this small shop? Little Baozi is my apprentice. Do I have to spend money to eat here?"
After eating, Bao Zhan started talking about business and asked Lao Yang if he saw anything unusual on the day of the crime.
Lao Yang thought about it carefully and said: "It was raining that day. I did see a few people wearing raincoats. I couldn't tell whether they were men or women. However, they passed by my door walking, not crawling. What do you think?
It’s too scary, how could anyone be crawling on the street?”
Bao Zhan was thoughtful and said to Dayue: "It seems that the four people knelt down and crawled when they reached the intersection."
Sun Dayue said: "What is the motive for doing this?"
Female reporter Zhang Lei said: "At three o'clock in the morning, they passed by Lao Yang's door. Why didn't those people call for help?"
Bao Zhan said: "If you call for help, your life will be in danger. If you crawl again at the intersection, you may deliberately want to be filmed by the surveillance camera."
