Chapter 68
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha..."
At first, Tan Wenbin just laughed briefly, and then he couldn't help but laugh more and more exaggeratedly, gradually making Runsheng and Xue Liangliang laugh together.
Li Zhuiyuan didn't deliberately act gregarious this time, and indeed he didn't laugh out loud, but the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
After experiencing danger, seeing the mystery, and finally escaping from death after many struggles.
Normal people are gifted with the ability to heal their scars and forget about the pain. No matter how painful or difficult the thing is, after you get through it, your brain will help you deliberately downplay the negative perceptions, and even allow you to savor something like going to and from school when you are thinking about it. On the way, I sipped the sweet taste of the flower stamens on the roadside.
Tan Wenbin now feels a sense of intoxication from top to bottom.
Taking risks is indeed addictive.
Just this smile made the surroundings tremble.
Tan Wenbin was startled: "Did you laugh out loud?"
It was definitely not a laugh, but it was indeed shaken, and the rocks above began to roll down.
The four of them immediately stood up and headed to the flat area below.
After a while, the tremor disappeared and calm returned. However, a large piece of the area where the four people were previously was dented, and the stone crevice they climbed out of also disappeared.
In fact, there is no point even if it can still be found, because the passage below must have been blocked.
Xue Liangliang: "It should be a chain reaction caused by the collapse of the underground palace."
Tan Wenbin asked in confusion: "Is that big thing so cruel that he went back to demolish the house and bury it himself?"
Xue Liangliang shook his head: "I don't know, maybe you want to go back to find your mother?"
Hearing this, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but think of the snake-faced woman sitting on the bed.
Xue Liangliang found a higher point to observe and determine the direction, and then led everyone towards the camp.
The distance is actually not too far, but the road is difficult and the delay is quite long.
Fortunately, when we walked to the afternoon, we saw people. They were a militia team, carrying guns and explosives.
They should be the first batch of people called in for support from the rear after the attack.
After learning that the four people were the "missing persons" of the expedition, the opposite party immediately arranged for people to send the four people back. During the process, they met some detectors who were still here to assist in the work. They were very enthusiastic and came up to express their thanks.
This thank you was a bit baffling. After chatting, I learned that somehow, what happened that night had spread that Xue Liangliang led a few people to introduce the big thing into the cave and saved everyone.
Xue Liangliang quickly explained that the big thing came to the cave on its own initiative, and they were forced to flee for their lives.
But it was obvious that those colleagues just nodded and said they understood, but they didn't believe it from their looks.
This made Xue Liangliang a little anxious. He didn't want to pretend to receive this honor.
Tan Wenbin muttered to Li Zhuiyuan: "With this honor, can I get extra points in the college entrance examination?"
The four people were first sent out of the mountainous area, then got into a car. After returning to the town, they were arranged to go to the hospital in Wanzhou City for detailed examination. After the examination, they went to a guest house to rest.
During this period, many relevant personnel came to visit, and some came to take notes.
Xue Liangliang was the one to deal with all of this, and as agreed upon in advance, the underground palace below was temporarily kept secret.
It was not that they deliberately wanted to hide it, but they had already been told that Luo Tingrui was coming. Xue Liangliang and Li Zhuiyuan were going to report the matter to Luo Gong when he arrived, and he would decide how to report it to the superiors.
Unlike before when something happened in the village, in order not to affect your own life, you would hide it after the matter was resolved. Now that it has been involved in a national project, you must confess.
The team leader who came before Luo Tingrui was Ma Yiming. He was unshaven and his expression was visibly distracted and tired. After seeing Xue Liangliang, he held his hand tightly, and then went to the room to see Li Zhuiyuan and others. People keep saying: "Thank you, thank you."
Thank you for coming back alive.
He hasn't slept a wink since the incident happened, and has been under tremendous mental pressure. If temporary workers and non-staff are included, he lost eight people at once.
Now that the four people are back alive, he can finally feel a little better.
As soon as Ma Yiming left, Luo Tingrui came with two people. They must have staggered them intentionally.
Xue Liangliang entered a room alone with the two entourage and told them everything about the underground palace. Of course, he concealed Li Zhuiyuan's special role during this period.
After finishing questioning Xue Liangliang, the two personnel entered the room again, asked Li Zhuiyuan, Runsheng and Tan Wenbin a few questions each and then left.
There were five people left in the room.
Luo Tingrui grabbed Xue Liangliang's shoulders and shook him back and forth several times: "You've worried me to death."
With his age and status in the industry, it is no exaggeration to say that the status of an inheritor is often more important than that of a biological son, especially since he has no son yet and his only daughter is not studying in this major.
Immediately afterwards, he walked up to Li Zhuiyuan, bent down and hugged the boy hard.
The top people in the industry can basically see that the country will launch many large-scale construction projects in the future, but such projects will take a lot of time from design to completion. If Luo Tingrui wants to realize his ideals and ambitions, he really needs a master-disciple relationship. Inheritance and relay.
Luo Tingrui smiled and waved: "Let's go, I'll take you to have a midnight snack."
The late night snack stall is not far from the guest house and is a Wanzhou grilled fish stall.
Luo Tingrui looked at Xue Liangliang and the others and asked, "Do you want to drink? I can drink with you."
Tan Wenbin immediately waved his hand and said: "We don't drink."
In fact, Binbin would occasionally have a drink with his grandfather at home, but if the person with the highest status at the dinner table didn't want to drink, he wouldn't be ignorant.
"Then get some drinks."
"Okay."
Tan Wenbin got up and went inside to bring out a basket of soy milk: "Hey, this is the only one sold in this store."
As he spoke, he opened the bottles for everyone one by one with the bottle opener and placed them in front of everyone.
Luo Tingrui said to Xue Liangliang: "Don't be cold, eat and talk at the same time."
Everyone picked up their chopsticks and started eating the fish.
Xue Liangliang told Luo Tingrui about the underground palace again.
After listening, Luo Tingrui just nodded and smiled.
Tan Wenbin immediately said: "Look, the teacher is someone who has seen the world."
Luo Tingrui took a sip of soy milk and said, "Except for people from relevant departments to ask about this matter, don't tell anyone else."
The four people nodded immediately.
Immediately afterwards, Luo Tingrui smiled again:
"Indeed, I have seen this kind of thing several times before. We contemporary people, just walking on this land, can't imagine how much history and mystery is buried in the land under our feet."
< br>
There is no shortage of mysterious incidents on construction sites, especially for large projects, where digging is often wider and deeper, and it is easy to encounter strange things.
The beginning of many strange rumors in society is that my father, a relative, and a friend of mine were on the construction site of a certain project and dug out that night...
In Luo Gong's case, the protagonist is himself.
He told four people about his experience that year.
That happened many years ago. At that time, he just started working and was temporarily transferred to Jilin to participate in a project. He felt it was strange at the time. Although the whole country was a game of chess, at that time, the eldest son from the Northeast was exported to the inland. Talent and industry, when did the mainland need to send engineering teams there?
Although the place is in the mountains, it is not remote and is close to Ji'an.
After arriving there, I received the corresponding task part, which was not planning and design or construction, but a review of an existing underground building.
This was originally supposed to be a secret project, most likely a personal defense project. It was quite large, but for unknown reasons, there was serious water seepage.
They also divided into many teams to inspect various nodes. Some key areas were marked at the time and they were not allowed to approach them. Others would be responsible.
One day at work, Luo Tingrui and his companions found a dry water outlet. The opening was so big that a cow could pass through it.
Logically speaking, based on the quality of the project at that time, even if there was damage due to natural causes, there would not be such a big hole. The most important thing is that when they inspected this section yesterday, this hole did not appear.
Leaving one companion to guard the entrance, Luo Tingrui and another companion went straight in to check.
When he said this, Luo Tingrui smiled:
"I was young at that time, and I didn't know what fear was. Anyway, looking at the slogans painted on the walls of the engineering passage, everyone was very motivated and courageous. The one who stayed at the entrance of the cave still lost the guessing game. Yes, I feel so wronged.”
The gap is very deep, and the narrowest point is only large enough for one person to pass sideways, but it seems that he can't reach the end no matter how he walks.
It stands to reason that the construction scope has long been exceeded, but the situation around us does not look like the cracking of the mountain or the occurrence of geological movements. On the contrary, obvious traces of digging with tools can be seen in some corners.
The two young men were very excited at the time, thinking that this was sabotage from enemy agents.
But as I continued walking inside, I felt something was wrong. Not only did there appear many primitive tools on the ground, but also some blood stains. After going deeper, I heard voices coming from deeper.
Then, the people over there seemed to hear the sound of someone approaching. There was obviously a group of footsteps running towards this side, and they could vaguely see the dynamic light of fire. They were holding torches.
Although the two of them were not afraid, they thought they had to pass on the news, so Luo Tingrui asked his companion to run first. While jogging, he kept an eye on the back and prepared to cut off the back. Anyway, it was very narrow here, so even if he put the body here, he would not be able to do it. Can block the road.
At that time, the two young men still believed that enemy agents were deliberately sabotaging the place.
But gradually, the voices and footsteps on the other end disappeared without knowing when.
Anyway, his companions had already run far away, and they might have left the cave entrance to report the news. Knowing that backup would arrive soon, Luo Tingrui simply stopped walking out and took the initiative to march inward.
As he walked, he felt himself starting to feel dizzy, his steps began to weaken, and his vision gradually became blurred.
"I thought it was due to thin oxygen at first, but thinking about it afterwards, I should have been..."
Luo Tingrui paused and looked at the four people sitting in front of him.
Tan Wenbin and Runsheng were fascinated by the story, and Xue Liangliang answered: "Poisoned?"
Luo Tingrui turned to Li Zhuiyuan and motioned for him to guess.
Li Zhuiyuan showed a shy smile and asked: "Asleep?"
Hearing this answer, Luo Tingrui opened his mouth slightly, seeming a little surprised.
"Xiao Yuan, how could you guess this?"
"Because this happens when I'm sleepy."
Luo Tingrui nodded noncommittally and continued: "In hindsight, I should have fallen asleep, because the companion who rescued me told me that I was unconscious in the crack.
But I think this is not a dream, because everything is too real.
I stumbled to the deepest part, and I saw a magnificent hall. I saw singers and dancers performing, and I saw people drinking and having fun.
I was invited to join, and they asked me a lot of things, and I asked them some.
I can’t remember exactly what the questions and answers were. I just remember that we talked for a long time and drank a lot. In the end, I was so drunk that I passed out.
When I woke up, I found myself lying in a tent in the camp.
Does it look like "Peach Blossom Spring"? ”
Tan Wenbin nodded: "It is indeed similar, and they are very narrow-minded at first and then suddenly become enlightened. The subsequent development is also very similar. After chatting and asking questions, they are entertained with wine and meat."
Xue Liangliang asked: "Teacher, have you reported it?"
"Of course I reported, but there were many people reporting in those two days. Some people saw soldiers wearing ancient armor and strange women wearing ancient costumes in the passage."
"What about the subsequent investigation, that crack?"
"Later, the water rose and the project was flooded. It seemed that something happened in those key areas. Some people were unable to come out. I don't know the specific details.
Our task was stopped midway, and there was no follow-up feedback on my report. ”
Xue Liangliang: "Don't you believe it?"
Luo Tingrui shook his head: "I probably believe it, but I still feel it doesn't matter."
Tan Wenbin said: "That's not like "The Story of Peach Blossom Spring". Your comment sounds a bit gloomy afterwards. "The Story of Peach Blossom Spring" is a beautiful story."
Li Zhuiyuan said: "Maybe the place recorded in "Peach Blossom Spring" was not a village of living people."
"Xiaoyuan, why did you say that?" Luo Tingrui looked at the boy curiously again.
"I'm just speaking out of my feelings. Teacher, can you give me some more details?"
"Details? Okay. Do you have paper and pen? I'll draw them."
"I have it!" Tan Wenbin immediately took out the notebook and pen he carried with him and handed them over.
Luo Tingrui started to draw. His fine brushwork was very good and the details were very accurate. He first drew a piece of clothing, then a knife, and finally a set of armor.
Obviously, although many years have passed since this incident, it has always been lingering in Luo Gong's mind and he ruminates on it from time to time, otherwise he would not still remember it so clearly.
The four people came over to look at it together, but for the other three, they could only tell that it was something from ancient times. No matter how much there was, they couldn't tell.
Li Zhuiyuan looked at it twice and said, "Goguryeo?"
Luo Tingrui crossed his arms and asked seriously: "Xiaoyuan, are you really not considering changing your major?"
The boy immediately shook his head.
"I'm just afraid that your talent will be buried." Luo Tingrui reached out and touched the boy's head, "How many things are packed in this little head?"
Tan Wenbin wondered: "What is Gaogouli?"
Xue Liangliang reminded: "The wrong pronunciation is Gao Juli."
Tan Wenbin suddenly said: "Oh, I understand this, I know it. Fortunately, Pinyin is not tested in history."
Luo Tingrui continued: "Later, I drew some of the things I saw in my dream and visited many places to inquire, and finally I got some clues."
Goguryeo, a separatist regime in Northeast China, has existed for a long time and has a high historical reputation. However, its popularity is mainly due to its background as Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, and Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. Chinese people are generally not very interested in its cultural aspects, but South Korea is. People over there like to steal it as their ancestor.
This is why Luo Tingrui was so surprised when Li Zhuiyuan recognized this thing.
"After that, due to work and personal reasons, I have been to Ji'an many times. The last two times, I went to find experts there who specialize in excavating and studying Goguryeo culture, and also went to the museum there, which confirmed that I What I dreamed about that night was not false, because before that night, I had never been exposed to anything specific about Goguryeo culture. How could I imagine it if I had never seen it in reality?”
Xue Liangliang asked: "Teacher, where is that project?"
Luo Tingrui lit up a cigarette and took a puff: "I checked back the year before last, and I only knew that what happened to that project at that time was much more serious than I knew, but the relevant information and files of the project were sealed. , cannot be retrieved. ”
Tan Wenbin smiled and said: "You really miss it, just like you treat Bai Yueguang."
Luo Tingrui was also amused by this metaphor: "Indeed, after all, I was young at that time, and I started working early, not much older than you are now.
In fact, in my subsequent work, I encountered several more serious and bizarre situations. ”
Tan Wenbin said expectantly: "You can tell me more."
"I can't tell you. I don't have the right to access the archives about the Goguryeo incident. The following incidents are part of the archives that should be kept secret."
"Oh, what a pity." Tan Wenbin sighed in disappointment.
"You will encounter this kind of thing in the future, and you will also be required to keep it secret.
Okay, let’s talk about what’s going on right now. Let’s not talk about the underground palace or anything else. The underground river you discovered alone is enough to kill the plan advocated by Ma Yiming. ”
Xue Liangliang said: "Actually, this matter has nothing to do with Team Leader Ma..."
"It's clear from above, but if something goes wrong, someone has to take responsibility. Of course, we won't really punish him. The main thing is to see whether he can get out of it.
I didn’t want to see him crying, and I didn’t bother to comfort him. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, monuments to martyrs have been erected beside many roads and bridges. I have witnessed many of them myself. The best way to comfort them is to continue their homeland. Keep building. ”
As he spoke, Luo Tingrui raised the cup containing soy milk in his hand, and everyone also raised their cups and clinked them.
Tan Wenbin drank the soy milk in one gulp, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: After all, he is a great leader, and when it comes to value, he is much more natural than his own father.
"Liangliang, you and I will go to another group in two days. We have to focus on that plan and strive to complete it as soon as possible."
"Okay, teacher."
"Xiaoyuan, what about you?"
"Ah?" Li Zhuiyuan pointed at himself, "Can I still go on?"
"I just want to ask you, after you have just experienced this kind of thing, do you need a holiday to rest?"
"Okay, rest." Li Zhuiyuan nodded. He also felt tired, and he had to go to Fengdu.
"Well, you are still young. You should pay attention to the balance between work and rest, and you should also actively exercise. I heard that prodigies are generally not in good health."
"It's not that exaggerated, teacher, but I will remember your words."
Xue Liangliang took the initiative to mention something: "Teacher, we didn't take the initiative to attract that thing to save people."
"I know, didn't you just say it?"
"I don't want to take this honor for granted."
"Liangliang... and you all, listen, sometimes we all dream of being an absolutely pure and flawless person, but there will inevitably be dust in this world, and sometimes there will even be wind and sand."
"I understand this, but teacher..."
"After something like this happened, if there was an advanced role model who could stand up, Ma Yiming and the others would be much better off."
"I understand."
After the supper, Luo Tingrui left first, and the four of them returned to the guest house.
Tan Wenbin said with some unfinished thoughts: "The Wanzhou grilled fish tastes really good. I think I can definitely make money if I learn the skills here and open branches in other places."
Xue Liangliang: "If you have this idea, I can invest in you."
"No, no, no, I'm just saying it. Making money is not as important as studying."
Immediately afterwards, Tan Wenbin asked in a low voice: "Can I get extra points for this honor?"
"At Haihe University, it is not difficult to pass the exam, and this matter will be kept secret from the public."
"Oh." Tan Wenbin lowered his shoulders.
Runsheng asked: "Can't you think of other ways to add points?"
Tan Wenbin shrugged: "The other way is that my biological father will be honored at his job."
Runsheng was choked.
The large ball of rotten straw-like stuff that Tan Wenbin brought out was put in a bag. Li Zhuiyuan handed the bag and a piece of paper to Xue Liangliang.
"Brother Liangliang, what is written on the paper is the restoration method."
"Don't worry, it will take two days for me to join that group and meet the teacher. I will drive back to the mountain city in these two days and find the unit to help you handle this matter first." Xue Liangliang glanced at the required things on the paper, " The materials are not difficult to obtain, most of them are ready-made, but if you want to keep it secret, you definitely can’t go to the cultural relics unit. My friend can do it, but it will take him a longer time.”
"It doesn't matter. Let's take it and slowly process it for recovery. The main thing is not to leave it in the outside environment for too long after taking it out. I don't have good storage conditions here."
"Okay, leave it to me. Then you are going to Fengdu next?"
"Brother Runsheng will have to change his medicine tomorrow. We will go the day after tomorrow."
"Pay attention to safety on the road. Contact me when you want to go back and I will book tickets for you."
"I will tell you when I leave."
Early on the third day, Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng Tan Wenbin went to Fengdu together. On the way, they first took a car, then took a boat, and got off directly at the Fengdu County Pier.
In fact, the easiest way is to call the Ding family and ask the Ding family to help him find out whether the Fengdu Yin family is still there, but that is Grandma Liu's relationship after all. Li Zhuiyuan doesn't want to do this, so he will try it himself first. See if you can find it.
It has been very noisy since we got off the pier. The streets leading up are crowded with people and vendors. This is just in time for the Fengdu Ghost Festival Temple Fair.
Tan Wenbin was very excited, looking here and there: "Hey, don't tell me, the temple fair here is indeed much more lively and fun than our temple fair in Nantong. No, ours is incomparable with others."< br>
Li Zhuiyuan: "Brother Binbin, traveling is to go from a place where you are tired of staying to a place where others are tired of staying."
"Oh, yes, I almost forgot, your return to Nantong is equivalent to a trip."
"Well, almost."
"But Xiaoyuan, I really feel that people here in Sichuan and Chongqing love and understand life better. It was hard for me to find a late-night snack stall after my evening self-study here.
Ha, I want to eat that, how about you? ”
The variety of local specialty snacks is dizzying, and the prices are very cheap. Even Runsheng, who has always been thrifty and doesn't like eating out, didn't worry about money this time.
The three of them ate here and there, treating it as lunch, and in this atmosphere, Runsheng's behavior of being popular was not too eye-catching.
Tan Wenbin came to a grimace mask stall where two masters were painting and making them. He stood there and stared for a while, then asked the masters to draw him a Sun Wukong mask.
He didn't dare to buy the ghost face mask and take it away, otherwise he would be frightened and break into a cold sweat if he glanced at it when he got up to urinate at night.
After the painting was completed and the money was given, Tan Wenbin put the mask on his face and made a monkey gesture:
"Hey, monster, hand over my Xiaoyuan!"
Next, we came to a tea stall. Gaiwan tea is very popular in temple fairs all over the country. Sugar or various fruit crystals are often put in it. It is very pleasant to buy a cup when you are tired from shopping.
It's just that the tureen tea here is obviously different from other places. It is brewed on site. You can't smell the specific tea, but the smell is very strong. The left side of the horizontal sail is written as "Ecstasy Tea", and the right side is written as "Ecstasy Tea". "Meng Po Soup".
Tan Wenbin bought three cups, and the three of them sat on a small bench and drank slowly. The taste was okay, very strong but not bitter.
Most of the temple fairs are locals, but there are also many tourists attracted by the Ghost Festival, and some foreigners can also be seen.
"Xiaoyuan, is this really the Palace of Hell above?" Runsheng asked, pointing to the buildings above.
"He is the Great Emperor of Fengdu, in charge of the Underworld Division, and the sect of returning souls in the world."
"Sounds amazing." Tan Wenbin took a sip of tea, "Is he a local?" "There is a saying that Emperor Fengdu is Yin Changsheng. He is the younger brother of Queen Yin Lihua of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He is not greedy for family wealth and only focuses on cultivating Taoism. Finally, I got the fate and soared in Fengdu.”
"The queen's brother?" Tan Wenbin smacked his lips, "If you don't enjoy the glory and wealth, how can you practice?"
"Everyone has different pursuits. Didn't you reject Brother Liangliang's investment in you to open a Wanzhou Grilled Fish branch the day before yesterday?"
"It turns out that I can survive in the mud and remain unsullied."
Runsheng asked: "Xiaoyuan, why is there a small water tank in front of every shop here?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "It should be some kind of custom."
After drinking tea, the three of them continued walking up. Next, Li Zhuiyuan was going to go to the white shop to ask about the local corpse collector. If his surname was Yin, he would send a sum of money to his family and settle the matter. The cause and effect in the underground palace.
After passing the big archway of "Fengdu Ghost City", I saw a stone tablet behind me, with a passage written on it:
"If the son does not walk at night, how can he know that there are people walking at night?"
This passage comes from "Baopuzi" by Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty. It talks about what Yin Changsheng once said. It probably means that he didn't know how many gods there are in the world until he became an immortal. Just like if you don't go out at night, you won't be able to live. I know there are people walking the same way at night.
This passage has another emotion for Li Zhuiyuan now. Before he came into contact with the corpse collectors, he didn't know that there was such a thing as death in the world. After learning about it, he realized that there are really many. , and there are many peers.
Looking in along the stone tablet, we are facing a shop with the sign saying: "Yinjun Coffin Shop."
There are two signs hanging vertically at the door of the shop, which read "Lift the coffin to make a fortune" and "Good luck will come to you".
Yinjun is the honorific title of Yin Changsheng, so the shop owner may not necessarily have the surname Yin, but since it is a coffin shop, he should have some relationship with the corpse collector.
For example, my grandfather had a good relationship with the upstream and downstream industry chain, but it was not until he started to engage in the industry chain that he turned against him.
Walking into the store, it was relatively deserted. There were two coffins, one red and one black, deep inside. As for the counter, there were various small coffins, like toy figures.
And there are also different styles of patterns drawn, including Ultraman's, Astro Boy's and Transformers'.
Tan Wenbin picked up a coffin, opened it, closed it again, and praised: "It's really exquisite, and the boss is also very business-minded, but if the route is wrong, no matter how hard you try, it will be meaningless."
It was the temple fair, and there were a lot of customers in other shops, but here it was still deserted. Whether it was locals or tourists, obviously few were willing to buy a coffin or a small coffin toy while visiting the temple fair.
Tan Wenbin turned the switch on and off several times and asked with a smile: "Xiaoyuan, how about we buy two and take them home and use them as pencil cases?"
"Hello, which one do you like? It's cheaper to buy them both together."
The curtain in the inner room was opened, and a girl about the same age as Tan Wenbin came out carrying a noodle bowl. Her skin was a little dark, but she was tall among the locals, and she had a cheerful energy all over her body.
"Come on, I want these two."
"Yes."
Tan Wenbin knew that Li Zhuiyuan wanted to ask something, so he bought something first.
Runsheng asked: "Buy another one for Zhou Yunyun?"
Tan Wenbin was not angry after hearing this. Instead, he was moved and said: "Hey, don't say it, it's really romantic."
The girl boss said with a smile: "Either way, there are couple models."
"Let's get a set."
"Okay, let's get it for you." The girl took out two small coffins from below, one black and one red. They were exquisitely made and had grooved buckles so that the two coffins could be spliced together.
Tan Wenbin smiled and said: "It's so fun."
The girl boss responded: "That's right, if I were a girl and received this from a boy I liked, I would be extremely happy."
Li Zhuiyuan asked doubtfully: "Aren't you a girl?"
"Ah, I am." The girl boss laughed, "I got it wrong."
Seeing that Tan Wenbin really paid and wrapped the four small coffins, Li Zhuiyuan still asked out of friendship with his fellow tablemates: "Brother Binbin, do you really want to give this to Squad Leader Zhou?"
"I just think it's fun." Tan Wenbin rolled his eyes, "Really? I'm not stupid."
The girl boss was dissatisfied and said: "Why can't you really give it as a gift? It means that the girl doesn't understand the connotation. This is the romance in our traditional culture."
Tan Wenbin nodded: "Although I still won't give it away, I think you are right."
"From your accent, you are tourists from other places. Where are you from?"
Tan Wenbin: "Nantong."
The girl boss wondered: "Where is Nantong? Anhui or Jiangxi?"
Tan Wenbin: "From Jiangsu."
"Oh, I know about Jiangsu. Those in Jinling, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Huai'an, and Xuzhou are all famous. Nantong... is also famous."
Tan Wenbin asked deliberately and mischievously: "For example?"
"For example..." The girl boss got stuck.
Li Zhuiyuan was about to ask about business: "Boss, do you know the corpse fishermen nearby? They are the people in the village who are responsible for fishing for drifters."
"Corpse hunter?" The girl boss asked doubtfully, "Who are you trying to catch?"
"I'm not fishing for anyone, I'm just asking, do you know him? To be more specific, do you know the corpse collector named Yin?"
The girl boss quickly walked into the inner room. Soon, the curtain was opened again, and she walked out with a Yellow River shovel in her left hand: "My surname is Yin, and my name is Yin Meng."
Li Zhuiyuan didn't expect to find it so easily, but he still continued to ask: "Does your family have a genealogy?"
"What do you want to do by asking in such detail?"
"Send money."
"Yes."
"Can you take it out and let me see it?"
“Are you going to give me money after seeing it?”
"There must be a name named Yin Zhiwang above."
"Yin Wang, yes. That was almost two hundred years ago, I remember it very clearly."
"Huh?"
"It is recorded in the genealogy that a big man-eating snake appeared in Wan County. He took people to catch the snake, but he did not come back. I will show it to you."
"No need." Li Zhuiyuan looked at Tan Wenbin, "Give me the money."
Tan Wenbin took out the money and put it on the counter. The money was tied with a red rope.
Yinmeng picked up the money first, and then asked in disbelief: "What happened? Where did you meet him and he became dead?"
"Yeah."
"Ah?" Yinmeng hurriedly waved her hands, "Don't scare me, I was just being careless."
Being able to hold a Yellow River shovel and say "die down" proves that he is indeed an expert, and he is much more pure than the old man.
In this case, there is no need to hide it too much.
"I owe him a favor, and I came here to pay it back this time. Just accept the money, and our matter will be settled."
"Hehehehe..." Yinmeng let out a string of laughter and said while counting the money, "Oh, this is really the ancestor showing up to give money. I am worried about how to pay the rent next month."
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Tan Wenbin suggested: "If you do business like this, the rent will really not be easy."
"Then what can I do?"
"You can sell Wanzhou grilled fish."
Yin Meng blinked her eyes.
Tan Wenbin added: "You can also use Yangzhou fried rice."
Yin Meng pushed the half-bowl of noodles left in front of her, and what she ordered was dried noodles with no toppings, just soy sauce.
Tan Wenbin nodded: "Understood."
"Have you eaten? Shall I make noodles for you? Or should I go to the opposite door to buy some vegetables and treat you to drinks?"
Li Zhuiyuan: "We have eaten."
"Then just stay for dinner. I came all the way to deliver money, so I have to stay for you to have a meal. Anyway, I don't think my ancestor can do anything to help you."
"That helped."
"I don't believe it. If he could help you, he wouldn't have died there and been unable to return home."
"And this jade pendant." Li Zhuiyuan took out the jade pendant and placed it on the counter. "I'll give it to you too."
Yinmeng lowered her head and glanced twice, then pushed the jade pendant back: "One size equals one size. I'll take the money. This jade pendant is yours."
"Okay." Li Zhuiyuan did not refuse and took back the jade pendant again, "Then let's go."
"Hey, why don't you go up there and play for a while? The attractions are up there."
"Going."
"The boat here stops early. Since you are out to play, don't rush. Play slowly. You can stay here at night and sleep in my shop. It also saves money on opening a hotel."
He was just here to have fun, and the other party repeatedly invited him to stay, so Li Zhuiyuan did not refuse any more: "I'm causing trouble for you."
"Hey, are you really not a dead body that crawled out after waking up from some water burial?"
"Me?"
"Yeah, come on, let me try." Yinmeng took out a piece of talisman paper from her pocket and stuck it on Li Zhuiyuan's body. Seeing that Li Zhuiyuan didn't respond, she pretended to be surprised and said, "Oh my god, okay. It’s scary, are you so fierce?”
Everyone knew she was joking.
"It's rude to come and go without reciprocating. Hey, goblin, I'll post one for you too!"
Tan Wenbin took out a "Zhuyuan Secret Scroll" talisman and stuck it on Yin Meng's forehead.
The next moment, the talisman paper turned purple.
Tan Wenbin was so frightened that he jumped up and screamed: "I'm so fucked!"
Yin Meng was a little confused.
Li Zhuiyuan stood on tiptoes, reached out and took off the talisman paper, and said: "Brother Binbin, the talisman paper has been soaked in water and will turn purple when it encounters grease."
"Oh...oh!" Tan Wenbin scratched his head in embarrassment.
Runsheng leaned over and said, "I will tell you if it smells like corpses."
Yinmeng smiled and bent over: "I almost thought I was dead, hahahahaha!"
The three of them walked out of the coffin shop and when they came to the door, Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the small water tank at the door and asked: "What is the reason why every shop has this at the door?"
Yin Meng: "This is Fengdu Ghost Town. This street is called Ghost Street. It's not just the living people who like to go shopping. They come out when night falls.
In the past, there were no light bulbs, and when it was dark, candles were used to illuminate the objects. When merchants counted coins behind closed doors, they would often count coins made of paper.
Later, a custom gradually formed: a water tank was placed at the door of the shop, and the copper coins received were put into it. If the money floating around was counterfeit money, the customer would not do business with that customer. ”
Tan Wenbin asked: "Now that all banknotes have floated, shouldn't every house have to put a banknote detector?"
Yinmeng: "That thing is expensive, I can't afford it."
Tan Wenbin was stunned for a moment: "No, can I still receive it now?"
Yin Meng reached out and pulled out the drawer under the counter, and took out a small pile of paper money from Tiandi Bank:
"Here, this is what I have received since the beginning of this month. It was enough to pay next month's rent, but who knew it was not a living business."
Tan Wenbin carefully touched the paper money with his fingertips: "Are you kidding? Will you add a sense of immersion to our visit?"
"That's it, what age is it? How come ghosts still come from nowhere? You don't see many floaters anymore. I haven't opened a business to collect corpses for a long time."
"You can't even see the floaters? That shouldn't be the case. There are so many water systems here, so no one will slip and drown, right?"
"They always look for money from people in the village and rarely come to me. They think the shops on the street are expensive."
"Actually you are very cheap?"
"It's indeed expensive." Yin Meng said matter-of-factly, "The price is cheap, wouldn't it be a loss of my face? After all, we are also serious corpse collectors."
Tan Wenbin pursed his lips: "You deserve it that you can't pay the rent."
"Let's go, Brother Binbin."
"Hey, here we come, wait for me, Xiaoyuan."
For the rest of the afternoon, Li Zhuiyuan took Runsheng and Tan Wenbin to visit Fengdu Ghost Town very carefully and carefully. There were many sculptures and temples here, and it didn't feel scary to visit during the day.
On the way, we also met two performance teams. The three of them watched the performance, which was full of traditional folk customs.
Runsheng and Tan Wenbin looked at it very seriously, wishing they could read the explanation boards under each sculpture. Ordinary tourists just glanced at it, while they were studying for extracurricular knowledge.
Li Zhuiyuan walked slowly, admiring some old-fashioned architecture and sculpture styles. As for the explanation signs, he didn't need to read them because he had a lot of them in his mind.
When Li Lan was a child, when Li Lan didn't hate herself so much, he could still stay in Li Lan's study while she was working. Li Lan would either get her drawings to play with, or throw a bunch of books in front of her and let her flip through them.
When it was getting dark, the three of them went down the mountain and returned to the ghost street.
There are still many people on the street at this moment. Many nearby residents have things to do during the day, and many people can only come to attend the temple fair at night.
Furthermore, the atmosphere of the ghost town has to be matched with the night to make it more interesting, especially with so many red and white lanterns above, which are lit up after dark, which is absolutely suitable for the occasion.
There was still no one at the door of the coffin shop, even Yinmeng was too lazy to stay behind the counter again.
"We are back." Tan Wenbin greeted loudly.
Yin Meng opened the curtain and poked her head out: "I stewed the hoof flowers. Let's have a good meal tonight, and we'll have a good meal!"
Li Zhuiyuan: "Yes."
At seven o'clock, night falls.
Yin Meng came out with a big pot of pig's feet, and everyone sat around the small table.
The pig's feet melt in your mouth and are perfectly braised.
The premise is that you have to ignore the tingling sensation in your mouth because Yin Meng forgot to deal with the pig hair.
She is indeed a lively and cheerful person. It seems that because there is not much business, there are few people to chat with. She happily set up a dragon gate formation during dinner tonight.
Runsheng only focused on eating, and Li Zhuiyuan occasionally answered a few words. Tan Wenbin was the main force on his side, and he and Yinmeng were able to keep up with each other.
And Binbin deliberately chatted in the Sichuan and Chongqing dialect that he had just learned a little bit. The pronunciation was not accurate, but the tune was learned. The two of them talked, the tune got higher and higher, and the speed of speech became faster and faster, like It's about folk songs.
But I didn't talk too much about fishing for corpses, because Yin Meng didn't practice it many times. She had fished out drifters, but she had never seen a real dead one.
Her knowledge and skills in retrieving corpses were all learned from her grandfather. Her parents divorced when she was very young. Her father went to the south to make a living, and there was no news as soon as he left; her mother married a man from the town below. In one family, two more boys were born. When she was young and ignorant, Yinmeng also went to see her mother. After she became wiser, she realized that her mother actually didn't want to talk to her.
When speaking of this, Li Zhuiyuan and Yin Meng raised their glasses of soda and clinked them together.
She spent most of her life with her grandfather, who ran the shop and was also an orthodox corpse collector. Later, he handed over the shop to her to inherit.
She is actually very smart, and she should be able to make money by changing her business, but she does not want to change the attributes of this shop because she knows her grandfather will not agree.
Li Zhuiyuan saw the calluses on her palms and the changes in her toes every time she stood up and sat down, and knew that she had kung fu in her body.
This is also the reason why she, a young girl, can open a shop by herself; she has basically beaten up all the gangsters on the street.
She joked that if she wanted to, she could be the boss of the ghost street and collect protection money here.
Runsheng, who was addicted to chewing pig's trotters, took the initiative to raise his glass and drink with her.
Li Zhuiyuan asked her grandfather if he had left any books or anything like that. She asked in confusion: Don't the people who collect corpses all rely on words and deeds from generation to generation? What can you learn from reading books?
This made Li Zhuiyuan slightly disappointed. He wanted to see the collection of his peers, but unfortunately there were none. At the same time, he was also a little envious. Judging from Yin Meng's various details, her grandfather's level should be very high, and she accepted it. It is a very complete "education transfer".
However, Li Zhuiyuan didn't feel bad about his great-grandfather because of this. After all, his great-grandfather could "gudu-gu-du" bring good luck to him. If he followed him, he would at least be able to enjoy spicy food every day.
In short, tonight is the most relaxing and comfortable night since leaving Nantong. Everyone is very happy and relaxed.
This sense of relaxation lasts until it is time to fall asleep, and then is broken.
"What, you let us sleep in a coffin?"
Tan Wenbin held his head, looking in disbelief.
And Yinmeng was laying quilts on the coffin inside.
"What's wrong? How comfortable it is to sleep in a coffin."
"Can I lay a floor outside?"
"This is a mountain. It's cold at night. I don't have enough bedding here. I'm still warm in the coffin."
Tan Wenbin muttered: "This is the first time I heard that warmth can be used on coffins."
The inner room is a warehouse and kitchen, with three coffins placed inside and two in the shop outside.
You’re here, so do as the Romans do.
In the end, Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng slept in the two coffins outside, while Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng slept inside.
The coffin is like stinky tofu. It looks like it is so comfortable. After lying in it, it feels really comfortable, and it feels like being wrapped in a sense of security.
Of course, the lid of the coffin must be lifted to facilitate ventilation.
Tired from traveling and playing during the day, Tan Wenbin quickly fell asleep, and then he heard someone scratching the lid of his coffin with his nails.
"Shasha...Shasha..."
Tan Wenbin was so frightened that he broke into cold sweat. He lifted the quilt to his face and only dared to look upward with his eyes narrowed.
Then, Runsheng's face appeared on it: "Hey."
"What are you doing!"
"Pee."
The toilet was at the back of the inner room. Runsheng slept outside and had to pass through the inner room when going to the toilet.
Tan Wenbin was so angry that he covered his face with the quilt and ignored him.
After a while, he heard the "rustling" sound coming from the coffin lid again.
Tan Wenbin began to get scared. He felt that it wouldn't be Runsheng this time. Who could it be?
The next moment, Runsheng's face was revealed again.
"What are you going to do!"
"I've finished peeing. I'll go back to bed and tell you."
Tan Wenbin was so angry that his teeth itched.
Finally, a little sleepiness brewed again.
"Shasha...Shasha..."
Tan Wenbin opened his eyes and pounded the coffin lid with his hand.
The sound disappeared.
Tan Wenbin turned sideways and continued to look for sleepiness.
"Shasha...Shasha..."
Tan Wenbin lifted the quilt, grabbed the edge of the coffin with both hands, and sat up from the coffin.
He found that there was no one around his coffin.
Runsheng runs so fast?
Tan Wenbin swallowed, feeling a little frightened again. He did not dare to go out, but lay down in the coffin again.
"Shasha...Shasha..."
The sound appeared again. Tan Wenbin covered his head with the quilt and pretended not to hear it. At the same time, he also put his feet into the quilt.
Then the sound disappeared again.
Tan Wenbin's face continued to be sullen under the quilt. This time he was suffocated for long enough, and his face was sweating. He thought that Runsheng had stopped teasing himself after falling asleep.
He wanted to take a breath, grabbed the quilt with both hands, and planned to lift the cover quickly.
One, two, three...
The quilt was lifted off his face, but he failed to cover it back as originally intended.
Because,
An old face had already reached into the coffin at some point, and was face to face with him.
(End of chapter)