Wild Deer Convenience Store

Chapter 8
In Wild Deer Town, it seems that two principles can be summed up that everyone knows well, but they will never resort to.

One, when you see a strange thing, don’t react to it—that is, keep doing what you should do; it’s best not to change your behavior, words, or even your expression because of the strange thing.

For example, when a customer walks out of an empty store, just pay him as usual; even if he takes out a product that is not on sale in the store and cannot find the price, send him away after apologizing Enough.

For another example, Wei Luo clearly saw the gray and white naked man, but after she pretended not to see it, that thing would disappear by itself and would not react to Wei Luo.

Two, don't talk to anyone about the strange things you have seen or experienced, and don't talk about things related to the strange things, such as these two principles themselves-at least, not directly.

These two principles were summed up by Ai Weili from the conversation between her and Wei Luo, half guessing and half reasoning.In many places, Vero had to be vague and answer irrelevant questions. Sometimes she couldn't even give a simple "yes or no" answer, and the hints were ambiguous.

However, Ai Weili felt that his speculation was correct.

"I get overwhelmed sometimes," Vero added, "and it's okay for me to say something when I have absolutely no idea what's wrong with what I'm talking about."

This is already the most blatant and the closest to the essence of what she can say. In all fairness, Ai Weili feels that she will not have the courage to do so—for Wei Luo, she is just A stranger you just met.

"Even I don't know what I saw. It's a strange thing that shouldn't happen. Can you talk about it?"

Willow turned his head when he heard this, as if he was very interested in a stain on the glass window.

In just half an hour of conversation, Ai Weili has already understood, because his question is very direct, so this is the way of Wei Luo's answer "yes".

"But how come you don't even know what you see is wrong?"

Wei Luo seemed to be unable to bear this kind of secretive chatting style, but apart from that, she had no choice but to think for a long time with a face full of pain before saying: "You Think about it, if you see a person squatting on the ground, you must know whether he wants to pick up money or shit?"

Although it is a bit unnecessary to make a metaphor like this, Ai Weili understands it anyway.

The real question is, what happens if a person violates these two principles?

"I don't know either," Wei Luo lowered his head and looked at the phone sitting quietly on the table, his tone showing some hesitation for the first time. "At least I've never heard of anyone suffering any consequences, but it's only natural."

Ai Weili pursed his lips.I haven't heard of it, I'm afraid it's worse than I've heard of it.

Under the premise that everyone is not allowed to talk about something, if someone violates this principle, then of course the consequences cannot be put into words-naturally Willow will not hear about it.

There is not even an "urban legend", which seems to prove the authenticity of the rules themselves.

"It's okay," Ai Weili said softly, "You've helped me a lot. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't know what to do with that."

"Then what are you going to do next?" Wei Luo raised his eyes and looked at her and asked.

Ai Weili thought for a while, then asked back: "Is this the only one in Yelu Town?"

Willow smiled wryly.

"If it's the same thing in other towns and everyone keeps silent, then of course I can't hear about it. You've never heard of such a thing before, have you? I haven't seen anyone talking about it on the Internet."

Seeing that Ai Weili nodded, she continued: "I think so. However, I guess there is no other reason why this happens only in Wild Deer Town, but sometimes, I think Wild Deer Town is like a The corner of the room."

"Dead corner?"

"That's right, if the world is one big room, Wild Deer Town is like one of the dead corners." Wei Luo smiled embarrassedly, showing a mouthful of white and neat teeth. "The dead corners that are difficult to clean no matter how you clean them are far away from the center of the room. When people clean other places, the dust and dirt float up and accumulate in the dead corners. Wild Deer Town gave me I feel, is it unreasonable to be such a dead corner that is so calm and dull that even dust cannot escape?"

It may not be easy for her to live in this small town.

"Then why don't you leave?" Ai Weili asked.

Wei Luo was quiet for a few seconds before slowly saying: "I don't know either. Days go on like this day by day without any dissatisfaction or happiness. In the blink of an eye, I have also reached the age when my mother gave birth to me. , but there is still no push to let me go. It's like I'm trapped in an invisible spider web, but there is no spider to suck me, I just spend my life in the spider web."

People who look so healthy and full of vitality have also experienced the same sense of powerlessness?

Wei Luo waved his hand, changed the subject, and asked, "What about you, are you planning to leave?"

Ai Weili nodded.

"Pan hired me just to find a scapegoat and help him survive the time after five o'clock." If Pan walked into the convenience store now, she might pick up the phone and throw it at his head . "But it doesn't matter where I go, since I violated the principles of the small town, then I'll go, anyway, today is my third day at work."

"Alright," Willow glanced at her, "why do you need to pile up dust in a corner?"

None of them knew what would happen if they violated the unwritten rules of the town, so Ai Weili was not too afraid: the imaginary threat of the future was not as terrifying as that man with genitals on his face .

"Then it's settled," Ai Weili stood up and said, "I'll close the shop now, pack up my things, and leave overnight tonight."

"Well," Wei Luo stretched out his hands to gather up the trash on the table, and said, "Recently, it has become more and more difficult to protect yourself wisely."

I always feel that this sentence sounds a bit familiar.

"Did it increase?" Ai Weili glanced at the phone on the table and asked.It was 15 minutes before seven o'clock, but the phone was still sitting on the table.

Perhaps it will not be completely "clean" until after seven o'clock.

"How should I put it, it's getting harder and harder for people to pretend it's okay." Willow said, frowning.

This sentence immediately reminded Ai Weili of another sentence she heard Apan say-"It seems that the past few months have become more and more excessive, even I can hardly pretend ah."

Could it be that he was talking about this?

If you don't clearly say "what" is becoming more and more excessive, it is indeed not a violation of the principle. No wonder Apan wants to recruit the dead ghost recently. It turns out that it is because of the recent abnormalities that have become more and more serious.

She really shouldn't ignore her own feelings that day—from the first time she saw A Pan, she felt uncomfortable, and she really wasn't a good person.However, since she is determined to leave, the next thing has nothing to do with her.

It's just that she was grateful to Wei Luo. After the two got up, she still persuaded: "Actually, if you want to move to another city"

As she spoke, she turned her head and found that Willow was staring behind her without blinking.

what happened?
Ai Weili's heart tightened, and he turned his head hastily.But everything behind her was normal: the store door, a small open space in front of the store door, the reflection of the two of them on the door, and the cash register on the other side of the store door, nothing much, nothing less.

but
Ai Weili raised his hand and waved it towards his reflection.

Although it seems absurd to say it, generally speaking, things like reflections are prone to problems?At least that's always the case in novels or movies, though, and her reflection waved along with her, without delay or oddity.

The problem, at least not the reflection.

No, not right.

She paused, and slowly stretched her neck forward in the suddenly dead silence of the convenience store.

"Your store has a back door." At this moment, Wei Luo glanced at the time on his phone, and said casually, "I'll accompany you to your apartment to pack things, so I can help you."

Ai Weili couldn't make a sound for a while, so he could only nod his head, still staring at the door.

It's only less than seven o'clock now, and autumn evening is when it's dark blue and thick purple, not to mention that there are street lights on the roads in the town, it should be very bright outside. So, why can the reflection of the two of them be so clear and complete The ground is reflected on the door?
In other words, why is it so dark outside the door and outside the glass windows that it seems to be filled with ink?
What about the town?What about the road outside?Where are the street lights?

"The back door is here," Ai Weili still looked at the dark glass door from the corner of his eye, and led Wei Luo to the back door in a few quick steps.

When he opened the white back door dedicated to employees, Ai Weili finally let out the breath that was tightly held in his chest.She was a little worried at first, afraid that she would not be able to open the door, and afraid that she would not know what she would see after opening the door; now this worry was finally dissipated in the cool air at night.

Although the alley behind the store was dark, everything was normal: under the dark blue sky that was about to sink into night, an orange light behind the store reflected a tinge of red on the brick road in the alley.

It was a normal evening behind the store, which meant that there was indeed a large mass of incomprehensible darkness in front of the store.

"Let's go this way," Ai Weili said, and gently closed the back door.

Everything in the alley was the same as what she saw last time: not far from the back door of the convenience store on the right, there was a large trash can, where she had once been responsible for throwing the store's trash; on the other side was a small iron gate , go up the stairs behind the small door, the second floor is Ai Weili's apartment.

"The apartment is here. Do you want to go home from the alley?" In the silence, Ai Weili asked in a low voice.

Willow looked at the small door leading to her apartment.It was an old-fashioned iron gate, and through the railing, one could vaguely see the steps sunk in the shadows inside.

"I said I would help you," she said, but her eyes swept back and forth in the alley, as if she was telling others. "Which apartment is yours?"

That's right, Ai Weili didn't want to walk into the depths of this deserted alley alone at this time.

"On the second floor," Ai Weili raised his head, wanting to show her, "You can see my bedroom window from here, I didn't draw the curtains. It's the one—"

At the same time she lifted her finger up, the light in the window of the bedroom she was pointing at was turned off with a "snap".

The two fell into a frozen silence.

From the darkness in the corridor behind the door, a sweet, unrecognizable male and female voice came out: "Come in, there is no one in the building."

(End of this chapter)