Under the sky

Chapter 348 Side Story: The memory is still fresh

Kunlun Ninety-one Year March Spring

Fan Jinsan couldn't remember when he got up. When he came to his senses, he was already sitting on the kang covered with bamboo mats, staring blankly at the shabby tables and chairs, and the sunlight coming in from the window and shining on the hay on the floor.

What time is this? It's time to do your own work. He straightened his back and stood up. Although he was a bit old, he still had the physique he had gained from martial arts training in his early years. His arms and thighs were already thin, but they were still strong.

"Why didn't you call me?" He came to the field with a hoe on his shoulder. His son Fan Yinian was raking the ground. Fan Jinsan leaned the hoe and said, "Where did your mother go with Lan Lan?"

"They're coming to town."

Fan Yi didn't change his age and answered casually.

"What are you doing in town?"

"Next month is the Buddha's birthday. Ask your mother and Lanlan to bring the knitted cloth and pickled vegetables to the city to sell them."

"I'll plow the fields, and you'll fetch water."

Fan Yinian handed the rake to his father, his eyes full of impatience, and he didn't even meet his eyes. Fan Jinsan glared at him, what's going on with this child? A dog can find its owner in one year, and a son can take ten years to raise. Eight years, just a blank stare? He suppressed his temper and began to turn over the soil.

The fields were level and there was nothing to criticize. He knew that his son was old enough and already skilled in farming, but Fan Jinsan still wanted to give orders. Especially in the past few years, he felt that his son looked down on him more and more, not because he was rebellious, but because he looked down on him from the bottom of his heart. Father.

"Store some food, earn some money, and when you get a wife, we'll move out." He waved the rake and muttered, feeling suffocated in his heart: "I don't like you either."

Fan Yinian only glanced at him and continued to work on sprinkling water. Fan Jinsan pretended not to care, but actually glanced at him from the corner of his eye. His son didn't say a few words to him all morning. He just went about his own work. By noon , Fan Jinsan was about to greet his son for dinner, but his son wandered off to play somewhere and disappeared.

There were a plate of pickles, a plate of dried tofu, a plate of fried pork and white rice on the table. They were probably prepared before his son left. Fan Jinsan finished the meal in a hurry, but his wife and daughter were still missing.

Logically speaking, if you go to the city in the morning, you should return to the village before noon. There are regular buyers for cloth and pickles, so it doesn't take much time. The mother-in-law must have money on hand and go to the market, but she shouldn't go to the market until noon. Not back yet.

He is sharpening a knife. This knife has not been used for many years. The handle has long since dried and cracked. The original red paint has been worn away by the years and has a few spots. The rivets in the joint are also a little loose. How long has it been since you touched this knife? Fan Jinsan couldn't remember that he left the sect after his son was born. It must have been about twenty years? After settling in the village, this knife was only used for self-defense. Seven or eight years ago, a dozen horse bandits who wanted to go to the lonely cemetery came from the south. They passed by the village and wanted to get grain and oil. He led the villagers to fight with the knife and killed them with a single sword. He killed five gangsters. The villagers praised him for his good kung fu and cheered him as a hero. Village Chief Liu invited him to a banquet. It was really the best meal he had ever had in his life. There was a whole chicken in the soup and he used chopsticks. When he stirred it up, the chicken scattered like fleeing bandits. The oily aroma of the pork belly went well with the soy sauce. He got drunk and had a great time. From then on, when people in the village saw him, they called him Brother Fan or Brother Jin San.

It's only been a few years, and now people in the village don't even say hello when they see him.

He scratched his head, wondering why he was interested in sharpening the knife today?

Surprisingly, the blade was not seriously rusted, but the cutting edge was ground a little thin. You need to apply vegetable oil after sharpening the knife, otherwise it will be more susceptible to rust. The blade will become thinner if it is sharpened too much. A blade that is too thin will easily curl. Bengkou, he rarely sharpened his knife. After all, it was a job he did when he was young. It would be better not to see blood now.

Why does his son look down on him? Fan Jinsan thought, is it because he has good skills but is not motivated? Jinyang is near the Gu Cemetery, and is full of desperadoes from the south. Besides, Abbot Liaoyu of Yanshou Temple is a bad bandit leader, and all he does is give birth to sons without buttholes. Even if he is still in Iron Gun Gate, , also covered in pig shit.

Thinking of Abbot Yu, Fan Jinsan felt fear, disgust and inexplicable anger in his heart. This dog-meat monk, Shaolin just allowed lay monks to return to secular life last year, so he grew his hair and returned to secular life, and changed his name to Gao Yuru. He no longer even pretended to be a Buddhist monk. They said that Shaolin is an authentic Buddhist sect, and there are more fake monks than real monks.

What’s wrong with farming? I am getting older. If I am still working as a servant in the sect, I might be sent to support the battle of Hengshan this time. I would rather be a plowing cow than a war horse. This is the reason.

Why haven't my wife and Lan Lan come back yet? Fan Jinsan suddenly felt uneasy in his heart. His wife rarely went to the city and didn't come back for so long, especially if something happened.

He simply went into the city to look for it. He inserted the knife into the worn leather sheath, put the knife on his back and closed the door.

He walked through the village. Today's sun was obscured by clouds, and it was not too hot in the late spring afternoon. In front of the village entrance, Brother Huabao was feeding the donkeys, Lao Meihui was carrying firewood and preparing to go home, and Jiang Ganzi was bent over repairing the fence.

Everyone was busy and no one noticed him. Jiang Ganzi met Fan Jin's sideways gaze and nodded in greeting. Jiang Ganzi smiled awkwardly and asked, as if he was a thief, "Where are you going, Brother Jin San?"

"My wife took Lanlan to the city and she hasn't come back yet. I went to the city to find someone."

"Maybe my sister-in-law went to burn incense, how about - don't waste your time, come to my room to drink a glass of water and play a game of chess? Wait for my sister-in-law to come home in the evening."

"You prepare the chessboard, and when I come back I will kill you until I call you grandpa."

Feeling that Jiang Ganzi was not as tall as before, Fan Jinsan raised his head and saw that his hair was gray. Suddenly he felt that this brother was unknowingly much older? Are you getting old too?

"You age so fast." Fan Jinsan sighed: "Don't bend down all the time, your back will become hunched."

Jiang Ganzi had a problem before and liked to bend down. He said that most tall people have a hunchback problem. He is more than eight feet tall. If he doesn't bend down to talk, he will scare people, especially girls. He is worried that Yang will be scared. I don’t have a matchmaker, so I bend even lower when I meet a girl.

It takes an ordinary person half an hour to walk from the village to Jinyang, which is about seven or eight miles away. Fan Jinsan, who has studied martial arts, only needs two quarters of an hour.

Did the wife meet an acquaintance? My wife said that the proprietress of Sun's shop could talk to her, and maybe she would let her have a meal. She also took Lanlan with her, and Lanlan had a pair of attractive eyes.

Or did she drop by her parents' house with her children? Her parents' home is not far to the east of Jinyang, but it still takes an hour to walk. Lanlan is still young, so why not bother?

But the wife never mentioned it to herself, so how could she go back to her parents' home without asking her husband? My wife is not such a rude person, she still knows some rules, or maybe she bumped into her mother's family in the city and couldn't stand it, so she went home? This is too self-assertive.

As I walked and thought about it, my thoughts gradually drifted away.

It was a little girl, about ten years old, the same age as Lan Lan, with protruding teeth, a face full of spots, and half of one ear missing. She was raising her head and staring at her with a pair of angry eyes.

"Old man, why are you staring at me?"

When Fan Jinsan came to his senses, he realized that he was so fascinated by the little girl that he attracted hostility.

"I'm sorry, I've been distracted lately." Fan Jinsan quickly explained: "I didn't mean to offend."

I'm so stupid, I lost my mind when I saw a little girl.

"Shit, look at your face, you have a knife on your body, you are either committing a robbery or kidnapping people." The child scolded: "What kind of talent do you have!"

"This is Jinyang. Just along the road is the lonely cemetery. There are many wild ghosts on the road. If you don't bring ingots, you have to bring candles."

Yuanbao candle is a slang term in Jinyang area. Yuanbao refers to money and candle refers to weapons. They are both used to send away lonely souls and ghosts.

"Amao, don't embarrass the old man." A voice came from the side of the road. Fan Jinsan turned around and saw a young man with sharp eyebrows standing beside the tent. He carried a heavy long sword on his back and wore durable brown cloth and dark blue clothes. He was wearing long-colored trousers with a lot of dust on them. Although his attire was ordinary, he exuded a strong and heroic spirit, especially his big, clear and bright eyes, which were very energetic.

"Do you want to go to Jinyang, sir?" His tone was neither humble nor arrogant, but he still had the simplicity of a young man: "Can you take my sister into the city?"

"I think he looks like a trafficker, and he's attracted to me." The little girl named Amao shouted.

"I live in the village ahead. My name is Fan Jinsan. Everyone in the village knows me. You only need to walk a few miles to find out."

"I can't tell from miles away, how could he be a local?" Amao mocked, with a harsh tone.

"Three miles, less than four miles, very close."

Fan Jinsan replied while looking at the other person. The sword behind the young man was thicker and longer than an ordinary long sword. Can such a weapon be used with ease? If he can, he must be a practitioner with some basic internal skills.

He doubted why this man set up a tent at this time. It was late in the day, and no matter how late he slept, he should be ready to go. If he said he was resting, but it was too early, could there be some insidious person ambushing him here? Although this person doesn't look like the lonely ghosts in the lonely cemetery, who knows? Know people, know faces, but don’t know hearts. He was wary.

"Are you tourists? Why are you resting here?"

"We just passed through Jinyang. We had a stomachache on the way and couldn't walk. I want my sister to go back to Jinyang to get some medicine. Can the old man help me?" The young man rubbed his belly and frowned, as if he was really in severe pain.

"I've been suffering from stomachaches for the past two years. The poop I pass out is as pulpy and watery as beans ground by a stone mill. The doctor said it's due to stomach cold."

"I'm not that serious." The young man hurriedly explained: "I just have an upset stomach. This is an old problem. Could you please help me, sir?" He asked again, his tone so sincere that it felt embarrassing to refuse him.

"I want to go to the city, but you are such a naughty kid. If I bring you into the city, if you get lost or cause trouble, I can't bear it."

"You just take him into the city, and then everyone goes his own way. It doesn't matter. She will come back by herself after she knows the way." The young man took out a bunch of copper coins from his sleeve and counted them to fifty one by one.

"These fifty literary rights repay the kindness of the old gentleman for leading the way."

"You stupid donkey is very generous with your money. I don't need this old man. I can go into the city myself."

"We agreed that I will only take her into the city and she will come back by herself. I won't take care of her." Fan Jinsan took the copper coins. Fifty coins was not much, but he could help his daughter buy a bunch of her favorite candied haws, and also help his wife buy some spinning. Thread, or maybe I can buy two more pounds of meat for the tooth ceremony.

"I don't need you to take care of me." Amao shouted dissatisfied.

"What is the old gentleman doing in the city?" the young man asked again.

"My wife and daughter went to town this morning and haven't come back yet. I'll go look for them."

The young man nodded and asked again: "I heard that Abbot Gao Yuru of Yanshou Temple did a lot of harm?"

"Hey, what kind of place are you talking about?" Fan Jinsan didn't like hearing people mention Gao Yuru. He wanted to lose his temper when he mentioned it. He waved his hands and cursed: "Stop asking. If you ask me more, I won't do it." Fan Jinsan said. Jin San waved to Amao: "Follow me."

This child named Amao was following behind.

"Are you going to the lonely cemetery?" He asked the child what he wanted to ask just now.

"The stupid donkey is a sea-hunting yamen who wants to make a fortune in the lonely cemetery."

"Oh." These words made Fan Jinsan lower his guard a little: "With children?"

"Who are you looking down on? You stupid ass would have died a long time ago. I am a doctor, do you want me to recite a few poems of Baicao Tang Jue to you?"

"You said your brother is a doctor, I believe it. You are like a medicine boy." Fan Jinsan laughed dumbly: "Is there any doctor with such a bad temper as you?"

"It's none of your business." Amao asked, "Why were you staring at me just now?"

"I don't--"

"It's obvious that-" Amao interrupted him: "You've been looking at it for a long time."

"I'm in a daze. I've been in a daze a lot lately." Fan Jinsan shook his head: "You are about the same age as my daughter."

But Lan Lan is much prettier than you. Her eyes are bright and big, her face is round, and she has a good temper. She can sew and sew. Fan Jinsan thought to himself, but didn’t say it out loud. This child is very wild and follows the Haizhu Yamen around. , you have to endure a lot of hardship.

When entering Jinyang City, the guard saw him and Amao, and without further questioning, he just asked: "Is this your granddaughter?"

"My daughter." Fan Jinsan replied.

The guard looked surprised and waved for them to enter.

"Idiot, you should say I am your granddaughter." After entering the city, Amao cursed: "Do you want to kill me?"

Fan Jinsan scratched his head: "My daughter is really as old as you."

Jinyang City is lively, there are still many pedestrians in the afternoon, and the vendors in the alleys are still selling. Fan Jinsan saw the last bunch of candied haws on a bunch of straw. Thinking of his daughter, he paid eight cents. He felt that the appearance was not good, and then He said it was the last one, so he persuaded the boss to go home and rest early, and finally bought it for seven cents.

"I apologize to you." He handed the candied haws to Amao: "This is the last one."

"Don't think you can get rid of me like this." Amao muttered, but finally accepted it and waved his hand: "I'm going to buy medicine and I'm leaving." He took a bite of the candied haws and left.

Fan Jinsan was a little worried when he saw that she was a child, but he was still eager to find a wife and daughter, and this child was very wary and not easy to abduct.

Fan Jinsan was worried when he thought of abduction. There were often reports of women being abducted in the Jinyang area. Most of them were sold to solitary graveyards. When he came to Mengjia Clothing Village, the shopkeeper saw him coming and hurriedly stood up and said, "Uncle Fan." .”

"You recognize me?" He was surprised.

"You forgot, the first time my sister-in-law came to sell cloth in my village, you followed me. You helped my daughter choose cloth, and you also came to our store. We have met several times."

"You can also remember this." Fan Jinsan said with a smile: "It's your turn to make money."

Before he could ask questions, the shopkeeper said: "My wife is not here."

Fan Jinsan said strangely: "You already knew it before I even asked?"

The shopkeeper said awkwardly: "What else can you spend here? Isn't it just to find my wife?"

"Then has she been here?"

"I've come and gone, old man. Why don't you go home and wait? Maybe my sister-in-law has already gone home."

"There is only one road into the city. How can we go astray? I didn't bump into him as I was walking."

"Maybe I just missed it when I entered or exited the city."

"Really?" He felt that the shopkeeper seemed to be hiding something.

"How about you go to Sun's shop and ask, my sister-in-law might be there."

Sun's shop is a small restaurant. For more than 20 years, his wife's pickles have been sold in this shop. As soon as he walked in, shopkeeper Sun walked into the back hall, and it was his wife Zhou who came to talk to him.

"I left Fan's sister-in-law down for dinner, and I just left. Maybe I just missed her. How about you go back to the village and have a look?"

"What time is it now?" Fan Jinsan suppressed his anger. He felt that everyone was acting weird today and asked, "I will be home early after lunch."

Mrs. Zhou looked impatient: "Why are you angry? If you want to lose your temper, go to Yanshou Temple to lose your temper."

"What the hell is this about Yanshou Temple?" He cursed and was confused.

When shopkeeper Sun heard his wife quarreling with someone, he walked out of the back hall and asked, "What's so quarrelsome?"

Fan Jinsan said angrily: "I'm just looking for my wife, where did she go?"

"You coward, you don't know if it has anything to do with Yanshou Temple if you ask." Mrs. Zhou was about to curse again, but shopkeeper Sun covered her mouth from behind and said with a smile: "Brother Fan, please go home first. , my sister-in-law is probably going home as well."

"I have left something to say." Fan Jinsan said angrily: "Do you know something?"

"It's better to just think that she ran away with someone than to follow you, a coward." Mrs. Zhou broke away from her husband's hand and cursed.

Seeing that he couldn't restrain his wife, shopkeeper Sun shouted: "Go to the back hall, don't make trouble here." After saying that, he pushed his wife into the back hall, turned to Fan Jinsan and bowed: "My sister-in-law even talked to my wife after dinner. After a while, I just left, maybe I missed it, Brother Fan, could it be that my sister-in-law suffered some injustice at your place and went back to her parents' house to cry and complain."

"What does that have to do with Yanshou Temple?"

"My wife means that maybe my sister-in-law will go to the temple to pray for blessings. My brother will go home first and wait."

The more he said this, the more impatient Fan Jinsan became: "Why do you all tell me to go home and wait? I don't know if my mother-in-law has gone home?"

"Then we don't know." Shopkeeper Sun couldn't help but bow. "You can go and look elsewhere."

Fan Jinsan became more and more suspicious when he saw these people being weird, and thought, it would be better to go to Yanshou Temple to have a look.

He stood in front of Yanshou Temple for a long time, hesitating whether he should go in or not. He hated this filthy place from the bottom of his heart. When he stepped through the door, he even had to suppress the nausea in his lower abdomen that made him want to vomit.

There is not much incense in Yanshou Temple, and there are few pilgrims in the square in front of the Four Heavenly Kings Palace. People in Shaolin believe in Buddhism, but the residents of Jinyang do not believe in Gao Yuru, and would rather go to Jingru'an on the mountain. At least the nuns there really have a Bodhisattva heart and are willing to take care of the orphans. .

Jingru'an... Fan Jinsan seemed to remember something and felt familiar. He walked from the Four Heavenly Kings Palace to the Main Hall and looked at all the pilgrims coming and going. He still didn't see his wife and daughter. He became more and more anxious and heard someone yelling: "Where did you come from, you bastard? If you do this again, I'll arrest you."

Fan Jinsan turned around and saw two monks with short hair, probably monks who had just returned to secular life, holding Amao and walking out from behind the main hall. He heard Amao begging for mercy: "I'm looking for my father, don't hold me." , my father would scold me when he saw me getting into trouble.”

Fan Jinsan hurriedly stepped forward and asked: "Two masters, what has this kid committed?"

Amao was also surprised when he saw him. The monk who grabbed Amao asked, "Is this your girl?"

Fan Jinsan suddenly felt sad for some reason and hurriedly greeted her, "She's my daughter."

"Take care of your girl. Don't let her run around without knowing she's in trouble." The monk let go of Amao and said, "The abbot's office is in the back. She's running around and bumping into the abbot. It's a very serious crime."

Fan Jinsan was obedient, pulling Amao and scolding him: "I told you not to run around, you almost got into trouble."

After saying that, he took Amao and left. When he saw the two disciples returning to the courtyard, he asked: "You didn't say you were going to buy medicine, why did you come to Yanshou Temple?"

Amao said: "If you pass by, come and offer some incense. If you see how beautiful it is, go in. Who knew there were so many rules?"

Fan Jinsan scolded: "Your brother is still doing the job of picking melons, how come you don't know the importance? The back of the temple is a public place, break in, if you listen..."

As he said this, he suddenly remembered that his wife and daughter were nowhere to be found, and his eyes turned red.

Amao saw that he was weird and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Let's go, don't stay here." Fan Jinsan grabbed Amao's wrist with such force that Amao didn't dare to struggle. After leaving Yanshou Temple, he threw Fan Jinsan away and cursed: "Be gentle, grab me." I love you, Master Mao."

Where have my wife and daughter gone? Fan Jinsan couldn't figure it out. Sitting in front of the mountain gate, he was very upset. He was here last night, but now he felt that he missed his wife and daughter. Could it be that he had accidentally angered his wife and she took her daughter back to her parents' home?

"You haven't found your wife yet?" Amao asked.

Fan Jinsan shook his head: "I really don't know where I went."

"Could it be that she was abducted?" "Abducted?" Fan Jinsan became worried. It is true that many women were abducted in Jinyang, but most of them were young girls, especially unmarried girls. Although they can be sold as long as they can still have children. …

"Even if your wife is older, she still has a younger one." Amao said, "In a place like Jinyang, the abbot and Gufendi are still colluding. Is there anything dirty?"

The more Fan Jinsan thought about it, the more frightened he became. If his wife and daughter were really abducted, they would not be far away now and would have to save people quickly. He asked, "What should we do?"

"Look for it! Or go to Yanshou Temple to report the crime." Amao scolded: "When did you last see your wife?"

Those beasts at Yanshou Temple didn't even bother to report the crime. This child's brother had worked as a sea arrester and he must know how to find people better, so he said: "Sun's shop said that my wife was eating at her place at noon, so that's the afternoon." thing."

"It's not easy to drag people away in this city. I must be trying to trick your wife into taking advantage of something. Either she's introducing me to needlework or there's a shortage of helpers and I'm going to take her to look like someone else. I'm trying to trick your wife into asking her to go out of the city. Eight Ninety percent of it is a woman, maybe an acquaintance, so you have to walk fast to avoid attracting attention. You said that the place where your wife eats is closest to that door? "

I didn't expect that this child knew so many things. He was an expert from Haidu Yamen, but Fan Jinsan was still doubtful: "My wife and her daughter will not leave easily."

"Does the old man want to find someone or a reason?" Amao scolded: "You can find it yourself."

"Sun's shop is closest to the south gate." Fan Jinsan said hurriedly: "I'll go after him right now."

"It's only noon, so they must not have gone far yet." Amao continued: "They have to put them on the donkey cart and take them away before your wife gets suspicious. I'll go tell the stupid donkey that he loves to meddle most."

"I can't wait any longer." Fan Jinsan turned to leave, but Amao called out to him again: "Fool, do you know what you're looking for?"

"What are you looking for?" Fan Jinsan asked hurriedly.

"There must be at least two people, and there must be a woman who is abducting the trafficker. It is particularly suspicious to have a large suitcase on the donkey cart, or to cover the carriage with linen cloth."

Fan Jinsan used Qinggong and ran towards the south gate, chasing him along the path. He ran very fast, panting and tired. He had not used Qinggong for many years, and he ran so fast. He ran out in less than half an hour. In the past twenty years, he saw two donkey carts, one with a woman sitting in it, and the other with a man in green clothes. Both carts were covered with linen, and he didn't know what was hidden inside. Looking at the direction, he was going to go around. Go north. That's the other way to Lonely Cemetery.

"Don't go!" He shouted loudly, but he couldn't turn around in one breath, and his chest was so tight that the donkey cart in front ignored him and instead urged the donkey forward.

That’s right! The donkey cart was not going fast. Fan Jinsan took a deep breath, quickened his pace, drew his knife, and shouted: "If you don't stop, someone will kill you!"

Suddenly, a black shadow shook in front of him. Fan Jinsan blocked it with his sword, and sparks shot out. It turned out that the man on the donkey cart had thrown an iron caltrop. He was indeed a bad guy. He no longer had any scruples, avoided the second hidden weapon, and chased after him. Ten feet away, he jumped up and struck the big man in green with his sword. The big man in Tsing Yi sidled aside,

"It has claws." The strong man yelled and took the knife: "It's an old man, don't be afraid!"

"Get him out of the car," shouted the strong man driving the donkey.

Fan Jinsan cheered up and stood on the donkey cart to fight with the strong man. He struck three times with the knife from the right, two real and one false. The third was a false move and he suddenly flew up and kicked the strong man off the donkey cart. The two strong men in front quickly stopped the donkey cart, each slashed at him with their swords, and circled around him.

There were only three of them. I had beaten more than a dozen horse bandits when I was young. Fan Jinsan swung his sword to fight with a series of loud sounds. Fan Jinsan was panting. He was really old. No matter how strong his martial arts were when he was young, he had not used force for many years. After running for another twenty miles, he was out of breath. When he moved a little slowly, he felt severe pain in his shoulder and had already been stabbed.

"Fuck!" Fan Jinsan yelled and rolled away on the ground. The three traffickers were young and strong, how could they allow him to breathe? There was no one around at the moment, so he was just about to kill someone, so he immediately chased after him with a knife. Fan Jinsan took a few more moves, but felt that his hands and feet were so weak that he could only barely resist and was unable to fight back. He fought and then retreated to the donkey cart, picked up the sackcloth and threw it towards the people coming. He saw four sacks on the cart, motionless. He is indeed a human trafficker.

He was overjoyed to find his wife and daughter, and the three men attacked with swords.

If he couldn't kill them, his wife and daughter would be forced to live in a foreign land. Fan Jinsan became furious and shouted. He didn't know where he got the strength to fight back with his knife, forcing the three of them back. Then he used a big Bagua hob, and the knife shadows were everywhere. , broke into the group of three people, hit one of them on the shoulder with a knife, and also received a knife on his waist. He caressed his waist and fought hard with blood.

Obviously seven or eight years ago, I fought off the horse bandits. At that time, I was young and strong, only seven or eight years old. How could I be so ineffective? He felt like he couldn't hold it any longer.

Unable to retreat, he thought of his daughter's smiling face and the way his wife was stitching for him under the lamp. His wife's hair was not as white as his, and was still very black.

Why is it still so dark? Obviously we are all old. He suddenly became confused and remembered his age. He was sixty and Lanlan was only ten years old. He had given birth to four children, two of whom died in infancy. Lanlan was the youngest and only girl. She is very well-behaved and obedient, and Jiang Ganzi's son likes to play with her. Jiang Ganzi said that he wanted to marry the baby, but what can he say, his sons are already married.

It wasn't until the pain in his thigh came that he woke up Fan Jinsan. He slashed the opponent with his backhand, panting.

"You have captured my wife and daughter." He yelled, and the sword flashed like lightning, hitting one of them on the shoulder. The sword was so powerful that it removed the man's shoulder.

"No one can touch my wife or daughter!" he shouted, an inexplicable sadness welling up from the bottom of his heart. Something was aroused. The sadness was so great that he couldn't stop crying. He used the knife in his chest for the opportunity to pierce the chest of another strong man.

The remaining strong man saw that two of his companions were dead, and saw that he was as powerful as a mad tiger, so he did not dare to fight anymore, so he ran away quickly. When the Yapo saw that his companions were dying and could not escape, he also ran away. Fan Jinsan caught up with him. He kicked Yapo hard in the back and trampled her to the ground. He didn't listen to Yapo's plea for mercy and nailed her to the ground with a knife. He struggled to pull it out, but the rivet came loose and only the handle of the knife came out.

"Don't even think about escaping." He held up the handle of the knife and wanted to chase the escaped trafficker. He stumbled and fell forward. The fall caused pain all over his body and woke him up. He felt that he must have broken several bones. A bone.

"Daughter-in-law, Lanlan..." He remembered something important. He pulled out the knife on Yapo's body, and regardless of the wails of the two seriously injured traffickers, he cut open the four bags,

The first sack was of a young girl who was unconscious.

The second sack was a little girl, but not his daughter.

The third sack is a little boy.

"Where's Lan Lan? Where's the wife?" He untied the fourth sack. It was a middle-aged woman with a pale face and a bright red cut on her neck. It was a corpse.

Where is the wife? Where is Lanlan? Fan Jinsan yelled and rushed towards the trafficker who had lost his hand. He had lost too much blood and no longer had the strength to cry out. He could only moan. It wasn't until Fan Jinsan stepped on his wound that he let out another moan. Scream.

"Where is my wife? Where is my daughter?" Fan Jinsan cried, "Bring them back."

"No..." The trafficker only uttered this word and then died.

Wife and daughter, where have they gone? Fan Jinsan stared blankly.

Then he saw a fire.

When did it get dark? When he came to his senses, his body was bandaged. Did he pass out? He saw the young man he met in the morning and Amao sitting by the fire.

"The old gentleman is very powerful. After chasing for twenty miles, he was able to defeat the two traffickers." The young man praised, "The girl and the two children were both trafficked. The dead aunt was the boy's wet nurse and was killed by the traffickers. Silence them, you saved them."

"I haven't found a wife or daughter." Fan Jinsan was in a daze, unable to concentrate on listening to the young man's words.

The young man didn't know how to comfort him, so he just said: "Maybe the old lady has gone home first."

old lady? Fan Jinsan wanted to retort, her daughter-in-law is only in her forties, what kind of old lady is she? The words came to my lips, but I couldn't say them out.

"Amao helped you bring all the abducted people back to the city. Their families will come to thank you." The young man said, "Thanks to you for saving them."

"Where is this?" Fan Jinsan looked up and found himself sitting outside the tent, exactly where he met the young man in the morning. "You saved me?"

"It was Amao who informed me that you were already unconscious when I found the old gentleman. I drove the donkey cart to the city gate, and Amao sent the girl home. I took you here to rest."

"I want to go to Jingru'an." Fan Jinsan said. He felt that he should go there. He had a hunch that his wife and Lanlan were there.

"It's so late, and you're still injured." The young man was surprised: "It's better to wait until dawn."

"I have to go now." Fan Jinsan forced himself to get up. It hurt. He must have broken several bones. He even felt pain in breathing.

"Old gentleman, it's better to go home first."

"I'm going now." Fan Jinsan shouted.

Amao cursed a few times in a low voice, and the young man asked: "Can you still walk?"

"I am fine."

The young man handed over the knife, the handle of which was tightly wrapped with a rope.

"This is just an emergency, you still need to take it to a knife shop for repair."

Fan Jinsan nodded and was about to ask Amao for a torch when he tensed up and was already supported by the young man, who then carried him on his back.

"Where are we going to Jingru'an?" the young man asked.

He pointed to the mountain.

The young man's footsteps were very steady. He didn't even feel the bumps on his back, and he walked faster than the torch. Amao followed behind with the torch, and he pointed the way with the faint light of the fire.

"What's your name?" he asked the young man.

"My name is Li Wangzhi." The young man replied.

Jingru'an is on a low mountain in the north of Jinyang, not far from Fan Jinsan's village, but we still walked for more than half an hour. Amao complained that she had walked too much today. Li Wangzhi put his right hand around her waist and let the little girl hold on to his shoulders. He held one and carried the other up the mountain.

The door of Jingru'an was closed. He asked Li Wangzhi to put him down. He walked forward with trembling steps and knocked on the door.

The door opened, and it was a nun. He looked familiar, but he couldn't remember her name.

When the nun saw him visiting late at night, she was not alarmed and asked, "The donor came late this time, huh? Why is he still injured?"

"I...I want to see Lan Lan..." he said tremblingly. He knew Lan Lan was here, but he just forgot. How could he forget?

The nun nodded and raised the oil lamp: "Put out the torch and come in again."

Fan Jinsan followed the faint firelight and walked through the quiet corridor, the small Mahavira Hall, and the Buddhist hall with fragrance floating in the air. He had no memory of this road, but he felt very familiar.

"The name of the poor nun is Ci Nian. Does the donor still remember the poor nun?"

Fan Jinsan swallowed, his throat was dry.

They came to the backyard, where there was a row of low wooden houses.

Ci Nian handed the oil lamp to Fan Jinsan: "Lan Lan is inside. These two..." She looked at Li Wangzhi and Amao.

"If it's inconvenient, we won't go in." Li Wangzhi replied in a low voice, fearing to disturb the solemnity of the temple.

"It's okay, it's convenient for Donor Fan, just don't take too long." Ci Nian left after giving instructions.

Fan Jinsan pushed open the door of the house. There was a man lying on a flat pile of straw, covered with a thin quilt. His son Fan Yinian was sitting next to the haystack. He looked much older than in the morning. Why did he look like this in just one day? Looks like he has aged for more than ten years?

"You were so slow this time. Why were you injured? Who are these two?"

"My name is Li Wangzhi, his name is Amao, and I am a friend of Old Uncle Fan. Old Uncle Fan sacrificed his life to rescue three people from the traffickers today. He is very heroic."

"You actually risked your life for others?" His son's voice was filled with anger, and his eyes were even more disdainful.

Fan Jin's legs were shaking so much that he couldn't stand. He remembered, he remembered everything. His son had already married and moved out long ago. His wife was sleeping in the mountain behind Jingru'an, and Lan Lan was lying on the straw pile at the moment. .

"Dad, you can't come over? Lan Lan misses you." Fan Yinian's voice was like a curse, calling him, and he had to respond.

"This room smells so bad. Who is shitting here?" Amao complained.

"Amao, don't talk." Li Wangzhi seemed to have discovered something and scolded Amao.

The girl lying on the bed looked like she was forty years old, older than her brother. She only had a pair of dull eyes, sunken cheeks and dry lips. She was as thin as a skeleton. From her thick and turbid breath, she looked like a skeleton. It was judged by the sound that she was terminally ill.

Lan Lan's spine was broken, and only one head was left that could move and blink, and she could not even speak. She had been lying like this for twelve years, and the nuns at Jingru'an took her in and took care of her. Lan Lan's body was covered with a thin cloth. Fan Jinsan had seen what was under the thin cloth. In order to make it easier to clean up his daughter's uncontrollable defecation, Lan Lan's lower body was not covered with any clothes. She just let the feces and urine flow on the straw, staining the Between her buttocks, her thin legs and lower abdomen were covered with traces of insect bites, and her whole body was covered with large and small abscesses, which smelled terrible.

The nuns at Jingru'an have devoted all their compassion to take care of her. Asking for more would be greedy. This is the greatest kindness she can get. If there is more joy, it is that her brother often comes to see her and will carry her behind her back. Go outside to bask in the sun and talk to her, and she will keep blinking to express happiness.

How could he forget these things? Fan Jinsan fell to his knees and burst into tears. Boundless guilt came over him. He sobbed: "Forget it, forget it. We can't fight against them and we can't avenge them. Nian'er, Let's not pursue it." He burst into tears and kept mumbling: "Nian'er, let's forget it, dad has collected the compensation, and this money is enough for you to marry a wife, let's forget it, forget it..."

"What's going on?" Li Wangzhi's suppressed angry voice came from behind.

■

Li Jingfeng followed Fan Yinian to a secluded place in the back mountain.

"My sister was only ten years old at that time. She followed her mother to burn incense at Yanshou Temple. Lanlan was naughty and broke into the backyard when no one was paying attention. She was playful and broke Gao Yuru's peonies. Gao Yuru became furious and slapped her, My mother was beaten to death on the spot while protecting my sister, and my sister’s spine was broken, leaving her like this. Fortunately, the master of Jingru’an is willing to take her in and take care of her.”

"One peony, just for one peony. My mother died and my sister was disabled for life. My father took Gao Yuru ten taels of silver and said he could marry me a wife. Let it go. Don't report it to the Shaolin Temple. Don't go to the Shaolin Temple to redress your grievances." , Gao Yuru is fierce, we can't fight, and the whole family will die badly. For ten taels of silver, I bought my mother's life and my sister's life. My father didn't even come to see Lan Lan. I begged and scolded him, but he just came. Once, I only looked at him for a few times and then ran away. Do you think there is such a bad father?"

"A few years ago, my father became increasingly confused. Whenever he got sick, he would think that my mother and Lanlan were still there. He would look for her everywhere, and when he came to ask me again, I would tell him that my mother was gone and Lanlan was disabled. When he remembered, he would calm down. When Jing returned home, one time I couldn't help but get annoyed and said that my mother had gone to the city, so he went to the city to look for her. They said that her mother was gone, but he didn't believe it. He smashed the silk fabrics of the Meng family cloth shop and toppled the Sun family shop. When dad came home, he thought of Jing Ru’an, so he came here to see Lan Lan and cried bitterly in front of Lan Lan.”

"The people from Jingru'an told me about this. From now on, whenever my father gets sick, I will tell him that my mother has gone to the city. Mengjia Cloth Shop and Sunjia Shop are afraid that he will cause trouble. Every time I see my father, I will tell him that my mother has gone home. , Dad will think of Jingru'an, and then go up the mountain, and every time I will be here waiting for him to come, this is already the fourteenth time."

Mr. Fan is like a wheel that keeps repeating reincarnations, getting sick, looking for someone, confused, remembering, sad, and forgetting. Only this time did he change because of meeting Amao and himself, so he happened to save three innocent people who were trafficked. .

Li Jingfeng suppressed his anger and listened silently. He still had many questions: "You clearly know that your sister has become like this, and you also know that your father will be sad. Why do you still torture Mr. Fan repeatedly?"

"My father used to be a hero in the village. He fought off horse bandits and everyone in the village respected him. But he became a grandson in front of Gao Yuru and didn't dare to resist at all. Yes, I knew he couldn't fight, and none of our family could fight. Just one finger." Fan Yinian spoke louder and louder, and the more he spoke, the more excited he became. He said loudly: "I just want to know if there was one time, even one time, when my father steeled himself and held a knife. Said, Nian'er, dad is going to take revenge, dad is going to fight that beast."

"No! Not even once! He came a dozen times and cried a dozen times. Lan Lan was about to die. The master said she was about to die. Her father did not dare to avenge her even once. I only want him In front of Lan Lan, it was enough to say that his father was willing to avenge her. Even if he didn't dare to do it later, he could just say it once, but he never dared to think about it once. No matter how many times he came, he never dared to do it. . He dared to kill the horse bandit, and chased the murderer for twenty miles, but he did not dare to avenge Lan Lan, and he did not even dare to think about it. "

Li Jingfeng thought about it over and over, and after a long time, he said: "As long as you are alive, your father will never dare to avenge your father and Lan Lan."

Fan Yinian was stunned.

"Amao said that Mr. Fan has been looking for your mother and Lan Lan all day long. He chased her for twenty miles just to save your mother. He dared to fight against the horse thieves. He is not without blood, but your father is dead and Lan Lan is still alive. If this happens, your father will only have you as his son. He wants you to live well, so he doesn't dare to take revenge."

"You don't even dare to say it! You don't even dare to think about it?"

"He wouldn't dare to think about it while you were alive." Li Jingfeng shook his head: "You also have children, can't you figure this out?"

Fan Yinian gritted his teeth and stopped talking.

"Let's go back to the wooden house." Li Jingfeng said, "I have business to discuss with Mr. Fan."

"Business?" Fan Yinian opened his eyes wide.

Li Jingfeng took Fan Yinian back to the room where Lan Lan was. Fan Jinsan wiped away his tears and sat next to his daughter. Amao squatted outside the door, looking up at the sky. It seemed that he did not intend to enter the room, but her eyes were filled with tears. Li Hongsi couldn't hide it from Li Jingfeng's night eyes.

This kid isn't really cold.

"I'm actually from the night list." Li Jingfeng said, "Fifty taels, I'll help you kill Gao Yuru."

Fan Jinsan and his son were shocked. They were first surprised that Li Jingfeng was the night list killer, and then they were surprised that this man dared to assassinate Gao Yuru. They did not know how much the price of killing an abbot of Yanshou Temple in Jinyang was, but fifty Both are also huge sums of money that they cannot afford.

"You saved three people today. Their parents will come to the village tomorrow to thank you. If you can get the reward and the money for the soup and medicine, Shaolin also has a reward for catching the traffickers. If it's not enough, you can sell the land. In short, there will be fifty Two, I will avenge your daughter." Li Jingfeng realized his original intention and put it on his knees. This heavy sword would make his words more convincing.

"You don't dare? Are you afraid that I will turn you in if I am defeated, or are you reluctant to part with fifty taels?" Li Jingfeng shook his head, "If you don't dare to take revenge, I will leave tomorrow."

Fan Jinsan glanced at his daughter, his weak eyes full of expectation. He nodded without hesitation and roared in a hoarse voice: "I can make fifty taels even if I sell iron. I want Gao Yuru to die, and I want him to die." It’s very miserable.”

"I will prepare fifteen taels in three days. I will ask you for the remaining thirty-five taels when the matter is completed." Li Jingfeng stood up and turned to call Amao: "We are going down the mountain."

"You stupid donkey has changed your gender today and skinned people." Amao pulled Li Jingfeng's belt to prevent him from falling in the dark night. "Weren't you planning to assassinate that fake monk?"

"Let Mr. Fan pay, so that he will feel that he has taken revenge, instead of his enemy being killed by others, and it has nothing to do with him. After paying the money, Mr. Fan will feel at ease, and his son will have a close relationship with him. Untie.”

"Okay, it's good to earn fifty taels of silver."

"I don't want the next thirty-five taels. If I succeed, Mr. Fan will only think that I am wanted on the run and have no time to come and get it. After a long time, he will think that I died on the road."

"Fuck! You stupid donkey won't even want those fifteen taels, right?"

"I can't do it. If I don't do it, Mr. Fan won't have to pay. It's not like paying for revenge." Li Jingfeng said, "I see that this Jingru'an is simple and dilapidated, and it takes care of many orphans, widows, sick and disabled people. They have taken care of Lan Lan for more than ten years. Five taels is what the teachers and wives deserve."

"Fuck! Your wife is rich, so you can do whatever you want."

"What did you go to Yanshou Temple to explore today?"

"The abbot's room is in the middle of the backyard, and there are at least eight guards..."

■

Fan Jinsan couldn't remember when he got up. When he came to his senses, he was already sitting on the kang covered with bamboo mats, staring blankly at the shabby tables and chairs, and the sunlight coming in from the window and shining on the hay on the floor.

Where did the wife and Lan Lan go? Why didn't you wake him up? When he went to the kitchen, there was porridge and pickled cucumbers on the table.

"Where did your mother and Lan Lan go?" Fan Jinsan asked as he came to the field with a hoe on his shoulder. Fan Yinian was weeding.

"My mother died, and Lan Lan also passed away last month. They were all buried in Jingru'an. We sent my sister away together."

Fan Jinsan was stunned.

"Dad, you forgot again." Fan Yinian wiped his eyes and said with a smile, "We avenged mother and Lanlan."

Fan Jinsan smiled and nodded: "We have revenge."

(End of this chapter)