Taohuaxi

Chapter 79 The Identity of the River God

Although the statue of the river god was covered in scars and had a terrifying face, I could faintly catch a hint of familiarity from the brows and eyes of the clay sculpture.

The face of the river god has strong edges and corners.Although the river god's eyes were injured, his eyes were elegant and firm.The scars all over the body of the River God...the fire at Peach Blossom Temple...

I clearly remember that when Feng Gao ordered people to carry him out of the nunnery, his body was severely burned from his thighs to his shoulders.

The same is true for the river god statue in front of me.

I was in a temple filled with green smoke, and the memories that I had deliberately sealed seemed to emerge from a secret box.

The people in the front kowtowed and left, while the people behind squeezed in.I was pushed forward by the crowd, getting closer and closer to the statue of the river god.

I forgot to offer incense and worship, so I just stared at the eyes of the river god.

Cheng Huaishi.

This look in his eyes is so similar to that of Cheng Huaishi.

In the past, when he told me in the room, "I know I have sinned, it is only in the spring and Autumn period"; when he wrote on paper, "My heart is as bright as the bright moon, but the moon waxes and wanes"; when he was first promoted to the household department, iron When you are determined to do something great together with Mr. Zhang, when you set up your heart for the world, and your destiny for the people, isn't this the light that shines in your eyes?

Perhaps, this is the case for all people with righteous hearts in this world.

I sighed.

Slowly come back to God.

After the first clearing of the moss-covered ground, only the south wind is the old acquaintance.

Since Cheng Huaishi disappeared from Feng Gao's private residence, there has been no news. He should be living peacefully in a hidden corner with beautiful scenery.I shouldn't be imagining things.

I took out the incense, bowed devoutly a few times, thanked the River God for sacrificing my life to protect me, and then got up and left.

Walking out of the temple, I saw an old man wearing black cloth under a big tree. He was crying as he walked, carrying a basket, staggering, and suddenly fell to the ground.

I quickly asked the boy to help the old man up, took him to Zhujia Wine Shop, and asked the doctor to come and take a look.

The doctor came, took his pulse, and prescribed a prescription.

I ordered the boy to get the medicine according to the prescription, fry it, let it warm, and fed it to the old man.

Not long after, the old man woke up.

He hurriedly leaned over to thank me: "Thank you very much, girl. She is compassionate towards the elderly and the poor, and is kind-hearted."

I said hurriedly: "Old man, don't get up in a hurry. It's not too late to leave after you've rested. I'll let the groom hitch the carriage and take you home in a while."

He said in fear: "How can this be good? How can this be good...how can I trouble this girl..."

I said, "No trouble. It's just a matter of hands."

He said to himself: "There are many kind-hearted people. My husband is also such a kind-hearted person, but I harmed him. I gave him the gunpowder. He also paid silver..."

As he spoke, he began to sob.

"Sir, both civil and military, appeared out of thin air and disappeared out of thin air. He is a Bodhisattva who came to save mortals... His body was originally injured, but this time there was not even a complete corpse... He doesn't like to eat fish, he just likes to eat it. Bitter melon. I made a basket of scallion oil and bitter melon and gave it to my husband to eat. But he can no longer eat it..."

He held the small basket in his arms, his face full of grief.

I trembled after hearing his words.

Appears out of thin air.

There were injuries on his body.

Bitter gourd.

I said to the old man: "Old man, is the gentleman you are talking about the River God in the River Temple?"

He looked around hastily. I signaled the guys to step back, and he said, "Girl, you can't let others know. Our husband blew up the flood outlet and flooded the Zheng family's private fields and temple. The Zheng family is filled with resentment." I'm afraid of revenge. When I was in the temple, I didn't dare to say a word... Seeing that the girl is a kind person, I dare to tell the truth..."

He looked at me and said: "Sir, he teaches the children in our village to read without paying a penny. He is a good man."

"What kind of injuries are there, sir?"

He thought to himself: "It looks like a burn. The husband said it was caused by a fire starter when he was playing with firecrackers when he was a child."

"When did he come to your village?"

"At the end of last winter."

In total, it was exactly one month since the fire in Taohua Temple.

"You said, sir, he likes to eat bitter melon?"

"Yes. The husband said that bitter melon purifies the heart. In our village, we take turns cooking for him from house to house. Last time I made a bitter gourd with scallion oil, and the husband liked it very much... He never bothered us, and the food was always the best. Simple..." The old man cried again.

I remember very clearly the scene with Cheng Huaishi. He didn't like sweet things and liked bitter melons.

Overlapping layer upon layer.

How could such a coincidence happen?

I pondered for a long time, walked to the table, and drew a portrait of Cheng Huaishi as he was lifted out of Peach Blossom Temple in my mind.

I took the portrait and showed it to the old man: "Old man, look, is this man a gentleman from your village?"

The old man's hands trembled, and he said in surprise: "This is our husband! Girl, do you know him?"

I didn't nod or shake my head.

On a scorching June day, I felt the blood on my body cooling down inch by inch.

"My boss, the account of Zhaoji Restaurant in the west of the city has been settled. A total of 870 six taels and three cents of silver, please order..."

Hua Lian came back from outside and saw the old man lying on the big chair in the house. He was stunned and couldn't say the rest of the words.

The old man called out: "Lian girl, why are you here?"

Hua Lian whispered: "Uncle Santuo, you...why are you here?"

The old man told me how I saved him in front of the temple.

Hua Lian stepped forward and said, "Uncle Santuo, this is my boss who makes a living."

After a while, the groom hitched up the cart and helped the old man with three camels up.

The old man with three camels thanked him profusely.After he left, I sat under the persimmon tree in the courtyard without saying a word.

The wind ruffled my hair.

Looking up, I saw the bloody setting sun on the horizon, seemingly unwilling to take away the remaining afterglow.

In the vast sky, there are shadows of floating clouds passing by.

Hua Lian walked towards me hesitantly.

"East...East..."

I didn't look up at her.

"You said yesterday that the funeral in your village was just for him, right?"

Hua Lian gritted his teeth and said, "Yes."

"Since when did you know?"

"On the first day of May, I went out with my boss's sedan chair and saw my husband. He was dressed in black and his face was covered, and he came to snatch the bride. I recognized him and followed him for more than ten miles. My boss, I really want to tell you. "Yes. But my husband begged me not to tell you that he wanted you to get along with Qin Xianggong. He told me a lot of truths, but I couldn't understand them. I only remember one sentence, yes, yes..." She tried hard I recalled: "It's...what kind of boat crossing, what kind of reaching the shore, what kind of return..."

"I'll cross the boat with you, and we'll return home each other when we reach the shore."

"Yes, yes! That's it."

My heart suddenly felt extremely desolate.

"Hua Lian, you hid this from me."

She plopped down on her knees, sweating all over her head.

"Master, I really don't want to hide it from you. For many days, I didn't know what to do. Do you still remember that I was fascinated by the hairpin on your head? I told you at that time that there were some things that I couldn't understand, but I believe that one day, I will figure it out. I originally planned that when I found out what happened, I would be the first to tell my boss. But sir, I have to listen to what you say."

hairpin.

The bamboo hairpin on my head.

In good times, joy comes and goes.

It was actually the wedding gift he prepared for me.

After a while, I said: "Hua Lian, get up and get busy."

"My boss..." She looked at me and wanted to say something, but she didn't know how to say it.

"Go." I said again.

She stood up and left with three turns.

"Master, don't be sad. My husband said that I don't want to see you sad."

I buried my head in my knees.

Dutou Yangliu Qingqing, branches, branches and leaves are separated from love.

Since then, the brocade book will not be sent, and there is no proof to paint the building.

He had already made plans with me never to see each other again in this life.

What I thought he was hiding from the world was just my own opinion.

No matter how anonymous he is, he is Cheng Huaishi and will always be Cheng Huaishi.It used to be the New Deal, but now it's the bombing of floodgates. Without this thing, there will be the next thing.As long as he is alive, he will not hide away from the world.

He gave me a consummation.

Send peace to Yangzhou City.

He transformed from a handsome young man into a clay sculpture in the temple.

He and I are more than just separated by yin and yang.

Ever since the New Deal collapsed, he was imprisoned, and he wrote the letter of divorce, he has created an insurmountable Milky Way between me and him.

I don’t know how long I sat there.

It was very dark.

Someone came over and sat next to me.

"Sangyu—"

It's Qin Mingxu.

He said softly: "I'll wait for you to come home for dinner."

He put a thin shirt on me: "If you want to sit there for a while, that's okay, I'll stay with you."

I stood up and found that my legs were numb.

I staggered to the small room in the backyard.Qin Mingxu followed me.

I took a jar of the strongest "Green Tomb" and drank it.

The heaviness in my heart made me breathless.I just want to get drunk and stop.

Qin Mingxu didn't stop me.

He also held the jar of wine and said, "Sang Yu, I'll drink it with you."

The dark night is confusing.Cicadas chirped sparsely outside.

I don’t know how much I drank. The smell of alcohol filled the cabin and my eyes became hazy.

It seems that Cheng Huaishi is back again.

He sat next to me, still wearing white clothes.

He was not burned by the fire.No injuries either.

His face was still the same as before.

Drunk, I got closer and closer to him, closer and closer...

(End of this chapter)