Denghuaxiao

Chapter 2 Homecoming
After the Waking of Insects, the weather gradually warmed up.

The spring river south of Xiliang has warm water and rich grass.Literati and elegant people like to plant flowers and plants. In the small courtyards in the mountains, you can see orchids and jasmine intertwined everywhere. Large poppies are in full bloom, and there are many beautiful things.

It was noon, the sun was high in the sky, and the carriage was speeding along, passing through the mountains and trees.In the carriage, a woman wearing cyan armor opened the curtain of the carriage and asked the coachman outside: "Brother Wang, how long does it take to arrive in Changwu County?"

The driver smiled and replied: "It's not far. Just go over half a hill and we'll be there in an hour!"

Yin Zheng then lowered the carriage curtain and turned to look at the person beside her.

This is a young girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old. Her facial features are very beautiful, her complexion is porcelain white, and her dark eyes are even more bright.Although she only wore a semi-old dark blue algae-patterned skirt, her temperament was particularly calm and cool.Upon hearing the coachman's words, the girl's eyelashes twitched slightly, and her eyes seemed to move for a moment.

Yin Zheng sighed in his heart.

After following Lu Tong for more than half a year, she had never seen her girl have any unnecessary emotions, and her expression was always indifferent.It seems that no matter how big the world is, it is not worth mentioning in her eyes.It wasn't until she got closer to Changwu County that she saw a bit of life in Lu Tong's eyes, as if the clay sculptures were gradually being enshrined by fireworks, and became a little more lively as ordinary people.

Sure enough, it is always exciting when a person who is usually indifferent is about to return to his hometown.

In the carriage, Lu Tong sat quietly.

The mountain road was rugged, and the bumps shook the apricots carried by Yin Zheng in the car everywhere.She lowered her eyes and looked at Xingzi on the ground, her thoughts gradually drifting away.

Seven years ago, she also left Changwu County by carriage. At that time, she always felt that the carriage was very fast and she arrived in a strange town in the blink of an eye.Now the road back home has become a long way, and there is no end.

She stayed with Yun Niang on the mountain for seven years, until Yun Niang passed away, and she buried Yun Niang, and then she was free and able to return to her hometown.

Over the past seven years, she also wrote letters to her father and the others, but she didn't know if her family had received them.They left in a hurry back then, maybe they thought they were dead...

Lu Tong was thinking to herself. Unknowingly, the sun gradually moved to the west. The carriage stopped at the gate of the city. The coachman's voice sounded from outside: "Miss, Changwu County has arrived!"

Changwu County has arrived.

Yin Zheng helped Lu Tong out of the carriage, paid the driver some silver, and walked towards the city with Lu Tong.

Lu Tong looked up and felt a little dazed for a moment.

It was a spring day, and there were a lot of people and cars riding on the streets.There are many tea shops along the two streets, with stalls selling tea, and some orange cakes and sesame candies on the tables.There are also fortune tellers.Many pavilions have been newly built by the lake in the city, and spring willows are reflected in the river, dyeing the river a deep and light green.

At a glance, it was very lively with a constant flow of people coming and going.

There was a bit of joy in Yin Zheng's eyes: "Girl, Changwu County is so lively." Lu Tong was a little absent-minded.

When she left home, there was an epidemic and it was the middle of winter. The streets were deserted and deserted.Now that she is back home, the small county town has become much more prosperous than before. The sight of tourists makes her feel uneasy.

After a pause, she said: "Let's go first."

The streets in Changwu County have been widened a lot. They used to be muddy areas and were filled with mud during the summer rains. Now they are all paved with fine stones, making it smooth for carriages to roll over.

The original cloth shops and rice shops along the two streets are no longer traceable, and have been replaced by unfamiliar restaurants and teahouses. The street scene is very different from the past.

Lu Tong walked slowly along with the memories in her mind, and occasionally she could still find some traces of the old days.For example, the well at the entrance of the temple in the east of the city, or the iron bull made of copper in front of the ancestral hall in the city.

After passing through a remote alley and walking a few hundred steps further, Lu Tong stopped.

Yin Zheng looked in front of her and couldn't help being surprised: "Girl..."

In front of him was a dilapidated house.

The earthen wall at the door was also scorched black by the fire, and the house had no trace of its former self. Only a few sections of burnt lacquer wood could be seen, and the vague shape of the door frame could be seen.If you get closer and smell it, there seems to be pungent smoke.

Yin Zheng looked at Lu Tong uneasily. Lu Tong stopped here. This should be Lu Tong's home.But here there are only traces of the fire... Where is the owner of the house?
Lu Tong stared at the charred door frame, his face getting paler and paler, and his legs felt as if they were filled with lead, making it difficult to take a step.

At this moment, someone's voice came from behind: "Who are you? What are you doing standing here?"

The two of them turned around and saw a woman standing not far away with a load of Poria cakes on her shoulders. She only looked at the two of them with some suspicion.

Yin Zheng was smart and immediately smiled, walked to the old lady, stretched out her hand and handed over a few pennies to buy the Poria cake in her bag, and asked the other party: "Auntie, my girl is a distant relative of this Lu family. , passing by here, came to seek refuge with the master. Why do you think... is there a fire here? I wonder where the master has gone now? "

The woman selling Poria cakes heard Yin Zheng say "Lu family" and took Yin Zheng's money. Her expression became much more relaxed and she just said, "Come to seek refuge with the Lu family?" She glanced at Lu Tong standing behind Yin Zheng. , shook his head and said: "Tell your girl to go back as soon as possible, there is no one here."

"There's no one left?" Yin Zheng glanced at Lu Tong behind him and asked with a smile, "What does this mean?"

The mother-in-law sighed: "Don't you know? The Lu family died a year ago."

(End of this chapter)