cut love silk

Chapter 37
Chapter 36 Three Years Outside
In the third year of Wan'an, it was summer, and the rain was pouring. A few passers-by hurried past with oil umbrellas. The only sound on the street was the sound of rain, and the sound of doors and windows being blown by the strong wind.

An eleven or twelve-year-old boy on the street, wearing a dirty gray gown, although it was torn, just covered the top and bottom tightly, and because it was soaked by heavy raindrops, even though he was running fast, he was still clinging to his body. body.

The young man's face was dark and dark, and the rain slid down his cheeks. He was trapped in the rain but he didn't look sad. Instead, he smiled comfortably. If it wasn't for the fear of getting sick, he would be wiped clean by the heavy rain in the hot summer. Dirt is also a good choice.

Just thinking about where to find food on a rainy day, he caught a glimpse of a thin figure in the alley, curled up in a corner, shivering, and stopped abruptly. Bu Zi, hesitantly tilted his head, wanting to see the appearance of the child on the ground.

The child was dressed in rags and messy hair, and tried his best to shrink into the corner, trying to avoid the rain, with his head buried between his arms, and he couldn't see clearly.

The young man stepped forward and reached out to pat him, but he was afraid that he would scare him too suddenly, so he withdrew his hand and asked softly, "What's wrong with you? Do you want me to take you back to your residence?"

When the boy saw the child in all his clothes, he knew that he, like himself, was a beggar, wandering in Yundu, with nothing to rely on, but beggars also have beggars' dens, and he was here because he just came to Yundu and was not familiar with the situation. Bar?Otherwise, you won't be stuck here in heavy rain.

The child didn't seem to hear the boy's question, and remained motionless.

The boy yelled again, but there was still no movement. Feeling that something was wrong, he stretched out his hand and pushed him, but without much effort, the boy fell straight to the ground, covered in muddy water.

In a hurry, the young man hurried over to help him up, and shouted, "Hey, wake up!"

The child's clothes were already wet, and it would be even more filthy if he fell into the muddy water. As soon as the boy Xie touched her, he found that he was hot all over. Still clean, it must be sick, flushing abnormally, without thinking about it, he turned his back and quickened his pace.

It was only after returning to the courtyard that the young man realized that his guess was right. He came to Yundu just the day before yesterday.

"Hey, this girl is so pitiful, Xiao Wu, where did you find her?" The old woman with white hair in the courtyard asked tremblingly.

Xiaowu looked at the child who was breathing heavily. He looked about eight or nine years old, with a thin body. It wasn't what they said, but he really didn't see it was a girl.

"In an alley in the west of the city. Granny Yan, when did she come to Yundu?"

"On the second day after you left the city, her grandfather brought it here. When she first came here, she was still alive and kicking. As a result, she fell ill within two days. You know, people like us, how can we get money to see a doctor? Get ready to go into the soil when you get the wind and cold, her grandfather cried and said that it was just such a precious granddaughter, and he carried her to the street to ask for money, hey... If you don’t get the money, forget it, and somehow you were beaten up, and it didn’t take long for you to come back She just died. This girl woke up once last night, and she looked like a fool. Looking at her grandfather's body, she didn't cry or make trouble. She just sat there all night. This morning, when the rain was light, , I don’t know where the strength came from, I dragged my grandfather out to bury him, no, you will carry it back now..."

Xiaowu's expression of pity became more and more serious, and he took out some herbs found on the mountain outside the city, and originally planned to sell some silver taels, forget it, he can't just leave him alone.

The herbal medicine was not symptomatic, and the effect was not obvious, but the child's body gradually improved, and Xiao Wu was secretly happy that another life had been saved.

"Hey, what's your name?" Seeing her sitting up, Xiao Wu leaned over and asked excitedly.

The child looked up at him with empty eyes, dazed and lifeless, without saying a word.

Xiao Wu only felt that her whole body was exuding a hopeless and dead air. Thinking that her grandfather had just passed away, she was embarrassed to laugh again, sat beside her, and said seriously: "Don't be afraid, even if you are a beggar, no one would dare to bully us."

The child lowered his eyelids, his long eyelashes fanned half over his face, and remained silent. For a moment, he lay on the straw, turned his back, hugged his knees into a ball, and seemed to have fallen asleep again.

Xiaowu sighed helplessly, it is not a matter of a day or two to untie the knot in his heart.

"Hey, let's eat." Xiao Wu handed the child a steamed bun that he had just picked up, and peeled off the outer layer of dirt, except that it was colder, it was still edible.

The child stared blankly at the steamed bun, didn't speak, blink, or move, Xiaowu smiled awkwardly: "This is actually..."

Before he finished speaking, the child stretched out his hand, took the steamed buns and stuffed them into his mouth. Xiaowu turned into a gratified smile before saying anything, and said softly: "My name is Mu Pianwu, isn't that a nice name?"

The child lowered his eyes and did not answer.

Xiao Wu smiled meaninglessly, and said again: "You can call me Xiao Wu, and you, please tell me your name?"

The child turned his face away, got up, and turned his back to Xiao Wu, leaving him a back view, walking further and further away.

Xiao Wu couldn't help sighing, he knew she wasn't dumb, but ever since he met her, except for the cries in her sickness and dreams, she hadn't seen her speak a single word, and she often saw her sitting in a corner when she woke up at night , sometimes staring blankly out of the window, sometimes staring blankly at the ground, the whole person is so lifeless that it seems that the sparkle in his eyes no longer flickers.Xiao Wu tried to stay up all night, but in the end, she saw her eyes open all night, motionless.

Xiao Wu thought to herself, as long as she is willing to speak, if she is willing to speak, she will gradually recover.

It may take a while for her to talk, Xiaowu himself named her, after much deliberation, since he met her on a rainy day, he simply called her Xiaoyu.At first she resisted a little, but gradually she seemed to get used to it, but there was still no expression on her face, neither crying nor laughing, neither happy nor angry, if no one took care of her, she could sit for a whole day without eating, drinking or moving.

Xiao Wu dragged her behind him every day, fearing that she would be bullied by other people here.Human relationships are the same everywhere. Even though these beggars live together, each of them cleans the front door on weekdays. No one has the mood and ability to take care of and sympathize with other people. There are even fights for food. .

Xiao Wusheng is very warm-hearted, as long as she can do things within her power, she will help others, so few people in the courtyard come to make trouble. Although Xiao Yu doesn't like to follow him, she is still so young, and she is a girl. Alone, always afraid of something unexpected.

These worries are not unreasonable. Xiaowu only went out for one morning that day, and when he came back, he found that the courtyard was eerily quiet. He hurriedly walked in, and saw three or five beggars, big and small, surrounding Xiaoyu in the center, and they all laughed. With malicious intentions, Xiao Yu stood stubbornly in the middle, with her lips pursed and her head raised, she glanced at each of them, her eyes were full of unyielding light, before Xiao Wu could say anything, one of them clamped Xiao Yu's shoulders, "Tear, pull!" " With a sound, the worn-out jacket was torn off in an instant, and Xiao Wu shouted: "Get out of here, all of you!"

"Haha, this girl is the only one in this house, I'm just looking for fun, you should just get the hell out of here!" The man glared at Xiao Wu just now.

Xiao Wu rushed to the middle of them quickly, and before everyone could react, he kicked the man on the lower abdomen. The man was in pain, and as soon as he let go of his hand, Xiao Yu fell to the ground. Xiao Wu protected her behind him and shouted: "You are not allowed to bully her!"

It was daytime, and there were only a few of them left in the courtyard, Xiao Wu's voice turned around, making them stunned for a while, and then they planned to continue.

Xiaowu didn't have time to figure out what to do, his hands felt cold, he heard a scream, and was driven forward by a force, and when he came back to his senses, he found that he had followed Xiaoyu out of the courtyard Xu Yuan .

The summer is hot, and the sweat is dripping on the ground. Xiaowu sits at the bottom of a shady sycamore tree, looking at the light rain who is leaning on the side with his eyes closed and panting. Fortunately, there is a layer of undershirt under the coat, and fortunately, he came back earlier today. , fortunately they escaped, let out a sigh of relief, Xiao Wu moved towards Xiao Yu, thinking of her pale face just now because of fear, feeling annoyed in her heart, the expression she saw on her face for the first time, unexpectedly is fear.

Xiao Wu rolled up his sleeves and raised his hands, wanting to wipe Xiao Yu's sweat.

Xiao Yu avoided suddenly, opened his eyes, saw that it was him, closed his eyes again, leaned against the sycamore tree, breathing gradually calm.

Xiaowu lightly touched her forehead, from top to bottom, carefully wiped off the sweat stains, and the dust that I didn't know when it was stained, and said softly but firmly: "From now on, you will pretend to be a boy and come with me, and I will protect you." you!"

Xiao Yu's long eyelashes trembled, after all, she didn't open her eyes again, let alone answer.

Wiping off Xiao Yu's sweat, a gust of wind blew, Xiao Wu held Xiao Yu's slightly cold hand, sighed softly and said, "Why don't you talk?"

His answer was always silence.

Xiao Wu took Xiao Yu to leave the compound, and unexpectedly found an old abandoned house in the south of the city. In the house, a plane tree was very lush. The two lived there, and Xiao Yu became more and more quiet.

It's just that being quiet is better than being cold.Although she still doesn't speak, still often stays up all night, and still doesn't like being followed behind her at all times, after all, she sometimes has other expressions on her face, such as that faint smile that makes him excited for no reason.

Every time at this time, Xiao Wu couldn't help but smile at her, but he didn't know that this smile, in the eyes of a person, was the cleanest in the world.

Day after day, Xiao Yu was quiet, so Xiao Wu found ways to make her happy, talking about plays, singing songs and telling jokes. Under the plane tree, Xiao Yu's eyes became brighter and Xiao Wu's laughter became louder and golden. Next, the two figures leaning on each other become the thickest ink pen in that autumn, and the low voice echoing in the courtyard every night is the most beautiful melody in that autumn.

"Wu Tong Yu, perched under the tree, abandoned by parents, Wu protects you...Xiao Yu, do you understand? Wutong rains, perches under the tree, abandoned by parents, I protect you..."

"..."

The days in the house were as quiet as still water, and Xiao Wu often thought that if one day he could hear Xiao Yu shout his name, he would be a beggar in this life, and it would be worth it.

In the winter of the fourth year of Wan'an, Emperor Yun suddenly ordered to clean up the beggars in Yundu. Xiaowu was flustered.If you leave, you will be bullied in other places. If you don't leave, how will you survive in Yundu in the future?
When Xiao Yu heard the words, she just raised her eyelids slightly when she heard the word Emperor Yun, and then fell silent.Xiaowu knew that she didn't want to leave, and her only grandfather was buried here. In fact, she didn't want to leave either. In Yundu, she and Xiaoyu could go out of the city and go up the mountain to collect some simple herbs and sell them for money. Go begging on the street?What's more, it's freezing cold, and I'm afraid he will freeze to death on the road before reaching the next town...

If that's the case, then don't go!
The originally empty house became lively overnight, and many beggars who were unwilling to leave did not know how to find it.Xiaowu was always kind-hearted, so he kept them one by one, cleaned up their rooms and made room for them.

That night the moonlight was particularly bright, shining bright and bright white on the snow. Xiao Wu lay in front of the window, looked at the beggars huddled together because of the cold, and sighed: "If I have a lot of silver in the future, I will definitely Let every beggar in this house get a share!"

"..."

"Xiao Yu, do you have a wish?"

"..."

"My greatest wish is that everyone in this house can laugh happily." Of course, my greatest wish is to hear you speak...

"..."

"Xiaoyu, the emperor is going on a tour tomorrow, and he is bringing his concubine with him, no wonder he is in such a hurry to clean up the beggars in the city..."

"..."

"Xiao Yu, are you asleep?"

"..."

In the early morning of the second day, the wind was bitterly cold, Xiaowu woke up, and Xiaoyu was nowhere to be seen, his heart skipped a beat, and he hurried to the street without even thinking about it.

Emperor Yun went on tour, there was a big event in Yundu, the streets were bustling with people, shoulders rubbing against each other, Xiaowu didn't care about other things, he got into the crowd and looked for Xiaoyu's shadow. You can pick it out at a glance.Xiaowu turned two or three streets, and finally saw Xiaoyu on the main street near the palace. She didn't know where the clothes came from, but she couldn't tell she was a beggar. She was overjoyed and shouted: "Xiaoyu!"

Xiao Yu turned her head and looked at Xiao Wu with a surprised face.

Before Xiaowu could understand, someone twisted his hand and picked it up, only to hear the person behind him say angrily: "There is still a fish that slipped through the net. Fortunately, I came out to take a look, otherwise the head will fall to the ground today!"

The gate of the palace was opened wide at this time, and the bright yellow "cloud" banner floated out of the palace gate first, the noise just now stopped abruptly, everyone knelt down and shouted "Long live", only the thin figure in the middle of the crowd , standing alone in the cold wind, staring at the bright yellow, motionless.

The yamen who was holding Xiaowu was pale, and holding Xiaowu tightly, he strode up to Xiaoyu in a few big strides, took her hand and pulled her aside with all his might.

Xiao Yu was only a nine-year-old child, and was already thin and weak. He resisted only two or three times before being dragged away. He fell to the ground covered in dirt, and his eyes were still fixed on the direction of the palace gate.

Xiao Wu only felt the chill, and in Xiao Yu's eyes, there was an invisible hatred.

"Your Majesty!"

After being locked in the yamen for an hour or two, the two of them were escorted out at the same time. The magistrate of Yundu was in his forties, and he shouted before he could sit still.

Before the words were finished, Xiao Wu had already knelt down, seeing Xiao Yu standing aside and ignoring her, she hurriedly tugged at the corner of her clothes, but she seemed unconscious and remained motionless.

The magistrate only saw one child, but he had a stubborn face, neither afraid nor begging for mercy, an unknown fire rose in his heart, he didn't even bother to interrogate, he waved his hand and said: "If you don't kneel, you will almost disturb the holy car, Rod punishment, this beggar, will be locked up for a few days before being released."

Xiaowu was startled, and pulled Xiaoyu's clothes again, but she still didn't move.

After a while, Xiao Yu was placed on a bench, and two government servants with sticks stepped forward, striking the sticks back and forth without blinking an eye.Every blow hit Xiaowu's heart, watching Xiaoyu close his eyes, he gritted his teeth due to pain, but didn't make any sound, his heart felt like being stabbed by a knife, he didn't even react, so he turned over and threw himself on Xiaoyu's body Shouted: "If you want to hit me, hit me! I'll take it for her!"

The yamen servant stopped and saw that the magistrate had no objection, so he continued with his stick.

One stick after another, he gradually lost consciousness after being hit on the body, Xiao Wu gradually lost his consciousness, and couldn't count how many sticks he had suffered, but the pain in his body calmed down the restlessness in his heart, and when he was in pain, Xiao Yu would not It hurts.

I wanted to open my eyes, but it was all red. I felt a pair of cold hands holding me to relieve the heat on my body. Drops of warm moisture soaked my face. Tears, whose tears are these...

From far and near to my ear, there was a thin whisper, softly, one after another: "Mu Pianwu...Mu Pianwu..."

It seems that in a dream, I heard Xiao Yu calling me like this...

"Beggar, according to the Holy Order, throw it out of the city!"

A loud shout broke the dream, Xiao Wu only felt that his hands were tightly grasped by a piece of ice, his body became lighter and lighter, his hands seemed to be slowly peeled off, and the soft sobbing sound pierced his heart.

Forcing myself to open my eyes, my eyes were snow-white, and then blood-red. The surrounding scenery quickly retreated, and the deep red was stained in the snow, like a blood-stained path. But it is getting farther and farther...

"Mu Pianwu...Mu Pianwu..."

The soft call in my ear was shattered by the cold wind. After all, is it a dream of my own...

(End of this chapter)