[75] Passionate but ruthlessly annoyed

The fine raindrops slanted on the vegetation in the forest, and the sound of pattering lingered in my ears all the time, like a low-pitched mourning song.Zhan Zhao hurriedly walked along the narrow path in the mountains, he picked up the hem of his clothes with one hand, and stepped on the muddy road with his boots, splashing strings of water from time to time.

This is Qingshan.The mountain is full of verdant greenery, and it does not live up to its name.It was midsummer, and the trees and flowers in the forest became more and more lush, showing a sense of vitality.Zhan Zhao originally came from the capital, and he had some official business to do in Qingshan County, but the yamen always procrastinates, and it is not uncommon for things that can be done in three to five days to be delayed for half a month.The chief secretary of the county government office introduced several local scenic spots to Zhan Zhao, and said to him, "My lord, it's hard for me to come here. I must go to Qingshan, which is a good place to escape the summer. A Qingshan Temple, although it is not considered to be the peak of incense, but it is also a clean place, and the scenery is excellent."

Then, Zhan Zhao came.

It's just that I don't want to, the rain that stopped before I went out, it started to fall again not long after.Zhan Zhao didn't open an umbrella, but was wearing a bamboo hat. In front of his eyes was a clear and transparent rain curtain, which seemed to be somewhat blued by the thick green of the mountains.He walked a few miles on the winding and winding mountain road, and saw a small pavilion scattered under a cliff, and the four corners of the pavilion flew up high, like a strange bird with wings spreading.The pavilion is also dark green, as if it is integrated with the deep mountain and the forest, and it looks suitable and comfortable in the rain.

When he got closer, Zhan Zhao saw that there were still a few people in the pavilion taking shelter from the rain.They were probably theatrical troupes who went all over the rivers and lakes, and they didn't know what they were doing on this mountain. Maybe they went to sing operas in temples.In the corner of the pavilion, there are some dilapidated boxes and cages, as well as a few spears, colorful flags and the like.A little brown short-haired monkey was tethered to the side and was walking around nimbly.

There were five people standing or sitting in the pavilion.A dull middle-aged man was sitting at the stone table in the middle, wearing the linen clothes that prodigal sons often wear, holding a book in his hand and bowing his head to read.Beside him was a woman with heavy make-up, she seemed to be not too young, she dipped her head in bright red impatiens juice to paint her nails.

There was also a boy of sixteen or seventeen years old, who was tall and strong, and he was checking a bag of luggage.The child has thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a healthy ruddy face. He raised his eyes and saw Zhan Zhao walking all the way, so he shouted loudly: "Lian'er, Ping'er, don't run around, be careful not to bump into people!"

Zhan Zhao lowered his head, and saw a pair of twin sisters who were no more than fourteen or fifteen years old playing in the pavilion.The two sisters look exactly alike, but they are still wearing the same rouge-colored shirts, which make their skin white as snow against the backdrop.There is a kind of slender figure unique to young girls in their gestures and gestures. One of the two girls is more lively and laughs heartily.She didn't know what good she had snatched from another quieter girl, and she was bouncing around to hide, with one hand raised high.

She didn't see Zhan Zhao walking into the pavilion, and she couldn't react when she heard her brother's scolding, so she bumped headfirst into Zhan Zhao's arms in such a reckless manner.The girl was not very old, and her stature was too short to reach Zhan Zhao's chest. She threw herself on Zhan Zhao like an ignorant elf in the mountains.She wanted to avoid it in a panic and panic, but she couldn't stand still and fell backwards suddenly.

Zhan Zhao has always been good-tempered, he didn't get angry when he was bumped into by this child, and even smiled and reached out to help the lively girl.The girl looked up, and just happened to see the smile in Zhan Zhao's eyes, and she blushed with embarrassment.She turned her head abruptly and ran back behind the twin sister, then secretly climbed on the sister's shoulder, poking her head out to reveal a bright black eye.

"Oh, look at this little girl who doesn't have eyes, so she bumped into the young master." The woman raised her head when she heard the sound, and when she saw the situation here, she quickly stood up and said apologetically, "I hope you don't take offense, this child is wild. I'm used to it, I really don't understand the rules."

Zhan Zhao smiled and waved his hands and said, "Where is it? It's not a problem." He saw that a man and a woman were already sitting at the table, so he sat down on the wooden bench at the side, and turned his head to look at the dark-colored woman in the rain. distant mountains.

"Did you also go to Qingshan Temple?" The woman spoke to the side after a while, as if she was curious, "It's not a coincidence that it's raining today."

"That's not true." Zhan Zhao turned his head back and said politely, "But it's summer after all, and the rain will fall as soon as it says it will, and it will stop soon."

As he spoke, he saw that the girl who bumped into him finally boldly leaned out, met his eyes, and immediately shrank back like a frightened little animal.The girl who was blocking her was scolding her in a low voice, presumably she was an elder sister, and she also assumed the tone of an elder when she spoke, but she didn't realize that it sounded so innocent and cute.

After a while, the young man had packed his things, and he also sat down at the stone table, and he leaned over to talk to Zhan Zhao: "Where did you come from? The accent doesn't sound like a local. "

"Come to the capital, but I'm not from Kaifeng." Zhan Zhao himself is not very old, at most seven or eight years older than this boy, in his early twenties.The journey is lonely, and he is also happy to have someone of his age to talk to him with him.

Hearing this, the young man showed an envious look on his face: "I see that you have an extraordinary demeanor, so I say you are not from this small place. The capital is bigger than here, right? I heard people say that the capital is lively even at night. It’s bright and very bustling.”

After hearing this, Zhan Zhao casually said a few words about the scenery of the capital, which made the two girls beside him listen seriously.The girl who had been hiding behind her sister poked her head out again, Zhan Zhao deliberately didn't look at her, so she boldly stood up, but her cheeks as delicate as porcelain were stained with a thin red like rouge.

The young man also talked about their troupe, and it turns out that they are not locals, but just wandering opera troupe, living everywhere.The man was the head of the troupe, and together with his wife, they took them all over the world to earn some living money.Although he is the son of the husband and wife, the twin sisters are not. They were just bought and raised by their side since childhood, and there is no difference between them and their relatives.

They chatted all over the world like this, Xu Zhanzhao was approachable and approachable, and he didn't feel slighted because the other party was just a lowly earning actor, and the conversation became intimate.After a while, the rain finally stopped, and several people got up and continued to climb up the mountain.

Zhan Zhao is a martial arts practitioner, with quick feet, he left those people far behind in just a few steps.He breathed the fresh air in the mountains, and he just felt refreshed, and the depression in his chest for many days seemed to be evacuated.After walking for a while, there was a sound of hurried and messy footsteps behind him.

It was the little girl. Zhan Zhao stopped and turned around, and saw her suddenly emerge from the lush greenery.But when she saw Zhan Zhao stop, she didn't go any further, she just leaned on a tree and panted, her thick black hair combed into a double bun.It looks more childish this way.She was also carrying a not-so-big cage, which made her even smaller.

"Why don't you go?" Seeing that Zhan Zhao didn't move forward, Xu Shi stood there and looked back at her. The girl became embarrassed, but asked loudly, "Not yet, there is still a distance from Qingshan Temple. Road." Her voice was as crisp as a bell in the wind, and it also had a childlike flavor.

Zhan Zhao then laughed and asked, "Then why don't you leave?"

"Because you're not leaving either." The girl replied frankly and innocently, with a kind of casualness of the children of the world, but it didn't make people feel rude.

Zhan Zhao beckoned to her and said, "Come here, the mountain road is very steep, let's walk together, I can still support you."

The girl blushed, but she lifted the corner of her skirt and trotted over. She was half a step behind Zhan Zhao, and followed him up the mountain with her head buried.Zhan Zhao wanted to carry the box for her, but the girl refused and gave way, but in the end Zhan Zhao took the luggage.The two walked quietly for a while, only to hear her whisper suddenly: "My name is Ping'er."

"My surname is Zhan." Zhan Zhao nodded casually, paying attention all the way, he raised his arms to support Pinger's back, lest she fall on the slippery mountain road.

"Then can I call you Brother Zhan?" Ping'er asked a little shyly, she raised her face, her big wet eyes were like black gemstones covered with a layer of mist.

Zhan Zhao nodded, so Ping'er called him that with a bit of joy, and then started talking about her own affairs like a chatterbox.She talked up and down about her childhood, even though she is still a child now.Those childhood anecdotes, such as being beaten by the class leader for stealing candy, climbing a tree but not getting down, etc., seemed to be far away from Zhan Zhao, but now he listened to Pinger talking about these trivial things. Things, but there is a sense of nostalgia rising from my heart.

"Ah, I just said it for myself. How about you, Brother Zhan?" Ping'er spoke a little dryly, she pursed her lips and raised her head to look at the tall young man beside her.

Zhan Zhao hesitated for a moment, and said, "When I was young, I didn't have many interesting things. I always practiced qigong, but if I didn't practice well, I would be taught by Master."

"Oh, that's not it." Ping'er seemed to feel sorry for each other, "I'm always beaten by the master. It's really difficult to sing an opera. I still can't turn somersaults very quickly."

Zhan Zhao couldn't help laughing.

"Okay, are you laughing at me?" Ping'er shouted angrily when she saw this, "You are indeed laughing at me. I don't want to talk to you anymore."

However, after a while, she couldn't help talking again, and she couldn't finish talking about those ridiculous things when she was a child.But after walking a few miles, the outline of Qingshan Temple can be vaguely seen from the forest.

This is a remote and deserted temple, with gray brick walls enclosing a not-so-green area from the mountainside.A cypress tree of unknown hundreds of years old is planted at the gate of the temple, and its twisted and twisted branches climbed up the low wall, bringing the greenery into the pure land of Buddhism after all.

Ping'er wanted to wait for others at the gate of the temple, so Zhan Zhao put the box beside her feet and went in by himself.After donating money for sesame oil from Zhike monk, the little novice in cassock led Zhan Zhao into the main hall.Zhan Zhao never believed in Buddhism, but since he came here, he should also sincerely pay respects to the Buddha, so he still worshiped a stick of incense in front of the Buddha.The sandalwood incense is curling up here, and the sound of monks singing sutras can be heard faintly from the apse, which has the unique tranquility of a Zen temple.

When Zhan Zhao got up from the futon, he didn't seem to have many worldly troubles in his heart. He looked at the benevolent face of the Buddha statue and walked away after a while.Afterwards, the little novice led him to a guest room in the temple. It was a large yard with a lotus pond in the center, and the Osmanthus chinensis was in full bloom.

There is a woman sitting by the lotus pond, leaning on the weeping willows beside her, looking at the pond full of lotus leaves.She looked to be in her 40s or [-]s, but her face was very pale, as if she was seriously ill.She was dressed in plain white clothes, making her look a little aloof and arrogant, but there was no doubt that she had a beautiful face, so beautiful that people couldn't take their eyes off it.

"She is also a guest of this temple." The little novice seemed to see Zhan Zhao looking in that direction, and then explained, "I have lived here for several months, donated a lot of sesame oil money, and I don't know which rich family it is from." Ma'am, it's just that the abbot said that she is too sick and won't live long, and she is waiting to die here." He seemed to realize that talking about others behind his back was not good, so he clasped his palms together and said aloud.

Zhan Zhao couldn't help feeling a little sad, although the little novice guessed that the woman was the wife of a rich family, Zhan Zhao could see a bit of a woman in her body.He had some daydreams for no reason, and after entering the room, it seemed that the pale and thin figure of the woman was still in front of him.

The little novice served the fragrant tea, and then hurriedly withdrew.Although the monk's room used as a guest room is not cramped, it is not very spacious, and the window paper pasted on the fine wooden lattice windows is old and yellow.Except for a wooden table, there is only a bamboo table and a few futons here.Because it is built on the mountain, the wooden furniture always has a kind of damp water vapor, as if you will get water on your hands if you touch it.

After taking off his hat and his wet cloak, Zhan Zhao finally breathed a sigh of relief.He pushed open the window on one side, and the wind mixed with rainwater and the smell of mud rushed towards his face, blowing away the stale atmosphere in the room.Zhan Zhao leaned against the window, and suddenly saw the lotus pond, the pond full of blooming lotus flowers, and also the woman in white.

Somehow, Pinger's innocent smile flashed in his mind.Zhan Zhao shook his head with a smile, looked away, and flipped through a volume of Buddhist scriptures on the couch.

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Short stories, around 2.