camouflage salted fish

Early the next morning, the three tacitly did not mention what happened last night.After tidying up a bit, they left the temple and planned to take another stroll in Lanhai Ancient County.

As a result, after walking for a while, they faintly heard crying and noise. Because it was early in the morning, the movement sounded very clear and abrupt. Many people in the town opened their doors one after another and looked at the source of the sound.

The three of Shen Budu exchanged a look and rushed there.At that time, it was found that there were already many people inside and outside. In the center of the crowd, a white-haired old woman sat on the ground and cried bitterly, holding a cold woman's corpse in her arms.

Shen Budu's expression changed slightly, and he recognized that the dead woman was the flower girl whom he had met yesterday.The introverted and quiet girl was lifeless at this time, her skin was pale and swollen, which was caused by soaking in the water all night.

"My Xiaojie...why don't you think about it...you just go there, what will your mother do...!"

The white-haired woman cried hoarsely. She was blinded in one eye by crying for her husband in the early years, and now she lost her daughter in her later years. The sad scene is unbearable to watch.

The neighbor couldn't help comforting him: "Aunt Yu, you can't come back from death, don't cry, it's better to let Yao Jie go to the ground as soon as possible."

Aunt Yu cried for a while, and slowly raised her eyes.She is not too old, but she is very old due to various accidents, one eye is blind, the other is crying blood red, when she looks at everyone with a dark expression, her expression is unreasonably frightening.

"It's you..." She hugged her dead daughter tightly, accusing her in a hoarse and piercing voice, "You killed my daughter!!"

As soon as this remark came out, the neighbors were immediately dissatisfied, and they suppressed their anger and said, "Aunt Yu, what are you talking about? You found Yao Jie thrown into the well in the morning, and I ran over to help pull her up when I heard the movement! Obviously It was suicide, how could it be our fault?"

Aunt Yu's old face seemed to be crying but not crying: "Don't you know why she committed suicide? It's because of you who swear behind her back all day long! My daughter is innocent and has no grievances with you at ordinary times. Why are you so vicious?" Force her to death!!"

"Oh, what a big hat. I know you're suffering as a dead daughter, but you can't spout blood, right?" Amid the commotion, a woman in her forties stood up. Her belly was slightly protruding, and she seemed to be pregnant. , leaning on the gold hairpin and silver hairpin on her head, curled her lips, "Besides, if you want people to know, unless you don't do it yourself, she has done all the good things, why don't you let others say it?"

As soon as the middle-aged woman opened her mouth, the others seemed to have found their confidence, and they all said in one go:

"That's right. Everyone in the town knows about it, and we have no enmity with Yao Jie, how can we still make up nonsense to harm her?"

"You deserve to be struck by lightning if you do something despicable, even if you die, this is the truth."

"I think Yao Jie threw herself into the well because of a guilty conscience, right? Otherwise, why would she commit suicide if she was so good? No one forced her."

Those voices were soft, male and female, old and young, at first they sounded quiet, like flies flying around the ears, but when they gathered together, they seemed like a wave, pressing people into the water at first, trying to keep them alive People drown.

Aunt Yu looked at the avoiding faces, flashing eyes, and opening and closing mouths in front of her. Her chest seemed to be blocked by a mass of foul-smelling dirty mud, her chest was constantly heaving, and her old face was turning abnormally red.

Shen Budu made a decisive decision, came to the old woman, reached out and patted her on the back.Aunt Yu opened her mouth and spat out a mouthful of dark red blood, and coughed violently, but her complexion was much more normal than before.

Seeing the old woman vomiting blood, the onlookers finally calmed down this time and closed their mouths.After a moment of silence, another man's voice suddenly sounded: "Aunt Yu, don't wrong a good person. As everyone knows, this strange man next to you may be the murderer who killed your daughter."

As soon as the words came out, people looked at the speaker one after another, and Shen Budu also raised his head.Xie Jianhuan turned cold, and walked behind Shen Budu with Feng Ce at the same time.

The speaker was a young man in his twenties, dressed in a plain blue shirt, and dressed like a scholar.In the eyes of everyone, he said calmly: "Three strangers came to the town yesterday, and many neighbors must have seen them. I happened to see them go to the east temple at night. Yao Jie may have been bullied by them." , I couldn’t even think about committing suicide afterwards..."

Some of the onlookers showed a clear expression.It's very possible, after all, that little girl Yao Jie has a "criminal record"...

But before the three big men accused had spoken, Aunt Yu suddenly became angry.She picked up a stone on the ground beside her, and threw it at the young man who was talking viciously: "Get out! Don't make up my daughter with foul language! Get out of here!!"

The young man was caught off guard by a stone hitting his forehead, and his head was bleeding immediately, in pain and embarrassment.He suddenly burst into anger: "You stupid old woman, I kindly told you the truth, but you beat people outrageously! I..."

Before he finished speaking, Aunt Yu suddenly got up from the ground and rushed towards him, slapping him with her open hand.The young man was slapped with golden eyes, and wanted to fight back, but found that his strength was not as strong as the old woman who was on the verge of madness. He was slapped several times, his face was swollen, and several places were scratched by sharp nails broken.

"You crazy, shrew!" He could only push the old woman away in embarrassment, cursing as he ran, "Wait, I'm going to sue the authorities!"

Seeing Aunt Yu's disheveled hair and crazy look, the others also became a little scared, muttering "this old lady is crazy" and dispersed, each of them went home after watching the excitement, and then passed on the farce to the family members who did not come to the scene explain.

After the crowd dispersed, Aunt Yu stood panting for a while like an old lioness who had chased away the hyena. Well, it's my mother who didn't protect you..."

Shen Budu's heart was heavy, he didn't know what to say, he could only half kneel beside the old woman, and whispered to her: "My condolences."

He added: "We know that she is a good girl."

Aunt Yu was taken aback, and the tears flowed more urgently.

"They will get retribution..." she murmured, repeating over and over again, "Those people will definitely get retribution..."

-

Zhao Cong held his broken forehead, and pushed the door of the house with a look of displeasure.

Mrs. Li was rolling out the noodles, when she saw him like this, she was shocked, she put down her rolling pin to meet him, and asked anxiously, "What's wrong? Who beat you?"

Zhao Cong scolded and told what happened just now.

"The young one is a prostitute, and the old one is also an old slut!" Mrs. Li scolded angrily, not wanting to see her son being wronged, "I'll settle the score with that slut!"

"Forget it, what are you crazy about with her?" Zhao Cong held her back, "Mom, go buy me some hemostatic medicine, I'm afraid of scars."

Mrs. Li was still more worried about her son, so she hurried out to buy medicine. Before leaving, she couldn't help but mutter: "You too, what's the rush to see if you have nothing to do? Why don't you just study at home honestly? I haven't passed the exam, and I have to wait for the next year..."

When Zhao Cong heard this, his expression turned gloomy, and he went back to his room without saying a word.

His family's conditions are not good, he has no father since he was a child, and relies on Li's noodle stall business to make ends meet.He is 25 this year, but he has been failing in the provincial examination. He can only study at home all day long, and he doesn't know when he will have a bright future.

The scratches on his face were burning hot, and Zhao Cong was upset, so he untied the collar of his green shirt.

In fact, he didn't want to talk too much to be the first bird, but he was a little guilty about this.

Because the rumors about Yao Jie were first spread by him.

Yao Jie is seventeen this year, and her life is full of beauty, just like the flowers she sells.Zhao Cong had bought her flowers several times on the street, and he had long liked this gentle and reserved girl, so he confessed his love to her and wanted to marry her.

But Yao Jie politely rejected him with apologies, saying that she had no personal affection for him.

Zhao Cong was depressed and unwilling.He thought resentfully, you are just a flower girl from a poor family, and it would be nice for someone to marry you as his wife, but you still want to pick and choose?

He, Zhao Cong, has been smart since he was a child, and his neighbors praised him as a good student for studying. Although he is not happy for the time being, when he accumulates a lot of money and makes a Chinese style in one fell swoop, his Zhao family will prosper.Even if all goes well, he may still pass the general examination and then go to Beijing to meet the Holy Majesty.When the time comes, a Yuanwailang will be appointed to return to his hometown in fine clothes. What a sight it will be. He will not even look up to girls from ordinary families, let alone a little flower girl!

Then Yao Jie really didn't know what to do.

The more Zhao Cong thought about it, the more aggrieved he became. One day by chance, he saw Yao Jie helping a strange man into the ruined temple in the east of the town. His heart moved and he followed him quietly.

He thought he would encounter some terrible scenes, but he didn't expect that Yao Jie just treated the man's wound, took care of him for a night, and then went home.

But Zhao Cong came up with an idea from this.

When he returned home, he casually told Mrs. Li that he saw a girl from the Yao family committing misdeeds with a strange man in the ruined temple.

Then he went out, and shared the news in a friendly tone to a few good buddies who were preparing for the rural examination with him.

He didn't tell many people, maybe seven or eight in total, but within three days, the news seemed to grow wings, letting everyone in Lanhai Ancient County know.

After all, the town is so small, people's lives are rigid and lackluster, and they always like to hear some exciting stories to adjust.

As for whether it is true or not, who cares?

Zhao Cong's original intention was to teach Yao Jie a lesson, so that the girl's reputation would be ruined, so she would not dare to refuse his marriage proposal.Of course, after Yao Jie was completely rumored as a slut, he didn't plan to marry her anymore.

He felt that Yao Jie was no longer good enough for him.

But he still didn't expect that Yao Jie would be so fragile and forced to jump into the well by himself.

He was afraid that Yao Jie would tell her mother about her pursuit of her, and that the crazy woman would suspect him, so he took the initiative and wanted to pour dirty water on the three outsiders.

Anyway, the people in the town are like this, listening to the wind and rain, eager to find some fresh fun for themselves after dinner.When I said this myself, it is estimated that more than half of the people believed it.

Although he was slapped a few times, at least the matter was cleared up.Thinking of this, Zhao Cong finally felt a little better.

Although the wound on the face had congealed blood, it still hurt so badly that it even extended down densely, and even the neck and chest were itchy, hot and stinging.

Strange, that crazy woman didn't seem to scratch her chest.

Zhao Cong touched it puzzledly, but he touched a piece of unevenness on the skin. I don't know if it was an illusion, but the flesh under his finger seemed to be still slightly wriggling.

He was startled, and immediately looked for a mirror to take a look.

In the mirror, his neck was protruding densely with round lumps of bright red meat, wriggling like living things, squeezing each other, and then each round lump of flesh was cracked. A small black hole was opened, and slowly stretched into a long strip.

Like people opening their mouths wide open to make irresponsible remarks.

Qiqi gave him a sly smile.

The author has something to say:

Don't be angry, the wicked will be punished