Human dimension reduction

Xie Zhuo and his team set off in March and arrived in Mobei at the end of September. Mobei has long winter and short summer, and September is already the beginning of winter. There was a frost just two days before they arrived, and the withered yellow The grass lay limply against the ground, lingering feebly.

The further north you go, the colder it gets. Several officials put on the winter clothes they had prepared. Agou followed suit and tried his best to get warm clothes for himself and Mr. Sanlang. Of course, it couldn't be a fox fur sable cloak. , It's just a worn-out winter coat bought from a farmer when passing by, and a farmer who is good at darning has been carefully stitched.

According to the law, they had such a tight time on the road that they couldn't find time to hire someone to make new clothes. Even if the guards were willing to tolerate them, they didn't have such a good amount of new cotton and new cloth for them, so Ah Gou could only hold this stuff together. Xigou's winter clothes were washed twice, for fear of lice and insect eggs in them - he came up from the bottom, so naturally he knew what was going on inside these winter clothes that had been used over and over for an unknown number of years.

Of course, Mr. Xie Sanlang would not know these things. The further he went north, the more serious his expression became, and the longer he spent in silence and thinking alone. Spend a lot of time talking to farmers.

Ah Gou listened in twice, not so much as a "dialogue", but more like a unilateral listening by Mr. Saburo.

With cloudy eyes, the peasants recalled little by little what happened during the six-year war, telling them how they crawled out of the dead, and picked up the fragmented bones of their relatives from the fire left by the northern barbarians. Buried under a tree; and how they opened their eyes to watch them drag out the young children from the neighbors, hang them upside down on a wooden frame, cut their throats and bleed, and slaughter them like sheep.

"...The northern barbarians call those children who are less than the height of a wheel 'flesh and flesh crisp', because they only need very little firewood to bake the flesh and bones crispy. They don't like to eat men, and it is too troublesome to cook, but they The softest meat in the chest and abdomen will be cut off and taken away, and the old people with old and sour flesh will be killed..."

"Sometimes they would choose to raise people and animals. When they captured a lot and couldn't eat them clean, they would choose some children and women to take away with the army. They asked them to forage for themselves on the way to feed themselves. When the army food was not enough, they dragged them and killed them. Just like raising cattle and sheep..."

The farmer's low and hoarse cough echoed in the dilapidated hut, and Ah Gou couldn't take it anymore after listening halfway through. He felt that the pores of his body were trembling. This extreme, unimaginable fear made him subconsciously think Stay away from this expressionless old man, who is holding a straw handle in his hand and making a straw basket. I don't know if he is aware of Ah Gou's fear. He is still talking about these things in a flat manner.

"When they came back for the first time, they just asked for money, and they left after they searched everything. Maybe there will be a second and third batch later... The people from the northern barbarians kept coming, and everything in the house was gone. Later, They even taught them to lift the roof of the shed, and San Niu fell from it and broke it in the same way."

The old man with wrinkled skin was extremely numb from his expression to his eyes. He talked about the experience of his family's ruin, but his tone was like a pool of stagnant water, as if a bystander was narrating a tragic story that had nothing to do with him. sleepy.

He is definitely the worst storyteller in the world. He can only use the rich blood and tears in the story to earn rewards from the listeners, and such a tragic and mournful story is enough to make every person who tries to come here to have fun after dinner People feel sorry for each other, cover their faces and walk away.

Ah Hook listened halfway and really couldn't take it any longer, so he quietly left the corner, and when he was about to go out, he turned around in a strange way, and was taken aback for some reason.

In the room there is only a little orange flame from the firewood burning, and the bright red firewood scalded by the high temperature is intertwined. The old man with white and messy hair is lowering his head, weaving a straw basket with ten fingers full of sores, his eyes are numb The ground hangs down, his line of sight seems to be cast on a basket, or thrown into a fire, and he disappears lifelessly in a corner of the dark room; the young man opposite him is also sitting upright, wearing a similar coarse linen suit and long hair He rolled it up, with a solemn expression, the bamboo knife and pen in his hand drooping slightly, and the cotton wool was exposed at the cracked cuffs, but such abjection did not diminish his extraordinary bearing.

Young and old, silent and numb, gentle and humble.

The orange light of the flames cast too eye-catching light and shade on them, and Mr. Xie Sanlang sitting in the shabby house did not look out of place at all, which made Ah Gou feel...indescribably frightened.

For the first time, he regretted his choice.

Every word the old man said was like a shackle soaked in blood, tied to countless innocent souls, trying to drag the Merry Fairy above Yundun down the mortal world, roll in the mud, and face the most bleak and terrifying world evil.

And he... and the act of kneeling down and begging him was the first step in putting chains on the immortal's body.

When the thin bamboo pieces broke again, they arrived at Dingzhou, a city in northern Mobei. After the officials reported to the officials in charge of exiled criminals in Dingzhou, they bid farewell to Xie Zhuo and embarked on the road back to the capital.

The petty official is tall and big, with a temperament of being in the army, his skin is rough from the wind and sun for many years, after looking at Xie Zhuo a few times, it seems that he doesn't like the children of such an aristocratic family, but not much. What to say, he said coldly: "It's a coincidence that you came here, winter is coming, and the work of reclaiming wasteland and preparing fields is over, but there is still some work to repair the city wall, so follow your seniors to repair the city wall."

Ah Hook's nerves tensed up suddenly.

Repair the city wall? !This is a life-threatening chore!Dozens of hundreds of catties of big rocks and sand have to be carried by people, and the supervisor will scold and whip him if he is a little slow. A person like San Lang who can't lift his hands or shoulders, won't he be beaten to death when he climbs the city wall? !

"This servant..." Ah Gou took a step forward, the little official seemed to know what he was going to say, and looked at A Gou with a vicious sharpness in his eyes. Hook was so frightened that he didn't have time to say the rest.

Xie Zhuo raised his hand and pulled Ah Gou behind him, and nodded to the little official: "To be honest, I have been studying since I was a child, and I have never done hard work. I am afraid that I can't do well in building the city wall. It will slow down other people's progress, the only advantage is that I can read some words, and it is cheaper to do some desk work, can you accommodate me and arrange some suitable work for me?"

Hearing this, the petty official twitched his lips. He probably heard all kinds of pleading words from the prisoners. He was immune to such rhetoric. Just as he was about to sarcastically, Xie Zhuo continued unhurriedly: "Mo The staff of the Beifu government has always been tight, and there are not even one or two people in the military camp who can write and count. In the wars in the past few years, the people who were exiled here have died. Half of the National People's Congress died on the road, so I dare to ask—has the military rations and salaries sent by the capital this year been accounted for and distributed?"

As soon as these words came out, the sarcasm on the little official's face turned into bewilderment.

He didn't know anything about military rations and salaries, he just felt that the person in front of him seemed to be different from other prisoners who asked to do light work.

Xie Zhuo dared to ask himself to be exiled to Mobei so firmly, because he had a general understanding of this place, and he would not die here in a daze. He was not exiled to Mobei to work as a coolie to repair the city wall. So what if he is pardoned or not? ...

He will go back to the capital sooner or later.

Returning to the imperial capital of Great Xia, stirred up the whirlpool of wind and cloud that engulfed the world.

The little official was persuaded for some reason, and took Xie Zhuo to a construction site, pointing to the hunched workers in front of him in shackles: "These are all prisoners caught by the government office. Those caught repairing the city wall will lack someone to take care of all the miscellaneous tasks, so you can work here with the master for the time being."

Mobei is far away from the capital, and the sky is high and the emperor is far away. He doesn't care much about the punishments imposed by the court, not to mention that Xie Zhuo's punishment document only mentions exile and doesn't say what he will do in exile in Mobei, even if he is ordered to To repair the city wall, if the government thinks he has other uses, then it is not impossible to make a change.

Especially in Mobei, the style of writing is weak, unlike Jiangnan, where the style of learning is flourishing. Because Mobei is close to the northern barbarians, it is always necessary to defend against foreign enemies. Anyone who can read two characters is a gentleman here, and those who can write are even more talented. , literati are extremely scarce.

Xie Zhuo's words really hit the little official's mind.

In fact, it is not uncommon to transfer prisoners to other jobs, provided that...

The little official rolled his eyes, and took A-Gou aside: "What did your master do? I heard that he falsely accused the Shangguan?"

Ah Gou hesitated for a moment: "I...I don't know if this is true...but I don't think Mr. Lang would do such a thing."

As he said, he turned his head and glanced at Xie Zhuo who was talking to the master not far away: "Lang Jun wants to bring down a minister of the Ministry of War, so there is no need to risk his life."

The little official didn't understand this sentence: "What a big tone! Shang Shu is a great official! He can talk to the emperor!"

Ah Gou glanced at the little official without saying a word: "Do you know who Mr. Lang is? Forget it..."

"Lang Jun wanted to compile the history of the Six Years' War, but the adults in the court were unwilling. After detours for a while, I didn't understand what was going on, so Lang Jun was sentenced to exile in Mobei."

Ah Gou really didn't understand why this happened at first, but along the way, he seemed to know something vaguely, and even had some doubts... Was it Langjun's original plan to be sentenced to exile in Mobei?

Those grown-ups didn't want him to write history, so he read, walked, and wrote by himself.

The little official's eyes changed when he heard this sentence, his expression was inexplicably surprised: "Revise history for the Six Years' War?"

After a pause, he nodded and said in a low voice, "I see, let your master wait."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and was about to leave. After taking two steps, he suddenly turned his head again: "What's your master's name?"

Ah Gou looked at him inexplicably, but still replied: "Lang Jun, Xie's family is three, taboo."

The little official frowned: "Such a long name?"

Ah Gou paused suspiciously for a while, then said concisely, "My surname is Xie and my name is Zhuo."

The little official understood it this time, and suddenly realized, he repeated the word "Xie Zhuo" over and over several times, and walked away slowly at a bumpy pace.

Even if the work is easier, Xie Zhuo will not be treated better. He lives in the same shabby hut as the other prisoners. Living alone with Ah Gou, the broken straw mats on the roof are only broken at the corners, which can barely shelter the wind, so there is no need to think about the rest of the functions.

Xie Zhuo was taking advantage of the last moment of the day when the rays of light in the sky had not faded away, and he was writing down everything he heard on the road. There were no tables and chairs in the house, only a bed made of straw, and he was sitting by the bed like this , bent over and put the bamboo piece on his knees, and engraved words in the dim yellow light.

A man stood by the door and watched for a long time, without disturbing the people in the room, he backed away silently.

The next day, Xie Zhuo got a transfer order from the chief secretary of the Dingzhou Army, asking him to work as a clerk under the command of the Dingzhou Army Quartermaster to help sort out various military supplies.

This job sounds troublesome and trivial, but it is easy for someone like Xie Zhuo who has a long-term memory. spare time.

In addition, a large amount of paper and pens are needed for the arrangement of military supplies, and those redundant and useless pieces of paper and bamboo can be taken by them at will, which is a rare and good place.

In less than half a month, everyone in the Dingzhou army knew an interesting story: a strange man came to the military supply camp, and he liked to chat with veterans.

He doesn't chat with young recruits, he only looks for veterans who have been in the army for many years. When this happened, his complexion would change, and a fierce air would appear in his bones.

"Master Xie... is an amazing person." A veteran said something meaningful, and then kept the conversation in the account tight-lipped.

How long has it been?Someone actually got the respect of this group of soldiers?He is still a scholar with no strength to restrain a chicken!

More and more people are curious about that strange man in the military supply camp, but the other party basically does not come out of the tent, as if a stone statue has grown inside, and not many people in the Dingzhou Army have seen him!

Gradually, some people made dirty jokes about him. The soldiers in the barracks didn't show any morals, and every sentence they said was worse than one sentence. Veterans of the day.

They are in groups, and when they catch anyone who speaks bad words, they will beat them until the other party hugs their head and begs for mercy and promises to stop talking nonsense again.

After a period of time like this, the bad-mouthers disappeared, and everyone's curiosity about the weird guy who never showed his face could not be suppressed.

Could this be a fox who has become a spirit?How can you hook people's souls just by chatting?