Maid of a wealthy family

Chapter 19 Headless Corpse (1)
Ran Longgui looked back again, and saw his father-in-law and mother-in-law's family gathered together, crying sadly.

Ran Longgui understood everything, he no longer had the strength to move forward, his face froze, his lips parted into a semicircle, his eyes were fixed in their sockets, he just stared blankly at the road down the mountain, with the hoe in his hand. The handle and hoe slipped to the ground.After a while, the muscles at the corners of Ran Longgui's mouth twitched, and then his teeth collided as if shivering, and his eyes moved, immediately covered with a layer of crystal clear tears.He wanted to shout, but couldn't make a sound.A few round, big, glistening teardrops fell from the corners of the eyes, dripped down the cheeks onto the hot skin on the chest, mixed with sweat, and then drilled straight into the waistband of the trousers.

On the dirt road down the mountain, Chrysanthemum was still running as if being chased.The little black dog has caught up with her, like a naughty child, jumping, jumping, and laughing around the chrysanthemum.But the chrysanthemum didn't seem to see it, just covered its face and ran.

Ran Longgui looked at it for a while, and then suddenly ran forward along the rocky and thorny path on the ridge.He yelled in his heart: "Chrysanthemum, wait for me! Wait for me—"

However, only he can hear this voice.He ran for a while, the thorns scratched his soles, Ran Longgui didn't feel it at all, the rocks tripped him, he got up again and ran again.There is only one thought in his mind, that is to catch up with his chrysanthemum and let him look at it a few more times.He ran to the end of the path in one breath, and then he had to stop, panting heavily, and looked down the dirt road.

After a while, Chrysanthemum turned around the foot of the mountain and appeared on the dirt road.At this time, Ran Longgui saw that Chrysanthemum had stopped, turned around slowly, and looked in the direction he came from.He knew what Chrysanthemum was looking at, and that naughty little black dog was no longer by Chrysanthemum's side.Only the golden sunshine in the morning accompanied her silently.There is also the mountain wind passing by from time to time, blowing her hair and skirt.He saw Chrysanthemum knelt down suddenly, raised her hands to the air, then pressed the ground, and kowtowed towards her hometown.The gown on her body was too short, and when she bent down, a dazzlingly white skin on her back was exposed.Ran Longgui understood that Chrysanthemum was saying goodbye to his relatives, and was silently wishing his family.Although he couldn't hear what Chrysanthemum said, he believed that among the people Chrysanthemum wished, there must be him.Ran Longgui couldn't control his emotions anymore. With a look of despair, he silently watched Chrysanthemum stand up from the ground, then turned around and walked forward step by step, tears pouring out.The world in front of me was blurred by tears, the sun lost its brilliance, and the mountains were shaking slightly.There was a roar in his ears, as if a big gong was beating constantly in his head, and the blood throbbed in his temples.He bit his lip tightly, and he didn't know when he bit his lip, he just felt a stream of salty liquid flowing into his stomach, and he thought it was tears.

The figure of the chrysanthemum finally gradually became smaller.He still wanted to chase, but there was already a cliff in front of him, so he couldn't chase anymore.Ran Longgui had no choice but to wipe away his tears, and stared at Chrysanthemum's far away back with his eyes.New tears welled up in his eyes again, and he couldn't care less about wiping them away.With tears in his eyes, Chrysanthemum walked out of his sight, disappeared, completely disappeared.Then Ran Longgui withdrew his dull gaze, sat down on a rock, and cried "woo woo".

After crying for a while, Ran Longgui felt much better, so he stopped crying.He knew that no matter how many tears he shed, he couldn't bring back his chrysanthemum.And the only thing that can make Chrysanthemum return to him sooner is money, and only money can redeem Chrysanthemum.He remembered the oath he had made to Chrysanthemum, within half a year, he must redeem her!Yes, he must let Chrysanthemum come back sooner.But where did he find the money?Now I am poorer than in the past. I have no room and no land. Besides, living in my father-in-law's house for a long time is not an option!He had to find a way to go out and earn money, not only to earn enough money to redeem the chrysanthemum, but also to earn enough to rebuild the house!Money for furnishing and weddings.But where to earn so much money?He thought for a long time, but couldn't figure out a way out.Finally, a crack opened in his mind, and he remembered that his cousin Fukui was digging coal under the name of Huzhang Kiln Master in Jigongling Mountain, and worked as a "digger".Once, the old cousin once said to him that this job is very profitable, but it is very hard, and leaving the kiln is like entering the gate of the underworld.But at this moment, Ran Longgui couldn't care less, he needed money now, as long as he could earn money, no matter how hard, tiring or dangerous, he would be willing.Thinking of this, Ran Longgui's blood boiled, as if he saw hope, he jumped up from the ground and hurried home.

Back home, Ran Longgui told Luo Luocheng and Chrysanthemum Niang about his plan.Luo Luocheng smoked with his head sullen, and didn't speak for a long time. After hearing this, Juhua Niang said, "Long Gui, get rid of that idea soon! It's hard to be a digger, you live here with us, and we have something to drink. As long as you drink, we will not treat you as an outsider."

Ran Longgui said: "Mother, I know you won't treat me as an outsider! But you know, I want Chrysanthemum to come back soon. Besides, what are you afraid of, you are a born sufferer, what kind of suffering have you never experienced?"

Chrysanthemum Lady said again: "That job is very dangerous, and the Lord Yan holds his life in his hands."

Ran Longgui said again: "Mother, don't worry! We poor people are destined to die, and the king of Hades can't do anything!"

Chrysanthemum Lady couldn't find anything to dissuade her, so she cast her eyes on the old man.

Rhodes finished smoking a bag of cigarettes like "Ba Qing Ba Qing", knocked off the ash, and then said in a low voice: "Anyway, there is no way to go, so it's better to go out."

Ran Longgui became happy when he heard that, and said, "Father, do you agree?"

Luo Luocheng said: "Try it, if you can bear the hardship, eat it, if you can't bear the crime, then come back."

Ran Longgui replied: "Father, there is no suffering or crime that I can't bear in the world! I'll just pack up..." Before he finished speaking, he went into the house to pack up.In fact, there was nothing to clean up. His clothes had been burned away by the fire, and what he was wearing was the old father-in-law's tattered coat.He just wrapped two pairs of cloth shoes made of chrysanthemums preciously in a cloth sheet, carried them in his hands, tied a pair of straw sandals that had already been worn on his feet, and walked out.

At this moment, Lady Chrysanthemum got up tremblingly again and called Ran Longgui to her side.As the saying goes, when a mother-in-law looks at her son-in-law, the more she looks at her, the more she likes her.No matter how poor the son-in-law is, he is still the heart of the mother-in-law.She looked up and down at Ran Longgui, and couldn't help crying again.

When Ran Longgui saw it, he hurriedly said, "Mom, what's wrong with you? Go back to bed and lie down!"

Mother Chrysanthemum wiped away her tears and said tremblingly after a while: "You are leaving, Mother has nothing to give you, just want to say a few words to you..."

Ran Longgui hurriedly said: "Mom, just tell me what you want, I'm listening!"

Chrysanthemum sobbed, but couldn't speak.After a long time, I reminded myself and said: "You must take care of yourself when you are away alone..."

Ran Longgui said, "Mom, I know!"

Chrysanthemum Lady said again: "I have met someone I know, and I want to send a letter back."

Ran Longgui replied: "I remember, mother!"

Lady Chrysanthemum thought for a while, and then said: "Don't forget the chrysanthemum."

Ran Longgui was grateful for a moment, his nostrils felt sore, he nodded hurriedly and replied: "Mother, don't worry, I will never forget it!"

Chrysanthemum Lady seemed to have finished speaking, and looked straight at Ran Longgui, reluctant to let go.

When Ran Longgui saw him, he called out: "Father, mother, I'm leaving!" Then he strode out.

But before he was allowed to go far, Lady Juhua shouted again: "Long Gui—"

Ran Longgui stopped, turned his head again, looked at Ju Hua Niang, and asked, "Mom, what else?"

Chrysanthemum Lady walked a few more steps, and also came to the sunny yard, looked at Ran Longgui worriedly and said, "I forgot, there are many rules in coal mines, do you know that?"

Ran Longgui said, "What rules?"

Chrysanthemum Lady said: "I heard from those coal diggers that they saw mice in the coal, don't talk about mice..."

Ran Longgui hurriedly asked, "Then what?"

Chrysanthemum Niang said: "Say kiln pig! Kiln pig, remember?"

Ran Longgui repeated, saying, "Remember, mother!"

Chrysanthemum Lady said again: "Also, when eating meat, don't say eating meat, but say 'reward class'."

Ran Longgui said, "'Reward class'?"

Chrysanthemum Lady said: "Yes! Also, don't say 'down', 'dead', 'dead' and other unlucky words."

Ran Longgui—— nodded his head, expressing that he remembered Juhuaniang's words in his heart: "Mother, I remember everything!" After speaking, Ran Longgui knelt down towards the two old people, kowtowed to each other, and said, "Father, mother! , Thank you for your concern! I will come back to honor you when I earn money!" After kowtowing, I stood up, looked at the two old people again, turned and left.

Ran Longgui trotted all the way, and finally arrived at the foot of Jigongling Mountain at dusk.The rotten straw sandals on his feet have long been thrown away, but fortunately the thick layer of calluses on the soles of his feet helped him out, preventing his feet from blistering with blood.At the same time, he had already taken off the gown on his body, and his upper body was bare, revealing the bright and shiny skin that was tanned by the sun, in order to minimize the consumption of energy in the body.At the foot of the mountain, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at the mountains in front of him.I saw the brilliance of the setting sun dyeing the continuous stretching peaks. From the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain, from the bare and strange-shaped stones to the lean and tall green pines in the crevices of the cliff, they all looked extremely bright and clear. .Among the mountains, there are countless hidden coal mines, all of which are halfway up the mountain, close to the canyons.The kiln of Ran Longgui's old cousin Fu Kui Xiali's Huzhang Kiln Master is on the hillside of the main peak of Jigongling Mountain.On the main peak of Jigongling Mountain, there is also a temple called "Shanwang Temple".The temple is dedicated to the patriarch of the coal mine industry - Zhenshan Prince Bodhisattva.Every third day of the third month of the lunar calendar, the kiln masters of each kiln will bring their own kiln workers to pay homage to the prince Bodhisattva, in order to pray for peace and prosperity.At the same time, an upright and well-known "kiln master" should be publicly recommended to be the "leader" of the various coal mines in this mountain range, so as to coordinate the relationship between the various mines and resolve disputes.On this day, each kiln owner has to pay, and the newly elected leader will prepare a banquet "reward class"-to entertain the kiln workers to eat and drink. This is called the "Shan Wang Meeting".Of course, in addition to the "Wang Shanhui", each kiln will go to the "Zhenshan Wangye" statue to pray or burn incense to announce the good news if something happens or they get "safety charcoal".When Ran Longgui looked at the temple, it was now shrouded in a golden sunset, it looked really auspicious and full of auspiciousness.A beautiful sight.

After standing for a while, Ran Longgui went to a rock, raised his head, and pointed his mouth at the spring water flowing from the crevice of the rock, drank for a while, filled his already hungry stomach, wiped his mouth, and began to climb up the mountain up.

After climbing halfway up the mountain, Ran Longgui saw piles of coal piled up along the rocks on both sides of the canyon.Occasionally, broken baskets made of bamboo pieces can be seen lying on the pile of coal like discarded coffins.Seeing the pile of coal, Ran Longgui felt that he was coming home soon.Yes, from now on, he will be with these black coals.The dark, narrow kiln is his home, where he makes money.When he has made enough money, he will go to Lan Mansion to redeem the chrysanthemum, hold her in his arms forever, and kiss her for the rest of his life.Thinking about it, Ran Longgui raised the sails of hope in his heart.Fatigue and heat are gone.He raised his arm and looked, only to see lumps of "rat meat" bulge on his arm.He is more content.He believed that with his two arms and muscles, he would be able to take down a mountain of coal.

However, there was no one around at this time.The sun had already set, and the mist in the valley was rising, and the distant mountain peaks were somewhat blurred by the twilight.But nearby, Ran Longgui could feel a group of mosquitoes constantly "buzzing" and rushing towards his cheeks.While beating him with his clothes, he thought: "Everyone is off work? Why didn't I see anyone?" Thinking about it, he wanted to yell at the empty mountains and valleys.But he didn't, he only quickened his pace and climbed up along the path beside the coal pile.

When he climbed to the empty lawn above the coal pile, he was suddenly startled.In front of the mine, a large group of kiln workers with bare waists and only a broken sack tied around their waists were running around in panic, making loud calls and sad cries from time to time. Like something unfortunate happened.Ran Longgui looked at those black bodies soaked in coal dust, their bare feet, and the busy and noisy scene that had just come out of the coal mine, not knowing what was going on.He was about to speed up his pace and rush over to see what happened, but an old kiln worker walked over with his head down and his eyes glazed over.While walking, he murmured to himself: "Dead! Died! If you say you are dead, you are dead..."

After hearing this, Ran Longgui hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Master, who is dead?"

The old miner didn't raise his head, he still swayed forward and muttered, "Dead! There are no old and young on Huangquan Road..."

Ran Longgui didn't understand, so he chased after him and asked, "Old man, I want to ask you for someone, is Fukui here?"

The old miner still didn't seem to hear, and walked forward with a blank expression, but slightly raised his voice: "Dead! How can you say that death is death..."

After Ran Longgui heard it clearly, his mind suddenly exploded with a "boom", and an ominous consciousness immediately enveloped his heart. "Fukui is dead? Fukui is really dead..." He shuddered involuntarily.Then, as if he had fallen into an ice cave, he felt gusts of cold air coming from all directions.He took a breath, and immediately rushed towards the crowd like crazy.

(End of this chapter)