Solstice Secrets

Ling Ma's hometown is a very remote mountain village.The mountain is called Dayan Mountain, and the small village is nestled in the middle of the mountain. Because there are pomegranate trees everywhere around the village, outsiders call this village Pomegranate Village.The mountain is not high, but the forests are vast. Standing at the foot of the mountain and looking up, it will give people a feeling of deep mountains and old forests.

It counts as a branch of the Lishan Mountains, but because it is too inconspicuous, it is not marked on the map.Probably the small place is not well-known, and many locals have never even heard of the name.It took Ling Dongzhi a lot of trouble to find out the way to come here.

Only now did Ling Dongzhi understand why his mother hadn't come back for so many years.Trains and planes all go to Xi'an, and there are neither trains nor cars on the road from Xi'an to Dayan Mountain. If you want to enter the mountain, you have to find your own way.In the past two years, there have been more people buying cars. It's okay to say, how could Ling's father and Ling's mother have such a thing as a private car when they were young?Ling Dongzhi drove the car all day long, and he really had to rely on his two legs, and he didn't know how long he would have to walk.

When he came out of Xi'an, the old man who showed him the way said that until now, people on Dayan Mountain rarely come out. Of course, there are young people who go to work in the city, but more people still live there.In recent years, mountain products have become more and more popular in the market. Many merchants who collect mountain products and game go to the mountains to do business with the villagers. Life in the mountains is not difficult, but the customs are such that it is not easy to have close contact with people outside the mountains.

Ling Dongzhi felt that this description was full of mystery.Originally, he came passively to fulfill Ling Ma's wish, but now he was aroused unconsciously.

When Ling Dongzhi received his brother's call, he just came out of the hotel and planned to find a place to settle his dinner.Because of the unfamiliarity of the road, the sun was about to set when he arrived at the small town at the foot of the mountain.The people in the town told him that he couldn't go up the mountain at the moment. It was dark early in the mountain and he didn't know the way well. It would be very dangerous if he got stuck on the road.Ling Dongzhi can only find a place to rest for the night before talking.

"Fortunately, I decided to go into the mountain again tomorrow morning." Ling Dongzhi was still very happy when he received his brother's call, "Brother, do you know that they all say that the mountain is deep, and the mobile phone will lose signal after entering the mountain. If you want to hear My voice, at least a few days later, when I come down from the mountain. Oh, there should be a telephone in the village, right?"

Ling Lidong asked in his heart, where would I know this?

"It's much colder here than in the urban area." Ling Dongzhi shrunk his neck, "Did you miss me? Do you think it's really awkward to set off firecrackers on New Year's Eve without me?"

Ling Lidong sighed, "I've gotten used to it long ago without you by my side. Do the math and you haven't been home for the New Year in a few years."

Ling Dongzhi resented, "Look at you mentioning this again..."

"Hey, I have something to tell you." Ling Lidong interrupted him, "Sitting and chatting just now, Mom told Dad about asking you to go back to your hometown, and Dad lost his temper."

"Having lost your temper?" Ling Dongzhi was puzzled, "Why?"

Ling Lidong didn't know either, "Anyway, Dad is very angry. He asked me to call you and call you back immediately."

Ling Dongzhi was in a dilemma, "I'm already at the foot of the mountain." If he didn't go up and take a look, his mother would feel very sad.

His brother was also in a dilemma, "But Dad's attitude is very firm. He told you not to go, and told you to come back immediately." He lowered his voice, "I've never seen him so fierce, and Mom's eyes are red with anger."

Ling Dongzhi was also taken aback, he grew up so big, he hadn't seen the old couple quarrel very much.The main reason is that Ling's father has a very good temper and always keeps silent, even if Ling's mother wants to quarrel with him, she can't quarrel.

"Then... what should I do?" Ling Dongzhi was in a dilemma, "Look, mom is like this, if I don't go up and take a look for her, she must be very regretful. Brother, you don't know, this road is very difficult, It's far away and inconvenient, and I guess she won't have a chance to come and see it by herself in the future." She is old and in poor health, and can't stand the bumps of a long journey.

"Maybe grandma and grandpa didn't have a good relationship with dad back then?" Ling Lidong guessed, "Maybe everyone in mom's family treated dad badly back then. How about following dad's temper and making him hold grudges for so many years?"

"That makes sense." Ling Dongzhi thought for a while, "If not, you tell Dad that I'm going back now and I won't go up the mountain. Then I'll go up the mountain tomorrow, visit the fourth aunt Mom mentioned, and then go down the mountain. Two For three days, let's keep the two sides secret. Do you think this will work?"

Ling Lidong hesitated for a moment, "Is it safe on the mountain?"

"It should be safe." Ling Dongzhi thought for a while, "The people in the hotel said that there are often merchants who collect mountain goods to go to Pomegranate Village. There should be no problem along the way."

Ling Lidong is still thousands of miles away, so how dare you give him blind instructions, you can only tell him, "You should ask the local people more and find out the situation before you talk. If you can't do it, don't go, mom can still tell you Are you really angry?"

"I know."

Ling Lidong hesitated for a moment, "Winter Solstice, Zhuangzhou is looking for me."

"Huh?" Ling Dongzhi's body paused slightly, "When?"

"The second day after you left. Did you block his mobile phone number?" Ling Lidong said helplessly, "He looks bad, his eyes are bloodshot."

Ling Dongzhi frowned, feeling a little irritable in his heart.

"I've scolded you, get out." Ling Lidong's tone was somewhat dark, "I'll let him sort out his family affairs before looking for you."

Ling Dongzhi knew that he didn't really want to torment Zhuang Zhou, he just didn't want to face the dealer's people.Zhuang Lin himself said that his father was not a fuel-efficient lamp.To be made trouble by the end of Xia again, that feeling is too bad.

What Ling Dongzhi didn't want to admit was that seeing Mo Xia's tough attitude, he was suddenly shaken by the so-called relationship.If Zhuang Zhou chose to give up under the influence of Xia Mo, he didn't want to witness his struggle with his own eyes.Or, he also wanted to give himself a chance to think about it all.He never minded being alone, he enjoyed it more.But Zhuang Zhou obviously needs someone to accompany him to feel content.

Such a contradictory mood made him unable to face Zhuang Zhou.

Ling Dongzhi wandered around the town and finally found a small restaurant.The store is small, but it's pretty clean.When Ling Dongzhi entered, there were no customers in the store. Behind the counter, a middle-aged woman was knitting a sweater watching a small TV. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and greeted him with a smile, "Sit, the cooking stove you ordered is cooking. , it will take a while."

Ling Dongzhi froze for a moment, "I didn't order food, I just found your place."

The proprietress was also a little surprised, "The hotel just called and said that they want to order a meal for ten people, and they said that they will come over to eat later... so they are not together? Oh, sit down, I will pour you a glass of water. On the table There is a menu, you can see what you want to eat first.”

There is only one hotel in this small town, when Ling Dongzhi stayed there, there were not many guests, so he probably went there after he came out, and both sides happened to miss it.

Ling Dongzhi was flipping through the menu on the table, and seeing the proprietress coming out with boiling water, he said, "Stewed pheasant with mushrooms, braised pork ribs, and rice. Hey, proprietress, isn't the pheasant protected? Don't make me commit a crime."

The proprietress was happy, "Brother, don't worry about eating. They didn't come from the mountains. Wang Laoqi at the east end of the town has a big yard at his home. If you really rely on hunting in the mountains, how can you guarantee that there are every day? But this pig It’s really wild game, someone killed wild boars in the mountains two days ago and sold them in the town.”

Wild pork is also sold in the city. Ling Ma bought it twice, and Ling Dongzhi didn't taste anything special.Or maybe those aren't really wild boars.

The proprietress ran to the back kitchen to help with the cooking.Ling Dongzhi sat and waited for his meal bored, there wasn't even a newspaper here, only the small TV on the counter was playing a costume palace drama from a few years ago, women, you fuck me and I fuck you, Ling The winter solstice doesn't like to watch, so it can only be patient and kill time.

When the scent in the kitchen gradually wafted out, a burst of talking and laughing came from the entrance of the restaurant.As soon as Ling Dongzhi looked up, he happened to meet these people face to face.It was a group of young people, he thought in his heart that these people looked a little familiar, and a girl laughed sharply, "Teacher Ling! What a coincidence that you are here!"

Ling Dongzhi felt that she was more familiar than others, "You are..."

"I knew you didn't remember me." The girl was not angry, and she walked over and sat down opposite him. "I'll give you some hints: the art exhibition, the auditorium of the Normal University, and the award ceremony. Do you have any impression? I sat at the Next to you, Teacher Ling. I was the one who held your coat for you when you went on stage to receive your award."

Ling Dongzhi had a vague impression, "It's you."

The girl became happy, and waved her hands at the people behind her, "Ms. Ling Dongzhiling from Nanshan Middle School won the gold medal at the art exhibition."

Those who participated in the award ceremony that day had impressions of Ling Dongzhi, on the one hand because he was the gold medal winner, and on the other hand, Ling Dongzhi's appearance was outstanding after all, so it was easy to leave a deep impression on others.The young people gathered around, only then did Ling Dongzhi notice that there was a middle-aged man in his forties following behind them.

"This is Professor Kong Minghui, the leader of our research team," the girl named Zeng Juan who spoke to Ling Dongzhi first introduced, "We are all from the Department of Biology."

Ling Dongzhi shook hands with Professor Kong, and asked them puzzledly, "Is the Department of Biology traveling so far for research?"

Kong Minghui is a very kind person. When he heard him ask this question, he explained with a smile: "The subject of our group's declaration this year is the red-billed gull. The pollution has increased over the years, and the red-billed gull is almost extinct."

Ling Dongzhi looked at the mobile phone that Zeng Juan handed over, and on the screen of the mobile phone was a small bird with a red beak.Ling Dongzhi doesn't understand this, but thinks that this little thing has a red mouth, white hair and golden claws, and looks quite energetic, "Is there any here? Are there no other places?"

Professor Kong said with a smile: "I don't know if there are other places. There is no report in this regard. The reason why I know that there are red-billed gulls in Dayan Mountain is because my mentor brought me here."

Ling Dongzhi understood, and said in his heart that this group of people doing research is even more crazy than him, who runs around as he pleases.This New Year's Eve, this barren mountain...

Zeng Juan asked him a little suspiciously, "Mr. Ling, are you... traveling?"

Ling Dongzhi shook his head, "My mother's hometown is on the mountain, and I came here on her behalf to see relatives in my hometown. But it's also my first time here."

Professor Kong said with a smile: "Then let's go with a companion, we have a lot of people."

Ling Dongzhi glanced at the three girls and six strong young men around him, and felt satisfied that now Ling Lidong didn't have to worry about his safety.

"Going up the mountain tomorrow?"

Professor Kong nodded, "Our time and funds are limited, and we must go up the mountain tomorrow."

Ling Dongzhi nodded happily, "Then let's go together."

The author has something to say: Tomorrow the winter solstice will enter the mountains, and here will be a turning point in the story~ These few people will be the companions of the winter solstice in the mountains