Tiger falls to Pingyang

Shangguanxiu hid in a small depression in Tiger Cave, licking his wounds alone, lost his house, and the kiln factory would also fall into the hands of his uncle. He didn't want to drag Ading into suffering.Closing his eyes, thinking about the little things he had with his father, his heart gradually warmed up, and his mind lingered in what his father said before he was alive: "Your uncle and those uncles and nephews are all smarter than you, what's so annoying about your father..."

With a gloomy expression, he thought about his uncle's unscrupulous encroachment on everything. There were still five shops on hand, A Ding was settled in Longquan time-honored shop, and there were still four shops in other places to be dealt with... Remembering that his father paved a way for him, now, he I have to leave my hometown as soon as possible and go to another place...

With his bundle in his arms, he calculated that although he didn't have much silver on him, it would be no problem to save money and travel a long distance.Happily...not accompanied...

I was so annoyed that I had to leave A-Ding behind, "Tsk..." I bit my lip, worried that the journey would be so long that I couldn't lift it with my hands or shoulders, and if I encountered robbers robbing me halfway, I didn't lose my life. I am afraid that I will starve to death on the way before I reach my destination.

The more I thought about it, the more flustered I became, and I didn't know who could help...Suddenly, a person appeared in my mind-the dumb man.He thought to himself that he had helped him too, if he went to ask him, maybe he would be willing...

Shangguan Xiu made up his mind and got up immediately to go.

His legs were almost broken, it was almost noon, and he finally found the outside of the Wanlai Inn, Shangguanxiu didn't dare to go inside to spend money to eat, so he simply waved to the shopkeeper Wang at the door.

The shopkeeper Wang couldn't help being stunned when he saw him. "Brother Shangguan..." After a while, he got out of the counter and stood with him outside the inn.

"Why are you here?"

"I have something to ask."

"Borrow two taels of silver?" Shopkeeper Wang asked directly.At this moment, at that moment, he has heard about the housework of little brother Shangguan.A while ago, all the guests mentioned that the owner of the Longquan kiln passed away and his wife left. The only son left behind couldn't support the family business, so the salary couldn't be paid out. He borrowed a lot of silver from the ticket shop with the house.

"No, I want to borrow someone from you."

"Ah, who do you want to borrow?" The clerks in the inn can't lend them out, and none of them are materials for kiln workers.

Shangguan Xiu said, "I want to borrow a dumb man from you."

"Mute?!" Shopkeeper Wang yelled strangely, what can he do?

"Can you?" Shangguanxiu looked worried, afraid that the shopkeeper Wang would refuse.

"Ask yourself, he didn't sell it to me. At the beginning, I just pitied that down-and-out man who was being bullied everywhere like a beggar on this street, so I asked him to come to my place to guard the stables and do some odd jobs. , in exchange for three meals of food and clothing.”

"Well, if he agrees, shopkeeper Wang has no choice but to hire another person to guard the stables and do odd jobs. I won't borrow it for a long time, and I will pay you back after the work is done."

"..." Shopkeeper Wang didn't respond, thinking to himself that this little Shangguan brother is used to being a young master, he really has never seen anything in the world, he said that people are not sold into slavery, how can there be debts and repayments.

"You can ask him, I have no objection."

"Thank you, I won't disturb your business."

"Yeah." Shopkeeper Wang spun around and stepped into the inn, shaking his head—brother Shangguan, are you stupid? Why don't you look for someone... but find a dumb man, which makes people look down even more... Hey!

In the stables—

Shangguan Xiu was full of sincerity, and explained his purpose to the dumb man: "I would like to invite you to accompany me on some important matters. I will provide food and lodging during the journey, and I will pay you some money to express my heart after the matter is completed." .”

The person who heard these words did not express anything, just looked down at him for a while, frowning, and then looked a little embarrassed, opening and closing his mouth without making a sound, as if planning to gesture with his hands.

"Well... I wonder if you understand... I want to ask you to accompany me on something very important."

He heard it.

Shangguan Xiu lowered his head and sighed: "There is no response." After a while, he muttered: "Don't worry, we don't have to walk, the distance is long, and I will buy a mule cart later..." He made all the plans, and gave up After the shop, by the way, ask the big shopkeeper for some silver taels to pay for the cost of hiring the dumb man and the cost of the return journey.

"Can you nod your head?" He raised his face again and looked at his entire chin covered with beard. If it is clean shaved, it will be refreshing.

After waiting and waiting, there was still no response.

Shangguan Xiu slightly lowered his head to examine what he was wearing, there were several patches, as for the ones that were not patched, there were several small holes in this one and that small piece, the clothes should be discarded.

I can't help thinking to myself: I have to buy two sets of clothes for him to replace, and I estimate the money, it is still enough.

At this moment, the head hangs lower, and the eyes fall on the dumb man's big toe protruding from the shoe, which seems to be not suitable for the shoe, because there are cut marks on the cloth... It should be replaced with a pair that fits.

Suddenly, he stretched out his hand to hold his palm, not too dirty or smelly, and took him away as soon as he turned around.

The person behind was stunned for a moment, and let him lead him out of the stable.

Walking in the streets of the market, Shangguan Xiu always led the dumb man, not caring about other people's eyes.Both of them are fallen people, the difference is that one has nothing; the other is heavily in debt.Occasionally, there would be one or two harsh words, nothing more than ridiculing him for leading a mongrel dog... He couldn't help frowning, it was really insulting!

Unexpectedly, he encountered difficulties in buying everything he needed when he walked into the store. Most of the stores refused to sell his things, and even drove the two of them away rudely, which made him feel helpless and angry.After finally buying what he needed, he drove the mule cart and carried the dumb man bumpily all the way away from this annoying market.

"Before, I never thought that your life would be so difficult..." He said to himself, regardless of whether the dumb man would pay attention to him or not.

"I want to find a place with water first, so that you can clean yourself up." The hood of the car behind was not big, and it seemed a little narrow for the dumb man to stay inside.With this in mind, he declared beforehand: "If we can't find a place to live, we'll have to sleep in a mule cart. Would you mind being so shabby?"

He was afraid that people would run away and leave him alone, which was terrifying.After waiting for a long time, there was no sound at all, and the dumb man refused to even gesticulate.Shangguan Xiu sighed in frustration.

The man who closed his eyes and meditated listened to him talking all the way, saying whatever came to his mind, quite noisy.

Huo Di opened a pair of sharp knife eyes, staring at the prey in front of him, with a bloodthirsty impulse in his body, sizing up the figure and frail appearance, the knife was over at once... Tsk, it felt boring.

Shangguan Xiu suddenly remembered that the dumb man was probably hungry, it was almost evening, and he hadn't forgotten to buy a few steamed buns earlier to satisfy his hunger.The burden was beside him, Shangguanxiu fished out a pack of oily paper bags, and immediately threw it behind him, saying, "I'll give you the buns, I'm not hungry."

In fact, he was so hungry that his chest was stuck to his back. In order to save money, he would rather wrong himself first.

A steamed stuffed bun rolled out of the oil-paper bag, the dumb man picked it up, bit it off, and honestly offered sacrifices to the Temple of the Five Zang-organs.

Shangguan Xiu looked back and smiled slightly. "I knew you must be hungry."

About half an hour later, Shangguanxiu parked the mule cart in a forest. There was a small stream on the downhill not far away. He remembered coming with Ading.Immediately, he took out a change of clothes and shoes to the dumb man, and said, "There is a stream near here, you can go take a bath." After saying that, he remembered that he had bought a knife, so he took it out and handed it to the dumb man.

"Shave the beard on your face, it will look less scary." He forced himself to smile, saying that he was not afraid that the mute man was a lie, and he had to find him to accompany him all the way.

The person holding the shirt in his hand could see through his forced smile at a glance, and he couldn't miss the shadow under his eyes, and his expression looked haggard.Turning around to leave, he chose a more secluded place, took off his dirty clothes, shoes and trousers, waded into the stream, and washed himself clean from head to toe.

The afterglow of the setting sun pierced through the gaps in the branches and leaves of the forest, reflecting his refreshed body. His loose hair was dripping with water. After shaving off his mustache, his facial features became more angular, with a straight nose, thick eyebrows like swords, especially a pair of sharp His knife eyes are frightening.He walked steadily, and returned to the mule cart without a sound, and found that the prey that was automatically delivered in his hands had fallen asleep.

Inside the hood, there wasn't even a blanket.I really don't know whether to admire his courage, or to laugh at him for being so stupid that he trusts people too much. If anyone doesn't hold him, he will hold him. If he had the heart, he would have been cut to pieces.

Quietly, he tied the mule under the tree and searched. It was not difficult to find food in the woods in the wilderness.

His movements are exceptionally strong, he moves like a rabbit, he only needs to lift his breath two or three times before he jumps up the tree trunk, breaks off several branches as thick as wrists, collects them into piles, and then disappears into the forest.

After an unknown amount of time, he returned to the mule cart again, with two skinned and cleaned rabbit meat already in his hand.

I set up branches, piled up weeds and fallen leaves, and looked back for fire pockets.The person sleeping in the hood was holding a bundle, and he grabbed it with his big palm, but the sleeping person didn't respond.

laugh!He secretly thought that if he didn't have a companion, the person who fell asleep might not know how to die on the way within three days.

He had never seen such ignorance.

He rummaged through the bundle with his hands, found a few ingots of silver and clothes, took out the fire folder, and stuffed the bundle back into his arms.

After an hour and a half, he roasted the rabbit meat by himself, paying attention to the movement around him at all times. In the sparsely populated forest, it looked extraordinarily gloomy in the dark night.

Shangguanxiu slept until he woke up hungry, the temple of five viscera gurgled, gurgling, and the smell of meat wafted in the air. He poked his head out of the hood and looked at the person who had just turned his head. Shangguanxiu couldn't help being stunned..."You...are who?"

The person being questioned ignored him, turned his head, and the cold expression disappeared from the eyes of the already dumbfounded person.

Shangguan Xiu never knew that a dumb man's facial features were good-looking. Compared with the Han people, his rough and tall stature gave people a very strong sense of oppression. "Does it fit?" he asked.The next moment, he realized that the question was useless, so he simply slipped out of the mule cart and sat beside him, staring at the delicious meat for a long time...

The dumb man took a big bite off the half-baked rabbit meat, squinted at him with a greedy face, slipped his Adam's apple, and swallowed frequently...

"I didn't expect you to be hunting..." He was so hungry, if he had known earlier, he wouldn't have given all the meat buns to the dumb man.

The silent person picked up the branches, picked the rabbit meat on the wooden rack, and turned it over to roast.

Shangguan Xiu raised his face, looked straight at him to see if he would reciprocate, and gave him a taste.

The dumb man was chewing the rabbit meat, and threw the bone casually, hitting Shangguan Xiu's shoe, as if on purpose.

He suddenly felt that it was a pity that some minced meat was stuck to the bones and he hadn't gnawed it off, what a waste...

It's been a while since he didn't know what it's like to eat meat, and he couldn't help but think of Ading, who was a few years older than him, taking care of him like an elder brother... He reached out and gently grabbed the sleeve corner of the person beside him, as if seeking a little comfort.

The dumb man was startled, his eyes fell on his drooping profile, the moth-wing-like eyelashes fluttered slightly, and the shadow under his eyes deepened.The pampered southerners are so weak, like a woman, suddenly he felt hot in his stomach, and he almost forgot how long he hadn't touched a woman, but he was provoked by him in an instant.

Secretly restraining his mind, he grabbed the rabbit meat on the wooden shelf with his big hands, which was almost cooked, and he handed it to him.

Shangguan Xiu widened his eyes and asked, "Are you going to give it to me..."

He shook the hot rabbit meat, seeing that there was no response from the person, he put it directly in his hand the next moment, causing a cry of surprise.

"Oh, it's so hot..." Shangguan Xiu blew on his fingers fiercely, and the overcooked rabbit meat fell on his thighs. The cloth blocked the scalding temperature. He waited patiently for a long time before peeling the meat strips. eat.

The mute squinted at him, even eating like a woman... Gradually, a thought popped up in his mind, wanting to swallow him alive...

Shangguanxiu and the dumb man were companions, and it was all right to be pointed and pointed out along the way, and being unpopular was commonplace.

Entering the inn to be the tip, the shopkeeper saw him coming, and said very politely, "Guest, do you want to live in a first-class room or..."

"An ordinary room is fine." Shangguan Xiu smiled, feeling uneasy in his heart.

He gave a piece of silver to settle the one-night stay fee, and when the shopkeeper called for a clerk to come and guide him, Shangguan Xiu said at this moment: "Please wait a moment, I still have a friend outside the door."

"Oh." After waiting for a while, the guy suddenly opened his eyes wide and his mouth trembled: "You...you..."

The dumb man with a tall horse stepped into the inn, and immediately caused a few gasps.

Shangguan Xiu maintained a forced smile on his face, "Please guide the way."

"Wait!" An angry reprimand immediately shattered his delusion.

The shopkeeper yelled: "Our store does not accept barbarian bastards from outside, this little brother, please take back your silver, and get out immediately with someone—"

Shangguan Xiu was so startled that he bumped into the dumb man behind him.

"Hum..." snorting, the shopkeeper dismissed them both.

Some people in the inn started clamoring and persuading: "Little brother, you don't know that the northern barbarians have invaded the border year after year, and they have fought everywhere, causing many families to be destroyed... The barbarian bastard behind you is the enemy of our Han people. It’s no wonder that you are not welcome when you are around you and call yourself brothers and sisters.”

"Hey!" A guest at another table suggested, "You'd better ignore him, you'll be a better person yourself."

"Yes, little brother. I think you look like a literati. How could you know that barbarian bastard? Could it be that you were coerced?"

"That's not it..." He stepped forward to take back the money, then dragged the dumb man away, stepped out of the inn with a serious face, didn't care about being scolded, but couldn't listen to the barbarian bastard, it made people feel extremely uncomfortable.

On the mule cart, he drove the dumb man away from the place of right and wrong, so as not to be affected again.

"I'm sorry... I caused you to hear those hurtful words again." His face was stinky, and he cursed secretly that the court was incompetent. Can you blame others for violating the border?In the war together, is it only the Han people who suffer?

In the southern region, people often lose their minds due to racial complexes.Businessmen don't talk about these things. My father said before his death: Wherever people live, no matter where they come from, there are business opportunities.

Gradually, sadness came from it, and tears crawled all over my cheeks, as if fleeing, unable to find a place to stay.

Isn't that the case for dumb people? How about the Han people who are oppressed and bullied?Is it true kindness?Wouldn't you be mean and unreasonable to others?

"Mute, once I have the ability, I will definitely bring you by my side and let you stay with me for the rest of my life. I won't bully you, I won't underestimate you, I won't be like those bastards..." He gritted his teeth and promised, Tears are as uncontrollable as anger, and his inner dissatisfaction is intertwined with his unknown pain. How can people who have not experienced it understand the feeling.

For the first time in his life, a surge of hatred sprang from the bottom of his heart, and he swore to himself that one day, he would figure out everything he had lost and get it back with interest!

The person leaning against the hood turned a deaf ear to what he said, his eyes flashed scenes of distant scenery, until a tear hit his cheek, he turned around in a daze, and the slender figure that caught his eyes was straight and sitting upright. , unwilling to admit defeat under the pressure of others.

Finally realized that the girl-like kid was crying with anger... The corner of his mouth curled up, and he sneered.

Arriving outside the shop under his banner, shopkeeper Yan immediately welcomed him into the shopkeeper's room, closed the doors and windows, and turned around, only slightly surprised that the young master brought a foreigner with him, "Ah Ding, why didn't you go with the young master this time?"

Shangguanxiu recounted what happened... "Old shopkeeper, don't hesitate, quickly write a transfer letter, I have to rush to another shop."

Shopkeeper Yan carried out what he said, and took a pen and paper to write down the young master's explanation, and then the young master drew and pledged it. This shop has changed owners.

"Master, what do you plan to do from now on?"

"I can only take one step at a time."

When shopkeeper Yan heard the words, he suddenly felt sad, knelt down on his knees, and bowed to the young master again and again. "The young master is kind-hearted. There is such a big incident in our hometown. We can't help. We have to trouble the young master to come here in person to save our jobs. I would like to express my gratitude to the young master on behalf of the people under my command! "

Shangguan Xiu quickly helped him up, "I can't afford it, it was my father who told me to do it before he died."

Shopkeeper Yan suddenly understood, "The master probably expected that the young master would not be able to defeat that profit-hungry old guy. He didn't even spare his own relatives. It can be seen that this person's heart and liver have been eaten by dogs!"

Shangguan Xiu's heart ached and he had nothing to say.

Shopkeeper Yan wiped away his tears with his sleeves, and called out: "Young master, don't worry, as long as I'm here, this shop will always be yours, and we can just make a fuss on the surface to deceive outsiders."

He was noncommittal, turned his face away, and said in a muffled voice: "Old shopkeeper, I'm short of money, so I have to ask you for it."

"This is what it should be, don't say you want it, the money in the shop is yours, please remember this, young master." Shopkeeper Yan opened the drawer of the desk case, took out a bank note and handed it to the young master.

"I don't need so much, just give me a few taels of silver." He handed back the bank note, resolutely refusing to accept it.

"Master..."

"Don't procrastinate, I have to hurry." He forced a smile, his mental and physical strength was almost exhausted, and after collecting a few ingots of silver, he left with the dumb man.

When I came to the other three shops, I did the same thing. As shopkeepers, all of them were grateful to him for his kindness and righteousness, just like his father's attitude towards others.

After leaving, Shangguan Xiu bought food for the dumb man at a nearby restaurant. "Both of us are not welcome no matter where we go, so we have to wrong you to stay in the hood." Knowing that the mute can't speak, he still can't change the habit of telling him.

The two got along for a while, although they couldn't stay in an inn or found a farmhouse or a private house willing to stay for a night, the dumb man didn't show any dissatisfaction, maybe he got used to it.

Inexplicably, he felt guilty.

Looking at the village in the distance, the rising smoke made him miss the entrance of the Longquan kiln. He was so dazed that he didn't notice that there was a hole in the muddy road ahead. Suddenly, the car body bounced up and tilted precariously. Shangguanxiu couldn't react in time, and he fell fell to the ground.

Horrified, the hood of the mule cart was overturned. He instinctively closed his eyes and raised his elbows to protect his face. The expected crush did not happen.Slowly returning to his senses, he unexpectedly saw the dumb man on the other side, as if he had a natural power to hold the car body, the mule raised its feet and screamed, and the shaking wheels were only a few inches away from the feet. He broke out in a cold sweat and crawled Also fled to the side of the grass.

After a while, everything was quiet.

The mute patted a frightened mule, but his knife-like eyes shot at the boy who was almost killed under the wheel.

Shangguan Xiu couldn't find his voice for a while, and stared back with his eyes straight.

The dumb man got into the car and took his place, waiting for the frightened boy to recover on his own.

After a long while, the mule walked a few steps, gradually drifting away... Shangguanxiu regained his senses, and suddenly shouted: "Hey—wait for me—" He got up and started to chase. The mule cart in front had stopped, and after catching up, , he was leaning against the side of the car and panting out of breath...

A little annoyed, he yelled: "Don't scare me... Really leave me behind... Who will give you food..."

The dumb man who was leaning forward stretched out his big palm, but Shangguan Xiu hadn't reacted yet, his back collar was tightened, his eyes were dazzled, and in a split second, he was already sitting on the car floor.

He was dumbfounded, and slowly turned his head to stare at the rough back, "You're hiding something..."

He was deaf.

"You are powerful, right?"

He didn't respond.

"You can't be bullied."

He squinted at the boy whose face was turning blue and turning white, and was chattering like a woman.

"Let me worry about you for nothing..." Shangguan Xiu lowered his head and sighed that his clothes were stained with mud, wet and dirty, "Sigh, I need to find a place to take a bath..."

The corners of his mouth were slightly hooked, his expression seemed to be gloating.

His whole body was soaked in the icy cold water, Shangguan Xiu was trembling all over, his teeth chattering.After staying for a while, he gradually got used to the coldness of the water. He held his breath and sank into the water, with only his jet-black hair floating on the surface of the water.

Swimming to the shore dripping wet, he reached out to touch the grass, why couldn't he find his clothes?

He looked up, stunned.

"How did you take my clothes?"

The mute threw the clothes in front of him, and held a snake in the other hand, the struggling and writhing body almost fell to the ground.

Seeing this, Shangguan Xiu slammed, his face turned pale...

Before going to sleep, I checked the hood of the car in a panic, wondering if there might be snakes.

In an instant, the flames went out.

The mute grabbed the dead branch in his hand and threw it out of the hood.

"You..." Shangguan Xiu stared at the oppressive figure, angry and afraid, but also had nothing to do with him...

There were two people sleeping in the hood, which was really crowded. He hugged the bundle, and felt cold when he bent his legs.

After being unable to sleep for a long time, he carefully turned over and examined the mute's sleeping appearance by the moonlight. The facial features carved out like knives were beautiful, unlike southerners whose facial contours were softer.I gradually became curious, was he born dumb?

Where did it come from?

After getting along with each other, he was very puzzled, he was clearly capable of taking care of himself, why should he succumb to being abused and bullied by shopkeeper Wang's inn... He took the burden and put it under his cheeks, and slowly lowered his eyelashes until sleepiness invaded , he fell into an unsolvable dreamland.

Unaware that the people around him are also observing——

His gaze was about to penetrate his bones, the sleepy kid was defenseless, but he had to restrain the restless factors in his body, so he didn't tear him up into pieces, and swallowed him one by one to satisfy him. It's been a long time since selfish desires.

After several days, the two returned to the outside of the inn. Before parting, Shangguan Xiu handed him all the silver taels on his body, "Take it, I told you that I will pay you."

After waiting for a while, the dumb man didn't reach out to take it, Shangguan Xiu raised his head in astonishment and asked, "Do you think it's too little?"

He shook his head, knowing that his possessions were pitifully small.

Shangguan Xiu directly stuffed the silver into his lapel, patted the other person's chest, and said, "Thank you for being with me all the way, and for saving me... By the way, I don't need the mule cart anymore, I will leave it to you." .If you don't want to stay here and suffer, just leave..."

The dumb man didn't respond.

Shangguan Xiu lowered his head and sighed. "Goodbye...I'm going home." As the words came out, my heart ached...He was homeless, but he still kindly reminded him: "Take care of yourself."

After Shangguan Xiu finished speaking, he turned around and entered the inn, and informed Shopkeeper Wang, "I brought the man back, Shopkeeper Wang, thank you for lending him to me."

Shopkeeper Wang was stunned, and watched him leave.

Once he regained his senses, he got out of the counter, chased to the door, and almost bumped into the tall man, and he couldn't help being shocked.

"Mute?!"

He raised his eyebrows, ignored the shopkeeper Wang, and led the mule cart into the stable.

Shopkeeper Wang was still stunned in place, thinking that his eyes were dazzled, and the clean and refreshing dumb man had an indescribable aura... he looked like a different person before and after.

Weird... Didn't little brother Shangguan take someone to work as a kiln worker?Why not keep the person here? He has already said that a dumb man is not selling himself into slavery.