Seven Evil Slips:

It will soon be dark.

The mule cart swayed and swayed, and the long road seemed endless. Many people in the cart were dozing off, and the drowsiness seemed to be contagious, and Kiyo's eyelids quickly closed together.

In a daze, someone touched her arm and handed her a thin quilt. Kiyo said thank you vaguely, wrapped the quilt and fell asleep.

I dreamed of Luo Ren.

He stood in the light, smiling at her.

Full of joy, Muyo trotted towards her, but when he got to her, Luo Ren's expression suddenly changed, and he pushed her away.

The huge unresolved melancholy can be felt in the dream, Kiyo woke up suddenly, the mule cart was still shaking, the moon was hanging above the high mountain line, Kiyo felt aggrieved by this dream, Touching the eyes, there seemed to be tears in the corners of the eyes.

Tears in dreams.

A lantern has been hung in front of the mule cart to illuminate it, she asked Zha Ma: "Have you arrived yet?"

Zama Yao pointed in the direction of the valley: "It's almost there!"

How did Zama see it? No matter how wide-eyed she looked, she couldn't see the lights of the village.

An idea popped into my head.

Kiyo stammered a bit: "Your village...will not run out of electricity."

Zama said: "Just install it soon. If you come back next year, the village will be powered on."

For Kiyo, this is by no means good news, she hurriedly took out her mobile phone.

Sure enough, the phone has no signal.

It's like pouring a pot of cold water on your head: In this way, how can she contact Luo Ren?

***

That night, I stayed at Zama’s house. Zama’s father died two years ago, and he only lived with his old mother. The house is a stone stilt building on the upper and lower floors. Sundries, people live on the upper floor, and there is a balcony on the top.

There was no signal on the mobile phone, and Kiyo was so worried that he couldn't help it. He even got on the roof with a little luck, thinking: Maybe if he stood on the roof, there would be a signal?

Science gave her a hard blow: no signal is no signal, no matter how high you climb, you will still have no signal.

She couldn't sleep, she sat on the balcony and sighed, Yan Hongsha came out and called her to sleep, looked up at her, and said: "Oh, if you can't get in touch, you can't get in touch, Xiao Biesheng is newly married, do you understand? "

Is this how the word is used? Mudai didn't want to talk to her, but he still had to explain to her: "Today, on Wednesday, this village only goes out to go to the market every one, three, five. Take them."

Yan Hongsha also made her feel worried, but she couldn't find anything to comfort her, so she had to go back to her room in a huff.

Kiyo sat for a while, suddenly thought of an idea, got up and went down to find Zama.

Zhama still hasn't slept yet, so he weaves flowered bamboo hats with his old mother. coming.

The old lady looked at Kiyo and smiled, pulled out a pony tied with hemp rope, and asked her to sit down.

Kiyo said thank you and sat down, and asked Zama, can I still leave the car tomorrow? How much is it?

She thought, or spend some money by herself, please ask Zha Ma to take a mule cart alone tomorrow, and go to the braided tree in the mountain pass, waiting for Luo Ren. No matter how bad it is, I will hand over the mobile phone to Zha Ma and ask him to contact Luo Ren on the way out. At least, let Luo Ren know about my situation and whereabouts.

Zama answered her seriously.

The reason why we go to the market every three to five is because there is only one mule in the village, and we can't be cruel. The mule has been driving for a day, and his legs are weak. He must rest for a day. If the mule is forced out tomorrow, the mule will It’s a minor injury, but it’s a major issue affecting the villagers’ going to the market later on. For so many years, the time of 1, 3, and 5 has been set. To deliver and pick up goods, if the time is messed up, things will be delayed.

Kiyo was extremely disappointed.

The old grandma didn't seem to understand what she said, she just smiled when she saw her, Kiyo forced a smile to say goodbye to her, and shuffled out.

Only two steps away, Za Ma called her from behind.

He trotted over, feeling embarrassed, rubbing his hands and saying that Grandma was there just now, so he couldn't tell.

He said: "If you really have something urgent, I'm not busy tomorrow, so I can run to the mountain pass. Although I can't run as fast as a mule, I can hurry up and get there. I can help you on the way too." Call, it's..."

He hesitated, as if it was hard to say: "Just can you give me some money...one, one hundred..."

Kido was surprised: "One hundred?"

Zha Ma was taken aback and stammered: "Eight...eighty is fine."

Kiyo quickly waved his hand: "No, I didn't mean that..."

It is true that the road is difficult, and there are seven or eight miles of muddy ground. In order to let the mules rest, Zha Ma had to run by himself. Not to mention tiring, it would take a whole day.

I blushed for the hundred dollars, and felt that I was taking advantage of others.

Zhama was so embarrassed that he accepted it, and told her: "Don't tell my grandma about collecting money, if you do, she will scold me."

There was finally a solution to the matter, and Kiyo felt very relieved, and asked a few more words: "Do you usually live by driving mule carts?"

"That's right, the big guy will pay for the mule cart, and I'll also bring the goods to sell. As you can see, when we are free, my mother and I weave bamboo hats."

He suddenly remembered something, dragged Kiyo back to the house, and gave her three stacked flowered bamboo hats, saying that it was raining constantly in the mountains, so it would be better to wear the bamboo hats to keep out the rain.

Kiyo felt even more apologetic for taking other people's flowered bamboo hats for nothing.

Zama laughed loudly: "My grandma doesn't rely on this to make money. My grandma is a famous marriage witch. Men and women from ten miles and eight villages all look to her, and they give away a lot of things when they come."

Kiyo is curious, what is Marriage Dawu?

Zama explained to her that in their clan village, although love is free, marriage is not so independent. Parents agree, and after the matchmaker makes the match, they still need to find a marriage wizard to see if the two can be together.

Only when the great witch of marriage nods his head can the two parties be able to bond safely. If the witch of marriage shakes his head, even if the two fall in love again, they will still be separated.

Is it so magical, Kiyo murmured in his heart: "Are you sure?"

Zama said proudly: "Yes, otherwise, would everyone from ten miles and eight villages come to see it?"

The old lady seemed to know that Zha Ma was praising her, she pursed her lips and smiled, with deep wrinkles on her face.

Kiyo's heart beats like a drum, and he asks Zama: "Can you help me see it?"

***

Zama said: "But you are only here alone, what do you think? Let me ask Grandma."

He went over, said a few words to the old grandma in Maonan, and beckoned Muyo to sit over: "Grandma asked you, do you have something that person gave you?"

Yes, Kiyo quickly took off the whistle that Luo Ren gave her from his neck, the silver-white hanging chain, the smooth whistle, and the white pearl hanging on the side.

The old grandma picked it up and took it over, looked carefully at the oil lamp, said something with a smile, Zama said: "My grandma said, it's so beautiful."

Someone praised Luo Ren for the good-looking things. I was happier than complimenting her. Kiyo was a little proud, and said in his heart: "Of course."

The old lady took out a blue embroidered pouch from the cloth around her waist, pulled out a braided red string from inside, lit the oil lamp, and threw it into the palm of her left hand when it was almost burned. Dai let out a soft ah, thinking: what if it gets burned.

No, maybe the old grandma is used to it, maybe the calluses on her palms are too thick, and they are so thick that it doesn't hurt anymore—she rubbed her hands together until both palms were a little bit ashes of scorched black.

Then motioned for Kiyo to put his right hand flat, with the palm facing down, and his own palm lifted up, and gently joined her.

The other hand was also palm-up, signaling to Zha Ma, and Zha Ma hurriedly put the whistle chain on her palm.

The room was suddenly quiet.

The doors and windows were closed tightly, and even the flame of the oil lamp stopped dancing. The old lady closed her eyes gently, and her withered lips moved slowly.

Her hands are dry and thin, the fingers may have been cut by bamboo strips, and a lot of adhesive tape was wrapped around them, and the adhesive tape has long since been smeared black and gray due to the hard work of the day.

I don't know how long it will take to wait, Kiyo is a little cranky.

Believe it or not, she can't say for sure. At first, I asked Zha Ma's mother to help her read it, just half curious and half fun, but now it's really going on, and I feel a lot more anxious.

What if the news is bad?

So I felt a little regretful, and felt that I shouldn't count it. If it was bad news, I would rather not know it.

The old grandma let go of Kiyo's hand. Compared with just now, her face was a little dignified, and she only spoke to Zama. Also a lot more serious.

What's wrong? Her heart tightened slowly.

Zama handed the chain whistle to Kiyo and said, "I'll take you out."

Kiyo's heart sank, she mechanically stood up and followed Zama, and when she reached the door, she looked back.

The old lady lowered her head, braiding the flower and bamboo hat in her hand, as if she was sighing.

The door was closed slightly behind, the night was cold, there was no light, and I listened with bated breath, and I could still hear the mules below pacing and snorting in the pen.

Kiyo asked: "What's wrong?"

Zama thought for a long time, stumbled: "Once upon a time, a couple from the village also came to see them, and they were very happy, but ah, my mother said no, so the family disagreed, and they cried. Yes, and then they separated. And then, in the second year, they all found new ones, and the relationship was great, even better than the previous one."

Kiyo stared at him: "What did your aunt say?"

Being stared at by her, Zha Ma was at a loss for what to do, stomped his feet cruelly, and said: "My mother said, he was not with you in the end, not you."

Kiyo's ears were buzzing, and he asked, "Why?"

Zha Ma couldn't explain clearly, he rubbed his hands and stomped his feet, babbling incoherently: "Grandma doesn't understand either, she said it was weird, and she couldn't understand it, but even if she knew it wasn't, you can't understand it either." Very good, but I don’t know why, but you are gone... In the end, the person next to him is not you..."

He didn't dare to say any more, he saw Kiyo crying through the faint light in the room.

Those who are in love, even if they say they don't believe it, they will still feel sad when they hear dissenting voices, especially when they hear him say that Luo Ren was accompanied by someone in the end, but it wasn't her.

She turned and went back to the room, her steps were light and weak, with one foot deep and one shallow, as if she was stepping on cotton.

Zha Ma stamped her feet anxiously, and shouted with her neck stuck: "Oh, let me tell you, my grandma can't speak well. There are many times, she can't speak well..."

Kiyo smiled with tears in his eyes. She thanked Zama for his kindness, but this person can't even tell a lie.

***

Yan Hongsha was sleepy in a daze, turned over, and by the moonlight coming in from the window, saw Kiyo sitting.

She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

It was really sitting, motionless.

Yawning, Yan Hongsha moved towards her, and reached out to pat Muyo's knee: "Why don't you sleep, grandpa said, you have to leave tomorrow morning."

Kiyo didn't move.

Yan Hongsha felt strange, she got up wrapped in the quilt, and asked: "What's the matter?"

Kiyo didn't look at her, and said in a low voice: "Red sand, I might die."

In the middle of the night, Yan Hongsha was frightened by her with goosebumps all over her body. She froze for three seconds before saying, "Bah bah bah! Where's the wood? Hit the wood!"

She rolled and crawled, and crawled to the shovel placed at the end of the bed, and smote the shovel handle three times. The movement was so loud that even Old Man Yan turned over impatiently.

Kiyo didn't seem to notice, she sighed, lay down slowly, and pulled the quilt to her face.

Yan Hongsha crawled back again and wanted to ask what was wrong with Muyo, but when she got close, she suddenly found that she was already lying down, her eyes were closed, she seemed to have fallen asleep.

Yan Hongsha became uncertain, and in the dark, she wondered for a long time by herself.

Did Kiyo really say that, or was he dreaming?

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