Chapter 69

  That guy was curled up in the grass, his head resting on a dog's carcass, waving his hand weakly as if he were dying.

  "Mystic Dragon: 'The Captain has spoken!'"

  He also knew that he would offend everyone, so he jumped up and ran away, with the grass roots and mud that we had pulled out and thrown behind us.

  "I want to go too!"

  "Go ahead, go ahead."

  I limped along, chasing after the bewildered dragon's buttocks, with the dregs of humanity pulling up clumps of grass and mud from behind me. After running a long distance, I turned my head to take a look, and he was still lying there, snuggled up against the dog meat. He yearned for freshness, and we also yearned for freshness, just like when they pulled us out of the shelter and soaked us in insecticide powder. But fate is stubborn, and even he gradually grew lice in his heart. Looking at such a team leader, you would understand that fortune and misfortune are intertwined, and heaven's will is profound.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I and the stray dragon, one with chest out, one with back bent, one striding forward like a shooting star, one hobbling along in a desperate hurry, walked on the outskirts of Zenda. The cars heading to Henglang Mountain sprayed mud and dust all over us as they sped by.

  The dragon looked at me sideways: "What are you here for?"

  "What are you going to do?"

  "Mystic Dragon: 'I'll give you twenty-five more feet.'"

  "Save it. You've already kicked fifty times."

  The dragon chuckled and patted me on the shoulder. I punched him hard in the stomach, but he just chuckled happily.

  "Think of a cripple who has been kicked by you fifty times, can he walk slowly?"

  "Mystic Dragon: 'I'm carrying you. Carrying you.'"

  The dragon almost goes home every week, and then rushes back the next day at the same speed. He bought a full set of furniture at a chopping price, but still has no house. We know that he can only stare blankly at his big bed and wife when he goes back, but we are still jealous.

  I flipped a chair over and straddled it by the side of the road. The furniture from the Dragon's lair was still piled up, just covered with oilcloth. The Dragon himself was lifting off the oilcloth on that huge bed, sprawling onto it with a flourish. He said he was going home. In fact, we all knew there was no home to go back to - even the lice on our bodies knew that - what he meant by "going home" was just returning to his favorite little courtyard by the roadside, where he would continue the war that had been going on for months.

  After a brief moment, the gate of the opposite courtyard opened, and Leng Huang's face appeared with a tray, two bowls of tea, welcoming us out.

  "Here I am. Thanks for taking care of my stuff."

  Leng Huang's face: "Alright, alright, let's just pretend to be a decent person. General, have some water."

  This time and last time are completely different. Last time was like treating a thief, this time is like treating a guest.

  The dragon drank it all in one gulp. This kid can drink fart tea, and he's still chewing on the tea leaves: "Ah, big brother forgot to add saliva."

  Leng Huang's face turned cold and he smiled coldly: "Just kidding."

  "Good tea."

  Mystic Dragon: "Huh? Good tea? This kid always tricks me into drinking grass hat rings!"

  Leng Huang's face turned cold again, and he smiled coldly: "Just kidding."

  "Hey, uncle. The good tea is ready, isn't this matter going to turn out well?"

  Leng Huang's face: "What rotation? There is no rotation."

  "Then you can go back. I'll continue to soak in the mushrooms."

  Leng Huang's face: "There is no way to turn around. But someone wants to ask for your help."

  "Mystic Dragon: 'I eat imperial rations and receive military pay, living a life of luxury. Who can afford to invite me?'"

  I stared at his pale yellow face with an expression that was desperately hiding something, the old man still half-dead and annoying people, but his eyes were almost closed.

  "What did he ask him to do? Did he ask him to demolish the house?"

  "Six blessings, have you talked to people properly?"

  His cold face immediately changed to a warm and enthusiastic expression: "Good! I'm just about to say that!"

  The dragon immediately occupied a large area and shouted loudly: "What the hell is he talking about! Is he playing with us?"

  The cane poked the ground, and Leng Huang's face immediately arched to a degree that we thought was impossible for someone of his age. Mi Long chuckled, but when the Buddha statue in the courtyard came out, we suddenly wanted to flee.

  That was when we escaped from the South Heavenly Gate. The old fellow, who had been drenched with a foot of wine while trying to save three catties of old wine, was still as upright and honest as ever, making it impossible for you to believe his true words or discern his false ones.

  Leng Huang's face: "Old Master."

  The old man ignored him: "Don't mind him, Liu Fu this old fellow was born with a face that offends heaven and men, ended up being a widower in his old age... Two gentlemen, are you familiar with each other?"

  One of us rested our head against the back of the chair, so as not to be seen by others. The other was about to get out of bed, while still trying to turn their face away from the person - we both looked like we were trying to escape.

  "Not good, not good."

  "Mystic Dragon: 'Never seen it before. Don't recognize it.'"

  Old Man: "I think so too. An old stinky hide that can't die, it's only right to burn it with fire, how could I have the good fortune to recognize all of you talented and outstanding individuals? Liu Fu told me..."

  "Alright, let's go! Let's go!"

  "Let's go! Let's go!"

  The two of us are like mice being chased by a cat. If one of us takes off running, the other will also take off running.

  Lao Qi Su: "Liu Fu said he's old and wants to return to his roots."

  "What?"

  Leng Huang's face immediately turned red as he winked and made eyes at us: "Guigen, guigen."

  Lao Qi Su: "This old thing has no place to go. I said it's just me, don't want to be alone outside looking at the house, want to come back, where I live he returns to where. But this yard is my family's ancestral home, someone has to take care of it, if not lived in it also needs to have a human presence."

  I took another look at the old man, his cunning was not visible on the surface, he still looked as thick-skinned as before. I also took a glance at Mi Long, I didn't believe he had such good luck.

  However, the old man said: "General, bother you?"

  I guess even Mysterious Dragon didn't believe his good luck: "Huh?"

  Old man: "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you, General, to help me keep an eye on the house. Otherwise those scoundrels will come and steal chickens and dogs with their crooked minds. In fact, a crooked mind is just a muddled brain - they don't think about how every family's home is built brick by brick."

  "Mmm-hmm. Oh oh."

  "Exactly, exactly."

  Old guy: "Is that it?"

  "Is it done? Mí Lóng? Don't scratch anymore, Mí Lóng, is it done or not?"

  After scratching the back of his head, he scratched his neck, after scratching his neck, he scratched his chest, and after scratching his chest, he scratched his buttocks: "Okay, okay."

  Old man: "Alright then. Six blessings! Six blessings!"

  "Here comes! Here comes!"

  Another old man ran back to the hospital at some point, and now he's running out with a large wine jar and a large bowl. The bowl is probably the one that was used to toast "cheers" last time, while this bowl is its ancestor.

  Old fellow: "We are gentlemen, we speak gentlemanly words, and we make a gentleman's agreement. Just this bowl of wine, you help me keep an eye on it, when I say I don't need it anymore, then you can settle the account with me."

  I didn't speak, and I also slanted my eyes at the dragon, the dragon stared with a cold yellow face and put a large bowl on the large bed, taking a large jug to pour into it. The dragon licked its lips, with an expression of being wooden.

  I whispered: "Mí Lóng, it's enough for you to wash your face."

  The old man didn't even lift a finger this time, and Huang Lao's face turned cold as he exerted his strength to lift it up. The two old men looked at the confused dragon with mixed intentions, kindness, cunning, and viciousness coexisting.

  Old fellow: "Not business, but better than business. A gentleman's liquor, drink it all at once."

  When the dragon picked up the bowl that could hold two whole chickens with its claws, it was still in a daze. And I think it's already a bit dizzy.

  "Then don't risk your life, Mí Lóng."

  But the dragon picked up the bowl, and I listened to the sound of the liquor going down its throat with a loud "gulping" noise, making my scalp explode, while the two old men stared at it without relaxing, lest the dragon spill even a single drop.

  The dragon was thoroughly disciplined again, beating two old rivers' mountain gates, and then being severely punished. The old guys got the dignity they wanted, and the dragon got the home he wanted. He put the big bowl back on his big bed, looking very sober.

  "Good. Not bad. That's okay."

  Then he turned around and walked back. I grabbed him, "Your home is that way."

  The old men smiled modestly.

  "Where's my wife?"

  "Run away with me!"

  The dragon chuckled and said, "Who among those who follow me can appreciate you, a mere half of an onion? Don't drag it out, I'm busy to death, busy to death, I'll go move house."

  He took a few strides, then fell to the ground with a soft thud, and because of the slope and his lack of strength, he slowly and vividly rolled down.

  I turned back and glanced at those two old guys, who were watching with great enthusiasm and full of life.

  "Reminds me of when I was young."

  Leng Huang's face: "General, it's time to go down."

  I turned back to look at the rolling dragon, and it had successfully rolled down to the bottom of the slope. Half of its face was submerged in the water ditch by the side of the field.

  "...... I'm moving house."

  We once again disassembled that bed which had been plagued by the old curse. We moved the scattered components into the wide open courtyard gate.

  He puffed on a cigarette butt, puffing his cheeks like a monkey. But the fire he lit only crackled twice and then went out, and no matter how hard he tried to get it going again, there was still no response.

  "Not spicy: 'Not smooth! Not smooth!'"

  The shoes of the dragon flew out from the courtyard, turned over and landed on the back of the snake's head, then the dragon jumped out with one foot bare, and the snake farted in cooperation with the dragon.

  Firecrackers were going off all around us at this time, we pushed those three guys who had been beaten to a pulp to one side so as not to interfere with our work.

  The ghost bed of the dragon is so big that even if we disassemble it into pieces, we can only shout out numbers and use ropes to hang it in through the window, then reassemble it on the second floor.

  Most of us are idle, running wildly around the house like headless flies. From time to time, someone bumps their head at a narrow corner, from time to time, someone slips on the moss in the yard, and sometimes someone rolls down from the steep stairs. To be honest, we have been outdoors for too long, and we are no longer accustomed to man-made buildings.

  This house is not luxurious, but it took a lot of thought. We went in and out, pushing and squeezing, opening this window to look outside, pushing open that door to look inside, going to the front yard to see the sky well and roof tiles, going to the back yard to gaze at the scenery beyond the courtyard. And Ah Yi, after seeing the view through a window hole, was like a fly trying to find a way out from the glass, stuck on it.

  Hao veterinarian: "Damn you, this is outrageous."

  "Shameless, no use talking."

  I said, "Worse than the Japanese devils." Then I continued to pace around the yard and the new home of the dragon with a wandering soul's gait. I looked at that bed being reassembled into one piece on the second floor, I looked at how the dragon's home sprouted out from this large bedroom like bean sprouts.

  That day, the dragon struck us hard, the farthest guy from home, brought back a family with all sorts of tricks. We thought it was just talk, we said it's over, but that day the dragon showed us, it's more solid than the Eternal Array of Hengluan Mountain.

  The dragon lady, as the only woman among us and also one of the few who actually work hard, would appear upstairs one moment and downstairs the next. This house is full of hidden passages, so when I saw her in front of me with my own eyes, a little while later I turned around and found she was still there in front of me.

  Krupp was hit by a two-ton hammer head and started crying, that's what Sima Zhao had in mind, from then on he could stick to the dragon lady who helped him apply medicine.

  Hao Shouyi: "It turns out he has other ideas besides eating and sleeping."

  "Three seconds. Three seconds later he asked what's for dinner tonight."

  "Krupp: 'Sister-in-law, what's for dinner?'"

  "Thinking about it, thinking about it, eating it becomes even more delicious."

  Krupp was thinking, staring at the tile roof, and had already started drooling. I couldn't bear to look anymore, when someone nudged me lightly from behind - it was Reiner Braun and Levi Ackerman again, who must have rolled around on the ground outside seventeen or eighteen times, and were now blaming each other.

  "Not spicy: 'From now on, when I call you up, don't drag your feet.'"

  "Who knows you can't even withstand a blink of an eye. A fart is longer than you."

  "Not spicy: '...the old man ate him out of house and home.'"

  "Let's eat him out of house and home."

  We were a group of people with ulterior motives who "huddled" and retreated to the back, because we were all crowded at the stairwell entrance, while Mrs. Mi Long wanted to go downstairs.

  "Meng Lian Chang, this is yours." - Dragon Lady

  I glanced at the jade bangle stuffed in my hand and thought of its owner, so I felt sad and a little choked.

  "Not mine."

  Longwang's wife: "Xiaozui sent Baobao back, but she said that she had already given this thing to Baobao and refused to take it back."

  "Not mine."

  "Misunderstood wife: 'Making a big deal out of nothing is what men do. Women aren't so generous.'"

  "......Oh."

  Mie Long's wife: "Is Meng Lian Chang too busy with military affairs to care about anything else? Xiao Zui is probably thinking of who can go return this thing to her."

  I then pocketed the bracelet and the old lady of the dragon went down.

  Later I stood at the window, staring blankly at the green tiles and human heads in the courtyard.

  The dragon's home is already half collected, I'm still staring out the window, my hands are holding a jade bracelet, this is the first time I noticed that jade will reflect different lights at different angles, but what I actually notice more is that the dragon downstairs is rubbing against his wife who is working hard, until his wife was almost squeezed to the wall and gave him a few hits in annoyance.

  Those fools stared blankly at the bed, in this spacious room that occupied almost half of the small courtyard, the bed took up nearly half of the room. The wife of Old Dragon is not in the house now, but those fools spoke in hushed tones, with awkward expressions.

  "Funeral Star: 'He's too good at enjoying life... him too.'"

  "Not spicy: 'This little dragon... is really nothing.'"

  The bean cake was still crawling on the bed and under the bed, knocking tightly the last few wedges, without a doubt, he was the one who worked the most today.

  Tofu cake: "Huh!"

  She Pi Gu: "Dou Bing, you sit there and let me take a look."

  Tofu: "I won't. I know what you guys are thinking."