20th (2) Legend

  I really understand this feeling, people are afraid of death, there's nothing shameful about it. Just like me, knowing I can live for 30 days, a person who never goes out would desperately rush into the depths of the mountains, why?

  It's not because I'm too scared.

  It's still that sentence, people who are not afraid of death are because they know they won't die for the time being. When it really comes to your turn to wait for death, no one is willing to swagger through the Ghost Gate.

  I sighed and said, "I'll send you two to the entrance of the cave. I also want to make a phone call."

  The Korean police officer hesitated for a moment and then said, "You'd better not leave, or we'll arrest you first."

  I said, don't you trust me?

  The Korean police officer said that you can rest assured because of your relatively old age, stability and broad vision. However... some things have not been concluded yet, so I don't dare to make a judgment.

  I said, don't worry, I haven't called home in a long time, just make a call.

  The Korean officer nodded and the three of us greeted the dwarf at the entrance together, walking up the mountain. The road was still quite awkward, with no conversation along the way.

  After passing through the cave, I watched the two policemen, Han and Liu, leave, waving their hands from a distance, and in my heart, there was an indescribable aftertaste.

  I really came out to make a phone call, and in the morning I saw records about Hongyi Village. Although there were few, I still managed to think of many things with my imagination. I left early and had long forgotten the legend of the ancient village, but our family has a native of the ancient village, that is my old father.

  I made this call to him, exchanged a few pleasantries, said I was doing well and nothing was wrong, then seemingly casually asked, Dad, do you still remember our old home? That ancient temple village.

  My dad was clearly taken aback and then said, "How did you think of this after all these years?"

  I said, I haven't had any inspiration for writing lately and want to find some folk stories as material. Gu Miao Village has many legends that I remember, can you tell me about them?

  My dad said, forget it, you'd better be careful not to write about mental illness, don't write ghost stories anymore, if you're short of money I'll send some over to you, otherwise just calm down and look for a job.

  I said that's not going to work, if I agree, my 100,000 fans won't buy it either. I want to find a breakthrough point. Gu Miao Village had so many legends back then, is there a suitable one?

  My dad said, after all these years, who can still remember.

  I said, my outline is like this, a tomb raider dug up gold, then there are ghosts and gods, you think about it, just tell me. You also know, a flash of inspiration, I don't know which sentence of yours gave me the idea.

  My dad thought for a moment and said, "You're being paranoid, I'd say stop writing about it." But what you just said is actually based on a legend that says the ancient temple village can exist in such a remote mountain because they are guarding a treasure, which is the gold you mentioned. As for the specifics, I couldn't think of them anymore, but there's this saying that the entrance to hell is actually the entrance to Gold Mountain, and those who go in can never come out. Yeah, that's the legend, all jumbled up, can't remember it clearly.

  I repeated it once, and there was enough information in here too, but so as not to make my dad worry, I was vague about a few sentences and hung up the phone.

  The entrance of hell is the entrance of Jinshan, but those who enter have no way out.

  This sentence is really interesting, I pondered while walking back and forth.

  When I came back, it was already dark outside. This day is really weird. You see, at dawn, there was still a little bit of light coming out, but in the afternoon, it seemed like midnight had arrived. The whole world was shrouded under a broken streetlight, with yellowish-black light flickering back and forth, yet without any thunder.

  I'm a bit worried about Xia Ai and Feng Yue, but I don't want to keep going into the two girls' room. I walked around in a circle and saw that the students were really well-behaved this time, all hiding in their rooms without coming out. I went to Da Ai's room and knocked on the door again, still no response.

  It's probably Big Love coming back to town to pick up Little Love.

  I walked back and hesitated for a moment at Xiaoyi's door, then knocked on it.

  After a while, Xia Ai opened the door and said, "What's wrong?"

  I said, how is Fengyue?

  Xiao Ai said, don't you know? She was sent back to her own room in the second half of the night. Nothing happened, I didn't see anything.

  What are you doing?

  Xiao Ai said, didn't do anything, but wore less, didn't sleep for half the night yesterday, and is now sleeping. Do you want to come in?

  I was imagining what would happen if I went in, but before I could respond, Xiaoyi said, "Forget it, I'll just keep sleeping. You go back to your room and daydream some more." Look at you, your eyes are shining brightly.

  I felt a bit awkward, reached out and scratched Xiao Ai's nose, Xiao Ai stuck out her tongue and closed the door.

  I had no choice but to return to my room, but I felt as if Xia Ai was talking inside the room. Was it my illusion or was there someone in her room? Or was it coming from another room?

  I think I might be a bit too sensitive, picked up my notebook and read those few sentences again. Liu Ci is definitely suspicious, I think my analysis makes sense, but unfortunately there's not enough information. After that, the ancient temple village disappeared without a trace, and there was no more news.

  After all, the village is too small and remote. In the past, news was blocked by this big mountain, and what happened here was like something that happened in another world. Rural life is peaceful, it's impossible to have people dying every day, and it's also impossible to dig up gold every day. It's normal that it wasn't recorded.

  I quickly flipped through it and found that there was really only this much content left, then it went on to the part about demolishing the ancient temple after the founding of the country.

  I thought for half a day, actually the things in the village are best understood by asking an old man to tell a story. However, my dad doesn't seem very professional and only says two sentences. Look at those stories my grandfather told me, one of them was about a daughter of a certain family being framed for adultery, then jumping into the river and drowning, and afterwards her body didn't rot, this legend sounds pretty reliable.

  The origin of Hongyi Village can be explained in this way.

  But the story has been passed down and distorted, I don't know which version it is when it reaches me, but on a rainy day like today that's so boring, I really can find someone to chat with about the stories here.

  Who did you say I'm looking for?

  It must be that dwarf. Although he never looked at me with good eyes, the way he came to the ancient temple was definitely not ordinary if it wasn't an act.

  A hermit living in such a desolate place with no one around, what does it make you think of?

  Liu Ci

  Isn't this another version of Liu Ci?

  So what is his purpose?

  Is it also that gold?

  This idea popped up and scared me again.

  This place has an inn, which is already surprising. You say occupy the tourism opportunity? That's just a deceptive phrase to cheat students. How many people can come here? Even if there is a sudden tourist boom and everyone comes here, can this broken building occupy the tourism opportunity?

  There must be some logic behind the nonsense statement.

  I saw Liu Ci's story, and after just a few words, I suddenly had some doubts about that dwarf.

  He has two possibilities for what he showed in the ancient temple: either he really has skills or he is acting.

  What is the real ability to be here for?

  What's the point of acting?

  After all, there is always a big "why" behind everything.

  I'm so anxious that I have more than 20 days left, always feeling like I haven't lived enough. My procrastination was particularly severe in the past, but now it's like my butt is on fire, and I want to rush out and do everything.

  Thinking of doing something, for others it's called reckless, for me it's called living in the moment.

  It doesn't matter anyway, what can a dwarf do to me?

  I strolled downstairs and turned to the front desk, where the dwarf was still inside, reading a book.

  I shouted Zhang Tian Shi, the dwarf was stunned, looked up at me, and actually smiled.

  I didn't expect a person's smile could be so unfriendly. I said, Zhang Tian Shi, no, Master, Master, hello.

  What's up?

  I say, Master, may I ask you a question?

  Speak up, little one.

  I'm saying, are those things true or false?

  What's up? I don't know.

  I'm talking about what happened last night and also about the ancient temple.

  The dwarf said, I don't know what you're talking about.

  I smiled and said, "Master Zhang, it's like this. Everyone knows that there is gold in Gudian Village. You also know I'm a local, and these stories have been told to death. I don't want your gold, I just wanted to ask..."

  Before he finished speaking, the dwarf suddenly darted out and grabbed my collar across the table. He said, do you know what?

  Actually I didn't know anything, but now I know everything. This dwarf is really just like the Liu Ci from the past, all of them are after those gold.

  I'm going to try to get some inside information out of him, although this dwarf looks quite ferocious, but someone half my height can't do anything to me. I said, Liu Ci's legend, those golden ones of his, what else could he know?

  He let out a snort, dropped his collar and went back inside, then said, "I don't understand what you're saying."

  I was stunned for a moment, then I knew this batch of gold wasn't Liu Ci's, and that I had made a slip of the tongue.

  That batch of gold definitely belongs to someone else, and what Liu Ci dug up was just a very small part of it.

  I've found that I may have been too tense lately, my brain is abnormally agile, and then I say, what's the big deal about Liu Ci digging up that little thing, my grandfather says, there are still golden mountains and silver seas here.

  The dwarf looked at me and this time didn't rush into anything. He said, "What do you want to do?"

  I said, nothing much, I've heard some stories, but I'm not interested in the gold. I'm just a writer, if you can find that gold, then I won't say anything, if you can't find it and still want to look, I can give you some clues. But rest assured, I don't want the gold.

  The dwarf said, what do you want?

  I said I want some stories about the founding of Gǔ Miào Village, also known as Red Clothes Village. You tell me and I'll tell you.

  The dwarf looked at me again and thought for a moment before saying, you go first.

  I said, no, no, you go first, I want the story, you want gold, it's clear that you're getting the better deal. So, as for past stories, I've heard some of them too, you tell me and I'll listen. As long as you don't cheat me, I'll tell you what I know.

  Dwarf said, you really know?

  I said, of course, I'm a native here, my grandfather's grandfather also lived here, do you think I haven't heard any stories? That golden thing has been passed down for generations, but no one has ever found it, we all didn't pay attention to it. Instead, outsiders often come to search for treasure, and we just laugh at them.

  He nodded and looked at me, then said, "Alright, I can go first. But to prove that you're a native of Red Clothes Village, recite that nursery rhyme."