Seventeenth (7) Secrets in Hand

  I don't know if I'm crazy or the world is crazy, under the pagoda tree we formed a circle, Xiao Dian was in the center of the circle, he was floating weakly in mid-air, suddenly a gust of cold wind blew by, Xiao Dian's body shook slightly and lightly knocked against the trunk.

  Wow!

  This sound was so faint that it covered up the ticking in my mind, and for an instant I felt as if a drop of icy hail had entered my body, then exploded deep within my soul, countless ice crystals condensed into a snow-white rose inside me, and my blood was torn apart by this rose, like red wine poured into a crystal glass, this snow-white rose slowly turned crimson.

  What a delicate blood rose, I feel it swaying in front of me, slowly turning into a woman wearing a red skirt. She turns her head, looks at me with one eye, and gives me an eerie smile.

  It's as if I've been waiting for you for a long time.

  I had a chill, as Fengyue said, everyone dies for a reason, there is no unjust death, and there is no unjust survival. Everyone lives and dies with the most fundamental reasons.

  But why did Xiaobudian die? You said it was because of a curse. Then why did he die first?

  Ma Tiancheng and the dwarf have gone to fetch a ladder, and the students don't seem to want to stay in this place of death either. I see them whispering to each other, then Jin Sanpang comes over and says that Xiao Bin's leg is not good, he'll stay at the inn to watch Hou Mingyu, we're a bit worried. Why don't we go back too?

  I nodded, and several students turned around and walked back. Feng Yue walked to my side, took a look at Xiao Ai, and then said, "Do you need my help?"

  I shook my head and said thank you, Fengyue hummed in agreement and followed the students' team.

  At this moment, under the pagoda tree, only I, Xiao Ai, Er Lu Zi, and Xiao Pang Er were left, as well as Xiao Bu Dian on the tree.

  Yesterday evening we were also these people, laughing and talking, saying a lifetime of words.

  Today here, yesterday's most talkative person will never speak again, and every remaining person is silent.

  I looked at Xiaobudian and said, why is it Xiaobudian?

  The two donkeys sighed, cursed a sentence of their mother, and then said, I don't believe in curses. Do you?

  Xiao Pang said, this thing is also not unbelievable. When we first came back to dig the time capsule and plan all of this, it wasn't just a product of our imagination. The ancient temple village has always been so mysterious, the customs and legends about weddings are true. Every ten years there's a wedding, if it doesn't go smoothly, then for the next ten years the whole village will be unlucky, we didn't make that up either, right?

  Xiao Ai nodded and said, we've looked up a lot of information, including the county annals, and asked all the elderly people at home. Although this is just a legend, it's been passed down for hundreds of years. It's said that the village was eventually abandoned, which is also related to the fact that none of the weddings in the past twenty years went smoothly. The older generation thinks it's unlucky and feels that the village is cursed.

  I say, Xiaoyi, don't be afraid. I'll propose a hypothesis, you all listen.

  Xiao Ai nodded, and I said, we all know each other's wishes, right? Er Zhu Zi wants to be a millionaire, Xiao Pang Zi wants to eat and drink without worrying about being served, I want to stay young forever, and Xiao Bu Dian wants to grow up to three meters. Da Ai... she wants to be happy forever, and Xiao Ai's most special wish is for us to reunite again and fulfill our wishes. Is that right? Did I say it correctly?

  Xiao Pang'er nodded and said, I remember very clearly that it was me who copied it up. Except for Xiao Ai's wish which wasn't written down, everything else is correct.

  I said, so suppose this has a curse, we reunite again is a switch, that is, we will start from Xiao Ai's wish. Since her wish was the beginning, why did Little Dian die first?

  Xiao Ai looked at me suspiciously and said, "What does it mean?" I didn't quite understand.

  I said, Xiaoyi, don't be afraid. What I'm saying is, since your curse was the beginning, then why weren't you the first to die?

  Xiao Ai let out a cry, hugging her own shoulders. I walked over and hugged her, then said, "Why is it Xiao Buzhi instead of Xiao Ai? What if there's no curse at all? What if someone knows about our curse and does it on purpose?"

  The little fatty's face turned pale, then he tilted his head, waved his hand and said, no, no. Xiao Ai's wish is for us to gather together and fulfill our wishes. In other words, she is the switch starter, but now our wishes have not been fully fulfilled, perhaps she has to wait until we one by one...

  Xiao Pang swallowed his saliva and didn't dare to speak. Er Duzi looked at Xiao Budo and said, "Even if you're right, someone deliberately set up a confusing array, making us think it's the start of a curse... but isn't this also fulfilling the curse?"

  Yes, after Xiaobudian died, he was three meters away from the ground, his shoes were neatly placed on the ground, whether it was human or not, didn't this also fulfill the curse?

  I had just thought I found a weakness, thinking it was man-made, but after these few sentences were said, my heart turned icy cold.

  Two donkeys said, although Xiaobudian's stature is not big, but to hang him on the tree, it's probably not something that one man can do, unless he's particularly strong, like me or my cousin, otherwise it's impossible. If you say you know we cursed and can hang Xiaobudian again, then there's only me. Do you think it would be me?

  I shook my head, and the others also shook their heads. The second donkey let out a sigh of relief, then he said, "Now the problem is, where exactly did Little Not Point die? Who did he sleep with last night?"

  I shook my head, Xiao Pang shook his head, and Er Lvzi also shook his head. Then we all looked at Little Ai together.

  Xiao Ai's face turned red and she said, "What are you few bastards trying to say?"

  We hastily turned our faces away, and Xiao Pang said, honestly, I drank so much wine yesterday that even if someone slept with me, I wouldn't remember. Whether or not Little Q was in my room, I really have no impression at all.

  The two donkeys nodded and said, I also drank too much, I vaguely remembered that Little Point was with us when we went upstairs, and then I didn't know what happened.

  Two donkeys said, I seem to have remembered that Xiao Dian was indeed with us when we went upstairs, but he seemed more sober than us. In my impression, he seemed to be supporting me, did he say yesterday that he was in a room with me?

  Just as Xiaopang said, I drank so much wine yesterday that even if someone slept with me, I wouldn't know.

  I said, how's Xiaobudian's drinking capacity? Yesterday everyone drank so much, if it were me, I might still be sleeping now. Did he have an accident at the hotel or did he run out on his own?

  Two donkeys said, Xiaobudian's alcohol capacity is not good, but we really can't drink more than him, every time he drinks a little.

  Xiao Pang nodded and said, this kid is too cunning, he will never sincerely drink with you, a cup of white wine secretly poured out more than half, we told him many times, but he still has this bad habit.

  I said, he didn't drink much last night.

  The two donkeys said, I'm afraid he's playing tricks again this time. He probably didn't drink much. But you say he didn't drink much, what is he doing running out so early in the morning? Is it just for...

  The two donkeys looked up at Xiaobudian, shrunk their necks, and whispered, "Could it be a ghost possession?"

  It's not impossible, now we are on a cursed land, each of us was cursed here at the age of a few years old, so many days and nights with so many monsters and ghosts passing by, it's really possible that something got onto Xiaobu's body and then hanged him to death on the tree.

  Mentioning ghosts, no one made a sound. I still had my arm around Xiaoli's shoulder, her body was trembling with fear. She was really scared.

  I don't want to mention this topic again, from a distance, Ma Tiancheng saw a ladder coming over, we ran over and lent a hand, putting the ladder on the locust tree, Er Duzi was still our child Wang, he didn't say a word and went up to put Xiaobudian down, while I and Xiao Pang each held one of Xiaobudian's legs.

  This is an icy leg.

  The moment the two donkeys untied the rope, I felt that Xiaobudian was completely leaning on my shoulder.

  This is a life, my friend's life, an icy life that now rests on my shoulders.

  Can I take it?

  I gritted my teeth, bent down and gently put Xiaobudian on the ground, tears streaming out uncontrollably.

  Everyone of us is crying, Ma Tiancheng and the dwarf stood for half a day, probably feeling a bit inconvenient. He said to Er Lüzǐ, I'll take the ladder back, you guys, alas, mourn in order. Don't carry people into the hotel anymore, the students have all been thrown outside, don't stir up unnecessary trouble.

  The two donkeys nodded, Ma Tiancheng patted his shoulder and turned around to follow the dwarf.

  We surrounded Xiaobudian, and Xiao Ai squatted down, pulled up Xiaobudian's hand, and said in a low voice, "Xiaobudian, what... happened to you?"

  I saw Xiaobudian's left hand clenched into a fist, and Xiao Ai grasped it in her hand, as if she was holding onto a cold stone. Xiao Ai's words made Xiaopang cry out loud, he wailed loudly, sat on the ground, grabbed Xiaobudian's other arm, and said, where did you go? How could you die? What thing killed you?

  I wiped away my tears and looked around, today's sky was a bit clearer, with big white clouds scattered all over the sky. The mountain wind blew in, chilling to the bone. That catalpa tree that had been standing there for who knows how many years seemed like a small giant, its dark shadow was its somber eyes, it was staring at us intensely.

  I walked a few steps, and all around me were ruins and broken walls. Every household was in shambles, and every place looked like it could be a crime scene.

  Little Swallow, where did you die?

  It seemed that I saw Xiaobudian open his arms, a voice kept calling him. I saw him take off his shoes and climb up the tree like a little monkey. Then he carefully tied a knot and put his head into the rope. He kicked hard on the tree and fell down from the tree like a bird with broken wings. Then he struggled on the tree, kicking the trunk, waving his hands, breaking branches and flying leaves.

  No, no, it's not like that.

  I crouched down, and all around were fallen leaves and withered branches, but there were no freshly broken twigs, and the other leaves also had a layer of dry soil on them, very few clean and dry leaves.

  A person who is hanged will definitely struggle due to asphyxia, this is a physiological reaction that cannot be controlled by the mind, just like you can't hold your breath and suffocate yourself.

  Before Xiaobudian dies, he will definitely struggle, and this lush locust tree will be affected. It must bring evidence of Xiaobudian's struggle.

  But there is no such evidence on the ground.

  I stood there and looked around carefully again, squatting down to pick up a few fallen leaves, which confirmed my speculation.

  I said this isn't the first scene, Xiaobudian didn't die here.

  Everyone else looked at me in a daze, I pointed to the tree and then to the leaves on the ground, and said, when people are suffocated they will struggle, so many dense trees must have fallen down a lot of leaves. Look at where he was hanged, it's possible that it was for a three-meter effect, this branch is very close to other branches, and there are many lower branches than it. If Little B struggled, his arms would swing around, even if he couldn't break the branch, at least there should be scratches on his arm.

  Xiao Ai grabbed Xiao Bu Dian's clenched fist, turned over his arm, and then shook her head saying, no scratches.

  Xiao Pang also said, no, isn't this saying that this is not the first scene?

  I nodded, and Xiao Pang said, "Could it be in the hotel?"

  I said, we may have had a lot to drink, but the students didn't. They're now as jumpy as a startled bird, and any little noise will set them off. Murder isn't going to be an easy thing, is it?

  The two donkeys nodded, he looked at Little Ai and said, Xiao Bubian's hand is really strange, why do you want to clench your fists? Do people die with their fists clenched? Why is the other hand loose.

  I also think that fist is strange, tell Xiao Ai, can you open it?

  Xiao Ai let go of his hand and shook her head, saying "I don't dare".

  Two donkeys walked over and used force to pry open Xiaobudian's fist. Inside, there was a small black card.

  Xiao Pang said, this is a SIM card, Xiao Bu Dian always fiddles with these things, I've seen it before.

  I said, where is this card from?

  Xiao Pang said, Xiao Bu Dian is in charge of technology. He installed cameras here, all of which are remotely stored. He has a device that can receive close-range signals, and it uses this kind of card. He once showed off to me, saying something about American technology and Japanese craftsmanship, and I'm afraid this is one of them.

  A camera's memory card was tightly clutched in a dead man's hand.

  So many things have happened in this ancient village, so many people have died, and the murderer is nowhere to be found. Has Xiao Budian caught him? Is it possible that Xiao Budian came out of the inn early in the morning just to find him? Is it possible that he was killed because the murderer knew everything he had done?

  Could it be, could it be, could it be...

  We exchanged a glance, and in our desperate eyes, hope emerged, but it's hard to say if there was any secret behind all this.