Fox Road Travel Notes

"Squeak-", the door of the main room opened.

Master Qi held a dim oil lamp, wore a moon-white coat, and stood barefoot in the dancing light.

His long figure also trembled with the light.

It looks thinner and more stooped.

"Hang-Hang-Hang-Hang...".

Coughing sounds that made one's gums sore came intermittently from the west wing.

The lights also flickered more and more fiercely.

There was not a breath of wind in the yard.

But this small flame seemed to be entangled by the dark wind from the Nine Nether Hells, and it could be extinguished at any time.

"Dad, -Dad...is it you?"

Qi Fuzi's voice was hesitant and his teeth were chattering.

His whole cheek was twitching, and he used all his strength to finally hold back a sentence.

The coughing sound of "Hang~Hang" became increasingly clear.

Or maybe, it's getting closer.

The scripture says: If you don’t speak, your strange power will confuse your spirit...

The Master said: Respect ghosts and gods and keep them at a distance...

Master Qi gritted his teeth. He didn't know where he got the courage. He held the big light and walked towards the closed door step by step.

It's so far away, people who haven't been there won't know it.

Every time he got closer, Qi Fuzi felt that he was getting closer to hell.

The surrounding temperature seemed to be dropping rapidly.

Layers of goose bumps broke out on his skin.

Even breathing seemed to be freezing.

He returned to the coldest winter...

My father, who spent his whole life studying sage books and living in poverty, was captured by the Qing army going south and made into a husband.

When he came back, he contracted tuberculosis.

In this dark kitchen.

The fire is added one after another, and the medicine is fried one after another, but the weather is getting colder day by day.

Father, just lie on that pile of firewood.

Lying in the coldest and warmest place in the world, withering more and more day by day...

In this dark kitchen, the whole world is soaked in the pungent smell of herbs.

The whole world is filled with intermittent coughs...

Until that night, he stroked his grandson's head and sighed.

"It's a drag on the baby!"

Mr. Qi clearly remembered that two tears squeezed out of his father's sunken eyes.

This is the last moisture in his withered body.

Then, not knowing where the strength came from, he hung himself on the beam, like a piece of dried bacon.

On a night like this, in this dark kitchen...

Master Qi knew what he was going to do, and so did his wife.

Even, Qi Fuzi felt that everyone knew it.

But no one spoke.

It's like everyone doesn't know.

So what if you know?

Everything that could be sold at home was sold and everything that could be pawned was pawned, except for a few shabby books that no one wanted.

Master Qi supported his wife with one hand and held his son's head firmly in his arms with the other.

Right in this courtyard...

At that moment, it seemed like everyone in the world was waiting to die...

Wait for others to die, and wait for yourself to die.

Seven years!

Perhaps, deep down in my heart, I just hate those so-called "books of sages" that are full of great principles and can neither help the world nor the whole body?

That's why I hate those students in the county school who are inattentive and indifferent, and just shake their heads and moan all day long, right?

A moment is eternal, and those who have not experienced it will not know it.

Every time he took a step forward, Master Qi felt that he had reviewed a long life.

"Squeak-"

The door opened and Master Qi stood in front of the threshold.

At your feet, there is a mountain that is difficult to cross.

“Hang—Hang”

The coughing sound became clearer, drifting and flickering, as if it was in my ears, but also seemed to be far away from hell.

He raised the lamp, and the fire struggled, but it still couldn't illuminate the boundless darkness.

"Dad, dad, is it you?"

Master Qi raised his head high, trembling all over, and said to the beam.

Chen Zican, who was lying on the roof, moved his lips. Looking at the tear-streaked face under the dim light, he suddenly couldn't bear it.

One sentence: "Hey, Brother Gao, he's calling you daddy..." After all, he still didn't say it.

Gao Xinzhi saw Mr. Qi calling "Dad" to the roof, and remembered what he had asked him to do to Mr. Qi in class, and turned his face in embarrassment.

Master Qi was shaking even harder, with a cry in his voice.

"Dad, Dad, are you back?"

"The child is unfilial, the child is unfilial!"

"If you still have any unfulfilled wishes, please tell me."

"If your child is shattered to pieces, I will do it for you!"

“Bang bang—bang bang bang bang…”

There was another breathless cough, and a vague voice came from the beams of the room.

"Son, after all these years, what else do I have in mind? Huh?"

"I'm just here to tell you, that Gao Xinzhi in the school is the one who is -"

"That's Lord Wuquxing coming down to earth!"

"He was sent by Heaven to sweep away the smoke and dust from all directions."

"If you provoke him, our Gao family will say nothing——"

"We, the Gao family, are bound to be in great trouble. Our ancestors will not be able to eat blood. Huh?"

"Alas! I'm leaving, so you can take care of yourself..."

Qi Fuzi's face changed drastically, and the oil lamp in his hand fell to the ground, smashing to pieces with a "bang".

The fire flickered and the surroundings fell into darkness.

Master Qi knelt on the ground with a plop, kowtowing like pounding garlic.

He yelled incoherently: "Dad, dad..."

"An unfilial son behaves recklessly, and your old man will not be able to rest in peace underground. The child deserves to die, the child deserves to die..."

While shouting, he raised his head, opened his bow left and right, and gave himself a few big slaps on his ears.

While sobbing, I scolded myself, my face covered with snot and tears.

Gao Xinzhi smiled bitterly and told Chen Zican that he was right again. As expected, this old guy knelt down and called him daddy.

The resentment in his chest immediately dissipated, but he felt a little awkward.

Just then, an old woman with disheveled hair stumbled in.

She hugged Fuzi Qi, who was still slapping her: "Old man, old man, what's wrong with you?"

"Why are you so mean to yourself?"

"You, please stop..."

Chen Zican sighed slightly, pulled Gao Xinzhi, and said softly: "Let's go, it will be boring to watch anymore."

Walking on the empty street, both of them felt relieved.

The depressing atmosphere when he teased Master Qi just now was really beyond Chen Zican's expectation.

"Zi Can, is that coughing sound coming from a toad?"

After all, Gao Xinzhi couldn't resist curiosity.

"Oh, yes."

Chen Zican was a little interested in Xiao Ran.

"Then, what did you put in their mouths?"

Gao Xinzhi seemed to be interested.

Chen Zican didn't speak, but suddenly stuffed something into Gao Xinzhi's mouth.

Gao Xinzhi was shocked. Although he had taken revenge tonight, the price he paid was not small.

There is still an indescribable taste in my mouth.

He was afraid of Chen Zican.

Just as he was about to spit it out, Chen Zican said: "Try it, don't be afraid, what does it taste like?"

Gao Xinzhi admired Chen Zican now and believed in his words.

Hearing this, he slapped his mouth: "Pepper? Is this the smell of pepper?"

Chen Zican smiled and nodded.

"Then why did you tie its mouth with grass?"

Chen Zican glanced helplessly at the curious baby: "I'm going to tie your mouth now. Can you tell me why?"

Gao Xinzhi scratched his head and suddenly realized.

"Oh, you don't let them talk!"

"Oh, no, you don't want the toad to spit out the peppercorns, do you?"

"..."