sin of nature

"Child, come here." Xiao Ming stood on the porch, holding a kite in his hand, while calling out to the little boy fluttering butterflies in the garden, "Fly the kite, do you want to go?"

The little boy stopped, looked at the swallow kite in his hand, his eyes were shining, and he ran towards him with two short legs that were still not walking properly, and accidentally slipped the sole of his foot .

"Ah—" The child was stunned for a moment, still maintaining a prostrate posture, raised his head and glanced at Xiao Ming, then quickly got up again, the hem of his outer robe was covered with mud, but he threw himself onto Xiao Ming's leg unconsciously. He grabbed his clothes tightly and stretched his hands upwards, as if trying to reach the kite in his hand.

But the child had just reached Xiao Ming's lap, so naturally he couldn't reach it.

A female voice came in and said softly to the child, "Wu Li, don't rub your dirty clothes on Young Master Xiao." A woman dressed in light blue came from the porch.

Xiao Ming smiled and said, "It's nothing, I want to take him to fly a kite, Madam, would you like to go with me?" That person was the pregnant widow brought back by Li Ran a few years ago, and he was already his wife in name.

Madam smiled and shook her head, and said, "I won't go, it's very cold outside——Huan Li, don't rely on Mr. Xiao to buy sugar people anymore."

Xiao Ming nodded, "Then I'll take him out." After saying that, he bent down and hugged Huang Li, letting him lean on his shoulder.

Three years ago, the Brown Clothes Party was wiped out in one fell swoop, and the heart disease of the people in Licheng for many years was finally cured.

At present, the entire city of Licheng is having a carnival, and juggling and weird arts are performed on the streets all day and all night.Li Ran's residence was even more blocked by gifts from the city residents.

Afterwards, the wife successfully gave birth to a boy, and she named the child Huan Li in gratitude for Li Ran's kindness in saving her life.

In the past three years, Xiao Ming was out feeding the chickens and playing with the children at home, and followed Li Ran to deal with some big and small things in the city, living a leisurely life. The biggest worry was that Li Ran would not let him drink too much sweet-scented osmanthus. liquor.

"Child" Xiao Ming gently pinched his chubby cheeks, "Your mother won't let me buy you a candy figurine—you'll have dinner when you get home, and you can't eat any, we won't be able to eat any of it soon. Have you revealed your secrets?" Xiao Ming earnestly persuaded Huang Li who was holding his clothes by the side of the roadside sugar stall.

A pair of pitch-black eyes stared at the sugar man and remained motionless, unable to listen to what others said.

"Let's go." Xiao Ming bent down, trying to carry him away as in the past, but before he touched him, he was thrown away.

Hey, the child is smart.

Xiao Ming rushed over again, not believing that he would not be able to carry a child away.

Like eagles catching chickens, the two scurried around the side of the sugar figurine stand, almost knocking over the boss's pot of syrup.

The boss said sincerely to Xiao Ming, "Young Master Xiao, Young Master Huanli wants to eat so much, I'll give him one as a gift." Then he waved to Huangli, familiar with the way, "Come on, do you want a horse or an apple today?"

Xiao Ming hurriedly stopped him, "No, no! If he eats this, he won't be able to eat. Not only will the madam blame me, but the cook will also withhold my sweet-scented osmanthus wine!"

Huan Li and the boss ignored him at all, just chose the pattern and started to draw.

When you get it, it looks like a butterfly.Huan Li was happy, Xiao Ming beside him folded his hands with dissatisfaction on his face.

With a satisfied look on his face, Huang Li raised his eyes to look at him, and sensed the other party's displeasure, so he tugged at Xiao Ming's clothes, and said to him in a not-so-clean manner, "Brother... I will eat this for the last time!"

Xiao Ming turned his face away, "That's what you told me last time—I don't know if it's because children have always been forgetful, or you just don't remember on purpose."

Seeing that he was unhappy, Huan Li wrinkled his face together, pulled at the hem of his clothes, brought the sugar butterfly in his hand, and flattered him, "Brother, take a bite first."

Xiao Ming had never been interested in these children's toys, but after thinking about it, if he ate some sugar figures, Huan Li would eat less, so he bent down and bit the sugar figures without hesitation. .

The thin layer of sugar made a crisp sound of breaking, and most of the butterfly's body was taken away by Xiao Ming, and he chewed all the sugar hastily and swallowed it in one go.

When Huan Li finally came to his senses, the sugar man in front of him only had a small wing stuck to the wooden stick. He blinked his eyes, as if he couldn't believe it, and opened his mouth the next moment, crying loudly.

Xiao Ming was taken aback for a moment, and froze in place at a loss.

The owner of the sugar figurine said earnestly, "Mr. Xiao, if you want to eat, I'll make one for you too—why fight with him?"

Xiao Ming: "..."

Just as he didn't know what to do, a familiar voice sounded behind him.

"Xiao Ming, you are getting better and better, and you are snatching sweets from children on the street."

Li Ran came over from behind with a teasing smile on his face.

Huan Li immediately threw herself to Li Ran's legs, crying louder.

Li Ran bent down and picked up Huang Li, and gave the boss a piece of silver, "I want another butterfly."

The boss hastily declined, "How can I accept money from an adult? Besides, it's too much, it's not appropriate!"

Li Ran smiled and pointed at Xiao Ming, "It's nothing, then you can make another one for him, it's not appropriate to snatch a child's candy for such an adult."

The boss didn't refuse anymore, he agreed with a smile on his face, and started to work with his head down.

Xiao Ming: "......." It seemed that he really wanted to eat.

"My lord—" Just as he was about to protest, an apple-shaped sugar figurine was handed to his mouth, Xiao Ming didn't think much about it, he took it, buried his head in eating, and stopped talking.

Huh, it seems quite sweet?

For dinner that day, Huan Li only drank a bowl of soup, and he didn't eat a bite of the dishes cooked for him alone. The wife felt very displeased with this child, and the cook felt that Tuo Li was allowed to eat sugar and not eat her. Li Ran and Xiao Ming who served the dishes were very unhappy, so they didn't even have a sip of sweet-scented osmanthus wine.

Sometimes Xiao Ming couldn't help feeling that it would be good to live on like this forever, but sometimes he couldn't help worrying that after decades, these old friends would grow old and die one after another.

Unexpectedly, the sudden change made him no longer have to worry about this problem.

At night, the entire city of Li was asleep.

In the darkness, Xiao Ming suddenly opened his eyes, and felt a burst of divine power pouring down from the sky above Li City. Before he could understand what happened, there was a sudden violent vibration around him. He fell to the ground suddenly, and the beam on the roof of the house suddenly collapsed and hit him——

At the same time, the pouring rain fell mercilessly, and there were two thunderclaps in the sky, as if they were hitting people's foreheads, and the sound of houses collapsing came from all around, from far to near.

Although Xiao Ming used divine power to protect his body in time, he was still hit on his leg and was crushed under the heavy wooden beams and thatch, unable to move.With all his strength, he pushed away the heaviest beam on his body, and his body was soaked by the sudden rainstorm.There was the sound of heavy rain falling next to my ears, and Li Ran's anxious shouting could be faintly heard.

"Xiao Ming! Xiao Ming!"

He anxiously planed away the broken tiles in front of him, jumped up and replied loudly, "My lord, I am here."

Li Ran was only wearing a jacket, and his whole body was drenched. Just five steps away from him, his panicked expression relaxed a little after seeing that he was safe and sound.

Looking around, Xiao Ming saw that the entire front pavilion had been turned into ruins, only a few houses in the backyard were still standing crookedly.

Before they had time to say a few words, they rushed to the nearest bedroom of Huang Li and his wife, digging up broken tiles, roofs, thatch, and beams layer by layer, without daring to stop their work for a moment, as if After stopping for a moment, a life slipped away from his hand.The sweat constantly protruding from his forehead had long been fused with the icy torrential rain. The fear and cold made Xiao Ming tremble uncontrollably, but he continued to mobilize his divine power, picked up the heavy beams and dragged them aside. .Li Ran also had unprecedented heaviness and fear on his face, the two of them seemed to have fallen into some kind of desperate situation, and there was a fire burning in their hearts.

Fortunately, Huang Li and his wife were not crushed by the beams of the house, and they hid in the safe area of ​​the collapsed corner.

A few people kept digging up other people, Madam helped them clean up the broken tiles, and Huang Li called for someone at the top of his voice.

After being busy until dawn, all the talents in the house were dug out one by one.

The gatekeeper Li Si and the two maids were out of breath, and the others were more or less injured.

Before the rain stopped, everyone moved to the kitchen in the backyard to shelter from the rain.

Li Ran didn't go with them, and went straight out the door, Xiao Ming also followed.

When the two of them went out, they saw nothing but ruins and city residents who were wailing beside them.

With anxiety in their hearts, the two climbed to a high ground where they could see the whole picture of Li City.

Even though Xiao Ming lived more than 1000 years, the scene in front of him is still vivid in his memory.

Row upon row of houses in the past were all destroyed, and only a few scattered houses were still standing crookedly. In the south of the city, the place where the stone bridge was originally knocked down and used as a temple was also in ruins. The yellow flag above the temple roof was destroyed. Shrunken in the rain, crawling over the ruins.

In the field of vision, there are people anxiously digging the ruins, standing on the ruins and crying loudly, facing the dug up corpses, their voices and expressions are clearly covered by the rain, but they are like It is directly passed into the heart of the person, like an invisible rope, tightening the heart of the person.

Xiao Ming felt that he could hardly breathe.

He rushed down the high ground and ran directly to the nearest ruined house.

He is a god, he can always do something.

Yes, he can move the beam, if he is faster, maybe... maybe...

He lifted the beams that were too heavy for him time and time again, dug one place, and rushed to the next one.

If it is quicker, there are still many people who can be rescued——

if--

But he can't.

When many people found it, they had already lost their breath.

By noon, he had already lost his strength and fell on the ruins, unable to move at all. Just like many years ago, he was lying under the stone bridge, not knowing where he belonged.

Li Ran also lost his strength, bent down reluctantly, supported Xiao Ming, leaned on his shoulder, and sat quietly in the rain, avoiding nothing.

Xiao Ming's eyes were red, and the tears were mixed with the rain.

Xiao Ming's voice was full of unwillingness and guilt, and he said bitterly, "My lord... I will rest soon - there are still many ruins in the city that cannot be dug - I will get up soon It's-"

Li Ran stretched out his arms to wrap his arms around him, resting his chin on his head, his voice was full of fatigue, "Well, take a rest, you are too tired."

Xiao Ming cried out with a "wow", very upset, "Why - I just saw a little girl under the ground, but I can't move those things... I really tried hard I'm so strong......Really......I just found the boss of the sugar man......He's out of breath no matter what......In the future, in the future Who is Huang Li looking for to buy sugar—”

Li Ran's eyes were also red, silently looking into the distance.

The cries from everywhere were intertwined with the non-stop rain, and passed into people's ears, becoming the most unbearable thing in the memory of those who survived.

It has been raining for three consecutive days, and it has not shown any signs of stopping.

After that catastrophe, the population of Licheng was reduced by half.

Li Ran gathered his or her guards and distributed them to each family for the time being, and temporarily built a temporary residence on a high place. First, there was a shelter from the wind and rain, and then he sent people to count the casualties of each family one by one. Medical clinics were built in the city to treat the wounded, and an unoccupied area was surrounded in the north of the city to temporarily store the corpses.The constant torrential rain caused the corpse to rot quickly.

For three days in a row, Li Ran never closed his eyes.

Looking at the pouring rainwater, Xiao Ming felt very strange in his heart.

After another three days, the rain continued and the situation became more serious.

Li Ran's frown was never relaxed.

The fields have long been flooded by heavy rains, and the growing grains, potatoes, and vegetables have been soaked. After a few days, the grain reserves of each household have been almost exhausted.

Tens of thousands of people will soon face starvation.

Li Ran and Xiao Ming stayed with a few guards and went to the granary in the north of the city, which was the food accumulated every year to prevent disasters.

But the granary also collapsed during the earthquake, and all the grain was floating knee-high in the water, stinking already.

Li Ran glanced at it, but without saying a word, stepped into the water with one foot deep and one foot shallow, and led the others back. All the way, they were silent.

Li Ran sent a small group of guards out of the city with his tokens, asking them to seek help from the nearest city-state, and sent a small group out of the city to the mountains to find edible wild animals or poultry, pigs, cattle and sheep that ran up the mountains, etc. The last large group of guards asked them to hand in and record the food of each household next to each other. After that, each household received a fixed amount of food every day, until this difficult time passed, and then returned the food one by one.

"Your Excellency must do this?" His attendant asked, "Some big households in the city have their own granaries, but even if the rain stops, it will take a long time for the grain to grow again. , they certainly don’t want to waste their food on other irrelevant people.”

That's what he said, but right now there is no other way.

Li Ran insisted, "If they don't want to, I'll argue with them, and anyone who doesn't want to, can come directly to me."

The squire no longer insisted.

There are already many urban residents in the city who have no food and go out of the city to dig wild vegetables in the mountains.

Because the granary in the kitchen in the backyard of the mansion did not collapse, a lot of grain and meat were kept, Li Ran asked the cook to count the quantity and was the first to write it down.

Two days later, every household in the city handed in their surplus food, which was distributed by the guards in the city every day according to the previous record of the number of survivors. The guards who went to the mountain captured a few pigs that escaped up the mountain, Found a lot of wild fruits.Since then, there will be a team of people looking for food on the mountain every day.

At this time, there was another bad news. The team sent from the city to rescue another city encountered a landslide in the mountains. Only two people managed to return. When they came back, they reported that the way out of the mountain was completely blocked by rolling stones, and they couldn't walk together. If you want to go over the mountain, there is a cliff over there.

The rain has not stopped, even if there are guards searching for wild fruits and wild things on the mountain every day, those things can't make up for the huge daily consumption. If there is no external rescue, they will run out of food in a short time.

Xiao Ming asked strangely, "Has there been an earthquake in Licheng before? Has there been such a continuous rainstorm?"

Li Ran shook his head, "I have checked the history of events in Licheng, and there has never been an earthquake, and there has never been a rainstorm that lasted for more than three days. It's...very strange."

Xiao Ming stood under the eaves, his face full of puzzlement, he looked up at the sky, and said, "My lord, I might have to go out for a while."

Li Ran knew that Xiao Ming did not belong to the human world since he wiped out the Brown Clothes Party many years ago, so he was not surprised to hear him say this, "Are you going to find the cause of this natural disaster?"

Xiao Ming nodded, "Yes."

Li Ran was a little worried, but he thought that as a mortal, he couldn't help much, so he just sighed quietly and said, "Be careful and come back early. If you encounter something that you can't do anything about, don't worry about it." Don't force it."

Xiao Ming nodded, looked at the wrinkles between Li Ran's brows, and said, "My lord, I'll be back soon." He threw himself into Li Ran's arms and hugged him, and solemnly instructed, "My lord must Wait for me, I'll be back soon."

Xiao Ming didn't know why he said to wait for him, but the precarious situation Li Cheng was facing now made him panic for no reason, and he had to tell him something, as if he could feel at ease.

Everything later proved that the bad feeling in his heart was right.

This was the last time the two met.