In the room, Hongti held Fu Duanyun's hand and whispered to her like a sister. Most of the time, she couldn't help but talk about "Husband". Hongti didn't deny it and agreed with what she said.
After a while, Ning Yi moved the roasted Beggar's Chicken out from the room next door. In addition to the Beggar's Chicken, he also brought a few canned fruits with him to Lu Liang this time. He also took them out for dinner. The three of them — two of them were dressed normally, and one of them was still stinking. They sat at the table and ate.
During the conversation at the table, Ning Yi found that Fu Duanyun's thinking was normal in some aspects. For example, she didn't forget what Ning Yi said about him marrying Hongti. However, she was not clear about the current situation of the village and herself. She could still tell what happened to each family in the village "yesterday". It seemed that today, everyone went out to visit each other because of something. Occasionally, she would talk about what her mother-in-law asked her to do …
She didn't notice the abnormality of her body, whether it was the blind eyes, the missing teeth, or the filth and stench caused by the urine on her body. Only the physiological feeling couldn't lie. She was obviously very hungry and couldn't help but eat quickly. Sometimes, she almost choked. She smiled at the two people embarrassedly and then told Ning Yi and Hongti that it was delicious. When they asked where it was from, Ning Yi and Hongti said that it was from Jiangning.
When they finished eating, the sun hadn't set yet. Fu Duanyun talked with them about the situation in the village for a while and then left. Before she left, she held Hongti's hand and nagged her about some things. For example, she told the new son-in-law not to be wronged, and if there was anything missing at home, he could go to her house to get it. The two people watched her walk to a house at the other end of the village.
Because they didn't look carefully before, they now found that only the room in the distance was intact in the whole village. It seemed that it had been repaired in the past few years. Hongti led him over to take a look. The things in the room were dirty, but it seemed to have been tidied up. The tattered quilt on the bed was also neatly folded. Hongti had probably made it when she came over. There was a bag next to the bed. It was Hongti's bag of rations.
"She lives alone," Hongti said.
Ning Yi nodded and held her hand.
Because of this, Hong Ti was not in a good mood. When the two of them walked out of the village, they saw Fu Duanyun walking to the edge of the village at the foot of the hill in the distance. He was looking toward the east.
Then she sat there as if waiting for someone to come back.
"Sister Duanyun is only four years older than me." Hongti took a deep breath and smiled. But then she realized that the mood of smiling might not be suitable here. "Liheng, you should have guessed it. Her Husband and mother-in-law are both dead. Husband died first. There was a famine that year, and people were fighting for food everywhere. Husband died to protect the village. Before he died, he told her to take care of her mother. But when Master and I came back from outside, she had already gone crazy. "
"Yes," Ning Yi answered softly.
Hongti paused for a long time. "After she went crazy, she was still very filial to her mother-in-law. She farmed, worked, washed clothes, cooked, and took care of the elderly. At that time, she also knew how to take care of herself. I thought … Husband went to Fen Yang the day before. Sometimes when I thought about it, we felt that it was good for her to be like this … In those two years, many things happened. The village could not hold on any longer. Later, it was destroyed. Everyone moved to Green Wood Village. Master also died. I always thought that Sister Duanyun and her mother-in-law died in the chaos. Until a few years later, I came back and found her living here alone …"
"Why … didn't you bring her back to the village?"
"I couldn't." Hong Ti sat down on the grass with her legs together. She looked at the silhouette over there. "When I brought her back, she acted like she was about to die. She hit her head against the pillar and bit her tongue. She always remembered this place. She said that Husband and mother-in-law went out and asked her to wait for them here. She could only stay here. Actually … Sister Duanyun used to be very beautiful. When the mountain bandits came, mother-in-law died. She didn't die. I can imagine what those people did to her later. She became like this … and then she became like this … "
Hong Ti's eyes narrowed. Her gaze became sharp. "She still knows how to do a lot of things! Actually, she knew how to do housework, wash clothes, and farm. She planted a very small piece of land over there and had a harvest. She purposely acted like this. She had forgotten a lot of things, but she subconsciously remembered these things. Because she was like this, the bandits would not touch her … Sometimes, when her plot of land was half planted, it would be destroyed by the people nearby. She would plant a new plot of land. Sometimes, I would come over to take a look and give her some things. If someone destroyed the land, I would go to the nearby area to look for the person. Sometimes, I could find him, and sometimes, I couldn't … Once, I came over a little late. A group of people passed by and took away all the food in her house. The land was confiscated. Sister Duanyun had been starving for four to five days. I don't even know why she was still alive at that time … "
"…" Ning Yi looked at the crazy woman under the setting sun.
"There were good things too … A few years ago, about three to four years ago, a crippled man wanted to settle down here. Sister Duanyun was crazy, but he seemed to … like her. He stayed in the village. He took good care of Sister Duanyun. I secretly watched him for a while. However, Sister Duanyun recognized him. Usually, she would greet and talk to him very well. When that lame man wanted to sleep with her, she wouldn't let him. Every once in a while, that lame man wouldn't be able to control himself and would force himself on her. Sister Duanyun acted as if she was dead … The next day, she would forget about it and still greet him. Actually, I think it's good that someone took care of her … "
Ning Yi almost didn't want to ask, but he still asked in a low voice, "What about the crippled man?"
"They lived together for two years," Hong Ti said calmly. "One day, when I went over, the crippled man had already been killed. A … a fellow who escaped from Liao stayed here temporarily. It might have been a few days. At that time, Sister Duanyun didn't look so old. I saw … I saw him drag Sister Duanyun to the stream and wanted to wash her. Sister Duanyun kept struggling. He tied her up and Sister Duanyun banged her head against the ground. Her teeth were knocked out and her eyes were blinded … Actually, when the crippled man forced himself on her, she didn't act like this …"
She didn't continue to talk about this matter or what happened to that fellow. After a while, he sighed and said, "But I can only come here once in a while to deliver some things … This place is in a mess and is no longer suitable as a place to stay. If I send someone to take care of Big Sister Duanyun, someone else might die because of her. Sister Duanyun, she … shouldn't be able to live for long. I don't know if I want to see her die for relief or to continue living like this. Actually, when we look at her, we might feel that she's very pitiful. But who knows if she's happier now than when she's awake. No matter how difficult it is, she'll forget about it the next day … "
"Liheng …" She smiled and said to Ning Yi, who was sitting beside her, "I don't want to talk about these things with you. Lu Liangshan is like this. I've told you long ago, and you already know about it. But I don't want to talk too much about these things. If I know too much, I won't be happy. And … you will … hmm … "
She thought for a moment and didn't say the rest of her words. After a moment, she said, "Actually, I grew up here. People in the mountains live like this. I'm used to everything. It's nothing …" She said, "Ning Liheng, I'm teaching you kung fu. I'm your master. At this time, you can treat me as your master, okay?"
As she said these words, her expression became slightly serious. When Ning Yi first met her, she was very serious and cold. But as they gradually got to know each other, she became warm. Even if she kept a straight face, she didn't have any airs. It was only at this moment that Ning Yi saw Lu Hongti again in the small courtyard. She seemed to still be wary of him. She hugged her sword and sat there, looking into the distance.
However, she did not really reject Ning Yi. In the many years she spent in the mountains, people had always been like this. She was really … used to everything. She was so used to it that it was extremely distorted, yet extremely ordinary, that it made people feel a sense of distance that was out of place. The coldness on her face didn't even look like a tsundere. It was neither sad nor strong. She didn't want to reject him, but she couldn't be intimate. Only at this moment, she really seemed like a clumsy mountain woman …
…
"Hmm." Ning Yi nodded. "You are my master." As he said this, he stretched out his hand.
…
"I am your master …" Hongti closed her eyes and said softly.
Hong Ti closed her eyes and whispered. However, Ning Yi wrapped his arms around her and let her lean into his arms.
"Hmm, you are my master," he repeated.
"Sigh …" The female Shifu, who was hugging the ancient sword, sighed softly. Her face still had the same protective coldness, but she was unable to struggle free from his embrace. She just let Ning Yi hug her like that on the grass. After a while, she was quiet, as if she had fallen asleep.
…
After a long time, Ning Yi said, "Let's go back to work."
"Hmm?"
"I've seen what I should have seen. Although … this isn't something I wanted to see, it's good to see it. After seeing it, it's time to go back to work." He sighed.
After a while, when Ning Yi and Hongti left on horseback, the figure on the slope stood up and waved at them. The waving looked so normal, as if she had never experienced any misfortune.
They held hands as the horse slowly walked on the slope.
The sun was setting in the west. Even the Lu Liangshan Mountains looked gentle and magnificent under such a setting sun.
Taking a step forward, it would be the armored horses and golden spears, as well as the impregnable pass.
It was the summer of the 12th year of Jinghan, April 19th. On an unremarkable day, I saw unremarkable people and things …
*****
When I woke up in the morning, I felt the wind was very comfortable. After I was refreshed, I went to fetch water and wash clothes. The village was a little quiet. Maybe it was because there was a market nearby. Many people were out. I heard Runxing's dog barking. That mad dog always barks. Sooner or later, I would throw a stone to beat it. However, I waited at the door for a long time with the stone. I didn't know where the dog was.
In the morning, Uncle Shunyi came to the door and asked me to borrow a plane. Maybe they were installing a door. I didn't really want to talk to him. He was a blabbermouth, a man of forty or so, and he always talked nonsense to the village women. I was so ashamed of their nuptial noises on the night of my wedding that I cried. But I said he was a good man. Forget it, after a while, I should be able to talk nonsense outside like those women. I found the plane at home and gave it to Uncle Shunyi. He left. This time, he didn't say anything. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to answer him.
In the afternoon, something good happened. Hongti came back. She was learning from her master. Sometimes, she would come back. This time, she even brought her Husband. Her Husband was from Jiangning. He brought a lot of good things. Unfortunately, everyone was out. She couldn't go to many houses. I told her that Youcheng and Mother-In-Law had gone to Fen Yang. The others were going to the market. If she came back tomorrow, she would be able to see them. Youcheng and Mother-In-Law would be happy to see her and her Husband. I remembered when we were young, we had to go hungry together.
After dinner, I went to the village entrance to see them off. It was almost evening, and the sun was shining. This year would be a good year. Actually, I hadn't gone hungry since I was young. Now that Hongti had married a good husband, Mount Lv Liangshan's life was getting better and better year after year.
Actually, I went to the village entrance to see the people who had returned to the village. I didn't know why they hadn't come back even though it was late. If we walked at night, there would be wolves in the mountains. It would be better not to be alone. Youcheng and Mother-In-Law would stay outside for one night. However, I felt a little lonely with only one person at home.
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