Shen Qing had walked this road many times, but this was the first time he felt there were so many stone steps and the road was so long.
As they walked, he and Song Kaiji continued to describe their vision for the future: "Once your household registration is settled, we can buy a few more shops in the county town, or even buy some in the prefecture town, and then rent them out to collect rent. You only want to buy shops, not do business, so you can rent the shops to me, and it doesn't matter if I do business."
After happily marrying off his brother, he told Song Kaiji about the rule of following the husband's household registration, and was very proud of his own cleverness: "This way we can do business and not delay our children's imperial examinations... Although I don't know if we will have a boy in the future, only boys can take the imperial examinations in our place."
However, in the book he listened to, the heroine started a girls' school in the later period. Shen Qing thought this was a good idea and he planned to follow suit. If she has a daughter or a son in the future, even if they cannot pass the imperial examination, Shen Qing does not want her child to be like herself, blind for half her life! He also wants to set up a school in the village, like the one in Shiqu Village, where girls and boys can go to attend classes, not just as auditors, but also want the teacher to teach them equally!
"I plan to buy some bricks and tiles while I build the workshop, and build the wing room. In the future, Aunt Zhang and my mother will live in the main house, and we will live in the wing room... Although we may not live in the village often in the future, we still have to build the house."
Who would complain about having too many houses? When he just came out of the old Shen's house, he and Miao rented a house from the hunter Liu's house. During those two months, Shen Qing counted the money on his fingers every day to save up for the next year's rent. Shen Qing never wanted to experience such a life of homelessness again. He wanted to buy many houses, in the county town, the village, Dongshan, and even the provincial capital. He wanted to have a place to live everywhere!
"We have space and special abilities. In the future, we can go out to other places to do business. We can save transportation costs and not worry about being robbed by bandits..."
Shen Qing talked on and on, and Song Kaiji listened with a smile, responding from time to time or offering some suggestions. Finally, they reached a position close to the top of the rockery and came to the entrance of the cave.
"This is it." Shen Qing looked back at Song Kaiji happily, but saw that Song Kaiji's face was not happy, but full of confusion and bewilderment. "Brother Song?" He took two steps forward, entered the cave, and waved at Song Kaiji: "Come on?"
The little smile left on Song Kaiji's face finally froze.
In his eyes, where is the cave? There was only a slightly concave part of the stone wall. Shen Qing entered the concave part and disappeared from his sight in the blink of an eye. He couldn't even hear Shen Qing's voice calling him after he entered the cave.
Song Kaiji hesitated, but still stepped forward and touched the mountain wall. He still held out a glimmer of hope, maybe he just couldn't see it, maybe the mountain wall was an illusion... However, the reality was cruel and cold, just like the touch of the mountain wall.
He felt around on the cliff for a long time but couldn't find the entrance. He finally gave up little by little, but was still very unwilling to give up: Shen Qing was describing to him the beautiful future life a few minutes ago. His words were still ringing in his ears, and they were so close to him, as if he could touch them if he stretched out his hand.
"Qing'er, Qing'er? Can you hear me?" Song Kaiji called out twice, and soon saw Shen Qing appear in front of him again. The sight of Song Kaiji touching the mountain wall back and forth just now had already given Shen Qing a bad feeling, but he was also unwilling to face this reality.
Shen Qing finally convinced himself, realized his own feelings, overcame his fear, and decided to live with Song Kaiji in the future. Song Kaiji was involved in every detail of his planning and enjoying of the future. Why did God refuse to favor him at this time and play such a cruel joke on him?
"Don't be nervous, Qing'er, don't be nervous." Song Kaiji was also a little panicked, but he still forced himself to calm down, "Hold my hand, let's give it a try."
"Okay, okay..." Shen Qing held Song Kaiji's hands with both hands, praying to God in his heart. However, perhaps a person's blessing from God is limited, and one should not be more greedy. Song Kaiji was still blocked outside the mountain wall, and no matter how hard Shen Qing tried to drag him, he was stuck there.
"No...how could this happen!" Shen Qing collapsed to the ground, unable to understand why this happened. Am I the only one who can pass through this cave? But why do I have this unique luck?
It would be a lie for Song Kaiji to say he wasn't disappointed. He cannot go to Shen Qing's world. Not only will he and Zhang Sujuan not be able to live in a safe place, but there will also be a lot of trouble between him and Shen Qing. Not to mention how to solve the problem of the nobleman, he has no way to appear in front of the people of Lantang Village, so he has no way to hold a wedding with Shen Qing in Lantang Village. Does that mean that Shen Qing will never get married in the eyes of the people of Lantang Village?
Not to mention, if they have children in the future...
Before Song Kaiji had time to think deeply, Shen Qing suddenly jumped up with a desperate look on his face: "You wait for me here, don't go, I'll go call my mother. If... if my mother can pass through the cave to this side..." Shen Qing gritted his teeth. He really didn't want to bring Miao to live in the end times, but at this moment, he still hoped that Miao could at least see Song Kaiji. "Wait for me, I'll be back soon!"
After saying this, without waiting for Song Kaiji to react, he quickly slipped into the cave and disappeared.
Shen Qing had walked this road down the mountain countless times, but none of them was as long as this time. Shen Qing almost ran down the mountain and nearly fell and rolled down the slope several times. It only took him two-thirds of the usual time to return to Lantang Village.
Recently, a workshop was being built next to the courtyard at the foot of the mountain. In order to prevent someone from stealing bricks and tiles, Zhao Shitou and Lian Shi took turns to keep watch at night and even built a straw shed for this purpose. Since there was someone on guard at night, Miao did not go to live in Shiqu Village. Besides, building a workshop was a big event in the village recently, and many women and husbands came to chat every day. Even if they did not inquire about the workshop's recruitment, just sitting next to Miao and chatting for a few minutes would make people feel at ease!
It was the same today. Miao was now accustomed to having visitors at home, and they would chat while doing chores together. In addition, some careful people noticed that Miao loved children, so they brought their own babies over. The children in the yard were playing games, chasing and fighting, and it was so lively.
It was under such circumstances that Shen Qing suddenly broke into the yard. Miao was just asking for advice when she heard Lian Rong screaming in the yard: "Brother Qing! What's wrong with you?!"
"Qing Ge'er is back?" Many people were more excited than Miao and went out to greet him enthusiastically. This time when Shen Qing left, Miao said that he was going to work for a nobleman in the county town. Now that he is back, I wonder if there is any new good news?
Who would have thought that Shen Qing looked dusty and disheveled, with a lot of grass leaves hanging on his clothes, and his shoes and trouser legs were covered in mud. It doesn't look like he came back from the county town safely. Could it be that he offended a noble and was driven back?
They didn't dare to discuss it and just kept murmuring in their hearts. Miao was also shocked when she saw Shen Qing's appearance: "What happened to Qing'er?"
Shen Qing didn't care about anything else. Everything in his eyes was blocked, and only Miao was left. He grabbed her and ran out of the yard: "Mom, come with me!"
"What's the matter?" Miao rarely saw Shen Qing with this expression. The last time was probably on the day of divorce, when he was wielding a hatchet and sparring with Shen Zhigao, and he looked a little too serious. "Wait, I left my needle and thread at home... Oops!"
She was holding an embroidery frame in her hand, and at this moment she didn't bother to put it back in the house. She just stuffed it to Lian Rong in the yard and said, "Sister Rong, please put it in the house for me. Let your mother help me look after the house!"
So, under the gaze of everyone in the room, the mother and daughter headed straight towards Dongshan without saying goodbye. Some kind-hearted people even said, "Oh, didn't Dongshan Mountain get sold to a nobleman? How could Qingge go up there so easily? Don't let anyone know and blame him!"
However, some smart people have already connected the nobleman and the nobleman together: "Do you think the nobleman who bought Dongshan is the nobleman who opened a workshop in our village? Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that both noblemen took a fancy to our village."
To be fair, their Lantang Village is not a place of good feng shui. There were wild boars in Dongshan before. Who would want to build a farm there?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was true: "That's probably the case. The nobleman built a manor on the mountain and would come to the village from time to time to check on the workshop. I heard from the village chief's wife that the nobleman is very strict and doesn't allow us to take anything from the workshop. He might even come to raid the workshop and kick anyone out if he's caught. Wouldn't it be convenient for him to raid our village if he lives on the East Mountain?"
Speaking of this matter, seeing that Shen Qing and Miao were not around, someone started to talk a little: "You said that the workers took some odds and ends from the master's house, which family wouldn't do that? This noble is too calculative, the richer he is, the stingier he is..."
Shen Qing didn't care what the villagers were talking about behind his back. He pulled Miao up the mountain. The road was easy to walk on at first, but as they went deeper into the mountains, Miao's speed slowed down. Shen Qing simply carried her on his back and walked quickly towards the cave, as if if he went faster, things would turn around.
Miao wanted to ask him several times on the way, but Shen Qing was running with her on his back, panting like a dog, so how could he have the energy to speak? Miao was afraid that he would get a stitch in the side if he continued talking. It would be bad if he ran like this in such a cold weather and sweated a lot and got choked by a gust of wind.
After finally arriving under the big banyan tree, Shen Qing dragged Miao up the tree and into the cave.
Shen Qing panted so hard that he could even hear a hissing sound in his lungs. But he didn't care about much, and pointed at the cave entrance and asked Miao: "Mom, can you see it?"
He hoped that it would be great if only people from the last days could not come to his world. Or even if someone who is related to him by blood can see the cave - since he can see it.
However, fate's favor seemed to have really used up the balance on this day. Miao looked at the cave in confusion, then at Shen Qing, and asked hesitantly: "...what did you see?"
Shen Qing felt like he was falling into an ice cellar. Getting married, having children, all became nothing in this instant.
He still didn't give up, and forced himself to stand up and walked forward holding Miao's hand. However, Miao was just like Song Kaiji. When she reached a certain place, she suddenly stopped and was blocked outside.
Shen Qing was very familiar with this location: before he discovered that there was another exit in the cave, the cave was originally about this size. What Miao saw should be the same as what he saw before.
That is the original appearance of this cave.
However, there was a passage about ten feet long that neither Miao nor Song Kaiji could enter. The two worlds were separated by a passage and a mountain wall.
Shen Qing was in a trance when he heard Miao calling him in panic: "Qing'er, what's wrong with you? Speak, don't scare your mother!"
When he came to his senses, he found that he had fallen to the ground without knowing when, with tears streaming down his face.
Shen Qing finally had to face the fact: In this world, it seemed that he was the only one who could see the cave and travel between the two worlds. And this incident has used up all his luck.
Just ten feet away. Shen Qing looked outside and he could still see Song Kaiji sitting on the stone steps with his cheeks supported by his hands. However, Song Kaiji could neither see him nor hear him.
It’s only a short distance of ten feet.
He and Miao were on this side, and Song Kaiji was on the other side.
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