Chapter 40
When Wang Heizi heard that there was a secret, he immediately became excited.
"What's the secret?"
Wang Xiaotie was also curious, wondering what else his sister knew.
Wang Tiantian looked mysterious as she led the group to a remote place. After making sure that no one was around, she lowered her voice and spoke:
"You can't tell anyone about this, or I'll be scolded to death."
Except for Zhai Hongyi, the other three people nodded like crazy and listened with anticipation.
"I actually overheard it by accident. I didn't eavesdrop on it on purpose."
The three of them responded again.
Wang Tiantian was still worried: "You guys will forget about this after hearing it..."
Wang Heizi couldn't hold it in any longer, "Hey, hey, what's going on? Please tell me quickly. I'm really getting anxious. It's a pity for you to become a storyteller."
Wang Tiantian looked confused: "What is a storyteller?"
"It's just... Hey, hurry up and don't interrupt!"
When Wang Tiantian was about to speak, everyone pricked up their ears and listened attentively, and Zhai Hongyi's attention was focused on her.
But she opened her mouth for a long time before she said, "Forget it, I won't say it."
"Ah ...
Wang Heizi jumped up and was about to rush towards Wang Tiantian. Wang Xiaotie quickly held him down, and Wang Tiantian hid behind Tang Qingqing.
"Tell me if she's evil or not. I've kept her on suspense for so long, but she doesn't say anything! No, you have to tell me today, or I won't be able to enjoy my meal!"
Wang Tiantian said bitterly, "It's not that I don't want to tell you, I just don't know how to start, and it doesn't seem right to tell others."
Wang Heizi was going crazy, howling and screaming.
Tang Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "You are seeing so many people that it is hard to say it out loud. Why don't you tell me quietly? If you tell only me, it will be a secret."
Wang Tiantian's eyes lit up and she nodded repeatedly.
The two little sisters hid aside and whispered.
Wang Heizi was finally released at this time. He was so angry that he picked up branches and started playing with them to vent his dissatisfaction.
Wang Tiantian and Tang Qingqing went to a quiet corner. Tang Qingqing did not question her immediately, but took out a piece of fruit candy.
Ever since Tang Qingqing knew that she had hypoglycemia, she always carried some sugar with her and would take a pill if she felt unwell.
She couldn't bear to buy the expensive White Rabbit candy, so she bought the cheapest fruit candy. Even without a ticket, she could buy eight pieces for only one cent.
Wang Tiantian, who only eats candy a few times a year, doesn't care whether it is cheap or expensive, she is happy to be able to eat candy.
She has eaten two candies today and feels so happy.
"Sister, I didn't mean to tease you. It just suddenly occurred to me that this might not be easy to tell anyone." Wang Tiantian shook her head in embarrassment.
Wang Tiantian often followed her mother around and listened to gossip. The old ladies did not shy away from it, always thinking that she was a child who could not understand or was not interested in her.
In fact, she would listen carefully every time and remember it in her heart.
Or maybe they think they have lowered their voices and think she can't hear them because she is playing or working, but in fact she can hear them clearly.
Tang Qingqing smiled and said, "I am not from your village, and people outside don't know people from your village. Even if you tell me, I can't tell people from your village. If I tell people outside, others won't know who I am talking about."
This was a bit confusing, but Wang Tiantian still understood it and her eyes lit up.
Wang Tiantian suddenly felt relieved and told the secret she had overheard.
"Grandma Zhao at the entrance of the village is the midwife of our brigade. She delivered many babies in our brigade, including me and my brother."
Tang Qingqing didn't understand why the topic came to this, but she didn't interrupt and just listened to her patiently.
"Grandma Zhao had a very good relationship with my grandma. She often talked to my grandma. One time, they were talking in the house, and I was working outside, and I heard them mention Uncle Liang."
Wang Tiantian leaned close to Tang Qingqing and whispered in her ear:
"Grandma Zhao said Aunt Hong was pregnant, but the baby didn't stay in bed and died."
Tang Qingqing was surprised, "Ah? Why is it gone? Is it injured?"
"Mrs. Zhao guessed it was Uncle Liang's problem."
Tang Qingqing looked unhappy: "Uncle Liang beat Aunt Hong?"
"No, no, no, that's not it." Wang Tiantian waved her hands quickly.
"How does that have anything to do with Uncle Liang?"
"Grandma Zhao was the one who delivered Uncle Liang. She said Uncle Liang's thing didn't look good."
"What?" Tang Qingqing was confused.
Wang Tiantian slapped her thigh and winked, "Oh, that's it."
"What?"
"The little bird of a boy."
Tang Qingqing covered her mouth to prevent herself from screaming.
"Look, is it difficult for me to say this?"
Although Wang Tiantian was young and didn't know what this meant to a man, she could guess from the tone of conversation between Grandma Zhao and the others that this matter should not be spread out.
And she also heard that boys like to pee farther than anyone else.
Boys born in the family were often spanked by the elders when they were young. If they were not wearing open-crotch pants, their pants would be pulled down and spanked.
Therefore, in her impression, this thing should be very important.
As for what Grandma Zhao meant by "not looking good" and why she didn't look good, Wang Tiantian couldn't imagine it at all and had no idea what it was.
She also knew that this was a shameful matter and she couldn't talk about it outside, otherwise she would be laughed at. So she couldn't ask and could only keep it to herself.
"Grandma Zhao also said that she almost lost the baby when he was born."
Wang Tiantian burst into laughter as she spoke, she couldn’t imagine what it was like to not be able to find anything.
The children in the village all wore open-crotch pants when they were young. Some children didn’t even wear pants in the summer, so they know what a penis looks like.
"Sister, why is it that if a man's penis doesn't look good, it's bad for a woman to get pregnant?" This is something Wang Tiantian has never understood.
How would Tang Qingqing know? Her other memory came from that book, but it wasn’t clearly written in the book. She just saw something like her waist hurt the next day. Why did her waist hurt?
Both girls looked confused, but they vaguely knew that a child can only be born when a couple lies together, and neither can be missing.
"It's probably like a person's face. If you look good, you're more likable?"
"Is that so?" Wang Tiantian always felt something was wrong.
This was a shameful matter, so the two of them tacitly skipped the topic.
"Anyway, Grandma Zhao said that Uncle Liang's condition makes it difficult for him to have children."
Grandma Zhao was not only a midwife, she also knew some herbal medicine and medical skills. Normally, when people had a headache or a fever, they would not go to the town or the commune to see a doctor, but would go to Grandma Zhao to get some herbal medicine to take.
When the barefoot doctors in the countryside were being trained, Grandma Zhao also attended the classes for a few days.
"Where is Grandma Zhao's home?"
"Grandma Zhao passed away at the end of last year. After she passed away, my grandma also fell ill." Wang Tiantian's face fell.
After Grandma Wang fell ill, she often couldn't recognize people. She often mistook Wang Xiaotie for Wang Dashan, Wang Tiantian for her aunt, or just treated them all as strangers.
But Grandma Wang remembered Grandma Zhao very clearly. She often said that she wanted to go see Grandma Zhao, and got angry when she was not allowed to go, leaving people at a loss as to what to do.
"Does anyone in your team know that Aunt Hong's child is gone?"
Wang Tiantian shook her head: "I don't know, I'm keeping it a secret."
"Are you sure that what Grandma Zhao said about Aunt Hong's child being missing was Uncle Liang's fault?"
"She said there might be a connection. She said Aunt Hong didn't do anything to cause the baby to die. She guessed that Uncle Liang was too weak, so the baby had trouble sitting still. When they spoke, their voices were very low, so I couldn't hear some of the words clearly."
"Auntie Hong has been married for several years but has no children. Doesn't anyone say anything behind her back? There is a couple in my family who has been childless for several years and people often talk about them."
"Of course someone said that..." Wang Tiantian reacted immediately, realizing something was wrong, "But everyone said that Aunt Hong couldn't have children..."
Aunt Hong was clearly pregnant before, but she died because she couldn't sit still, not because she was infertile.
Why do people outside say it’s Aunt Hong’s problem?
She hadn't thought about it so much before, because she didn't understand this memory at the time and didn't remember it very much. After all, it happened more than two years ago, and she only remembered it now when it was mentioned again.
"This Uncle Liang is not a very honest person. He doesn't seem to be the honest man you described him to be."
No matter what the reason was for Wang Xianghong to be unable to keep the fetus, it did not mean that she could not give birth.
Being unable to have children is extremely fatal to a woman, especially a country woman, and she will be looked down upon and ridiculed.
There was such a sister-in-law in Rongshan Brigade before, and she was often talked about behind her back.
Some people who passed by the sister-in-law with their children in their arms would hold their children tighter, as if they were afraid that the woman would snatch their children away.
The eldest sister-in-law had no status at all in her husband's family. She did all the dirty and tiring work, and she kept her head down all day for fear of being seen by others.
She was beaten and scolded at her husband's house, and her own family felt ashamed and did not dare to come forward to support her.
Later, the woman became pregnant and her situation was completely different. She wandered around the village with a big belly all day, showing off in front of those who had mocked her before.
That baby was a boy, which made her even more proud. Now she is singing the praises of a liberated peasant slave.
Tang Qingqing always felt something was wrong when she heard it, but she couldn't tell why.
If Cao Liang is really a good person, why doesn't he come out to clarify when people say such things about his wife?
Wang Tiantian wanted to refute, but she also felt that what he said made sense.
If she was wrongly accused and her family didn't let her explain and insisted on keeping it a secret, she would feel very wronged.
Wang Heizi finally waited until the two girls who were whispering came out. Seeing their tangled looks, he felt itchy in his heart.
"What did you say?"
Zhai Hongyi stopped him and said, "Let's go somewhere else first."
Wang Heizi couldn't get an answer and felt uncomfortable all over.
可他知道翟弘毅的厲害，也不敢胡咧咧，只能先将這事抛在腦後，問起另外一件事：
“紅姨是啥時候跑的啊？”
王小鐵：“初二一大早，大家都以為她回娘家了，後來公安過來問話，才知道她不見了。”
“那你們咋知道她是跟人跑了？”
“不是跟人跑了，咋就不見人影了？而且那嬸子看到她是往山上走的。”
王黑子不解：“往山上走又怎麽了？”
“往山上走就能去火車停靠站，從那邊上車可以南下。以前紅姨也拿着東西去那邊賣，她每次都比別人賣得好。大家都說她就是那時候跟外地人勾搭上的，現在肯定跑到南方大城市裏了。”
“這說法都是靠猜啊，有人看到她上火車跑了嗎？奸夫有人見過嗎？”
王甜甜和王小鐵都搖了搖頭。
王甜甜：“大家都是這麽說的。”
王黑子白了一眼：“啥都沒有，就說是跟人跑了，萬一遇到拐賣婦女的呢，你們大隊的人也忒不靠譜了。”
王小鐵撓撓頭，之前他們也沒想那麽多，大家說跑了就跑了，哪裏知道還有別的意外。
“當年亮叔的媽也是跟人跑了的，還把家裏的東西都給卷跑了。後來她還回來看亮叔，被亮叔罵跑了。大隊裏的人都說亮叔家風水不好，女人都留不住。”
曹亮家裏窮也是相對于王向紅來說的，在天洞大隊，其實還算可以的。
曹亮非常地勤快，每次都能賺十個工分以上。
自打火車通了以後，他經常跑停靠站賣東西，早些時候還跟人去扒火車，他一次都沒有被抓過。
因此他的條件放在天洞大隊，真的算不上差。
可這麽上進的一個人，老婆還是給跑了。
翟弘毅：“你們知道紅姨那天是往哪裏跑的嗎？那嬸子是在哪裏見到的人？”
王小鐵：“知道，翻山只有一條路。”
王黑子慫恿道：“我們一塊去看看呗，回頭我們也去那個停靠站看看，我長這麽大還沒見過火車呢。”
幾人一同前往那條山路，山路非常的小，只夠一個人通行，是靠人硬生生踩出來的。
山上樹木不少，上面積滿了雪，王黑子一到地方就忘了自己幹嘛的。
他朝着一棵樹用力一踢，然後迅速躲開，讓後面跟着的人猝不及防被淋了一頭的雪。
“哈哈哈，你們都成雪人了！”
唐青青快被氣死了，“下次我不帶你來了！”
翟弘毅直接大步上前，提起他的後衣領，然後把他腦袋按進雪裏。
“再胡鬧，回頭要你好看。”
王黑子被收拾之後，頓時老實了不少。
王小鐵和王甜甜在那捂嘴偷笑，毫無同情心。
王黑子抓起一團雪就往兩人身上砸，“笑什麽笑！哼哼哼，看我無敵炮彈！”
王小鐵和王甜甜不服氣，也抓起雪制作成雪球開始砸他。
頓時，現場的雪到處亂飛。
翟弘毅指着附近一塊平地，吼道：“你們都給我去那玩，要是誰把雪球砸到這邊，看我怎麽收拾你們。”
三人被他的威嚴震懾，立馬暫時休戰跑到他指的地方，繼續剛才的雪仗。
看那三人又玩鬧起來，不再注意這邊的情況，翟弘毅才開口問道：
“剛才王甜甜跟你說了什麽？”
唐青青理解了王甜甜之前為什麽難以啓齒，她猶豫了一會最終還是将王甜甜的話複述了一遍。
“我不太能聽得懂。”
雖然說得含含糊糊，翟弘毅卻聽明白了，“就是種不行的意思。”
“種不行？”
“男人負責播種，女人負責孕育。女人這塊地再好，種子不行那也白瞎，就算勉強種出來也是也是幹癟的，不成型的。”
這麽一解釋，唐青青立馬聽明白了。
“那為啥不跟外頭人解釋啊，平白讓王向紅被人說嘴。”
“對一些男人來說，男人要是被說種不行，比說女人不會生孩子還要嚴重，就好像成了古時候的太監。”
唐青青瞪眼：“所以就活該女的挨罵啊？這種男人也太惡心了吧！”
翟弘毅聳聳肩，“世間惡心的事多着呢。”
“曹亮也是這種人？”
“不好說，那個趙奶奶也不過是猜測。具體要去醫院檢查，才知道是怎麽一回事。有的女人體弱，也容易流産。”
短小确實容易導致不孕，可也不是絕對的，得看具體情況。
翟弘毅不好跟唐青青說太深，雖然這是正常的生理現象，可也不好提，只能含糊帶過。
唐青青對這些實在不了解，她還是決定從自己的專長入手。
唐青青蹲下來用樹枝撥開地上的雪，查看地上的情況。
翟弘毅也上來幫忙，為她清掃地上的雪。
過年期間并沒有下大雪，路上的積雪也比較少，因此能看到之前的人留下的腳印。
不過大約是過年期間，大家都想在家裏貓冬過年，所以路上的新鮮腳印并不多。
“有發現嗎？”
唐青青勘察了許久，走了很長一段路，搖了搖頭道：
“比較清晰的腳印，只有三個男人的，并沒有女人的腳印。其中一個腳印在三天前，另外兩個不到三天。”
翟弘毅好奇：“你怎麽看出來的？”
“我之前問過甜甜最近的天氣，她說三天前下了一場雪，然後就再也沒有下雪了。你看，這兩個腳印是踩在雪上的，另外一個人的腳印是在雪下面的。”
翟弘毅沉吟片刻：“我們還是得找到那個看到王向紅的大嬸，看她到底是在哪裏看到的人。”
“可咱們這麽去問，就很容易暴露了。”
翟弘毅看向正在玩鬧的王黑子，“讓他去試試。”
王黑子被召喚，并被派以這麽重要的人物，頓時覺得自己整個人都不一樣了。
“保證完成任務！”
王黑子勾着王小鐵的肩膀，拉着他一塊去找那位最後看到王向紅的大嬸。
也不知道他用了什麽辦法，把那大嬸忽悠過來了。
“我那天就在這裏，也是準備回娘家瞧瞧，就看到曹亮媳婦在那棵大樹那，就最大的那一棵，沒一會就沒影了。”
王黑子看那棵大樹，距離有二三十米，而且還被樹杈擋到一些視線。
“這麽遠你咋看出是紅姨啊？”
“嗨，看她那身衣服認出來的呗。我們整個大隊，就沒有比她穿得更鮮亮的了。我們的襖子都是灰色藍色的，比較耐髒，就她有一件紅色花布的。”
王向紅的那身紅色大棉襖非常具有标志性，是她娘家在她結婚的時候給她置辦的，不僅顏色鮮亮而且特別的厚實。
大家的衣服基本都是縫縫補補的，而且襖子還特別薄，很多人的棉花都硬了，衣服根本不暖和。
王向紅的襖子一看就好看又暖和，每次看她穿這襖子村子裏的嬸子嫂子們就非常的羨慕。
“原來你是靠衣服認人啊？沒親眼看到她啊？”
“這不就夠了，她那一身怎麽可能舍得借給別人。平時大家看到，想上手摸一摸，她那臉都拉得老長。”
那嬸子答完話就走了，整個人美滋滋的，完全不覺得被打擾到。
“你做了什麽，讓那嬸子願意大冬天跑這麽一趟？”趁着王家兄妹倆不注意，唐青青低聲詢問，“你告訴她我們的身份了？”
“哪能啊，我有那麽傻嗎，我可是合格的地下黨。”王黑子拍拍胸膛。
“我就跟她唠起來，然後就順便問了她在哪裏看到的。大嬸特別熱心，就主動過來給我指路了。”
“就這樣？”
“就這樣。”
唐青青不可思議，“這也太簡單了吧？”
“原本就不複雜啊，這些大嬸最喜歡別人聽她說這些事了，只要你說到她的興頭上，你不想知道太多，她都硬是要告訴你。”
只要注意适時誇一下對方消息靈通，就恨不得對你掏心掏肺。
不僅是唐青青，翟弘毅都不禁嘴角抽抽。
早知道這麽容易，他們剛才還擔心個啥啊，直接叫王黑子去問人，也不至于做了那麽久的無用功。
果然是電影看多了，把事情想複雜了。
唐青青走到大嬸說的地方，查看那裏的情況。
大樹下有一雙清晰的腳印，唐青青一看就認出是山道上的那雙腳印。
“這個人當時站在這裏挺長時間的，腳印非常清晰完整。”
如果只是路過，不會一對腳印是并排站着的，應該是一前一後的。
“只有這個人的腳印？”
“嗯，這裏石頭比較多，王向紅有可能是踩着石頭走的，所以沒有留下腳印。”
“這個腳印的主人是什麽樣的？”
唐青青道：“年齡是二十三歲左右，身高一米七，偏瘦，走路有些內八字。”
“跟曹亮的特征符合？”
他們雖然沒有見過曹亮，可之前在公安局的時候，就詢問過曹亮的樣貌。
“我看到他就能确認腳印的主人是不是他，不過确定是他也沒什麽用。妻子在這裏消失，他出現在這裏也很正常。”
翟弘毅摸着下巴，自言自語：“可他為什麽要站在這裏呢？”
“興許知道妻子最後的背影在這裏出現，所以站在這裏懷念一下？”
兩人都覺得這種可能性不大。
可如果不是這個原因，他站在這裏做什麽？偏偏還是那位大嬸最後看到王向紅的位置。
翟弘毅叫來王黑子：“那位大嬸給曹亮指過她最後一次看到王向紅的地方嗎？”
王黑子搖搖頭：“她跟別人提起的時候，也就是說在這片地方，沒給人指過。要不是我能唠，還給她孫子每人一顆糖，大冬天的她也不能這麽勤快。”
這裏距離大家居住的地方還是有一定距離的，聽八卦聽個大概就行了，沒必要還跑到現場看那麽清楚。
翟弘毅表情凝重，讓唐青青和王黑子都感覺到了不對勁。
“怎麽了？”
翟弘毅搖搖頭，“我們去曹亮家看看吧。”
王黑子很是郁悶：“你們今天是怎麽一回事，怎麽老是喜歡賣關子呢，知不知道這樣會把人給急死的！”
唐青青隐約猜到什麽，卻又看不清楚，因此不管王黑子怎麽抱怨，也沒說些什麽。
曹亮家距離其他人家有些距離，最近的鄰居家也有二十多米遠。
王黑子好奇：“他們家怎麽自個跑這邊建房啊？”
一般大家都喜歡聚集一塊建房，這樣更加安全。
從前野獸經常下山，一戶人家單獨豎立在一個地方，被野獸攻擊了都不知道。
大家住一塊，還能防着點，野獸看到這陣仗一般也不會進家。
“曹亮他媽就是跟隔壁人家過來探親的親戚勾搭上，後來跟着一塊跑了。自打那以後，兩家人關系就不好了，他們家幹脆就申請另外的宅基地建房。”
“原來是這樣，這家男人也是夠倒黴的。”
王甜甜：“我其實還聽到另外的說法。”
“啥說法？”王黑子說完立馬警惕起來，“你這次必須給我說清楚了，不準藏着掖着。”
王甜甜有些不好意思，剛才她确實不太厚道，想說又覺得害臊，結果就卡在一半了。
“聽老人說，亮叔媽是被他爸打跑的。他爸一喝酒就跟換了個人似的，把她媽打得不行。亮叔原本還有弟弟或者妹妹的，愣是被打沒了，後來亮叔媽再也生不出來了。”
王小鐵也知道這件事，“聽說當初亮叔他媽跟鄰居親戚勾搭上，就是因為那親戚看他被打得厲害，可憐她，就帶着他跑了。”
王黑子一聽，拳頭都捏緊了。
“難怪要跑呢！換做是我我也得跑，都是爹生娘養的憑啥你打我，什麽東西！沒本事的男人才會打女人，有本事找爺們練練啊！”
王小鐵：“他平常也不這樣，就是喝醉了，頭腦不大清醒。”
“可拉倒吧，他喝醉不清醒的時候，去找壯漢幹架嗎？我不信他在村子裏頭沒有瞧不順眼的男的，他敢動手嗎？”
雖然都是以前的事了，不過王小鐵和王甜甜确實沒聽說過這樣的事。
“所以說啊，這男人不行，換做我是媽被揍，我打得過就幹過去，打不過我就帶着我媽跑。”王黑子義憤填膺。
王小鐵：“亮叔因為他爸的關系，滴酒不沾。”
他們本地人是很好酒的，雖然經常肚子都填不飽，可就喜歡喝酒。
有時候不吃飯，都得喝一口酒，就當是肚子喂了東西了。
曹亮滴酒不沾，在大隊裏還是很少見的。
王大山雖然也很少喝酒，因為嫌棄浪費糧食，是為了省錢，可實際上也是好酒的。
翟弘毅突然開口問道：“曹亮打老婆嗎？”
王小鐵和王甜甜都愣了愣。
“咋可能啊！亮叔才不是這樣的人，他脾氣可好了，從來就沒跟人幹過架。”王小鐵反應過來，連忙否認。
王甜甜也道：“亮叔是出了名的疼媳婦，髒活累活都不讓紅姨做。紅姨晚上渴了，都是亮叔去倒的。紅姨愛幹淨，冬天都洗得可勤了，隔三差五就得洗一次，都是亮叔去打的柴。”
熱水不易得，本地很多人冬天也就擦一擦，很久才洗一次澡。
王黑子啧啧：“傳話的人是鑽到別人床底下嗎，知道得那麽清楚。”
“是紅姨自己說的。”
王黑子這下沒話說了。
幾人走到曹亮家門口，王小鐵朝着院子裏面喊人。
半晌，曹亮才從屋子裏走出來。
曹亮個頭不高，長得很白淨，看着斯斯文文的。
身上的衣服也很整潔幹淨，要不是确定他是土生土長的天洞大隊人，根本看不出是個農家子，更像城裏人，而且還不是普通工人家庭出身那種。
看到他的那一瞬間，唐青青終于明白為什麽王向紅非要嫁給他了。
不得不說，他長得确實好，不是翟弘毅銳利的帥氣，而是看着很舒服沒有攻擊性的，氣質非常的溫和，很容易讓人産生好感。
“啥事啊？”
“亮叔，這是我城裏來的哥哥姐姐，外頭太冷了，我家裏地方又太小，我們來找你玩啊。”
這話是王黑子教王小鐵說的。
曹亮皺起眉頭，“咋想到來我家？我家可什麽都沒有。”
“我們一路玩正好路過你家，就想來找你玩，而且你這裏也清淨。”
後面這句話是王小鐵自己加的，聽得王黑子直翻白眼，這不是往人痛處戳嗎。
果然，曹亮臉色很不好看，卻也沒說什麽，放他們進去了。
曹亮家裏很幹淨，而且仔細打量，到處都布滿了小心思，可以看得出屋子的主人在認真經營這個家。
雖然沒什麽錢，卻盡量在自己的能力範圍內做得更好。
窗臺上還有一些小擺件，明明就是一些草、樹枝編的，可看着就是特別好看。
窗上貼着漂亮的窗花，不僅漂亮還很喜慶。
唐青青看着那充滿心意的窗花，心中無法想象，一個就要私奔的女人，還有這樣的閑情逸致去布置這個家。
看着窗花的主題，都蘊含着對未來生活的美好期待。
什麽花好月圓、胖娃娃抱錦鯉等等。
每個窗花都非常的精致，需要花很多心思才能剪出來。
屋子裏還有一臺縫紉機，在天洞大隊裏也是頭一份了。
這是王向紅的嫁妝，當初擡進來的時候，直接轟動了。
很多人都跑過來看稀奇，看到縫紉機一轉，縫得又勻稱又快。
唐青青一進屋，注意力就被縫紉機給吸引走了。
她也就在夢裏使用過，現實中碰都沒碰過。
縫紉機上鋪着用毛線鈎織的遮塵布，花式很複雜也很好看，制作的人手非常的巧，看得出主人很愛惜這臺縫紉機。
曹亮并不喜歡說話，他将幾人放進來，在桌上擺了些花生瓜子，就坐在一邊不吭聲了。
期間只是看了一眼高大的翟弘毅，卻也沒有過多停留。
翟弘毅朝着唐青青投來一個疑問的目光，唐青青朝他點了點頭。
腳印的主人，确實就是曹亮，和他走路的姿勢步伐是一致的。
唐青青打量這個家，屋子裏被打掃得很幹淨，院子裏也沒有什麽痕跡，實在看不出所以然來。
“這個窗花好好看啊，手也太巧了。”唐青青道。
王甜甜是個沒心眼的，順着道：“紅姨的手就是很巧，我們大隊就沒有睡比她剪得更好看的……”
話說到一半，這才反應過來，她偷偷瞄着曹亮。
曹亮臉色雖然不大好看，卻也沒有說什麽，在那嗑瓜子，一副事不關己的模樣。
王小鐵壯着膽子問道：“叔，紅姨會不會是被人拐走了，我覺得她不是那種人。”
曹亮白淨的臉上透着不耐，“以後甭提她！”
王小鐵頓時不再吭聲，眼神偷偷瞄了一眼一旁不停給他暗示的王黑子。
王黑子看他這樣，很是恨他不成器，唠嗑都不會唠。
曹亮現在明擺着一副不想搭理人的樣子，王黑子再能聊也不好硬湊，太容易暴露了。
王黑子不甘心，硬着頭皮撿回話題：
“你們剛才說啥拐賣？我之前就聽說有個婦女拐賣案，那個人後來被槍斃了。現在這種事可不少，你們還是先找找人的好。萬一是被拐賣，又沒人去找，那不是太慘了。”
曹亮目光掃到王黑子身上，王黑子莫名覺得背脊發涼。
“叔，咋了？我說得不對？家裏走丢了人，不管因為啥，不都得先找找，萬一是出了事呢？你說我說得對不對？”
“我這裏有事，你們趕緊出去吧。”
曹亮突然站了起來，板着臉開始趕客，而且不容商量。
幾人臉皮再厚也不好賴着，只能出了房門。
王小鐵撓頭：“亮叔這是咋了，平常他不這樣啊，平常他可好說話了，怎麽胡鬧他都不生氣。”
王黑子：“他不是說他有事嗎，咱們自個玩咱們的。這裏挺寬敞，咱們在這裏堆雪人吧！”
“啊？”
“他說他是有事，才讓我們出來的，又不是不歡迎我們。來來來，堆雪人，我們堆好看點，他看着也會高興。”
王黑子愣是帶着幾人賴着沒走，屋子裏一直沒有動靜，并不在意他們在外頭做什麽，也沒有人出來。
Wang Xiaotie and Wang Tiantian both sensed his weirdness, but they didn't think much about it.
After all, this kind of thing just happened in his family, so it's normal for him to be a little angry.
Tang Qingqing waited for a while before she went to talk to Zhai Hongyi:
"Brother, I don't think Wang Xianghong is someone who wants to elope, otherwise there would be no need to spend so much time celebrating this New Year. Cao Liang's reaction is also strange. Aren't they said to be in love? All he could hear was that they might have been abducted, but he didn't say anything at all."
If Wang Xianghong had no intention of eloping, why was Cao Liang so determined to cuckold her?
Could it be that he just happened to encounter it?
"Also, his house is very clean and tidy. Everywhere is mopped carefully. You can tell that he likes to tidy up. But you can see that the snow in the yard is not cleaned up in time."
The yard was a mess, completely different from the situation inside the house and very inconsistent with the owner's personality.
The yard is also part of the home, and it needs to be passed by and used frequently. Generally speaking, people who like to tidy up cannot tolerate a messy yard.
Zhai Hongyi: "Look at his footprints around his house and see if there's anything special."
Tang Qingqing was examining the footprints on the ground. Wang Heizi watched her start sweeping the snow and his eyes rolled.
"The yard is so dirty and covered with snow. Let's play here and help clean the yard."
Wang Tiantian and Wang Xiaotie had no objection and swept the snow in the yard together.
Several people worked together and soon cleaned up the yard.
Tang Qingqing kept her eyes fixed on the ground, not missing a single detail.
Soon she found an incomplete footprint. The soil there was relatively soft, so it left a tiny mark.
She couldn't help but frown and gestured there with her hands.
Wang Tiantian noticed her strangeness: "Sister, what are you doing?"
Wang Heizi jumped in front of her and said mysteriously, "She is looking for snowworms."
"Snowworms? What are those? I've never heard of them before."
"There's a legend about a bug that looks like snow and feels cold to the touch. If you can find it and keep it, and put it on your body in the summer, you'll feel cool and never feel hot again."
"Wow! There are bugs like this!"
Wang Xiaotie and Wang Tiantian were stunned. They believed Wang Heizi's words without any doubt.
If we had snowworms, working under the sun in the hot summer wouldn't be so uncomfortable.
Wang Heizi made up a story about a snow bug in a very serious manner, which stunned the Wang siblings. They searched the ground according to what he said.
Seeing that no one was disturbing her, Tang Qingqing stopped caring about what was happening outside and continued to focus all her attention on her work.
She followed the footprints and walked around the area for a long time before she saw the footprints again about 20 meters away!
"He went off into the woods."
Tang Qingqing looked ahead and locked onto the direction in which the owner of the footprints was walking.
"Who is he?"
"Cao Liang."
After Tang Qingqing finished speaking, she chased in that direction, stopping from time to time to draw circles, and starting to run again from time to time, shuttling back and forth in the woods.
Wang Tiantian and Wang Xiaotie were very surprised.
Wang Tiantian: "Are you not looking for snow bugs? Why are you running so fast?"
According to Wang Heizi's nonsense, to find snow worms you have to be careful and search slowly on the ground before you can see them.
"Maybe she was in a hurry and was looking for a place to relieve herself."
Wang Xiaotie: "Then why did Brother Yi go with us? He is a man, this is not good."
"You're afraid of a blind bear, so follow her to protect her."
"Oh, how can you pee outside? Good things should be kept within the family! Go home!" Wang Tiantian stomped her feet.
As farmers, fertilizer is an extremely important resource. Even if we are halfway through pulling it out, we have to store it in the toilet at home and then release it.
"Maybe he found something interesting. Let's follow him."
Wang Heizi also followed, but Wang Tiantian and Wang Xiaotie didn't care about the snow bugs anymore and ran after him.
Several people ran into the woods and did not notice that the door behind them was opened. Cao Liang stood at the door gloomily, looking in the direction they disappeared.