Seeing old friends
Si Mucheng's face was very unpleasant. Although the uncle still looked suspicious, he probably saw that Si Mucheng was dressed smartly and his behavior was not particularly outrageous, so he didn't seem like a loafer who came to steal. He slung the hoe over his shoulder and said, half warning and half muttering, "He looks like a big young man, with hands and feet. Don't do anything bad." He sighed, "Poor little girl from the Hu family!" After saying that, he walked down another path.
Si Mucheng was both amused and exasperated. He was doing a good deed, but why did doing a good deed have to involve such a ghost?
Help! He only thought the little girl looked pitiful; how could she be a ghost?
A gust of wind blew by, and Si Mucheng felt a chill run down his spine. He shivered and didn't dare look back at the dilapidated house. He hurried away as fast as he could. Only when he was almost at the intersection and heard faint voices did he breathe a sigh of relief.
However, before he could catch his breath, he heard a shout from behind: "Brother! Big brother!"
Si Mucheng heard it, and the voice was very familiar. He immediately realized who was calling him, but he didn't dare to turn around, for fear of seeing another strange and grotesque face.
However, the sound came from afar and quickly reached behind Si Mucheng. He quickly took a step forward and walked out of the alley. It was at this moment that he saw his second aunt's husband in front of a stall across the street, holding a mobile phone and pressing buttons.
Si Mucheng shouted, "Second Uncle!" He staggered forward a few steps, and his second uncle caught him in surprise. After a moment, he laughed, "Why are you in such a hurry? I was just about to call you. Where have you been?"
Si Mucheng grasped at a straw and instantly calmed down. He thought that with so many people around, the little brat probably wouldn't bother him anymore. However, this was all wishful thinking. The little girl's cheerful voice stopped behind him: "Big brother, you run so fast!"
Si Mucheng took a deep breath. He needed to stay calm and act normally, otherwise his second uncle would notice something was wrong.
"elder brother?"
Si Mucheng secretly bowed: Please, please, this brat shouldn't reveal his true form, otherwise he can't guarantee he won't scream.
He turned his head and saw that the little girl had a layer of fine sweat on her forehead and her eyes were bright and sparkling as she looked at him expectantly.
Fortunately, it's normal.
Si Mucheng didn't dare to meet her gaze, so he could only stiffen his neck and say to his second uncle, "Let's go, second uncle."
Unexpectedly, the second uncle said, "Why are you leaving? The young lady is calling you."
Si Mucheng was taken aback: "You saw it too??"
"What are you saying, child? Your uncle's eyes aren't bad. The little girl is right in front of you, how could you not see her?" The second uncle patted his shoulder reproachfully, then turned to the little girl and asked, "What's wrong, baby? Did he bully you?"
"No." The little girl's face was flushed. She pursed her lips and held up what she was holding. "Brother, you can take these vegetables." In her hand was a vegetable basket containing fresh cabbage, cucumbers, and some peppers.
For a moment, Si Mucheng stared blankly at the vegetables, and his second uncle was also completely bewildered.
Seeing that Si Mucheng didn't move, the little girl took the initiative to explain, "These are all grown by myself. Don't be fooled by their appearance, they taste delicious!"
Second Uncle nudged Si Mucheng: "You know him?"
The little girl's bright face dimmed, and her voice became weaker. She said uneasily, "I know this isn't anything good..."
"Wow." Si Mucheng finally realized what was happening and quickly took the basket of vegetables. "These are real green and organic vegetables. Thank you, little sister."
The little girl's eyes lit up: "I should be thanking you, big brother. The sugar cake is delicious. I misunderstood you. You are a good person."
Upon hearing this, Si Mucheng was speechless for a long time. He was truly awful; how could he mistake such an innocent young girl for a ghost!
It's all that old man's fault for talking nonsense!
The second aunt's husband also understood and praised with a smile, "This child is really sensible."
Seeing that Si Mucheng had accepted the gift, the little girl was afraid that she had incurred some favor, so before Si Mucheng could speak, she said goodbye and ran away.
The remaining two women, an aunt and niece, looked at the basket of vegetables and exchanged bewildered glances.
Si Mucheng hadn't expected that ten yuan could buy such a sincere heart, and he immediately felt guilty. His second aunt's husband had children of his own, and he felt even more affection for such a young child: "You can tell this child has suffered a lot just by looking at him, with his small arms and legs. Growing these vegetables must have been very difficult, and he still gave you so much."
Si Mucheng hesitated for a while, then said, "I think I should buy some more food for her."
Upon hearing this, the second aunt's husband agreed, saying, "That's fine. You bought sugar cakes? Those things don't keep for long. Go buy the packaged kind; they'll last longer if you keep them at home."
The two went to the market and bought some snacks that children like. Si Mucheng even had a little tug-of-war with his second uncle, but finally managed to get the right to pay the bill. After thinking for a moment, he said to his uncle, "It's not appropriate for two grown men to go to a young girl's house. I know where she lives, so I'll go and deliver the snacks."
My second aunt's husband was impressed by his thoughtfulness and nodded, "Okay."
So Si Mucheng picked up another bag of snacks and walked into the alley again. This time, however, he actually saw Wen Ya walking ahead of him.
He raised an eyebrow. What was she doing here?
Such country lanes are easy for outsiders to get lost on, but Wen Ya's steps were brisk, making it clear she had a destination in mind. According to her second aunt, Wen Ya hadn't even spent much time in Xiqiao Village, so how could she be so familiar with this village?
As she was pondering, Wen Ya stopped in front of a courtyard gate.
How ironic, what a coincidence!
Si Mucheng was curious about how Wen Ya knew the little girl. Thinking of Wen Ya reminded him of his ability to see ghosts, and how he had previously mistaken the little girl for a ghost. Now that Wen Ya was here, was he overthinking things, or was it just a coincidence?
Seeing Wen Ya enter the courtyard, Si Mucheng immediately went over and pressed himself against the courtyard wall, peering through the crack in the wall.
Wen Ya didn't go inside; she just talked to the little girl in the front yard, then took something out of her pocket and handed it to her.
Si Mucheng could see clearly that it was a piece of candy.
The little girl initially refused, but after Wen Ya said something, she smiled and accepted it.
Si Mucheng was puzzled. Wen Ya was being incredibly stingy; who only gives one piece of candy? But why would she only give one piece? Was there some kind of reason?
Seeing that the girl accepted the gift, Wen Ya didn't say another word and turned to leave.
Upon seeing this, Si Mucheng quickly dodged to the side, hiding in the gap between the two houses. He only came out after glancing at Wen Ya leaving.
Although he felt strange about himself, he couldn't suppress his curiosity. Mainly, Wen Ya was too odd; instead of exorcising ghosts, she came here, gave someone a piece of candy, and left. Could there be something special about this candy? Perhaps it wasn't candy at all, but a pill? No, these charlatans…do masters even know how to refine pills?
His mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts until he suddenly realized he was carrying a large bag. He shook his head and staggered into the small, dilapidated courtyard.
The little girl was squatting in the yard picking vegetables. Having learned from his previous experience, Si Mucheng didn't dare to get too close to her. He simply knocked on the gate and said with a smile, "Little sister, may I come in?"
The little girl turned her head and saw Si Mucheng. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately stood up to greet him: "Big brother, you've come to see me again?"
Si Mucheng walked in with her and placed the bag of food he had bought on a small stool next to him: "Well, I bought you some food."
The little girl's eyes almost bulged out as she looked at the bag of snacks: "So many! No need, brother, didn't you buy me some sweet cakes? There's still so much, I can't finish it all."
Si Mucheng laughed: "It's alright, these can last for several months, you can keep them and eat them slowly."
The little girl seemed to realize something, her expression conflicted, and her eyelids drooped: "...My mom doesn't let me take other people's things."
This was the second time Si Mucheng had heard this sentence. He guessed that she had just chased after him to return the gift because her family had taught her to do so. So he waved his hand and said, "It's okay. Where is your mother? I'll tell her."
But as soon as he said that, the girl's face, which had been somewhat radiant, immediately dimmed. She shook her head haphazardly and looked down at her fingers.
Even the slow-witted girl would know she'd said the wrong thing. This was the first time Si Mucheng had ever dealt with a girl like this, and he was completely flustered. He scratched his head for a moment, then quickly pulled a bag of candy from his bag and stuffed it into the girl's arms without a word: "Don't be shy, I don't eat snacks either. Little sister, just think of it as helping your brother out, okay? It's good to help others!"
The little girl held the bag of candy, struggled internally for a long time, and finally nodded with pursed lips.
Si Mucheng breathed a sigh of relief and made a tearing motion: "Try it quickly."
The little girl obediently tore open the packaging, picked out a candy, and suddenly laughed, "It seems like I hit the jackpot today! A big sister just gave me a piece of candy, and now you've given me so many delicious things. This is great!"
When she mentioned Wen Ya, Si Mucheng felt inexplicably guilty. He touched his nose and changed the subject: "Haha... So, do you like these?"
"Mmm!" the little girl said, sucking on a candy. "I love this candy the most, especially the orange flavor."
It was a very common fruit hard candy. Si Mucheng didn't eat much candy, so she didn't quite understand what made this hard candy so appealing. But little girls should like sweet things, right?
He watched as the little girl pulled a candy from her pocket. Si Mucheng knew it was the same one Wen Ya had given her before, the same kind he'd bought—the little girl's favorite orange flavor. He pursed his lips, thinking to himself, "That charlatan is so stingy."
The little girl put the single candy into the candy bag, carefully folded the torn opening, put the whole bag back into the plastic bag, and tied it neatly: "Keep it, eat it slowly." The little girl smiled, picked up the bag and was about to go into the house, calling out to Si Mucheng, "Brother, come in and have some water."
Si Mucheng felt uneasy, but he still followed her into the house.
Upon entering the room, Si Mucheng found it even more chaotic than when he had only caught a fleeting glimpse of it the first time he visited. There were almost no signs of tidying up, and the table was covered in dust.
After putting the snack bag into the room, the little girl took out a cup, scooped up a ladle of water to wash it, poured some cooled boiled water over, and brought it over. Seeing Si Mucheng standing there, she quickly put the water in his hand, wiped the stool with the corner of her clothes, and said with a smile, "Brother, sit down."
Si Mucheng sighed inwardly, sat down, and asked the little girl, "Where are your parents?" It's one thing that no one has repaired the house, but why hasn't anyone cleaned it up?
The little girl's previous gloomy expression reappeared. She lowered her head and murmured, "They're all...gone."
Si Mucheng didn't immediately understand what "gone" meant. He thought he had guessed correctly that the little girl was a left-behind child, and asked innocently, "Not at home? Did you go to work? Are you home alone on summer vacation? Don't you have a guardian?"
The little girl just shook her head: "My mom... she's dead."
Si Mucheng hadn't expected this situation and immediately shut up, feeling like he'd completely messed up today. Not only had he terrified the young girl, but he'd also been wildly disruptive in her sensitive area.
His mind raced, and finally he blurted out, "What about your father?"
The little girl gave him a wry look and said, "Daddy's in jail."
Si Mucheng: ...
Okay, he should check the almanac before going out today.
Si Mucheng was incredibly embarrassed and wanted nothing more than to run out the door. But the little girl, though dejected, seemed to have found an outlet for her emotions: "My mother was strangled to death by my father… Although no one told me, I didn't tell them either. Actually, I saw it that night. My father used to beat my mother and me when he was drunk. That night, he beat my mother again. I was woken up and looked out the window. I saw my father in the yard with a belt, trying to come into the house. My mother had already been beaten, but she still tried to stop him. Annoyed by his attempts to stop her, he got angry and beat her again. Finally, still not satisfied, he wrapped the belt around my mother's neck, and then…"
She pointed towards the yard: "Right there."
Si Mucheng never expected that this was no longer a story, but a case. He opened his mouth, hesitated for a long time, and then looked at the little girl with a deep gaze: "So... you live alone now? Is no one taking care of you?"
The little girl shook her head: "I usually stay at my aunt's house, but... there's a saying, 'There's no place like home.' Besides, I just think that if this old house isn't lived in, it'll gradually fall into disrepair. If Mom wants to come back to visit someday, she won't be able to find me. So I come back to stay during holidays, so it'll feel more lively. I'm not scared at all. Here, I can still smell Mom's scent, and I might even be dry! I've planted a vegetable garden myself. Brother, you can come back and try it; the vegetables I grow are really delicious!"
Si Mucheng realized that the uncle had been saying that no one had lived in the house for a long time, and he was right. It was just that the little girl couldn't bear to leave her home.
For a moment, he didn't know what to say, and could only nod repeatedly.
The little girl stepped forward, took Si Mucheng's hand, turned around and pointed to the wall: "Brother, look, isn't my mom very pretty?"
A portrait hangs on the wall; even in black and white, the woman's eyes shine. Her thick, black hair is braided and falls over her shoulder, her almond-shaped eyes are watery, and her lips are curved in a smile.
There was none of the terrifying sight of him rolling his eyes, sticking out his tongue, and having a bluish-purple face.
Si Mucheng stared blankly at the photo, biting his lip.
So this is what "she" looks like.
Just then, his second aunt's husband called. Si Mucheng sniffed before answering. His second aunt's husband's cheerful voice came through: "Xiao Cheng, did you deliver it? Your aunt called and said she wanted to buy some meat for her."
Si Mucheng said, "Oh, Uncle, it's here. I... I'll be right out."
"Okay, I'll wait for you here at the herbal tea shop."
After hanging up the phone, the little girl blinked her big eyes, a hint of reluctance on her face: "Brother, are you leaving?"
Si Mucheng nodded.
"Oh..." the little girl said dejectedly.
She escorted Si Mucheng to the courtyard gate. Si Mucheng patted the back of her head, thought for a moment, and asked, "Little sister, what's your name?"
The little girl laughed, and for a moment, her expression overlapped with that of the woman in the photo on the wall. She smiled and said, "My name is Lele, Hu Lele."
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