By the time he got home, it was getting dark. Luckily, he was now familiar enough with the road to get home safely.
To be honest, Xie Yan is really not suited to walking at night. Even though it wasn't completely dark yet, and Xie Yan wouldn't have gone astray even with his eyes closed, he was still terrified.
Late autumn always gives people a sense of desolation, not to mention the twilight of late autumn, when the world is almost translucent.
On the dimly lit road, there was not a soul in sight, only fallen leaves scattered on the ground. The rustling sound of a bicycle passing by echoed the sound of corn stalks swaying in the wind by the roadside.
The cornfield used to be a graveyard.
Through the corn stalks, you can see white paper fluttering in the wind. It is the only bright spot in this dim world, but it is more like a deadly rope that can make your heart tremble at the sight of it.
Xie Yan pedaled his bicycle at breakneck speed, his eyes not daring to wander even a little, his determination as firm as if he were about to join the Party, with only one thought in his mind: hurry, hurry, hurry!
But that fleeting glimpse of white seemed to possess a special magic, lingering in Xie Yan's mind.
The bleak wind whistled past his ears, and the car that whizzed by stirred up a large number of fallen leaves. They swirled and danced, some playfully landing on Xie Yan's cheek. The icy touch made his scalp tingle and his breathing become rapid. At that moment, the evil spirit chasing him seemed to come into reality.
Xie Yan's face turned pale, and he was sweating profusely.
He dared not look around at all, and could only pedal the bike as hard as he could.
The short distance seemed endless to him, and time seemed to stretch on forever.
When he finally entered the village, he had a moment to catch his breath. He leaned on the bike, breathing heavily, and glanced back with lingering fear, but there was nothing there.
Only the occasional leaf falling in the wind seemed to be responding to him.
When Xie Yan returned home and saw Yu Yue waiting for him under the lamplight, his uneasy heart finally calmed down.
He got out of the car, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and pushed the car into the house with a smile.
He was not supposed to tell Yu Yuehui about such a shameful thing.
That's so embarrassing, it damages his image.
Yu Yue noticed that Xie Yan's face was unusually pale today, which seemed very strange.
When chatting after dinner, deliberately encourage him to talk more.
Xie Yan got carried away and blurted out the whole story. He only realized what he had said halfway through, and since he had already said it, he tried to keep it brief and joking.
Yu Yuehui detected extreme fear in his calm description.
Clench your fingers tightly, and your fingertips will turn slightly white.
A look of annoyance flashed in her eyes. This was really her fault. She knew perfectly well that Xie Yan was afraid of the dark, and she should have gone to pick him up today.
You shouldn't give up just because you think it's still early and it's not completely dark yet.
From then on, whenever Xie Yan went out on business and returned home late, he would always meet Yu Yuehui, who came to pick him up on the way. Of course, that's another story.
Xie Yan had fully recovered by now and was even in the mood to analyze the footsteps he had heard earlier; he genuinely felt that someone was behind him.
But now that he's calmed down and thought about it carefully, he realized something was wrong. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh and said to Yue, "I know, honey. That must have been the sound of fallen leaves hitting the ground, kicked up by my car. Large leaves make a sound when they fall to the ground. I didn't notice it at the time, so I thought it was the sound of someone walking around."
Actually, he was just too scared, so he naturally thought of the thing he feared most.
I felt there was something sinister behind me, but I was too scared to look back.
This is a classic example of someone scaring themselves.
Yu Yue comforted Xie Yan, saying, "Yes, that's the sound of leaves. The road is full of leaves now, and they make a rustling sound when you walk on them."
Speaking of leaves, Yu Yuehui thought of tomorrow's plans, "Oh right, we're going to sweep leaves tomorrow too!"
"Ah! Do we have to sweep tomorrow?" Xie Yan remembered what he saw on the way; not all the leaves had fallen!
Shouldn't we sweep after all the leaves have fallen?
Yu Yue nodded, "The mountain is full of locust trees. Their leaves fall early, and now the whole mountain is bare."
"Now is the perfect time to sweep."
"There are other places to sweep in a while."
Every year around this time, every household goes up the mountain to sweep leaves to prepare for heating their kang (traditional heated brick bed) during the winter. This is a huge undertaking, as enough leaves need to be swept to supply the entire winter.
Xie Yan took a sip of water. "Then do we need to build another shed outside to hold the fallen leaves?"
Yu Yue shook her head. "Pour it up against the west wall of the courtyard, compact it, and then cover it with plastic sheeting."
Xie Yan nodded. "Do we have enough plastic wrap? Should we buy some more?"
"That's enough. The plastic sheet used to cover the leaves doesn't need to be very good. The old, torn plastic sheets will do. As long as the snow on top is swept off, it's fine. It's just water, so it won't seep through."
Xie Yan nodded. He would listen to Yu Yuehui on these matters, as Yu Yuehui was experienced.
After drinking a glass of water, he handed today's earnings to Yu Yuehui. "Look, wife, I bought a hundred yuan worth of goods. How about that? Isn't it much more cost-effective than giving it directly to Lao Zhang?"
Yu Yue looked at the money, still a little uneasy. "Yes, it's a lot of money, but it's not safe at all. Xiao Yan, I don't want you to take any risks. I'd rather take less money!"
At least it's safe with Lao Zhang.
Xie Yan hugged Yu Yuehui and said, "Wife, don't worry about that. I gave it to someone I know, so it will definitely not go to any dangerous places."
"What a coward I am!"
"You know perfectly well why you would take such a risk."
Yu Yue thought about it and realized that Xie Yan really valued his life and couldn't bear any hardship. He should understand the consequences of being caught in such a place.
He would be sent directly to a labor camp. Someone as lazy as Xie Yan would probably not go to a place like that.
With that thought, Yu Yuehui felt relieved.
As long as you don't go to the black market, you'll be fine.
Seeing that Yuehui believed Xie Yan, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Why!
Actually, he didn't want to go to the black market either!
That place is terrifying!
It's completely different from the black market I'd heard about before.
It's terrifying!
Since meeting Wang Dayong last time, Xie Yan has developed a negative attitude towards the black market; it looks like a place run by organized crime.
The black market is indeed only suitable for ruthless people like the male and female protagonists. Someone like him, who has no ambition, no ability, and just wants to lie down and do nothing, is definitely not suitable.
It's best to avoid going there.
After resolving Teacher Wang's matter, he will try his best to avoid going to the black market again.
He's timid; if he gets scared a few more times, he might actually develop a heart attack.
Xie Yan sighed as she thought about where she would be going next week.
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