Chapter 260 Jinjiang (1)
Yan Shixun could see that when Zheng Shumu mentioned that Zheng Tiantian was afraid of fire, his originally simple face couldn't help but twisted in anger for a moment.
In addition to love and pity for Zheng Tiantian, there is also anger about this matter.
Yan Shixun couldn't help but wonder if something happened that year that caused Zheng Tiantian to be afraid of fire, and also caused Zheng Shuli, who loved his sister, to have such a complicated expression.
Like, a fire that destroyed everything.
If Zheng Tiantian was in the house at the time and their parents died in the fire, then all of Zheng Shuli's reactions would seem to make sense.
The charred and burnt marks on the walls have gradually faded, and it seems that the fire has been over for some time.
This actually matches what Zheng Shumu said about the time when he learned carpentry.
However, Zheng Shumu was obviously reluctant to bring up this topic.
He just said that Zheng Tiantian was afraid of fire, then he started laughing again, turned around to pick up the kettle on the stove, and prepared to pour water for Yan Shixun to make tea.
But the somewhat forced smile on Zheng Shumu's face still revealed his true emotions.
Yan Shixun remained silent, but saw it all.
He pretended to be chatting casually and said with concern: "It's so cold in winter, don't let Tiantian get frozen. Master Zheng, have you ever considered taking Tiantian to see a doctor? We can't keep going like this."
When talking about his sister, Zheng Shumu always shows more emotions than at other times.
It was as if his usual simple face was just a mask, hiding all his true self and restraining himself.
Only when it comes to the topic of Zheng Tiantian does Zheng Shumu feel real.
Hearing Yan Shixun's words, Zheng Shumu paused in his action of picking up the kettle.
He stared blankly at the stove in front of him, the leaping flames reflected in his eyes. In the room where no one was talking, the only sound was the crackling of burning wood.
After a long while, Zheng Shumu slowly shook his head and said with a sigh: "It's useless."
"Tiantian... this is the only way she can live her life."
Zheng Shumu's voice choked: "Blame me. Blame me for not protecting Tiantian and mother. It's my fault."
Yan Shixun noticed that Zheng Shumu's psychological defenses were already showing signs of collapse when he talked about Zheng Tiantian and his mother, so he took advantage of the opportunity and did not miss it.
However, in order not to alert the enemy, he did not act overly anxiously, but instead showed the sympathy and curiosity that ordinary people would show when hearing about other people's tragic experiences.
Yan Shixun sighed, stood up from his chair and walked to Zheng Shumu, raised his hand and patted his shoulder: "You take good care of Tiantian, she looks like a good child."
"But what exactly happened back then? Don't give up hope so early. Go to the hospital. Maybe you can still make it in time."
Yan Shixun did not expect Zheng Shumu to tell the whole truth as soon as he was asked. After all, in the shadow play, Zheng Shumu was not even a real person. How could he believe Zheng Shumu for no reason?
So, while he spoke in a low and concerned voice, he carefully observed Zheng Shumu's expression.
Compared with language, clues provided by body language and environment are closer to the truth.
Yan Shixun discovered that when he mentioned what happened back then, Zheng Shumu's expression was extremely painful, as if he was lost in memories of the past.
However, when Zheng Shumu heard Yan Shixun say he was going to the hospital, he was not moved at all.
Under what circumstances would a brother who loves his sister react like this?
——Zheng Shumu knew very well that Zheng Tiantian was afraid of fire and the hospital could not solve the problem.
This village has experienced a golden period and has had a lot of contact with the outside world. Zheng Shumu also came here from outside the village and settled here. It is impossible for him to have never left the village and be unfamiliar with the situation in the hospital.
Fire overcomes metal, metal overcomes wood.
Zheng Tiantian...the daughter of a carpenter family, is closely related to wood and is afraid of fire.
Yan Shixun came to a conclusion in his mind and guessed that Zheng Tiantian’s psychological problems were not caused by the fire that year, but because her existence was of the wood attribute, which was why she was afraid of fire.
This was probably why the house was pitch dark when Zheng Shumu took him into the yard.
The village has no electricity and still uses the most primitive method of lighting and heating - fire.
Yan Shixun did not ask Zheng Shumu directly to verify his guess.
He did not disturb Zheng Shuli who was obviously lost in his memories, but took the opportunity to quickly observe the surrounding environment.
As a carpenter's studio, there are more wood and semi-finished products here than in the living room.
However, the semi-finished products here are of a different style from those in the yard or living room.
This place is more like a processing factory for those puppets with animated mouths and eyes in the yard.
Thanks to this, Yan Shixun was able to see the original structure of the puppets outside so clearly.
It was the first time that Yan Shixun heard of wood carvings with movable mouths and eyes. Before this, his impression of wood carvings had always been that they were carved from a whole huge piece of wood shavings in one go.
But now he saw that the method used by Zheng Shumu was not what he had thought before, but a method of splitting and combining.
Just like making a living person, first build the skeleton, then fill it with flesh and blood, and finally cover it with a layer of skin.
Although the pile of wood is still unrelated, in Yan Shixun's mind, he has quickly determined their original functions and positions based on the mortise and tenon joints and cross-sections left by the semi-finished products. He has also pieced these parts together in his mind and simulated the entire assembly process in real time.
Then, even Yan Shixun, who had seen the carving process of other carpenters, couldn't help but marvel at the exquisiteness of this craftsmanship.
The limbs and torso are reconstructed on the skeleton, and after assembling the previously carved head, arms and other parts, a texture like real human skin is carved on it. The facial features are carefully carved, even the eyebrows and eyelashes are clearly visible, and even the small details of the cracked lips are not missed.
Because of this, each puppet's face is completely different, and each has its own distinct identifying features.
Yan Shixun also saw the upper body of one of the statues placed on a table, which was a sculpture of an old man.
Although his face has not been completely carved, his sparse and messy hair, sloppy beard, wrinkles on his face, and old-fashioned and wrinkled clothes, these small details not only indicate the old man's age, but also show his uncomfortable situation, making it lifelike.
Yan Shixun was amazed at Zheng Shuli's superb skills, but he also realized that Zheng Shuli had meticulous observation skills and probably had a thorough understanding of people's mentality.
Otherwise, Zheng Shumu would not have carved the old man so vividly and lifelike.
Putting aside the weirdness of Zheng Shumu's brother and sister, and not talking about the current situation, this is also the first time that Yan Shixun has come into such close contact with such a superb skill.
When he faced Zheng Shumu's works, he suddenly felt that his soul was also touched.
This is something that machines can never replace.
During the long period of carving, the craftsman not only poured all his efforts and energy into it, but also melted his understanding of the work and the world into every stroke. It is equivalent to integrating his own soul into it, giving vitality to the originally dead work.
Wood can be divided into cold and warm types, and so can people.
During their long time of interaction with trees, craftsmen have accurately grasped the characteristics of each type of wood and incorporated the special features of the wood into their works, making the characters and animals they portrayed look more like fresh new life.
Yan Shixun had originally intended to take a closer look at the studio's situation when Zheng Shumu wasn't paying attention, but he didn't expect that he would be attracted by these semi-finished products instead and didn't notice that Zheng Shumu had come back to his senses.
Zheng Shumu was also very happy to see that Yan Shixun seemed very interested in these works.
It's like a person whose music is too high-brow for the masses finally meets someone who can understand what he wants to express.
"Mr. Yan is also interested in wood carving?"
Zheng Shumu smiled and pointed at the bust of the old man that Yan Shixun was looking at: "This is still a semi-finished product. We originally wanted to finish it today, but now it seems that the construction period will be delayed."
"After this work is completed, will Master Zheng still put it in the yard?"
Yan Shixun felt a little regretful: "If we transport it out of the village, more people will see it..."
"No."
Zheng Shumu smiled easily, but his eyes were filled with emotion: "It is destined to be lost. What's the point of letting so many people see it?"
Yan Shixun looked at Zheng Shumu in surprise.
He had heard similar words from another inheritor before.
According to Uncle Bai San, Master Bai, the 28th generation inheritor of Southwestern shadow puppetry, wants to make sure that shadow puppetry is lost.
Zheng Shumu actually wanted his skills to be lost...
He had clearly said before that he inherited the ancestral carpentry skills after he lost interest in shadow puppetry.
After experiencing so many changes in life, the craft inherited from his father should have been a fishing line that pulled Zheng Shumu out of the abyss, preventing him from getting lost in pain and despair.
However, Zheng Shumu said so firmly that he wanted to prevent his ancestral craft from being lost.
Even if Zheng Shumu has no descendants and has no plans to let Zheng Tiantian learn carpentry, he can still accept an apprentice. As long as he wants, there are many ways to pass on this craft.
But Zheng Shumu refused to consider any of them and was determined to let the tradition disappear.
What Yan Shixun found most strange was that the two inheritors had the same idea.
On the poster he saw in the museum at that time, except for Zheng Shumu and Master Bai, the other five shadow puppet craftsmen had died many years ago. Some even turned into ghosts, being manipulated by people behind the scenes to live in the shadow puppet show, and there was no end in sight for the painful punishment.
But the two who are still alive said in unison that they wanted their respective heritage to be lost... Is it a coincidence?
Or is there a connection between these two people that he is not yet aware of?
Yan Shixun concealed his doubts very well.
Even though he was full of doubts, it was not visible on his face. He was still smiling as Zheng Shumu introduced the wood carvings that filled the studio.
As he listened, Yan Shixun also realized that there was a certain deviation between the character displayed by Zheng Shuli and his speculation about Zheng Shuli.
Perhaps Zheng Shumu was so enthusiastic because no one had been able to talk to him for a long time, and no one had been able to listen to him introduce these wood carvings with pride and enthusiasm, and listen to him explain the differences between each technique.
He was full of talent and should have become a respected master carpenter and famous, but he was willing to be trapped in this small village and live with his sister in a house that had once caught fire.
Maybe Zheng Shumu was also lonely, but he couldn't even say such words to anyone.
While Zheng Shumu was talking to the wood carving, Yan Shixun was quietly staring at Zheng Shumu, slowly trying to figure out this man from every subtle expression on his face.
In the Shadow Puppet Museum, in addition to posters, Yan Shixun also saw the magazine's introductions to several shadow puppet masters.
At that time, Master Bai once mentioned that in order to improve southwestern shadow puppetry and learn from its strengths and overcome its weaknesses, he invited a carpenter to the village.
But later, both Master Bai and Zheng Shumu, who was much younger back then, on the poster, had gloomy and silent expressions.
Now, after the death of those shadow puppet masters, Zheng Shumu standing in front of him is much more cheerful and happier than he was back then.
It’s like completely letting go of the heavy things in life, and the original despair and pain have turned into ease and anticipation for the future.
Yan Shixun didn’t know if this was a change brought about by Zheng Tiantian, but when he looked at the half-body wooden sculpture of an old man, he suddenly discovered—
This old man... seems somewhat similar to Master Bai in the previous poster?
Because Zheng Shumu had not yet completely carved the old man's facial features, and Yan Shixun himself had never seen Master Bai in person, and had only seen Master Bai's face printed on a poster many years ago, it made recognition much more difficult.
But no matter how people age or how their appearance changes, the direction of their bones remains unchanged.
Brow bones, nose bridge, chin...these can all be used as evidence to identify a person.
"Master Zheng, is this old man someone you have met before?"
Yan Shixun asked casually, "It's so lifelike, as if this person really exists. If it was carved out of imagination, then Master Zheng's skills are really beyond my cognition. It's unexpected that woodworking can reach such a high level."
Zheng Shumu quickly waved his hands to deny it.
When it came to carpentry, he was unexpectedly sincere to Yan Shixun.
"It's not as amazing as Mr. Yan said, haha. My father and ancestors can do it, but I can't."
Zheng Shumu said: "These are people I have seen many times. According to the term in your city, they are models."
"For woodcarvings with moving mouths and eyes, the most important thing is realism. In order to make the facial features and hands and feet move, the woodcarving and the real person must have the same proportions and state, and simulate the movement trajectory of the real person, so as to avoid the problem of lag in the mechanism embedded in the woodcarving."
Speaking of this, Zheng Shumu felt a little guilty: "It's my fault that I was too playful when I was young and didn't settle down to learn these things from my father. Later, when I wanted to learn, I didn't have the opportunity. I could only figure out and make such mediocre things from the incomplete manuscripts. Without real people to compare with, I can't make anything. Compared with the skills of my ancestors, I am really ashamed."
Yan Shixun: ...Master Zheng, do you know what Versailles means? If even this kind of skill is shameful, then what are other carpenters? :)
Yan Shixun felt that Zheng Shumu and Zhang Dabing must have common topics to talk about, these two Versailles people without knowing it.
Fortunately, Yan Shixun also discovered Zheng Shumu's characteristics. Whenever he talked to him about professional issues, he would be particularly sincere.
So Yan Shixun decisively changed his strategy, starting from carpentry, pretending that he was interested in carpentry, and using this attitude to naturally ask Zheng Shumu a lot of questions.
For example, this unfinished wood sculpture was indeed carved by Master Bai.
Not only that, the finished puppets with animated mouths and eyes in the yard were all carved by villagers.
Most of them have died and were carved by Zheng Shumu many years ago. Some of them were carved into wood by Zheng Shumu because he missed the time he spent with them in the past.
"But, Master Bai rarely sees outsiders anymore?"
Yan Shixun said with regret: "What a pity. We were originally going to visit the shadow puppetry, but we couldn't see the inheritor of the shadow puppetry in person. It's really a pity. Master Zheng, you used Master Bai as a model for wood carving. Can you still see him now?"
"Yes."
Zheng Shumu looked up and thought for a while, then pulled the chair next to Yan Shixun and sat down, holding the hot water in one hand, and the red fire illuminated his cheeks.
The two of them sat by the warm stove, drinking hot water, with the crackling sound of burning firewood in their ears. In such an environment, they actually looked like old friends sitting and chatting.
"If Mr. Yan wants to see Master Bai, I'm going to Master Bai's house tomorrow, and Mr. Yan can go with me."
Zheng Shumu asked curiously, "Mr. Yan is so interested in shadow puppetry?"
Yan Shixun shook his head: "I just think that it is a pity that the culture that has been passed down for so long is lost, whether it is Master Zheng or Master Bai. Who wants to see good things destroyed before their eyes? It's such a pity."
"Because it's time."
Zheng Shumu said: "Since Mr. Yan is a ghost exorcist, he should have inherited his knowledge from his family or master, right? I thought Mr. Yan would understand this feeling."
"Every era has its own culture, and those that have been out of touch with the times, or whose existence itself symbolizes sin... have no need to continue to exist."
When Zheng Shumu said this, even the wrinkles on his face were tightened.
Although he had been particularly enthusiastic when talking about carpentry before, and it was obvious that he truly loved his craft, he seemed particularly cold and inhuman when talking about the loss of skills.
Rather than being rational, he seemed more like someone who was suppressed by extreme anger.
Yan Shixun pursed his lips. Zheng Shumu's words reminded him of how angry he was when he heard the news of Li Chengyun's death many years ago when he was a freshman at Binhai University.
No matter how rational a person is, he cannot remain absolutely rational and calm all the time.
As long as they are human beings and not machines, they have things they care about and weaknesses.
And the only person who stayed in Yan Shixun's former world was Li Chengyun.
Whether it is the client whose life is threatened by ghosts, or the classmates or neighbors around him, to Yu Yan Shixun, they are just passers-by.
He knew very clearly that the feelings between them would not be too deep. They met by chance and would part ways at the same time.
But Li Chengyun is different.
At the market, Li Chengyun squatted down in front of him, who was still a young boy, with a smile on his face. From that moment on, he had a home and a place to return to with peace of mind.
The softness of Yan Shixun that cannot be touched is Li Chengyun.
When he heard the news of Li Chengyun's death, he felt that at that moment, the whole world had lost its reason for existence.
Yan Shixun thought about avenging Li Chengyun, but Li Chengyun died for the path he insisted on. He knew that he would die, but he never wavered and moved towards the inevitable death.
Apart from burying Li Chengyun's body, Yan Shixun couldn't do anything for Li Chengyun.
Li Chengyun didn't even leave him a word.
The last words between them were on the Lantern Festival. Li Chengyun stood at the gate of the yard, watching Yan Shixun leave home for school. He rolled up his sleeves and smiled at his disciple, saying that he would make Lantern Festival dumplings for him himself next year.
Next year for sure.
must……
From then on, Li Chengyun's death became a pain that Yan Shixun could not mention. He even put Binhai University in the category of things he did not want to recall. Whenever he thought about it, the emotions of that time would flood back to him.
After finishing Li Chengyun's funeral with Zhang Wubing, Yan Shixun sat in the empty yard. For a moment, he thought about giving up on becoming an exorcist.
He knew very well that he was taking his anger out on others.
But he couldn't help it.
In deep sorrow, Yan Shixun even attributed the Taoism they practiced to Li Chengyun's cause of death, and the thought of "why not just let it be lost" flashed through his mind.
Although he quickly calmed down and didn't let himself be shaken for too long.
When he returned to Binhai University, he could no longer see anything wrong. No one knew that he had once experienced such a painful and shaken time. He even irrationally took his anger out on all the factors surrounding Li Chengyun's death.
And now, Zheng Shumu's words brought back Yan Shixun's memory.
"My master...is a ghost exorcist worthy of respect."
Yan Shixun lowered his eyelashes slightly and said in a low voice: "Master Zheng, you are right. I do have a master. When my master died many years ago, I also thought about making the power that caused my master's death disappear. I was so angry that I didn't want it to continue to be passed on, so I simply burned all the rare ancient books."
"My master died to protect others, but for me, between my master and others, I want my master to survive. What do others have to do with me? They never taught me to love and care for me, so why should I protect them? This is not the correct cause and effect."
Yan Shixun shook his head slowly: "But I soon realized that my thoughts were extreme."
"After my master died, even if I didn't want to leave, I had to be on my own. I was still young at that time, and I hadn't learned a lot yet. I had to face the cruel world without any preparation. There was no one to protect me from the wind and rain, and no one to stand nearby and watch over me when I was exorcising ghosts, to help me when I was exhausted or defeated, and to carry me home on my back."
"Sometimes the ghosts I have to face are too strong, far beyond what I can handle at that time. However, there are only weak people who need protection behind me, and there is no way out."
Yan Shixun blinked, and under the reflection of the bright fire, his sharp eyes shimmered with a complex look.
When Zheng Shumu was like a clam whose shell had been opened, revealing his weakness, Yan Shixun took advantage of the situation and wanted Zheng Shumu to reveal more information when his emotions were stimulated. He also told his own experience, hoping to resonate with Zheng Shumu and let him say more while empathizing.
But what Yan Shixun did not expect was that even though he had rational purposes, he still felt real emotions when he talked about Li Chengyun.
Those were indeed difficult times.
Li Chengyun left too early, and Yan Shixun was forced to leave.
When other ghost exorcists of the same age were still hiding behind their masters and watching, Yan Shixun was already walking alone among ghosts. Whenever he was injured or encountered danger, he only had himself to rely on.
During that period, Yan Shixun grew rapidly and became stronger.
Every time he grows up, he gains more scars on his body, and behind every experience, there are injuries and pains.
On a rainy night, after killing all the evil spirits in the haunted house, Yan Shixun walked out of the gate indifferently with blood and wounds all over his body. He happened to see another master scolding his disciple.
However, even though the master was furious, he did not forget to hold an umbrella for his disciple.
Yan Shixun stood there and watched for a long time, letting the heavy rain wash away the blood on his body. Only when the master and disciple disappeared in the rain did he turn around indifferently, holding onto the wall, enduring the severe pain, and moving back home step by step.
He has the appearance of an evil spirit, but every bit of his strength comes from actual combat.
The world gave him extraordinary talent and corresponding dangers, and he practiced his own way and brought this talent to the extreme.
Even now, after many years, Yan Shixun has become much stronger than any other exorcist. No ghost can hurt him easily. He can walk between yin and yang with ease, and ghosts retreat.
He can even bring up old things in a casual tone during casual conversation.
However, the pain he had experienced was also real.
Zheng Shumu didn't expect that Yan Shixun had such an experience. When he heard him say it nonchalantly in the simplest words, Zheng Shumu was stunned for a long time.
He looked at Yan Shixun, but he suddenly saw another person in this young and determined ghost exorcist.
The man was wearing a white shirt and standing outside the courtyard gate with his sleeves rolled up. He smiled and shouted, "Brother Shuli."
The man knew what he had done, but when he was full of vigilance and anger, the look he gave him was calm, without any contempt or condemnation.
It seemed as if what he did was natural.
So, when the man said, "Brother Shuli, come and help me, let's do this together," he nodded without hesitation.
He was well aware that his hands were stained with blood. Even though he had never regretted it, he knew what public order and morality should be like. Regardless of the cause, what he had done was far beyond the scope of worldly understanding.
But there was nothing strange in the eyes of the exorcist when he looked at him.
Still clear and pure, like free and easy clouds and wild cranes.
The man laughed and said, "Wherever the Tao is, I will go even if there are thousands of people against me."
The man said, Brother Tree, there is always a glimmer of hope in the world, don’t give up.
The man said, Brother Tree, you have another choice... Help me and hold up the collapsing world.
So, even though that person had left for a long time, he still followed what that person had said to him and stayed here to guard everything.
Zheng Shumu looked at Yan Shixun in a trance for a long time. He suddenly asked, "Mr. Yan, what is your master's last name?"
Yan Shixun raised his eyebrows in surprise, but still told the truth: "My master's surname is Li."
Zheng Shumu's eyes widened instantly and even his breathing stopped.
The room was instantly silent.
Zheng Tiantian didn't know what she was doing in the living room and didn't make any sound.
So the whole house, even though the fire was burning brightly and the air was warm, was still in deathly silence.
The two people looked at each other, and no one spoke for a while.
Zheng Shumu's eyes were complicated, and he seemed to have a lot to say.
But he moved his mouth, then seemed to remember something, glanced to the side, and was unable to say anything.
Just then, there was a knock on the gate of the courtyard, and a noble and gentle male voice came from outside.
"Mr. Yan, are you here?"
Xie Lin knocked on the door and stood outside, waiting patiently for a response: "Mr. Yan, dinner is ready. It will get cold if you wait any longer."
The two people in the studio also came out of the weird atmosphere.
Yan Shixun smiled and nodded slightly to Zheng Shumu: "It seems that my friend is here to see me."
He stood up slowly and said, "Thank you, Master Zheng, for accompanying me around the village and telling me so much about carpentry. It was very interesting."
Zheng Shumu also stood up: "I'll see you off."
The gate of the yard slowly opened.
Xie Lin looked up instinctively, but did not see Yan Shixun. Instead, he met the eyes of the wooden puppets that were looking at him neatly in the yard.
Those puppets stood in the darkness and looked like real people at first glance, but their stiff bodies revealed something was wrong, and the brain automatically replaced the puppets with corpses.
Xie Lin's hair stood on end immediately, and surprise appeared in his slightly widened eyes.
Yan Shixun was not here...who opened the door for him?
It was not until Xie Lin felt someone was looking at him and moved his gaze downwards that he realized it was not as scary as he had imagined.
The person who opened the door for him was a little girl who was not even as tall as his waist. Because of his eye height, he did not notice her presence at first.
The girl looked up at Xie Lin with a focused and serious gaze, not moving away at all.
Xie Lin thought of his sister in an instant.
This child looks very much like his sister...but if his sister were still alive, she would have been a grown-up girl by now, instead of still looking like a baby.
After losing his sister, Xie Lin has recognized the wrong sister many times over the years. When his depression was the most serious, he even thought that a young girl was his sister.
Auditory and visual hallucinations, and inability to distinguish between reality and imagination.
Xie Lin has experienced all the worst situations and can no longer trust his five senses.
Especially after experiencing great stimulation, the possibility of relapse is very high.
——Just like the time they were in danger.
Xie Lin felt that his previous dream about his sister was a sign that his illness was about to relapse.
Therefore, Xie Lin, who was very aware of his situation, shook his head with a wry smile, thinking that he might need to see a doctor after returning home. He couldn't always have hallucinations like this, thinking that all girls of similar age were his sisters.
Thinking of this, Xie Lin sighed in his heart and felt guilty towards the little girl.
Although she didn't know what she had just thought of, it was an impolite offense to others to casually regard others as her sister.
Xie Lin squatted down in front of the little girl, his eyes were level with hers, and he said in a gentle voice: "Hello, little sister, is there an older brother visiting your home? I'm here to see him."
Zheng Tiantian's arms around the little wooden puppet gradually tightened, and her tender palms even turned white from exerting so much force.
Her face, which had always had a sweet smile, now had no smile on it and her lips were tightly pursed.
Xie Lin was outside the door and Zheng Tiantian was standing inside.
It's just a threshold, but it's too far away.
Xie Lin looked at the silent little girl, and remembered that even he was frightened by the wooden puppet in the yard. He couldn't help but blame the little girl's parents in his heart, thinking that they were really incompetent. How could they let a young child live in such a depressing environment.
He just thought that the little girl was introverted and didn't think much about it. Instead, he smiled and talked to her patiently.
At this time, Yan Shixun and Zheng Shumu also came out of the house.
Yan Shixun saw the two people at the door at a glance.
A noble and mature man, and a young and innocent little girl.
These two really look like brother and sister, so warm.
Even Zheng Shumu was stunned for a moment before he called out "Tiantian".
Zheng Tiantian looked back at her brother, responded "Brother", and then stretched out her hand to Zheng Shumu, as if she wanted her brother to hold her hand.
Zheng Shumu walked over quickly, bent down, smiled, and took Zheng Tiantian's hand.
Seeing this, Xie Lin also stood up and nodded to Zheng Shumu with a smile: "Your sister is very cute."
Yan Shixun was just about to take a step forward, but his eyes suddenly caught sight of the corner of the living room.
There are a few paintings hanging on the wall behind the piles of miscellaneous items and wood carvings.
One of the paintings, which had been eroded and mottled due to moisture, caught Yan Shixun's attention.
…The human figure sketched with a few strokes of ink in the painting was deeply familiar to him.
The man in the painting gathers his sleeves, raises his head and smiles softly, with the corners of his long gown fluttering behind him, like a crane spreading its wings ready to fly, yet he steps firmly towards the unknown distance.
But what shook Yan Shixun the most was the inscription on the side of the painting.
The brush strokes are like dragons and snakes, and the dry brush is free and unrestrained, creating a graceful style like free and easy clouds and wild cranes.
Although part of the paper had rotted and turned black due to moisture, and it was unclear what was originally written, Yan Shixun still recognized it. It was clearly... the handwriting of his master, Li Chengyun.
The inscription mentioned Zheng Shuli's name, and the attitude was very intimate, calling him "Brother Shuli".
Li Chengyun loved traveling around and making friends during his lifetime. No matter where Yan Shixun went with him, he would meet his friends. He also saw him making new friends quickly and treating each other as close friends.
Compared to Yan Shixun, the lone wolf, Li Chengyun has friends all over the world, and it seems that there is no one that Li Chengyun doesn't know.
Yan Shixun once asked Li Chengyun how many friends he had. Li Chengyun thought about it, laughed and replied that he had as many friends as there were stars in the sky and as much sand in the rivers.
So later, Yan Shixun gave up exploring this issue.
But Yan Shixun still couldn't have imagined that Li Chengyun actually knew Zheng Shumu!
And from this painting, it seems that Li Chengyun did not unilaterally regard Zheng Shuli as a friend. Zheng Shuli also had a deep friendship with Li Chengyun.
Yan Shixun was familiar with Li Chengyun's painting style. This painting was not painted by Li Chengyun. The bold and open style is more in line with the style of Zheng Shumu's wood carving.
One person painted the portrait, and the other wrote the inscription. The relationship between these two people is so deep that it is definitely more than just acquaintances.
And the few words that Li Chengyun left for Zheng Shumu in the inscription also made Yan Shixun wonder what had happened here in the past.
The inscription reads: Brother Shuli, after we part, I wish you a long life and to protect the heaven and earth.
Yan Shixun's brows slowly furrowed.
Why did his master leave such words to a carpenter?
But now, one of the two is dead, and the other is in the shadow play.
No matter how you look at it, this is not a normal situation.
"Mr. Yan, Mr. Yan?"
Xie Lin was originally preparing to say goodbye to Zheng Shumu and his sister, but when he looked up, he found that Yan Shixun was standing not far away in a daze. This made him feel a little strange, and he couldn't help but raise his voice and call out to Yan Shixun.
Yan Shixun then came back to his senses.
Before Zheng Shumu looked over, Yan Shixun took one last look at the painting and then walked over as if nothing had happened.
"If Mr. Yan wants to go see the shadow play, Master Bai's house is just behind. He should be still awake now. If you want to go, go early."
Just as Yan Shixun was about to say goodbye to Zheng Shumu, Zheng Shumu suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the side and back, saying
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