Chapter 85 Wedding and mourning (16)
Yan Shixun knew that Jiazifen Village favored boys over girls.
Whether it is the narration of breakfast shop owner Yang Guang or the disgust of the neighboring Jia Village towards Jiazifen Village, they all show that Jiazifen Village has never corrected this problem from decades ago to the present.
This village is not only geographically isolated because it is surrounded by mountains, but also psychologically isolated because of its overly traditional thinking. This has remained the same for decades.
But when the variety show star and Yan Shixun talked about how everyone they met in the village had a bad attitude towards Bai Shuang, Yan Shixun was still slightly surprised.
The villagers who almost rushed over on the road, the old man who insulted the strange young girl casually... They did such things casually because in their cognition, their discipline of girls was normal. And they justified their belief that girls would not resist and should be obedient.
What Yan Shixun could think of was no longer just the preference for boys over girls, but something more serious - clan patriarchy.
Yang Tu also said that among the more than a dozen villages of the Yang family, only Jia Village had abandoned the traditional clan system of the past and instead actively connected with the outside world. With a village party secretary and a village committee, all matters, big or small, in the village were governed by laws and regulations.
But the people of the Yang clan have their own rules and do not care about outside regulations.
Under such oppression, Yang Hua and Yang Duo were the victims that Yan Shixun had already seen.
Yang Hua was taken away by Yang Guang and fled from Jiazifen Village. So, what about Yang Duo?
While the variety show host was speaking, Yan Shixun slowly fell into deep thought, and the smile that had just appeared on his lips disappeared without a trace.
When the smile disappeared from his handsome face, the expression that had been softened by the smile regained its sharpness and unruly nature.
Bai Shuang trembled, feeling that Yan Shixun's gaze was apparently very calm, but at this moment, it made her feel a suffocating fear.
"Brother Yan, it's okay." Bai Shuang tried hard to force a smile and said cheerfully, "I've figured it out. Those things can't affect me anymore. Let them say whatever they want. I just need to know that I'm fine."
Yan Shixun's thoughts were pulled back by Bai Shuang. His originally scattered gaze fell on Bai Shuang. After a few seconds, he said, "If you don't want to meet people from the village again, you can stay here."
Bai Shuang was stunned for a moment, then she realized that Yan Shixun was taking care of her feelings and told her that she didn't need to go out with others to look for food.
A warm current rose from his heart, and Bai Shuang was suddenly not afraid of anything.
"Don't worry, I'm fine." Bai Shuang raised her arms, made a classic strongman pose, and said playfully: "With Brother Yan and everyone here, what else do I have to be afraid of?"
Everyone at the table was amused by Bai Shuang, and the atmosphere, which had just cooled down due to the variety show star's story, became cheerful and lively again.
Yang Yun, who was also amused, laughed so hard that tears welled up in the corners of her eyes and wet her face.
He looked at Bai Shuang, and a complex look of envy and emotion flashed across his eyes.
Yang Tu finally couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked the guests around him about the lives of girls in other cities and the attitudes of their elders towards girls at home.
Because Jiacun is close to the highway, Yang Tu, who has witnessed Jiacun's development step by step when it was connected to the outside world, has a strong curiosity about the outside world and humbly asks for advice on things he doesn't understand. The guests also like this cheerful and simple young man, and they answer all the questions and explain the doubts to Yang Tu.
"Can girls outside choose not to get married and have children?" Yang Tu was a little surprised. "I thought the city would be more open than here, and girls wouldn't have to be afraid if they couldn't give birth to boys after marriage. I didn't expect that the outside world is much more advanced than I thought."
The atmosphere at the table suddenly became tense.
Yang Tu blinked, a little at a loss: "Did I say something wrong?"
But after seeing how the villagers treated women, the guests couldn't help but think more about what Yang Tu said.
"…Why are you scared?" When An Nanyuan opened his mouth, he felt his throat dry. It was as if he didn't want to ask this question, fearing that he would get an answer he couldn't bear.
Yang Yun, who had been silent, gave the answer: "Because I don't want to die."
When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.
Especially Yan Shixun, who knew the cause of the tragic events that happened to the two sisters Yang Hua and Yang Duo, looked at Yang Yun with an inquiring look.
Yang Yun, however, smiled foolishly, with half smile and half anger on his face, and tears in his eyes, looking crazy and weird.
…
Although the lunch was sumptuous, the guests were unable to eat. They were worried that they would not be able to find food in the evening, so they forced themselves to eat. After they were full, they hurriedly found an excuse to leave the table.
For some reason, the topic about women just now irritated Yang Yun, making him look a little bit strange. Yang Tu seemed to know something, and just apologized to everyone, saying that Yang Yun might be too tired. Then he took Yang Yun to greet everyone and took him to the backyard room to lie down.
The remaining guests looked at each other, not knowing what had happened.
"It's okay. Although it's an emergency, it doesn't have much impact." Zhang Wubing didn't take it to heart. Instead, he focused on two things at once. While watching the directors tinkering with the live broadcast equipment, he said, "The boss must be too tired. Don't take it to heart. Let's proceed as planned."
Yan Shixun also noticed the unusual busyness of the director team in the corner, frowned, and walked over with his long legs.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
Zhang Wubing scratched his head and said, "It's nothing, it's just that the live broadcast equipment had a little problem."
The assistant director came out from under the equipment he was checking halfway, pointed to the small lens used for the director to see the effect, and said to Yan Shixun standing next to him, "Mr. Yan, the live broadcast signal has been weakening since we crossed the mountain. The amplifier balancer was adjusted to the maximum value to barely stabilize it, but one of the lenses is broken again. Fortunately, it is not facing the audience, and we have communicated with the video platform and obtained technical support from them. It should be able to survive this episode of filming."
Yan Shixun looked in the direction the assistant director was pointing, and saw that the camera only captured a blood-red color. He could not see the scenery clearly, but he could see patches of red, one after another, like blood that had been oxidized for a long time.
He didn’t know if the horizontal bright stripes were caused by the instability of the lens, but Yan Shixun actually felt that the blood-red color was also fluctuating, as if it had vitality.
"We haven't been able to find out what happened. We can only preliminarily conclude that moisture may have entered the lens, affecting the optical components inside and causing imaging problems."
The assistant director saw that Yan Shixun seemed very interested, so he explained to him, "The moisture here is too heavy. Too much humidity and overexposure to light will damage the lens. We can only repair it slowly. Don't worry, Mr. Yan, it's not a big deal. There is a spare lens in the car. If it doesn't work, we can go over the mountain to get it."
Yan Shixun almost instinctively noticed that something was wrong with the camera, but after looking at it for a long time, he didn't see anything unusual.
Because other members of the director team nearby were still waiting to repair their equipment, he had to give up for the time being and return the space to the staff.
At this time, the guests also took their work tools, holding shovels and other farm tools in one hand and carrying a large backpack on the back, preparing to put the food and firewood they found later in it.
Except for variety show stars and male celebrities who had lived in the village when they were young, most of the other guests grew up in the city. It was their first time to have this experience, and it was very novel for them to hold the tools. The faces that were embarrassed and serious because of the stiff atmosphere at the table at lunch just now also had smiles on their faces again.
An Nanyuan even performed a dance on the spot while carrying a backpack on his back. Although it was just a simple backpack, he made it look like an important decoration in the dance feast, which made the guests applaud and cheer.
The audience in front of the screen also had their eyes shining, sighing that An Nanyuan is worthy of being a top idol and his dancing skills are truly beyond reproach.
"White frost."
Just before leaving, Yan Shixun called out to Bai Shuang from among the crowd of people playing.
He casually picked a few flowers from the bush nearby. The long flower stems were like soft and obedient ropes in his hands. His slender fingers flexibly moved through them, and soon a wreath took shape in his hands.
Bai Shuang thought Yan Shixun wanted to comfort her, but she didn't expect to see such a scene. She could not help but stare in amazement, her eyes fixed on the movements of Yan Shixun's hands, looking at the beautiful wreath in disbelief.
She had clearly been watching, but in just the time it took to blink, her eyes could no longer keep up with Yan Shixun's hand speed. His slender fingers were so flexible that they almost left an afterimage, which made people exclaim in surprise.
"This is for you." Yan Shixun raised his hand and placed the wreath on Bai Shuang's hair, a smile spread across his lips: "The girls in the village just picked flowers, you can't be the only one without flowers to wear."
"Go ahead and have some fun."
There was a flash of surprise in Bai Shuang's eyes. She didn't expect that Yan Shixun would have such a way of comforting people. Suddenly, the last trace of sadness in her heart caused by the villagers' continuous insults disappeared, and her heart was filled with the beauty brought by flowers and sunshine.
The wreath in her hair faintly flashed golden light in the sunlight. Golden characters were wrapped around the wreath and disappeared into the air.
No one noticed.
She smiled with surprise and thanked Yan Shixun repeatedly, then turned around and ran happily towards the guests waiting for her at the door, her skirt fluttering, looking playful and carefree.
Both the guests and the audience who saw this scene could not help but exclaim in amazement.
[I thought Brother Yan was a cool guy, the kind who would kill anyone who messed with him. I didn't expect Brother Yan to have such a gentle side? Making a wreath, even the most attentive friends wouldn't think of using this trick to coax people, right?]
[What just happened? ? ? The moment I saw Brother Yan making a wreath, I pulled out the handmade plastic strip next to me and wanted to learn how to make it from Brother Yan, but in the blink of an eye, Brother Yan had already made it? Brain: Did you see it? Eyes: I didn’t see it clearly at all. Ahhhh, is this magic! ]
[Wow, wow, wow, oat storm is crying, I envy Miss White Frost, I also want the wreath that Brother Yan made for me. Although Brother Yan has always told us not to like him coldly, how can we resist, a cool and handsome man, who can fight and catch ghosts, and make wreaths to please people. Excuse me, is this man a god? Damn, I have to find a way to get him.]
[Brother Yan always wants to leave. Although I can't bear to see Brother Yan unhappy, if Brother Yan runs away, where can I find someone exactly like him? There is no one like Brother Yan in the entertainment industry. I can't even find a substitute. So I can only let Brother Yan suffer. Brother Yan is really, really attractive!! Today is also a day when I am crazy about Brother Yan.]
[Shocked, I used to dislike men holding flowers, I thought it was inappropriate, but when I saw Brother Yan, I realized what it meant to be both strong and gentle, there was really no sense of disobedience.]
Yan Shixun put one hand in his pocket leisurely and turned to walk towards the room where Yang Yun was at the back, when he heard Ye Li's voice beside him.
"You made a wreath for her." Ye Li's voice sounded unhappy, with a hint of sourness: "What about mine?"
"Why should I have yours?" Yan Shixun glanced at him in confusion: "Bai Shuang was scolded and was in a bad mood, what's wrong with you? And isn't it strange for a man of your age to carry flowers?"
Ye Li originally wanted to say that he had also been scolded, but after thinking about it, he realized that there was indeed no one who dared to scold him, and the words that came out of his mouth were no different from the rules of heaven and earth and could not be spoken lightly.
So he had to say: "Because you didn't give it to me, I'm in a bad mood."
Yan Shixun: "...What does your bad mood have to do with me?"
Ye Li was not panicked at all: "Because it was you who caused the cause and effect, you have to take responsibility."
Yan Shixun laughed angrily: "Get lost."
Ye Li raised his sharp eyebrows, and a smile appeared on his lips: "Now that you have scolded me, I am in a bad mood."
"So, lei?"
Ye Li stretched out his bony hand toward Yan Shixun, as if asking for a wreath, and his imposing manner was not at all false.
Yan Shixun: “…”
Tsk, this person might be sick.
…
Although he did not make a wreath for Ye Li in the end, Yan Shixun still gave Ye Li a small item he had with him, and then he broke away from his blockade and went to Yang Yun's room smoothly.
The entire farmhouse was newly built, except for the one where Yang Yun lived, which was very old, and the tiles were severely worn out by wind and sun. From the outside, it looked almost like a dilapidated house.
The door was wide open. Yang Tu was not there. Only Yang Yun was sitting on a stool in the dilapidated house. He was in a daze, thinking about something. He didn't even hear the sound of Yan Shixun knocking on the door.
Yan Shixun looked around the room and simply walked in.
The family is penniless.
This house can be described in these four words.
Because of moisture and rain, the walls of the house were covered with mold spots, dark and uncomfortable. There were very few pieces of furniture in the room, only the most basic ones, and they were also very old, with many signs of use and wear.
But Yang Yun himself said that the money earned from the farmhouse made the villagers jealous. He had so much wealth that he even built beautiful buildings in the farmhouse, but he was unwilling to repair his own room.
It felt like something would disappear if I moved even the slightest bit.
"Yang Yun, are you okay?"
Yan Shixun sat down opposite Yang Yun. After a long while, Yang Yun's eyes, which had been staring blankly into the air, gradually became fixed.
"Mr. Yan?" Yang Yun blinked and came out of his memory. He looked around before slowly coming back to his senses. He smiled at Yan Shixun embarrassedly and said, "I'm sorry to make you laugh. I was distracted again."
"I've always been like this since my mother passed away." Yang Yun shook his head, his voice almost sounding like a sigh.
Yan Shixun comforted Yang Yun for a while, and after Yang Yun's emotions stabilized, he asked naturally about the doubts in his heart when he saw how dilapidated the house was.
Under Yan Shixun's deliberate guidance, Yang Yun gradually let down his guard and talked to Yan Shixun about the history of the house.
Yan Shixun's judgment was correct. It turned out that the house where Yang Yun had been staying was the house where Yang Yun and his mother had lived together for twenty years.
After his mother's death, Yang Yun was always immersed in self-blame, thinking that if he had not left the village at that time, there would have been no one to call for help when his mother fell ill, and his mother would not have passed away.
So even though Yang Yun made money, he still lived in the original house and did not move out, nor did he change the appearance of the house at will.
"I always feel that my mother is still here and she will come back. I don't dare to change the house because I'm afraid she will get lost and won't recognize our home."
Yang Yun looked a little dazed: "So I have to stay here and wait for my mother to come back. When she comes back and sees me in her dream, I can also say sorry to her."
"My mother has had a miserable life. She was such a good person when she was young. She had the opportunity to go to school and see the world. If it weren't for my father and the people in the clan..."
Yang Yun's voice trembled, and he choked up to the point where he could hardly continue speaking: "When I was little, I swore that I would kill my father to avenge my mother. I also swore that I would give my mother a good life, take her out of the village, and find her own home."
"But, but..."
Before she could finish her words, Yang Yun burst into tears.
Yan Shixun sat quietly in the dilapidated house for a long time, with a hint of sigh in his sharp eyes and slightly drooped eyebrows.
No matter how many places he has traveled to or how many people he has met, he can't help but sigh at the impermanence of this world.
He glanced at the layout and items in the house, then stood up and left, leaving the space to Yang Yun alone.
On the other side, the guests had already gone up the mountain and were chatting and laughing as they searched for things that could be used as ingredients.
Because of Yang Tu’s previous demonstration, they have learned a lot of things and now they can do it quite well.
In autumn, the sun sets early. When they left, Yan Shixun and Yang Tu told them to be back before dusk. So the guests did not dare to waste time and divided the work, with some people collecting firewood and some looking for food.
The fallen leaves of autumn piled up in a thick layer on the mountain. Although it was close to the foot of the mountain, the soil looked like no one had walked on it for a long time and was so soft that one could almost sink into it.
Bai Shuang and Zhao Zhen were working together, one was cutting branches full of chestnuts, while the other was bending down and throwing the chestnuts into the backpack behind him.
After working for a while, Bai Shuang stood up, patted his waist, and wanted to take a break.
But at the moment when Bai Shuang straightened up, she seemed to see a bloody deer flashing between the branches on the mountain blocked by branches.
The deer was covered in blood, its fur was tangled, as if it had been gnawed and torn, and even a large area of its pale ribs was exposed. Its stiff movements made it look like a specimen without any life, and the blood on its fur had long since dried and solidified.
It seemed to see the white frost. Its cloudy and dull black eyes looked back and quickly disappeared into the woods.
Only the branches were shaking, as if proving that what Bai Shuang saw was not an illusion.
"Bai Shuang, Bai Shuang?" Zhao Zhen called out to his partner who had not picked up chestnuts for a long time in some surprise. As a result, when he turned around, he saw Bai Shuang's whole body stiff as if he was frightened.
Zhao Zhen quickly asked worriedly, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
It took Bai Shuang a long time to feel that her brain had regained control of her limbs. She raised her hand and pointed tremblingly in the direction where the deer disappeared.
“Yes, yes…”
Zhao Zhen looked up, but only saw leaves swaying slightly in the air.
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