Ancient Corpse in the Mountain Village (V)
Yu Shu gradually lost the feeling of the warmth of Jiang Yu's hand. The air seemed to freeze and there was no wind blowing across his face. The smell that rushed into his nose was a mixture of stale wood and moist soil. After entering his respiratory tract, it became like a sticky paste, blocking his trachea and making it difficult to breathe.
He could hear his own breathing but not Jiang Yu's.
Yu Shu did not take any steps, but was moving horizontally.
A bad premonition swept over him like a violent storm, and his hands and feet were numb with cold - he was in the coffin.
He didn't dare open his eyes for fear of seeing a scene that his heart could not bear. He wanted to push open the coffin lid but he didn't even have the strength to raise his hand.
Inside the sealed coffin, his heartbeat, which was about to burst out of his chest, echoed. Every beat nourished the fear, providing it with more nutrients. The spreading uneasiness and panic were like a hammer wrapped in cotton. It didn't make much sound when it hit the body, but the dull pain echoed in the body for a long time and could not disappear.
Yu Shu was powerless and could only let the fear pierce his cells and let numbness and coldness take over his body.
He still had a lot of loans to pay off, and if he died, everything would be gone. He hadn't lived long enough, so all he could do now was wait for Jiang Yu to save him.
However, Jiang Yu's situation was not much better. He got on a red sedan chair, and in the sedan chair there was not only him but also a pair of red embroidered shoes.
Jiang Yu has a good memory. The female student was wearing a pair of shoes with a red background and purple flowers, while the pair in front of him was a pair with a red background and red flowers. He recognized it as the pair that knocked on the door that night.
No wonder the village was filled with resentment. Not to mention the possible ghosts and spirits lurking in the mass grave, these two pairs of red embroidered shoes were truly formidable. Even with his guard up, that female student could still have thrown him into the sedan chair, let alone Yu Shu.
If the female student is possessed by magic, it will be extremely difficult to deal with her.
The good news was that the embroidered shoes in the sedan didn't seem to mean him any harm.
This is good, he doesn't need to worry too much.
The most urgent task is to escape from the red sedan chair quickly, but he cannot directly lift the curtain of the sedan chair, because the sedan chair is a yin object. If he rashly lifts the curtain to get out, he may be trapped in the place of neither life nor death at the junction of yin and yang, and he will be unable to escape.
He had forgotten to bring his talisman, and now he had no handy tools. He thought for a few seconds, then rubbed his key against the clothes for a long time before finally making a hole. He grabbed the clothes and exerted force, the veins in his hands bulging slightly, and the swish sound echoed clearly and harshly in the quiet sedan.
Then he bit his finger, and blood gushed out in beads half the size of a finger. Using cloth as paper and blood as ink, he wrote the talisman head, name, imperial decree, and talisman heart in one go.
Jiang Yu picked up the talisman and pressed it on the top of the sedan chair.
The heart-wrenching silence was broken after a few seconds. The wind started to blow again, ruffling the curtains of the sedan window. When Jiang Yu saw the scenery outside, his heartbeat quickened.
The walls of the yellow mud and stone bungalows were cratered, and the pedestrians' clothing was quite dated. The women, neatly dressed in red embroidered shoes, had no emotion on their faces, their eyes empty, as they worked dully. The men, on the other hand, were different. Some, shirtless, picked their feet, chatted and drank, while others lay in rocking chairs, waiting to be served. Their relaxed expressions stood out against the busy women.
But everyone had one thing in common: they seemed to be unable to see the grand red sedan chair, nor did they see Jiang Yu, half of his face showing from behind the curtain.
Where is the big red sedan taking him?
Jiang Yu hadn't encountered such a weird thing for a long time. It was obvious that the people in this village were extraordinary. He was even more grateful that he didn't rush to exorcise the evil spirits earlier.
The more he looked at the scene outside the window, the more he feared that Yu Shu would encounter a more dangerous situation. After all, it was he who proposed the hypothesis and Yu Shu followed him to the west of the village. He had the responsibility to bring him back safely. If something happened, he would not be able to live with his conscience.
The talisman that Jiang Yu had pasted on the top of the sedan chair shook a few times and slowly fell down. The blood on it had not dried yet, but it gave people a withered feeling.
The moment he bent down to pick up the talisman, he was suddenly hit by the feeling of falling and weightlessness. He couldn't find a foothold, as if he had stepped into the clouds and was falling down.
This feeling lasted for two or three seconds, and then he fell to the ground with a thud, and the dust that was kicked up floated up and dispersed in a cloud with him as the center.
Jiang Yu patted his clothes and looked up to see Yu Shu lying not far away.
He walked quickly forward, and the moment he touched Yu Shu's skin, he was startled by the cold touch of his hypothermia. He lowered his head and took a closer look, and saw that his lips had turned purple.
"Wake up." Jiang Yu kept repeating, patting Yu Shu's shoulders while shouting.
There was too much unclean Yin energy mixed in Yu Shu's body, just like a clear and clean pool of water being thrown into gravel, mud, dead branches and leaves, and bones. However, the problem was not so serious. Although his breathing was slow, it was not serious enough to endanger his safety. He just needed to force out the unclean things.
Jiang Yu held Yu Shu in place and helped him light the fire on his shoulders. He held his shoulders with both hands, moving them from the sides to the center and then outward. He repeated this simple movement several times until Jiang Yu's palms grew slightly warm.
Yu Shu's eyelids twitched, his expression warmed up, and the purple color on his lips faded a little.
"Jiang...Yu?" Yu Shu opened his eyes slightly.
Yu Shu pinched Jiang Yu's face, the warm touch of his skin making him feel relaxed, as if he had just survived a disaster. He slowly moved his eyes. Jiang Yu's clothes were missing a piece, the shimmering lake, the old house with winding green vines, and the girl in the school uniform was gone.
He is back.
It was great that he had left the cold coffin. The sound of soil falling on the coffin no longer rang in his ears. He was not buried underground.
"I'm sorry." Jiang Yu apologized awkwardly.
The mind of a little boy in his early twenties is so easy to guess. Jiang Yu admits his mistake but is too embarrassed to lose face too much. He always has a youthful arrogance. It is this contradiction that makes him look like a stubborn child who is guilty but hides it with poor acting skills.
Yu Shu didn't blame Jiang Yu. It was inevitable that they would get into trouble when the accident came so suddenly and they were caught off guard. They had no ability to predict the future, and no one expected to encounter such a conflict in the daytime.
He was much more energetic and could stand steadily without support. He raised his hand and patted Jiang Yu's cheek, jokingly saying, "I didn't hear you. Say it again." An accident is an accident. Although Jiang Yu looked indifferent, he must be blaming himself in his heart, especially since he was capable but was powerless to watch the accident happen.
Jiang Yu glanced at Yu Shu calmly without saying anything.
The two of them remained silent on the way back. Although Yu Shu was more energetic and could walk, the symptoms of discomfort had not completely disappeared. If it were not for the purpose of preventing Jiang Yu from taking the blame for the accident, he would not have been willing to waste his energy saying those words.
Jiang Yu didn't know what to say, so he just kept silent.
When Yu Shu got home, he told Yu Huan that he was feeling a little unwell and went back to his room to rest. Jiang Yu was originally going to take over the work, but after saying a few words to the helper he brought with him, he went out again.
Yu Shu drank several cups of hot water before he could suppress the chill running through his body. But after going to the toilet he felt uncomfortable again. Even lying in bed wrapped in a blanket didn't help.
Yu Shu couldn't sit still or lie down, and couldn't concentrate on his phone. He kept checking the time, thinking half an hour had passed, but only about ten minutes had passed. He finally understood why the patients in the ward couldn't sleep at night and always wanted to talk to the caregivers, doctors, or nurses.
When people feel uncomfortable and unable to rest, they feel like they are sitting on pins and needles, and when they are vulnerable, they crave external stimulation to divert their attention from the pain and discomfort of the body.
Yu Shu was feeling very uncomfortable, so Jiang Yu knocked on the door and asked, "Are you still awake?"
Yu Shu heard a hint of caution, and a miniature version of Jiang Yu doing something wrong and testing him appeared in his mind unconsciously.
This also puts Jiang Yu in a difficult position. Although he accepted money from the Yu family to do things for the Yu family, it was Yu Shu himself who took the initiative to investigate the strange things. It was a favor for Jiang Yu to help him and take him with him.
Yu Shu stared at the flower and vine carvings on the door for a few seconds, and his head felt a little heavy: "Awake."
Jiang Yu pushed open the door and light crept into the room. The sunlight was dyed red and blue as it passed through the Manchurian windows in the corridor.
He walked in carrying a red plastic bucket in one hand, and the rich smell immediately filled the room.
Yu Shu sniffed and knew that the bucket contained water boiled with mugwort.
Mugwort has a mild nature and can stimulate blood circulation, warming the meridians and dispelling cold. His chill wasn't severe but persistent, so soaking his feet in water boiled with mugwort was the perfect solution. However, there was no mugwort in his village; it grew over ten kilometers away. Jiang Yu had really put a lot of thought into brewing this bucket of herbal tea for him.
Yu Shu knew the answer but still asked, "What is it?"
"Aren't you a doctor? How can you not smell it? Soak your feet in water boiled with mugwort to ward off the cold." Jiang Yu curled his lips.
"I caught a cold and have a stuffy nose."
Jiang Yu said "oh" expressionlessly and placed the bucket in front of Yu Shu.
There were some white foam and a few pieces of boiled moxa leaves floating on the surface of the dark green potion. Yu Shu rolled up his trouser legs to test the water temperature. As soon as his feet touched the water, he hissed at the burning sensation and pulled his legs back as if he had been electrocuted.
The temperature was so high that a chicken wouldn't be able to flutter for more than a few times if it was thrown in. Jiang Yu definitely didn't add cold water to adjust the temperature. He just brought it in after it boiled.
Forget it. After all, Jiang Yu had good intentions. If I say that he brought it in without checking the temperature, it would be a bit discouraging.
Yu Shu placed his feet on the inner wall of the barrel and used his heels, which had thicker skin, to adapt to the temperature.
"Thank you. I made a special trip to pick mugwort leaves. You've worked hard." The hair on Yu Shu's forehead was a little wet due to the rising heat. A few strands of hair stuck together into a small clump and rested on his forehead.
Jiang Yu raised his eyes and glanced at him: "The accident was caused by me, I should be responsible."
Yu Shu and Jiang Yu locked eyes for several seconds, then calmly said, "Who would have thought we'd meet in broad daylight? Helping me solve the mystery surrounding Grandpa is the best way for you to be responsible."
"Oh right," Yu Shu continued, "I didn't have time to tell you, but after seeing the red and white teams, I somehow ended up in a coffin and was buried. I could vaguely hear the sound of running water, but then the coffin shook violently for no apparent reason, and the sounds of digging and burying the soil instantly disappeared."
After listening to Yu Shu's description, Jiang Yu became more certain that everything he experienced in the red sedan chair was deliberately arranged. He nodded and said, "I also saw some strange scenes." He gave a general description of the backward village he saw.
After Jiang Yu calmed down, a bold guess came to his mind - their encounter with the red and white evil spirits was an unexpected arrangement.
If it was really an accident, there was a high probability that they would not be able to return home alive, because with the talisman alone he could only save himself, but could not save Yu Shu who had gone somewhere else. However, Yu Shu returned safely, and it was just that the mixed Yin energy in his body would cause physical discomfort for a period of time.
"You must be talking about the old village." Yu Shu took a breath. "I've seen it in my grandfather's photo album." A floral shirt, a house made of yellow mud and stone? Yu Shu was stunned. When he was a child, his favorite thing to do was to look through his grandfather's photo album. His grandfather would tell him that the village used to look like this. Everyone lived by farming and their families were not very good.
However, the village he remembered as being quite prosperous, with every household living in a single-family home and no one working, no farm work, and no agriculture. When he applied to a middle school in the city, he even discovered that many children from wealthy families in the city weren't as well off as his own.
The village is really strange.
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