The weirdos, lunatics, and psychopaths in Xiao Liang's stories...
As soon as Cheng Sizhou found out about Tong Chunyang, he immediately contacted Mo Ming.
Mo Ming said that Tong Chunyang had come to the town that year and went crazy after returning. It was almost the same time that people who were "possessed" frequently appeared in the town. It is hard not to suspect that there is some connection.
"Can people really be possessed by evil spirits? Didn't Dr. Mo check them?" Wen Zichuan asked.
"More than ten years ago, he was sent here for a free clinic and happened to have the opportunity to help them with the examination. However, apart from malnutrition, no other special symptoms were found in the people who were 'possessed'." It was only after arriving in Mutao Town that Cheng Sizhou talked about the details with Mo Ming.
Recalling the story that Dr. Mo told in the small clinic, I just felt it was bizarre and absurd. Now that I know that the bizarre and absurd story is actually true, it is even more creepy.
"Are the possessed people still in the town? Is the government taking care of them?" Wen Zichuan held Cheng Sizhou tightly.
"I heard it's rare nowadays. Given their conditions, they should be able to receive subsistence allowances." Cheng Sizhou felt a little regretful. This was not an interesting bedtime story, and he shouldn't have told it to him so bluntly.
"If science can't explain something, why not consider metaphysics?" Wen Zichuan pulled out the two jade pendants that had been fused together from his neck and carefully placed them on Cheng Sizhou. "Go ahead and research whatever you want. I hope it can keep you safe."
"You gave me the ancestral peace jade, what will you do?" This was the second time Cheng Sizhou got the jade. He was so sad that Yu Zichuan took it away before, and now it is as precious to him as ever.
"You will protect me, right?" Wen Zichuan said in a sweet voice, acting coquettishly towards him.
Now they have all arrived in Mutao. To use an inappropriate metaphor, everyone is like grasshoppers on the same rope. Instead of acting separately and worrying about both ends, it is better to work together, complete the investigation as soon as possible, and make plans early.
"Then you have to follow me obediently. Although this place is unfamiliar, Brother Zhou will do his best to protect you."
"Okay, Brother Zhou, protect me."
Wen Zichuan put his arms around his waist, and Cheng Sizhou realized that his subconscious mind was even more shameless than his conscious mind, so he straightened his waist without even thinking, making it easier for him to hold him.
The real physical contact brought him a sense of recovery, rescuing him from the overwhelming slander, accusations, and ridicule. When the favored child of heaven was shattered, everyone could come and step on it, but Zichuan was different. Every time he picked up a piece, he would say, "I like this piece, and I like that piece too."
After being depressed for a long time, Cheng Sizhou had no interest in eating or drinking. However, his abdomen was too warm, making him feel hungry for the first time in a long time.
"You didn't have dinner when you came here, do you want to eat something?" he asked Wen Zichuan.
"It's too late to eat. I want to drink some water." Wen Zichuan pinched the corner of his clothes.
Cheng Sizhou lifted the thin quilt and got out of bed, quietly finding some snacks and mineral water. When he brought them back like he was presenting a treasure, Wen Zichuan had already fallen asleep on the pillow.
The rain came suddenly and lasted for a long time. It was still drizzling at dawn the next day.
The town is not like the city, where you can find restaurants, breakfast shops and supermarkets everywhere. In this situation, you may not be able to find a small shop open even if you go out.
Mo Ming had the habit of getting up early. He lit the stove at six o'clock and cooked porridge for everyone.
Zhou Han is over 40 years old and wakes up early. He helped his parents make fire and cook when he was very young. The older he got, the more he missed the smell of firewood in the farm meals, so he happily ran to help.
He had just brought over a bundle of firewood, his hands still covered in dust, when he received a message from Cheng Sizhou saying that Wen Zichuan had slept late last night and asked him to rest for a while, and he promised not to run around.
Putting down his phone, Zhou Han chuckled twice and thought to himself that it was a good thing that he brought Teacher Wen along. This is what it means to be wise and brave, and to defeat the enemy!
Xu Jiaxuan walked silently, floated past him, and yawned: "We are all part of someone else's sweet love."
"Ahem!" Mo Ming choked on the smoke and blushed. "You're still young, you don't understand. They're just brothers, they just have a good relationship."
"Do I look so gullible?" Xu Jiaxuan stretched out his voice, "A single uncle born in the 1960s—"
"Shut up!" Zhou Han couldn't help shaking his head when he heard him speak. "You have so much energy, go get some buckets of water, or you won't be able to eat later!"
Xu Jiaxuan reluctantly went there carrying an empty bucket, stepped backwards across the threshold, and made faces at the two of them.
Although the town has running water, Mo Ming delayed the matter before he returned home because there was no one at home. He was told that it would take some time to connect the pipeline, so for the time being he could only use well water.
It rained heavily all night, and the water from the well turned yellow. It was barely acceptable for washing, but it was absolutely unacceptable for drinking.
Mo Ming prepared a filter, and he would filter as much as he could, and it would still be passable after boiling.
There are five people in total who need water to drink and wash. Xu Jiaxuan's task is to filter each bucket of water with a filter and then send it to the stove to boil.
Fetching and filtering water were simple tasks for him, but doing the same thing over and over again bored him.
He stared at the water in the bucket and seemed to be concentrating on his work, but his mind had long since flown away.
Suddenly, a black shadow appeared on the water surface, frightening Xu Jiaxuan so much that he took a step back in panic: "Who?!"
The moment he looked up, the black shadow climbed up the courtyard wall, leaped and kicked, and climbed over the wall in an instant.
Mo Ming and Zhou Han heard the noise and ran out quickly.
"What's wrong?" Zhou Han looked at him and confirmed that he was not injured.
"There is, there is a..." Xu Jiaxuan stammered, "weird, weird person..."
Zhou Han frowned: "What weirdo, what does he look like?"
Mo Ming seemed to have thought of something, and quickly opened the gate and looked outside.
He walked around the slope but didn't see anyone. He came back angrily and shook his head at Zhou Han.
It rained last night, and a strange man entered the yard, leaving behind several muddy footprints. Zhou Han squatted down to examine them, and after a few seconds, he concluded, "An adult male, about 1.8 meters tall."
Xu Jiaxuan finally recovered: "His legs..."
Zhou Han hummed, "He has a slight limp in his left leg."
"It's him." Mo Ming murmured, "He's back."
"Who is he?" Zhou Han asked.
Cheng Sizhou and Wen Zichuan heard the noise outside and came out. They heard Mo Ming say, "I met a kid named Xiao Liang when I was doing a free clinic more than ten years ago."
"Kid?!" Xu Jiaxuan's face was full of confusion. "Even though he showed his face and ran away, I'm sure he's not a kid. It feels, feels..." He pointed at Cheng and Wen, "He's older than both of them."
"What Dr. Mo means is that he was a child more than ten years ago." Wen Zichuan reminded him.
"About fifteen years ago, Xiao Liang looked about eleven or twelve years old. He was much thinner than other children of the same age, and he always smiled foolishly, spitted, and shouted at people... Everyone in the town hated him." Mo Ming recalled.
"Isn't this a mental illness?" Xu Jiaxuan was a little scared and didn't know why the man was peeking at him.
"At that time, there were some rumors of 'possession' in the town, and they said Xiao Liang was also possessed. I felt sorry for him, so I persuaded the doctor who led the free clinic to give him a check-up, but apart from malnutrition, he didn't have any other problems." Mo Ming continued.
"Is he pretending?" Xu Jiaxuan clasped his hands behind his back and said disdainfully, "There are people like that in our school who act crazy and stupid to gain sympathy."
Wen Zichuan glanced at Cheng Sizhou and thought this matter was very strange. Being possessed by evil spirits, mental illness, and insanity essentially mean the same thing. Could it be that the strange man "Xiao Liang" was also related to the theft of the ancient tomb in Beiling Village?
"Is this what you want to investigate?" Mo Ming said to Cheng Sizhou, "Come in and sit down and talk. You can't go into the mountains until the rain stops."
As soon as everyone sat down, Zhou Han got angry: "Into the mountains? Into what mountains? Are you trying to kill yourself?!"
Cheng Sizhou had originally planned to finish his investigation before notifying Zhou Han and the police to close the net, but he hadn't realized that he had arrived early, with the intention of taking him back. He had something to say, but he didn't know where to start.
Wen Zichuan quickly tried to smooth things over: "Officer Zhou, please listen to what Dr. Mo and Brother Zhou have to say. If you don't believe him, do you also not believe me?"
Zhou Han suppressed his emotions. He understood Cheng Sizhou's obsession with seeking justice for Mr. Jiang, but he was emotionally and rationally opposed to someone with no training or preparation wanting to go into the mountains during the rainy season.
"Uncle Zhou, you have already taken the leave. The roads are slippery in the rain and you can't walk. Just listen to them. Don't you want to find out the truth about the tomb robbery and kidnapping cases?" Xu Jiaxuan came over to encourage them.
Zhou Han's expression remained stern, but he simply pulled out his phone and made a call: "Hello, yes, the person has been found. You remember that case, right? Could you come over in plain clothes and get a brief overview? Also, is there a professional mountain search and rescue team in the city? We need equipment and guidance. Okay, I understand. Thank you."
After he put down his phone, Mo Ming took a sip of water and continued with the rest of the story.
In fact, Xiao Liang might not really be called Xiao Liang. When Dr. Mo met him, he was very timid. If he was given food, he would take it away and eat it in hiding. He would not sleep in a bed at night and would rather sleep on the beams of the old house.
Mo Ming found it very strange. The child was not tall, so how could he climb to such a high place?
Later he found out that although Xiao Liang was thin, his hands and feet were very flexible, and climbing over walls and beams was no problem for him.
However, no matter what Mo Ming said to him, he just smiled foolishly. It was unclear whether he could speak or not, or whether he could not speak at all.
The free clinic time ended quickly. Mo Ming said, since you sleep on the beam every day, I will call you Xiao Liang.
He seemed to like the name very much. He laughed and made "ho ho" sounds while playing a circle game around Mo Ming.
At that time, Mo Ming was less than 40 years old, not married, and very busy with work, so it was unlikely that he would adopt a half-grown child.
Normally, Xiao Liang is a minor and should go back to school, but he grew up almost wandering around, so ordinary schools would definitely not accept him. As for special schools, there are no special schools in small places like Mutao.
Finally, Mo Ming took him to a family and told him that as long as he was given food, he would send him living expenses on time.
Dr. Mo put down his teacup and gazed at the rain outside with emotion. "After that, apart from the monthly money transfers, Xiao Liang and I had no further contact. Until 2010, when the family called me and said Xiao Liang was missing."
"Gone?" Wen Zichuan had a bad feeling.
"Remember the story I told in the clinic? Xiao Liang was taken to the mountains to pick mushrooms. He got separated from the others along the way and went completely crazy when he returned. The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with him. Some people suspected that he had encountered a spirit in the mountains and was not sick but possessed by an evil spirit. Finally, they asked a monk from the temple to see him, but he couldn't cure him either."
If Xiao Liang was just stupid, dull, and talking to himself before, he became aggressive after returning from the mountains.
Although the family was not very devoted to him, at least they did not let him starve to death. After this incident, they could not control the grown-up Xiao Liang. They were afraid that he would hurt someone and be sued, so they had to handcuff him tightly with chains.
"He didn't want to be handcuffed, so he stood up to resist. That's when his left leg was broken." Mo Ming said, with a hint of heartache in his tone.
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