The three of us were really hungry. I and Luo Tianhe had been driving all day, and although we had eaten a few snacks, it wasn't enough to fill us up.
Li Huai, that kid, slept like a dead pig all day without eating a single bite. It's no wonder he's hungry at this hour.
We thanked them and started eating.
You can't judge a book by its cover. This porridge tastes alright, but it inevitably has a muddy smell.
Fortunately, we got used to it, although the pickled vegetables were extremely salty, making our lips dry.
Seeing that we ate quite quickly, Brother Wang and his sister were clearly quite happy.
"Wait, aren't you going to eat?"
After we had eaten and drunk our fill, I realized that Brother Wang and Sister Wang hadn't eaten; they had just been watching us eat.
"Haha, there's still some left in the kitchen. You're guests, so guests should eat first."
Brother Wang laughed, but I scratched my head awkwardly. I was too hungry and hadn't thought much about it, so I didn't even call out to them.
Luo Tianhe was also blushing. It was the first time he had done something so outrageous, while Li Huai seemed completely unconcerned.
That's true, Li Huai doesn't care about these etiquettes at all, and no one has ever taught him them.
As it grew dark during dinner, Wang Fugui lit the oil lamps on the table for us.
"Alright, it's getting dark, you should all get some rest."
As Wang Fugui spoke, his tone seemed a bit lower than before.
"By the way, no matter what noise you hear at night, don't go out, absolutely don't go out."
His tone carried an unquestionable seriousness, a stark contrast to his previous demeanor.
After all, he had previously been just a simple, honest farmer, but now he had a commanding air about him.
I subconsciously felt that he was indeed doing it for our own good, but at the same time, I sensed that something was wrong.
The old man had also told us not to go out at night. The two of them had said completely opposite things before, so why did they agree on this point?
We were a little confused, but we nodded in agreement and, carrying the small oil lamp that Wang Fugui had given us, went into the west wing.
The west wing was a little smaller than the main room, and it only had one earthen bed.
The kang (heated brick bed) was covered with a rough straw mat, which gave off a faint musty smell, indicating that it hadn't been used for a long time.
"It's a bit shabby."
Luo Tianhe looked at the straw mat, his lips twitched, and he couldn't help but say something.
"Hehe, it's better than a park bench."
Li Huai, however, didn't care at all.
After hearing his words, I couldn't help but sigh:
"You've slept on park benches before? You can really judge a book by its cover."
"When I first left the orphanage, I had no money and no job. Wait, what do you mean? What do you mean by 'appearance can be deceiving'? Do I look like a penniless pauper?!"
Li Huai was somewhat exasperated.
Luo Tianhe patted him on the shoulder.
"Brother, you don't just look like a pauper, you're a complete wretch."
"Hehe, I'm too lazy to argue with you guys. I'm content with my own spiritual life."
After saying this, Li Huai took off his shoes and lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed).
"I said, you've slept all day, how can you still fall asleep?"
Seeing that he was about to go to sleep, I was a little puzzled.
"Why not? Sleeping during the day is different; it's to pass the time."
This is bizarre! My eyes widened in disbelief.
I took out my phone and checked it; there was still no signal at all.
I don't have many single-player games on my phone, so I took off my shoes and climbed into bed.
Luo Tianhe was stunned for a moment, but there was nothing he could do, so he squeezed onto the kang (a heated brick bed) with us.
The oil lamp was blown out, and the room was immediately plunged into a thick darkness.
"Why does this kang (heated brick bed) feel damp?"
I felt a little uncomfortable and complained softly.
"Alright, stop being so picky. It's good enough that you have a place to sleep. You're a young master, after all."
Li Huai spoke in a low voice, and then, seemingly recalling something, continued:
"You wouldn't believe it, I was sleeping on a park bench, and the next day, I was covered in dew. It was so damp, I felt like my underwear was completely soaked."
"Damn it, if you miss it that much, then when you go back to the city you can sleep in the park. I don't think you should even bother with your salary this month."
Hearing Li Huai say this, Luo Tianhe couldn't help but grit his teeth and curse.
“I think it’s a good idea. Let this kid remember the bitter past and appreciate the sweet present, so he won’t keep bringing it up.”
I echoed her sentiment.
"Pah, pah, pah, I was just talking nonsense. This place is so shabby. It's so much more comfortable at home. I really miss Luo Tian and his big bed at home."
Li Huai has no backbone at all; as soon as he heard about the pay cut, his stance immediately changed.
I was exhausted, but lying on the straw mat, I couldn't fall asleep at all.
I have a feeling that there's something strangely eerie about this village.
I don't know how much time had passed, but just as I was drifting off to sleep, I suddenly heard a very faint sound, like barefoot walking.
"You two shouldn't get out of bed barefoot, it's so dirty."
I said vaguely.
But I quickly realized that there were people on both sides of me, and neither of them had gotten out of bed.
I heard a sound of swallowing next to me.
"Yan, Brother Yan, did you hear that strange noise too?"
Li Huai lowered his voice and spoke in my ear.
The sound was so faint it was like a mosquito's hum; if I hadn't been concentrating, I wouldn't have been able to hear it at all.
"I heard it, I heard it."
I replied irritably.
Why is this kid speaking so softly? After listening to him, I felt like I was about to collapse from exhaustion.
"Shall we go take a look?"
Luo Tianhe, who was standing to the side, spoke up, and I immediately turned my head and glared at him.
"Both the old man and Wang Fugui repeatedly warned me not to go out at night. Are you the male lead in a horror movie? Why do you have to risk your life?"
I also lowered my voice and whispered in Luo Tianhe's ear.
As if it had heard our conversation, the eerie sound disappeared.
We listened intently for a while, but heard nothing.
"Could we have just been hallucinating? But that's impossible. Even if it was hallucination, there wouldn't be all three of us together, would there?"
Li Huai said with some doubt.
He slept for so long during the day, he's really not sleepy, and he still has energy.
Luo Tianhe and I were already so tired we could barely keep our eyes open.
I ignored him this time and went to sleep.
I don't know how much time passed, but I suddenly felt someone poking me. When I opened my eyes, it was indeed Li Huai.
Through the hazy moonlight streaming in through the window, I saw the terror on his face.
"What are you doing in the middle of the night, you little rascal?"
"I... I just went to the bathroom and heard a strange sound coming from the direction of the main house!"
Li Huai's face was deathly pale, and his voice trembled.
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