Fireworks of the world
Xiao Buyi's eyes wandered between his father and the strange man who claimed to be an old friend, as if waiting for someone to answer his question. However, no one responded to him. The three of them were like three clay sculptures. It was as if a god had cast a spell to freeze everything. Even the leaves blown down by the wind could never fall to the ground. At this moment, an old crow flew over his head and cried a few times, piercing the strange atmosphere. Su Musong felt that he had to say something.
"Who wins the fight between Xiaozhuzi and Xiaodouzi?"
"I didn't win the fight. I pulled them apart."
"Then we'll probably have to fight again next time."
"Let them fight. They always fight every now and then anyway."
"It's not a good thing for children to be aggressive and aggressive. You, as an elder, should control them."
"It's okay. Daddy always says that a man should be brave, otherwise he can't bear heavy responsibilities. So what were you doing just now?"
Su Musong thought he had changed the subject, but he didn't expect that Xiao Buyi was not easy to fool and brought the subject back.
Xiao Luochen glanced at Su Musong, and seeing his embarrassed face, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth unconsciously. He picked up the hoe on the ground and put the hat on Xiao Buyi's head.
"Go home. A distant guest is coming. We need to kill a chicken to entertain him."
Xiao Buyi put on his hat and glanced at Su Musong.
"Humph, I know it even without you telling me. I'm not a little brat who knows nothing."
After saying that, he trotted to catch up with his father who had already walked away. He had to keep an eye on it. The last time his father killed a chicken, the bowls and dishes were broken all over the floor, and the windows and walls were not spared. Looking at the bloodstains, he seemed to see the horrible appearance of the chicken that was not completely dead and fluttering around with blood. He was so tired that he washed the floor, painted the walls and repaired the windows. It took him two days to restore the kitchen to its original state.
Over the years, the versatile Master Su rarely suffered any setbacks, but he had no way to deal with Xiao Buyi and could only follow him silently.
Facts have proved that Xiao Buyi's worries are justified. Although his father is both civil and military, and is adept at farming, he really has no talent for cooking.
The chicken was caught, but its feathers were scattered all over the ground.
"Dad, didn't you say last time that when catching a chicken, you should put it in a cage before you do it?"
Xiao Buyi looked at the scattered chicken feathers in frustration, and could already imagine himself picking them up one by one.
"Daddy is hungry and wants to eat early."
Xiao Luochen grabbed the chicken's feet in one hand and held a kitchen knife in the other. The chicken's wings were flapping violently, making its last struggle, but he had no way to cut it.
"Dad, I saw Aunt Li next door holding the wings, feet, and head of the chicken in one hand, then turning it upside down and draining the blood."
"That makes perfect sense. How about you come?"
"No, no, no, I'm still a child. Children don't kill chickens."
Xiao Buyi retreated repeatedly. Although the chicken soup tasted good, he was a little hesitant to kill the chicken.
"Then why don't you go and boil some water so you can pluck the chicken feathers later."
Boiling water is fine, but plucking hair is really disgusting. The fishy smell from the hot water sticks to your hands and you can't get rid of it no matter how hard you wash. Although he is reluctant, Xiao Buyi can see that his father is very happy about the arrival of this crybaby, so the disgusting feeling is bearable.
Su Musong, who was watching quietly on the side, finally found an opportunity to interrupt and took the rooster from Xiao Luochen's hand.
"I'll kill the chicken, you go boil some water."
Xiao Luochen didn't say anything polite, nor did he question whether the pampered Su Musong could kill a chicken. He readily handed the job over and went to make a fire and boil water.
Xiao Buyi gave up his position as the cook and stood aside, watching the two people busy with their work. He felt that this scene was familiar. Yes, Xiaodouzi's family was like this. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a little happy.
After working for an hour, the meal was finally served on the table. Xiao Buyi ate happily. Ever since Aunt Jingjing stopped coming home to cook, he hadn't had the appetite for a long time, thanks to his father's cooking skills.
Xiao Luochen was very surprised. Although he knew Su Musong had a golden tongue for appreciating delicious food, he had never thought he would have such culinary skills. Facing the praise, Su Musong acted quite indifferent. He had only cooked a few times and had never cooked for others. Perhaps it was because he had seen a lot, or perhaps it was because he was talented.
Halfway through the meal, a stern-looking young man suddenly strode into the room. When he saw Su Musong, he paused for a moment, and then asked Xiao Luochen for instructions without paying attention to anyone else.
"Chief, we've already dealt with the bandits in Linghegou. Twenty of them are dead, and I've captured the rest. What should we do with them?"
This result was obviously within Xiao Luochen's expectations, so he answered without any hesitation.
"Thank you for your hard work. Those who have innocent lives on their hands will be taken away and buried directly, and the rest will be sent to Old Wu at the mine."
The young man received the order and retreated, and before leaving he took a special look at Su Musong.
Xiao Luochen seemed to suddenly reflect on something, a flicker of panic in his eyes as he looked at Su Musong. He had been in Qingzhu Village for ten years and had long since accepted his identity as a bandit. He had originally believed that as long as he had a clear conscience, he could face anything. However, it wasn't until he met Su Mufeng that Xiao Luochen realized that he couldn't face his past with that identity. That's why he didn't acknowledge Su Mufeng the first time they met. Even though he ultimately chose to go down the mountain to meet Su Mufeng, Su Musong and Su Mufeng were different after all. In that situation just now, he wondered if Su Musong would see him as a vicious bandit who treated human life as worthless.
Although it was only a fleeting moment, Su Musong still caught Xiao Luochen's panic.
Su Musong picked up a chicken wing and put it in Xiao Luochen's bowl
"Over the years, I've made many friends in the outlaw world, and I understand how difficult it is to manage a stronghold. In my heart, you are you. No matter how your behavior changes, you are still the same Xiao Luochen."
After years of experience, Su Musong has long understood that people and things in this world are not black and white, nor can they be simply described as good or evil.
Su Musong's words made Xiao Luochen feel much more relaxed.
"If I fall into hell and turn into a demon, will I still be the Xiao Luochen in your heart?"
Xiao Luochen looked at Su Musong leisurely, waiting to see how he would answer. If he said yes, Xiao Luochen would be annoyed with him, because in his mind he was originally the image of an evil ghost. If he said no, then everything he said just now was false.
"If you fall into hell, I will kill my way into hell and bring you back to the human world."
Xiao Luochen asked jokingly, but Su Musong answered seriously, so seriously that Xiao Luochen couldn't bear to continue questioning him. The two looked at each other, and it seemed as if they were back in the old days, when Xiao Luochen always liked to ask irrelevant questions, and Su Musong always answered them with heartwarming answers.
Xiao Buyi looked at the two people who were lost in thought and felt that his father might not be able to stay. Aunt Jingjing and Brother Zhen both looked at his father like this, but his father had never looked at them like this. Yet, now he was looking at this crybaby like this.
"well!"
A long sigh brought Su Musong and Xiao Luochen back to their senses.
Seeing Xiao Buyi's serious face, Su Musong found it interesting. He wondered what this little brat was up to.
"Why are you sighing, Bu Yi?"
Xiao Buyi put down his bowl and chopsticks, sat upright, bowed to Su Musong, and asked
"I wonder what your uncle's name is, where he lives, and what he does for a living?"
"My surname is Su, my name is Musong, I live in Yongjing City, Xiangping, and I make a living as a businessman."
"Are you married? Who is in your family?"
Xiao Luochen gradually felt that Xiao Buyi's question was rude and offensive.
"I don't remember!"
Seeing his father's warning look, Xiao Buyi quickly shut his mouth, but Su Musong didn't care and replied with a smile.
"I'm not married yet. I have two parents, two brothers, and a sister. If you want to ask anything else, feel free to ask."
Xiao Buyi glanced at Xiao Luochen, and seeing that his father didn't seem to intend to stop him, he boldly asked
"Why haven't you gotten married yet at your age?"
"Because I just wanted to be with someone, but he was gone."
"Did you find that person?"
"Found it."
Looking at the direction Su Musong was looking at, Xiao Buyi knew clearly that that "someone" was his father.
Xiao Buyi thought carefully about the questions that Aunt Li asked when she was matchmaking for Aunt Jingjing.
"Yongjing City is a thousand miles away from here. Are you really willing to abandon your family and career and settle down in Qingzhu Village from now on?"
Su Musong didn't know why Xiao Buyi suddenly asked this strange question, and Xiao Luochen realized that he had copied Aunt Li's question and knocked his head.
"You talk too much. Now that you've finished eating, put the bowl away. Take a break and then go copy the book. You are not allowed to leave the study until you have finished copying the collection of essays."
Xiao Buyi realized that he seemed to have gone too far and made his father unhappy, so he did not argue but just did as he was told. However, he still wanted to know the answer to that question.
Su Musong wanted to go for a walk, so Xiao Luochen ordered someone to prepare horses. The two of them rode slowly, attracting the attention of passers-by along the way. Although it was not a big deal, they could not talk quietly. So the two of them bought some wine at the market and went to a cliff that no one usually set foot on.
As the sun sets in the west, the sky is filled with red clouds. The two of them sit on the ground, bathed in the golden light and shadows, watching the tired birds return to the forest and the smoke curling up from the cooking stoves. It is a unique experience to drink wine while enjoying the beautiful scenery.
Su Musong and Xiao Luochen knew each other since childhood. Both of them can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk now, but this is the first time they drink together. Thinking of this, Su Musong suddenly felt a little sad. If they had not been separated for ten years, their first time drinking would definitely be with each other.
"Luo Chen, when was the first time you drank alcohol?"
Xiao Luochen spoke without thinking.
"February 16th, eight years ago."
Su Musong was very surprised. He remembered why he drank for the first time, but he didn't remember the specific day. Xiao Luochen remembered it so clearly, so there must be another hidden story.
"Is it a special day?"
Xiao Luochen took a big gulp of wine and said slowly after a long time
"Mu Song, actually, I went to Yongcheng to look for you."
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