"Oh, okay, let's eat some, I'll call Brother Hu up."

"No need to call him, let him continue to sleep."

"How can that be done?" Tan Wenbin didn't listen to the woman and still came to the bed and shook Hu Yiwei, "Brother Hu, Brother Hu, wake up, it's time to eat."

Hu Yiwei unconsciously stretched out his hand and patted it, murmuring and continued to sleep with his arms in his arms.

"It's going to be cold if you don't come here." After Zeng Yinyin finished speaking, she turned and left.

Tan Wenbin stretched out his right hand, made a slight fist, followed Brother Yuanzi's method, and tapped Hu Yiwei's forehead three times with the knuckle of his ring finger.

Sure enough...it's useless.

Hu Yiwei continued to sleep soundly.

Tan Wenbin took out a Qingxin Talisman from his pocket and put it on the other person's forehead with a "snap" sound.

The heart-purifying charm is working.

Hu Yiwei slept more soundly, not even talking in his sleep, only snoring like thunder.

"this……"

Tan Wenbin took off the Pure Heart Talisman, took out the Chaoyuan Secret Scroll Lucky Talisman, and stuck it on.

The talisman paper has not changed color.

This shows that Hu Yiwei has long been free from the influence of evil spirits. Now he is simply too tired to get up.

However, the effect of his previous Pure Heart Talisman actually helped him sleep deeper.

There's nothing I can do, I really can't wake him up.

It's better to deal with the next thing first, and then find an excuse to go out to find Brother Xiaoyuan and let Brother Xiaoyuan make up his mind.

Tan Wenbin took out the toiletries from his hiking bag and when he walked out of the room, he took another look at the welded well in the courtyard.

He walked to the kitchen, where the small dining table was placed, and the coffin was still there.

Zeng Yinyin held a basin of clothes in her hand, glanced at him, and said: "There is a water tank behind, I will bring you there."

The water tank is at the back of the kitchen, with a wooden ladle on top.

While Tan Wenbin was brushing his teeth, Zeng Yinyin was washing clothes next to him.

Her hands were very white, almost bloodless.

Moreover, Tan Wenbin noticed that there were men's clothes being washed in the other party's basin.

But originally, there were no men in this family at all.

Hu Yiwei and I came here last night. We only washed our feet before going to bed and didn't change clothes.

After brushing his teeth, Tan Wenbin took a ladle and washed his face, and then asked casually:

"Whose clothes are so big?"

"My man's."

"You remarried?"

"No, these are his old clothes. I plan to wash them, dry them, and give them away. You city people don't understand how difficult life is in the countryside."

"Oh, that's it."

Tan Wenbin knew that unless life was so poor that he could no longer survive, living people would still feel unlucky about the supplies of the dead.

In the past, when I was fasting with Uncle Li, I often saw the host's family pile up the deceased's clothes and personal belongings and burn them.

Although Min'an Town is a rural town in the mountains, life is far from this difficult. Can the clothes of a dead person be washed and given away as a favor?

Or is it that what she actually washes is her man's daily change of clothes?

Although it was Hu Yiwei who slept with her last night, it was not Hu Yiwei who actually did the work.

Zeng Yinyin was very quick with her hands and feet. After drying her clothes, she wiped her hands with a handkerchief, then motioned for Tan Wenbin to sit down while she went to the stove to serve rice.

It's rice soup, yesterday's leftovers plus some vegetables, add water and cook in one pot.

This is a very popular breakfast style nowadays, regardless of region.

After all, most families are not willing to go to the store every morning to buy steamed buns, fried dough sticks and soy milk to take home to eat.

Afraid of not having enough leftover rice, I also put noodles in it.

When Zeng Yinyin turned around to serve her own bowl, Tan Wenbin deliberately turned his back to the coffin, took out the lucky charm from his arms, grabbed the edge of the charm, and threw it into the bowl. The color did not change, which meant that the food was human.

Food.

"call……"

He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly put the talisman back into his pocket.

Tan Wenbin holds the chopsticks in his right hand and the bowl in his left hand. The bowl is not hot.

I took another bite and it tasted good, but a little warm.

"How is it?" Zeng Yinyin asked.

“Delicious.”

Not hot, just right in your mouth.

Tan Wenbin quickly finished a bowl.

Zeng Yinyin: "There is still more in the pot."

"I'm full, thank you." Tan Wenbin looked around and asked, "Why don't they come down to eat?"

"They've already eaten."

"Can I... meet Miaomiao?"

"What did you do to meet her?"

"I think some of the words may not be appropriate for the person involved. As a friend, maybe I can give you some opinions."

"Miaomiao is engaged and will get married next month."

"I heard."

"Then it's not suitable for you to participate now." Zeng Yinyin put away the bowls and chopsticks, "You can persuade Yiwei to go back early so that he can forget about Miaomiao and start a new life."

"It's hard."

At this time, Zeng Yinyin suddenly said: "There is nothing difficult in this world except death."

"I think what your family is doing is unethical." Tan Wenbin tried his best to add some words, "At least it should have a beginning and an end."

Zeng Yinyin's movements suddenly paused, and then she said: "What a good idea."

"What?"

"There's nothing fun here. Let's go."

"I think the scenery here is very good and beautiful." Tan Wenbin saw that the other party was unwilling to continue to reveal it to him, so he had no choice but to go to Brother Xiaoyuan, "I want to ask you something. Is there a family named Xue in this village?

, His son’s name is Xue Liangliang, he is a student at Haihe University, he is very good at making money, and he is very promising.”

"have no idea."

"have no idea?"

"There are many families in the town with many surnames. Except for our neighbors, we don't often interact with people with other surnames."

"Oh, that's it. Then I'll go out and ask around and take a look around. Again, thank you for your hospitality."

Tan Wenbin left.

Zeng Yinyin looked at the kitchen door for a long time, then she took another bowl of soup and rice from the pot and placed it under the coffin.

She placed a pair of chopsticks upright in the bowl.

This is not real rice, it has too much soup, and I can’t even stand up chopsticks.

But after letting go of his hand, the two chopsticks stood upright.

…

Tan Wenbin returned to the room first and picked up his hiking bag.

On the bed, Hu Yiwei was still sleeping soundly, and the red color on his crotch was now gradually turning black.

Although it is obvious that something is wrong with this home, the risk factor is still within the tolerance range.

Let’s meet up with Brother Xiaoyuan first.

Tan Wenbin left the house, walked out of the alley, and came to the main street.

Although Min'an Town is not as large as the population of Shigang Town in Pingyuan, it is still a town, and it is normal for the townspeople to have people they don't know.

Tan Wenbin found a canteen in the town, bought a bottle of drink, and then asked the aunt at the canteen about Xue Liangliang's home.

However, the aunt's response surprised Tan Wenbin.

The aunt said that she had never heard of anyone named Xue living in the town.

A guess immediately came to Tan Wenbin's mind: Could it be that Xue Liangliang's father was the son-in-law who came to live with him, and then he got involved and changed his surname back to Xue Liangliang?

Even Tan Wenbin himself thinks this speculation is a bit ridiculous.

After leaving the canteen, Tan Wenbin began to ask the townspeople constantly. He felt that the Xue family should be quite famous here. After all, Brother Liangliang was considered "someone else's child."

But the result is that no one knows that this family exists in the town.

At this moment, Tan Wenbin finally realized the seriousness of the problem.

Not being able to find the Xue family means that he can't find Brother Xiao Yuan and Runsheng who have settled in the Xue family in advance.

He took out the pager on his belt, but there was no record of being paged.

It shouldn't be, it's already ten o'clock in the morning.

Brother Xiao Yuan might have thought it was late last night and the canteen was closed, so he wouldn't page him, but at this point, if Brother Xiao Yuan hadn't seen him yet, he would definitely let Runsheng page him as soon as possible.

Call yourself.

Tan Wenbin returned to the canteen again, picked up the phone and started calling the number in the discount store.

"Beep...beep...beep..."

The phone kept ringing but no one answered.

This is impossible. Even if Lu Yi is in class and not in the store at the moment, there will definitely be people in the store during daytime business hours.

I called twice more and still no one answered.

Tan Wenbin hesitated for a moment, then called his father's office, "Beep...beep...beep...", it showed that the call was connected, but no one answered.

He even called Aunt Zhang's canteen in Siyuan Village, and it was still the same.

Finally, he called the paging station.

During this period, there were many paging stations across the country, and paging station operators were also a very popular profession.

But this time, no one answered the paging station, and I couldn't hear the sweet voice of the operator's sister.

After hanging up the phone, Tan Wenbin clenched his fist and lightly punched the counter.

"What's wrong?" The aunt looked at her phone display in confusion. After calling for so long, no one answered her.

"Auntie, is your phone broken?"

"Is it broken?" The aunt pressed the speakerphone and dialed a number herself. The person on the other end answered quickly. The aunt asked the other person in dialect to send more goods next time. After the other person agreed, she hung up the phone.

"It's not bad, it's fine."

The aunt was cracking melon seeds and looking the young man up and down. If she hadn't seen that the young man was well-dressed and carrying a hiking bag, she would have suspected that this guy was deliberately taking advantage of her in the morning.

Tan Wenbin picked up the phone again and called the affordable store, but still no one answered.

After hanging up the phone, he took out the money and bought some bagged snacks.

The aunt brought him something with a smile. The snacks had not passed the expiration date, but the bags were dusty. It would be better to sell them in bulk and roast them in town.

Tan Wenbin walked out of the canteen and sat down on the promenade by the river.

There were several tables of old people sitting there drinking tea, and a storyteller was telling stories.

He was speaking in a local dialect, which he couldn't understand either.

Looking at the calm river, there are farmland and green mountains in the distance. It is a beautiful scenery, but he is not in the mood to appreciate it now.

Either there's something wrong with this town, or there's something wrong with it.

Perhaps the most reasonable choice now is to leave this town quickly, at least to a place where you can make phone calls.

But I came here because of the problem. If I just left when I encountered a problem, I would be doing nothing.

After the storyteller finished speaking, Tan Wenbin stepped forward to chat with the other party. After leaving the location of the Zeng family, he gave the storyteller some money and promised that if someone relied on him to find him, he would give him another one.

Then, Tan Wenbin took out a pen and paper and started writing notes. He wrote many notes in a row, all with his name and address, and then sent them to the shop owners.

After doing this, Tan Wenbin was not in a hurry to return to Zeng's house. Instead, he walked around the town. He really looked like a backpacker traveling.

The last one came late at night and couldn't see clearly because of the black winter weather, but now I can observe and taste it carefully.

However, the Huizhou architectural style is indeed very cultural and beautiful, but when you feel uneasy and fearful, the environment here can amplify your emotions.

Every house that opens its door feels like there is a secret, and every alley is filled with something strange.

After wandering around until almost one o'clock in the afternoon, Tan Wenbin decided to go back to Zeng's house. Before going back, he went to the shop to cut meat and bought some grain and oil.

As soon as I entered the house carrying these things, I saw Zeng Yinyin standing there.

"I thought you had left."

"No, I'm just going out for a walk."

"I've had lunch."

"I've eaten too." Tan Wenbin put the things on the table and ate his snacks.

Zeng Yinyin took a look and said, "No need to buy anything."

"It should, it should."

How can I have the nerve to continue living here without buying something?

Now that Brother Yuanzi can't be contacted for the time being, all he can do is continue to stay at Zeng's house.

Zeng Yinyin said nothing and put the things into the kitchen.

Tan Wenbin returned to his room, and Hu Yiwei was still sleeping soundly. It seemed that last night had really consumed him a lot.

Of course, consumption is not only about doing that kind of thing, but more importantly, it is about being possessed by evil spirits.

However, if he continues to wake up, he will have no reason to see Zeng Miaomiao.

Tan Wenbin reached out and patted Hu Yiwei's face, but he still couldn't wake up.

Throughout the afternoon, Tan Wenbin moved a small bench and sat at the entrance of the well in the yard.

There was a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of mineral water at his feet, and he looked like he was taking a rest and soaking up the sun.

Zeng Yinyin didn't come out again after returning to her room, and the old woman and Zeng Miaomiao who made the news last night didn't go down to the second floor either.

Plus Hu Yiwei who is still sleeping soundly.

There were obviously many people in this room, but Tan Wenbin felt like he was alone.

The other thing is this well... Although the manhole cover is welded shut, you can still feel the cold air escaping from the cracks, which feels a bit like a frozen warehouse with cracks.

At dusk, Zeng Yinyin came out of her room and went to cook.

At this time, Hu Yiwei finally woke up.

"I'm so hungry... I'm so hungry that I feel dizzy." Hu Yiwei was lying on the bed, covering his stomach with one hand and covering his forehead with the other.

Tan Wenbin took out the compressed biscuits from his backpack and handed them to him. As for the mineral water, he had already finished it.

No one would put a lot of water in their bag, but he did still have things like water purification tablets in his bag.

Tan Wenbin came to the kitchen, ready to get a bottle of boiling water.

Zeng Yinyin was standing by the stove, cooking with a shovel, but she didn't see much steam coming out of the pot.

After Tan Wenbin walked around the stove, he found that there were only scattered sparks in the stove hole.

"Want to light a fire?"

"No, it's almost ready."

"oh."

Tan Wenbin nodded, went to get the hot water bottle, opened one cork, and touched it with his fingers. It was warm. He tried the second bottle and it was still warm. It was about the same temperature as the water he used to wash his feet last night.

"Um, is there hot water?"

"Isn't it all?"

"It's just warm, not hot."

"It's hot, so I kept it warm on purpose."

"That's it."

Tan Wenbin could only choose one bottle and take it away. When he passed the stairs in the hall, he looked up again and saw that the door was still closed.

Returning to the room, he poured a glass of warm water for Hu Yiwei and handed it to him, while reminding him:

"Save some room for dinner, we'll have dinner soon."

Hu Yiwei's mouth was full of cookie crumbs, and he asked a little embarrassedly: "Binbin, do you have any pants? Can you lend me a pair?"

Apparently, he found the mark on his crotch.

Tan Wenbin took out a pair of pants from his bag and handed it to him.

Hu Yiwei was so excited that he borrowed a car and drove directly to ask for an explanation. Therefore, except for bringing money and cigarettes to smoke on the way, he did not bring any luggage.

Tan Wenbin’s hiking bag is basically fully equipped.

He and Yinmeng are each other.

Runsheng's one is an advanced version, because he still has to bear Brother Xiaoyuan's share.

"Thank you, brother. I'll give you how much." Hu Yiwei took out the money from his pocket.

"No need, we are all brothers, don't mention these things."

"How can this be done? It's all your money to refuel when you come here."

"Don't be polite to me, remember to do business."

Hu Yiwei slapped his forehead: "Oh, yes, it's business!"

He was still wondering why he had forgotten this incident.

After eating, Hu Yiwei was able to calm down. They were all men, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about. He took off his pants and underwear and changed into Tan Wenbin's pants. This was considered neutral.

"Binbin, I'm not afraid of your jokes. I'm really sorry. I had a wet dream last night."

Tan Wenbin touched his nose and found out that the man's wet dream was caused by bleeding.

Of course, most boys will generally not give their bodies a chance to have a wet dream after seeing it.

"Brother Hu, you must ask to see Zeng Miaomiao during dinner later."

"I will."

"After you have made your words clear, you can go back when you should. You didn't take too long to take leave. Don't delay your work because of a past relationship."

"Well, Binbin, I understand everything you said."

The door to the room was pushed open, and Zeng Yinyin stood at the door. Just like in the morning, she said: "The meal is ready, come and eat."

It's still the kitchen table, next to the coffin.

But there was only food for three people on the table.

Hu Yiwei asked: "Where is Miao Miao?"

Zeng Yinyin held a tray in her hand, with two plates of vegetables, two glasses of rice wine, and a small bowl filled with curved rice.

"They eat up there."

"Sister Yin, let Miaomiao come down. I'll talk to her clearly, and then I'll leave."

"She doesn't want to see you."

"I know she doesn't want to see me. I just want an explanation. Our divorce is so inexplicable. She should come out to see me. Please help me tell her that I don't mean to pester her, really."

"Okay, I'll go talk."

"Sorry to trouble you, Sister Yin."

"You guys should eat first. Only after you have eaten can we talk."

Zeng Yinyin went up with the tray.

Hu Yiwei was sitting at the small kitchen table, his chest rising and falling slightly, and he was organizing his words.

Tan Wenbin left the table and came to a corner of the hall. He saw Zeng Yinyin walking to the door on the second floor, grabbing the door knocker and knocking three times.

There seemed to be a sound of locks falling inside.

Zeng Yinyin opened the door, and before going in, she turned back, looked down, and met Tan Wenbin's eyes.

Then, she went in and the door was closed.

At this moment, Tan Wenbin wanted to use violent means to force his way into the second floor to see what was going on inside and what kind of state Zeng Miaomiao was in now.

But he knew very well that he did not have the ability to forcefully reveal the truth behind the matter.

The reason why he was assigned to a line alone was, firstly, because Runsheng's personality could not be adapted, and he did not have a close relationship with Fan Shulin, so he could not fit into this line; secondly, because there was no one around Brother Xiaoyuan.

There is a strong person accompanying you.

After returning to the kitchen and sitting down, Tan Wenbin said: "Brother Hu, help me get a hot water bottle."

"Oh, okay."

When Hu Yiwei got up, Tan Wenbin took out the lucky charm of the Chaoyuan Secret Scroll and tested the food, and it was fine.

He picked up the chopsticks and took a bite of rice first. Tan Wenbin was stunned, and then took another bite of vegetables. He frowned.

The meal in the morning can be explained by the fact that I cooked it early and got up late, but this meal in the evening was just cooked, so why was it still warm?

Is there nothing hot in this house?

After a while, Zeng Yinyin came back empty-handed. She sat down at the table, picked up her chopsticks and started eating.

Hu Yiwei asked: "Sister Yin, Miao Miao?"

Zeng Yinyin swallowed the food in her mouth, with an obscure smile on her face:

"Don't worry, you can see her after dinner."

…

Yinmeng didn't know who the person was who was peeping in at the door of the room last night, but after being shined by the flashlight once, those peeping eyes never appeared again.

Putting a chair against the door, Yinmeng returned to the bed and began to sleep.

She needed to rest, it was impossible for her condition to get too bad, but even if she was sleeping, she would turn a blind eye.

At dawn the next day, the sound of chopping wood could be heard in the yard.

Yinmeng pushed Zheng Jiayi awake, and Zheng Jiayi yawned and said in a very lazy voice: "Mengmeng, I'm so sleepy, I want to sleep a little longer."

"Have you forgotten your parents' illness?"

Zheng Jiayi immediately sat up.

"Go down and wash up first."

"Go down and wash up. Do you want to carry your bag?"

"I'm used to it."

When passing the other two bedrooms on the second floor, Yinmeng stopped and listened again, but did not hear anything going on inside.

When we came to the yard downstairs, the man chopping firewood was a man under thirty years old. He was wearing a vest, shorts, and cloth shoes. He was very tall and thin.

"Brother Daqiang!"

Zheng Jiayi greeted warmly

"Jiayi, hehe." Daqiang waved his hand, "My parents went into the mountains early in the morning to pick up goods. Breakfast is on the table."

Yin Meng fetched water from the well, and after washing up with Zheng Jiayi, they went to the kitchen.

There are porridge bowls and pickles on the small table.

Yin Meng picked up the porridge and smelled it. There was nothing wrong with it. She now has a keen enough ability to distinguish food.

Just after taking this bite, I found that the porridge was not only not hot, it could even be said to be cold.

But the problem is that the weather is not really cool yet.

I tasted another piece of pickle and when my teeth bit into it, I felt a bit ice-cold.

It felt like breakfast had been deliberately hung into the well to calm it down.

Yin Meng looked at the groove under the stove. All the thermos bottles were gone, including the one she found containing mice last night.

Should we capture that powerful man, tie him up with the exorcism whip in his bag, and interrogate him about the matter?

As soon as this thought arose, Yin Meng dismissed it.

Let’s find Brother Xiaoyuan first.

"Mengmeng, let me invite you to have breakfast outside." Obviously, Zheng Jiayi also felt that this breakfast was unpalatable.

"Um."

When the two walked out, they found that Daqiang, who was still chopping firewood, had disappeared.

The ax fell on the spot, and even the chopped firewood was not collected.

"Hey, where is Brother Daqiang?"

Zheng Jiayi bent down and helped him clean up, then piled them all into the corner.

Yin Meng glanced at the pile of firewood. Moss had grown on most of the firewood, and in a few places, some mushrooms actually grew.

Firewood is a consumable item, which means that this family has not burned firewood for a long time.

After leaving Zheng's house, Yinmeng first asked Xue Liangliang's location.

Zheng Jiayi doesn't live here, and her understanding of Min'an Town is no better than that of an outsider like Yin Meng.

But the two of them asked around a lot, and the answer they always got was: I don't know if there is any family named Xue in the town.

As for Xue Liangliang, a student admitted to Shanghai University, no one has heard of it.

Yinmeng went to the canteen in the town and asked the aunt first, but got the same feedback.

She picked up the phone and called the paging station, trying to call Xue Liangliang, but no one answered.

Then I called the school discount store, but no one answered.

After calling several times, she asked her aunt if there was any problem with the phone. In front of her, the aunt called her once to indicate that there was no problem.

Yinmeng realized that the problem was big.

Unwilling to give up, she pulled Zheng Jiayi and continued questioning.

Then, the two of them came to the promenade near the river.

This is considered the leisure and cultural center of the town.

Two tables of old people were drinking tea, and another old man was talking about storytelling.

After the old man finished his storytelling, Yin Meng stepped forward and asked him if anyone had come to inquire about the situation. The storyteller shook his head and said no.

Yin Meng asked him to help pay attention, and at the same time told him her name and the alley address of Lao Zheng's house. Finally, she took out a banknote and put it in the iron box in front of him.

"Thank you girl, thank you girl, may I tell you something?"

"No."

Yinmeng went to various shops to inquire, and then asked others to help her pay attention.

After completing this set of procedures, Yin Meng felt inexplicably irritable.

Because she knew very well that they could also think of the methods she could think of, and they would only do them better and more meticulously than herself.

This town is so big and there are not many outsiders. Whenever someone asks this question, people on the street or shop owners will definitely be deeply impressed. But when I communicated with them before, they were not impressed at all.

"Mengmeng, what's wrong with you?"

"I'm fine."

"Then shall we continue searching now?"

"No more searching, let's go back."

The two returned to Zheng's house and the door was closed.

Zheng Jiayi went up and pushed the door, but it was pushed open.

Immediately afterwards, the aunt's voice came from behind the door: "You're back."

Then, she herself came out, wearing the same clothes as last night.

"Auntie, are you back?"

"Well, I'm back."

"Is uncle back too?"

"No, Daqiang came to the mountain to find us. He took over my shift, and I came back first to prepare lunch for you. Why didn't you have breakfast? Didn't Daqiang tell you?"

"Auntie, Brother Daqiang told me, but I wanted to take my friend to try our special breakfast, so I went out with my stomach full."

"Oh, do you still have lunch at home?"

Zheng Jiayi looked at Yinmeng, who shook her head gently.

"No, aunt, we'll go out to eat later."

"OK."

The eldest aunt walked towards the house and then went directly upstairs.

Yinmeng went to the well to get some water, washed her hands, and then her face.

There's something weird about this room and the people in this room.

It's a pity that Brother Xiaoyuan can't be found, and there is no way to report these clues at the moment.

The two went upstairs again, and when they came to the corner of the stairs on the second floor, Yin Meng pointed to the stairs that continued upward.

"Mengmeng, it must be the attic above. I haven't been there either."

"Then go and have a look."

Yinmeng walked up and said that it was an attic, but it was not cramped, and it looked like it had been cleaned frequently, so it was not dirty.

An old red coffin is placed there.

Zheng Jiayi was startled by the coffin and hid behind Yin Meng.

"It's okay, I used to sell coffins."

Yin Meng walked to the coffin. The materials used in this coffin were not very sophisticated, and the painting skills were average. No old man with any qualifications would choose it as his birthday gift.

"Jiayi, your grandparents have left long ago, right?"

"Yes, the last time my parents came back, they visited my grandpa's grave."

Grandpa and grandma are gone, so why is there still a coffin in this house?

Although they haven't met Zheng Jiayi's uncle yet, judging from the age of her eldest aunt, the couple should be far from ready to prepare birthday materials in advance.

Just as Yinmeng put her hand next to the coffin, thinking about whether to open it and take a look, the figure of her eldest aunt appeared at the door.

"Why are you all here?"

Zheng Jiayi replied: "Let's take a stroll."

"This is a relative's house being renovated, and the old-age materials prepared by the elderly in the family are temporarily placed in our home."

Yin Meng took back her hand and said, "Oh, that's it."

"There are many rats in the house, don't run around, you will be scared by the rats."

"Well, we get it."

Yinmeng and Zheng Jiayi came to the room on the second floor. Zheng Jiayi sat beside the bed, while Yinmeng stood at the door.

"Mengmeng, let's go out to eat."

"No, just eat whatever you want." Yinmeng took out the biscuits from her backpack, handed them to Zheng Jiayi, and then went back to stand by the door.

"Mengmeng, where should we start looking next?" Zheng Jiayi asked.

"Start looking at this house."

"Ah, I'm asking about the friend named Xue who is looking for you."

"Similarly, if you find his home, it will be easier to find the root cause of your parents' illness."

"Oh, that's it, that's it." Zheng Jiayi nodded, she believed it.

"Jiayi, don't you think your uncle's family are all weird?"

"As I said last night, their family has always been very cold-hearted. In fact, I don't have much contact with their family."

"Have you eaten yet?"

"It's ready."

"Then let's go out."

Yinmeng took Zheng Jiayi away from Zheng's house and began to visit the neighbors and talk to the aunts and grandma who liked to chat at first glance.

I learned from neighbors that Lao Zheng's family is famous for being withdrawn. They rarely interact with outsiders on weekdays. At one point, they even went so far as to not invite relatives or neighbors to their homes when they had to do things.

Brother, I come back once or twice a year.

In rural areas, no matter how withdrawn or unsociable a person is, they would not dare not to participate in the village's events.

Because everyone knows that sooner or later, it will be your own family's turn to handle this kind of thing. If you don't go to other people's houses, they won't come to your place to help you.

No specific information could be obtained from the neighbors, so Yin Meng had no choice but to return to Zheng's house and sit down in the yard.

Unable to contact Xiaoyuan, she is a little confused now.

At the moment, it seems that we can only continue to follow the established pattern.

For example, discover the real secret of Lao Zheng's family without breaking any ties.

Throughout the afternoon, Yin Meng sat in the yard.

She finally saw Zheng Jiayi's uncle. He came back carrying a fertilizer bag, and something was moving in the bag.

Zheng Jiayi went up to say hello: "Uncle."

"Yes, Jiayi."

"Where's Brother Daqiang, why didn't he come back with you?"

"He's behind, I'm going to pack my things first."

The uncle went in. Yinmeng originally thought he would go into the kitchen, but he went upstairs directly carrying his bag.

Then, after going up, he never came back down.

After a while, Daqiang came back. He was also carrying a fertilizer bag. The things inside were also moving, and there was a faint "squeaking" sound.

After still saying hello briefly, he went upstairs.

At dusk, the eldest aunt came down from upstairs and asked, "You also go out to eat in the evening, right?"

Zheng Jiayi: "Yes, aunt."

"Then I won't cook for you."

"Auntie, please call uncle and Brother Daqiang down, let's go out to eat together."

"If you don't eat out, you won't be able to afford it."

After the eldest aunt finished speaking, she turned around and went upstairs again.

Yin Meng discovered a problem, that is, this family of three... never appeared together, they were always alone.

Before nightfall, Yinmeng and Zheng Jiayi went out to buy some food.

After returning with the bag and going up to the second floor, Yinmeng vaguely heard some special noises.

But as soon as she stepped onto the last step of the second floor, the sound was silent.

She and Zheng Jiayi returned to their room.

"Mengmeng, let's eat together."

"You eat first."

Yinmeng was still standing at the door of the room, putting her ear to the door.

"Crunch... crunch... crunch..."

She heard the high-frequency sound again. Although it was very slight, it was definitely there.

Yinmeng made a "shush" gesture to Zheng Jiayi, and Zheng Jiayi nodded and even stopped eating.

Immediately, Yin Meng opened the door carefully, trying not to make any noise. After opening a gap big enough for her to step out, she raised her hand, grabbed the upper part, and "sent" herself out while hanging.

With a wooden structure, it is difficult to avoid making noise from the floor, but the beams above are still strong and compact.

Seeing this scene, Zheng Jiayi opened her mouth wide: Do those who study Chinese medicine have to practice kung fu?

Yinmeng "came" to the corridor on the second floor, and her voice was heard more clearly.

The sound came from those two rooms, but there were three frequency sources, and they were all close to the door of the room.

Yinmeng exerted strength on her waist and lifted her legs up so that she would not be able to see herself through the gap while standing at the door.

"Creak! Crunch! Creak! Crunch!..."

It all starts with a quick and painful scream, and then there is the sound of chewing and chewing. The scream stops immediately, and then comes the next round.

I think of the two fertilizer bags that my uncle and Daqiang carried back and the mouse I found in the thermos bottle last night.

A picture reappeared in Yinmeng's mind:

Behind the door of one room stood Daqiang, and behind the door of another room stood side by side uncles and aunts;

They kept reaching out and grabbing live mice from the fertilizer bags and bringing them to their mouths to gnaw on.

Suddenly, the sounds disappeared collectively.

The meal is over.

…

In the early morning, after Li Zhuiyuan came downstairs, Xue's father and Xue's mother warmly entertained him for breakfast.

They were really enthusiastic. The staple food for breakfast was actually rice, and they also cooked three hot dishes.

It was Runsheng's way of giving some incense to his meal, which made them feel a little strange.

Li Zhuiyuan explained that Runsheng often fell ill when he was a child. A traveling Taoist priest said that he had to spend a month every year to eat delicious food for every meal to ensure that he would not be sick or suffer any disaster.

Xue's father and Xue's mother were amazed and praised the Taoist priest for being so powerful.

After all, with Runsheng's physique here, he doesn't look a bit frail and sickly.

After the meal, Li Zhuiyuan asked Runsheng to go out and ask people, focusing on the area near the canteen.

He himself was sitting in the yard chatting with Xue's father, while Xue's mother was washing clothes. She even enthusiastically brought Li Zhuiyuan and Runsheng's changes of clothes to help wash them.

Dad Xue was having a great time chatting. At this moment, even apart from his own son, he still liked this boy very much.

And Li Zhuiyuan is indeed capable of making someone happy.

He had been learning this skill since he was a child, but later on, especially after receiving the phone call from Li Lan, he no longer wanted to continue pretending, at least not to strangers.

After leaving Grandpa's house to go to college, he only became more indifferent to outsiders.

It's not intentional, it's just that I'm too lazy to continue acting.

But this old skill that has been in the mother's womb has not been lost.

At ten o'clock in the morning, Runsheng came back, but no one was found.

"Brother Runsheng, go to the canteen and call Brother Binbin, then call the store and ask if they have called the store."

"Okay."

Runsheng went out, and Li Zhuiyuan began to try to guide Xue's father to talk about the "Young Expedition Team".

It can be seen that Father Xue doesn't really want to talk about this, but in the end, he is still being talked out of.

After a while, Runsheng came back again, bringing a message:

"Xiaoyuan, I can't get through. The paging station can't get through. I've called all the numbers I remember, but I still can't get through.

The phone number is good, and the lady at the canteen called the county wholesaler in front of me and ordered a batch of goods."

"Brother Runsheng, go to the shops on the main street and ask, and ask the bosses to help you keep an eye on it. Then go to a crowded place in the town... It's the riverside promenade where Dad Xue took us to yesterday.

It’s close, so it’s an obvious location.”

"good."

Runsheng went out again.

Li Zhuiyuan continued to stay here.

He didn't do it just to be lazy, firstly, he wanted to continue to talk to Xue's father, and secondly, he had to stay here and wait for Yinmeng and Binbin to come to his door.

"Uncle Xue, your family should be very famous in the town, right?"

"That's not true." Dad Xue puffed up his chest proudly, "Who told me to have a good son? My family always contributes a lot to building roads and bridges in the town."

In fact, Li Zhuiyuan also asked for nothing, because as soon as he entered the town, he asked the aunt at the canteen. The aunt didn't even care about the shop and enthusiastically led them directly to Xue's house.

This not only means that the Xue family is well-known in the town, but also means that they are also very popular.

Runsheng came back: "Xiaoyuan, I've already asked and said hello. There was a storyteller in the corridor, so I asked him to help pay attention."

"Have you given money?"

"Ah... my money is in my bag. I didn't bring my bag with me when I went out. How can I take the money and go out now?"

"Forget it, it doesn't matter whether you give it or not."

Runsheng asked: "Xiaoyuan, did something happen to us?"

After all, the call couldn't be reached, and it seemed to be directed at himself.

However, Runsheng was missing a link, which was to find the home where Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng currently lived, because these two lines were not clear when everyone set out.

If you don't face it directly...if you can't find this family's experience, your understanding of the situation will not be that deep.

But Li Zhuiyuan can switch perspectives here, because he has been sitting here for so long, and neither Yinmeng nor Binbin has come to the door, which means another possibility.

Runsheng: "Xiaoyuan, Binbin and Mengmeng, did something happen on the road that delayed them and couldn't come over?"

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head:

"I think they're already in this town."

———
Chapter completed!