"Blood and Iron

Author: Liang Feng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Six have all, even if people walk hastily, they are also thinking of riding donkeys. This beast is a walking insect, after all, it is more wear-resistant than human feet. However, there are few donkeys in the village. This is going to the beard's den. Since the mule of the Chen family died, no one with a donkey is willing to lend it out anymore. A few people had no choice but to measure the road with their feet. For those who are accustomed to mountain paths, the road of ten or fifteen miles is not far. Staying at home all the time, only after leaving Shaojia Gou did they feel the coldness of the world. The paths for carts were covered with withered grass, making it impossible to see the ruts. The villages by the roadside had dilapidated walls and broken houses. Some houses had their roofs burned off, while others had their ceilings exposed to the rain, showing that no one had lived there for a long time. Were they killed by the beards, or had they fled to other places to beg for food? It was already dinner time when they saw smoke drifting in the air, and the mist seemed particularly heavy. From a distance, the villages and tree shadows were hazy and indistinct. The fields, withered grass, and mountains were covered as if by a white cloth, making it difficult to see clearly. What birds were hiding on the branches unnoticed by anyone? Occasionally, they would fly up when they saw strangers, or chirp a few times to alert their companions. Youquan's heart suddenly felt a sense of indescribable sorrow, and it also deepened his longing for Xiangzi and Laisun. Suddenly, several horses galloped from the other side. The few people quickly moved to the side. The men on the horses were carrying guns, and their attire clearly showed that they were beards. There was also a bag on their backs, but it was unclear what was inside. Youquan guessed that it might be the loot the beards had stolen, but they were heading in the opposite direction, not towards Jia Family Valley. Xiaozhuan recognized one of the beards as familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him. Just as he was about to take a closer look, the galloping horses had already passed by. After the beards were out of sight, the few people continued walking past the village. The farmers, with dusty faces, were squatting in front of their doors with bowls of thin porridge, trying to fill their necks as much as possible with the evening breeze. The elderly couldn't help but cough, and the children had runny noses, snorting the mucus back into their stomachs with loud sounds. Together with the sound of drinking thin porridge, the cold village seemed to have a bit of life. When Youquan and his group entered the village, they raised their heads in surprise, staring at the knives and axes hanging at their waists and their hurried appearance. The fear was written on their faces. The young women stood up and slipped away, while the men quietly picked up their tools. Their eyes were fiery but mostly filled with fear, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably. The older ones took charge, stood up from the ground, and greeted them: "Light a cigarette, take a break?" The voice sounded sincere and friendly, but it also had a tremor of fear. Youquan replied, "No, no, we still need to hurry." Youquan noticed that the villagers' doubts were justified. They were carrying tools and heading towards the beard's den in Jia Family Valley. The villagers were familiar with exorcism. What kind of people were they? Were they joining the beards in Jia Family Valley? But no one dared to speak more. As they got closer to Jia Family Valley, Shao Erdog's heart pounded wildly. Sweat blurred his eyes. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at Youquan and Xiaozhuan, and then at the woman covered in sweat. He wanted to suggest a rest several times, but seeing that the woman wouldn't complain about being tired, he had to hold back the idea. He hurriedly took a few steps and walked alongside Manku's wife, tilting his head and saying, "Brother-in-law, did you promise to do what you said?" Manku's wife was momentarily stunned.