Chapter 36

The sun was shining, the autumn wind was transparent, the herbal shops and taverns along the street were open, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the slightly sour smell of wine lees.At noon, the golden light scales smoked the dried flowers and grass leaves again, making the fragrance more fragrant.This is a rare quiet place in the central city. People are busy in the fragrance of flowers and wine, and their faces are relaxed and satisfied.T bit the end of the ballpoint pen and thought for a moment, then wrote quickly on a stack of thin pages that seemed to be weathered at any time.His hair was messy from sleeping, and the short hair behind his head stubbornly curled up, and the pointed tails pierced the air.The old woman sat beside him, watching his calculations with warm eyes, and her wrinkled face was relaxed and happy.She was already quite old, but she still didn't hide her emotions.

At this time, there were several light knocks on the old thick wooden door. The old woman raised her head and said to the outside of the door, "Come in." The visitor was the white woman in the herbal medicine shop last time. This time she was wearing a light green cloth skirt with yellow floral patterns and a clean apron. She was holding a wooden plate with some sliced ​​snacks neatly placed on it. "I made some osmanthus cakes," the white woman said in standard native language, "bring them to you and the children to taste." "Thank you, sweetheart." The old woman took the osmanthus cakes with a layer of napkin from the plate, and took out a few dark red sugar cubes wrapped in cellophane from the small drawer next to it and put them on the woman's plate. "I'll go back first." The white woman smiled and nodded, holding the plate and leaving the house. "Have some cakes. This is made by Fangzi herself. Her craftsmanship is very good." The old woman pointed to the osmanthus cakes on the table. t smiled and praised, "It smells very good."

"This is dried osmanthus pickled with honey, spread on the glutinous rice cake," the old woman pinched a piece and stuffed it into her mouth, "Grapefruit vinegar is added to the glutinous rice."t also tasted a piece and nodded, "It's very delicious, Sister Fangzi's craftsmanship is really good."The old woman's dark eyes narrowed slightly, as if she remembered something in the past, "She used to like to eat the osmanthus cake made by Fangzi, and she would always fight with me for it..."t listened to the old woman quietly, without interrupting, nor asking who this "she" was."By the way, she was my former student," the old woman did not shy away, with a little regret in her tone, "She has been gone for many years, I miss her very much.""She must be a very good person, so you can't forget her." t smiled.

"She is a person who stands tall and upright, not just excellent," the old woman ate another piece of osmanthus cake, chewed it carefully, "I don't know why, sometimes, I see her shadow in you..."

t pursed his lips and showed a shy smile, "I'm just an ordinary person, I don't want to be a person who stands tall and upright, if possible, I want to live a life of mediocrity."The old woman was not angry because of his words, but said more gently, "I don't want you to be like her, death is a gorgeous and desperate thing... but more of despair.""Teacher, can you tell me, how am I like her?" t put down the pen."I also see the intersection of light and darkness in you." The old woman said a "verdict" casually without hesitation."The intersection of light and darkness... I didn't expect... there is still light in me." t murmured and repeated the "verdict" in a low voice, his eyes became a little trance.

The old woman's eyes were gentle and bright, and her tone was a bit comforting, "Baby, don't be afraid of the future, I believe in you."

T shook his head, "I don't understand these, I just want to live.""Some plants like darkness, while some plants spend their whole lives trying to absorb sunlight," said the old woman, "They all have their own choices, but they can't exchange choices. A sunflower must grow towards the sun all its life."T nodded and shook his head again."Choice, baby, the right choice." The old woman pushed the osmanthus cake to t, indicating that he should eat some more."It seems that you have seen through it." T smiled bitterly."I am a Feng Shui master," the old woman narrowed her eyes gently when she smiled, and her eyes became brighter, "We make money by calculating personal destiny.""But I don't want to know my destiny, I don't want to accept it." T shook his head.

"If people's fate is a shallow straight line, and we can see the end at a glance, we will be much happier." The old woman stuffed a dried ginger flower into the ceramic teapot beside her, and then filled the two cups with clear tea.

"Can you tell me the story of your deceased student?" t asked."I'm sorry, baby, not now." The old woman took another piece of osmanthus cake, and the syrup was stained on her fingers, which she licked casually.This old Feng Shui master has a bright and casual personality, even a little childish.T suddenly showed a cunning smile, "If you are willing to tell me, I will tell you who gave Du Juan to me.""Since he doesn't want to see me, I won't force him. As long as I know he is still alive, I can rest assured." The old woman said calmly. "Okay, teacher," t pouted, "I thought you would be angry if I said that.""I didn't believe you would tell me so easily, you little fox.""Yes, he is my benefactor, I won't betray him." T's tone was a little strange, more like a warning to himself than a promise to others."You are still a child, and you have so many troubles." The old woman chuckled and refilled the hot tea for t."Yes, teacher, so many math problems, I am so distressed." T bit the end of the pen again."Pretend!" The old woman tapped t's forehead.When t left the mud alley, his small backpack was filled with cakes and tea given by the old woman, bulging into a big ball. After he got on the subway, many people stared at his small backpack, robbing this seemingly thin boy with their eyes.However, the increasingly stringent laws nowadays make these hardworking people only indulge in their imagination.

It is not far from Mud Lane to "Xiangrong Lane". These days, the bar is closed, so he has a lot of free time. He goes to the old lady to learn almost every day. The old lady welcomes him.

He once wondered if the old lady had any intentions for her enthusiasm for him, but he had nothing, so what could she do to him?He also suspected that the old lady wanted to harm Boss Chen so she approached him, but this concern was dispelled by today's conversation. Obviously, the Feng Shui master was looking for Boss Chen, but he was not ready to harm him.T opened the door and saw the man lying on the sofa at a glance. The window should be opened by him, so the room was unusually cold, and there was constant wind coming in, blowing open two thin curtains."You are here?" T was no longer surprised or surprised. Master Mei visited him frequently recently.The love of mediocre people is like this. Once they communicate too frequently, it will seem a bit boring. Only a love saint can always be enthusiastic about his lover. T is slandering in his heart.

"Yeah." Master Mei responded, his voice full of fatigue.

T took out the snacks from the small backpack and told Master Mei to eat them, then ran to the kitchen, re-washed the pot, threw a purification bag into the pot, and then boiled a full pot of hot water.He got some herbal tea from the old woman, which was a rare thing in this era, and he wanted to share it with Master Mei."Baby, what are you busy with?""Make some tea, do you want sweet?" T turned around and asked Master Mei.Master Mei rarely thought about such things, and after a moment, he smiled and nodded, "Sweet.""You seem to have lost a lot of weight..." T frowned, he crushed the champagne sugar and threw it into the boiling pot, and soon there were a few more sweet wisps in the fragrance of flowers and plants in the pot.

Master Mei complained, "There are many things at home. You know, I have a big family. One person can eat and talk." "They are not always like this." T found a large thin aluminum cup, padded the handle with cotton cloth, and poured the sweet flower tea from the pot. The sweet fragrance made people swallow their saliva. "Yes, they are always like this," Master Mei picked up the large cup elegantly and took a sip. "It tastes good, baby, what kind of flowers and plants are these?" "Ginger flower, orange flower, honey, cinnamon," T counted on his fingers, "and bay leaves." Master Mei rubbed his head and smiled dotingly, "I think you are not going to learn Feng Shui, but to learn how to make afternoon tea." "This is just right. The bar is closed. I will switch to the health bureau and open a teahouse to support you in the future." T joked casually. Master Mei frowned slightly, "Is the bar closed?"

t nodded, "The boss seems to be sick, and the bar will be closed for a while. I want to find another job...""You have a good relationship with your boss, why don't you care about him?" Master Mei smiled."Hey, I'm just an employee, how can I care about other people's bosses, and our boss should be taken care of by someone."t brought the cakes to Master Mei, and Master Mei ate a little and nodded in praise.

"By the way, what's the name of the old lady who taught you Feng Shui?"

T shook his head in confusion, "She never told me.""It's normal for a real person to hide his face. Feng Shui masters are outside the society. I have to say that they live very well..." Master Mei sighed, "If a person doesn't have a family, will he have fewer troubles?""Everyone feels that they are not living well enough, my master, but after they really change, it may be another nightmare.""You are becoming more and more like a Feng Shui master." Master Mei held T's hand in his palm and touched his thin fingers one by one.T also held his hand back, and their fingers slowly intertwined."If I can learn it, I will definitely not count you..." T's fingers circled Master Mei's slender and bony fingers, circling around, and the shallow fingerprints intertwined with each other."Baby, you really understand me.""How much of your troubles can you tell me?""Half, the other half is my sin. For the sake of my tall image, I can't tell you." Master Mei smiled.

t put his cheek on Master Mei's shoulder. Master Mei's skin was burning and his heart was beating fast. t reached out and touched Master Mei's forehead, but it was cold. He couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

"A little tired. I can't sleep recently. I can only fall asleep when I come to your place." Master Mei rubbed his cheek against t's fluffy hair, and his voice was as vague as a dream. "They pressed me so hard. Everyone refused to let me go...""At home?""Well, there are others. They are hypocritical beasts, bad to the bone, but why do they have to show their hateful nature in front of me? I don't want to see it. I would rather believe that they are all gentlemen and good people..." Master Mei pressed his forehead, moved his hand to his lips, wiped his chin hard, and let out a long sigh.

Listening to Master Mei's delirious and confusing words, T felt that his heart was being pulled and rubbed. He thought it was the primitive dependence at work. He snuggled in Master Mei's hot arms, but felt his body gradually getting cold. He closed his eyes, and his body seemed to return to that day, to that winter day with a cold wind like a knife. "Yes, why do you want to show your hateful nature in front of me." The winter in the central city is like a niche metal music, sharp, willful, and choking, and it does not succumb to the preferences of the masses. The cold wind has been squeezed countless times in the narrow gaps between the buildings and turned into a cold weapon. If you are still wearing a thin long coat and trying to wrap yourself up and down into a shrinking cocoon, you will feel even colder. The couple dressed brightly, looking very warm. Even in such weather, the woman still wore a set of jewelry. On her ears, neck, and neck, there were red agates inlaid with gold and silver. The inferior taste did not add a bit to her beauty, but made her look vulgar.

t still remembers their eyes, that panic was like a small rodent hiding in a cave, suddenly encountering light.The scorching heat and brightness made them nowhere to hide, and they could only open their black and white rat eyes in fear.t had imagined countless times the scene of reunion after a long separation, and imagined what kind of expression should appear on their faces... The worst assumption was just like this.They were panicked and terrified by the child who suddenly appeared on the street, as if they had seen a monster, their faces suddenly turned pale, and the two of them tightly grasped each other's hands, as if they were the only ones in the world to rely on.What a hateful adult.

t lowered his head and buried his face in his collar. All his emotions turned to ashes, and all his joys, sorrows, anger and happiness became numb.

He thought that if they had given him a look of pity for his tragic fate, he would have given up the thorny and bloody road of revenge.For the first time, he realized that kinship was nothing but a hypocritical thing, such as blood is thicker than water and mother and child are connected by heart.Selfish people always worry about themselves first, and don't even think that this is a sin.Since this is the case, then use death to offset it.