1. Entering Guyangling for the first time
"Hiss... woo..."
The long sheep whistle of the shepherd boy separated the light blue morning mist of Guyangling.
Under the sky as dense as straw, there are mountains, one after another, hidden under the dark brown dense forest. Between the mountains lies a winding and rapid river. A small boat was parked precariously on the river.
The sheepherder dropped his whistle, held the dry food and opened his mouth. Suddenly, he saw a person standing on the boat...
The man's face was ashen, and he seemed to have a wine bottle hanging on his waist, and he also carried a birdcage in his hand. As soon as the boat stopped, he leaned over and vomited...
"No wonder, no wonder no one wants to come. They only blame me for this kind of ghost place..." He raised his red eyelids, which were still soaked in the wine from last night. If he hadn't lost all his gambling money, he wouldn't be willing to come here to handle cases for others.
This man is a local policeman named Luo Ding, who spends his time hanging around in the government office. A few days ago, the spring snow had just melted, and a body floated on the river that had been frozen for a long time. As soon as he saw that the body was not from a local, he casually reported the matter. He had no idea that the body was some kind of leader in the martial arts world, which caused a group of martial arts practitioners to fight and kill all day long, causing no peace. The government was afraid that the matter could not be suppressed, so they arranged for a police officer to investigate the case. This went on for several days, but no one was willing to go.
Luo Ding climbed down from the boat with a curse, and wiped his hangover face with the river water. The crested starling in the purple bamboo cage flapped its wings. Luo Ding smiled and cursed: "This guy is really happy, I just treat him like a bird for a walk."
The shepherd boy saw him on the shore, dropped the sheep whistle, and ran into the mountains screaming in surprise. Luo Ding could hear the child shouting in the local dialect, "Here comes, here comes!" His voice was loud, echoing on the grassy cliffs, like singing folk songs . Luo Ding curled his lips and smiled, lifted up a corner of his robe, and ran in the direction of the shepherd boy. The boatman behind him hesitated for a moment and said: "Master, I haven't paid you yet..."
Luo Ding didn't even look back, and said with a sigh: "You have already worked hard to handle the case here. You are such a cunning person. , I still want money... Anyway, if you are still waiting here when I come back, then I will pay for the two voyages together. If you leave, do you think I will catch you for being forgetful?"
2. Looking at the bride-bringing procession
from the boat, I could only see a flock of sheep. As Luo Ding got closer, he discovered that the scenery of Guyang Ridge changed with every step, and the winding paths led to quiet places. From the river mouth to the inside, there were all winding trails up the mountain. As far as the eye can see, there are gray, yellow and black goats. Luo Ding complained endlessly, so he had to go up the mountain. He usually indulged in drinking and gambling all day long. After walking for a while, he was already sweating like rain, and the starling in the cage was also frightened and screamed.
At this time, we were reaching an intersection. The mountain road was so narrow that only one person could pass by. The mountain road is covered with free-range sheep, densely packed together, blocking the road ahead and making it airtight. The more Luo Ding shouted to drive them away, the more the sheep squeezed into a circle and tried their best to squeeze out their companions to ensure their own safety. During the stalemate, the faint sound of gongs and drums came from the end of the mountain road.
"Hey! Come and help me, I'm the policeman here to investigate the case!"
The myna in the cage also shouted: "Help the policeman! Help the policeman!"
Gongs and drums The team came closer and closer, led by a bald man, wrapped in sheepskin, with a dark and rough complexion, and three colors of paint on his cheeks, making it difficult to tell whether he was happy or sad. Behind him followed a long team, all of them men. Only a young woman sat in the middle of the team, wearing a red robe, her hands behind her back, and the red hijab on her head was crumbling.
The bride-to-be team suddenly stopped when they saw a stranger coming. The leading man blew a sheep whistle, and the crowded sheep dispersed in an orderly manner. Luo Ding hurriedly walked over, took out the token from his waist, and said to the team: "Old man, I'm here to investigate the case.Are you from the Kuyangling Village?
The bald man looked hesitantly from head to toe and said, "What case are you here to investigate?" "
Luo Ding said: "A month ago, a corpse floated into the city under my jurisdiction. I heard it was some kind of alliance leader in the Jianghu, called Lian Bofeng. A boatman said that he had been here before... As for me, I also work for the government. Could you please help me find a few witnesses who have seen him and draw a bond so that I can do business. "
The patriarch looked down at the sheep gnawing on the turf, his eyes jumping here and there. When he looked up again, he had put on an attentive smile and said: "I have been here before, but I can't help you at this moment. "
Luo Ding chuckled and walked over, randomly grabbed some broken silver from the money bag, patted it heavily into the patriarch's wet palm, and said: "Old man, it's convenient for others. The mountains here are high and the emperor is far away. I don’t like to stay too long. I found the witness earlier and went back to the official earlier.
The patriarch pushed the money back in a panic and said: "No money, no money, money is a bad thing." It’s not that we don’t want to help the official, we just want to send a bride to the mountain god, so we don’t dare to waste the good time! Please give me a moment..."
"Give me a moment! Your road is as narrow as an ear or an eye. If you give in even one step, you will fall! " Luo Ding cursed, climbed up the mountain wall, and looked back towards the river. The waves were sparkling there, and there was nowhere to see the shadow of the boatman! Luo Ding let out a long sigh and said, "Young master, I have wasted this moment and couldn't leave. I have to stay here tonight. Forget it, how about I follow you to see you off, and you take me back to the village to find a personal identification card? "
The patriarch nodded dullly and was speechless all the way.
3. Mountain God Marriage
Kuyangling is named after its steep mountain, which looks like a flock of sheep butting their horns. Along the way, Luo Ding followed the others and used his hands and feet, sometimes leaning over to climb, sometimes sliding along the vines. If it weren't for some three-legged cat skills, it would be really difficult to go deep into the mountain stream.
Everyone in the team sending off the bride looked serious, and there was no joy at all with the gongs and drums. . But whenever the mountain roads cross, they stamp their feet in unison and raise their necks to sing to the sky, like the sheep on the grassland.
After walking for about an hour, the surrounding scenery gradually became more beautiful, with a stream appearing every five steps and an ancient tree appearing every ten steps. Walking under the oleander trees that look like towering giant umbrellas makes people feel a little chilly. Luo Ding sat down and said, "You old man, you are not trying to tease me, right? After walking for half a day, the bride is about to become a aunt, and there is no sign of the mountain god.
The patriarch said with a smile: "Master, it's just in front." " He pointed forward, and there was a cave on the cliff not far away. Four or five streams flowed straight down the cliff. A furry and gray animal stood vaguely at the door of the cave, with two bent horns on its head. Luo Ding said with a "yo ho": "The mountain god is so lucky. Not only does he have a bride, but tributes are also prepared.
The patriarch turned pale and said, "Master, please don't be rude to the mountain god!" "
"The mountain god...is a sheep? "Luo Ding exclaimed.
The patriarch no longer answered him, but knelt down as he circled the cliff. He devoutly raised the shofar and blew it toward the bright sun at the height of the sky. The sun was shining brightly, and the people on the ground knelt in black. At the end of the queue, only a corner of the bride's wedding dress was fluttering in the wind, and there was a round-faced child of seven or eight years old, who was the bride's youngest brother. , also the shepherd boy in the early morning. He glanced hatefully at Luo Ding, who was standing alone, with his peripheral vision. He hates, he hates these foreigners. If the alien surnamed Lian hadn't snatched away the Hua family's sister last time, it wouldn't have been his own sister's turn to marry the mountain god.
After the song was played, several middle-aged people stood up from the queue and built up the adult ladder one by one. The patriarch carried the bride on his back, tied her hands and feet with straw ropes, tied them around his waist, climbed up the cliff along the ladder.
Luo Ding was dumbfounded. The starling in the cage imitated the sound of the sheep's horn and uttered "Hu...wu..." from time to time. Luo Ding touched the tribesman next to him with his elbow and asked with a smile: "Hey, hey, I said, your mountain god is just a sheep?"
Standing next to him was a short and stocky man with thin eyes, a broad nose, and his face was painted the yellow of the earth. The man looked at the clan leader climbing on the cliff with reverence and said, "Yes, the weather has been calm in Kuyang Ridge for thirty years because of the protection of the mountain god. The mountain god guarded the Guyang God Cave and was not allowed to go down the mountain for many years, so we had to send the bride up."
Luo Ding asked curiously: "But this mountain god is a sheep after all. Which family's girl is willing to marry him?"
The short and sturdy man flapped his nose and hummed: "Marrying the mountain god will bring blessing to the whole family, which is a great honor. Which one What if the girl at home refuses? "
Luo Ding said teasingly: "Then will your girl be willing? "
The short and stocky man looked around in fright, and said in a sharp voice: "There is no girl in my family! "After that, he pulled Luo Ding to the side of the team uneasily and whispered, "Master, please don't make any noise. My girl has been dressing up as a boy since she was a child..."
As the sun set, the patriarch came down the cliff. The team came back to life and was completely different from when they arrived, singing and laughing all the way. The patriarch was very popular. He talked and laughed with others along the way, helped the old and young from time to time, and even led everyone to sing folk songs. Their local language has a low and muddy sound, which is even more difficult to understand when singing. Luo Ding followed from a distance, occasionally looking back and seeing the dark Guyang Cave. He didn't know where the red wedding dress had gone. He sighed softly, whistled, and said to himself: "I only care about my own case, and I can't care about other things..."
4. The Naughty Boy who Throws Stones
The village is located between a mountain valley, with roads intersecting in the village, thorns and orchids mixed together, giant trees connected one after another, and under the trees are shadowy stone houses. The entire village was surrounded by high and low haystacks, and the sheep were scattered and sleeping around the haystacks. The villagers of Kuyangling regard fire as an ominous thing. There is no spark in the entire village. The only narrow moon, as thin as a hook, shines on the village. The mountains, flowing water, and sky are all hidden in the dark shadow of the trees.
The clan leader stood in front of a dilapidated courtyard with a smile and said to Luo Ding: "A few days ago, the great hero Lian came to visit and lived here. Don't be too humble. If you need anything, just ask." After that, he arranged for the clan members to bring raw mutton and various wild vegetables.
Luo Ding scratched his head and said: "Chief, you people here are also evil. You are not allowed to light fires, so you only eat these raw foods on weekdays?"
The patriarch smiled and said: "Exactly. It is difficult to grow grains in Kuyang Ridge, and the clan members make a living by raising sheep. Every household has accumulated money. There is a lot of goat grass , which is difficult to extinguish if it breaks out. Therefore, for decades, our tribe has never made a fire. If the official is not used to it, he will wrap the mutton with these wild vegetables and eat them to eliminate the smell. "
It was night, and Luo Ding lay on the creaking wooden bed, tossing and turning. In front of him was Lian Daxia's body floating in the water, and in front of him was the woman under the red hijab. My stomach was empty and I could never sleep peacefully. He simply turned over and sat up, quietly closed the door, took out the flint in his bag, and said with a smile: "Fortunately, I brought this thing with me. I almost failed to live up to the freshly slaughtered mutton."
Dots of firelight lit up in the room. Luo Ding stared at the smoking mutton intently, tearing off a piece from time to time to taste it. Seeing the myna in the cage waiting with its head raised, I gave it some. While one person and one bird were feasting, a small stone suddenly flew in from the window and hit Luo Ding squarely on the forehead.
"Which short-lived guy dared to hit your grandpa!" Luo Ding got up and chased him out. He saw that the person running fast on the small path was the shepherd boy during the day.
Luo Ding grabbed the back of his neck and scolded: "You are so brave, kid. You dare to throw stones at me in the middle of the night! Do you believe that I will take you back to punish you?"
The shepherd boy had a pair of stubborn hanging eyes. He glanced at Luo Ding's fierce look and couldn't help crying. He said, "It's all you aliens! If it weren't for you, it wouldn't be my sister's turn. Sister, go marry the mountain god! "
" Alien? Luo Ding knelt down, held the shepherd boy's arms, and asked, "You mean a tall man with a sword like me?" The last name is Lian?
The shepherd boy nodded heavily, occasionally taking out his sleeves to wipe his nose and tears, and said, "It's all his fault!" Originally, the wedding team had already sent Hua Gu off, but he But when Hua Gu was kidnapped halfway, it was my sister’s turn!
Luo Ding was overjoyed, rubbed his forehead and pulled him to sit down, saying, "Since you have seen him, tell me, what was he doing and what was he saying when you saw him?" Seeing that the shepherd boy was still crying, he patted his head and said, "Don't worry." As long as you are obedient and take me to investigate the case, I will go to the mountain to pick up your sister. "
The shepherd boy looked at Luo Ding sideways and said, "I don't believe it. You foreigners are all liars, and you only talk lies all day long."
Luo Ding crossed his arms and said angrily: "Why did I lie to you? Young Master, I haven't gotten married yet when I was twenty-three years old, but a sheep just married a bride. It's really annoying! After I have dealt with the government, I naturally want to save him. Your sister came down.
The shepherd boy turned towards him, raised his head and said, "Okay, it's a deal." When I saw that man, he was lying in the courtyard of the broken house with a lot of blood and dirt on his body. I hit him with a stone..."
Luo Ding curled his lips and said: "You naughty boy, you saw him bleeding and injured, and you hit him with a stone. "
The shepherd boy shook his head anxiously and said, "But it's none of my business that he died in the end! We all hit him with stones, the little five boy next door, the little wood on the east side, and the two dogs on the west side. If we don't do this, the mountain god will be angry."
Luo Ding took him back to the yard, lay down on the ground, and said, "Please show me how you beat him?"
The shepherd boy shook his head and said: "That's not the case. He originally came out holding on to the door frame. Xiao Wuzi and I hit him with stones on the roof, and he used the hilt of his sword to support the ground. When more people were beaten, he just fell down limply..."
"Are there many people beaten?" Luo Ding asked doubtfully, "Are there many? Where are they from?"
The shepherd boy's eyes were bright, as pure as a small stream on the cliff, and he said: "He is the one from Kuyangling. Everyone comes to throw stones at him. He offends the mountain god. If he doesn't do this, the mountain god will be angry with our people."
Luo Ding estimated in his mind that there are more than 200 villagers in the village in Kuyangling. Even heroes with strong martial arts skills can break through the siege and escape in a short time. It is not difficult. Since he was already quite weak when he walked out of the room, he must have been injured before. So he asked: "Then do you know where he has been before this?"
"It was the uncle of the Hua family who took us to find him. He should have come from the Hua family."
5. Angry parents
When the sky was clear, two people, one tall and one short, stood outside the door of the Hua family's old house in Kuyangling. The tall one has a purple starling on his shoulders, and the short one has a sheep whistle hanging around his neck.
Luo Ding's face was ashen, and he vaguely felt that this time things were not simple. I heard from people in the casino that Lian Daxia had been practicing martial arts for many years and had settled martial arts disputes between the north and the south. He was a man who had come and gone, how could he be beaten to death by a mere group of villagers?
was greeted by a tall and thin man. His face was painted red and yellow, the bridge of his nose was straight like a ridge, and his thin lips opened and closed and said: "Master, I did beat the Lian Daxia you mentioned. But his death is none of my business.I fight for the mountain god..."
Luo Ding couldn't bear it and said: "The mountain god is just a sheep, how can he tell you to hurt someone? "
The tall and thin man said: "My daughter Hua Gu is the wife chosen by the mountain god. We were almost at Guyangshen Cave, but that man just brought my daughter back. It was just a matter of bringing her back, but he actually came back with my daughter in his arms. How will my daughter behave in this way? If I don't punish him with a stick, the mountain god will definitely punish him heavily! "
At some point, the onlookers gathered around him. Luo Ding stopped talking to him, opened the door and asked, "Where is your daughter?
The tall and thin man held up his chest to block him and said, "It's a pity that my daughter has a strong temperament and good conduct. After he forcibly brought her back, she threw herself into the river." Her memorial arch stands at the east end of the village, which is the pride of our Hua family! "
The myna on the shoulder said imitatingly: "Proud! pride! "The villagers who were watching also tutted in praise, sighing that the Hua family had given birth to a good daughter.
Luo Ding felt angry in his heart, but he couldn't tell where the anger came from. He shouted to the villagers who were watching: "What about you? Who else among you has seen Lian Daxia? "
The group of villagers with painted faces looked up at him, their faces were surprisingly similar. Luo Ding shouted: "If we can't find out the cause of death, none of you can run away. You all follow me back to punish you! "
Someone in the crowd shouted: "He has also been to the butcher's house. "
The butcher was the stocky man from before.
He was chopping meat when everyone lined up at the door of his house.
Seeing Luo Ding bringing a team of people, the butcher's knees softened and he fell to his knees on the ground. The knife in his hand popped out two feet away. He said tremblingly: "My lord, my lord, have you told them? "
Luo Ding closed the door, blocked the onlookers from the door, and said in a deep voice: "No. I know you met Lian Daxia, just tell me what he said and did. "
The butcher's room has only four walls, except for the iron hooks of different lengths hanging above the chopping board. A similarly short woman is hanging the mutton piece by piece with her back to him. Two children who look exactly the same are hiding under her apron and looking at Luo Ding curiously.
"Okay, okay, I said. When he saw that we were sending Hua Gu to get married, he refused to let us go and wanted to bring Hua Gu back. Passing by my house, he said he was thirsty and asked for a glass of water. I gave it to him. Apart from this, there is nothing else. "
Luo Ding said fiercely: "If you hide it, I will open the door right now and tell the people that you dressed your daughter up as a son and raised her! "
The woman who was hanging the meat shivered, and the iron hooks collided with each other, making a clanging sound. The two children under the aprons were so frightened that they retracted their heads and hugged each other.
The butcher said: "I remembered. He also said, 'It turns out that swords are not the only things that can kill people..."
Luo Ding grabbed his greasy collar and said: "Then did you hit him or hurt him? "
The butcher waved his hand and said: "Don't dare, don't dare. Sir, please ask me, although my butcher is strong, I am very timid. How dare I..."
The butcher's wife suddenly turned around and said, "I dare! "
She held two iron hooks in her hands and rushed straight over. Luo Ding pulled out his sword and protected it in front of him, sweating all over his body. The woman pointed the hook at Luo Ding and said, "You foreigners are really bad. That Lian Daxia cried pity when he saw the twins like me. He said that he would set up a school here to teach children to read. "
" What's so bad about this? If Lian Daxia really sets up a school, it will be good news for you in Kuyangling!
The woman stood on her head with thick eyebrows and cursed: "The school is a bad thing." You people outside, you scheming and scheming all day long just because you read some books! Let's just say that even the hero doesn't understand the rules. When the mountain god gets married, he wants to bring the bride back. Once the bride is brought back, she has to choose a new bride.Sooner or later, my daughter's affairs will be exposed by him... So I added some oleander powder to the water I gave him. "
Luo Ding said in shock: "So you are the murderer! "
The woman said: "His death is none of my business. This oleander powder will at best make his hands and feet weak. I thought that if he drank this water, he would not steal the bride. Unexpectedly, he managed to hold on..."
6. Guyang God Cave
Luo Ding opened the door, and the sun was dazzling.
The butcher's house was surrounded on three floors inside and three outside. The people were talking and laughing, waiting for Luo Ding to catch the butcher's wife and leave. At the front was the shepherd boy, who asked in a low voice: "The murderer has been found, can you go and pick up my sister? "
Luo Ding looked at him firmly and said loudly: "The murderer is your mountain god. I will go to Guyangdong to bring it down now! "
There was a burst of sighs among the people. Everyone stopped Luo Ding and said, "No! Sir, you must not do this. There will be disaster if you offend the mountain god. "
Luo Ding drew out his sword, blocked it in front of him, and said: "You bunch of unscrupulous people... Even the heroes never attack defenseless people, so I gave you a chance, but I am different. Anyone who stands in my way will be killed. "
" This is impossible, stop him quickly! "The tribesmen looked at each other and urged each other, and the crowd actually made a way out. Someone shouted "Go to the tribe leader quickly", and people dispersed in sudden realization.
The sheepherder's heart was beating loudly. The last time he saw the whole tribe gathering together was the day the alien died. No, it can't be said that he was "dead". He was punished by the mountain god. Thinking of this, the sheep-herding boy felt that the sunlight in the sky was a little cold. Off. He has known this truth since he was a child: doing everything with everyone is definitely the right thing to do.
The people of the clan entered the clan leader's room one by one, and when they came out, they all wore sheep bone masks on their faces. The same thing happened last time when I punished the foreigner. The shepherd boy touched the heavy sheep bone mask and felt a little comfort in his heart. Looking out from the cracked eyes of the sheep bones, everyone is exactly the same. Listening to the clan leader's slogan, they line up and march towards Guyang Cave.
The road seemed to be getting farther, and the shepherd boy suddenly wanted to take this road. Narrow paths never come to an end.
The sound of crying floated into the ears, and it seemed that the foreigner who wanted to bring his sister back was crying loudly...
Luo Ding stood at the entrance of Guyang Cave, counting the dead bones in the cave. One, two, three, four... some have turned into ashes and rotted into mud, while some are still moving but breathless. The girl who was wearing a wedding dress yesterday was completely stiff, but the frightened expression on her face remained forever. Luo Ding stretched out his hand and tried to close her eyes, but found that it was in vain.
The sheep at the entrance of the cave bleated. There was only a three-foot-square square of flat land, and the surrounding grass had already been devoured by it, and even the roots of the grass had been uprooted. This poor sheep has been imprisoned here for more than several months, witnessing one girl after another being raped and then died.
The patriarch is at the foot of the mountain, his face hidden behind the mask of a sheep skull. He wants to wait for this alien to come down and lead the tribe to knock him to the ground like a real leader. But Luo Ding has been standing on the cliff.
Luo Ding grabbed the sheep’s head and shouted to the bottom of the mountain: “Look, this is your mountain god! Just an ordinary, ordinary, ordinary, ordinary sheep! "
" Sinner Luo Ding, violated the mountain god, death is not a pity! "The crowd of people under the cliff shouted in unison.
The patriarch put his hands behind his back, looked up at Luo Ding, and said in a low voice: "Officials have official ways; clans have clan rules. Everything in the world has its own laws. We in Kuyangling have been blessed by the mountain gods for hundreds of years and have the rules of Kuyangling. The first rule is that entry into the Guyang God Cave is prohibited.The official broke the rules, don't blame us for trying to do justice for God! "
people followed and shouted: "Do justice for heaven!
Luo Ding laughed coldly, pointed at the entrance of the cave and shouted: "Are the rules set by the mountain god, or are you lying?" There are seventy-two withered bones in the Guyang God Cave. Do you dare to tell your tribe how many girls you raped and died? "
A man rushed out from the tribe. He was short, fat and strong. The sheep bone mask on his face was twice as wide as the others. This man cursed: "You violated the mountain god, broke into Guyang Cave privately, and dared to slander the clan leader. My wife is right. You foreigners who study and practice martial arts are really bad! "
Another tall and thin man echoed: "Our girls from Kuyangling have pure personalities and dignified conduct, and are much more chaste than your foreign women. Even if she is looked at a few times by a strange man, she will jump into the river. Don't be slanderous! "
Someone shouted: "Come up! Catch him and torture him! "There were many responders, and the roar was like thunder. People rushed towards the cliff of Guyang Cave in wave after wave like a tide.
Luo Ding couldn't help but feel sad, and suddenly remembered what Lian Daxia once said: "It turns out that swords are not the only things that can kill people..." The tribesmen rushed towards Guyang Cave, fearing to be left behind. Only two people stood there, one It was the patriarch wearing a sheep mask, and through the dried mask, Luo Ding seemed to be able to see the raised corners of his mouth; the other was a sheepherder, and the phrase "seventy-two dry bones" was always ringing in his ears. I wonder if his sister in red was among them..."
"This time, it's up to you." Luo Ding gave a bad smile, and his shoulders trembled. This smile appeared when he relied on his third uncle to work as a policeman in the yamen; it appeared when he won three games in a row by cheating; it appeared when he secretly stewed the old hen that laid eggs next door. But he thought that this should be the last time he laughed like this.
The purple-and-golden-crested starling flew out of the hole. At its feet was hung a piece of burning flint from fine grass. Soon, the fine grass will burn out, and the flint will fall on the haystacks of Kuyangling, letting a fire end all sins...
7. Epilogue
This is the third time the boatman has come here.
The first time, he couldn't wait to make medicine for his seriously ill grandmother at home, so he put down the policeman and left; the second time, in the morning of the next day, he didn't see the policeman after waiting for a long time, and only heard the rooster crow at dawn; the third time, at night, the mountains of Kuyang Ridge were burned red, and even the river water was boiling. The boatman stared at the blazing flames in shock. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard someone shouting: "You unruly man, do you still want the boat fare?"
A ragged catcher rushed out of the fire, his face covered with black ash, and more than half of his oily hair was burned off. Holding a burned birdcage in his hand, he staggered and fell on the deck.
The boatman said "Oh no" and shouted the slogan to leave. The catcher said weakly: "Wait, wait."
"Who else are we waiting for?"
The boatman looked into the firelight, and a group of timid children emerged from there. Eyes as bright as morning stars light up the returning waterway...
