The nightmare began on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival in the twenty-ninth year of Guangxu. People in Tang Town live a poor life, and they are only willing to cut some meat on the street to cook something delicious during the festivals.The Mid-Autumn Festival is a big festival, and Tang Town is very lively. There are people coming and going on the streets of the town, and people's faces are full of smiles. The festival in Tang Town is peaceful and happy. No one will have trouble with others on such a day.A happy news spread like a wind in the festive atmosphere: In the evening, a big opera was sung on the empty lawn in front of the newly completed Li family's mansion in Xinglong Lane. The troupe invited by the owner of the mansion, Eunuch Li, came to Tang Town early in the morning.The people of Tang Town couldn't remember how long it had been since they had seen a big show. This news stimulated the nerves of the people of Tang Town like opium, and even the dogs ran wild in the streets and alleys with excitement.

A handsome boy is indifferent to the singing drama.He sat on a low bench in front of his house, casually watching the pedestrians coming and going on the small street, and the noise or whispers of people seemed to have nothing to do with him.A dark and thin child walked out of the neighbor's house, and he was caught at a glance. The black-faced child said to him, "Dongzi, let's go to the theater together tonight, shall we?" Dongzi ignored him. He looked at Dongzi with strange eyes: "Dongzi, are you sick?" Dongzi suddenly said loudly: "Abao, don't bother me!"

A Bao shook his head: "I think you are really sick." Dongzi remained silent and continued to ignore Abao. Abao left helplessly. The aromas of various foods wafted from the homes of people in Tang Town, tempting people's taste buds unscrupulously.It was these scents that tortured Dongzi to death.Dongzi swallowed his saliva again and again, and a large piece of fragrant braised pork appeared in front of his eyes.Dongzi is twelve years old this year. From spring to autumn, he always feels that he can't eat enough, his stomach is always empty, and he keeps squawking.He suspected that he had roundworms in his stomach, but he dared not tell his parents. If he did, his parents would go to Mr. Zheng to get roundworm medicine for him.A Bao had roundworms in his stomach, and after taking Mr. Zheng's medicine, a large bag of roundworms came out.Those pink roundworms were disgusting, and he didn't want himself to get roundworms, let alone take Mr. Zheng's medicine. Abao said that the medicine was very bitter, and after taking it, there was still that strange bitter taste in his mouth for a few days.Dongzi hated the bitter taste, he thought, even if his stomach was full of roundworms, he would not take Mr. Zheng's medicine.

Dongzi knew that there was delicious food at home in the evening, so he didn't eat anything all day, even though he was so hungry that he was about to pass out.He sat on a low bench in front of his house, waiting for dinner time.Several times, his sister Li Hongtang came out of the house and called him to help with some work, but he was just so indifferent.Li Hongtang had nothing to do with this younger brother, he didn't beat or scold him, so he had to go back to the house, busy preparing the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner with his mother, You Sidi.Dongzi's father, Li Cilin, went out early in the morning, and no one in the family knew where he had gone.

Dongzi never worried about any accidents to his father, and it was the same today. He knew that his father would always come back when it was time for dinner.There was a longing in his heart, longing for his father to come home earlier, as soon as his father came home, dinner would start, otherwise the father would be annoyed. In the evening, Dongzi hadn't waited for his father to come back when it started to rain.Rain is a nuisance this holiday season.If the rain keeps falling, it will definitely affect the people in Tang Town to watch the theater, and it will also affect the appreciation of the moon.In the morning, the sun was still shining brightly in the sky, but in the afternoon it became cloudy. No one expected that the rain would fall in the evening.Dongzi didn't make as much fuss about the rain as the others in Tang Town. What he wondered was why his father didn't come home yet.The rain fell on his face, and he felt a bit of coolness and itching, as if there were many small ants crawling on his face.

Dongzi took a deep breath. He smelled the aroma of the food on his table and couldn't help shivering. The moment of feasting was finally coming.He was uneasy again, why his father hadn't come back yet, if he didn't come home, they wouldn't dare to eat first.Dongzi stood up suddenly and walked towards the side street.Li Hongtang came out and shouted at him: "Dongzi, it's time to eat, where are you going?" Dongzi didn't turn his head back, just dropped a sentence: "I'm going to find my father and go home." Li Hongtang chased after him and grabbed Dongzi's arm: "Go home quickly, dad will come home by himself, don't ask you to look for it. The rain is getting heavier and heavier, you can see that your hair is wet, go home quickly !"

Dongzi was reluctantly dragged home by Li Hongtang.Li Hongtang wiped his younger brother's head with a cloth handkerchief, then wiped his own head, and said to himself: "Father is the same, where did he go, and he hasn't returned home yet." Dongzi's eyes were glued to the dining table, and the braised pork on the dining table made him salivate.He really wanted to rush over, reach out and grab the shiny braised pork and stuff it into his mouth. You Sidi came out of the kitchen with a plate of freshly fried vegetables, and complained: "This person is really weird. He usually comes home very early, screaming for dinner, but he doesn't come back after the holidays. He is fascinated by some ghost." Living?"

Li Hongtang said: "Mom, it's a big festival, what a ghost, it's unlucky." You Sidi said angrily: "The whole family is so cruel to wait for him alone, Dongzi is almost starving to death!" The sound of firecrackers in Tang Town was one after another in the rain, and Dongzi's heart was trembling: why didn't my father come home yet.There is a custom in Tang Town that firecrackers are set off before New Year's Eve dinner and New Year's Eve dinner.Everyone had finished setting off the firecrackers, only Dongzi's house was deserted. The three of them sat at the dining table, staring at each other anxiously, waiting for Li Cilin.

The rain has been falling with no sign of stopping. The festive and festive atmosphere in Tang Town was shattered by the rain.Even so, there are still many people wearing bamboo hats, coir raincoats or holding paper umbrellas to go to the Li family mansion to watch a play after eating the New Year's Eve dinner.The stage was set up on the edge of the empty lawn outside the main gate of the Li family mansion.A canopy was propped up on the stage so that the singers could not get wet from the rain.This evening they sang "Legend of the White Snake". The play started singing in full swing, and as soon as the White Snake appeared on the stage, there was a flood of shouts from the audience.The call pierced through the dense rain and echoed in the pan-black air.

Li Cilin has not returned home yet. Dongzi was hungry and fainted, with stars in his eyes.Li Hongtang heard the call and then the sound of babbling and singing.Her heart has already flown to the singing scene, but she dare not leave, she didn't even eat the meal, this is the reunion dinner of Mid-Autumn Festival.The delay of her father's return cast a shadow on her heart, and she felt that something was about to happen.Li Hongtang saw that his younger brother was about to lose his strength, so he hurriedly said to his mother, "Mom, let Dongzi eat something first, to fill his stomach. If this continues, Dongzi will starve to death."

You Sidi actually felt sorry for her son, but this rule cannot be broken, she gritted her teeth and said, "Just wait a little longer." Li Hongtang was speechless. At this moment, a skinny man broke into the door, wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a cloth bag in his hand.He is Li Cilin's brother Li Saogu.He went directly to the living room, put the cloth bag on the dining table, and said to You Si Ti expressionlessly: "Sister-in-law, this is the moon cake that Brother Ci Lin ordered me to bring to you." After speaking, he turned and left.When he was about to go out, he seemed to have remembered something, turned his head and said: "Hurry up and eat, brother Cilin won't come back to eat with you!" You Sidi stood up, chased out the door, and watched him disappear into the night rain.She wanted to ask where her husband was and what he was doing, but she didn't say anything, and Li Saogu disappeared, running faster than the wind.Feeling desolate in You Sidi's heart, she wiped her wet eyes with the rough pine bark-like back of her hand, choked up and said to the children in the room: "Take out the firecrackers and set them off! Let's have dinner after they are released!" Li Hongtang poked his younger brother: "Dongzi, set off firecrackers!" Dongzi said listlessly: "You go." Li Hongtang sighed, and walked out with firecrackers. Li Hongtang lit firecrackers at the door of the house. The crackling sound of firecrackers sounded monotonous and desolate. It was difficult to compete with the sound of rain and babbling and singing. It was quickly swallowed up by the night, just like those weed-like lives, Those gray years were engulfed by darkness. Li Hongtang quickly finished her meal and left quickly, her heart was attracted by the sound of singing.You Sidi ate her meal slowly, she always chewed her food slowly, and when she was chewing her food, she was also chewing on the words left by Li Saogu.Why doesn't my husband even go home for the Mid-Autumn Festival reunion dinner? What secret things is he doing?How would what he did affect himself and the family? Dongzi was so hungry that he lost his appetite after eating two pieces of braised pork. This was something even he himself did not expect.My sister went to the theater and asked him if he would go, and he shook his head.His mood suddenly became very bad.Don't talk about watching a play, even let him eat another piece of braised pork that is so rare that he drools in normal times, he has no interest at all.He also ignored his mother, touched the small attic alone, lay down on the bed, and closed his tired eyes.The air was damp from the rain, and many invisible, tiny, dust-like drops of water fell on his face, which was cool and slippery. The rain outside the window stopped.Rainwater was still dripping from the eaves.The sound of opera singing that came through the air was far away in his heart, and he didn't know why Eunuch Li invited an opera troupe to sing opera for the people of Tang Town.Dongzi's mind was blank, peaceful and peaceful, and he was completely different from the usual crazy little boy.On this day, he didn't go to play with Abao, and spent the long-awaited Mid-Autumn Festival alone and sadly. I don't know how long I lay there, but the sound of footsteps and loud voices came from the street.The play was over, and people were walking home, talking endlessly about the wonderfulness of the play and the beauty of the actors, and some people praised Eunuch Li, saying that he is a kind man, without him, how lonely the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival would be Sloppy and uninteresting. People in Tang Town knew that Eunuch Li was an eunuch in the imperial palace in the capital, but they didn't know why he returned to his hometown when he was nearly 70 years old, and brought back a lot of gold and silver treasures, and bought more than a dozen houses in Xinglong Lane at a high price. After they were demolished, a huge Li family mansion was built.When Eunuch Li just returned to Tang Town, the people of Tang Town didn't have a good impression of him. They would cast strange glances at him and point at his back.When men get together, when they talk about Eunuch Li, they will show disdainful expressions on their faces and say some ugly and strange things.When women get together, they will say bad things about Eunuch Li, and they will laugh wantonly when they say it... Eunuch Li has indeed become the laughing stock of people in Tang Town for a long time, but they have never What to say in front of Eunuch Li, no matter what, Eunuch Li has stayed in the imperial palace in the capital and seen the world, so he is somewhat majestic.After this drama was over, Eunuch Li changed in people's minds. In fact, during the process of building the Li family mansion, people in Tang Town's perception of him gradually changed.Among the dozen or so old houses in Xinglong Lane that he bought, one old house has gone through all kinds of troubles.The owner of that house would not sell it alive or dead, saying that it was the inheritance left by his ancestors and it must not be sold.Eunuch Li asked many prominent people in Tang Town to lobby, but to no avail.Eunuch Li said that as long as the owner of the house is willing to sell the house and put forward any conditions, he will agree.The man remained unmoved.The surrounding houses were all demolished, leaving only the old house standing alone among the ruins, which looked very discordant.Many people in the town said that it would be great to ask Eunuch Li for more money and find a piece of land to build a new house. Why is that person so stubborn and can't figure it out?One night, when the wind was very strong, a fire suddenly broke out in that house. The fire blazed in the howling wind and could not be extinguished.The family burned two people to death, and the survivors were terrified, and soon left Tang Town and went far away.Everyone in Tang Town knew that Eunuch Li gave the family a lot of money, and it is said that they were very satisfied when they left.People lamented that if the man had sold the house to Eunuch Li earlier, this disaster would not have happened. Maybe it was God's will. The street quickly fell silent. After returning home, Li Hongtang washed her feet and went up to the small attic.Even though she went up the stairs lightly, the stairs and floors still creaked. The house was too old, like a dying old man.Dongzi heard the sound of his sister going upstairs, but he didn't speak, his eyes were closed tightly.There are two beds in the attic, one for Li Hongtang and one for Dongzi. Dongzi's bed is by the window, and Li Hongtang's bed is by the stairs. Li Hongtang called out softly after going upstairs: "Dongzi, Dongzi—" Dongzi didn't answer her sister. Li Hongtang said to himself: "I really slept like a dead man. It's a pity that Dongzi didn't go to see the play. What a show." She took off her coat quietly, got into bed, and got into the bed. She thought that she would have a wonderful dream at night, or that she would meet a handsome man like Xu Xian in her dream. Dongzi fell into a deep sleep. Every night before going to bed, she would have a conversation with her sister, but not tonight. The nightmare really started on this Mid-Autumn Festival night. People in Tang Town never expected that in the second half of the night, the dark clouds would fade away and the full moon would appear in the sky.Tang Town was terribly silent, and the sound of rainwater leaking from the eaves became so clear and powerful, hitting the sleepless heart like a stone.The pale moonlight painted Tang Town, adding a bit of mystery and weirdness to the dilapidated Tang Town.If at this time, someone brings a basin of water and puts it under the moonlight, and he puts his face close to the wooden basin, what he sees is not his own face, but another stranger's face.This is the legend of Tang Town, will anyone dare to do this after the moon comes out? Dongzi felt sticky all over her body.He opened his eyes, a dark red light enveloped his body, he was actually naked and naked.He didn't know when the clothes on his body were stripped off.Dongzi smelled a strong smell of blood, a suffocating smell of blood.He stood up, looked down at his body, his body was covered with dark red plasma, whose plasma is this?Before he had time to think about anything, he heard an irresistible call, the voice was sharp and cold.Dongzi vaguely felt that it was someone calling, but he couldn't remember who it was.He walked through the darkness and came to the edge of Tangxi outside Tang Town.Tangxi was shrouded in blood, and the stream was choppy.The call continued, as if it came from the stream.Dongzi was trembling all over, terrified in his heart, the turbulent water frightened him, and the sharp and cold voice frightened him too.What frightened Dongzi even more was that the stream, which was still yellow just now, suddenly turned blood red, and the Tang stream roared full of blood. Suddenly, many bloody hands stretched out from the stream, and those hands gave out sharp and cold cries!Dongzi wanted to escape, but he couldn't turn around. He was pushed by a pair of invisible big hands, and he staggered towards the stream.A hand in the stream grabbed his foot, and another hand grabbed his other foot.He shouted silently, being dragged into the icy blood by strong hands.He was ups and downs in the blood river, struggling... Dongzi sat up from the bed sweating profusely, and he experienced a nightmare. There was a dead silence outside the window. Wisps of moonlight leaked in through the gaps in the windows and doors, like a confused mist. Sister Li Hongtang was sleeping, snoring slightly.A wonderful aroma wafted like brandy from her snoring.Dongzi got out of bed in horror. He wanted to get into his sister's bed. The warmth of his sister might dispel the fear in his heart. Just then, he heard slight footsteps. The faint sound of footsteps came from the small gravel street outside the window. Who is walking on the side street?Dongzi was very frightened, and amidst his fear was a strong sense of curiosity. He quietly came to the window and gently opened the window. He saw the pale moonlight, which burned his eyes, causing a sharp pain in his eyes. . His eyes fell on the side street, and he saw such a scene: several ghostly masked men were carrying a bundle of long strips of things and walking tiptoe towards the west end of the town.The thing was tightly wrapped by the mat, Dongzi didn't understand what it was, and a word quickly floated through his mind: man!Is the person wrapped in the mat?If yes, who is this person?Dongzi discovered that one of the masked men was very resembling his father Li Cilin.When those people passed under the window, Dongzi smelled a bloody smell, and found that a wisp of black mist suddenly emanated from the long strip, and the black mist rushed towards him in the moonlight, a huge The pressure came at him, knocking him to the ground. It was as if someone was pinching his neck, he couldn't breathe, his hands were grasping at something in the air, and his legs were kicking vigorously.There was a gurgling sound in his throat.At this time, the people on the small street had disappeared, and there was still a dead silence outside the window. Li Hongtang woke up suddenly, she heard her younger brother's struggling voice, and got out of bed quickly: "Dongzi, what's the matter with you, what's the matter with you, don't scare me, Dongzi." The moonlight came in through the open window and hit Dongzi's face , Dongzi's face was also pale.After Dongzi heard her sister's voice, she relaxed all over. Li Hongtang helped him up. Dongzi threw herself into Li Hongtang's arms, clasped her hands on Li Hongtang's soft shoulders, and said tremblingly, "Sister, I'm afraid." -" Li Hongtang hugged his younger brother, and his voice was full of love: "Brother, don't be afraid, sister is here, you don't have to be afraid of anything!" Dongzi whimpered and cried. At dawn, Li Cilin went home.As soon as he entered the house, he closed the door forcefully, leaning his back against the door panel, panting heavily, his face was dripping with sweat, his clothes were soaked, and panic and anger shone in his bloodshot eyes flames.Seeing this, You Sidi, who opened the door for him, had no time to complain and asked anxiously: "Cilin, what happened?" Li Cilin frantically stripped off his underwear, and threw them on You Sidi's body one by one, leaving only a pair of loose underpants.Those clothes fell on the ground, You Sidi was stunned for a while, bent down, picked up his clothes one by one, and held them in her arms.The underwear exuded a strong smell of blood, and You Sidi felt something was wrong. Her hands were trembling, and she murmured, "Ci Lin, what happened? Tell me, I'm worried! If something happens to you, we will Who will support this family?" Li Cilin's hair-covered chest heaved violently. He suddenly yelled at You Sidi like a leopard: "Bad dog, why don't you wash my clothes quickly, what are you talking about! I can't die, the sky is falling, and I will hold you back, so why worry about it!" You Siti was very aggrieved: "Is it okay for me to ask a question? I am your wife! I am worried that you are wrong, why don't you know good people?" With fire in Li Cilin's eyes, he rushed forward, grabbed You Sidi's head like crazy, swung the other hand away furiously, and slapped her fiercely on the face.This is something You Sidi never expected, how could he beat his wife indiscriminately?You Sidi felt grief, anger and sadness in her heart, she was so beaten that her eyes were staring, she was dizzy, and that's it, her hands were still tightly holding the clothes that Li Cilin had taken off.You Sidi yelled in pain: "Li Cilin, just kill me. If I die, you will have meat to eat! Heartless thing!" Li Cilin gritted his teeth and said, "You rotten bitch, dare to talk back, I will beat you to death today!" You Sidi was beaten violently on the face again, her face soon swelled up like a cake, a stream of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, and the blood fell on Li Cilin's underwear. Li Hongtang in the attic was awakened by the noise downstairs, and quickly shook his sleeping brother beside him: "Dongzi, wake up!" Dongzi, who had been tormented by nightmares all night, finally felt safe and secure under the comfort of her sister. Sleeping deeply, unexpectedly being woken up by her sister, she said impatiently: "Sister, what are you doing, why don't you let people sleep!" Li Hongtang said anxiously: "It seems that Dad is beating Mom again. I heard it just now. Why is there no movement now?" As soon as Dongzi heard his father beating his mother, he immediately woke up, pricked up his ears and listened, then lowered his voice and said, "Sister, Mom is crying." Li Hongtang wondered, "Why didn't I hear it?" Dongzi said: "My ears are good!" Li Hongtang said: "Brother, let's go downstairs and have a look." Dongzi said: "Okay!" They got out of bed and walked downstairs.Li Hongtang went down the stairs carefully, and reminded his younger brother not to miss his feet and roll downstairs.Dongzi didn't speak, and followed behind her sister, holding her by the tail of her clothes with both hands.After they went downstairs, they heard a thick snoring sound like a cow suddenly coming from their parents' bedroom. They all knew in their hearts that it was the snoring sound of their father Li Cilin.Li Hongtang often thinks that she must not marry a man who snores when she gets married in the future. She feels sorry for her mother, how her mother has endured her father's snoring for many years, not to mention his rough temper and heavy fists.Hearing his father's snoring, Dongzi's heart twitched, and he naturally remembered the scene he saw when he opened the window. He was not sure if his father was one of those ghostly masked men, but That scene made him palpitate.What exactly were those people carrying?Why would they do that?Where did they carry that long, tightly wrapped thing?Dongzi knew nothing, it was a great mystery, like a thick autumn fog.He didn't tell his sister about it, it was a secret in his heart.When his father came home was also a mystery to him, and why he beat his mother was also a mystery. The father really beat the mother. When the siblings walked to the courtyard, they came to this cruel conclusion.You Sidi was sitting on a low bench by the patio, rubbing Li Cilin's dirty clothes in the washtub with both hands, tears streaming down her bruised and swollen face.Seeing her son and daughter standing beside her, she stopped sobbing.With disheveled hair, You Sidi choked up and said, "What are you doing up so early? It's still dark. Go back to sleep!" You Sidi's miserable appearance touched the tender hearts of the siblings.They also shed tears, squatting on both sides of the mother, each resting their heads on the mother's arms.Li Hongtang reached out and touched her mother's face, and said sadly, "Mom, does it hurt?" Dongzi couldn't say anything, and held her mother's clothes tightly with one hand, fearing that she would leave suddenly and never again. I came back, because my mother said after being beaten by her father that she didn't want to live and die, Dongzi has a deep memory of her mother's words. You Sidi smiled wryly and said, "Son, Mom doesn't hurt, it really doesn't hurt!" Mother's words cut the hearts of the siblings like a knife. They couldn't find the right words to comfort their mother. Their hearts, like their mother's, bleed in the darkness before dawn. The nightmare really started on this Mid-Autumn Festival night. Is this Dongzi's nightmare alone?Or is it the nightmare of Dongzi's family?Or is it a nightmare for the entire Tang Town?The night of this Mid-Autumn Festival and the coming dawn foretells what unimaginable things will happen in the remote and quiet Tang Town?