Chapter 12 Fire cloud in the mirror

Watching the kids go to sleep, we (me and the dog, of course) walked out of the cabin.I was sitting by my pillow reading the 1963 Shipbuilding Yearbook (there were no other books in the cabin).After not reading much, the children quickly fell asleep. "The total displacement is 2,365 tons, and the total height is 37.63 meters..." After reading such articles, a group of elephants will fall asleep obediently. "Well, my master," said the dog, "will you go for a walk? The moon is beautiful tonight." "Okay," I said. That's how I live with talking dogs.Talking dogs are of course extremely rare.Before living with talking dogs, I lived with my wife.Last spring there was an open-air fair in the square, where I traded my wife for a talking dog.As for whether I or the other party took advantage of the transaction, I don't know.Although my beloved wife loves as much as anyone else, talking dogs are rare in the world after all.

The dog and I climbed the gentle hillside along the river bank and walked straight into the woods.It was July, and the cicadas were singing one after another.The moonlight falling between the treetops draws mottled patterns on the path.As I walked, I reflected on the past. "Hey, master, what do you think?" asked the dog. "The past," I replied, "from my youth." "Forget it!" said the dog in a Langlang voice. "Thinking about the past! It's all in vain. It's painful. I don't quite understand it. Only those who seek pain alone will suffer more. Listen to me..."

"Okay, okay." After that, he continued to walk silently.A dog shouldn't speak to its owner in that tone.Looks like I spoiled the dog.If things go on like this, Mingchun Daji will trade dogs for something else.The wife may not be found, but it is still possible to get an antelope that can play the harp. "That's not what I meant," pleaded the dog, "you are too kind." "Let's go back in a short walk," I said, "the woods are scary at night." "That's right, the woods at night are scary." After speaking, the dog pondered for a moment. "There are many things happening in the woods at night, such as the fire cloud in the mirror..."

"The Huoshaoyun in the mirror?" I was taken aback and asked back. "There is such a thing, in ancient legends. It's a common way for bitches to scare puppies." "Well." "Well, can you take a break here?" "Okay," I sat down on the tree stump and lit a cigarette, "Can you explain in more detail about the fire burning clouds in the mirror?" "If you are willing to promise not to take me to the next spring festival. I am also at this age, and I don't want to be locked in a cage for people to watch." "Promise you," I said.

The dog nodded, rubbed the mud off its front paws on the tree trunk, and then spoke slowly. "Every dog ​​in these parts knows that there is a round lake of crystal in this vast wood, slippery on the surface, almost like a mirror, and there is always a burning cloud on it. No matter whether it is morning or noon It’s still night, and there’s always fire and clouds.” "Why is this so?" "Well," the dog shrugged, "the way the crystal absorbs time must be very strange, just like the inexplicable deep sea." "Isn't it a bit dangerous?" "Yeah, everyone who saw it couldn't help but want to go in. After all, the Huoshaoyun is so beautiful. But once you go in, you can only wander in the Huoshaoyun forever."

"It doesn't look bad!" "I know you want to say that," said the dog, closing one eye, "but in practice, most things are not as happy and interesting as imagined, especially when there is no way to return." "I like my burning clouds!" "I like it too." I smoked in silence for a while. "Oh, by the way, haven't you actually seen that...the fire cloud in the mirror?" "No," the dog shook his head, "I haven't seen it. I just heard it from my parents. My parents heard it from my parents. So I said it, it's just an ancient legend."

"No dog saw it?" "Everything you see is pulled in by Huoshaoyun." "It seems to understand." "Whether people or dogs think about the same things." The dog said, "Okay, it's time to go back." We walked back silently along the road we came from.The large sea-like ferns swayed in the night wind, the fragrance of flowers drifted in the bright moonlight, the gurgling of the brook was near and far away, and the night birds chirped endlessly with a sound like metal friction. "Tired?" asked the dog. "It doesn't matter," I said, "I feel very comfortable."

"that's great." "By the way," I said, "what you just said was all fabricated out of thin air, right?" "Forget it, why should I..." "Don't worry, tell the truth!" I took a step forward. "I heard it, exactly?" "of course." The embarrassed laugher scratched his head: "But the story is interesting, right?" "Exactly," I said. "Forget it, forget about the big spring fair—you've promised me." "Know." "No matter what, I don't want to go into the cage for people to watch." The dog said.

We walked back to the hut in silence for the rest of the way without making a sound.Anyway, the moon is surprisingly beautiful tonight.