Chapter 21 chapter eight

So Xiaoxing stayed overnight (he couldn't see clearly here, he just kept walking) and walked for four days.Whatever Judt needed on the road, the Moroccan gave him out of his saddlebag, to his satisfaction... Murray was so engrossed that he didn't notice that his son had finished making the phone call, let alone that when Mu Dongcheng found himself reading this book, there was a frightened expression on his face. Mu Dongcheng walked up to his father, closed the book in his hand, and said, "Dad, where did we talk just now? Let's continue." Murray frowned: "This book..."

"I just watched it for fun." As he said that, Mu Dongcheng was about to take the book back from his father. Murray moved his hand back and stared at Mu Dongcheng: "Why does the content in this story remind me of Shanpinju?" "This is a fairy tale. What does it have to do with Shanpinju?" Murray shook his head and said, "No, you must have thought the same thing as I did when you turned the page of the book." "Where is it? I just threw myself somewhere after reading it that day. I don't know which page I was turning..." "Where is it? I just threw myself somewhere after reading it that day. I don't know which page I was turning..."

Murray stared into his son's eyes for a while, and said, "Dongcheng, you didn't tell me the truth." Mu Dongcheng opened his mouth, but said nothing. Murray narrowed his eyes and said, "Are you researching that restaurant without telling me?" "No……" "You still say no? When we were in Yuechuan Ancient Town last time, I talked to you. Shanpinju is very strange-how can an old gentleman cook so many complicated dishes in a short period of time? At that time, you said There may be other chefs and staff, but now it seems that there is no one to help." Murray raised the book in his hand:

"Do you think that the old gentleman has a magical saddlebag like the Moroccan in this story?" "Dad, how is it possible? I was just watching for fun. "The Arabian Nights" is a fairy tale. How could the objects in it appear in real life?" "If you really think it's absurd, why would you find this book to study?" Murray looked at his son seriously, "Don't say that turning this page is just a coincidence. Dongcheng, tell me the truth." Mu Dongcheng lowered his eyes, looked up into his father's eyes after a while and said, "Okay, Dad, I admit that I was secretly researching that restaurant."

"You told me not to pursue it any further, why did you do it yourself?" "Because I don't want you to put yourself in danger." Mu Dongcheng said, "And I just searched for the answer quietly, without alarming anyone." "Including me." Murray sighed, "I knew, with your personality, how could you willingly give up pursuing this matter." Dad, I didn't mean to hide it from you, it's just..." "I know you're doing it for my own good." Murray waved his hands, "Forget it, let's not talk about it. Since neither of us can let go of this matter, why don't we discuss it together."

"...Okay." Mu Dongcheng reluctantly agreed. "Tell me, what do you really think after reading the story in "The Arabian Nights"?" Mu Dongcheng pondered for a while, and said: "As far as I know, the stories in "Arabian Nights" are collected and sorted out various folk anecdotes and anecdotes by street artists and literati in the Middle East for hundreds of years, and then refined and processed. Through fiction and exaggeration by literati, these stories have become fairy tales. However, I think some of them have real material." "Like this magical saddlebag that conjures food?"

Mu Dongcheng shook his head and said, "This saddle bag is too mythical. It is impossible for such a thing to exist in the world. But I wonder if the old gentleman in Shanpinju has something similar that can quickly Objects that make all kinds of delicacies?" Murray raised an eyebrow: "Should such a thing exist in the world?" Mu Dongcheng shrugged his shoulders, "There are too many secrets and mysteries surrounding Shanpinju. No matter how we search and study, we can only guess. But when the old man died, Qinghui disappeared mysteriously. No one can prove any of this."

The father and son fell silent. A few minutes later, Murray sighed and said, "Forget it, it is indeed as you said, and it is useless to continue to doubt. Let's leave it alone and do what is in front of us first." "What's the matter?" Mu Dongcheng asked. "The sub-district office called just now, saying that our old house is going to be demolished. I want to ask when you are free, and come with me to pack things over there." Mu Dongcheng thought for a while and said, "Next week. I'll finish my work this week, and I'll be free next week."

Murray stood up, "Then I'll go back." Mu Dongcheng followed and stood up. "I'm going to the bathroom." Murray walked towards the bathroom. "Ah...Dad, you..." For some reason, Mu Dongcheng suddenly became nervous. He strode over in two steps and stood in front of his father, "Something...is wrong with the toilet." "what is the problem?" "……congested." "It's blocked? Then why don't you call someone to unblock it?" Murray said, "I'll take a look for you." "No need! No need... Dad, I will solve it myself. I will call the workers to unclog it in a while."

Murray looked at Mu Dongcheng's bewildered expression, and asked suspiciously, "Is the toilet really blocked?" "……yes." Murray glanced at the closed door of the bathroom, and suddenly asked, "Is there someone inside?" Mu Dongcheng's face turned pale, but he forced a smile and said, "How is that possible? Why is there someone in the toilet?" "Then why can't you let me take a look?" "It's blocked, I'm afraid you'll be disgusted...don't go to the toilet here, there's one downstairs. I'll take you downstairs."

Murray pursed his lips in thought. "Dongcheng, do you still have something to hide from me?" "No, Dad." Mu Dongcheng said in embarrassment, his tone was almost pleading, "Can you stop asking me any more?" Murray stared at his son for ten seconds. "Ok." Mu Dongcheng wanted to send his father downstairs.Murray waved his hands and left without looking back. Murray went downstairs, took a deep breath in the well-greened community, and let it out slowly. Obviously, Dongcheng still has something to hide from me.Murray secretly, what is going on, what secret does he have that he can't let me know?Or... is there something unseen hidden in that bathroom? What the hell, why is everyone around me suspicious?Murray thought sullenly, who the hell should I trust? Murray spent a week in depression, surrounded by a lot of mysteries and secrets, which made him unable to do anything with peace of mind.The new computer can no longer bring him fun, antiques, calligraphy and paintings can no longer make him calm down to appreciate, and even food can no longer arouse his interest.Everything originated from that mysterious private restaurant. Wednesday was the day when Murray and his son made an appointment to go to the old house to pack things, but Mu Dongcheng called temporarily to say that he couldn't go, and the work unit suddenly arranged a job.Murray had to go to the old house alone-waited for a week, and finally had to tidy up and tidy up by himself.His mood worsened. Murray drove to the house in the old town.This is a typical old residential building, and Murray hasn't been here for a long time.He opened the door with the key, and a musty smell hit his face.He held his breath, opened all the doors and windows in the house as fast as he could, then went to the corridor and took a big breath. After waiting for a few minutes for the room to breathe, Murray went in.There are old furniture more than ten years ago, covered with a thick layer of dust.Murray estimates that 90% of the things here don't need to be moved, and there is nothing valuable to be found here, just take away some commemorative items. Murray began to arrange room by room. He selected some old photo albums and vases, cups and lamps that his father liked during his lifetime.After thinking about it, there is nothing to take away.Oh, and some old books my father collected. It is said to be an ancient book, but in fact it is at most a book from the period of the Republic of China, and it is not very ancient. Murray took out a large stack from the wooden bookcase, each of which was yellowed and moldy.He was never interested in flipping through these books before, because the printing and reading methods are different from the current books, some are written vertically, and some are read from right to left.Murray opened a book and read a few lines, really not used to it.Thinking about it, these books are of little value, and they won't become antiques if they are rotten, so they don't need to take them away. So, he planned to put these books back on the bookcase, but when he was holding a large stack of books and was about to put them back to the original place, he found an envelope on the shelf where the books were placed before. This envelope has been pressed under this large pile of books. If he hadn't hugged these books away just now, he might never have found them in his lifetime. Murray put down the book and picked up the envelope. There was no word written on the envelope, but it was sealed with glue. Judging from the weight and thickness in his hand, there was obviously letter paper inside. Murray weighed the envelope in his hand, really curious about who wrote the letter and what it was about.He opened the envelope. Inside were two pieces of yellowed letter paper.With just one glance, Murray saw that it was his father's handwriting.The father's writing was true, but it was not addressed to anyone, because the letter was not addressed, and it didn't look like a letter to be sent to anyone, but more like a monologue of his own father. Murray stopped breathing after only looking at the first two lines. The first two sentences on the paper read like this - I am very conflicted about writing these things, and I don't know if this letter will be discovered by my family one day.They usually don't touch my pile of antique books, but they might look through them after I die—it doesn't matter anyway, by the time my family finds this letter, I'll be dead long ago . I promised my great benefactor that I will never speak of this matter.I did it, and in my life, I never told anyone about it.But in the end, I couldn't help but write this matter on paper. It wasn't that I broke my promise and wanted to be exposed by this matter in this way, but that this matter was related to a person's life experience.If he can read this letter and understand its meaning in his lifetime, it can be considered that I have an explanation for him... Murray looked at the letter silently, his hands trembled, and then his whole body trembled.When he read all the content on the letter paper, he couldn't help covering his mouth with his hands, and he was so frightened that he couldn't hold it back.He needed to support the table with one hand to keep his body from going limp.What was written in the letter was too shocking and unacceptable, beyond what he could understand and accept.But what his father wrote in black and white could not be made up, no matter how unimaginable it was, he could only accept this fact. God, if what this letter says is true, then all the things that have happened so far; should be able to speculate the answer.Murray thought in horror, but maybe I should, like my father, keep this secret forever and keep this horrible fact. Suddenly, he thought of one thing.A week ago, when he went to his son's house, Mu Dongcheng would go into the bathroom as if there was some secret hidden in it. Murray's mouth slowly opened, God, could it be that he...hid in the bathroom is... Thinking of this, he could no longer stay where he was.He must immediately go to Mu Dongcheng's home to confirm this terrible conjecture. Murray put the letter back into the envelope and put it in his pocket.Then, ignoring other things, he quickly ran downstairs near the door of the old house, and drove straight to Mu Dongcheng's home. Mu Dongcheng should be in the unit now.Murray thought to himself while driving.There is no one in his house, so I just went to see what happened! Twenty minutes later, Murray came to the community where his son was.He parked the car and took the elevator upstairs. Murray took out the key and opened the door carefully.He walked into the house and walked almost straight to the bathroom, but when he reached the door of the bathroom, he stopped and froze. The door of the bathroom was open, and there was a person inside, squatting on the ground with his back to himself.It was none other than Mu Dongcheng! He lied to me because he didn't work in the unit, and Murray understood.He even understood why Mu Dongcheng lied to him. Murray didn't look closer, but he almost guessed what Mu Dongcheng was facing now.He could feel how focused Mu Dongcheng was at the moment.He didn't even notice that he had quietly entered the house and stood behind him.