Chapter 9 Chapter 8 The Life of a Doll

The door of the old woman's room was ajar, giving the impression that the owner of the room was not dead and would come in and out at any time.The light in the main room was very dim, and the incense candles on the desk had been burned out. It seemed that no one had come to offer incense today.On the side of the main room, the door of the bedroom is also ajar.Ai Nan tried her best not to look in that direction, she knew that behind the door, the old woman was sleeping in the house, her dry eye sockets were always looking at the roof. "I have found the reason for the apparition." The photographer suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Look at the red cloth hanging behind the window, if the light of the incense candles is reflected on it at night, the window will naturally glow red from the outside. "

Ai Nan nodded and said yes, that must be how Mrs. Zeng saw the window flashing red the night before. However, at this moment, a "beep" suddenly sounded in the inner bedroom.The sound was not loud, but at this moment, to Ai Nan and the photographer, the sound was more shocking than thunder.Ai Nan's first association was that the old woman got off the bed and knocked something down with her trembling hands. This terrible terror made Ai Nan unable to move even if she wanted to escape. Both she and the photographer seemed to be nailed into the room and could not move.The blood on his body seemed to freeze, and his lips and fingers began to tingle.

Suddenly, the photographer said like crazy: "I'll go in and have a look!" Ai Nan wanted to hold him back, but the photographer had already pushed open the door of the inner room. Looking in from the door, there is nothing unusual in the dark room.Silence, very silence.The photographer calmed down and walked into the room slowly. Seeing that the photographer was fine, Ai Nan moved her trembling legs and followed him. The inside of the house was still the same as what Ai Nan had seen before. On a large carved wooden bed, the old woman was lying upright like a piece of wood.She was covered by a red quilt, only her face was exposed.Ai Nan didn't dare to look up at the old woman's face, she believed that her nerves would collapse after seeing that face.

On the side of the big bed, there is a flat cabinet against the wall. On the cabinet are a mirror, an old oil lamp and some other miscellaneous things. It seems that they are decorations of the old woman before she was alive. walk over.Suddenly, something happened under his feet. Ai Nan bent down to pick up the things on the ground and looked at them, her heart suddenly became tense like a piece of iron.This is a doll made of plastic.It was a girl with a flower skirt on her body.Ai Nan's hand seemed to be scalded by water, and she threw the thing on the ground with a flick. The photographer picked it up, looked at it and put it on the flat cabinet. The photographer said that it was the doll, and it must have made the sound when it fell from the cabinet just now.

No one moved it, how could it fall to the ground?Ai Nan felt unable to explain this phenomenon.At this time, the wind picked up outside, and the wind rushed in through the open door, making noises everywhere in the house. Can a doll be alive?Won't.But Ai Nan believes that if the doll stays with people for a long time, it will receive people's aura and become a subtle life sensory.More than three years ago, after Ai Nan went home from the induced labor operation, the expression on her face changed when she saw the doll that her female companion gave her—the smile disappeared, and she looked a little sad.This is definitely not Ai Nan's subjective feeling alone. Her female companion and the maids at home all saw this change when they looked at the doll.In addition, one of Ai Nan's girlfriends told her about a mother throwing away the child's worn-out toy doll in the garbage. As a result, the child soon became seriously ill until the mother bought it A new doll was placed on the child's hospital bed, and the child recovered.

Now, a doll appears in the dead old woman's room, which is even more incredible.The old woman was over eighty years old when she died, and she had no children. How could there be such things for children in her room?Did she have this thing during her lifetime or did she appear after her death? After Ai Nan and the photographer ran away from the old woman's house, they kept discussing this issue on the way back to the nursing home.Judging from the material and shape of this toy doll, it is an old product decades ago, and the dolls on the market have already changed generations.So, the old lady's room had this thing decades ago?

The most frightening thing is, why did this doll suddenly fall from the cabinet?If any material can respond to people when it is made into a human form, is the doll falling to the ground and making a sound to tell someone who enters the house?Coincidentally, Ai Nan and the photographer came to the east of the town just to solve the mystery of the baby. Does this toy doll know any secrets? The sky was very dark, as if it wanted to keep all kinds of mysteries in this valley forever.When Ai Nan and the photographer walked into the yard, they heard the sound of "ping pong pong" coming from Professor Xu's room.When I walked in, I saw that it was Mr. Hu who was repairing the windows for Professor Xu.

"Just now there was a sudden gust of wind, which blew this window to the ground." Professor Xu said, "Shitou went for me and called Mr. Hu to help repair it. You see, he has already nailed the window. It seems that he, a blacksmith, can also do carpentry." Hu Laoer smiled honestly, and repeatedly said that it was okay to help with this. Ai Nan impatiently told Professor Xu what happened just now, "There is no one in the room, so how could the doll fall to the ground by itself?" Professor Xu thought for a while and said, this is not surprising, the doll must have been placed upright on the cabinet. After a long time, under the influence of gravity, the standing thing tilted slowly. Once it lost its balance, it would fall. down.

The photographer expressed doubts about the professor's explanation. "That's just a coincidence," he said. "Besides, that old toy doll is of unknown age. It's kind of ghostly." "I've seen that thing before." Hu Laoer, who was standing aside, interjected. That was more than 20 years ago, Hu Laoer said, when he was a teenager.The old woman adopted a baby girl and named her Chrysanthemum.The child was found outside the gate of the nursing home, only a few months old, wrapped in old clothes, abandoned by someone.The news spread to the east of the town, and the old woman went to bring the child back.

The old woman was married in her early years, but she was kicked out by her husband's family because she always had no children in her stomach, and she lived alone since then.After the baby girl was brought back, the old woman regarded the child as a treasure, and she never carried her when she went to the field to plant corn.Soon, the old woman bought this doll for the child with the money from selling eggs.In the east of the town, this little girl named Chrysanthemum is famous for being cute.Unknowingly, Chrysanthemum has grown to seven or eight years old, and can already help the old woman with some housework.One day, the old woman asked Chrysanthemum to go to the grocery store in the town to buy salt, but the little Chrysanthemum never came back after she went out.At that time, Fengdong Town was still very lively. The old woman asked people when she went to the town, and they all said that she had never seen a chrysanthemum.Three years ago, the old woman felt that she was going to die, so she told her neighbors that after she died, don't bury her, she will sleep in the house and wait for Chrysanthemum to come back.Alas, if Chrysanthemum was still in this world, she would be in her 20s by now.The old woman always said that the child would come back. Everyone said that the old woman was blessed by the Bodhisattva and died for three years without decomposing. This is why the Bodhisattva asked her to wait for the chrysanthemum to come back to see her.

Listening to Hu Laoer's narration, Ai Nan's eyes were unknowingly a little moist. "Chrysanthemum may be coming back soon," she said. "That doll just dropped on the ground by itself must be a sign that Chrysanthemum is coming home." Hu Laoer said that this is unlikely.The old woman has been dead for three years, Chrysanthemum should have come back long ago.There are a lot of migrant workers here. Some said they saw a 20-year-old girl who looked like a chrysanthemum at Lanzhou Railway Station, and some said they saw her near Guangzhou.More people believe that the chrysanthemum is no longer alive, and that a seven or eight-year-old child disappeared when he went to the town to buy salt. That night, after going to bed, Ai Nan always thought about the old woman and the chrysanthemum.The yard outside was very quiet, because a big rooster was slaughtered before dark and blood was dripped all over the yard, and money was burned for wild ghosts by the wall. Sister Fern said that everyone can sleep in peace. "I always feel that the woman Shitou saw in the middle of the night is Chrysanthemum." Ai Nan said to Liu Sheng who was sleeping beside her. "You will think wildly." Liu Sheng said with his back to Ai Nan.Originally, he was unhappy when Ai Nan told him about running around in the east of the town. He thought it would be bad for her to be with the photographer.They both went missing once, and they were lucky not to die outside.What kind of thing is this photographer? At least half of Ai Nan's soul was taken away by him. "Do you remember? We also saw the woman who appeared in the middle of the night once." Ai Nan continued, "We lived in Boss Wan's attic that night, and in the middle of the night we saw a woman walking on the stone road... " "I didn't see it clearly." Liu Sheng interrupted Ai Nan and said, "You saw it while lying on the window. When I squeezed to the window, the woman had disappeared. Who knows if what you saw is true." "It must be." Ai Nan said anxiously, "I saw the stone last night, you still don't believe it? I think it was a woman who appeared these two times, and the woman who brought the baby to my room was also her. This chrysanthemum has grown up, she must have given birth to a child herself." "If the chrysanthemum is still there, it can only be a ghost." Liu Sheng said upsetly, "It has been more than 10 years, why everyone can't see her, why doesn't she visit the old woman who raised her, this can only be a ghost. " Ai Nan said, "Who says you can't see her? Didn't Shishi and I both see her?" Liu Sheng said that according to folklore, women and children are prone to seeing ghosts, which is very dangerous.He remembered what Sister Fern had told about the people in the mountains. If a woman kept seeing ghosts, she had to take off her clothes, kill a ram, and smear the blood of the ram on the woman's body.All this must be done before dawn, and then let the woman stand in the field, waiting for the rising sun to dry the sheep's blood on her body, and then go to the spring (it must be spring water) to wash it off.After that, the woman can stay away from ghosts. Liu Sheng didn't dare to tell Ai Nan this ancient way of avoiding ghosts, because she was worried that someone would persuade her to do this kind of ritual.Actually, who would ask her to do that?Fern girl?Certainly not.After knowing that Ai Nan had aborted a child, she still sympathized with her.Fern sister said that her mother had taken abortion pills after pregnancy because she was an illegitimate child, but it didn't work.Because of this, Sister Fern hates and loves her mother at the same time.After all, her mother raised her after giving birth to her. Meizi Fern said that she later realized that being a woman is not easy. Thinking of Sister Fern, Liu Sheng stopped talking to Ai Nan, he pretended to be asleep, but saw that night in Bison Ridge before his eyes.The stars in the sky were very crowded, and sister fern told him outside the tent that she wanted to go to a nearby mountain spring to take a bath and asked Liu Sheng to accompany her. She said that if she met a black bear or something.That day, Fern girl was wearing a pair of calico trousers with tight hips, and a moon-white shirt on her upper body.They came to a mountain spring through the flickering shadows of the mountain, and the fern girl stood naked in the knee-deep spring in an instant. She looked at Liu Sheng with a smile, and then bent down to water her body. The two pointed breasts are as strong as mountains. What happened next, Liu Sheng had a feeling of being knocked out by the thunder.How they hugged each other, how he took off his clothes, etc. I can't remember clearly.They fell into a fire together, and he entered her body, and he felt the fern girl's body burning from the inside out.They writhed on the rocks by the spring, Ferngirl's tongue churning the deadly venom in his mouth, and nothing made him feel better than dying now. "I want to taste what it's like to be a man from a big city." Sister Fern said with her arms around him on the way back to the tent.Such frank words made Liu Sheng a little uncomfortable, but he was fascinated by a simple and wild curiosity. When approaching the tent, Miss Fern stopped behind a big rock.She said Professor Xu was in the tent and she didn't want to go back right away.They hid behind the rock and were happy again. Liu Sheng felt that he hadn't been so ostentatious in his life for many years. "Are you asleep?" Ai Nan's voice suddenly sounded in the darkness. "Hmm." Liu Sheng turned over nervously, for a moment he thought that Ai Nan had discovered his thoughts.But immediately feel relieved, because this is impossible. "Nothing will happen outside tonight?" Ai Nan asked worriedly in the dark. The photographer fell asleep in the middle of the night.Before that, he was half lying on the bed and staring at the door, he wanted to wait for the little girl named Maizi to come in, or for a woman to come in with a baby in her arms.He wanted to solve these two mysteries that weighed on Ai Nan's mind for her.Therefore, since Ai Nan moved to live with Sister Fern, he has been living overnight in this room where Ai Nan lived.He believed that what happened to Ai Nan would still happen here. The photographer's urgency to do things for Ai Nan surprised even himself.He warned himself that as a photographer, obsession with the subject is a dangerous thing, which may interrupt your artistic path.However, this kind of self-admonition seems weak, and the warmth and tranquility in Ai Nan's eyes seems to be the end of his wandering road.He was taken aback when he realized this attraction, he had to get out and appreciate Ai Nan's expression and delicate body lines with the eyes of a photographer again.That afternoon, in this remote mountain scenery, when his lens extended to Ai Nan from all angles, he tried to let himself do so.Next, he will continue to persuade Ai Nan to cooperate with him in completing the great work. The old woman who is dead and not corrupt is frozen in a picture with Ai Nan, thus completing a shocking interpretation of female life. Photographers have had their failures in their relationship with their subjects.Years ago, a model who worked well with him had regrettably disappeared from his artistic creation.This girl is very photogenic and has an excellent artistic sense. A piece of work using her as a model once brought a high reputation to the photographer.However, when the photographer fell in love with her and took her to bed, the photographer's lens could no longer take good pictures of her.Art can only be something before the artist's desire and curiosity are not satisfied. Only in this state can the work of art have great tension, imagination and mysterious shocking power. However, sleeping in the room where Ai Nan lived, the smell on Ai Nan's body, dress and hair still lingered in the air.Waiting for the horrific scene to appear in this warm envelope, the horrific black gradually faded.Little girls and babies of unknown origin, if they came for Ai Nan, then they would become less ferocious because of their mysterious relationship with Ai Nan.The photographer thought about it until midnight.The entire deserted sanatorium was dead silent, the photographer yawned, felt his temples throbbing, and had a sudden headache, no, he had to sleep. It was broad daylight when the photographer woke up.He got out of bed, and first checked the situation in the room to see if anyone had come in after he fell asleep.Then he opened the door and walked out. The photographer was stunned when he walked out the door. He saw three children sitting under the banana tree, playing a game of clapping each other. "Hey, why are you here again?" The photographer walked over and recognized the three children he had met not long ago—two five or six-year-old boys and one three-year-old girl.Last time they claimed to live in the east of the town, but the photographer and Ai Nan couldn't find them in any house in the east of the town. "Sister Basho asked us to play." The little girl looked at the photographer and replied childishly. Who is Sister Basho?The photographer glanced at the tall plantain tree, and remembered the folk legend about plantain essence.Indeed, if you go to farms everywhere, almost no one plants banana trees near the house.The tree is so strange that the farmer would say it would be better not to grow it. The photographer tried his best to calm himself down, and he asked the little girl where is Sister Basho?The little girl said with shining eyes, I won't tell you.The photographer looked down and saw the little girl wearing a pair of little red shoes, one of which was returned to her from Ai Nan's room by the photographer last time. "What's your name?" asked the photographer. The three children shook their heads together: "We don't have a name." The photographer thinks that he has finally met a ghost child. "You said you live at the east end of the town, why didn't I find you there when I went there?" The little girl still loves to talk: "We have already lived in this yard now." "Which house do you live in?" the photographer chased after him. The little girl said that we will take you to see it.The three children got up and left, the photographer followed closely behind them, and the morning mist drifted in the yard. The three children came to the yard behind Ai Nan's house, where the weeds were as high as half a person, and the houses on three sides were all broken doors and windows.The three children ran up the steps and quickly got into a side room. The photographer followed closely, facing a large mirror on the wall, this is where Ai Nan was fainted by her own shadow last night.The photographer was surprised to find that the room was empty, and the three children who had just ran in were gone. "Hey, where are you?" the photographer called. no answer.Only a large spider moved on the wall. When the photographer returned to the front yard suspiciously, he happened to meet Ai Nan coming from the side of Fern Girl. "You look bad, are you sick?" Ai Nan asked the photographer. The photographer recounted the appearance and disappearance of the three children.Ai Nan said it was a coincidence, I dreamed that Maizi came here to look for me before dawn, but I didn't expect it to come.That little girl is more than 3 years old, isn't she?Did she say her name is Maizi? The photographer said that they would not tell their names, but Ai Nan said that it would be good if I was here, and they would tell me. Ai Nan asked the photographer to take her to the house where the three children disappeared. It was a parlor-like house, so dilapidated that grass grew by the door.The figures of Ai Nan and the photographer appeared in the large mirror on the wall, like two earthlings appearing on an alien planet. "Wheat——" Ai Nan shouted towards the empty room.The photographer advised her not to bother, they would not come out. The huge spider on the wall had already climbed to the ground, crawling towards Ai Nan's feet silently.Ai Nan screamed and retreated to the door when she found out. The photographer had already picked up a stone from the yard and was about to throw it at that terrible thing. "Don't—" Ai Nan stopped him.Ai Nan said don't hurt the creatures here, let's go. Ai Nan returned to the room where she lived. This is the place where Maizi and the baby appeared one after another. Ai Nan felt a sense of pride in being a mother. Despite the change of time and space, the child will always find his mother. The old woman waited for the chrysanthemum to die without rot, which shows that any miracle is possible between mother and child. "Don't tell anyone about this." Ai Nan told the photographer.After dripping the blood of the big rooster in the courtyard to the south, it was calm last night, and Ai Nan was worried that the ghost woman had been wiped out.Fern girl said that the ghost would immediately turn into a puddle of water after stepping on the chicken blood, and this kind of cruelty was equally terrifying to Ai Nan.After getting up in the morning, Ai Nan inspected the ground around the yard. There were indeed wet watermarks in some places, but Ai Nan felt a little heavy in her heart for no reason. Now, if Sister Fern finds out about the appearance of these three children, she will use the weapons of the ancient mountain people to take precautions here.No, children cannot be turned into water, Ai Nan wants the photographer to keep the secret strictly. "However, the blood of a big red rooster may not be so powerful." The photographer comforted Ai Nan. Ai Nan said that everything has changed in Fengdong Town, and now she would rather believe in many things than believe in nothing.Just tell me what happened to you as a photographer just now, who would believe it?But it happened, literally three kids.We also heard some weird things from people before, but we didn't believe it, because we didn't experience it ourselves. At this moment, Ai Nan seemed particularly courageous and assertive.She said she decided to move back here, otherwise she would be sad if Maizi couldn't find it.She said that on the way to Fengdong Town, Maizi wanted to follow her after getting in the car, but unexpectedly encountered a car accident on the side of the road, the smell of blood must have scared Maizi away.Now that Maizi is looking for her again, this child must have some fateful connection with her.She induced the child more than three years ago, and the little girl Maizi is just over 3 years old now. Is this a coincidence or a mystery to be solved? "Did Liu Sheng move back with you too?" asked the photographer. "It's up to him." Ai Nan said that after Liu Sheng came back from the mountains, he was restless all day long, as if he had lost his soul.He met Maizi when he went to the mountains for the first time, and he didn't bring the child back. He also said that the house of the family who adopted Maizi disappeared in an instant. Who believed his nonsense?He just didn't want the kid to see me. "However, Professor Xu and Liu Sheng were on the same road that time, and when they went back to look for the house after going on the road, they really didn't find it." The photographer recalled what Professor Xu said. In any case, the child has now found himself here, and Ai Nan said that she has no reason to avoid the child. "I'll move back tonight." Ai Nan walked a few steps in the house, stood at the back window and looked out.In the desolate yard behind the house, the reed-like grass was swaying in the wind, and the mottled colonnade stood guard under the eaves like an old man.These old people may fall at any time, and then the houses will collapse.Many years later, Ai Nan must have seen this scene when he came here again.No, we must let Maizi leave here, Ai Nan thought in her heart. When Liu Sheng woke up, Ai Nan was no longer by his side.He came to the well platform in the yard to fetch water and wash his face.The yard was surprisingly quiet. He called Brother Yao and Shi Shi again, but no one answered. It seemed that everyone had already gone to the small restaurant in the town to have breakfast. He poured cold well water on his face to wash away the remaining drowsiness.Last night, the scene of him having sex with Sister Fern on Bison Ridge kept recurring, making him toss and turn and unable to sleep.Strangely, when he fell asleep in the second half of the night, his dreams were very boring.He dreamed that he was sitting in the company conference room, which seemed to be the year-end report meeting for middle-level cadres.He was sitting in the last row, the left and right seats were empty, everyone was obviously avoiding him, he had a strong feeling of being left out.It was time for him to report on his work. He walked to the stage and sat down, but he couldn't find the report draft he had prepared in his pocket.He was so anxious that he was sweating profusely, and the people in the audience burst into laughter.He wants to tell from memory, these idiots in the audience, the work he does is more exciting than them if he just tells a few things.He spoke into the microphone, and the strange thing was that his voice was pitifully low, and the microphone was not working at all.Knowing that he was framed, he angrily went to the general manager's office to seek justice.There was no one in the office, only the secretary was sorting out the documents with her back to him. Under the wasp waist of the secretary was a big buttocks, and there was no one around. He felt that this was another trap, so he hurriedly turned and went out. The general manager was already standing in front of him.The general manager said fiercely that he had been fired. There was a "buzz" in his head, and he raised a chair to throw it at the general manager, but his hands were caught in the air. He struggled desperately, moaning from Woke up in a dream. Perhaps, the road blocked by the landslide is about to be cleared, otherwise how could he have dreamed about the company thousands of miles away?Liu Sheng simply soaked his face in the water of the wooden basin, and felt that his mind was refreshed a lot.There were birds chirping on the trees in the yard, and the sky was very blue. Liu Sheng felt inexplicably comforted in his heart. Sister Fern's room is in the corner of the yard, has she gone out too?Liu Sheng walked over and knocked on the door, but the door opened, and he saw the nude girl Fei get into the bed again. "Why, do you miss me?" Fern girl smiled with her face exposed outside the quilt, "Go, close the door." Liu Sheng turned around and closed the door obediently, his blood suddenly burned again at this moment.He sat on the edge of the bed and put a hand under Fern Sister's quilt. "I really don't want to go back," he said. "Well, let's stay here." Fern girl said half-jokingly, "Growing corn, hunting in the mountains, and eating barbecue game, this kind of life is better than anywhere else. It's just that you are willing to let go of your beautiful wife ?" "You hooked my soul, what else can I do?" Liu Sheng originally wanted to say that Ai Nan disliked him and couldn't do it, but he changed his words, men always want face. "I'm not a female ghost, how can I hook your soul?" Fern girl was obviously satisfied with Liu Sheng's answer, "You hooked my soul." While speaking, Feimeizi stretched out two bare arms from under the bed to unbutton Liu Sheng's clothes.Liu Sheng got under the covers and embraced this lustful body. "You have a smell on your body." Fern girl said. Liu Sheng was startled, and Ai Nan said that he smelled like a hospital.Liu Sheng always thought it was Ai Nan's feeling after being hinted, because he told her that he was in the hospital when he was part-time job in his early years, and even guarded the morgue. "What smell?" Liu Sheng asked anxiously. "Smell of Shanghai." Sister Fern pressed her face against his chest and laughed. Liu Sheng breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Do you like Shanghai?" Fern girl said no, she hates big cities, but likes men in big cities like him. "After making out with you in Bison Ridge, I miss you even more when I come back. I can't get up in the morning, and I would like to miss you for a while." Liu Sheng felt hot in his heart, it was unexpected for him to make a woman like this.He stroked her sensitive spot gently.Make her writhe unbearably like a snake.She said that Hei Wa would never do that, that son of a bitch, let him die outside.She said that Hei Wa's concubine in the county was a vixen, and Hei Wa would definitely die badly. The time the two of them were together passed quickly, unconsciously, I heard Brother Yao and Shitou talking in the yard, and then Ai Nan's voice was heard, and they all came back to the yard. "Oops! How can I get out?" Liu Sheng said in a low voice. "Don't think about it, I want it!" Fern girl said close to Liu Sheng's ear, and the hot air from her mouth made his ears itch. Amidst the voices outside the house, Sister Fern's enthusiasm grew even higher. She panted delicately and asked Liu Sheng not to stop until the two of them collapsed on the bed like mud. Liu Sheng suddenly felt scared. "Can you hear us outside?" he whispered to Sister Fern. The fern girl also leaned into his ear and said, "Didn't you see me biting the pillow cover? What can you hear outside? Coward!" Liu Sheng got out of bed and got dressed, sitting by the bed worrying about how to get out.Sister Fern sat up and kissed him on the face, pointed at the rear window lightly and said, "Idiot, just go out from there." Liu Sheng suddenly realized.The back window was the outside of the nursing home, and he jumped out easily, then circled back into the yard. Brother Yao was sitting in the yard reading a martial arts novel, raised his eyes and saw Liu Sheng and said, "Where have you been? The wash towel was still thrown on the well platform. Ai Nan couldn't find you just now." Liu Sheng said he went for a walk outside. "Is Ai Nan looking for something for me?" He asked. Brother Yao said that Ai Nan packed up some clothes and moved back to the yard where he used to live, and the big bag was carried by Shi Shi for him.Ai Nan said that she wanted to ask if you would like to go there together. why is it like this?Brother Yao said that he did not know the reason.Liu Sheng thought a little timidly, does Ai Nan know what is being angry with him?I'll go and have a look, he said to Brother Yao.Then he turned around and walked towards the courtyard to the north. Liu Sheng walked into the courtyard to the north, and the two tall banana trees reminded him of the time when he lived here.Stone sat on the steps and watched the ants in the grass carrying a dead insect.Liu Sheng didn't care about talking to Shitou, and went straight into the room where he lived before. Ai Nan was making the bed, and she said without raising her head, "Are you here? The towel was still on the well platform but the person disappeared. I thought you fell into the well?" Liu Sheng said that I went for a walk, why don't you discuss it with me when you come to live here.Ai Nan said that it's up to you whether you can live here or not, anyway, the wheat is coming, and it might be a bit crowded if you have it. "Enough! Seeing your neurotic appearance, you can stay here, I'm leaving." Liu Sheng lost his temper.He hadn't planned to move here with her, but Ai Nan's rejection of him made him feel abandoned.He really wanted to teach his wife a lesson like the people in the mountains, but all he could do was turn around and leave after leaving a word.In the past two or three years, Ai Nan's indifference towards him has grown day by day, which made him so angry that he smashed his fists across the wall when he was alone.This trip was originally an opportunity to increase our relationship, because Ai Nan always said that it was not because she was cold, but because she was too busy with work.But the ease of the journey is spoiled by a little hitchhiking girl. Well, you just wait for Maizi, this ghost boy wants your life.Liu Sheng imagined bad results maliciously while walking, and he was suddenly shocked and frightened when he had such thoughts. After hearing Liu Sheng's footsteps walking away, Ai Nan felt inexplicably relieved.It was her expectation that he didn't want to live with her. This feeling arose after he entered the mountain for the second time.Especially after he came back from the mountains, both parties felt the awkwardness of living together.Just now, when he left, he even gritted his teeth a little bit, and his expression at this moment even made Ai Nan a little scared.Ai Nan recalled the dream she had, in which Liu Sheng strangled her to death with a rope, it was terrible: although it was a dream, Ai Nan was always worried about the omen.When sleeping at night, if Liu Sheng stretched out his arms to hug her, she would instinctively startle. Ai Nan couldn't figure out how all this happened.Maybe, after the road is opened to traffic, everything will be fine after leaving here. After making the bed, Ai Nan walked out of the room, and saw the stone who brought her things for her was still sitting on the edge of the steps in a daze.She said, Brother Shitou, why are you still here? Didn't Brother Yao say that Sister Fern is going to call you to discuss things? Shitou stood up, lowered his eyes and said, "Sister Ai Nan, I don't worry about you living here alone. Brother Liu Sheng won't accompany you, what if something happens at night?" Ai Nan said: "My dear brother, you don't have to worry about my sister. A child is about to appear. I'm just waiting for her to come. Don't be afraid at all. Besides, this child only appeared in the morning, and there is nothing to do at night." There won’t be any. Well, you go back there first and see what Miss Fern wants to discuss with you.” The stone is gone.Ai Nan went back to the house and lay down on the laid out bed, feeling very comfortable.The photographer has seen three children outside this house twice, which shows that the children must have accompanied Maizi to find her.That little girl must be Maizi.In any case, maybe we'll see them tomorrow morning, and everything will be clear then. When Ai Nan focused all her attention on the morning, she ignored that the long nights in Fengdong Town were still creepy.Especially since she is the only one living in this yard now.The photographer and Professor Xu live in the next yard, and they may not know when the silent terrorist incident occurs. This night's terrifying encounter was caught off guard, and Ai Nan had no premonition at all this time.When the sky was getting dark, there were no stars, but a cold moon unexpectedly appeared. Ai Nan just felt a little bit lonely for a moment. But this little bit of solitude was soon overwhelmed by the booze and noise of the big party.In the courtyard to the south, all the men who went hunting in the mountains came back. Mangwa, Scallion, and a few unnamed men, including Brother Yao, Shitou, and Sister Fern who stayed in the yard gathered again. There was no sign of Heiwa, and according to Sister Fern, this "son of a bitch will just treat him as dead." The people invited by Sister Fern were also present, including Ai Nan, Liu Sheng, the photographer, Professor Xu, Boss Wan and his apprentice, the fool.This kind of reunion-like gathering is the last bustling before the end of the song, so the wine consumption is particularly large this night. The group that picked up goods from the railway on the other side of the mountain announced its disbandment, and everyone believed that Heiwa's betrayal and sister fern's frustration were the direct reasons.But Brother Yao privately revealed that, in fact, Sister Fern has long been worried about the risks of this business, and taking this opportunity to let everyone disarm and return to the field, Sister Fern can also relax. Wine and noise are the best way to vent before breaking up.Tomorrow, these people will escape into the mountains like birds, some will go out to work, and some will return to live in the mountains where they grow corn and dig medicinal materials. Brother Yao said that he had better find a new caravan-like performance troupe to join, and he said that his only life was to play the piano.He was already drunk, and called Ai Nan to the corner of the room in a chaotic atmosphere, saying, I have nothing for you, please leave a warning for you, people will die here, you have to be careful, the string of the erhu is broken , This broken string has always been very accurate. When Ai Nan returned to the dining table, she saw Liu Sheng and Fei Meizi were holding wine bowls, touched each other and drank it down. "Good, good wine!" Liu Sheng said with a stiff tongue.艾楠心里一阵厌恶，望了一眼不怎么喝酒的徐教授说，我们走吧。徐教授站起身，本想叫上摄影家一起离开的，但看见摄影家也酒兴正浓，便没有去扫他的兴。 夜已深了，月牙在天但光线非常微弱。艾楠和徐教授深一脚浅一脚地向北边院子走去。背后有脚步声，是石头追了上来，他说艾楠姐我要告诉你，我还不会离开这里的。等到公路通车你离开这里后，我再安排自己的去向。艾楠感动地说，石头弟我没什么，你放心好了，不会出什么事的。她伸手摸了一下他的头，这少年在暗黑中转身跑回去了。 艾楠和徐教授回到了住处。徐教授站在自己的房间门外说：“需要我陪你过去吗？”艾楠说不用了，就在隔壁院子，两步路就到，教授你就休息吧。 艾楠从一个窄窄的通道进入了自己所住的院子，黑色的芭蕉树使这里显得比别处幽深一些。她进了屋，开灯后屋内的一切便浮现出来。她的被子是平铺在大床上的，但此时稍显零乱，里侧处还凸起一小块，仿佛被子没有拉平的样子。 艾楠打了一个呵欠，感到非常困倦。昨夜没有睡好，刚才又喝了一点酒，眼皮都快撑不住了。她掀开被子一角钻了进去，伸手关灯后睡觉。 这个晚上，艾楠的困倦程度非常奇怪，进屋后看见被子有些凌乱也没有多想，头脑里仿佛不会思维似的一片空白。 后半夜，艾楠醒来，模糊地记起睡梦中翻身时老碰着一个什么东西，便在被子里伸手往旁边一摸，她的手触到了一个冰凉而僵硬的肉体！ 这一刻的惊悚无法形容，艾楠惊叫一声后几乎是滚下床来的。她的心就要跳出胸腔来，她必须张大嘴巴出气否则就要窒息。她开了灯，猛地掀开被子一看，天哪！一个死去的婴儿躺在她的被窝里！这婴儿双眼紧闭，两只小手痉挛似的弯曲着，整个身体已经僵硬。 艾楠冲出门去大叫起来，不知栖息在何处的夜鸟被她的呼救声惊吓得扑的飞向夜空。 邻院里的徐教授和喝酒晚归后刚睡下不久的摄影家都赶过来了，艾楠被人扶着后才感到天昏地转。后来，她听见人声越来越喧哗，睁开眼睛时看见南边院子里的人都赶过来了，她看见刘盛、蕨妹子、石头等很多人都围着她。从人群的缝隙中，她看见摄影家正将死婴抱出来放在地上。她听见有人在说这是一个鬼娃吗？刺一刺身上看有没有血，鬼娃是没有血的。 天亮后，镇东头的农户也赶过来看稀奇了。所有的人都议论纷纷，但没有人知道这死婴是从哪里来的。太阳已升得老高，有人在疗养院外面的山坡上挖了一个坑，将死婴抱出去埋了。 艾楠又回到了南边院子里，好像老天不允许她和刘盛分开居住似的。她躺在床上，身子一直有点发抖。她不敢回想夜里发生的事，可是越不敢想越无法控制地要回想，那婴儿紧闭的眼睛和痉挛似的手形不断浮现出来。 “我这次是真的相信有鬼魂存在了。”刘盛守在床边说，“上次听你说有婴儿在你的床上，我还以为是你的幻觉。” “那婴儿还会再来吗？”艾楠感觉到事情并没有完。 刘盛说不会吧，那婴儿已埋在土里了，要不了多久，就会变成一具小小的骰髅。 “啊———别说了。”艾楠觉得刘盛安慰她的话也让人心惊。 外面的院子里一点儿声音也没有，只有一只蝉在鸣叫着下午时光。 “蕨妹子的人都走了吗？”艾楠问道。 “都走了。”刘盛说，“现在只有蕨妹子和石头还暂时留在这里。如果他们再一走，这院里就剩下我们两个人了。” “蕨妹子和石头什么时候离开这里？”艾楠问。 “还没决定。”刘盛说，“也许还得呆一段时间。” 正说着，院子里有了脚步声，蕨妹子和石头走进屋来。 “我们刚从镇东头回来。”蕨妹子说，“我和石头一起将老太婆的头发送回去了。你们也真是糊涂，怎么能剪来老太婆的头发，还放在屋子里，这当然会出事了。” “是胡老二剪来的，他大哥用来给痴呆儿子治病的。”刘盛惊恐地说。 “我都听摄影家讲了。”蕨妹子说，“我反复想过了，你们一住在那屋里就没安静过，一定与老太婆的头发有关。刚才，我和石头一起将那头发送回到老太婆的枕头边时，老太婆显然很满意，好像眼皮还动了一下。” 艾楠叫了一声，连声问这是真的吗？蕨妹子说石头也看见了的，是不是？ “好像是动了一下眼皮。”石头很害怕地说，“我没敢多看老太婆的脸，房子里光线也很暗。” “真是动了下眼皮。我看见了的。”蕨妹子说，“我还叫来了胡老二，让他给老太婆烧香谢罪。总的说来，你们冒犯了老太婆，这样做了后，以后也许不会再出事了。” 艾楠瞪了刘盛一眼，这些祸都是刘盛惹下的，他就不该答应胡老大的请求。在路上，艾楠心里就一直很别扭，刘盛当时老说没事。 黄昏时分，艾楠到死婴的坟上烧纸。这是蕨妹子的提议，她说这死婴既然缠上了艾楠，给这鬼娃烧点纸可以送鬼魂远走。蕨妹子年纪轻轻懂这么多规矩，她说是在山里呆久了，长辈们都是这样做的。她还说烧纸应该在傍晚进行，这时天地之间阴阳交替，人鬼之间最容易相通的。 疗养院外面的山坡上，一个小小的坟堆显得格外神秘。艾楠蹲在坟前，点燃了万老板不知从哪里找来的冥钱。火光映在她的脸上，她觉得整个山路、整个风动镇都闪闪烁烁地在晃动。 艾楠在心里默念着，孩子，我和你互不相识，你如果是人，就好好安息吧。如果是鬼魂，也不用怨什么了。生死都是命，你没来到人间也好，省去了忙碌和烦恼。 刘盛和摄影家也蹲了下来，拿起几张冥钱点燃后放在坟前。摄影家说是他将死婴从床上抱到院子里的，他的手上现在都还有凉凉的感觉，烧点纸可以洗去他手上的邪气。刘盛之所以也来烧纸，其实是为要了老太婆的头发担心，这死婴如果是冒犯了老太婆后的结果，他自知难卸其责。他望着火光想，如果真是这样，胡老二也会倒霉的，只是至今没见他出什么事，也许报应会来得晚一点，等他下次进山时，黑熊会伤了他也说不准。 徐教授站在一旁一声不响，死婴的出现超出了他的知识范围，也许这要用一种新的空间理论来解释了，这就是不同的生命形态住在不同的空间，只是在一种特殊情况下，两个空间的通道突然打开，这样，人类千百年来所感觉的鬼魂就出现了。不过，这没有证据，谁知道呢？这死婴会成他第一次遇见鬼魂的证据吗？ 镇西头疗养院里发生的死婴事件让万老板也胆战心惊。到晚上他早早关门睡觉，听见风动镇的街道上总有些怪声音———有人开门关门，有人咳嗽。他尽量想这是风的缘故，风穿进这座无人的小镇后，便在无数的破烂门窗里进进出出，这些声音他都听惯了，但现在听来，总觉得非常异样。 夜半，万老板又被阁楼的楼梯发出的声响惊醒。他忍不住叫道：“二愣子，你做什么？”黑暗中传来二愣子的回话，他说是下楼去屙尿。这小子以前是不起夜的嘛，现在怎么也睡不踏实了。万老板又问猫在屋里吗？二愣子说没看见，一定又是去房顶上溜达了。 住在风动镇这几年，万老板还没有这样惊惶失措过。都是刘盛和艾楠将鬼魂带到镇上来了。这一对夫妇在来风动镇的路上看见了一起车祸，还在七八个死人堆里转了一圈，那些冤魂都粘到他们身上了。万老板相信刚刚死去的人魂魄正在飘出，会扑到离他最低最近的人身上。去年，他老婆来运走他收购的药材时，在出山的路上遇见过一次车祸，他老婆回到成都后就大病了一场。幸好城市里人气旺盛，粘到她身上的鬼魂才没能逞强。而风动镇就不同了，本来就荒凉得很，若是谁人身上粘了鬼魂到这里来，肯定不得安宁。 白天，万老板很忙碌，暂时将害怕的感觉丢开了。现在正是收购药材的好季节，方圆一带的山民都会将挖到的药材交到他这里来换点现钱。只是他梦寐以求的百年人参始终没有谁见到过。不过他相信师傅的判断，这云遮雾降的天脊山中，一定有百年人参存在，他将这个判断告诉给了所有在挖药的人，并且将方法也讲了———见到这种人参时，首先在人参枝叶上拴上一根红线，然后再挖下面，如果不这样做，你将什么也挖不到，人参会在地下跑掉，百年人参，灵气大得很呢，它知道你会挖它时便能转瞬消失。 中午过后，头顶上突然有了乌云，风动镇的光线一下子暗了许多。一个背着兜牵着一个小女孩的老太婆来到万老板门前，她是来出售虫草的。 万老板走出门来验货，然后讨价还价。老太婆为了多卖几个钱和万老板纠缠不休。她说这可算上等的虫草了，是他的儿子在山顶上费七天时间才挖到的。最后，勉强谈好了价格，老太婆接过钱后并没有要走的意思，她在门槛上坐下，拉过小女孩来向万老板问道：“你这里看见过城里来的女人没有？这孩子总说那女人是她妈妈。” 万老板心里一惊，这才认真注意到那个小女孩，3岁多的样子，长得很乖巧的，穿着一件红色的小连衣裙。 “她叫什么？”万老板问道。 老太婆挥了一下手说：“谁知道她的名字？她说她叫麦子，那就叫她麦子吧。我儿子在公路上拾回来的，看这孩子可怜，养着她也罢，谁知她成天叫着要去找妈妈，她说她妈妈的汽车开走了，往山里来的，我儿子便说，趁今天来卖药材，问一下万老板见到过这女人没有。都知道你这里见得多，有人到风动镇来你不会不知道。” 麦子？万老板听艾楠说起过这个在路上搭便车的小女孩，后来在车祸现场又失踪了。他对老太婆说，这里确实有一个从城市里开车来的女人，但肯定不是这孩子的妈妈。 万老板急匆匆地向镇西头赶去，走到疗养院外面的山坡上时，抬头看见天上的乌云在缓慢移动，他想起镇东头老农的话，这乌云落到风动镇是雨，落到山中就是鬼魂了。他的脚步有点踉跄。 南边的院子里空无一人，虽说是中午过后，但由于乌云当顶，这里的光线显得像黄昏。他推开艾楠的房门，昏暗中看见床上躺着一个人，他叫道：“艾楠，麦子来了！” 艾楠一下子从床上惊坐起来。“麦子？”她有点不相信似的问道，“她在哪里？” 万老板说你快跟我走，刘盛呢？叫上他一起去。艾楠说不知道刘盛去哪里了，别管他，咱们快走吧。 艾楠的心“咚咚”跳着，她一直预感到麦子将要出现，她一直在等待中，而此刻，当麦子真的来时，她还是觉得突然了一些。万老板和她一起匆匆地走着，有点气喘。艾楠问他是否有点紧张，万老板指了指头上的乌云说是它压在天上有点闷，艾楠想起刘盛第一次进山时，在一户山中人家曾遇见过麦子，只是后来没找着那户人家了，就在当天，留在风动镇的艾楠第一次看见了这种山野中独特的乌云，它像天上有人撑着一把大黑伞在走路，但只见伞动不见人影。 走进镇上，两旁的屋檐将石板路逼得很窄。艾楠远远地就看见一个小女孩坐在万老板门前的阶沿上。艾楠停住了脚步，她从未体验过这种重逢的心慌。突然，她往前跑去，一下子将万老板丢在了后面。 “麦子！”艾楠跑到小女孩面前，蹲下身望着她的脸叫道。 小女孩站了起来，望着艾楠怔了一下，然后怯生生地叫道：“妈妈。” 小女孩的叫声如同头上的乌云中滚出的一声惊雷，艾楠的耳朵里好一阵子还响着嗡嗡的余音。Mother?小女孩是这样叫她吗？她想起麦子和一个村妇搭上她的汽车后，村妇在半路失踪了，她便将麦子抱在怀中坐在副驾驶的位置上。车在前行，而这时她便听见小女孩叫了一声“妈妈”，她惊奇地低头看这小女孩时，她正闭着眼睛仿佛睡着了。 “麦子，我是阿姨，不是你的妈妈。”艾楠心疼地抚着小女孩的脸说，“那天在路上停车以后，你跑到哪里去了？” “我摘小花去了。”麦子说，“你们的车就不见了。妈妈，是你不要我了吗？” “我不是你妈妈，叫阿姨。”艾楠再次纠正她的称呼道。 “阿姨。”麦子有点不情愿地叫道。 “这就对了。”艾楠说：“谁带你来这里的呢？” 艾楠抬起头来，万老板和二愣子正站在旁边望着她俩。“那带她来的老太婆已经走了。”二愣子说，“我没看见她什么时候走的。我走出来时只看见这个小女孩一个人坐在阶沿上。” 万老板接着说：“哼，看来这个老太婆就是有心将孩子丢在这里的。不过，她说这孩子是她儿子从路边捡回来的，也许他们并不想收养这孩子。” 小女孩突然“哇”地一声哭了起来。艾楠连忙抱住她说：“别哭别哭，你这几天就跟着阿姨好吗？” 小女孩一边哭一边点头，艾楠说：“麦子是个乖孩子，别哭了，你饿了吗？” 小女孩不哭了，她的眼睛很懂事地望着艾楠，她说她不饿。 “不对，肯定饿了。”艾楠说，“走了那样远的山路，真不容易。” 艾楠将麦子带进万老板的店内坐下，让二愣子给她下一碗煎蛋挂面来。二愣子有点魂不守舍地去了厨房，他将面条端上桌来时，甚至不敢看麦子一眼。 麦子将一碗煎蛋面吃得干干净净，这孩子真是饿了。艾楠坐在她旁边问道：“那天，带你来搭车的人是谁？后来她下车后怎么就不见了呢？” “她是我婶婶。”麦子的回答和当时一模一样，“她说她带我出来找妈妈，找着了妈妈她就走了。” “你的家在哪里？你记得你妈妈什么样子吗？”艾楠尽力回想着那个下午去方便然后就消失在茅草丛中的妇女，一定是她告诉麦子，这个车上的女人就是她的妈妈。 “我没见过妈妈。”麦子说，“一直是婶婶带着我的。” “你知道婶婶的家在哪里吗？” 麦子摇头。也难怪她，一个3岁多的孩子，在山中辗转多日，是无法分辨来路和去路的。 “我们走吧，到阿姨那里去。”艾楠牵着麦子走出万老板的房子，她不能丢下这孩子。实际上，她一直在期待着麦子回到她的身边。 万老板和二愣子目送着她俩走去。万老板说神了，我还是第一次遇见这种怪事。二愣子说艾楠和刘盛遇见这孩子搭车的地方叫还魂谷，这孩子会不会是一个鬼孩呢？万老板说你别提这事了，你没看见艾楠是多喜欢这孩子吗，我觉得即使是鬼娃她也不在乎的。 走了一小段路后，艾楠抱起了麦子。“脚痛吗？”她心痛地问。麦子懂事地说不痛，她可以自己走。艾楠说让我抱着你走吧，这样小的孩子，不能走远路的。 麦子的身体很轻,从背上能轻易摸到骨头。“可怜的孩子。”艾楠在心里感叹道。 这个夜里，艾楠平生第一次搂着小孩子睡觉，心里仿佛充盈着一种做母亲的感觉。她抚摸着麦子的头发，看着她长长的睫毛和可爱的小嘴唇，这小女孩怎么看也不像是山中的孩子。 摄影家说这孩子像个精灵。他说看她的眼睛就与一般小孩子不同，那忽闪忽闪的眼睛里仿佛什么都懂得似的。艾楠要摄影家解释一下，麦子是不是他曾经在北边院子里看见的小女孩，摄影家说有点像，又有点不像。他说也许小女孩都长得差不多，他不太分得清楚了。但穿的鞋子不同，麦子穿着塑料凉鞋，而他看见的小女孩穿着红布鞋。 和摄影家一起赶过来看稀奇的徐教授证实说，麦子正是他和刘盛第一次进山时看见的小女孩。当时他们进一户山中人家讨水喝，看见一个老太婆在摇着手摇纺车纺线，这小女孩就坐在门槛上。只是后来返身去找遗忘在那里的水壶时，却连那户山中人家都找不着了。至于这小女孩究竟从何而来，徐教授摇头说不好判断。 蕨妹子的看法很简单，这是一个弃儿。她说那个带小女孩在路上搭车的妇人就是有心要将麦子送给艾楠的。艾楠问，那妇人和麦子搭车的地方叫还魂谷，是不是？蕨妹子说是的，据说走夜路的人在那里会遇到有人向你讨钱，或者讨衣服穿；有时会听到哭声或笑声。但还没听说过大白天有鬼魂出来搭便车的事。蕨妹子很同情地看看麦子，抱起她还在她身上捏了捏。后来她悄悄对艾楠讲，这孩子挺乖的，我看不像是鬼娃。 艾楠将麦子带回住地后，在众人的注视中麦子显得胆怯，她紧偎着艾楠，像任何孩子偎着母亲一样寻找着安全感。 刘盛不知何故又去看他老爸的坟去了。他回到院子的时候，看见这一堆人围着麦子，心里吃了一惊。艾楠对他讲了发现麦子的经过，刘盛蹲下身对着麦子说：“麦子，还认得我吗？” 麦子一下子躲到艾楠的身后。刘盛说这孩子怎么总是惧怕他。在山中人家看见她时，刘盛走过去叫她，她也是一转身便跑进屋里去了。 夜里，艾楠、刘盛和麦子共住一屋，麦子对刘盛的惧怕更加强烈，刘盛只要一对她说话她就往艾楠身后躲。该睡觉了，她哭着不上床，还不时瞅一眼已躺在床头的刘盛。 “艾楠，你出来一下。”刘盛走到门边叫道。 艾楠和刘盛到了院子里。刘盛说：“下午人多我不便指责你，这孩子你就不该带回来。你难道想收养这孩子吗？” 艾楠说那倒不一定，只是见到这孩子时觉得挺可爱的，她现在无依无靠，总不能将她丢到外面去喂狼吧。 “带她几天倒没什么。”刘盛说，“但这孩子很怪异，我总觉得她像个小妖精。” “怎么，她不理你就生气了么？”艾楠低声说，“这孩子怕生，过几天就好了。” “怕生？她怎么就那样贴你？” 艾楠笑了，说这也许就是缘份吧。我命中该有两个孩子，现在都没有了，所以老天要给我补偿。你看麦子，长得一点儿不像山里的孩子，我们的孩子如果出生的话，也许长得就这样乖巧。 刘盛说你又胡思乱想了。艾楠说当初你不叫我去引产，我们的孩子真的这么大了。刘盛说是我叫你去引产的吗？你自己不是也愿意？别总拿我出气。 艾楠和刘盛的谈话结果是双方都生了气。刘盛说我没法住在这屋里了，总之院子里现在空房间很多，我另住一间吧。你喜欢这鬼娃就和她呆在一起，不过小心她要了你的命。 刘盛住到另一间屋里去了，小女孩顿时轻松起来，她趴在枕头上说：“我要跟妈妈睡觉。” “叫我阿姨。”艾楠再次纠正她说，不过心里却升起一种甜蜜的感觉。这孩子真是奇怪，怎么总是叫她妈妈呢？ 麦子很快就睡着了，这也让艾楠感到奇怪。一个小孩子到了陌生的地方，居然能睡得那样安稳。 这孩子惧怕刘盛是明摆着的，可刘盛并没有吓唬她呀。艾楠躺在麦子身边左思右想，突然记起了曾经做过的梦———刘盛将麦子倒提在空中，正往一口水缸里放下去。 艾楠的心跳突然加速。impossible!刘盛不可能这样做。那个梦真是荒唐透顶，刘盛溺死麦子后，又手拿绳索要来勒死她！ 艾楠默默地想着现实与梦境，眼角不禁有了泪珠。她转脸看着熟睡中的麦子，用手轻轻抚了抚她可爱的小脸蛋。 这天夜里，艾楠又梦见了医院的手术室，好几张戴着大口罩的脸从空中俯瞰着她。突然，一双戴着胶皮手套的手捧着一个婴儿伸到她的面前说，看看你的孩子吧。她抬眼看去，这孩子正是麦子，她的身上和那双胶皮手套上都粘满鲜血。艾楠伸手去接孩子，可那人转身就将孩子抱走了。她跳下手术台追过去，门已被锁死了。室内空无一人，她绝望地哭叫着说，还给我，把孩子还给我…… 艾楠从梦中哭醒时，感觉有一双小手在擦她的眼泪。她睁开眼，看见麦子已醒了，正伸出小手在她脸上轻抚。 “麦子，快睡吧。”她紧紧地搂着这孩子说。 第二天一早，所有的人都还在睡觉，艾楠和麦子就已经起床了。她们几乎是同时醒来的。艾楠转动了一下眼睛，感到头脑异样的清醒。有鸟鸣声从窗外传来，早晨的美好让人兴致勃然。艾楠刚想起床，麦子便开口了：“妈妈，我要起床。” 这一次，艾楠没有纠正她的称呼。她俯身对麦子说：“乖孩子，那就起床吧，我们去镇上吃早餐。” 有时候，人可以很快做出重大决定，艾楠在这个早晨就突然决定将麦子看做自己的孩子了。她决定收养她，尽管她来历不明人鬼难辨艾楠也不在乎了。 艾楠带着麦子走出疗养院的重重院落，早晨的第一缕阳光打在山坡上，整个山野生机盎然。艾楠问麦子，你会唱歌跳舞吗？麦子说不会。艾楠就在山坡上教她跳起舞来。 “小燕子，飞呀飞……”艾楠一边唱一边跳起舞来，麦子跟着她比划。晨风从山野而来吹动着她们的衣裙，一只雌燕领着一只雏燕翩翩起舞。 艾楠带着麦子走进镇来的时候，万老板对着屋檐教训他的那只黑猫。这鬼猫整夜都在屋顶上穿来穿去，时不时地发出那种叫人害怕的神秘叫声，搞得万老板睡不好觉。“你这畜生，疯了是不是？”万老板仰头骂道，“就知道整夜鬼叫，难道这里还要出什么事？”