Chapter 10 Chapter Nine: Being a ghost is easier than being a human

Liu Sheng burst into laughter suddenly: "Ghosts are good, being a ghost is easier than being a human! After washing the water in this pond, it would be better for us all to become ghosts!" The fern girl was startled, and looked at Liu Sheng inexplicably, a group of crows were flying over the pond. On the north side of the nursing home, the yard where Ai Nan used to live is now completely silent.A few days after I left, the grass in the yard grew taller.The large leaves of the banana tree are dark green, as if the vegetation here dared to reveal its original ecology without the interference of the human magnetic field.On an open space in the courtyard, where the baby's corpse had been placed, a flower stalk popped up inexplicably, with small blood-red flowers blooming.Only the room Ai Nan lived in remained the same, there were even a few dead leaves on an empty big bed, blown in by the wind from elsewhere.

The photographer observed all this so carefully, because he firmly believed that in such a strange place as Fengdong Town, he finally had the opportunity to communicate with the spirit.All kinds of strange things happened around Ai Nan, and with the appearance of the dead baby, the truth finally came to light, that is, there are indeed ghosts haunting this large deserted courtyard.That day, when everyone was terrified, only he dared to enter the house to take the dead baby out and put it in the yard. He felt that being close to the ghost would make him safer.He felt that Ai Nan also understood this truth, otherwise she would not have adopted that little girl named Maizi.

In the morning, just after dawn, the photographer got up.He barely sleeps at night now, lying on the bed just to listen to his surroundings more quietly.Therefore, he knows exactly when the wind blows at night, when it stops, when leaves fall, and when a snake slips through the grass.The sleep interspersed with listening is short, like a nap.However, as soon as the window paper turned white, he was fully awake. Walking into the yard, the dawn had just illuminated the ground, and the door of Professor Xu's room was closed. The old professor had postponed the Tai Chi practice until after the sun had fully risen. It seemed that he had lingering fears about what happened here.

The photographer walked to the next yard as usual. He had to observe the yard where Ai Nan lived before he could feel at ease. Standing in the shadow of the banana tree, he breathed in the very cold and even rotten air here. Suddenly, from Ai Nan In the house where Nan once lived came the voice of a child. The door of the room was ajar, and the photographer peeped through the crack of the door. There were three children sitting on the empty big bed, two five or six-year-old boys, and a three-year-old girl. They were with him under the banana tree last time The three children he met were exactly the same, but this time he recognized the girl as Maizi at a glance.

The three children were sitting cross-legged on the big bed, talking and stuffing food into their mouths, but he couldn't see what they were eating.Just after dawn, why did these three children of unknown origin gather here? The photographer opened the door and walked in. The faces of the three children turned to him.A boy wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand, and the photographer saw that what he wiped was the blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. "Maizi!" The photographer first called out to the little girl who had just been adopted by Ai Nan, "Why are you here?"

Maizi glanced at the photographer and said casually: "I'm hungry, they asked me to come over and eat." The photographer approached the bed curiously, wanting to see what they were eating.One said: "Don't look! Back off." The elegant child's voice was so majestic that the photographer had to step back a few steps, and the smell of blood penetrated his nostrils. "Where are your parents?" the photographer tentatively asked. A little boy said we don't have mom and dad.He pointed to Maizi and said, only she had just found it, her mother was well, and took her to catch dragonflies in the cemetery.

The photographer was frightened and excited at the same time. He already knew that the three children were all ghosts.What method does he want to use to get Ai Nan away from this scary little girl? "It's fun for you to be together." The photographer said, "Maizi, it's not good for you to be with your mother. She will leave here soon, and she will go back to the big city. There are huge crowds of people. You will not be fun. You are not as good as you." A few kids have fun together." Maizi said: "No, I want my mother, she smells so good!" The photographer shuddered.After thinking about it, he asked again: "A few days ago, there was a dead baby on this bed, did you know?"

Maizi suddenly laughed crisply, and she said, "I really like that little sister, but we haven't seen her yet, and we have to wait forty-nine days before the little sister comes here." There seemed to be ice on the photographer's back, but he encouraged himself that since he had already met them, he must try to stay with them for a while longer.He said, "Can I take some pictures for you?" One little boy said: "What is taking a picture?" Another little boy said: "I know, taking pictures is fun. Maizi, do you like it?" Maizi nodded. The photographer hurried out of the house, and when he returned to his room, his heart was still beating.When he took out the digital camera, his hands were shaking with excitement. He thought he would have a group of shocking and precious photos, which are much more precious than the century-old ginseng that Boss Wan has been searching for year after year. This is something that does not exist in the world.

When the photographer came back with the camera, the three children were already playing in the yard.That's also good, the desolation in the yard is just the background for this kind of photo.He first took a group photo of the three children, and then took a single photo one by one. He asked Maizi to take the photo first. Maizi stood on the steps, with the open door behind him.Just in time, Ai Nan would recognize this house. The photographer looked at Maizi from the viewfinder.Well, don't move, the photographer snapped this horrific photo. Next, the two little boys also took a picture.The first photo of the little boy was unremarkable except for his finger to his lips, and the frighteningly long nails that were framed.When the second little boy was photographed, he changed the direction, and the dawn light was shining on his face. From the viewfinder, he could see his wrinkled face, which was completely a shrunken old man's face.

The photographer's hands were shaking badly. Just to be on the safe side, he took many more pictures of them.When it was over, Maizi walked up to him and said, "No one is allowed to see these photos. Also, you are not allowed to tell people what you saw about us, let alone my mother. If you tell her, she will die." The strange thing is that Maizi's voice has completely turned into that of an adult woman at this moment, and it is still a little hoarse. The photographer nodded in agreement, and the three children ran into the house where Ai Nan once lived.The photographer rushed over and wanted to ask how long Maizi would stay with Ai Nan, but the room was empty.

The photographer had no choice but to walk back with the camera. The sun was already out. Professor Xu was opening the door and walking out. When he saw the photographer, he asked, "Where did you go to take pictures so early?" The photographer was at a loss for words: "Uh, uh." He paused and said, "I went to take pictures of that banana tree." "Your complexion is bad." Professor Xu said, "Did you sleep less? I heard you keep moving at night, are you upset? Me too, every extra day I stay here is suffering." The photographer said yes. Yes, he hurried into his room after a few perfunctory words, closed the door, and first took out the photos from the digital camera to look at.However, something terrible happened, the camera went blank, and no picture was saved. He suddenly understood that ghosts cannot be printed on pictures. He walked out of the house and walked towards the south courtyard.He couldn't wait to see Ai Nan. Although he couldn't talk about what happened just now for Ai Nan's safety, he would feel more at ease when he saw her. When the photographer walked into the south courtyard, he looked up and saw Ai Nan washing his face by the well platform with Maizi. Ai Nan handed the twisted towel to Maizi, and said while watching her wash her face, "Good boy, you look even more beautiful after washing. Yes, just wash like this, and the corners of your mouth, why are the corners of your mouth dirty, did you drool when you fell asleep at night?" The photographer stood a few meters away in great horror, not knowing what to do.Ai Nan looked up and saw him, and asked, "What's the matter for you to come here so early?" At this time, Maizi had removed the towel from her face, and she glanced at the photographer. "No, nothing." The photographer said: "I like to take a walk in the morning, just walk around." The photographer quickly left here and walked to the hillside outside the nursing home. The sun was already higher than the mountains. He stood facing the sun, wanting to stay in the red light for a while to feel at ease. It was not until the afternoon that he had the chance to be alone with Ai Nan, and it was Ai Nan who came to his room by himself.In the morning, when she saw the photographer hesitant to speak, she felt something was wrong.She speculated that the photographer might have found out that Liu Sheng and Sister Fern had something wrong and wanted to tell her, but it was inconvenient to say it in her place. The reason why Ai Nan had this premonition was that last night Maizi kept complaining about stomach pains, so she went to Liu Sheng's room and asked him if he brought any medicine.It was midnight at that time, and the door of Liu Sheng's room was ajar, but there was no one in the room.Reminiscent of the fact that she recently noticed that Liu Sheng looked at Miss Fern a little strangely, the woman's intuition told her that there might be something wrong with Liu Sheng not being in the room at the moment.In this way, Ai Nan went to knock on the door of Fenmeizi's room again in the name of asking for medicine, but found that the door was still unlocked and there was no one in the room.Could it be that the two of them went out to join forces outside?Ai Nan felt a stabbing pain in her heart, and when she returned to the house, Maizi said that her stomachache was better, but after she put her to sleep, she herself suffered from insomnia until dawn.In the morning, when the photographer rushed over, she had a strange look on her face. She wondered if it was the photographer who saw something outside last night. For the past few days, Stone has been depressed.Since Liu Sheng came back from the mountains, and then the little girl Maizi appeared, he had almost no reason to follow Ai Nan.Feeling restless, he took a self-made slingshot to the mountains to hunt birds. When he returned to the yard in the afternoon, he saw Maizi watching the parade of ants by the wall alone, and Ai Nan disappeared. "Maizi!" Shitou yelled, "Where did your aunt go?" Maizi said, "I don't know. Mom asked me to play alone for a while." Hearing Maizi call "Mom", Shitou said to Maizi very unhappy: "You little child is not sensible at all. Do you know that she is not your mother? If you call her 'Mom' again, I will beat you!" Shitou Raise your fist and compare. Maizi fell silent, and pretended to be terrified. Shi Shi thought for a while and said, "Maizi, let me take you outside to play, okay? I can shoot birds for you to play with." "Would you give me a bird?" Maizi cheered up. Stone took Maizi out of the nursing home and walked towards the foot of the mountain in the distance.He wants to take Maizi to the mountain to complete a plan he suddenly came up with. He heard from Boss Wan that Maizi must be a ghost baby. Hanging a red rope around her wrist can prevent her from doing evil things, but this is not too dangerous. Because Ai Nan likes her so much, they sleep together at night, if it is really a ghost baby, Ai Nan will be sucked blood by her when she sleeps.Stone had heard such stories told by adults when he was a child.Therefore, the stone has been secretly observing the behavior of the wheat whenever he has the opportunity these days.It's just that she is a real little girl no matter how she looks. Maizi, who is more than 3 years old, can really walk. Except for the steep road, they walk by themselves. They have already entered a mountain forest. The stone is holding a slingshot and aiming left and right. Soon, a beautiful bird is shot from the tree. It is colorful. feathers, goose yellow beak shell. Maizi said happily: "I want this bird." The bird fluttered in the hands of the stone, only slightly injured.Stone said: "Maizi, tell me where your family lives, and I will give you this bird." Maizi shook her head and said she didn't know.Shitou asked her to think carefully, otherwise the bird would not be given to her. Maizi still said that she didn't know, but said that there were hillsides and woods outside her house, and there were more birds in the woods than here. "Who is in your family?" Stone asked. "Auntie, mother-in-law, Brother Mao Mao, Brother Erdan, Sister Taohua, and a big yellow dog named Tiger Zai." Maizi finished talking about the members of the family in one breath, then stared at the bird on Shitou's hand and said, "You can give it to me. Alright." "Not yet." Shitou said, "Why aren't your parents with you?" Maizi said: "I don't know, I haven't seen my parents. My aunt told me that day, take me to find my mother, she said that my mother came to pick me up in a car, and we found it later. Okay, Can you give me a bird?" The stone gave the bird to Maizi, and Maizi stroked its feathers and was very happy.Shitou also has a bottom line in his heart. This Maizi is not a ghost baby, but a girl from a family in the mountains who does not want to raise it. Maybe Maizi has been an abandoned baby since she was a child. "Where was the old woman who brought you to town that day? Can you find it?" Maizi shook his head. How could a 3-year-old girl remember the family that adopted her?Stone thought, what can I do? Shi Shi wandered around the mountains with the wheat, and he thought that since the old woman came to Fengdong Town to sell medicinal materials, she shouldn't live too far away.Perhaps, if you walk around more, you can accidentally find that family. However, Maizi clamored to go back. "Mom asked me to play in the yard for a while, she will be back soon." Shi Shi corrected her again and said that she should be called aunt, not mother.But this time, Maizi was no longer afraid of him. She insisted that she was her mother, and her stubborn tone did not look like a child at all. At this time, there was a sudden noise in the nearby thatched grass, and Shitou was startled. Could it be that he encountered a black bear?He was holding Maizi's hand and was about to leave when he saw Hu Laoer walking out of the grass with an iron spear on his shoulder. "Second Uncle, it's you?" Shito turned from surprise to joy, "I thought I met a black bear." "Black bear? Where is the black bear?" Hu Laoer asked alertly.This foe had eluded him for years, and his eyes flared at the mere mention of its name.Stone quickly explained that it was a momentary misunderstanding. "What are you doing here with this kid?" Hu Er Er asked. Shi Shi said that the child was abandoned in Fengdong Town by an old woman who came to sell medicinal materials, and he took her to find this family. Hu Laoer glanced at Maizi and said, "This family really has no conscience, this child is so pitiful, I will take her to look for it." Hu Laoer picked up Maizi and left.Maizi struggled in his arms and said no, she wanted her mother.But Hu Laoer couldn't understand her at all, so he coaxed her that I was taking you to find your mother.Shitou said to Hu Laoer that I will go back first.He saw Maizi staring at Hu Laoer hostilely from over his shoulder, and this stare made him very uncomfortable. When Shitou returned to the yard, Ai Nan was mad about Maizi's disappearance.She searched around in several nearby yards and on the hillside outside, and returned to the yard to sit on the steps and pant.Everything about this day was a bit inexplicable. When the photographer came here in the morning, he obviously had something to say, but when she went to find him, he seemed to hesitate and asked Ai Nan some irrelevant things, such as whether she brought wheat I went to the cemetery to catch dragonflies, did Maizi sleep in the room last night, etc. Ai Nan didn't know what kind of medicine he was selling in his gourd.Ai Nan thought that he saw Liu Sheng and Sister Fern going out last night, but he said that he never left the room at night.Since he was fine, what was he doing when he ran over in a panic in the morning, hesitant to talk? Seeing Shi Shi come back from outside, Ai Nan eagerly asked Shi Shi if he saw the wheat.Shitou didn't expect Ai Nan to be in such a hurry, he panicked all of a sudden, he was afraid to tell what he had done. "Don't worry yet," Shitou said, "maybe the wheat will come back soon." Ai Nan, who was sitting on the steps, covered her face and began to cry. Shitou became even more flustered. He squatted in front of her and wiped away the tears flowing from between her fingers.Ai Nan felt it, remembering the scene of Maizi waking up in the middle of the night to wipe her tears, her nose was sore and she cried even more sadly.Shitou squatted in front of her at a loss, Ai Nan hugged his head and said: "Brother Shitou, you must try to find the wheat for me! Will she be hurt by a black bear, or fall into some water?" inside?" Shi Shi's face was pressed tightly against Ai Nan's chest, and he felt strangely warm.He hoped that this damn Maizi would never appear again. Ai Nan was his sister Ai Nan, not her mother. "Wheat won't come back." Shitou said with his face buried.Amidst Ai Nan's startled questioning, he recounted the process of taking Maizi out. "You bad boy!" Ai Nan pushed away the stone and shouted angrily.Stone had never seen Ai Nan get angry. "I was wrong." Shitou said, "I must go and get the wheat back." He originally thought that Ai Nan would be relaxed after the wheat was sent away, but he didn't expect that his kindness almost killed Ai Nan. "Where did you go to find it? Do you know where Hu Lao Er sent the wheat?" Ai Nan felt soft again when she saw Shi Shi's pitiful appearance. Shi Shi said: "Hu Laoer will be back before dark, and I will go find him then. If he has returned the wheat to that family, I will ask him to take me to get it back." It had to be like this, Ai Nan sighed and said, "Brother Shitou, why are you doing this?" Shitou said that everyone said that Maizi is a ghost baby, and I sent her away because I was afraid that she would hurt you.Ai Nan said good brother, don't do such stupid things in the future.Maizi and I are in love with each other, how could it be a ghost baby?She even saved our lives, Ai Nan told the story of Maizi sitting in the car and making a fuss about stopping to pee.She said: "Unexpectedly, there was a cliff on the road ahead. The rolling stone hit a farm vehicle down the cliff, and many people died. If we didn't stop and wait for the wheat to urinate, the rolling stone would hit a lot of people." It could be our car." Ai Nan originally wanted to talk about Maizi's stomachache last night, if not, she would not have gotten up in the middle of the night to ask Liu Sheng for medicine, but found that Liu Sheng and Fei Meizi were not in the room.She felt that it was all due to the wheat, otherwise she would have been kept in the dark.But she didn't tell Shitou about this. After all, Shishi is still a child at the age of 16. At this time, Liu Sheng and sister fern came back from outside with a sheep.Early in the morning, the two of them went into the mountains to buy sheep, saying that they wanted to improve their lives.These two people lived happily, Ai Nan turned her face away and didn't even look at them. "Ai Nan, there is something delicious tonight." Fern girl said enthusiastically, and Ai Nan felt apologetic in her voice. "Hmm." Ai Nan replied vaguely. "Where's Maizi? Why didn't you see this child?" Sister Fern asked casually. "Going outside to play." Ai Nan said.She didn't want to tell her what had just happened, she thought Fern would gloat over it. The sun was slanting to the west bit by bit, Ai Nan looked around on the hillside outside the nursing home.Shi Shi climbed to a tree to look out, so that he could see Hu Lao Er's return as soon as possible. It was getting dark, and there were fireflies flying in the grass.Ai Nan was telling stories to Maizi in the yard. She was very patient and full of interest, as if she wanted to make up for the psychological loss caused by Maizi's disappearance all afternoon. Fortunately, Hu Laoer came back with Maizi before dark, otherwise Ai Nan would not be able to spend the night.Hu Laoer said that he took Maizi and visited no less than 10 families in the mountains, but none of them admitted that they had taken in the child. When they met, Shi Shi ran over to pick up Maizi, and was scratched by Maizi on the back of his hand, and the few red marks seemed to be soaked with blood.Ai Nan said to let me hug her, maybe she was afraid that you would give her away again.Maizi nestled on Ai Nan's shoulder, as docile as a kitten. Now, when Ai Nan was telling stories to Maizi, Shi Shi had no choice but to sit on the edge of the steps and watch from afar.The back of his hand has been hurting a little, this little girl is ruthless enough to catch people.Stone couldn't help being a little afraid of her. The smell of mutton was already wafting from the big house, and the sheep that Fei Meizi and Liu Sheng bought back from the mountain were about to complete a delicious dinner.Boss Wan and the second idiot both said that this sheep was very fat, and when it was stewed in a small restaurant, the whole town was full of meaty fragrance. The photographer and Professor Xu were also invited, and Ms. Feren said that it is the rule here to share blessings.Liu Sheng was busy pouring wine into the big bowl. This kind of sorghum wine brewed by the mountain people was fragrant.Fern girl shouted to the door: "Stone, call Ai Nan to come in and eat mutton!" Ai Nan didn't want to participate in tonight's dinner at all, especially didn't want to see Liu Sheng and Fei Meizi smiling.However, when he heard the shouting, Maizi stopped listening to the story.She said she wanted to eat meat, and that she was very, very hungry. On the table, Maizi directly grabbed a large lump of mutton and began to bite. Her hungry appearance attracted everyone's attention.Ai Nan didn't care about eating by herself, she served her soup and patted her on the back, and kept saying, "Wheat, eat slowly, eat slowly." Only the photographer said nonchalantly to leave her alone, she loved You can eat whatever you want, and you won't be able to hold on. The wheat was almost finished early, and Ai Nan hadn't moved her chopsticks yet, she was already full, so she wiped the corner of her mouth and told Ai Nan that she was going back to her room to sleep.Ai Nan took her back to the room to sleep, thinking that this poor child was really hungry and sleepy after tossing around in the mountains for a long time today. Ai Nan returned to the dining table only after watching Maizi fall asleep peacefully. After seeing Ai Nan sitting down, Liu Sheng put down his wine bowl and said, "Ai Nan, can Maizi sleep in that room alone tonight? You can move to another room yourself." "What do you mean?" Ai Nan asked angrily.She ignored Liu Sheng that night, her anger was clearly revealed on her face. Liu Sheng said: "Ai Nan, this child cannot be adopted. Her mother has come to look for her. Let her sleep alone tonight so that her mother can take her away." "Maizi's mother?" Ai Nan was taken aback. The fern girl spoke.She said she stumbled upon it in the middle of the night last night.At that time, she was sleeping soundly, and woke up somehow, and heard the faint cry of a woman.The rear window of Fern girl was facing the hill outside the nursing home. After getting up, Fern girl opened the window and looked out. In the hazy moonlight, she saw a woman's figure walking on the hillside.Suddenly, Sister Fern heard the woman crying, "My child, my child!" Sister Fei immediately knocked on Liu Sheng's door, and said to him in a low voice, "There is a woman outside looking for her child, let's go out and have a look." Liu Sheng was terrified when he heard it. "No, it's late at night, where is the woman?" The fern girl said that anyway, let's go out and have a look.I saw it clearly from the window, the woman didn't look like a ghost, she was crying for the child and coughing a few times. Liu Sheng plucked up his courage and agreed to go out with Sister Fern to have a look.Fern sister said you wait for me at the gate of the courtyard, the wind is a bit cold, I will come back to the house and put on a coat. Fern girl went back to the house and put on her coat, and went to the window to see if the woman was still on the hillside.Suddenly, she saw that the window was blocked, and what was stuck to the window was a woman's face, very thin, with sunken cheeks. "Who are you?" Fern girl instinctively took a step back and asked that face. The face disappeared in a flash.Fern girl ran to the gate of the courtyard, and told Liu Sheng who was waiting there to go, the woman was already outside the house. They ran out of the yard and searched outside the house first, but there was no one.Fern girl said that she must have run towards the hillside, so let's chase after her to have a look. The fog in the mountains is heavy, and the moonlight penetrates through it. People walking in the fog are like diving.They searched along the hillside, getting farther and farther away from the nursing home.Suddenly, a figure appeared in the distance, flickering as if walking. "Quick!" The fern girl started to trot, and Liu Sheng chased after her.The distance is getting closer, and there is indeed a figure of a woman in front of her. Suddenly, sister fern fell down, Liu Sheng hurriedly helped her up and asked what happened?They both looked down at the ground at the same time, my God!How did they come to the cemetery?When he looked up again, the figure of the woman had completely disappeared. "She lured us here on purpose." Liu Sheng said, "It must be a ghost, let's go back quickly." Fern girl and Liu Sheng returned to the courtyard, Fern girl felt very painful.But I fell down, how could it be like this?She lifted the trousers and looked closely, and there was a big bruise on her leg. After listening to Sister Fern's narration, everyone at the table felt cold on their backs.Fern sister judged: "Whether that woman is a human or a ghost, it is likely that she came to look for wheat." "No!" Ai Nan objected, "Maizi met us on a mountain road a hundred miles away, her mother couldn't have found her here. Moreover, Maizi said that she had no mother since she was a child." The photographer said: "Who is this woman, I will find out after I ask Maizi." Liu Sheng asked in surprise, "Will Maizi tell you the truth?" The photographer hastily concealed that he might not be sure, he just wanted to try.Ai Nan said photographer, what do you think, and Maizi didn't see that woman, how could she know who it was? Professor Xu said that this matter is a bit mysterious, Ai Nan can let Maizi live alone tonight, everything has to be tried to know the truth.After hearing this, Ai Nan still expressed that she couldn't accept it. Such a small child would wake up crying in the middle of the night. Sister Fern said that there is no need to argue, Ai Nan must live with Maizi, but if there is a woman who wants a child, Ai Nan will give her Maizi, and there must be no disputes, so it will be safe. The fern girl brought up the wine bowl and asked everyone to drink.She said the bulldozers from the Bureau of Highways had arrived and that the road blocked by the landslide might soon be cleared.In this case, tonight may be our last gathering.Meeting is fate, Boss Wan, are you right?Fern girl said while touching everyone's wine bowl like a master. Ai Nan also picked up the wine bowl and touched Miss Fern, because she almost misunderstood Miss Fern in the middle of last night, and felt a little apologetic. Ai Nan withdrew early and returned to the house, Maizi was already fast asleep.Her breath was as light as the wind, Ai Nan leaned over and kissed her cute little face. This is a poor child.She thought that she must have seldom eaten meat when she grew up so big, so she munched on it for dinner. Ai Nan turned off the light and fell asleep next to Maizi, and stretched out one arm to hug her, as if someone was really coming to pick her up. It was late at night, and the people drinking in the big house had all dispersed, and there was no sound in the yard.Liu Sheng must be drunk again, and Lao Gao won't get up until the sun doesn't sleep.She hated his habit of getting drunk whenever he had wine from the bottom of her heart.How can such a person be a winner in a company? Moreover, Liu Sheng told her to leave Maizi tonight, clearly asking her to abandon the child.The woman who appeared in the middle of the night had appeared before, so she couldn't be Maizi's mother.This sanatorium is too big and too gloomy, and there are always people walking around at night, which is an unsolvable mystery.In any case, the road is almost clear, and it will be good to get out of here by then. When Ai Nan woke up in the middle of the night, she heard a slight noise outside the door.Only then did she feel scared, did that woman really come to pick up the wheat?The shadow that appeared in the middle of the night must be a ghost, no one would come to pick up the child at such a time.Ai Nan broke out in a cold sweat, she hugged Maizi tightly, wondering if the woman could come in if I didn't open the door?When I was a child, I heard ghost stories told by adults. Ghosts don’t need to come in through the door. When you can’t see them, they have already stood in front of your bed. Ai Nan didn't dare to open her eyes, she caressed the wheat with one hand.The child was very thin, with protruding bones in many places on his body.Ai Nan thought that only I can take care of this child. Whoever takes her to this barren mountain will starve to death sooner or later. Suddenly, Ai Nan felt hot air blowing on her face, did that woman stand in front of the bed?Ai Nan opened her eyes suddenly, but couldn't see anything in the darkness.She stretched out a hand to touch the bed, but she didn't touch anyone.She breathed a sigh of relief and found that the heat on her face was wheat's breath. However, the noise outside the door does exist, about every few minutes.Ai Nan held her breath and listened, it seemed to be the rubbing sound of someone sitting on the steps moving their body. "Mom, don't send me away." Maizi's voice suddenly sounded.Ai Nan was shocked, and quickly asked: "Maizi, are you awake? You are by my side, no one sent you away." The sound of Maizi's breathing continued in the darkness. It turned out that Maizi was talking in his sleep. The strange thing is that after this moment, the voice outside the door stopped. Maybe Ai Nan's voice to Maizi just now was a bit high, and the people outside the door stopped moving after hearing it, or left?Only then did Ai Nan feel sleepy as hell. At dawn, dawn and darkness intertwined, and the photographer believed that he was able to see the three ghost children because he chose this time when yin and yang were handed over.Earlier, ghost children could not appear in the dark; later, they disappeared when the sun rose. Despite drinking last night, the photographer still got up early in the morning.The sound was a little loud when he opened the door, but it didn't matter, Professor Xu next door wouldn't wake up.He went straight to the courtyard next door, and confidently entered the room where Ai Nan used to live. There was only one child on the big bed, Maizi, who fell asleep straight.There are a few leaves blown in by the wind last night beside me. "Wheat." The photographer called softly. The little girl on the bed opened her eyes, she turned her head and said, "Why are you here again?" The photographer said, let me come and see you, where are your two little brothers? Maizi said, "They didn't think it was fun here, so they went elsewhere." The photographer said: "There is a woman here who often appears in the middle of the night. Is she your mother?" Maizi sat up, and a leaf on her shoulder slid onto the bed. "I never knew there was this woman." Maizi said, "I can't see her, she is not from our side, let alone my mother. Didn't I tell you, my current mother is Ai Nan, you Did you tell anyone else? She'll die if you tell." The photographer quickly said that you have seen it all, but I didn't tell anyone.I saw you eating mutton very delicious last night, and you also saw me drinking, right? At this time, the photographer suddenly felt that the light in the room had changed. Looking sideways, Professor Xu was standing at the door and looking at him. "Oh, it's you." The photographer greeted Professor Xu in a panic, and at the same time glanced at the bed, but Maizi had disappeared. "Who are you talking to?" Professor Xu asked strangely.The photographer who always sleeps late has been going out early in the morning since yesterday, and Professor Xu has doubts in his heart.When I heard him open the door this morning, I followed him out. "No, I didn't talk to anyone." The photographer said, "I just walked around." Professor Xu pointed to the empty bed and said: "I clearly saw you talking to this empty bed, and you mentioned wheat or something." "Oh, yes, is it?" The photographer was a little incoherent, "Maybe it's because Ai Nan once lived here, I was so emotional, so I said a few words to myself." Professor Xu glanced suspiciously at the empty house, and then said that there is no one living in the house and it smells damp, and the grass in the yard grows faster than ours, so I don't want to hang out here.After finishing speaking, he went back to his room to practice Tai Chi. The photographer stood on the steps and did not follow.Why did Professor Xu get up before the sun came out?He must have doubted himself.The photographer turned around and took a look inside the room. Maizi was sitting on the big bed again, so he hurried into the room to greet her. "That old fellow, what a nuisance!" Maizi said, "I don't want to see him." The photographer said: "Why do you want to meet me?" Maizi laughed, she said, aren't we together?Who doesn't know that you drowned in the well a year ago?So you can see me. The photographer was in a hurry, saying that it was a rumor, how could he deceive you too, am I living a good life?Maizi said that people don't want to admit that they are dead, but in fact it's okay to die, can't we still play together? The photographer thought that it was impossible to explain the truth to this ghost baby, so he agreed with her and said that it is really nothing to die, maybe I have forgotten my own life and death.He looked at Maizi's bare feet and asked, "Where's the red shoe I gave you back last time?" Maizi laughed again, and when she smiled, blood flowed from the corner of her mouth.She said that those were not my shoes, they were thrown by children from the east of the town who came here to play and threw them under the tree many years ago.Oh, the time has come, I have to go. After Maizi finished speaking, he jumped out of bed. The photographer took two steps back in fright, and when he looked again, Maizi had disappeared. The photographer walked out of the house and suddenly saw Professor Xu still hiding outside the door. "I heard you talking alone in the room." Professor Xu said bluntly. "I, what did I say?" The photographer had no choice but to play dumb. Professor Xu said that I couldn't hear clearly, I could only hear the gurgling in my throat. The photographer was relieved, insisting that he hadn't spoken but was thinking about how to photograph the empty house. Walking into the yard, the photographer searched in the grass under the banana tree. Soon, he found that the red shoe was still lying in the grass, and Maizi really didn't want it. Professor Xu came over and saw the red shoes, he asked why the shoes are still here?The photographer said it was nothing, nothing to be surprised about. The photographer returned to his room, and after closing the door, his heart skipped a beat. He thought, did I really die a year ago?How could even Maizi believe in such rumors?He put a finger near his mouth and bit it lightly, and bright red blood flowed out.他笑了，鬼魂是没有这种鲜血的，他想起麦子嘴角流出的血其实是紫红色，或者是污黑色，光线不好，他也没看得太清楚。 上午，阳光普照，摄影家拿着数码相机去了南边院子，他要艾楠和麦子在这里留一些影。公路快通了，回去后作个纪念。艾楠欣然同意，拉着麦子先在房前照了一张，然后又坐在院子里照了一张。摄影家立即将照过的相片调出来看，非常清晰，艾楠笑盈盈的，麦子偎在她身边，完全是一个可爱的乖孩子。看来，麦子和艾楠在一起就能印在照片上。 摄影家带着艾楠和麦子去疗养院外面的山野中继续拍照。徐教授不知什么时候也跟来了，他站在旁边，看着摄影家跑前跑后地为艾楠和麦子安排位置和姿势，心里总觉得很别扭。 刚拍完一张后，艾楠扭头看了看身后说，这张不行，将它删掉吧。摄影家问为什么，艾楠指了指身后说，没看见吗，那不是死婴的坟吗，怎能用它作背景呢？摄影家说没关系，照片就是反映过去的事物嘛。我抱过死婴都不怕，你怕什么？ 艾楠皱了皱眉头，坚决地说她不要这张照片，她守着摄影家删掉了它才罢休。摄影家说好吧，来，换一个方向照。艾楠牵着麦子换了一个方向。摄影家突然说电池没有了。他说你们等等，我回屋去换上电池就来。 趁着摄影家离开，徐教授走到艾楠身边说：“别照了，我看摄影家不正常，他对死亡太感兴趣，一会儿让你们站在枯树旁边，一会儿又用死婴的坟作背景，这种照片，让人觉得冷嗖嗖的。” “是吗?”艾楠吃了一惊，细细一想徐教授的看法有道理，摄影家不是一直想让她和死去的老太婆合影吗？现在明白了，他就是想拍死亡，在他眼中，活人也是表达死亡的道具。 徐教授接着将早晨的发现对艾楠讲，他说他怀疑摄影家一直在过着双重生活，他在书上看见过这种例子的，有的人一直在现实生活和幻觉世界中来回穿梭，这种人在现实生活中看似很正常，但一些奇怪的举动又让人无法理解，摄影家很可能就是这种人。 “你说他在空房间里和麦子说话？”艾楠惶恐地问道。 徐教授说没错，尽管摄影家说话声很含糊，但他还是听出了他是在和麦子说话。 艾楠蹲下身去，望着麦子的脸说：“麦子，刚才给我们拍照的那个大胡子叔叔，你早晨见过他吗？” 艾楠的问话刚一出口，自己也觉得很荒唐，早晨麦子不是和她睡在一起的吗？ 麦子摇摇头说没见过大胡子叔叔。她说：“我讨厌他的胡子，像一头毛毛熊。” 艾楠笑了，站起身对徐教授说，摄影家前段时间给她一个人照过不少照片，这对她有没有什么危害。 徐教授说这没有关系，摄影家在现实中做的事很正常的，他还说摄影家确实有艺术天赋，他看过他不少照片，真是一流的摄影作品。也许，他生来就是该搞摄影的吧，他的幻觉如此强烈他的作品别具一格。 艾楠放下了悬着的心，同时对自己的那些照片也觉得珍贵起来，蓝墨真是个了不起的摄影家的话，这些照片太有价值了，有机会不妨再照一些。 但徐教授立即阻止了艾楠的想法，他说至少今天不能再让他拍照了，摄影家今天明显地不正常，脸色发白，手也在抖，眼睛专找坟地枯树，这样能拍出什么好照片呢？ 此时，麦子也拉着艾楠的手说她要回去了。艾楠便叫徐教授转告摄影家，她们回去休息了，拍照的事以后再说。 摄影家换了相机电池到来时，只看见徐教授一人站在山坡上。知道了艾楠和麦子已回去休息后，他有些敌意地盯了徐教授一眼。 上午，南边院子里出奇的安静，几只鸟在井台边蹦蹦跳跳，仿佛这里是一个无人的院落。艾楠带着麦子回来后，望了一下四周，心想这么晚了怎么都还没起床呀。刘盛和蕨妹子一定是昨天晚上喝多了酒，可石头呢，怎么也不见人影。 艾楠让麦子在院子里玩，然后走上侧面的阶沿去敲石头的房门。门没闩，一推就开了，看来这小弟晚上睡觉没有闩门的习惯。 屋子里光线很暗，石头还在睡觉呢。艾楠走到床边叫道石头该起床了，石头睁开眼望着艾楠说：“我头痛得很，不知道是不是中了邪？” 艾楠笑了，小小年纪哪来的这些怪想法？她坐到床边，伸手摸了一下石头的前额，果然烫手，是发烧了。怎么，感冒了吗？她抓起石头的一只手问道。 石头的手抖动了一下，同时轻轻叫了一声。怎么，手也痛吗？艾楠低头看去，石头的手背上两道血印清晰可见，皮肤似乎也有点红肿。 How is this going?石头说是昨天胡老二送回麦子来时，他跑过去抱她，被麦子抓伤的。 “这孩子，许久没有剪指甲了。”艾楠说，“我今天早晨已给她剪去了，好长的指甲呀。给她剪指甲她还哭，我说乖娃娃要爱干净，慢慢哄着她才好了。” 但是，手背被抓伤了怎么会头痛发烧呢？石头说，所以他担心是不是中了邪。昨天晚上他在艾楠的房门外守一整夜，可是那个寻找孩子的女人并没有来呀，他怎么会中邪呢？ 艾楠猛然想起昨天半夜听见门外有响动声，原来是石头守在外边呀。石头弟，你怎么这样做呢？一整夜坐在冰凉的阶沿上，当然会感冒了。 石头说他怕那女人来要孩子吓着了艾楠。并且，如果麦子真被带走的话，艾楠会伤心的，他知道艾楠多么爱这个孩子。 “她不会再抓伤你了。”艾楠抚摸着石头的手背说，“等一会儿，我去给你找点感冒药来。” “不，不要。”石头坚决地说他从没吃过药的。小时候发高烧，接着又发冷，盖了两床被子还发抖，他也是什么药也没吃就过来了。他说他真像石头一样，在山中滚去滚来也没人管。 “你妈妈呢？”艾楠问道。 石头说他妈妈生他时就死了，是难产。爸爸后来又接了一个女人回家，接着他有了一个弟弟一个妹妹，他是在后母的打骂中长大的，两年前，14岁的他跟着村里的一个小伙子跑了出来，那人绰号叫大葱，蕨妹子手下那个瘦高个子的汉子。他将石头带到风动镇。虽说扒火车上的货很危险，石头也觉得比家里开心多了。 “现在，大家都散伙了，你以后去哪里呢？”艾楠担心地问。 “去新疆打工。”石头说：“大葱已先去那里了，他要我一块儿走的，我说不行，你先走，我等几天再来。” 艾楠问：“为什么不一块儿走呢？” 石头不吭声了，艾楠想起石头曾经表示过，要等到她安全离开风动镇后，他才离开。艾楠心里充满了感动，她抱住他的头说：“你真是我的好弟弟，只是今天晚上不许守夜了，真的，什么也不会发生，我安全得很呢。” 石头不再说话，他的头深深地埋在艾楠的臂弯里，从鼻孔到心里都充满了艾楠身体的热气和香味。艾楠斜躺在床头，感觉到一种独特的宁静和温馨。 屋里光线很暗，艾楠的眼皮不知不觉便合上了，怎么会这样轻松和困乏呢？似睡非睡之中，石头的身体已整个地贴着她，她感觉到了男人的冲动。她心里一阵慌乱，又不忍心一下子推开他。 时间像凝固了一样，艾楠在恍惚中不知自己身处何地。她感觉到自己胸前的扣子正在被解开，她一惊之中捉住了石头的手，将这手隔着衣服压在自己的胸脯上。“别动。”她说，“就这样呆一会儿。” 石头听话地不再动弹了，他的呼吸已经像一个男人一样吹到她的脖颈上，他的手在她胸脯上一直微微发抖。艾楠捂着他的手背，感觉到手背上被麦子抓破的伤痕。 突然，院子里传来“咚”的一声，好像有什么东西掉到水井里去了。艾楠触电似的跳起来，两步就冲到了院子里。 So hanging!麦子正趴在水井边缘，埋着头往井底看。艾楠跑过去抱起她，往井底一看，一只水桶已被麦子丢进井里去了。 “你干什么？”艾楠严厉地喝问道。 “井里有一个人。”麦子说，“我把桶丢下去跟她玩。” 艾楠松了一口气说：“傻孩子，那是你的影子呀，以后别去井边了，掉下去就会淹死的。” “死了不是更好吗？”麦子天真地说。 艾楠将脸一沉：“谁告诉你的？” 麦子说，她以前住在婶婶家时，婶婶一哭的时候就说这句话。 “那是你婶婶心里难受才说这话，不是真的说死了好，懂吗？”艾楠一字一句地对麦子说：“你死了就和妈妈分开了，你愿意吗？” “不愿意！不愿意！”麦子抱着艾楠的脖子叫道。艾楠笑了，将麦子放在地上，低头看见自己胸前的扣子有两颗没扣上，半个雪白的胸脯已露了出来。她急忙扣上衣扣，同时满脸通红。她恍然记起自己很多年很多年没这样红过脸了。 正在这时，刘盛从外面回来了，肩上搭着一条毛巾。艾楠原以为他在屋里睡觉，没想到他早已出去了。 刘盛有些诧异地望了艾楠一眼，可能是因为艾楠红扑扑的面容吧。艾楠问，你把我们带出来的药放在哪里的，石头感冒了，要点感冒药。刘盛说在你衣箱的夹层里，这点事怎么也要问我。艾楠无心和他顶撞，进屋找到了药便给石头送去。 艾楠再次出现在院子里的时候，刘盛将艾楠叫到了他住的屋子里，郑重其事地说：“我告诉你，你如果真要收养麦子这个孩子，我们的关系就可以解除了。另外，我刚才去水塘洗澡，遇见了麦子的母亲，我已经告诉她麦子在这个院子里，她随时可能会来领走麦子的。” 艾楠的脑袋里“嗡”的一声，这个冰冷得有点可怕的男人是她的丈夫吗？她毫不示弱地盯着刘盛的脸说：“麦子的母亲？不可能！” 刘盛说不是骗她，他真的遇见了。刚才，他去水塘洗澡，钻过树丛后便看见水塘边蹲着一个女人。这女人手里拿着一个布娃娃，浇着水给这布娃娃洗澡。刘盛有点吃惊，不敢贸然走近，便站在不远处咳了一声嗽。那女人听见声音，抬头看了刘盛一眼，便站起身离开了水塘。这是一张很瘦的脸，和蕨妹子在半夜的窗口看见的脸差不多。 刘盛顾不上洗澡了，立即跟踪而去。那女人从水塘的另一边直接走进了山林。刘盛一直紧跟在她后面，想弄清楚她究竟住在哪里，是哪户山中人家的女人。有好几次，那女人在高高的茅草中消失了，但不一会儿又出现，她几乎没有回过头，好像并不在乎刘盛的跟踪。后来，那女人在一处较为平缓的山坡上停下，她站在一座石头垒成的坟前，将布娃娃放在坟上，然后叽叽咕咕地说着什么话。刘盛走了过去，招呼她道：“喂，你是谁？在这里做什么呢？”那女人转过脸来，对着刘盛“嘿嘿”一笑，吓得刘盛后退了两步。“你的孩子死了吗？”刘盛继续问道。“孩子？没死。”那女人非常清晰地说道，“我的孩子丢了。”“你的孩子叫什么名字？叫麦子吗？”刘盛问道。那女人突然张大嘴巴，举起双手喊叫道：“麦子，给我麦子！”这副张牙舞爪的形象让刘盛猝不及防，赶紧向后跑开。那女人并不罢休，继继朝刘盛的方向追过来，刘盛只得往山下跑去。“我注意到这女人追我的时候脚没有粘地，是飘着过来的。”刘盛说，“尽管我们都不相信有鬼，但眼见为实，这女人你能说是人吗？她就是麦子的妈妈，那么麦子是一个正常的孩子吗？我早就看出来了，这孩子不对劲，看我时眼露凶光。”听完刘盛的讲述，艾楠的头脑里昏沉沉的。不对，麦子的眼睛可爱可怜，怎么会有凶光呢？这是刘盛的感受罢了。至于那个石头坟，她看过的，里面什么也没有，完全是垒着玩的东西。那个女人飘着走路，地上草那么深，刘盛看清楚了吗？这女人可能是一个失去孩子的母亲，但绝不可能是鬼，更不可能是麦子的母亲，刘盛这样讲，只是不愿让我收养这个孩子罢了。“我不相信这女人是麦子的母亲！”艾楠丢下这句话后便走出门去，看见麦子正可怜巴巴地坐在阶沿上等着她。 夜已深了，刘盛躺在床上不能入眠。公路快通了，他和艾楠怎么回去共同生活呢？麦子是绝对不能收养的，但是，就算艾楠放弃了这个决定，他和艾楠会重归于好吗？他和艾楠究竟在什么地方出了问题，到现在发展得如此格格不入。刘盛起了床，今晚必须找艾楠谈谈才行。他敲了敲艾楠的房门，开门的却是石头。石头说，艾楠让他来陪着麦子，她自己有点事出去了。刘盛惊问道艾楠去哪里了，石头说艾楠没对他讲。夜已深了，在这无人的山谷中，艾楠能去哪里来？刘盛去蕨妹子的屋里讲了这事，蕨妹子推测说只有徐教授和摄影家那边可去。刘盛摸黑赶到了北边的院子，徐教授房间还亮着灯，刘盛敲开门问道，见过艾楠么？徐教授摇头，同时吃惊地问这样晚了艾楠怎么会不见了呢？会不会在摄影家那里看照片？摄影家就住隔壁，门是屋掩着的，推门进去后，屋内空无一人。事情清楚了，艾楠和摄影家在一起！刘盛跑出疗养院，在外面的山坡上转了一圈，连个人影也没发现。联想到这天上午摄影家热心地为艾楠和麦子照相，联想到艾楠少有出现的红扑扑的面容，刘盛心里明白了一大半。“这个婊子！”他在心里骂道。没有办法，刘盛只得回到自己的房里睡觉，他本来想索性去蕨妹子那里住下的，但转念一想，我得看看艾楠究竟什么时间回来才行。院子里一直没有脚步声，半夜过后，刘盛又去敲艾楠的房门，石头睡眼惺忪地说，艾楠还没有回来。刘盛感到自己完全崩溃了，这个摄影家勾引艾楠一定很久了，自己怎么就没察觉呢？该死的大胡子，带着他的老婆去野合了，刘盛感到血直冲脑门。这是个月黑天，仿佛有只大手捂着整个山野，黑沉沉的没有一点儿亮光。艾楠此刻正和摄影家一起坐在离水塘不远的山林中，他们面前是那座用石头垒成的坟墓。“那女人会出现吗？”艾楠小声地问道。摄影家说再等等看，以他的感觉，那女人会到这里来的。 艾楠之所以找摄影家来和她共同完成这个冒险计划，就是相信摄影家的感觉。徐教授说，摄影家是生活在现实和幻觉之间的人，那么艾楠相信他的感觉也比常人灵敏一些。天刚黑不久，艾楠安排好石头来陪着麦子以后，便去了摄影家那里。她说她今晚一定要找到那个神秘的女人，看看她究竟是不是麦子的母亲，不然她一天也过不下去了。摄影家说要是那女人是个鬼魂呢？艾楠说是鬼魂也要找到她，只要这鬼魂说出真相就行。她将有关情况对摄影家讲了一遍，要他确定一下，在什么地方最容易找到这个女人。摄影家想了想说，去石头坟那里等等。 这个用石头垒成的坟也许是神秘女人的寄托，或者是一种妖术。艾楠伸手去坟顶上摸了摸，并没有发现有布娃娃放在上面。摄影家说别急，他估计这个女人就住在这坟里的，半夜时分，她会从悄悄裂开的坟里走出来。这样，只需上去扭住她问个究竟就行了。 摄影家到底是幻觉能力极强的人，艾楠说不会是这样吧，她住在坟里，不是被憋死了？摄影家说她也许根本就不用呼吸。正说着，坟顶上一块石头突然“咚”地一声掉了下来，艾楠惊叫一声退后了两步。摄影家也瞪大眼睛看着坟堆，看来他说准了，现在正是半夜，那女人要走出来了！ 几分钟过后，一点儿动静也没有。摄影家说也许是我们离坟太近，她嗅到我们身上的气味就不出来了。艾楠说我还是不相信她在坟里，也许是我刚才伸手摸坟顶上的布娃娃时，将那块石头推动了。艾楠说那女人要出现的话，应该从附近的树林里走出来。 树林里一直有声音，是夜鸟和小动物发出的，这增加了艾楠在漆黑中辨别脚步声的难度。 突然，艾楠的眼前电光一闪，接着是更深的黑暗。“你别玩相机了。”艾楠对摄影家说，“这闪光灯会吓跑那个女人的。” 摄影家说他快忍不住了，要是能拍到这个鬼女人太让他兴奋了。想想看，这种照片千载难逢呀。还有，镇东头那个死而不腐的老太婆，离开风动镇前一定要去拍到。摄影家问艾楠，你不会改变主意吧。 艾楠说你别想拍照好不好？现在是什么时候啊，咱们最好话也不要说，沉住气等一会儿，以免将那个女人惊跑了。 他们不再说话，像两块黑色的石头一样守在离坟堆不远的地方。夜露已经将艾楠的头发和衣服浸得润湿，她想到了麦子如果这时醒来，石头能安抚她吗？麦子也许会哭闹着要妈妈，这孩子真是奇特，从搭车的那一刻起，怎么就认定自己是她的妈妈呢？一切都是宿命，艾楠想起了她在一本书上看见的这句话。但是，今夜那个神秘女人如果真被她遇见，而她说麦子是她的孩子，那该怎么办呢？麦子说她从小就没见过妈妈，那怎么证明麦子是她的孩子呢？