Chapter 11 Eighty-first night mask

When I finally came to a small city with Internet access, I had already spent half of my few vacations. I originally wanted to escape the modern computer life in the city, but I found that just a few days without contact with the whole person is like losing my soul. Generally speaking, it seems that if I want to go wild like that man, I still need to practice more. There was an email from him in the mailbox, and I opened it very excitedly. It turned out to be a story about masks. "What is a mask? When you wear it, it is like clothes. They are all used to cover up. The difference is that some people like to wear masks on their faces, while others like to wear masks on their hearts.

I inadvertently walked into the oldest and most primitive place in China since ancient times. The air here is so wild. Even in this era, I still feel that I am in ancient times. If you don't reach a straight road, you have to do everything yourself. Although it is hard work, there is a sense of release. Of course, in this place, there are naturally many rumors that the locals find strange and weird, for example, a person who wears a mask no matter when and where. What kind of life is that, a thick mask covers the contact between the face and the air, and in this hot and humid place all the year round, the most important thing is to wear a mask, you are like King Louis' brother, and you will live forever They have pushed themselves into a space different from others, and no one will treat you as a normal person.

But, my friend, you know that I am such a person. If it is normal people and things, I would be too lazy to take care of them, so I packed up my things and brought my little boy who followed me even though he was tired. Girl, go find the masked man. When the local people heard that I was looking for the man with the mask, they all showed a very weird expression, the corners of their mouths were raised slightly, as if they were smiling, but their brows were tightly wrinkled again. They tried to dissuade me from going, because at first There was a group of people who also heard the legend of the masked man and went into the mountain to look for it, but none of them came out.

I naturally laughed out loud when I heard this, because I consider myself a person who can handle any situation. I had no choice but to agree to their kind advice, but turned around and walked towards the mountains. I don't know how long I walked before I passed through the huge virgin forest as thick as a wall, and came to the village I was looking for earlier. The people here are very friendly, and there is always a constant smile on the corner of their mouths. Everyone is like this. I think it may be because they are far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I didn't get used to it, but after exchanging pleasantries, I still mentioned the masked man.

However, they who were smiling all the time always felt dislike and resentment towards this masked person all the year round. Although they were very hospitable to me, they always disdained and talked about this masked person. It was not easy for me to find a face He is a kind, middle-aged man who is as fat as a Maitreya Buddha when he smiles, and there is a red mole the size of a grain of rice in the lower right corner of his fat mouth. Maybe he can't be as stubborn as me, and I will give him some cheap but good-looking gadgets , he picked it up and squinted his eyes, and finally agreed

'What's the good of the guy who always likes to do things differently than the big guys?He is not allowed to participate in any activities in the village. Everyone just gives him food to survive. The old man in the village has persuaded him several times, but he is justified and arrogant like a wild elephant. Huh, if you didn’t beg me to take you Go, I almost forgot there was such a person. 'Even for a man as friendly as him, mentioning the mask is full of complaints. What kind of person is this? I can't help but become interested. It is not easy for a person to be isolated from the surrounding environment.

This village was already very desolate, and the weeds had grown up to the thighs, and every step I took, I had to endure the smell of weeds, especially the closer to the person's residence, the worse the environment was. 'Look, he's just squatting there chopping firewood, so I won't go there, so as not to worry, I'll pick you up after a while, and the village will prepare meals for you. The fat man smiled vaguely at Li Duo and me, suddenly with a strange look, especially the way he looked at Li Duo. I followed the fat man's slender fingers, and sure enough, a stooped figure seemed to be trying to chop wood with an ax.With his back to us, he couldn't see what the legendary mask looked like.I let Li Duo stay where I am, and leaned over carefully.

He doesn't seem to notice. But when I was a few meters away from the man, he turned around sharply with a rusty iron ax and took a step towards me. What a mask that is. We are a country with a long history of drama, and various facial makeups are hundreds of years earlier than Western Shakespeare plays, but if you search all over, you may not have seen such masks. Oval in shape, slightly wider at the top, the whole mask glows with a wonderful blue luster under the sunlight crowded into the gaps in the thick leaves, like a huge immature olive, and it looks like it has been painted. There are two flat holes under the two protruding little fingers that are similar in thickness to the brow bone. I can't see his eyeballs clearly, but I can feel that he is watching me.There is a high section in the middle of the eye, and a slit below it like a knife cut.

There was an exclamation behind her, and she knew who it was without looking. No wonder she exclaimed, indeed, she was indeed startled when she saw the mask suddenly. 'Hello. 'I tried to stabilize my voice and stretched out my hand, but this thin-looking man ignored him and just looked at each other. Of course, I was always paying attention to the ax in his hand. He shook his head suddenly, then pointed to the position on the mask corresponding to the mouth, then shook his head in frustration. No wonder, it turned out that he couldn't speak. 'Can you hear me? I had no choice but to withdraw my hand and asked again. This time he responded quickly and nodded hard. In my opinion, this person is not very annoying, at least not as described by the villagers.

Li Duo also got used to it, and smiled at him, while I took out a piece of paper, hoping that he could write some words, but I was very disappointed, he didn't seem to have seen it before.I had to judge his answer by his nodding and shaking his head. But the masked man enthusiastically pulled me into his residence—a low, damp wooden house made of logs. In this area, a person’s waist is thick, and high-quality trees several meters long can be seen everywhere. Almost all the people here are Rely on it to make a house, anyway, in the subtropical zone, there is no such thing as typhoon, and the strong wooden house is strong enough to resist wind and rain.

The inside of the house is very simple, but it also smells even worse. Li Duo couldn't bear it and had to stand out, and I also sat cross-legged on a bamboo mat that was almost dirty, with a low wooden stand in front of me. The red paint is almost gone. He gave me a wooden cup, which was fairly clean. I wiped it with my cuff and took the tea he poured.This reddish tea is made from a local root plant that is dried in the sun and then stir-fried over a high fire. When drinking, it is taken out and placed in a long hollow bamboo tube-of course, they also use this to serve rice.The tea tasted very bitter at the beginning, but after drinking it, I felt suddenly enlightened. The initial sultriness and irritability were swept away, followed by a smooth and sweet feeling in the inner wall of the mouth.It is said that the miasma and heat in the forest are not harmful to people. In addition to the hot climate, everyone is naked, so it is easy to be poisoned after a long time. Naturally, it is necessary to drink ground tea made from plants that can adapt to the climate here, so drink tea It's not just for the tea ceremony, and it's not just for elegance. After drinking a cup of tea, the man in front of him seemed a little happy, shaking his head, it could be seen that he hadn't been in contact with anyone for a long time. 'Why, are you wearing a mask?Isn't it good to get a mask, live like everyone else, and they will accept you. 'I saw that he was happy, so I said casually. The masked man suddenly stood up, holding his head in his hands, shaking in pain, then pulled me up, walked out of the house, pointed to the distance, and kept jumping. I looked in his direction, which was completely opposite to the village. Then, the masked man made another running motion. 'You tell me to get out of here quickly? ' I asked strangely, but I still want to stay for a few more days to learn about the customs here. The masked man nodded desperately, then he looked behind me, and suddenly backed away in horror, I could see an instinctive fear from his exposed eyeballs. Suddenly I heard chattering words, very fast, but I couldn't understand them. I looked back, and sure enough, the fat man from before came over. He changed into a traditional costume, carrying a tall The sea blue cloth hat came over. The masked man fled into the house quickly, and before I could react, he closed the door. Li Duo and I had no choice but to follow the fat man back to the village. After walking far away, I turned back, but the masked man still didn't come out, only the wooden house stood there alone. The food in the evening is quite rich, all of which are delicious but have never been seen or heard of. What kind of mushrooms, minced mountain crabs, grilled fish with mushrooms and vegetables, chicken porridge, in short, they are all delicious Li Duo blushed, but he kept stuffing it into his mouth. I reminded her to pay attention to her figure, but she just ignored it.From the mouth of the fat man, I learned that these foods are good for digestion and very nutritious. There were also traditional singing and dancing, and a bonfire was lit in the middle. Everyone wore traditional folk costumes, which were very colorful. The girls shook their fluffy long hair. Although they couldn’t see why, they were very happy, just like a festival Normally, I would naturally sing along with me. Happiness is indeed contagious. It’s just that some local girls are pointing at me, whispering, and laughing in a low voice. That smile is not like a happy smile. On the contrary, there was a taste of ridicule, which made me a little strange, but it was inconvenient to ask more. At night after the banquet, we slept on a bamboo bed made of bamboo, and the bottom was baked with a special spice. Instead, the villagers gathered outside and none of them came in.The two of us were quite embarrassed, only the fat man's Chinese was slightly better. 'It is a precious spice, only the most distinguished guests or priests in the village who hold sacrifices are eligible to use it, this spice can open people's pores, remove dirt, make the skin smooth, and it also has a strange fragrance . ' said the fat man kindly and with some gallantry. Most of the people here can understand Chinese, but they can't speak it very fluently, so I had to communicate more with the fat man. 'You guys live well here, and I will show you more in a few days. The fat man looked at me and Li Duo again, and finally his eyes stayed on Li Duo's bare white arm. Li Duo was a little bit hairy, and hid behind me. The fat man seemed to realize his gaffe, so he could only apologize. quit.In the evening Li Duo said that it would be better to leave as soon as possible, but I felt that there were always some things that were not clear, and having doubts for a long time was the most unbearable for me. So I thought of the masked man again, and I decided to meet him again. The next day was a hearty meal as usual, and Li Duo and I ate most of it. Although the girl said that she wanted to leave quickly, but the food was delivered, and the worries of last night were forgotten, and I just ate After a while, hunger can make the brain respond faster and be more awake. After eating, I changed my mind to go to the toilet. There is no public test here, and everyone can do it wherever they want, so the fat man didn't pay much attention. He just pointed to me outside, and I slipped out. Fortunately, my memory is good, and soon, Bian found the wooden house. The masked man was chopping wood outside as usual, and when he saw me coming, he looked around anxiously. Then he pointed to the empty seat next to me, and made a long movement with both hands. 'You mean the girl from yesterday? ' I asked him, and the masked man nodded. 'Still in the village, eating. ’ I replied, the masked man shook his head quickly, then lowered his head to think about something, suddenly he took my hand, only then did I notice his hand, last time the light was dim, and he kept his hand in his sleeve, So I didn't look carefully. At this time, I saw that the hand was also blue like a mask, and it was extremely rough. Could it be that I've overlooked something, or is it a human's consistent thinking error?Before I could think about it, the masked man pulled me towards the back of the house. There is a tree behind the house, as tall as a person. The masked man digs under the tree vigorously, and suddenly digs out an iron box. A dark black iron box, still locked. The masked man opened the box with trembling hands, and took out something wrapped in red satin. In this area, such fine silk and satin are very rare, and I feel that it is only the clothing and accessories of the Central Plains generation. He suddenly opened the silk and satin, and before I could react, he snapped the contents inside onto the mask. I seemed to see something flash, and then, another person stood in front of me. Correct facial features, fair skin, if it weren't for the clothes and hair exactly the same as the masked man, I would have thought that someone had suddenly cast a magic spell, a magic that made people alive. Then, the person in front of me was expressionless, and raised his blue left hand to wipe his face. Although it was only for a moment, I found that the previous face was soft and wrinkled like a snake shedding its skin. A face changed, this time it was an image of an old man with loose skin and wrinkles and horizontal grooves, revealing the woody fragrance of the trees baked in the hot sun, and then it was the face of a young girl, just like that I am a fool He looked at the people in front of him changing faces one by one. In the end, what appeared in front of me was the original mask. No, maybe I should have said that was the real face, and I was foolish enough to think it was a mask. 'So, those are the ones wearing the masks? ' I asked with a trembling voice, and the man nodded slowly and with difficulty. When everyone around wears a mask, people without a mask will be regarded as wearing a mask. This is our logic. Although absurd, it is often very accurate. I thought I was smart, but I still couldn't get out of this circle. The man in front of him took out the human skin mask from the back of his head very sadly. It turned out that all the masks were controlled by a wire as thin as a hair. Through the manipulation at hand, they were pulled from the forehead, and the mask itself Very delicate, full of elasticity, smooth to the touch, and translucent. , I picked it up and sniffed it, and I smelled a familiar fragrance. 'This spice opens up one's pores, removes dirt and smoothes the skin, and it has a wonderful fragrance. The fat man's words echoed in his ears, and he thought of the eyes he had been looking at Li Duo all the time, and the people at the bonfire party didn't look like welcoming guests from afar, but like a celebration of harvesting prey. 'Oops. 'I yelled, ignoring the mask in my hand, and ran towards the village, but the man with the blue face grabbed me and handed the box into my hand.He pointed to the box, and then to the distance.I took the box and didn't have time to look at it, but ran straight back to the village. The banquet was over, but I didn't find Li Duo. The fat man was a little surprised that I had been there for so long, but I forced a smile, saying that the food was too rich and I was full, and he also smiled with ulterior motives. 'It's better to eat more, so that the skin becomes tighter. The fat man comforted me. I looked at him and suddenly thought of what kind of face should be under that mask. Fortunately, I found her among a bunch of girls. Those girls dressed in black cloth, with pretty but very dull faces, greedily stroked Li Duo's hands and face with both hands, and put on many headgear for her. I smiled and pulled Li Duo out from among them. 'What are they trying on jewelry and clothes for me? ' She was not very willing.I didn't have time to explain, I just said I had to leave quickly. But not now, because the outside is full of people, and like that fat man, all men have shining machetes on their waists. It was getting late, and I waited patiently for the moment when the night just fell, because at that time people's vision is the narrowest and they cannot fully adapt to the transition from light to darkness. Sure enough, those people began to rub their eyes a little bit. I found two sets of clothes from the room. The fat man asked us to change into them last night. I didn't really want to wear them, so I planned to keep them and take them away, but they are useful now. Li Duo and I changed our clothes, took out the masks in the box, and each chose one to wear.Although Li Duo was willing, he still put it on. It seems that the man already knew that I would need the mask in the box. Sure enough, we walked out carefully from the outside with our clothes and masks on, and the guards didn't notice the two of us. It's just that the feeling of wearing a mask is indescribable, as if a thick layer of wax has been applied, and the whole face feels heavy. It's strange that it is very difficult to wear a mask that is obviously very light, and breathing is also a little uncomfortable. From where we lived to the entrance of the village, it was a long way out of sight of the villagers. We tried our best to keep our heads down and walked on the side of the road. Occasionally, a few village women who passed by did not pay attention to us, just as a couple of young people. Just when I thought When he was about to escape from here, suddenly the fat man flashed out from the front. Still with a strange smile, he looked us up and down, but the knife in his hand had already been drawn. 'Dear guest, why are you leaving? Could it be that the food in the cottage is not to your liking? ' he said with a smile. 'why. ' I asked in a low voice.The fat man froze for a moment, then put away his smile. 'No reason, this is our way of life, even if you don't send it to your door, we still need to go out to hunt, you can't understand our pain, in front of no mask, everyone treats us as monsters, anyone We can be called pariahs, our life and death are not even worth a pig!And this is only because of the skin color and appearance that cannot be changed for generations in our village! ' The fat man shouted hoarsely, the knife in his hand shook, and the reflected moonlight was like a white fish, cruising around my feet. ' But I didn't think so, and the man didn't bring it either. ' I continued, but clutching the dagger in my pocket, ready to fight. 'That's his business. We didn't kill him, but we were afraid that he would talk nonsense, so we just changed the criminal law a little bit, because unless the clan committed a serious crime, we have no right to execute any clansman. In this regard, we are not like you We Han people only like to fight in the nest and kill each other. ' said the fat man with a sarcasm. 'However, I would like to thank you. If we hadn't accidentally learned the secret of changing faces and the method of making human skin masks, I'm afraid we would have to live in pain for the rest of our lives, including our descendants. My Chinese is also learned from that person. . ' the fat man continued. 'Who? ' I asked, and there was a man who knew how to make such an ancient mask. 'Anyway, you are going to die, let me tell you, he is also a man with a horrible and strange appearance, it is because I know that he also wears a mask, so I ask him for advice, not only for myself, but also for me The youngest daughter, when she saw her face for the first time, became insane.After I told him the reason, he was very happy to teach me, but when I asked about his origin, he just said coldly that I was just a worker bee that escaped from the hive, and then he stopped talking. When the fat man talked about his daughter, he suddenly showed a trace of sadness. 'So rest assured, I'll peel your skins and make the best masks, especially that girl, and I'll leave your face to my daughter, medicated, and your face will never be Isn't changing and being able to maintain your appearance forever the most anticipated thing for you women? The fat man sneered and approached with a knife. Just as I was about to fight, a person sprang out from behind, raised a stick, approached the fat man silently, and knocked him unconscious.The iron rod hit the fat man on the left side of the face, and the rough wooden pole scratched his face. With the little yellow light, I saw that half of the fat man's face showed a blue-brown face, and the round eye bulged out. , I really can't tell which is his face and which is the mask. Looking up, it turned out that the person who came was the man who lived in the wooden house, and he saved us again. Under the moonlight, his face became more menacing, but his eyes were very soft. He tried to smile, his changed cheekbones tightened, but his lips did not change. It turned out that his mouth had already been sewn tightly with wire. I smiled bitterly, walked over and stretched out my hand, but he looked at me strangely, and stretched out his hand uneasy. We shook hands tightly. Under his leadership, Li Duo and I finally walked out of the village. Still worried, we drove all night. We didn't find a small hotel to stay until we thought we had completely walked out of the mountain range.Although I was very worried about his situation after going back, I also invited him to leave the village that made human skin masks, but he shook his head firmly. I was afraid that the people in the village would chase me, so I had to give up. Maybe it was just like what the fat man said, they were Never kill your own people. I lay down for a whole day before I got up, Li Duo seemed very tired, I didn't wake him up, I opened the box by myself to look. It turned out that there were still a few yellowed manuscript papers in the box, which contained some words, but it was more like a few pages torn from a diary. Through those pages, I know that an expedition team came to that village a few years ago. After being raised by the villagers as livestock for a while, they were all skinned alive. His trembling and scribbled handwriting made people feel his fear, but unfortunately, it seems that the diary was not finished, and the blood stains on the last piece of paper indicated that he should also be killed.The diaries may have been collected by the only man who refused to wear a mask. In the end, inside the box was a broken ID that was blurred with blood. The photo on the ID was a smiling fat man with a red mole on the lower right of his mouth, the size of a grain of rice. Li Duo was quite frightened, so we had to stay in the small town for a few more days to find an opportunity before I wrote the story to you. Now I just want to find out the whereabouts of the man who can make human skin masks, because I vaguely feel that That person seemed to be related to the nightmare-using clan that his father tracked down before his death. "Ji Yan's letter ends here. Looking at the date, it is already a day ago. I couldn't help him, so I could only pray and bless him silently. I just walked out of the Internet cafe. I looked at the strangers around me. mask. Or, we all carry.