Chapter 24 fifty-eighth night crack

"You know, some things are unexplainable, we can only observe their phenomena, we can only avoid them, but we can't get rid of them, just like the plague in the Middle Ages, and the rabies of today, all people can do is to avoid them as much as possible. In fact, this is a kind of Negative coping methods." Ji Yan smiled and put his hands behind his back, the sun on the balcony just shone behind him, I felt as if he was standing on the edge of light and shadow.Li Zheng's foot injury has healed by 80-90% since he came back, but he pays attention to exercise and goes out for long-distance running every day. I suddenly have a doubt, whether he can grow up again with the body of a child?

"Can't even you explain it?" I asked Ji Yan. "Of course, didn't Descartes say that the bigger the circle you draw, the more space there is outside, and the more you know, the more ignorant you are." Ji Yan sighed. "I have encountered such a thing, I have no way to face that phenomenon, it is not something I can solve. When I was in college, during the summer vacation, the students organized medical teams to the countryside to publicize disease prevention knowledge and provide some simple and effective medicines to people in remote mountainous areas for free.Don't underestimate these, perhaps these drugs are already outdated for people in the city, and those rich people often never refuse the high-priced drugs prescribed by doctors. In fact, that is tantamount to slow suicide. Imagine that the evolution rate of viruses is much higher Due to the speed of drug development, when the virus in the body is immune to any drug that day, it will only wait for death.

Conversely, simple penicillin can treat many diseases in areas where medicines are rarely used.Of course, for enthusiastic students, exploring the unknown is also very exciting, but unfortunately, the reality is always the opposite of the wish. It was a mountain village that was almost isolated, and the only connection to the outside world was a small path winding around the mountainside like a snake.The road is rugged and can only accommodate one car at most, so everyone chose to hike into the mountain.Fortunately, the weather was good, no rain. Because there are many places to go, the students were divided into several groups. The one who entered the village with me was a tall boy with a slightly fat body, like a door panel, but because he rarely walked this kind of mountain road, even if he was as strong as an athlete He was also sweating profusely.

The village is not big, there are less than a hundred people living here at most, and no one knows how long they have lived here. The people here seem to look a little different from the outside world, and they feel like they are very old, or just unearthed. Cultural relics, exuding a rotten breath.It is said that all the people in the village are sick, so there are no people who go out to exchange food and salt. Fortunately, there are a few homing pigeons in the village, so we were sent here by the village head.It was said that it was very hot that year, and it hadn't rained in this area for several months.

"Remember, I don't know if it's an infectious disease. You are all medical students so you don't need me to say more, but I still warn you that it's best not to touch anything when you go to that village, wear gloves, and don't eat or drink there. Water to avoid infection.” The dignified expression of the village head left a deep impression on me, although the village is under his jurisdiction, he himself has never been there.As for the account of the village, it was also left by the previous people. "The people there always make everyone feel weird." The township chief's assistant secretary said suddenly when he sent us out.

"Strange?" I asked him strangely, and the young secretary nodded. "They always seem to be very dry, and they seem to have never seen them drink water, and there seems to be no water source near the village, let alone wells, small rivers and the like." The secretary shook his head and was called by the village chief. went in.The secretary said that he had contacted the villagers who came out to exchange things, and thought they were very strange. As for himself, he had never entered that village. Looking at the situation here, I recalled the words of the mayor and the assistant again. I just wanted to remind the tall fat man. I don’t know his name, because it’s just from the same department. He seems to have no friends, and his personality is relatively withdrawn. He always sits alone in the corner of the classroom, but his figure is special, so I have a little impression of him.And when I told him my name and asked his name, the fat man laughed.

"You can call me Fatty. I don't have a name or a name." Fatty smiled, like a character in a New Year painting, with a cute and naive expression.Since he doesn't want to tell me his name, I guess it's okay. "Remember to wear gloves." I felt strange, it was obviously hot outside, but I felt a little cold when I entered the village.He quickly put on the rubber gloves, and threw a pair to the fat man. The fat man's hands were very thick, one size larger than ordinary people, so it took a lot of effort to stuff his chubby hands into the gloves. "It's uncomfortable, it's really uncomfortable to wear, it feels like it will break anytime." The fat man looked at me with a painful expression.I had no other choice, and I didn't prepare a pair of oversized gloves for him, so I had to persuade him to let it go.

This village is in the shape of a semi-circle, and dozens of families live here scattered. It is more like a street than a village.We did not find the village head here. It seems that there are no administrative units or institutions here, and the villagers have been living on their own for a long time.The whole village is frighteningly dry, with dry and cracked soil and walls everywhere. They sat outside the house with their mouths wide open, eyes squinted and looking at us for a long time. I even saw a A fly was flying on the arm of one of the young men, and he didn't even look at it, and didn't bother to drive it away.

"What do they live on?" I remember asking the head of the township, who shook his head, saying that every once in a while, people in this village exchange jade and jade materials for food and daily necessities. "Jade and jade?" I asked in surprise.The mayor nodded after listening. "But they are all unprocessed, and they are not expensive jade. Most of them are offered at very low prices. Although I find it strange that jade is not produced in this area." The township chief explained. Looking at it now, maybe there is really jade in the mountains behind the village.

Most people in the village sat in front of their houses with a dull expression, didn’t speak, just stared at us, there were old people and adults, it seemed that only young and innocent children were a little curious about our arrival. Once we walked over, they scattered in fright, and when they turned around, they gathered together and whispered behind us. "They don't seem to be the same as Mom and Dad." A child said in a childish voice. "Yes, yes, I don't know if they also have seams." The other sounded a little older, deliberately speaking in an adult voice, but it sounded more interesting.

Just don't know what they mean by seam. Finally, an old man was willing to let us in. She was about 70 or 80 years old. Her face was like a dry river bed. The wrinkles carved by knives were criss-crossing, and the blue blood vessels on her thin arms protruded one by one. Blood flows slowly inside.A pair of inverted triangular eyes full of gum looked at us and waved to us, "Come on! Come here!" "Auntie, we are medical students, and we sent medicine to the countryside during the summer vacation. I heard that people in your area are not feeling well, so we brought some medicine." The fat man was so good at talking, he walked over with me.The person next to him still didn't have any expression, just sat in the shade looking very tired and watched the two of us walk into the old lady's house. The house is very dark and quite dry. The ground is covered with loess, and when you step on it, you feel the friction under your feet. The room is empty, with only a clean stove, some dry food, and a few small wooden benches. "Everyone is not in a good mood recently. I don't know if they are sick." The old man suddenly said something, his voice was creaking and hoarse.I sat down with the fat man, no, it should be said that the fat man couldn't do it at all, because the small bench was not as big as half his buttocks, and it didn't look solid, so he simply put newspapers on it. I noticed that there were many cracks on the dry and shiny walls, and looked at the roof, there were also many, like spider webs, and I couldn't help but feel a chill, isn't this a dangerous building? The fat man comforted the old man a few words, then took out the medicine and handed it to her.The old man took the pill with trembling hands, looked at it, and then threw it aside.Doesn't seem to care much about this. "Here, what we need is not medicine. We need to go back to exchange for some food and salt. It's just that everyone can't walk. They can't leave the village." The old man said impatiently, and his speech became sluggish when he got excited.I had no choice but to walk out with the fat man and come back to receive it. "What do you think is wrong with them?" I asked the fat man, and he shook his head. "I don't know, I can't tell. It seems that they lack exercise. Didn't you notice that they are all thin, and their skin seems to be very dry, and the skin is very peeling." It seems that although the fat man's eyes are small, he pays attention to things But there are quite a few, but I also saw it, and I really don't know what the disease is. Although I talked to a few villagers later, they were still indifferent, and the only few words were that we would help them change their shoes and bring back their daily necessities. Time passed quickly, and the sun was about to go down, and I found that as the sun receded, the villagers seemed to become active.At the beginning, they were still sitting there like sculptures, and they also started to walk, chat, and get busy with their daily life, but they still ignored the two of us. "Shall we go now?" The fat man asked me suddenly, and I shook my head. After all, I haven't figured out what kind of disease the villagers are suffering from. It's too irresponsible to go like this. We can't just throw the medicine here and settle the matter. The purpose is to help them heal their diseases. "Great, I also want to stay and see more, it seems that this place is very strange." The fat man was very happy and excited when he saw that I agreed to stay.And I always feel a little uneasy watching the sun sinking gradually.Because the village head said that some people went to the mountains to collect wind or archeology before, but never came out again, so outsiders dare not stay overnight in this village.The fat man kept complaining that the gloves were uncomfortable, so I had to take them off with him. The night came quickly, and I found that the night in Laoshan was indeed very beautiful, and I could see a large number of stars that could not be seen in the sky of the city, so densely packed that I couldn't count them.The villagers also became enthusiastic and invited us to have dinner and stay overnight.After choosing, we went to a family of four. The point is that the fat man said that the girl from that family is very beautiful. She is indeed a very beautiful girl, about one or two years younger than us, but she is very well-groomed. Although the clothes are not fashionable, they are just ordinary farm clothes, but it is difficult to conceal her refined temperament and beauty. With a clean and white face, the facial features are placed just right. If she packs it in the city, she will definitely be no less than those stars.I didn't see her when I first came here, maybe she was hiding in the room, she was the one who dragged us to her house just now.Fatty hasn't blinked since he saw her, and I secretly laughed that Fatty might have taken a fancy to her. The girl's name is Hua'er, maybe it's a nickname, anyway, that's what his parents, a pair of honest-looking peasants, called her.There is also a naughty and cute little boy who seems to be Hua'er's younger brother. Dinner is very simple, a big bowl of bacon, fried beans with dried chili, and then a big bowl of rice.There doesn't seem to be any crops planted here, just relying on some villagers to go out to the outside market with jade regularly to exchange for the food that everyone needs.There is no water source in the village, and the people here don’t seem to know what it means to be thirsty. Luckily, the fat man and I brought some water with us, which should be enough for self-sufficiency. To the surprise of Fatty and me, this family is really good at eating.That painting alone can eat enough for the fat man and me.You have to know that the fat man's appetite is already amazing, and I naturally eat a lot, but seeing this girl who is not amazing in appearance actually swallows so much food is really pissed off a lot A city girl who only lost a few pounds a pound. Not just paintings, her parents and others eat a lot.And it's almost like pouring rice into our mouths. At first we thought they were hospitable and prepared so many dishes, but now we realize that it's just like this every day. But they are very thin, frighteningly thin, but Hua'er doesn't seem to be too thin, but rather plump, in stark contrast to her parents. The only thing that is quite normal here is the little boy. He doesn't eat much, and he is not as thin as his parents. It's just that he seems to be used to this kind of situation, eating his own food, slowly. The little boy blinked his big eyes and inserted the chopsticks into the rice bowl for an episode, and suddenly smiled and said to me. "Are you surprised? It's nothing. When I am the same age as my sister, I will eat so much, so the village has to exchange a lot of grain and meat every time." His casual words made me very puzzled. After eating like a frenzy, Huaer and her parents recovered and said sorry and made us laugh again and again.I feel more and more that they are not like ordinary villagers, but I feel that they seem to be very cultured and self-restraint.Because I saw some Chinese paintings and calligraphy hanging on the wall that was also broken and full of cracks. Although time can change a person's appearance and behavior, the habits and cultural heritage formed in his heart over the years are hard to erase, just like a wolf child raised by wolves, no matter how he changes, the wildness in his bones cannot be erased . This couple is obviously not an ordinary farmer. Although their hands are thin, they are very slender, and there are no calluses from long-term farm work. It's just that their skin is very dry, but Hua'er and her brother are not. After setting up our sleeping place, Hua'er was taken away by his parents.Who was on the wooden bed, I tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep. With the moonlight, I lingered on the bed for a long time, and just turned my head, only to find Hua'er's younger brother standing beside me with a smile and looking at me, which shocked me. "Get up, I'll show you something to watch." He was still smiling, with a weirdness and maturity that didn't match a child of this age.I had to follow him out of the room. "What are you going to see?" The child walked faster and faster, leading me on the street outside the village. Now it is very quiet outside, only the sound of the wind and our footsteps can be heard. I suddenly remembered that the fat man was still sleeping there. , I don't know if he fell asleep. The boy didn't look back, but said impatiently: "What's the rush, I'll be there soon." He pointed happily and pointed ahead. "It's right there, my sister is there." I felt strange when I heard it, why the boy brought me to see her sister. The front seems to be the back of the village, and it seems to be a kind of altar, which is very old and made of stone, and many of them have been severely worn by wind and sand.I walked over and saw Hua'er, his parents, the old lady and young people I saw during the day, and many villagers were there.But Hua'er's younger brother told me to stay as far away as possible, and lie down behind the stone to watch. These people rolled up their sleeves, and the moon was very bright that day. "You are so lucky, the moon is fine today." The boy looked at me mockingly again, but I ignored him and continued to look at the villagers. Especially Hua'er, her skin is very good, reflecting the white cold light under the moonlight, her white and slender arms are like fluorescent tubes, with the smoothness of porcelain. "There will be gaps in Hua'er today, so please sit down and witness that she can also do something for the village." Hua'er's father seemed very happy, and raised his hand holding Hua'er for everyone to see. The villagers don't seem to have much expression. Soon, I saw the cracks, and finally understood why those kids said there were no cracks in us. Hua'er's ceramic-like arm began to have a black hair-like crack, then two, then three, the whole hand seemed to be broken by a hammer, but there was no painful expression on her face.Not just her arms, her fair face started to crack, her ankles, I guess maybe her whole body cracked. A painting is like a porcelain figure that has been broken and put back together. Then, the cracks gradually increased, and finally began to fall off. Like rain, the white skin fell to the ground piece by piece, more and more, and finally turned into a fist-sized crystal on the ground, shining white. Looking at the painting, she seemed to have been stripped of a layer of skin. Although she was still very fair, she seemed to have lost a lot of weight and looked very weak. Then the villagers also began to have cracks, and they all fell more or less powder fragments, and they also turned into large and small stone-like things, but there was no beautiful crystal piece painted on them.And also became as weak as a picture, very thin. After I read it with my mouth open, the villagers picked up the stones. Could it be that they rely on those so-called jade materials in exchange for food?Isn't that human skin?I'm getting more and more confused, and how do they go out? Doesn't it mean that people in the village haven't come out to exchange things for a long time. "The recent sun is very strong, we can't go out, or we will be cracked by the sun outside." Finally, Hua'er's mother bowed her head and said. "The weather is getting hotter and hotter. It used to be fine. You can barely go out, but this year you can't leave the village anymore, and even you have stayed here for more than ten years, and you are not used to going outside at all." An old man next to him said to Said the painting father. "Didn't two young people come here today, ask them to change for us." Hua'er's father suggested, and even talked about Fatty and me. "But at most, let someone help us once, what will we do in the future." Hua'er's mother said in embarrassment. "Then just turn them into us too. Isn't that what you are? Isn't it good to live carefree in this village?" An old man next to him giggled and took the conversation. Said the father who was painting. I was startled, and looked back at the child, who was still looking at me with a smile on his face. "They're trying to make you and the big guy look like Mom and Dad, with some cracks." He seemed to be joking, but I didn't find it funny. "How about this, leave this matter to your family, and let them help us exchange food in the future. They didn't grow up in the village, so they are less dependent on the village and can withstand the light outside." The former old man It seemed that the attitude was very firm, and the people beside him also agreed, and Hua'er's parents nodded helplessly.I felt that they seemed to be breaking up, so I quickly asked the boy to take me back. Along the way, the boy said to me with a smile. "I haven't grown up yet. If I were the same age as my sister, I would be able to fall off beautiful stones and exchange them for food and supplies for the family." "Don't you think this is funny?" I couldn't help asking him. "Of course, everyone in this village is like this. Is there anything wrong?" He opened his eyes and looked at me strangely, as if it was me who was wrong, and what he said was logical.I don't want to argue with the child, I just want to wake the fat man up and get out of here. Back at Hua'er's house, the fat man was still sound asleep. When I woke him up and told him everything, he also groaned. "It really is a strange village, I said." He looked around at the walls around him.I told him that now is not the time to sigh, just leave quickly. But when we were discussing how to leave, Hua'er's family had already entered. "You don't have to be afraid, we didn't intend to harm you." Hua'er said lightly. Their family looked kind and friendly, not like other villagers, and I felt more and more that they were different from those people. "Actually, you should have seen it too. I came here to sketch and play more than ten years ago. I heard that there is a very strange village here, so I came here curiously, but I never went back." Painting The son's father, the honest-looking middle-aged man, spoke slowly.Fatty and I listened attentively. "When I came to this village, I was as curious as you are. Later, I learned that the villagers here have lived like this for generations. There are no crops or water sources here. People in the village like dryness and hate humidity. , because if they drink water or touch water with their skin, they will not be able to make jade and jade materials for survival. As you saw just now, they have a special ability, and the things that come off their bodies are actually jade materials , and the quality of jade depends on the quality of human skin. They eat a lot, but they can't get nutrition from every corner of the body. Instead, jade components are magically formed on the surface of the skin. It was time to peel off and exchange for food. When I planned to leave, it turned out to be too late. I don’t know what the villagers did to assimilate me. Later, I found that I could no longer adapt to life outside. I was afraid of violent Sunshine, because the overheated fiber optics will dry us out and turn us into mummies. The weather was not hot before, and we only went outside to change food when the temperature was lower after it rained, but it has not rained for a long time this year Everyone dare not leave the village. So, they said they want to assimilate you too. Since you didn’t grow up in the village, you should be able to withstand the hot temperature and sunshine outside.” He shook his head helplessly. "Now I am also numb, especially in the village I married a wife and gave birth to Hua'er and her younger brother. This child has grown up here completely. In a few years, he will be like those people It's gone." Hua'er's father looked at his wife, then patted the boy's head, and said helplessly. "Let's go, we won't harm you two. Although the food in the village has been used up, in a few days, everyone will starve to death in the village." Hua'er said softly.I think she is very pitiful, she has no ability to choose her fate at all, she even dare not think about it, because as long as she leaves here, I am afraid she will have to live in the shadows for the rest of her life. The scene became silent.At this time, the fat man suddenly stood up. "I promise to help you, you can assimilate me, but let my classmate go." His words surprised me. Hua'er's family was also surprised, looking at him casually and gratefully. "But, how to assimilate?" The fat man asked them with a smile.I quickly stood up and supported him. "Are you crazy? Just leave with me." "No, actually I'm a little tired of staying in that world, it's fine here." The fat man smiled and broke free from my hand. "You should leave here as soon as possible, I stayed here to help the people living here." The fat man stopped smiling suddenly, and said with a serious face: "Did you forget the purpose of our coming?" At this time, I suddenly remembered that we were originally here to solve the so-called illnesses of the villagers here.But I didn't expect such a solution. When I left Hua'er's house at dawn, I saw Hua'er peel off a white flake from his arm and the fat man swallowed it. After leaving that village, I told the village chief not to send people to that village again, but I didn't say the reason. Also, the fat man told me that his name is Min Shu. "Ji Yan finished speaking, although his words were a little sad, but he quickly said with a relaxed tone: "You know, when I went back to that town later, I actually saw Fatty. He used the material to exchange things, but he had already lost weight, and there was a piece of jade at his feet that was much larger than other jade stones.He told me that he and Hua'er were married, and his wife was pregnant and would give birth soon, so he had to come out several times to exchange for some necessary things.It seems very strange, he can adapt to the climate and environment here, maybe some things are like this, can't explain clearly, the only thing I know, he seems to be happy, at least, it seems to be. "