Chapter 4 The third ray of light

Before the applause was over, laughter had already sounded. The applause is crisp, and the laughter is even crisper. A person came out from under the car with laughter, with a bright smile and bright eyes. A bright, beautiful, delightful woman.Although her body and face are covered with dust, it doesn't seem that she looks dirty. There is a kind of woman who looks like a fresh red bayberry just picked under any circumstances, and Zhang Jiejie is this kind of woman. She clapped her hands and said with a smile: "Chu Xiangshuai really deserves his reputation, and he really can deceive people without paying for their lives."

Chu Liuxiang smiled and bowed. Zhang Jiejie said with a smile: "So no matter how old a woman is, she must never listen to Chu Xiangshuai's words, women from eight to eighty years old are no exception." Chu Liuxiang said: "There is only one exception." Zhang Jiejie said, "Who?" Chu Liuxiang said: "You." Zhang Jiejie said: "Me? Why am I an exception?" Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "Because if you don't lie to me, I'm already very grateful, how dare you lie to you?" Zhang Jiejie pursed her lips and said, "Have I ever lied to you?...What did I lie to you? Tell me!"

Chu Liuxiang said: "I can't tell." Zhang Jiejie said: "Hmph, I knew you couldn't tell." Chu Liuxiang smiled and said: "After you have lied to someone, you can still ask someone to say no, that's really your skill." Zhang Jiejie stared at him, the circles of her eyes suddenly turned red, and then tears began to flow down slowly. Chu Liuxiang was a little strange again, and couldn't help but said, "Are you crying?" Zhang Jiejie gritted her teeth, and said bitterly, "I cry when I'm sad, is this also against the law?" Chu Liuxiang said: "Are you sad? Why are you sad?"

Zhang Jiejie wiped away her tears, and said loudly: "I saw that you were tricked by someone else, so I immediately hid under the car, trying to wait for a chance to save you. I don't know how much I suffered and how much dirt I suffered along the way, but in the end I ended up in trouble again." what?" Her tears started to fall again, and she continued, sobbing and crying: "Instead of showing any gratitude to me at all, you want to mock me with sneering words, I...how can I not be sad..." The more she talked, the more sad she became, and she really cried out. Chu Liuxiang was stunned.He only knew that she was a girl who was good at laughing, but he never thought that she was also good at crying.

In Chu Liuxiang's view, a woman's tears are simply more terrifying than the hidden weapon of a bat boy. No matter how powerful a hidden weapon is, you can at least dodge it.The woman's tears can't even hide. No matter how powerful a hidden weapon is, at most it can only punch a few holes in your body, but a woman's tears can break your heart. Chu Liuxiang sighed, and said softly: "Who says I don't appreciate you, I am extremely grateful." Zhang Jiejie said: "Then...why didn't you say it?" Chu Liuxiang said: "True gratitude should be kept in the heart, it's meaningless to say it."

Zhang Jiejie couldn't help laughing through tears, pointed at Chu Liuxiang's nose, and said with a smile: "The old man is really right, you really have a glib mouth that can deceive women." Chu Liuxiang said: "Don't forget that the old man is also a man, and what a man says is unreliable." Zhang Jiejie smiled and said: "He is indeed an old fox, and his martial arts are not weak." Chu Liuxiang said: "But it's not as good as that old woman, so it's no wonder he is afraid of his wife." Zhang Jiejie said: "Do you also think that the old woman's acupuncture technique is very good?"

Chu Liuxiang said: "If you only look at acupuncture techniques, she can already be ranked fifth." Zhang Jiejie said: "In this way, she should be a famous martial arts master?" Chu Liuxiang said: "It must be." Zhang Jiejie said: "Others say that Chu Xiangshuai is the most knowledgeable, so they must have already seen her background?" Chu Liuxiang said: "No." Zhang Jiejie said: "I can't even see it at all...you think about it more carefully?" Chu Liuxiang said: "Don't think about it, it doesn't matter who the couple are."

Zhang Jiejie said: "Why?" Chu Liuxiang said: "Because they will never trouble me again in the future." Zhang Jiejie said, "What's important?" Chu Liuxiang said: "The important thing is, who told them to come? Where is that person?" Zhang Jiejie said: "Why didn't you ask them just now? Why did you let them go so casually?" Chu Liuxiang said: "If I ask them, will they tell me casually?" Zhang Jiejie said: "No." She thought for a while, and added: "If they are the ones who can easily reveal the secret, that person won't send them to deal with you."

Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "You are really different from other women, your mind is very clear." Zhang Jiejie raised her face and said, "Are you trying to flatter me again? I'm not as easy to be fooled as others." Chu Liuxiang sighed, "Don't you think I'm telling the truth if I scold you?" Zhang Jiejie glared at him and said, "Even if they can keep their mouths shut, you should have a way to make them talk." Chu Liuxiang smiled wryly and said, "This couple is at least one hundred and thirty to forty years old together, should I hang them up and torture them?"

Zhang Jiejie said sweetly: "Although you are not a good person, you are not such a person!" She suddenly sighed again, and said: "Now that they have left, it seems that I have no choice but to accompany you back to find my friend." Chu Liuxiang said: "That's not necessary." Zhang Jiejie widened her eyes and said, "No need? Don't you already have a way to find that person?" Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "Although I can't find it, someone can find it." Zhang Jiejie's eyes widened, and she said, "Who?" Chu Liuxiang pointed forward with his hand and said, "It."

Zhang Jiejie looked along his hand and saw the mule pulling the cart.The mule was grazing grass by the roadside with its head down. Zhang Jiejie let out a "puchi" laugh, and said, "It turns out that it is also your friend." Chu Liuxiang said: "Mules have at least one advantage, mules can't tell lies." Zhang Jiejie smiled and said, "But it is just like you, it can't speak human language." Chu Liuxiang said: "It doesn't need to talk." He suddenly asked again: "If I left suddenly and left you here alone, where would you go?" Zhang Jiejie was stunned, and said: "I can go anywhere, I have at least a thousand places to go." Chu Liuxiang said: "What if there is nowhere to go?" Zhang Jiejie said, "Then I'll go home." Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "Yes, of course you want to go home, and you must know the way home." He went on to say: "Besides humans, there is another animal that knows its way home." Zhang Jiejie said: "Horse." Chu Liuxiang said: "Yes, the old horse knows the way. No matter where you leave the horse, it will find a way to go home." Zhang Jiejie smiled and said, "Maybe it depends on whether it is a stallion or a mare!" Chu Liuxiang said: "The stallion has no choice but to go home. It has no other place to go, because there are no brothels or wine shops for horses in this world." Zhang Jiejie's eyes gradually lit up, and she said, "You mean... this mule can also find its way home?" Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "Don't forget that half of mules are horses, and they are smarter than horses." Zhang Jiejie blinked and said, "You go home with it, do you want to visit its donkey father and horse mother?" The mule walked in front, and Chu Liuxiang and Zhang Jiejie followed behind. As they walked, Zhang Jiejie suddenly laughed and bent down. Chu Liuxiang couldn't help asking, "What are you laughing at?" Zhang Jiejie said, "Laugh at myself." Chu Liuxiang said: "I don't see anything ridiculous about you?" Zhang Jiejie said: "I'm kidding myself for being an idiot." Chu Liuxiang also laughed, and said, "Why did you suddenly become so humble?" Zhang Jiejie said: "If I'm not an idiot, why do I have to walk behind a mule's ass?" Chu Liuxiang said: "That's because I want to find the owner of this mule." Zhang Jiejie said: "How do you know that the owner of this mule is the one who wants to kill you?" Chu Liuxiang said: "I don't know, that's why I have to try my luck." Zhang Jiejie looked at him, shook her head slowly, and said: "It is said that if a person is lucky, he will definitely have bad luck. Why should I accompany you to go to bad luck?" She blinked and said again: "No matter what, at least I haven't hurt you, have I?" Chu Liuxiang touched his nose and said, "You really haven't." Zhang Jiejie said: "I'm a woman, you are a man, you should have heard this saying whether men and women can kiss each other?" Chu Liuxiang said: "I have indeed heard of it." Zhang Jiejie said: "So you can't hold me back, you must let me accompany you?" Chu Liuxiang sighed and said, "I really can't." Zhang Jiejie said sweetly: "Since that's the case, I'm leaving. I don't want to wander around with a mule or an idiot." She patted Chu Liuxiang's shoulder, and said with a smile: "When you are really killed by someone, don't forget to inform me, I will definitely rush to burn incense sticks for you." After finishing the last sentence, her The person was already seven or eight zhang away, and he turned his head and shook his hand at Chu Liuxiang, and then he suddenly disappeared. Chu Liuxiang suddenly discovered that her lightness kung fu was very high. If there were only ten thousand people in this world, she might be much better than the other nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight people.There are only nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight, because there is Chu Liuxiang among them. But now even Chu Liuxiang couldn't catch up with her. Chu Liuxiang sighed, and murmured: "If I was really killed by someone, how could I inform you?" He found that every word the girl said seemed to be like this, half-truth, half-false, paradoxical, making it impossible for others to guess her intentions anyway. "What is she really like? What does she mean to me?" If it is said that she has malicious intentions, she has indeed never harmed Chu Liuxiang, and she has always revealed some secrets to Chu Liuxiang. She hid under the car, as if she was waiting for a chance to save Chu Liuxiang, but if it wasn't for her, how could Chu Liuxiang get into the car full of lettuce?How could he be fooled by that pair of old foxes? Chu Liuxiang sighed again, she only hoped that she would not be as unlucky as she said, and only hoped that this mule could help him, go home obediently, and take him to see that person.He really wanted to ask that person, why did he want to kill him? Sure enough, it returned home, back to its hometown - "Yuanji Luoma". A large mule and horse house with all kinds of donkeys, mules, and horses. Chu Liuxiang followed it for a long time, as if she really wanted to see its donkey father and horse mother. Could it be that Zhang Jiejie had already guessed this result?It seems that if a person follows the mule, there is indeed no result. The mule was already wagging its tail, triumphantly going to find its relatives and friends. Chu Liuxiang was the only one standing there in a daze. It took a long time before he could laugh, and murmured with a wry smile, "This mule must be a female mule too." There is a restaurant, Wu Fu Lou, diagonally opposite the Luoma. Chu Liuxiang sat upstairs by the window, and when she drank the fifth glass of wine, she suddenly realized that she was an idiot.An out-and-out nerd.True, he knew now that someone was trying to kill him, but he was still alive. "Since he wants to kill me, why don't I wait for him to kill me? Why should I work so hard to find him?" Chu Liuxiang drank the sixth glass of wine, and drank it very quickly, because this wine was not good wine, at least it was much worse than the wine he had hidden. "Even a mule knows how to go home, why should I stay poor outside?" Chu Liuxiang decided to stop drinking the twelfth glass of wine. "Go to Xiao Hu first, and then go home." There is not only good wine waiting for him at home, but also many gentle and lovely people waiting for him. He decided that this time he must stay at home for a while, take a good rest, and enjoy himself.He does have a right to enjoyment. Shiguanyin, Wuhua, "Jellyfish" Yinji, Thrushbird, Gongnanyan, Xue Yiren, Xue Baobao, Master Dry Plum, Batman... None of these people are easy to deal with. If Chu Liuxiang hadn't relied on some luck to help, she might have died seven or eight times by now. As soon as he began to think about the past, he couldn't help thinking about it. "I can ignore other things, but I can't just watch her die for me." Suddenly there was another shadow in his heart.Still the shadow of that hand. Suddenly, a hand stretched out from the side and stretched out in front of him. A very beautiful hand with slender fingers, as soft as boneless, slowly lifted the wine pot on Chu Liuxiang's table. The wine glass is empty. Chu Liuxiang didn't look up, just watched the wine slowly flow out from the jug, filling the glass. The wine glass is empty again. Chu Liuxiang still didn't look up. He has already seen a set of water-red dress and smelled a familiar fragrance.That was enough for him to recognize who the man was. Ai Hong. Chu Liuxiang really didn't expect her to appear again, so she suddenly smiled and said, "You have changed your shoes." With her hands hanging down, she gently lifted the hem of the skirt, revealing a pair of delicately embroidered shoes with thin and soft soles. With such a thin sole, there is absolutely no hidden weapon inside. Chu Liuxiang nodded and said with a smile, "Very beautiful, these are the shoes that girls should wear." The sharp-eyed shopkeeper has already placed another pair of cups and chopsticks. Chu Liuxiang said: "Since you are here, why don't you sit down and have a drink?" Ai Hong sat down. It was only then that Chu Liuxiang realized that her face had become much paler than last time, and her expression seemed to have become a little more melancholy. She couldn't even see the playful smile on the corner of her mouth, and her brows were always furrowed, as if there was something Very serious. Girls are sentimental, who has no worries?But Ai Hong doesn't seem like the sentimental kind of girl. Chu Liuxiang poured a glass of wine for her, and said with a smile, "Are you still thinking about that shoe? The shoe is still in the hands of my friend under the table. I can go and get it back for you at any time." Ai Hong lowered her head, as if very disturbed. Chu Liuxiang laughed again: "Don't worry, my friend admired your shoes, but he didn't hide them under the table this time." Ai Hong bit her lip, and finally drank the glass of wine in front of her. Chu Liuxiang took a piece of fried bell with her chopsticks, put it on the soy sauce dish in front of her, and said, "Drinking on an empty stomach is the easiest way to get drunk. The dishes here are not bad. Try it first." Ai Hong suddenly raised her head and stared at him, her beautiful eyes were full of melancholy and pain. A girl like her shouldn't be in such pain. Chu Liuxiang handed the chopsticks to her hand, and said softly, "Eat something first, and then I'll drink with you, okay?" Ai Hong suddenly sighed softly, and said, "Are you always this gentle when you talk to women?" Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "That depends on what kind of woman she is." Ai Hong said: "What kind of woman am I?" Chu Liuxiang didn't answer, but just stared at her appreciatively. This kind of vision can often make girls happier than a hundred ugly and beautiful words. But Ai Hong's eye circles turned red instead, she looked even more sad, she lowered her head and said, "I'm not Ai Qing's younger sister." Chu Liuxiang said: "I know." Ai Hong said: "I lied to you and wanted to kill you. I am a very bad woman at all. You don't have to be so polite to me." Chu Liuxiang smiled and said: "I have long forgotten about the past, because I know that it is definitely not what you meant." He suddenly found a very strange thing, Ai Hong's left hand was hidden in the sleeve all the time, and he never raised it. Ai Hong said: "What if I mean it myself?" Chu Liuxiang said softly: "Even if it's your own will, I don't blame you. For a naive and beautiful girl like you, no matter what she does, others can forgive her." He suddenly took Ai Hong's left hand.Ai Hong's complexion immediately changed, becoming paler.Chu Liuxiang's face also changed. There is a part of the sleeve empty, and Ai Hong has lost a hand. Now Chu Liuxiang finally knew whose hand was on the windowsill. Young girls often regard their appearance as more important than their lives. Even if they have a scar on their hand, it is already very painful, let alone losing a hand? Chu Liuxiang not only sympathized with her, but also felt sad for her. He had indeed forgiven her long ago. If she avoided him and was found by him again, or if she still felt that all men were stupid when she saw him, then the situation might be different. But if a poor girl full of melancholy came to him and poured wine for him, no matter what she did to him, he would never take it to heart. Even if he is a man. Chu Liuxiang is always quick to forget other people's faults, but he can't forget anyone's good points, so not only must he live a happier life, but he must also live a longer one. People who have no hatred in their hearts always have an easier life. After a long time, Chu Liuxiang sighed softly, and said sadly, "It's because you didn't kill me that they did this to you?" Ai Hong lowered her head and said nothing, but her tears were already dripping down the wine glass in front of her. Chu Liuxiang said: "Who did this?" Ai Hong bit her lip hard, as if she was afraid that she would reveal the secret in her heart. Chu Liuxiang said: "You still dare not say so? Why are you so afraid of her?" Ai Hong was indeed afraid. She looked not only in pain, but also in fear, and her whole body was trembling with fear. Not only had the man cut off one of her hands, but he obviously could have killed her at any moment. Chu Liuxiang couldn't imagine that anyone could be so cruel to such a young girl, but if it wasn't for him, Ai Hong wouldn't have encountered such misfortune. He suddenly felt very angry. Chu Liuxiang seldom gets angry, because anger always easily affects people's judgment, and people who get angry are always the most likely to do wrong things. But he is human after all, there are always times when he can't control it, not to mention the time when he is not in a good mood and his mood is not stable. He had already forgotten about going home to enjoy himself, he suddenly stood up and said, "Sit here and wait for me, I will be back soon." Ai Hong nodded, looking at him tenderly, as if she had regarded him as the only person she could rely on. She came this time not only to ask for Chu Liuxiang's forgiveness, but also because she already felt lonely and helpless. Chu Liuxiang understood what she meant. So there was something he had to do. The men of the Mule and Horse always seem to have been infected with a little bit of mule temper, so they don't seem to be as friendly as those who do other businesses. As soon as Chu Liuxiang walked in, a guy who didn't look too friendly came up to him and said, "Does the guest want to pick a horse? Or buy a mule? The ones we sell here are guaranteed to have the best legs." That's a polite way of saying it. Chu Liuxiang said: "I just want to inquire about some news." Hearing that it's not business, you don't even need to be polite. The man said coldly: "We only have news about animals here, but no news about people." Chu Liuxiang smiled and said, "I just wanted to inquire about a mule." The man looked at him coldly, and finally restrained himself from saying anything harsh. Chu Liuxiang said: "An unattended mule ran in just now, did you see it?" The man said, "Why, is that mule yours?" Chu Liuxiang said: "It's not mine, it's yours." The guy's face became a little better now, and he said, "Since it belongs to us, why do you ask?" Chu Liuxiang said: "But of course you sold this mule once, I just want to ask who bought it?" The man suddenly pointed his hand forward and said, "Have you seen how many mules are there?" Chu Liuxiang saw that there were indeed many mules in the rear fence. The man said: "Mules are not like people. Some people are ugly and some are handsome. Mules are all the same. We don't know how many mules we have to sell in a day. How do we know who the mule is for?" The guy looked impatient, obviously ready to end the conversation. Chu Liuxiang had no choice but to use his last weapon, which was also the most powerful. Even if you use this kind of thing to punch a hole in someone's head, that person might thank you with a smile——besides silver, what other thing can have such a great magical power? The buddy immediately became more friendly, and said with a smile, "I'll go check it out for you again. If the mule is branded with a mark, maybe we can find out who its previous buyer was." There is no brand mark on the mule, and the whole body is smooth and smooth, without even a stray hair. Chu Liuxiang sighed, and was ready to give up this clue. But he still couldn't help asking: "Is this mule running in from outside just now?" The man laughed and said, "Although I can't tell whether a mule is ugly or handsome? But I can always tell if a mule is good or bad. Like this mule, I can recognize it half a mile away." Chu Liuxiang said: "This mule is not bad?" The man said: "Very good, you may not be able to find such a good mule in a thousand mules, so..." "So" suddenly disappeared, but the eyes were looking at Chu Liuxiang's hand. Chu Liuxiang's hands are seldom disappointing. That's why the guy went on talking, and said with an apologetic smile: "We usually only sell such good animals to regular customers." Chu Liuxiang's eyes lit up, and she immediately asked, "Are there many regular customers here?" The clerk laughed and said, "How can such a big name survive without a dozen or so regular customers?" He went on to say: "Wansheng, Feilong, and Zhenyuan are all our regular customers, but the biggest customer has to be the 'Wanfu Wanshouyuan' Jin family." Chu Liuxiang said: "The Jin family's livestock are also bought from here?" The man said: "Every year when we bring in livestock from outside the pass, we always ask the young masters and ladies of the Jin family to pick the best..." Chu Liuxiang was moved and said, "Did the Jin family buy this mule? Can you be sure?" The man nodded and said: "Other family's livestock must have been branded with marks, in order to prevent them from getting lost, but the Jin family is so powerful, not to mention that no one dares to touch their plants or trees, even if they are really lost. A few animals, they don't care at all." Chu Liuxiang said: "So only their animals don't have brand marks on them, isn't it?" The man said: "So I think this mule is probably lost by their family." Chu Liuxiang was stunned. There are some things that he would never have thought of in his dreams, but now he has thought of them. When he came here this time, didn't it mean that only people from the Jin family knew about his actions? Didn't this incident happen in the Jin family in the first place? What's more, apart from the Jin family, there is no one else nearby who can use such great power, command so many masters, and lay so many traps. At least Chu Liuxiang hadn't heard of such a powerful figure nearby. But why did the Jin family kill Chu Liuxiang? Chu Liuxiang is not only a friend of Jin Lingzhi, but also helped her and saved her life. It's just that the Jin family has too many people, and the elements are inevitably complicated. Among them, there may be Chu Liuxiang's former enemies, and even Jin Lingzhi doesn't know about it. But according to Jin Lingzhi, she only told the old lady Jin about Chu Liuxiang's whereabouts, and even her brothers and uncles didn't know about Chu Liuxiang's birthday celebration this time. Is the golden ganoderma lying? Could it be Mrs. Jin Tai is the mastermind of this matter? Chu Liuxiang's heart was extremely disturbed, the more he thought about it, the more confused he became, and he couldn't calm down after a long time. If he is plotted against by the enemy, he will always be the best at keeping calm. But being plotted against by a friend is another matter. The guy suddenly let out a long sigh, and murmured: "Unexpectedly, in broad daylight, someone would dare to do such a lawless thing." He seemed to be expressing his own emotion, but also seemed to be telling Chu Liuxiang. There was no one else here, so Chu Liuxiang had to ask, "What's the matter?" The guy said: "Kidnapping." Chu Liuxiang frowned and said, "Kidnapped? Who kidnapped? Who's kidnapped?" The man sighed: "Several burly men tied a little girl into a frame, and in broad daylight they actually tied her out of the restaurant opposite and put her into a carriage. With so many people on the street, even one dared to meddle in her own business." None of them." Chu Liuxiang was moved and said, "What kind of little girl is she?" The clerk said: "A very pretty little girl, she seems to be wearing a red dress..." He wanted to continue talking, but unfortunately the person he was talking to suddenly disappeared again. Chu Liuxiang has rushed over. Although he moved quickly, he was still a step slow. He didn't see those burly men, nor did he see the carriage. He only saw a fruit vendor picking up loquats all over the ground, cursing endlessly, and a child looking at him. The broken oil bottles and eggs on the ground wailed loudly. Dust heads rose in the distance, and the neighing of vehicles and horses could be heard faintly. Both the loquat and the eggs must have been knocked over by the carriage. There was a man on the opposite side who was leading a horse towards the mules and horses. Chu Liuxiang took out an ingot of gold and rushed to put it in the man's hand. The man had already jumped on the horse's back. Before this person figured out what was going on, Chu Liuxiang had already left. He has always been the most efficient in doing things, never talking nonsense, and never doing things that are muddled. So if he really wants something, you have nothing to do but give it to him. Most people in the Jianghu know how to choose a horse, because everyone knows that a good horse can not only be your good companion at ordinary times, but also often save your life in the most dangerous time. If Ma could also choose a rider, he would definitely choose Chu Liuxiang. Chu Liuxiang's riding skills are not the best, and he doesn't ride a horse much. But his body is very light, so light that the horse can hardly feel that there is a person on his back. And he rarely used a whip. He would not use violence against any living thing. No one hated violence more than he did. So it's not a very good horse, but it's still running fast. Chu Liuxiang was lightly attached to the horse's back, as if she had become a part of the horse. Therefore, when the horse is running, it is almost at the same speed as when it is not riding. It stands to reason that at this speed, he should be able to catch up with the carriage in front very quickly. A horse is pulling the car, and there are several people in the car. No matter how fast the horse is, its speed will be much slower than usual. It's a pity that there are many things in the world that don't make sense. Chu Liuxiang chased for a long time, but not only did he not catch up with the carriage, he even lost sight of the dust raised by the carriage. The sun is setting towards the west. The main road divides here, with one going to the left and the other going to the right. Chu Liuxiang stopped at the three-way intersection. There are trees beside the road, and under the biggest tree, there is a small stall selling wine. More people sell alcohol than buy it. Because at this time, there was only one person resting and drinking here, but the wine sellers were a husband and wife. The boss was holding a child by his hand and carrying a child on his back. The husband is forty-five years old, but the wife is still very young. So the husband is a little afraid of his wife. So the husband is holding the baby, but the wife just sits aside. Chu Liuxiang got off the horse, and the proprietress stood up, and said with a smile: "The guest officer wants to drink a bowl of wine, the best Zhuyeqing." She seemed to smile sweetly, and she didn't seem to be ugly—maybe this was the biggest reason why her husband was afraid of her. Chu Liuxiang didn't even dare to look at her more. First, he never had the habit of looking at other people's wives. Second, after two days of good luck, he almost died. Now as long as it is a woman, he looks a little scared. He deliberately went to see the boss, and said, "Okay, if you have wine, have a bowl." The proprietress said: "How about some stewed vegetables? The beef is only stewed in the morning." Chu Liuxiang said: "Okay, it's beef." The proprietress said, "Half a catty? Or a catty?" Chu Liuxiang said: "Whatever." He has good habits - he never argues with any woman, so the landlady smiled even sweeter, busy cutting meat and pouring wine. It is indeed Zhuyeqing, but it looks like yellow mud. The meat has been marinated for at least three days. Chu Liuxiang still didn't care about it, let alone argue. He hadn't come to drink. He still looked at the boss; said: "A carriage passed by just now, did you see it?" The boss did not speak, because he knew that his wife liked to talk, especially with young and wealthy guests. He also knows that the more he talks, the more small bills he gets. The proprietress said: "Many carriages pass by here every day, but I don't know what kind of carriage the guest officer is looking for?" This time, Chu Liuxiang was stunned, he didn't even see the shadow of the car. The proprietress blinked, and said again: "Just now, a carriage rushed over like a funeral, as if someone had just died in the family and rushed back to collect the body. It didn't even stop for a drink." Chu Liuxiang's eyes lit up, and said, "Yes, it's that one, but I don't know which way it's going?" The lady proprietress pondered, and said: "It seems to be a black painted carriage with two horses, it seems to go to the left..." She grinned and said again: "Guest officer, why don't you sit down and drink first, and wait for me to think about it." It seems that the proprietress's way of attracting business is not wine and beef, but her smile. She's always been good at it. It's a pity that it didn't work this time. When she smiled the sweetest, Chu Liuxiang was two or three feet away with her horse and man, leaving only a small piece of silver. He no longer wanted any woman to have a good impression of him. The proprietress bit her lip and said bitterly: "So you are going to mourn again, are you rushing to die?" Dusk, after dusk.The road became more and more rugged and difficult to walk, as if entering the mountains again. The sky suddenly darkened. The trees gradually became dense, and even the stars and moonlight could not be seen. Chu Liuxiang suddenly found that she was lost, she didn't know where this place was, nor where the road led to. What's worse, the little thing he ate in the morning has long been digested, and now his stomach is as empty as Hu Tiehua's pocket. It's not that he can't be hungry, even if he doesn't eat for two or three days, he will never collapse. He just doesn't like being hungry. He always feels that the two most terrible things in the world are hunger and loneliness. Now it's too late to go back the same way, the only place with something on this road is the small wine stall at the intersection of the three forks. It will take at least an hour and a half to walk back from here. Chu Liuxiang sighed, and began to miss the stewed beef that was harder than a stone. Look at the dark tree shadows, gloomy rocks, and listen to the distant sound of the wind and the sound of running water... He felt that he was really unlucky. But of course he is not the most unlucky person, Ai Hong is much more unlucky than him. She was missing a hand and was kidnapped again. It is not known who kidnapped her, let alone where she was tied up. And Ai Qing. Ai Qing's experience may be even more tragic. Chu Liuxiang rubbed her nose and smiled wryly to herself. He suddenly discovered that he was also a "disaster", and there were very few girls who were kind to him who were not unlucky. The sound of running water was heard in the wind, as if those girls were crying. Chu Liuxiang caressed the horse's mane, and murmured: "It looks like you're tired too, why don't you drink some water first." When he walked to the spring, he saw the little house by the bridge. Small bridges, flowing water, and people. This is a beautiful, poetic picture. It's a pity that Chu Liuxiang doesn't even have a bit of poetry now. In his eyes, the most beautiful picture in the world is not as moving as a bowl of braised pork. A wisteria rose on the low bamboo fence, and there were still lights peeking through the dim yellow window paper. The smoke from cooking on the roof is graceful, and in addition to the aroma of flowers, there seems to be the aroma of scrambled eggs with chopped green onions in the wind. In addition to the sound of running water, there is another sound. The sound of Chu Liuxiang's stomach growling. He got off his horse and went to knock on the door. The person who answered the door was a thin and short little old man. He didn't open the door yet, but just hid behind the door and looked Chu Liuxiang up and down, his eyes were like a frightened rabbit. Chu Liuxiang sang a fat promise, and apologized with a smile: "I miss the old man, I wonder if I can stay overnight at my husband's place, and I will be on my way tomorrow morning. I will be rewarded a lot." This sentence seems to have been heard from a storyteller when he was young, but now he can speak it fluently, and it seems to be very effective. He thinks his memory is really good. The words worked, because the door was opened. This little old man is actually not old, he is only in his forties, and he has lost all his hair. His name is Bu Tanfu, he is a woodcutter who chops firewood, and sometimes he also trades some pheasants and rabbits for wine. Today he happened to kill a few rabbits, so he was drinking at night. He drank slowly but ate food quickly, so he asked his daughter to scramble eggs with Calais. He smiled and said, "Maybe it's because of drinking that I have the courage to open the door. Otherwise, how could I let a stranger in casually in the middle of the night?" Chu Liuxiang could only listen and nod. Bu Tanfu laughed again and said, "Although I don't have any valuables here to fear being robbed, I do have a beautiful daughter." Chu Liuxiang couldn't laugh anymore. Now he is not afraid of anything, only beautiful women. If you have someone to accompany you, drink faster. Once you drink too much wine, your pride will come. Bu Tanfu's face turned pale, and he said loudly, "Juan'er, hurry up and bring that half rabbit to drink." From the room inside, there was a voice full of complaints and protests, saying: "Don't you old man have to wait until tomorrow for dinner to eat the half rabbit?" Bu Tanfu laughed and scolded: "Stingy, don't be afraid that the guests will hear the joke, so quickly bring it out, there is no need to cut it, we will tear it up and eat." He shook his head again and said with a smile: "My daughter is called Ajuan. She is good at everything, but she has never seen the world. I am really worried that she will not be able to marry in the future." 楚留香连头都不敢点了，一听到小姑娘要嫁人的事，他哪里还敢答腔？ 一个布衣粗裙，不着脂粉的少女，已端了个菜碗走出来，低着头，撅着嘴，重重的把碗往桌上一搁，扭头就走。 楚留香虽然不敢多看，还是忍不住瞄了一眼。 卜担夫并没有吹牛，他的女儿的确是个很漂亮的女孩子，长长的头发，大大的眼睛，只不过脸色好像特别苍白。 害羞的女孩子大多是这样子的。 她既不敢见人，当然也就见不到阳光。 楚留香转过头，才发现卜担夫也正目光灼灼的看着他，眼睛里仿佛带着种不怀好意的微笑，笑问道：“你看我这女儿怎么样？” 人家既已问了出来，你想不回答也不行。 楚留香摸了摸鼻子，笑道：“老丈只管放心，令爱一定能嫁得出去。” 卜担夫道：“若嫁不出去呢？你娶她？” 楚留香又不敢答腔了，只恨自己为什么要多话。 卜担夫大笑，道：“看来你倒是老实人，不像别的小伙子那么油嘴滑舌，来，我敬你一杯，这年头像你这么老实的小伙子已不多了。” 卜担夫醉了。 一个人若敢跟楚留香拼酒，想不醉也不行。 “看来你倒是个老实人……这年头像你这么老实的小伙子已不多。” 楚留香几乎忍不住要笑了出来。 他有时被人称作大侠，有时被人看作强盗，有时被人看作君子，有时被人看作流氓……但被人看作个“老实人”，这倒还是平生第一次。 “他若知道我究竟有多'老实'，一定会吓得跳起来三丈高。” 楚留香微笑着，躺了下去。 躺在稻草上。 这种人家当然不会有客房，所以他也只好在堆柴的地方将就一夜。无论如何，这地方总有个屋顶，总比睡在露天里好。 他若知道在这里会遇到什么事，宁可睡在阴沟也不愿睡在这里了。 夜已深，四下静得很。 深山里那种总带着几分凄凉的静寂，绝不是红尘中人能想得到的。 虽然有风在吹，吹得树叶嗖嗖的响，但也只不过使得这寂静更平添几分萧索之意。 白天经过了那么多事，在这么一个又凄凉，又萧索的晚上，躺在一家陌生人柴房里的草堆上面。 你叫楚留香怎么睡得着？ 他忽然想起了小时候听那说书先生说起的故事：“一个年轻的举人上京赶考，路上错过宿头，投宿到深山里一处人家，年迈的主人慈祥而好客，还有个美丽的女儿。” “主人看这少年学子年轻有为，就要将女儿嫁给他。他也半推半就，所以当夜就成了亲。” “第二天早上他才发现自己睡在一个坟堆里，身旁的新娘子已变成一堆枯骨，却仍将他送的聘礼的玉镯戴在腕上。” 楚留香一直觉得这故事很有趣，现在忽然觉得不太有趣了。 风还在吹，树叶还在嗖嗖的响。 如此深山，怎么会有这么样一户人家？ “明天早上，我醒来时，会不会也是躺在一片坟堆里？” 当然不会，那只不过是个荒诞不经的故事。 楚留香又笑了，但也不知为了什么，背脊上还觉得有点凉嗖嗖的。 幸好卜担夫没有勉强要将女儿嫁给他，否则他此刻只怕已要落荒而逃了。 风更大，吹得门“吱吱”发响。 月光从窗外照进来，苍白得就像是那位阿鹃姑娘的脸。 楚留香悄悄站起来，悄悄推开门，想到院子里去透透气。 他一推开门，就看到了这一生永远也无法忘怀的事。他只希望自己永远没有推开过这扇门。 星光朦胧，月色苍白。 那位阿鹃姑娘正坐在月光下静静的梳着头。 少女们谁不爱美，就算在半夜里爬起来梳头，也不能算是件很稀奇的事，更不能算可怕。 但这阿鹃姑娘梳头的法子却很特别。 她将自己的头拿了下来，放在面前的桌子上，一下一下的梳着。 月光照着她苍白的脸，苍白的手。头在桌上。人没有头。 楚留香全身冰冷，从手指冷到脚趾。他这一生从来也没有遇见到如此诡秘，如此可怕的事。 这种事本来只有在最荒诞的故事才会发生的。他做梦也想不到自己会亲眼看到。 阿鹃姑娘的头突然转了过来——用她的手将她的头转了面对着楚留香，冷冰冰的看着楚留香。 “你敢偷看？” 四下没有别人，这声音的确是从桌上的人头嘴里说出来的。 楚留香胆子一向很大，一向不信邪，无论遇着多可怕的事，他的腿都不会发软。 但现在他的腿已有点发软了。他想往后退，刚退了一步，黑暗中突然有条黑影窜了出来。 一条黑狗。这条狗竟窜到桌子上，竟一口咬住了桌上的人头。 人头竟已被狗衔走。还在呼叫：“救救我……救救我……” 卜阿鹃已没有头。没有头的人居然也在哀呼：“还我的头来……还我的头！”