Zhixi bared her teeth and claws again and stepped forward to start a fight with me.
I really wasn't in the mood, but seeing the smile gradually return to her face was worth it.
After the fuss, Zhixi calmed down and suddenly asked me: "By the way, why are you alone again? Where are your two uncles?"
When I mentioned this matter, my mood became depressed again, so I briefly explained the matter to Zhixi.
She also stopped playing around and asked me in a low voice: "Then where are you going next?"
"When I return to the county town, I have to buy a mobile phone first, get a card reissued, and then discuss the procedure with the person named Liu."
"I'll go with you." Zhixi stood up and said.
"What are you doing with me? Are you going to cause trouble?" I asked.
Zhixi said coquettishly: "Oh, I'm not useless at all."
"At least, I can help you get something, give you a hand or something."
"You don't want to keep leaving me here, do you? I don't want it!"
That's what I thought, who knows what kind of tricks Wang Hu will come up with.
I said helplessly: "I told you a long time ago, give your parents a call. Jinling is not far from us. It's only an hour's flight away. Are you going to suffer this?"
Zhixi shook her head, looking carefree, going in one ear and out the other.
At noon that day, we returned to the county seat and had a brief conversation in Shaxian on the street. I bought a new mobile phone, got a new card, and contacted the family named Liu.
When I arrived at the address of the Liu family, I rushed there. When I was almost there, I saw a huge inflatable arch in the distance, with couplets in memory of the deceased posted on both sides of the arch.
Walking in, we walked through a small alley and came to the door of the Liu family.
At this moment, there is a group of neighbors watching the excitement.
I wasn't interested in this, so I pulled Zhixi and tried to squeeze in.
Zhixi grabbed me, with a look of excitement on her face.
"Let's listen first and see what's going on."
I have to say that it is the nature of every Chinese to watch the excitement.
I leaned against her and listened for a while, and from the content of the argument and the comments of others, I roughly understood what happened.
The deceased was Mr. Liu, who had three children in total during his lifetime.
The eldest daughter left the country a few years ago and has never had contact with her family again, which is considered to be a severed relationship.
From then on, the job of supporting the elderly fell on his two sons.
But unfortunately, each of these two sons is less promising than the other.
The person who contacted me was the third eldest child in the family, named Liu Zimin, who was a night shift security guard at a local chemical factory.
The second child's name is Liu Zidong, and his situation is slightly better than that of the third child. He has his own business in other places.
But the business was not doing well in the past two years, I lost all my pants, and I still owed a lot of debt.
The quarrel between the two this time was not because of the old man's death, but more about the old man's support during his lifetime.
Since the eldest brother moved abroad a few years ago and severed ties with the family, and the second eldest brother Liu Zidong lives in another place, the old man has always been taken care of by the third eldest brother Liu Zimin.
A few years ago, when Liu Zidong's business was still booming, he would give Liu Zimin monthly living expenses. Although it was not much, it was enough.
But in the past two years, Liu Zidong's business has declined and he can't make money. Liu Zimin doesn't earn much as a night shift security guard. In addition to his own family of four, he also has to support his father who is seriously ill in bed, so he can't make ends meet.
Therefore, in the past two years, Liu Zimin would call Liu Zidong and argue with him whenever he had something to do, asking him to take the money, but Liu Zidong just did it and was not even willing to come back during the Chinese New Year.
Until last night, Liu Zidong received a call from Liu Zimin. Hearing that his father was gone, he was so frightened that he rushed back from the field.
In Liu Zidong's view, his father's death must have been caused by Liu Zimin. Liu Zimin did not want to continue supporting this 'burden', so he resorted to tricks to kill his father.
Liu Zimin felt that he had supported his father for so many years and worked hard without complaint. His father's death this time was indeed due to his negligence, but he could not put all the blame on him.
He also asked Liu Zidong why he had not returned home for two years and whether he was planning to sever ties with the family just like his eldest sister.
Two people, two families, it's like a quarrel. You come and I go, and no one gives in to the other.
I have seen a lot of this kind of family ethics drama with Uncle Li over the years, and I have long been accustomed to it. On the contrary, Zhixi, the daughter of a wealthy family, watched it with gusto.
After understanding the ins and outs of the matter, I pulled her into the courtyard.
Liu Zimin is tall and thin, with dark and rough skin. When he saw me walking in, he first curiously asked me who I was. After I announced my home, Liu Zimin immediately smiled on his face.
Liu Zidong, on the other hand, frowned disdainfully.
His appearance is similar to that of Liu Zimin, but his figure is a bit bigger, with a big head and a thick neck. He is either a rich man or a cook.
"Mr. Duan? Are you at this age? I'm afraid you haven't even grown your hair yet, right?" Liu Zidong pointed at me and spoke unceremoniously.
After saying that, he asked Zhixi next to him: "And what does this girl do? Don't tell me she is a goddess!"
Before Zhixi could speak, I pulled her behind me and said, "This is my apprentice."
"Hey, a little guy who doesn't have all his hair can also take on an apprentice. It's interesting."
Liu Zidong walked towards me, holding a briefcase under his arm and looking like a rich man.
"Let me ask you, how much do you plan to charge for doing this for nothing?"
I held out two fingers: "Two thousand, as promised before."
"Damn it! Two thousand? It's really expensive! Isn't one thousand enough?" he said with a playful smile.
Before I could get angry, Liu Zimin hurriedly stepped forward and interrupted.
"Liu Zidong! You should have a nicer attitude when talking to Mr. Renxiao!"
"This is Li Duangong's apprentice in Hezi Village! He is very capable!"
"No matter how powerful he is, he is still a little kid!" Liu Zidong still looked disdainful.
"A person who eats the food of dead people dares to accept two thousand even if he opens his mouth? He is not afraid of retribution."
"Otherwise, aren't you very capable? Can you help me ask my father how he died? As long as you ask, I will give you these two thousand yuan, how about it?"
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that Liu Zidong is deliberately making things difficult for me, Liu Zimin said again.
"Liu Zidong, you've passed! I've already told you that dad fell to death because he didn't pay attention. You are making things difficult for me, young gentleman, are you sick?"
"Bah!" Liu Zidong pushed Liu Zimin: "Liu Zimin, I don't believe a word of your words!"
"I don't believe that dad can fall to death by himself. His death must have something to do with you!"
As he spoke, Liu Zidong waved his hand to the woman beside him, and she handed over her wallet.
Liu Zidong quickly took out twenty red bills from his wallet and waved them in front of me.
"As long as you can get my dad to talk, these two thousand dollars will be yours!"
I stretched out my hand and was about to take it, but Liu Zidong immediately retracted it. I frowned and forcefully held the wad of money.
Liu Zidong immediately became unhappy: "You haven't done anything yet? Let your hands go, there are no rules at all!"
I was too lazy to pay attention to him, so I raised my wrist, used a little strength, grabbed the money, and handed it to Zhixi.
Liu Zidong was so angry that he opened his mouth to curse, but I walked towards the mourning hall ahead of him, talking as I walked.
"This is not difficult to do. Come with me."
There was deathly silence in the backyard behind me!