No matter what the villagers said about Dalang Zhan being heartless, little Yao didn't worry at all.
Just looking at Zhan Dalang, whose face was slightly pale, little Yao said distressedly: "It's just a dog. It's a blessing for it to be eaten by my son."
"Xiaoyu will never let you go!" Erlang clenched his hands tightly into fists, eyes red, and glared at Zhan Dalang angrily.
Rhubarb was raised by Zhan Feiyu, but he also grew up with Erlang and Sanlang. Rhubarb was lost, and Erlang searched for it over and over again in the village. He shouted until his voice became hoarse, and secretly wiped his tears at night. Unexpectedly, Rhubarb actually
He was beaten to death by Da Lang.
"Bad guy!" Little Niuniu shouted in a sweet voice, walked over and kicked Zhan Dalang with her leg, and ran back again.
"Third brother, how did you teach Niuniu? How dare you kick her cousin!" Little Yao screamed, but little Niuniu was only three years old. She was so angry that she lowered her raised hand unwillingly.
Zhan Laosan stepped forward and hugged Xiao Niu Niu, and said in a cold voice: "Niu Niu also knows that she feels sorry for Da Huang, and she is much more conscientious than Da Lang!"
"That's right, Second Sister-in-law, you should think about how to explain to Xiaoyu!" Ma said protectively, patted Erlang on the shoulder, and the family of four went back to the room.
After sending Erlang and Xiao Niuniu back to the room to play, Ma curled his lips disdainfully, "Dalang is also stupid. He dares to kill Dahuang without fear of Xiaoyu's revenge!"
"It's all because of the second brother and second sister-in-law." Zhan Laosan pulled up a chair and sat down. He had a lot of opinions about the second room.
Ma took the half-mended trousers over, poked two needles and said, "Da Lang is considered a scholar, but he hangs out with scoundrels like Liu Fu and Zhou Tian."
Zhan Laosan was just about to tell Erlang that he would definitely break Erlang's legs if he dared to act like this, when Ma complained, "I didn't even mention leaving a bite for Erlang when eating dog meat. My brothers don't even care. If you ask me, Da Lang is the one."
The most heartless!"
Zhan Laosan stared at the indignant Ma family in shock, wondering if she was so angry because Erlang didn't eat the meat? Such a stupid woman turned out to be his wife!
Zhan Feiyu did not retaliate, and the villagers were not surprised. It was a pity that Rhubarb died, but after all, it was a dog, and even if it died, Zhan Dalang and the others could not be made to pay with their lives.
In the dark night, a thunder broke the silence of the night, and the wind roared like a wild beast. The villagers who were awakened from their sleep turned over and went back to sleep.
There was a creak, and the slight sound of the door opening was obscured by the sound of the wind.
In the pitch-black night, Zhan Feiyu couldn't see his fingers, but he felt no fear or cold, and walked directly towards a house in the village.
Zhou Tian slept so deeply that the thunder did not wake him up.
Liu Fu, who was captured by Inspector Ma, was released in the afternoon. He was only detained for two days and did not suffer any punishment. Inspector Ma did not care about the killing of Dahuang at all. Zhou Tian, who had been worried for several days, finally fell asleep.
Sleep peacefully.
Zhan Feiyu stuffed the lit incense into the room through the crack of the door. After waiting for a moment, he took out a weak dagger and opened the door bolt bit by bit...
The water has leaked! A shout broke the silence of the night, and then the sound of the copper basin being knocked woke up the neighbors. When I looked out the window, I saw a fire shooting into the sky.
"Quickly put out the fire!"
"Get the bucket, and take the wooden basin from home with you!"
"Master, put on your cotton-padded jacket before going out."
The raging flames lit up the sky, and the wind and fire burned even more fiercely. When the villagers saw the intensity of the fire, they knew that they could not save it.
"Where's Zhou Tian?" Muramasa was moved back several steps by the fire.
Although the shabby house Zhou Tian lives in is in the middle of the village, it is not adjacent to the houses in the front, back, left and right. Just be careful not to let the sparks burn other houses.
After hearing Muramasa's words, the chaotic crowd became quiet for a moment, and everyone looked left and right looking for Zhou Tian.
"I didn't see it. He must have been burned to death, right?" The man putting out the fire put down his bucket and wiped his face. His house was the closest and he was the first to arrive, so he never saw anyone.
It was a cold night, so Zhou Tian must have been sleeping in bed. Looking at the fire that spread all over the sky, only the beams and walls of the two rooms were burned. Everyone was about to be burned to death.
"Burned to death?" The villagers couldn't help but look at the burning house.
Muramasa's face suddenly turned dark. The Chinese New Year will be celebrated in about ten days. People in the village were burned to death. This new year will be unlucky!
"Isn't it because Dahuang was burned to death?" A sharp and mean voice rang out, and after little Yao finished speaking, he hid in the crowd.
"Second Brother Zhan, take care of your wife!" The irritable Muramasa shouted angrily. He couldn't argue with a woman, so he could only glare at Second Er Zhan angrily, "If she keeps talking nonsense like this, she will be killed tomorrow.
Send me to my third aunt to learn the rules!"
The third aunt is also a member of the Zhan clan. She worked as a maid in a wealthy family in her early years, and later became a nanny. She was childless and finally returned to the village to take care of herself. Now she is seventy years old, and she is the most strict in educating women.
When the girls grow up, people in the village will send them to the third aunt to teach them a little bit about how to stay in the house, how to get along with their husbands, how to deal with their mother-in-law, their sisters-in-law, and how to get along with their sisters-in-law. There is profound knowledge in this.
"Cun Zheng, my wife is awake and confused." Zhan Lao Er was humiliated in public, but he could only endure it. Now he has lost his reputation in the village. Even ordinary villagers look down on him, let alone Cun Zheng.
Zhan Laoer.
Little Yao didn't dare to speak, but these words made a knot in the hearts of the villagers.
No matter how much they didn't like Zhou Tian, a scoundrel, they had watched Zhou Tian grow up with hundreds of meals. It was always a pity that a life was lost like this.
"Ah!" Suddenly, a villager standing in the corner was startled. He took a closer look by the firelight and said, "Zhou Tian is here!"
Zhou Tian got up after being woken up by everyone, and stared blankly at the still burning house. He had no idea how he slept outside and why his two rooms were on fire.
Uncle Wang, the barefoot doctor in the village, was also here. He took Zhou Tian's pulse and checked again that there were no external injuries.
As soon as he raised his head and met the fiery gazes of the villagers, Doctor Wang's mouth twitched and said, "Munzheng, Zhou Tian is fine. He has a strong body, but he is a little angry."
"Zhou Tian, are you really okay?" the gossipy aunt asked.
Zhou Tian nodded, "It's okay." There was no pain anywhere in his body.
"The house is burned down, but people are fine. If it's not revenge, who would believe it." Little Yao added another insulting sentence, looking at Tian Tian's violent expression at that moment under the fire, he smiled proudly, "If it weren't for
Killing for life, Zhou Tian was probably burned to ashes by the fire."
When Muramasa heard this, he laughed angrily, wishing he could slap little Yao in the face for life and death.
"I don't know how Xiaoyu and I dragged Zhou Tian out of the house and then set fire to his house!" Pushing aside the crowd, Li Shi walked forward with a livid face, holding her hair in her hand before she could
The combed Zhanfei fish.
Little Yao's expression was scornful, but he was unwilling to accept it and muttered: "Anyway, Zhou Tian only offended Xiaoyu."
"Younger's family, what are you talking about? Fengyu and I went out together." The aunt who lives next door to Li's family said something fair.
Unable to stand the troublemaker-like little Yao, the aunt raised her voice and said, "Zhou Tian is not dead. He was dragged out of bed and thrown into the corner without even knowing it."
Zhou Tian is a young man in his early twenties, and Li is not tall. How could a woman move Zhou Tian, not even with Zhan Feiyu?
"That's true." The villagers nodded in agreement. How strong can Li's mother and daughter be?
Seeing that no one believed her, little Yao glanced out of the corner of his eye and said with a pinched neck: "She doesn't have the strength, but there are people who do!"
Everyone followed Little Yao's gaze and saw Boss Zhan standing on the left. He had been doing farm work all year round. Boss Zhan was indeed very strong.
"Last night when I went to Zhuzhu, Dalinzi slept in my house!" Boss Zhan said with a dark face.
Seeing Xiao Yao repeatedly pouring dirty water on Li and Zhan Feiyu, Boss Zhan suddenly realized that the family he was protecting did not regard his wife and daughter as a family.
The mentioned Zhuzhu said loudly: "Brother Dashan and Dalinzi, I and I are discussing a trip to the mountains to see if we can set up a trap and catch some hares or something to celebrate the New Year!"
The three of them talked until it was completely dark, and there were all grown men on the left and right. It was a good thing that they could sleep with a quilt, otherwise Boss Zhan would not be able to explain tonight.
The little Yao who finally instigated was scolded severely by Muramasa again, so he didn't dare to talk nonsense.
The wind stopped, the fire was completely extinguished, and the villagers went back to catch up on their sleep. God knows how the fire started. It was so strange.
…
Zhou Tianren was fine, but his house was burned down and his belongings were gone. He was also a sneaky scoundrel, and no one in the village was willing to help him. In the end, they had no choice but to let him live temporarily in a half-shattered shabby house in the village.
Pacing back and forth in the room, Widow Liu said uneasily: "Fu'er, is it really that girl who is taking revenge on you?"
"Mom, I asked Brother Tian, and he really didn't know what was going on, but Sister-in-law Li couldn't stop Brother Tian." Liu Fu was a fool, and he didn't think it was Li or Zhan Feiyu who did it.
As for Boss Zhan, he was an honest man and would not have set fire. Besides, Zhuzi, Dalinzi lived with Boss Zhan that night, so it was impossible for him to do it.
Widow Liu was still worried, so before going to bed at night, she locked the door of the main room, and moved a chair behind it because of her worries.
If someone knocked on the door at night, the sound of a chair falling to the ground would definitely wake her up.
But Widow Liu's house was still burned down. Fortunately, there was no wind tonight. Halfway through the fire, Widow Liu woke up, screamed Liu Fu's name, and mother and son ran out as if running for their lives.
The villagers who came later helped put out the fire, but Widow Liu's room was burned, and the kitchen where the food was stored was also burned. Only the main room and Liu Fu's house were left intact, and were destroyed by the thick smoke.
Blackened.
There were two fires in succession, and the old patriarch was also alarmed. The villagers did not think it was an accident. How could it be such a coincidence.
"If you ask me, it must be that damn girl who caused the trouble." Little Yao Shixi was drinking porridge while snoring, and couldn't help but talk about this matter.
Although Mrs. Ma didn't want to see little Yao, she still gossiped and echoed excitedly: "Zhou Tian and Liu Fu beat Dahuang to death, and the house was burned down. The third one will be our house. If it is burned down, it will be ours."
Yes, it must have been done by Xiaoyu!"
"Shut up! Eat your steamed buns!" Zhan Laosan looked at the dancing Ma family with a dark face and speechless. This stupid woman, is she happy when her home is burned down?
Old man Zhan also had a dark face. He knew that his daughter-in-law was stupid, but he didn't know that she could be so stupid.
Zhan Lao Er showed a loving attitude to defend Zhan Feiyu, "This is so strange, Xiaoyu shouldn't be so cruel. Zhou Tian only has one piece of clothes left now. Widow Liu's house still has two rooms, but there is no food.
It’s gone, and most of our belongings have been burned. I don’t have anything to eat or wear in this winter, and I don’t know if I can survive it.”
Since Mrs. Zhan became mute, she has become skinny and skinny, with a sullen face all day long, and her eyes are even more sinister, which makes people feel chills in the back when she looks at them.
When he heard about the fire in the two houses, Mr. Zhan's hand holding the chopsticks shook, and the pickles fell off the table with a clatter.
It wasn't that dead girl, but it must have been the person behind her! Thinking of her numb, swollen and sore throat, Mrs. Zhan's cloudy old eyes were filled with fear and uneasiness.
"You really burned people to death. The Yamen must investigate. This girl is very smart. She is killing without blood!" Little Yao was sure that it was Zhan Feiyu who set the fire. His eyes were rolling, waiting for him to eat.
After dinner, she went to bask in the sun under the big banyan tree and talk about this incident.
Little Yao was feeling proud when suddenly half a bowl of whole grain porridge was thrown over her face, "Ah! Mom, what are you doing!"
The Zhan family members who were eating around the table also looked at Mrs. Zhan with an empty bowl in astonishment. The children of Dalang Zhan at the table next to her also turned their heads to look over.
Old Mrs. Zhan was talking ahhhhhhhhhhhh, her stern eyes were so scary that it was scary, she stared at little Yao Shi, and she was shouting ahhhhhh twice.
Little Yao wiped his face, trembling with anger, and complained sharply: "How can I wash my hair in this cold day!"
After Mrs. Zhan became mute, her authority in the Zhan family gradually disappeared, otherwise little Yao, the daughter-in-law, would not dare to yell at her.
"Mom told you not to talk nonsense. The village will investigate who set the fire." Zhan Laoer guessed what Mrs. Zhan meant. Mom was afraid of offending that damn girl and causing trouble for the family.
Thinking about Erfang's reputation in the village now, although Zhan Laoer was unwilling to give in, he could only endure it. Damn girl, she was good at studying, the village leader, and the old patriarch were all protecting her.
Besides, there is no evidence for arson. If little Yao goes out and talks nonsense, it will only make people think that the second wife doesn't want to see that damn girl.
Mrs. Zhan was not allowed, and little Mrs. Yao insisted on going out to talk, but she could only boil a pot of hot water and wash her hair first. Who would have thought that before her hair was dry, Mrs. Ma would hug little Niuniu happily
ran out.
The rare good weather in winter, with the sunshine shining down, is so warm that it makes people drowsy, but everyone in the village gathered under the big banyan tree is in good spirits.
"Okay, please be quiet." Muramasa spoke, raising his hand to signal these gossiping women to quiet down, and then looked at Widow Liu and Liu Fu, "Ms. Liu, tell me about the fire last night.
.”
Widow Liu's eyes were swollen from crying. If she hadn't been supported by a woman, she might not have been able to stand.
Liu Fu was stealing all day long. Widow Liu was afraid that he would harm the family's things, so she put all her belongings in the cabinet in her house and locked it with a big lock. Who would have thought that it would be burned down by a fire?
.
"I was choked by the thick smoke and woke up..." Widow Liu choked up and told the story.
Muramasa frowned and asked, "You said you bolted the door to the main room before going to bed and put a chair against the back of the door. When you ran out, the door bolt and the chair were all in good condition."
"Yes." Widow Liu nodded. After the fire, she immediately suspected that Zhan Feiyu had taken revenge on Dahuang.
But after the fire was put out and she calmed down, Widow Liu felt that something was wrong. The door bolt was in good condition, so the person who set the fire couldn't hide in the house from the beginning and wait for her to fall asleep before setting the fire.
But after the fire started, I took Fu'er and ran into the yard, but I didn't see anyone running out of it.
Widow Liu's words were like a drop of water falling into a hot oil pan, and the villagers started chirping again, "Isn't it haunted?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? There's nothing weird about it." Some villagers shook their heads in disbelief.
"Could it be the ghost of Dahuang who came to take revenge? Otherwise, their family was burned down!" Ninety percent of the women present believed this speculation.
Zhou Tian was not injured, but he slept in the corner from the bed. The widow locked the door, but the fire still started. Isn't that evil enough?
With a flick of the eye, everyone in the village looked at Ma. Could it be the Zhan family's turn to be the third one?
While eating fried peanuts, Ma spit out the peanut shells and said confidently: "It all depends on what I do. I didn't kill Dahuang. If I want revenge, I will go to Da Lang and burn down the second bedroom!"
No matter what the villagers think, no one doubts Zhan Feiyu and Li anymore, and most of them speculate on ghosts.
The superstitious old lady even asked Widow Liu to go to the mountain to burn some paper and place it as an offering. If that didn't work, she would ask a Taoist priest to help her.
…
Five days passed in a flash.
Zhan Feiyu went home at dusk and greeted everyone in the village politely.
"I don't know what Lao Zhan's family is thinking." Looking at Zhan Feiyu walking past, the aunt carrying a basket shook her head, "My father-in-law said that if Xiaoyu was born in our family, he would sell pots and steel to help her study.
"
The woman who was collecting clothes in the yard next door came to the door and answered with a smile, "Who says it's not the case? Although Xiaoyu is a girl, she will get married well in the future, and the eldest wife has no son, so she will definitely have to drag the second wife with her.
Third cousin."
"Don't you know? I heard that the matchmaker from the county came to the village yesterday and wanted to be a matchmaker for Mr. Li." Another woman came out of the yard and lowered her voice and said, "I heard that Mr. Li refused. I just said she
If there is no reconciliation, even if there is reconciliation, I will not marry again, I will just live my life with Xiaoyu."
Mrs. Li's reputation is really good in the village. She is kind and generous, and she is good at everything. The only thing is that she has not given birth to a son, but having a good daughter like Xiaoyu is better than having ten sons.
"Zhan Dashan is also a good person, but he is too filial. Who doesn't know that the old Zhan family prefers two and three bedrooms?" The aunt carrying the basket shook her head disdainfully. Even if the eldest family has no son, the old couple can keep it with the eldest family.
Have a good life.
Now that the situation is like this, Mrs. Zhan is mute, and Old Zhan is carrying a hoe to work in the fields at an old age. He is partial to two and three bedrooms, which is of no use.
"Do you think Lao Zhan's house will also catch fire?" As soon as these words were said, the three women couldn't help but look in the direction of Zhan's house. Now only Mr. Zhan was left.
"Mom, I'm going to take a shower first." Zhan Feiyu came back from private school early today. He took advantage of the dawn to take a shower and wash his hair, and his hair was dried by the time he went to bed at night.
Mrs. Li brought in another bucket of hot water and put the gourd and gourd on the lid of the bucket. "Remember to heat the water and wash it faster. You are not dirty either."
"Mom, I know!" Zhan Feiyu smiled cheekily, asking her to take a bath like the villagers once a month, which would definitely not work.
"Okay, I'll cook some food first." Mrs. Li closed the door and walked into the kitchen.
Because it’s the end of the year, every household’s dinner time has been postponed. After all, there are a lot of things to prepare for the New Year, especially since the weather has been good these two days, which is perfect for starching quilts and clothes.
"Fire!"
“Lao Zhan’s house was burned down!”
A shout of excitement and excitement rang out, and the villagers who were eating ran out with bowls in their hands. After waiting for several days, they finally got it!
"Grandpa Muramasa, Zhan Dalang's house has been burned down!" Shanwazi screamed and ran to Muramasa's house to report the news.
Dahuang is dead. These friends who played well with Zhan Feiyu hated Zhan Dalang to death, but he was kicked out of the private school. Shan Wazi and the others couldn't find a chance to take revenge.
As soon as the dishes and chopsticks were put down, Muramasa stood up and walked outside. The guillotine hanging above his head was finally put down. Fortunately, it was not dark yet, which was much better than crawling out of bed in the middle of the night. If he was frozen a few times, his old
My bones probably won't be able to hold on anymore.
The aunt next door banged on the courtyard door, and shouted to Ms. Li who opened the door: "Old Zhan's house is on fire, let's go over and take a look!"
Mrs. Li also heard the shout just now, and Wen Sheng refused, "Xiaoyu is taking a bath in the house, so I won't go there to avoid getting into trouble."
"Okay, I'll talk to you when I get back." The aunt also knows that Zhan Feiyu loves to be clean. I guess all scholars are like this. In this cold weather, she has to wash her hair and take a shower every seven days.
Fortunately, the Li family moved out. Otherwise, Mrs. Zhan would have scolded the two of them to death for such a waste of firewood.
The wooden house where Boss Zhan lived was a bit far away from Lao Zhan's house. Zhuzhu ran over and shouted, so Boss Zhan followed him.
The air was filled with the smell of fireworks. The north wing of the second room was burned. Two sleeping rooms among the three rooms were burned. All clothes and quilts were burned.
But it's a little better than Widow Liu's family, at least Lao Zhan's family's food is fine.
"That dead girl must have set the fire!" Little Yao cried, her face was covered with black marks, and her hair was a little burned by the flames, but she was not injured.
Zhan Laoer's face was gloomy and ugly. Although copper coins and other things could still be found from the ashes, the bed and wardrobe in the second room were all burned, as were all the clothes and shoes. It cost money to buy them.
Old man Zhan stood in the yard smoking a dry cigarette in a daze, but he did not stop little Yao from cursing. The fire was put out in time and did not affect the house next to it. But if you have to spend money to buy things for the second house, the third house will definitely be noisy.
Looking at the messy house, she thought that in the cabinet were new cotton-padded clothes for a family of four to wear during the Chinese New Year, costing her more than a tael! Little Yao felt sad in her heart, and cursed with a ferocious face, "That damn girl is so cruel.
Heart, isn't it just a dog, does she still want us Da Lang to pay for it with her life?"
"Don't say this nonsense. Xiaoyu was still washing his hair at home when I came. Besides, you and your family are all here. Why did Xiaoyu enter the second room and set fire?" The aunt shouted to Mrs. Li, and Zhan Feiyu proved his innocence.
It was possible to falsely accuse someone of setting a fire in the middle of the night, but it was not dark yet and more than ten members of Lao Zhan's family were at home. Who could sneak in and set a fire? Are all the dead people in the house?
Muramasa and the two clan elders walked out of the burned house. The fire was extinguished in time. Although the furniture, clothes and quilts were burned, the walls were still in good condition. Just buy some white ash and plaster it.
"Okay, second brother, please keep your mouth shut." Muramasa looked at the crazy little Yao family and was considerate of her mood without scolding her, but he still had to say what needed to be said.
Cun Zheng was talking to Xiao Yao, but his eyes were on Zhan Lao Er, "This fire has nothing to do with Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu is a scholar. If you slander her reputation, don't blame the village clan for giving Xiao Yu
Fish out!"
"Murmasa, I was just talking to Uncle Hu outside, and no one entered the Zhan family's yard." Dalinzi said.
His mother was going to the county to buy some New Year's goods tomorrow. Dalinzi happened to run into Uncle Hu who was driving the cattle cart back. The two of them were standing outside Zhan's yard talking. If someone slipped in, Dalinzi and Uncle Hu would definitely see it.