Thirty years ago, Gaohe Village was still quite backward and poor. Most of the people in the village relied on farming to make a living.
This year there was a drought and no crops were harvested. Many villagers had to go out to work in order to survive. Shangguanwen was no exception.
It was a lightly raining morning. With his wife and daughter seeing each other off in tears, Shangguanwen left Gaohe Village carrying a small rag bag.
More than a year passed. As the New Year approached, Shangguanwen returned to Gaohe Village carrying large and small packages of gifts.
"Old Uncle Liu, I'm back." Shangguanwen shouted to an old man sitting at the entrance of the village.
The old man seemed to have seen a ghost. He stood up and returned to the house.
Shangguanwen was stunned. He thought: What's wrong with old Uncle Liu? Don't he recognize himself? It's impossible. Although he had a haircut and shaved his beard, his appearance has not changed. Shangguanwen thought for a long time and couldn't do anything. Figure it out.
"I guess it's because Old Uncle Liu has suffered from Alzheimer's disease again." Shangguan Wen smiled and walked towards his home.
Along the way, all the villagers who saw Shangguanwen would return home immediately. Those who left their doors open would close them. Children playing on the road would also run away in a swarm. It was as if Shangguanwen was a monster.
The actions of the villagers completely confused Shangguanwen. At this time, a little boy ran past Shangguanwen quickly. Shangguanwen stretched out his hand and caught the little boy in his hand. He asked in a gentle voice: "You run?" What."
"Wow..." The little boy suddenly burst into tears.
"Bang." There was a sound. The door of the next door was pushed open. A man in his 40s walked out: "Let go of my son."
Shangguan Wen smiled at the man: "Brother Xiong, you are at home." As he spoke, he let go of the little boy in his hands.
The man who was called Brother Xiong didn't even read the official document. He hugged his son and wanted to go home.
Shangguan Wen was stunned for a moment, then ran over and grabbed Brother Xiong.
"What are you going to do?" Brother Xiong looked ugly. He reached out and pushed Shangguan Wen away.
Shangguanwen took several steps back before standing still: "Brother Xiong, you don't recognize me anymore. I am Shangguanwen." As he spoke, Shangguanwen still turned around in a circle.
"I know you are Shangguanwen." Brother Xiong said expressionlessly.
"Since you still recognize me, why are you ignoring me?" Shangguanwen asked doubtfully.
Brother Xiong moved the corners of his mouth but said nothing.
"Brother Xiong, please say something..." Shangguan Wen said urgently.
"Big Bear, what are you doing outside? Why don't you come in quickly?" A woman's voice suddenly came from the opposite room.
Brother Xiong twitched his lips: "My wife called me." After saying that, he hugged his son and quickly walked into the house.
"Bang." The door of the room slammed shut. Then the sound of a man and a woman quarreling came from the room.
"You bastard. What are you arguing with that Shangguanwen outside? You don't want to live anymore, don't you..." A woman's voice said.
"I'm just saying hello casually. Why are you so angry?" Brother Xiong's voice sounded.
"I can't even say hello. Just listen to me. You are not allowed to go out today. Just stay at home," the woman shouted.
"Why?" Brother Xiong shouted dissatisfied.
"Just because I am your wife, I will leave it here. If you dare to step out of this house today, I will carry my son back to my parents' house and never come back again." The woman's voice was very sharp and harsh.
There was suddenly no sound in the house.
Shangguan Wen stood on the side of the road in a daze. His face was full of confusion. What on earth was going on? Why did everything change after a year? Why.
"Whoosh..." Suddenly a strong wind blew in the sky, blowing dust all over the sky.
Shangguanwen took a breath, turned around and left.
I don't know whether it was because of the strong wind or Shangguanwen's return. All the villagers hid in their houses. Even the courtyard door was locked.
A few minutes later, Shangguanwen arrived at the door of his house.
Looking at his home after a year's absence, Shangguan Wen felt a little excited. He reached out and pushed open the courtyard door and shouted loudly: "My wife, my daughter, I'm back."
The room was deserted. There was no reaction at all.
Shangguan Wen was stunned. He raised his voice and shouted again.
There was still no movement in the house.
Shangguanwen frowned: "Aren't you two at home?" Thinking of this, Shangguanwen raised his feet and walked to the door of the house. He stretched out his hand and pushed. The door opened easily. A musty smell came out, which made Shangguan choke. Wen coughed several times.
Shangguanwen put the New Year's goods in his hand in the outer room, then walked into the inner room.
The back room was in a mess. There was dust everywhere. There were spider webs in some corners of the walls. The quilts and mattresses on the kang were also scattered. There were two pairs of slippers thrown on the floor.
"What's going on?" Shangguanwen looked at the house in surprise. There was so much dust and cobwebs in the house. It was obvious that no one had lived in it for a long time. At this time, Shangguanwen suddenly remembered the special behavior of the villagers when they saw him: "This There must be something wrong inside." Shangguanwen walked to the kang and sat down. He took out a cigarette, lit it and started smoking silently.
It was slowly getting dark.
Shangguan Wen was still sitting on the kang. There were cigarette butts around his feet.
One night passed.
Shangguan Wen's wife Lin Hui and daughter Shangguan Rou still haven't returned.
"Run." Shangguanwen, whose eyes were bloodshot, stood up from the kang and walked out of the house with a gloomy face.
Along the way, people in the village stayed away when they saw Shangguan Wen, as if they were afraid of catching the plague.
Shangguan Wen stood firm and shouted to the villagers who were ducking around him: "Can any of you tell me where my wife and daughter have gone..."
"Bang bang bang." All the doors on both sides were closed.
"What the hell is going on?" Shangguanwen pulled his hair hard and yelled frantically.
"Woof woof woof..." Several dogs barked from the yard next door.
"Call me mom." Shangguanwen picked up a stone and threw it into the yard.
Immediately afterwards, the barking of the dog stopped.
Shangguanwen took a deep breath. He turned around and came to a house at the east end of the village. He shouted loudly: "Brother Xiong, Brother Xiong, come out here."
The room was quiet. There was no sound at all.
Shangguan Wen bit his lip and shouted loudly: "Brother Xiong, if you don't come out, I will set fire to your house."
"Squeak." The door of the house was opened, and a young woman in her 40s wearing linen clothes walked out: "It's so early in the morning. Why are you howling? You're not letting anyone sleep."
Shangguan Wen calmed down his irritable mood and said warmly: "Sister-in-law, I'm looking for Brother Xiong."
"He's not here." The young woman said angrily.
"No. Where did he go?" Shangguan Wen asked.
The young woman's face darkened: "Let me tell you, are you annoying? I haven't made breakfast for the children yet. If you are fine, please go away." After saying that, the young woman was about to return to the house.