snowy night
Late at night, the dew was heavy, and suddenly it snowed outside.
The mother-in-law who was busy packing her things hurried past the door, slandering: “…What a weird person…”
The young master who was lying on the carved bed slammed the book shut, jumped off the bed, grabbed a thick coat and left the room.
It was snowing outside, so cold that he sneezed immediately. Wrapping his fur collar tightly, he looked around in the dark courtyard.
Sure enough, there was a touch of red swaying in the inextricable night.
The young master carrying the red lantern noticed his gaze, turned around and smiled softly.
The long black hair was covered with a moderate layer of snow, which made his delicate face paler, but his lips were still red and bright.
rescued
The son was fished out of the river a few days ago.
Strange to say, this year’s winter has been extremely cold, but the river has not frozen over for a long time. The watchman who shouted “Beware of the candles” in a high-pitched voice on the street caught a glimpse of the white shadow undulating in the water, and was so frightened that he almost dropped the lantern.
The water is so cold that no one dares to go down to the river to fish. But it’s not a good thing to let a dead body float in the river. It’s too unlucky at the end of the year. A young and strong man drove his own boat, holding a long stick in his hand, and pulled people out of the water onto the boat.
As a result, the young man who had been soaking in the cold water for an unknown amount of time had a pale face and black lips, but he was still breathing clearly.
After a toss, the person woke up anyway. Claiming to be a scholar from a poor country, I passed by here and accidentally fell into the water while watching the lanterns by the river. Thank you for your help.
After hearing such anecdotes, the master felt that it was not easy for him to wander, so he specially invited people to stay at his house for a few days, and it became a good story for a while.
care
He led people back to the house and ordered others to prepare some bowls of wine.
The servant lowered his eyebrows and looked pleasing to the eye: “Young master, the master does not allow you to…”
The young master glanced arrogantly, and the servant stopped talking, and retreated embarrassingly.
The young master put the snow-covered red lantern aside, and the fingers that carried the lantern were already blue from the cold. The young master saw it, and walked over to pat his clothes.
“In the middle of the night, what are you doing outside in the cold?”
The young master bowed his head and smiled slightly: “I just like watching the snow.”
worry
The heavy snow seems to fill the night. In just a few days, the small river was almost completely frozen, and the banks were deserted. However, because it is the end of the year, the town not far away is still decorated with lanterns and festoons. Among them, the eldest and young master’s mansion is the most important.
There are nearly a hundred people in the huge mansion, and there are red lanterns hanging in front of every door. Only this one household shows the luxurious spirit of “thousands of lights illuminating the blue clouds”.
Holding the wine, the young master looked at the indistinct patterns and textures on the Panchi lantern, and sighed: “In my house, if there is such a heavy snowfall, many people will die.”
The eldest young master looked at his side face and responded vaguely.
“But I still like snow. Everyone likes snow. After the snow falls, the river is frozen solid, and everything is clean, even the frozen dead bodies are clean. Children in the village don’t have to worry about getting sick .When the next summer is humid and hot, those diseases will be popular again.”
The young master lowered his eyes, and his bright red lips glistened slightly because of the wine: “Then more people will die.”
ideal
The young master clinked bowls with him and drank it all in one gulp, feeling as if his body was on fire.
“Father has been an official for many years, and he has always paid attention to the prevention and control of epidemic diseases. In addition, it is located in a place where rivers and rivers are open for business, and Fu is rich in population and rich, so he has never suffered from any serious illness.”
The young master nodded slightly: “Your Excellency governs well. It not only protects the people of one side, but also glorifies his own family. Xiaosheng has been walking for many years, and he has never seen a mansion as grand as your mansion.”
The eldest young master, who was born with a golden key in his mouth, didn’t take it seriously: “Money is nothing but a foreign object. Being able to fulfill your duties and fulfill your duties as an official is the most important thing.”
“Master, do you really think so?”
“Naturally. In the future, I will be a good official like my father who is diligent in governing and caring for the people.”
The young master smiled and clinked bowls with him again: “That Xiaosheng wishes the young master that his wish will come true.”
farewell
The young master’s background is humble, but his knowledge is first-class. The young master who was at school had a good chat with him, and he became a confidant, and invited him to stay in the mansion, but the young master declined.
A few days before the Chinese New Year, all the people in the mansion were busy making a group. The young master stole a jar of wine himself, and wanted to practice it for the young master.
The young master was wearing a thin long gown, and when he reached out to lift the wine cup, his lonely wrist was exposed, showing a frail appearance.
The young master frowned when he saw it, and said, “Before you leave, pick out some thick clothes.”
“Xiaosheng has been bothering me for several days, and I am already terrified. How dare I receive more favors? There is only one merciless request…”
The young master turned his head, his fair and clean side face was dyed a layer of light red by the swaying lanterns.
“Master, can you give that lamp to Xiaosheng?”
fantasy house
Years have passed.
The eldest young master left home to become an official and became a master. The difference is that he has a higher official position than his father and built a bigger and more prestigious house.
All the people who visited his house were amazed by this mansion. It took the ingenuity of countless craftsmen to gather the treasures that were sought from all over the place. In the dark night, the brightly lit house is like the legendary Penglai Fairy Mountain, with the continuous sound of silk and bamboo, the sound of clinking glasses, and the sound of people talking and laughing when they are having fun.
Outside the mansion, bones are everywhere in the night that stretches for thousands of miles. The people who grew up here for generations had either fled their homes and fled, or left their lives here forever.
This house, which is as dreamy as it is real, stands like this on a huge silent cemetery.
old friend
The corridor house ordered by the master was finally completed, so he gave a big banquet for the guests, and there was a feast of drinking and dancing.
This row of corridor houses is built by the river, and there are seven inner rooms in total, all of which are connected. Standing on the bridge built by the river, you can see these seven rooms at the same time. Light up the thirteen copper branch lamps, and the flames jump out one after another.
Baihuayao nine branches, singing cranes reflect the ice pool. At the end of the day, the light is illuminated internally, and the red flower hangs outward again.
In the shimmering light waves, those shadowy figures are like a puppet show.
There was joy inside, but the guard at the door was so sleepy that he was about to doze off, staring at the icy water in a daze.
Suddenly, a voice sounded: “Xiaosheng is a scholar who passed by here, and he is an old friend with the master of your mansion. I wonder if I can come in and visit?”
He raised his eyes and saw a young man in white single clothes standing in front of him, holding a red lantern in his hand.
Before he wondered why this person suddenly appeared in front of him, another guard waved his saber impatiently to drive him away: “Where did you come from, you want to see my lord, get out of here!”
plague
When the banquet was full of wine, the master left the house alone. Leaning on the carved fence by the river, I leisurely look at the row of corridor houses that are as bright as day by the branch lamp.
Since the year before last, the plague has started from nowhere, and it has become more and more fierce. He tried hard for a few days at first, but the plague was so severe that even his wife and children were terrified. He simply let go and fled to this mansion without knowing the sun and the moon.
As long as the lights were on, he could ignore the moaning and moaning in the darkness.
Picking up the small white jade wine cup and drank it down in one gulp, the master cast his eyes on the sparkling river water, as if he was about to get drunk.
Suddenly, he saw a touch of red.
weird
In the room on the westernmost side, there was a touch of red, like a lonely wandering soul.
In the shimmering and bright shadows, the red fish swims eastward like a fish.
The strange thing is that wherever it goes, the lights are still bright, but the sound of playing has disappeared. The chatter and laughter of the people at the banquet, and the sound of the clashing wine cups also quietly disappeared, leaving only a strange silence.
The master looked at his porch in disbelief, instinctively receiving some kind of ominous omen.
From west to east, Namahong still hasn’t stopped.
“Come on! Come on!” He immediately called the guards in the mansion and rushed into the easternmost room.
punish
The room on the easternmost side also has the most extravagant decoration, the luminous pearls adorning the walls are even brighter than the bright moon in the sky. The sensual guests didn’t seem to notice anything unusual, and looked at the master who rushed in with the guards with some doubts.
But the old man stopped in his tracks and stared blankly ahead.
A young man in white clothes with a pale complexion, only his lips are as red as blood. Holding a red lantern in his right hand, his lonely wrist is exposed.
Decades have passed, but his face is still handsome and gloomy.
The master was frightened, and waved his hand: “Quick, arrest him!”
The guards rushed forward, but no one touched the corner of the young master’s clothes. Within a few steps, those strong young men fell to their knees in pain, large patches of red rashes appeared on their exposed skin, and large streams of black and red blood spit out from their mouths.
The guests were finally scared too, they screamed and cried and wanted to escape from here. But no one stepped out of this room, and almost all of them fell down limply the moment they got up, and the blood they vomited stained the beautiful blanket red.
In the chaos, the young master held a lamp and walked towards the master step by step.
The master stared at him desperately, and said with difficulty: “I once took you in, why…”
The young master smiled: “And I gave you a chance.”
In an instant, the master covered his mouth and fell to his knees, his shoulders twitching uncontrollably. He could no longer see the young master’s expression clearly, he could only raise his hand slightly tremblingly, trying to see clearly in the increasingly blurred vision——
Those dense red rashes.
silence
The young master stood alone by the river, looking at the fairyland-like mansion.
Still resplendent and resplendent, brightly lit, but without a single sound. The delicacies on the table are still steaming, and the wine poured into the glasses will not be tasted in the future, but there is no laughter anymore.
Darkness will eventually swallow it up.
Picking up the red light, the young master turned around and jumped into the river. As soon as Foo touched the water, it dissipated like smoke.
The dead mansion silently gazes at the ripples of the water.
reproduce
…
This is a city without history.
A few decades ago, it was just a barren place, only the small river that was frozen in winter and thawed in spring was still alive.
However, people eager for wealth came here and built the city from the darkness of nothing.
The rich young master got a little tired of playing tonight, drank a lot of wine and met a lot of women, but he just felt bored. He stumbled out and leaned against the railing of the square by the river, seeing the bustling city center in his eyes.
In the neon lights, the big screen changes tirelessly. The rich young master lit a cigarette, pretending to sigh deeply.
A young man came over, his fingers were slender and pale.
“Borrow a fire?”
light up
The two of them were smoking cigarettes, leisurely watching the movie trailer played on the big bright screen in a loop.
The young man sighed with a cigarette between his fingers: “This movie is about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Among them, the knight on the white horse, some people think he represents conquest, while others think he represents plague. Oh, I think it’s more like plague…”
The rich young master was not interested in this, and stared straight at the side face of the young man: “Hey, do you want to play?”
The man shook his head and refused with a smile.
The rich young master didn’t say a word, stomped out the cigarette, and walked back to the bar with sparks all over the place. He already has everything, only the illusion of drunkenness and dreams.
And the man watched his back disappear into the depths of the light, blending into the shadow of this huge and bright city.
This is a city with developed economy and high population density. Due to the continuous development of quick success and instant benefit, those densely packed high-rise buildings are like a deformed giant beast, violently devouring the darkness. Every day and every hour, tens of thousands of people lean down and breathe in it. Between those intricate streets and weird LED light signs, there is no one who has not witnessed the blood and tears of displaced people, full of hurt, frustration and betrayal everywhere.
And he will turn on the red light for all of this.