The next day, the sky was bright, and Zhang Xing got up. I borrowed a shovel from the innkeeper and went out of the city to a mass grave outside the city. The graves of the stone parents and grandmothers were washed away by months of wind and rain and turned into three small mounds of earth. She planted new soil for the three mounds, cleared the surrounding weeds, dug a pit, and put the clothes of the stones she had fished into them, and made a mound for the stones.

She couldn't find the body of the stone, so she could only do this, hoping that the Li family of four could be reunited underground.

Zhang Xing incense, burned the paper money, and the wind quickly blew the paper ash far away. At that time, the bustling city of Huaiyang was already desolate, and the lonely graves were everywhere, and perhaps in a few days, even these small mounds would disappear.

Human life is so low.

Zhang Xing couldn't shed tears anymore, and kowtowed a few times to return to the city. The New Year is approaching, Huaiyang City is full of lights, people come and go, and it is very lively.

From desolation to prosperity, it is only a few steps away, and this world is so cold. Bustling and despicable like ants, they want their wives to be peaceful and live in peace, where is the way out?

Zhang Xing stands in the midst of prosperity, and people around her are constantly coming and going. A horse-drawn carriage galloped across the street, with more than a dozen nursing homes in front and behind, and the coachman was richly dressed, and shouted from afar: "Get out of the way!"

Zhang Xing was in a trance for a while, and didn't hear the voice, but a woman in her thirties and forties who happened to be standing next to her hurriedly pulled her to the side.

As the carriage passed, a faint fragrance emanated. There were two layers of curtains on the carriage, the inner curtain was lifted at one corner, and the outer gauze curtain revealed a vague shadow, vaguely a girl in the mood for flowers.

Zhang Xing noticed that the people in the carriage were looking at herself, because the carriage passed quickly, and the brocade curtain inside was only lifted for a while, and she only noticed these, but she couldn't tell whether it was good or evil.

Back in the inn, Zheng Liansheng was waiting for her, and heard her say that she went to the outside of the city to go to her uncle's grave. Zheng Liansheng complained: "You kid, why don't you tell your uncle? ”

Zhang Xing lowered her head. Zheng Liansheng smiled again and said, "Okay, okay, it's all because I slept too hard." Apricot Child, let's go, I'll take you to the docks. Your Uncle Liu's ship is going to Yu'an today, and I have already told him. Let's get over there. ”

Zhang Xing had already asked Zheng Liansheng, an acquaintance, he and Aunt Zheng were both from Yanzigou in Tieniu Town, also surnamed Liu, and their name was Liu Laicai, and the two families were still distant relatives.

When I arrived at the Dongyuan River wharf, I saw a tall and thin middle-aged man standing on the wharf with his hands folded and looking at it, and behind him was a large boat docked, which was full of many bags of marijuana goods.

The tall and thin middle-aged man saw Zheng Liansheng and the two, and hurriedly beckoned, "Liansheng, here, here." ”

Zheng Liansheng brought Zhang Xing over. The wharf was windy, and the tall and thin middle-aged man's face was a little blue, wiped a handful of green nose, and said: "Lian Sheng, why did you come? I have been waiting for a long time, if you don't come again, I will go to find you." ”

Zhang Xing was about to speak, Zheng Liansheng smiled and said, "Brother Laicai, didn't I oversleep?" and pulled Zhang Xing over again, and said to Liu Laicai: "Brother Laicai, it's her." This kid will trouble you along the way. ”

Liu Laicai raised his eyebrows and said, "Lian Sheng, what are you talking about? We still need to talk about this, your business is my business." What's more, it's just a drop-by. Don't worry, I'll send her home as soon as I do. ”

Zheng Liansheng hurriedly pulled Zhang Xing, "Call Uncle Liu." ”

"Uncle Liu: Okay. Zhang Xing bowed respectfully.

Liu Laicai smiled and said: "Apricot girl, I heard your uncle talk about you, and I blame your uncle for his bad eyes, and he can't even see clearly!

Zhang Xing smiled and nodded: "It's good morning." ”

"That's good, that's good. Liu Laicai said, "Apricot girl, don't worry, our boat is going to Yu'an, just passing through Quantang Town, and your Uncle Liu will send you home." ”

"Thank you, Uncle Liu. Zhang Xing said.

Liu Laicai smiled and said: "Don't be so polite, as long as you don't feel bored on the boat." ”

Zheng Liansheng asked Liu Laicai again: "Brother Laicai, I'm afraid you won't be able to go back for the Chinese New Year this year, right? What's wrong with the New Year's goods at home? Do you want to help you and me bring some things back?"

Liu Laicai nodded, "I'm afraid I'm going to celebrate the New Year in Yu'an this year, but I already told your sister-in-law before I came out, she should know that I can't come back, and the New Year's goods at home should be almost ready." What about your family? This time, you finally went to Huaiyang, why don't you bring some things back?"

Zheng Liansheng said with a smile: "Naturally, I want to bring it." Huzi's mother has explained several times, and asked me to bring some New Year's goods back, but I don't know where to buy cheap and good things. ”

"Dongcheng, there is a Xifu New Year's goods store in Dongcheng Bazaar, his family's things are complete, the price is fair, Tong Su is not bullied, I used to buy it at his house. ”

While the three of them were talking, someone on the boat shouted: "Come to Cai, Come to Cai, have you waited for someone to arrive? If you don't come, we won't wait." ”

"It's really urgent. Liu Laicai grinned and said, "It's just a foreman, the big boss didn't say anything, he was in a hurry!"

Liu Laicai is just a boatman who follows the ship. Zheng Liansheng hurriedly said: "Come to Cai, go up quickly, go up quickly, don't make people wait." ”

"Okay, then we'll go. Liu Laicai took Zhang Xing and turned around and got on the boat.

Zheng Liansheng watched the two of them go up to the bow of the boat, raised his arms, Zhang Xing's thin body twitched slightly, and he also stretched out his hand and waved, remembering that Zheng Liansheng's family treated him like relatives, and now they are separated, but they don't know when they can meet again, they are sad in their hearts, and they look at Zheng Liansheng's figure on the dock and gradually blur.

"Apricot girl, come to the cabin, it's windy outside. Liu Laicai called Zhang Xing. "It's good. Zhang Xing replied.

In addition to Liu Laicai, there were also four shipwrights and a foreman on this ship. The cargo on board belonged to a boss surnamed Zhao. He lived in the forward cabin with three of his men.

The boatmen lived in the bilge. Because Zhang Xing was a girl, Liu Laicai begged the foreman and Boss Zhao to let her live in the bilge, but it was another small single room.

Zhang Xing knew that her experience of escaping death was bizarre and tortuous, and she was not sure if she had continued to track it in the valley, but it was always right to be careful.

When she was on the ship, she rarely went out, at most she stood near the bilge where she lived, so although the shipwright on the ship knew that Liu Laicai had brought an acquaintance on the ship, few people had seen her face.

However, Liu Laicai was afraid that she would be bored, so he often came over to talk and asked her to go to the cabin to see the scenery. Zhang Xing only smiled and didn't answer, still just staying in her small room honestly. In fact, the bilge where Zhang Xing lives has a small window, although it is only the size of two palms, but you can also see the scenery outside.

It was the middle of winter, and there was a depression on both sides of the river, although there were occasional houses, but they were all very dilapidated, the gray and white dry river mud traces on the roofs were still there, and there were few people to see, even chickens, ducks, cows and dogs, and there was a dead silence.