West Street was in a mess, full of broken lanterns, water stains, wounded people, and sad people who had returned to look for them.

Lu Xiaoyi walked on the street blankly, mixed with the scattered lantern skeletons under her feet several times, if it weren't for Yu Liang's quick eyes, she didn't know how many times she fell. The street that was not long in her memory was now so long, she didn't know who would be waiting in He's Cloth Village, she was very scared, but she was full of hope.

No matter how long the road is, when he finally comes to the end, he sees the signboard banner illuminated by the lantern outside He's cloth village from a distance, Lu Xiaoyi feels that his legs are like lead, and he doesn't dare to take another step forward.

Wang Dongmei comforted: "Don't be afraid, Xiao Ding Xing is waiting for us in the cloth village!" ”

The words of comfort had no effect, because the closed door of Buzhuang gave Lu Xiaoyi a blow to the head, and she rushed up as if she was crazy, slapping the door of Buzhuang, "Open the door, open the door!" Xiaoding, Xiaoding, are you in it? ”

After a long while, the door of the store opened a foot wide, and a young man probed and said, "This store is closed." ”

Xiao Yi was worried that the young man would suddenly close the door, so he hurriedly put his hand into the door frame, "Little brother, I am tired of asking, has the third son of the He family been here?" Have you ever seen a teenage girl? Half a head shorter than me, with big eyes and white skin. ”

The young man shook his head and said: "The third young master hasn't been to the store since he left in the afternoon, and I haven't seen any big-eyed little girls, I'm sorry, I'm going to close the door, bother the girl to take her hand away, beware of pinching!" ”

Xiao Yi still didn't give up, grabbed the door frame and asked, "Didn't you really see a little girl with big eyes?" It's when someone shouts to take the water! ”

The young man continued to shake his head, and he was quite patient with Xiao Yi. explained: "Today is really unlucky, I thought that the lantern festival would close later and sell a few more feet of cloth, but I don't know who lied to take away the water, the crowd panicked and the guests all ran away, and we quickly closed the door." If it weren't for the silence on the street, I wouldn't have opened the door no matter how much you knocked. ”

Lu Xiaoyi only felt that his legs were weak, and he sat on the ground slumped against the door frame, and the young man was startled and shouted: "Eh! What's the matter with you little girl? Don't rely on me! ”

Yu Liang hurriedly went up to support Xiao Yi and saw Wang Dongmei coming. I handed it to her to support. Arch your hand to the young man: "Excuse me." ”

The young man nodded politely and quickly closed the door.

A few people didn't leave, standing outside the gate of Buzhuang and continuing to wait, the only hope now is Qishan and them. I hope to bring Xiao Ding back.

The first to come back was Zhang Tieniu. I saw that he was disheveled and his hair was loose. A shoe was missing, presumably in the panicked crowd to find someone, Lu Xiaoyi said sadly: "Uncle Zhang." Didn't find it? ”

Zhang Tieniu shook his head, "I turned over West Street twice, but I didn't see anyone." ”

Lu Xiaoyi only felt a daze in his head, and felt dizzy, helped Wang Dongmei to stand still, and said with a wry smile: "I'm tired of Uncle Zhang." ”

Zhang Tieniu's face was heavy, "I'll look for it again." ”

Yu Liang said: "Uncle Zhang, I'll go, you can rest for a while." Without waiting for Zhang Tieniu to answer, he quickly said to Xiao Yi: "Don't be afraid." And he ran down the messy streets.

Xu Wu also explained to Zhang Tieniu and went looking for someone.

When Lu Zhong came back, he was already going crazy, Qi Shan stayed by his side without saying a word, and followed Qi Feng far behind.

Half of Qi Feng's cheeks were red, there were a few obvious finger prints, maybe the slap was too strong, his lips were broken by his teeth, his chin and white clothes were stained with a few points of blood, and his clothes were even more tattered, with bare feet, he looked very embarrassed, seeing everyone looking over, Qi Feng lowered his head in shame.

Xiao Geng choked up and asked Lu Zhong: "Dad, where is my second sister!" ”

Lu Zhong wiped a handful of tears and couldn't speak, Xiao Geng asked Qi Feng again: "Brother Feng, where is my second sister?" Didn't you look at her? ”

Qi Feng's head drooped even lower.

Lu Xiaoyi wanted to go up and hammer him, kick him, beat him, bite him, but she didn't have the strength now, she felt a little out of breath, his father was almost broken, not to mention her mother, once she learned that Xiaoding was lost, the consequences of being shocked were unimaginable.

Qi Shan turned around and scolded Qi Feng: "What are you hiding behind? Get out of the way! ”

Qi Feng stepped forward silently and knelt down in front of Lu Zhong, "Uncle Lu, I'm sorry for you, I didn't look at Xiao Ding." ”

Qi Mountain is a kick, "Lao Tzu told you, if the little shrimp is lost, you will roll it for Lao Tzu, when will you find the little shrimp and come back!" ”

Qi Feng was kicked to the ground and knelt silently.

"How many times has Lao Tzu told you, it doesn't matter what you say on weekdays, use your brain and snacks for Lao Tzu when you do things! You've been fucking taking my words as a deaf ear, and your heart and eyes have been eaten by dogs! The more Qi Shan scolded, the more angry he became, and he kicked Qi Feng on the shoulder again.

Qi Feng was silent, how could this pain in his body compare to the remorse in his heart.

Lu Zhong and Zhang Tieniu stepped forward to hold Qi Shan, Lu Zhong was sad in his heart, and he couldn't say anything to persuade people, Zhang Tieniu said: "The master, Xu Wu and Liangzi have also gone to find it, maybe they can find it." ”

Qi Shan said heavily: "A few of us have searched the surrounding streets, and there is not much hope that they will find it." ”

Zhang Tieniu said: "If you want to see people alive and die, you have to see the corpses, I have looked through the wounded on the ground, there is no Xiaoding and the He family, if someone takes advantage of the chaos and abducts them, they must still be in the city, we will guard at the city gate tomorrow morning, and give some money to the soldiers in charge of inspection, so that they can help check it." ”

Lu Xiaoyi suddenly remembered the boy from the He family, and hurriedly said, "Uncle Zhang, have you gone to Hefu to ask?" Did the young master of the He family go back? ”

Several people shook their heads, and Qi Shan patted his legs and said, "I just cared about finding someone, and I forgot to go to Hefu to see, what if that kid took Xiaoding to Hefu!" ”

Qi Feng immediately said, "I'll go to Hefu." After speaking, he got up and quickly ran in the direction of He Fu barefoot.

Then there is a long wait, and this feeling of not being able to do anything but wait is the most painful, and no one knows whether the next news will be good or bad.

Qi Shan arranged for Zhang Tieniu: "We don't care what the boy is, when Qi Feng comes back, if the little shrimp hasn't been found, let's take advantage of the night to find the help of those friends in the previous dart game, cats have cats and dogs." As long as people are still in the city, they will be found. ”

Zhang Tieniu scolded: "Damn, if you want me to catch who robbed someone, Lao Tzu chopped him into meat puree!" ”

Everyone was silent, but Zhang Tieniu was insulting.

The night was deep and bone-chilling. A bright moon rises to the middle of the sky, and the clear silver light is sprinkled down, no matter whether you are happy or sad in the world.

The previously lively lantern festival was like a dream, and when you wake up from the dream, you will reveal a bloody reality.

At this time, many people who had lost their family and friends came to West Street to look for them, and the sound of crying came one after another. In this bleak cold night, it became more and more sad and sorrowful.

Many of the city's officials and servants came. There were also some soldiers who were in bad armor and guarded the exits on both sides of West Street.

Ho's cloth village is at the top, so when a column of soldiers comes. The soldiers at the head also came to inquire about it. Check that there is nothing abnormal before leaving.

I have to say. The officers and soldiers of this era were still very conscientious, and they all rushed to the scene as soon as they learned of the panic, treating the wounded and placing the dead at the same time. More than a dozen errand officers dragged the net from the easternmost end of West Street to the westernmost point. Those who have been rescued have been contacted by relatives and friends and have been picked up one after another, and some of the unfortunate victims have been moved away by their relatives in grief.

Lu Xiaoyi looked at the scene in front of him stupidly, his heart was full of remorse, he felt that he was a pig brain, he knew that this kind of occasion was prone to stampedes, but he stupidly believed that Qishan and they could protect them, but they didn't know that although the strength of one person was great, what was it compared to ten hundred people? is just a bit of kung fu, and it is not a fictional character in a martial arts drama who walks on the wall with an enemy and a thousand flying eaves, and he is still overstretched when he encounters a panicked crowd.

At this time, only one of the errand officers shouted loudly: "Whose children are these?" What are you doing in the vat! ”

Those who lost their children rushed over like crazy, Qi Shan and Lu Zhong also rushed over, and Lu Xiaoyi rushed over regardless of it.

Xiao Geng wanted to be hugged by Lu Yong, Zhang Tieniu said: "Brother Lu Yong, you look at it, I'll take a look." ”

Qi Shan was fast, and he had already broken through the crowd and rushed in, and then there was a burst of wild laughter that resounded through the cold night, "Found it!" Got it! ”

Lu Xiaoyi's running legs suddenly softened, and he fell to his knees on the ground, and was pulled up by Zhang Tieniu who followed.

"Uncle Zhang, I've found Xiaoding, Uncle Zhang, woo~ I found it." Lu Xiaoyi cried bitterly, she had been crying silently before, and the remorse and self-blame in her heart turned into a sad cry, pouring out her brain.

Qi Shan slipped the two out of the stone jar, both of them were sleepy-eyed, and they couldn't stop trembling and fear until they woke up.

Lu Zhong hurriedly waved his hand at the officer, repeatedly chanting words of thanks, and the middle-aged officer said sharply with a black face: "Have a longer memory!" Is there a father like you? Bah! I only watched the excitement by myself, and I lost all the children! ”

Lu Zhong sincerely admitted his mistake and kept thanking the errand officer.

Qi Shan also thanked the messenger, and the middle-aged messenger waved his hand impatiently and said, "Hurry up and take it away, don't delay my investigation." ”

Lu Xiaoyi glanced at the errand officer gratefully, only to see that he had a dark face and began to investigate seriously, even if it was a broken lantern skeleton, he had to open it to find out, although he had a stinky face, he was extremely serious about doing things.

Lu Zhong put Xiao Ding on his back, Qi Shan wanted to carry He Siyuan, but he waved his hand and refused, just holding Qi Shan's arm and walking slowly.

A few people returned to the door of Buzhuang, He Siyuan slapped the door of the store open, and the guy saw that it was the third young master, so he quickly let people in, making tea and sending hot water, until He Siyuan eased up, and then told what had happened.

It turned out that when the panic occurred, Qi Shan commanded everyone to move to the Ruyi pawnshop, he and Xiao Ding followed closely, and when they turned around and saw that Qi Feng did not follow, the two paused for a moment to wait for Qi Feng, who expected that the crowd was too turbulent, just a moment of pause, he and Xiao Ding were separated from Qi Shan and others by the crowd, and there were also several people separated from Qi Feng.

He Siyuan only said that he protected Xiao Ding to squeeze out in the direction of the crowd, but he didn't dare to say that he grabbed Xiao Ding's hand tightly at that time, and later even protected Xiao Ding in the crook of his arm. At that time, he just wanted to protect Xiao Ding's safety, and that kind of instantaneous burst of potential made a fourteen-year-old boy no longer panic, and his mind kept thinking of countermeasures. He is too familiar with this street, and he has to sneak out with his brothers every year for the Lantern Festival, except this year. He knew that there was a stone jar outside a shop, and he didn't know what year and month it was placed there, and every year at the Lantern Festival, the shop would use the stone jar as the cornerstone and tie a big red lantern on it.

He Siyuan saw the shop at a glance, and tried his best to bring Xiao Ding over.

The lantern on the stone jar had collapsed, and it was wet, and it must have been doused with water by the guy in the shop.

He Siyuan quickly took Xiao Ding to hide under the lantern skeleton, and then carried Xiao Ding into the stone jar, and he quickly climbed in. The stone jar is not big, they curl up their hands and feet to retract in, fortunately there is no water in the jar, I think it is the shop in order to tie a red lantern that there is water in the stone jar, so they scoop up the water in the jar.

The collapsed lantern skeleton is blocked above the stone jar, forming a small airtight space. The two of them hid in the stone jar, like two rabbits hiding from the wolves, listening to the panicked noises outside. From time to time, someone fell on the skeleton of the lantern, some people quickly got up, but some people never got up again, so they were stunned and lay on the stone jar, the two were so frightened that they trembled and snuggled together.

He Siyuan hugged Xiaoding, grabbed her hand tightly, comforted her softly, and dug out his heart to tell her a whispered story, and when the sound outside gradually dissipated, the two gradually relaxed, and after some frightening and nervousness, drowsiness hit, and they fell asleep with their heads on their heads, until the black-faced messenger turned over the lantern skeleton and found them. (To be continued.) )