This is a twilight with a light rain, the stream is shallow, a little peach blossom is gorgeous, it is twilight, there is a curling smoke rising in the sky above the gray wall tile house, the drizzle is blowing, it is not as cool as the twilight and early spring, the peach and apricot are fragrant, refreshing and pleasant, and the smoke and rain of Beijing are paved.

But it is said that at the end of a mottled and ancient bluestone path, there is a stout and vigorous old locust, about some years old, the old dry branches, the crown is like a cover, the white jade locust flower strings are like jade ornaments hanging all over the branches, stained with a little rain and dew, exuding a light and elegant fragrance, swaying with the wind.

A few children dressed in coarse gray cloth gathered under the tree, tilting their heads and snorting, some holding a slender bamboo pole in their hands, others holding a dustpan and shouting, and then knocking down the locust flowers.

The days are ups and downs, there is food and clothing, and there are naturally times when there is hardship, the rich eat meat, the poor drink porridge, the rich have the way of life of the rich, and the poor naturally have the way of the poor.

However, the days always have to think about the law to go, this spring acacia flowers pick back, the adults in the family can always change the law to make tricks, what acacia porridge, acacia cake, acacia rice, mix some batter, steam on the steaming drawer, drizzle some soy sauce, that is also a dish, the family can also eat happy and content.

The spring rain is dense, although the rain is small, but it will also smear the gray walls and green tiles around it, but there is a dry white place under the canopy.

At one end of the path is a market, and not far ahead is the Confucius Temple. At one end is a clear stream, with a stone bridge across it, and several Upong boats moored under the bridge.

On both sides of the road are the high and low houses, dilapidated and old, leaking wind and rain, many of them have collapsed and collapsed, and from time to time you can see a bold mouse jumping in the mud hole, and those who live here are all people who are crawling at the bottom of the market.

As for these children, they wore patched jackets, their hair was dirty, some of them were trousers, barefoot, and their complexions were dark.

But the one who shook the bamboo and knocked the flowers was a teenage girl, she shook it, and the silver bell on her wrist rang straight up, and she saw a group of runny dolls running after her, and she couldn't be happy, and laughed like a silver bell from time to time.

Seeing that no one was stable, he immediately said angrily: "Xiaohu, you should be more stable, you see, they all fell to the ground, pick them up quickly, it's like this for a year, don't waste it!" ”

In the group of children, a tiger-headed and somewhat silly boy hurriedly shouted: "Okay, I know the silver bell!" ”

By the way, the two green dragons that poked their heads out of their nostrils from time to time immediately retracted, and then slowly flowed down again, and they didn't fall, and they didn't break, and they drooped on the child's lips, and they almost swallowed it.

The others also kept sucking.

The little girl said angrily: "You guys, did you go down to the river to catch fish again last night?" Quickly wipe your snot away, it's dirty! ”

Frolicking, waiting for the acacia flowers that were half dustpanned one by one, Yinling put down the bamboo pole out of breath, and then pointed at them one by one. "But it's all said okay, I'll help you beat the locust flowers, and the cakes will be good later, each of you will score two pieces from me, if anyone talks doesn't count, hum, I won't take him to play in the future."

"Hmm!"

"Don't worry, when my mother is ready, I'll get you two pieces first!"

A busy chick pecked the rice like a nod, and then into the alleys, after a while, under the tree, there was only a little girl standing on the ground among the locust flowers, looking at the rain outside, looking a little lonely, low.

Looking at the scattered houses in the rainy atmosphere, no matter what dilapidated and low, Yinling's eyes showed indescribable envy, since she was sensible, she grew up on the boat, in order to treat her mother's illness, the family but everything that could be exchanged for money was all deserved, but this person still did not stay, and in the end there was a boat left that no one wanted, and the father and daughter relied on the ferry to catch fish, and they survived.

Squatting under the tree, the girl carelessly played with the petals on the ground, occasionally looking up and smelling the acacia fragrance wafting in the wind, which was only after steaming, like a warm wind, very soft.

After waiting for a while, the clouds grew thicker and the rain became heavier, splashing on the ground and stirring up a faint amount of smoke.

Heaven and earth are quieter.

Large windshield wiper brushes.

As if it were a little cold, she shrank back, and moved back, looking at her own boat, as if she wanted to go back, but the rain became heavier, and she was thinking about the cakes.

It was only said that the rain was urgent, and at the other end of the market, suddenly a footstep came, and the steps rose and fell as usual, but when the girl raised her eyes to look, she saw a man in a multicolored cloak who had gone under the locust tree, dressed in azure clothes and wearing a black hat.

The man was over the age of six, carrying a burden, and holding half a piece of baked cake in his hand, and took a bite, only then did he sigh in a low voice: "This rain is really heavy!" ”

He didn't look at the little girl under the tree, after a few bites of the baked cakes, he sat at the foot of the big tree, avoiding the wind and rain, Xu felt too boring, seeing that the rain was about to go a while, so he unwrapped the package, reached out to take it, took out a piece of utensils and played slowly.

"Ding Ding Ding Ding~"

Crisp sound.

The little girl under the tree seemed to be attracted by the sound and peeked over, only to see that the thing in the old man's hand was a row of emerald green jade rings, a total of nine rings, connected to each other, and a wishful wooden handle in the middle.

The jade rings seem to be firmly locked with each other, clamping each other, but in the old man's hand a few times at will, it has been constantly changing shapes, with a variety of patterns, sometimes set into a hydrangea, sometimes into a lantern, solved and changed, changed and solved, the little girl's eyes widened, as if she was out of her mind, and subconsciously got closer.

It's a Nine Chain.

She has seen a lot, in front of the Confucius Temple, there are many craftsmen who play tricks, and some people play this, but like the person in front of her is so flexible and changeable, the nine rings are really like conjuring flowers, this is the first time.

She leaned closer and closer, and overheard.

"Will you solve it?"

The old man didn't look up, he played with the nine rings and asked.

Yinling was stunned and looked around.

"Are you talking to me?"

"Nonsense, it's just the two of us under this tree, not talking to you, but talking to ghosts!" The old Chinese tone is indifferent.

Hearing this, Yinling shook his head.

"No, but I see that you seem to be playing better than those craftsmen in front of the Confucius Temple, are you also a trickster?"

"Craftsman? Hehe! The old man still lowered his head and played, and said with a lukewarm smile: "Sort of, but my tricks are different from theirs, and today's young people, after learning a little fur, dare to call themselves craftsmen!" ”

As soon as his hand stopped, the nine links hung on the wooden handle like a string of lanterns, and then changed again, like a flower.

"With such a heavy rain, don't you have nowhere to go, uncle?"

The old man was playing to himself, and when he heard this, he didn't know why he was inexplicable, and he glanced at the person who spoke, and his tone was a little cold: "It's really a disappointment!" ”

Yinling was startled by his eyes, her little face turned pale, and she took a few steps back in a panic, a little overwhelmed.

Fortunately, the old man quickly retracted his gaze and changed the nine rings by himself.

The little girl didn't come forward again.

Suddenly, her depressed expression swept away and she sniffed her nose.

I saw an alleyway, and a naïve boy trotted out in the rain, wrapped in something in his arms, and ran to the little girl with a cigarette. "Yinling, eat quickly, I took three pieces, it's fragrant!"

He took out three pieces of wrist-sized locust cakes, burned brown on both sides, as if they had just come out of the pot, and the burnt fragrance was overflowing, and then waved his hand again, and ran back quickly.

"Is this bread delicious?"

Suddenly, the old man under the tree spoke.

When Yinling raised his eyes, he saw that the old man's eyes were shining slightly, and there seemed to be light under his eyes, looking at the cake.

"Delicious!"

The old man said, "Can you give me one?" ”

Silver Bell snorted. "Don't give it!"

"Then I'll buy it!"

"Not for sale!"

The old man was silent for a while when he heard this, and he shook the nine rings in his hand.

"Then exchange this for this, didn't you like this before?"

He looked at the silver bell.

"It's strange to you, this kind of cake is only loved by us poor children, I'm afraid it's not as valuable as your previous baked cake, but you are willing to exchange this thing for it?"

The old man shook his head. "It's been a long time since I've eaten in peace!"

"Huh?" Yinling was surprised: "Then you are so pitiful!" ”

The old man was silent, indeed pitiful, if a person is not only sick, but also someone hiding in the dark may kill him at any time, then I believe that no matter who it is, he will not dare to eat casually, since the drizzle and rebellion, he has not eaten enough for some time.

"Then I'll treat you to eat!"

Silver Bell thought for a moment.

The old man didn't say anything, took a piece of cake, put down the nine rings, submerged in the weakening rain, and walked towards the bridge, as if he was just passing by.

For a long time, not long after the old man left.

In the rain, an emerald umbrella slowly approached the market.

Yinling's eyes lit up, and he said crisply:

"Sir, how am I doing?"

Looking at the nine rings in the girl's hand, a gentle voice came from under the umbrella.

"You're doing a great job!"