There is a white shop on Puyang Road in the old town of Binhai City, which is mainly engaged in funeral supplies, because the owner's surname is Zhou, so the name of the store is called "Zhou Ji Baishi Shop".

According to the locals, 30 years ago, a Mr. Yin and Yang named Zhou Quan and his wife moved their family here and opened a "I Ching Observatory" to help people tell fortunes and read faces for a living.

Speaking of thoughtfulness, this person does have real skills, according to legend, he is a heavenly master from a famous Taoist mountain, claiming to "know five hundred years before and five hundred years after knowing five hundred years", although this sounds a bit exaggerated at first glance, but he has never made a mistake in fortune-telling, it can be said that he is like a god. After a long time, Zhouquan's reputation spread, and the masses from all over the country came from afar to find Zhou Quan's hexagram, and the name of "Zhou Shenshuan" spread like this.

With the changes of the times, the business of fortune telling is no longer as prosperous as it used to be, and many former peers have quit to find another way to make a living. Zhou Quan is no exception, since the couple gave birth to a son, the family's financial pressure has become heavier and heavier, sometimes they can't even eat a full meal, they are so hungry that Zhou Quan will sneak out of the house at night, go to the nearby garbage dump to rummage through the food to bring back to his wife and children, and he himself silently watched them gobble up.

Later, at the suggestion of a friend, Zhou Quan changed the name of the store to "Zhou Ji Baishi Store", and the main business also changed from fortune telling to sales of customized funeral supplies.

After changing careers for a few years, although the life of a family of three is not particularly rich, they have never been hungry again, and the days have passed like this.

Legend has it that those who engage in fortune-telling are destined to encounter misfortune. It's a pity that this person is clever, helping others to tell fortunes and look at their faces for more than ten years, but he can't calculate his own ending.

In the summer of five years ago, Zhou Quan's son Zhou Kui was about to face the college entrance examination, but at this juncture, Zhou Quan and his wife had a car accident on the way to the provincial capital to buy materials, and the husband and wife died on the spot.

In order not to affect Zhou Kui's exam, the neighbors agreed with each other not to disclose the news of the death of Zhou Kui's parents, until the day after the college entrance examination, Zhou Kui packed his luggage and returned home from school, and saw the portrait of his parents on the table in the living room, so he realized that his parents had been gone for so long......

At first, Zhou Kui was reluctant to go to college, he just wanted to stay and continue to run the store that his parents had run for more than ten years, but under the persuasion of teachers and classmates, Zhou Kui finally chose to compromise.

Thanks to the funding of his neighbor Lao Wang and the charity organization, Zhou Kui finally finished four years of college, and after getting his graduation certificate, Zhou Kui declined the mentor's kindness to let him stay in the local area for employment, and returned to his hometown alone, back to the "Zhou Ji Baishi Shop" that carried countless unforgettable memories.

It was a gloomy afternoon, and the sky was filled with a few dark clouds, and it looked like there was going to be a heavy rain. Zhou Kui was bored on a shabby sofa in his living room, holding a yellowed copy of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" that he had bought at a nearby second-hand book stall for a fraction of the price he had bought when he was in college.

Just as he was enjoying it, someone suddenly walked into the store, Zhou Kui closed the book and put it aside, he quickly stood up and put on his shoes to greet customers.

"Hello, what would you like to buy?" Zhou Kui greeted the guests and pointed to the things on the shelves of the store.

The guest took off the lace-trimmed sunhat he was wearing, and said in a flirtatious tone: "Zhou Kui, I'm Xiaoxue, don't you recognize me?" ”

Zhou Kui was stunned for a few seconds when he heard this, and when he saw the face of the person who came clearly, he couldn't help but feel a ripple in his heart.

"You're Ling Chuixue! Strange, didn't you stay in the provincial capital to look for a job? ”

Zhou Kui opened his mouth wide, and there was an extremely surprised expression on his face.

Ling Chuixue smiled: "What, don't you welcome me?" ”

Zhou Kui's head shook like a rattle, and he replied in a somewhat unnatural tone: "No, what, I'm just surprised to meet you in such a remote place." ”

When he said this, Zhou Kui's heart burst with joy.

Ling Chuixue blinked her big eyes, and said with beautiful eyes: "It's not because I miss you, I rushed from the provincial capital thousands of miles away, otherwise who would come to such a remote and small place!" ”

At this time, Zhou Kui was still immersed in a bubble-like love with Ling Blowing Snow. Endorsed in the book, the two were classmates in college, Ling Chuixue was the school flower at that time, and the people who chased her could circle the playground several times. Ling Chuixue is not only beautiful, but also has a solid family background, and is an out-and-out white rich beauty, it stands to reason that a girl like Ling Chuixue, who is both rich and beautiful, will not fall in love with a poor boy like Zhou Kui, to the surprise of the whole school, the two of them really fell in love.

If Zhou Kui likes Ling Chuixue because this girl is kind-hearted and gave him a lot of help and care when Zhou Kui was in the most difficult time; And Ling Chuixue likes Zhou Kui only because Zhou Kui is handsome, and Zhou Kui's appearance is the type that Ling Chuixue likes.

Hearing that Ling Chuixue came from the provincial capital to find him, Zhou Kui couldn't help but be overjoyed, and he couldn't close his mouth with joy.

"Xiaoxue, we haven't seen each other for a long time, anyway, it's not early, I'll take you to the best restaurant nearby for dinner, what do you think?" Zhou Kui is like an excited little milk dog, eager to try in front of his master, hoping to get the master's grace.

Ling Chuixue put on her hat again and said in a cold tone: "No, I'm here to buy something, I'll leave after buying." ”

This sentence is tantamount to pouring a basin of cold water on Zhou Kui's head and pouring him cold on his heart.

"Uh, then, what do you want to buy?" Zhou Kui was a little unsettled.

Ling Chuixue didn't speak, just drilled around the store, and after a while, she pointed to a paper figure placed on the innermost shelf and said, "Zhou Kui, is that the paper figure you drew yourself?" It's so realistic! ”

Zhou Kui nodded proudly: "That's right, I did draw it!" ”

After all, it is inherited from my father's craftsmanship, can I draw badly? Hearing Ling Chuixue's praise, Zhou Kui felt secretly refreshed.

Ling Chuixue took out her mobile phone to open WeChat, she glanced at the store, and found no place to scan the code, frowning slightly.

Zhou Kui scratched his hair in embarrassment, and said slightly apologetically: "Xiaoxue, I'm sorry, our family is not used to electronic payment." ”

After hearing this, Ling Chuixue muttered: "I can't keep up with the times!" ”

She opened her handbag, took out a richly decorated wallet from it, took out a few hundred-yuan bills, and handed them to Zhou Kui.

"Xiaoxue, that paper figure is not worth so much money!" Zhou Kui was flattered and stuffed the hundred-yuan bills back into Ling Chuixue's hands.

Ling Chuixue said with some reproach: "You just accept it, this is a compliment to your skills, I also know that it is not easy for you to do this business, take this money to improve the food." ”

Zhou Kui's family was poor, and when he was in college, he cut back on food and clothing, and often ate the last meal without the next, so that he was as thin as a firewood stick. Ling Chuixue may be out of sympathy, and often invites Zhou Kui to eat out for big meals, in the name of helping Zhou Kui improve his food.

Zhou Kui saw that Ling Chuixue was so persistent, and he was no longer stubborn, so he simply put the banknotes in his pocket.

Waiting for Zhou Kui to put the paper figure in the bag, Ling Chuixue took out her mobile phone and made a call: "Hey, dear, where are you now?" I've already bought good things......"

"Honey?" When he heard these three words, Zhou Kui couldn't help but be shocked, and several big question marks suddenly popped up on his head.

Ling Chuixue hung up the phone and put the phone back in her handbag, she glanced at the bag on the counter, and her face inadvertently showed a disgusted expression.

A few minutes later, a gorgeously dressed young man appeared outside the store.

"Zhou Kui, let me introduce you, this is my husband Wu Tianyu, the chairman of Tianyu Real Estate Company!" Ling Chuixue pulled Wu Tianyu's arm drippingly, and the two looked very affectionate.

At this time, Zhou Kui felt as if his heart had been stabbed a few times, so uncomfortable that he couldn't breathe, and he was so painful that he couldn't open his mouth.

Wu Tianyu didn't pay attention to Zhou Kui, or he didn't take Zhou Kui in his eyes at all. Under Ling Chuixue's instructions, Wu Tianyu lifted the bag and walked out of the store without looking back.

"Old classmate, let's say goodbye!" Ling Blowing Snow Cloud lightly threw down such a sentence.

"Wait!"

Just as Ling Chuixue turned her back and was about to leave, Zhou Kui suddenly grabbed her hand, and asked in a trembling voice, "Why, why did you betray me?" I love you so much, when we graduated, we said that we would work and other jobs, and I would come to the provincial capital to find you, and then we would get married and start a family......"

Ling Chuixue rolled her eyes and said impatiently: "Old classmate, you are poisoned by romance novels, right?" You don't want to think about how the two of us could possibly be together! ”

She wanted to say, "You're just a toad, and the toad wants to eat swan meat?" This sentence, after thinking about it, seems to be too hurtful, and it is still held in my heart after all.

Zhou Kui couldn't control his emotions a little, and he argued excitedly: "Since you don't like me, why did you give me so much help in the first place, why did you create such a beautiful image in my mind?" ”

"Do you think I like you because I lend a hand to you? Don't be mistaken, old schoolmate! If it weren't for the fact that you're handsome, and that your face is my type, I wouldn't have noticed your presence at all. In other words, I never liked you from the beginning to the end, and I will help you, just because I love the pleasure of giving to others! ”

As soon as the words fell, Zhou Kui couldn't help but slap Ling Chuixue hard, the blue tendons on his forehead burst out, and he gritted his teeth and scolded: "Even if I look away, I didn't expect you to be this kind of person!" ”

As soon as I finished scolding, tears flowed out uncontrollably, and they kept flowing.

Ling Chuixue never dreamed that Zhou Kui would beat her, she covered her swollen cheeks with her hands, and shouted hysterically: "Wu Tianyu, get back for me!" ”

Wu Tianyu, who had just put something in the car, heard Ling Chuixue's shout and ran back.

"Xiaoxue, what's going on?" Wu Tianyu asked with a confused expression.

"Tianyu, he hit me!" Ling Chuixue hid behind Wu Tianyu and said angrily, the domineering appearance just now disappeared without a trace.

Zhou Kui raised his hand and wiped his tears and snot, and said unwillingly: "Okay, you Ling Chuixue, from now on, we will never get along!" ”

After saying this, Zhou Kui regretted it, because in the next second, Wu Tianyu kicked him fiercely and knocked him to the ground.

"Stinky boy, do you know who Xiaoxue is? You dare to hit her, don't die! Wu Tianyu shouted while continuing to add punches and kicks to Zhou Kui, and the thin Zhou Kui was not Wu Tianyu's opponent at all, so he could only lie on the ground and let the other party inflict violence.

"Xiao Yu forget it, if you continue to fight, you will die!" Ling Chuixue looked at Zhou Kui's bloody face, and hurriedly grabbed Wu Tianyu.

"Hmph, stinky boy, you are very lucky, if it weren't for Xiaoxue pulling me, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to save your life today!" Wu Tianyu finally kicked Zhou Kui a few times, then took Ling Chuixue's hand and walked out of the store triumphantly.

Zhou Kui was lying on the ground, enduring the severe pain on his body, he looked at Ling Chuixue's back in the distance, the already injured heart was shattered at the moment, and he no longer trusted anyone.

Turning over with difficulty, Zhou Kui raised his eyes and saw the portrait of his parents on the table, tears and blood mixed together and poured out, and he hissed in a small voice: "Dad, Mom, I am so tired of living, I want to die!" ”

......

After bandaging the wound and on the way back from the hospital, Zhou Kui never understood why Ling Chuixue betrayed him, even though the two had torn their faces, Zhou Kui still couldn't believe that Ling Chuixue would be this kind of woman.

After crossing the intersection, a few hundred meters further to the Baishidian, Zhou Kui raised his hand and gently touched the wound on his face, grinning in pain, at this moment, a fire truck roared past Zhou Kui, and the mournful siren broke the silence of the night.

"What's going on?" Zhou Kuizheng was puzzled, and the mobile phone in his jacket pocket rang.

"Xiao Zhou, I'm Lao Wang, something has happened to your family!"

The caller was Zhou Kui's next-door neighbor Lao Wang, saying that it was next door, but in fact, there was a small alley a few meters wide between the two houses, and there were many people setting up stalls in this alley during the day.

"Lao Wang, what's wrong?" Zhou Kui was very panicked when he heard Lao Wang's tone, and suddenly felt that something was wrong.

"Your shop is on fire, it's a big fire, and the fire brigade is putting out the fire."

As soon as Lao Wang finished speaking, Zhou Kui hung up the phone, he put the phone back in his pocket weakly, and looked into the distance with blank eyes.

Thick smoke rose from the direction of Baishidian, and because the fire was so fierce that the firefighters were helpless for a while, they had to urgently dispatch more fire trucks to help.

"What a disaster!" Zhou Kui laughed self-deprecatingly.

Finally squeezed out of the crowd of onlookers eating melons, Zhou Kui raised his eyes and saw that the store was almost burned to a pile of ruins, and he suddenly thought that the remains of his parents were still at home. Ignoring the resistance of the masses, Zhou Kui crossed the blockade and rushed to the burning shop.

"Sir, you can't go in, stop him!" Several firefighters stopped Zhou Kui in time.

Zhou Kui struggled and shouted hysterically: "Please let me in, my parents' portraits are still inside!" ”

Seeing that the shop was burned down like this, the last trace of concern in Zhou Kui's heart also dissipated with the smoke.

That day, Zhou Kui felt that he was dead.