Winter solstice.

It was the shortest day of the year and the longest night, but the sun was rarely warm and fell to dispel the cold of the north wind for the time being.

He had just returned from Ouyang Xiaozhi's graveyard.

Returning to Rest Road for the first time in half a year, Si Wang wore an all-black down jacket, holding his palms tightly along the way, and some objects pierced his palms with severe pain.

No. 19 Anxi Road, the former murderous house, now the ruins and broken walls, there are still traces of scorching on the ground, I heard that Ouyang Xiaozhi's body was dug up under the root of the wall.

He sat on the rubble, and he thought it would be so hot that he would jump, but now he felt cold and biting.

Closing his eyes, he smiled at the air, "Come with me." ”

Walking the road of rest is like crossing the river of life and death.

In the old house opposite, the air window in the basement is still there.

After sitting quietly for half an hour, he got up and left, and the ruins would turn into green space when spring began.

Si Wang got on the crowded subway and swayed to Nanming Road. It was almost dark, my palms were still clenched, and half of my arms were numb. He quickened his pace and walked through the gate of Nanming Senior High School, where oleander branches and leaves protruded from the school's fence.

Passing by the wasteland on the side of Nanming Road, he knelt down on the cold road and buried his head in regret: "I'm sorry, Mr. Yan." ”

Lifting his aching knee and walking to the path between the two buildings, he saw the tall chimney.

The dilapidated factory in winter was even more bleak, like a forgotten ancient ruins, and he walked in step by step and came to the tunnel entrance of the witch's area.

The hatch seemed to speak to him.

A minute later, Si Wang pushed the door open.

Witch Zone.

When the dust had lifted up, he fell to his knees in the darkness and let out his clenched fist before he spread out his palms and said, "I'm coming." ”

There was no light in front of him, but Si Wang could clearly count every bead in his hand.

It was this chain of beads that had been hanging in the dormitory of the statement for many years, but the day before he was killed, it was broken up and could no longer be strung together.

On June 19, 1995, at ten o'clock in the evening, after affirming his frenzied killing, he did not think of escaping, but grabbed the beaded chain and stumbled to the underground of the witch's area.

Then, killed.

The bead chain was always held in the palm of Shen Ming's hand, and he was soaked in the underground sewage for three days, until the police found the body, but they couldn't open his hand, and finally broke two fingers before taking out the bead chain with broken threads.

It was cut off by Officer Huanghai himself.

Later, many of the deceased's relics were handed over to Shen Yuanchao, but this beaded chain was left in Huang Hai's hands, locked in an iron cabinet in his small room, until he was killed, and was stolen by Si Wang.

Si Wang put the beaded chain to his ear, and from these strange little beads, he heard the laughter of a certain little girl—

"Brother, what's your name?"

"My name is Shenming."

The junior boy sat in a pile of weeds, staring blankly at the empty sky.

"Thank you for saving me."

The little girl in rags, who looked to be only ten years old, looked like a thin little flower cat, lying on the back of an eighteen-year-old boy and pestering him to tickle.

"Don't make a fuss, what's your name?"

"I don't have a name."

"Well, then I'll give you a name, and you'll be called—" The boy looked down for a moment, squeezing her matchstick-like thin arm, "Twig! ”

"I love the name!"

"As soon as I saw your face, it reminded me of a poem by Gu Cheng."

"I don't understand what you're saying, but I'm going to give you a gift!" She spread out her palm, and there was a chain of beads hidden, which looked a little strange and dazzling, and she stuck out her tongue, "Brother, you see this is a pearl, this is a glass, this is a fake jade, and this wood is a Buddha bead...... There were nineteen in all, all of which I picked up from the garbage dump and it took me three days to string them together. ”

"Oh!"

The boy put the bead chain under the sun, and it reflected it in seven colors.

The little girl wrapped around his neck, and her thin arms were like a water snake, making people feel suffocated: "Brother, can you swear to me?" ”

"What swear?"

"Keep this chain of beads by your side forever until you die!"

He laughed heartily, held the bead chain tightly in the palm of his hand, picked up the little girl and said in a loud voice: "I, affirm, swear to heaven that I will always keep the bead chain that the twig gave me by my side until I die!" ”

Until death.......

Suddenly, the sun hid behind the dark clouds, and the whole world turned gray and it rained.

The sky is gray

The road is gray

The building is gray

The rain is gray

In the midst of dead ashes

Walked past two children

A bright red

A pale green

THE END

Author: Cai Jun

The first draft was published on Monday, March 25, 2013 on the banks of the Suzhou Creek in Shanghai

Monday, April 22, 2013, on the banks of the Suzhou Creek, Shanghai

Finalized on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 on the banks of Suzhou Creek, Shanghai