1

At noon on August 1, 2006, three uninvited guests with backpacks entered Fenghuang Village. They came to Fenghuang Village on foot from Qingshi Town, dozens of miles away. Deep in the mountains, there is no regular road to Fenghuang Village, only a narrow sand road with potholes and only one car that winds into the mountains.

The three uninvited guests are Zhong Fei, Zhu Future, and Shen Yuyu. They are all college students, and they came to Phoenix Mountain to play together. Shen Yuyu had never walked such a long way, and as soon as she arrived in Phoenix Village, she felt that her legs were filled with lead, and she was so heavy that she couldn't lift them.

Shen Yuyu said to Zhong Fei: "This village is so quiet, why can't you see a person?" ”

The village of Phoenix sits on a gentle slope in the middle of the mountains, with dense forests above and a canyon below with a river that crashes against the stones with a loud roar. The old houses in Fenghuang Village, with mottled mud walls and black tiles, make it impossible to guess its history.

The doors of the old houses were locked, and not a single dog could be seen in the whole village.

Is this an empty village?

Zhong Fei frowned.

The slender Zhu Future put down his backpack, exhaled a long breath and said, "Where have all the people in this village gone?" ”

Zhong Fei came to an old banyan tree like a huge umbrella, put down his backpack, sat on the thick roots, and said to Zhu Future and Shen Yuyu: "Come here, it's cool here, rest for a while, maybe everyone in the village has gone to work in the field." ”

Shen Yuyu pouted, walked over very reluctantly, sat down under the root of the tree, and complained: "Zhong Fei, it's all your fault, you have to pull us to this ghost place!" ”

Zhu Future also sat on the root of the tree, he didn't say anything, just stared blankly at the mountain in the distance. Despite the bright midday sun, the distant peaks were shrouded in a mist. Zhu Future was stunned and said, "That's the legendary plum blossom tip of the main peak of Phoenix Mountain, right?" ”

Zhong Fei also looked at the misty mountain peaks in the distance and said, "Maybe, if the villagers are here, just ask." ”

Shen Yuyu sighed and said, "If there is no one in Phoenix Village, what can we do?" I think it's better to go back to Bluestone Town. ”

Zhong Fei said angrily: "I asked you not to come, you have to come, I expected that you would not be able to stand it." I checked before I came, this place is not developed at all, and the long-distance bus only leads to Qingshi Town, from Qingshi Town to Phoenix Village, you need to walk more than 30 miles of mountain roads, you can't stand this more than 30 miles, so how can we enter the mountain? From Fenghuang Village to Meihuajian, there are more than 50 miles of land, and they are all treacherous mountain roads, I think you can't go up the mountain, besides, we still have to camp on the mountain, can you still afford it? You'd better go back to Bluestone Town alone! ”

Shen Yuyu said aggrievedly: "Zhong Fei, are you still a man?" You really want to drive me back! If you ask me to go back, I won't go back, huh! ”

Zhu Future said lazily: "Alas, what are you arguing about, say that you don't want to make a conflict when you come out together, look at you, you will start arguing before you reach the destination." I'm starving, aren't you hungry? ”

Zhong Fei's face was gloomy: "There is not a single ghost in this village, what should I do?" Knowing this, we should have prepared some food in Bluestone. ”

Shen Yuyu rubbed his sore legs and stomach with his hands, glanced at Zhong Fei and said, "If there is really no one in Phoenix Village, what should we do?" ”

Zhong Fei was silent, he was also thinking about this issue.

Zhu Future stood up, walked to the family's wooden door, put his eyes in the crack of the door, and looked inside. Then, he walked up to Zhong Fei and said, "If there is no one, let's pry open the door of that family and stay in it for the night, I see that there are a lot of things in it, maybe we can find food." ”

Zhong Fei nodded: "It seems that it can only be like this." ”

Shen Yuyu said contemptuously: "Are you bandits or robbers? ”

At about two o'clock in the afternoon, they saw a group of people coming down the hill.

The group of people who came down from the mountain were the villagers of Fenghuang Village, some of them carried burdens on their shoulders, some carried bamboo baskets in their hands, and they picked up sacrifices such as pig's head, chicken, duck and fish, as well as wine jugs and other things, and the chickens, ducks and fish were painted red, which looked a little weird. Several earth dogs weaved through the villagers' procession down the mountain, looking particularly excited.

It was Zhu Future who was the first to discover the villagers who came down the mountain, and he jumped up at that time and said loudly: "Zhong Fei, Yuyu, look, who are those people?" ”

Zhong Fei and Shen Yuyu also stood up and looked towards the mountain road, although there were only one hundred and tenth, men, women and children, they looked like a team, and there was some formation. Zhong Fei's face showed a smile, his face was very long, and Shen Yuyu said that his face was a horse face. Zhong Fei said in surprise: "These people must be the villagers of Phoenix Village!" ”

Shen Yuyu was not as excited as them, just listlessly looking at the people coming from the mountain road.

When the villagers returned to the village, they found Zhong Fei and them.

The villagers gathered around them, looking at them with curiosity.

The faces of the villagers all had the simple smiles of mountain people.

A man in his fifties with a big head walked up to them and asked, "Where did you come from?" ”

Zhong Fei smiled and said, "We are from Shanghai. ”

A girl in the crowd said, "Wow, Shanghai, it's so far away from our Phoenix, it's a bustling big city." ”

The big-headed man smiled and said, "That's a distinguished guest, honored guest!" ”

The girl stood out from the crowd, with a fair face, clear eyes, and fashionable clothes, she wore a white short-sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans. She walked up to the man with the big head and said to him, "Dad, I think they must have come from the town, and seeing that they are so tired, let them sit at home quickly." ”

Someone in the crowd said loudly: "Datou Village Chief, you can take them home, your house is spacious, it is not easy for these city children to walk so far, let them rest first!" ”

The village chief of Datou grinned and said with a smile: "Look at me, it's not as good as the villagers and their daughter Xiuxiu's consciousness, let's go, you all come to my house, today is just a holiday, drink with us at night!" ”

Xiuxiu hurriedly came over, lifted Shen Yuyu's backpack, and said to Shen Yuyu with a smile: "Let's go, go to my house." ”

Shen Yuyu was a little moved: "Thank you!" ”

Xiuxiu smiled and said, "You're welcome, you have come all the way to us, and you have worked hard." Our place is remote and poor, and there are not many people from the city all year round, so it is an honor for our whole village to be able to come to Phoenix Village! ”

Two more villagers came over to help Zhong Fei and them with their backpacks, and then followed the happy head of the village head.

2

Zhang Datou, the head of Fenghuang Village, has a very spacious home, and Zhang Datou's family has vacated two side rooms for them to live in, Zhong Fei and Zhu Future live in one, and Shen Yuyu lives in one alone. Zhang Datou's wife and sister-in-law gave them noodles, and after eating the noodles, they went back to their rooms to sleep, and they slept until dark, if Zhang Xiuxiu hadn't come to call them, they wouldn't have woken up. Zhang Xiuxiu held Shen Yuyu's hand and walked in front, Zhong Fei and Zhu Future walked behind.

Shen Yuyu asked Zhang Xiuxiu: "Xiuxiu, where are we going?" ”

Zhang Xiuxiu smiled and said, "Let's eat, everyone is waiting for you?" ”

Shen Yuyu asked again: "By the way, what festival are you celebrating today?" ”

Zhang Xiuxiu said: "August Day! ”

Shen Yuyu smiled: "It turns out that you also celebrate the August 1st Army Day." ”

Zhang Xiuxiu said: "It's different. ”

Shen Yuyu didn't know what Zhang Xiuxiu meant differently, but before she could ask, she came to the flat in the center of Phoenix Village. There are dozens of tables of banquets in the flat field, and the men, women and children of the whole village are sitting together, which is very lively. After Zhong Fei and the others sat down at the table of the village chief Zhang Datou, Zhang Datou picked up a bowl of rice wine and said loudly: "Township party, on the first day of August this year, we went to the mountain sacrifice in the morning as usual. In the evening, we got together to drink Bayi wine, and there happened to be three guests from Shanghai, and we also wish them peace! This first bowl of wine, first pay tribute to the heroes who died in the Plum Blossom Tip Resistance Battle! ”

Zhang Datou spilled the full bowl of rice wine on the ground, and the whole village stood up and spilled the wine on the ground. Zhong Fei and the three of them also followed the example of the villagers and spilled the wine on the ground, they all felt very strange, and the festival in Phoenix Village made them scratch their heads. Then, Zhang Datou gave an order: "Township party, let's open the table!" The whole village began to eat, drink and talk loudly.

Zhang Datou picked up a bowl of wine and said to Zhong Fei and them: "You have come from afar, I salute you with a bowl of wine!" Come, pick up the bowl and it! ”

After Zhang Datou finished speaking, he poured a bowl of wine down his throat.

Zhong Fei usually drinks some wine, so he picked up the bowl of wine, hesitated slightly, and drank the bowl of wine. Zhong Fei finished drinking the wine and said, "This wine is so sweet!" ”

Zhang Datou smiled and said to Zhu Future, "What about you?" ”

Zhu Future's thin face showed a look of embarrassment, and his hand holding the wine bowl trembled a little. He rarely drinks alcohol, since he was a child, his parents didn't let him drink, and after he went to college, he wouldn't go drinking with his classmates, although Zhong Fei said that this wine was particularly sweet, but he was still scared, and he didn't know what would happen after this bowl of wine fell into his stomach.

Zhang Datou poured wine on his bowl again, and said to Zhu Future with a smile: "Come, I'll accompany you for a bowl and drink it!" ”

Zhang Datou drank the bowl of wine again.

Shen Xiuxiu smiled next to Zhu Future and said, "My dad has drunk two bowls, so you can dry this bowl of wine!" ”

Zhu Future had no choice but to drink the bowl of wine, and after drinking, a smile appeared on his face, wiped the sweat on his head, smacked his mouth and said, "This wine is really sweet!" Like honey water. ”

Shen Xiuxiu sneered: "Then you can drink a few more bowls!" ”

Zhang Datou's eyes fell on Shen Yuyu's slightly chubby round face: "It's time for you to drink!" ”

Shen Yuyu's face turned red, and he shook his hands and said, "I really can't drink, I really won't, village chief, you can spare me!" ”

Zhang Datou smiled and said, "Come to our Phoenix Village, how can you do it without drinking!" ”

Shen Yuyu said to Zhang Xiuxiu beside him: "Xiuxiu, you tell your father, I really can't drink, I am allergic when I drink it, I have red spots all over my body, and it is extremely itchy!" ”

Zhang Xiuxiu said to Zhang Datou: "Dad, don't force Sister Yuyu to drink, we don't have the habit of letting women drink here." ”

Zhang Datou grinned heartily, and then said, "Okay, since it's my precious daughter pleading, you don't have to drink." However, if you don't drink the wine of our Phoenix Village, you will regret it for the rest of your life, where can you drink such good wine! ”

The collective banquet in Fenghuang Village lasted until more than 11 o'clock in the evening. After the feast, the people did not disperse, they all sat there waiting for something. And they became very silent. Zhong Fei and the others didn't dare to speak when they saw everyone fall silent. They don't know what's going to happen next. Shen Yuyu wanted to ask Zhang Xiuxiu why she was like this, but she found that there was an indescribable solemnity in Zhang Xiuxiu's eyes, and she didn't say anything when it came to her mouth. Even the dogs, who were grabbing the bones, quieted down and waited for something to happen.

There was silence for nearly an hour, and at about twelve o'clock, the village chief Zhang Datou stood up. His gaze looked in the direction of Huangmeijian, the main peak of Phoenix Mountain. When people saw Zhang Datou standing up, they all stood up and looked in the direction of Huangmeijian. Although Zhong Fei and Zhu Future drank a lot of wine, they also stood up in a daze and looked in the direction of Huangmeijian. Only Shen Yuyu was left sitting on the bench alone, looking at their strange behaviors and expressions blankly.

After a while, a fire appeared on the tip of the plum blossom.

The fire burned on the top of the plum blossom peak, and people seemed to hear the sound of gunfire.

Shen Yuyu couldn't help but stand up, looking at the mysterious fire on the top of the mountain, there was a tide in her heart.

After the fire of the plum blossom tip appeared, the people in the village were in an uproar. They lit the prepared firecrackers one after another, and the whole floor was suddenly filled with gunsmoke, and the sound of firecrackers rang out. People were talking loudly while setting off firecrackers, and some people knelt down to the light of the fire on the tip of the plum blossom and bowed. At this time, the festival in Phoenix Village has reached its climax.

Surrounded by the smoke of firecrackers, Zhong Fei and Zhu Future were at a loss.

Shen Yuyu took out his camera, trying to take pictures of the fire on the tip of the plum blossom and the expressions of the villagers at this time......

3

Phoenix Village finally fell silent.

Zhong Fei and Zhu Future had a strong drinking attack, and after vomiting a few times, they also fell asleep. They didn't expect that the sweet-as-honey rice wine would have such a big stamina. Shen Yuyu was awake, and after the people of Phoenix Village fell asleep, she was still awake. She lay on the bed, her eyes wide open. She really didn't understand why the plum blossom tip suddenly appeared in flames, and why it gradually went out in the sound of firecrackers and the worship of the villagers.

There was an old musty smell in the room, and this room may not have been occupied in a long time. Zhang Xiuxiu told Shen Yuyu that this room used to be lived in by her brother, and his brother rarely came back after he went out to work. Shen Yuyu suddenly thought, what kind of person will Zhang Xiuxiu's brother look like? Does it have a huge head like Zhang Datou? Shen Yuyu is strange, why does Zhang Xiuxiu not have such a huge head like her father? A lot of strange thoughts popped up in Shen Yuyu's mind, and she couldn't sleep. Before Shen Yuyu went to bed, Zhang Xiuxiu brought hot water to soak her legs and stomach, but she still felt very sore, which made it more difficult for her to sleep, and she didn't know if she would have the courage to go up the mountain with Zhong Fei and them tomorrow.

Shen Yuyu was thinking about it, and a desolate cry came from outside the window.

Shen Yuyu could hear it, it was an old woman's hoarse cry.

Who cries in the silent night?

Shen Yuyu's heart lifted.

Listening to the cry outside the window, Shen Yuyu imagined the old woman's gloomy face and empty eyes...... Shen Yuyu felt chills all over his body, and his body couldn't help curling up. She was worried that the weeping old woman would open the window and climb in.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Shen Yuyu took a long time before he spoke: "Who-"

Zhang Xiuxiu's voice came from the door: "Sister Yuyu, I'm Xiuxiu-"

Hearing Zhang Xiuxiu's voice, the stone in Shen Yuyu's heart fell to the ground, and she quickly got out of bed and opened the door of the room. After Zhang Xiuxiu entered the door, she said with a smile: "Sister Yuyu, I saw that the light was still on in your room, so I knew that you were not sleeping, and I was afraid that you would be afraid, so I came to accompany you." ”

Shen Yuyu said happily: "Thank you, Xiuxiu, you came to accompany me, it's great!" ”

At this time, the cry of the old woman outside the window gradually faded away.

They went to bed.

Shen Yuyu asked, "Xiuxiu, did you hear the cry outside the window?" ”

Zhang Xiuxiu said: "I heard it, in fact, I was afraid that you would be scared when you heard the cry, so I came to accompany you." ”

Shen Yuyu said, "Who is crying then?" ”

Zhang Xiuxiu smiled and said, "It's a blind old lady in the village." ”

Shen Yuyu asked again: "Why is she crying?" ”

Zhang Xiuxiu said: "We don't know, this is a very strange old lady, a few years ago she suddenly came to Fenghuang Village, so she stayed and didn't leave, my dad found her an empty house that no one lived in, and settled her." Usually she doesn't go out, but when you come at noon, the whole village goes to Meihuajian to worship the mountain, and she stays in the village alone. She never participated in the activities of our village, she hardly talked to the villagers, and my father arranged for someone to bring her food and drink, and she would not say a word to the person who gave her something to eat. We don't know who she is or where she comes from. ”

Shen Yuyu said: "This is really a strange person! ”

Zhang Xiuxiu continued: "Yes, she is indeed very eccentric, every year on the night of August 1st, after the whole village is lively, she will walk out of the house alone, wander around the village, and cry while wandering. Moreover, she is a blind person, and she can walk around like a normal person at night. She wandered alone until it was almost dawn, and then she returned home. The people of the village were used to her like this, so they didn't think it was strange, and no one bothered to find out anything about her. ”

Shen Yuyu groaned and said, "Why do you want to celebrate August Day? ”

Zhang Xiuxiu said: "This is an old rule handed down from the village. I heard the elders say that during the Anti-Japanese War, many people died on the tip of the plum blossoms, and then there were always some strange things that happened, such as the livestock in the village would be lost inexplicably, and people would be sick inexplicably...... Almost everything happens on the first day of August, so every year on this day, the whole village has to go to the mountain to worship the mountain to keep the peace. You must wonder why a mysterious fire suddenly appears on the tip of a plum blossom. ”

Shen Yuyu nodded.

Zhang Xiuxiu said: "The old people say that it is a ghost fire, and as soon as the fire appears, firecrackers will be set off immediately to send ghosts, so that the fire will disappear." ”

After Shen Yuyu listened to Zhang Xiuxiu's words, he felt a chill on his body.

Zhang Xiuxiu said: "Sister Yuyu, why did you come to us? We in Phoenix Mountain, almost no people from outside come. ”

Shen Yuyu said: "It is precisely because no one of you here has come that the original scenery has been maintained, we are here to see the original scenery, and now there are not many places like Phoenix Mountain." ”

Zhang Xiuxiu said: "So, you want to go into the mountain, right?" ”

Shen Yuyu nodded.

Zhang Xiuxiu's face changed slightly: "You'd better not go to the tip of the plum blossom." ”

Shen Yuyu asked in surprise, "Why?" ”

Zhang Xiuxiu said: "Huangmeijian, the main peak of Phoenix Mountain, and several peaks connected to Huangmeijian, this area is also collectively called Huangmeijian. As long as you enter Huangmeijian, it is easy to get lost, and if you get lost, you may not be able to get out, and it is normal to die there. Very few of our local people will enter Huangmeijian to hunt for firewood or go up the mountain to do anything, all in the area outside Huangmeijian. ”

Shen Yuyu didn't quite believe the words of this middle school student who went to middle school in Qingshi Town, she said: "Then you still go to the main peak of Meihuajian to worship the mountain." ”

Zhang Xiuxiu smiled faintly: "Sister Yuyu, I know you don't believe it, but in fact, I don't believe it either." Growing up, I have never seen anyone in the village go on the tip of the plum blossom alone. I heard my dad say that there was a young man who went up to the tip of the plum blossom alone, but he got lost and died on the mountain, and the village organized people to go up the mountain to find his body and carry it down. Therefore, every year, the whole village goes together, not alone. ”

Shen Yuyu said: "Then we are not one person, but three people, if anyone in your village can be our guide, we will give the guide money." ”

Zhang Xiuxiu said: "Sister Yuyu, do you Shanghainese think that money is particularly important? ”

Shen Yuyu said: "Do you think money is not important? ”

Zhang Xiuxiu sighed and said: "I don't know, anyway, if you have to go to the plum blossom tip, no one will be your guide, and it is useless for you to give him more money." Really, if you don't believe me, you can try it after dawn and ask the people in the village to see who is willing to go to the tip of the plum with you. ”

Shen Yuyu was speechless.

4

After waking up in the morning, Shen Yuyu's legs and stomach were much better and less sore. When Zhong Fei was eating breakfast, he asked her expressionlessly: "Have you decided to go back to Qingshi Town to wait for us, or take a car from Qingshi Town and leave?" Shen Yuyu didn't answer him, just ate by herself, thinking about what Zhang Xiuxiu said to her at night. Zhong Fei's long horse face was a little swollen, perhaps because he drank too much wine last night, and unlike Zhong Fei, Zhu Future's eye bubbles were a little swollen. Zhu Future said: "Zhong Fei, don't talk to Yuyu like this, it's okay, we come out together, we are a whole, and we should be united." Yuyu is a girl, we should take care of her more, and we shouldn't just drive her away. Shen Yuyu glanced at Zhu Future gratefully, and thought, how did Zhong Fei, who usually looks like a big brother, become so chicken-hearted? On the contrary, in her eyes, Zhu Future, who is more trivial, looks like a man.

After breakfast, Zhong Fei called Zhu Future and Shen Yuyu to the room and held a small meeting to discuss how to enter the mountain. Shen Yuyu told them what Zhang Xiuxiu said, and Zhong Fei said with a calm face: "Shen Yuyu, if you really don't want to go up the mountain, just say it, don't make up some words to disturb people's hearts." Shen Yuyu was so aggrieved that he wanted to cry, so he held his breath and said, "Zhong Fei, don't you look down on people, aren't you just going to Phoenix Mountain?" What's the big deal, Miss Ben will accompany you to the end! Zhu Future looked at Shen Yuyu and then at Zhong Fei, he didn't understand why their smell of gunpowder had become so strong. Zhu Future said: "I don't think Yuyu made anything up, maybe what Zhang Xiuxiu said is true." Zhong Fei glared at him: "Are you also shaken?" If you don't want to go, you guys quit together, and I'll go alone! I don't believe that without you, the earth would have stopped turning! Zhu Future said: "It's okay not to be so angry with you, we didn't offend you, let's go out to play together, what's the point of being so nervous." Zhong Fei was silent. Shen Yuyu was also silent. Zhu Future said: "Zhong Fei, you are older than us, you are our big brother, you should be responsible, this time you came to Phoenix Mountain, you proposed it, along the way, we didn't object to you anything, yesterday Yuyu walked such a long way, it is normal to complain, not only do you not comfort her, but also blame her, this is not what you should do." Okay, I won't talk about you so much, you decide, how are we going to go up the mountain? ”

Zhong Fei thought about it and felt that he was a little excessive, he admitted his mistake: "I'm sorry, Yuyu, I shouldn't have said that about you." However, I don't know why, as soon as I arrived in Phoenix Village, I was very flustered, and I wanted to lose my temper at people when I panicked. ”

Shen Yuyu said: "Okay, I won't be so chicken-gut, I know your thoughts, isn't it that Song Li didn't come, you are thinking about her in your heart." Don't worry, we'll go back in half a month, you don't have to worry about her changing her mind, if she really loves you, she will wait for you to go back. ”

Zhong Fei's face flushed.

Zhu Fufu smiled, revealing a mouthful of jagged teeth.

Shen Yuyu also showed a smile, in fact, even if Zhong Fei drove her away, she would not leave, Zhang Xiuxiu's words did not make her flinch, but made the plum blossom tip of Phoenix Mountain add a bit of mystery in her heart, and she wanted to unveil the mystery of the plum blossom tip. Shen Yuyu has always maintained a strong curiosity about the unknown.

After Zhong Fei and the others prepared food and some things in Phoenix Village, they decided to go up the mountain. They really wanted to find a guide, and the village chief Zhang Datou was particularly embarrassed: "If you don't go to the plum blossom tip, you can let the hunter Zhang Changfa accompany you, go up the mountain during the day, and go back to the village at night, there shouldn't be any danger." But if you have to go to the tip of the plum blossom, no one in the village will want to go with you. Despite this, Zhang Datou went to Zhang Changfa, and Zhang Changfa really refused to be their guide. There was really no one who wanted to be their guide, and Zhong Fei and they had no choice but to break through to the tip of the plum blossom by themselves.

The village chief, Zhang Datou and Zhang Xiuxiu, sent them out of the village.

In the process of leaving the village, the villagers saw them off with suspicious and fearful eyes, as if they had gone and would never return.

When he arrived at the entrance of the village, Zhang Datou pointed to a path to the southwest and said, "You can follow this path all the way, cross a chain bridge, and then go all the way up to reach the tip of the plum blossom." You must be careful, and if there is anything wrong, you must come back quickly. ”

Zhang Xiuxiu took Shen Yuyu's hand, her eyes were a little red: "Sister Yuyu, how many days are you going to stay in the mountains?" ”

Shen Yuyu said: "Three days." ”

Zhang Xiuxiu said: "You must be careful! Certain! If you don't come back after three days, I'll ask my dad to take someone up the mountain to find you. ”

Shen Yuyu was a little moved: "Thank you, Xiuxiu!" Don't worry, we'll be fine. ”

They said goodbye to Zhang Datou's father and daughter and walked up the mountain. They walked out a little way and saw a blind old lady with white hair sitting under a pine tree by the side of the road. She curled up in a ball, speckled on her old face like pine bark. Shen Yuyu's heart fluttered: Could she be the one who cried last night? Didn't she come home all this time? This strange blind old lady also made Zhong Fei and Zhu Future's hearts tremble. The blind old lady suddenly said to them in a hoarse voice, "Those who should go have gone, and those who shouldn't have gone have gone—" Zhong Fei and the others didn't know what the profound meaning of the blind old lady's words were. Zhong Fei was about to ask her something, but the blind old lady had already stood up, walked towards Phoenix Village on crutches......