Hua Shi could clearly see the emotions reflected in his pupils, full of worry, and also saw his own figure, which was reflected in those dark eyes.

Her heart trembled slightly, and when she reached her mouth, she also stopped......

Xie Mingchi waited for a while, but didn't hear her speak, blinked, and asked with some uncertainty: "... How did you get rid of it? ”

He had fought the wolf demon several times, and knew that it was cunning, and vaguely guessed that it was hiding with the child, and seemed to be very shy about contact with humans......

Hua Shi came back to his senses and suddenly chuckled: "I told it that I was a member of the mountain god, so it let me go." ”

The other sinister episodes where you chase me are actively omitted when they are spent, and they simply tell the result of what happened.

"You didn't tell me last time that the child who got lost in the mountains was sent into the mountain by the villagers, and I thought he ran into the mountains by himself and got lost, but I saw him and said something to persuade him to go back to the village......"

Hua Shi turned to say, thinking of this, his brows also furrowed.

Xie Mingchi was slightly stunned, lowered his eyes, and his mood obviously became a little lower, as if he had thought of something bad, and said slowly and helplessly: "He was indeed sent into the mountain by the people of the village, as a sacrifice to the mountain god. ”

"Huh?!" Hua Shi stared, and was a little surprised by his words.

As a sacrifice to the mountain gods? Sacrifice of the living? ……

She had heard of this kind of thing before, but these things usually happened in backward and feudal areas, and the place where she lived was prosperous and noisy, and was flooded with all kinds of fast food information, this kind of thing, in her impression, had only been seen on TV......

When the flower is in a trance, he comes back to his senses.

By the way, the world she is in now is no longer the one it used to be, it is closed and backward, because of the belief in mountain gods, it is indeed not surprising to do things such as sacrificing living people.

She just didn't think of it......

Xie Mingchi looked at her stunned and stunned appearance, and his expression was also stunned, as if he didn't expect that she wouldn't even know this.

I didn't say it explicitly before, because the matter of human sacrifice was a very taboo thing in the eyes of the villagers, and they never got it verbally.

Everyone knows that this kind of thing is wrong, but no one has stopped it, and there is no need to talk about it on the face of each other.

In the eyes of the villagers, sacrificing one person in exchange for the peace and joy of the whole village is a very worthwhile thing, and they agree with such a thing, but they refuse to admit it......

Moreover......

Xie Mingchi frowned, his eyebrows and eyes drooped, and he said in a low voice: "This kind of thing may only happen once in ten years, and the younger ones may not know that the sacrifice in the past five years is the seven-year-old child of Aunt Suhua...... When there was a brain disaster in the village, everyone thought that the mountain god was angry, so it was good to choose a sacrifice to contribute to the mountain, so that the mountain god could dissipate his anger and bless the village with good weather and smooth every year. ”

Hua Shi: "So every year during the New Year's Festival, the people in the village choose to worship the mountain god on that day, also because of this?" ”

"Well, it was a winter about five years ago, and it snowed heavily for nearly three months, because it was so cold, many people didn't have time to clear the snow on the roofs, so many houses were overwhelmed by the heavy snow, and the harvest that year was not good, and some people even starved to death or froze to death at that time......

Xie Mingchi carefully recalled the past events and narrated in a deep voice.

"Then they thought of taking a small child to sacrifice and send it into the mountain to make the mountain god happy?" Hua Shi whispered as if asking, frowning, and it was obvious that she disagreed with this.

Xie Mingchi nodded: "That's pretty much it, the village has had this rule a long time ago, as long as the village encounters any catastrophe, it will sacrifice six or seven-year-old children into the mountain......"

As he spoke, his mood became more and more depressed, and his drooping eyelids were a little listless......

Hua Shi's frowning brows never let go, and he muttered in a low voice, "This is nonsense, right...?" ”

Because Xie Mingchi told her that there was indeed a mountain god in Lin Haishan, so after hearing Xie Mingchi's words, Hua Shi was also a little unsure, whether this was a matter of the villagers spontaneously, or was it true...... The mountain gods need human children to sacrifice.

"If I were to say it, the mountain god didn't even think of asking the children in the village to sacrifice himself, but it was just the self-righteous idea of the people in the village."

When Xie Mingchi said this, his tone unconsciously revealed a deep hatred for it.

As a mountain keeper, he is the one who can most intuitively feel the will of the mountain god, how could he not perceive the meaning of the mountain god......

Because of this, when he knew that the child was still alive, he kept searching in the mountains to find the man......

Hua Shi pondered for a moment, and suddenly said, "But have you ever thought that the kid is not willing to go back with you?" ”

After roughly understanding the ins and outs of all things, Hua Shi unconsciously remembered the reaction of the wolf demon and Xiaohe, Xiaohe's attitude and emotions, and it was obvious that he was unwilling to return to the village, and even showed his hatred and disgust for the people in the village.

In other words, even if he is willing to go back with Xie Mingchi, but ...... What do the villagers think of a child who was pushed out by the whole village to sacrifice suddenly returned to the village intact......

Xie Mingchi lowered his head, and his voice was a little hoarse: "At the sacrifice five years ago, there were a total of seven children, but only the child of Aunt Suhua survived, and the other six only found a few stumps and broken arms that were eaten by wild beasts." ”

His tone was a little stoic, and you could see that he seemed to be trying hard to suppress the anger in his heart......

When the pupils dilate in an instant, the heart also skips a beat of half a beat.

Seven children? Only one left?!

She thought there was only one ......

Xie Mingchi said: "As long as the child is alive, he is willing to go back with me, although the village sends them into the mountains to worship, but as long as they survive the night of the sacrifice and come out of the mountains alive, the people in the village will not say anything, and they will not send people back to the mountains." ”

They will only say that it is the favor of the mountain gods, let them survive, and if they do not die, there will be blessings, these words of Yunyuner......

However, how could a few six- or seven-year-old children survive in the barren mountains and dangerous mountains... Out of the mountains......

There are so many hungry beasts in the mountains, and it is lucky that they can leave a whole corpse for them......

Hua Shi was stunned in place, and he didn't know what to say for a while.

The hand she and Xie Mingchi were holding together, and she could clearly feel that Xie Mingchi's hand was tightening a little bit, and his fingertips were trembling, as if he was trying his best to hold back his emotions......

"Xie Mingchi ......" Hua Shi looked up at him with some concern.

She naturally understood the meaning of his words, that is, as long as the children who were sent into the mountains for sacrifice could come out of the mountains alive, the villagers would be happy to accept it, and just turn a blind eye to it as if nothing had happened......

But this condition is not easy to say...... An adult trapped in the mountains for a night may not necessarily survive, let alone a six- or seven-year-old child......

Hua Shi sighed and said: "This is not what the mountain god meant, the natural disasters that occur in the village are inevitable things, even if the people in the village sacrifice their children, can they really resist the natural disasters?" ”

Since it wasn't the meaning of the mountain god, wouldn't what should have happened happen again......

Besides, those children are the biological blood of many villagers, so they are so willing? Don't even let go of your own biological children...?

Xie Mingchi lowered his eyes and was silent.

But it was so coincidental that five years ago, the cold winter snow, continuous for three months, after the sacrifice of seven children, the snow slowly stopped, and in the following years, there were no major natural disasters and famines in the village, the wind and rain were smooth, and the crops of the people in the village had a good harvest.

Naturally, they all thought that the sacrifice had worked, and even those villagers who were still a little unconvinced had to believe it when they saw the change with their own eyes......

Just like him more than ten years ago, but the children after that were not so lucky, all died in the mountains, some were bitten to death by wild beasts, and some fell off the cliff and died...... Until one day two years ago, he found a child like him who had survived the night of the sacrifice.

Therefore, he did not hesitate to look for two years, but also wanted to find the child, bring him back to the village, and survive well......

Hua Shi didn't know that even if the sacrifice was not effective, the villagers had believed in the mountain god for so long and had already taken this as a spiritual sustenance.

If it doesn't work, they will only think that it is caused by their own insincerity, and the number of children sent to the mountain for sacrifice will only increase, until it is effective.

What's more, after the sacrifice, it really worked, and this thought that was deeply rooted in the bone marrow, even if others took a hard iron to pry, it couldn't be pryed......

Xie Mingchi's eyes suddenly turned red, and he raised his face and looked at her.

The flower was a little stunned, and it was even more stunned.

Why, why are you crying......

Xie Mingchi looked at her with red eyes, as if he had thought of something sad.

Hua Shi reached out helplessly, patted the back of his hand, and asked softly, "You... What's wrong? ”

Just said, it's fine, why do you want to cry instead......

Xie Mingchi lowered his eyes, his voice was hoarse, and he said in a low voice: "When I was seven years old, I was also sent into the mountains to sacrifice. ”

In a word, it also expressed the unrest in his heart......

Even after all these years, he still remembered that night, the dark trees everywhere, the wind swaying the branches, and the roar of wild beasts......

It's not so much fear, but more of a hurdle in my heart that is difficult to cross.

It took a slight shock, and when he realized that something was wrong with his words, he vaguely guessed something, but he didn't expect it to be like this......

So, he was the only one of so many sacrifices who survived, and he walked out of the mountain alive and went back alive, and he grew up until now.

After a long while, Xie Mingchi's mood seemed to slowly ease, and he said calmly:

"I don't remember much how I survived that night, but I vaguely remember that something seemed to be holding me tightly, and when I thought I was going to die, when I opened my eyes again, the sound of the stream flowing, woke me up, it was already dawn, and I was lying on the edge of the stream, and I don't remember how I walked back to the village from the mountains."

He paused and said, "I didn't even know at that time, I became a sacrifice and went back alive, and then I slowly found out, but no one would mention it in front of me." Later, when the sacrifice took place again, I knew all about it, and I knew that as long as I came out of the mountains alive, the people of the village would not say anything, even though they were suspicious. ”

With that, Xie Mingchi sighed lowly.

This is the first time he has mentioned this matter in front of others, he never thought that he would bring it up again, and there is nothing wrong with just saying it.

Thinking about it, it is also possible that it is because of this incident that he was chosen as the mountain guard, guarding the border between the village and the mountain forest......

Having said this, Xie Mingchi also made it clear what he meant.

He just wanted to find the child, the child who was as lucky as he had survived, and even if he hated the village and didn't want to go back, he wanted to find the man......

After all, he was only a twelve-year-old child, and as long as he was willing to go back to the village to live, he would bring people back, and if he didn't, he wouldn't force it.

After that, the two joined hands and returned to the stream, and the few mountain spirits who were supposed to stay at the edge of the stream no longer knew where they had gone.

Only a pile of river crabs for Hanashi was still piled up on the ground, and the traces of the mountain spirits disappeared without a trace.

I spent a lot of time looking around, but I couldn't see it.

All around, only the birds of the forest chirped on the branches, chirping crisply.

Xie Mingchi jumped into the water and washed all the blood stains on his body.

When the thin clothes were laid on the side of the fire and dried, the sky gradually became darker......

The two of them packed up their things, and then accompanied each other and went back down the mountain.

Back at the fork in the village road, Hua Shi held the small fry in his basket, and waved goodbye to Xie Mingchi.

There were so many things that happened today, and her mind was messed up, and she just wanted to go back quickly and rest......

Xie Mingchi suddenly grabbed her wrist when she waved her hand to leave, "Wait...,"

"Huh?" Hua Shi was stunned, "What's wrong?" ”

Xu is a conversation today, Hua Shi felt that the relationship between the two seemed to have become a lot closer all of a sudden......

Xie Mingchi stuffed the river crab wrapped in leaves and the seven or eight fish hanging with a straw rope into Hua Shi's hand.

Hua Shi was stunned for a moment, and then hurriedly said: "I don't want to ......"

Xie Mingchi paused slightly, his eyes looked at her like this, and said: "You take the fish back and cook it for your brothers and sisters, it's very fragrant, the river crab doesn't have any meat, you chop it, just feed it to the chickens, it's useless for me to take it back." ”

The eldest brother in his family will go out to work every day, and will bring back one or two taels of meat, otherwise his father will help people make some small jobs and small jobs, and he can also exchange some meat, and the late Qing Dynasty and the late garden have gone to the school and are not at home, and there are only two children of the eldest brother at home, and there is meat to eat, and it is okay not to eat the fish.

Xie Mingchi made up his mind to stuff things into her, and without waiting for Hua Shi to say no, after all his thoughts were stuffed, he turned around and left, without giving Hua Shi a chance to speak.

Hua Shi looked at the thing in his arms a little helplessly and chuckled.

How to say...... Since Xie Mingchi set up a marriage with her, he began to be honest with her little by little, almost all the secrets, what things, what can be said and can't be said, all told her.

Especially this time, he almost lifted all his old bottoms to her, and he didn't have any defense......

…

"Bang-"

The courtyard door was pushed open, and then, the voice of the flower time came in,

"I'm back."

Belch? What about people?

Hua Shi looked at the empty yard and was a little puzzled.

On weekdays, if there is nothing to do, what about the four people who will stay in the yard well? At this point, it's almost dinner time, and it's even more impossible to go out......

"Flower encounter? Hua Xiao? …”

Hua Shi put all the things he was holding on the dining table, clapped his hands, and shouted twice in the direction of the hall.

Did you sleep in the house? ……

The sunset has just fallen below the horizon, so it shouldn't be so early to rest.

Hua Shi thought about it, looked in the direction of the hall, pushed open the two doors, and the room was empty, and there was no one looking.

Even Xiao Hei and Eleven's three didn't see any trace......

Hua Shi walked around the yard, and finally, he looked in the direction of the bamboo forest in the backyard, and hesitated slightly.

Because before going out today, Hua Shi specially told a few people that when she was not there, they could move freely and rest well, and they didn't have to go to the backyard to clean up the weeds in the pond, and they would tidy up when she came back......

In addition, in the past two days, she has been busy with the four of them, tidying up the bamboo forest in the backyard, and doing a lot of "useless work" that the four of them don't understand.

So much so that several of them all showed their sluggish and incomprehensible emotions, and they didn't seem to want to continue to be busy with these things, but because she let them, they didn't show too much of the emotions on the side.

Therefore, when Hua Shizai came back, he didn't see people in the yard, and the first thing that came to mind was not that they were in the backyard, but that they had run back to sleep, or something......

Walking into the bamboo forest, I heard the familiar noise of Hua Xiao and Hua Li from a distance, which came from the direction of the deserted pond.

Actually, it's really here......

I really didn't expect it when I spent it.

There was a sound of rustling footsteps behind the bamboo forest, and the twin siblings who were arguing didn't notice it at the first time, but Hua Yu, who was far from the far right, was the first to hear the sound and turned his head to look over...... I saw the flower walking towards this side step by step.

Hua Shi also noticed the sight of Hua Yu.

The four eyes were facing each other, the latter's eyes were cold, and the former's eyebrows moved slightly, revealing a look of surprise.

At the feet of Hua Yu, squatting on the ground, the little flower shadow pulling grass from grass to grass noticed that the second brother had stopped, felt strange, looked up, and then followed the second brother's line of sight, and turned his head......

When I found a flower standing not far behind.

The little one's eyes lit up suddenly, and his stomach rumbled at the right time, and he pursed his lips, and said in a milky and milky surprise:

"Huh...? Ah, sister, back... Here it comes! ”

This voice, not big or small, is just right, so that Hua Xiao and Hua Li on the side can listen to it.

Coming back...?

…