"How?"

Jiang Xiaoman turned his head and looked at Zhou Mahu.

"That big snake, it probably didn't go far, it should ...... It should still be in town. ”

As if he had made a lot of determination, he bit it, looked around, and finally told the secret that had been pressed in his heart for a long time.

The young man was stunned, looked at the middle-aged man who kept pulling the corners of his clothes, and thought thoughtfully.

It seems that because the big stone in his heart fell to the ground, Zhou Mahu only felt a lot more relaxed.

He breathed a sigh of relief and said slowly: "At midnight the day before yesterday, I had already fallen asleep, but I heard that there was still movement on the street, and I wanted to go out and have a look. ”

"But who wants to ...... Who wants to ......" he said, his face panicked, unwilling to recall the original picture, and pulled through his hair in pain.

Jiang Xiaoman patted him on the shoulder and comforted: "It's okay, Uncle Zhou, we are here!"

After calming down for a long time, Zhou Ma Hu continued: "I don't think it's okay myself, after all, the red snake hasn't appeared for a long time.

"But that very night, as soon as I had come out of the house with my scythe, I saw a pair of eyes as large as bronze bells shining at the door, staring straight at me. ”

At that moment, I was really frightened, and I quickly closed my eyes and didn't dare to move. When I open my eyes again and chase them out. I saw a tail like a red flame disappearing in the ancient well not far from the street in front of my house. ”

His voice was very slow and soft, and he fried the pot before he finished speaking.

The weather was already sweltering, and the townspeople were already panicking.

These words are undoubtedly like a stone stirring up a thousand waves, rippling wave after wave.

Some of the older ones sat down on the ground with their bodies slumped, their faces pale and muttering in a low voice...... Providence!

Ji Xiaoyue looked puzzled and wondered, "Then why don't you tell everyone?"

Zhou Ma said softly: "Once such a thing is said, it will inevitably cause panic among the big guys." ”

As he spoke, he laughed miserably, "Ji Shaoxia, you have also seen that there are still so many old people and children in our town. If I tell me what happened the night before, after the panic, everyone must be trying to get out of here, and then ......"

Next, he didn't go any further.

But Jiang Xiaoman knew what the consequences would be at that time.

Panic, like hatred, spreads and is contagious.

Human nature is like this, and when that time comes, there will inevitably be countless old people and children who can't run and will be abandoned.

It is easier for young and strong people to survive, but it does not mean that everyone is a filial son, good father and mother.

Sure enough, Jiang Xiaoman raised his head and sighed lightly.

At this moment, the residents of the town, which had been gathered together, really scattered in all directions.

For a while, people were already panicking.

"It's all quiet!"

The old man, who was supported by two little children, was called Fang Lao, and his cane was heavily pestled on the ground.

There was a bang, and it was really like thunder on the ground.

As the crutches landed, the townspeople gradually calmed down, no longer running in all directions, and stood in place and quietly watched the old man.

Fang Lao lived for two years, which was the longest time in the town.

But even at this age, he is still blinded and deaf.

On the contrary, the mind sees more clearly than anyone else.

There was silence all around, the old man sat down slowly cross-legged with his hands trembling on crutches, he looked at the juniors who were rushing to escape, his face was heartbroken, and his tone was inevitably heavy, and said: "Our Zhuxian Town, since the founding of the town by the ancestors, has been able to develop from more than ten households at the beginning to nearly 1,000 households now, completely because of the ancestral teachings handed down by the ancestors! To this day, have you even forgotten these rules and ancestral teachings?"

Seeing that no one dared to agree, the old man turned his head to look at Zhou Mahu, who had been silent standing behind him, and said softly: "Sloppy, you can talk about it!"

Zhou Mahu was silent for a while, and finally spoke, and said in a deep voice: "Zhu Xianzhen, Zhou, Lifang, Xu Yang, five surnames, and five ancestors. Well, there is nothing more than the birth and raising of parents. Righteousness is nothing more than a blind date between brothers, and love is nothing more than keeping husband and wife together. Benevolence is nothing more than neighborly support. Loyalty is nothing more than life and death to serve the country. ”

"If so, what then?"

The crutches landed again, and everything was silent, and the voice of the old man resounded through the town.

"If they disobey, they will be expelled from the town! They will be regarded as disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unrighteous people! is not allowed to re-enter Zhuxian Town. ”

Zhou Ma took a step forward, his voice generous and powerful.

He is the mayor of the town, whether he leads the townspeople to be the bandits or discovers that the red giant snake deliberately conceals it, it is always a helpless move for the sake of the town.

But before he could say anything, the town was in chaos, which really chilled him.

The sound of children crying, the old man being knocked to the ground and lamenting.

A sound came into his ears, poking at his heart.

This heart, when he was shocked by Jiang Shaoxia's gun, knelt on the ground but no one stood up to speak for him, he had already chilled once.

Now, it can be said that it is completely cool.

"But...... But the great serpent that devours people!"

"We just want to live, what's wrong?"

"That is, when he found that the big snake had entered the town, Zhou Ma was still hiding, he was really extremely selfish, and he must be afraid that his position as mayor of the town would not be guaranteed. ”

In the crowd, someone whispered.

The voice was small, but it was incomparably clear.

Falling on Zhou Ma's ears, it is undoubtedly full of irony.

As the mayor of the town, whoever has a problem over the years will be helped if he can.

Among these people, there are brothers in his own family, his former friends, and his friends who have played since childhood.

Ji Xiaoyue was angry, pointed at those people and said angrily: "You guys...... You're so bad! When I divided the food before, you took more than the other, for fear that you wouldn't be able to grab it. It's only Uncle Zhou, but he only ate half a steamed bun, and he still picks up the leftovers from you!

"Are you worthy of Uncle Zhou when you say this?" Even Miss Xiao, who has a very good temper on weekdays, couldn't help but complain for Zhou Ma.

Jiang Xiaoman watched all this coldly with his hands on his chest, without saying a word, he glanced at Zhou Ma in front of him.

This man, who can even kneel for others, is now straight, calmly looking at everyone.

But the hand behind his back trembled faintly, somewhat desolate.

He sighed, stepped forward and gently pressed Ji Xiaoyue and Xiao Ying's shoulders, shook his head lightly at the two, and signaled to stop talking.

It's not as cold as human nature, but it's not as cold as people's hearts.

This man, if he doesn't know how to be grateful, will be like this.

If you look at others as yourself, you will always feel that others are selfish.

As everyone knows, it's yourself who is really selfish!

Time is a good thing, sometimes after looking at it for a lifetime, you can't see a person's heart clearly.

Sometimes, it's like today.

But in an instant, I not only saw the hearts of a group of people, but also saw the human nature that cannot be explained in words on weekdays.

The old man surnamed Fang couldn't bear to turn his head away, sighed lightly, and said slowly: "Ling'er, go and fetch the sandalwood box I put on the desk." ”

The woman who had just stood beside the old man and had not moved, and was about the age of a young woman in her early thirties, raised her head and said in surprise: "Taigong, you want to ......"

"Don't go yet!"

Fang Lao's crutches slammed heavily on the ground, and there was no doubt about it.

"Got it!"

The woman who was called Ling'er by the old man nodded vigorously, glanced at the crowd with expectant expressions in her eyes, and snorted coldly.

Ignoring the crowd, he slowly squatted down and said softly to the two children: "You take care of the ancestors, and your mother will go back when she goes." ”

With that, he turned around and walked towards a small courtyard not far from the street.

After a while, she walked back briskly with a half-man-high rosewood box in her arms.

The box was not large, but she struggled to hold it.

Two people wanted to step forward to help, but she pushed the box in her arms to the side.

She recognized those two as the two of them who were whispering there.

was knocked away, and the two were not annoyed, retracted their hands in a curt, smiled awkwardly and fell back into the crowd.

Fang Ling'er returned to the old man with the box in her arms and said softly, "Taigong." ”

Nodding, Elder Fang stretched out his trembling hand and took the box.

Carefully, as if holding it, is an old friend for many years.

He stared at the box for a long time, a hint of loneliness flashing in his eyes, and finally gently placed the box on the ground.

It's still hot.

The ground was getting more and more chapped, and so were the old man's lips.

"Ma Hu, come here......" The old man slowly squatted down and sat cross-legged on the ground, one hand caressing the body of the box, and his voice was a little hoarse.

"Old Fang!" Zhou Ma turned around, came to the old man's side, and sat down with him.

"Open it!" The old man patted the box, felt it in his arms for a long time, and finally found an old key covered in patina, and handed it to Zhou Mahu's hand, his chapped lips trembling lightly like the land that had lost moisture.

Zhou Ma took the key, inserted it between the cracks in the box, and then gently lifted the lid of the box, and finally opened the red sandalwood box that had not been opened.

After he opened the box, he stood quietly behind the old man, side by side with Fang Ling'er, who had almost become his wife.

"What's in this box, don't I have to repeat it?" the old man smiled, and didn't look at the box, looking around with a pair of cloudy eyes.

No matter where his gaze fell, few people dared to look directly at him, and they all lowered their heads.

"Zhu Xianzhen, starting with five, naturally has to have five families. ”

"The inheritance of our ancestors is here. ”

The old man's voice was calm, but he couldn't hide his depression, and said, "There are nineteen big cities in the three states of the Northland, with a total of three hundred and seventeen land deeds. Silver stamps, totalling 85 million taels. Whether you leave or stay, I won't say anything, if you want to leave, come and get your share of it, and then leave with your family. ”

At this moment, the previous silence was restored.

Even Jiang Xiaoman and the three of them didn't feel a little depressed.

Perhaps because of the unusual weather, almost everyone present was sweating and soaking their clothes.

Finally, the first person moved.

It was a lean man with a yellow face.

After hesitating for a long time, I couldn't hold it back.

The first one walked out, and Jiang Xiaoman recognized him.

Before, when dividing steamed buns on the desert road.

He took three, and later, he begged for another one from Zhou Mahu.

Jiang Xiaoman still remembered that he seemed to have called Brother Zhou Mahu......

The man was cautious and shouted tentatively, "Old Fang ......"

The old man looked up at him, and the man turned his head away, his face unbearable.

"If you want to go, you won't be able to stay after all......" The old man closed his eyes slightly, then opened them again, and asked: "Say, Zhou family boy, do you want a title deed or a silver ticket?"

The man pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice, "I want the title deed...... It's better to have a title deed in Beiliang City!"

"Huh...... You'll be picky!" The old man reached into the box, and took out a thin title deed with yellowed corners and raw edges, and handed it to him.

"Thank you, Elder Fang!"

The man's face was overjoyed, and he carefully took the title deed into his arms, and bowed to the old man sincerely.

The old man closed his eyes, and the corners of his mouth trembled, but he didn't say anything more.

The man didn't care, shrugged his shoulders and walked back into the crowd.

The title deed is in hand, especially, the title deed in the Beiliang City.

That's enough!

I can't help but feel a little proud of the courage to be the first to come out.

What homeland is difficult to leave, what fallen leaves return to the roots.

That's all stupid!

Especially, after suffering from half a year of dry land and hot weather.

He felt more and more that as long as he lived a chic and comfortable life, that was the real royal way.

Beside him, his wife wanted to speak and stopped, but in the end she still didn't say it.

With the first, there will naturally be a second, a third, a fourth......

One after another, some people came out, more and more.

Or take a title deed, or take more than 100,000 taels of silver tickets.

Then, bowing slightly to the old man, he felt that he was benevolent and righteous.

In their eyes, these ancestral properties were left by their ancestors and they deserved them.

Take it now, it is a matter of course, without a trace of guilt.

If there is, it is only compared to silver and land deeds, and a few points that are really not worth much silver will have to leave their homeland and feel nostalgic.

After a long time, no one came out.

At this time, less than one-third of the ancestral property was left in the quaint red sandalwood box.

That is, at least more than half of them decided to leave.

"Does anyone else want to leave?" the old man finally opened his eyes, stood up on crutches, looked directly at the people in front of him, and asked softly, "If not, I will close this box......

"Not bad......

Seeing that no one spoke, the old man nodded.

Whispered, somewhat playful self-talk.

With a slight click of the cane, the rosewood box was closed again.

"You wolf-hearted and dog-lung things, have your consciences really been taken away by dogs one by one?"

Before the old man could speak again, a woman's voice sounded from the entrance of the street at the other end of the town.

Before the person arrives, the sound comes first.

This voice is really not good, it is more hoarse than the ordinary man's voice, muffled like heavy thunder.

Jiang Xiaoman, who was in the fugue, was stunned, and then looked up to see what kind of woman she was, who could have such a 'good voice'.

But I saw that the owner of the voice was really windy under his feet, and after a while, he appeared in front of everyone.

As soon as this woman appeared, Zhou Mahu's face changed slightly, and he said bitterly: "Daughter-in-law......"