Just a moment ago, he was all high and mighty, standing there arrogantly. Now, thinking of this, Zhigao wished there was a crack in the ground he could disappear into and never come out again. And then there's Huaiyu, who so desperately wanted him to give a good performance, so that everyone could work together.
Alas, under the watchful eyes of everyone, with nowhere to hide, how could he possibly find a way to save face? In nineteen years, he had never encountered such a dilemma.
With a forced smile, I clasped my hands in a salute:
"Uncle Tang, I'm so sorry, I'll definitely pay you back! Fellow villagers, I'm so sorry, please just forget about me! Just pretend I'm dead!"
"Hey, don't do that."
Zhigao staggered away from the place. Huaiyu and Dandan supported him along the way. Zhigao said:
"You two go back."
Seeing that he was unsteady, Huaiyu insisted:
"Come to my house and lie down for a while."
"How could I possibly go to your house?" Zhigao insisted, "I won't go!"
Seeing himself covered in blood and drenched in sweat, staring blankly at the sky, having already fallen to this state, he had lost all face. Why should he pretend to be an eagle? His stomach was upset, he was in a bad mood, and he had just killed a thief. His whole body ached from being twisted like ropes. He just wanted to find a peaceful place to lie down and sleep until the world turned upside down.
Honestly, it's not like we're completely desperate. Since our reputation is already ruined, we're happy to go all in.
"I'm going to my sister's!"
"I'll take you there!" Huaiyu refused to leave.
"Take her away. Dandan, go back!"
"I want to give it to you too! You can't kick me out!" Dan Dan said stubbornly.
"Go ahead and send them, let's all go together. I can't escape anyway!" I can't escape now. —One
Zhigao, feeling resentful, quickened his pace.
In broad daylight, everywhere is bustling and noisy, but Rouge Alley is unusually quiet, with day and night reversed.
More than half the people are still asleep. Even if they do get up, they'll be like sleepy, lost children, listless and without support.
Honglian yawned loudly and lazily said to Caidie next door, "Hey, I'm free today, but I've got some 'bad stuff' to do."
He was still yawning, his mouth half open, when he saw the three people at the cemetery.
"Hey, Zhigao, what's the matter?" Honglian quickly invited him in and made him sit down.
"Where did you fly off to? Did you get into a fight?" While bustling in and out preparing water for washing his face, she asked, "Where are you hurt? Does it hurt?"
"Ouch!" Zhigao said, "This is Dandan. My sister."
"Dandan, sit down."
When Dandan saw his sister, she realized she was quite old, probably around forty. She was wearing a green shirt with purple and blue flowers scattered on it. She was thin, and the shirt was too big and swaying, making her look like a dried-up vegetable field, with the fallen leaves discolored.
Strangely, the face, with its sallow, hard skull, had traces of makeup that could never be washed away, seeping into the crevices.
Honglian always smiles, whether she's coming in or out. But a lack of genuine smile is like a line etched onto the corner of her mouth, impossible to remove.
Honglian, both timid and hospitable, asked, "Is Huaiyu hungry? Would Dandan like something to eat?"
She actually had one heart, but she only cared about Zhigao's injury.
Seeing his mother so helpless, Zhigao realized that his return had only added to her commotion. She clearly hadn't slept well; her eyes were swollen. As she focused on washing the blood from his face, she leaned close and breathed heavily. Zhigao felt as if he hadn't seen those eyes in a long time. When he was a very young child, he had been this close to her—who would have thought those eyes seemed a thousand years old?
"Does it hurt? If it hurts, don't hold it in. Hum a few times and groan out the pain, okay?"
A warm feeling stirred in her heart; she still saw him as a child… Zhigao immediately exclaimed, “It hurts so much!”
He added:
"Sis, get me something to eat. I'm starving. A meal would be terrible, my stomach is empty again."
Hearing that he had a request, Honglian was very happy.
Dandan said, "Brother Qiegao, you rest. I need to go back and tell Master Miao and his wife that I'll come to see you later."
"It's not good to come too late!" Zhigao replied hastily.
"Let's pack up and leave." Just as Huaiyu and she were about to leave, a man with a large fleshy lump on his neck appeared at the door.
Zhigao was stunned.
Huaiyu watched coldly, then without a word, pulled Dandan away. Fortunately, Dandan couldn't see the visitors clearly either.
Zhi Gao saw that this short man had a large, fleshy callus on his neck, which seemed to have grown naturally with him. It gradually grew larger and bulged, eventually becoming a fleshy tumor hanging on his neck. From then on, he could no longer straighten his head or his back. The already short man became even shorter.
That huge lump of flesh was caused by a giant hammer that stretched out from the sky, repeatedly striking his head. If it wasn't careful, the hammer would be misaligned, and the person being pressed would be even more deformed.
This short man had a simple, honest smile on his face and big eyes. When he called out to Honglian, he looked like an old baby looking for his playmate.
Zhigao couldn't help but take another look.
"Go back first," Honglian urged him.
"What's up?"
"I told you to go back first. My brother is in trouble."
"What happened?"