Chapter 25: The Secret of the Xinluo Family 1. Heart in hometown
The old man's ashes stayed in the old house for some time. Xinluo and Niao Niao decided to bury him according to local customs after the "second seventh day" (which means two weeks).
Niao Niao came early in the morning to tell Wu Yu and Yunyun that they were going to send their grandfather's ashes back to their hometown, and asked them if they would like to go and help out.
After hearing this, Wu Yu and Yunyun looked at each other, thought for a while, and nodded at the same time.
Wu Yu and Yunyun accompanied them back to their hometown without asking where their hometown was.
They locked the door of the ancient house and walked out, heading straight to the riverside.
When they arrived at the riverside, Xinluo saw the middle-aged boatman who had taken her and Wu Yu to Qingyin Temple, so she went up to talk to him. Wu Yu saw them talking for a while, and the boatman looked over at them and nodded.
After getting on the boat, raindrops were scattered sparsely on the entire surface of the river, gently tapping the green water and creating small water splashes.
The boatman seemed to recognize Wu Yu and Xin Luo and smiled at Wu Yu. Wu Yu was afraid that the boatman would ask about him and Xin Luo, so he quickly entered the cabin and sat opposite them with Yun Yun.
After sitting down, Wu Yu saw Xinluo looking at him tenderly, but he seemed to see jealousy and hatred hidden behind the tender gaze. Wu Yu wondered how he could explain this feeling to Yunyun.
Yunyun pretended to know nothing and continued to chat with Xinluo and Niao Niao in a familiar manner. Xinluo and Niao Niao were in a heavy mood because of sending their grandfather's ashes home.
The boat drifted slowly, and gradually, Yunyun began to feel sleepy and fell asleep leaning on Wu Yu's shoulder. Niao Niao followed Xinluo and slowly fell asleep.
Wu Yu and Xin Luo saw that they were asleep and looked at each other . Wu Yu was very uneasy, thinking of all the things that happened with Xin Luo, he felt very embarrassed, so he didn't speak for a long time.
Xinluo's expression was very indifferent, and after a long time, tears came slowly. Wu Yu felt very distressed when he saw it.
I don’t know how long it took, but the hazy night spread over the river and there was silence all around.
The boatman lit a lamp outside and the rain seemed to have stopped.
Wu Yu wondered why the journey was so long. The boat had been sailing for a whole day and there was still no sign of arrival. He saw the three girls chatting leisurely about Xinluo's hometown. He felt it was inconvenient to disturb them and felt very bored, so he walked out of the boat.
The boatman was looking up at the river, paddling slowly. When he saw Wu Yu coming out, he was puzzled: "Why did you come out, sir?"
Wu Yu smiled and said, "Women talk a lot."
The boatman also smiled and then stopped talking.
Wu Yu thought he was dull and asked, "Haven't these two young ladies reached their hometown yet?"
"It's just ahead." The boatman pushed hard and pointed to the dimly lit area not far away.
Wu Yu looked over and saw an ancient city. The old buildings looked unusually warm in the dim lights. After seeing this, Wu Yu felt somewhat relieved. He thought that Xinluo and Niao Niao had lived in such a Jiangnan water town since they were young, so it was no wonder that they were so beautiful.
The boat slowly drifted to the dock and stopped.
Wu Yu poked his head in and said, "We're here."
Xinluo and the others listened, nodded, lowered their heads, came out, gave the boatman money, and went up to the dock.
After reaching the dock, Wu Yu discovered that the ancient city was built along the river. The construction of the ancient city should have a history of three or four hundred years, and the city wall exudes an ancient atmosphere.
It was already night, and lights had already been turned on along the river. There were teahouses and restaurants everywhere along the way, and the bustle from them disturbed the tranquility of the ancient city.
Xinluo looked at them and said, "We are all hungry. Let's have dinner first and then go home."
They nodded.
Wu Yu saw that one of the restaurants, called "Hongshun", was particularly lively. Xinluo and Niao Niao hesitated outside the door, but finally went in. Wu Yu and Yunyun didn't understand what they meant.
As soon as Wu Yu entered, he understood immediately. At this time, all eyes turned to them. Wu Yu could see from their eyes that they were extremely surprised. When they saw the urn in Niao Niao's hand, they all ran out in panic. Suddenly, the lively atmosphere seemed deserted.
Wu Yu and Yunyun were stunned. They couldn't understand why these people were so afraid of Xinluo and Niao Niao. Could it be... Could it be that they had seen a ghost... When they thought about this, they couldn't help but shiver.
The waiter in the store
After they sat down, Xinluo ordered the food and the waitress ran inside in a panic.
Wu Yu looked at Xinluo and Niao Niao, and couldn't help but wonder: "Why do these people just..."
Xinluo said slowly, "There is an ancient custom in the ancient city that people who die outside the ancient city cannot be sent back to their hometown. If they are sent back, it will be unlucky for everyone who sees them."
After hearing this, Wu Yu and Yunyun seemed to believe it but not quite. They vaguely felt that Xinluo and Niao Niao were hiding something.
After dinner, they came out easily. Wu Yu turned around inadvertently and saw dozens of pale-faced people in the deserted restaurant, all looking at them in shock, and he couldn't help but be shocked.
Xinluo and Niao Niao walked along the alleys in a familiar manner. Before they knew it, they arrived at the door of an old house. On the bronze courtyard door hung a two-piece lock from the Republic of China era. Xinluo took out the key from her bosom, fumbled for a moment, and finally opened it with difficulty.
"I haven't been home for a few years, and I thought I couldn't open it. The two-lock lock from the Republic of China is really good..." Xinluo pushed the door gently, and it slowly opened.
After entering, Wu Yu looked around carefully and saw rows of Ming and Qing dynasty buildings in the courtyard. The tightly closed doors exuded an ancient atmosphere.
Wu Yu had always lived in a materialistic big city, and at this moment it was as if he had walked into a dream.
They arrived at the central room, Xinluo pushed the door open and they followed. Entering the inner hall, the air felt a bit stuffy, Yunyun walked over to open the window. Xinluo hurriedly called out to her. Wu Yu and Yunyun didn't understand and looked at her in confusion.
"This is the house in my hometown. Our ancestors have a rule that the door cannot be opened randomly, as it would damage the feng shui." Xin Luo said. Wu Yu and Yun Yun were silent for a moment, looking at the room in surprise.
