Painter

Chapter 96: Big Cat
When Huang Yuyang saw the boy in red, he was startled. He just pretended not to see him, walked quickly to the door of the house with his head down, and knocked on the door knocker.

Although he worked as a member of the ancestral hall department, Wailang, that was just an idle job.In the previous dynasty, the Department of the Temple Department was still in charge of matters such as monk and Taoist inscriptions, astronomy, missing inscriptions, temple sacrifices, national taboos, and holiday dates. When the matter was attributed to Zhu Yuantai, the Temple Department was basically emptied.In this position, he has been in the temple for many years, and he learned early on the duty of cleaning the door.

This red-clothed boy doesn't look like a good person at first glance, he has to be taken care of by the patrolling demon officers on the street, it's best to go home and close the door as soon as possible, so as not to cause trouble.

Soon, a woman in yellow opened the door, and Huang Yuyang shouted as soon as he entered, "Ruji, close the door!"

The woman was Huang Yuyang's concubine, from a humble background, but Huang Yuyang called her very affectionately, obviously the two had a deep relationship.Because Huang Yuyang and his main wife had no offspring, they had only one son when they were old, who was born to Ruji.

Ruji closed the door and asked worriedly, "Ah Lang, what's wrong?"

Huang Yuyang was very disturbed in his heart, so he didn't even bother to take care of the two new kittens. He stuffed the bamboo strips into Ruji's hands, and said, "Take Ah Li to the house, and close the door." He added : "Don't make him cry!"

Ah Li was the nickname of Huang Yuyang's only son. Ruji saw Huang Yuyang's dignified expression, although she was flustered, she didn't dare to ask any more questions, and left in a hurry with her bamboo basket in her arms.Huang Yuyang took a few steps towards the study, and the more he thought about it, the more familiar the boy in red was.Huang Yuyang loves to keep cats, and cats are very spiritual. There are many legends about ghosts related to them, so Huang Yuyang also dabbles in the study of ghosts.The boy was dressed in red, no matter how you think about it, he looks like the Huo boy in the legend of ghosts.

The fire boy is a monster who sets fire, usually two boys, one boy in red and the other boy in white.The two boys were frolicking in the market, the boy in red passed in front of the door, dropped the red ball, and the boy in white picked it up.If the balls are not picked up, the family will be burned to ashes.

Huang Yuyang turned around and walked quickly back to the door of the house, put down the latch, and opened a gap in the black painted door, only to see the boy in red jumping not far away.Seeing the red ball thrown behind the boy in red, Huang Yuyang's heart sank, and he only looked behind the boy in red with hope, but he didn't see the legendary boy in white. The red ball spilled all the way and passed by More than ten families.

Huang Yuyang closed the door tremblingly, paused for a few breaths, and then hurried to the west chamber.As soon as he entered the west chamber, an eight-year-old boy ran over and hugged his waist, and shouted joyfully, "Daddy, daddy!"

Huang Yuyang ignored his son, and only asked Ruji anxiously: "Where is Ah Li's white clothes! Find it quickly!"

Ruji was taken aback, "Ah Lang doesn't remember? Ah Li never wears white..."

Huang Yuyang couldn't listen, and shouted: "Look for it!"

Ru Ji opened her mouth, but did not refute, and quickly searched among the cabinets.

Huang Yuyang calmed down a bit, and remembered that his son was indeed not wearing white clothes, so he left in a hurry to find his wife in the main house.Although the main wife is in poor health, she has a gentle personality. After taking a concubine, Huang Yuyang treated her quite coldly, and he has always felt ashamed.After entering the house, he suppressed his urgency and asked, "Is there any white clothes at home?"

Although the main wife didn't know what happened, but seeing Huang Yuyang as if he was facing an enemy, she didn't ask any more questions, and replied quietly: "Yes, the suit that I asked Xiang to wear at the Town God's Temple Fair in the first month is white."

Huang Yuyang urged: "Find it, find it quickly..." Said that he rushed to search for the closet in a hurry.

Huang Yuyang never cared about housework in the past, so he messed up his clothes in two strokes.The main wife came to him, took a Yuebai skirt from the bottom of the cabinet, and said softly: "This is it."

"Okay, okay!" Huang Yuyang took the white skirt and left without thinking about what to say.

When he arrived in the west chamber, he called urgently, "A Li, come here!"

Chuipiao Xiaoer obediently came to Huang Yuyang's side, showing a look of fear.When Huang Yuyang saw it, he quickly squatted down, using his years of ups and downs in the temple, and smiled kindly: "Ah Li, I have some free time today, how about daddy playing with you?"

Ah Li opened his eyes wide, and said happily: "Okay, I want to play with sticks!"

Huang Yuyang laughed and said, "Don't play with sticks, play with a fresh one. Come, put on this."

Huang Yuyang put on a white skirt for Ah Li, and fastened the corners of the skirt on Ah Li's chest, like a moon-white robe, with the small half trailing behind his feet.Ah Li found it fresh and mysterious, dressed in such a way, it was somewhat similar to the jade-clothed boy in the Town God's Temple.He followed Huang Yuyang, mopping the floor in white clothes, and came to the gate of the house. Laughter came from outside, like silver bells.He saw Dad open the door, a boy in red was passing by, dropped many red balls, and was about to leave.

Huang Yuyang said in a low voice: "Ah Li, pick up those red balls and don't miss any of them, understand? After picking them up, Dad will buy you sugar dumpling, fried carved flowers with honey, and persimmon paste. Go ahead." " After speaking, he pushed Ah Li's back, although he was anxious inside, the force was very gentle.

Ah Li was already smiling when he heard all kinds of snacks, and he was even more happy when he saw the cute boy in red.He ran behind the boy in red and picked up the red ball.There are not many red balls, and they take about three steps. When you pick them up, they are slightly warm to the touch, similar to roasted yams that can be eaten.He picked one up and stuffed it into his clothes. After picking up a few, the red balls became one in two steps.His clothes gradually bulged, but the red balls became more and more dense.

The boy in white couldn't catch it, looked up, the boy in red was getting farther and farther away, and he was about to leave him.He hurriedly called out, ignoring the red ball on the ground, trotting towards the boy in red, and shouted, "Wait for me!"

In front of the house, Huang Yuyang shouted: "A Li, A Li! Pick up the ball!"

A Li was taken aback, and quickly turned around to pick up the ball. While picking up the ball, he looked at the back of the boy in red going away.After picking up a few, I felt that the red balls were getting hotter and hotter.Picking up another one, as if being scalded by boiling water, I shivered and threw the red ball far away.

Huang Yuyang looked anxious, and sternly shouted: "A Li, A Li! Whoever told you to throw it away, pick it up!"

Ah Li was yelled at like this, but he didn't know what he did wrong, held back his grievance, and picked up another red ball, but it seemed to be picking up a burning coal.With a yell, he threw the red ball away, his palms were scorched with large blisters, and he sat down on the ground, crying loudly, and the red ball in his arms spilled all over the ground.

The boy in red jumped to the end of Shigu Lane, turned his head and glanced at the boy in white, his strange smiling face disappeared into the darkness immediately.

Huang Yuyang's face was pale, and he saw his only son crying, the ground was wet, and the alley was cold.He hurried over and took Ah Li's hand.Ah Li was scalded by the touch, retracted his hands, and cried louder.Huang Yuyang felt distressed, helped A Li to go home, and murmured: "I won't pick it up anymore, let's not pick it up anymore."

As soon as I entered the door, I could smell a burning smell, and green smoke came out from the cracks in the door and window.

The principal room ran into the courtyard, still not knowing what had happened, when Ji Ji's shout came from the west chamber: "A Lang, A Lang! It's gone!"

The side room hurriedly ran out of the west wing, and the main room also reacted. The second wife and Huang Yuyang rushed into the east kitchen to scoop water together.Huang Yuyang picked up a ladle of water and rushed into the west chamber. The windows, pillars, and beds were all on fire. He poured a ladle of water on it, like pouring a ladle of oil, and with a snort, the fire became more intense!Huang Yuyang was forced to take a few steps back, but he heard another exclamation behind him. Looking back, he saw green smoke rising from the study, the main house, the hut...everywhere.The three raccoon slaves in the family were frightened, they climbed up to the roof beams one after another, waited and watched for a while, and fled separately.

Suddenly the main room shouted: "Wanghuolou! Ah Lang, go to Wanghuolou!"

Watchtower!Huang Yuyang turned his head and ran to the door. After two steps, his steps stopped, his face turned pale, and he looked in the direction of the study.In the study room, separated by a curtain, there is a wild god enshrined.He used to be an official in the court, but he set up an adulterous sacrifice. According to the "Dayong Law", he should be sentenced to exile.If the military officers of Wanghuolou come to put out the fire, the matter will be exposed.

It was just a matter of a pause, and Ruji's cry came from the west chamber: "A Lang, A Lang!"

Huang Yuyang turned his head and saw that the fire was extremely fast and fierce, and the west chamber had been engulfed in flames.

The raging fire engulfed the nearby houses at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Huang Yuyang and his family were forced to the gate of the house. It only took a moment for the house to be reduced to ashes. Even if the soldiers in the watchtower had discovered the fire and came immediately, it would be of no avail.Huang Yuyang's legs gave way, and he almost collapsed. Almost all his life savings and writings are stored in this house.Fortunately, the three raccoon slaves have escaped.Raccoon slave!Huang Yuyang was startled, and then remembered that two kittens were hired today, and immediately turned his head, only to see that Ruji was holding a wooden barrel, and hurriedly asked, "Where are the cats?"

"Cat..." Ru Ji turned pale and looked towards the west chamber.

Huang Yuyang buried his head and rushed to the west chamber. After only one step, he was forced back by the heat wave, his eyebrows and hair were a little burnt.He thumped back into the patio, coughing profusely.Suddenly a cold wind blew from above.

Huang Yuyang turned his head unconsciously.

All the houses were on fire, and at some point a big cat appeared on the eaves of the door. Its hair was like snow, and it was majestic. It called, "Where is General Huo?"

(End of this chapter)