The evening meal had to be finished before sunset, as all residents would go out to watch the horse and fire. Horses included adults and children. Those not riding horses would gather around the fire in front of their homes, watching whose fire was most exquisite. Before lighting the big fire in the square, young people would play, with newborn babies on their backs, spinning three times around the fire to ward off evil spirits.
Song Ruoshi brought out a few good horses from the horse stable, two of which were young foals from that year’s flower-like mare. Guan Ge looked around, and four people gathered around the fire, chanting “Hah” and spinning three times before heading towards the grassland.
The fierce flames shot straight into the sky. The firelight was crimson, dancing in the wind, like a burning cloud falling to the ground. Guan Ge’s water-red shadow danced vividly in the firelight, like a startled pheasant.
Su Se held the horse’s head, looking back at Jia and Songbei. The two stared at each other, calling out. Jia constantly made various gestures on the horse’s back.
Song Ruoshi also looked back, seeing Su Se not following, stopped the horse, and a yellow song emerged from her lips.
The song of Ah Ge’s long story,
Like the flowing water day and night,
Water also sometimes stops,
Ah Ge eternally near me.
The song was like a bee, Su Se already by her side. Jia flew down, creating some space behind, Song Ruoshi falling in his thoughts. The two merged on a horse, Song Ruoshi still holding her horse’s bridle, looking back at Su Se with a smile, her legs gently touching the horse’s belly, the foal closely following.
Song Ruoshi said loudly, “We’ll never separate, right?”
Su Se by her ear whispered “Good”.
Song Ruoshi said, “You and I, let’s use our strength!”
Su Se lowered her head, Song Ruoshi leaning over her face, Su Se’s lips falling on her neck. Guan Ge dropped the bridle, raised his hand to cover her mouth, opened her jaw, and bit her ear. Su Se cried “Ah”, Song Ruoshi said, “You’ve remembered it! Don’t resist!”
The fierce flames illuminated everything for a moment, the mountains and rivers distant, the crimson horizon vast.
Bai Clan and Liu Bei sat on the horse, watching intently. The Bai youth, Bai Zhen, and the Han ethnic young companions were together on a tall horse with a mottled coat, the flames shining in all directions, the dragon scales in motion.
The fire burned like a mountain of military provisions. Thousands of years of life and death were given to this fire.
The heart seemed like fire.
The fire gradually extinguished. Young people held torches, and when someone saw them, they would grab a handful of incense powder from their bags and sprinkle it on the fire. Each sprinkle would emit a fiery light and a “whoosh” sound, the fire leaping towards the opponent, called “offering a torch”. The Bai clan believed the fire could point to and eliminate the evil spirits on the body, hence the ritual of burning incense.
The firelight in the wilderness continued to flicker, faintly carrying people’s laughter. This summer, Bai Zhen and Liu Bei’s horse was tied under a tree, sitting on a lush grassy slope.
The starry sky was silent.
Around noon, they gathered the previously burning torches into a pile. One after another, they returned from the torch, asking for the “torch invitation”. They wanted to see who could jump higher and further.
Bai Zhen said: “I seem unable to digest pig meat, my stomach feels uncomfortable.”
Liu Bei rubbed his stomach: “Me too, their digestive systems seem different from ours.”
Bai Zhen patted Liu Bei: “At most a few days of stomach issues, don’t worry!”
“Some say there are parasites in the meat that can burrow into the brain, growing several inches long. By the time they’re discovered, people are doomed.”
“The imperial family would never raise such a sinister pig. Today’s little pig looks quite plump!”
“Remember that song? Little Er, carrying a book bag, not for family, not for face, but for some wandering soul, not becoming a cow or sheep.”
“Any problems?”
“Since everyone knows cows and sheep are eaten, why keep killing them? Just because people are hospitable, isn’t that right?”
Bai Zhen did not respond.
Liu Bei said: “After dinner, I saw Wu Zao leading a pig’s head to the backyard, doing something mysterious to that pig’s head.”
“He doesn’t care about anything. He just handles the pig’s head normally.”
“Those experimental researchers – old mice, blue insects, rabbits – he gives them medicine periodically. A-yi lent him ‘Brain Map’ and he hasn’t returned it.”
“His brain is short.”
“Actually, your brain is short too. He’s short in fire lines, you’re short in ground lines.”
“I have a theory: tell your lover she’s Susu, she’ll immediately leave you. I bet she doesn’t even care about the property.”
“Is he like that? Am I like that?”
“The more you don’t understand, the more ridiculous! Underground workers are all like this.”
They fell silent on the grass.
The two horses lay down, resting peacefully, their tails swaying, driving away small insects, occasionally making a sound.
Young people around were still jumping with torches, heads moving.
30 direct testimonies
After renovating the sky tower wash, life fell thousands of miles. Mu Xiang, a wind and water famous master, held a measuring plate and calculated for several days, concluding the location was already calculated.
Life was not good, not to the point of bankruptcy, barely managing. Mu Xiang was very proactive with Bai Zhen, having new programs every week, either giving hundreds of yuan in gifts, or providing special liquor, or issuing invitations to lavish meals. This summer he didn’t return much, pushing not too hard, and his mood also paid a bit.
This week’s unspoken program was swimming pool fitness. This summer he didn’t refuse. Wearing a three-piece swimsuit, Mu Xiang stood by the pool’s edge, hands behind his back, with a thin follower behind him. Bai Zhen felt he should best not even wear swimwear, then he could completely arrange the new clothes.
Mu Xiang circled the pool, that is, not going into the water.
Zhu Lian had been sitting for a long time, leaning against the chair and resting. The pool water was warm, newly changed, with a hint of blue in the ripples. Zhen Zhen sat down on the sofa, holding a lychee.
Zhu Lian asked, “How long have you been at your company? What’s going on with these people?”
“He’s a local, who has been mixed up in the Golden Triangle for many years. He’s an old man who gave birth to a child with a chronic syndrome. Old Lian, for the sake of money, has done all sorts of things. Later, when a friend recommended him to our company, I saw that this person was sturdy and experienced, so I hired him. Who knew he would cause such a big mess, which cost me several million.”
After questioning, Old Lian was slowly pushed out, and besides this, no more severe punishment was seen, seemingly incomprehensible.
In the summer’s careful thought, he suddenly opened his mouth: “Even if I fired Old Lian, it would be of no real use. More likely, Zhen Zhen is trying to get rid of this person.”
Lao Hai definitely knew about Old Lian’s hidden motives. Zhen Zhen certainly would not tell himself where this hidden motive was.
Zhu Lian said, “Qili Gaoke is about to go public. Do you want to invest? The foundation will buy 10 million shares. Don’t you want me to reserve some for you? Our investment method is not short-term, and there might be fluctuations during the period, but we will continue to hold until we achieve the expected profit.”
Lao Hai hummed and hawed over the lychee for several minutes before saying, “First, tell me what you want me to do!”
