Chapter 2: Running Away from Home
"Let us try once more; perhaps the child will find it easier to communicate with 'Ling Ge.'" The middle-aged scholar said to the crowd, while beckoning Shen Caihua to come to the ice coffin.
"In front is the south, Nanshan Town. Talent, you... your small feet lack strength. We need to take a ride," Dudu shouted, circling above.
"Hey, I'm asking you a question. Are you perhaps mute?" said the young police officer, frowning.
The acrylic cover of the ice coffin was pushed open, releasing a white mist of frost.
Is he the 'Spirit Brother'? At this moment, a tender voice inquired from the doorway
Under the tree, there was a jeep with a public security license plate parked. Two police officers leaned against the car door, smoking, their eyes constantly scanning the passersby. Most people were there to see the "Spirit Brother," some inquired about their family members' health, others asked about their personal fortunes, and some came to pray for blessings and to avert disasters
"Alas, it is so cold..." A frail voice echoed eerily from within the ice coffin, sending chills down one's spine
"Do you know about Lake... Lake Kou Ling Ge?" Dudu asked him
Dudu was in the hospital reception area, overhearing people discussing that in Shizhong Mountain, Hukou County, there was a family whose child had died Dudu stammered as he spoke
Shen Caihua looked at the person, nodded cautiously, and then said carefully: "I would like to ask Ling Ge a question"
"Ling Ge is right inside that boy's belly, but since we arrived here, it hasn't said a word. Little friend, what would you like to ask?" the middle-aged scholar kindly asked Shen Caihua.
It is estimated that it could sell for around one thousand to eight hundred.
After noon, Lan'er inadvertently discovered Dudu standing on the table in the reception room, gazing up intently at the map of Jiangxi Province hanging on the wall.
After listening for a long time, Shen Caihua finally understood that a family in Hukou County, over a hundred miles from here, under the Shizhong Mountain by the Yangtze River, had lost a young boy. During the burial, the body suddenly emitted a sound from its abdomen, claiming to be "Ling Ge," capable of predicting the future, and requested not to be buried in the ground. The voice was deep and aged, certainly not that of the child while he was alive, leaving the family in utter shock and uncertainty about what to do. This incident spread rapidly, eventually alarming even the county government. When people gathered around the body to ask Ling Ge for verification on various matters, it astonishingly answered with complete accuracy, even causing the police department to express their amazement. The voice was deep and aged, certainly not that of the child while he was alive, leaving the family in utter shock and uncertainty about what to do. This incident spread rapidly, eventually alarming even the county government. When people gathered around the body to ask Ling Ge for verification on various matters, it astonishingly answered with complete accuracy, even causing the police department to express their amazement. It is said that based on Ling Ge's responses, the police department solved several long-standing unsolved cases in one go. Now, the local government has protected the body in an ice coffin, and experts from across the country have rushed to Hukou County for scientific research. A few days ago, the front page of the Jiujiang Daily also reported this strange event.
When are we leaving? Shen Caihua felt an intense urgency in his heart
"Today, tonight, after the lights go out, you need to leave a note for Lan'er’s mother... when she finds it tomorrow morning, we will have already left... gone far away." Dudu stammered in response.
The police shook his head, seemingly in disbelief, and then asked, "Where is your guardian?"
"Nonsense, utter nonsense." Old Yu shook his head, dismissing it with disdain
***
Dudu took a breath and continued, "When the family was about to bury him, he suddenly spoke again."
Shen Caihua leaned in to take a look at the little boy lying inside and called out: "Ling Ge, Ling Ge..."
Behind the room, outside the window of the book, lies a dark thicket. Once one passes through that thicket, they will exit Nanshan Village
"My mouth cannot speak... but my stomach can speak..." Dudu said, blushing.
"You are the mute one," Shen Caihua replied.
"Absurd, utterly absurd and ridiculous. We are all Marxist materialists, and at a time when the entire nation is united in striving for the Four Modernizations, to actually believe in such idealistic notions that contradict the laws of nature is simply a disgrace for communists," said an elderly man in a Zhongshan suit, speaking with a Beijing accent in a tone that conveyed his age and authority.
Dudu soars freely in the night sky, while the young talent walks excitedly along the mountain path, feeling a sense of nature and warmth in everything around him
At dusk, the Yangtze River is calm with gentle ripples, a cool breeze arrives, making the atmosphere pleasant.
At the foot of the mountain, in front of a farmhouse, a steady stream of people comes and goes, bustling with activity
Slowly, the middle-aged scholar turned his face towards Shen Caihua and smiled, saying, "You know 'Ling Ge' as well?"
Shen Caihua took advantage of their inattention to stealthily climb onto the carriage, hiding among the fat pigs. Before long, the vehicle started and drove towards Wuyuan County.
"Get out, where did this wild kid come from? Can't you see the experts are busy?" A local government staff member waved his hand, trying to shoo Shen Caihua away
Haha... If a person's eyes could truly see through objects, wouldn't all the casinos in the world have to close down? If people could walk through walls, wouldn't the 'Laoshan Taoist' in Pu Songling's "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio" have become an immortal? Absurd, utterly absurd, " Mr. Yu interrupted the middle-aged scholar's words, saying with derision.
No, I do not agree with the old views. In fact, current medicine knows very little about the mysteries of the human body. Qigong, traditional Chinese medicine theories, and the special abilities of the human body embody the fundamental principles of human science. They are not mysterious; rather, they are closely related to the cutting-edge developments in modern science and technology. As everyone knows, in recent years, there have been numerous reports of children exhibiting extraordinary abilities such as distinguishing characters with their ears, smelling characters with their noses, diagnosing diseases through vision, and small-scale telekinesis. Science is evolving, and our understanding is continuously improving..." a middle-aged scholar in a suit rebutted. As everyone knows, in recent years, there have been numerous reports of children exhibiting extraordinary abilities such as distinguishing characters with their ears, smelling characters with their noses, diagnosing diseases through vision, and small-scale telekinesis. Science is evolving, and our understanding is continuously improving..." a middle-aged scholar in a suit rebutted.
"I would like to ask Ling Ge, where is Mo Mo?" Shen Caihua felt that this person looked familiar, so he spoke.
"That means he is not dead yet," Shen Caihua explained
Shen Caihua stopped in his tracks, looked up at the police officer, and remained silent
"Follow me." Dudu spread its wings and flew into the air, guiding the talent through the thicket, and finally arriving at the mountain path leading to Nanshan Town
Several experts who had rushed in from the capital were standing and sitting in the room, discussing their respective views with one another, while all the common people who had come to pay their respects were completely blocked outside the main door
Shen Caihua paid no attention and continued walking forward, heading towards the house at the foot of the mountain, while passersby made way for him
In Nanshan Town, most of the residences have already turned off their lights, with only one or two small restaurants on the street still keeping their doors open. The waitstaff inside are cleaning and appear to be preparing to close for the night
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Shizhong Mountain rises steeply by the river, with lush trees and pavilions scattered across its slopes. In June of the seventh year of the Song Yuanfeng era, Su Shi visited Shizhong Mountain at Hukou and composed the "Record of Shizhong Mountain," which has since become a timeless classic.
In the setting sun, a dusty little boy, around seven or eight years old, walked along the road. He had a face full of freckles and carried a backpack, with a large blue-feathered parrot perched on his shoulder. He was Shen Caihua, who had traveled for a day and night, finally arriving at the home of "Ling Ge" at the foot of Shizhong Mountain by the lake.
"What is Ling Ge?" Shen Caihua shook his head, indicating that he had not heard of it
Lake Kou in Jiangxi was established during the Southern Tang Dynasty. It is named for its location at the confluence of Poyang Lake and the Yangtze River, bordered to the east by Pengze, to the south by Poyang, to the west by Lushan, and to the north by the Yangtze River. It is renowned as the "Key to the River and Lake"
In the room, Shen Caihua had not yet gotten out of bed; he lay naked under the covers, whispering secrets to the parrot.
The eyes of the crowd indoors turned towards the entrance, and people did not pay much attention to the freckled little boy, but were astonished by the green-feathered parrot perched on the child's shoulder
Look, that parrot is truly impressive. " There were exclamations of admiration from the crowd
So what? Shen Caihua said
"Yes, indeed. Father Han Sheng and Grandpa Shan Ren are like searching for a needle in the ocean, like a blind man trying to feel an elephant. However, we are more targeted in our approach, which allows us to achieve twice the result with half the effort," Dudu said, blinking proudly.
"It is raised by myself," Shen Caihua replied
"Look at how severe the influence of feudal superstition is; even children believe in it. If this matter spreads, what kind of impact will it have on the mental health of young children?" Mr. Yu said, his face reddening, not without a tone of reproach.
Shen Caihua changed into a brand new blue cloth jacket, donned a pair of yellow liberation shoes, carried a backpack, gently pushed open the back window, and jumped out.
A Jiefang truck is parked by the roadside, loaded with over ten fat pigs, seemingly transporting them to the county slaughterhouse after purchasing them from the countryside. Two drivers, having had their fill, emerge from the restaurant, burping as they go.
Everyone held their breath, anxiously staring at the ice coffin, but Ling Ge showed no reaction whatsoever
The two police officers stepped forward and looked at the child, saying: "Hey, little m.hetushu.com.com, where did you get this parrot? It must be from the zoo, right?"
"The dead do not speak." Shen Caihua insisted on his viewpoint
After breakfast, Shen Caihua returned to his room and began to secretly make preparations, pouring all the change from the piggy bank into his backpack, which was originally prepared for him by Lan'er’s mother for school
The moonlight is cool, a gentle breeze blows, and the sound of insects chirping continues from the grass.
"It's dead," Dudu corrected.
This is an old-style brick house, with a portrait of Chairman Mao hanging on the wall of the main room. In the center of the room, there is an ice coffin, covered by a glass case, through which one can clearly see a small boy dressed in new clothes lying on his back, his features vividly lifelike, as if he were merely asleep
People's attention was drawn to the peculiar large bird; they had never seen such a big parrot before, and thus they began to discuss among themselves
Dudu closely followed in the night sky
On that night, with the moon bright and the stars numerous, after the lights in Lan'er’s room were turned off, Shen Caihua and Dudu began to take action
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"Ling Ge, Ling Ge, can you hear me?" Shen Caihua continued to call out.
We will go find Ling Ge and inquire about Mo Mo's whereabouts, Shen Caihua said thoughtfully after listening.
"Mo Mo? Is that a person's name?" asked the middle-aged scholar
"Tell me, where did you get this parrot?" the police officer inquired in his usual tone.
"He is my friend," Shen Caihua replied
The blue-violet macaw! An expert recognized it as a precious and endangered bird species native to South America, stating, "The number of individuals surviving in the wild worldwide does not exceed 3,000." The person exclaimed.
The police officer scratched his head; after all, his task was to guard the ice coffin inside the house, and there was no need to be at odds with a child. So he lit another cigarette and leaned against the jeep door, exhaling clouds of smoke.