The mother's words, so I am baffled, what scapegoat?
"Sister, what are you talking about?"
Shifu withdrew her hand, and the expression on her face returned as before.
"Nothing, you go back!"
I oh so ready to leave.
"Wait!"
"Is there anything else for you, Sifu?"
Shifu bit her red lips lightly.
"You really want me to run?"
I nodded vigorously, I had already made the decision that my suffering should be borne by myself, not by my mentor instead.
"Then do me a favor, tonight at midnight, you secretly take off that bell hanging on the courtyard door."
I answered down, but was full of doubts, there is a bell on the courtyard door? How come I haven't seen one.
I left my mother's room, I walked to the courtyard door, looked up and saw that there was a brass bell hanging on the door beam.
This copper bell I know, the village who haunted by demons, the master will use this copper bell practice, this copper bell is his treasure, never leave his body, how will hang on the door, and when to hang up?
I reached out to take the brass bell off, suddenly I thought that my mother was asking me to pick it at midnight, although I do not understand why she picked such a point in time, but I still decided to follow my mother's arrangement.
In the evening, the master came back and he asked me.
"Little Nine, do you know what day tomorrow is?"
"Tomorrow, the first day of the month, I'm going to spend the night in a mass grave on a barren mountain."
Master nodded with relief, and he said to me in a kindly tone.
"This is the last time you will go to the deserted mountain, another week is your eighteenth birthday, as long as you pass this hurdle, you will not have to live in fear in the future."
I was touched in my heart, although the master never let me call him father, but he treated me no different from his own life, his image in my heart has always been upright and kind, but when I thought of him beating the master, I became very mixed feelings.
"Xiaojiu, go get the kitchen a sharper knife and a bowl."
I inquired.
"What does Master need the knife and bowl for?"
Master replied with a smile.
"Slaughter that rooster I bought and bleed it for you!"
Master had taught me that the rooster is the most masculine species of poultry, its blood can drive away evil and avoid evil, I have to go to the deserted mountains tomorrow night with wild ghosts as companions, he is probably afraid that my body can not hold up.
I ran to the kitchen, sharpened the knife faster, got the bowl again, and walked out into the yard.
Master is catching chickens all over the yard, he is old, his legs are not very convenient, chickens are chased by him fluttering all over the yard, but never catch.
I rolled up my sleeves and went to help, and soon had the rooster on the ground.
Master sighed as he wiped his sweat.
"It's better to be young!"
The master looked at me a little strange, like envy, but also mixed with other emotions.
"How about I kill the chicken . Let's do it!"
Master refuses.
"Killing is detrimental to yin and virtue, and until you reach adulthood, this work cannot be allowed to you."
The master lifted the rooster and picked up the knife again.
He gave me a look and laughed and scolded.
"Why don't you go boil water? Do you want to eat chicken with hair on it?"
I rushed back to the kitchen to boil water, water has not yet boiled, the master walked in.
He put the rooster, which had already been bled, on the stove top and handed me the bowl filled with most of the blood.
"Drink it while it's hot."
I pinched my nose to drink the chicken blood into my stomach, salty and fishy, after drinking, I vomited and almost gave up again.
The Master was overjoyed.
"This bowl of blood down, to ensure that you have no worries tomorrow! You hurry up and cook, there are dishes to drink today, Master went out to buy a bottle of wine."
After the master left, I filled my mouth with several mouthfuls of water, before the fishy taste in the mouth washed down, the water boiled, to the chicken fade, I suddenly had a doubt in my mind.
The village butcher told me before, a chicken two two blood, but just now I drank the blood, half a bowl more, at least four two, this rooster is not fat ah, where so much blood?
At the time, I just thought it was strange and didn't think much of it.
After shedding the hair, I chopped the rooster into pieces, and peeled three potatoes, the previous chicken stew is peeled two, this is not the family more than one person, there must be enough to eat.
When I put the food on the table, the master also came back from buying wine, he had a craving, did not wash his hands, sit down and eat.
"This meat stew smells so good, Xiaojiu your cooking skills are getting better and better."
I wiped my oil-covered hands with my apron and walked toward Master's bedroom.
"I'm going to call the Master and Teacher's wife for dinner."
Who knew that I had only taken two steps when I was called by the master.
"Don't go, she's already asleep."
Master is asleep so early? I have doubts in my mind, but the master has said so, I can not ask more.
Master drank a little too much, walking staggering back to the house, not long after, his snoring are spread to the yard.
In my mind, I was glad for Shifu that at least she wouldn't be beaten again tonight.
After collecting the dishes, I went back to my room, but didn't go to bed because by midnight I had to pick the bells from the courtyard door.
I waited and waited, and for some reason, I felt cold and even shivered.
Master said that the rooster's blood is good for Yang? You should be warm after drinking it! How can it be cold?
The wind was coming from the yard, quite loudly, and I smelled the humidity as I closed the window, a sign that it was going to rain.
Finally, midnight arrives.
I tiptoed to the courtyard door, and the sound of my master's snoring still shook the sky, which made me feel at ease.
I pushed up my toes and gently took down the brass bell hanging on the door beam. I thought about putting the bell in my pocket, but then I thought about putting it on the floor.
My task is complete, I tiptoed back to my bedroom, just unlocked the door, outside the door came a thunderclap, followed by a downpour of rain.
I got colder and colder, so cold that I kept shivering, I rushed to bed and wrapped myself up with the quilt, I don't know how long it took, but I fell asleep in a daze.
The next morning, I just got up, I saw the master with a brass bell in his hand, standing in front of the courtyard door with an iron face.
When he saw me get up, he questioned.
"Did you take down this bell?"
I pretended to be surprised.
"Master, what are you talking about?"
Perhaps because I was pretending to be natural, Master dispelled his suspicions about me as he muttered.
"Could it be that the wind was strong last night and the bell was blown down?"
I had already guessed in my mind what had happened, but continued to act as if I didn't know.
"Master, what happened, why do you look so ugly?"
Master replied through gritted teeth.
"Your master's wife has run away!"
I pretended to be taken aback.
"Shifu ran away? Why did she run away? Master, I will help you go and get Shifu back."
The master refused me.
"I'll find it myself, you hurry up and pack yourself, go to the deserted mountain for the night, this is your business, don't delay!"
After saying that, he went back to the house and put on a coat and hurried out of the house.
Looking at Master's somewhat staggering steps, I felt guilty, but I didn't regret thinking that Sister would not be abused in the future.
I made myself a pot of porridge, ate a bowl, put the rest in an insulated lunchbox, carried a large kettle, and before I left, carried two hard buns from the kitchen.
Tonight I'm going to sleep all night in a mass grave on a barren mountain, so I'll have to bring more food to eat.