Chapter 169 Old Wang who can't chat

As the train slowly started to move, Zhang Xingwang gradually left Yanjing. He threw the cloth bag he used for cover onto the bed, then leaned against the window and watched the station going away bit by bit. He thought to himself, no wonder people said that transportation was slow in the past. This time he finally experienced it.

Moreover, as for this big water-boiling machine, the speed probably depends on the mood of the boiler operator. I wonder how many steamed buns this guy can eat in one meal.

The hard sleeper compartment was better than expected, and there were windows that could be opened. I don't know why there were two beds without people, and opposite was a skinny old man wearing a dog-skin hat, carrying a bunch of things in large and small bags.

He put his things away, took out a cigarette, lit it, and started smoking. The old man might have noticed Zhang Xingwang's gaze, grinned, took out a cigarette box and pretended to give Zhang Xingwang a cigarette.

Zhang Xingwang thought about it and took it. When the old man saw him take the cigarette, he laughed and then started chatting with Zhang Xingwang in a familiar manner. The old man introduced himself as Wang, and Zhang Xingwang knew he was from Northeast China as soon as he opened his mouth.

He said he was visiting relatives in Beijing. His son settled down here after working here, and this trip was mainly to see his grandson. But judging by the way the old man sat in a hard sleeper, his son should not be a simple person, at least he has good conditions.

The old man was very talkative and chatted with Zhang Xingwang about all sorts of things. The two of them got along very well. When he learned that Zhang Xingwang was going to the northeast for medical treatment, he was stunned for a long time.

He said that it was the first time he heard of someone traveling from Beijing to see a doctor. After listening to Zhang Xingwang's explanation and looking at Zhang Xingwang's head, he nodded in understanding. After that, he never mentioned his medical treatment again, but just talked to Zhang Xingwang about all kinds of interesting things about the old Northeast.

Zhang Xingwang looked at Old Wang, who was getting more and more excited the more he talked. He guessed that the old man must have been feeling depressed because no one had been sitting and chatting with him for some time.

After looking around for a long time and seeing no sign of anyone coming into the carriage, the old man's topic gradually shifted from the Japanese devils to the guardian deity. The old man was also brave enough and was not afraid of being reported and taken away.

Zhang Xingwang, who was about to go into the mountains, immediately became alert after hearing this. He was thinking of learning from the old man, but he found out that there was a reason why no one chatted with the old man.

The old man was seen sitting cross-legged on the bed, saying "Do I look like a god?" and "A yellow-skinned man crying at the grave" on the left and the right, with saliva flying everywhere. From time to time, he grinned mysteriously with his big yellow teeth. Zhang Xingwang felt his hair stand on end and felt that his life was in darkness.

After finally seeing more people passing by, Old Wang calmed down and stopped talking about human relationships. Instead, he followed Zhang Xingwang's words and prepared to talk about local customs.

He just started talking about hunting, but before he could finish three sentences, the topic suddenly changed and went off to the topic of bandits, saying how they occupied the mountains and became kings, and then were chased into the deep mountains and forests, waiting in the woods for hunters to take the bait. Finally, he said solemnly that there are still bandits nowadays, and this is all true.

After listening to the old man talk for a long time, I could tell from his words that I would be dead if I just ran into the woods. It was just that the way I died would be different if I met Wong Tai Sin or a mountain eagle.

Zhang Xinwang was stunned after hearing this, and began to wonder why he could have been so desperate as to travel thousands of kilometers to get killed.

Then he thought that since he still had the 2000 yuan, he might as well become a trader and buy whatever he could. If he didn't have the skills of a double eagle, he'd better not deliver food in the woods.

When Old Wang saw that the young man opposite him was stunned by what he heard, he thought that he might be quite interested. This young man was not like other young men who would argue and say that they were feudal and superstitious. He was also to his taste.

Then I decided to wait until the atmosphere was right in the evening, and then arrange for the Yin-Yang master and the third grandmother to come and have a good chat with this young man.

When Old Wang had not yet finished speaking, Zhang Xingwang gradually brought the topic back on track and started to ask about hunters' hunting.

Who would have thought that the old man would start talking about someone in the village who was robbed by a blind bear, or someone in the next village who was killed by a pack of wolves. In a word, the profession of hunter is much more dangerous than that of a traveling doctor.

Finally, with a fake smile, he whispered to Zhang Xingwang:

"If it's foggy, don't go into the woods!"

"Why?"

"Some of our bear tyrants, after becoming spirits, will stand up in foggy weather and learn to wave at people. When you come closer..."

Zhang Xingwang shuddered again after hearing this, and decisively went to bed and closed his eyes to rest, thinking that he could not listen to this negative old man's nonsense anymore.

It was not until dinner time that Zhang Xingwang realized that something was wrong. He silently took out a bottle of wine from his cloth bag. After the two of them had three rounds of drinks, Old Wang finally told the truth:

"I don't know about other places, but in our place, there is an unwritten rule in recent years. Whenever there are outsiders coming, they will be frightened and not allowed to enter the forest."

"Why? Are you afraid that there will be too many hunters and too little meat?"

"That's not the case. The main thing is that only one of the three who went in can come back. We have to go over mountains and hills to look for them. It's too much trouble."

After talking for a long time, I finally figured out that in the past few years, people who were too hungry to sleep in their hometowns all flocked to the granary of the Northeast, where they were said to sleep more soundly.

I heard from the old man that there are several villages there, and most of the people there are people who came from other places.

These people are lucky to be able to get here. Now you can’t even leave the county without a letter of introduction.

No wonder they say old people become more cunning. Seeing the old man refusing to talk about hunting common sense as if he was guarding against a thief, Zhang Xingwang gave up and prepared to go to bed early.

Old Wang looked at Zhang Xingwang who fell asleep and felt uncomfortable. He had finally met a guy who could chat with him, so how could he let him go so easily?

Then he called Zhang Xinwang over with a very short story about going into the mountains, and then chatted with him.

Afterwards, Zhang Xingwang became more and more energetic as he listened to the three sentences about hunting and the two sentences about the third grandmother, and he stayed up all night.

I woke up groggily the next morning, looked at my dark circles, and then looked at Old Wang, who was now clear-headed after chatting, and thought to myself, I can't tolerate this.

Then he showed his strengths and asked about the situation of Old Wang's son indirectly, and then began to analyze the matter between Old Wang and his son:

Things like "I guess you won't see your grandchildren very often at your age", "Is your daughter-in-law filial or not? What does filial piety mean? Then why is there no one to chat with you", "They are busy with work, and it's like being in jail when you stay away for a few days", "I guess your grandchildren won't recognize you when they grow up", "They won't be able to come back for the New Year", etc. Every sentence hit Old Wang like a nail on the head, making him breathless.