Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The Old Village Chief told us that due to incidents involving wild dogs attacking people in the past, Tou Gou Zi Village no longer kept dogs. The only place that had a dog was in the eastern part of the village, next to the National Highway, where a market was located. Because it was close to the National Highway, many vehicles passed by, bringing with them all sorts of people.
Among this crowd, there could easily be a ruthless robber. Therefore, having a dog for protection was necessary. The Old Village Chief informed us that the owner of this market was named Zhang Ke, who owned a large wolfdog that stood nearly six feet tall when on its hind legs. If there were any dogs left in Tou Gou Zi Village, this would be the only one.
If not, then it certainly wasn't a dog from Tou Gou Zi Village that bit anyone.
However, judging by the traffic situation, if the murderer wasn't in Tou Gou Zi Village, he must be nearby.
The Old Village Chief said, "It's already noon. If we want to investigate that market, we need to hurry. A round trip might take until dark, and with this ominous atmosphere, I fear we might get heavy snow tonight."
Finally, the Old Village Chief glanced at us and added, "I'm afraid you won't be able to return."
Listening to his words, I looked up at the gray sky. The thick clouds were laden with moisture; a heavy snowfall was imminent. At that moment, it truly felt as if dark clouds were pressing down on the town, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
I felt an unusual sensation in my heart, as if the entire village exuded a sinister aura.
I breathed out warm air onto my palms; my reddened hands finally felt a hint of warmth. I waved my hand and said to everyone, "Then let's head out. It seems we'll be staying in Tou Gou Zi Village for a while and might as well buy some daily necessities at that market—warm gloves and such."
Guan Zengbin's face was flushed from the cold as she held onto an arm: "Let's put this arm in a cold storage environment first."
The Old Village Chief placed the arm in a sloped cellar and then led us toward the eastern market.
Along with him came several pairs of worn-out gloves. "I apologize; I didn't realize you had been here so long without any proper gear. Take these for now; you can buy new ones at the market and some daily supplies—just put it on my tab."
As we pushed forward toward the east with the Old Village Chief leading us, we chatted along the way.
I asked, "Old Village Chief, why are there so many disabled people in this village? Are there really no able-bodied individuals left? Do those who are not disabled leave for other places once they reach a certain age?"
The Old Village Chief shook his head and slowly replied, "From what I see now, there are indeed normal people in the village. The ratio of able-bodied individuals to disabled ones is about seven to three. For instance, Sun Kangning's father is an able-bodied man. His child was born with a disability—only one arm since birth; you all know this. Outside of here, Sun Kangning is different from others. Sun Kangning's father didn't want him to face strange looks from others, so they moved here."
I nodded and then asked, "So you're saying that not all residents of this village are originally from Tou Gou Zi?"
The Old Village Chief pointed toward a distant cluster of houses and said, "I can tell you this: there are plenty of houses in this village. Even if another hundred people came here, they would fit right in. Since the 1980s, healthy people have gradually moved away while more disabled individuals have settled here."
"That's quite interesting," Gu Chen chimed in at that moment. "Even though it's inconvenient for them, they still prefer to live together; I wonder who takes care of whom."
The Old Village Chief couldn't see Gu Chen pushing him from behind and thus remained unaware of Gu Chen's expression.
The Old Village Chief sighed and said, "I once read a story in the newspaper that I want to share with you. One time, an elderly man boarded a bus. He stood in front of a young man, but the young man seemed not to notice him at all, showing no intention of giving up his seat."
Gu Chen nodded and replied, "Some young people today really lack manners. Giving up seats for the elderly is our traditional virtue."
The Old Village Chief smiled, as if he had been waiting for Gu Chen's response. He continued, "Indeed, the other passengers on the bus felt the same way. Everyone joined in to support the elderly man and criticized the young man. The young man’s face turned red, and he quickly stood up to offer his seat."
It seemed that the Old Village Chief had more to say; it was not just about giving up a seat.
He continued, "But these people did not let it go easily. As a result, the young man was forced to get off the bus midway. He walked home alone and sat down on a chair, rolling up his pant leg to reveal a prosthetic limb. It turned out he was disabled, yet he didn’t defend himself at all during the ride."
Upon hearing this, Gu Chen remarked, "If he were old or disabled, he should have shown it. If the young man had understood the situation, this awkwardness could have been avoided."
The Old Village Chief shook his head slowly and said, "But when he got home, he laughed heartily; he was genuinely happy. Gu Chen, do you know why he was happy?"
"Happy?" Gu Chen clearly couldn't understand what the Old Village Chief meant and asked in confusion, "How could he be happy? Being misunderstood should make one feel disappointed and angry."
The Old Village Chief waved his hand dismissively and said, "He was indeed happy, not disappointed or angry. This is where we differ from you; we see the world from different perspectives. Do you know what a disabled person fears most? It's not discrimination; it's sympathy."
The Old Village Chief spoke slowly: "Sympathy is that genuine feeling that comes from deep within. It’s that sense of being different from others that truly reveals itself; it cannot be faked. This young man was misunderstood and insulted, yet he laughed because no one recognized that he was different."
We fell silent; no one spoke.
At this moment, the Old Village Chief continued, "Humans are social animals; being different from others is the greatest denial of oneself. So healthy people moved out while disabled individuals moved in. As more disabled people appeared, healthy individuals began to feel abnormal—do you understand?"
We nodded.
"So in this village, just as Sun Kangning observed, you few are actually the abnormal ones," the Old Village Chief chuckled. "If Sun Kangning never leaves Tou Gou Zi Village in his lifetime, he will always be considered normal. But if he sees the outside world, then he becomes an outsider."
I suddenly recalled something Captain Shao often said: sometimes people are unhappy because they know too much. Just like citizens of a certain country who might never see the outside world yet believe their country is the happiest place on earth.
But can we say they are unhappy? What they feel inside might be true happiness in its essence. In a world where everyone is asleep, being awake can be painful. Perhaps dying in a beautiful dream is what ordinary people wish for in life.
Captain Zhou listened to the Old Village Chief's words and sighed thoughtfully: "Yes, different environments lead to different views on right and wrong and different worldviews. What is normal and what is abnormal?"
In his words, Captain Zhou expressed a sense of helplessness and sadness.
"That's why there are more and more disabled people in this village," the Old Village Chief said. "Many know about this village near Yumu City and have come here to settle down. Of course, whether they are healthy or have physical disabilities, some have left the village to live lives different from those here."
As we headed towards the eastern market, we listened to the words of the Old Village Chief.
After hearing the Old Village Chief's story, a feeling of unexpressed sorrow lingered in my heart, and I guessed the others felt the same. Sometimes, different people see entirely different worlds; for colorblind individuals, our vibrant world is invisible to them.
The Old Village Chief turned to me and said, "So most of the time, never rely on guesses. Your eyes can easily deceive you, especially when it comes to the police; guessing is not an option."
Then he turned his head back and fell silent.
At that moment, the Old Village Chief's gaze seemed to carry a weight of meaning, as if he wanted to tell me something more. His words held a deeper significance, suggesting there was more beneath the surface. However, I couldn't tell if he was merely reflecting or if there was another reason behind his sentiment.
Along the way, no one spoke further; we hurried towards the market.
By nearly three in the afternoon, we finally reached the end of the road and caught sight of the market. It didn't appear very large, occupying an area of about one hundred square meters.
From the outside, the walls were peeling, revealing gray cement underneath. Faded advertisements and phone numbers for permits were still visible. A sign made from plastic sheeting was affixed to the wall—Second Market.
These details made it clear that this market had been around for some time, likely operating for over a decade or even several decades.
The market was situated on one side of the road, while a north-south National Highway ran alongside it. At that moment, not a single vehicle passed by. Considering the recent heavy snowfall, it was evident that few would choose to drive in such harsh conditions. Even if someone did venture out, it would be a rare occurrence.
The Old Village Chief pointed towards Second Market and said, "The owner is called Zhang Ke; we all just call him Er. He’s the only one who keeps a wolfdog."
Comment 0 Comment Count