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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
Captain Liu's words chilled me to the bone, and no wonder the older villagers turned pale when this young man appeared.
The reason I felt I had seen him before was that I had previously used the Zhou Compass to glimpse images from the past, remembering the pitiful look in that child's eyes.
At present, the young man's features bore some resemblance to what I had seen through the Zhou Compass, but there were more differences. His eyes revealed a certain unshakeable confidence and sincerity that left no room for doubt.
It has been over thirty years since 198, and since the reforms and opening up in 78, the national economy began to gradually recover and develop. After several years of effort, various regions showed positive economic trends. However, social order remained poorly managed and secured, with gangs fighting and causing disturbances everywhere.
Advanced ideas flowed into the country, and the younger generation advocated for freedom without restraint. Nightclubs and bars sprang up on every street. During that time, numerous incidents of public disturbances and robberies were reported from all over the country, prompting officials to respond to security issues. Thus began a sweeping crackdown known as Haohao.
People tend to behave recklessly when peace and stability prevail, stirring up trouble until disaster strikes, at which point they realize what true fear is and begin to restrain themselves.
Human nature always needs to be suppressed within a certain range of environmental constraints. Discovering and defining this range requires an experimental process, during which mistakes are inevitable and may even lead to immeasurable consequences.
For eight years, a strict crackdown was enforced from above, with every county and town required to compile lists of deaths and severe sentences. Countless street thugs were imprisoned. While they smoked in their cells, boasting about how they could be out in three to five years, they never imagined that death sentences would befall them.
The number of thugs who could face death far exceeded the stipulated limits on the death list, necessitating filling it with other lawbreakers.
In those days, one could receive a twenty-year sentence for possessing a needle; slapping a woman’s backside could lead to a suspended death sentence; even urinating by the roadside could result in not seeing another sunrise if spotted by someone of the opposite sex.
During that era, charges of hooliganism were taken to extremes. The older generation turned pale at the mention of such crimes. In today's society, couples kiss and date openly on the streets; some even dare to engage in acts of procreation in public.
Yet in the eighties, especially during those eight years of strict enforcement, even holding hands between men and women was unseen.
The son of Guo the Blind was executed that year. According to Old Man, Guo the Blind's son was guilty of inciting a riot, causing serious negative impacts on society. He was only twenty years old at the time of his death. If he were still alive today, he would be at least fifty.
Currently, the young Guo Huaiyi from the Provincial Cultural Troupe, who was visiting the countryside for research, looked no older than twenty. No one could maintain such youthful looks at fifty.
During dinner, Team Leader Liu casually asked the young man about some past events. Guo Huaiyi responded fluently and with composure, sharing stories about his experiences in another mountain village. When Old Man asked Guo Huaiyi what books he liked to read, he mentioned the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin first, followed by some classics favored by the older generation—books I had never read but had heard Old Man mention while listening to him talk.
Even though Guo Huaiyi and Old Man were laughing at the table, the atmosphere felt somewhat off. I stood up to propose a toast to Guo Huaiyi in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Just then, the village head Li Fugui's voice came from outside: "This toast should be mine to offer. Leader Guo's esteemed presence deserves a proper welcome from me as village head."
Li Fugui snatched the cup from my hand and downed it in one gulp. I smiled awkwardly, feeling frustrated inside.
Guo Huaiyi stood up and said, "Li the Village Head is being too polite. I'm just a clerk from the cultural troupe; I'm not an official. Everyone should feel at ease; I'm just one of you, no need for formalities."
"Oh?" Li Fugui replied. "It seems that Leader Guo is not only young and promising but also approachable. Such people are rare these days."
"Li the Village Head is overly complimentary," Guo Huaiyi said.
Li Fugui continued, "From your accent, it sounds somewhat similar to our Futu Ridge dialect. May I ask where Leader Guo's ancestral home is?"
Guo Huaiyi replied, "This area's accent is about seventy percent similar to Shandong dialect. I studied in Shandong for a few years and picked up a bit of it; please forgive me if I made any mistakes."
Li Fugui said, "No offense taken. I do have some impression of you; Leader Guo resembles a young man from our village quite closely—though you seem to possess an even more distinguished demeanor."
"That's quite interesting! It’s rare to find someone who looks so much like another person. It makes my long trip worthwhile. If it's convenient, could you please call that young man over? It would be nice to share a meal and drinks together; perhaps we are long-lost brothers or something," Guo Huaiyi said with great interest on his face.
Li Fugui said expressionlessly, "He has been dead for over thirty years. Digging him up might scare Leader Guo."
The table fell into an awkward silence due to Li Fugui's morbid humor. Guo Huaiyi, well aware that Li Fugui did not hold him in high regard, maintained a nonchalant expression.
"Why doesn't Village Head Li sit down and have something to eat? Captain Liu, make sure Village Head Li doesn’t overexert himself," Guo Huaiyi suggested.
Li Fugui replied, "No need. Just being able to toast Leader Guo is already quite an honor. Actually, I came here today to introduce someone. This person is our Feng Shui Master from Bright Moon Village and is also the most legendary figure in Futu Ridge. Perhaps meeting him will evoke some different feelings in Leader Guo."
As Li Fugui spoke, a voice came from outside the Production Team's courtyard. It was Huzi, who called out, "Hurry up! My grandpa has brought an important person for you to meet."
Guo the Blind followed Huzi into the room and looked up to see a group of people staring at him. He touched his face, wondering why everyone was looking at him so intently. But when he saw the young man standing at the table, he froze!
"You are Guo Huaiyi?!" Guo the Blind's eyes turned red as he struggled to hold back tears.
"This is?" Guo Huaiyi asked, pointing at Guo the Blind with an expression of calm curiosity.
"You really don’t recognize him?" Old Man squinted and asked.
Guo Huaiyi shook his head and said, "Never seen him before. With how you all are acting, it wouldn’t be a surprise if this turns into a story about me being his long-lost son."
Guo Huaiyi chuckled to himself, and Liu, standing beside him, joined in the laughter. "It must be a mistake; it’s just a coincidence. Haven't we seen stories in the news about two people who look almost identical meeting on a train and discovering they are long-lost brothers? Leader Guo is at most in his twenties, while Old Blind Man's son died over thirty years ago. Even if he had a grandson, it wouldn’t add up. Surely someone who died over thirty years ago isn’t coming back now?"
"True enough; let’s not dwell on nonsense. Just look at Guo the Blind’s appearance—how could he possibly have produced someone as outstanding as Leader Guo?" one villager remarked from the courtyard.
"Now let’s eat! Everyone come and eat! It’s not easy for Leader Guo to come all the way from Provincial Capital to our mountain village. Just because he looks like someone doesn’t mean you should ask so many questions. If this were a leader with a temper, they would have left in a huff by now. Sit down and get to know each other," Old Man interjected.
The crowd fell silent, no longer discussing Guo Huaiyi's resemblance to anyone. They all gathered around the table, with Huzi sitting beside me and Guo the Blind taking a seat as well.
"By the way, since the Feng Shui Master of Bright Moon Village is Mr. Guo, who shares my surname and happens to resemble his late son, why don't I stay at Mr. Guo's house? It would be a good opportunity to learn about Feng Shui. I wonder if Mr. Guo would be willing?" Guo Huaiyi suddenly suggested.
At this, everyone was momentarily taken aback. Jie then looked at Guo the Blind, who hesitated before saying, "My place is rather simple; I'm afraid Leader Guo might not find it comfortable. However, if Leader Guo doesn't mind a bit of mess, my humble abode would be honored to host you."
"Then it's settled. You all don't need to accompany me; I'm quite easygoing. I'll stay at Mr. Guo's house for a few days, finish my investigation report, and once it's stamped in the Village, I'll head back," Guo Huaiyi said, turning to Li Fugui across the table. "I wonder if Li the Village Head has any objections?"
Li Fugui snorted and replied, "Leader Guo is a big shot from the Provincial Capital; how could I dare to have any objections as a mere village head? However, I must remind Leader Guo that there are many strange occurrences in the mountains. Wild cats and dogs can bite; you must take care of your precious self. Otherwise, if something happens and they blame us, we country folks can't afford houses in the city."
After finishing his drink, Li Fugui crushed his cup in his hand and turned to leave. Guo Huaiyi called out, "Li the Village Head, what strength you have! I wonder if you could perform another feat like that for us."
The table fell into an awkward silence at Guo Huaiyi's sharp retort. Li Fugui did not look back. Guo Huaiyi shook his head with a smile and said, "Li the Village Head is quite interesting. I wonder if I've offended him and given everyone a good laugh. How about this? I'll toast everyone as an apology."
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