Trafford’s Trading Club

"Luckily, I dug up a few wild sweet potatoes."

As soon as he walked in, Old Feng said happily: "But I tasted the fruit and it was too sour."

Tao Xiaman slowly raised his head and looked at Old Feng. Hearing the old man's voice, her nervousness suddenly eased, and she even smiled subconsciously: "I haven't eaten roasted sweet potatoes for a long time."

Lao Feng hesitated and asked tentatively: "Girl, can you see things?"

Tao Xiaman smiled, shook his head and said, "Well, I can start to see a little bit of things, but it's still very blurry, like a person with severe myopia."

Lao Feng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, sat down, and began to bury the sweet potatoes into the fire while saying softly: "No wonder I see you are in a much better mood."

Tao Xiaman stretched out his hands and lit the fire to make his body warmer. He nodded and said, "I didn't know before that a little light could be so important."

Old Feng said nothing.

Tao Xiaman suddenly asked: "Old man, do you have a mobile phone? I want to make a call."

Old Feng shook his head and said, "I didn't bring anything like that. You were planning to call your family."

Tao Xiaman nodded, sighed and said, "My fiancé, I think he must be very worried about me now."

Old Feng said: "There is heavy fog in the forest. It is not safe to walk now. Your feet are also injured and it is inconvenient. When the sun comes out tomorrow, I will take you out."

"That's the only way it can be." Tao Xiaman nodded, and said apologetically: "Old man, I'm sorry. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have to stay here all night."

Old Feng shook his head: "It's okay. Anyway, I'm alone, and I have someone to talk to..."

He looked at Tao Xiaman and his voice became lower, "...it's pretty good too."

Recalling what the old man had said before, Tao Xiaman imagined that this should be a unique old man who was alone, and he felt compassion, "Old man, why did you meet your daughter? Did she abandon you?"

"I left her behind." Old Feng shook his head, "She was the one I couldn't bear."

"This..." Tao Xiaman hesitated and said softly: "Old man, there is no overnight hatred between father and daughter. Maybe you should have a good talk with her."

Suddenly there was a snap.

That was when Old Feng broke a branch and was about to throw it into the firewood. He said: "Is it really possible that there will be no resentment overnight?"

Tao Xiaman sighed and smiled bitterly: "Maybe... maybe I am the least qualified person to say such things. I also... I haven't seen my father for a long time."

"Why don't you see him?" Old Feng's voice rose slightly.

Tao Xiaman fell silent, hugging her legs and knocking her chin on her knees, just looking at the fire in front of her silently, not knowing what to think.

Old Feng sighed secretly, "I'm sorry, I asked too many questions."

"No... nothing." Tao Xiaman shook his head.

She had been wanting to talk all this time. But she couldn't find anyone to talk to.

She didn't know the old man in front of her, maybe it was just a fateful encounter... a stranger.

A person who doesn't know her past and may not have any interactions with her in the future... a stranger in life who is very suitable for talking about.

"Old man, I..." She raised her head and said bitterly: "I am actually the daughter of a murderer."

Old Feng's hand shook and he slowed down the movement of putting down the branches. He could only slow down his breathing at this time. Because, for a moment, it was difficult for him to take a breath.

"Will you look down on me?" Tao Xiaman seemed a little nervous when he saw the old man suddenly became silent.

"No, no." Old Feng shook his head, "How could it be possible? How could it be possible? The only one I look down on is myself."

"Old man, you..."

"It's nothing." Old Feng took a deep breath and said, "Others are others, I am me, and I have no qualifications to comment on others."

Tao Xiaman smiled slightly and said quietly: "Old man, if everyone could be as generous as you, then there would probably be a lot less... a lot of things in this world."

Old Feng frowned, "You... care about other people's eyes?"

Tao Xiaman shook his head, but was silent for a moment, and then said slowly: "I don't know, I really don't know. I have forgotten many things about my childhood. But there are always some things that I can't forget even if I want to. They are like It's like a clock, always reminding me when I don't expect it... I'm afraid."

"Fear?"

Tao Xiaman raised his head, as if holding back the tears that could easily fall out of his eyes, "I remember at that time, my father had just been arrested... Those should be the family members of the original victims, maybe they I am really angry, maybe I just want to find a place to vent my resentment..."

Tao Xiaman shook his head and said with a wry smile: "Can you imagine that feeling... The daughter who is accused of being the murderer day by day, with dirty blood on her body... Whether it is the eyes of teachers and students in the school or neighbors, As if with a kind of distance. Indifference, coldness...cold and cold."

"How could they do this to you!! You are so young!! They, them, them!"

Old Feng's heart was bleeding. He said "them" several times in succession, and then stabbed the branch into the fire with his hand.

Tao Xiaman was startled, "Old man, how come you...are more excited than me."

"I..." Old Feng breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'm trying to blame you for not being worthy! The previous generation will be responsible for the mistakes they made. Why should we extend our hatred to the next generation?"

Tao Xiaman smiled bitterly and said in confusion: "Yeah...why? Probably, people who have been hurt can only fill the hole in their hearts through hurt."

Inside the cave, it suddenly became quiet.

Only the aroma of the gradually roasted sweet potatoes began to fill the air.

"It seems to be ripe, right?" Tao Xiaman said softly, "It smells so good."

"I'll get it for you." Old Feng nodded, dug out the sweet potato with a branch, and quickly reached out to pick it up. Unexpectedly, the sweet potato was hot, and Old Feng screamed in pain, and the sweet potato fell from his hand. .

"Old man, are you okay?" Tao Xiaman subconsciously stretched out her hand to hold Lao Feng's finger and blew on it gently, "Why don't you wait to pick up something so hot?"

"I'm too impatient." Old Feng shook his head with a wry smile.

Tao Xiaman suddenly gasped. She stretched her sleeves and covered them on her palms, then carefully picked up the sweet potatoes, blew them to cool down, and recalled: "I remember when I was a kid, my dad was always like you, always able to make the sweet potatoes burn your hands. This bad habit He never changed."

"You...you still remember."

"Huh?" Tao Xiaman was stunned, as if he didn't hear what he said clearly.

Old Feng said softly: "It's nothing, just eat it while it's hot."

"Here, let me break it off." Tao Xiaman also smiled, then gently broke it open and placed it in front of Old Feng.

The two of them simply ate this simple roasted sweet potato without saying anything else.

Old Feng didn't know what Tao Xiaman tasted like, but he knew that this was the most delicious meal he had eaten in more than ten years.

Chat, have a meal, talk and laugh, see each other.

This is a meal he has been looking forward to for more than ten years.

…

At some point, Tao Xiaman had already laid down. She had suffered a lot in one day, and she was probably very tired, so her breathing gradually became calmer.

Lao Feng carefully looked after the pile of firewood, lest it suddenly go out.

But he still had some things he wanted to ask himself, so he said: "Girl, girl?"

"Well, I'm listening." Tao Xiaman yawned, "Is something wrong?"

Old Feng hesitated and said: "Girl, are you really not going to meet your father? Maybe... he misses you too."

"I don't know..." She seemed to be getting sleepy and a little confused, "I'm afraid... I don't know... how to face... I'm afraid..."

"Aunt..." Old Feng turned around and saw that she had fallen asleep from exhaustion, and then sighed, "Xia Man, it's dad who is sorry for you."

…

Old Feng went out towards the firewood, broke off small pieces of dry branches little by little and threw them away. It was already midnight, and only the sound of his daughter's sleeping breathing and the sound of the wind in the mountains accompanied him.

He felt extremely peaceful.

Lao Feng suddenly approached Tao Xiaman, stretched out his hand and gently touched her face... He wanted to touch this face gently, but he didn't dare to really get close, for fear that the slightest disturbance would disturb her dream. .

Maybe she was having a good dream at this time, and he saw her smile while sleeping.

Old Feng sighed secretly and walked out of the cave slowly. The fog is still thick outside, but the shadow of the moon can be vaguely seen.

Old Feng raised his head and stood quietly for a long time before gritting his teeth, as if he had made up his mind.

"That's enough, come out." Old Feng said softly: "That's enough, come out. I know you are here...boss."

Lao Feng's call made the club owner finally appear in the night.

"Old man, what's the matter with calling me?" Luo Qiu asked softly.

Old Feng looked at him, was silent for a while, and then breathed out and said: "Thank you for arranging this meeting... That's enough, that's enough."

"It's nothing. I said I would give you some compensation." Luo Qiu looked at the time and said, "Miss Xia Man's eyes will recover after she wakes up. It won't be a problem."

Old Feng nodded and opened his mouth several times to speak, but held back.

Finally, he finally spoke and whispered: "Send me back...send me back to the prison."

"Guest." Luo Qiu said calmly: "According to the content of your transaction, it has not yet reached the agreed time. But the transaction has already started. Even if you stop now, you will not be able to get back your transaction funds. But if you don't stop, I will You can restore everything to its original state, and you can continue to go back and complete your wedding dress."

Old Feng shook his head: "It doesn't matter."

He looked back at the cave and said reluctantly: "Five years of life, in exchange for this dinner and this chat, are already worth it. Besides, I have been outside for such a long time, and I have already It’s a profit.”

Old Feng sighed and said bitterly: "I was too persistent. I only considered my own wishes, but I never thought about Xia Man's feelings... Why should I, why should I let the life that she finally became happy continue? Let the chaos continue. I...I shouldn't appear in her life again."

"So..." Old Feng walked towards Luo Qiu, "Send me back."

"I understand, then, as you wish."

…

When Tao Xiaman woke up...she felt a little chill and woke up.

She opened her eyes, and the things in front of her became extremely clear, and she could see everything clearly again. But she couldn't see the old man who stayed with her all night.

The firewood has been extinguished and the old man is not here. The only thing left here is the coat draped on her body.

Tao Xiaman was startled, and vaguely heard something coming from outside... Someone was calling her name, and there seemed to be quite a few people.

She limped out of the cave, heard more sounds, and saw a helicopter circling in the distance.

Its daybreak.

"I'm here! I'm here! Do you hear me? I'm here!" she started shouting loudly.

Shortly after, several search parties finally found her.

Tao Xiaman looked back at the cave where he had stayed all night, and felt as if he had been in a dream. (To be continued.)