Chapter 1 I Fell Asleep

Because I hadn't slept all night and had exhausted a lot of energy in the ancient tomb, I drifted off to sleep while waiting for Xiao Liang to return.

I don't know how long I slept, but when I opened my eyes, it was already dark.

Xiao Liang was sitting next to me, staring at me expectantly. When she saw me wake up, she quickly said, "You're awake? Hurry up and eat the noodles, they'll get cold in a little while."

I glanced at the noodles beside my hospital bed and saw that they were still steaming. I couldn't help but ask, "How long have I been asleep? How are the noodles still hot?"

Then I thought about it. Something wasn't right. It was still bright when Xiao Liang went to buy the noodles, but now it was dark. How could the noodles stay hot for so long?

At this time, Xiao Liang said with a smile, "You slept for more than seven hours. I just went out and bought you a new bowl. Hurry up and eat it, then get some more rest."

I suddenly understood that Xiao Liang had run back and forth twice just so I could have hot noodles.

I smiled at her embarrassedly and said softly, "Thank you for your trouble. I feel so bad."

But Xiao Liang shook her head and said, "This is nothing. You're the one who's been through hardship, nearly dying in the ancient tomb and getting so many injuries. Hurry up and eat the noodles."

After speaking, she set up the small table on the hospital bed for me and brought the noodles over.

I hadn't eaten for a day and a night, and I was so hungry that my stomach was sticking to my back. As soon as I smelled the aroma of the beef noodles, my mouth watered.

After eating two mouthfuls of noodles, I suddenly thought of Uncle Mei. I looked back and saw that Uncle Mei was still fast asleep in bed, with two empty disposable plastic bowls in the trash can next to the bed.

Xiao Liang told me with a smile, "Uncle Mei woke up earlier than you. I saw you were sleeping soundly at the time, so I didn't have the heart to wake you up. I let Uncle Mei eat your previous bowl of noodles, since it would have gone to waste if he didn't eat it anyway."

I smiled and nodded, saying, "I didn't expect Uncle Mei to have such a good appetite."

After I finished the noodles, Xiao Liang helped me clean up the trash and asked if I wanted to continue sleeping.

I had slept for seven hours in a row in the afternoon, so I was no longer sleepy. I shook my head and said that I was very awake now and didn't want to sleep.

Xiao Liang said with a smile, "That's good. Then tell me about your adventures in the tomb. What is the ancient Shu tomb under the Yazi River like? How is it different from the tomb in the Tuo River?"

Knowing that she loved to hear stories, I started from when we went to find Sister Hong and recounted the experience of going into the tomb to her little by little.

Xiao Liang carried a chair and sat by my bed, lying on the bed, listening attentively, just like a model student listening carefully in school.

When I told her about the grudges and grievances between Lao Wu and Professor Xu, and how Professor Xu finally successfully turned the tables on Lao Wu, Xiao Liang applauded with delight.

When I told her about encountering piranhas while crossing the river, and encountering red poisonous snakes while climbing the tree, Xiao Liang broke out in a cold sweat.

Halfway through the story, I curiously asked Xiao Liang, "By the way, Xiao Liang, you're a college student, let me ask you, why would there be piranhas in the ancient Shu tomb? I heard Professor Xu say before that piranhas only exist in South America on the entire Earth."

Xiao Liang frowned and said, "Professor Xu is a university professor and he doesn't even know, how could I, a regular college student, possibly know?"

But after thinking about it, she suddenly asked, "By the way, I heard you say that the water temperature in the underground river seems to be higher than in the Yazi River, like a hot spring?"

I nodded and said, "Yes."

Xiao Liang guessed, "Then I think, could it be that the climate in the Yazi River basin four thousand years ago was warmer than it is now, similar to the climate in South America, and suitable for piranhas to survive? It's just that the climate later changed, and the piranhas in this area became extinct? Then a part of the piranhas migrated into the underground river with the crustal changes, which is why they have survived until today?"

I thought about it and felt that what she said made some sense.

But that may not be the truth.

Afterwards, I continued to tell the story of going into the tomb, telling her that the ancient Shu king used tree trunks as coffins and bark as outer coffins, burying himself in the tree, and telling Xiao Liang that this tomb, as well as the ancient Shu tomb in the Tuo River, were both the mausoleums of King Boguan. "Boguan" was not the name of a Shu king, but a general term for a dynasty, or rather a tribe.

I originally thought that Xiao Liang would be very surprised when she heard this analysis, and I was prepared to see her surprised look.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Liang was not surprised at all, but excitedly said to me, "That's right, that's right, I've also seen this theory, saying that the names Cancong, Yufu, and Boguan are not the names of the Shu kings, but the names of a tribe. The Cancong tribe was established by the descendants of the Yellow Emperor. They were brave and good at fighting, and fought against the Shang Dynasty for many years. The Boguan tribe was split from the Cancong tribe. They did not want war and yearned for peace, so they migrated to the more southern part of the Shu Kingdom. The Yufu tribe and the Boguan tribe were two independent tribes that had a war lasting many years, and the final result was that the Yufu tribe won and annexed the Boguan tribe..."

I was directly dumbfounded by Xiao Liang's words, staring at her in a daze.

Originally, I had learned some knowledge from Shopkeeper Wang and wanted to show off in front of Xiao Liang, but instead I was taught a lesson by her. It seems that she is the real scholar, and I am just a fake scholar.

At this time, Xiao Liang said again, "Um, I heard that the totem of the Boguan tribe is trees and white cranes. Judging from the cultural relics discovered in this ancient tomb, the owner of this mausoleum must be the leader of the Boguan tribe, or it can also be called King Boguan."

I was completely convinced by Xiao Liang's knowledge, and said with a wry smile, "I really should have taken you into the tomb together, so that many mysteries could be solved. Unlike me and Uncle Mei, two illiterates, charging around in the tomb like reckless men."

Xiao Liang quickly said, "Don't say that, you two are also very powerful. If it weren't for your good swimming skills, I estimate that this group of tomb robbers would have been wiped out."

That's right, if Sister Hong hadn't hired me and Uncle Mei to go down, Shopkeeper Wang would definitely have died in the ancient tomb this time, and not a single brother would have survived.

Afterwards, I told Xiao Liang the rest of the story, and Xiao Liang was also very excited when I told her about finding Little Mei's sports shirt in the "dormitory" next to the tomb passage.

She kept encouraging me, saying that Little Mei must still be alive, and that I would find her soon.

With Xiao Liang's encouragement, I also became much more optimistic.

We chatted until after one o'clock in the middle of the night. Finally, I lay on the hospital bed and fell into a drowsy sleep. Xiao Liang didn't leave the ward all night, but stayed by the bed to accompany me.

Early the next morning, Jiang Yongguang came to the ward to visit. Uncle Mei woke up early and started chatting with Jiang Yongguang. When Xiao Liang and I heard the sound of the two of them talking, we both woke up.

Although I knew that Shopkeeper Wang probably had nothing to do with Little Mei and Aunt Mei, there were still a few mysteries about him that had not been solved.

Uncle Mei couldn't wait to ask Jiang Yongguang, "How is it? Is Shopkeeper Wang cooperating? Have you interrogated any information?"