This is a small village located between three big mountains. It is entered from the fork in the official road, winding its way up, and then winding down after reaching the top of the slope.
If the road side of Liujia Village is a ditch, then the right side of the road in Yemao Village can be called a cliff.
A road was suspended on a steep mountainside. When the carriage passed by, Yin Le did not dare to pay much attention to the cliff on the right. He just concentrated on moving forward, his heart beating faster and his breathing becoming rapid.
This place is fine during the day, but at night, it is dangerous to run a horse, let alone a carriage.
It was pitch dark and I couldn't see the road clearly. If I rushed off the cliff, my life would be over.
In fact, when they reached this narrow road on the cliff, Liu Ji, Yin Le, Dalang, Erlang and Si Niang all began to regret it.
But the people of Sheng State, who have always wanted to be strong all their lives, are the toughest-talkers in their bodies. Even if they are trembling with fear while crossing the cliff, they dare not express any regrets.
I can only comfort myself with reasons like "do good deeds every day", "just treat it as an experience", "the child is so pitiful" etc.
On the other hand, Qin Yao, riding alone at the back, was still able to calmly appreciate the magnificent scenery of the mountains, and her inner irritability was greatly relieved.
I saw some thorny branches with wild berries growing on them by the roadside. I broke off one and ate it while walking. It tasted sour and sweet and quenched my thirst.
Coming down the mountain is the Wildcat Village.
The place is not big and there are few fields. In order to make use of all available land resources, the hillsides are all artificially cultivated terraces.
What is strange is that these farmlands are all covered with lush green grass. During the spring ploughing season, there is not a single farmer busy working in the fields.
"It's so quiet." Liu Ji looked around. There was no dog barking or chicken crowing, and no human voice could be heard.
Just when I was wondering why there was not even any human voice, I suddenly heard the sound of running coming from the house gathering ahead.
Soon, a woman appeared with a staggering little boy. Both of them were covered in patches, and the woman's greasy hair was wrapped in a blue cloth.
The child's hair was neatly tied, but his clothes looked even more shabby than the woman's. His ill-fitting trousers caused him to trip, but the woman didn't even turn her head back and just kept walking forward.
The woman shouted excitedly: "Dog baby!"
Gou Wa, who was sitting in front of Liu Ji, was also excited. Liu Ji quickly got off the horse and put him down to the ground.
"This lady."
"younger brother!"
Liu Ji had just opened his mouth when Gou Wa ran out and was first hugged by the woman. After the mother and son hugged each other for a while, he broke free and went to help the little boy who had fallen.
The woman seemed to have just noticed that the little boy had fallen. She rushed over, shouting anxiously, holding the two brothers' hands one each, and walked towards Qin Yao and the others with gratitude.
"Thank you very much for saving my eldest child. Her grandmother and I were almost worried sick. We only have these two boys in the family. If they were kidnapped, our family would not be able to survive." The woman said this excitedly, and she shed two tears, with red eyes.
The two children had dark skin, but she was fair, and her face was rosy from crying, which made her look even more fragile.
Liu Ji thought to himself, it was a good thing that he sent the child back, otherwise the woman would have cried to death.
"My benefactors, please come home with me and have a cup of tea. This will also give me a chance to cook a meal to thank you." The woman said sincerely.
The sun was setting, and if they delayed any longer they would not be able to reach Anxian County. Liu Ji was about to refuse when the woman led the two brothers to the carriage.
"Hey, there are still some kids here, come with me home, at least take a rest and drink a bowl of sweet water before you go."
Yin Le waved his hand politely: "No, no, we are in a hurry to get to An County, otherwise we can't get into the city and have to sleep in the wilderness today."
Gou Wa's mother asked in surprise, "Are you going to stay in a hotel in An County? Most of the villagers have gone out to do business, and there are still several empty rooms in my house. Why don't you stay here tonight? Although my house is simple, I clean the room every day and it is spotless."
Liu Ji thought to himself that the farmland was abandoned because everyone had gone out to do business, no wonder the village was so quiet.
Gou Wa's mother looked at Liu Ji and said, "My benefactor, please go home. If you leave like this, I will feel guilty and I will not be able to sleep or eat. Gou Wa has not even had a cup of tea with you."
He looked at Yin Le in the car again and said, "It can also save a lot of money. Since there is an empty house at home, why waste it?"
The only thing she didn't see was Qin Yao who was parked behind the carriage. It was only when Liu Ji and Yin Le turned around to ask for her opinion that Gou Wa's mother took two steps back in surprise. She was startled to see that there was another person.
It was so quiet that she didn't even notice there was a living person.
His tearful eyes swept over Qin Yao, met her gaze, and smiled cautiously, "So the Madam is still behind me. I was blind and didn't see you. I'm sorry, Madam, please don't be angry."
"No, my wife is generous. She can't be angry with you, right, wife?" Liu Ji smiled and winked at Qin Yao.
Looking at their expressions, Qin Yao knew that everyone wanted to stay.
The scenery of this Wildcat Village is really nice, and it is not far from An County. We can rest here for a night and then set off tomorrow morning without having to go into An County. It will be fine to just continue on our way.
She nodded and said, "Let's go, but one thing is one thing, and you still have to pay the room fee." So they saved money on food.
Since the other party was happy to entertain them, they didn't want to be too excessive. After all, judging from the way the two brothers Gou Wa were dressed, their family didn't look wealthy.
Gou Wa's mother wanted to say no, but Liu Ji stopped her and asked her who else was in the village. There seemed to be quite a lot of houses, but they were dilapidated.
Gou Wa's mother was leading the way, holding a child in each hand, and said, "There are only about twenty people left. They are either old or young. They are taking a nap at home at noon." That's why it was so deserted.
Liu Ji expressed his envy, saying that they could even take a nap, it seemed that they were really free.
As we walked into the village, another hunchbacked old lady came. It looked like her eyesight was not very good. She leaned on a cane and tilted her head upward, squinting and moving her head around. She seemed to see a blurry figure in front of her, and tentatively called out:
"Is it Gou Wa who is back?"
Gou Wa's mother quickly responded, "Yes, he is back. His benefactor sent him back. This poor kid only knew how to run around. Now he has learned a lesson."
She shook the two boys' hands again, and the two brothers called out softly, "Ah, grandma."
There was a hint of subtle fear in his voice.
Liu Ji just felt that the old lady was a little strange. She squinted her eyes and came close to look at you. You might say she was blind, but when she saw the unparalleled Mr. Liu, she showed an expression of surprise.
Liu Ji clenched his fist to his lips and coughed twice to avoid the upturned corners of his mouth being too obvious.
"Let's park the carriage in the yard." Gou Wa's mother removed the threshold and led the few people in.
The yard of her house should be the largest one in the village. The front yard is very spacious and empty, with only a few farm tools placed against the wall.
Yin Le put the children down and parked the carriage against the wall. He glanced inadvertently at the farm tools, which were all covered with a thick layer of dust.
It seems that this place is very profitable for businessmen. The land is not cultivated and the farm tools are covered with dust and old. (End of this chapter)
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