The fish was dragged onto the boat and turned out to be a large herring weighing seven or eight kilograms.
The harpoon penetrated deeply into the belly of the fish.
For this harpoon, one end of the bamboo was split into three halves, separated with wooden sticks, tied with hemp rope, and three sharp thorns were cut out.
One of them actually penetrated the belly of the fish, and blood could not stop flowing out.
The little boy opened his mouth even wider and couldn't believe his eyes.
The old man who personally pulled up the herring was also shocked. He had made the harpoon casually to coax the child, but it was so powerful?
This girl...
Everyone on the boat looked at Xiao Wu with strange eyes.
Qin Sang drank the wine in the glass and said with a smile: "Xiaowu is born with great strength, so this herring will be used as shipping fare..."
Just as he was talking, the river in front of him curved again and continued to turn south.
Just after turning the corner, there is a pier in front of you.
Seeing the situation on the pier, the old man let out a light sigh, ignored Xiao Wu, told his grandson to pack up the herring, quickly walked onto the bow of the boat, and took a look.
Along the way, they passed several docks, scattered on both sides of the river, and the two ships went their own way.
In the front, there is a pattern of opposite sides of the pier, but the scenes on both sides of the strait are quite different.
There were a few boat passengers scattered on the east coast, but the pier on the west coast was actually crowded with people.
There were a lot of people, all carrying baggage of all sizes.
However, most of these people are men and women in their prime, who are the mainstay of their families. They are not very old, and they don't look like they are fleeing.
The first ship was docked at the pier, with people standing at the stern, and the water was very deep.
Seeing that it was overcrowded, the boat passengers on the pier still wanted to squeeze onto the boat. Some people almost fell into the water, which made the big man shout angrily.
When he saw the boat arriving from behind, the big man's eyes lit up and he shouted: "Uncle Chen, my boat is full, please take them on board."
Having said that, the big man couldn't help but untie the reins and push the oar hard on the shore. The speed of the boat was obviously much slower than before.
The old man quickly turned the boat around, went to the east bank to pick up his passengers, and then swung to the west bank.
As soon as the boat approached, there were people eager to jump on.
People on the shore were even more crowded, fearing that they would not be able to board the ship in time, so they tried their best to get to the pier.
The wooden pier creaked loudly, making people worry that it might collapse under someone's feet.
"Don't be anxious! Don't be anxious! You can pretend! You can pretend!"
The old man hurriedly called out, stabilized the boat, blocked the bow, and asked people to board one by one.
The first one to come up was a banker, and he was grabbed by the old man.
"Lao Yue, why are you all here in Xiwu Village? What happened?"
The farmer sighed, "It's a disaster!"
"What?"
The old man was startled, and there was a commotion in the cabin. The previous passengers poked their heads out of the cabin and asked in shock.
"A disaster?"
"What disaster? Where did it come from?"
…
These are villagers who rely on digging in the fields and are most sensitive to the word "disaster".
In years of disaster, people are in dire straits, and people who have experienced disaster years do not even dare to recall them.
Fortunately, the Feng Shui in Beikuo County is pretty good. It doesn't encounter a major disaster every ten or eight years, so it's quite manageable.
This year cannot be said to be a smooth one, but it is far from a disaster year.
Moreover, other villages were not aware of it, and only five villages here were affected by the disaster.
"Locust plague!"
"There's going to be a locust plague!"
…
The people on the pier were talking a lot.
"What! A plague of locusts!"
"Are locust swarms coming from the west?"
Everyone was shocked, and several people rushed out of the cabin with panic on their faces, "Is there really a swarm of locusts?"
Beikuo County is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and has not experienced a locust plague for at least a hundred years.
But the common people have all heard how terrible the locust plague is, even more severe than floods and droughts. Now is the time when the harvest is out of reach and the crops in the fields have not yet been harvested.
Once the locust swarms pass, there will be no harvest. How will we survive this year?
"I haven't seen the locust swarm yet," Lao Yue shook his head, "Our old village chief has a falcon, as you know. That falcon is spiritual and can send messages across many mountains. Two days ago, the west side
There was a flying letter, saying that some hunters went into the mountains to hunt and found that several mountains were almost empty. They were flying eastward in darkness, and they might be coming to our Beikuo County."
"The locust swarms have passed through the border and the mountains have become bald. How can there be any way for people to survive? Go to the city as soon as possible to find a job and earn some food for the winter..."
When the locust plague broke out, countless victims poured into the city. No wonder they were so anxious.
Hearing this, the passengers on the boat also panicked. Someone immediately shouted to get off the boat and rushed back to report the news.
The farmer said to the old man enviously: "Old Chen Qian eats food from the river, so there is no need to be afraid. The villagers are all running to the city. A few days can make up for a year."
“The farmers in the fields have been eaten up, where can we buy food?”
The old man could see clearly, shook his head and sighed, called the little boy over, and said, "You'er, when we enter the city, go to the shop quickly and buy a few more bags of rice. Grandpa has to make two trips today..."
People on the dock boarded the ship one after another. The cabin was full, and people were standing on the bow and stern of the ship.
Further forward, I'm afraid there won't be room for a few people, and the rest will have to be left behind.
Among the crowd, the green horse was particularly eye-catching, standing out from the crowd.
"Boatman..."
At some point, Qin Sang took Xiao Wu to the stern of the boat and said hello, "Pull the stern of the boat to the shore. The poor man has had enough wine and food, and the horses have rested enough to make room for the villagers."
"Ouch! Look at the fuss this has caused..."
After drinking the medicinal wine, the old man regarded Qin Sang as a god and was reluctant to leave Qin Sang off the ship.
It happened to be such a coincidence that if Qing Ma went down, a large area would indeed be freed up.
Seeing Qin Sang's insistence, he had no choice but to turn the boat around and dock the stern.
"Yo'er, hurry up, take the remaining bacon..."
"oh!"
The little boy was very clever and understood it before his grandfather finished speaking. He grabbed the baggage containing the bacon, ran to the stern of the boat, and stuffed it into Qin Sang's arms without any explanation.
"Thank you boatman and little brother for your kindness."
Qin Sang did not refuse, took it, put it on the horse, helped Xiao Wu up, cupped his hands, and made a gesture to jump onto the shore.
"Wait a moment!"
The little boy suddenly yelled, rummaged in the treasure box for a while, ran back to Qing Ma, raised the things in his hands high, and said crisply.
"Xiaowu, give it to you!"
The little boy is holding a rattle in his hand. The drum head is covered with painted velvet cloth and has a tiger head painted on it. The projectile hits the drum head and makes a thumping sound.
It is the most exquisite thing in the treasure chest and also his favorite toy.
Xiao Wu lowered his head and did not reach out to pick it up.
"Give it to you!"
The green horse was too tall, so the little boy boldly approached the horse, stood on tiptoe, and forced the rattle into Xiao Wu's hand.
Xiaowu looked at Qin Sang.
"Do you remember what you were going to say?" Qin Sang reminded in a low voice without interfering.
Xiaowu hesitated for a moment and said carefully: "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
The little boy grinned, the sweat on his face reflecting in the sun.
'boom!'
The green horse jumped up, and amid the exclamations of everyone, it crossed the river and landed firmly on the bank.
The little boy stood at the stern of the boat and waved vigorously, with a look of reluctance.
Suddenly, Xiao Wu pulled the reins and turned the horse around, "What... is your name?"
"I?"
The little boy scratched his scalp and suddenly regretted that he had not asked his grandfather to ask his master to give him a name.
His eyes suddenly lit up and he shouted.
"You'er! Grandpa calls me You'er! My grandfather's surname is Chen, and my name is Chen You'er!"
…
‘Boom…’
'Dong dong dong...'
The mellow sound of drums echoed in the forest.
The sun shines through the gaps in the leaves and scatters on the forest path. Occasionally, there are a few birds chirping, which coincides with the sound of drums, adding a bit of tranquility.
After getting off the boat, Qin Sang did not choose to go south, but walked along the path along the shore towards the Xiwu Village that everyone said.
Xiao Wu sat on the horse and shook the rattle gently. There was no expression of liking on his face, it was more like a subconscious action.
'puff!'
Suzaku was held down by Qin Sang, and he couldn't even take a bite. He couldn't hold himself back any longer, so he threw himself into the bag and opened his mouth to pick up a piece of bacon.
"Bah! Bah! Bah!"
The salty smell rushed straight to his forehead, and Suzaku hurriedly spat it out, "Ah! Ah! Ah! It stinks like hell!"
That pot of fish soup just now was really made with this thing?
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Seeing Zhuque's embarrassment, Qin Sang laughed loudly.
Luohou raised his front hooves and neighed.
Xiao Wu didn't laugh, but the rattle in his hand shook even more cheerfully.
Suzaku got angry and shouted at them.
"Here, here you go."
After laughing, Qin Sang took out a bowl of fish soup with meat, which he had specially left just now.
Suzaku looked at Qin Sang suspiciously, sniffing here and there, then started to eat with confidence.
The path is winding.
After climbing over a mountain, you can see large tracts of farmland and a village located at the foot of the mountain.
The trail runs through the village and continues to the west. The terrain is always relatively gentle, and farmland and villages can still be seen at the end of the field of view.
Willow trees are planted on both sides of the path. The green trees are like shade and are far more lush than other trees.
The village at the foot of the mountain was deserted, with no smoke visible, and everyone in the village seemed to be gone.
Qin Sang and others continued to move forward until they passed through the fourth village and turned around a mountain col. The front suddenly became lively.
It turned out that the villagers from the five villages had gathered together, and the people were crowded on the roadside.
There was a group of people, carrying a long case in front, and people in the back wearing red and colorful clothes, playing and playing music. Although they were all women, children, old and young, they were still prosperous.
Those who didn't know about it thought there was a temple opera or some happy event here, but there was no joy on everyone's faces and they were all worried.
Qin Sang did not shy away and walked slowly, attracting attention immediately. More and more people noticed them and whispered.
The group of people carrying the long case went straight to the mountain road to the west. The leader was an old man with white hair. He was strong but mentally weak, and his cloudy eyes were full of worry.
He held a long pole and guided the team forward.
The old man who carried the case was not young yet. After walking for a while, he was exhausted. The white-haired old man signaled to stop and rest.
At this time, the white-haired old man noticed the stranger coming. When he saw Qin Sang dressed as a Taoist priest, his eyes lit up, he whispered a few words, put down his long pole, and hurried over to greet him.
"This Immortal..." Walking up to Qin Sang, the white-haired old man first bowed respectfully.
"My Taoist name is Qingfeng, is this old man worshiping the gods?" Qin Sang looked at the long table, which was filled with fruit and incense.
"God...yes! Yes! Yes! Sacrifice to God! You are worshiping God!"
The white-haired old man nodded excitedly, with a look of anticipation on his face, "Master Immortal, you are an expert, you must know about ghosts and gods?"
"Understand a little bit."
Qin Sang nodded slightly, "However, I can't tell what god you are worshiping. When you heard that the locust swarm is coming, are you asking the god to protect you?"
"this……"
The white-haired old man looked behind him, pulled Qin Sang out of the crowd, and bent his legs to kneel down, "Please ask the immortal to give me some guidance!"
Qin Sang held his arms and said, "Why do you need to be so generous, old man? I came here because I heard about this matter. Those who can help will naturally take action. If they can't help, there is nothing they can do."
"To be honest with you, I had a dream two days ago..."
The white-haired old man had been holding it in his mind for an unknown amount of time. Finally, when he met a Taoist priest, he spoke out as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.
It turned out that the white-haired old man was the head of the first village, named Yue Kaishan.
A few days ago, Yue Kaishan suddenly had a dream, dreaming of a scholar wearing a green crown.
The scholar said in his dream that the locust god was coming soon and would bring a locust plague, so he asked him to prepare in advance.
Yue Kaishan was awakened on the spot. When he woke up, he found that everything was normal. Unexpectedly, he had the same dream again the next night, and then he realized that it was strange.
He went to the mountain and released the falcon. Unexpectedly, the falcon flew west over several mountains and then flew back. It kept circling in the sky, chirping and screaming, and never went west anyway.
That night, Yue Kaishan had the same dream again, and he couldn't sit still anymore. He would rather believe it was true than believe it was true.
However, the villagers did not believe what happened in the dream, and even if they prayed to the Earth Temple in the village, there was no response.
After much thought, Yue Kaishan forged a letter, and then according to what the scholar in the dream said, he set up a case in Xishan to welcome the Locust God and begged the Locust God to take a detour, but he didn't know if it would work.
During this period, Yue Kaishan was under pressure alone. He didn't want to drink tea or eat, and his body and bones were almost crushed.
"Locust God..."
Qin Sang thoughtfully glanced at the willow tree beside him and said: "It sounds like there are ghosts and gods entering the dream to warn you. The old man will do as the scholar said, and it should be fine. Don't worry, Pindao will not leave before the sacrifice to the gods is over."
After hearing this, Yue Kaishan seemed to have taken a reassurance and returned to the front to continue hosting the ceremony.
The ceremony lasted for three days. The incense table was placed at the Xishan Pass, and new tributes were replaced every morning.
Early morning on the fourth day.
On the mountain road outside the pass, a woman suddenly came riding on a donkey, and it was exactly as the scholar described.
Yue Kaishan led everyone and followed the scholar's instructions, kneeling down and begging: "It's hard for mortals to survive. I hope the Locust God will show mercy and raise his noble hand."
The woman stopped in front of the long desk and snorted, "I hate those chattering willows that block my way! The crop disaster can be avoided. Since you are willing to show up to take the place of the disaster, then you can suffer it yourself."
Having said that, he turned the donkey's head around and headed into the mountains.
Not long after, dark clouds suddenly appeared in the western sky, and locust swarms covered the sky and made a loud buzzing sound.
Everyone was terrified.
They saw the locusts swarming over their heads, but they did not even land on the fields, but gathered all the willows, and then flew into the barren mountains again.
Where locusts passed by, the willow leaves were eaten away, and the originally vibrant willow trees began to wither.
"gone!"
"The locust swarm is gone!"
"I didn't eat the crops! I really didn't eat the crops!"
…
Everyone cheered and cheered after surviving the disaster.
Qin Sang had been standing by the mountain road, witnessing all this, but did not take any action, and the Locust God did not notice him.
Gazing across the remaining willow tree, Qin Sang flicked out a few drops of jade liquid, turning it into drizzle and sprinkling it on the tree.
"Master, why don't you kill her?" Xiao Wu raised his head, looking innocent and confused.