The hills are undulating, and layers of gravel are blown away by the wind. Occasionally, an oasis comes into view. The Momo Lake looks like a village, with houses made of mud and fences surrounding them.
, far apart, Chen Yuan and others could also see the people behind the fence, looking towards this side and pointing.
As it passed, the chattering voices over there also reached my ears.
"Where are these people from?"
"Looking in the direction, it's Xiaoyicheng coming."
"What a weird car. Is it an ox? Or a big buffalo? Haha, I haven't seen it in many years."
It can be heard that these words are not Western Husband, but Chinese, but the accent has become a bit weird. As they get closer, Chen Yuan gets out of the car and raises his hands from a distance of seven or eight feet.
"Guys, this is great."
The few people behind the fence knew they were outsiders and would not go out easily, so they shouted from inside through the wooden fence: "Who are you and what are you doing here? It's getting late. Let's wait until tomorrow morning to sell goods."
"
The isolated village hangs in the Gobi. It is necessary to be so vigilant. Chen Yuan also keeps his attitude low. He will not force it just because he is a monk and knows magic. He is like an ordinary person seeking to stay for one night. Everyone talks harmoniously.
Talking and laughing is the way to cultivate your mind.
"I am not a wandering peddler peddling goods." Chen Yuan saw an old man among the few people, with a gentler expression on his face, like a gentle scholar, "The world is vast, and I have traveled around the mountains and rivers with the friends I have made.
When I arrived here, I didn't know what time it was here, so I was delayed in my accommodation on the way. Fortunately, I saw an oasis here. I thought there must be someone there, so I came over to take a look. I didn't expect that there was actually someone there, and they were just like me.
Jiaerlang."
These words are quite high-level, making it difficult for people to refuse.
What's more, there were Taoist priests, monks, and an old man with strange behavior on the high ox cart. There were only a few elderly villagers. Seeing that Chen Yuan spoke softly, it didn't seem like he was cheating. When the other party approached,
, looked at it carefully through the fence, and even asked a young man who was a nephew to go out and look at the carriage.
"Ouch, it's so withered."
"Street craftsmen earn a living in Hukou by selling their crafts along the way."
Hearing this, the villagers had nothing to ask. The old man looked at Chen Yuan's heels one last time and saw that they were not padded, so he asked two strong young men to open the fence gate and let the cattle cart in.
"This husband has taken good care of me. He has taken good care of me. People in the village are cautious in the wilderness."
Chen Yuan helped her master get out of the car and quickly bowed her hands.
"Thank you, my father-in-law, for taking me in. Thank you all for letting me have a place to stay tonight. I don't have to worry about the cold wind at night."
Sure enough, you are still so humane. If you use magic to break in, others will only be afraid of you. How can you get close to you? Traveling around the world is just for the sake of this world.
"Apprentice, do we have a place to sleep tonight?" Seeing that Chen Yuan was still talking to the old man in the village, the crazy old man came over and blurted out a sentence without leaving any trace, which shocked the old man. He reacted quite excitedly, and it took him a long time.
After he regained his composure, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the crazy old man's wrist. Feeling the warmth, he suddenly smiled and went home to welcome the crazy old man.
"Brother, you'll stay at my house tonight. I have two rooms, so I can accommodate four of you for one night."
"Hey, good, thank you, father-in-law!"
The fat Taoist also bowed his hands and led the old cow behind him. He followed the old man all the way to the place where he lived in front of him. The surrounding villagers were still guarding the fence. After a long time, the sky gradually became dark, and they were ready to disperse.
The oasis here is backed by weathered rocks. After a rough scan, there are more than a dozen families. The oasis is small and everyone lives in a compact place. The old man's house is just a dozen steps in front, and it is made of flat ground made of compacted soil.
The roofed house is spread out in a concave shape and has no courtyard wall.
"Taoist priest, just park the ox cart directly in the courtyard. There is a shed over there where your old ox can be taken to rest."
The old man's yard is not big, but it is exquisite. It can be seen that several families lived in it. The furnishings inside are also simple, giving it the feeling of the Western Region and the Central Plains combined.
There is a large square table, a few low stools, and a blanket on the floor, so you can walk on it barefoot.
"The two sides were originally prepared for the eldest son and the youngest son. Unfortunately, the two brats grew up and hardened their wings. One went to Xiaoyi City to do business, and the other went elsewhere with the caravan. Now there is no news about them.
"
The old man blew the fire sticks to light the oil lamp, wiped a few low stools with his sleeves, invited Chen Yuan and others to come in and sit down, and also talked about the situation at home.
"My surname is Zhao. My wife is in poor health and is resting in the back room. You guys haven't eaten yet? I have some left here, so I can make do with it for one night."
"Don't worry, I also have some dry food with me."
Chen Yuan winked and asked the fat Taoist to go back to the car and get a lot of naan and the delicacies he bought on the way, and pile them on the table, "Old man, will you come and eat with us?"
"I've eaten, I've eaten."
The old man who was preparing to warm the rice came back with a smile and sat down on a small stool not far from Chen Yuan and the other two. "Looking at their accents, they are not from Gansha and Shazhou, right?"
"I am Chen Yuan, from Qingshan County, Canglan River."
Chen Yuan bowed his hand to the old man, and the Zhenhai monks over there, Sun Zhengde, also reported their names or titles one by one, but they did not say where they came from.
"So far?" Old man Zhao over there heard Canglanjiang and didn't react. "This...this...how many miles does it take to come so far? You are so brave."
"Why are you so timid? Old man, look at my friends, there are Buddhist disciples and Taoist people, how can you be afraid? All the monsters and ghosts that come along the way will have to take a detour when they see us."
Chen Yuan chuckled and said, carrying a kettle and pouring a bowl of warm water for the master. The old man over there just thought it was a young man bragging to show his courage, and shook his head with his sleeves covered.
"Young people really don't know how to walk long at night, and don't make a sound in the middle of the night. There have been a lot of strange things in the past few years. If I hadn't seen some monks and old people among you today, I wouldn't have dared to let the young people open the door and let you in."
Chen Yuan poured warm water into Zhenhai and when he rolled the bottom of the bowl and made a sound of water, he raised his eyebrows slightly: "Oh? What strange thing happened in Xiaoyicheng? I just entered the Western Region not long ago and I have never heard of it. Can you tell me, old man?"
Seeing Chen Yuan's curious expression of interest, the old man rolled up his sleeves and turned slightly in one direction, obviously not happy with Chen Yuan's attitude of running around risklessly.
But he still spoke, hoping to frighten these young people and make them go back after dawn.
"It's not Xiaoyi's place... there have been fatalities in several places."
The oil lamp shone on the old man's shadow, leaning crookedly against the wall. Under the dim light, the old man's sallow face dimmed. He turned his face slightly and whispered:
"I'm not trying to scare you. In the past few years, there have been reports of people being eaten in many places... Last month, half of the orchid raised by a Hu merchant in the north of Xiaoyi City was eaten... Some people recalled that at dusk in the afternoon
At that time, I saw an old man in white clothes wandering nearby."
His voice was low and hoarse.
"Travelers like you can be eaten without anyone noticing."