Chapter 2 Leaving the Fortress (Three Times) One day, the mountain suddenly disappeared, just like the blood blisters on the feet that had turned into calluses, disappearing with only a few traces left.
The scenery in front of me suddenly opened up and was boundless. I don't know when the wilderness started stretching across the caravan. Several "hills" were lying low in the distance, using their backs to hold up the semicircular blue sky above their heads. It was so blue that day.
Pure, so blue that there is no residue at all
Under the blue sky, the slightly yellowed wild grass rolled and rippled, reflecting the traces of layers of wind. The tops of the waist-high grass undulated. There were no cows, sheep, wild beasts, no stones, and nothing except grass.
A big river is floating southward like a silk ribbon at the top of the grass not far away. There is no bridge, no crossing, and no sails can be seen. If it weren't for the sound of water rushing along the wind, you wouldn't believe it is real.
exist
"Ouch!" With a sound, everyone in the caravan went crazy, abandoned their animals, and ran desperately towards the river. This is Rushui, a seasonal river with variable width on the grassland! Seeing this river means that it means
The caravan completely walked out of Yanshan and arrived at their first destination, the nomadic area of Xibu
Walking out of Yanshan not only means that the success of the trip is expected, but also means that the chance of encountering bandits has been reduced by half. Everyone can make a stable amount of money in peace. In excitement, almost all the young traders rushed out, regardless of the cool autumn weather on the plateau.
, holding the river water in his hand and drinking it hard, he took off his clothes whose colors were no longer distinguishable, threw them to the top of the grass, and walked naked into the middle of the river.
Li Xu found that his arms and thighs had become stronger. After picking off half a load of old mud, the muscles on his body were tightened from under the skin. His shoulders, which were always worn at the beginning of the trip, could no longer feel anything.
The pain washes away the mud and dirt, and those places that were once on fire become smooth, flat, and mat-like, completely different from the skin elsewhere. These are the traces left by life, and they will stay with him forever.
Xu Dayan also turned into a savage, standing naked in the water, using river mud and grass roots to clean his body like the traders. The cold wind coming out of the river had already frozen his fair skin into a light red color, but he
I didn't feel the coldness of the river water at all, I just kept pouring water on my body, as if this was the only way to completely transform myself into a man.
After resting for a night by the Rushui River, Sun Jiu led everyone to set off again. No longer suppressed by the shadow of the mountains, the caravan quickly became active, especially Du Scaru, Wang Ermazi and several others, who thought that they had hired swordsmen to take over.
Gong, speaking with an extremely loud voice
"Xu Guan, Xu Guan! Help me tighten the horse's girdle. The luggage is crooked. Push it up. Why are you so stupid? You can't even handle this little thing!"
"Xu Guan, Xu Guan, hang this parcel on the horse for Uncle Du. Three-year-old mang ox and eighteen Han. You are such a big man and have a straight head. Why are you so stupid!"
Unknowingly, Li Xu once again became everyone's little follower. After that night's experience, he had completely recognized the "kindness" of these uncles, so he no longer agreed so happily, even if he really couldn't shirk it.
I tried my best to be "stupid" and either frightened the animals or used too much force to push the luggage that was on the left side to the right. If not, I used too much force and broke the straps at once. But,
His own and Xu Dayan's luggage and animals were always taken care of neatly, and they never fell apart halfway.
Everyone was frustrated when they couldn't control him. With Sun Jiu suppressing him, everyone didn't dare to complain too much about him. After complaining a few times, they decided to use other means to teach this kid a lesson.
The best way to attack a young man is to isolate him. The lakes have crossed more bridges than Li Xu has walked, and they soon found the best strategy to deal with him. So, Du Scaran, Wang Mazi
The others quickly became history buffs and gathered around Xu Dayan, asking him to talk about the past and present.
Young people all have the desire to express themselves, and Xu Big Eyes is no exception. Although he was raised according to the standards of wisdom and courage since childhood, his eyes can often discover secrets that others cannot, but generally speaking, he is now
Cheng Fu, who was not too deep in his heart, soon fell into the trap of the evil lakes.
From Huo Qubing sealing the wolf to Xu, Ban Chao joining the army, and General Fubo shrouding his body in horse leather, Xu Dayan eloquently talked about being able to come to the grassland and see the footprints of the previous heroes, which made his mind agitate. He was already knowledgeable and eloquent.
With the help of Wang Mazi and others, Xu Hu quickly became the core figure of the caravan. Even Sun Jiu, Zhang San and the few well-informed swordsmen liked to surround Xu every time they took a break.
Come to Big Eye, drink a bowl of hot water, and then listen to this knowledgeable young man talk about the past and the present.
At this time, Li Xu always sits on the outside of the crowd, quietly thinking about his own thoughts. To be honest, he used to be jealous of Xu Dayan, but now, the look he looks at Xu Dayan is very peaceful. After meeting Xu Dayan that day,
After having a drink with Big Eyes, Li Xu realized that it was the different origins of himself and Xu Big Eyes that determined the current gap between them. When he was still throwing mud at each other along the small river ditch in front of his hometown, Xu Dayan
Under the guidance of the teacher, Xu Dayan had already begun to analyze and summarize the essence of "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals". When he and his friends were chasing rabbits with straw baskets on their backs, Xu Dayan was practicing horse riding and bow riding. He had just begun to learn literacy.
Xu Dayan has already memorized "Sun Tzu's Art of War", "Wu Zi's Art of War", "Huangshi Gong's Three Strategies" and "Sima Law". His highest goal in life was to be a household clerk in the county. Xu Dayan,
However, he has shouldered the burden of making the Xu family rise since he was born (Note 1). This gap cannot be bridged in a short time. He is also avoiding military service. Xu did it to avoid being a miscellaneous soldier who died on the way.
Big Eye is trying to find a suitable price and sale opportunity for his abilities. The two armies are fighting. Xu Big Eye can ride on a horse and dance with his identity as a son of a good family, accompanying the coach in the battle. But he wants to save money to buy a qualified horse.
槊, you have to run on this trade road for at least three years!
But these gaps are not natural chasms. They can be made up slowly with personal efforts. Uncle Jiu said it well. Don’t bully young people. I am not yet fifteen years old. I have plenty of time to learn. In fact, walking with Xu Dayan, I have already
I learned a lot from him. The most important thing is that I am no longer the Li Xu who was in Yixian County School, who knew nothing but books and had no rival in anything he did among the teenagers of his age.
Thinking of the person he was when he was in Yi County, Li Xu realized that his trip was indeed worthwhile. No matter whether this business trip made money or not, he saw many things that he had not had the chance to see before, and realized many life principles that were impossible to understand before.
"Perhaps, this is what it means to grow up," the young man said quietly to himself while sitting by the fire. Little Wolf Ganluo squatted at his feet, looking at the beating flames, with strings of golden lights flashing in his eyes.
Three days after leaving Rushui, the caravan arrived as scheduled at the location of the largest tribe of the Xi people. What was disappointing was that one of the largest tribes on the grassland had actually disappeared. There were only a few thousand swaying wooden stakes left.
The traces left by the circles of felt bags seemed to tell the vendors that they were not lost, but that the owner's family had important things to do. Tens of thousands of family members migrated collectively to unknown places after autumn.
The vendors held their heads and squatted on the ground one after another. Except for Li Xu and Xu Dayan, everyone had only one purpose for going out, and that was to make a quick buck every year when the weather started to get colder in late autumn and early winter.
During this season, the Hu tribes will decide how many overwintering livestock they will have based on the amount of hay collected in summer and autumn. A large number of old and weak livestock will be slaughtered, and a large number of male livestock will be sold. The prices of dried meat, rawhide, and livestock will all change in an instant.
Once you reach the bottom, as long as you complete such a trip safely, laughter can be heard in the merchants' homes throughout the winter.
However, the Xi tribe, which is the most skillful in the grassland and can provide exquisite blankets and sharp sabers, migrated. The traders suffered a major blow before they could open their doors. The Xi tribe that had the biggest migration migrated, and other small Xi tribes migrated.
It will definitely follow the move. If everyone can't sell the goods in their hands before the snow falls, this transaction may be lost. If they don't turn around and return south after the deadline, a sudden snowstorm on the grassland may destroy this small business.
The whole caravan was swallowed up
Some people began to sigh in a low voice, and more people began to curse people for being immoral and refusing to notify them in advance of moving. The two leaders of the caravan, Sun Jiu and Zhang San, had livid faces and walked a little further away to discuss how to face the situation in front of them.
dilemma
The sudden blow made Li Xu feel very confused. Before leaving, his father and he agreed that the first place to stay was Xi Bu. Compared with the fierce Turks, Xi Bu had a much calmer temper. The more important point is that
, this tribe is close enough to the Central Plains. If there is any disturbance in his hometown, Li Mao can ask the caravan to send the news over as quickly as possible. And all these arrangements have been lost with the great relocation of the Xi tribe. Every felt on the grassland has been lost.
The circle left by the bag seemed to be telling Li Xu with the warmth of Xi Ren, your plan is perfect, but the world is changing too fast.
In the vast dusk, traces of felt bags emitted wisps of white smoke. The evening breeze blew by, spreading people's curses and lamentations far away, telling all living creatures nearby that a group of people were trapped here.
"Ouch - Ouch - Ouch!" The voice of a wild wolf came from afar, lingering among thousands of wooden piles.
"Ouch-ouch-woo!" Little Wolf Ganluo sang at the top of his voice like a boy who had just begun to grow. The fragile, hoarse and desperate people were immediately attracted by Ganluo's inappropriate behavior, and they glared at him one by one. Ganluo knew it.
When he got into trouble, he let out a low whimper, jumped up, and ran away behind Li Xu.
"It's all caused by this wolf bastard, it's a disaster!" Wang Mazi suddenly jumped up, pointed at Li Xu and cursed
"Yes, I told Brother Ninth a long time ago not to bring up this wolf cub who was born out of season and alone. He is definitely not a good thing. He refused to listen. Look, trouble is coming!" Du Scar
He was so angry that he stood up from the ground with his sword in hand and shouted loudly.
It was all caused by this trouble-loving little bastard and his little wolf. As soon as they set off, everyone lost their fortune, and then everything went wrong along the way. I lost money wherever I went while visiting a brothel in Jixian County, and ran into this little disaster star again.
Interfering with other people's business, he almost lost his temper and decided to gamble for luck. Instead, he lost more than a hundred coins.
"It must be the disaster star!" People couldn't explain why the Xi people didn't migrate sooner or later before they arrived, and they vented their full resentment.
"It's not a disaster star!" Li Xu stood up straight, standing in front of Little Wolf Ganluo like a mountain. Du Scaran and others didn't like him. He had known about the bullying of these people along the way, and he could do it.
Forbearance means forbearance, but Li Xu can't let them hurt Gan Luo. This little wolf is his partner and his only friend except Xu Dayan.
The little wolf Ganluo jumped out from behind Li Xu, with his forelimbs lowered and his hind legs tensed, and he let out a low growl in his throat. This threatening action startled Du Scaran, and he hurriedly ducked to the side. Unexpectedly, he tripped and fell on his heels.
The wood was suddenly chewed by a dog.
"Ouch, ow, ow!" Gan Luo roared in victory, flicked his pointed ears disdainfully, and squatted beside Li Xu's legs. Several people watching the excitement laughed. Although life is bitter, if you are serious
Faced with the situation, you can always find some interesting jokes when you least expect it.
"You two scourges, whether you or I tell you today, you two should go together to drive away this little wolf!" Du Scaru got up amidst the roar of laughter, and with a "choking" sound, he pulled out the short knife.
Most of Wang Mazi followed closely behind, holding a wooden stick in his hand and looking at Gan Luo eagerly.
Li Xulu was stunned. He didn't expect someone to be so shameless and looked up at the crowd. He found that many of the vendors believed Wang Mazi's words and thought that today's accident was entirely caused by Gan Luo. But the few sober people hugged and watched the fun.
With his mentality, he was indifferent to the actions of Wang Mazi and others. He had not expected this situation in advance, and his father had not warned him. He looked around, looking for Uncle Jiu for help, but found Sun Jiu and several swordsmen.
I don’t know where they went. I can’t see them anywhere near.
"Drive that little wolf away, otherwise everyone will continue to be unlucky!" Bewitched by Wang Mazi, or simply to find a reason to vent their anger, a dozen merchants with sad faces held the handles of their knives, slowly
The ground came closer
"It's not a disaster star!" Li Xu murmured in defense, and was forced back step by step by everyone. Du Scaran was unyielding and stretched out his big hand, preparing to pull him aside. Sun Jiu said that no one should bully this person.
You bastard, if I drive away the wild wolves, there will be no problem!
The pain from his fingertips told Du Scaran that he had encountered a hard scratch again. He raised his old face full of scars and saw that his fingers were broken into right angles by a pair of white but strong palms.
"Hey!" Du Scaran and Wang Mazi cursed at the same time. One of them quickly retracted his fingers, while the other jumped around with his feet on the ground. The little wolf Gan Luo was lying in front of Li Xu, holding something in his mouth.
Half a straw sandal, eyes glowing darkly
"If you want to fight, come with me, fists, kicks, weapons, whatever you two choose!" Xu Dayan rushed over at some point, stood next to Li Xu, and said to Du, Wang and others
"You! Bully the old and disobey me!" Du Scaran shook his painful fingers and yelled at Xu Dayan.
"It's the two of you who are old and disrespectful. Uncle! Pockmarked - uncle!" Xu Dayan replied in a long voice, tiptoeing, and kicked a long wooden pole abandoned when Xi Ren moved.
In mid-air, he reached out and took the copy in his hand, and said to everyone: "Come along, if anyone else wants to bully others, I will let you bully them to your heart's content!"
How could Wang Mazi and Du Scaru lose their prestige in front of a junior? They pulled out their daggers and jumped forward fiercely. Before Li Xu could find the guy who was taking advantage of him, Xu Dayan calmly pointed the wooden pole at him.
With a poke on the ground and a push from left to right, the two old villains were thrown to the ground like gourds.
This move was really beautiful, even several vendors who tried to follow Du Scaru to perform Taipingquan were frightened and covered their waist knives, and slowly backed away. Du Scarlan, Wang Mazi saw that everyone's morale was about to fade, and everyone
He screamed, got up from the ground, and tried to find the place together. Just as he took a step, he was hit by a wooden stick again in the same place as last time on his knee. His leg went weak, and he fell to the ground again.
The two thugs couldn't get up, so they lay on the ground and began to cry and scold Xu Dayan for bullying the elderly. They scolded Li Xu's father for having bad intentions and bringing up a disaster son to ruin everyone's money. They scolded other traders for being cowards.
, knowing that the disaster star was nearby, but did not dare to come forward. Several vendors who were usually good friends with Du Scaran were crowded into a blind corner, and they surrounded them again with swords on their waists.
Xu Dayan felt angry when he saw it. He threw the wooden pole and hit it heavily on the grass next to him. "Shut up and keep talking nonsense. Don't you blame me for trying to bully others with more people? Who dares to step forward?"
, I, surnamed Xu, guarantee that no store in the entire counties of Henan will accept your goods!"
As soon as these words came out, it was like a wooden stick in his hand.