In the early morning, Annan, who woke up early, woke up Martin, who was about to fall to the ground. Martin rubbed his eyes and walked out of the room, where he saw Uncle Holin, whose right foot was wrapped in linen, chopping firewood in the yard.
The haggard Uncle Huolin forced a smile: "I... am worried that something will happen to Annan in the gold mine."
"Good morning, Uncle Hollin."
Annan walked out from behind, and Uncle Huolin's smile became more sincere.
The aroma from the kitchen floats in the courtyard, and the rising smoke merges into the mist that envelopes Pinglin Town.
Aunt Susan brought out the food, a portion of chicken soup and mashed potatoes, a few pieces of soft toasted brown bread, and a bowl of apple pie.
"Why didn't we have this food yesterday?" Uncle Huolin, who sat in the low chair, was stunned by the rich food in front of him.
"You don't need such good food!"
Aunt Susan waved the spoon to knock off the dirty hands extended by her husband and Martin, then picked up Annan's wooden bowl and filled him with a full portion.
"Little Annan, eat more so you have the strength to go to work."
"Thank you Aunt Susan."
Aunt Susan took care of Annan not only because of her love, but also for another reason - the dining table after Uncle Hollin and Martin finished eating was like a devastated land ravaged by demons.
Before setting off, Aunt Susan also told Martin: "Take good care of little Annan, don't let me down!"
In the early morning, Annan and Martin set out with Aunt Susan worried.
In the bard's story, this small town called Pinglin Town is located in a deserted borderland, surrounded by vast forests that stretch for thousands of miles, bordering the coast, snow-capped mountains, and swamps. There is no church here, and there is no screaming.
There is no green skin on the body.
There are disputes and conspiracies, not to mention other races. Even those who are tired of disputes and yearn for peace find it too peaceful here - I am afraid that only those druids who live with the forest and hyena-like kobolds like the gnolls.
here.
But the bard also said, never believe what the bard says. They can make up any lie for the sake of the completeness of the story, and can sing any words for the rhyme of the poem.
The Haunted Gold Mine is located on the edge of the forest, not far from where Annan appeared.
At first Annan tried to find a way back.
On the third day of staying at Aunt Susan's house, Annan made an excuse to stumble and set off back to the forest with Uncle Huolin early in the morning. But when he sneaked out and tried to find the forest grassland, he encountered a group of wandering people.
Kobold.
The kobolds, who barked and looked more like lizards than dogs, were draped in rags that could not cover their bodies, and they were holding crooked short spears and sling stones as weapons.
Annan resisted the idea of saying hello to these "fantastical creatures" and fled back to the edge of the forest. The probability of being killed by the kobolds may be low, but it is not zero.
Later, Annan told the bard about this. He said that it was right to run back. More unlucky people were killed by kobolds than by dragons. These bullies like the lone adventurers the most.
Then he also told Annan the habits of the kobolds, such as preferring forests and caves that avoid light, and would never attack enemies who outnumbered them. A single kobold would want to run away when he saw a sheep——
Annan and Martin met their foreman at a fork in the road, a lame old man named Old Zollen. He was said to have been a veteran.
"Huo Lin can't come?"
Old Zoran looked at Annan. His faded linen clothes were washed out, and his skin was as gray as a disease but pale and delicate. It looked like he couldn't do physical work, but Old Zoron was different from others - he firmly believed that mining was necessary.
It's luck, "Unlucky Huolin was hit in the foot by a stone after only working for one day. I hope you can bring good luck."
"Who are you from Hollin?"
"I'm Martin's cousin."
Old Zoran's face softened slightly and he talked about the rules of the gold mine. The muddy and slang accent made Annan almost incomprehensible... but it was not difficult to guess - stealing gold mines is prohibited.
"Martin, take him to the shack first." Old Zoron waved his hand and found that Martin was motionless, "Martin?"
Martin came back to his senses and puffed up his chest: "He is my cousin!"
…
Martin, who was slow to respond, followed the lame old Zollen towards the gold mine. The barren open space outside the mine on this desolate hill was dotted with some shacks, and figures were walking around inside.
Annan initially thought they were old Zollen's men, but then he found that the miners ignored him. He also thought that Old Zollen was the foreman, but he did not get along well with the other foremen.
The shack camp is also very strange. According to common sense, gold mines should strictly limit contact between miners and the outside world. The supervision of the gold mine in front of me is not strict. The miners enter and leave the gold mine at will, light fires for cooking in the open space, and there are foremen.
Send money...
Old Zoren took out the key and opened the door of a shack. Several simple slanted wooden beds were placed on the dirt floor, where ants and insects could freely enter and exit. The bedside table served as both a cabinet and a dining table.
This is where Annan and Martin will live next.
After picking up the pickaxe and preparing to follow old Zollun into the mine, Annan saw a gorgeous carriage with a fancy emblem passing by on the road in the distance.
He saw the big boss Mr. Fast talked about, the wine lady.
The luxurious and beautiful carriage and lady and the dilapidated and dirty shack and Annan seem to be two different worlds.
Annan lowered his head slightly and followed Old Zollun into the gold mine carrying an oil lamp.
The gold mine has been abandoned for a long time, and many of the mines have long since collapsed and become inaccessible. Old Zoron lit the oil lamp and led them deep into the mines. There was a faint smell of burning in the air, and the sound of chiseling all around made a sonata.
Depression and darkness make people nervous and uncomfortable.
Under the dim oil lamp, old, scattered abandoned tools, and broken pillars made him realize that this was an exhausted gold mine. And the low conversations of other miners made him realize that many of these people were townspeople who came to try their luck.
.
The same is true for old Zoron. He hired Uncle Huolin and others to try their luck. If they find the ore, it will be his. If they can't find it, the price will be his.
This was good, at least there wasn't too much conflict between the miners and the miners, or the miners and the foreman. Old Zoron threw them to the place where they were dug yesterday. It was almost there, if not deep, but the pillars were intact.
"I hope you can bring good luck." Old Zollen said, leaving one oil lamp and leaving with the other.
Martin took the pickaxe and drilled into the short hole dug out yesterday. Annan raised the oil lamp and looked around.
The echoes of chiseling in an indistinguishable direction came, and dense floating dust moved under the halo of the oil lamp.
"Cousin, I'm stuck!"
A dull shout suddenly came. Annan turned around and saw Martin's upper body stuck in the short hole, with his exposed butt shaking.
Annan put down the pickaxe and wanted to help, but he hesitated that such a posture was not very elegant, so he asked Martin to let go of the pickaxe and climb out, and then pick up the pickaxe.
After getting out, Martin went to get the pickaxe, but strangely he grabbed the pickaxe handle and the short corner of the hole and started to exert force.
Annan was about to remind him not to hold the pickaxe horizontally when Martin suddenly pulled out a pale gauze curtain from the short hole.
"Ghost!!!"
Martin dropped the pickaxe and ran away.
"Humanity!!!"
The ghost screamed and crashed into the rock wall deep in the mine.