Under the blue sky, the slightly yellowed wild grass rolled in waves, reflecting the traces of the wind. The tops of the waist-high grass were undulating. There were no cattle, 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 rushing water coming along the wind, you wouldn't be able to believe that it is real.
The presence.
"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 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 in sight. It also means that the chance of encountering bandits has been reduced by half, and everyone can make stable money in peace. In excitement, almost all the young traders rushed out, regardless of
It was cool autumn on the plateau, so I drank wildly with the river water in my hand. When I had drunk enough, I took off my clothes whose colors were no longer distinguishable, threw them to the grass tips, 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 piece by piece from under the skin. And his shoulders, which were always worn at the beginning of the trip, could no longer be felt.
No pain at all. After washing away the mud and dirt, those areas that were once burning became 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 vendors. The cold wind coming from the river had already frozen his fair skin into a light red color, and he
But he didn't feel the coldness of the river water at all. He just kept splashing water on his body, as if this was the only way to completely transform himself into a man.
After resting by the Rushui River for a night, Sun Jiu led everyone to set off again. No longer suppressed by the shadow of the mountains, the caravan soon became active. Especially Du Scaru and Wang Ermazi, who thought they were hired swordsmen.
After the first performance, his voice was particularly loud.
"Xu Guan, Xu Guan! Help me tighten the horse's belly belt. The luggage is crooked, push it up. Tsk, tut, why are you so stupid, you can't even handle this little thing!"
"Xu Guan, Xu Guan, hang this package on the horse for Uncle Du. You are a three-year-old cow and an eighteen-year-old man. You are such a big man and have a straight head. How can you be 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 it was true.
I couldn't shirk it, so I tried my best to be "stupid". Either it frightened the animals, or I used too much force and pushed the luggage that was leaning on the left side to the right. If I didn't use too much force, I suddenly broke the tie.
However, his own and Xu Dayan's luggage and livestock were always taken care of neatly, and they never fell apart halfway.
Everyone was frustrated when they couldn't control him. With Sun Jiu standing by to suppress him, everyone didn't dare to do anything to 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 old gangsters have crossed more bridges than Li Xu has walked, and they soon found the best strategy to deal with him. Therefore, Du Scaran, Wang
Mazi and others quickly became fans of history. They gathered around Xu Dayan and actively asked him to talk about the past and the present.
Young people all have the desire to express themselves, and Xu Dayan 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, today's
He didn't have a deep understanding of the city yet, so he soon fell into the trap of the old gangsters.
From Huo Qubing sealing the wolf to Xu, Ban Chao joining the army, to General Fubo shrouding his body in horse leather, Xu Dayan recounted it. Being able to come to the grassland and see the footprints of the previous heroes made him excited. He was already knowledgeable and eloquent.
Jia, knowingly or unintentionally supported by Wang Mazi and other old Jianghu, soon became the core figure of the caravan. Even Sun Jiu, Zhang San and the few well-informed swordsmen like to surround them every time they take a break.
Come to Xu Dayan, 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 outside the crowd and thinks quietly 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 that day
While having a drink with Xu Dayan, Li Xu realized that it was his and Xu Dayan's different origins that determined the gap between them now. When he was still throwing mud at each other along the small river ditch in front of his hometown, he and his friends
, Xu Dayan has already begun to analyze and summarize the essence of "Lu's Spring and Autumn" under the guidance of his teacher. When he and his friends were chasing rabbits with straw baskets on their backs, Xu Dayan was practicing horse riding and bow riding.
Xu Dayan had just started to learn literacy, and he had already memorized "Sun Tzu's Art of War", "Wu Zi's Art of War", "Huang Shi Gong's Three Strategies" and "Sima Law". His highest goal in life was to be a householder in the county.
Groove. But Xu Dayan has shouldered the heavy burden of making the Xu family rise since he was born. (Note 4)
This gap cannot be overcome in a short period of time. He is also evading military service. He is trying to avoid being a soldier who dies on the way. Xu Dayan is trying to find a suitable price and sale opportunity for his skills. The two of them are.
When the army is fighting, Xu Dayan can ride a horse and dance with his identity as a son of a good family and accompany his coach in the charge. But if he wants to save money to buy a qualified horse, he will have to run on this trade road for at least three years!
But these gaps are not natural chasms, and can be made up slowly with personal efforts. Uncle Jiu said it well, don’t bully young people into poverty. I am not yet fifteen years old, and I have plenty of time to study. In fact, walking with Xu Dayan all the way,
I have learned a lot from him. The most important thing is that I am no longer the Li Xu in Yixian County School who knows nothing but books and has no rival in anything he does among teenagers of the same age.
Thinking of the same 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 things about life that were impossible to understand before.
reason.
'Perhaps, this is what it means to grow up.' The young man sat by the fire and whispered to himself. The little wolf Ganluo squatted at his feet, looking at the dancing flames, with strings of golden light 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 disappeared. Everything was empty, with only a few thousand rickety wooden piles left.
, and the traces left by circles of felt bags. It seemed to tell the vendors that they were not lost. It was just that the owner's family had important things to do, and 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 when the weather started to get colder in late autumn and early winter.
.Every year at this season, the Hu tribe will decide the number of overwintering livestock based on the amount of hay collected in summer and autumn. A large number of old and weak livestock are slaughtered, and a large number of male livestock are sold. The price of dried meat, rawhide, and livestock
Everyone will hit rock bottom in an instant. As long as such a trip is completed safely, laughter can be heard in the homes of vendors throughout the winter.
However, the Xi tribe migrated. The Xi tribe, which is the most skillful in the grassland and can provide exquisite blankets and cheap hides, migrated. The traders suffered a major blow before they could open their doors. The largest Xi tribe migrated, and other smaller tribes migrated.
The Xi tribe must have followed suit. If everyone cannot sell their goods before the snow falls, the sale may be lost. If they do not turn around and return south after the deadline, a sudden snowstorm on the grassland may destroy them.
This small caravan was completely 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 deal with it.
The predicament at hand.
The sudden blow made Li Xu feel confused. Before leaving, his father and he agreed that the first place to stay would be Xi Bu. Compared with the fierce Turks, Xi Bu had a much calmer temper. More importantly,
One thing is that this tribe is close enough to the Central Plains. If there is any trouble in his hometown, Li Mao can ask the caravan to send the news over as quickly as possible. But all these arrangements fell into place with the big relocation of the Xi tribe.
The circles left by the felt bags seem to still have the warmth of ridicule. Tell Li Xu that your plan is perfect, but the world is changing too fast.
In the vast dusk, the traces of the felt bags emitted wisps of white smoke. The evening wind blew by, spreading people's curses and lamentations far away, telling all nearby creatures 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.
"Oo-o-o-o!" the little wolf Gan Luo sang at the top of his voice. His voice was like a boy who had just begun to grow, delicate and hoarse. The desperate people were immediately attracted by Gan Luo's inappropriate behavior and glared at him one by one.
Gan Luo knew he was in trouble, so 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 take care of this wolf cub. Being born out of season and being alone is definitely not a good thing. He refuses to listen. Look, trouble is coming!
"Du Scaran was furious, held up his sword, and accused loudly. (To be continued)
