"Brother Feng, are you going to the mountains today?"
A strong man about ten feet tall stood in front of a big stone half a foot high, looked at the eight or nine-year-old child sitting on the big stone, and asked in a humming voice.
"Daniu, you know, since that time I sneaked into the mountains ten years ago, I am no longer allowed to go to the mountains alone, unless my father takes me there..."
When he heard that he was going to the mountains, a look of yearning flashed across the face of the eight or nine-year-old boy. Then his expression darkened and he looked at the red mountains indifferently. The calmness in his eyes was not what a child of this age should have.
.
"Brother Feng, I'm getting engaged in three days. I want to go to the mountains to dig a few stones as a gift. You know, no one else can go to that place except the village chief and you..."
The strong man who was called Daniel by the little boy scratched his head in embarrassment, looked up at the little boy in front of him, grinned with his white teeth, and smiled innocently.
"Hong'er, you go with Daniu and you'll be back before sunset."
A middle-aged man in his forties came out of the hut behind the stone. He was wearing a blue robe, but his hair was a strange red. He was exactly the same as the Jiuyang Mountain where they had lived for generations, and he was also like the man sitting on the stone.
The little boys were exactly the same. The middle-aged man glanced at the two men, one big and one small, and waved his hand.
"Thank you, Uncle Feng. I will definitely take good care of Brother Feng and won't let anything happen to him!"
The big cow beat his chest loudly, then picked up the little boy and put him on his shoulders, heading towards the red mountain.
"Dad, why did you let Hong'er follow that foolish and bold man like Daniel into the mountains? Have you forgotten what happened ten years ago?"
Another middle-aged woman with dark skin walked out of the hut. She looked at her retreating figure and asked worriedly.
"Oh, let him go. In the past ten years, Daniel has been the only one who has treated Hong'er as he did when he was a child. He is getting engaged. I'm afraid he won't be able to accompany Hong'er every day like before. This can be regarded as a reward for him for these years.
."
The middle-aged man sighed, shook his head and went back to the hut.
The little boy sitting on Daniel's shoulder turned around and looked at his father who walked into the house shaking his head and his mother who looked worried. His nose became sour and he almost shed tears again.
His name is Feng Jinghong. He is nineteen years old this year. He is three months older than this strong and bull-like guy. However, since he ran out into the mountains alone ten years ago, his body has not had any physical problems.
The changes are still the same as when I was nine years old.
Although he is the son of the village chief, his friends in the same year regarded him as a monster when they discovered that he had stopped growing taller five years ago. In addition, because of his red hair, few people followed him.
Let's play together, except for this big guy who has lost his parents since he was a child.
Although Feng Jinghong is physically like a child, his mind has matured year by year under the daily guidance of his father. His father is the head of Jiuyang Village. Although he is not an official, Jiuyang
The Feng family is the only one in the village who has been studying for generations. It has been passed down from father to son that when the villagers give birth to a child, they all turn to the Feng family, so no one can compete with them for the position of village chief, so it becomes hereditary.
Of course, the more important reason is that there is a cave on Jiuyang Mountain. There is a golden stone in the cave. This stone is very valuable in the eyes of those immortal masters. Only men who follow them from the Feng family can enter the cave with the golden stone.
hole, so even if there are a few wealthy families who have some ideas, on the surface, they still have to be somewhat respectful to the Feng family.
"Jinghong, let's go to the mountains with Daniu. Do you think you can take this little boy of mine with you? He will get married in a few years. This betrothal gift..."
"Brother Hong, do you want to bring someone to my house next time..."
"Go on, my young master hasn't even had his turn yet. When will it be time for you guys to settle down?"
An arrogant voice came from behind the crowd surrounding Da Niu and Feng Jinghong.
Hearing the sound, the lively crowd suddenly dispersed. Standing behind Feng Jinghong, a man who looked like a hunched butler walked across from him. He nodded and led the way, followed by a young man waving a paper fan behind him.
A look of arrogance.
"Hahahaha... I asked you why you are so happy when you go out today. It turns out that you met a noble person. Xiao Jinghong, you have to help me again this time. I will also get married next year. I am with a family who cultivates immortals in the city.
The young lady has made a good marriage, but there are still a few stones missing. It’s rare that you and I are both free today, so please take me in to pick up a few more stones. I beg you, okay?”
The young man who looked like a young master came over with a happy face when he saw Feng Jinghong, but from his arrogant tone, Feng Jinghong didn't hear any intention of asking for help. Apart from being bossy, he was also a little proud.
.
"Hmph! It turns out it's you, a shameless scoundrel. If it hadn't been for you secretly taking an extra stone, maybe Brother Feng wouldn't be like this. He still dared to bark here. Believe it or not, I interrupted you.
leg!"
Da Niu put down Feng Jinghong from his shoulders, stood in front of the young master with his hands on his hips, stared at him fiercely with eyes like bull's eyes.
"Niu Daniu, you are allowed to ask for a wife, but I, Zheng Zhicheng, are not allowed to ask for a wife? Humph, Feng Jinghong is like this in his life. He can't get a wife even with that stone. Even if he wants to marry his daughter, he can give birth to a child.
Are you going to give birth? Sooner or later, the Feng family will have to die..."
"Son of a bitch, let's see if I don't break your legs..."
Da Niu raised his thick arm and hit Zheng Zhicheng.
Seeing that the situation was not going well, Zheng Zhicheng ran away quickly, shouting as he ran: "Feng Jinghong, you silly guy, just wait and see how long you can last. Wait for the people in the city..."
Just as Daniel was about to catch up, he was stopped by Feng Jinghong.
"Daniu, forget it, stop chasing me, let's go, we have to go home before sunset."
Da Niu, who had just taken a step forward, stopped when he heard this, spat hard on the ground, picked up Feng Jinghong and headed towards the mountain.
"Oh, what a pity that such a good child cannot grow up..."
"Yeah, I really won't be able to find a wife from now on..."
"It seems that we really have to move out of the village. What if the Feng family really becomes extinct..."
Daniel and Feng Jinghong came to the foot of the mountain amidst the sounds of sympathy.
"Brother Feng, how come there are no living creatures in such a big mountain? Otherwise, the people in this village don't have to bother your family and can feed themselves by hunting."
Daniel complained about the red mountain in front of him and slowly climbed up the mountain.
Feng Jinghong looked at this mountain that seemed to be burning all the time, this mountain that he had felt familiar with since ten years ago, and the blood in his body slowly began to boil. He didn't know why, but every time he came here
It feels like this in the mountains.
"Daniu, I don't know why, but things have gotten a lot better in the past few years. Food can be grown at the exit of the valley, and my father doesn't have to work so hard."
Feng Jinghong knew that ten years ago, his father had to take a family to the cave to collect stones every day. It took half a year for dozens of families in the village to collect enough stones to exchange for a year's rations. The cycle started again and again.
No interruption.
Since the plant was discovered at the mouth of the valley ten years ago, the two families closest to the mouth of the valley began to plant it quietly. Because it is hot here all year round, the food can be ripe every two months. By the time everyone discovered it, these two families had already planted it.
They gathered some people who were not doing their jobs properly in the village to act as their protective umbrella. Of course, the villagers who were good at eating could not win over those people, so the two big families, Zheng Yuanwai and Chang Yuanwai, came out.
"Yeah, damn it, why do you live in the middle of the village? Otherwise, your family can get some of the thousand acres of land. Why do you let those two families see the plants growing on the ground..."
Hearing Daniel talking about plants, Feng Jinghong's eyes flashed with a strange light. He knew that there was a plant in this mountain. That was the fundamental reason why he secretly went up the mountain without telling his father every year.
When he was nine years old, he secretly ran into the mountains to play. Next to the hole with the golden stone, there was another hole covered by a stone slab. Except for a tree, there was nothing in the hole.
At that time, Feng Jinghong was tired from running, so he leaned on the stone to rest. Unexpectedly, just by leaning on the stone, the stone turned and came out of a hole. He looked at it doubtfully, and when he saw the hole,
When there was a tree, I ran in without hesitation.
The stones around the cave seemed to be alive, glowing red, but the ground beneath their feet was as black as ink, and it would make you dizzy if you looked at it for a long time.
There is a tree in the middle of the hole, only as thick as an arm, with black branches and no leaves. There are only two fruits of different colors at the top of the tree, one is cyan and the other is red. The shape of the fruit
It's also very strange. There is something like a horn growing on the round fruit body. What's even weirder is that the horns of the cyan fruit are red, and the horns of the red fruit are cyan.
Feng Jinghong, who was only nine years old, couldn't manage so much. He was tired and thirsty after running. The first thought when he saw the fruits was to eat them to quench his thirst. Only when he was holding two fruits and picking them did he discover the two fruits.
The strange fruit didn't move at all, and the two cyan and red horns pricked the palm of my hand, causing a lot of blood.
Nine-year-old Feng Jinghong screamed in fright when she saw the blood, ran out of the cave and returned home in one breath. But when he looked at his hands, there were no wounds at all. He originally planned to tell him about this.
Feng Jinghong's father, out of a child's overbearing thoughts, Feng Jinghong resisted her impulse and said nothing to anyone, and ten years passed like this.
For the past ten years, he would miss those two fruits for a few days every year, and then he would secretly run to the cave to look at them. What surprised him even more was that the two fruits gradually moved closer together over time, and seemed to grow into one.
Only trend.
Just last year when he went there, the two fruits turned into one, still as big as when he first saw it. The corners of the fruit were gone and the color changed, turning into a black and white ball.
.
This made Feng Jinghong, who had read a lot of books, feel that this fruit was unusual, so she did not dare to tell others.
Today, when Daniel mentioned plants, he remembered again. It had been almost a year, and it was time to go see that strange fruit.