This morning, Lu Qiuniang finally assigned a task - to go to the mountains to collect some dandelion leaves and mulberry tree buds. In the past few days, silkworm eggs have begun to hatch one after another, and they must seize the time to feed them. After a few days, they will also be silkworms.
It's time for the eggs to hatch over a large area.
After receiving the order, Yang Zhaoxi carried the bamboo basket and went down the stream. Along the way, peach blossoms scattered on the stream bank, the willow color was green, and the spring water was dyed with green. Not long after, he saw a pool in the distance, with light mist in the pool.
In the past, Yang Zhaoxi often secretly made appointments with Guan Huer and other friends, and secretly came here to bathe and play in the water. However, she was always beaten when she returned.
But the weather was still cold at this time, so it was not suitable to go into the water, but this trip was not for bathing. Yang Zhaoxi remembered that there were several mulberry trees here, so he came all the way, thinking of picking mulberry buds as soon as possible, and picking some dandelion leaves along the way, before returning.
Counting the time, her mother should be cooking. Yang Zhaoxi sniffed, as if she could smell the aroma of millet.
As the pool came closer, I saw a small head in the water, dragging its long black hair, floating in the blue waves. The small body was vaguely visible in the water, its skin was better than snow, and it was shaken vividly by the ripples. Then I looked to the side.
When he went to see it, it was a girl's underskirt. Yang Chaoxi felt something was wrong, so he leaned down, but his eyes couldn't help but look into the pool again. He thought to himself: Guan Lin'er is still young and very timid, so she must be
No! Could it be that she is a sister from a certain family in the village, but the clothes are quite gorgeous, so she must not be! Moreover, when the women in the village take a bath, they must come in groups at night, and guard each other to prevent people from peeping. This girl
Could it be that he is not from this village? But where did he come from?
Doubts remain doubts, but curiosity is even more intense. After looking at the girl for a long time, I saw her graceful shoulders and back rising slowly from the pool... but then she turned around suddenly, with a puff of hair.
The water spray came like flying locusts! Yang Chaoxi's neck shrank, and the water spray hit the top of his head. It wasn't very painful, but he felt dizzy and his body was a little unstable. He sat down on the grass.
Everything was caught off guard, but happened in a flash of lightning. Yang Chaoxi's ears were buzzing, and the girl's cold shout could be heard at this time: "Which frivolous kid! Have you... seen enough?"
"I...I didn't mean to look..." Yang Zhaoxi rubbed his head, and the hair on his forehead was already wet. Then he recalled that he had been looking at it without even blinking, and he thought with a guilty conscience.
Changing the subject, "Whose girl are you from? How come I've never seen you before?"
At this time, the girl had already put on the underskirt very quickly. She was on the thin side and had a slightly pointed chin. Only her black hair was left untied, and it was draped over her shoulders wetly. The undercoat was soaked a little, and her skin was visible.
She walked over slowly and gave a strange smile: "That frivolous boy, sister...is he pretty?" Yang Zhaoxi didn't expect that her answer was wrong, and he was immediately embarrassed.
Yang Zhaoxi tried to calm down and retorted: "You are not even a few years older than me, how can you act so old-fashioned? Besides, you are here when you wake up in the morning. Who... could have expected it? In short... you shouldn't be here.
Take a bath. Since you are not a resident of my village, you should... go down the mountain quickly!"
"This pool is not yours, so why don't you wash it if you say it shouldn't be done? Besides, you've been looking at it for a long time...do you want to see it in vain?" The girl raked the water and said angrily, frowning slightly.
, quite a bit playful.
"Then...what do you want? I just looked at it accidentally, so I won't pluck out my eyeballs and give them to you, right?" Yang Chaoxi saw that although this girl was beautiful and charming, she was arrogant and rude, so she started playing rogue.
The girl came closer, with exquisite features and shining eyes, pitiful and pitiful: "My sister's family sells liquor in Luoyang City. Yesterday, I went to the mountains with my parents for an outing. I was just having fun and lost my way, so I came here...
I walked for half a day yesterday and was sweating all over, and I froze all night under the tree. I was about to wash up, but... I met such a frivolous child like you..." He started crying as he spoke.
At this time, Yang Zhaoxi was a little panicked. The two of them had just been arguing, but it was the usual vindictiveness of children. After all, they were still young, and Yang Zhaoxi was only eight years old. The girl looked determined to be no more than ten years old. Yang Zhaoxi didn't know
How to coax her? After she cried for a while, he said: "Since you... are lost, stay in my house for a few days and eat some food... and then... ask Guan Shibo and the others to send you back."
The girl's tears turned into a smile: "Then I'm going to trouble your house. My surname is Liu, and my name is Xiaomu. My mother said that when she gave birth to me, she couldn't tell the difference between dawn and dusk, so she gave me this name. I don't know.
What do you call me, brother?"
Yang Zhaoxi also scratched his head before showing some kindness: "My name is Yang Zhaoxi, and my home is at Yangliu Villa on the upper reaches of the stream. This time I came to pick some mulberry buds and dandelion leaves. Miss Xiaomu, please stay here for a while.
Sit down, I will take you back after picking."
Yang Zhaoxi stood up again, walked to some mulberry trees by the pond, climbed up, rode among the tree branches, and started picking from left to right. After working like this for half an hour, he slid down from the tree again and came to the water's edge.
I searched for the newly grown dandelion leaves and picked them for a while until I was able to fill the bamboo basket, and then I returned to the pond with satisfaction.
At this time, the spring sun was slightly hot, slanting in the mid-air, illuminating the water waves with countless light spots. Liu Xiaomu was leaning on a rock beside the pool, with two small horns already combed on her head, and her bangs on her forehead were as neat as a porcelain doll.
Smart and cute.
Yang Zhaoxi signaled that she could set off, but Liu Xiaomu stretched out her two little feet from under her skirt. The soles of her feet were already red and swollen, but her shoes had long since disappeared. Yang Zhaoxi had no choice but to unload the bamboo basket and help her carry it.
He turned around again, gently carried the girl on his back, and walked step by step towards his hut.
The spring breeze was blowing and the daylight was just right. Lu Qiuniang was sitting in the yard in front of the hut, spinning twine. She was surprised to see Yang Zhaoxi coming back with a girl on her back. Her feet were red and swollen. She picked up Liu Xiaomu.
, walked towards the hut and asked the reason. Yang Zhaoxi had to repeat the reason why Liu Xiaomu stayed in the mountains, but did not mention the part about peeking into the bath. Liu Xiaomu covered his mouth and giggled, but did not
Go and expose him.
Lu Qiuniang took Liu Xiaomu to the inner room and sat down, then took Yang Zhaoxi out, washed and dried the collected mulberry buds and dandelion leaves in the yard. She found some herbs to reduce swelling, applied them to Liu Xiaomu, and asked
She told her about the situation at home. Then she found rabbit skin, scissors and needle and thread, and cut the whole brown rabbit skin open. She stitched the stitches and sewed a pair of velvet boots according to Liu Xiaomu's feet. Lu Qiuniang said
For a while, I saw Liu Xiaomu being taciturn, so I thought she was a little restrained and stopped talking.
Seeing Lu Qiuniang's busy look, Liu Xiaomu felt a little warm in her heart. Just as she was about to say thank you, she glanced at a pair of red fox leather boots under the kang, and a trace of unhappiness flashed imperceptibly in her eyes, but the word "thank you" never came out of her mouth.
I was looking around at the monotonous scenery in this hut when I suddenly touched a copy of the "Tao Te Ching" in my hand. I took it and took a look. The edges of the book were slightly curled and the inner pages were yellow. There was a vague feeling of familiarity. I held it to my nose.
After a slight sniff, the familiarity became even stronger, so I opened the book and looked at it. Every page had annotations made in red pen. The regular script was regular and the cursive was elegant, but it was undoubtedly Li Changyuan's handwriting.
Liu Xiaomu couldn't help but sneer in his heart: What a little Taoist priest! He said that the "Chosen Son" was not found, but he was so attentive to this Taoist boy that he even gave away the scripture passed down by Ye Fashan. Even if he didn't dare to judge this
Tao Tong is the "Chosen Son", and there is always a 80-90 chance. It seems that this trip has finally paid off...
Lu Qiuniang saw that she was holding a book of scriptures with a dull expression, so she smiled and said: "Miss Liu, can you also read some poetry books? Xi'er brought this book back and read it often during the day. If you like it, ask him to give it to you.
How about it?" Liu Xiaomu came back to his senses and declined with a smile.
Yang Zhaoxi felt a little miserable that night. Lu Qiuniang drove her to the outside room and put the stools together as a bed to sleep on. However, the feeling was much worse than the wooden bed in the Taoist temple. Lu Qiuniang took Liu Xiaomu and slept together in the inner room, saying small things from time to time.
The words could not be heard very clearly, and it took a long time to stop.
After dinner the next morning, Liu Xiaomu's feet had subsided, so she put on rabbit fur boots and walked around. Lu Qiuniang took out a few more steamed cakes from the pot, wrapped them in a square of linen cloth, and stuffed them into Liu Xiaomu's hands before leading her.
All the way to Guan Dashi's thatched cottage. Guan Dashi didn't hesitate. He took the horse over and took Liu Xiaomu down the mountain. He didn't return until dark. He also bought some snacks, sesame cakes and other food along the way.
Give Yang Zhaoxi and a few other children.
As the spring night deepened and the cold grew, Guan Dashi put on a wolfskin robe and knocked on the firewood door of Lu Qiu's mother's house. After a while, the door opened. When Lu Qiu Niang saw it was him, she hurriedly let him in and sat down at the wooden table.
Next: "Brother Dashi, has the Liu girl been delivered?"
Guan Dashi pondered for a while and then said: "Xi'er is asleep, right?" Lu Qiuniang nodded, and Guan Dashi said again, "I've sent it to you. It's just that this girl from the Liu family may be a little weird... I thought about it for a while, but I still feel that
I have to tell you. Even though you may be a little scared, I still hope you can think of a way to tell Xi'er not to associate with this girl in the future."
Lu Qiuniang was also quite surprised. Guan Dashi had always been brave, and he was rarely so hesitant in speaking and doing things. Besides, it was related to Yang Chaoxi, so she responded readily: "Tell me what! Brother Dashi, what can you be afraid of?"
Guan Dashi said: "When we entered Luoyang City this morning, the Liu family girl remembered the way and pointed left and right before arriving at a somewhat remote market. As far as the eye could see, there were all broken walls.
Among the ruins, there was only one neatly repaired room. From a distance, it looked like a wine shop. The girl asked us to stay and said another set of words of gratitude. Her manner of speaking was like that of an adult...and measured.
She was just right, or even an average adult would be far inferior to her. At this time, I already felt strange. Before leaving, the Liu girl said, "The child who carried me yesterday is the chosen one. You must treat him well."
, these words are strange. I was thinking about the meaning of her words, but I accidentally saw the look in her eyes when she turned around... Orange with red, cunning and murderous... Those were definitely not the eyes of a child! This girl from the Liu family
, or non-human…”
When Lu Qiuniang heard this, she felt a chill all over her body. Her body went limp and she was about to slide off the bench. Guan Dashi hurried over to help her. It took a long time for Lu Qiuniang to calm down and murmured: "Last night, that person and I were
Liu...the Liu girl...is still sleeping in the same place..." Guan Dashi felt relieved again before closing the door and leaving.
At this time, Yang Chaoxi was sleeping on the kang in the inner room. His eyes were wide open and he had hardly blinked. His heart felt like the sky was falling apart, and he was extremely frightened. The theory of "the chosen one" was mentioned again, but
It was exactly the same as what Master Changyuan said before he left. The name Liu Xiaomu has been deeply engraved in his memory since that night.