Early winter.
The morning is hazy.
A figure climbed up the hill.
He was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy, facing the cold wind, with a childish face raised, sweat beads hanging on his forehead, breathing heavily, and a pair of smart eyes showing excitement and uneasiness.
Yu Ye is going to Lingjiao Valley to participate in this year's winter hunting.
Winter hunting is a saying among mountain people. Although Yujia Village, Baijia Village, and Fengjia Village are located in remote areas, they have inherited the ancient customs to this day. They have the custom of searching for summer seedlings in spring and hunting in autumn and winter. Every year at the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, young and strong men from the three families go to the Lingjiao Valley more than 200 miles away to hunt wild animals, pickle meat for the winter, or pick herbs in exchange for cloth, salt, ironware and other items to supplement their daily needs. Spend.
However, there are clan rules in Yujia Village, and minors are not allowed to go hunting in the mountains.
Yu Ye was only fifteen years old and underage, but he sneaked out of the village and embarked on a winter hunting trip alone.
After running for half a night in the dark, the sky gradually became brighter.
Yujiacun and Xingyuan Valley, where Yujiacun is located, have long been invisible. As far as the eye can see, there are only mountains and mountains, the morning mist is thick, and everything is hazy.
At the foot of the mountain is a river valley.
If I remember correctly, go south for more than ten miles and you will reach Lingjiao Town.
Lingjiao Town is the only place to go to Lingjiao Valley.
Yu Ye waited and watched for a while, then ran down the hill in a hurry.
After a while, the person was already in the river valley.
The river valley is dozens of feet wide, surrounded by sparse trees and piles of rocks. It is empty and desolate.
Yu Ye looked up at the sky and walked between a pile of stones. He dropped the stick and package, pulled open his sheepskin robe, and sat down on the ground.
Lingjiao Town is not far away. It's not too late to take a short rest before continuing on.
Yu Ye pulled the package on his shoulder and took out the rice cake and water bag.
The rice cakes were hard and cold, so I had to break them into pieces and chew them slowly. The water bladder is sewn from suede and can hold three kilograms of water.
People in the mountains are used to living in poverty, and it is enough to have water and rice to satisfy their hunger.
Yu Ye was about to eat and drink when he suddenly felt something strange around him.
The empty river valley is shrouded in mist. At this moment, a faint black shadow came through the morning fog. It seemed as if its feet were not touching the ground. It jumped three or two feet, and in an instant it was more than ten feet away. It seemed to pause and glanced this way. Then he floated away again.
Yu Ye hurriedly rubbed his eyes.
Dad said that with the fierceness of a tiger and a leopard, it can leap three or two feet, which is beyond the reach of human beings.
The shadow is not a tiger or leopard, it should be a person on the road. In other words, he looked like a young man wearing thin clothes. And if he was a mountain man on his way, why did he make no sound and step so far in one step? Could it be that he was a ghost in the mountains?
Yu Ye couldn't help but trembled.
Mountain people are not afraid of tigers, leopards or wolves, but they are afraid of ghosts and gods.
In a flash of thought, the strange black shadow disappeared without a trace.
Dad said that men in the mountains are full of courage and should be fearless even if they face life or death.
Thinking of his father, Yu Ye's expression darkened.
I will never forget that snowy night last year, when the fifth uncle, who had a close friendship with his father, came to tell him that his brother Yu Yao was buried in Lingjiao Valley. As for how his father died and where his remains were, Uncle Wu was vague. He only said that the wild beasts were ferocious and the remains could no longer be found.
Yu Ye was eager to go to Lingjiao Valley, but he didn't know the way. He asked the elders in the village for help, but was rejected one after another. He then thought about participating in the winter hunting next year, but was scolded by his third grandfather, saying that he was still young and was not allowed to go hunting. He lost his mother when he was young, and it was his father who raised him through hardships. Unexpectedly, something unexpected happened to his father. He would not see anyone alive or dead, so how could he give up so easily?
This was also the reason why he insisted on going to Lingjiao Valley despite violating the clan rules.
This year's winter hunt starts at Yin Shi today. Having been waiting for a year, he set out first last night. He only waited for the tribesmen in the village to set off, and then followed them all the way to Lingjiao Valley.
Yu Ye was eating rice cakes while thinking about the past.
The pain of losing his father and missing his family made him feel even more depressed. Sadness and tiredness welled up in his heart, and Yu Ye couldn't help but doze off. After running on the mountain road for most of the night, he was really exhausted...
The sky is bright.
The morning fog still lingers.
The sound of horse hooves intertwined with the sound of wheels and the barking of dogs, breaking the silence of the river valley.
Two large vehicles and a group of men broke into the river valley, and a few dogs followed them, running around and having fun.
The mountain people of Yujia Village gathered in front of the ancestral hall in Yu Yinshi, killed roosters as sacrifices, and set off firecrackers to ward off evil spirits. Then they embarked on a winter hunting trip and arrived here all the way.
Sitting on the cart running in front was a young man in his early twenties, wearing a fur robe and a fur hat, with a square face and round eyes, a short beard, holding a whip in his hand, and whipping the driver from time to time. The old horse in the stable. His name is Yu Baoshan, the grandson of the third grandfather. His father, Yu Youcai, followed closely behind with another cart. He was a sturdy middle-aged man with a rough, black and red face.
The remaining twenty or so men followed on foot, carrying knives and sticks, or carrying bows and arrows on their backs, all in a hurry.
There were two fathers and sons lagging behind. One looked dull and taciturn, while the other looked around with excitement on his face.
"Dad, can we make it to Spirit Dragon Valley within three to five days?"
"Um!"
"Uncle Sixth..."
"Hurry up and get on your way."
The father and son talking were Yu Ergou and his father Yu Shitou. Uncle Liu is Yu Ye's father, so he is called this according to the clan customs.
When Ergou went to Lingjiao Valley for the first time, he was so excited that he inevitably asked questions. His father also wanted to take the opportunity to give him a few words of advice, but he became irritable for some reason.
"Woof woof——"
Dogs barked from ahead, and the fast-moving carriages and horses slowed down.
More than ten feet away is the narrow part of the river valley. A figure stood up slowly from the pile of rocks next to him. He might have woken up from his dream, still rubbing his groggy eyes.
"Yu Ye?"
Yu Ergou made a sound in surprise.
The figure stuck in the pile of rocks is a young man with messy bun, loose leather robe, dusty face, and a messy appearance. He is Yu Ye. That was his playmate and a good brother in the village. They knew each other very well.
More than one person was surprised.
Yu Baoshan, who was sitting on the cart, glanced back and reined in the horse's reins. When the two carriages stopped, he asked loudly: "Yu Ye, what are you doing here?"
"I……"
Yu Ye rushed here and wanted to take a rest. Unexpectedly, he was too tired and fell asleep. But now that the matter has come to this, there is no need to hide it. He hesitated for a moment and said truthfully:
"Brother Baoshan, I want to go to Lingjiao Valley."
"snort!"
Yu Baoshan snorted and scolded: "Our ancestors have said it before. Those who are under age are not allowed to participate in winter hunting. How dare you violate the clan rules?"
The ancestor of the family is Yu Baoshan's grandfather, the third grandfather, the clan elder of Yujia Village, a highly respected figure. He is old, his body is broken and cannot lift, and he has not participated in winter hunting for many years.
"Third uncle..."
Yu Ye looked at the cart behind Yu Baoshan and continued to plead: "San Bo, please allow my nephew to go with us!"
Before he could finish his words, he was rudely interrupted——
"Yu Ye, go back to Yujia Village!"
Yu Ye ignored Yu Baoshan and said urgently again: "Fifth Uncle..."
Yu Ergou's ancestors were in the fifth year, and his father, Yu Shitou, was called the fifth uncle by the younger generations of the clan. The fifth uncle seemed to be unable to avoid it, and said hesitantly: "Third brother, look at this kid, he has a stubborn temper..."
The third brother mentioned by Yu Shitou was Yu Baoshan's father Yu Youcai. He was sitting on the second cart, stroking his beard with his hand, and said in a deep voice: "He is still young, in my opinion..."
Yu Ye hurriedly raised his voice and said: "My father was killed and his body has not yet been returned. My uncles had a deep friendship with him, how can you just stand by and watch?"
He vowed not to give up until he reached Lingjiao Valley.
Several older men in the crowd shook their heads and sighed——
"Oh, he is a filial son!"
"It's pitiful that both parents are dead!"
"It's hard to violate clan rules, and there are extenuating circumstances..."
"Well...since he doesn't want to go back to the village, I'll make an exception and let him follow me. I'll ask my brothers to take care of him."
Yu Youcai thought for a moment, said no more, waved his hand and urged: "Baoshan, let's set off!"
"Pa, pa" two whips were heard, the horses' hooves kicked, the wheels rolled, the dogs had fun, and the group of people continued to move forward.
Yu Ye couldn't believe it.
Can you go to Lingjiao Valley?
"Yu Ye——"
A call came.
"Two dogs——"
Yu Ye responded, turned around, grabbed the stick, picked up his bag, and ran over.
After catching up with the rushing crowd, Yu Ergou was waving to him.
Yu Ergou was half a head taller than him. He looked about seventeen or eighteen years old. He was wearing a cloth handkerchief on his head and a sheepskin robe on his body. With a smile on his dark face, he whispered: "Brother, you ran out of the village alone and contradicted the elders." , so brave!”
Yu Shitou's body and appearance are similar to Yu Ergou's, but his face has wrinkles and beards, and he is taciturn. He continued on his way without looking back, and said in a low voice: "Let's get together with Ergou!"
Yu Ye was overjoyed.
I originally thought that if I violated the clan rules, I would inevitably be punished, but I tried to argue with reason and got my wish.
If you don’t work hard at everything, who knows the final result.
Yu Ergou has been friends with him since childhood. It was Yu Ergou who revealed to him the specific date of the winter hunt that enabled him to make the trip. I saw Yu Ergou reaching out and patting his waist, holding his head high and saying: "Let's go to Lingjiao Valley. Brother Gou will protect you. Take a look -"
The good brothers walked together and immediately became intimate.
"Hunting knife?"
Yu Ergou had an animal skin scabbard on his waist, with half of the handle exposed. He patted the handle of the knife and showed off: "My father's hunting knife was passed down to me. If you have any sharp weapons, let Brother Dog take a look."
People in the mountains have no shortage of swords and axes. A sharp hunting knife, but worth a lot of money.
"My father's hunting knife was lost in the Spirit Dragon Valley."
"Are you using your bare hands?"
"I have a short knife."
Yu Ye also patted his waist. He had a knife hidden in his arms. It was his father's relic, and he didn't want to show it to others easily.
Yu Ergou laughed strangely and said: "Ha, how can you fight a ferocious beast with just a knife? If your sixth uncle is still alive, I will definitely not let you die..."
"Bah, bah!"
Before Ergou finished speaking, someone turned around and spat fiercely. It was his father, Yu Shitou, who raised his hands to the sky and muttered in a low voice: "With the blessing of the gods, there are no taboos!" After saying this, he scolded in a low voice: "Don't talk nonsense in broad daylight!"
Yu Ergou obediently shut his mouth.
Yu Ye didn't dare to say anything, he knew the rules in the mountains.
Avoid talking about life and death when you go out, so as not to offend the gods and cause unreasonable disasters.
No one can tell what the gods are, but they are awe-inspiring and they believe in their omnipresence and omnipotence.
However, if the gods are really so magical, why didn't they bless my parents...
