It was late at night, Xiao Cui hugged the child and slept soundly. Lu Shouli gave them a great sense of security. As long as he was around, she wasn't afraid of anything.
However, she was also a little confused about their relationship.
Since Brother Lu didn't tell the truth, she naturally wouldn't tell either.
Listening to Xiao Cui and the child's soft snores, Lu Shouli felt a little lucky.
He couldn't sleep and looked up.
The shack was built with branches in a herringbone shape and covered with the brown bear skin. There are several small fires around the shack, with some mugwort thrown in them to drive away mosquitoes. Two big dogs slept by the door.
A gust of cool breeze blew, which was very refreshing. Lu Shouli groaned comfortably. By the way, God is lazy.
The wolfskin mattress was very comfortable, but a bit fishy.
No matter how wet the ground is, it will not be uncomfortable if it is covered with wolf skin. There is no problem even in the snow, it is moisture-proof and insulating, and it is very warm.
The best wolf skin is the small wolf skin. A few dozen pieces can be used to sew a coat. The blue-gray fluff is light and warm. Especially suitable for making coats for women.
Thinking about Xiaocui's slim waist, it would look great in it.
Unfortunately, it is not easy to get the wolf cub skin, you have to go to the wolf den. If you catch up with the female wolf and come back looking for food, it will be a life-and-death bloody battle.
He was thinking about good things when he suddenly vaguely heard thunder.
He was wondering if he had heard wrongly.
It was immediately confirmed that he heard correctly.
He saw Bale and Qiao Na suddenly perked up their ears and then stood up.
No, it's going to rain.
The climate on the grassland changes at any time.
The rain on the grasslands is no better than that in the Han Dynasty. It is common to see hailstones as big as pigeon eggs falling.
Even if it rains sometimes, it is not impossible for snow to fall.
After all, it is now the end of August. The climate on the plateau is like this. In late August and early September, in some years, it gets cold and snows early.
Even if it doesn't snow, the freezing rain is unbearable.
The author visited the grassland in the hottest month of August. August in the Gregorian calendar is the hottest time of the year. When I set out, the temperature in the Beijing-Tianjin area was over 38 degrees. It was raining when we arrived at the grassland, and the temperature outside the car was only four degrees above zero.
The eighth month of the lunar calendar is already September, so it’s not a big deal to have some icy rain.
Lu Shouli jumped up and got out of the tent. He looked up at the sky and saw it was pitch black.
The moon and stars were covered, and a cold wind blew.
He took a look and found that the land he chose was relatively high and not under a tree, so he didn't have to worry about lightning strikes.
He quickly took out a shovel made of iron sheets and began to dig drainage ditches around the shack. He piled the excavated soil around the shack and patted it down firmly with the shovel.
Xiaocui was awakened, put down the child, and asked strangely: "Brother Lu, what are you doing?"
"It's going to rain. It's a heavy rain, and there may be hail. I have to dig out the drainage ditch quickly." Lu Shouli said anxiously.
"Brother Lu, let me help you." Xiaocui was also used to working, and she helped to compact the piled soil with her feet.
"Don't leave here. I'll find some rocks to hold the bear skin down so it won't be blown away by the strong wind. The child is too young to withstand the rain."
"Well, I won't leave. I'll wait for you here."
Lu Shouli remembered that there were many big rocks by the creek not far from here. He picked up a leather bag and hurried to the river.
By this time the wind was getting stronger. The whirring sound of the heavy bear skin.
The child woke up with a start and cried out.
Xiaocui quickly climbed back into the shack, opened her clothes, put the child's little head on her chest, and rocked it gently while humming a song.
"The sound of the piano is gentle.
The tune is pleasant.
The cradle swings gently.
Mother's baby,
Close your eyes.
The one who slept fell asleep in a dream. "
The little girl found the milk, stopped crying immediately, and started eating greedily.
Xiaocui looked worriedly at the gloomy night sky outside, and the thunder began to sound louder than the sound. Lightning also began to appear, lighting up the night sky in flashes.
Everyone in the camp was awakened, with men shouting in panic and women crying faintly.
Because Lu Shouli was arranged to keep vigil outside the camp, he was a little far away.
The camp was chosen at the foot of a hillside, leeward and close to water sources.
The most important consideration when setting up camp is to be near a water source for easy access to water for cooking.
The two big dogs also whimpered. All living creatures are like ants under the power of God.
Xiaocui's heartbeat was about to jump out of her chest. She hugged her child tightly, hoping that Brother Lu would come back soon.
The scolding of Mongolian soldiers and the sound of whips were heard in the distance, mixed with the cries of slaves.
The chaos there finally aroused the Mongols' ideas. In order to prevent them from escaping, the Mongols used whips to herd them all together and imprison them. At this time, no one thought of Xiaocui and the others.
Lu Shouli finally came back, his waist bent ninety degrees under the weight of the stone. Xiaocui quickly put down the child and ran over to help him unload the stone.
One by one, the two of them pressed large pebbles onto the four corners of the bearskin. Then they covered it with soil and trampled it tightly.
"Go in quickly, don't come out. It's going to rain soon." Lu Shouli shouted loudly.
The thunder was so loud that you couldn't even hear it without shouting.
The faces of people illuminated by lightning turned pale.
After Xiao Cui got in, Lu Shouli drove Bale and Qiao Na into the shack. Then he got in. He picked up a sharpened iron birch stick and guarded it at the entrance of the shack to prevent anyone from getting in.
The shack was too small to accommodate many people, and it was already crowded with three people and two dogs.
The two big dogs were fluffy and very warm. The little girl fell asleep again.
Boom, a thunderstorm rolled over his head, and Lu Shouli was horrified to see a fireball flying down from the sky and flying over his head. A tingling feeling spread throughout the bodies of the people and dogs in the shack. The dog's hair stood on end.
Everyone was so frightened that they fell silent.
More than 130 meters away, a large independent tree on the grassland was hit.
A huge orange-red fireball exploded, and the entire tree burst into flames.
Bale and Qiao Na didn't utter a sound.
They squeezed to the entrance of the shack and stuck out a fluffy dog head under each arm of Lu Shouli. They looked at the burning tree in horror.
They were shivering, as if squeezing under their owner's armpits would bring them a sense of security.
"Hahaha, hahahaha, thunder strikes the wood, what a good thing, it's a bargain for your Taoist master. Hahahaha"
A ragged figure, like a big bird, rushed from the camp, and the Mongolian guarding him cursed angrily.
Bald Ma Chun was angry and funny, and cursed: "This madman Wu, no wonder Taiji can't stand him and wants to send him to the Great Khan."
Lu Shouli was dumbfounded. Who was this person? He was too tough.
When the figure rushed under the tree, heavy rain finally poured down, and the huge cold raindrops directly extinguished the burning tree.
Madman Wu pulled out an ancient sword with a simple shape from his waist. He cut down the jujube tree from the waist.
I didn’t know what the sword was made of, or how hard the jujube tree was, but it broke with a snap.
Lu Shouli and the two dog heads looked at the Taoist priest in horror at the entrance of the shack, jumping up and down, and quickly knocked down the tree, split it open, and took out a foot-long core.
The Taoist priest looked at it with satisfaction and put it in his arms.
By this time, it was raining heavily and he was soaked in water.
He discovered Lu Shouli's bearskin shack and let out a surprised sigh.
Then come straight.
Lu Shouli immediately raised his spear, pointed the sharp end at him, and shouted: "Don't come here, the place is full of people and there is no room."
The two dogs immediately bared their teeth and made threatening noises.
"Hmph! Stupid boy, how many people have invited me, but I still can't be invited. You actually turned me away."
After saying that, he faded away, stepped on the wooden spear, stretched out his hands like lightning, and pulled out the two big dogs. Then he got in.
"Haha, now we have a place. The shack is for people to live in, not for animals."
Xiao Cui hugged the child and shrank into a corner in fear.
Lu Shouli looked angry. Balak and Qiao Na were his family, not beasts.
The two big dogs were also furious. They stood at the entrance of the shack and bared their teeth, letting out a low roar.
It's just that when this strange person grabbed their necks, they couldn't move. I was a little scared and didn't dare to rush over.
The Taoist priest ignored the three people and two dogs, and took out half a large butter candle from his arms and carefully inserted it into the gap between the two wolf skins on the ground. Then he snapped his fingers and with a snap, the candle was lit.
The two adults and the two dogs were immediately stunned.
This Taoist priest does have some Taoism.
Xiaocui quickly carried the child over and kowtowed to the Taoist priest.
The Taoist priest's face flickered in the candlelight. He was very thin and had deep-set eye sockets, but his eyes were bright and shining.
"I have offended the Taoist priest, please forgive me."
"It's easy to say, it's easy to say. Taking shelter from the rain today can be regarded as a fate with your family. I don't disturb you in vain. I will cut off a one-inch piece of the heart of the lightning-struck tree and make a sign for it. Give it to your child to ensure that she is free from all evil. Retreat and live in peace.”
Not all trees can be struck by lightning. Jujube trees are the first, followed by peach trees. And the first-class lightning-strike tree must be a tree between heaven and earth.
For example, there is a tree growing on the top of a mountain. It connects heaven and earth, so it has aura.
A lone tree on the grassland also has this effect.
Xiaocui suddenly became happy and kowtowed repeatedly.
"Thank you, Taoist priest"
Lu Shouli also hurriedly kowtowed.
He saw that this Taoist priest was unusual, at least this was his intention.
The Taoist priest took out a small knife and cut off a half-centimeter-thick piece horizontally from the heart of the tree. Then the knife flew up and down, a burst of sawdust flew, and a wooden sign one inch long and half an inch wide gradually took shape.
The Taoist priest saw that the size was suitable and nodded with satisfaction.
The Taoist priest picked up the knife and used the tip of the knife to make flowing carvings. Complex runes appeared on the front of the brand. The red tree heart suddenly turned into a magic weapon.
The Taoist priest turned over the wooden sign and asked, "What is your child's surname and name?"
Xiaocui was speechless for a moment and didn't know what to say.
"My surname is Lu. The child is still young and does not have a name. Since we are destined to meet each other, I would like to ask the Taoist priest to give me a name."
Xiaocui heard him say that the child's surname was Lu, and a burst of ecstasy surged from her heart. Happiness came so suddenly. He lowered his head shyly. Rubbing the hem of clothes with both hands.
"Easy to say, when was she born?"
"This time last year, I just turned one year old yesterday and was born at noon." Xiaocui said.
The Taoist priest closed his eyes and kept calculating with his fingers, and suddenly he let out a sigh. Then I did the math again. He opened his eyes in disbelief.
"This is so strange. This child is punished by six relatives and his parents are punished. He is destined to be fatherless soon after he is born. How do you live well?"
As soon as these words came out, the two of them were shocked.
Only then did we know that this crazy Taoist was really capable.
Less than a month after the child was born, Maozi slaughtered the camp with blood, and only their mother and daughter escaped.
"Is this child wrapped with a red birthmark?"
"How did the Taoist Master know?" Xiao Cui opened her mouth in surprise.
"Hmph, why is this so difficult? I've decided on it. She came down covered with colorful clouds."
Before he finished speaking, a huge thunder rolled over his head, shaking Lu Shouli to the ground. Two large dogs whined and squeezed in.
The Taoist priest's face changed several times and he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing.
The shack fell silent except for the patter of raindrops on the bearskin.
"Oh, forget it. Thanks to your kindness in taking me in during the heavy rain today, I will give my daughter a name."
Lu Shouli and Xiaocui were overjoyed. There were scholars on the grassland who could read and write. It was a blessing to meet this Taoist priest who practiced Taoism today.
"If you are born at noon, let's call him Lu Yiyang."
Lu Shouli quickly pulled Xiaocui to kowtow to the Taoist priest, "Thank you, Taoist Master, for giving me the name."
The tip of the knife in the Taoist priest's hand scratched the back of the sign, and a name appeared on the back of the wooden sign.
Lu Yiyang
