(3)
The five people traveling together will never forget this summer time. During the two months, they got to know each other, experienced many natural and man-made disasters together, and experienced the impermanence of the world. Although now they all have to put aside the memories of the past and the heartache, and go straight to a safe place to seek respite.
Soon after the carriage passed by, they followed the directions on the map and decided not to stop in any small town, just to avoid being heard or heard. Of course, unless you get to the big mountain that straddles the Central Plains and Beizhen.
When walking in the Cangzhou area, you can find a high place to stand and look into the distance, and vaguely see the towering and straight natural cliffs that stretch for thousands of miles. Its steep lines are outlined in the sky, overlooking people who want to climb this mountain all the time.
"Qunma Mountain? It looks like we have to walk for several days?" Several girls sat together in front of the shriveled and wrinkled dark yellow map and looked at it carefully.
After experiencing many adventures, they now have a rare lack of fear and maintain their original intention of exploring everything in the world like fledglings.
"Even if we travel day and night, it will take at least three days to arrive." Zhao Kuo was sitting in front of the car and driving a horse. At this time, he was wearing a coarse blue dress and was covered in dust. His mature appearance, with his temples ringed with frost when he was young, made him very excited. It's more like an old servant serving the three girls behind.
"Then Master Zhao, can you walk a few steps faster? The road is bumpy and bumpy. If you don't let me go to the market to be stubborn, isn't it frustrating?" The Miao girl continued, complaining: " Why did God allow the slave family to meet you? You are not allowed to do this or that, so you might as well just go back to Miao Township."
"Ha, are you playing hard to get? I will not keep you here." Faced with the beauty's mischief, Zhao Kuo did not give in at all. Instead, he said triumphantly: "If you really want to leave, you can jump off the carriage now and go on your own. Walk back."
After hearing this, Ajuan didn't really care. She took a deep breath, curled her lips, looked at the other person's back with disdain, and said angrily: "Humph, I don't know who was so anxious that tears fell out when the slave was half-dead in the slave family?"
"I'm just afraid that your mother and grandma won't let me go... That's all, that's all, a good man doesn't fight with a woman. When you get to Yuyi, you, a wild girl, will only receive more discipline. Don't blame me for killing you then. I brought you there and I didn’t protect you..."
After several verbal battles, the quarrel between the two finally came to an end. Without their shouts and cheers in the car, the lively atmosphere was also lost, and a desolate feeling of early autumn came again.
This journey to Gunma Mountain started in an unpleasant way, and it seemed that it was clear from the beginning that the process would not be smooth sailing.
Those wild flowers and vegetables that only grew in July are now blooming and bearing fruit and are close to withering. On a road that is only long and narrow enough to accommodate two horses and one cart, this is the situation in the surrounding wasteland.
I don’t know whether God follows man’s will or whether his will is in harmony with Heaven. When they were depressed, the roads were littered with debris, and the roads were so steep and uneven that they were almost maddeningly uneven.
A few steps into the countryside, there is a sinkhole, which is spread out over the barren land, making it unbearable to look directly at. If you can see a blooming wild flower at this time, even if it is very ordinary, it is as precious as emerging from the mud and not stained.
Since they cannot enter the market, their basic necessities, food, clothing, housing and transportation can only be provided in the countryside. Although it is not a problem to keep clothes and luggage for a few days, food and accommodation cannot be haphazard.
Fortunately, Zhao Kuo got the bows and arrows given by Su Qing, so that they could hunt in the wild to barely maintain their food rations. If they found a place where rivers and streams converged, they could go into the water to hunt fish, or even circle a place with stones to serve as a bathtub. It’s also a kind of fun. Being able to cleanse dry, tight and sour bodies is the only thing that can make girls happy.
For Zhao Kuo and Bai Feng, apart from drinking, it was also a happy thing to see the three girls who should have been in their glorious years no longer disgraced.
At night, they would build a few simple fences with wood around the carriage, and then set up a bonfire that would last all night. Then they remained silent, raised their gray-black palms and took a sip of wine. Then they took advantage of the wine to play a few flutes and sing a few songs, lamenting their fate like flowing water and feeling sad and moved by the passing memories.
This continued for several days, over and over again, and they lived a nearly isolated life for three days in a world far away from the world.
The shock and thought of walking from a barren countryside to another fertile land thousands of miles away cannot be described in words - it is like living a primitive life for a few days and suddenly returning to the embrace of civilization. inside.
Although isolation from the world is quiet and peaceful, and provides absolute freedom, for young people who long for recognition and have great ambitions, this is nothing less than a greater torture.
The five of them are not all such characters, but they all have a strong attachment to the world, and they are eager to change and achieve certain things. Anyway, everyone has their own plans, and they are definitely not outsiders who are indifferent to everything and have no regard for life and death.
Look, you can only vaguely see the outline of the mountains three days ago. Now you are right in front of you. Its peak is so towering into the clouds that it is out of reach. Listen, it is the noisy shouts, laughter and fighting in the market. The sound is getting closer and closer, as if it is within reach.
These changes made the three girls who had been sitting in the car all day extremely excited. After a while, they began to scramble to grab the door curtain and lean out to take a closer look at the outside.
The driver Zhao Kuo couldn't help but get agitated when he saw Murong Yan. He imitated the "childishness" of the other two girls and desperately wanted to sit in the driver's seat. He spoke to stop her: "Miss Murong, you can't Learn from them. If you let others see your appearance easily, we will all suffer."
After hearing this, Murong Yan had no choice but to calm down her inner anxiety, and sat back next to Bai Feng and whispered something quietly. The young swordsman had always been strict and solemn towards others, but he had endless words to say in front of Murong Yan.
In this way, Zhao Xiaomei and Ajuan sat next to Zhao Kuo on the left and right, looking at the passers-by with interest. The most eye-catching thing among them was naturally the "mountain of horses" that stood in front of them.
"Brother, didn't we just stop in the town?" the younger sister asked, "Why do we have to come to such a lively place?"
"Yes, what are your plans?" Ajuan on the side also said in agreement: "Last time you stopped in Cangzhou to look for Su Qing, but..."
Before Ajuan could finish speaking, Zhao Kuo interrupted: "It's different this time! If we want to cross mountains and ridges, a carriage can't carry us. There is a horse dealer in this group of horse towns who belongs to our Zhao family. An old acquaintance of his, I am going to ask him for help on this trip."
"Oh! Brother, are you talking about Lou Yixian and Lou Yuanwai of the Lou family?"
Zhao Kuo nodded and said, "I didn't expect that my little sister still remembers him. You have only met him once or twice."
"That's natural!" Zhao Xiaomei replied confidently: "The daughter of Uncle Lou's family often bullied me in the early years. How could I forget it?"
"Hahaha, what a fool. They are all old things, so let's not mention them!" Zhao Kuo did not forget to ridicule as he spoke, and soon he shouted "Drive, drive", riding the horse and raising dust, and ran straight to the Lou Mansion. And go.
