The reason Mao Yuanping found was just right, and Chen Xiaomu didn't say much. Judging from the loose fat on his body, the fat man probably didn't have much fighting ability. If he really took him there, it would be a drag.
However, Mao Yuanping had something unexpected when he selected Minzhuang. Whenever he called the name of Minzhuang, these Minzhuangs immediately knelt down and begged for mercy, as if a disaster was about to happen. Some of them even cried bitterly. They begged Mao Yuanping to let them live. Judging from the expressions on their faces, they were no different from those on death row who were about to go to the execution ground.
The scene was in such a mess that Chen Xiaomu couldn't help shouting: "Stop blabbering, I'm just a government judge. Isn't my life worth less than yours? Look at you all shouting at each other, greedy and afraid. With such a dead look, you are worthy of being a citizen of Zheng!"
Chen Xiaomu scolded everyone, and everyone fell silent instantly. The people even lowered their heads and did not dare to speak anymore.
Seeing the situation, Chen Xiaomu softened his tone and said, "Let's do this. Anyone who is selected by the Chairman Mao and is willing to go to the Immortal Cave with me will be given five taels of silver as hard work fee. Those who are unwilling to go can stay."
"Only five taels of silver." As soon as Chen Xiaomu finished speaking, someone whispered in the crowd. Everyone looked at each other. No one who was selected by Mao Yuanping just said a word. It seemed that the temptation of five taels of silver was still too small.
Mao Yuanping's face became a little uneasy, and he pointed at a big man like a black tower and shouted: "Mao Dazhu, your mother is sick and needs medicine for free. Now, Lord Tongpan has graciously rewarded you five taels of silver. Why don't you come over and say thank you?"
"This, this..." Mao Dazhu's face turned red and he murmured: "Except Member Mao, you also know that my mother and I are the only ones who depend on each other at home. If something happens to me outside, who can take care of me on my behalf?" ?”
"You... you are such a piece of shit that you can't hold up a wall!" Mao Yuanping was blocked and speechless. He could only grunt angrily and prevaricate, then turned to a strong man next to Mao Dazhu, glared and said angrily: "Mao Si Leng, you have many brothers, why don’t you go?”
Mao Si shrank his head in shock and said with a grimace: "Except Member Mao, when I was repairing a house for someone a few days ago, I fell from the roof and broke my waist. Ouch, ouch, it really hurts to death." I'm done." Mao Si said in a daze while rubbing his waist with his hands. "
"Bastard, even if your waist is broken today, you still have to go to the Immortal Cave with Mr. Chen." Mao Yuanping could tell at a glance that Mao Si was in a daze, and couldn't help but cursed.
"Forget it, since no one wants to go, let's go by ourselves." Chen Xiaomu said with a dark face. Although he felt uncomfortable, he really didn't want to embarrass this group of low-level people, so he stopped Mao Yuanping from arresting young men on the spot.
Seeing Chen Xiaomu's unkind expression, Mao Yuanping was afraid that he would turn his anger on himself, so he hurriedly said cautiously: "Master Chen, please calm down. When I talk to these villagers again, I will definitely let them take the initiative to go to the Fairy Cave with Master Chen."
Chen Xiaomu waved his hand: "Forget it, don't waste time anymore, let's go!"
The moment Chen Xiaomu turned around, he suddenly heard someone calling from behind: "Master Chen, I am willing to go with you to the Fairy Cave."
"Oh!" When Chen Xiaomu heard this, he turned around and looked closely, only to see a thin young man bowing his head towards him.
Chen Xiaomu was about to ask, but he didn't expect it. At this time, Mao Yuanping said hurriedly: "Mao Su, are you kidding? With your body and bones, it's strange that you can't be a burden when going to the Fairy Cave. Hurry up and go home and study hard to prepare for next year's competition." If you can get the imperial examination in the imperial examination, it will be considered as an explanation for your dead parents."
"No, Second Uncle, I'm going." Mao Su said stubbornly: "Master Chen is a good official, and he won't force common people like us to take risks. I am definitely right to follow him."
"Alas! You kid, why don't you listen..." Mao Yuanping was halfway through his words when he suddenly thought of Chen Xiaomu on the spot. He sighed and held back the rest of his words. "
Chen Xiaomu ignored Mao Yuanping and asked Mao Su directly: "Your name is Mao Su, right? Who else is in the family now?"
Mao Su cupped his hands and said: "Reporting to your lord, my name is Mao Su. He has no close relatives in his family. He is a bachelor who has enough to eat for one person and the whole family is not hungry. He moves as soon as he picks up his shoes. He was admitted as a scholar two years ago and is now at home. Review your homework and prepare to take the provincial examination organized by the imperial court in the spring of next year."
Chen Xiaomu asked doubtfully: "Did I hear it wrong? I thought I heard you call me second uncle just now! Why did you say that there are no close relatives in the family?"
Mao Su said: "Sir, you heard it right. In the backing village where the common people live, the surname Mao is the common surname in the village. Almost half of the villagers in the village have the surname Mao. Although the common people call Mr. Mao the second uncle, in fact the two of us The family relationship has long gone beyond the Five Blessings, because my father had a good relationship with Mao Yuanwai during his lifetime, so the people have been calling Mao Yuanwai his second uncle since he was a child."
Chen Xiaomu nodded: "Since you are alone and have nothing to worry about, then you can follow us. Even if this matter is over, you don't have to come back. I just need a scribe who can copy and write and is proficient in writing. From now on, you can work as a scribe next to me, what do you think?"
Mao Su hesitated for a moment, then bowed and said, "Student, I obey."
Seeing Mao Su's worry, Chen Xiaomu added: "After you return with me, you will not be asked to do anything else except copying and writing. During the rest of the time, you can review your homework and prepare to take the provincial examination in the spring of next year."
Mao Su was overjoyed when he heard this. In this way, at least two problems of food and accommodation were solved for him. Due to the heavy snowfall two days ago, the two huts left to him by his parents with eight drafts collapsed. At the moment, he had to live in Mao Su. In the woodshed of Yuanping's family, due to the lack of bedding and poor insulation, it was freezing every night and it was even difficult to sleep all night long. In addition, Mao Yuanping's wife was fierce and domineering. Even Mao Yuanping would have to walk around her every day when he saw her. Two meals were provided, and Mao Su ate half full. He would never dare to eat more, otherwise he would spend the whole day being scolded by a shrew.
In fact, the so-called Immortal Cave is in a mountain col next to the mountain road. In front of the cave, a larch tree as thick as two people can hold it blocks almost half of the cave entrance. Standing in front of the cave entrance, which is more than one person tall, and looking in, there is nothing but Go to the messy rocks near the entrance of the cave, and look inside. It's so dark inside that you can't see anything at all, which gives people a creepy feeling.
"How about I go in and investigate first?" Wei Yuxin suggested as several people looked in the cave entrance with wide eyes for a long time but could not see what was in the cave.
"Slow down!" Chen Xiaomu waved his hand, stretched out his nose and sniffed hard towards the entrance of the cave, and said suspiciously: "I seem to smell a fishy smell."
Upon hearing this, Qing Wan'er immediately followed up and said, "Yes, I also smelled a faint fishy smell. Could it be some wild animal in the mountains hiding in this cave?"
When Mao Su heard this, he immediately denied it and said: "There can't be any wild animals hiding in this cave. It's probably the batches of hunters who went in earlier who died in it for unknown reasons. The smell of rotting corpses!"
Chen Xiaomu shook his head: "No, the smell of corpses is not like this. I wonder if there is miasma inside."
Qingkui said strangely: "Lord Tongpan, when I went to the south as an escort, I heard that there were frequent miasma areas there. But here in Zheng State, I have never heard of miasma in that place!"
Chen Xiaomu said: "This is not difficult. Which of you is here with a bow and arrow?"
Several people looked at each other and shook their heads at the same time. At this time, Tong Dabiao covered his stomach and said hesitantly behind Qingkui: "Master Tongpan, I brought a bow on my horse, but it was just an ordinary one-stone bow. The bow power is too small. Not to mention, there are only seven arrows left in the quiver."
Chen Xiaomu said happily: "Seven arrows are enough, hurry up and get them."
"Hey." Tong Dabiao agreed, turned around and ran towards the horses tied to the roadside. Chen Xiaomu called to Qingkui and the others who were stunned: "Let's not be idle anymore. Gather these dry branches and leaves on the ground, and then carry them to the ground." There was a big pile in front of the cave entrance.”
When Qingkui heard this, he suddenly understood and said in shock: "Master Tongpan, are you trying to set a fire?"
"Otherwise?" Chen Xiaomu said with a smile: "I have thought about it carefully. No matter whether there is miasma or other unclean things in this cave, just light a fire and smoke it inside, and you will know immediately. "
Qingkui asked in confusion: "Master Tongpan, light a fire and smoke the cave. What do you want Tong Dabiao to do with a bow and arrow?"
Chen Xiaomu said: "Mr. Qing, haven't you heard in the south that miasma will explode when exposed to open fire? I asked Master Tong to bring a bow and arrow, just to use the bow and arrow to ignite these pine branches and fallen leaves in the distance, so as to avoid igniting the fire near the entrance of the cave. Got bombed!"
"Explosion?" Qingkui stroked his beard. He couldn't think of any scene with this word, because he didn't know the existence of explosives at all, so he couldn't think of a scene like explosion.
Several people moved very quickly, and in a short while, they piled up a tall pile of branches and fallen leaves with more than half of them in front of the entrance of the Fairy Cave. Chen Xiaomu also picked up some snow from the ground and sprinkled it on top, so that the fire would not be burned. The fallen leaves burn out quickly, and a large amount of thick smoke can be produced at the same time.
At this time, Tong Dabiao had brought the bow and arrows over. Chen Xiaomu took them, held them in his hand, and tried to nock the arrows and draw the bow. Unexpectedly, he could not pull the bow away after pulling several times. He had no choice but to smile and hand over the bow and arrows again. Return it to Tong Dabiao. "
Next, he called Wei Yuxin to the pine tree and asked her to use a knife to carve a V-shaped wound on the pine trunk. After a while, a thin layer of rosin was released from the V-shaped wound on the trunk. Chen Xiaomu stretched out his hand to lift it. He picked up his robe, tore a strip of cloth from the edge of the robe, balled it up in his hand, and then wiped it repeatedly in the V-shaped wound on the tree trunk until the strip was covered with rosin. Then he came to Tong Dabiao with the strip of cloth. Pull an arrow out of the quiver and wrap the strip of cloth tightly around the arrowhead.
Tong Dabiao watched him finish all this.
"Okay!" Chen Xiaomu handed the arrowhead wrapped with cloth back to Tong Dabiao's hand, patted his shoulder, and asked with a smile: "Master Tong, how far can you usually shoot an arrow?"
Tong Dabiao bowed and said, "Sir, I can usually shoot an arrow fifty steps away."
"Okay." Chen Xiaomu waved his hand: "Everyone, listen, let's take fifty steps back together."
Several people followed the instructions and quickly took fifty steps back. Among them, Mao Su and Qing Wan'er carefully counted each step back.
Then Chen Xiaomu took out the fire stick and blew out the fire head. As soon as he put it on the arrow wrapped with a cloth strip, the cloth strip on the arrow "popped" and ignited a raging flame, followed by a faint smell in the air. Pine scent.
