May 17th is a sunny day.
It is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and the day with the most sunshine. The Yang energy in the world reaches its peak, and ghosts are weak. Even ghosts with good moral principles will never dare to come out during the day.
Since early in the morning, the sun has been shining directly on the earth. Even if you are covered with a cloth, you will be hot from the sun. It is a standard midsummer weather.
The Taoist thanked the host who was staying at the foot of the mountain, and Wu Nuxia took out a handful of copper coins and said a few nice words before letting the host accept it.
When the little girl next to me saw him, she felt that she was also staying the night and refused to be treated differently from others, so she also took out a small handful of copper coins from her arms and wanted to hand them to the host. The owner was kind-hearted, so how could he take the money from Wu Nuxia again? The little girl imitated Wu Nuxia, and said the same kind words in her soft and thin voice.
The master still refused to accept it, so she stopped. She stood there staring at the master blankly, wondering what was wrong.
It wasn't until the Taoist opened his mouth that the host accepted it.
The little girl was very happy immediately.
She was very happy until she left the village and walked to the road. She was blowing and yelping on her newly picked horse shit, and was playing with the Taoist by jumping around and stepping on the Taoist's shadow.
The ground is still a little muddy.
Wu Nuxia lay on the back of her pony, her upper body also slumped down. She looked listless, but she spoke to the Taoist in a clear and calm voice:
"As far as written rules are concerned, there is only one rule in the ghost market, which is not to ask about other people's identities. If you are a seller, don't care who the buyer is, and if you are a buyer, don't care who the seller is. Just look at the goods and negotiate the price. So many people buy and sell. All shady things will come here. There are too many shady things in Changjing, things that are visible, invisible, and tangible, and it is no longer possible to live without the ghost market."
"It's quite similar to the black market."
"yes."
"Are there any unwritten rules?"
"Too much."
The Taoist glanced at the little girl next to him who was following his shadow and insisting on stepping on his shadow, and whispered: "Please tell me, the heroine."
"For example, if you make a deal, you will not be refunded or exchanged. If you buy a fake, you will not be refunded or exchanged. If you receive fake money, you will not be refunded. It all depends on your ability to buy expensive or cheap. Another example is that there is chaos inside, so be careful not to reveal your wealth. People who enter and exit the ghost market You should be especially careful when you are young. Don't let others think you are weak. If you are really weak, it is best to behave yourself and not let others see it. If you are very capable, you can feel more comfortable." Wu Nuxia said, " Actually, there’s not much to say, you don’t need to say anything to understand, these are the rules everywhere.”
"Does Heroine come here often?"
"I've been here many times, usually to get some money to spend, and sometimes to buy some news."
"I see."
This is a more primitive market.
The Taoist suddenly stopped.
The little girl next to me kept staring at the ground. She just took a big step forward and should have stepped on the moving shadow. However, the shadow stopped and did not move forward. She missed the step and was stunned. .
He turned around and stared at the Taoist in confusion.
But when she saw the Taoist smiling at her, she took a step forward.
Although this is not the hottest time of the year, the scorching sun is so powerful that by the afternoon, the ground is baked dry. Each of the footprints on the loess road has dried up and is fixed in the same appearance as when it was wet. Sometimes you step on it and it will be broken. There will be a hiss, and the crisp soil will shatter and splash.
Walking along the official road, in the afternoon, I walked on the path that the heroine pointed out before.
Some villages are faintly visible ahead.
Occasionally, you can meet people walking in the same direction on the road. Some of them are dressed similarly to farmers, while others can be seen at a glance as not being local villagers.
When passing through the village, there were many villagers on the roadside. They stood at the intersection and asked everyone they met if they wanted to stay overnight.
"Every time the ghost market opens here, many people come. Dayan values business, and many villagers are quick-thinking and have also started business." Wu Nuxia explained, "But ignore them, there used to be people here. We have to walk for a while, and there is a village ahead. We arrived early, so we can stay closer, while those who arrived late will stay here."
"I see."
"Are you going to live in the ghost market or outside?"
“Is there accommodation there too?”
"There are two hotels carved out of the stone walls on both sides."
"What's the difference between the outside and the inside?"
"If you live outside, you have to come out after shopping. It may be dangerous if you walk outside." Wu Nuxia said, "Those who can open a hotel under the cracks in the ground are all capable. The money is very expensive, but Living in it will naturally ensure your safety. It is suitable for those who don’t have much ability, have exposed their wealth, or bought valuable items. Staying there for one night and coming out during the day is always safer than staying at night.”
"It's better to live outside."
It seems that this place is not the kind of outdoor market at night where a group of people gather, complete the transaction and then leave, but is much more fixed and formal.
Thanks again to this heroine.
If it hadn't been for her, how would Song You have heard all this? I'm afraid he wouldn't have seen a lot of things on this trip.
While walking and chatting, we gradually passed two villages.
"Hero! Dao Ye!"
Suddenly a child's voice came from the front.
The Taoist and the woman turned to look.
I saw two children, one girl and one boy, one tall and one short. The elder sister looked like seven or eight years old, and the younger brother looked like five or six years old. Their faces were both dark and red. They were standing next to them, staring at them:
"My lord, Taoist master, do you want to stay in a hotel? We charge a cheap fee. We provide breakfast. No matter how late you come back at night, someone will be awake and open the door. You can also borrow lanterns, candles are extra."
"What kind of store are you?"
Wu Nuxia stopped and asked them.
"Maodian."
"How much does it cost per night?"
"Sixty yuan a room."
"Nonsense, it's fifty here even if it's not dark."
"Then fifty..."
The older girl's voice became weaker and she quietly looked at the woman.
"Are there two rooms?"
"some!"
"Go and have a look first!"
Wu Nuxia said in a rough voice and waved her hand.
The girl and boy immediately smiled, narrowed their eyes, waved their arms and started running, leading the way.
The woman led the horse that way.
The Taoist also followed behind, looking at the two children as he walked.
He is very young, very thin, and his voice is childish, but his logic is very clear. At a young age, he has already started to take charge of his family. This is also a true portrayal of ordinary people’s children these days.
In comparison, being born here is pretty good. Because of the good location, right next to the Ghost Market, countless people from all walks of life come here for nine days every month. The market opens in the middle of the night. After visiting the Ghost Market, some people always want to find a place to sleep and wait until dawn the next day. When I go back, there will be business opportunities.
This business opportunity has exceeded 99% of farmers in the country.
Although the two children had to go out to solicit customers at a young age, they were still in good health and showed no signs of starvation. In this regard alone, they were better than many ordinary people's children.
The suffering of the people is the suffering of the times.
The Taoist touched the head of the girl next to him.
Thatched cottages are usually simple and simple, just thatched houses, some are single rooms, and some are large shops.
This one is okay, they all have single rooms.
The Taoist woman looked around.
There was really nothing to be picky about. There was only one bed inside, and I thought it wasn't particularly dirty or smelly, so I settled on it.
"Watch the horse for me."
"I need extra money..." the little girl glanced at her quietly, "I need twenty coins."
"Hey you little clever guy!"
"It's okay if you don't give me the money. If you lose it, you won't be compensated."
"Bag fodder?"
"Thirty years of grass feeding..."
"What grass?"
"I went to the mountains to collect grass myself."
"Aren't there any adults in your family?"
"Mom is still sleeping and has to guard the gate and horses at night."
"OK!"
Wu Nuxia agreed and said: "Keep a good eye on the horse, feed it, and don't lose it to me! This is my beloved horse. If it is lost, my sword will not spare you!"
"Won't……"
Wu Nuxia handed her the reins.
After adding another amount of money, the little girl immediately led the horse away happily, and her whole body was not as tall as the horse's back.
It is interesting to say that after leaving Yizhou, Song You has never seen a shorter horse than Wu Nuxia. Probably after leaving the southwest, no one rides the short southwest horse anymore.
"Just wait until dark."
"good."
The two of them went back to their rooms.
The Taoist walked around the door and looked at the village and all kinds of people coming and going. He came back and sat in the room for a while, feeling the charm of the summer solstice. Until the yang energy between heaven and earth gradually weakened, and he noticed when he opened his eyes It was already dusk.
The heroine outside was talking to the sisters and brothers in Maodian, telling her about her strange experiences in the world, some of which were told to her by a Taoist priest. This man was a good talker.
The sky gradually darkened.
After dinner, we set off directly.
The ghost market is under the ground, and there are no mountains nearby. You can't even see the crack in the ground unless you get closer.
But the road has already been stepped on the ground.
After getting closer, you can see the ferocious scar on the ground. It is long and deep, like a narrow cliff, only a few feet wide. At this time, the sky was already dark, and it was even more pitch black underneath. Only occasionally could you see the light lit by someone who didn't know who it was. Because it was more than ten feet deep, so when I leaned over to look, I could only see a few tiny little ones. Red dot.
Walk along the crack in the ground and there will be a path down all the way.
It’s just that some of the “roads” are just platforms that can be stepped on, and only talented people in the martial arts world can get down there. Some of the roads are small paths dug out, leading diagonally downwards.
There are more and more people on the road.
Wu Nuxia found a place closer to go down.
As the Taoist walked down, he looked around him. In the faint light of the sky, he could see different layers of soil and stone.
Slowly walk to the bottom.
It was almost completely dark at this time, and I could only see with the light of a lantern.
When we first went down, it was an ordinary bottom of a crack in the ground. The ground was full of rocks, debris, feces, and even human or animal bones. The smell was very unpleasant, and there were ordinary stone walls on both sides. However, after they walked forward for a while, there were lights in front of them, and different spaces were carved out of the stone walls on both sides. The more elaborate ones were like houses, while the less elaborate ones were like caves, and some even had buildings built on them.
It was much more prosperous and formal than Song You thought.
Almost all the shops with cut-out walls were lit with lamps, and those setting up stalls on the roadside, without exception, also had an oil lamp in front of them. The stalls are not very dense, and there are often gaps in between. I guess it’s not the time to get busy yet.
Many lights gathered together, reflecting the stone walls and grottoes on both sides, reflecting the faces covered with cloth or wearing masks. Many eyes intertwined, creating a unique atmosphere.
It's like the ghost city in the mountains of Pingzhou back then.
There are many differences.
(End of chapter)
