Tieping Mountain is a large mountain that separates Huainan Road and Jiangnan Road. The mountains are high and the valleys are deep, making the roads difficult to navigate.
It is said that thousands of years ago, two dragons caused chaos in Wuyue, and Xu Tianshi was ordered to subdue the monsters. Because he had accomplished the feat of slaying a dragon, the dragon was afraid and raised a flood to block the road. The Heavenly Master summoned a big snake to cut a narrow pass in Tieping Mountain, where it entered the southeast and was thrown into the mouth of the Qiantang River, and the flood was subsided.
Zhaxing has survived to this day and has become an important road connecting the Central Plains and Wuyue. It is full of business travelers and travelers, so it is called "Snake". The bottom of the Xingxing flows into a river, which is called "Snake Creek".
…
By the end of July, the plum rain was still intermittent.
Today, the sky seemed to be clearing up, but in the blink of an eye there was another mountain rain, trapping all the passers-by in a tea shed by the Snake River.
The tea shed is small, just a thatched shed surrounded by fences and bamboo mats, with three long tables set up, and it was packed with about ten people.
On the table next to the gate, seven or eight strong country men shared tea and laughed loudly; near the window, a group of scholars on an outing pointed to the Snake Creek winding by the tea shed and shook their heads; in the middle was Two shopkeepers, both young, whispered about the subtle business opportunities in the countryside; two urchins were scurrying in and out of the crowd, and the young parents behind them pretended to scold them; while the shop owner was talking on the stove with The guests were busy milling about, with smiles on their faces, like old farmers celebrating a good harvest.
The smell of earth caused by raindrops, the smell of water from the river, the smell of sweat from people squeezing out, and the aroma of tea from the stove are all stirred and fermented in this small space.
There was a lot of noise, curses, and excitement.
until--
The door curtain is opened, and new guests are welcomed in with raindrops.
The visitor was a traveling monk. His robes were soaked by the rain, but he did not rush into the house to take shelter from the rain. Instead, he wiped the mud off his straw sandals before entering the tea shed. The monk's etiquette was thorough, but his appearance was not well taken care of. His eyebrows, hair, and beard all grew wildly like weeds, and he also had a rancid odor, which was particularly pungent in the small shed.
Normally, the owner of the shop would be chasing people away, but the monk was holding a crescent shovel that was 10 feet tall in his hand. It was made of fine iron and the blade was sharply polished. The cold light captured everyone and made anyone who saw it feel compassionate.
The monk lowered his eyebrows and lowered his eyes. When he saw the table of country men next to the door, there was a small empty seat in the corner. He said "I'm sorry" and went straight to sit down.
"Store."
The shop owner hurriedly said: "Huh?!"
"A bowl of tea."
Just as the shop owner was about to answer the call, a clear bell rang outside and the door curtain was opened again.
A man led a big donkey and squeezed into the tea shed.
The donkey's fur was shiny, plump and majestic, and there was a big cloth bag hanging on its back. It was stuffed and tightly wrapped, attracting many people's attention. But when the man took off his raincoat, all the eyes in the room immediately turned around - this The man is wearing a Taoist robe, but the stubble on his head is a bit shorter than that of the monk. More importantly, there is a long tasselless sword hanging from the Taoist's waist.
As soon as the monk sat down, those country men consciously moved aside and squeezed out half of the table, just enough for the Taoist to sit opposite the monk.
He hung up his raincoat, took off his long sword, and placed a few large coins on the table.
"Staff, bring me some good wine."
"Huh? Oh," the shop owner responded in a panic, "The two guests will be here soon."
After saying that, he put on a smile and turned back to work, leaving the other guests worried.
The world is not peaceful now. These two people look strange and blatantly handle weapons. They are probably not good people.
The country men huddled in a group, talking about their misfortunes; the scholars no longer shook their heads, and each one of them looked nervous and sat upright; the two salesmen stopped talking and only communicated quietly with their eyes; and the young parents hurriedly put their children away. Hold on tightly, not daring to let go and seek death.
soon.
Tea and wine were served.
The monk didn't even look at it, he just clasped his hands together, closed his eyes and recited scriptures silently; the Taoist poured a bowl of wine, but just shook it, then threw it aside, took off the water bag from his waist, and leaned against the beam. , squinting his eyes and taking a small mouthful.
One monk walked together, one was solemn, the other was idle, both were silent, creating a strange and tense atmosphere among the guests.
Like this for a long time.
"Huh?!"
A scholar suddenly broke the silence.
"There's someone in the river!"
…
In the "Snake Creek" that winds at the foot of the tea shed, a small corpse rises and falls in the shallow yellow stream.
The water surges.
The corpse turned over, revealing its small black face.
In the tea shed.
The young husband whispered:
"It's a child."
His wife quickly covered her child's eyes and muttered:
"Amitabha, you have done evil, you have done evil." After finishing, he quickly glanced at the Taoist priest and added, "Bless me, Grandpa Jade Emperor, Immeasurable Heavenly Lord."
There was an old man with gray hair among the salesmen, and he glanced at it.
"Heh, he's a walking relative again."
After such an interruption, the atmosphere in the room relaxed a lot, and the monk didn't look like he was about to fight or kill. Many people couldn't suppress their curiosity and asked what the old man meant by his words.
The old man didn't lie.
"The river at our feet is called 'Snake Creek'. It flows out of the mountains for several miles and merges into a big river called 'Qiantang River'. The Grandpa Dragon King in the river has a name, called 'Bao Ying Dragon King', which can protect the souls of children. It is not protected from the wind and sun, nor is it bullied by monsters or big ghosts. Therefore, for the sake of the soul peace of their little ghosts, nearby people will take the babies who have died young and cannot be fed to the Dragon King as their godmother, and send them to his old man's home. This is just like us mortals visiting friends, so the common name is 'walking in love'."
The old man said it tactfully, but no one in the tea shed could tell that this was clearly a drowning of babies in the name of ghosts and gods.
Some of the scholars shook their heads and sighed:
"I have always heard that Wuyue is far away from the war and chaos, and is a rare peaceful and prosperous place in the world. Unexpectedly, there are such tragedies in the world."
The companions echoed: "Where can one find peace when the wolves are in power?"
Unexpectedly, the young husband suddenly retorted:
"Mr. Lang is wrong."
"This is not a tragedy, this is a good thing."
"A good thing?!" The scholar was furious when he heard this. He was about to slam the table and reprimand him when he accidentally glanced at the monk from the corner of his eye. He stopped angrily and just stared at him angrily.
The husband lowered his head to avoid looking at her, but did not shut up.
"Lord, please calm down. Did you know that there was a severe famine in Henan Province last year?"
"Of course." The scholar was indignant. "There have been years of drought and no harvest. It's a shame that the local officials still impose excessive taxes, resulting in ten houses and nine empty houses and no lives!"
"What about Huainan Road?"
"Next to Henan Road, refugees are everywhere and thieves are everywhere."
"Our family fled from Henan via Huainan."
The young husband's words caused an uproar in the room, but he himself looked calm, so calm that he was almost numb.
He continued:
"When we were on the Henan Road, there was nothing in the water or on the ground. When we arrived in Huainan, there were hungry people everywhere on the road, and there were often corpses huddled together in the water. The boatmen fished them out and looked at them. It turned out that they were all dead. The whole family is neatly organized. But when we enter Wuyue, the only ones floating on the river occasionally are babies. Isn't this a good thing?"
His tone of voice was very soft, but the content was so heavy that no one could understand it.
Everyone fell silent, seeing the atmosphere becoming increasingly tense.
The store owner laughed dryly and changed the subject.
"Our guests have had a hard journey, but once they enter our Jiangnan territory, there is no need to worry."
The husband chuckled and nodded.
"I heard that Yuhang City is prosperous, so I plan to go there and join my relatives and friends, hoping to find a job and support my family."
The store owner also nodded and smiled:
"My guest is very knowledgeable. Our Yuhang city is one of the richest in the world. Not to mention that as long as a living person has hands and feet, he can find a job and have enough food and clothing. Even the lonely ghosts, every year and festival, Some officials set up a strict altar to let the ancestors who had no descendants live in poverty.
Far away, after the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is a good day for tide watching in Yuhang. Outside the city, tide watching is very lively. In the city, there are 72 temples and Taoist temples, each showing their magical powers and worshiping the tide god.
Nearby, out of Shexing, I heard that a wealthy family wanted to do good deeds and build a new bridge. They were setting up running water mats and it was a lively event! "
The country men finally found something to say:
"The owner of the store is very right. Several of our fellow villagers were introduced by others and came to work for that clerk." He said, showing the tools in his luggage, "After finishing this trip, we will go to Yuhang." , I heard that the rich people there spend a lot of money, so we can make some money as wives."
Others also started talking and echoed each other.
At this time, I don't know who got interested in the store.
"This Shexing is an important traffic road. Your tea shed is guarding this precious place. Isn't it possible that you will make a lot of money every day?"
The shopkeeper immediately waved his hands and shook his head knowingly, making a sad look.
“Where is the best place to start a small business?”
He poured out his bitterness.
"It's good here in Shexing, and it's good there, but there's just something bad about it."
"Too much meat will attract wolves!"
"In recent years, more and more people have fled from the north. People like this kind of people have some residual wealth, which of course attracts thieves. Last year, a group of strongmen occupied a place in the mountains called Kukongling. Taoist temples, started to block roads and rob. The government tried to suppress the bandits several times, but all failed. It is said that the leader of that group of strongmen was called Guangming. He was originally a monk. He was born with supernatural powers and practiced martial arts in the temple since he was a child. He has big shoulders and a round waist, and his arms are as strong as a thousand kilograms. He can go up and down mountains without panting. His voice is loud, and his roar can make the river flow backwards!"
Someone below was booing: "You're talking about Zhang Fei, right?"
The store owner waved his hand: "I heard it, I heard it."
He continued:
"The little old man heard that Guang Ming originally fled to the north. There was no temple to take him in, he couldn't farm, and he refused to work, so he relied on his strength to become a thief. Because he felt sorry for the Buddha, every time he robbed, he would Dressed as a Taoist..."
Here, the shopkeeper talks more and more energetically; over there, the expressions of the guests become more and more subtle. His eyes couldn't help but turn towards the Taoist priest.
Isn’t it true that a monk dressed as a Taoist is...
"ah!!"
A sharp scream suddenly sounded.
Everyone was startled and looked around hurriedly.
But next to the door, one of the naughty children sneaked up to the big donkey. He was slumped on the ground and stared at the big donkey with fearful eyes.
This is strange.
The donkey was indeed surprisingly large, but what was there to fear?
Some people are curious and want to see what happens; some are impatient and ready to curse. But no one expected that the donkey would face the glare of everyone's attention. He would give a disdainful look like a human being, turn around, and stretch his head to chew the bamboo curtain on the door.
The cloth bag on the donkey's back was originally tightly wrapped, but now it was opened by someone unknown. As the donkey moved, a round thing fell out and rolled to the ground.
Everyone took a closer look.
It's a human head.
Wow!
The country men jumped up from their seats, with horrified faces on their faces, and grabbed hold of the objects they were saluting. The scholars were frightened and overturned the tables and stools, and smashed the dishes to the ground. The two salesmen were calmer, but both quietly He grabbed the sharp knife hidden in the cargo box; after a brief shock, the mother screamed and rushed over, but was hugged tightly by her husband...
The whole place was in chaos.
The Taoist finally opened his eyes and looked at the movements of everyone. He seemed to find it very interesting. He watched for a while and laughed.
"Don't panic, don't be afraid."
He stood up quickly, and under the eyes of his mother's pleading, he picked up the naughty child from the ground. Seeing that the little kid was so frightened that he couldn't move, he raised his hand and gave the kid a big slap on the butt.
"go."
The naughty child shook his head twice, then burst into tears, rolled and crawled back to his mother's arms, and buried his head in sobs.
The Taoist priest Shi Shiran then picked up the head and showed its bare forehead to everyone.
"He is the thief monk you just mentioned - Guangming, the Taoist monk."
After that, he stuffed the head back into the package.
"My package contains nothing else. His second boss, third boss, and so on. Hmm~ Pindao has forgotten their names. In short, the thirteen bandits with bounties on their heads are all here. This donkey is on its back!"
No one knows whether what the Taoist said is true or false.
Even if it were true, it would be frightening to be under the same roof with such a murderous person.
Outside the house, the rain had almost stopped, and everyone hurriedly agreed and told them to stay away after packing their things.
I just took pity on the shop owner and couldn't run away, so I had to deal with it reluctantly:
"The little old man is too blind to recognize Mount Tai. He actually doesn't realize that Master Tao is a hero who eliminates violence and brings peace to the people."
"It's not worth it. Money is tight, I just want to make some money."
The shop owner smiled and complimented a few more words, then suddenly looked puzzled:
"It's just that the little old man remembers that Kuconong Ridge belongs to the Hezhou governor in the north of the mountain. The reward is from the Hezhou government, and the reward should be received in Hezhou. But when you come to my tea shed, it is already under the jurisdiction of Xuanzhou in Shannan. The Taoist priest may leave In the opposite direction.”
"Nothing wrong. It's just because Pindao stopped by and picked up a business."
"I don't know if any of my unlucky years have caught the eye of the Taoist Master."
"What a coincidence."
The Taoist priest put away his smile.
"Right in this tea shed."
