In this world of gods and ghosts, if Chu Chen encounters such weird and strange things alone, Chu Chen will definitely feel terrified and stay away.
However, with the Taoist priest here, Chu Chen was no longer afraid, but instead had a vague expectation.
He took three steps and then followed him.
After walking for a hundred steps, they passed a large bulging earth bag and saw an old man with his head buried in tears.
The old man wore a linen short coat that had been starched and turned white. There was a lot of loess and mud on his upper body, trouser legs, and dark skin. He had a pair of tattered straw sandals on the soles of his feet. He looked like an ordinary old farmer in the countryside. There was nothing unusual about his appearance.
"My husband, what trouble did you encounter?"
The old man suddenly heard the sound and was probably a little scared, so he subconsciously leaned back.
But when he looked up and saw two Taoist priests, his nervous heart relaxed again. He touched his old face with tears on his sleeve and sighed.
"I lost my cow!"
The old man confided in the two.
"This afternoon, I went to graze cows in Wugui Mountain. There were dense streams and rich water and grass. The cows ate happily and refused to move away from their nests for a long time. I thought that usually the cows would not run around if they ate happily, so I found a place to eat. The place shot a ton, but when I woke up, the old cow was gone."
"So, I went to look for Lao Niu. I searched everywhere for a whole afternoon..."
At this point, the old man who had been holding back his tears couldn't hold back anymore and lay down with tears streaming down his face.
"Lao Niu is the lifeblood of my family. My son broke his leg early and can't do heavy work. Old man, I am getting older. I rely on Lao Niu to help me do heavy work on weekdays. Without Lao Niu, what will my family do?" No, I can’t pay the taxes, and the whole family will starve to death...I have to get it back..."
Listen to the old man talking.
Taoist Xu Ping and Chu Chen looked at each other, confused.
Chu Chen was even more horrified.
There was no other reason. Beside the soil bag, there was an old ox waving its tail and chewing grass leisurely.
Beside, the reins were tied tightly to a thick tree.
This is a little weird.
The old scalper definitely didn't come back by himself, let alone tie himself up.
The old man has been sitting here crying for so long, and there is no way he didn't notice scalpers...
This... is so weird.
Chu Chen swallowed his saliva, pointed at the ox, and said:
"Old man, isn't this your scalper?"
The old man looked at the scalper and nodded dully.
"It belongs to me. I looked for it all afternoon and found it!"
Chu Chen, Taoist Xu Ping, and Xiao Guizai became increasingly puzzled.
Now that the scalpers have been recovered, why is the old man still crying so sadly?
Is there any hidden secret?
Seeing the doubts on the faces of the Taoist priests and disciples, the old man choked in a low voice and explained:
"What's the use of finding it? It's already been missed."
"Today is the day of prayer for Grandpa Mountain God. I have missed the time a long time ago in order to find the cow. Grandpa Mountain God will definitely be angry, wuwuwu, what should I do, what should I do!"
Talking and talking,
The old man shed tears again and confided:
"The mountain god is most afraid of others being disrespectful to him. If someone fails to pray and recite less on weekdays, he will become angry and punish him severely, not to mention delaying the most important day of prayer."
"Old man, I really didn't mean to miss school. It's really that Lao Niu is too important to my family. Without Lao Niu, what will my whole family do?"
"I have tried my best to find the cow, but I still missed the time. Wuwuwuwu, Grandpa Mountain God has punished me, and the whole family will suffer. What should I do, old man..."
"I don't want to do this either. I just took a nap because I was too sleepy. It was too late to pray and recite scriptures last night..."
...
The old man poured out his words word by word, and as he spoke, he may have been under too much psychological pressure, and he couldn't hold on anymore, so he immediately burst into tears, even more sadly than before.
The little kid was stunned, with confusion in his eyes. He was surprised that the old man was making a fuss and was startled.
Taoist Xu Ping and Chu Chen sighed.
With Chu Chen's two lifetime experiences, he could understand the old man's crying and emotional breakdown.
This is like the last life, when an ordinary office worker with a mortgage, a car loan, an old man and a young man worked diligently and conscientiously at work every day, and the salary he earned could barely cover expenses, and he lived under high pressure and heavy burdens every day. , the spirit is tense, making people unable to breathe.
Suddenly one day I was late for work, and the company wanted to punish me and forfeit my bonus... My originally tense and tight life became even more stressful...
At this moment, all the emotions of depression, frustration, and fatigue that had been accumulated in the past suddenly burst out.
It's like the straw that breaks the camel's back, causing people to have a mental breakdown and find it difficult to control their emotions...
A man doesn't shed tears easily, and an old man cries loudly, but it's not the sadness and helplessness of many people that he cries.
During the day, there are court taxes and heavy burdens of life; at night, there are monsters and monsters, and ghosts and gods pray and do homework, which is so busy that it makes people breathless.
The cow peeled off two skins, then peeled off one skin and then another, dripping with blood.
The difficulty of life is vividly displayed at this moment and is unforgettable.
"Dad, don't be sad. There must be a road in front of the car, and there will always be a way."
Chu Chen knelt down and patted the old man's back gently with his hand, comforting him while looking at Taoist Xu Ping.
The so-called "method" must be the Taoist priest who is listed in Tiancao and has Taoism.
Among the people present, the Taoist priest was the only one who might be able to help the old man solve his trouble.
Moreover, with the cold-faced and warm-hearted temperament of the Taoist priest, he will definitely take action.
Chu Chen knew this.
However, he didn't speak rashly and do everything for others.
This behavior is so stupid.
Taoist Xu Ping met Chu Chen's gaze, understood his thoughts, nodded slightly, and seemed quite satisfied.
Ordinary young people, frizzy, knowing that he is a man of Taoism and an immortal official of the heaven, would probably have already boasted and showed off to the old man, eloquently.
This boy has a pure nature and good intentions, but he can also be calm and neither arrogant nor impetuous, which is really good.
Taoist Xu Ping didn't say much to Chu Chen. He stretched out his hand to help the old man up and said:
"Old man, there is no problem that cannot be solved. Don't break your body from crying. As you can see, we are Taoist priests and have the ability to communicate with ghosts and gods. Why don't we help you make peace with the mountain gods? What do you think?"
"Is this... okay?"
The old man wiped his tears and had doubts in his heart: "Grandpa Mountain God was granted the title by the imperial court to worship the mountain god, not to worship the evil god. If it fails, I'm afraid Grandpa Mountain God will become even more angry. Old man... I can't bear it."
Taoist Master Xu Ping patted the old man on the shoulder and said: "Don't worry, I am a serious Taoist priest who has been to the imperial capital to teach and teach. The mountain god might give me a favor."
Imperial capital, transfer, conferment...
Hearing this, even an old man with little knowledge could not help but stand in awe and bowed his hands repeatedly.
"It turns out that Master Mage is here, but I'm blind, please don't blame me, Taoist Master."
As he spoke, the old man's face showed joy, his hands and feet were quick, he wiped away his tears, picked up the old scalper, and led the Taoist priest, Chu Chen, and the little ghost boy towards the entrance of the village.
Not long after, a group of people entered the village.
The village seemed very quiet, and there were no pedestrians on the roadside.
If it weren't for the barking of dogs and the crowing of chickens, people might mistakenly think that they have entered a deserted village, which is quiet and strange.
The old man explained: "People pray and recite sutras at home, and children also have to recite sutras."
Chu Chen was stunned.
After listening quietly, I heard the chanting.
The surroundings are solemn and peaceful, as if you have entered a temple and Taoist temple.
