Outside Nanxun City are high mountains.
The mountain road is rugged, making it difficult for vehicles and horses to travel. Along the way, you can meet porters carrying goods. They have dark skin and carry heavy loads, but they have simple smiles on their faces.
Qin Luo walked in front. He walked forward slowly, with Shi Shi following behind. It was a bit difficult for him because his bare feet often stung his soles from the sharp stones on the ground.
Ye Nanxing followed at the end. She was a little confused. At first she felt that Qin Luo was kind-hearted, but now she felt that he was very cold. After walking for such a long time, he did not ask Shi Shi whether he was tired or thirsty, nor did he ask about his He didn't seem to care about his life experience at all.
Xiaotuanzi sat on Qin Luo's shoulder. She held small golden scissors in her hand, reciting the Thousand-Character Essay and cutting out the contents she memorized.
A note flew in the air, and Shitou stretched out his little hand to grab the note. He didn't recognize the words on it, but he hid it in his arms like a treasure.
"No littering."
"Know it."
Xiaotuanzi shook his head.
Shi Shi reached out and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Ye Nanxing stepped forward and said with a smile, "Senior, if you want to go to the capital of Daxia, you will be closer if you go to Pingyuan County, and further and further if you go south."
"I know."
Qin Luo nodded slightly.
Ye Nanxing looked at the panting Shi Shi, "Senior, let's take a rest."
Qin Luo saw a big tree not far away. He smiled and said, "Let's rest in front."
My feet hurt.
Shi Shi can only grit his teeth and persist.
He didn't want to hold Qin Luo back.
Qin Luo came to the tree, he sat on the black stone, Ye Nanxing stood aside, the stone squatted on the ground and panted.
"Shitou, are you hungry?"
Qin Luo looked at the tired stone.
Shi Shi raised his head, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. Although he had eaten a lot today, he was tired and hungry after walking so far.
Qin Luo pointed to the fruit on the tree.
Shitou was stunned for a moment. He quickly understood what Qin Luo meant. Without thinking too much, he hugged the tree and climbed up.
Qin Luo looked at Shi Shi who was clenching his teeth. He was thinner and shorter than his junior sister. No junior sister could climb a tree.
After climbing the stone for a long time, I didn't reach the tree, and I even fell down a few times.
Ye Nanxing couldn't stand it anymore, so he stepped forward and pushed him, sending the stone to the tree.
Stone stood precariously on the branch. He reached out and picked three walnut-sized fruits. If he wanted to pick more fruits, he had to climb higher.
Seeing that the soles of his feet were so high, Shitou was a little scared. He jumped down from the tree with three fruits. When he fell, his clothes were even more tattered and his body had a few scratches.
"Big brother, here it is."
"Thanks."
Qin Luo took a piece of fruit.
Stone's face was filled with joy.
"Sister, here it is."
"Need not."
Ye Nanxing smiled and waved.
This was the first time she was so happy to see Shitou, even happier than when Qin Luo gave him food.
Shitou stretched out his hand and handed Xiaotuanzi a piece of fruit, "Miss, do you want to eat the fruit?"
Xiaotuanzi shook his head, and she raised her eyebrows, "Everyone knows that there is no good fruit to eat on the roadside."
Shi Shi was eating the freshly picked fruit. He grinned and said, "It's really delicious. Try it."
"Don't even think about lying to me!"
Xiaotuanzi raised his head proudly.
Qin Luo ate the fruit picked from the stone. It was a bit bitter and not tasty, but it was very moist.
"Brother, I have another one here."
"I'm full, you can eat."
"Uh-huh."
The stone gnawed the fruit cleanly.
After resting for a while, Qin Luo got up and continued walking into the mountains, with Shitou and Ye Nanxing following him.
They climbed over mountains and ridges, walked deep in the mountains, and rested in the forest until dusk.
Qin Luo asked Shitou to collect firewood in the woods.
Shitou was looking for firewood in the woods. He searched for a long time in the woods before he found a few sticks of firewood. He couldn't break the branches at high places, so he had to pull out the thorny branches.
Ye Nanxing quickly stopped him. She helped Shitou find a pile of firewood. When Qin Luo saw it, he sent a message from his mind: "If you really want to help him, let him do it himself."
"oh."
Ye Nanxing didn't dare to talk back. Only now did she understand that Qin Luo was exercising the stone.
Qin Luo found a wooden stick and a ball of straw, "Stone, I will teach you how to drill wood to make fire first. You have to watch carefully."
"Uh-huh."
Shitou looked at it seriously.
Qin Luo rubbed the wooden stick, and the straw soon started to smoke, and then sparks appeared. He blew lightly, and flames appeared.
Shortly after.
Bonfires were lit in the woods.
Qin Luo handed the stick to Shi Shi.
Shitou took the stick, found a ball of straw, rubbed the stick against the straw for a long time, and blistered on his palms. No sparks were seen, not even smoke.
"I'm back!"
Xiaotuanzi came back with a bunch of squirming worms. These were the bamboo sticks she had left over from eating the candied haws, and she had never lost them. Now she was using them to skewer the plump worms.
Put a bunch of worms on the fire and roast them, and soon the aroma will appear.
Xiaotuanzi ate the sizzling worms and said crisply: "Brother Pig is still smart."
Shitou rubbed the stick and swallowed. Xiaotuanzi watched him swallow, "Call Sister Tuanzi, and I'll give you a bug."
"Sister Tuanzi."
The sound of the stone is very small.
Xiaotuanzi threw a roasted worm to him. The stone failed to catch it and the roasted worm fell to the ground. He quickly picked it up and put it in his mouth.
"Thank you Sister Tuanzi."
Xiaotuanzi chewed worms with a happy expression on his face, "The city is not good at all. You have to spend money to eat. It is better in the mountains, where you can eat for free."
"yes."
Shitou thinks it makes sense.
Qin Luo said softly: "The food in the city is the result of the hard work of the people. Are you willing to go hungry and give the insects you worked so hard to catch to people you don't know?"
"I understand."
Xiaotuanzi nodded, her eyes firm as she said: "I want to make money."
"I have experience with this."
Ye Nanxing was just about to share her experience in making money when she noticed Qin Luo's sharp gaze and lowered her head instantly, not daring to speak.
Qin Luo looked at Shitou and Xiaotuanzi with a gentle smile, "No matter what you do, you must be down-to-earth. If you don't understand, you can learn slowly. Start with simple things first."
"Uh-huh."
Shitou picked up the stick again and rubbed it hard. His little hands were bleeding, and there was no sign of smoke from the grass.
Ouch!
The howling of wolves was heard in the forest.
Shi Shi was trembling with fear. He looked towards the direction where the wolf howl came from. There were many green eyes in the darkness.
"Try barking again?"
Xiaotuanzi shouted into the woods.
The surroundings were quiet for a moment, and those green eyes disappeared. Shitou looked at him with admiration at how small the little dumpling could scare away the wolves.
Qin Luo took out the golden gourd, took a sip of the dew water, and then handed the golden gourd to Shi Shi, "Take a break first and drink some water."
Shi Shi was a little thirsty. He took the golden gourd and took a small sip through the mouth of the gourd, not daring to drink more. "Thank you, brother."
Shitou returned the golden gourd to Qin Luo with trembling hands.
Ye Nanxing looked at Qin Luo intently. She thought there might be fairy dew and nectar in the gourd, and wanted to take a sip.
Qin Luo put away the golden gourd.
Ye Nanxing didn't dare to speak.
Shitou originally wanted to continue drilling wood to make fire, but for some reason he felt sleepy. He fell down next to the bonfire and slept soundly.
Qin Luo sat cross-legged next to the stone. He closed his eyes and meditated, and the small dumpling got into Qin Luo's pocket.
On a quiet night, the breeze blows and the bright moonlight shines on the mountain forest.
Ye Nanxing raised his head. The moon on the branches didn't look very bright, but the moonlight shining on the mountains was so bright.
The next day, early morning.
Bright eyes shone on Shi Shi's face, and he felt warm. Suddenly he realized something. Shi Shi woke up suddenly, thinking that yesterday was all a dream.
Shitou sat up. He looked at the extinguished bonfire and looked up not far away. Qin Luo was boxing on the hillside, punching slowly and lightly.
Qin Luo looked at the stone and woke up. He smiled and shouted: "Let's go."
Shitou nodded heavily, and he quickly caught up with Qin Luo and Ye Nanxing. His palms and soles that were so painful yesterday no longer hurt anymore, and his whole body was full of strength.
Xiaotuanzi recited the Thousand-Character Essay loudly on Qin Luo's shoulder, while Shitou read silently in his heart.
Ye Nanxing originally wanted to get close to Qin Luotao, but he didn't like talking, so he could only chat with Shitou, "Shitou, how old are you?"
"I forgot whether I was six or seven."
Ye Nanxing asked curiously: "Why are you called Shitou? Who named you?"
There were ripples in Shitou's eyes, "I was named by my grandfather who took me to beg for food. He said that Shitou has a hard life."
"Is that grandpa still there?"
"Grandpa passed away in the winter. I don't know whether he froze to death or starved to death. Before he died, he gave me half a steamed bun, but he couldn't bear to eat it himself."
Stone wiped his tears as he spoke.
Ye Nanxing stopped talking, and she suddenly understood why Qin Luo didn't ask anything.
Qin Luo suddenly stopped and pointed to the tree, "There is fruit to eat here."
Shitou ran to climb the tree excitedly, but fell down halfway through the first climb. After trying a few more times, he successfully climbed the tree, only to see Xiaotuanzi sitting on the branch eating fruit.
"Sister Tuanzi."
"I knew this fruit was sweet."
Shitou picked a lot of fruits. His face was dark and his eyes were bright. He smiled and said, "Brother, here you go."
Qin Luo picked up a piece of fruit and left the rest on the stone.
"Sister, do you want to eat?"
"Try one."
Ye Nanxing picked up the fruit and tasted it.
Shitou watched Qin Luo and Ye Nanxing eat the fruits he picked and cried with joy. Others had given them to him before, but now he could share them with others.
Qin Luo didn't say anything to encourage Shi Shi. He ate the fruit and walked forward.
