Gu Chao's eyes widened, looking directly at the roof that was already a little black, and the old quilt on his body had been washed by his mother, which was a little white, but it was very clean. A stream of river water mixed with the list aroma of plants.

Next to him was his mother, sleeping very sweetly, and his even breathing made Gu Chao lean into his mother's arms again. Enjoying the happiness of being cared for by his mother, a shallow smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Next to the bed against the wall, is the wall wrapped by the mother in linen, under the linen is a loess paste earthen wall, the small wooden cabinet at the head of the bed is a delicate wooden box, there are unfinished clothes on it, look at the size of the clothes should be for their autumn clothes, outside there is a thin insect sound.

Gu Chao slowly closed his eyes, which were already a little astringent, and stabbed tightly into his mother's arms. The little hands next to each other took the mother's big cocooned hand, stroked it gently, and fell asleep quietly.

In the early morning, I was in a daze, as if I was asleep, and my mind still had the things that the little friends in the village were stunned to bet with themselves. The little bronze sword glowing with golden light, looking at the one that was called a liking, was discovered by the two stunned people when they were collecting firewood together, and when they were thinking, a fragrance came to their noses, and Gu Chao, who was in reverie, also had a grunting sound in his stomach.

Gu Chao knew that his mother had already made breakfast, and after getting up and washing, he looked at the simple rice porridge, white film and a few plates of pickles that had been placed on the table, and his stomach growled again. When I looked at the back of my busy mother, I saw that my mother's trouser leg was wet, and I guessed that my mother had gone to the field to clean up early.

"Mother, come and eat, don't be busy yet. Gu Chao said as he walked to his mother's side, pulling up his mother, who was cleaning up the stove, to the dining table. Pick up a spoon and help her fill a bowl of porridge in front of her mother, and fill it for herself. The mother looked at Ah Chao with a kind smile on her face.

Gu Chao's mother came to the village ten years ago, and she had been pregnant with Gu Chao for 6 months at that time, and her belly was slightly bulging. And he was wounded, and fainted in the village. She was found by the villagers and sent to the village chief's house, where the village chief's family took care of her and took her in. A few years after Gu Chao was born, under the leadership of the village chief, a house was built for the mother and son, and now Gu Chao is also ten years old, and his mother has been waiting for Gu Chao's father, and told Gu Chao that his father is missing for some special reasons, and if your father is still alive, he will definitely find us.

After breakfast, his mother continued to get busy, Gu Chao and the second stunned son went to the mountain to collect dry firewood, the mountain was cold early, and the autumn was very short, so the dry firewood was stored for use in winter, and since last month, Gu Chao had to go to the dry firewood with the second stunned son every day after breakfast.

Gu Chao's appearance is very inconspicuous, and his skin may often play outside and do rough work, which looks darker than the skin of ordinary children. But his bright dark eyes were bright, and he looked more shrewd than the friends who played together. The height is also about the same as that of his peers, and there are no special highlights. It's an authentic mountain village doll.

"Second stunned, yesterday you said, if I picked up more dry firewood than you, you have to give me your little bronze sword, don't play tricks. On the way up the mountain, Gu Chao said to the second stunned man.

"Second stunned, you bet that there are so many of us witnessing, and you are not allowed to cheat. Ergou, who followed the two up the mountain to collect firewood, also said, and the others should also be with him.

The second stunned person is not really stupid, but he is a smarter child in the village, which is why he and Gu Chao can play together.

"Iron ball, I'm willing to gamble and lose, isn't it just a small broken sword I picked up when I was picking up firewood, so I won't be in debt. The second stunned said. In the village, Gu Chao's nickname is a well-known iron ball, the origin of the iron ball is because Gu Chao was very dark when he was a child, and he had a lot of strength, and when he was three years old, he picked up a 20-pound weight in the village blacksmith shop, and he would go to the village blacksmith's house on time every day to watch the blacksmith make iron. Uncle Blacksmith gave him this nickname. Only Gu Chao's mother called Gu Chao Ah Chao.

A few friends giggled and quickly arrived at the mountain forest, Gu Chao and Er Stunned quickly rushed into the woods when the other friends shouted at the same time, and the other people also came to collect firewood, and then they all disappeared into the woods.

After Gu Chao and the second stunned man rushed into the woods, Gu Chao first stopped and looked around, but did not notice that the second stunned man did not stop, but quickly walked deeper into the mountain forest. Although the second stunned man said that, he was still unwilling to give away the little sword he had been playing with for a long time. After observing for a while, Gu Chao couldn't help but have a bad premonition in his heart when he saw that the second stunned man was no longer in his field of vision.

"Two stunned! Second stunned! Don't go too deep, you'll get lost!" Gu Chao shouted, his voice so small in the dense forest. Gu Chao also understood that the sound was absorbed by the dense leaves, and it was estimated that it could not be transmitted too far, although the observation time just now was very short, but it was also 35 minutes, and at the speed of the two stunned people who were used to shuttling through the mountains and forests, it was estimated that it was already 300 meters away at this time.

As time passed, it was close to noon, Gu Chao braided the dry firewood he picked up from the dense grass next to him, tied it, and carried it to the exit of the mountain forest. Seeing that the dry firewood he picked up was already higher than his own, and when he still thought that he would definitely win this time, the sense of ominous premonition in his heart was even stronger. Quickening his pace and walking out of the mountains and forests quickly, there were already two friends waiting outside, watching Gu Chao walk out with so much dry firewood on his back, and he also showed a surprised expression.

Gu Chao put the dry firewood on his back on the ground, and asked if he had met the two stunned people when he was collecting firewood, both of them shook their heads, and when a few people were talking, several other friends also appeared at the edge of the mountain forest. Gu Chao shouted, "Erya! Ergou, did you meet Erzi when you were collecting firewood?" "Brother Tietou, we didn't see Erzi, he may be deeper than us collecting firewood!" The two replied in unison.

After several people came out, they waited outside for a while, seeing that the sun was almost overhead. Gu Chao said, "Ergou, you take them back first, I'm going into the mountains and forests to look for Erdu, if we haven't gone back yet, we have to tell the village chief quickly." ”

"Brother Tietou, I'll go with you, if you encounter any danger, you still have to take care of each other, they are also familiar with the mountain road back to the village, and it's no problem to go back by yourself," Ergou said.

"Okay, Ergou will come with me, and the others will hurry back. Remember, if we haven't returned to the village by the time of the application, inform the village chief as soon as possible. ”

After the rest of the people answered, they picked up the dry firewood they had picked up and walked down the mountain. At this time, Gu Chao and the second stunned man turned back to the mountain forest again, arrived at the place where Gu Chao and the second stunned man were separated, and looked for the direction in which the second stunned man walked. Quickly chased after him. The more they chased, the more frightened they became, and they had almost reached the depths of the mountain forest. The second stunned man was sharp-eyed at this time and shouted loudly

"Brother Tietou, look, where is the dry firewood that the two stunned people have picked up and piled together. He should be not far away, so let's look around. ”

"Two stunned! two stunned!" Gu Chao and Ergou shouted while checking the traces left by Ergou around them, and suddenly Ergou's voice stopped abruptly, and when Gu Chao looked back at the direction of Ergou's search, he found that Ergou had also disappeared. Only a muffled sound was heard, as if a heavy object had fallen on a soft mound. Gu Chao quickly thought about the direction in which the second dog disappeared, and kept an eye on his feet.

"Ergou, Ergou! Can you hear me?" shouted for a long time, but there was no answer, and at this moment a stunned voice came from the entrance of the cave.