Since ancient times, it has been difficult to go to the blue sky. Especially in the Sword Pavilion, even if it has been trampled by travelers for thousands of years, the rugged and bumpy mountain road is still difficult to walk.

On this day, a stooping man dragged two green mules and carried a yellow-faced woman and some belongings across the plank road at the foot of the mountain, and came to rest under a wild walnut tree on the mountainside. The man stood down, stretched out his hand to wipe the sweat from his sideburns, and the woman on the mule handed over a bamboo tube filled with water distressedly, and whispered, "Shiro, rest for a while!"

The man named Shiro drank a few sips of water, wiped the corners of his mouth, looked back at the towering and dilapidated Jianmen City Tower on the valley mouth behind him, and replied: "I can't rest, there are still more than ten days to go to Yuzhou, and I asked the guards of the city when I crossed the border just now, saying that there is a village in front of twenty miles, and the sun is going west, and I am afraid that I will not be able to find a place to stay!" I haven't been back for more than ten years, and I don't know the bottom of my heart when I spend the night outside...... I can't hurt you and the baby. ”

The woman nodded, sighed, and reached out and touched a straw coat hanging from the mule's neck, one side of which contained bits and pieces of food, and on the other side a white and tender doll sleeping......

The ancient road is slanting, and the three people and two mules slowly entered Bashu along the Shu Road and walked towards Yuzhou.

In the blink of an eye, a family of three who was supposed to go to Yuzhou quietly settled in a farm next to Langzhong City, and the little doll had already run all over the ground...... The man bought more than a dozen acres of land, and the woman's life of taking care of the two acres of mulberry trees outside the village and the family of three was not difficult.

On the morning of this day, the little doll named Li'er was playing in the mud alone at the door of the house, and Daddy Yang Si walked to the door of the house from afar with a hoe...... Wang's sister-in-law, who lived at the mouth of the alley, happened to come out to pour water, and when she saw Yang Si, she immediately smiled and said, "Yo, Shiro is back from the field?"

Yang Si hurriedly nodded: "Sister-in-law Wang has always been good?" Sister-in-law Wang pinched her waist and deliberately lifted her chest under the short shirt, but sighed: "How good can you be if you are a sick ghost?" How can your sister's life be good? I found someone who knows the cold and the hot, and I can earn a piece of the family property in the north and come back......"

Yang Si hurriedly waved his hand: "What kind of family property is nothing more than a few salaries earned by selling your life in the army, sister-in-law Wang said with a smile."

Sister-in-law Wang pouted: "Back then, the Song official family summoned the soldiers of Chengdu Mansion to Bianliang City, who came back all these years and didn't save a piece of belongings?" But Shiro...... Although your Hun family is from the North, it is said that the body and bones should be strong, why haven't you been born in the past two years? How can I be born with only one doll from my brother? ”

Yang Si's face darkened when he heard this, and then he shook his head and smiled: "Xu is fate has not arrived, sister-in-law Wang, farewell."

"Daddy......" The rickety little doll saw Yang Si, threw down the tiles and stumbled over. Yang Si hurriedly picked up the doll with one hand, and the father and son entered the house with a smile.

If several years have passed, Brother Xiaoli is already a sturdy teenager, and A-Niang still hasn't been able to add a younger brother and sister to him. But the days in Shuzhong Township are becoming more and more difficult...... The official family seems to have always been at ease with the people of Bashu, but they value the brocade cloth produced here. Later, he simply issued an order to ban the private trading of Shu brocade and only allowed official business, and local taxes became heavier and heavier...... The life of the people became more and more difficult.

The man from Wang's sister-in-law's house at the mouth of the alley failed to survive after all, and swallowed his breath in the winter of the previous year, and the sister-in-law Wang, who was pulling the three dolls, simply gritted her teeth in desperation, hung up the lantern and made a half-closed door secret prostitute...... Although there are not many customers except for the Lizheng soldiers in the township, who don't spend much money, they can finally make a living on this. The women on the Zhuangzi are itchy with their teeth, but it is not easy to live in this world, Zhuangzi is close to the post road, and the nearby scoundrels and passing old guests are the goals of the sister-in-law...... Although the men in the neighborhood also covet the white flesh of the sister-in-law, it is serious to support their own family with the little money and food in their hands these years.

On this night, an old customer who passed by once a few days ago came to take care of Wang's sister-in-law's business again, and sent out three dolls, and after the two people were happy, the old customer lay on the bamboo bed while kneading the white meat on Wang's body, and asked in a low voice: "How are your neighbors these days?"

Sister-in-law Wang waved her hand and slapped the old guest: "You have no conscience, but you have fallen in love with the lady of that family?" People are no better than me, a widow, and the men in the family hold up the sky! It's no fun to fall in love with you. ”

The old guest smiled and said, "That woman doesn't have the smell of you, but she looks at the child who is very clever and has some eyes." By the way, his family has always been kind to the child? ”

Sister-in-law Wang pouted: "The male and female are guarding that one single seedling, can it be good?" I said that if you don't have any children at home, my two girls and one man will be in front of you! As long as you like it, you can beat and scold whatever your surname is! ”

The old guest smiled and didn't answer, just thoughtfully perfunctory to the woman......

The next day, Xiao Li'er got up and washed up, took a firewood knife and a bundle of hemp rope and ran out of the house amid A-Niang's advice. He is seven years old, and since the first month of this year, Xiao Li'er has gone up the mountain to help A-Niang chop wood in the early morning, although he is a little worried, but Yang's health has become worse and worse in the past two years, and Brother Li'er has always been clever, so he can go.

A young man in tattered clothes was waiting at the mouth of the alley at this time, and when he saw Brother Li'er, his eyes immediately rejoiced: "Brother Li'er, I thought you wouldn't be here today." ”

Leaving his brother, he walked over and touched the young man's unkempt head: "Bao, did you sleep in the firewood room yesterday?" ”

The young man's expression darkened and nodded, the children of poor families are precocious, what does his own mother do to make a child, but this world and life are the things that these hard-working people in the mud care about the most.

Leaving his brother and Ah Bao to walk out of the alley together, he took out a shabby but clean small cloth bag in his arms as he walked: "Oh, take it and eat it!" ”

Po raised his eyes and looked: "Vegetable cakes? He immediately swallowed a mouthful of saliva in his throat, but turned his head: "I don't want to, this is what your aunt left for you, I ate enough last night, besides, there are wild fruits to eat on the mountain!" ”

Brother Li'er sighed, broke off half of the cake and stuffed it into Bao's arms: "Okay, okay!" Half of each of us is, and when you pick wild fruits or pick up good things, you can divide half of them with me. ”

Ah Bao lowered his head and let out a muffled "um" in his throat, and the two little teenagers became happy again and ran out of the alley.

Before the morning fog had cleared, the two teenagers had just turned the half-dead old locust tree at the mouth of the alley, and a figure suddenly appeared in front of them.

A middle-aged man in a thick short coat was standing in the middle of the road looking at the two teenagers with a short and sturdy Dian horse, Ah Bao was stunned and whispered to Brother Li'er: "This old guest is the one who stayed at my house last night, and he is not a bad person." ”

Brother Li nodded, pulled Ah Bao and wanted to bypass the old guest, but he didn't want the old guest to wave to the two and signal the two to come over.

Brother Li'er has always been clever, and this old guest looked at the face, and he was vigilant in his heart. You must know that the loss of child dolls in this mountain is not uncommon, since the troubled times, there have been many people who have been doing this business for a living! Male dolls are abducted to be slaves, female dolls are sold to be maids or goolan brothels, or sold to beggars or troupes who walk the streets and alleys and then are tortured to beg and sell their arts...... Far away from his brother, he pulled Ah Bao to stand still, only quietly looking at the old guest and not speaking.

The old guest was not annoyed, smiled and looked at Brother Li'er carefully, and said, "Doll, what's your name?" ”

Brother Li'er frowned, but still replied: "My name is Yang Li, and my father is Yang Shilang, who returned to his hometown after being discharged from the forbidden army, and his family lives in this alley, dare to ask my uncle if there is something wrong?" ”

The old guest was slightly stunned, and saw that this kid actually vaguely reminded himself that he had a daddy who was not easy to mess with, and his own house was next to him. I suddenly felt interesting in my heart, and said with a smile: "You baby, there is some meaning, I see that you are very pleasing, there are some caramel here, you can take it and eat it!" So saying, he took out a small paper bag from the jacket next to the saddle next to him, opened it, and handed it over......

As soon as Bao was happy, he was about to go over to get candy, but his brother grabbed him. Seeing this, the man laughed and said: "Don't be like a quail for two little things, our family has done a good job of traveling south and north, do you want to harm you?" If you don't want to, I'll go, and if it weren't for the pleasure of the grandfather who was served by the king's widow, who would have the heart to tease you? ”

When Bao heard this, he immediately couldn't help but want to get candy, and he hesitated when he left his brother, just watching Bao run over to get candy...... Suddenly! A clear but distant brass bell rang behind the mist...... Immediately afterwards, a slightly hoarse but melodious voice came: "Hanging the pot to help the world, dispelling diseases and eliminating disasters......"

The old guest frowned, then clutched the bag of caramel tightly, and looked at the middle-aged traveling doctor who came out of the mist with an unkind expression. I saw this man in his forties, with a thin figure and three short beards, holding a tiger brass ring bell in his hand, carrying a medicine basket behind his back, and slowly walking towards the three of them.

The tiger brass ring shook, and the melodious bell "bell" rang out, and I felt that my head was echoing in an instant...... The old guest looked at this Lang Zhong coldly, and said: "Early in the morning, you are a Lang Zhong who rings the bell of Lao Shizi?" ”

You Doctor Lang Zhong seemed to know these two dolls, and smiled faintly at Brother Li'er, who immediately recognized that this Lang Zhong was Mr. Song, a township doctor who had occasionally helped his aunt diagnose in the past six months. Brother Xiaoli hurriedly gave a salute: "I've seen Mr. Song." ”

Mr. Song didn't pay attention to the old guest, and asked, "Ah Li, is your aunt better?" ”

Brother Xiaoli nodded: "After taking the medicine given by Mr. Song, I don't cough anymore, but I am very weak, and Ah Li thanked Mr. Song." ”

Mr. Song nodded, slowly walked a few steps forward, looked at the old customer with a cold expression and said, "This brother, is he doing a strong medicinal herb business?" It is necessary to know that the medicine is poisonous, and if you contact it for a long time, you will also suffer from it! Seeing that your face is already a little inappropriate, why don't you change careers and maybe enjoy the rest of your life......"

The old guest stuffed the bag of caramel back into his waist without a trace, pinched his waist with one hand and replied: "I know what I know!" As for the elixir or poison, which one can't save people? Which one can't hurt anyone? As for making a living...... Hum! The pills and ointment in your purse are no less than your own, why haven't you been poisoned? Don't scare our family so that you can cheat the money, it's really bad luck to meet you early in the morning......" said, turned around and pulled the pony and strode away along the road, ignoring the disappointed eyes of Xiao Po behind him, you know, that bag of caramel is a rarity in this mountain village.

Mr. Song quietly watched the old guest leave, looked down at Brother Li'er and said, "Are you going up the mountain to fetch firewood?" Don't go too far, it's a little chaotic outside during this time, it's okay to go out less, learn to read and write with your aunt at home, you know? ”

Brother Li'er nodded: "Got it!" Thanks to Mr. Song, Ah Li will go early and return early. With that, he pulled Ah Bao, who was still unhappy, to turn the corner and run towards the low mountain behind the village.

The doll of the farmer in the mountains, with few thoughts, has clothes and food on his body, and he is the worry-free living fairy! The two dolls giggled and ate half of the cakes, waded through a shallow stream, and followed a winding path into the forest. In the mist behind you...... Song Langzhong's tiger brass bell has been ringing faintly.