It is a small isolated mountain village, with mountains in the east, north and west directions of the village, and the village is embraced like a mother holding her baby.

The village is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and it is safely located in the valley with a view of the valley. The valley is trending north-south, and the terrain is high in the north and low in the south.

A meandering stream trickles down the northeast hill, gently turning a bend from the west side of the village, and then following the mountain to join the Longchuan River at the mouth of the valley in the south.

The further down you go, the clearer the outline of the village becomes.

It was time for breakfast, and smoke rose over the village.

To the north of the village is a lush pine forest, with sea pine and larch as the main tree species, and oil trees such as catalpa, walnut, pepper and monkey catalpa are also mixed in between.

A flock of voracious parakeets, probably frightened by the squad, are panicking and flying up the woods towards the mountains to the east.

To the east of the village is a small pasture, where herds of goats and cows graze leisurely. Three long-haired sheepdogs sit on the edge of the pasture, squinting leisurely.

The stream that flows down the northeastern hill of the village flows through an open area on the south side of the village, and the water gradually widens to form a small river about 10 meters wide.

Luo Shiyin, Xiu Neng and others walked down the hillside and came to the small bridge to the west of the village. The small bridge is a somewhat dilapidated single-arch stone bridge, and the stream that flows down from the mountain flows slowly under the bridge.

The bottom of the stream is covered with a variety of unknown aquatic plants. A thick, white-striped snake coiled in the grass by the stream, its body quietly approaching a grass lizard in front of it, ready to strike a fatal blow.

"Shall we find the head of the village first and let him find a way to fill everyone's stomachs?" Hunneng said to Li Ruzhu, the guide of the squad.

When they escaped from Jinguang Temple, they didn't have time to bring much dry food and water because they were in a hurry.

"I don't think I need to look for the village leader, everyone, the one who invited us to dinner is here." Li Ruzhu said happily. As he spoke, a group of young men and women came from the village, dressed in traditional Korean costumes, singing and dancing while welcoming them in this direction.

"Distinguished guest, my name is Han Zhongxiu, I am a villager of this village, and today is my son's big day. It is Heaven that has sent you to our village on this festive day, please come and sit in my house and share our joy. ”

From the singing and dancing procession, an elder who was also wearing a national costume walked out, and he came to Luo Shiyin, Xiu Neng and others and bowed down.

Luo Shiyin, Xiu Neng and others hurriedly returned the gift.

This is a traditional custom of the local villagers, but whenever someone in the family has a happy event, when a guest from outside the village passes by, he must be invited to the home and warmly entertained. If there are young men and women among the guests, two good-looking men and women should be selected from the guests as the bridesmaids and maids of the newlyweds, that is, the best men and bridesmaids. The two chosen pairs, together with a pair of groomsmen and bridesmaids selected by the bride and groom themselves from among their close friends, form a numbered team of groomsmen and bridesmaids, which means a match made in heaven. Li Ruzhu patiently explained to everyone.

"And such a good thing, of course the best man let me be the best man." Shi Tianji excitedly squeezed in front of everyone.

"Come on, just like you, don't scare other brides into crying!" Xie Yuan said jokingly.

"I look ......" Shi Tianji just wanted to argue, but Luo Shiyin waved his hand to stop him, "This is up to the owner of the family to choose." Let's go, let's not delay the time, follow the master to his house first. ”

Han Zhongxiu ushered the guests to his home, and a sumptuous banquet had been prepared in the courtyard. Due to the large number of Luo Shiyin and his party, and the wedding banquet did not start until the bride was married, Han Zhongxiu temporarily borrowed a few large square tables from a neighbor's house and placed them in the courtyard, so that the cook could serve some of the prepared meals and entertain these unexpected guests first.

After the team members and the monks of Jinguang Temple finished eating, the neighbors who came to help cleaned up the table and served fragrant tea.

The bridesmaid was of course chosen to be the bridesmaid, and she first went to the bathing room in the house to bathe in the house in the company of a young woman, and then changed into traditional Korean costumes.

"Sister, when you dress up, you are going to overwhelm the limelight of the New Year's lady. You've got to be restrained. Xie Yuan saw Ye Ruliu, who was wearing a Korean national costume, walk out of the door, and immediately made a joke.

"Don't worry, brother, sister has the right to practice this time, when you and Liu Yingying get married, sister will definitely be a bridesmaid for you." Ye Ruliu said generously.

The bride was a young girl from the same village, and her home was on a high slope at the east end of the village.

According to the customs of the village, Ye Ruliu, accompanied by two middle-aged women, first went to the bride's house to wait for the arrival of the welcoming team.

Han Zhongxiu had prepared an ox cart for his son to marry, and the cart was covered with a bright red brand new bedding.

Shi Lang was chosen as the man's best man, and he also bathed and changed clothes according to the master's request. Then, together with another groomsman and two maids, they accompanied the groom wearing a dress and a red flower on his chest to the east of the village to greet his relatives.

It didn't take long for the wedding procession to arrive at the bride's house.

Shi Lang and the others were arranged to sit in the main room, drink tea and wait. The bridegroom was wheeled into the West Wing. When the beautiful bride saw the groom coming in, she quickly got up from her seat and poured three glasses of wine for the groom with her own hands, and the groom drank them one by one.

Next, the groom took out a clean piece of white paper, chose a little of the food on the table, wrapped it in paper, and took a bottle of liquor in a blue and white porcelain bottle from the table, and walked out of the room, so that one of the attendants who accompanied him would send the wine and the food wrapped in paper back to his home, so as to tell the family that the woman was enthusiastic and that the wedding would go smoothly.

Later, a middle-aged woman in the woman's family brought a bowl of rice with three eggs buried in it.

The bridegroom takes the rice and eats half a bowl of rice and two eggs, while the bride eats the rest of the rice and eggs, symbolizing that the two brides and grooms will share a pot of food in the days to come.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom kneel and kowtow to thank their parents for their nurturing affection and the grace of Yucheng.

Finally, with the support of Ye Ruliu and another bridesmaid found by the woman, the bride dressed in national costume boarded the ox cart where the man greeted her. The groomsmen and bridesmaids sit around the bride and groom and take care of the two couples. The other attendants hurried back to the man's house with the ox cart.

"Come home—" the driver let out a long roar, and deliberately drove the ox cart into the ridges.

The bumpy ox cart makes the bride and groom and the groomsmen and bridesmaids on the cart lean back and close, and the carload of people laughs and laughs.

Shi Lang held Ye Ruliu's hand tightly, and the two looked at each other, full of expectations and yearning for a better and happy life in the future.

In front of the man's house, there were already villagers dressed in ethnic costumes singing and dancing to welcome the arrival of the bride.

Han Zhongxiu specially prepared a table of wine and food for the driver. The charioteers ate and feasted, drove the ox cart, and carried the bride and groom and the groomsmen and bridesmaids who had been sitting in the cart all the time, and walked around the village shouting and shouting before returning to the groom's door.

Accompanied by the groomsmen and bridesmaids, the bride and groom enter the courtyard, and the wedding ceremony officially begins.

The officiant of the wedding was the head of the village, an elderly man with a charitable face.

"Fathers and fellow villagers, all the friends here, today is a happy day, the two newlyweds tied the knot, let us sing and dance together, and wish them a happy marriage and a hundred years of happiness!" The head man stood in front of the two newcomers, looked at the full crowd standing in the courtyard and said loudly.

The men, women, and children in the courtyard immediately began to dance merrily.

"Now please ask the groom to ask the bride 'three questions'." The head man raised his voice.

The bride and groom turn to each other and stand.

"Will you be willing to serve and care for my parents when they are old and weak?" The groom asks the bride.

"I do!" The bride replied.

"We will have many children in the future, would you like to raise them with me?" The groom then asked.

"I do!"

"Are you willing to share my weal and woe, grow old, and never change your heart?" The groom finally asked.

"I do!"

"Okay, please come to the table, have a drink, and share the joy of the two newlyweds!" The leader skillfully completed the presiding task and sat down at the wine table where Luo Shiyin and Xiu Neng were.

"There is no good wine and good food in the mountain villages and countryside, only some coarse tea and light rice such as mountain delicacies and wild mushrooms can be prepared, and I hope that the two distinguished guests will not be surprised." The head man said in an apologetic tone.

"The old man is polite. I am the abbot of the Jinguang Temple not far from this mountain, and my Dharma name is Xiuneng. We came to disturb us, but the head man not only did not dislike it, but also treated us so warmly that I didn't know what to say. Hunneng said, and called Xie Yuan over to sit next to Luo Shiyin to be responsible for the translation, "This distinguished guest from the distant Ming Dynasty, he came all the way to our country to help us. Hunneng introduced Luo Shiyin to the leader.

"Welcome, welcome! Distinguished guests, on behalf of the whole village, young and old, I would like to toast you. Although the head man didn't know where Daming was, after listening to the introduction of the abbot of Xiuneng, he still raised his wine glass very reverently and toasted to Luo Shiyin.

"Thank you, sir! I'm sorry for the trouble. Luo Shiyin hurriedly stood up.

"Hey! The family does not talk about two families, since the abbot of Hunneng said that you are a friend who has come to help our country, you are a family, so you don't have to be so polite! The head man said seriously.

"Well, old man, I'll give you a drink!" After Luo Shiyin dried the wine that the head man had toasted, he picked up the wine that Xie Yuan had poured for him and returned the salute to the head man.

"Good, good, drink!" The head man happily clinked glasses with Luo Shiyin.

"Uncle, we monks don't drink, so I'll toast you with water instead of wine, thank you for your hospitality!" Seeing that Luo Shiyin finished toasting, Xiu Neng picked up the water cup in front of him to express his gratitude to the leader.

The head man was equally happy to clink glasses with Hunon.

Next, Shi Lang, Ye Ruliu, Shi Tianji, Xie Yuan, Ba Wu, and Li Ruzhu, who were sitting at the same table, also toasted and thanked the head in turn. The head man drank them all one by one.

"I don't know the ranking, our small village is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and there is only a chain bridge over the Longchuan River in the south of the village, which is difficult for outsiders to enter. It is a heroic act for heroes to be able to enter the village from the cliff of this back mountain! The old man was extremely impressed. The headman revealed vigilance in his words, and the meaning of his words seemed to be quite interested in the whereabouts of the visitor.

"Don't hide it from my father-in-law, we were actually chased and killed by the Japanese thieves, so we had to climb over the cliff and come to your village to disturb." Hunneng said.

“？” The leader didn't seem to understand Huen's words, and a puzzled look appeared on his face.

"My husband doesn't know that our country is currently being invaded by the Japanese on the other side of the sea, and most of the rivers and mountains have fallen into the hands of the Japanese thieves. These daimyo heroes have come to help us fight against the Japanese invaders. A few days ago, the monks and these heroes in our temple escaped from Jinguang Temple, and were chased and killed by the Japanese thieves all the way, so they were forced to come to your village. Hunnen explained to the headman.

"Oh, I see. For example, our small village was invaded by outsiders, and these heroes came to help us defend the village and fight off the invaders, right? The leader finally understood Hueneng's words.

"yes, that's what it means." Hunnen said to the leader in an appreciative tone.

"Then we'll be a family. Let's have a toast together! The leader's face glowed red, and he excitedly clinked glasses with everyone one by one.

"Uncle, it seems that we are going to spend the night in your village tonight, and I hope you will bother to arrange it." Luo Shiyin and the head man finished clinking glasses and took the initiative to say.

"This ...... It's not that the old man doesn't want to take you in. As you can see, there are few people in our village, and there are only a few families in total, even if we give up all the houses for you to live in, I am afraid that we will not be able to accommodate dozens of you. Therefore...... the head man is a little embarrassed.

"Are there any spare houses in this village? We just need to have a place to spend the night, and we don't have to stay in a resident's home. Luo Shiyin said.

"Yes, yes...... It's just ......" the head man wants to speak and stops.

"My husband has something to say." Abbot Hunneng said.

"As you may have seen when you entered the village, there is a big house on the pasture to the east of the village, which was built a few years ago by the people in the village to take care of the sheepfold. The sheep in the village are uniformly enclosed in the sheepfold in the east of the village at night, and according to the village rules: two people live in the house every night to take care of the sheep in the sheepfold, and each family takes turns. But no one dared to live in that house anymore. After the leader finished speaking, his face was embarrassed.

"Why don't you dare to live?" The headman's words aroused Xie Yuan's curiosity.

"The other day, somehow, the people who lived in that house and tended to the sheep all died inexplicably, and six or seven people had died. Everyone said there were ghosts in the house. So no one dared to go anymore. After the leader finished speaking, a trace of fear appeared on his face.