In Sichuan in November, autumn is high and cool. The mountains on both sides of the Minjiang River are high into the clouds, and the pines and cypresses are green in the mountains and forests, and the deep green is dripping.

Thick clouds and mist are blowing in the mountain stream, and occasionally a gust of wind blows, and the clouds and mist floating in the mountains are like a white veil, dancing with the wind.

Below the clouds, the water of the Min River rolled northward. The rolling river slaps against the rocks on both sides, making a monstrous loud sound. Here, it is the mountains high and the water is deep, the waterways are twists and turns, and the thrilling is extreme. The rolling river, like a fierce dragon, straddled between the mountains, with the power of a thousand jun, rolling towards the Yangtze River in the distance.

In this turbulent river, a bamboo raft is like a willow leaf, in this undulating river, along the river, steadily advancing.

On the bamboo raft, a young man from the Miao family dressed in a short dozen stood firmly on the bamboo raft, holding the penny with a water-stained face, and patting the river with a calm face. Steadily control the bamboo raft to float forward.

Finally, after this section of the canyon known as the Ghost Gate Pass, what comes into view is an open river. On both sides of the river, the mountains stand quietly.

The small bamboo raft is moving rapidly on this calm river.

The young man from the Miao family raised his sleeves, wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, and breathed a sigh of relief. Tie the penny to the bamboo raft, turn his head, look at the green-shirted scholar sitting in the bamboo raft behind him, and can't help but praise in his heart: Engong, what a kind surname. The dangerous situation just now has not changed at all, and it is really not an ordinary person.

"Engong, we have reached the boundary of Chengdu Mansion!" The young man of the Miao family pointed to the small ferry in front of him, raised his sleeve to wipe the water droplets on his face, smiled brightly at the scholar, and said loudly.

The scholar nodded and smiled, stood up, faced the young man of the Miao family, hugged his fists and said, "Hehe, thank you Brother Agui!" ”

"Hey, don't say it, Agui hasn't thanked you for your help!" The young man from the Miao family, named Agui, waved his hand very sincerely and replied generously.

Agui is a hunter, and for generations, he has lived by hunting. In peacetime, after Agui caught his prey, he would always go to Luzhou Mansion to exchange some rice and cloth with the Han people. Subsidize households. Sometimes, if there is a lot of prey, I will change some silver jewelry and take it back to prepare a dowry for my sister. The family has been like this for generations, and life has always been passable.

However, in the past few years, a lot of taxes have been levied because of the official master and Miao's hometown. Although he and his father hunted diligently, this story was getting worse and worse. In order to pay taxes to the official, the family was almost bankrupt. In addition, because of climbing the mountain last time, Abba accidentally rolled down the hillside and broke his leg. The burden on the family is heavier.

These days, every time I see my grandmother's sigh, Agui is like a knife, hating that he has no great ability and can't make his family live a better life. Moreover, in order to subsidize the household. Even my sister took the risk of going out to pick some herbs and bringing them back to herself in exchange for food.

And, for the last year, somehow. The Han people who receive leather goods are getting lower and lower. In the past, a fox skin could be exchanged for a bag of rice, but now, it can only be exchanged for a bucket.

This time, when I went to Luzhou, the Han boss actually said that the leather goods were not good recently, and he wanted to replace the white fox skin that he had worked hard to get with half a bag of rice.

Although Agui was angry, there was no way, many people in the village were waiting for the grain to be cooked. Just as he was about to make a move, a scholar stopped him.

This scholar saw it when he entered the door. At that time, this scholar was strolling around the store with his hands behind his back. Looking at him like that, it seems that he wants to buy a fox fur.

Although Agui also wanted to ask the scholar if he wanted to buy it, if he wanted to buy it, he would sell it to him. But thinking of the Han family's attitude towards the Miao family, he still felt that it was best not to ask.

Last time, Ah Kun in the village just wanted to talk to a Han family and ask for directions, but he was broken by a follower of the Han family. The gang finally threw Ah Kun the money. Although Ah Kun felt very uncomfortable, he couldn't earn the money for a year.

At that time, Ah Kun pulled the other brothers in the village to prevent them from doing it. Lying on the ground, crying, he stretched out his hand and picked up the copper coins that were scattered all over the ground one by one.

However, a few months after returning to the village, Ah Kun had no money for treatment because of the suppuration of the wound, and finally died. Always money, one life!

Therefore, after Agui saw that the scholar was wearing a clean robe, and he didn't look like an ordinary scholar. Although he wanted to ask, he finally hesitated.

At that time, the shopkeeper was in a hurry. Very impatient. Ah Gui was in a hurry, so he had to endure the pain and take out the white fox skin. However, at this moment, the scholar walked over with a smile and stopped him.

After he took the white fox fur from Agui, he made no secret of his liking. After rubbing it in his hand for a while, the scholar directly offered five taels of silver to buy this white fox skin from Agui.

At that time, Agui was simply stupid.

Five taels of silver, that's a whole five pieces of money.

I was busy for a year, and I couldn't make so much money.

Looking at the scholar's gentle smile, Ah Gui didn't believe it at the time. I thought the scholar was just teasing him. However, after seeing that the scholar really took out five taels of silver from his pocket, Agui was immediately dumbfounded.

This, the Han people would spend five taels of silver to buy their own things.

However, at this moment, the shopkeeper suddenly rushed over and snatched the white fox fur over. Viciously threatening scholars, are you here to find trouble?

Moreover, he also summoned a group of men who wanted to beat the scholar.

At that time, Agui was stupid and stood there trembling, extremely frightened.

However, the scholar still had such a faint smile, as if the seven or eight people with wooden sticks in front of him did not exist at all. He just looked at the fat boss quietly, and then, when the shopkeeper was about to go crazy, the scholar smiled, took out a jade pendant from his pocket very casually, and then shook it in front of the boss.

Then, in Agui's surprised gaze, the shopkeeper's face suddenly changed drastically, and his whole body trembled sharply. Then, when he saw that the shopkeeper had weak legs, he was about to kneel.

But the scholar shook his head slightly and stopped him.

He just stepped forward and said a few words in the boss's ear, and then he saw that the usually fierce boss suddenly changed to a flattering smile and nodded busily. Then he turned back to the counter, took out a lot of silver, and respectfully gave it to the scholar.

The shopkeeper came to him in person and said with an apologetic face that he had deliberately lowered the price the first few times. And, I promise that from now on, as long as I come by myself, he will definitely give himself a fair price. Then, in Agui's stunned gaze, the boss asked the guy to take out ten taels of silver and give it to himself. And said that this was the money that had been deducted from him before, and he had returned it to himself.

In the end, the shopkeeper spent five taels of silver and bought the white fox skin. Then, it was given to the scholar. And the scholar, with a faint smile, took the white fox skin.

When he left the store, Agui was carrying fifteen taels of silver, as if he was carrying some rare treasure. I was so excited.

With fifteen taels of silver, the villagers in the village will have a much better life. "Oh, if you don't put it away, someone will steal it!" At that time, the scholar next to him smiled and reminded himself very kindly.

Ah Gui was so excited that he almost forgot that it was the help of this scholar just now that he could have so much money. Now, seeing Encheng looking at him, Agui was grateful, and he wanted to kneel and kowtow.

Lu Heng shook his head slightly, took a step forward, and helped Ah Gui up. Then he patted himself on the shoulder very kindly, and said to himself kindly: "The Han family and the Miao family are originally a family, and they are all Chinese people, so there is no need to be like this!" ”

Agui nodded heavily, raised his sleeve and wiped his slightly wet eyes, learning the customs of the Han family, and bowed deeply to the scholar with his fists.

And Lu Heng, seeing this young man from the Miao family, actually saluted with his right hand and his left hand, and his facial muscles couldn't help twitching for a while. However, seeing the unfamiliar appearance of this young man from the Miao family when he saluted him, he also knew that he was afraid that it was the first time. I didn't care, just smiled and shook my head.

Along the way, the two casually chatted about some things in Sichuan. At the beginning, Agui was nervous, but he smiled and nodded yes. However, seeing that the scholar was so casual and kind, slowly, he also let go of the restraint in his heart and began to talk to the scholar about some family matters.

When Agui learned that Engong was going to Chengdu Mansion, he immediately said that he was just about to go home. Just sent Engong to Chengdu.

After hearing this, Lu Heng thanked Ah Gui, which made Ah Gui restrained for a while. Hurriedly waved his hand and said with a smile, Engong must not be like this.

So, Lu Heng took Agui's bamboo raft, along the water of the Minjiang River, through the misty mountains, in this light mist, all the way through. After an afternoon, in the evening, I finally saw the dilapidated boundary monument on the bank of the Min River.

The sun in the mountains set quickly, and in a short time, night covered the vast mountains. The river has also become a little turbulent. When the river was rising, Agui insisted on holding on to the penny and stopped the bamboo raft by the river.

After going ashore, Agui tied the bamboo raft to the stump, then took the rice flour cloth from Luzhou from the bamboo raft and put it on the shore. Exhaled deeply.

He wiped the sweat from his face, squatted down, happily patted the bags of rice noodles on the ground, and said to himself excitedly: "If the villagers see so many good things, I don't know how happy they should be!" ”

Lu Heng, who was standing on the side, smiled and said to him, "Everything will be fine!" ”

Hearing this, Ah Gui turned his head, ignored Lu Heng's obstruction, knelt on one knee, and gave Lu Heng a big salute.

"Oh, why bother!" Lu Heng stood there, looking at Ah Gui who was kneeling on one knee in front of him, spreading his hands and smiling wryly.

After the salute, Ah Gui stood up, put the rice noodles on the ground into the basket, and insisted that Lu Heng must go to their village as a guest.

Lu Heng took a look around, and found that it was getting late, and when he looked around, there were rolling rivers and vast mountains everywhere, and after thinking about it, he agreed.

The two of them walked along the mountain road, after nine turns and eighteen turns, and after turning over a mountain, they finally saw a clear river surrounded by mountains, surrounded by twists and turns. By the river, the Miao family's unique stilted buildings are scattered very idlely.

"Engong, that's our village, Huanglong Village!" Ah Gui pulled the back basket with both hands, and after lifting it up, he freed up one hand, pointed to the Miao Village below, and said happily to Lu Heng.

(To be continued)