Timidly took his ass and dipped it on the edge of the kang, a pair of eyes dodged and touched around the room, and from time to time he glanced at the leopard sitting in front of him, although the half-grown child who brought the beast tooth talisman to the main gate of the fire said that after a few days of recuperation, he had recovered a little spirit, but the meaning of the scream in his bones scared the guts, but there was nothing to hide in front of the leopard.

Coughing slightly, Xiang Youbao rubbed the beast tooth talisman in his hand, and said to the half-grown child in a steady voice: "I'm afraid, when you get to the main gate of the fire in the Sijiu City, you can somehow keep your life safe." Tell me first, what's your name? Where? ”

Lowering his head, the half-grown child who obviously hadn't gone through the world hesitated for a while, and then whispered like a mosquito to Xiangyoubao: "The master calls me a three-mouse, I don't have a big name, and I don't know where I am from." I just remember that when I was a child, I went around with my master in various tunzi and villages looking for work. Shaving your head, sharpening your scissors, pinching stuffy gourd jars, rolling Lantern Festival, you can do all the work that can earn food! ”

As soon as he heard the words of the three rats, Xiang Youbao suddenly nodded slightly.

The Guanzi area is sparsely populated, and hundreds of miles of mountain roads are separated from each other by tunzi and villages and towns, and the permanent population of those tunzi villages and towns is really too small to support those characters who rely on all kinds of crafts to eat. In order to get enough food and clothing overnight, many craftsmen who originally only knew one craft forced out the ability to do a full job in such a living environment.

Every time I go to a place, I put the handicraft pick towards the head of the village, and I open my voice and shout the name of the craft I can handle, and in three or five days, I can shave my head, pedicure my head, pull out my teeth, pick my ears, repair my shoes, and sew in a tunzi or village or town hidden in the deep mountains. The work such as scissors and knife sharpening was complete, and then the handicraft picker ran slowly to the next place separated by hundreds of miles of tunzi, villages and towns to find a rut.

But all the craftsmen who eat this line of food must first occupy a neat leg and bear hardships, otherwise they will not be able to endure this hardship at all!

Glancing at the arms and legs of the three rats, which were a little thinner than ordinary children, but also a little stronger, Xiang Youbao asked the three rats one after another, "Then how do you know my master........ The old man's? ”

Still hanging his head, the three rats responded timidly: "My master got colica and couldn't be saved." I sold my food skills and picked up a coffin for my master, but the old man saw me kneeling at the entrance of the village and begging for help, and paid for me to send my master. When he saw that I had no food, he led me by his side and gave me a bite to eat. ”

His brows furrowed slightly, and the speed of Xiang Youbao's speech unconsciously sped up a little: "How long have you been with my master?" ”

"The days are not long, and I have followed the old man's work for half a year!"

"My master told you to give him a hand?"

"Sometimes I handed the old man a belongings, passed an object, and went to the old forest a few times to look for things."

"My master....... Does he still like to take two sips of stewed tofu with small fish? ”

"I've seen the old man drink, but I've never seen the old man touch the fish. There was a time when I was having dinner with the old man. The main family gave the old man a dish, but the old man said that he had injuries on his body, and he should avoid fishy ......."

"He's got all gray hair, isn't he? When it's cold, doesn't that old cold leg make him suffer? ”

"The old man's hair has long been white, but he didn't hear the old man say that he has old cold legs, but when it's cold, his left hand is not flexible, saying that it was not good after he was injured when he was young. Fallen old injuries. ”

"Seeing that such a big thing happened, you didn't care about running for your life. On the contrary, he walked thousands of miles on a pair of legs and feet to come to Sijiu City? Aren't you afraid that you won't be able to find the entrance of the main gate that is on fire, and you will walk away in vain?! ”

"Entrusted by people, loyal to people, I have listened to my master teach me so since I was a child! Sometimes a tunzi asks my master to bring something from elsewhere, not even half a penny, as long as it is a matter of the matter. Then you have to do it for someone! ”

"Where are you going from here?"

"I don't know....... Outside the gate, the little Japanese son was called to occupy the ....... I don't know how to do it........ I don't know where to go......."

"The old minister asked you to send this beast tooth talisman to the main gate of the fire in the Sijiu City, and ...... Do you have any other instructions? ”

"I ....... that What is yellow? What is white? ”

Listening to the three rats did not answer their own questions, but asked themselves these two inexplicable sentences, Xiang Youbao was slightly stunned for a moment, and then responded to the three rats who suddenly raised their heads to ask: "Yellow is a philosopher's stone." A white tooth charm! ”

As if he was completely relieved, the three rats, who had always been a little timid, suddenly said happily to Xiang Youbao, who was sitting opposite him: "The old minister said, before you have gathered the diagram of the strange beast and passed on the art in your hand, you are not allowed to mention the reason for revenge for him, otherwise it will be a deception to destroy the ancestors!" ”

The whole body trembled suddenly, and the eyes of the leopard suddenly turned red, so he burst into tears in front of the three rats, and turned his head for a long time before he said to the three rats in a dumb voice: "Since you have come to the main gate of the fire, then stay here for the time being, and wait until your body and bones will be raised!" ”

Seeing that Xiang Youbao got up to leave, the three rats who were half sitting on the edge of the kang suddenly jumped up and shouted at Xiang Youbao: "Then I can't rest like this?" If there's any work to be done in the main gate of this fire, you just have to tell me to do it, I can't just eat for nothing......."

waved his hand at the three rats indiscriminately, and Xiang Youbao didn't say anything more, just walked out of the room where the three rats were resting, and walked straight into the discussion room.

Xiang Youbao, who strode into the discussion room, Na Jiuye, who was sitting on the chair, hurriedly asked, "Do you have a clear idea?" ”

Nodding slightly, Xiang Youbao responded to Na Jiuye in a muffled voice: "It shouldn't be wrong!" My master's description and appearance, the old wounds and hidden diseases on his body, this kid is not wrong! There are also two incisions that my master explained that were only used when talking from person to person, which only my master and apprentice knew. ”

After a slight groan, Na Jiu Ye looked up at Xiang Youbao and said, "Since everything is right, then this kid sent me a message from thousands of miles away from the main gate of the fire." I really can't afford to lose this kid! There is a leopard, what are you going to do with this child? ”

Turning his head to look at the room where the three rats were resting through the window, Xiang Youbao also said with a somewhat embarrassed look: "This little little kid doesn't have the skills to earn food in his hands....... I'm really not sure! Now that the world is not quiet, there is a scene of war and chaos outside, if you really give them money to send him away. It is estimated that people will have something to do before they get out of Sijiu City! But if I want to leave this child, I can't be sure in my heart! ”

Frowning slightly, Yan Xu, who was standing in the corner of the room, picked up Xiang Youbao's words at this time: "Xiangye, I feel it...... Let's try this child's temperament? People say that it is good to meet at a good time, but it is difficult to live for a long time. As long as this child lives in the main gate of the fire for ten days and a half months, seeing that the sky is under our noses, whether the heart is good or bad, naturally can't hide it from our eyes? If he really has a good temperament, then he can pass on a craft that can eat without any informality. But it's not a good ........ Xiangye, now that we can't stand any more variables at the main gate, you have to harden your heart! ”

Nodding approvingly, She Youdao casually took out a piece of ocean from his arms, and played a trick in his fingers: "Yan Ye's words are right, I'll try it!" Well....... The kid came out? ”

Through the window of the discussion room, She Youdao watched the three rats who came out of the house timidly look at the scenes in the courtyard of the second entry, and then walked to the outside of the room as if he was a little unsure. Squatted down and cleaned up the somewhat scattered woodpile, and suddenly muttered in a low voice, "Hey...... Is this still a job in the eyes? I just bought the chopping wood early this morning. I haven't had time to ask those little apprentices to clean up, but let this kid take the lead? ”

Accompanied by She Youdao's muttering, the three rats who cleaned up the scattered chopping wood seemed to see seven or eight hard old wooden lumps, and picked up the axe that was resting next to the chopping pyre, pulled down the coat that was a little in the way, and picked up the axe to compete with those old wooden lumps.

But all the big houses in the city of forty-nine. When I bought firewood on weekdays, most of them could bring back a few old wooden lumps, and throw them into the stove when they kept the stewed soup and boiled medicine, and let the old wooden lumps burn tepidly. But because the old pimples are all roots that have grown for a long time. It's a bit of a struggle to chop. Ordinary strong men have to pick up twenty or thirty old wooden lumps, and it takes almost half an hour of effort, and it takes two bodies to sweat before they can be completed.

But these three rats don't know if they are used to doing such work in the deep mountains and old forests outside the pass, and under the wielding of an axe that is not sharp, it is only three or two strokes, and a heavy old wooden lump has been split into a uniformly sized firewood stick.

Holding his arms in front of his chest, Yan Xuda looked from the window at the three rats who had already begun to deal with the second old wooden pimple, and said in a muffled voice with some surprise: "Look at this child, he doesn't have the appearance of a practicing family, but the strength of his legs, feet, and arms is a bit old-fashioned, he should be a person who has been doing hard work and tiring work since he was a child!" But whoever can endure hardship...... Habits can't be too bad, right? ”

Nodding slightly, but shaking his head suddenly, She Youdao pinched the piece of ocean in his hand and whispered: "If you want to try, try all the work, look at me!" ”

Striding out of the discussion room, She Youdao ran around the well platform in the courtyard in a circle, pretending to bend down and lift shoes, gently resting the piece of ocean held between his fingers under the bucket, and then walked slowly to the door of the discussion room, and shouted to the three rats who were splitting those old wooden lumps: "That child, finish your work at hand, and then go get some water and fill the water tank in the room!" ”

Turning his head in agreement, the three rats sped up the speed of chopping those old wooden pimples. After almost half an hour, the three rats finally picked up all those old wooden lumps into suitable size chopping wood, and they didn't bother to wipe the sweat from their foreheads, and raised their legs and walked towards the well.

Through the window of the discussion room, She Youdao, who was holding a bowl of hot tea in his hand, stared at the three rats who had already lifted the bucket with sparkling eyes, and muttered to himself one after another: "But if you pick it up, you should see the ocean........ Hey....... It's really a neat master, and he doesn't hit a single one and carries the ocean on his body?! ”

also watched through the window as the three rats carried the ocean into his arms, Yan Xu also shook his head again and again: "Wealth is moving, this is true...... Xiangye, I'm afraid this kid can't stay in the main gate. Send a few dollars in a while, and just tell him to leave, right? ”

Staring at the three rats who were carrying water in the room not far away, Xiang Youbao nodded silently, but sighed slightly, stretched out his hand to his arms and felt out a few pieces of ocean, and then looked at Hu Qianli who was sitting in the discussion room.

Hu Qianli, who had a cold face and didn't even glance at the outside of the room, seemed to see the meaning in Xiang Youbao's eyes, and slowly stood up from the chair: "Traveling thousands of miles to deliver messages, there is no merit and hard work." I really can't afford to lose outsiders in the main gate of the fire, I think ..... Senior brother, should a hundred oceans be the right number? If there were any more, I was afraid that it would kill him! ”

Nodding slightly, before Na Jiuye could speak, the timid voice of the three rats suddenly came from the door of the discussion room: "....... Xiangye, are you in the house? ”

After walking a few steps, Xiang Youbao opened the thick cloth curtain at the door of the discussion room, and said to the three rats standing in front of the door of the discussion room: "What's the matter with me?!" ”

Still looking timid, the three rats pursed their lips tightly, raised their heads as if they had mustered up courage, and looked directly into Xiang Youbao's eyes: "Xiangye, I'...... I'm leaving! I can't take off this garment on my body, can you spare me? ”

Frowning tightly, Xiang Youbao shouted at the three rats in a deep voice: "Three rats, which one are you singing?!" ”

There was a faint look of stubbornness on his face, and the voice of the three rats was not high, but the meaning of his words was categorical: "Xiangye, you don't worry about me, so you can take a piece of ocean and put it under the bucket to try to revive me!" My master has taught that people have to be knowledgeable and sensible....... I'll put that piece of ocean on the edge of the water tank, and I'll go, you......"

didn't wait for the three rats to finish speaking, Xie Menshen, who was usually silent, squeezed out of the door of the discussion room sideways in the oblique thorn, and reached out and grabbed the three rats' shoulders: "Child, I can trust you!" If you can trust me, stay! (To be continued.) )

ps: ps: In the old days, apprentices were included in the craft industry, and most of the masters would use some similar methods to test the honesty and loyalty of the apprentices.