Late autumn.

November.

This is the most beautiful season in the Altai Mountains.

Autumn is like a colorful brocade inlaid with gold and silver threads, which gives the Altai Mountains the most beautiful clothes.

At the southern foot of the Altai Mountains, on the shores of Lake Akkule.

Akkule Lake is called White Lake by locals, and some people call it Paradise Lake, because there are glacier rocks that are squeezed and grinded, so the lake is translucent and milky white, and the scenery is extremely beautiful.

There is a small village on the shore of the lake called Bashi Village.

There are also large birch forests and large meadows near this Bashi village, where hundreds of villagers live, they live by grazing and fishing, there is a small white fish in this white lake, the meat is delicate and delicious, many caravans pass through here every year, and cross the Altai Mountains.

In the past few days a strange team has come to the village of Bashi, there are only five of them, three women and two men, it does not look like a caravan, they stay in the village of Bashi, and inquire about how to cross the Altai Mountains.

The leader of the team was an old man fifty miles away, but everyone listened to the instructions of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, and that girl was the master of the team.

It's dusk, and it's the most beautiful time of the day on the shores of Lake Akkule.

The girl walked out of the tent, her complexion was fair, she was wearing a hat covered by Su curtain on her head, a hooded scarf with twist flowers on her shoulders, a white gown, a goose egg face, willow eyebrows, and a pair of big watery eyes.

Just a closer look, there were fine wrinkles on the girl's face, which made people shocked and regretful.

The village chief of Bashi Village everyone called him Grandpa Huhe, a blue-eyed old man sixty miles away, his hair and beard were gray, and he wore a Duopa on his head, at this time Grandpa Huhe came out of the village with a cane, he led the girl to the lake, the two looked at the distant mountains, and the girl looked intoxicated.

"Ah, I didn't expect the scenery of the Altai Mountains to be so beautiful, it's a fairyland on earth, but it's a pity that I'm not good at pen and ink, and I can't paint the beauty here!"

Grandpa Hohe stroked his beard and smiled.

"Yes, girl, the scenery of the Altai Mountains is different all year round, if you live here, you will see different scenery, you will like it more."

The girl smiled and nodded, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"Yes, I would love to stay here, but I heard that the scenery of Alahu Lake and Jaisangbo is also very good, and I want to see it."

Grandpa Hohe smiled and said, "There are too many beautiful scenery in our Gaochang Kingdom, girl, you can stay, and the guys here are also good, handsome and brave, there is always one you will like." ”

The girl's face was crimson, and she touched her cheek.

"No, no, no, they are handsome and brave, and they may not necessarily look up to a woman like me."

The old man pointed to the two young men who were repairing the tent in the distance, and said with a smile: "No, as long as you can see it, my two grandsons Huhehu and Huhelu, you can choose, if you can't look at it, there is still one in the village, there is always one you are satisfied with!" ”

In the distance, two young people seemed to hear their grandfather speak, and raised their hands and waved them in this direction, showing a sincere smile.

The girl was startled and hurriedly waved her hand.

"Grandpa Hohe, don't do this kind of thing, I'm not here to find someone I like!"

Grandpa Hohe laughed.

"Girl, you are going to Kobdo, how can you do without a man around to protect you, my two grandsons are the best hunters in the tribe, with their protection, you can rest assured!"

The girl shook her head.

"Grandpa, don't worry, we can protect ourselves!"

Grandpa Hohe didn't believe it, there were only five of them in this girl's group, one of them was an old man and the other was a little girl, so he still recommended his two grandsons to the girl. Yiyun Chinese

"Girl, if you don't like it, you can tell your sister, she doesn't look like she has ever been married, if you like any of my grandchildren, you can choose at will!"

The girl was so anxious that she was about to cry.

"Grandpa, can you please stop mentioning this, we really don't think about getting married!"

Grandpa Hohe laughed again.

"Okay, okay, grandpa won't say it, girl, have you really decided to cross the Altai Mountains tomorrow?"

The girl nodded.

"Yes, I have planned, I will cross the Altai Mountains tomorrow, if I don't hurry over, I won't be able to come back when the snow covers the mountain."

Ho and Grandpa waved his hand.

"Girl, what are you going to do, one moment you say you won't come back, and the next you will say that you will come back before the snow closes the mountain?"

The girl sighed.

"Alas, grandpa, don't ask, I can't tell you about it."

Grandpa Hohe's blue eyes showed a sudden look.

"Grandpa knows, girl, you already have a lover in your heart, but for some reason you two can't be together, right?"

The girl was embarrassed.

"Grandpa, don't talk nonsense, there isn't at all."

Grandpa Hohe didn't believe it, he laughed a few times: "Girl, grandpa has seen a lot of people, you can't hide it, listen to grandpa, no matter what the reason, you'd better not leave tomorrow!" ”

The girl was very strange and asked, "Grandpa Hohe, we have been living here for five days, why can't we travel?" ”

Grandpa Hohe waved his hand, his face solemn.

"Girl, don't think that grandpa wants to stay with you for a few more days, I don't know what the reason is this year, anyway, I haven't seen anyone down the mountain on this road for two months, not to mention that there are people every day in previous years, there are always caravans passing by for ten days and a half months, but there is no one in these two months."

The girl's face was worried.

"Grandpa, then we can't wait forever, can we?"

Grandpa Huhe sighed

"It's really strange in these two months, there is no caravan back, and no caravan passes, if there is a caravan over, you get together, and there are many people to take care of, but the five of you are still with children, it is really a bit dangerous."

The girl sighed.

"Grandpa, it's normal that there is no caravan in the past, this year Dawei and Dajing are fighting, how can anyone come to do business? If there is no past, of course there will be no past! ”

Huhe and Grandpa hummed.

"That's the way it is, but I haven't seen a single figure come here for two months, it really doesn't make sense, even if there is no business, there should be hunters or herdsmen from the Great Capital Kingdom who come to us to exchange some things necessary for life, right?"

The village of Bash is the main road around the Altai Mountains, and it is also a small bazaar where people pass by and trade goods, but there has been no traffic for the last two months.

The girl frowned slightly and asked, "Grandpa, what are you talking about, are there tigers and wolves on this mountain?" ”

Grandpa Hohe's expression was a little grim.

"When Grandpa was a child, he heard that there was a Luobu tiger in the mountains, and the village organized several tiger fights and killed two tigers, but after decades until now, I haven't seen that guy appear, and there are brown bears in the mountains, and brown bears are also very scary things.