Everyone gathered around a table to eat a meal, and they knew each other well. Halfway through the meal, Huzi asked me curiously, "Brother Ergou, you said that you came from Xiashikeng Village, did you find anything strange in there?" Like what...... Like ghosts! As soon as Huzi's words were finished, Old Man Lin suddenly picked up the chopsticks in his hand and hit the back of Huzi's hand fiercely, making Huzi grin and hurriedly shut his mouth.

At this time, Lin Aiwen, the third son of Old Man Lin, couldn't look past it, and couldn't help but say: "Dad, Huzi is just talking, why are you so excited, besides, this Mr. Yang master and apprentice are people from Taoism, I heard that ghosts are most afraid of Taoist priests, and now that Mr. Yang has come to our house, what are we afraid of?" If there is anything you dare not say, I don't think there is any need to be afraid, and besides, that broken village has been abandoned for so many years, it should have been enough for a long time ago! ”

"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Old man Lin scolded his third son, and then said: "That Xiashikeng Village is a forbidden place for the living, and besides, we have now reached a contract with the ghosts over there, they don't come to us to go to Shikeng Village to find trouble, and we don't bother them, the well water does not interfere with the river water, you stinky boy will provoke them again, will our family still be alive?" ”

Hearing Old Man Lin's words, Lin Aiwen's wife stabbed him with her elbow and signaled not to talk to the old man. Lin Aiwen put down the chopsticks impatiently, walked out with the child in his arms, but did not forget to say hello to the master at the door: "Mr. Yang use slowly, my house is next door, if you want to talk at night, you can come to my house." ”

Seeing that Lin Aiwen was gone, his wife also had two more mouthfuls of food and hurried back. However, the family of Old Man Lin's second son honestly finished eating, politely greeted the master, and also took the child home. In the room, there were only two left, Old Man Lin and Huzi. Old man Lin hurriedly smiled and said: "Mr. Yang, it's so late today, I see that you don't have to be busy on the road, just spend one night at my house, let my grandson sleep in the same room with me tonight, your master and apprentice live in the West House, the room is simple, don't be aggrieved!" ”

The master immediately smiled and said, "What did the old man say, we masters and apprentices mostly sleep outside, and it is a great fortune to have a place to live, and the old man has generously taken it in, and we are grateful!" ”

I just wanted Master to ask Old Man Lin about Xiashikeng Village, but Master secretly glared at me and signaled not to talk too much. I kept my mouth shut helplessly, but I complained in my heart, the master refused to ask more, and Old Man Lin refused to say more, so wouldn't it be for nothing that we came here? I'm still waiting to go back to Shikeng Village to rescue Grandpa Sun, which is good, keep silent.

However, the master did not go to rest there, but chatted with Old Man Lin: "Old man, after we came here, we found that there was an abnormal drought in this area, and this year's situation is probably not too good?" ”

Seeing that the master talked about the year of the crops, it attracted the old man Lin, who sighed deeply and said: "Alas, I don't know why, it's been three months in a row, the rain hasn't fallen, the crops have died of drought, I'm worried, there are only some rice seeds left in the second half of the year, and there is not much surplus grain to eat." However, Mr. Yang may not know that our area around Jilong Mountain is not too powerful, and Jilong Mountain is dozens of miles to the west, you don't see it, the more you go there, the more arid it is! It is said that the draft over there is a problem! ”

"Oh?" The master was stunned, then nodded and sighed, "This is difficult for the people who make a living from farming!" ”

Old man Lin replied again and again: "No, a few days ago, the people over there, and those who fled the famine and came here, but when they saw that there was no rain here, they went east again, and there was no shortage of water for dozens of miles to the east, but I am so old, and my sons are not able to move, so I can only continue to live here and rely on the sky to eat......"

As he was talking, Lin Aiwen, the third son of Old Man Lin, came to the yard with a flat burden and two large wooden barrels, and said to Old Man Lin: "Dad, there is no water in my house, do you still have it?" ”

Old man Lin hurriedly said to Huzi: "Huzi, quickly see how much water is still in the kitchen tank, and give your third uncle some even." ”

"Hey!" Huzi honestly agreed, ran to the kitchen quickly to take a look, and then walked out and said to Old Man Lin: "Grandpa, our water tank is out of water." Why don't you let the third uncle go to the back mountain to do some work? ”

When Old Man Lin heard this, he hurriedly shook his head: "When are you still going to fetch water now?" Awen, go to your second brother's house and see if there is any water, your children are still so young, and besides, the family has to rely on water to feed, and it is not okay to live without water. It's just that if there is no water, I will have to wait until noon tomorrow to go to the back mountain to fetch water! ”

"Dad, I'm from the second brother's house, and there is only one scoop left in his family's water, where can I give it evenly!" Lin Aiwen said angrily: "No, I'll go to the back mountain to pick up a pick, forget it, it's not too late now, what's there to get some water?!" "Hearing these two nagging for a long time, I seem to understand a little, their main problem is that they can't go to fetch water now, but it's a matter of course to fetch water when there is no water, and it's not that there is no water, isn't there water in the back mountain?

But I quickly thought about it, what they said about the foot of the back mountain, could it be...... Couldn't it be the same pool I fell down last time? That, that place is Xiashikeng Village in the valley, it turns out that the small mountain road is that this family often goes to fetch water, and this old man Lin doesn't let his third son go to fetch water, I think it's mostly because of the words "forbidden land for the living"!

Old man Lin said before that their family and the ghost river over there do not interfere with the well water, presumably it is for this reason that every time there is a shortage of water, they must go to fetch water at noon during the day, and they must not set foot in that place for half a minute at night.

Well, it must be so!

Thinking of this, I volunteered to say to Master and Old Man Lin: "Master, Grandpa Lin, just let me go, I'll help Grandpa Lin's house fetch water, that little mountain road is nothing, I can come back in a while." Besides, we ate Grandpa Lin's meal, and we have to stay here for a night, so we should share some housework for Grandpa Lin's family. As I spoke, I looked at Master with pleading eyes, hoping that Master would agree to let me go.

In fact, my real purpose is twofold, one is to help the Lin family fetch water, and the other is to ...... I wanted to explore Shek Keng Village at night, and it would be great if I could find something at night. Maybe you have found the secret of the so-called forbidden place for the living, maybe you can! Anyway, as long as I can rescue Grandpa Sun, I just look forward to going to Xiashikeng Village right now!

The master nodded, and said to Old Man Lin, "Old man, it's better to let Ergou go." ”

Old man Lin immediately stood up and stopped: "This is unacceptable, you two are guests of our family, there are so many people in our family, how can you guests be allowed to work?" This is not to be done. Alas, it's really not good, Avenues, you just go for a trip, remember, go early and come back early, you must be fast! "Maybe it was because I was going to help their family fetch water that suddenly aroused Old Man Lin, but Old Man Lin pondered for a while, and still looked uneasy, so he turned to Huzi and said, "Huzi, you carry our family's woodcutter and go with your third uncle!" ”

Hearing Old Man Lin's words, I was naturally not idle, since I was going, I would simply go with them. Unexpectedly, the master really agreed to let me go, but the master instructed: "It's just that when I arrive in Xiashikeng Village, don't stay for a long time, just fetch water, take care of them." Master's last sentence was whispered to me alone, but it was a signal for me to protect Lin Aiwen and Huzi, and I immediately agreed and walked out with Huzi.

Out of the yard, I casually asked Huzi, "Huzi, are you afraid?" ”

Huzi pinned the woodcutter to the waistband of his trousers, waved his hand, and said with a comfortable face: "I'm not afraid, but my grandfather is always worried about this and that, and I don't dare to go against his will!" "Saying that, Huzi and I caught up with Lin Aiwen, at this moment Lin Aiwen saw the two of us following, and he was also interested for a while, and walked forward with an excited face, so the three big men went to fetch water together, plus the young man was vigorous, it was completely full of freshness, and there was no fear.

Just went down the hill and walked towards the grove in front, Lin Aiwen's face looked a little more restrained, and I asked without words: "Grandpa Lin didn't let me say it before, now it's just the three of us, can we talk about it?" What's going on in the forbidden land for the living? In fact, I won't hide it from the two of you, my master and I came to your house just to inquire about the matter of Shikeng Village, if you two refuse to say it, my master and I will really come in vain, alas! ”

As soon as my words came out, Lin Aiwen actually stretched out his finger and made a silent gesture, and then whispered: "Brother Ergou, it's not that I don't want to say it, but it's all here, some things can't be said so much, if I am at home, I have nothing to fear, but this night I went to Xiashikeng Village, and talked about the little things in Xiashikeng Village, I feel like this...... I always feel panicked! ”

Seeing Lin Aiwen rubbing his chest uncomfortably, I was disappointed, and turned to look at Huzi, but I didn't expect Huzi to smack his lips and whisper to me: "Brother Ergou, I can only talk to you about it, but I won't talk about it when I get to the place!" ”

At this moment, I saw that Huzi and Lin Aiwen's faces were full of fear, which was completely in stark contrast to their previous excited appearances. But since Huzi was willing to tell me quietly, I was naturally overjoyed, and nodded again and again: "Okay!" Tell me about it! ”