Chapter 13: The Cripple Uncle
The view from the top of the hill is a great location. Pen fun and pavilion www.biquge.info
In addition, the weather is fine, the sun is shining, the sky is clear, and the mountain breeze is blowing, which is even cooler and refreshing.
Lingwa stood on the top of the mountain, and after a while, the sweat was all dry. And he saw the lame man sitting on the ground, and when he had finished eating the bread, and adding his dirty left and right hands, and did not speak. He didn't dare to go easily, I don't know what he was going to do next?
"Why are you still stunned? I don't know what to do? Do you still use my orders?"
After waiting for a long time, the lame man spoke, and yelled at him again.
Lingwa still didn't know what he meant? I thought, I'll give you all two cakes, I don't have any more? Then I'm going to collect firewood, but the place where I can stand on the top of this mountain is so big, and there is no decent tree, I have to look for it everywhere?
In front of the mountain is a low shrub forest, and in the distance behind, there is a second big mountain, which is taller than the current one, lush and tall!
And farther away, there are even higher mountains, straight up to the clouds—
It turns out that the one I climbed up now is still the shortest one compared to the one behind.
"Go get water for Lao Tzu - I'm dying of thirst!"
The lame man slapped the grass in front of him with his cane, and roared impatiently.
"Ah, water?" this cry, Lingwa reacted.
I thought, where can I get water on the top of this high mountain?
He touched the flap that was coiled around his head, looked left and right, and listened to the lame man;
"I don't care, I'm going to drink water anyway! Quick, quick—if you can't get it back, don't even think about collecting firewood!"
There was no way, Lingwa thought, only go down the mountain to get it, only under the mountain can there be water! Behind him came the voice of a lame man,
"Don't lie to me, I'll wait here, three hours, the sun is noon, and it won't come up yet, see how I clean you up?"
Lingwa promised in her mouth, muttering in her heart, if you want me to go down, I won't come up, see how you clean me up?
So he hurriedly descended the mountain, rejoicing to himself all the way, suspecting that he might have met a madman, a psychopath, and was almost pushed off the cliff by him and died-
Finally escaped his control, so easy.
The way down the mountain was indeed much faster, and when I came down the mountain in less than an hour, I walked to the stone bridge by the river, and I felt worried again? Do you still go back so early? How can I go back empty-handed like this?
No, I have to get some firewood to go back.
I thought, I've been to this mountaintop, it's okay to see the scenery, it's okay to collect firewood, and there's a madman waiting on it! I'd better go up the mountain again. How wide can you madman manage such a big mountain? You just wait there for my water? You ate my bread, and you didn't even thank you, and asked me to fetch you water to drink, and you ran down the mountain with exhaustion? Hmph—Drink pee!
It's not okay to go east, there are horse farms, grasslands, and military restricted areas, and my grandfather said that if you are caught by a soldier, you will die. I can only live in the west and go.
So I went west, walked a long way and couldn't find a way to climb the mountain, and when I was about to reach the Xishan Ling River, I heard the sound of the river over there-
Alas, Lingwa sighed, did the madman decide that I had to bring him water? This is the only way to climb the mountain? Look up and down, look left and right, and finally there is no way, turn around and come back.
Passing by the mountain temple, I saw a broken bowl overturned on the ground, so I picked it up, went to the river to wash it, fetched a bowl of water, first drank two sips by myself, and then beat half a bowl, held it in my hand, and prepared to climb the mountain again.
It took a lot of effort to reach the top of the mountain again.
I saw that the lame man was lying in the grass and sleeping, blowing the mountain wind, so uncomfortable. Before Lingwa could catch her breath, she heard him complain: "Does it take so long to get water? Stinky boy, it's really useless! Why don't you get the water quickly?"
Lingwa didn't care about wiping her sweat, so she hurriedly handed over the water, the lame man sat up, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that the broken bowl was missing, only a small half bowl was left, and he stared at Lingwa,
"You stole a drink?"
Lingwa hurriedly shook her head, thinking that you are lame, not blind, haven't you seen a broken bowl with a missing mouth?
"Even the notched bowl is not just a little water, huh?"
After speaking, as soon as he raised his hand and raised his neck, he drank it all in one gulp. Then he stretched out the bowl to the spirit baby,
"Let's fight again!"
Lingwa looked depressed, just came up, the breath has not finished breathing, the legs have been weak, you still told me to go down the mountain to fight? I am hungry, I haven't eaten yet? So I took the bowl, leaned on the stone, I really couldn't go down the mountain, buried my head and didn't speak.
"Hey, don't move, dare to disobey orders, do you know the consequences of disobeying this commander's order?"
The cripple said, patting it.
"I, I, I—I don't have the strength anymore!" Lingwa whispered.
"Well, it's useless! In that case, I'll let you go today. Tomorrow, remember to bring enough bread and water, and come up again!"
Hearing this, Lingwa finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded again and again.
"Gather firewood, don't disturb my sleep!"
Lingwa got up at this time, picked up the sickle again and walked into the mountain.
The firewood here is different, it is more. They are all wild and chaotic forests, as if no human beings have stepped on them except wild animals, and they are impenetrable and have no roads at all.
Lingwa quickly picked up a bundle and was wondering if she should get it home first and come back tomorrow?
When his movements slowed down, he heard the lame man talking in the grass behind him,
"Child, child, don't be lazy, I see you - cut a way, cut a way!"
Lingwa didn't understand what he meant by cutting out a road, do you still need to cut the road if you want to?
"Cut ahead, cut the mountain ahead, the road is ahead—see how far you can go?" said the cripple again.
Lingwa stood up, looked at the barren grass in the jungle around her, and looked at the mountains in the distance, thinking that I have to cut down to the top of the mountain?
I was puzzled, but I still slowly bent over and chopped. At this time, noon had passed, the stomach was hungry and gurgling, there was nothing to eat, there was no wild fruit and wild vegetables, looking for a long time, digging two mustard roots, chewing and swallowing, it did not have any effect.
At this time, the lame man saw that the Lingwa was limp and weak, and was not as active as in the morning, and knew that he was hungry, so he sat up from the grass and said:
"You can go back today. Come back tomorrow. But there is one condition that you must meet, and only if you meet the conditions of this commander, you will be allowed to go up the mountain-"
Lingwa stood still, looking back at him puzzled.
"When you come tomorrow, bring me a roast chicken and half a pot of soju up the mountain!
The lame man said disapprerovingly.
When Lingwa heard about roast chicken and soju, her mind suddenly dizzy, thinking about those high-end toys, I have never encountered them once or twice a year.
I'm so small, where am I going to get it for you? Steal it? I don't even know who stole it?
His face was embarrassed, he looked left and right, and the sickle kept wiping his clothes, and he didn't know how to answer?
This roast chicken and soju are rare for grandpa, where can I get them?
"Okay, can you go back quickly? When it gets dark and you can't get down the mountain, you'll be finished!"
After saying this, the lame man fell back to sleep on the grass.
Lingwa used all her strength, and it took most of the day to put a large bundle of firewood and bundle it well, thinking that it was not heavy, but she reached out and lifted it, where to lift it? It was far beyond the range that a child could bear, and she was hungry and had no strength.
He tried in the woods for a long time, and Chai He didn't move a few times. After thinking about it, let's disband it and stay here and come back tomorrow. When he was doing something, he only heard the lame man lying in the haystack talking,
"Silly boy, people are careful, who asked you to tie so much? Carry it, can't carry it, and you can't find a way, a pig's head. Ben Shuai is right in front of you, and you are dumb and can't speak?"
After speaking, he only heard the lame man whistle to the sky, and suddenly a donkey came out of the woods on the side.
The black donkey, long fat and strong, black and shiny, full of energy, drilled out and stood in front of the spirit baby, half higher than the spirit baby, condescending, and stern and spoiled!
Lingwa was simply stunned! This is really amazing, it turns out that the lame man still has this treasure! No wonder he speaks in such a loud tone. I saw the lame man sit up and point his finger at the donkey,
"Get down, help this kid deliver firewood and go down the mountain, and come back quickly when he gets to the bridge at the bottom of the mountain!"
The black donkey seemed to understand the lame man's words, and really lay down obediently, and then Lingwa was suspicious, and excitedly and carefully loaded firewood on the donkey's back, as if it would hurt the donkey.
When he was about to leave with firewood, the lame man reminded the spirit baby again,
"Remember me, I must see you before noon tomorrow!" and waved his hand, "Let's go!"
After speaking, I saw the black donkey stand up, and the bundle of firewood was as if there was nothing on it, and he easily opened his hooves, and took the lead to go down the mountain.
Lingwa followed behind, grateful and excited, and embarrassed!
Walking past the lame man, he just glanced at the lame man in awe, and saw that he was looking at the sky with grass in his mouth, looking leisurely.
The black donkey ran fast down the hill, turning and turning the car with ease. Lingwa followed behind, barely able to catch up with the rolling belt.
Walking to the stone bridge at the bottom of the mountain, the black donkey really stopped walking. Just stood by the bridge and didn't move, and waited for a long time before the spirit baby ran down out of breath, thinking that if she didn't see the black donkey, would she run away?
Seeing it standing majestically by the bridge, another divine power lingered in my mind!
Lingwa is not as tall as a donkey, so she can't get the firewood on her body. The black donkey saw that Lingwa couldn't move the firewood, and suddenly shook the skin and spun around, took advantage of the Lingwa's flashing to the side, and then slammed his front hooves off the ground, stood up high, and the firewood on his back slid to the ground. Then he turned and ran up the hill, and went back along the mountain road without looking back.
I've never seen an obedient donkey, and it knows that there is a stone bridge at the bottom of the mountain? It knows it's called a stone bridge?
Lingwa was stunned again!
Chai He was indeed too big, and his stomach was too hungry to carry back. Or disband, put more than half of it behind the small temple of the mountain god, carry a small half back by yourself, and decided to hurry back to the town to inform the second brother of the shopkeeper and ask him to come and get it.
Seeing that there is no one around, it is estimated that this evening, no one should take it. Hey, even if someone takes it, there's no way, it's a big deal to pick it up tomorrow, anyway, the mountain has it.
As I walked along the road, I wondered, who is this miraculous "cripple"? How can a man live on such a high mountaintop and not see his house, where does he live? Why is he so magical? He can quickly shoot down birds, and there is an obedient donkey? What does he usually eat? Where does he come from?
Thinking of this, Lingwa's heart jumped, such a magical person, I don't know how many more powerful skills he has? It would be great if I could see them all? What's more, if I could learn from him, then wouldn't I be just as powerful? In that way, no one in the town, no one is afraid, and no one dares to bully me-
Let's call him "Uncle Cripple", magical Uncle Cripple!
In the distance, there was the sound of hammering iron in the horse farm, followed by the deafening sound of horses' hooves and horses' hooves, and the sound of horses' barking, raising thick smoke and dust, covering the eastern sky!
Lingwa didn't know what was going on inside, and she watched for a long time with firewood and foot, and then continued to walk back after the sound subsided.
When I arrived in the town, I passed by a bamboo forest, and there was a courtyard surrounded by a bamboo fence, which was very familiar, and a little girl in a long green dress stood by the door of the bamboo, and was looking at him from a distance.
He recognized it at a glance, it was the little girl who fell into the water and hurt him again-
I was suddenly angry, and I only strode away, walked to the door and glared at the little girl with squinted eyes, and the little girl stared at him blankly, silently watching him walk past the door with a bundle of firewood on his back—
There was a man and a woman weaving bamboo in the courtyard, and they didn't notice him at all.
——