Riding on the horse was a teenager about the same age as Jiang Li.

Probably following the caravan for many years, the wind and sun all day long, making the skin color that leaked out of the clothes look a little dark. It's just that this complexion is not different from those who sell their strength in exchange for life under the sun, not only shiny, but also full of youthful vitality. It also shows a resolute and brave temperament on the face, which makes people have a heroic impression at a glance.

There are a few freckles on both sides of his nose, which does not affect his tough image, but seems to hide the liveliness and naughtiness that should be in it at this age.

He sat on his horse and carefully looked at Jiang Li, who was standing on the wheel. Probably the long sword that Jiang Li was carrying made him a little worried, he hesitated for a moment, and said, "You can't sleep here at night." ”

Jiang Li raised his eyebrows and didn't say anything. But the subtle change in expression between his eyebrows and eyes had already betrayed his thoughts.

Why?

I'm so far away, I can still get in the way of you.

The boy on horseback apparently quickly realized that his words were misleading. He stretched out his hand, patted his head in annoyance, and explained, "Grandpa said that the river water level rose a little fast in the past few days. I don't know what the situation is further upstream, this time is prone to high floods, and it is always better to be careful when setting up camp. ”

"It's a low-lying place, so it's not a good place to rest." The young man reminded, "Grandpa said that if the little brother doesn't dislike it, he can move to our camp, the terrain is high, and it must be safer." It is better to have a relationship with each other. ”

The boy explained as he pointed his finger to the place a few times. Jiang Li looked at it and finally saw a rough idea, compared with the two, it was indeed the lowest terrain he had chosen.

Jiang Li suddenly smiled, and said with a grateful look on his face, "Naturally, it is better to be respectful than to obey your fate." ”

The sun was setting and the food was ready at the upstream camp, and the smoke of cooking filled the entire riverbank.

Jiang Li found a place to park the carriage on the periphery of the convoy, where the water and grass were fertile, so he untied the cart cover and let the two horses forage for food on their own. When everything was in order, he took the gray cat in his arms and followed the boy through the wagon of the caravan and carried him to the center of the camp.

In the center of the tents, there was a large clearing. Everyone sat in a circle on the ground, and a bonfire was lit in the middle, because of the rain for several days, the firewood was a little damp, and the smoke was thick when it burned, and the fire swayed and illuminated everyone's faces.

There are also two grills around the bonfire, and the ones on them can't tell what kind of prey they are, and the body shape should be a tiger and wolf or something like a beast, and from time to time hot oil drip down the lower edge of the grill into the fire, and snort to stir up a tongue of fire, and lick towards the prey vigorously.

Several women carrying bamboo baskets were handing out food in front of everyone. Jiang Li, who had just squeezed into the circle with the young man, also received a portion, a bowl of vegetable porridge and a piece of bread. It looks simple, smells fragrant, and delicious.

"Look! Here comes the heat. Jiang Li put the pottery bowl in his hand on the grass in front of him, broke a piece of dough in one hand and handed it to the gray cat, and said proudly, "Don't always think I'm a liar." ”

The woman who had just passed by was busy distributing the dough in her hand to the swarthy young man beside Jiang Li, when she heard this, she turned around and said with a smile, "Cats don't eat dough." After a while, when the meat is divided, I will find a way to sneak some back to your kitten. When the time comes, be careful not to show Ah Huang Ah Hei, otherwise you will not be relented. ”

Jiang Li raised his eyebrows in surprise, followed the woman's fingers, and then saw Ah Huang and Ah Hei in the girl's mouth, and couldn't help but smile suddenly, thinking that this name was really perfunctory. I saw two dogs, one yellow and one black, lying in front of the bonfire at the moment, each with a barbecue grill, looking up with a very reverent expression, and whining from time to time.

Jiang Li nodded again and again, and made a gesture of understanding. The girl covered her mouth and chuckled, and was about to turn around, but her eyes suddenly widened, and her face was full of surprise.

The gray cat sat on the grass, swallowed the piece of dough in two bites, and was raising his head at the moment, looking at the girl in front of him, hesitating whether to finish the rest of the dough in Jiang Li's hand, or keep his stomach and wait for the barbecue behind.

Humans naturally can't distinguish the various expressions on a cat's face very accurately. Such hesitation, even because of the difficulty of choosing the painful color, fell in the eyes of the girl has become a first-class cute thing, if it is not for the distribution of the food at hand, I am afraid that I will not immediately hold it in my arms and love it.

"It's, it really eats bread!" The first time she saw a pasta-eating cat, the girl was extremely surprised, and repeatedly patted the swarthy boy's shoulder to signal him to take a look.

The swarthy boy smiled innocently, indicating that he had seen it. Then he turned his head sideways and introduced to Jiang Li, "That's my sweetheart, Meizi." We're going to get married in a few years. ”

The girl named Meizi had a round face, and her facial features were very delicate and sweet, and she was very pleasing. It's just that the bridge of the nose is slightly higher and straighter, and the contours of the face are more vivid, which has a different kind of beauty.

In order to facilitate horseback riding and labor, the clothes often worn by Nanyi girls are not as elegant and gorgeous as those in the Central Plains, and the clothes are cut to be relatively close-fitting, which outlines the curves of the body very well, and the beauty is beautiful, but it is often not accepted by the orthodoxy of the Central Plains. Especially the girls still like short skirts, as long as it is not the middle of winter, they always love to run around with bare legs, which is also a unique scenery in Nanyi.

Jiang Li wanted to see it but didn't dare to look at it more, so he broke another piece of dough cake and handed it to Uncle Gray Cat.

Hearing such a straightforward and assertive introduction, the plum girl gave him a fierce look, and two red clouds appeared on her wheat-colored face. She lowered her head slightly shyly, and then pinched the young man's shoulder and back with the help of handing over the cake, and before she could exert her strength, she heard the young man's exaggerated scream, which made the young people around her laugh, and hurriedly walked away without looking back.

The young man smiled triumphantly. He has a familiar personality, and it won't take long for him to call Jiang Li a brother. From his mouth, Jiang Li knew that his surname was Mu Mingyin, from a small and medium-sized tribe in the eight mountains outside Nanyi, the people were not prosperous, mainly doing business for a living, going back and forth between the cities of southern Xinjiang and the tribes of Nanyi, the tribal business has been very extensive in recent years, but it has also made some fame in Nanyi.

On the other side of the tent sat near the head was his grandfather, that is, the leader of the tribe, surnamed Mu Jiang, who was very angry with people, and everyone was used to calling him Lao Mu Jiang.

The slender middle-aged man sitting next to Lao Mu Jiang was named Gan Haoyan, a disciple of the Fire Spirit Sect.

When he talked about Gan Haoyan, Mu Yin's face was full of indignation. It is said that this Fire Spirit Sect was a single immortal cultivation sect in Nanyi more than 100 years ago, but it has been declining day by day over the years, and the sect's forces have withdrawn from Nanyi's inner nine mountains, and only operate in the outer eight mountains.

However, these sect disciples did not think about how to revive the former glory of the mountain gate, but became more and more degenerate, and in recent years, they have begun to do some money-making deeds to exploit the people and collect protection fees. The tribes, villages and towns of Nanyi hate it so much, but after all, the emaciated camel is bigger than the horse, and this sect that has lasted for thousands of years of incense is what they can afford.

This Gan Haoyan is a deacon of the outer gate of the Fire Spirit Sect, and he has a bad reputation in this area, and he has done a lot of hurtful things in the name of the sect over the years. It's just that it is said that his uncle is an elder of the outer gate, and everyone does not look at the face of the monk to see the face of the Buddha, but can endure it in front of him, and only asks for peace.

At this moment, the patriarch Mu Jiang sighed lightly, arched his waist and back lower, and said with a bitter face, "Elder Gan, you don't know that business has been difficult in the past two years, although those of us who go north and south look at the scenery, in fact, we all make small profits, there are so many mouths in the clan waiting to eat, it is a great luck to be able to make a living, how much money is left." We have never dared to lose your filial piety here over the years, but if we add two percent of our offerings, we really can't hold on. ”

"Old Mu Jiang, you old fox, I don't know your details?"

Gan Haoyan is just a deacon of the outer gate, but after so many years, he has been accustomed to outsiders complimenting and calling Elder Gan, if someone calls him Deacon Gan, he will not be happy in his heart. He sneered twice from his nostrils, lazily took the brocade bag pushed by Mu Jiang, opened it in front of everyone without hesitation, and sneered, "With this amount of money, you really look up to me." ”

Mu Jiang smiled resignedly, and said cautiously, "Where is Elder Gan, it's just a little careful. I will definitely back up the gift and deliver it to your house in person. Elder Gan, this is a matter of adding two percent, and please raise your noble hand and be accommodating. ”

Seeing that Gan Haoyan was silent, Lao Mu Jiang couldn't help but beat the drum secretly in his heart, thinking that if he didn't have some blood today, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to send this plague god away.

He touched the bottle of elixir hidden in his sleeve, and was gritting his teeth fiercely, but he heard Gan Haoyan let out a light "ah", and replied blankly, "This is good." ”

Lao Mu Jiang only thought that Gan Haoyan was rarely kind-hearted today, so he couldn't help but be overjoyed, his face was wrinkled with a few more smiles, and he was about to get up with his crutches, and said flatteringly, "Elder Gan, you are really a lot, and we all have to thank you for your kindness." ”

"Huh?" Gan Haoyan reluctantly withdrew his eyes, and saw the old patriarch's old face as dry as tree bark, and suddenly became happy in comparison. He didn't hide his disdain, and said disdainfully, "I really don't know what you're thinking in your head." ”

"I mean, the girl who passed by just now looks good." Gan Haoyan swallowed his saliva, a different light flashed in his obscene triangular eyes, he leaned over and whispered in Lao Mujiang's ear, "Whether these two are added or not, it depends on how the girl tells me in person at night!"