Less than half a mile ahead, there is a path on the left to the river.

It was the original Limbo Ferry.

The ferry is not big, that is, a step that can go up and down people, and the road is also very narrow, deserted for a long time, and it is overgrown with weeds, and tree branches block the way, and you have to block your face when you pass through it.

The shepherd boy rode the ox all the way down.

Didn't meet the gentleman on the way back.

The shepherd boy hoped in his heart that he had just walked too far before turning back, but the gentleman had already washed his hands and returned to the main road before he entered the small road, and at this time he had gone to Anqing County. But don't linger by the river or have any accidents, although we have only talked for a while, but the gentleness and appreciation of the gentleman still touched him.

Gradually, I arrived at the riverside, only listening to the splashes.

When the shepherd boy brushed aside the last layer of branches and weeds, and looked at the river, he couldn't help but be surprised—

I saw a person wearing a Taoist robe, fluttering in the river, as if he had accidentally fallen into the water, and he couldn't swim, so he couldn't cry out of the water.

It's far from clear, but who else can there be that gentleman?

The shepherd boy was so anxious that he did not dare to go into the water.

I want to shout for help, but this place is far away from the main road, and no one has been there for a long time, where can anyone hear?

At that moment, a dark shadow appeared underwater.

“！”

The shepherd boy's eyes widened suddenly.

The black shadow was long, like a fish, and it was huge, bigger than a boat, faintly in the water, and it was impossible to see and not see clearly, so it was the most terrifying.

And it's also very fast.

"Sir! Underwater! ”

The shepherd boy panicked and shouted.

It seems that it is useless to shout......

But what can you do without shouting?

Before the shepherd boy could react, the huge black shadow came under the fluttering figure, and the black shadow shrank a little, and then suddenly became larger in the next second.

"Poof!!"

The first to leap out of the water was a huge mouth, about the size of a body, afraid that it could swallow a boat in one gulp. Immediately out of the water was half of the body, which was really unimaginably big, and the next second the fish fell back into the water, causing a splash.

The shepherd boy held his breath and did not dare to squeak.

He had heard the story of the water demon coming ashore, and he was afraid that this monster could also come ashore, and he was afraid that he would be discovered by it, so he had to hide in the forest and watch the water gradually return to calm, as before.

At this time, there was nothing left on the river.

The shepherd boy remained in place with his eyes wide open.

I didn't even notice that the shepherd flute in my hand had fallen to the ground.

I've always heard adults say that there are man-eating monsters in this water, but I didn't expect this monster to be so big and so terrifying. What's even more terrifying is that he had just witnessed the picture of this monster eating people, and the gentle gentleman who was talking to him before had been swallowed by this monster in one bite.

“……”

The shepherd boy opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

At this moment, a voice came from behind him-

"How did you get here?"

"Ahh

The shepherd boy was startled, turned back abruptly, and almost fell off the back of the ox before he sat still.

I saw a person standing behind him, with a delicate face and a gentle expression, dressed in a clean old robe. Behind him was a jujube red horse, bowing his head and grazing quietly, and a three-flowered cat at his feet, sitting upright, tilting his head to stare at himself, as if he was also asking questions.

"Didn't you just ......"

The shepherd boy stared at him and pointed at Jiang Xin again.

But seeing that this gentleman is still that gentle and calm, where does it seem to be in the water?

How could he be like this in the water?

"Fake, made of grass and trees."

Song You walked over in a few steps, stopped at the buffalo, bent down to pick up his flute in the grass, straightened up and handed it to him with a smile.

"Your bamboo flute has dropped."

The shepherd boy couldn't turn his head around, so he just took it in a daze.

Song You took out another piece of talisman paper from his arms.

"When the water demon emerges and is discovered, someone will either be brave enough to pick it up, or it will run aground downstream. When you find a nobody, put the rune paper on it, the rune paper lights up, and when it is no longer bright, you take it off, go back and boil the decoction water to drink, although it can not prolong life, nor can it enlighten the mind, but it can keep you healthy for a lifetime, no disease and no disaster. ”

The shepherd boy still took it in a daze.

The man turned and walked away, and the horse followed.

The shepherd boy finally couldn't help it and asked:

"Are you a god?"

"I think you are more like a fairy than me......"

The man and the horse gradually disappeared into the depths of the grass and trees.

The shepherd boy was stunned and shocked.

At this time, there was a sudden movement on the river.

"Gurgling ......"

For some reason, the surface of the river in the distance revealed a red light like a fire, and then the water surface seemed to be boiled, bubbling and bubbling, and then there were huge splashes, and there were huge figures in the water splashes struggling and rolling, forming waves, surging up the river bank, slapping the grass and trees.

The movement continued for a while before it stopped.

Immediately, a behemoth surfaced on the river.

Unlike before, it was motionless.

……

The sun gradually dispelled the morning dew.

The sun was also a little dazzling.

Song You looked up and saw that it was already noon, so he found a suitable place to stop, unloaded the quilt bag, let the horses rest and graze, and went to find dry firewood, set up a stove, took out the pot, and took out an object wrapped in layers of banana leaves.

Layer by layer of banana leaves, inside are two catties of beef cut when I went out this morning, and I have asked the butcher to help cut it.

The beef is red and shiny in color, and it looks like the meat is of excellent quality.

It's not like you can't eat beef anywhere else these days.

It is true that Dayan has a "prohibition on slaughtering cattle without permission", and it is now being implemented, but the implementation of the decree is not in place, according to the local situation, it is different, and there are some places where not letting people eat beef is equivalent to not letting people work, and the Son of Heaven cannot do such a thing. Second, the scope of the decree itself is actually limited, "privately", "slaughtering" and "ploughing cattle" are already three parallel conditions, not so easy to violate, with the "prohibiting the slaughter of ploughing cattle without permission" to explain that eating beef is illegal, and not being able to eat beef is not established.

In fact, the same was true in previous lives.

Throughout the poetry literature, there are quite a lot of descriptions of eating beef, and many poets and literati, either proud or downcast, or fighting or being degraded, are eating beef, and writing poems while eating.

In Yizhou, the price of beef is generally higher than pork and lower than mutton, but it is often sold only in big cities like Yidu, and it is difficult to buy in other small towns.

In short, it is not as convenient and cheap as here, and the meat quality is good.

It's all here, and I really have to eat this meal.

After Song You collected the dry firewood, he took out the water bladder, poured water into the pot, and took out the salt, intending to simmer half and roast half.

Pick up a piece and give it to the raccoon slave to eat.

"It's beef."

"Beef~"

The three-flowered cat said, stretching her neck to take it.

"Have you eaten it before?"

"Hmm......"

"Is it delicious?"

"Uh-huh......"

Song You couldn't help but smile.

I haven't tasted it yet, but seeing her eat deliciously, I have a little more joy in my heart.

Just as I was about to make a fire, someone came not far away.

Song You turned his head to look.

A short, yellow-maned horse, not much larger than a donkey, was led by a knight. The horses carried their bags on their backs, followed by a family of four, and the adults carried their coats.

After turning the corner, it was not long before we came to the front.

Chen Han was overjoyed, and first bowed to Song You:

"See you again, sir."

Song You also bowed back.

"See you again."

Immediately, the woman in men's clothes also hugged her fist at him, and looked at him with a smile:

"But fate?"

"It's fate."

"Sir, isn't he afraid of the thieves ahead, so he waited for us here?"

"There was a delay on the way."

"Cooking?"

"Yes."

"It's time for us to cook, so let's have a meal together?" Save some effort to build a stove and bury a pot to find firewood. ”

"Nature."

"I'll see what you eat......"

The woman leaned over and looked at the banana leaves, and recognized it as beef at a glance, and then looked at Song You in surprise:

"You're a Taoist priest who eats beef?"

"The Tao is natural, and it goes with your heart."

“……”

The woman saw that his face was indifferent, his tone was calm, and he had no shame or embarrassment, as if he was not a Taoist priest, or that he was not eating beef, she couldn't help but be happy, but she didn't say much.

And she's not a partner for nothing.

I saw that she turned around and took out the quilt bag on the horse's back, and took out an object that was tightly wrapped in layers of banana leaves.

It looks even bigger than Song You's.

Song You looked at her, she looked at Song You.

We know each other's thoughts very well.

The woman asked, "How many catties did you cut?" ”

"Nearly two pounds, not as much as you."

"I'm two pounds, the same amount."

The woman untied the straw and opened the heavy banana leaves: "It's just that I'm afraid that I'll leak halfway, so I asked the boss to use two more leaves for me to wrap." ”

"Be careful."

"Do you do it or do I do it?"

"It's true." Song You's voice was still unhurried, "I have a lot of experience in this one." ”

"Then I'll light the fire!"

The woman was more anxious than him, and she refused the Chen couple's request for help, so she took out the flint velvet, looked around, and went to find some reed ears and dried leaves, and squatted down and shrank in front of the small stove set up by Song You, and began to make a fire.

Song You watched her strike the flint carefully.

"Smack, smack, slap......"

Sparks burst out and fell into the velvet.

The three-flowered cat also came closer to take a closer look.

The woman glanced at her eyes and couldn't help but smile: "What are you looking at?" Are you afraid that I won't be able to light a fire? ”

The three-flowered cat still watched, and Song You was silent.

This is indeed a common way to make a fire in these years, but it is true that he has rarely seen people make fires like this. Whether it was in the Taoist temple, walking in the wilderness, or renting in Yidu, he never used flint to make fire, but occasionally saw others use it once or twice.

Now I think it's interesting.

Ignition is like a fire, and there's something fun about it.

"Hoo ......"

The woman had lit the fire and was careful to lift it up.

Turning his head to look at this person and a cat, he was puzzled.

"Why do you still look at it?"

I saw the cat turn around and leave, and ran to play on the side of the road.

The Taoist also withdrew his gaze and began to prepare lunch.

The smoke rises and goes straight into the clouds.

The aroma of meat is pervasive, attracting people's interest.