"Can the boatman go to Limbo?"

The Taoist stood on the shore, holding a bamboo cane, bent down and asked the boatman who was docking, with a smile on his face, as if it was in the past, but it was different.

Next to her was a little girl in a three-color dress, with a clean and delicate face, a ball head, and a blanket in her hand, but her expression was serious and cute.

"Limbo?"

The boatman propped up the oars, looked at them, and replied, "Go! Why not go? ”

"How do you collect money?"

"From here to Lingbo, it takes five days to go downstream, two hundred dollars per person, and a horse has to be calculated according to the money of two people, and they are all collected like this, and the girl brought by Mr. can only be counted as half a person's money. The boat is in charge of food, there is no delicacies from the mountains and seas, only to fill the stomach, but the horse's forage can be brought by yourself, if you don't have it, every morning and evening when you dock, you can also put it down, let it go to the shore to graze. ”

"Two hundred dollars......"

Song You turned his head to look into the distance.

This is not Nianping Ferry, although it is the same as going to Lingbo, but it is not the same as the place he went to by boat more than ten years ago, compared to Nianping, this place is closer to Lingbo, and it can be heard from the words of the boatman that it took six days to go to Lingbo by boat, and now it only takes five days.

But it's also two hundred dollars.

"It's all for the price! If you meet someone else, the little old man may ask a higher price, but the guest officer is a monk gentleman, no matter how lacking in virtue the little old man is, he will not ask a monk to ask for a price indiscriminately! What's more, business on the river has not been good in the past few days, and the little old man has already discounted for his husband, if it is usually hot, one person will have to ask at least 220 yuan, and he will have to sit full before leaving. Seeing that Song You didn't say anything for a long time, the boatman thought that he was too expensive, so he hurriedly explained, "Why don't you give Mr. some more and charge 650 yuan." ”

"It's a bit more expensive than it used to be."

Song You walked away from his memories and smiled at him, "Please come ashore at the boatman." ”

"Okay!"

The boatman immediately smiled, rowed over, and explained while rowing: "It's not expensive, it's not expensive, it's been this price for a few years, if you want to say it's cheap, you have to go at least ten years ago." However, now it is becoming more and more unpeaceful to run boats on the river, and it is even less peaceful to take the land route, and the world is somehow worthless, and the money is becoming less and less valuable, and it has long risen. ”

"I see."

Song You stepped onto the boat in a few steps.

With a clang, the horses also got on the board.

The girl followed, counting the money to him.

This time it was 100 yuan more than before, because Sanhua Niangniang did not become a human form before, but used the cat body to take the boat, and the boatman did not collect money from the cat, but now it has changed into a human.

There are two benefits to doing so.

One is that Sanhua Niangniang likes to fish, on the boat for several days, she has become an adult, whether it is fishing or reading, it is more convenient, if it becomes a cat, such a narrow space, it is inevitable to be bored. The second is that although Sanhua Niangniang is greedy for money and likes to save money, she also likes to enjoy the same treatment as others, and gives her a boat money, which can satisfy her psychology and is conducive to the inner growth of children.

"Oh! Sir, this horse is wonderful! ”

"The boatman doesn't have to worry about it, just let it stand here, it won't fall."

"Okay......"

Song You then bent down and entered the cabin.

But the cabin was empty.

Just when Song You thought that the boatman was still waiting for guests, he felt that the boat shook slightly, and he had just leaned to the shore, but now he left the shore softly and sailed away.

"Isn't the boatman waiting for anyone?"

"Wait for someone? Waiting for whom? ”

"Wait."

"Waiting for a guest? No waiting! This is a small ferry, there are not many people, and the water business has not been good recently, if you wait here for guests, I am afraid that you may not be able to wait for two days, even if you wait, most of them are just from this ferry to the next ferry, wasting Mr. time. The boatman smiled, "It's better to go downstream, pass by the major ferries, see someone, take it along the way, and make more money." ”

"It makes sense."

Song You nodded and smiled.

It seems that this trip is more spacious.

So he sat sideways in the cabin, with his back against the canopy, and stretched his legs almost straight.

Sanhua Niangniang sat beside him, sitting upright, with two small hands on her knees in a regular manner, seemingly much more honest than when she became a cat, but in fact she kept turning her head from side to side, or tilting her head slightly, looking at everything in the cabin curiously.

"If Mr. feels bored on a boat alone and wants to find someone to talk to, Xiao Lao'er can also accompany Mr. to blow the shell, if Mr. wants to drink some wine, some ferries also sell wine, but Xiao Lao'er has never read a day in his life, if Mr. is like those literati and officials, if he wants to sing poems and lyrics, Xiao Lao'er can't accompany him hahaha......"

"The boatman is funny."

Song You stretched out his hand and pinched his child's face, seeing that she didn't say anything at all, and didn't look at him, he continued to ask: "By the way, can this boat get to Lingbo?" ”

"Didn't the gentleman go to Limbo?"

"yes."

"I can get there, why can't I get there?"

"I couldn't get there before."

"Before? A long time ago? Even if it was more than ten years ago? The boatman was amused and asked with some surprise, "Sir, who are you listening to?" ”

"A boatman, too."

"Haha, that was more than ten years ago." The boatman stood at the bow of the boat and said to him, "More than ten years ago, there was a water demon in Lingbo, and the road was not low, and the trouble was very fierce, no one dared to go, not even the big ship of the government dared to pass there, and we naturally did not dare to go." However, more than ten years ago, there were immortals passing by, except for the water demon, although the river is not very peaceful in recent years, but they are all small things, be careful to sail the boat for ten thousand years, and it can already pass normally. ”

"I see......"

Song You smiled, thoughtful.

"Sir, scary demon?"

"Don't be afraid."

"If you are not afraid, you have to tell your husband: don't fish at night, be careful of being pulled down by something, even if it's just a big fish, it's not so easy to climb back on the boat at night; If you see a fish floating by the boat for no reason, don't reach out to pick it up. If you hear someone shouting at night, or if you hear something from your hands, don't go to the boat. If you see a black shadow under the water, don't lean on the side of the boat out of curiosity to look at it......"

The boatman talked a lot, as if he was listening to strange talks.

It's just some things to pay attention to, but when you listen to it, it's like listening to the monsters and monsters that have happened one by one, and it's also quite interesting.

"The boatman knows a lot."

"Those of us who run boats all year round, there are a lot of things on the river, and the guests who come and go are bored on the boat, and they like to talk about this, ask us this, and tell us. Hehe, by the way, there is a scholar surnamed Fu written a book in Anqing in front of him, it is said that it is all this kind of strange things, very popular, although the little old man can't read the words, but also heard the guests often mention, the scholar surnamed Fu used to be at the ferry, listening to us resting boatmen talk about some things, no one knew at the time, it was all written in his book. ”

"The scholar surnamed Fu ......"

Song You's eyes showed the brilliance of memory.

"There are a lot of strange things written on the water and rivers in that book, all of them are the same as the real ones, some of them you only need to read the story, and you won't be easy to be harmed by demons and ghosts, and some of the stories are written behind the method, teaching you what to do when you encounter this kind of thing, and it's also interesting."

"I've heard about it below......

"Sir has seen it too?"

"This is very well written, and when I was in Changjing, I bought it in Xia."

"Changjing also sells it? So far! ”

"yes."

"Haha, this scholar is still famous."

The boatman's laughter was hearty, echoing above the river.

Song You also sat in the cabin, reminiscing about the past.

The girl next to her had already completed the observation and mastery of the unfamiliar environment of the cabin, retracted her attention, picked up her small bamboo pole by herself, and was looking down and laboriously untying the twisted fishing line.

"I told Sanhua Niangniang that when you collect the fishing line, collect it well, and it will be very convenient to use it again when the time comes."

"I told the Taoist priest that when you collect the fishing line, you can collect it casually, and when you untie it, you can solve it well." Sanhua Niangniang lowered her head and focused on untying the fishing line, and said to him without raising her head.

"You're pretty stubborn, little thing."

"This big thing is also quite stubborn!"

“……”

The Taoist shook his head and stopped talking.

The light boat goes straight downstream, the water waves sound and shake gently, there is a breeze on the river, just through the cabin, blowing the cheeks of the Taoist, making people comfortable, comfortable, not thinking about anything in the heart, there is a feeling of "the world is now accustomed, this heart is leisurely everywhere".

Just lie down and squint.

When I woke up again, it was dusk.

I don't know when the ship has stopped.

The sky is not dark, the dusk is not to go, the mountains have become deep black shadows, the dreamlike light on the horizon and the silhouettes of the mountains are reflected in the water together, and the river is also dyed with color. The boat floated on the water, and the light on the boat was not much bigger than a soybean from a distance, and it was also reflected in the water, wrinkled by the evening breeze.

The boatman shrank next to him, lighting a fire and cooking, for fear of waking him up, so he moved cautiously.

There was a small figure sitting on the bow of the boat, holding a small fishing rod in his hand.

The fishing line enters the water, and there are ripples between the ups and downs.

The girl suddenly took up the pole.

"Poof!"

There was a faint silver glow in the dimness.

At the same time, she reached out and took it.

Just a small fish.

The girl looked calm and skillful, took it off casually, and threw it back.

"Plop Plop ......"

The fish were jumping in the cabin.

"You can cook porridge."

The girl turned back to the boatman and said, and when she saw that the Taoist had woken up, she was stunned again: "Are you sleepy?" ”

The Taoist struggled to get up and couldn't help but rub his eyes.

When I woke up, I was worried, the sky was also dim at dusk, the river had not changed for many years, and the scenery on both sides of the river was similar to many years ago.

It's been a dream for years.

……

Five days later.

The blue waves of spring water, the boat listens to the wind, the swallows follow the boat, like a waterfowl from the water, often overtake the boat, fly to the front and circle back, and fly to the back of the boat, as if playing.

The girl sat on the side of the boat and scratched the side of the boat with her fingernails.

"It's Anqing just now, and after Anqing, it's Lingbo in front." The boatman almost stopped, walked on his own without rowing, and said to the Taoist, "We can get there this afternoon." ”

"Anqing!"

Sanhua Niangniang raised her head, looked at the Taoist, and tilted her head up to the sky, and then tilted back again, until she found the swallow flying around behind the boat, and then kept this strange posture still:

"It's the swallow's hometown again!"

"Sanhua Niangniang, don't twist your neck." Song You quietly helped her head back and straightened it, so as not to arouse the suspicion of the boatman.

"Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a big demon to make trouble, taking advantage of the rainy season to attract a surging flood, the water spread for thousands of miles, the waves were turbulent, and many people in the county town were drowned, which was called a tragedy. Only a part of them were lucky enough to escape to this mountain, and only then did they save their lives. Later, in order to prevent the big demon from making trouble again, he built a city on the mountain, which was called Lingbo. ”

The boatman also served as a tour guide and said to Song You.

Song You smiled when he heard this-

And he heard familiar words.

"There is a temple along the official road along the river in front, and Mr. will be able to see it later." The boatman said to him, "Didn't you say that there were water demons in this section of the river before, and then they were eliminated by the gods?" The local people built a temple for the god, and that temple was the temple. ”

"Really......"

Song You stood by the river and walked forward in the breeze.

"Have you been to see the boatman?"

"I've been there once, and it's a stone statue, similar to other gods, and a horse's statue, oh, it seems to have a dog. Don't look at us who run boats, we are on the river every day, in fact, there are many places on the shore that we have never been to in our lives, and it has not been peaceful in recent years, this temple has good incense, so the little old man also came to worship. I don't know if the spirit is spiritual, anyway, after worshipping, until now, the little old man has not capsized the boat, and I don't know if it is blessed by the gods. ”

"It must be the boatman's own carefulness and blessing."

"Haha, it's almost time to the temple! Don't dare to say that! The boatman waved his hand again and again, afraid that the gods would hear and blame him, "Didn't I tell Mr. before that there was a scholar surnamed Fu in Anqing who wrote a story book full of monsters and ghosts?" This thing seems to have been written into the book by him, and it seems that he has seen the fairy with his own eyes, and most of it is true! ”

"I see......"

Song You took a deep breath, I don't know how far away, but he still faintly smelled the smell of incense.

It seems that they came to look for him.

“……”

The Taoist waved his hand, still dispelling it.

It didn't take long to see a temple.

The light boat followed the river and passed by it.

In a trance, the Taoist seemed to see a middle-aged man on the shore road, dressed as a literati, playing the riverside with his friends, his face was faintly familiar, I don't know if it was an old man.

The boat is really a little brisk.

"Limbo has arrived."

The boatman brought the boat to shore and let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you."

After thirteen years, the Taoist once again set foot on this riverbank.

(End of chapter)