On the way home, Shu Xiaoliu told Shu Yan that it was best not to rush at night recently, I heard that there are wolves near us, and Shujiazhuang has been bitten to death by several sheep. In ancient times, the population was sparse, especially in the early Jin Dynasty, after a long period of war, the population of most parts of the country was less than one-tenth of the peak of the Han Dynasty. It's not surprising that there are wolves, wild dogs, or something in the wild, and even tigers are infested in some areas, so Shu Yan didn't pay much attention to it.

Shu Yan has fulfilled his promise these days and often helps Ruoxin study. However, in most cases, Shu Yan did not go to Han's house, but Ruoxin went to Shu's house to find Shu Yan, so Shu Yan and Zhixin did not meet much.

In early winter, the weather is getting colder, and the firewood in Ruyin City is in short supply. Shu Yan made an appointment with Ruoxin to go to Xishan in the afternoon to cut some firewood to sell.

"We'll chop the firewood before dark, pick it up and take it home, and sell it in the market early tomorrow morning, go early and come back early, and when you come back, I can help you read."

"Okay, Brother Yan."

Ruoxin agreed, returned home, and told her mother and sister, Zhixin became excited when she heard it, and put down the needle and thread in her hand, "It's so boring at home, I also want to go to Xishan!" ”

Liu did not object: "If you want to go, you can go, do you need to be so excited?" ”

After lunch, Shu Yan and Ruoxin took the wooden pole as a flat pole, tucked an axe in their waists, and Zhixin took the rope, and the three of them walked towards the West Mountain. Before coming, Zhixin also put on a little makeup, and on the occasion of Shu Yan, Zhixin's little face was always slightly flushed. Shu Yan and Ruoxin walked in front, talking about the ten philosophies of Confucius all the way, and Zhixin followed behind boredly.

Ruoxin asked, "Brother Yan, which one do you like the most disciple of Confucius?" ”

Shu Yan replied: "Confucius's disciples have their own advantages, and each has their own shortcomings, Confucius is most proud of Yan Hui, in fact, I also like Yan Hui, 'a spoonful of food, a scoop of drink, people are unbearable, and they will not change their pleasures'." This poor and open-minded spirit is very similar to that of your father and my father. But he is a more rigid person, Confucius is what he says, he listens to his words, and never knows how to refute. ”

"Speaking of rigidity, it's more like me."

"Uh......" Hearing Ruoxin say this, Shu Yan regretted saying the word rigid just now, "Actually, Uncle Han is just serious about things, and he doesn't see any changes." ”

Ruoxin didn't care, and then went down and said: "I think Zigong is also very good, although Confucius didn't like him very much, probably because he dared to put forward ideas that were different from his teacher...... I like his 'gentleman loves money and takes it in the right way'. ”

"What about Ziyou?"

……

The two had a great conversation.

Zhixin followed silently behind, she was a little angry: Along the way, Shu Yan hasn't looked at me directly, and if he doesn't look at it, he actually left me behind, talking to my brother about Confucius disciples, what are those ancients to talk about? I know I don't like that, even if it's good to talk about poetry, do you deliberately don't want to talk to me?

Zhixin was sullen all the way, her mouth pouted, she regretted a little, whether she should come today. Actually, Shu Yan didn't mean to be cold to her, it's just that boys are not as thoughtful as girls.

West Mountain is a barren mountain, and people rarely come here except woodcutters and hunters. When they arrived at the West Mountain, Shu Yan and Ruoxin climbed to the tree on the edge of the cliff, picked up their axes to cut down the dead branches, and Zhixin collected the cut dead branches below.

Zhixin stood on the hillside and looked into the distance, the south side of the mountain is the Ru River, the bank of the Ru River is the Shi family's manor, and the place where people come and go outside the manor is the Shi family's water mill. Further to the northeast, there is a dense place of people is Shujiazhuang. A straight avenue runs from the crossing of the Ru River, through the outside of Shujiazhuang, and leads north to Ruyin City. Since the last time there was a controversy because of Hu's matter, the Shi family really didn't dare to use fake Hu, Dou, and Sheng, all of them were replaced with standard measuring instruments, and the people were also at ease to cook rice there.

Zhixin looked away for a while, and had forgotten all the sullenness just now. Looking at the appearance of a big boy and a little boy chopping wood seriously with axes, for some reason, suddenly, Zhixin felt a sense of happiness in her heart. In her mind, these two boys are her closest people, whether rich or poor, as long as these two boys are by her side and healthy, she will be satisfied.

She chanted in a low voice: "There is a tree in the south, and the arrowroot is tired." Happy only gentleman, blessed with Suizhi. ...... "May happiness always be with him."

After Zhixin finished reciting, she silently prayed in her heart: May happiness always follow them Brother Yan and my brother.

The winter days are short, the unitary time has not yet arrived, and before you know it, it is already dark.

Zhixin had already collected a lot of dry firewood, and she shouted to Shu Yan and Ruoxin on the tree: "Brother Yan, Ruoxin, it's dark, and there is already a lot of firewood, let's go home." ”

"Okay, wait a minute, right away." Shu Yan responded in his mouth, and chopped a few thick branches with an axe in his hand.

Zhixin bent down to pick it up, looked up sharply, and found that not far ahead, a pair of bright eyes were quietly moving towards her, because the sky was dark, she couldn't see what it was, there were many small animals in the mountains and forests, she didn't think much about it at first, looking at the silhouette was both like a dog and a wild fox, but the eyes of the wild fox and the dog were not so bright, and they were glowing green.

"Wolves!" She suddenly remembered that she had heard Shu Xiaoliu say that there were wolves nearby, and she concluded that it was a wolf, and casually screamed.

By the time Shu Yan heard the shout, the wolf had already arrived in front of Zhixin, and Zhixin was just about to turn around and run. Shu Yan shouted: "Zhixin, don't run, you can't outrun it, turn around, don't turn your back to it, otherwise it will bite your neck." ”

Shu Yan said as he quickly got down from the tree, moving closer to the direction of the wolf and Zhixin, and now the wolf was close to Zhixin. Carnivorous beasts have a keen sense of observation and are specialized in picking out the weaker prey. The wolf peeked at Shu Yan with an ax in his hand, knowing that this person was not easy to deal with, it paused slightly, and suddenly pounced on Zhixin, Shu Yan was startled, it was too late to run over to save it, in a hurry, he flew out of the axe in his hand, swished, impartially, and was slashing the wolf's back span, although the wolf was injured, but it was not fatal, after the axe hit the wolf, it flew straight down the hillside.

After being injured, the wolf became even more irritable, and pounced on Zhixin again with teeth and claws. At this moment, Shu Yan was already in front of Zhixin. Shu Yan flashed, dodging the wolf's sharp teeth, but not its claws, the beast's claws are usually retracted into the meat pad, and when they are used, they stretch out, as sharp as a steel hook.

With a "bang", the wolf's claws grabbed Shu Yan's left shoulder, and blood flowed out immediately. The blood made the wolf even more excited, and he wanted to pounce again. Without an axe, Shu Yan was never sure to win the wolf, just at this time Ruoxin arrived, Shu Yan grabbed Ruoxin's axe, aimed at the wolf's head is an axe, but the wolf's head is too hard, and cut a little off, this axe is not fatal, after a few rounds, at this time the wolf came up and down, because of the injury of the hind legs, before he had time to stand up, Shu Yan saw the opportunity, aimed at the wolf's neck is an axe, this axe is too strong, cut off the wolf's cervical vertebrae, struggled a few times and fell to the ground, the axe handle was also broken at the same time.

Shu Yan threw down the handle of the axe, breathed a sigh of relief, and was exhausted. The danger was lifted, and he hurriedly comforted Zhixin: "Don't be afraid, it's okay now." ”

Zhixin looked into the distance blankly: "Brother Yan...... Don't rejoice too soon......"

Shu Yan was stunned: "What?" Are you hurt? ”

Zhixin only shook her head and pointed forward. Shu Yan looked at Zhixin's hand, and a pair of eyes shining green quickly moved closer to this side.

It's a she-wolf.

"Oh no, we're all out of weapons."

Suddenly, the she-wolf came to the dead wolf and sniffed, arched her mouth again, and then let out a low wail—"Whew." ”

"Whew-whew." Behind Shu Yan and the three of them, there were three same low howls with anger. Shu Yan thought it was the echo of the valley, but when he looked back, he was completely desperate. At some point, three wolves came up behind them, grinning their teeth and glaring green eyes viciously at the three of them.

Zhixin and Ruoxin were trembling with fright, a girl and a child, no wonder, Shu Yan seemed to be a protector in front of them.

"What about flint, wolves are most afraid of fire, which of you two has flint?" He shouted.

The two of them shook their heads together, Shu Yan thought to himself, the axe is gone, there is no flint, although there are still two wooden poles, but they are too far away, it is dark and they can't see where they are, even if they are in their hands, for the four wolves, the two wooden poles almost do nothing, it seems that today is a catastrophe. Death is death, but it is really embarrassing to be buried in the belly of a wolf, and even the whole body will not be left.

The three of them stood shoulder to shoulder in a three-legged position, facing outward, ready for battle, knowing that they couldn't defeat the wolves, but they couldn't sit still.

Zhixin leaned on Shu Yan's shoulder, they had never been so close together. At this life-and-death juncture, she calmed down. I am familiar with the "Book of Songs", and my feelings for Shu Yan are expressed through the "Book of Songs", and I just prayed silently, "Happy only gentlemen, blessed and suizhi", this is a catastrophe, it turns out that this prayer is all opposite. We have grown up together since childhood, but we have never been skin-to-skin, we have never been together in life, and we have died together. Let's die, and it's safe to be able to die with your beloved. The two sentences I taboo the most are those two sentences in "Wang Feng", I never chant them, but I didn't expect them to be the most suitable for me at this moment: "If you are in a different room, if you die, you will be in the same hole." ”

Although they lived in two separate rooms when they were alive, they were to be buried together when they died.

"If you are in a different room, if you die, you will be in the same hole." Shu Yan also agreed.

Zhixin was overjoyed, this sentence was enough to see through Shu Yan's heart for her, it turned out that she ignored her before, it was all "sanctimonious disguise".

Ruoxin has also become sensible recently, and he has gradually understood the relationship between his sister and Shu Yan. He also knew that this poem, although it was at the same time of life and death, but it was not easy for him to follow this poem.

These four wolves are a little smaller than the one that died just now, and it seems that Shu Yan killed the first wolf. The four wolves do not seem to be in a hurry to attack, because the darker it is, the worse the person's eyesight, while the wolf is not affected, the more beneficial it is for the wolf.

The four wolves stared at them for a moment, and it was already completely dark. The she-wolf suddenly purred in her throat, but not loudly, and the other three wolves responded, apparently attacking. The wolves narrowed the encirclement and surrounded the three men. The three of them dealt with four evil wolves with their bare hands, and they couldn't last long at all, not to mention that it was still in the night.

The wolves were like fish in water in the dark night, getting closer and closer to the three of them, and they were already close at hand, and they could bite off the necks of the three people with just one bite and avenge their head wolf.

At this critical juncture, there was a loud roar, followed by a thudding sound, which shook the path between the mountains and forests and trembled slightly. The wolves froze in fright and stopped attacking.

Shu Yan had never heard this roar, but he saw two people walking over with torches and a behemoth. Under the light of the torches, the three of them were stunned, they had never seen such a big animal, this giant beast was the size of several cows, with a long nose hanging down, and a giant tooth like a long sword on each side of the nose, and it was taller than his own raised hand, if it weren't for the people sitting on it, meeting this giant beast out of thin air in the wild would definitely be more terrifying than the wolves.

The beast roared at the wolves and kept banging the ground with its front feet. The wolves did not dare to come closer, retreated to the side, and watched from afar.