Chu Qingliu smiled: "What you said seems to make a lot of sense. Mei Zhanxue said: "It's good that it makes sense, let's turn back." ”

Chu Qingliu said: "What I said seems to make a lot of sense, it seems." I just ask you, with the old rivers and lakes of the eldest brother, can he make you guess what he thinks? In my opinion, even if you go back to the same place and turn around to the west, there may not be a path. Even if there is, it will definitely not work, and it will have to turn back to other roads, and the work will be delayed in vain. ”

Mei Zhanxue said: "Can it still be a Ecstasy Array?" Chu Qingliu smiled: "That's not much worse." Mei Zhanxue said: "Aren't you able to watch the sky at night? ”

Chu Qingliu said: "Stargazing also has to have stars to be observed, if you enter the dense forest and deep valley, how can you see the stars? If you encounter a rainy day, the sun, moon and stars are all gone, then what should you do? You didn't pay attention to it, the eldest brother does not rely on the sun, moon and stars to travel, and there are many other particulars. ”

Mei Zhanxue hated: "What knows that the Beidou world is easy to go, it seems that it is all deceitful nonsense." Chu Qingliu said: "You don't blame yourself for your poor skills, but blame the ancients for coming and beating a rake." ”

Mei Zhanxue said: "I don't care, I have to go back anyway." He begged softly: "Good second brother, after we go back, let's go west first, and come back if you can't get through, you listen to me this time, and in the next month, no, three months, I will listen to you all, okay?"

Chu Qingliu said with a smile: "You never do anything when you speak, I won't be fooled by this." Mei Zhanxue said: "Do you believe it or not." Turning around and walking back, Chu Qingliu had no choice but to follow.

Back at the place where they broke up, Wei Shuoren was gone. Mei Zhanxue breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'm really afraid that my eldest brother is still here, waiting to scold me." Chu Qingliu said: "Don't be happy first, you see there are words here." Mei Zhanxue said: "What is written?" Chu Qingliu said: "See for yourself." ”

In front of the stone where Wei Shuoren had sit, he wrote a line of words on a branch: Second brother and third sister, there is no way to go west, go back to the mountain. Chu Qingliu said: "How?"

Mei Zhanxue said: "I understand, this is called wanting to capture the old and indulge, the virtual is real, and the real is virtual." If we are scared back, we will definitely make the eldest brother laugh in the future, I don't believe in this evil. As he spoke, he walked west, but Chu Qingliu still followed.

After walking for a long time, the path became wider and wider, and it turned out to be a big valley, which was Chu Qingliu, and he gradually relaxed his heart. That night, I found a rock crevice, marked the direction, lit a fire, and rested in the valley for the night.

The next day was less than five watches, Chu Qingliu woke up, only to feel that his ears were filled with the crackling sound of water droplets hitting the trees, and he secretly screamed that it was not good, and he said in his heart that it must not rain. When I got up and looked at it, I realized that it was not raining, but a thick fog. After dawn, three steps away, it is still difficult to distinguish the figure. Chu Qingliu said: "How is this good?" Mei Zhanxue said: "What's wrong with this? We won't leave when the fog rises, there will always be a time for the fog to disperse." Chu Qingliu had no choice but to wait in peace.

I didn't want it to be foggy on the second day, Mei Zhanxue had already lost her patience, and said: "Walking is better than sitting, I don't know how many days this ghost fog will get, we can't afford to wait." ”

On the third and fourth days, the fog cleared slightly, but it was still starless and moonless weather, there was still a little dry food, but the drinking water had been exhausted. Everywhere I passed, there was no spring or stream. Mei Zhanxue said: "Second brother, I have caused a big disaster, you can scold me for being angry." ”

Chu Qingliu smiled and said: "It's not uncommon for you to get into trouble, what's the use of scolding you? Or is you right, this fog can't always be ghostly, there will always be a time to disperse." If we don't disperse, let's go up, and there will be snow on it, which will quench our thirst.

After walking on the road for a long time, the eyes suddenly became clear, the shoulders were still cloudy and mist, but the sun was shining not far ahead, and the eyes were full of shallow grass flowers and trees, Chu Qingliu said: "This place is really a bit like Jiuhua Mountain, there must be people nearby." Mei Zhanxue said: "Do you have anyone here in Wanghaizhuang? Don't brag again." ”

The two of them picked wild fruits to quench their hunger and thirst for a while, and after a few days of boredom were gone, they only chose the easiest places to walk.

In the middle of the line, a sound of "humming and humming" came, and a group of domestic pigs came in front of them, large and small, and there were twelve or thirteen of them. Behind the herd, followed by a small swineherd. This kid will never be older than ten years old, with a whip on his shoulder, bare feet, and his trousers pulled high, he was obviously taken aback when he saw Chu and Mei.

Mei Zhanxue was overjoyed and said, "Second brother, you are like a god, there are really people here." Now it's okay, let's buy some food, fill enough water, and even if we go to the edge of the sky, we don't have to be afraid. You also have to wash and wash, this garment is also torn, and it should be mended, if it is small, it will not be mended, and if it is big, it will suffer, my nurse said. Chu Qingliuqi said: "Will you mend your clothes?" Mei Zhanxue said: "I won't either, but there will always be someone." He shouted: "Little brother, please walk slowly, we have to ask you for directions, what are the town stores around here?"

The swineherd stopped the pig and said, "Don't startle my pig if you are so loud, and if it is scattered, will you help me catch it?"

Mei Zhanxue said: "The little brother is really capable, much better than my brother, he can't herd pigs or sheep." ”

The boy looked suspicious and said, "You are not a good person, what's the great deal about herding pigs? ”

Chu Qingliu said: "That's a joke made by people, little brother, don't take it seriously, I took care of the osprey when I was a child, isn't that the slave who serves the osprey?" Pointing at Mei Zhanxue, he said, "Has she also served ospreys?" seemed to be very unbelieving.

Mei Zhanxue said: "I have served the villain----- but I don't mean you, I have taken care of children who can't walk and can't speak, those children are more troublesome than you pigs, don't you say?" After a few words of gossip, the boy's expression gradually calmed down, Mei Zhanxue said: "There is no town store, there should always be someone, right?" Let's buy some food and pour some water, you must know." The boy said, "I know that." Then he asked, "How did you get here?"

Chu Qingliu said: "We went into the mountains to play, and when we got lost in the fog, we came here. The boy said, "What is there to do in this snowy mountain?" You are not telling the truth. ”

Mei Zhanxue sighed and said: "We were chased and killed by the enemy, and our skills were not good, so we wanted to run as far as possible, so we came here." The boy said, "That's pretty much it, you people outside the mountain know all day long that you don't do good things." Since we met, even if it is fate, you can come with me. "An old-fashioned look.

Chu Qingliu said: "Thank you little brother for showing you the way, this bit of silver can be regarded as a reward for you." ”

The boy laughed and said, "This silver is of little use in the mountains, so you better put it away." I really don't know the way out of the mountain, but if I did, I would have gone out of the mountain a long time ago, and I still herd pigs here to play? I can only take you to find water and food, but I don't know the way. If you want to ask for directions, you have to ask someone else. It is good to be at home for a thousand days, and it is difficult to go out for a while. "It's old-fashioned.

Chu Qingliu said: "That being said, let's follow you, but are you pigs full?" The boy said: "Go back and eat all the way, they should be full." ”

The three of them said this without a ride, walked out for more than an hour, and came to a small courtyard, with a thatched roof, a bamboo fence as a courtyard, and a vegetable garden surrounded by four miles. Mei Zhanxue said: "This is your home?"

The boy said, "My house is still inside, this is Mr. Xu's house." He looked down at Chaimen and said, "Mr. Xu is not at home, but don't be afraid, he must be in the backyard, he has nowhere else to go." ”

After leading the two of them around to the back of the room, and walking out of about a mile, the boy shouted: "Mr. Xu, Mr. Xu, there are guests from your house, or guests from outside the mountains, you have to entertain with good tea and good food." ”

Mr. Xu seemed to be very surprised: "Where are the distant guests outside the mountains? You monkey had better not make ghosts, you must know that if I want to rectify you, I will not be embarrassed." Get rid of your pig ancestors, and see the seedlings that hurt me!" scolded and scolded, and walked out of a person, in his early fifties, not wearing a long shirt, only coarse cloth shorts and gowns, with the cuffs pulled up, holding a small hoe in one hand, and wearing bast shoes under his feet, but a breath of ease could not be concealed no matter what, and it came to his face.

This person saw Chu Qingliu and Mei Zhanxue and asked, "Are these two looking for me?"

Chu Qing saluted: "My brother and sister got lost in the mountains, and all the dry food and drinking water have been exhausted, fortunately I met this little brother, so I came to you with him, hoping to buy a little food." Even if you don't have anything to eat, please indicate the water source, it's really a lot of trouble. ”

Mr. Xu turned his head to the swineherd and said angrily: "Why are you so troublesome, when I am idle, I have to make you suffer a little!" The kid smiled: "Then wait for your husband to be free!"

Mr. Xu said: "In the lower mountain forest savage, surnamed Xu, double name Evening Village. The two of them each have swords on their bodies, and they both have kung fu, I don't know what to call them?

Chu Qingliu reported the names and surnames of the two and said: "My brother and sister have also practiced a few rough and shallow styles, and I dare not say that there are any martial arts. If you disturb Mr. Qingjing, let's leave it at that, there must be someone in front of you. Everything is about your affection and my willingness, if one party is reluctant, it will be very tasteless. ”

Xu Wancun said: "Whether it's superficial or clever, I can't see it anyway." Now that you have come to me, it is not good to pass the door, otherwise it will spread and it will seem that our people in the mountains are too cold. Pack up the hoe and a bamboo basket, lead the two back to the small courtyard, and sit down in the grass hall.

There are five main rooms in the small courtyard, and the first three rooms in the west are connected, which seems to be the living room, and the place where the master sits, and like Mr. Xu's study, which is very open and spacious. A few wooden chairs are placed on the west wall, and the east wall is densely packed with wooden boxes from the ground to the cornice. The two walls of the north and south are full of various colors of word paper, and the paper is full of colors from the small characters that are difficult to distinguish with the naked eye to the words of the size of the bowl mouth, and then to the words of the size of the basin mouth and the size of the cylinder mouth. The word "god" on the north wall is particularly outstanding, it is the size of a bed, and the stroke is long and vertical, which can really be described as standing up to the sky.