There was a confused expression on that terrifying face: "You are..." Mingna then realized that this was actually a person. Although he looked scary, he was wearing an all-white coarse cloth robe and a thin turban around his neck. Silver chain, the pendant is a silver eight-pointed star. This is a monk from the Light Cult.
Ming Na had heard a lot about the Illuminati Cult from her religious mother since she was a child. As soon as she discovered that the person in front of her was most likely a priest, she put aside most of her fears. Despite his appearance, she still didn't dare to come forward and talk to him.
Xiao Tianjian knew this priest. He didn't need to see the other person's appearance clearly. He could already guess who it was by just looking at the smooth head and pale face, coupled with the hoarse voice. He stared at the other party and said coldly: "If you really can't recognize who I am, then I'm really lucky. Haven't you been guarding the orphanage in Mengli? What are you doing here?!"
The ugly priest suddenly realized and finally recognized Xiao Tianjian: "It turns out to be His Excellency Earl Xiao. I haven't seen you for a long time. How did you... become like this?" At this moment, the epic hero was dusty, embarrassed, and naked. The bloody Bigfoot was so different from the high-spirited image in his mind, no wonder he couldn't recognize it.
Xiao Tianjian didn't want to say more about himself, but just repeated the question just now. Father Del didn't ask any more questions and explained that he had been transferred to the temple in Anchor City and had just returned from the oasis southwest of Weisha. Preaching back. After looking at the injuries on Xiao Tianjian and Ming Na's feet, he asked with some enthusiasm: "You are seriously injured. Can I treat you?"
Ming Na was overjoyed after hearing this, and was about to nod in agreement, but was interrupted by her grandfather's words: "You don't have to pretend to be kind! My business will spend money every year for charity, and I have no intention of donating money to you! Don't try to trick us!" Mingna turned to look at her grandfather, only to see him staring wide-eyed, but the turbidity in his eyes hinted at his current unfavorable situation.
She opened her mouth, feeling very embarrassed. After spending so much time with her grandfather, she certainly knew that he didn't like the Illuminati Cult, but she heard that the clergy were very kind and benevolent people, so why did her grandfather hate them? Could it be that the priest outside the carriage was too ugly, so grandpa didn't want him to come in? But grandpa's condition is really bad. Can't he get better by asking the priest to use some healing techniques? She whispered: "Grandpa, the priest can use magic..."
"That kind of magic is not good for us at all!" Xiao Tianjian interrupted his granddaughter, "Only the superficial wound is healed, but in fact the wound is not cured at all. I never believe in the so-called healing skills of these magicians!" He looked up. Chased Father Riddle: "Come on, we don't need you."
Father Riddle sighed and didn't force himself. He lowered the curtain and left the carriage they were sitting in. However, he turned back after a moment and handed Minna a small bottle of something: "This is what the locals use to treat blisters on their feet." Herbal juice, it belongs to the caravan boss, take it and use it."
Xiao Tianjian was about to refuse, but he held his hand down: "Your Excellency, this is not my thing. You always have to think about your children." Xiao Tianjian said nothing, and Ming Na happily took it. She began to feel that this scary-looking priest was actually a good man, and thanked him with a sweet smile. Father Riddle waved his hands with a smile, dirty teeth exposed between his split lips, and his whole face became terrifying. Minna froze and shrank back involuntarily.
The concoction was very effective. Mingna felt that her feet were much better. She applied it to her grandfather again. After he hesitated for a long time, he still obeyed his granddaughter's wishes.
Minna asked in a low voice the origin of Father Riddle and why her grandfather hated him so much. Xiao Tianjian scratched his head and said: "He used to be the manager of Mengli Orphanage. I can't stand the way he goes around asking for money. And his name... doesn't sound like a good person, let alone his appearance..." Ming Ming Na recalled that pale face and shuddered: "Indeed, he looks so scary. No wonder grandpa hates him."
Xiao Tianjian twitched the corner of his mouth, not knowing how to explain to his little granddaughter that if he told her that "Tom Riddle" was the name of a certain big devil, and that big devil was also a pale-skinned bald monster, I'm afraid it would involve a lot of trouble. too much. It is said that Father Riddle in this world was not born ugly, but was cursed. But he has lived in this world for so many years and has never seen anyone turn into a monster due to the so-called curse. Naturally, he will not believe the rumors. As a result, this Riddle seems particularly suspicious.
Like them on the road, more and more pedestrians and convoys were heading southeast, and many were heading in the opposite direction. Small oases and residential areas gradually began to appear on the roadside. When night fell, they finally arrived at Anchor City.
This is a city located at the junction of Weisha and Shaonan. It is backed by the high mountains of Fan'a. A clear stream winds down from the mountain and flows past Anke City, forming a small river that goes straight to the south. This river separates Anke City from a mountain pass on the Van-A border. There are residential buildings and towns on both sides. Therefore, it can be said that Anke is actually located at the junction of the three countries.
Although there is still a lot of sandy land in the west of the city, there is more green in the east and south than in Mengli. This is the economic center of the southern Weisha region and an important border town in the northern part of Shaonan. There are many shops on both sides of the street, but from time to time there are soldiers passing by with swords on their backs. The clothes of these soldiers are different from the few people Mingna has seen. Same thing, I asked my grandpa quietly and found out that it was Shaonan's army.
Since the invasion of the Weisha Sand Bandits thirty-one years ago, Shaonan has stepped up its border defense. Even though it is known that the Sand Bandits have been disbanded, except for some personnel who have been incorporated into the regular army, most of them have become gangsters and are only focused on fighting for territory in the country. , Shaonan still didn't dare to relax.
As an economically important town, Anke City also has a branch of the Xiao Family Trading Company, and fortunately, the branch here has not retreated. Unlike other branches that Ming Na had seen, most of the people in Anke Branch were from Shaonan. Except for the deputy manager who was from East, there were only a few guards or apprentices who were Weisha nationals. The steward was an old man with a white beard, and he received Xiao Tianjian and his grandson very warmly. What makes Mingna happy is that because most of the people in this branch are from the local area, although they heard about Anlong, they did not take it out on the children.
After more than ten days, Ming Na finally took a hot bath, brushed her body clean, and then had a good meal of hot food. There are doctors specially equipped for employees in the branch, but their medical skills are only mediocre. He can deal with the blisters on Ming Na's feet, but he is at a loss when it comes to the snake venom and scorpion poison in Xiao Tian's sword. He even suggested going to the temple in the city to invite a priest. After using the healing technique, Xiao Tianjian was so angry that he kicked him out at that time.
In the end, I asked some elderly Weisha people from my neighbor's house for advice. They were quite experienced in this kind of thing. They sent a few pieces of earthwork, and Xiao Tianjian regained his vision and taste.
Ming Na breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her grandfather was safe. After returning to a stable and comfortable environment, she finally let go of her worries. However, extreme joy brings sorrow. I wonder if it was because she suddenly relaxed after being in a tense state for a long time. Mingna fell ill.
She only felt that her body was extremely hot, and then she was so cold that she was trembling all over. The wounds on her feet were burning, and her stomach also felt hot at some point. Hot air was sprayed out of her mouth and nostrils, and blisters began to appear on her lips and ears. It seemed like something kept making noises, which made her head hurt. After being sick for two days, her condition did not improve. There was even a strange smell circulating in her body, and she felt a tingling sensation in her legs from time to time.
In a daze, she only heard her grandfather talking to a few people she didn't know, saying things like "residues of poison," "overwork," "beyond limits," "magic chaos," and so on. , someone fed her a bitter and smelly medicine. After drinking it, a chill went straight from her throat into her belly. She felt better. When she opened her eyes, she saw her grandfather sitting in front of her bed.
He looked a little haggard, and his eyes were full of worry: "Are you feeling better? I didn't expect that there are still residues of that poison. Fortunately, the potion given by Frido is still there, which can temporarily suppress the poison."
Ming Na's mind was still a little unclear. She only knew that she seemed to have been poisoned: "Grandpa, will you be fine after drinking this medicine?"
"I'm afraid not." Xiao Tianjian sighed, "I asked someone to use a healing technique on you to temporarily suppress your illness, but to cure it, you must find a way to find a magician. Let's take a boat south tomorrow and go to the Magic City. .”
Minna had already caught a glimpse of Father Riddle at the door. He had just received a few money bags from the old steward with a white beard. He smiled at her from a distance and turned to leave. Mingna no longer had the energy to be afraid. She was a little touched in her heart. Her grandfather hated the priest so much, but she still asked him to treat her. Her grandfather was so kind to her.
She clung to her grandfather's neck and acted coquettishly. Xiao Tianjian smiled and touched her thin face, feeling guilty in his heart. This little granddaughter has followed him for so long and suffered a lot. He must compensate this child well in the future.
The people from Anke Branch prepared a boat for them to go south, and also sent a boatman who was familiar with the waterways. When Ming Na was carried by her grandfather to the dock, she fell in love with the ship as soon as she saw it.
The boat is not big, only about five or six meters long and more than two meters wide. It is the size of a very common boat in the river. There are two cabins on the ship, both of which are square wooden cabins. The brighter one in the front has a small bed, a small table and a small cabinet. There is a large window next to the bed, with a pink-blue and yellow floral curtain. , just prepared for Ming Na. The other room is shared by Xiao Tianjian and the boatman.
Ming Na sat on the small bed, looking around, feeling the ups and downs of the ship, and then stretched her head out of the window to see the scenery outside. Xiao Tianjian pulled her back: "Be careful, don't fall into the water." Minna said excitedly: "Grandpa, this is my first time to take a long trip by boat! When my grandfather returned to Matt from our home, my parents and I went to the dock to see him off, and we also boarded the boat to see him, but I had never Lived on the boat."
Xiao Tianjian smiled and said: "Do you like it? I'm afraid you will get seasick. Shaonan is a very nice place. Let's go all the way south and see the scenery on both sides of the strait. We will soon arrive at the Magic City. When you are well, I will take you You have a good time." Now that he had reached this point, he was not in a hurry to send the child back. He asked someone from the branch to bring a letter to Anlong and his wife, and the granddaughter would stay and slowly receive treatment.
Ming Na just felt that it was so refreshing to watch, and she wanted to get down and walk around on the boat immediately, but her grandfather stopped her. The reason was that the injury on her foot had not fully healed, and the overloaded walking in the past ten days had made her Her legs were badly injured and she must rest now.
In desperation, she had no choice but to stay in the small bed and watch the boat slowly slide on the water and leave the dock where it originally docked. On the shore, the figures of the branch manager and others who came to see him off gradually became smaller. The houses on the riverside receded one by one, and their boat quietly sailed down the river towards the south.
The river gradually opened up, and several boats of similar size were traveling with them. On the way, they passed several villages and stopped to rest. The enthusiastic villagers would row small sampans less than three meters long to transport various foods or supplies to sell to them and other boats. Those things included various local fruits, fragrant grilled fish, home-brewed sweet wine, dumplings made from a food that Xiao Tianjian called "rice", and brightly colored clothes. Ming Na was originally very interested in them. , but Xiao Tianjian refused, leaving only the food.
Everything is very cheap, and one silver coin can buy enough food for three people to eat for a day. The branch manager carefully prepared enough silver coins and copper plates for them, and even prepared a bag for Minna to buy snacks when she needed it.
Minna noticed that people in the village seemed to be preparing for a celebration, so she asked the boatman for advice, and the answer she received was that they were preparing for the May Festival.
Minna was startled, recalling that last year, when her grandfather first arrived at their home, the whole country was preparing for May Day. Unexpectedly, it has already been almost a year. Time flies so fast.
Boatman Bodeman slowly rocked the boat and said: "Shaonan's May Festival is different from East's. Celebrating the victory in the war thirty years ago is only part of it. In fact, our May Festival It has been thousands of years. I heard that the fields in the south are preparing to harvest the first batch of grain this year. It will be a bumper harvest. In addition, the crown prince is about to marry a concubine. We all have to celebrate this year."
He is a short man with strong limbs. He holds a long oar in one hand and another on his foot, rowing the boat with a special rhythm. Although he usually doesn't talk much, once someone strikes up a conversation with him, he will start talking non-stop. At the moment, he is introducing the May Festival customs of Shaonan to Xiao Mingna with great interest. One of them is that people scoop up river water and pour it on each other to pray that diseases will not come, because in Shaonan, water is life. As a symbol of the country, there are dense river networks across the country, and there is almost no place without water.
Ming Na listened with great interest, but Xiao Tianjian on the side smiled and said: "Isn't it the Water Splashing Festival? There is one in my hometown, but it is not river water. Fortunately, the river here is quite clean, otherwise the water would be splashed on the body, would it have any effect? You know, people must be sick first.”
Boldman laughed loudly, took out his hand and shook it: "No, no, the water god will bless us."
Mingna knew what grandpa meant by "hometown" and quickly asked: "Does grandpa also have this kind of custom there? Tell me about it."
Xiao Tianjian smiled and introduced the Yunnan Water Splashing Festival to his granddaughter. After crying that time in the desert, he no longer tabooed mentioning what happened before the crossing. Although he knew in his heart that his little granddaughter might not be able to understand what he said, it would at least give him a chance to recall the past, so as to slightly alleviate the increasingly intense homesickness in his heart.
Two days later, the boat arrived at a dam. The dam body is about three stories high and is made entirely of wood. It looks a bit old but is still very strong.
Ming Na watched in amazement as the huge gate slowly rose, but was knocked on the head by her grandfather: "Fool, this is just a small dam. I am surprised now. What will I do if I see a bigger one in the future?"
"Is there any bigger one?" Minna asked hurriedly. She had only seen small dams on the river near Qedun before, which were half smaller than this one.
"Of course, so shut up." Xiao Tianjian was angry and funny, but Paul Deman, who was rowing in front of the boat, smiled and turned back: "Little miss, after passing the gate, you will see Ori, and there is another river that joins there. Enter, the river surface will be bigger going down, and we will encounter more dams in the future, but the largest one is at Port Doro, but the dams near Yinyi are not small, they are five times as big as this one. !”
Minna opened her mouth even wider.
The gate was raised, and more than a dozen boats and fish passed by. As soon as she passed the dam mouth, Ming Na's eyes brightened. She saw a large river lying in front of her, and the sun's rays shone on the water, reflecting the sparkling waves. As expected, there is a river flowing into the waterway to the west, and not far to the southeast is the large town of Ori built on the water. There are countless small docks along the river, and thousands of boats are docked among them, rippling gently with the river water.
(Shaonan, Zeguo, is a country where gentleness and enthusiasm coexist. Please add Suzhou to Venice and Spain... It is not available on the shelves yet, so please feel free to read it~~~)