After the Legend

Chapter 48: Chronicle of the Journey South

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In the early morning, Ming Na woke up from her sleep and heard the sound of people playing on the shore outside the window. She scratched her messy hair and opened the cabin window.

A burst of fresh air came through the window, carrying a faint fragrance of plants, with a hint of fishy smell. The river water reflects the morning sunlight, forming golden patterns like fish scales on the hull of the boat and the rocks on the shore. Occasionally, a touch or two of green appears, but it is the slender and smooth leaves of the water lilies growing on the shore. formed by mapping.

The boat that Ming Na and her party were on was currently docked at the small pier by the Ori River, lined up with other boats. Although there are inns in the town, the grandfather and grandson are accustomed to life on the boat and do not bother with it.

The residents on the shore started a busy day in the morning light. They were either selling various goods to the people on the ship or transporting goods to the ship. There were also young children looking at the ship curiously and discussing in a low voice which one was more beautiful. .

Ming Na simply cleaned herself up and was attracted by the fragrance wafting from the window. A small sampan was shuttling among the ships, selling hot breakfast to people passing by. The business was very good. Ming Na saw from a distance those novel foods tightly wrapped in the green leaves of the aquatic plant Cypress, and wanted to try them with great interest.

She dug out the change bag and took out five coins, but when she wanted to throw the money on the sampan like others, she felt embarrassed. The small sampan was still more than ten meters away from her, with several boats in between. Seeing that there wasn't much food left, Ming Na was anxious to buy it, but she didn't know how to throw the five copper coins.

Mr. Bodman, the boatman, walked past the cabin and greeted the porters on the shore loudly. He had often interacted with these people when he followed the caravans south. Ming Na's eyes lit up when she saw him, and she hurriedly asked him for advice on how to buy things on the small sampan. When he heard this, he became happy. He took the copper plate from Mingna's hand, reached to the side of the boat and picked a small water lily leaf. He turned his hands and made an inverted cone shape. After stuffing the copper plate inside, he used the Cover it with leaves and tie it with the ends of long leaves. He held the small bag of money in his hand, shouted in the direction of the small sampan, "Here's a small fish meal," and threw it over, just past the several boats in the middle.

The woman on the small sampan gave a long response, raised a fishing net as big as a basin, caught the bag of money, squeezed it with her hands, and threw back a bag of round cattail leaves, which fell on the bank. In Deman's hands.

Minna happily took the package of food and couldn't wait to open it. Inside was a fist-sized ball of hot rice wrapped in grilled fish, herbs and some unknown dried fruits. Take a bite while it's hot, the sweetness of the rice spreads in your mouth, the fish skin is charred and delicious, the fish meat is fresh and tender, combined with the sweet and sourness of the dried fruit, it's really a supreme delicacy.

"It's delicious... Mr. Boderman, would you like some?" Minna enthusiastically invited the old boatman, but the other party smiled and waved his hand, took out three copper coins, and bought half a portion of grilled fish from the vendor on the shore. Enjoy your breakfast with the leftover sweet wine from yesterday.

Xiao Tianjian got into the cabin and saw his little granddaughter eating breakfast. He smiled: "So little Mingna has already eaten? I bought an extra portion." He also had several portions of small fish rice in his hand, as well as a pack of local specialties. The fruits are bright in color and carry the morning dew.

Ming Na had a very hearty breakfast. She smiled with her eyes wide and was in a very good mood: "It turns out that people here can eat such delicious food every day. I am so happy." Xiao Tianjian smiled and suddenly heard The sound of drums and cheers came from not far away, and both the grandfather and grandson looked curiously. It turned out that several clowns were performing for the guests on other boats. They turned more than ten somersaults and played throwing and catching. ball, with a dwarf playing a drum beside him.

When Xiao Tianjian saw that his granddaughter was interested, he raised his voice and called the clown to come over and perform. When a clown waiting nearby heard this, he greeted his companions, jumped over from the tops of the cabins in the middle, and landed lightly on the bow of their boat. He was as light as a swallow.

Ming Na suddenly clapped her hands and applauded. The clown smiled, bent down and gave a big salute: "My lovely little guest, what kind of performance do you want to see?"

Ming Na looked at Xiao Tianjian and saw that her grandfather was just looking at her with a smile, so she asked, "Can you throw the ball? Just like the person just now, throwing three or four balls together?"

"Of course, I can throw a few more." The clown casually took out three or four small balls from his pocket and tossed them in turn. He caught a glimpse of some fruits on the small table next to Minna, and asked her for help with a smile. He threw two balls, plus the balls he brought with him, and he threw more and more, but there was no mess at all.

Ming Na had seen clown performances in Qedun before, but those people just wore brightly colored and weird clothes and made ridiculous moves. Although some people could throw and catch the ball, there were only three or four at most. , it is really rare to be able to throw five or six like this. And this clown looks different from other clowns. He wears ordinary clothes, except for the circles of colorful ribbons tied on the cuffs, collar and trouser legs. He is tall and moves neatly, except for the red on his nose. The oil paint and the green feathers inserted diagonally on the hat make him look like a clown.

He threw six balls and fruits, and started playing tricks again. First, he changed the direction of throwing the balls back and forth, then he threw the balls and fruits extra high, and then he did two somersaults before catching them. Ming Na cheered loudly when she saw it, and the people on the boat next to her were also attracted and looked over.

"Add two more fruits!" A childish voice came from the neighboring boat. Minna turned around and saw a little boy about her age getting out of the hatch and lying on the edge of the boat talking to the clown. The clown grinned: "Okay, come on!" The little boy threw two fist-sized fruits over, and the clown caught them. The speed of throwing and catching in his hands suddenly accelerated. The fruits and balls in the air were like wheels, and there was still a trace of them. Not messy.

The wonderful performance won bursts of applause from the people around him. The clown smiled and threw back the two fruits of the little boy. He used the same method to deal with the two given by Minna, then grabbed the remaining balls and took them. He took off the hat on his head, bent down and saluted: "Thank you for the compliment, how about I perform another one for you?" After that, he jumped onto the roof of Mingna's cabin, did a somersault with one hand, and jumped to where the little boy sat next to him. On the boat, he rolled and jumped back and forth on several nearby boats. He just touched his feet lightly every time, but did not stop on any boat. Several times, he looked like he was about to fall into the water, and suddenly he was on the boat. As soon as the hull of the boat next to it is pushed up, it will land on the other boat like a fish and continue to beat.

Ming Na opened her mouth slightly, watching this clown jumping between ships with amazing agility. She thought that she had learned Qing Gong, but she could only jump from one ship to another. She could still jump like this continuously. I really can't do it, I can't help but admire it. Xiao Tianjian was very happy when he saw the happy expression on his little granddaughter's face. Although he felt that these performances were not exciting, he still threw a gold coin in order to save his face.

The clown begged half a hat of copper coins from other spectators, and suddenly saw a bright gold coin. He couldn't help but froze. Then he screamed strangely, took a bite of the gold coin, blinked, and thanked Xiao Tianjian excitedly. The latter waved his hands casually and didn't take it to heart.

Ming Na also took out a silver coin and said, "I don't have any gold coins. This is just a little thought from me. Thank you for performing such a wonderful show for me."

The clown happily took the silver coin, gave a big salute, and then jumped into the water with a sudden movement, causing a splash of more than a foot high. Minna was shocked, and she wondered why he suddenly jumped into the river. Not long after, the sound of water came from the other side of the boat. She turned around and saw that the clown had a white flower in his mouth, emerged from the water, and gave the flower to Minna.

Ming Na took the flower and smelled the fragrance. It was the water taro lotus unique to Shaonan. It usually grows under the water and is not easy to pick. It is a very precious raw material for perfume. She raised a big smile and thanked the clown, who smiled brightly in return. Only then did she realize that this clown was actually quite handsome and had an extraordinary temperament. Why would such a person become a clown

At this time, a cry came from the shore: "Vasily, we are leaving!" It turned out that other clowns and dwarfs who had finished their performances were about to leave. The handsome clown raised his hands to his companions and turned back to Minna and said: "Thank you very much. Your silver coins, lovely lady." He waved goodbye to Xiao Tianjian, then climbed ashore on the rocks along the river and left with his companions.

Ming Na watched them go away, and suddenly a voice came from the boat next to her: "His skills are really good, right? He doesn't look like a busker at all." Ming Na turned around to look, and it turned out to be the one who made the noise before little boy. He was wearing Shaonan clothes, a loose and soft white cloth shirt and trousers, a black silk vest, red shawl hair, and a few freckles on his face. Although his appearance was ordinary, it made people look at him. Have a good impression.

He stretched out his little hand: "Hello, my name is Happy. I am seven years old this year. My family lives in a small town on the upper reaches of the Barrow River, which is the river to the west." Minna shook hands with him friendly: "You Okay, my name is Mingna, I will be seven years old in half a month, my home is in Qedon, north of East."

"Easter? Are you a foreigner?" Little Happy looked very interested, "I haven't been to a foreign country yet, what is it like?"

Ming Na tilted her head: "Well... there is not as much water as here... but there is also a pier over my house, surrounded by mountains..."

"There are mountains over there from my home. What's this?" Happy didn't take it seriously. He paused. He seemed to have thought of something. He approached Minna and asked, "Are you from East? Then you must know about your country. Epic hero Earl Xiao? Have you seen him? What does he look like? Is he the same as the rumors? Black hair and eyes?" At this point, he glanced at Xiao Tianjian and asked Ming Na in a low voice: "Who is this person? Who is yours? He looks really like Earl Xiao."

He is Earl Xiao. Minna secretly glanced at her grandfather and saw that he just smiled and shook his head without saying anything, so she said to Happy: "That's... my uncle, he just happened to look like him. Why did you ask about... Earl Xiao?"

Happy was excited: "Because I admire him very much. Think about it, he can travel around the world alone with a sword and beat all the bad guys to pieces. How majestic! I want to be like him." In that way, I can learn a good swordsmanship, travel to various countries on the mainland, increase my knowledge, hoe the strong and defeat the weak, and maybe one day I can become the object of praise from bards."

Ming Na looked at his thin arms and legs, then looked at her own, deeply doubtful about the possibility of achieving his goal: "Can you do it? You look thinner than me." She walked half a continent , she collapsed from exhaustion, and he didn't look like a stronger person than her.

The little boy suddenly blushed: "Why not?! As soon as I arrive in Italy, I will find a teacher who teaches swordsmanship. I will never stay in the room meditating all day again!"

It turned out that he was the son of a small businessman. There was an aunt, two uncles and a cousin in the family who all studied magic. This was also common in Shaonan, which worshiped magic. Happy was discovered to have magical talent when he was very young, so his parents planned to send him to a children's magic academy. This time the whole family went to Italy. In addition to taking advantage of the May Festival and the festive occasion of the Crown Prince's wedding to sell their inventory, they also wanted to go to the Magic City to inquire about the application for the Children's Magic Academy on their return trip.

Happy muttered: "My parents have been thinking about me becoming a magician all day long, but how can being a magician be as powerful as being a swordsman? I would rather slash people with a knife than point around with a small stick..."

Minna didn't know what to say. After the little boy was led back to the cabin by his mother by his ears, she discussed this issue with her grandfather: "Why does Happy want to be a swordsman? He is as thin as a stick." , I’m afraid he’s not as strong as me.”

"It's hard to say." Xiao Tianjian smiled, "Where there is a will, there is a way. It is a good thing to have ideals and goals. Maybe he can really achieve it. But this is other people's business, so we don't have to worry about it. The sun has already risen. It’s high, so let’s leave early.”

After the boat left Ori, it slowly headed east along the river, and soon made a big bend and turned to the south. The river is wider and there are more boats passing by. When Ming Na feels that she is in good health, she will run outside the cabin to look at the scenery and enjoy the cool breeze. It was already early summer, and the morning sun was making people feel warm. Both sides of the river are covered with lush trees and flowers. On the west bank are low and gentle mountains, and on the east bank are towns and villages. But behind the houses, you can see a ray of green in the distance.

Ming Na asked her grandfather: "What is that?" Xiao Tianjian said: "That's the Yaluo Forest, but it's just the outer edge. In fact, it was said that the forest used to extend all the way to the shore, but it was cut down to build the dam. There are hundreds of square kilometers of trees, and the forest has shrunk to that.”

"So we are so close to the Yalor Forest? Then can we get there soon when we get home?"

"Silly girl." Xiao Tianjian smiled, "That forest is enough for you to walk for several days and nights. I'm afraid it's no smaller than the Elf Forest, and there are many dangerous animals. If you want to go home, it's better to go around it. You've been out for a long time, go back and lie down."

Ming Na pouted and returned to the cabin, still looking at the green color outside the window in a daze.

The Yaluo Forest is indeed very big, and the green color has not disappeared from Ming Na's sight three days later. But because the river turned a sharp bend and turned to the southwest, it finally sank below the horizon on the fourth day.

Shaonan is indeed a country with many rivers and lakes. Along the way, Mingna can see countless tributaries, large and small, flowing into the river, and the water is deeper. The small boat they were on was bumping badly in the waves. After discussing with Xiao Tianjian, Bao Deman decided to dock at a large passenger ship and move forward, only needing to pay a small amount of money.

There are many dams on the river, and many of them are tall and solid. Minna has become a little numb from seeing them. If she were to see the small dam in Ori now, she would never be amazed by it again. However, crossing the dam is also a troublesome matter. Sometimes, because there are too many boats, the number of boats passing each time has to be limited. The result is a boat jam that Xiao Tianjian calls a "traffic jam."

At the last dam on their journey, they were blocked again. Ming Na was a little bored waiting. The light magic on her body gradually failed as time went by. She began to feel tired and tingling in her legs. Sometimes the pain was so painful that she couldn't sleep at night. At this time, the boat was blocked several times in succession, and her temper became bad.

Xiao Tianjian tried countless ways to appease his little granddaughter. Unfortunately, while waiting to pass the dam, he couldn't even find a clown to relieve his boredom. At most, he could only ask Boldman to sing a few lines of barcarolle.

But it didn't take long for Mingna to find her own way of entertainment, which was gossip. The large passenger ship they docked on boarded dozens of people. The daughter of one family fell in love with the son of another family. However, the fathers of the two families had conflicts. When they found out that their sons and daughters were in love, they kept quarreling all day long. , people on nearby boats regularly watch their shows every day to relieve their boredom.

Ming Na was also the number one loyal spectator and saw it as a way to divert her attention so she could forget the uncomfortable feeling in her body. But when Xiao Tianjian saw that his granddaughter actually liked such tacky gossip, he thought it was too cheap, so he told her about Romeo and Juliet, as well as Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, but he soon thought that he was talking about love to such a young child. , it was too embarrassing, so I turned to talk about "Journey to the West", of course, it is the TV series version.

The boat jam lasted less than two days before they passed the dam. It was almost sunset, and the river was glowing with dark gold. There was a large plain on the west bank. Looking from a distance, you could see another touch of dark gold on the horizon.

Xiao Tianjian told Ming Na that it was another big river. The two rivers formed a quite vast alluvial plain here, and the place where the two rivers met was Yini, the capital of Shaonan.

But before Yi Ni, they reached a semicircular mountain, located on the plain between the two rivers. Looking into the distance, dots of lights have been lit on the mountain, spiraling up from the water's edge at the foot of the mountain, getting denser as you go higher, until on the high tower on the top of the mountain, there is a bright orange light.

This is the magic city.

(I would like to apologize to everyone first. Because I have to visit the grave this weekend, I will have to stop updating for about two days. I will be back on the 6th to continue. Please forgive me. ^_^b)