Behind the bamboo forest is a forest extending into the mountains.
There is a river in the woods, and its source is also in the mountains.
Ning Tao came from the mountains and is going to the mountains in the opposite direction to Yecheng.
"Mom, there are mushrooms there!" Not far into the woods, Ding Ling discovered the mushrooms. She carried the basket and ran towards the place where she found the mushrooms, looking very happy.
Xue Weiyang was also in a good mood and said with a smile: "Sir, please don't laugh. This girl Linger is a bit skinny, but she is very sensible."
In such a difficult living environment, even a child like Ding Ling will be tempered to become mature and sensible. As the old saying goes, children from poor families have long been in charge of the family. She lost her father when she was a child, and her mother was frail and sick. She was also using her thin shoulders to support this precarious family.
Ning Tao smiled and said, "I wish I had such a sensible and well-behaved daughter."
He really wanted to have a daughter, but the stomachs of the five women in the family were not up to par. No matter how hard he tried, their stomachs never responded at all.
He was speaking out of emotion, but the listeners seemed to have other understandings.
Xue Weiyang secretly looked at Ning Tao from the corner of her eyes, with a hint of blush on her cheeks. After hesitating for a while, she asked aloud: "Sir, where are you from?"
"Penglai." Ning Tao said.
Xue Weiyang said in surprise: "Penglai Immortal Island?"
Ning Tao smiled and glanced at her: "Next to Penglai Immortal Island, there is a small island. I have never seen Penglai Immortal Island before. It is a legendary place after all."
Xue Weiyang breathed a sigh of relief: "Just now, I thought you were a god."
Ning Tao just smiled and looked at Ding Ling, who was picking mushrooms on the ground with her butt stuck out. He really liked this little girl. If any of the five women in the family gave him such a daughter, his life would be perfect.
"Sir, is there anyone else in your family?" Xue Weiyang asked again.
Ning Tao was stunned for a moment, and then thought about it in his mind before saying: "My family members are all in another world. In this world, I am just a rootless person, wandering around."
"Oh." A hint of joy appeared on the corner of Xue Weiyang's mouth, and she didn't know what she was thinking about or what she was happy about.
Ding Ling came back with a basket, her little hands were full of mud, and there were two small mushrooms in the bamboo basket. This small amount of mushrooms was not enough for her to eat two mouthfuls, but she was very happy and handed the basket to Ning Tao: "Uncle, look, what wonderful mushrooms they are."
Ning Tao touched her little head and said with a smile: "Ling'er is so awesome. You and your mother are picking wild vegetables here, while I go to look elsewhere and catch some game."
"Uncle, I want to go too." Ding Ling looked at Ning Tao eagerly.
Ning Tao wanted to reject her, but when he saw her innocent and pitiful eyes, he couldn't help himself.
Ding Ling was obviously not his daughter, but for some reason, he wanted to regard her as his daughter in his heart. It is said that the daughter is the lover in the previous life and the caring little cotton-padded jacket in this life, but he, a man without a daughter, is suffering from his daughter's disease. He hesitated for only two or three seconds, and then changed his mind: "Okay, let's go together."
"Uncle, you are so kind." Ding Ling reached out and hugged Ning Tao's leg.
"Ling'er, don't be naughty." Xue Weiyang taught her a lesson.
Ding Ling hurriedly let go of Ning Tao's legs and lowered her head, not daring to look at her mother.
Ning Tao picked up Ding Ling and put her on his shoulders: "Let's go, uncle will take you hunting."
"Giggle..." Ding Ling smiled happily, holding Ning Tao's head in her small muddy hands.
This is probably the first time in her life that she has been lifted high and mounted on a horse, right
Her father never gave her such a small cotton-padded jacket, and today Ning Tao came to give it to her.
"Sir, you can't do it, you can't do it." Xue Weiyang said anxiously, chasing Ning Tao's footsteps.
Ning Tao simply started running.
Xue Weiyang looked dumbfounded.
The woods were filled with Ding Ling's crisp laughter.
Ning Tao didn't plan to go too far, so after riding for a while for Ding Ling, he stopped, and then awakened the sight and smell skills of his eyes and nose. In an instant, dots of innate air fields entered his field of vision, and thousands of scents penetrated his nostrils.
There were some small animals in the woods, not even the ants crawling in the grass, that could not escape his sight.
If he wants to be a hunter, China has thousands of years of history. If he takes second place, I am afraid no one will dare to take first place.
He quickly zeroed in on a prey, not far ahead, on a grassy field behind a few trees. It was a deer. It was munching on the grass on the meadow, its ears pricked up, and it maintained its instinctive vigilance.
Ning Tao took Ding Ling off his shoulders and whispered: "Uncle has found the prey. You stay here and I will catch it."
Xue Weiyang came over with a curious look on her face: "Sir, how can you hunt if you don't have a bow and arrow?"
Ning Tao smiled: "I never use a bow and arrow when hunting."
After saying that, he bent down and picked up a stone from the ground, and then tiptoed towards the direction of the deer.
If he hadn't deliberately kept a low profile, he would have fired his shot and flew over. He was said to be a deer, and even birds would not be able to escape. But it's better to keep a low profile, otherwise it will be difficult to get along with him if he is really treated like a god.
Behind Ning Tao, Ding Ling's dark eyes were full of innocence and admiration: "Mom, uncle is so powerful, he can kill prey with stones."
"Don't make any noise, or you will scare away the prey." Xue Weiyang said a little nervously, her eyes never leaving Ning Tao's back, her eyes were completely different from Ding Ling's.
What a woman in troubled times longs for and needs most is a sense of security, and she can get an unprecedented sense of security from Ning Tao. For some reason, she feels very peaceful when she is by Ning Tao's side. The suffering and danger seemed to have left her.
Ning Tao never noticed the different look in Xue Weiyang's eyes behind him. He sneaked behind the row of trees and then stuck his head out.
The deer didn't notice anyone approaching at all, and it was impossible to notice it, because there was no sound from Ning Tao's feet, and even his breath was blocked.
Ning Tao suddenly waved his arm, and the stone flew out of his hand.
Whoosh!
The stone cracked and there was a sound.
The deer that was eating grass raised its head, but before it saw anything approaching, the stone hit it on the head. With a muffled sound, it fell down and died instantly, very simply.
Ning Tao walked over and picked up the deer, turned around and walked back.
"Uncle is so awesome!" When he saw Ning Tao holding a deer back, he ran over and was very excited.
Xue Weiyang had a shocked expression on her face: "Sir, did you really hit the deer with a stone?"
Ning Tao smiled: "It's just good luck. If there are bows and arrows, I would also use them."
"Uncle, can you stay?" Ding Ling suddenly said this.
Ning Tao was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to answer.
If a widow with a young daughter is left alone as a man, isn't that what she has become
"Ling'er, don't talk nonsense. There are some things you can't say." Xue Weiyang's face turned red, looking shy and anxious.
Ding Ling said, "Mom, you obviously want uncle to stay, but you don't dare to speak. If I dare to speak, uncle, please stay, okay?"
Xue Weiyang raised her hand: "You, if you keep talking nonsense, I'll beat you!"
Ding Ling said stubbornly: "You have to say it even if you hit me."
After saying that, she made a face at Xue Weiyang.
What a smart child, he can read his mother's thoughts and seize opportunities. Such IQ and EQ would probably be enough to crush the vast majority of children in modern society more than two thousand years later. But if you think about the reason why she is so mature and careful, isn't it caused by this difficult and difficult environment? Her cuteness and intelligence also bring a little sad feeling to people.
Xue Weiyang's raised palm was reluctant to fall on Ding Ling's butt, but she glanced at Ning Tao from the corner of her eye.
Ning Tao was embarrassed and had a headache.
He is destined to be just a passer-by, and he doesn't know when he will leave. The only thing he knows is that the time will not be very long. If he stayed as a son-in-law, wouldn't it be a dream in the end
If it were another woman, he wouldn't even consider it. But she happened to be the elixir spirit of Xunzu Dan. He was haunted by dreams and wanted to find and take away the woman with all his heart.
"Sir... don't take the child's words seriously." Xue Weiyang's eyes were filled with loss and dimmed, and her mood became much lower in the blink of an eye.
Ning Tao put away his thoughts and said with a smile: "Just stay, there is nothing wrong with it. Let's go back and eat meat today."
"You..." Xue Weiyang couldn't believe her ears.
Ning Tao just smiled at her, with kindness, justice and hope in his eyes.
Ding Ling took Xue Weiyang's hand: "Mom, why are you in a daze? Uncle asked us to go back."
"Oh." Xue Weiyang came back to her senses, not daring to look into Ning Tao's eyes, and walked back home with her head lowered. But when he was carrying Ning Tao, his face was full of joyful smile.
If this matter were placed in modern times, a widow would definitely have to ask the man if he has a house, a car, how much savings he has, and how much his monthly income is during a blind date. But in this ancient time of war and chaos, there is no need to pay attention to it. Being alive is already the biggest wish. If you meet the right one, you can live together if you can. What's more, she still picked up a treasure, how could she not be happy about it.
"Woof woof woof..."
Suddenly there was the sound of dogs barking and the sound of people running deep in the woods.
Xue Weiyang and Ding Ling suddenly became nervous.
Ning Tao awakened the gaze state of his eyes, and immediately frowned when he took a look.