Judge of the Lamp

Xu Zhiqiong and Lin Qianniang rowed the boat towards the land that should not have appeared.

The shoreline gradually became clear, Xu Zhiqiong turned around and said to Qianniang, "It's still too late to go back now."

Qianniang asked in surprise, "What are you doing when you go back? We agreed to come with Xu Lang."

Xu Zhiqiong asked back: "Why do you have to come with me?"

"I didn't just say it just now, I will take care of it with Xu Lang."

Xu Zhiqiong lowered his face and said, "You will be punished for lying."

Qianniang hurriedly said: "If you lie, cut off your hands and feet, even if you cut off your head, let Xu Lang punish you."

"Why should I chop you up? But I want to beat you hard."

"Just let Xu Lang beat you."

"Can you beat peaches?"

Qianniang blushed and said, "Hit where Xu Lang says to hit."

"Break the peaches bare, okay?"

Qianniang lowered her head, "Xu Lang can hit him however he wants."

Xu Zhiqiong frowned and said, "What is this all about?"

"Just to follow Xu Lang..." Qianniang's voice became smaller and smaller.

With her famous methods, if she wanted to tell a lie, it would be difficult for others to detect it. Xu Zhiqiong had always suspected that Qiongqi's wild words were somewhat related to the famous techniques.

But the lie that Qianniang told today is really not wise.

She didn't use techniques against Xu Zhiqiong, probably because she was worried that Xu Zhiqiong would also use famous techniques to see through her lies.

But even if you don't need techniques, at least you should tell the lie more tactfully. If it's an ambush or a trap, Qianniang's methods are really good. Such things as wayfinding are completely unsuitable for Qianniang. Xu Zhiqiong went alone. It's the most suitable.

After thinking about it, the boat had already reached the shore, Xu Zhiqiong jumped onto a rock, and Qianniang jumped onto the rock.

"I'm good at skills, I will never burden Xu Lang..."

The reef was very slippery, and Qianniang was unsteady on her feet and almost fell.

Xu Zhiqiong stepped forward to support Qianniang, and led her to the foot of a hill.

The hills are not big, with a radius of two or three miles, and the vegetation is extremely lush, but it doesn't look like it should be in February.

Xu Zhiqiong found a small path on the hill. The path was paved with stone slabs with a smooth surface and arranged in layers, leading to the mountainside.

Seeing this trail, you can be sure that this is not a desert island.

Walking along the path to the mountain, Qianniang looked around all the way, as if everything she saw was novel and precious, and she wished to record everything she saw in her eyes.

Except for the unseasonable prosperity of vegetation, Xu Zhiqiong really didn't find anything special about this barren mountain. He was about to walk halfway up the mountain, in the middle of the dense forest, a young woodcutter sang while chopping firewood:
"Analyze the salary and analyze the salary, use the ax to break the salary, collect the salary as a bundle, and give it to my beloved!"

Xu Zhiqiong didn't quite understand the simple and obscure words.

But this singing voice is really pleasant, the voice is clear, loud and melodious, with distinct rhythms and rhythms, lingering in the ears.

Xu Zhiqiong had heard Lin Ruoxue's singing in Shifang Goulan, even though the No. [-] singer in Daxuan was still inferior to this woodcutter.

Hearing this singing, Lin Qianniang was very pleasantly surprised, and was about to go deep into the dense forest.

Xu Zhiqiong twisted the thick part of the peach hard, and Qianniang shivered in pain, and retreated behind Xu Zhiqiong.

With such a singing voice, why bother chopping firewood here?
In the capital city, there are male actors in every big corner. With this ability, where can't they earn a living?
Or maybe it's because this place is too remote, burying this good talent.

Or maybe this is an extraterrestrial expert who lives in seclusion here.

Xu Zhiqiong stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Brother, are you a local?"

The woodcutter put down the ax in his hand and smiled at Xu Zhiqiong.

He smiled seriously, his eyebrows were curved, his eyes were curved, his lips were tightly closed, the corners of his mouth were upturned, and his small mouth was also curved.

A simple and rough face suddenly had five hooks, which made Xu Zhiqiong not quite used to it.

The woodcutter smiled and said, "Are you foreigners?"

He spoke very fast, his lips parted and then closed, continuing to maintain the shape of the hook.

Xu Zhiqiong nodded and said, "We passed by here on a boat, looking for some water to drink."

"Do you want firewood?" The woodcutter smiled and looked at the firewood pile beside him.

Xu Zhiqiong shook his head: "I don't want firewood, I just want water to drink."

"There is water in the mountains. If you walk along the mountain road, you will see it in a while." The woodcutter looked at Xu Zhiqiong with a smile.

Qianniang asked from the side: "Are you alone in the mountains? Where is your home? Are there any people from your hometown here?"

The woodcutter didn't answer, but looked at Xu Zhiqiong with a smile.

He kept looking at Xu Zhiqiong.

Qianniang wanted to ask again, but Xu Zhiqiong grabbed Qianniang, turned around and left.

Touched by the power of imagery, Xu Zhiqiong sensed the danger, and quickly led Qianniang away from the woodcutter.

After passing the mountainside, the mountain road turned and did not lead to the top of the mountain. It circled halfway and stretched to the other side of the hill.

Xu Zhiqiong really wanted to go to the top of the mountain to have a look, but there was no stone path, and the trees were dense and windproof.

With his means, it would not be a problem to open a road to the top of the mountain, but staring at the bushes for a while, Xu Zhiqiong worried that he would get lost if he entered the bushes.

Such a hill can also get lost?
"Analyze the salary and analyze the salary, use the ax to break the salary, collect the salary as a bundle, and give it to my beloved!"

The woodcutter's singing came again, and a chill came over his head. Xu Zhiqiong gave up his plan to get into the bushes, and led Qianniang quickly along the stone path.

Qianniang complained, "Why did you leave in such a hurry? Since you came to investigate, and you met a local, you should ask for directions."

This is really strange, we have known each other for so long, this is the first time Xu Zhiqiong heard Qianniang complain.

"I think that person just now is a little strange."

"Why is it so strange?" Qianniang was still dissatisfied.

Xu Zhiqiong said with a smile: "The song he sang is so nice."

Qianniang burst into joy: "Does Xu Lang think it's good too? I've never heard such a good song, but it's better than..."

"But it sounds better than Lin Ruoxue." Xu Zhiqiong looked at Qianniang.

Qianniang lowered her head again.

Lin Ruoxue is Sister Lin and Lin Qianniang's sister. Xu Zhiqiong knew about this a long time ago, but he never revealed it.

This sudden talk broke, Qianniang was silent for a long time, Xu Zhiqiong changed the topic and said: "The woodcutter's song is indeed good, but I have never heard his song, and I don't understand it well, do you know the song card? "

"It's an ancient song, there is no tune card," Qianniang became interested when she heard the song, "It should be luck that he sang that song just now."

"Lucky wind?"

"Yunfeng is an ancient song spread in Yundi. The tune is loud and high-pitched, straightforward and simple. It is somewhat similar to the folk customs of Yundi."

"Fate?"

"It's the ancient name of Yunzhou."

Xu Zhiqiong smiled and said, "Isn't that my fief?"

"That's right," Qianniang nodded repeatedly, "Just now he sang "Analysis of Salaries" which means chopping firewood, chopping firewood with an axe, making a bundle and giving it to his beloved girl."

"Give the girl firewood?"

Lin Qianniang nodded: "Among the old customs, firewood is an indispensable category of betrothal gifts."

"Send firewood as a betrothal gift?" Xu Zhiqiong asked in amazement, "Where is this old custom? Is it the old custom of Daxuan?"

"This is...an old custom of Middle Earth." Qianniang lowered her head again.

Xu Zhiqiong knew why Qianniang's lies tonight were so clumsy.

She didn't want to lie at all, she wanted to hint something to Xu Zhiqiong.

Going around to the back mountain, Xu Zhiqiong saw an open field, and at the end of the field was another hill.

The stone path turned down the mountain, Xu Zhiqiong pulled out the mandarin duck blade, and cut a knife mark on a big tree beside the stone path.

The tree is big enough for two people to hug, making it a good signpost.

Walking down the mountain to the field, criss-crossing roads appeared in the wild grass.

Walking along the road closest to them, the two soon saw a small courtyard.

Why didn't I see this courtyard on the mountain just now?
Maybe I saw it, but I didn't pay attention just now.

Walking to the gate of the yard, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old woman was pounding grain in the yard.

To pound the grain is to put the grain in a stone mortar and pound the shell with a pounding pestle.

The way this girl pounded the grain was very primitive. She lifted the pestle vertically and hammered it into the stone mortar. The heavy pestle was tiring on both hands and waist.

Daxuan has already eliminated this primitive technology with more advanced construction methods, and even Qiancheng Kingdom has at least one stepping pestle to replace the pounding pestle.

The girl was not too tired, she sang while pounding the grain.

"Chump the grains and pound the grains. The grains are ready for cooking, but the rice is not yet cooked. Don't urge me, my beloved."

Everyone in this place has a good singing voice, and this girl's singing voice is not inferior to that of the woodcutter.

Qianniang was fascinated by it, and Xu Zhiqiong also wanted to keep listening.

But after hearing the girl sing it twice, Xu Zhiqiong woke up again with a chill.

He interrupted the singing and asked, "Girl, we are passers-by and want to ask for a bowl of water."

The girl looked up and smiled.

The two eyebrows are curved, the two eyes are curved, and the mouth is also curved.

Her smile was exactly the same as that of the woodcutter on the mountain, as if five hooks had grown out of her face.

"Are you foreigners?"

Xu Zhiqiong nodded: "It's a foreigner."

"How did you find my house?"

"I found it along the mountain road."

"Have you seen my man?"

Xu Zhiqiong was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "We just want some water."

The girl's smile remained unchanged: "Have you seen my man?"

When she repeated the same question again, the strong chill gave Xu Zhiqiong the idea of ​​leaving this place immediately.

But Qianniang, who was usually cautious, was extremely abnormal today. She took the initiative to ask the woman: "What does your man look like?"

The woman kept looking at Xu Zhiqiong, her strange smile seemed to freeze on her face.

"My man is the strongest woodcutter in the village. He cut firewood on the mountain, and when he finished cutting firewood, he came home to find me."

The woman spoke faster than the woodcutter, and Xu Zhiqiong could barely see her mouth moving.

No, it's not that she couldn't see it, but her mouth didn't move at all.

Qianniang pointed to the mountain and said, "We saw your man, he is on the mountain..."

Xu Zhiqiong put his arms around Qianniang, carried it on his shoulders, and ran wildly.

He is leaving here.

Not from this yard, but from this land.

He rushed all the way to the mountainside along the stone path, and was about to turn around to the other side of the mountain, but backed up a few steps, and looked back at the big tree by the roadside.

The knife marks left on the big tree just now disappeared.

I'm going the wrong way!
Xu Zhiqiong was shocked, and searched carefully along the bark, and vaguely saw a scar.

This should be the place where I left the knife scar, but the knife scar on the bark has healed. Judging from the color of the scar, it seems that it has been healed for many years.

Xu Zhiqiong didn't think about it anymore, and continued to run wildly with Qianniang on his shoulders. After walking not far, he heard the familiar singing voice again:

"Analyze the salary and analyze the salary, use the ax to break the salary, collect the salary as a bundle, and give it to my beloved!"

The tune is still melodious, but the voice is much older.

Xu Zhiqiong looked at the woodcutter who was chopping firewood, and saw that he was hunchbacked, with gray temples, and looked like he was six or seventy years old.

He put down the ax in his hand, turned to look at Xu Zhiqiong, with the same five-hooked smile on his face.

"Have you seen my beloved?" The woodcutter smiled, "Is the rice cooker ready? I'm going home."

"I saw your lover," Qianniang replied, "The rice cooker is not cooked yet, she is still waiting for you to come home."

Qianniang's voice also changed. Xu Zhiqiong put her down from his shoulders, and saw her hair was frosty, her face was wrinkled, her cheeks were sunken, her eyes were dull, and she had a dull smile on her face.

Xu Zhiqiong pulled out his bun and looked at his own hair.

In the dry palm, the hair is all white.

Xu Zhiqiong panicked for a moment, then regained his composure.