ladybug

Chapter 72

Title: Golden Sands Snow

Summary: Longshan is tens of thousands of feet, and the parrot nest is on the top

I caught a cold and it wasn't serious, and I recovered after two days of recuperating.In the inn, I asked Shi Mu, "Can you take me back to Chang'an?" "Okay." He readily agreed, but proposed, "Go beyond the Great Wall and meet Dionysus."

"Okay, among the four gods, I have never seen the god of wine. I can go back to Chang'an within a year." I agreed, and told him, "I'm quitting drinking, the leader will take care of me."

So Shi Mu and I rode northward together.After the beginning of winter, the weather becomes colder and colder every day. At the beginning, I often suffered from insomnia due to alcohol withdrawal, but often woke up from the cold after falling asleep.After waking up, my hands and feet were cold and numb.When I become addicted to alcohol, I have to sweat a lot.The wine worm was about to move in his throat.I can't wait to hook the wine bug out with a wire and trample it to death.

One night in the inn, I had cramps in my stomach, and I had to get out of bed and squat on the ground, covering my lower abdomen with my hands to wait for the pain to pass.His hands were trembling uncontrollably.Shi Mu originally slept peacefully like a mountain, so he squatted next to me, wiped the sweat off my forehead, and walked around me again.The warmth of his palm evaporated my cold sweat.He withdrew his hand, took me into his arms, and ironed me comfortably.I thanked him: "I feel much better with you when I am suffering from alcohol addiction. Thank you." He said: "No thanks."

When I arrived in Jincheng, the capital of Liangzhou, I quit drinking.Most of the winter clothes of passers-by are fur outward.Shi Mu said, "It's cold, add more clothes." I said, "Liangzhou is close to the Western Regions, Hu Feng is prevalent, and many people are covered with lotus felts. In Chang'an City, few people wear such clothes, and they are easy to be scolded by people who hate Hu people." Shi Mu Comments: "It doesn't matter what you wear."

We went to the tailor shop to buy winter clothes.When entering the store, a little bird greeted: "The official is here! The official is here!" The bird's body is snow-white, its crest is light yellow, and there are orange-yellow round spots on its cheeks.The man ran over to greet me, and I asked, "Is this the parrot mentioned in 'Longshan Thousands of Rens, the Parrot's Nest on the Top'?" The man said, "Yes, a white parrot from the Western Regions. A guest officer took Come and change the robes in the store." Shi Mu gently smoothed the parrot's coat with his index finger.The clerk handed me a big worm robe: "The newly made tiger skin robe in the shop is very warm. Hu people are proud of having tiger and leopard skin." I shook my head, "It's too ostentatious." Shi Mu took a pure The black one put on the upper body: "I want this one." The clerk said, "Okay, a black lambskin cloak." Shi Mu took another white one and said to me, "Do you want this one?" The clerk hurriedly said: " The ermine fur lapel collar is exactly the same color as this official's hair. The official's white hair is not like ordinary people." I stroked Yue Yu's undyed hair and said, "Is there anything that can block the gray hair? The man trotted in: "Yes, it's time to wear a beard hat in winter." He came back and handed over two fur hats, one black and one white, and said, "There are ear pads on both sides of the hat, which hang down to cover the ears. Not only cover the The hair is still warm." Shi Mu put down the earmuffs for me and said, "I want these." I said, "How much?" The clerk led us to the shopkeeper and said, "One tael and five silver." Shi Mu handed the silver Yuanbao, the shopkeeper asked the bank to issue a receipt.The shopkeeper’s inkstone dipped in ink was green. I asked, “What is this inkstone made of?” The shopkeeper said, “The Tao inkstone is made of Taohe green stone.” I said, “Tao inkstone is one of the four famous inkstones. .Your business is really good.” The shopkeeper gave me the receipt: “Our family is doing honest business, with a good reputation, the business is not bad.”

We went out of the store and stayed in an inn.There is a flag at the entrance of the inn.It snows at night, the snow is dark and the flag paintings are withered, and the wind is mixed with the sound of drums, which reminds people of old friends.I asked Shi Mu: "Can you ask Tianyi to teach the Liangzhou branch, and find someone named Chu Ming?" He asked: "What kind of person?" I said: "Slim and small, with a Chang'an accent, addicted to gambling .I remember people from Mingsha Mountain.” He said: “Okay.” He went out alone, came back very late, and said to me: “Wait.” He was holding a stack of letter paper in his hand.He read the letter by candlelight, and I probed: "Military affairs of the Tianyi Army?"

Ten days later, Shi Mu came back after going out, holding a roll of parchment in his hand, and said in a light voice, "Let's go. Buy a camel." I asked, "I found Chu Ming." He handed me the parchment: "Yes!" I said Unfolded, it is a secondary map, on which a white house inn is circled in red.

We went to Jincheng City to buy two camels, prepared dry food, Shi Mu also filled a water bag with goat's milk, and then went to Mingsha Mountain.

There is a sea of ​​snow and a sea of ​​sand in the Mingsha Mountains.The snow on the shady side of the mountain remains in winter, forming a sea of ​​snow; the snow on the sunny side of the mountain melts in the afternoon, forming a sea of ​​sand.The golden sand and white snow, the contrast of light and shadow, is magnificent and magnificent.Amidst the sound of camel bells, there was another music coming from the front, clear and high-pitched, with two points of sadness.I said, "Let's go and have a look." Shi Mu said, "Okay." We chased after it, and there was a woman about seventeen or eighteen years old on the camel.I asked, "What did the girl play just now?" She smiled and said, "Qiang flute. Haven't you heard it?" Shi Mu said, "No." She took off the burden, got off the camel and said, "It's time to rest." Shi Mu also came down.She handed the Qiang flute to Shi Mu. The Qiang flute was made of two lamb leg bones side by side.The lamb leg bones are tied with thin wire, about six inches long, and have five pressing holes.A bamboo spring is inserted into each tube head.I said, "I bring the Qiang flute specially for traveling, it's so romantic." The woman untied the bag, took out the steamed bun and said, "It's not a special belt either. When the Qiang flute is not playing, you can ride the horse, so it is also called blowing the whip." She ate the steamed bun, We also eat.On the way, Shi Mu gave her a water bag and said: "Goat's milk, here I am." She took it, and thanked gracefully: "Thanks for the gift, I sincerely thank you." But Shi Mu said: "If you don't drink it, it will be bad." She laughed.After eating, she clapped her hands, fastened her bag and water bag, and took back the Qiang flute.She said: "The front is my home. Please invite me to drink goat milk, and I will play a tune for you." She held the Qiang flute with both hands, put the two reed whistles in her mouth, puffed her cheeks to breathe, and pressed the holes with her fingers .Played all the joys and sorrows in one song.After the song was over, she rode a camel and left.Shi Mu grabbed a handful of yellow sand, and let the sand fall back through his fingers.I asked him, "Is the sand fun?" He nodded, "It's fun."

Two days later, we entered the small town at the foot of Mingsha Mountain.The sun is setting and the mountains are far away, and the sky is cold and the white house is poor.Shi Mu and I stepped into the dilapidated white house, and a strong woman came out to greet him: "Are you two staying at the inn?" Shi Mu said, "Yes."When we checked in, his eyes flickered, but he didn't say a word, and suddenly his abacus was crackling.The woman enthusiastically introduced: "Our inn is only small in the town, and there are only two and a half people. Officials don't have to be cautious." Shi Mu asked, "Two and a half people?" There is a guy who is in charge of cooking and fetching water. Half of him is my son." A child came up and said, "Mom, let's have yokan for lunch tomorrow!" .” The kid had two blobs of red on his cheeks.After we put down our bags, we never saw the shopkeeper again.

At noon on the second day, the staff brought yokan listlessly to everyone.Chopped green onion, coriander, and mutton are on top, and steamed buns are at the bottom.Nepeta takes a spoon in the left hand and eats with chopsticks in the right.Shi Mu and I followed suit.Shi Mu immediately said, "It's delicious." I praised: "The meat is rotten and the soup is thick, the ingredients are heavy and mellow." The kid had more meat in the bowl than us, but he ate it faster than us.I asked Shi Mu: "It's the first time I've seen the shopkeeper give more meat to the son of the store than to the residents." Shi Mu asked: "Custom." Jingjie said: "Yeah, Mingsha Mountain custom." The child After eating, he stared at my bowl.I divided a piece of mutton into his bowl.He swallowed it in one gulp, grabbed my hand, and two tubes of snot dripped on my hand.I wiped it off with a cloth, and asked Nepeta, "How old is he? He still has such a runny nose." Nepeta said hoarsely, "Maybe five, maybe six. I forgot to remember the age, just look at it Years old." Shi Mu said, "Five years old!" Then he buried himself in the soup.

We were at the door in the morning, and the yellow sand was long in the distance.Suddenly thick smoke billowed from behind, and the man and Nepeta, who was holding the child, rushed out of us.Nepeta turned her head: "It's water, run!"

Shi Mu put me far away, returned to the scene of the fire, and brought out the shopkeeper who had disappeared for two days.I put up my sleeve and wiped Shi Mu's face.The shopkeeper beat his feet and his chest: "My money is gone, it's gone..." with a Chang'an accent.

After the fire was extinguished at night, we went back to the inn.The shopkeeper was dejected amidst the ruins.Jingjie said: "If you lose it, you can earn it again."

The shopkeeper was angry: "I don't know how long it will take to earn. I didn't want to go back to Liangzhou in the first place, poor mountains and bad waters! Now the money is gone!" Nepeta curled her lips: "Liangzhou is very good. I hear you boasting about Chang'an City every day, but Most of the yokan in Chang'an City is not authentic."

I comforted him: "Shopkeeper, your son is still here." The shopkeeper sat on half of the charred black earth wall and said, "That child is not my son. Nepeta was diagnosed as pregnant by me five years ago before she was married. I can't bear it." I married her after watching her being killed by her family."

The clerk said sternly, "Boss, the child is my son. I don't have cattle and sheep to hire for the Jingjie family, so I have to be your clerk to take care of her mother." No wonder he cared about his son.

"I'll call you a half-witted man!" Strong Jingjie cried out, beating his chest, "Why did you say that!"

I was dumbfounded.Shi Mu took out twelve taels to Jingjie and said, "You pass two." Jingjie said, "Oh, thank you, officer."

The shopkeeper stood up from the dirt wall: "You family of three can rebuild the inn and live well. If there is no record, Li Ping, I really want to go back to Chang'an with you." He rummaged around in the ruins and found the The beard was shaved off with a kitchen knife.

I said, "Chu Ming?!"

Remarks: 毳, the sound is the same as crisp.The lotus felt is quilted and fur is worn.