webnovelfull Chapter 280: Simple Mountain People
Chapter 280: Simple Mountain People
It is said that people riding horses are more likely to feel hungry, but Wang Jinyi found it strange. From the time he set out from Xunnan County until the sun set, he did not feel hungry at all. Instead, he felt an urgency to hurry on.
Fengmei followed the young lady closely and had been running like crazy for more than three hours. Even if the person didn't rest, the horse should also take a break. But the young lady didn't seem to have any intention of resting.
Feng Mei immediately whipped up the horse to pass Wang Jinyi, turned her horse's head, and shouted, "Miss, Miss!"
Wang Jinyi slowly tightened the reins and slowly stopped. "What's wrong?"
"Miss, if you don't rest, the horse must rest, otherwise the horse won't last long..."
Hey! I just wanted to get rid of the fear in my heart and leave Xunnan County as soon as possible, the farther the better.
"How long have we been running? What time is it now?"
Feng Mei glanced at the trees on the hillside, then at the shadows of the trees. "It's probably already 3 p.m. now. We have to find a place to stay in advance. Don't rush on the road at night!"
After hearing Fengmei's reminder, Wang Jinyi suddenly remembered all the memories of last night that had just been blown away by the wind.
Pah! After spitting out forcefully, Wang Jinyi felt as if she had gotten rid of the bad luck from last night, and she felt a little relieved.
"Okay! Take a break!"
"Miss, don't get off the horse. You have never ridden a horse before. You ran so far all of a sudden with all your strength. Once you get off the horse, you will no longer have the strength to walk."
"I think it's okay now. Let's walk slowly forward, stop when we see the village, and continue tomorrow."
"Look, miss!"
As she spoke, Feng Mei raised her whip and pointed casually down the hillside, "Miss, after we pass this ridge, look, there's smoke from cooking! Let's find a place to stay early today!"
After running for a few days, Wang Jinyi now knows clearly that seeing and reaching are two different concepts. It means that it looks like something close but is actually far away!
This village seems to be right at the foot of the mountain, but it’s not that close even if you run.
"How far can it go?"
"It looks like it's more than twenty miles away!"
"You lead the way!"
"Miss, follow me."
After saying this, Feng Mei pulled the horse and kicked her legs, and the horse cleverly ran towards the village at the bottom of the slope. Wang Jinyi wanted to do the same thing behind, but as soon as he exerted force, he felt a slight pain on the inside of his legs.
Just now, I was too focused on last night's emotions and didn't notice any discomfort in my body. As soon as I distracted my attention, my body started giving me suggestions!
Wang Jinyi relaxed his legs and patted the horse's back, and the horse ran briskly down the ridge!
An hour later, the village with smoke rising from chimneys appeared not far from the foot of the mountain, and the whole picture came into view.
The courtyards built in an orderly manner against the mountain are shrouded in the warm afterglow of the setting sun, amidst the smoke and mist.
"Miss, look over there, there is a big tree and a stone tablet."
Wang Jinyi looked over and saw a huge old tree near the entrance of the village, with Nanshan Village engraved on it.
An old man saw two young men dismounting and walking towards the village, so he stepped forward and asked, "Young men, are you looking for someone?"
"Lao Zhan, my two brothers are passing by here. Would it be convenient for us to stay for one night?"
"The village is remote and few outsiders come here. You can follow this path to a large courtyard next to the ancestral hall and ask the clan leader."
"What are the surnames of the people in this village?"
"We have a big family name here called Xie, and there are some families that came later."
The master and servant followed Lao Zhang into the village. The sound of dogs barking came from the deep alleys, and the crowing of chickens and noise could be heard from time to time.
Farmers returning home late in the evening under the setting sun on the fields, shepherds laughing and playing on the backs of cows, and the smell of burning firewood wafting from every house, the warm smell of fireworks hits you in the face.
The old man led the two men to the ancestral hall in the center of the village. It was a traditional wooden building with a hip roof and flying eaves. The outer wall was made of high blue bricks and the gate was closed.
In the wide square outside the ancestral hall, there are lush ancient trees, which coexist with the ancient ancestral hall.
Wang Jinyi, the modern soul, stopped and looked at him with interest. Feng Mei quickly pulled the young lady, and the old man turned around and saw, "Well, the young man is a grateful person. You know, most people who have feelings for the ancestral hall are grateful..."
The old man started to talk about how the young people in the village contributed to the construction of the ancestral hall. When they arrived at the gate of a large courtyard, Feng Mei coughed and interrupted the old man's story, asking tentatively: "Is this the place?"
"This is the home of the Xie clan leader in Nanshan Village. Go ask! I'm leaving now."
After saying this, the old man walked towards the village entrance by himself. Wang Jinyi bowed deeply, but before he could look up, the gate opened.
"Master, all is well."
A young woman pushed the door open with a smile, looked at the two strangers curiously, and felt a liking for them after hearing their questions.
Wang Jinyi cupped his hands and said, "My brother and I are passing by here and would like to stay for one night. Is it convenient for you, host?"
The woman looked over and saw the two young men still pulling the two horses. She asked, "Are you the only two?"
An old woman in the yard followed them. When she saw the handsome young man with an extremely marked boy, she liked him and asked, "How long will you two stay?"
When Wang Jinyi heard that she agreed to stay, he quickly bowed to the old woman and said, "I'd like to stay for one night. Please have dinner here and feed the horses. Thank you for your help."
"It's no trouble, please follow me."
The young woman in front opened the door, and the old woman led the two into the yard. Feng Mei followed the young woman to the backyard, and the old woman led Wang Jinyi to the small courtyard on the west side: "Our home is simple, please don't despise us, guests."
Wang Jinyi looked around the neat courtyard. The two bedrooms were not big, with only a bed and a cabinet as furniture. The house was kept clean.
Seeing her eyes fall on the bed, the old woman hurriedly said: "Don't worry, guests, the bedding has been washed and is clean, you two brothers can stay here without worry."
"The house is very clean. We are not picky. I wonder how much the host charges per night?"
The old woman smiled and said, "You have good taste. How about I only charge seven cents a night? If you eat the same food as my family, I will charge one cent per person. You also have two horses. If you need hay, you can add another cent. If you need more fine feed, you can add another cent. What do you think, young master?"
"Mother-in-law is twenty cents?"
"No, it's eighteen cents."
Wang Jinyi expressed her gratitude for the old woman's sincerity and simplicity. "Thank you, Master."
The old woman was stunned, looking at the handsome boy in confusion. The two were clearly negotiating, and the boy's sudden thanks made the old woman confused.
Wang Jinyi continued to ask, "My brother and I will leave at noon tomorrow. Please prepare breakfast for us in advance. We need to be on the road early. Please also prepare some dry food for us on the road. It can be included in the accommodation fee."
The old woman replied, "Even if you two had three meals at my house, that would be three cents per person, six cents for two people, plus the cost of accommodation, a total of twenty-two cents."