After Spring and Autumn

Chapter 17
At dawn, in the thick fog, Jingjia Village became lively.

Every family came to the river to put away the fish traps that were put down yesterday.A fish trap is a basket made of bamboo strips, with bamboo slices turned inward at the mouth, making it easier for fish and shrimp to get in and harder to get out.

The villagers are always easy to be satisfied. Yesterday the upstream skyrocketed, and the harvest was much more than usual.With cheerful laughter, the dense fog gradually thinned and finally disappeared without a trace, and the rising sun heralded another good weather.

Ji Mi stood at the door of Father Jing's house with melancholy eyes.I went to see Mengdi just now, but I still haven't woken up, and my forehead is terribly hot.After a night of not seeing each other, the sharp-edged face sank deeply into it.

Father Jing just shook his head and sighed, he had a cold, and it was up to him whether he could survive it.

Came to the river in a trance, looking upstream.I heard from my father that this is the fork of the Sui River, and it was already a little choked up. If the river didn't surge, the boat wouldn't be able to float here.

As if he had guessed some of the origin, the old man asked Jing Tie to go out to inquire about the news.At noon, Jing Tie ran back in a panic.

"Chu is gone!"

"How could the state of Chu disappear?"

"Yeah, why is it so good?"

The villagers surrounded them. Although Jingjia Village was closed, they knew that they were from Chu.

Dodging the old man's stick, Jing Tie didn't dare to show off anymore, and hurriedly said: "It's true, the city of Yingdu was occupied by the state of Wu. I heard that all the men were killed and all the women... I didn't dare to approach, so I ran back .”

The villagers were silent. Although Ying was very close, these things seemed far away from their lives, and they didn't know what to say.

A villager asked in a low voice, "Then are we from Chu or Wu?"

Ji Mi only heard four words, the state of Chu was gone, her face turned pale, and she leaned against the door, tears streaming from her eyes.

For the next time, she stayed by Mengdi's side.During the day, they wear crimson clothes and dance witch dances to pray to ghosts and gods.At night, under the dim oil lamp, I silently stared at Meng Di's haggard face.

This was the only straw she could hold on to, even though it was about to sink.

The villagers whispered, saying that she was crazy.

I don't know how long it has passed in the dark, and I thought it would continue to sink like this.A flash of flame flashed in front of his eyes, and Meng Di tried to open his eyes to see more clearly.

The flames danced nimbly around him, and suddenly stopped with an exclamation.

Ji Mi turned around, her eyes met, she was speechless for a long time.

It was already the third morning, Meng Di drank the fish soup and was in good spirits. He bowed slightly to Ji Mi: "Your Highness the Princess."

"There is no princess anymore, and the state of Chu is gone."

Ji Mi looked directly at Jing Jing and said, "Give me, Ji Mi give me."

"Mundy"

This is the first time the two have talked, and at least they both know each other's name.

Mengdi recovered quickly, and he could go to the ground in a few days. He stood by the river with Ji Mi, watching the river flow quietly.Both of them put on coarse kudzu clothes, but they still couldn't hide their demeanor. The villagers in the distance were talking about it, what a couple!
Ever since Mengdi woke up, Ji Mi has become more cheerful and lively. When she has nothing to do, she washes yarn and clothes with the women in the village, and learns to make fish soup.

"Brother Meng, it's really nice here, would you like to stay here forever?"

Meng Di understood Ji Mi's evasive mentality, but he knew that Chu State did not perish, on the contrary, it was Wu State that died first.

However, at this time, Ji Mi looked really happy, looking at the bright-eyed, smiling woman beside her, she nodded unexpectedly.

Miraculously, the flames of war did not reach this small fishing village, which is close at hand. Maybe it was because it was too closed, or maybe Wu Jun was busy enjoying the fruits of victory brought by the capture of Yingdu.

In addition to fishing, hunting is also an important source of income for Jingjia Village, and Jinghe is a good hunter.

The villagers used local materials to make a lot of bamboo bows and arrows. They could barely beat a pheasant or a rabbit, and they mainly harvested by traps.

After all, making a bow is a technical job. There are six materials for a bow, and the stem of the six materials is the bow arm. It is popular in Chu to use good bamboo.

It is also necessary to stick ox horns to the inner side of the bow arm, use beef tendon to stick to the outer side of the bow arm, use isinglass to glue the dry wood and horn tendon, and wrap the bow tube with silk thread tightly to make it stronger. Paint the finished bow arm to prevent corrosion from frost and moisture.Generally, it is painted every ten days until it can protect the bow arm.

Meng Di is a great expert in making bows, and he has tried to make a few of them himself. He can't help but smile when he sees these simple bamboo bows, but the conditions are limited, and ordinary hunters can use them.

The longbow that was casually thrown on the boat was found by Jing Zhi, and Meng Di lightly brushed the bow string. This is Mo Cheng's bow. After the first battle that day, he never saw Mo Cheng again, and I am afraid that he will not be spared. .

Sighing, he handed the bow to Jing Tie who was waiting eagerly at the side. From Jing Tie's eyes, he saw the archer's enthusiasm for a good bow.

I have nothing to do, teach the villagers how to shoot arrows, and win a lot of applause. Whenever this happens, Ji Mi always stands aside and looks at it with a smile.

Suddenly, more than a month passed, Meng Di's injury was healed, and he began to learn how to make a net to fish, and Ji Mi became more and more familiar with the life of the farm family.When the two thought they could just stay in the village for the rest of their lives, a rapid bell rang at the entrance of the village.

This clock was brought back by Father Jing when he was traveling as a teenager. Although half of it is missing, it is still a treasure of the village. Once the bell rings, the whole village will gather at the entrance of the village.

Meng Di and Ji Mi also walked over. Father Jing gave them a complicated look, and told everyone in a solemn voice that the Wu people are here.

I just learned that several nearby villages have suffered disasters, and the Wu people actually slaughtered the villages!And it burned to the ground.

The villagers were in an uproar. They thought it was none of their business to fight back and forth. Whether they were from Chu or Wu, they lived by fishing and hunting.

Father Jing stopped everyone's discussion and announced that he would move out immediately.

move?Where to move?Meng Di whispered to the villagers around him.

"Where to move? Why not move back to Daze, what a pity for such a good place."

It turns out that the Jing family villagers have lived in Yunmeng Daze for generations. In recent years, water thieves have been rampant and exploitation has been severe. Everyone has suffered so much that they moved here.

Father Jing's prestige is very high, and when he gave an order, everyone went to clean up.The old man said to Meng Di and the two again: "Let's go together, although the water thief is ruthless, there is still a way to survive, so we can't stay here."

The two have nothing to do, and there is nowhere to go anyway.

There are more than [-] mouths in Jingjia Village, seven or eight small boats are loaded, and they are out of the river bend in a blink of an eye.Seeing the neat appearance of the villagers, Meng Di asked in surprise, "You guys have already planned to move out?"

The old man laughed and said, "I can't help it. After coming out of Daze, I moved to several places along the way. Everyone is used to it. It's a pity that there are abundant aquatic plants and wild animals here. It's been a good few years. .”

Jushui twists and turns, and the scenery on both sides of the river meanders.In the early spring in the south of the Yangtze River, although it is still chilly, the world has become much brighter.

Everyone relaxed, and the good-for-nothings sang Chudi folk songs, the singing was melodious and smooth, without any sense of affectation.

After catching a few fresh fish in the river and cleaning them up a bit, Meng Di and Ji Mi drank the fish soup and listened to their father talking about the origin of Jingjia Village.

Seeing that the water surface is gradually widening, looking from a distance, there is a vast mist, and the blood red of the setting sun drips from the sky, dripping onto the deep lake.Waterfowl skimmed the water briskly, leaving little ripples.

Meng Di and Ji Mi looked at each other and smiled, this moment, I hope it lasts forever.

(End of this chapter)