Chapter 121 [Old Demon Meets in Zhoucheng]
The streets in the city are clean, only the roofs are covered with snow, which looks neat and refreshing, full of life.
But the vast fields outside the city are still vast snowfields.
When it snows, snowflakes roll on the ground with the cold wind, covering every corner of the land. Rivers, ditches, farmland villages, and barren forests all turn into the same color.
The sky is a little gloomy and hazy at this time, the sky and the earth are leisurely and the same color, as if they have become a piece of white paper, but the light and shade are slightly different.
The distant mountains and treetops are all white, and the snow on the official road is very solid under the pressure of passing vehicles and pedestrians. I think that when the spring is warm and the flowers bloom, the snow on the road will melt a few days and nights later than those on the grass nearby. .
Some road sections are maintained and sprinkled with sand, but it is not so slippery.
However, the hooves of passing vehicles, horses, donkeys and mules are covered with non-slip materials, and they walk slowly. After all, safety always comes first when going out, and in this day and age, there are not many things that need to be rushed.
Fang Chang and Gu Shan stood side by side, walking slowly on the official road. The sun slanted to the west, drawing their faint shadows on the snow.
Worn in white, Fang Chang was carrying a blue cloth package on his back, an oiled paper umbrella behind him, and a wine gourd in his hand, walking to the left.
Beside him is Gu Shan, he is dressed in brown clothes and is in good spirits. He doesn't bring any luggage, but he has a hemp rope on his shoulder.
A rabbit is tied to the back end of the hemp rope, and the rope is tied with a knot at the rabbit's ears, and the front and rear legs are tied with hemp rope.
This rabbit is very fat, far beyond the ordinary. Its coat is white and soft. It hangs behind Gu Shan like a weight, swinging back and forth as he walks.
"It's getting late, Mr. Gu, let's find a leeward place to rest for the night."
"Yes." Hearing Fang Chang's suggestion, Gu Shan nodded, "The matter is not urgent, and we don't need to be too hasty."
Fang Chang stopped, looked around, pointed to a ditch on the **** and said, "It seems to be good over there."
Gu Shan looked in the direction he pointed, and was also very satisfied, so he nodded. The two of them carried a monster on their backs, got off the official road, and walked down the slope.
"Tomorrow you can arrive in Lizhou City."
Sweeping away the snow on a stone, Gu Shan said to Fang Chang next to him.
"Well, we can take a look at that time, what is the matter." As he said, Fang Chang found a few big trees nearby, jumped to a high place and broke some branches and leaves, used them as brooms, and swept away the surrounding snow Clean and bare the ground.
They are all practitioners, not afraid of cold or snow, but if they sleep on the snow, the snow melted by the temperature may stick to their clothes, and it will be very uncomfortable to wet the clothes and freeze them.
"Build a fire? I brought a fire booklet." Gu Shan said.
"Okay, but it seems that firewood is not easy to find." Fang Chang looked around, "Mr. Gu, wait for me here, I will find a way."
After finishing speaking, he got up and walked up.
These days, fuel is an important living material for the common people. Cooking and heating depend on the firewood accumulated on weekdays, so there is nothing to burn in the wild, and even the grass leaves in the fields are collected.
But Fang Chang has experience and has a way.
On Xianqi Cliff, he would go to the woods every now and then to look for firewood to carry back for his daily use and construction consumption, so he is no stranger to looking for combustibles, on the contrary, he is very familiar with it.
He looked for a big tree by the side of the road, jumped to a high place, looked for the dry branch, broke it off with light force, and threw it to the ground.
Three or five times, Fang Chang jumped to the ground and collected the broken dead branches, which would be enough for one night.
He had nothing to tie up, so he walked back down the **** just like that.
Seeing Fang Chang returned, Gu Shan gave him a slightly surprised look: "Mr. Fang is really an expert."
He took out the fire pocket from his arms, shook it in the wind, and blew it down gently, only to see the flames burning, Gu Shan hurriedly lit the dry grass and put it under the twigs. While the flames were licking the dead branches and the fire was gradually igniting, he shook the fire bag in his hand, and after the flames were extinguished, he covered it again and put it in his arms.
The bonfire was lit, and they were peeling and peeling.
After tossing around for a while, the sunset has completely set on the horizon, and the last ray of afterglow has been put away, and night falls on the snowy field.
The orange-red flame reflected the surrounding snow, like the sky just before the sunset.
Fang Chang opened the package, took out the stack of pancakes and jerky that he had taken from the Yongjia County Government Office, set them up with tree branches, and carefully baked them over the fire.
Although there is nothing wrong with eating cold food for the two of them, it is even more wonderful to have a hot meal in this snowy field.
The rabbit **** with hemp rope was also taken off from the shoulders after Gu Shan sat down, and placed beside him, with his limbs still tied.
The rabbit monster looked at the flames roasting the food, and there was some fear in his eyes, especially when Fang Chang took out some refined salt and sprinkled it on the jerky, his appearance seemed to be afraid that he would become a side dish.
"Yes, Not Bad."
Taking the food down, sharing half with Gu Shan, Fang Chang took a bite.
It has a unique flavor, especially this cake, which seems to be smeared with meat oil, which is full of fragrance.
"What do you eat?"
Fang Chang looked at the prisoner next to him, tore off a piece of jerky from his hand, and put it in the other's mouth. The rabbit demon seemed to struggle mentally for a while, then honestly swallowed the jerky meat, and then ate the horn cakes before giving up.
The two of them did not fall asleep. They leaned on the slope, facing the starry sky, and chatted all night.
The rabbit demon next to him had fur to keep out the cold, and slept soundly.
Although he knew that Mr. Gu was not afraid of the cold, Chang Fang still opened the package, took out an old dress, and put it on for the elderly Gu Shan next to him.
...
…
"This is Lizhou City."
Fang Chang looked up at the city gate in front of him. Compared with ordinary prefectural cities, the shape and scale of the state city is much larger. The city walls are taller and thicker, the moat is wider and deeper, and the city gates are wider. Even the wall bricks are bigger. Number.
Even the soldiers who paid the city fee at the city gate changed from one to two, with bright armor, straight waist and back, and full of energy.
"Yeah, the last time I came here was eight years ago." Gu Shan also raised his head, looking at the plaque above the city gate, "That time, I came here to purchase together with my neighbors for a construction project. But After so many years, several neighbors who came with me at the beginning have passed away."
They followed the entry team and walked inside.
"It costs three liters to enter the city!" The gatekeeper yelled vigorously, "Vehicles are charged only, animals are charged only, and carriages are also taxed according to the head of the animal. The money is not much, so don't make mistakes."
Fang Chang frowned and didn't speak.
He still took out six copper coins and threw them into the rattan basket in front of the soldiers. The soldier waved his hand, indicating that the two of them could go in.
"I didn't expect this place to be higher than Yongjia Mansion."
"Perhaps it has something to do with the colorful lady next to Zhizhou that the rabbit demon Guo Da told me." The two walked together on the main road in the city, Gu Shan said.
Fang Chang also nodded, agreeing with this judgment very much.
However, he glanced at a figure not far away, stopped suddenly, and then shouted with a smile: "Sun Yun!"
Thank you, I am Ma Jie, Lsy, Gu Sheng and Li Ge for the reward.
(end of this chapter)