Chapter 36 Old Woodcutter
"Human voice?" He listened carefully, and there was indeed a faint human voice coming from deep in the foggy forest.
Bai Mo immediately stood up and looked towards the direction of the foggy forest. When he was in a dilemma, accident was the best news.
After a while, the voice got closer, but it was someone singing a woodcutter song. The music sounded rough and leisurely, free and easy, but it didn't sound very real. It seemed like they were humming at random.
"The old woodcutter cut his own firewood, bundled green pine trees, and clamped green locust trees. Outside the vast autumn mountains, there were vast wild grasses. The monument was surrounded by a deserted tomb, and a thousand-year-old beauty lay on the green moss. The stone horse in front of the tomb was broken by sharpening, so it would be better to sell wine with spare money. , drunkenly, returning from the mountain trail."
Not long after, a skinny horse suddenly walked out of the foggy forest, pulling a wooden cart. In the cart, an old woodcutter was sitting sideways, wearing a bamboo shoot bamboo basket, a cotton gauze cloth, and a coarse cloth sash around his waist. He was walking on a pair of straw shoes, holding an iron ax in his hand, and carrying a hemp rope on his shoulder.
"Huh?" The old woodcutter saw a figure holding a black dog suddenly appeared in front of the car. He couldn't help but asked cautiously, "What are you doing in the mountains?"
Bai Mo was wary. He couldn't tell whether the old woodcutter was a human being, and he didn't dare to neglect him. He said loudly, "Old sir, I am a student who went to Hejian Mansion to take the exam. I accidentally got lost in the foggy forest."
He took a closer look at the old woodcutter and found nothing wrong. Besides, Xiao Hei was amazingly smart. If he found anything abnormal, he would definitely show something was wrong.
The old woodcutter looked at the big ax in Bai Mo's hand and his eyelids trembled. Who student would carry such a big ax?
At this time, the thin horse snorted and stepped forward to rub the corner of his clothes.
The old woodcutter breathed a sigh of relief. There were book boxes and some food on the cart. They were indeed used by students. Bai Mo was young, handsome and elegant, and did not look like a bad guy.
He looked enlightened and said with a smile, "So that's it. I wonder why this horse picked up in the forest is pulling me deep into the mountains. It turns out that the old horse knows the way and comes to look for its owner."
Bai Mo looked slightly relaxed, and immediately said in surprise, "There is a wood charm turned into an ancient tree in this foggy forest. Didn't the old gentleman encounter anything strange along the way?"
"What weird thing can happen in these barren mountains and wild mountains? It's just that the fog is getting thicker." The old woodcutter laughed and shook his head jokingly, "The young man must be sleepy. There are no wood charms or wood spirits in the world. Old man, I've been here all year round. How come I have never seen people cutting firewood in the nearby mountains?"
As he said that, the old woodcutter flashed the iron ax in his hand and said with a smile, "Even if there is a wood charm, old man, I have been chopping down trees all my life, no matter what wood becomes a spirit, when I see this ax in my hand, it will turn into its original shape obediently." , chop it back and use it as firewood!”
"This old man has such a strong spirit." Bai Mo secretly said that he was surprised. In his eyes, the surrounding trees seemed to have encountered natural enemies and they all gave way.
His heart was awe-inspiring, and he suddenly thought of the old woodcutter he had met when he was looking for black dog blood. He had the same sharp eyes and regarded the trees in the world as firewood. He couldn't help but admire, "The old man is so heroic!"
The old woodcutter smiled and said nothing, looked behind Bai Mo, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he smacked his tongue and said, "What a long vine!"
The old woodcutter walked a few steps quickly and picked up a few dark vines on the ground. He said happily, "I just picked them up and used them as ropes."
Bai Mo turned around and took a look, and was immediately shocked. The charming woman disappeared without a trace at some point, leaving only a group of dark vines.
Click!
The vines should have been extremely strong, but under the old woodcutter's axe, they were no different from ordinary grass vines and were cut off instantly.
Bai Mo's heart moved, and he quickly said, "Old sir, there is a large locust tree in front of you. Can you chop it down?"
"You young man, you are just talking nonsense. This old man has been cutting firewood in this mountain for decades and has never seen any wood spirit." The old woodcutter frowned, a little unhappy, and then he responded, "That's all. , Forget it, lead the way, the old man chopped down that strange tree for you." Bai Mo smiled and didn't refute, and drove his skinny horse towards the big locust tree.
"Strange." After driving the carriage for a while, the big locust tree was still missing. Bai Mo felt strange and gradually gained just as the flying wood centipede restrained the grass and trees, the big locust tree was also afraid of the old woodcutter.
"Why haven't you arrived yet?" The old woodcutter muttered and urged.
"Woof!!" The little black dog suddenly emerged from the arms, as if responding.
Bai Mo's thoughts were spinning rapidly. He looked at the old woodcutter's ax and said with a warm smile, "Old sir, let me lend you the ax."
"This" the old woodcutter showed a reluctant expression. The woodcutter's ax, the tailor's needle, and the cook's kitchen knife were never loaned out.
Bai Mo suddenly realized, and his thoughts changed quickly, "It doesn't matter, the big locust tree is not far ahead. The road is not easy to walk, and the carriage can't pass. We have to walk a few steps."
Seeing that he would not borrow the axe, the old woodcutter readily agreed.
The two of them hurried on together, Bai Mo holding the little black dog in his arms quietly slowed down and fell one position behind.
After walking more than ten feet like this, the figure of the big locust tree gradually appeared in front of the two of them.
Arriving in front of the tree, the old woodcutter looked at the coffins standing under the tree, frowned, and shook his head and said, "How come there are so many coffins, which unscrupulous descendants put them there and they are not buried."
After muttering dissatisfiedly, the old woodcutter looked at the big locust tree with surprise on his face, "It's such a big locust tree. I'm afraid it will take hundreds of years to grow so big. This tree doesn't take ten days and a half months to grow." Keep cutting. Huh? Why is there someone under the tree?"
Behind, Bai Mo had a smile on his face. The journey was very smooth, with no trace of tree roots or vines. The wood spirit was really scared!
He took two steps forward and said with a smile, "Old sir, this is the tree. Under that tree is my brother Li He, who is also a student rushing to take the exam."
Then, when he saw the old woodcutter hesitating, he suddenly understood. He took out three taels of broken silver from his arms and handed it over, "Old gentleman, just go ahead and chop. These silver coins will be used as payment for hiring the old gentleman."
Under the tree, Li He's eyelids suddenly started to twitch, and then he slowly opened his eyes. He was a little confused for a moment. After regaining consciousness, he quickly got up and walked towards Bai Mo.
"Brother Mo." Li He was about to ask Bo Jing, but Bai Mo shook his head. He rolled his eyes and said, "You're here."
The old woodcutter glanced at the two of them, pointed at the little black dog, and said angrily, "I just said that there is no wood spirit wood charm, and all the books of the future generations will be read in the dog's belly."
Bai Mo and Li He looked at each other, laughed and said, "The old gentleman taught you a lesson."
The old woodcutter narrowed his eyes and was quite happy. He, a woodcutter, could be complimented by two scholars. This was more refreshing than drinking. He had something to talk about later. He took the broken silver and weighed it with a smile on his face. I mean, if I cut down this tree, I won’t have to go up the mountain for two months.
After a while, the old woodcutter held the iron ax tightly and Shi Shiran approached the tree.
(End of this chapter)