The Miao family's stilt house was built on the mountain and fit in well with the terrain. The back of the village was a steep cliff, and there was no way to climb it.
Elaine pulled him and ran all the way. In the blink of an eye, they reached the top of the mountain. She ran so fast that her cheeks were flushed and she turned her head back, panting.
The torches on the other side of the mountain could be seen clearly. She could vaguely see hundreds of people holding torches and shouting as they rushed over.
"Brother Alin, here!" Elaine lifted the clumps of grass and dug out a dark hole in the melon vines. It was dark inside.
Lin Wanrong hurriedly shook his head, "Elaine, I'm not afraid —"
"Why don't you listen to me?!" The girl was a little annoyed, "I told you to run just now, but you made excuses. Now I tell you to hide, but you don't want to! Brother Alin, do you know that you killed the county magistrate's son? If they catch you, you won't be able to live even if you have ten lives! Hurry, hurry up! "
She didn't say anything and pushed Lin Wanrong into the hole. The stone hole was embedded in the mountainside. It was very narrow and could only accommodate one person. It was surrounded by layers of mountain vines, so it was extremely difficult to find. The inside was clean and refreshing, covered with a thick layer of hay. There were a few Miao women's clothes piled on the side, and a small box of cosmetic powder, the cheapest kind in the market.
"I found this cave when I was hunting wild boars in the village. I'm the only one in the village who knows about it." Elaine quickly grabbed the cosmetic powder and hid it behind her. Her face was a little shy, "Every time my father forces me to get married, I hide here alone. I stay for two nights to vent my anger with my father. They can't find me in the whole village, and my father won't dare to force me to get married again! "
No wonder the hay, clothes, and cosmetic powder were all well-prepared. Lin Wanrong smiled and shook his head.
"Don't laugh!" It was obviously the first time the girl talked about these shameful things in front of others. She blushed and stamped her feet, "Brother Alin, don't worry and hide here. Don't go anywhere! When the bailiff leaves, I'll come back to find you! As for your two friends, I will think of a way to hide them! "
Lin Wanrong smiled bitterly and nodded. Seeing the determined look on this girl's face, he was afraid that if he continued to refuse, she would come up and beat him up.
"And this," Elaine carried the bamboo basket on her back while running just now. At this moment, she stuffed it into his arms again, "The vegetable dumplings are all inside. The night is long. Eat as much as you can if you're hungry! After I finish eating, I'll dig up some wild vegetables to make pancakes for you! Father said that the pancakes I make are very fragrant! "
He looked at the cold and dry wild vegetable dumpling. Lin Wanrong's heart sank and he didn't know what to say. He searched around his waist and took out a few cakes that he hadn't finished before crossing the river. He hurriedly handed them to the girl. "Elaine, here you go. Eat this!"
These dry food cakes were bought on the road. Although they weren't as exquisite as the ones made at home, compared to the lumpy wild vegetables, they were many times better. They were no different from delicacies.
Elaine's expression darkened. She silently lowered her head and took the wild vegetable dumpling from the basket. She silently held it in her hand and secretly hid it behind her, not daring to take it out again.
"No, Elaine, don't misunderstand! I, I didn't mean that! " Lin Wanrong was very anxious. He waved his hands and feet and didn't know what to say. He usually thought that he was clever with his words, but at this moment, he became extremely clumsy.
The girl silently shook her head and didn't say anything.
Lin Wanrong was anxious. He stretched out his hand and snatched the wild vegetable dumpling from her hand and stuffed it into his mouth.
The vegetable dumpling was bitter and astringent. How could it be so easy to swallow? He swallowed one in one breath. It was so fast that his throat was blocked. He suddenly coughed non-stop, and his cheeks were as red as a monkey's butt!
Elaine was shocked. She hurriedly took the water bag and filled it for him. Lin Wanrong coughed violently for a while and finally swallowed the wild vegetables. He swallowed his saliva and said, "Delicious, delicious! Elaine, when are you going to make cakes for me again?! "
The girl's eyes were moist. She looked at him and said gratefully, "Brother Lin, you are so kind!"
Lin Wanrong shook his head and said angrily, "I am not good! If it is good, why don't you like the cakes I gave you?! "
Elaine chuckled. She looked at the exquisite cakes and whispered, "Brother Lin, it's not that I don't like them. I just want to keep them!"
Lin Wanrong was puzzled, "Keep them? Why?! "
The girl lowered her head and whispered, "I want to give them to Father, Mother, Mount Kun, and the other brothers and sisters in the village!" Lin Wanrong's nose twitched when he heard this. He quickly turned his head away, "Sister, this is for you! I still have some for them! "
"Brother Lin, don't, don't call them that!" Elaine blushed and angrily said, "We are Miao people. We can't just call each other 'brother' and 'sister'. There are rules!"
What rules did 'brother' and 'sister' have? Lin Wanrong was puzzled. He heard the clatter of swords and spears at the foot of the mountain. The hundreds of officials had already descended the opposite hill and were running straight to the village. The girl was anxious. She quickly hid the grass vines and covered the entrance of the cave, "You hide here. Don't move! I will go see Father and the others! "
The sound of footsteps could be heard. Elaine's figure gradually turned into a small black dot in the night and could no longer be seen. Lin Wanrong let out a long sigh, but his heart was heavy.
Without coming to Xuzhou, it was hard to understand why An Biru developed such a character. After walking around the Miao village for a short while, he could already faintly understand Sister An's state of mind in the past. Her debauchery on the outside and sensitivity on the inside were not born out of thin air. They all had a source. And in this Miao girl, Elaine, he vaguely saw the shadow of Sister An in the past.
Pushing away the grass, he could not see the situation at the foot of the mountain. He could only hear faint noises coming from the distance. After a while, it was quiet. The night sky was filled with stars. The cicadas and frogs could be heard clearly at the end of summer.
After waiting for a long time, he was about to fall asleep when he heard the sound of grass outside, "Brother Lin, Brother Lin …"
Elaine was holding a bamboo tube with both hands. Pushing away the tangled vines and seeing that he was still inside, she let out a long sigh of relief, "You scared me. I didn't hear your voice. I thought you ran out!"
Lin Wanrong said with a smile, "I've been scolded by you for a long time. Without your instructions, how would I dare to act rashly? "You're not that timid," Elaine curled her lips and looked at him with concern, "Brother Lin, are you cold?!"
It was the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. At night, it was already extremely cold on the mountain. It was better to hide in the cave, but when he poked his head out, he could feel the cold.
Seeing him nodding slightly, the girl handed the bamboo tube to him with both hands, "Here, drink it and warm you up!"
A faint fragrance came from the bamboo tube. Lin Wanrong looked at it in confusion, "What is this?"
"Try it and you'll know!" The girl said softly.
Opening the hat on the bamboo tube, bursts of wine fragrance immediately came to his nose. The tube was filled with clear wine. Lin Wanrong tasted it. It was like rice wine with an extremely low alcohol content. There was some fragrance in the bitterness, but it was not refreshing. Elaine looked at him eagerly, "Does it taste good?!"
"Well, it tastes good!" Lin Wanrong took a sip and handed it to her, "Try it too!"
"No, the women of our Miao family can't drink until they are married!" Elaine hurriedly waved her hand and looked at him with concern, "Will it warm you up?!"
The Miao family's wine had a low alcohol content, so it wouldn't have much effect on him. However, how could Lin Wanrong refuse her, he nodded hurriedly, "It's warm, it's really warm!"
"That's good!" Elaine patted her chest and let out a long sigh of relief. "This is the last rice wine in the house. It's used to entertain distinguished guests. Father doesn't allow anyone to touch it! If you don't feel warm after drinking it. Wouldn't I have stolen — taken it for nothing?! "
Lin Wanrong smiled and shook his head, "Elaine, why are you so nice to me?!"
The girl opened her eyes wide, "Because you are a good person!"
"Good person? Why don't I think so?!" Lin Wanrong laughed.
"What are you laughing at?" The girl gently caressed the jade pendant in her hand. She looked slightly annoyed, "I think you are a good person! You are different from the other Hua family members. I noticed it on the boat! You know how to row a boat, swim, talk nonsense, but you don't bully people, don't look down on us Miao people. You even help us beat up the bad guys! You keep saying that you don't leave money, but you aren't greedy when you have money. You even purposely used evil methods to cut such a good jade pendant and gave it to us — "
It's rare that I have so many good points! Lin Wanrong smiled and didn't know what to say, "Oh right, Elaine, why are you back? How is the situation at the foot of the mountain?! "
Elaine shook her head lightly, "Those bailiffs stopped on the way to the village. They didn't advance nor retreat. I don't know what they are up to! Father and Kun San are guarding at the foot of the mountain! I was worried that you wouldn't be able to hide on the mountain alone, so I quickly came to find you! "
Her clothes were moving up and down and were already torn in a few places. Her frail body trembled slightly in the cold mountain wind. Lin Wanrong's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly said, "Elaine, it's cold outside. Come in, I'll guard outside!"
Elaine stubbornly waved her hand, "How can I do that? What if the bailiffs rush up here? Don't worry, Brother Lin, it's not cold outside at all. I'm used to it in the village! You hide well, I'll keep watch for you! "
Hide my ass! He snorted and jumped out of the grass and vines. The girl was startled. Before she could react, he had already stuffed her into the hole. "You, stay inside! If you dare to come out, I'll beat you up! "
The Miao family's daughter was not someone who would give in so easily. Elaine ignored his threats and took a big step out. She widened her eyes and looked at him fiercely.
Lin Wanrong was stunned for a while. He bitterly retracted his palm and smiled, "Alright, I won't beat you up! If you want to stay outside, then stay outside. But I won't hide inside either! Let's talk outside. If the bailiffs really come up the mountain to catch me, it won't be too late to hide! "He took out all the clothes from the cave and put them on the girl.
A warm feeling came. Elaine looked at him and whispered, "Brother Lin, I've told you before, you're different from the others!"
Lin Wanrong giggled and gazed into the distance. In the hollow of the mountain, the water was clear and wide. The moonlight shone on the surface of the water, sparkling like jade. The shallow shadow of the moon was reflected in the water, swaying like a swimming silver boat. The Miao villages in the four mountains were scattered on the surface of the water, floating and swaying with the shadow of the moon, like a shaking scenery.
"What a good Moon Reflection Dock!" He sighed deeply, "It really lives up to its name!"
Elaine sat beside him and smiled proudly. "Of course, among the Nine Villages and Eighteen Docks, our Moon Reflection Dock and Holy Nun's Falling Jade Dock are the most beautiful! All the Miao family envies us! "
Such a beautiful scenery was indeed enviable. Lin Wanrong nodded and said, "Elaine, do the bailiffs always come and bully you?"
The Miao girl snorted angrily, "Isn't that so? They are the tyrants of the village, covering the sky with one hand. How much tax they collect is all up to the officials' mouth! Not only did they have to pay three or four taxes a year, but after they finished collecting the taxes, they had to use all kinds of excuses to make donations. Every official had to build a Buddhist temple, hold a birthday celebration, hold a hall, and donate gifts from all nine villages and eighteen docks. Whoever donated less would have their taxes increased! All these years, three feet of our Miao village's land has been taken away by them. The villagers are all suffering, it can be said that the people have no way to make a living! "
"Then no one does anything about it?"
"Who does?" Elaine said helplessly, "You saw it too. There are no bridges and no boats. We Miao people can't even leave Xuzhou Prefecture. This is the world of the officials. Even the Emperor in the capital city is not as free as he is. "
Lin Wanrong snorted coldly. He suddenly said, "What about the Black Miao? What enmity does the Black Miao have with you? We are all Miao people. Why would they collude with the officials to harm you? "
"Brother Ah Lin, you are not a Miao person." Elaine looked at him faintly, "These things should not be told to outsiders. But you are a good person. I know you will not harm us! The Black Miao is targeting us because they want to go against the White Miao and Sage Nun. It is also because of the fight for the position of the Nine Villages and Eighteen Docks! "
"Sister An?!" Lin Wanrong was shocked, "What is going on?"
Elaine grunted, "We Miao people have the Nine Villages and Eighteen Docks and thirty-six chains. There are more than a hundred thousand people. The previous Great Chieftains are all from the White Miao. They are highly respected and deeply loved! Before the last Great Chieftain passed away, he appointed Sage Nun to succeed him. However, Sage Nun was wandering outside at that time and did not return in time. It was agreed that the Black Miao's Zako Head would temporarily take over. "
At that time, Sister An was leading the White Lotus Sect to conquer the world for the Miao people. Of course, she did not have the time to return. Needless to say, it must be Zako Head who replaced her.
"Brother Ah Lin, you are so smart. You should be able to guess what happened next." Elaine shook her head, "The Zako Head wanted to become the real Great Chieftain of the Miao Village. After he took over, he did not hesitate to collude with the officials to eliminate dissidents and harm the Miao village. This caused the Nine Villages and Eighteen Docks to fall into such a miserable state today. My father has a deep influence in the Red Miao Village and was unwilling to listen to his orders. So, our Moon Reflection Dock was troubled by him. It was the same for the other Qing Miao and Hua Miao branches. "
"Seeing that the Miao people had no way to make a living and were full of complaints, the villagers could not live on. The elders discussed in private that they must invite Sage Nun back to reorganize the Miao village. At the beginning of spring this year, my father and I secretly sailed a boat to send an elder north. "
So that was it. Lin Wanrong was suddenly enlightened. No wonder Sister An left in a hurry in Prince Cheng's residence. So there was an unforeseen event in the Miao village. Needless to say, Zako had been operating in the Miao village for many years and had colluded with the officials. Even though Sister An was the real Great Chieftain, it would not be easy to bring him down.
"Then what about Sage Nun's blind date?!" He suddenly thought of something and asked hurriedly.
Elaine smiled, "Although the Zako Head is narrow-minded, he only has a soft spot for Sage Nun. Sage Nun has been wandering outside for many years and he has always been unmarried. Seeing that Sage Nun returned to the Miao village alone, he naturally wanted to fulfill his long-cherished wish! I heard that he lives at the bottom of Five Lotus Peak and would go to Falling Jade Dock to visit Sage Nun every day. He is bent on forcing her to marry him! As for this year's Flower Mountain Festival, everyone wants to see how Sage Nun will choose! "
This Sage Nun must be Sister An! Lin Wanrong no longer had any doubts and waved his hand angrily.
Elaine looked at him and said in surprise, "Brother Lin, are you really going to go on a blind date with Sage Nun? I advise you to give up on this idea. All the men in Xuzhou are watching Sage Nun! "
Lin Wanrong giggled, "I'll go and take a look. Maybe a blind cat will run into a dead mouse. The Holy Maiden likes people like me! Oh right, Elaine, you're going to the Flower Mountain Festival too, right?! "
The young girl nodded, "The Miao family's festival is the Miao family's festival. All the Mido and Micai in the village will be going! "
"Good!" Lin Wanrong gave her a thumbs up, "Then what kind of Mido do you like?! Tell me and I'll give you some advice! "
"I don't know!" Elaine looked at him shyly and shook her head. She tilted her head and looked down the mountain. Suddenly, she exclaimed, "Eh, the officials have retreated?!"
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