[Legend of the White Snake] Leifeng Pagoda

01

The story originated on the prison mountain.

In winter, the snow is white, the goose feathers are light, the towering mountains are wrapped in makeup, and they are connected with the cloudless sky.

A farmer held a sickle against the wind and snow, barely recognized the mountain road that he had walked countless times before, and went up the mountain cautiously to forage.

If it is not extremely hungry, who would want to go to the mountain to collect firewood in such a snowy season, not to mention risking their lives, probably there is nothing to eat.

The farmer is wrapped in thin clothes, but he has all kinds of complaints and helplessness in his heart. A farmer, a farmer, is nothing more than a farmer. He is not a woodcutter, but now he has to go to the mountain to collect wood. Who told the government to collect all his grain? gone!

Thinking about something in his heart, the farmer stepped on the half-buried snowdrift and fell down without noticing his feet. Immediately, the white snow was stained a little blood red.

The farmer stood up reluctantly, looked at his feet, and found that he had been stabbed by a branch and made a few cuts, and the pain was severe. He looked around and found that there was a cave not far in front of him. The bigger he got, he still walked forward as soon as he gritted his teeth.

The cave is not deep, and you have to bend over and bow your head to get in. Farmers barely lean on the side of the cave and dare not go deep. Experienced woodcutters know that this is the season when snakes hibernate, and they usually stay in the cave. The very hungry snake may do something, and there is nothing to eat on the mountain in winter, so woodcutters generally say that they do not go to the mountain in winter.

Although the farmer was cautious, he only leaned on the side of the cave and dared not go deep, but the cave was not deep at all, and it was a cold cave, and there was a large living person sitting there breathing, how could he not know that he was as sensitive as a snake?

The farmer rubbed his hands together and kept breathing on his lips, completely unaware of the cold eyes behind him.

Even the green snake didn't know how long it had been sleeping. The days of hibernation were sad for it, but it didn't want a human to disturb its rest.

Those who disturb it, be damned!

The green snake squirmed and climbed up the cave wall, looking at the thick black neck and dry skin, it didn't mind, it seemed to smell the sweet blood under the skin.

The sharp teeth flashed a silver light, the tongue kept sticking out, and the body that was still still just now flew out like an arrow from the string, heading for the farmer's neck.

Just at this time, the farmer bent his body, allowing the green snake to jump into the air, but fell straight to the ground. Suddenly, the green snake, which was slow and weak due to hibernation, was a little dizzy.

The farmer spat on the ground, lowered his body and rummaged through the snow to find a piece of wood, and slapped the green snake hard on the head, causing the green snake, which was already dazed, to faint.

The farmer still slapped it a few times in perplexity, until he was bleeding from the slaps, only then did he realize that the snake was unusual.

"Hey, this looks like a green snake." The farmer looked at the green snake curiously, with a big triangular head, a scorched tail, and a green snake body.Generally, when woodcutters catch snakes, they will distinguish the species, check whether they are poisonous, and then check whether they have medicinal value. Generally, those that have no medicinal value and are non-toxic will be taken home to eat.

Green snakes are very common on the mountain, even a farmer can easily identify them, but he finds it strange, it's just average, green snakes are docile and non-venomous, basically they don't attack or bite, but they will The person avoided him afterwards, but why did he take the initiative to bite him just now?

If the farmer hadn't taken precautions when he saw the thin and granulated feces at the entrance of the cave, he might be the one lying on the ground now.

Unable to figure it out, the farmer simply shook his head, picked up the snake on the ground, and planned to go down the mountain and go home. Since it was confirmed that it was non-toxic and harmless, it was naturally the best food.

The mountain road was not easy to walk, and his feet were injured, so he could only walk cautiously, but he met monks from Zexin Temple, one big and one small, all walking leisurely. No food or clothing for monks.

The farmer respectfully faced a monk, and said familiarly: "Master, are you doing morning classes?"

People in their area, whether they believe in it or not, respect the monks very much and are already familiar with them.

Host Yan Kuan saw that he was a familiar face. He had always been good-natured and smiled like a smiling Buddha, without arrogance or inaccessibility at all, "Hello, benefactor, why are you going up the mountain here?"

Usually in winter, monks like them are the ones who are active on the mountain, and even pilgrims rarely come here.

Asked about this, the farmer nodded in embarrassment, "There is no food at home."

Each family has its own affairs, Yan Kuan nodded understandingly, seeing the black air on the farmer's face, hesitated, and was about to say something.

As soon as he was called, his hand was pulled. Yan Kuan looked down at the child he was leading, and said, "Fa Hai, what's the matter?"

For Fa Hai's intelligence, Yan Kuan had known for a long time, Fa Hai would definitely not be the kind of person who doesn't know etiquette.

"Master, can you ask him for the snake in his hand, and we can exchange it with him for food."

It was the first time he saw such a beautiful snake, emerald green, three points more beautiful than the emeralds he had seen before.

A trace of surprise flashed in Yan Kuan's eyes, but the smile on the corner of his mouth remained undiminished.

The farmer had long heard the childish words of the child and saw his bright eyes, thinking that the child was playful by nature, so he was not surprised.

He nodded happily, and bowed to Yan Kuan gratefully, "Thank you for hosting."

Compared to a snake, food is naturally more valuable.

Watching the farmer prepare to hand the snake to Yan Kuan, Fa Hai took a few steps forward, "I'll do it."

He took the green snake from the farmer's hand, brushed the green snake's body casually, and pressed his fingers on Qicun.

The green snake in his hand was cold and lifeless, but Fa Hai didn't care about it, instead he stroked it again and again as if he loved it very much, his lowered eyes were as still as still water.

Yan Kuan directly asked the farmer to go to the temple to get food. This is a trivial matter and he does not need to interfere.

But Yan Kuan looked at Fa Hai with a smile, the green snake in his hands was like a frozen artwork, beautiful but non-toxic.

"Fahai, why don't you let Master talk about it?"

I believe that Fahai also noticed the blackness on the farmer's face, but the methods they adopted were different.

Yan Kuan wanted to explain clearly so that the farmer could escape.

"It's nothing, I just don't want him to vent his mistakes on others."

Fa Hai spoke vaguely, but Yan Kuan understood, how could he not know that his apprentice didn't want to speak, if he didn't ask.

Think of snakes as people?Yan Kuan shook his head with a smile, even he had to admit that Fa Hai's roots of wisdom were deep.

"Let's go, Xiaoqing."

Fa Hai looked down at the green snake, as if he had caught some light, the corners of his mouth were slightly hooked, and his fingers were secretly tightened.

Without letting Yan Kuan help, he hugged the green snake and walked forward step by step.

The white snow and the boundless sky form a line.

On the snow, a series of footprints may be shallow or deep, all the way forward until the end.

Everything is dependent and extinguished, and the Chinese version of the farmer and the snake also disappeared in the bud.