to blame

The moon was in the middle of the sky, the little fox stretched his waist, and jumped down from Ming Xia's arms, "Let's go, let's play!"

Ming Xia estimated the distance from Fox Peak to the back mountain in his mind, "Is there a road? Can I drive there?"

The little fox was stunned by his question, and then laughed. It stretched itself on the ground, "What kind of car do you need to drive when you get to Fox Peak? I'll carry you there."

As he said that, its body gradually grew bigger and turned into a beautiful big fox that was a circle bigger than Baimei.It walked proudly down the steps back and forth twice, then turned to ask Ming Xia, "Am I beautiful?"

"Beautiful." Ming Xia nodded with a smile, "It's very beautiful."

Qingqiu didn't look like a fox at the moment, but a cute pony with strong limbs, a slender figure, and a big fluffy white tail.

Qingqiu lowered his forelimbs, "Come on, come up."

Ming Xia tentatively hugged its neck and sat on it, Qingqiu stood up and shook his fur, spread his hooves and began to run.

Ming Xia hugged its furry neck, feeling like walking in a dream—especially when Qingqiu soars into the sky, and every time a soft little cloud appears under the feet of jumping, this dreamlike feeling becomes even more distinct.

The disc-like bright moon and the twinkling stars seem to be within reach, and under their feet, green mountains spread out layer by layer, like silent waves.

The night breeze brings a fresh fragrance that seems to exist in the mountains and forests.

I don't know how long it took to fly, and there were dots of lights in the depths of the dense forest.

Qingqiu began to lower the height, so Ming Xia slowly saw the whole picture of this mountain town clearly.

White walls and black tiles, stone pavement, and festive red lanterns on the eaves.

Although it was late at night, the shops on the main street were all open, and the market seemed to be on a festival day, with crowds of pedestrians, and it was very lively.There are also food stalls in the middle of the street, one next to the other.The steam curled up, and it looked like a kind of warm human fireworks.

Qingqiu jumped off the ground, and when Ming Xia stood still, he also straightened up and changed back into a handsome boy.He was still wearing the original white robe, and his long black and shiny hair was tied into a ponytail, hanging long behind him.

Qingqiu held Ming Xia's hand, smiling like a child asking for credit, "Is it lively?"

Ming Xia nodded.

Qingqiu happily led him up and into the side street.Ming Xia finally discovered something different about this so-called monster market.Because more than half of the shopkeepers and shoppers are not human beings.For example, an old lady who sells glutinous rice balls at a street intersection has a pair of cat ears protruding from her head.

The boss chatting with people outside the antique shop was wearing a long gown from the Republic of China era, and his exposed hands were fluffy, like wearing a pair of fur gloves.When he raised his hand and scratched his cheek, Ming Xia found that it seemed to be two bear paws.

Ming Xia, "..."

"Let's eat something." Qingqiu rubbed his belly, "I was very full, but I'm hungry again here."

As he spoke, he looked around, pointed to a wonton stand in the distance, and said, "That's Grandfather Seven of Fox Peak. His family raised a lot of pheasants, and the wonton soup is all stewed with pheasants. It's delicious."

Ming Xia imagined the situation of a fox raising a large flock of pheasants, and felt a little cute for no reason.

"Well," Ming Xia thought of a very practical question, "How do I pay the bill? Is cash acceptable?"

Qingqiu, "..."

Before coming out with Qingtan, he was the one responsible for eating, buying, and buying, and he never thought about paying the bill.

"Forget it, let's ask Grandpa Seven when we go to eat." Ming Xia had no choice but to take this little thing, and couldn't help reaching out and flicking it on his forehead.

Qingqiu was only depressed for a while, but immediately became happy again.But what was even happier was that the old fox selling wontons recognized him before he ran to him.

"Oh, isn't this Qingqiu?" The old fox laughed so hard that his eyes narrowed, and he came out from behind the stall, holding Qingqiu's creaking nest with both hands, and lifted him up high, "Ouch , grow taller, grow taller, more handsome."

Qingqiu laughed happily, "Grandpa Seven, I miss you."

Grandpa Seven also laughed, "Miss me? Or my wontons? Oh, didn't you join the demon town? This is..."

"Vacation, vacation," Qingqiu quickly pulled out the excuse he had thought up earlier, "This is my colleague and good friend Ming Xia. I brought him here."

"Oh, this is the official." Grandpa Seven was so happy that he put down Qingqiu and hurriedly said hello to Ming Xia.Set up a separate table for them next to the stall, chatting with Qingqiu while cooking wontons.

"I heard from the old wolf in Osmanthus ditch that you entered the town of demons, so I was worried. You are still so young, and Xishan has not been peaceful these years. Oh, nothing happened, right? The old monsters who are killing these days, why are you so worried? It doesn't stop."

Seventh Grandpa can talk to himself quite well, but Ming Xia can hear the closeness to the sixth group from his words.

Qingqiu nodded again and again, "That's right, Ming Xia has been injured several times, looking for trouble every day."

Grandpa Seven immediately showed a sympathetic expression, and when serving up the wontons, he deliberately added two extra chicken wings to his bowl.Another plate of chicken wings and chicken feet marinated by myself and a few side dishes were served to them.

Seventh Grandpa seemed to be afraid that he might misunderstand the entire Yaozu, and explained to Ming Xia sincerely, "We are different from them. We just want to live a stable life, earn a little money, and raise a family." Hua raises a dog, it’s okay to go on a trip, what do you think is so good.”

Ming Xia nodded repeatedly.Boss Bi, Tao Sheng, and Songqing in the old town are all like this.

"Some people just have brain problems!" Seventh Grandpa said angrily, "Let's live a good life, but they will find trouble all day long. If you want me to say, it's too cheap for them to just lock them up. They are not itchy skin, Just like to beat and kill? Then you should tie them up, beat them for three meals a day, and be honest if you beat them!"

Both Ming Xia and Qing Qiu laughed.Qingqiu gave Grandpa Qi a thumbs up in admiration, "Grandpa Qi, what you said is really good!"

"Travel all over the world with reason!" Seventh Grandpa said righteously, "Only the guy who doesn't have a good brain thinks about being in chaos all day long. Tell me, the world is in chaos, and you can't even eat a piece of safe food. For those who hide in Tibet, it is difficult to be a human being or a monster, so what's the point?"

"Yes, yes, Lao Qi said yes." Several guests next to him also nodded their heads in response.

"Speaking of which, we still have to thank you," the guest next to him said with a smile, "If we hadn't locked up these troublemakers all day long, we wouldn't be able to live a stable life. Old Qi, these two officials I will meet the account."

Ming Xia was about to resign when Seventh Grandpa said with a smile: "Where are you going to be used, Qingqiu is our own child, and I'm a grandfather, so why don't they charge money for a bowl of rice?"

Everyone who ate laughed and enjoyed themselves.

Ming Xia and Qing Qiu had dinner, bid farewell to the enthusiastic Seventh Grandpa, and walked around the market together holding hands.Grandpa Seven told them that there are several resorts nearby, and tourists come here every day for sightseeing, so they have already pulled the net here, and it is okay to buy things in cash or by scanning codes.

Monsters also have to keep pace with the times.

The town is not big, and half of the shops are for tourists.However, there are also some old shops, such as the antique shop opened by Hei Xiong Jing, which sell antiques collected by the monsters in the mountains. Basically, they are very expensive and cannot be bought in Mingxia, but it is still possible to enjoy the eyesight.

There is also a clothing store opened by two macaques.They set up looms in the store to weave strong and beautiful homespun cloth. In addition to making sheets and quilts, they also made some distinctive tube skirts and capes.Sometimes tourists also follow them to learn how to use a loom, and often weave a scarf and handkerchief by themselves.

There are also some characteristic hotel bars.

In the past, there was a lot of game in the mountains, and the monsters opened their shops to treat customers with game.Times have changed, and so have people's ideas.Wild animals need to be protected, and some of them will spread diseases. The monsters, in line with the changes in the concept of human society, stopped hunting and started farming instead, or purchased from farmers down the mountain.

Ming Xia and Qing Qiu ate and walked along the stone road full of food stalls, and then saw an antique grocery store.The shop sells all bits and pieces of old things, including women's dowry, old jewelry, handicrafts from all over the world, cups, plates and dishes.

Ming Xia saw a pair of bows and arrows on the shelf in the corner, it was neither gold nor wood, its whole body had an ivory-like luster, it felt cool to the touch, and the smooth and delicate texture was really like ivory.But the shopkeeper said no, ivory is not allowed to be bought and sold according to the law, and the texture of ivory is not suitable for making bows.

Ming Xia felt that this might be the bone structure of some special species, and that bowstring was a bit like the tendons he had seen in museums.The eighteen long arrows in the quiver were also made of the same material. The arrows were sharp and had a cold luster. Ming Xia touched them and felt that they did not look like metal, but seemed to be integrated with the ivory-white arrow shafts.

The boss is a sika deer, a bit chatty.Ming Xia tried the bow, and he chatted with Qingqiu, "Tourists? Of course there are, but tourists come here during the day to stroll around and take pictures. They don't dare to go on mountain roads. So at night, we are still the same kind. There are more, and there are many people who know the inside story in the nearby mountains, and sometimes they come to the night market, and they have lived in peace for hundreds of years, and no one cares about it."

"It's better at home." Qingqiu sighed like an adult, "Everywhere is comfortable."

The boss also laughed, "That's right, so our family has been rooted here for hundreds of years, and we don't want to go anywhere."

Qingqiu was curious, "I don't like to go out, how do you buy the things you want to sell when you open a store?"

"If you have nothing to do, just take a walk in a few nearby villages. There are many good things in the mountains." The boss said: "My fellow clansmen know that I am in this business, and they will send me any strange things they come across. Besides, there is also the Internet. , Some things are bought online, and the courier company will deliver them to the resort at the foot of the mountain. It is also convenient.”

Qingqiu asked him, "Where is this bow?"

The boss scratched the side of his face, showing a troublesome expression, "Someone consigned it to me. You also know that there is a policy that you can't buy or sell such things. So I only dare to show it to our own people during the night market." Take a look. There are not many people in my store, even fewer people like these things, and it is quite expensive, and it has been on display for more than half a year and has not been sold."

Qingqiu asked the price, and immediately lay down on the counter without moving, "Oh my god, it's so expensive... I can't afford it with my salary of not eating or drinking for several years..."

After staying among ordinary people for a long time, the little fox has become down-to-earth, and knows to look at the price tag before buying snacks.

Ming Xia was also stunned by the exorbitant price, mainly because he didn't even detect the material.

The price of the product was considered high, and the boss was a little embarrassed, "The person who brought it said that the bowstring was made of dragon tendons. He also said that if it is found to be a fake and shoddy product in the future, he will refund it ten times."

Qingqiu knew that familiar monsters would sometimes protect each other.Being able to say something similar to an oath is enough to show that this thing is good.

Ming Xia did a simple test on the bow and arrow, and was a little tempted.But he still has a mortgage to repay, and he still hesitates to spend all his savings all at once.I was wondering if I could make a bargain.

The boss had already seen what he meant, turned the bow body around, and gave him the two small characters on the inside of the bow arm.

Ming Xia, "..."

"Both of you are the officials of the town demon division. If I want to cheat money, I won't cheat you two blindly." The boss said earnestly: "I dare not guarantee the origin of this thing." It must be real. But it is an antique. The gentleman who consigned said that when he got this item, the Tibetans had just entered Hongshibao. Many wealthy households in Longyou County were busy fleeing lightly. .When this thing comes into his hands, it will be worth a thousand gold."

Ming Xia, "..."

Ming Xia took out her phone with shaking hands, "Can I scan the QR code to pay?"