The little man on the apex

When Yuan Xi asked, everyone reacted and looked at each other, where is Brother Sheng?

"When someone saw the bandits leaving," the man who followed the old doctor muttered in a low voice, "it seems that a brother was caught, maybe..."

After hearing this, Yuan Xi ran out and looked around the house, but he didn't see Brother Sheng either.

"Second!" An old woman rushed in staggeringly, grabbed Niu Er's hand on the bed and began to cry. The old doctor was treating him, and signaled Zhao Jing and the others to pull the old woman up.

A bunch of middle-aged couples followed, Yuan Xi had met once before, it was Niu Er's elder brother Niu Da and his wife, so the old lady just now should be Niu Er's mother.

Niu Er's mother heard that Brother Sheng might be taken away, but she didn't worry about it, she just patted her thigh and howled, saying "it was this little goblin who killed her second son", and "if it wasn't for him back then, The second child will not even give up his own mother" or something like that.

Although Yuan Xi didn't know the reason, he vaguely felt that the "little fairy" in the old woman's words should be referring to Brother Sheng.

He was suddenly out of breath, brother Sheng is such a good person, and now his whereabouts are unknown, this old woman is still saying these ugly words at the top of her throat.

Zhou Ziyu quickly pulled Yuan Xi aside and told him about Niu Er.

Brother Sheng was brought back by Niu Er once he went to the town to sell goods. He said that his hometown was hit by a drought and he fled alone to Lanxi Town. In a good place, the clothes are also torn into strips.

I don't know what happened at that time, anyway, Niu Er brought him home, and he said at that time that he would prepare something for a wedding and marry Sheng Ge'er.

At that time, his mother had fallen in love with a brother from a neighboring village, and was about to let Niu Er meet him. Of course, she would not agree with Brother Sheng, and she kept saying things like unclean and unknown origin.

Later, the two got married, but after half a year, for some reason, Niu Er built this yard at the entrance of the village and moved out with brother Sheng. It is said that it was still because of conflicts with her mother and brother-in-law.

In short, Niu Er is a well-known calf protector. Although he is not as tired and pampered as Yan Heyi, he is very good. He is a bit dull, just like Sheng brother. There are many people, and the two of them just live their little days down-to-earth.

After tossing and tossing for a long time, the old doctor finally got the needle done, but Niu Er never woke up, saying that he might wake up after a while, or...

Before the old doctor finished speaking, Niu Er's mother came forward and pulled the old doctor's sleeve, saying that he was a quack doctor, and Niu Da didn't talk to his wife, just stood by the side with a straight face , Yan Heyi and Zhao Jing saw the situation, hurried over to pull people away, and let the old doctor go home.

The yamen servant who went out to investigate came back and said that apart from Brother Sheng, two other brothers from the neighboring village were also taken away by bandits.

Yuan Xi was worried, but he didn't dare to go over to make trouble, so he stayed at Niu Er's house with Yan Heyi and the others for a long time, until the sky was slightly bright, and they all returned home.

The snow was much smaller than at night. The extinguished torches, broken door panels, and spots of blood on the ground were all covered by the snow, leaving only a clean space between the sky and the earth.

After not sleeping all night, Yuan Xi and Yan Heyi were both blue and hungry. They wanted to go to bed for a while, but they couldn't sleep anyway, so Yan Heyi got up and made some porridge for them.

When the bandits came to their alley, they didn't pay attention to Feng Bo's house at the entrance of the alley. Feng Bo was sleeping soundly, and he was a little hard of hearing. He woke up when the officers and soldiers were chasing him. Aunt Gu and her lover next door heard the movement. Lock the doors and windows without making a sound, and did not attract the bandits' attention.

Yan Heyi was cooking porridge in the kitchen, and Aunt Gu came over with a basket of buns, saying that she was terrified when she heard bandits knocking on their door at night, and she was ready to come to help if the bandits broke the door. What's up.

The two families simply had a meal together, but couldn't sleep, so they went out to help the villagers repair the doors and windows damaged by the bandits.

Yuan Xi was no longer squeamish, rolled up his sleeves and started nailing the windows of Niu Er's house, keeping his head sullen, silent, followed by a Gouwa who was also silent.

After what happened at night, Gouwa didn't say much, and ran over to look for Yuanxi after her house was cleaned up.

Niu Er still didn't wake up, and there was no news from the officers and soldiers. He asked the people in the government, and they said that the officers and soldiers followed all the way into the mountain, and the two sides fought and injured many people. The specific situation is not yet clear.

In the afternoon, several aunts in the village brought meals for the younger generations who helped the village. Butcher Zhou took out all the existing pork, set up a stove in his yard, and stewed pork with cabbage for each family. Add food.

On weekdays, although the various families are somewhat at odds, at such a critical time, the people in Ping'an Village are definitely of one mind.

Yuan Xi was holding a full porcelain bowl, sitting with Yan Heyi outside the main room of Niu Er's house, his brows were tightly frowned.

"Yuan Xi, are you tired?" Yan Heyi gave Yuan Xi a few pieces of pork from her own bowl, and was very worried when he saw his complexion.

Yuan Xi shook his head lightly, stuffed the food in the bowl into his mouth a few times, and swallowed it before he could taste the taste.

As soon as a bowl of rice was stuffed, the person who had followed to inquire about the news came back, and everyone around came over with bowls and stared at that person eagerly.

The man sighed, and said slowly: "Those lunatics, desperately, led the officers and soldiers into the mountain, taking advantage of the terrain..."

"Fortunately, the leading officers and soldiers are familiar with the terrain in the mountains. They led people all the way into the mountains. Although they were injured, there were still many people. Seeing that they were going to catch them all, those bastards took out a few hostages."

Yuan Xi held Yan Heyi's hand tightly.

"There are two brothers from the neighboring village, a girl from the town, and...brother Sheng."

"Brother Sheng, are you okay?" Yuan Xi asked anxiously.

"He's all bearded and tailed, and he's not injured." The man turned his head to look at Yuan Xi, his tone reassuring, "It's just that there are hostages in his hands, and the officers and soldiers dare not act rashly. Those bandits took the opportunity to blackmail them. Ask the government for money and land."

Someone in the crowd asked: "What does the government mean? Promise them, or..."

"It's a quarrel, but the master of the yamen didn't express his position. The master said that he must not be threatened by bandits, but the officer and soldier who took the lead waiting in the mountain disagreed, saying that he must not hurt the people."

As soon as these words came out, the people around began to discuss.

"How can the government agree to so many demands from bandits? Brother Sheng... oh..."

"That's right, a few ordinary people are exchanged for a bunch of bandits, and the government is not stupid. If they follow up with their superiors and ask for credit, then some of them will be promoted."

"That's not necessarily true. Didn't the leading officer disagree?"

"It's just an officer and soldier, what can he do?"

"..."

"Okay," Yuan Xi roared hoarsely, "The government won't save people, so I will do it myself."

He insisted on entering the mountain, but everyone was silent to dissuade him.

Yan Heyi didn't persuade her, and asked the villagers for a dagger, and she wanted to follow him. Zhao Jing stood up and said that he would do his part, and Zhou Ziyu wanted to follow. Zhao Jing was so angry that he wanted to tie him up, but in the end he couldn't hold back and took him with him. up.

Butcher Zhou wiped the pig-killing knife on his leather apron, "How many pigs have I killed with my big knife, and the bandits are like pigs, what are you afraid of him doing? I'll go with you."

The able-bodied men from several other villages present also picked up their tools and followed Yuanxi and the others into the mountain.

Looking back, the mountain stretches for hundreds of miles and is home to many villages and towns. The bandits hid in the mountain next to Lanxi Town. Just after the snow fell, a few people stomped on the dead branches under the snow.

Walking along the traces of the road, before the sun set, several people finally found the officers and soldiers ambushing in the mountains. As expected, the leading officer and soldier was Zhou Hongxi.

He had wounded several places on his upper arm, and he was roughly wrapped in the cloth torn from his clothes, blood was still oozing, he was arguing with a short-clothed yamen servant, it sounded like he was sent by the master to force them to attack, Zhou Hongxi told him After a few words, there was no more nonsense, and he was detained with an order.

Seeing Yuanxi and the others coming, Zhou Hongxi hastily led them into the temporary tent and explained the situation in the mountain in detail.

Brother Sheng and the others were locked in the innermost room of the cottage. The bandits said that if the officers and soldiers dared to approach, they would use these hostages as vanguards.

And give them one night to think about it. If it is dawn and there is still no result, they will kill a hostage every hour.

The sky had already darkened, and Zhou Hongxi's brows were furrowed tighter and tighter. Not far away was the bandit's stronghold, and the sound of their drinking and punching could be vaguely heard.

"If you attack from behind, are you sure you can save them?" Butcher Zhou shook the knife in his hand, "I'd rather be the first to take out these bastards."

"There is a cliff behind," Zhou Hongxi shook his head, "Our people have tried it, but it doesn't work."

Yuan Xi raised his head suddenly, "While they are drunk, let's sneak in to save them, will it work?"

Zhou Hongxi still shook his head, "The bandits are waiting for our decision tomorrow, how could they get drunk so easily?"

"Then..." Yuan Xi thought for a while, "If we give some medicine, won't we be able to knock him down?"

His worry-filled eyes suddenly lit up, "I was in a daze for a long time with the drug he gave me at Jia Yuanwai last time, and I didn't have any strength in my body. Let's drink more , When they wake up, everyone is already in prison."

Zhou Hongxi listened to Yuan Xi's words quietly, and nodded slowly, "It's a good idea, but...how do we prescribe drugs to them?"

Yuan Xi immediately said: "Catch one of their servants, that's what it says in the scriptures, quietly knock him out, change into his clothes, and go in pretending to be a bandit?"

Hearing this, Zhou Hongxi didn't hesitate, called a few officers and soldiers over, gave some instructions in a low voice, and they hurried out.

After a cup of tea, those officers and soldiers brought in a man who had been knocked unconscious, "My lord, this is a servant serving in the cottage. He just came out to relieve himself and was caught by us."

"Okay," Zhou Hongxi stepped forward to check, and then began to take off his official uniform, "Take off his clothes, and I will pretend to be a servant."

Yuan Xi pointed to the servant lying on the ground, "Brother Hongxi, this man is slender, he doesn't look like you."

"This..." Zhou Hongxi stopped taking off his clothes, looked around, and saw that every officer and soldier looked like a big and three rough.

Zhou Ziyu said timidly, "I'll go."

"I'll go." Yuan Xi held Zhou Ziyu behind him, "Although this man is slender, he is tall, similar to me."

Yan Heyi grabbed his hand, "Yuanxi, don't mess around."