Snake Tale

"You may not know that although I am from the Central Plains, I grew up in the southern barbarian land. When I was ten years old, my whole family fled to the south of Yanta country. Yanta is desolate and poor, with few people. In order to reproduce , the custom of "brothers sharing wives" prevails. My father sold me to three local brothers for the price of five sheepskins. I was very satisfied at first, after all, in that place, it was enough to have a full meal. A great blessing. But as I got older, I gradually got tired of the humid climate, rough food, endless labor, those three rough and smelly men and the fists and feet they frequently imposed on me. But Where can I go again? c

"Until that day, I took a few pieces of newly-bought Gessine cloth and went to wash by the river. I saw her by the river. Before my family fell into ruin, I was a rich girl with slaves and treasures, but I I have never seen such a radiant girl in my life. She sat alone on a small boat, peeling water chestnuts, and singing foreign songs. Her temples, her eyes are bright, and her white and delicate skin is like fresh snow, which makes people dare not look at her. For a moment, I couldn't tell whether the beautiful singing voice came from her or from the morning glow? Is she a mortal or a goddess in the river?

"I stared at her blankly, listening to her ethereal and melodious singing, I forgot where I was for a moment, and when I came back to my senses, I realized that the Gema in my hand had been washed away by the rushing water at some point." .

"It was the fabric that was going to be used to sew coats for the three brothers. If they found out that I lost a piece, I would definitely be beaten and kicked. I was terrified, and I sat on the ground helplessly, crying on the spot. My The crying alarmed the girl on the boat. She came up to the shore curiously and asked me what happened. After I finished talking about the cause and effect, she covered her lips with her hand and laughed, saying, "Silly Girl, this is what God wants to teach you to get out of the sea of ​​suffering, and you started to cry!' I don't know what she was talking about, just sobbing. But I saw that she took off her exquisite silk dress and handed it to me, and taught me another lesson. Finally, he smiled and said to me: "Do as I say, and you will be spared the pain of flesh and blood. If it doesn't work, you can come here to confront me in three days."

"I returned home with a half-understood understanding. According to what she said, I sewed the silk thread on the hemp, and spun the cloth into two robes before the three brothers returned from their work. Wait until the evening They came home one after another and saw that I had only made two robes. Before I could get angry, I hurriedly explained: "Today I was going to wash by the river with three pieces of Gema, but I happened to see an old woman taking I was eager to sell a piece of exquisite clothes, and said that I would exchange it for a piece of Gema in my hand. I thought to myself that exchanging Gema for silk, such a cost-effective business, why not do it? So I exchanged it. Luo Yi is not enough to make another For a complete piece of clothing, I embroidered it on Gema and made two pieces. You can wear it for now, if you don’t like it, you can trade it with someone another day, and you can definitely get a good price, right?

"The elder brother was skeptical, and asked back: 'Is there anyone who would trade silk for Gema at a loss?' The younger brother smiled and said, "Brother, you don't understand, this must be the clothes that the old woman stole, and she was eager to sell for fear that the owner would chase the stolen goods. Therefore, it is sold at a low price to others." The second child couldn't wait to spread out the two clothes in admiration, saying that he had never seen such gorgeous and exquisite clothes in his life. I am more happy during New Years and festivals. I said: "It's a pity that the fabric is only enough to make two clothes. Not everyone can afford such gorgeous clothes. In my opinion, we should choose the two who have contributed the most to this family." It is only suitable for personal wear.'

As soon as the words fell, the eldest brother took the brunt of the clothes and said, "Do you even need to ask?"In terms of the greatest contribution, who can compare to me?Parents died early, if I hadn't worked hard day and night to support the whole family, would you have grown so big?When I went up the mountain to cut firewood and help people herd sheep before dawn, you were still crawling around in diapers! '

Not to be outdone, the younger brother also snatched a fancy dress, saying: "The person who has contributed the most to this family, should I be left behind?"Back then, the three of us were huddled together in a thatched hut with air leaks on all sides, and we were too poor to wear trousers or eat food. If I hadn’t been relying on me to get up early and be greedy at night, and rely on my little cleverness, I would travel around to do some small business of buying low and selling high. It's easy to save a sum of money, how can we find a way to repair this house and buy a full-fledged mother-in-law? '

Seeing that the two costumes had been divided up, the second child couldn't help yelling anxiously: "You have all snatched them all, what should I wear?" He stretched out his hand to snatch the clothes from the younger brother's arms, and inadvertently tore a big hole in the light and elegant dress.The eldest brother was very distressed, and in a hurry, he slapped the second child staggeringly, and angrily said: "Useless prodigal bastard!"Nothing, nothing but spoiling things! ' Then he scolded viciously.

"The second son is the slowest in mind and the most impatient in temperament. After being taught by the elder brother, and with a few sneers and sarcasm from the younger brother to help him, he gradually became angry from embarrassment and said sharply: 'If you have contributed to this family, I have not. ?Since the root of the disease has fallen to the back of the elder brother, who is taking care of the heavy work at home? That year, the younger brother was bitten by a jackal and injured his leg. Who drove you on the mountain road for five days and nights to the doctor in the neighboring town? Where can I see a doctor?’ Pointing at me, he said sadly, “Even the woman I married, the elder brother is the oldest, so he asked me to let me go; Back?" The more he talked, the more sad he became, and he cried: "You all have merit, but I am a fool and a waste! I don't want anything, and I will leave all the good things to you!" After finishing speaking, he grabbed The spindle thrown by the spinning wheel pierced directly into his chest.

"No one expected such a thing to happen. The third child reacted first, rushed to the second child, hugged the surviving corpse of the second child Yu Wen, and cried: 'Second brother, how can you be so stupid? My life was earned by you, second brother, from the gate of hell, but I fought with you. Knowing that you are honest and upright, I still humiliated and ridiculed you with words. Am I still a human being? I killed you! I deserve to die!' As he spoke, he pulled out the spindle from the third child's chest and stabbed it hard into his throat. Blood was splashed all over the ground on the spot, and he went with his brother.

The boss turned pale with fright and regretted so much that he threw himself on the bodies of the two brothers, weeping bitterly, beating his chest and stamping his feet, crying that he was not worthy to be the elder brother, and scratching his hair frantically in pain until the blood flowed all over his face. Stop your hands, look at that appearance, you are also insane and out of your mind.

I curled up under the bed, watching all this in horror.Until night fell, the boss was still holding his brother's corpse and muttering to himself.I plucked up the courage to get out, I didn't even bother to put on my shoes, I pushed open the door and ran out desperately, all I wanted was to escape from that crazy and terrifying place.Before I knew it, I ran to the small river again.It was cold and foggy, and there was nothing on the river.I was still in shock, hugged myself, and burst into tears.Hungry and cold, tired and sleepy, I fell asleep by the river.In the early morning of the second day, I was woken up by that girl gently shaking me.She saw the blisters on my feet and the blood on my clothes, and asked me with a smile: "Why do you look like this?"Is it done or not? '

"I still had lingering fears, trembling all over, and cried out: 'You—you made me suffer so much!' She took off the water bag and drank water with me, curiously said: 'What do you mean? Don't worry, just say it slowly. I'll listen." I stumbled and recounted the incident to her. The more she listened, the more radiant she became, and she said with a smile: "You want to be free, so you will be free now? Why are you crying?" I recalled the tragic situation, and tremblingly said: "But they are all dead! They died right in front of my eyes—" The girl picked up a blade of grass and wove a grasshopper, and said lazily: "When you die, you die, everyone in the world How many people will not die?' I was at a loss and said: 'I still don't understand, what's going on?' The girl said casually: 'What's so strange about this? Inequity, and there is no absolute fairness in the world, conflicts will accumulate over time, and if there is an opportunity to provoke a little, the conflicts will explode. As for why two costumes are needed instead of one, that is even simpler. People, maybe they don't mind that they are not the best, but they must not tolerate being the worst and the least. The person who is left behind must be alone and helpless, and feel that he is being bullied by the alliance. I won't swallow my anger. But it all came to an end so quickly, it's really..." She raised her hand and threw the crushed grass leaves into the air, giggled, turned to me, and said, "Okay, I'll help you You have fulfilled your wish, how are you going to repay me?"

At that time, she was only twelve or thirteen years old, and she was aware of human feelings so far, and she was so ruthless and decisive. When I think about it today, I still can't help being afraid.But at that time, I was homeless and destitute, and I couldn’t think of any other way out except to obey her.The girl called herself Tao Ji, and said that she had offended the winter-minded elders in her family and was exiled to this wild place. 'I don't want to spend my whole life in this damn place!But if I want to leave here, the only person who can help me is...only...' She blushed on her snow-white cheeks, biting her lower lip lightly, and said to herself: 'Only that short-lived enemy! '

"She begged me to deliver a letter for her, and said: 'You must deliver the letter to that person for me with your own hands. However, you are only allowed to look at him twice.' I asked: 'Why?' Tao Ji said : "The first glance confirms that he opened the letter with his own hands, and the second glance firmly remembers the expression on his face when he read the letter. In addition, if you dare to look at him a third time, I will gouge out your eyes !' I have seen her methods, even though she said this with an extremely beautiful smile, she did not dare to look down on her in her heart. She took out a piece of silk from her bosom and handed it to me, which shows that this letter has been prepared for a long time, The only thing missing is a reliable messenger. I took the silk and saw a pair of human heads and snake bodies copulating on it. That was the first time I saw this totem.

"Following Tao Ji's instructions, I trekked across the mountains and rivers to deliver the letter as promised. Needless to say, the journey was hard. It wasn't until I met that man that I finally understood why Tao Ji didn't allow me to take a third look at him."

Juesu sighed softly, "I thought that Tao Ji's beauty was the most beautiful thing that good fortune could create, but I didn't know I was wrong until I saw that man. Tao Ji's beauty is clear and beautiful, Like a light cloud covering the moon, a weak flower swaying in Lubo; but the man's appearance is handsome and majestic, like a spring pine, flamboyant and flamboyant, flying in the blue sky. Alas! Even if Tao Ji doesn't tell me repeatedly, I will I didn't dare to look at him again. Only when I saw such a person did I know what it means to be ashamed! When the man saw the totem on the letter, he smiled brightly and blurted out: "My ghostly sister, who is also What's the bad idea?'

Shen Yuzhu was startled, Jue Su took a deep look at him, and said, "Yuzhu, have you already guessed their identities?"

Shen Yuzhu hesitated and said: "27 years ago...the princess of Baoguo seduced her compatriot elder brother to mess up the palace. After the incident, she was exiled to the south by Baojun. Later, Duke Huan of Qi went south to crusade against Jingchu. On the way back, he met the princess in Hanshui. As a celestial being, I will marry her back to the palace against all opinions, make her the last wife, and give her the name 'Zi Shuo'. Jue Su, is this what you mean?"

He vaguely realized something, looked over the screens and curtains, looked at Luo Yi who was lying unconscious on the bed at the moment, and said in a low voice: "Jesu, do you want to say... The appearance is exactly the same as Mrs. Zishuo back then?"

Jue Su shook his head strangely.

Shen Yuzhu didn't know why, but saw her solemn expression, and said word by word:

"He's more like that... the man I've only seen twice."