Chapter 4: In the Human Realm

Oh heavens, what kind of people are these? How can they be so dark and so short? The little girl picking mulberry leaves while lying on the tree, however, is quite lovely, though her attire is too unattractive, either blue or black, making her look as if she has wrapped herself in a piece of cloth. Such clothing is something Yun Zheng has never seen even in her dreams

Yun Zheng, carrying He Jianqiang, finally arrived at the edge of a large river and saw the crowd. However, he did not dare to approach easily and sat under a mulberry tree, holding He Jianqiang and feeling troubled.

Two people sat on the ground continuously eating mulberries. After a while, He Jianqiang seemed to take an interest in the food in the basket of the mulberry pickers. He stood up, ran to the basket, quickly grabbed two rice balls, and ran back, handing one to Yun Zheng. Watching the mulberry pickers laughing and joking, Yun Zheng felt a flush of embarrassment on his face.

Why don't you marry her? We have already taken care of your partner, and now I will help you deceive another one. Look at that young girl; although she has a few small blemishes on her face, she is still quite pretty. I have inquired, and her family is wealthy. Marrying her will allow us to enjoy a life of luxury immediately.

The magnificent craftsmanship of nature has carved out the formidable barrier known as the Stone Gate, which serves as a crucial passage for transportation from Sichuan to Yunnan. It is the strategic point of the "Five-Foot Road" from the Qin and Han dynasties. Due to the towering cliffs on the opposite bank, the river has split the landscape in two, creating a massive stone gate that locks the ancient route between Yunnan and Sichuan, hence it is also referred to as "Shimen Pass"

Yun Zheng jumped into the water bay, stirring up the mud and sand continuously. When the water bay became murky, he began to catch fish. The fish were quite foolish, swimming with their heads close to the surface. In no time, Yun Zheng caught six fish with his hands. Regrettably, he looked at the small water bay, which contained only a few finger-length fish, and then he jumped onto the sandy beach to start a fire and grill the fish

"Slap me! I can't bring myself to do it," Yun Zheng said as he turned to He Jianqiang.

Yun Zheng and He Jianqiang were afraid, but the mulberry-picking girl was not. A little girl with round eyes grabbed the green snake and threw it back into the bamboo house, muttering to herself.

The mulberry picker arrived at the largest bamboo building, raised her voice and called out twice. Her voice was clear and melodious, but unfortunately, Yun Zheng could not understand what she was saying.

The people here are very simple, so simple that Yun Zheng does not know what to say. In the village, there is a dilapidated bamboo house that is uninhabited, and the two brothers plan to settle here. The villagers contribute a scoop of rice from one household and a scoop of beans from another. Although the bedding is worn, it has been thoroughly cleaned. The old clan leader even gifted Yun Zheng an iron pot and a small bag of salt, which can be considered a generous gift, especially when Yun Zheng realizes that it is now the fourth year of the Qingli era of the Great Song Dynasty. Although the bedding is worn, it has been thoroughly cleaned. The old clan leader even gifted Yun Zheng an iron pot and a small bag of salt, which can be considered a generous gift, especially when Yun Zheng realizes that it is now the fourth year of the Qingli era of the Great Song Dynasty

The old patriarch smiled and said to Yun Zheng: "Do not be afraid, this is a harmless house snake, specifically for catching mice and insects. If it is not present in the bamboo house, one cannot settle in peace."

An elderly man, with his head wrapped in black cloth and hair completely white, appeared beside the bamboo building. Upon seeing Yun Zheng, he was momentarily taken aback, then hurriedly descended from the bamboo building and surprisingly spoke in a thick Guanzhong dialect, asking Yun Zheng: "Why has a Han family lad ended up here?"

A tall mulberry picker was carrying He Jianqiang as she walked towards the village. Yun Zheng had no way to get He Jianqiang back; the woman refused to give him up, and the language barrier made communication impossible. He had no choice but to follow her as they headed into the village

Yun Zheng was aware of the Bo people's hanging coffins, and he was very happy. He finally understood where he was. Only heaven knew why he had suddenly traveled from the desolate city in the northwest to Yanjin County at the junction of Sichuan and Yunnan. When he traveled to Yunnan before, he had specifically visited Yanjin County to admire the Bo people's hanging coffins. The appearance of the mountains seemed somewhat similar, but why were there so many hanging coffins here? The most he had seen back then was only a dozen or so.

I, unfortunately, became separated from my family along with my younger brother. May I inquire, esteemed elder, whether this place falls under the jurisdiction of Dou Sha www.hetushucomcom?" Yun Zheng clumsily performed a bow

The fish is very delicious, but the skill in grilling fish is quite poor. He Jianqiang ate two whole fish before he felt full. In the sweltering heat, there was no way to preserve food, so Yunzheng finished off the remaining four fish. This was the first time in two days that his stomach felt full.

The tall mulberry picker, blushing, placed a small yellow dog in front of Yun Zheng and turned to run away. The old clan leader laughed heartily, while the other mulberry pickers began to cheer. He Jianqiang smiled slyly, leaving Yun Zheng feeling utterly perplexed

He Jianqiang appeared quite indifferent, relying on his youthful, tender face to stretch out his hand and ask the woman in the tree for mulberries. He was successful in his endeavor, and the mulberries fell like raindrops. Those women had long been fond of the rosy-cheeked He Jianqiang

While Yun Zheng was washing his hands, He Jianqiang, feeling utterly bored, suddenly shouted, pointing his finger at the cliff for Yun Zheng to see. Leaning over to take a closer look, Yun Zheng discovered that the cliff was densely covered with hanging coffins.

"We are very likely in the Song Dynasty," Yun Zheng said to He Jianqiang

He Jianqiang's fist struck Yun Zheng's nose, and it was only then that the tearful Yun Zheng remembered that this type of hemp clothing was only worn on a large scale before the Yuan and Ming dynasties. It was only after the introduction of a large quantity of cotton that cotton fabric clothing became prevalent.

The old man's words were exactly what Yunzheng had hoped for, and he expressed his gratitude repeatedly

As the setting sun was about to descend, the dilapidated bamboo house began to emit cooking smoke. The firewood in the hearth crackled loudly, and the interior of the bamboo house had already become quite dim. The flames cast a red glow on the faces of the two individuals, and inhaling the fragrant aroma of rice wafting from the iron pot, He Jianqiang swallowed hard and said to Yun Zheng: "The Song Dynasty is not bad! Isn't it?"

The benefits of having a youthful face are numerous. Heaven knows how He Jianqiang managed to communicate with those mulberry-picking women, yet he was able to bring back two eggs, which are undoubtedly a precious food at this time.

While by the river, Yun Zheng saw the four large characters "Dou Sha Gu Yi" carved on the stone tablet. He had seen this in later generations and naturally recognized that this was the original appearance of the renowned Dou Sha Ancient Town. Not far away was the Dou Sha Xiong Guan.

In the small basin stand thirty to fifty bamboo houses, while a yellow dog with a curled tail lazily basks in the sun. Upon seeing the stranger Yun Zheng, it barked a couple of times haphazardly before resuming its sunbathing.

"Let’s eat, we haven’t had proper food in a long time. Now that we have it, we should seize the opportunity. I’m so small, no one will blame me." He Jianqiang took big bites of the rice dumpling and encouraged Yun Zheng to eat quickly as well

The sandbank has been built, and Yun Zheng was extremely happy. He turned to He Jianqiang, who looked curious, and said: "Just hold on a little longer, we will soon have fish to eat from the *illustrated* book, five or six fish, enough for us to have a hearty meal"

Yun Zheng said nothing and lifted his leg to kick He Jianqiang in the rear. For a moment, he forgot that this guy had become a three or four-year-old child, and he actually flew up from the kick

The old man looked at the disheveled Yun Zheng, then glanced at He Jianqiang, who was lying in the arms of the mulberry picker, and sighed, saying: "You are not wrong; this is indeed the ancient town of Dou Sha under the governance of Dou Sha Pass. The five-foot path has become increasingly unsafe. Two years ago, there were tigers, and merchants halted for half a year until the tiger threat subsided. Now, there are strongmen occupying the barren mountains. Seeing that your brother is destitute, let’s settle down in the village for now, and we can plan further later."

He Jianqiang immediately burst into tears, and a large group of mulberry-picking women rushed over, surrounding Yun Zheng with chattering scoldings. He Jianqiang comfortably nestled in the arms of the mulberry-picking women, winking at Yun Zheng.

Recalling the arrow he had discovered, Yun Zheng had already made the worst preparations. The Chishui River basin is not a developed area, and it has never been so from ancient times to the present.

The mulberry-picking woman assisted Yun Zheng in thoroughly cleaning the bamboo house, and then lit mugwort to heavily smoke the bamboo structure. He Jianqiang, in terror, witnessed centipedes and various insects fleeing in panic from the gaps in the bamboo house. Most alarmingly, a green snake, as thick as He Jianqiang's arm, also slithered out from the bamboo house.