A strange world

"Uncle Huolin, aren't you asleep?"

In the early morning, Annan woke up early and woke up Martin who was about to fall to the ground. Martin rubbed his eyes and walked out of the room. He saw Uncle Huolin, whose right foot was wrapped in linen, chopping wood in the yard.

The haggard Uncle Huolin forced a smile: "I... am worried that something will happen to Annan in the gold mine."

"Good morning, Uncle Hollin."

Annan walked out from behind, and Uncle Huolin's smile became more sincere.

The aroma from the kitchen floats in the courtyard, and the rising smoke merges into the mist that envelopes Pinglin Town.

Aunt Susan brought out the food, a portion of chicken soup and mashed potatoes, a few pieces of soft toasted brown bread, and a pot of apple pie.

"Why didn't we have this food yesterday?" Uncle Huolin, who sat in the low chair, was stunned by the rich food in front of him.

"You don't need such good food!"

Aunt Susan swung the spoon to knock off the dirty hands extended by her husband and Martin, then picked up Annan's wooden bowl and filled him with a full portion.

"Little Annan, eat more so you have the strength to go to work."

"Thank you Aunt Susan."

Aunt Susan took care of Annan not only because of her love, but also for another reason - the dining table after Uncle Hollin and Martin finished eating was like a devastated land ravaged by demons.

Before setting off, Aunt Susan also told Martin: "Take good care of little Annan, don't let me down!"

In the early morning, Annan and Martin set out with Aunt Susan worried.

In the bard's story, this small town named Pinglin Town is located in a deserted borderland, surrounded by vast forests that stretch for thousands of miles and border the coast, snow-capped mountains, and swamps. There is no church here, no screaming greenskins, no disputes and conspiracies, let alone other races. Even those who are tired of strife and yearn for peace find it too peaceful here - I'm afraid only those druids who live with the forest, and hyena-like kobolds and jackals like it here.

But the bard also said, never believe what the bard says. They can make up any lie to complete the story, and sing any words for the rhyme of the poem.

The Haunted Gold Mine is located on the edge of the forest, not far from where Annan appeared.

At first Annan tried to find his way back.

On the third day of staying at Aunt Susan's house, Annan made excuses for stumbling and set off back to the forest with Uncle Huolin early in the morning. But when he sneaked out and tried to find the forest meadow, he encountered a group of kobolds wandering there.

The kobolds, who barked and looked more like lizards than dogs, were draped in rags that could not cover their bodies, and they were holding crooked short spears and slinging stones as weapons.

Annan resisted the thought of saying hello to these "fantastical creatures" and fled back to the edge of the forest. Maybe the probability of being killed by a kobold is low, but not zero.

Annan later told the bard about this, and he said that running back was the right thing to do. More unlucky people were killed by kobolds than by dragons. These bullies love lone adventurers the most.

Then he also told Annan the habits of the kobolds, such as preferring forests and caves that avoid light, never attacking enemies that outnumber them, and even a single kobold would want to run away when seeing a sheep——

Annan and Martin met their foreman at a fork in the road, a lame old man named Old Zollen. It is said that he was a veteran.

"Huo Lin can't come?"

Old Zoron looked at Annan. The faded linen clothes were washed out, and the skin was as gray as a disease but pale and delicate. It looked like he couldn't do manual labor. However, old Zoran was different from others - he firmly believed that mining requires luck, "Unlucky ones" Huo Lin only worked for one day and was hit in the foot by a stone. I hope you can bring good luck."

"Who are you from Hollin?"

"I'm Martin's cousin."

Old Zollen's face softened slightly and he talked about the rules of the gold mine. Annan's muddy and slang accent was almost incomprehensible... but it was not difficult to guess - stealing gold mines was prohibited.

"Martin, take him to the shed first." Old Zoron waved his hand and found that Martin was motionless, "Martin?"

Martin came back to his senses and puffed up his chest: "He is my cousin!"

…

Martin, who was slow to react, followed the lame old Zollen towards the gold mine. The barren clearing outside the mine on this desolate hill is dotted with shacks, and figures are walking around inside.

Annan initially thought they were old Zoron's men, but then found that the miners ignored him. He also thought that old Zoron was the foreman, but he did not get along well with the other foremen.

The shanty camps are also strange. Logically speaking, gold mines should strictly limit contact between miners and the outside world. The supervision of the gold mine in front of me is not strict. The miners enter and leave the gold mine at will, make fires and cook in the open space, and the foreman is handing out money...

Old Zoron took out the key and opened the door of a shed. Several simple sloping wooden beds were placed on the dirt floor, with ants and insects freely entering and exiting. The bedside tables served as both cabinets and dining tables.

This is where Annan and Martin will live next.

After taking the pickaxe and preparing to follow old Zollun into the mine, Annan saw a gorgeous carriage with a fancy emblem passing by on the road in the distance.

He saw the big boss Mr. Fast talked about, the wine lady.

The luxurious and beautiful carriages and ladies and the dilapidated and dirty shacks and Annan seem to be two different worlds.

Annan lowered his head slightly and followed Old Zollun into the gold mine carrying an oil lamp.

The gold mine has been abandoned for a long time, and many of the mine tunnels have collapsed and become inaccessible. Old Zoron lit the oil lamp and led them deep into the mine. There was a faint smell of burning in the air, and there was a sonata of chiseling all around.

Depression and darkness make people nervous and uncomfortable.

Under the dim oil lamp, the old, scattered abandoned tools and broken pillars made him realize that this was an exhausted gold mine. The low-pitched conversations of other miners made him realize that many of these people were townspeople who came to try their luck.

The same is true for old Zoron. He hired Uncle Huolin and the others to try their luck. If they find the ore, it will be his. If they can't find it, the price will be his.

That's good, at least there won't be too much conflict between miners and miners, or miners and foremen. Old Zoron threw them where they had been dug yesterday. It's almost, if not deep, here, but the pillars are intact.

"I hope you can bring good luck." Old Zollen said, leaving one oil lamp and leaving with the other.

Martin took the pickaxe and drilled into the short hole dug out yesterday. Annan raised the oil lamp and looked around.

The echoes of chiseling in an indiscernible direction came, and dense floating dust moved under the halo of the oil lamp.

"Cousin, I'm stuck!"

A dull shout suddenly came. Annan turned around and saw Martin's upper body stuck in the short hole, his exposed butt shaking.

Annan put down the pickaxe and wanted to help, but he hesitated that this posture was not very elegant, so he asked Martin to let go of the pickaxe and climb out, and then pick up the pickaxe.

After getting out, Martin went to get the pickaxe, but strangely he grabbed the pickaxe handle and the short hole horn and started to exert force.

Annan was about to remind him not to hold the pickaxe horizontally when Martin suddenly pulled out a piece of pale gauze from the short hole.

"Ghost!!!"

Martin dropped the pickaxe and ran away.

"Humanity!!!"

The ghost screamed and crashed into the rock wall deep in the mine.