The strange and thrilling experience of a Ming Dynasty businessman in the mountains.

During the Chenghua period of Ming Xianzong (1465-1487), in Jishui County, Jiangxi Province, there was a fortune teller named Yang Yongzhen, who was proficient in the Book of Changes, good at fortune-telling and good at the wind and the stars. At the end of Chenghua, a businessman is going to Sichuan on business. Before he left, he asked Yang Zhenzhen to give a divination to see if the trip went smoothly.

Yang Yongzhen calculated that you will encounter unexpected risks during this trip, but you will also get endless benefits, and the fortunes are unpredictable. But judging from divination, it's true. Take care of this trip. The businessman is dubious. When I usually travel to and from Sichuan, I have had business dealings with the local native southwest barbarians. In the past, he bought a sword of the indigenous Miao people and quenched it with poison. He wore it for protection before he left. In mid-July, businessmen have entered Sichuan. Since ancient times, the Shu road has been difficult to travel, and there are mountains everywhere. When they reached a mountain, the woodcutter told the businessman that there were snakes and wild animals in the mountain, which was very dangerous. Fiona Fang has 120 miles that are uninhabited. The businessman bravely walked forward, climbed halfway up the mountain, and reached a place where he saw an elephant lying under a tree, as if he were afraid. The businessman thought, what is there to be afraid of this big MAC? When I looked up, I looked up. Alas, there is a big snake in the tree with a bucket, spitting the scarlet letter, and measuring the size of the elephant with its fat body. I saw the serpent open his mouth and spit out the letter, ready to swallow the elephant in one gulp.

Businessmen were frightened by this scene, water under the bridge. Businessmen think there is no way out, and running away will undoubtedly disturb the serpent and they will become the prey of moving. Go ahead, there are mountains, they are dying. So they got up the courage, took a sharp knife, walked under the tree, and slashed several knives according to the curled body of the serpent, only to see blood dripping. Strangely, the serpent doesn't seem to be flying. After a while, there was an uproar. If there was a landslide, the tree was shocked and the businessman was heartbroken. The snake growled painfully and slowly rolled down the tree. The businessman leaned against the stone, stunned. He is watching the follow-up. I saw the big snake swim straight to the merchant's side, with sharp teeth. The businessman was so scared that his legs went limp and he couldn't move. It turns out that the sharp blade brought by the merchant was quenched with poison. After the snake was cut off, the poison died.

After a while, the merchant's shock subsided a little, and a dozen elephants came one after another. The businessman thought that if he didn't die in Dashekou this time, he would surely die at the feet of you animals. He sighed and said, you met a big snake today. If I hadn't chopped him a few times, you bastard would have been swallowed by now. I saved you from the mouth of a boa constrictor, and you are trapped here.

I didn't expect the voice to just fall. Just now, the injured elephant walked up to the businessman, kneeling on his knees and crying. He seems to be kowtowing to thank him. The merchant understood the meaning of the elephant and rode on its back. The elephant walked in the valley, crossed the endless path and came to a place. The elephant dug the ground with its nose, cut off the floating soil and went deep, and a pile of white ivory appeared.

The story comes from "Gao Po Yi Zhuan", which is poorly translated and appreciated by all of you.