The Rural Doctor of the Mountain Spirit

  My fate will be tied to this drum from now on.

  This sentence was what Wu Xianyi said to me as the first words after waking up. At that time, I didn't understand and asked in confusion: "What does it mean that my fate is connected with drums?"

  Wu Xianyi looked at me and shook his head gently: "Because this drum is not an ordinary drum."

  "Why not just an ordinary drum?"

  Wu Xian sighed: "Xiao Sen, don't you believe me?"

  I said: "I believe and I don't believe."

  Wu Xianyi stopped talking and struggled to get out of bed, walking out of the house. I followed him out and saw that he was looking at a nearby forest with a worried expression on his face.

  "This drum has a story, do you want to hear it?"

  I didn't answer, I just nodded. Wu Xianyi then started talking bluntly without any courtesy.

  The small village where I live is called Lao Shan Village, just like its name. This village is very old, so old that it can't be counted in years.

  No one knows when the Lao Shan Village appeared in this place. Before the reform and opening up, Lao Shan Village was isolated from the world, until after the reform and opening up, Lao Shan Village was discovered by people.

  But in this isolated village, a shocking and earth-shaking event occurred, yet it was unknown to the world.

  At that time, Lao Shan village was isolated from the world. However, one day, a stranger broke into Lao Shan village. When this outsider arrived in the village, he was already on his last breath. He was rescued by the villagers and eventually stayed in the village, living with the villagers.

  But soon after, because of something, this person was misunderstood by the villagers. At that time, several heads of livestock disappeared in the village overnight, and when these livestock went missing, this outsider happened to not be in the village.

  In an instant, all the villagers pointed their spears at this outsider.

  The outsider returned to the village on the second morning, holding a knife in his hand and covered in blood. After entering the village, he fell to the ground before he could even speak.

  He was extremely exhausted, and the villagers were curious about what he had done last night, why he was covered in blood. However, even so, the villagers did not eliminate their inner doubts. On the contrary, the fresh blood on his body deepened the villagers' suspicions.

  Everyone discussed and decided that when this person wakes up, they must force him to tell the truth. If he doesn't tell the truth, they will drive him out of the village and never allow him to come back in.

  Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the outsider finally woke up. Not long after he opened his eyes, the villagers surrounded him, wanting him to tell the truth.

  But this outsider knew that his excuses had lost all meaning. He didn't make any excuses or speak a word.

  Only he himself knows what he did last night.

  He knew that speaking more would be useless, and he also knew that no matter what he said, he would still be driven out of the village. He got up from bed with difficulty, packed his bag, and left voluntarily.

  Before leaving, he instructed the village elder to dispatch people to patrol day and night for the next few days. Afterwards, he shouldered his luggage and left.

  After he left, the village suddenly calmed down, and no one discussed this matter anymore, nor did anyone think about the cattle. At this time, several kind-hearted villagers said, "Did we misunderstand him?"

  But people have already left, they say that anything has no meaning. Villagers just feel a little uneasy in their hearts.

  But they didn't know that the outsider had suffered such great misunderstanding. The reason he chose not to argue was because these villagers had saved his life after all.

  At that time, the outside world was in a severe drought and famine. Due to hunger, human nature had been extinguished. The outsider was being robbed of food and pursued by people outside, and finally ran into this deep mountain forest and entered this village.

  But after he entered the village, the famine outside continued. People were so hungry that they had gone completely mad, some sold their wives and children, others did things against their conscience. Many people also killed for food.

  Even cannibals exist.

  After that outsider escaped into this small village, more and more people from outside fled into the forest near this small village.

  Yesterday evening, the outsider inadvertently saw someone breaking into the village and stealing livestock. He didn't make a sound, alone with a knife in hand to chase after the stolen livestock.

  Unfortunately, he was alone and outnumbered, and in the end, he failed to retrieve the stolen livestock and was seriously injured himself. He returned to the village, only to be misunderstood by the villagers once again. However, he didn't feel resentful at all, because these villagers had saved his life before.

  He left, leaving the village with a flourish. Before he left, he also reminded the villagers to patrol at night.

  But how could he really leave?

  Time slowly passed, and soon it was evening. The villagers in the village lit up the pine torches, and the lights came on. Just then, those refugees who had suffered from famine outside suddenly appeared again.

  They sneaked into the village, accurately found the livestock in the village, and quietly drove the livestock away. However, the livestock was alive after all. When the livestock was driven away, a livestock made a cry, waking up everyone in the whole village.

  The thieves ran away immediately and left the livestock on the spot. At that moment, no one in the village saw clearly what the thieves looked like.

  During the day, that outsider had just left, and so, the villagers first thought of him. Everyone suspected him again, one by one was angry with red face and ears. Some scolded him as a white-eyed wolf who didn't recognize people. He had just saved his life, but he repaid kindness with enmity.

  That night, amidst curses, the villagers led the livestock back home.

  But unexpectedly, when they woke up the next day, the livestock was still gone. It wasn't stolen by that outsider, but rather those refugees entered the village again and stole the livestock.

  The next day, anger spread throughout the village.

  The clan leader gathered everyone and held a meeting, ultimately deciding that they must find the outsider. Then, armed with weapons, they set out. After searching the village for a while, they finally found the outsider.

  The outsider left the village, but he didn't actually leave. He was in the woods outside the village. After being found, he didn't resist and was taken back to the village by the villagers. The villagers tied him to a tree, gritting their teeth one by one, wanting to burn him to death.

  But the outsider still didn't say a word, nor did he resist, because these villagers had saved his life after all.

  After a day of fussing about, the villagers didn't get anything out of his mouth. Time quickly arrived at night, and the villagers tied him to a tree and left.

  In the evening, those refugees came again. At this time, the outsider finally struggled up. However, the rope was tied tightly, and by the time he struggled free, those refugees had already driven their livestock away.

  The outsider shouted loudly at this time, picked up a wooden stick on the ground by himself, and left.

  No one had expected that he would never come back. When he chased after with a wooden stick and entered the dark night, he appeared again, but it was already a corpse.

  The villagers heard the cries and ran out, when they found the outsider, they saw blood all over the ground. In this pool of blood, the outsider lay motionless, while several fierce-looking refugees were also lying beside him.

  They all have been already.

  At that moment, the villagers seemed to have realized their mistake. They knew they had misunderstood the outsider and immediately burst into loud wailing on the ground.

  But crying is useless, because that outsider has already died.

  These days, the stranger has been secretly helping this village. Because the villagers saved his life, he doesn't care about anything, even if misunderstood, and is still willing to do so.

  At that time, all the villagers felt a chill in their hearts. Everyone's face showed a respectful expression.

  What this outsider's name is, they still don't know.

  At night, they collected the corpse of that outsider. Unfortunately, the limbs of this outsider were already somewhat incomplete. What's even more heart-wrenching is that a large piece of skin on the back of this outsider was peeled off by someone, and his back was now bloody.

  The old clan leader picked up the piece of skin with a trembling hand, his ancient face filled with painful expressions.

  When they brought the corpse of that outsider back to the village, the old tribal chief originally intended to bury that piece of skin together with it.

  At this time, someone suggested that since the outsider was so recklessly guarding the village, he should be made the guardian of the village. Alternatively, his skin could be made into a drum, allowing him to guard the village forever.

  The proposal was initially opposed by everyone, but they eventually agreed when they thought of outsiders doing their best for the village.

  Later, the villagers really made a drum out of the skin on the outsider's back and buried his body in the woods outside the village.

  They believed that this outsider would continue to protect the village even after death. From then on, this drum became a sacred object guarding the village.

  What people didn't expect was that this drum really worked. When the village encountered a beast attack, as long as they took down this drum and lightly beat it, the beasts would immediately be frightened and run away.

  Even when the village encounters a severe drought, as long as this drum is beaten, it will rain quickly in the sky, and all disasters can be eliminated.

  This drum is the one I'm holding in my hand.

  I don't understand why Wu Xianyao said he would be tied to my fate?