Years of the Republic of China 1913

()Duan Qirui had no choice but to step down because of the Xu Shuzheng case, and was forced to resign as the Minister of Defense after being disheartened. Although in order to preserve the strength of the Anhui Clan, he had finally persuaded the various factions to push Duan Zhigui to the top, but this Beiyang boss also started The idea of ​​retiring to the second line and retreating to hermitage.According to his original intention, he planned to return to his hometown in Anhui to provide for the elderly. However, after all, Duan Qirui is well-known and has great influence. Out of consideration, the cabinet specially invited Wang Shizhen and others to avoid the reputation of being unrighteous to the founding fathers. People persuaded Duan Qirui several times, especially Duan Zhigui, who succeeded him as Minister of National Defense, was worried that he would not be able to overwhelm the Anhui faction with his own ability and prestige, so he begged Duan Qirui to help him and see him off again.In this situation, Duan Qirui finally accepted the vain position of a councilor in the presidential palace, went to Baoding to find a house, and went to recuperate.

Baoding is not far from the capital, not to mention that Baoding Military Academy, which is now Zhongyang Military Academy, is near where Duan Qirui lives.In the early years, Duan Qirui served as the general office of Baoding Military Academy. After retiring, he planted fields behind the courtyard on weekdays, raised flowers and plants, and went to the military academy to give lessons to students when he was free. get away with it.After more than half a year, without ordinary affairs, Duan Qirui's body and bones have become stronger and stronger, and even his spirit is much better than when he was the Minister of National Defense. . .

This day, just after Duan Qirui came back from the military academy, someone came over with a post saying that a visitor came to visit today.Picking up the post and looking at it, Duan Qirui was taken aback immediately, because this person was none other than Yang Du.

"Strange, why did Yang Xizi seek this old man?"

Frowning slightly, Duan Qirui was puzzled. Although he and Yang Du were old friends, Yang Du was now Fang Zida's right-hand man. Because of Xu Shuzheng's case, Duan Qirui and Fang Zida were already at odds. the point.Although Xu Shuzheng was at fault at the beginning of this matter, but he couldn't kill without nodding his head. Fang Zida pressed every step of the way, causing Xu Shuzheng to commit suicide in the end, and Duan Qirui was also implicated and left the field sadly.in this case.Yang Du, Fang Zida's confidant, suddenly ran to Baoding to ask to see him, which was really strange.

The servants were recruited and asked if Yang Du had said anything when he came. The servants replied that Yang Du just asked if Duan Qirui was at home. When he heard that Duan Qirui was out, he left a post, saying that he would come to see you tomorrow. Nothing else was mentioned.

Waved away the servants, fiddling with Yang Du's name card in his hand, Duan Qirui picked up the phone after a while and asked for a number in Beijing. On the phone, he chatted with the other party as usual sentence.Then he asked a few questions on the sidelines, and after he hung up the phone, a sneer appeared on the corner of Duan Qirui's mouth, and now he somewhat understood why Yang Du came to visit him.

Early in the morning of the second day, Duan Qirui got up and punched in the backyard first, and then took a hoe to loosen the soil in the field. After finishing all this, he wiped off his sweat and went back to the house to change his clothes.He picked up the prepared millet porridge and drank it, just took a few sips.The servants came to report that it was Yang Du who had come.

"Mr. Xizi, please sit down in the front hall."

After simply telling his servants, Duan Qirui continued to drink his millet porridge slowly. After he drank two bowls of porridge and used up an egg and half a steamed bun, nearly half an hour had passed.He picked up a white towel and wiped his mouth.Duan Qirui got up slowly, and walked out of the room with his hands behind his back.

After the servants of Yang Dujin's mansion served the tea, they disappeared, and they didn't see Duan Qirui appear until the tea was cold.Yang Du, who was waiting quietly, was not angry, but closed his eyes slightly to take a nap, and he didn't know how long it had passed.Hearing the sound of unhurried footsteps, Yang Du opened his eyes and straightened his body.

"Oh, it's Xizi's brother, rare visitors, I've been waiting for you for a long time, Duan is here to accompany Xizi's brother."

Duan Qirui's hearty laughter came from outside the hall, Yang Du stood up, watched Duan Qirui stepping into the door with a smile, cupped his hands and said: "Brother Zhiquan is too modest, if it is not because Yang came suddenly, I can't think of Zhiquan Brother is far away from the center and still worries about state affairs, so it is right to be busy."

"Hehe, Brother Xizi's mouth has always been ruthless, and he is still so sharp. The old man is a citizen now, so why talk about state affairs? Don't make fun of it, but the old man happened to be weeding in the backyard when Brother Xizi came here. It's really inconvenient to see people directly, so I have to take a shower and change clothes first, so it's a bit late, brother Xizi won't blame me?" Duan Qirui explained with a smile, but the corner of his eyes quietly looked at him. Yang Du's reaction.

Hearing this explanation, Yang Du was taken aback for a moment, then clapped his hands and praised: "Brother Zhiquan is so elegant, this move is very old-fashioned! I heard that brother Zhiquan still goes to the Zhongyang Military Academy to teach students these days? But? Is there a matter?"

Duan Qirui nodded with a smile and said: "It's true, brother Xizi, you also know me. I have studied in Germany in the early years. Besides, I have been a soldier for half my life. I dare not say anything else. I still have some experience in military affairs. Although these Over the years, the world pattern is changing rapidly, and the military is developing rapidly, but there is always the same principle, not to mention that everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of a country. With decades of experience from an old man, Qiuba, I recommended myself to give some lectures on platooning to military school students. The experience of deploying soldiers can be regarded as a small effort for the country to educate future generations."

Yang Du was slightly moved, stood over there straightening his clothes, and then solemnly bowed to Duan Qirui.

"Brother Xizi, are you...?" Duan Qirui asked in surprise.

"Brother Zhiquan is as modest as he is, and his heart is for the country. Yang really admires him. This bow to Yang is from the heart! Yang thanked Brother Zhiquan on behalf of the military school students and the hundreds of millions of Chinese people."

"Don't dare dare... how did this old man get such praise for this matter, I am ashamed... ashamed...."

Duan Qirui waved his hands quickly, Yang Du didn't say any more, and the two sat down together.But with just a few words, the atmosphere between the two sides is much more harmonious.

Based on what Duan Qirui said just now, Yang Du curiously asked Duan Qirui about "picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence".Duan Qirui was also straightforward, and he talked about it with a smile, which made Yang Du excited, and offered to take a look at the flowers and plants in the backyard. Duan Qirui did not refuse, got up and led Yang Du to the backyard.

One-third of an acre of land, a small half is planted with flowers and plants, and the other half of Duan Qirui has opened up a piece of farmland, planting some vegetables, fruits and the like.Against the wall, a loofah stand was built. Several green loofahs had not yet fully grown, and the small yellow flowers exuded a farm-like atmosphere among the green leaves.

"Good mood, really good mood! Unexpectedly, brother Zhiquan still has such a hand!" Turning around, Yang Du tsk-tsk praised.

Duan Qirui, who was on the side, couldn't help but feel complacent when he heard Yang Du's admiration. He planted these things with his own hands. He didn't dare to brag about them. Under his meticulous care, they were much better than ordinary farmers.

"Yang only knows brother Zhiquan's ability to lead troops to fight. Who would have thought that he would have such ability? I really didn't expect it."

"Hehe, Brother Xizi may not be clear about it. My father used to rent land to support his family when he was in Wengong's hometown. This old man has been working with his father since he was a child. These farm jobs are also old hands of my Duan family. If the local tyrants did not oppress him too much later, my father took the old man and his family to move, and then the ancestors made great contributions in suppressing the Nian bandits and gradually prospered the family, maybe the old man will be a farmer in this life."

"What else?" Yang Du was very interested and couldn't help asking about the situation back then.It happened that Duan Qirui was also a little happy at this time, and immediately talked about how his Duan family prospered a little bit from a farm that leased land for farming.As he talked, Duan Qirui talked a lot, especially when he talked about farming with his father when he was a child, he even danced and gestured a few times with the hoe that was put aside.

Yang Du was also excited. Seeing Duan Qirui skillfully playing with farm tools, he rolled up his sleeves and wanted to try it.Duan Qirui is good at being a teacher, so he immediately became Yang Du's master and taught him hand in hand.Don't look at how easy it is for Duan Qirui to handle farm tools. The hoe in his hands is like chopsticks for eating, loosening, planing, knocking, smashing, dragging, pulling... everything is easy and free.But once it was in Yang Du's hands, the hoe didn't even have an accurate head. When the hoe went down, either the hoe was in the wrong place, or the hoe was too deep, and it took a lot of effort to pull it out from the mud.

"No, no, I didn't expect that it would be easy to look at, but it would be really difficult to do. Yang has only understood the saying in the poem since today, 'When we hoe the grains at noon, the sweat drips down the soil, but who knows that every grain of the Chinese food is hard work. .’ It’s only been a short time, and Yang is so tired, he is really useless and a scholar!”

As he spoke, Yang Du shook his head remorsefully, while Duan Qirui laughed heartily, took Yang Du's hoe, and carefully and skillfully hoeed the weeds in the field: "Brother Xizi has never experienced farming before. It's normal to not know how to use it. I think the old man didn't come here like this. There is actually no trick to this farm work, and it can be summed up as practice makes perfect."

Yang Du nodded repeatedly at the side, watching Duan Qirui hoeing the weeds carefully, and asked curiously: "Brother Zhiquan, why do we have to get rid of these weeds every day? There are only a few grasses on such a large land, and there are only a few grasses left. Will there be any serious problems?"

"If you say you don't understand, you don't understand. How can crops grow if weeds are not removed?" After all, Duan Qirui stopped after a while, picked up the thick tea that was put aside, and poured two cups of it himself. Duan Qirui took a few sips and drank it clean, wiped his mouth, pointed at the farmland and said with a smile: "Don't underestimate these weeds, if you don't get rid of them today, they will grow wildly, and they will grow again after the wind blows"? This weed If there is too much grass, the crops will not grow well, and if the crops do not grow well, the farmer will lose his harvest. If the harvest is gone, the farmer will not be hungry? So, you must not be lazy in farming, or you will be the one who suffers.”

Yang Du nodded thoughtfully, tilted his head to think for a while, and then suddenly asked with a meaningful smile: "Brother Zhiquan's words have a lot of meaning! Yang thought that everything in the world is the same, such as farming, The same is true of state affairs, there is a saying that if the weeds are not removed, the crops will not flourish, and if the crops lose their harvest, this person will starve to death, what does brother Zhiquan think?" (To be continued.)