On the Avenue.

Chapter 267 Father Chen Tang (asking for monthly votes in the middle of the month)

Sun Yisheng has never been so high-profile in his life.

He was a minor official of the ninth rank, a low-ranking official in Xijing City. When he went out on weekdays, few people looked up to him.

But today, he felt the attention of thousands of people, which made him feel dizzy and his heart beat faster.

But Chen Shi, who walked under the Luo umbrella and entered the capital, had a different mentality.

"My grandfather killed a lot of people here and was called the Xijing Butcher," he said to Sun Yisheng.

Sun Yisheng shuddered, and the excitement of being the center of attention just now was completely gone. He quickly said, "Master, please don't mention this matter again! Master Chen Tang has also been hostile to many people because of this matter."

Chen Shi didn't take it seriously. At this time, a voice came from the crowd: "He is the boy scholar, a man who has been dead for eleven years."

Chen Shi looked towards the source of the voice, but saw a crowd of people, many of whom were looking at this group of scholars entering the city, and could not tell who was speaking.

More than 260 scholars from all over Xiniu and Xinzhou entered the city at the same time, which was very rare in the history of Xijing.

What they had seen most often was a large number of slaves and retainers supporting the scholars from aristocratic families as they entered the city.

But this group of candidates who entered Xijing were all weathered and dusty, and some even had old wounds on their bodies, but their spirits were surprisingly good, as if they had not been contaminated by the world.

"He's alive again."

There were voices in the crowd discussing, "A person who should have died long ago was resurrected three years ago and came to Xijing to look for his supreme Dao fetus."

Chen Shi looked around and saw too many faces. There were also some big-eared listeners squatting on the roof, waving their arms and recording something rapidly.

He was aware of countless gazes falling on him, and seemed to be able to sense the emotions of the owners of those gazes.

There is curiosity, hostility, doubt, and appreciation...

Chen Shi withdrew his gaze and stopped looking for the people who were talking.

"Before you came to Xijing, many people in Xijing knew you."

Sun Yisheng said to him, "Your actions will attract a lot of attention."

When the candidates entered the city, the prefect of Gongtianfu in Xijing came to greet them personally and welcomed them to Gongtianfu and exchanged greetings. Outside Gongtianfu, many people were already holding signs, looking forward to the candidates coming out.

After a while, the prefect saw everyone out of Gongtian Mansion and said with a smile: "When you settle down in Xijing, people from the hometown association will come to greet you at the door. Go to the guild halls of the same province to ensure safety and wait for the exam to start. This prefecture wishes you all success in the exam!"

He pretended to bow deeply, and the other candidates quickly returned the greeting.

As we walked out of Gongtian Mansion, we saw many people outside holding signs with the names of various provinces written on them, such as Xinxiang, Gongzhou, Xianzhou, etc. Everyone was looking for the name of their own province, and after finding it, they came to say goodbye to Chen Shi.

The prefect of Gongtian looked at these scholars in surprise. Each of them bowed to Chen Shi and said goodbye. Some even ran up to him, kowtowed twice and then left, regardless of whether Chen Shi accepted it or not.

"Chen Jieyuan, are you going to the guild hall in Xinxiang?"

Hu Feifei asked Chen Shi. She was holding her daughter's hand and looking up at Chen Shi expectantly, hoping that he could live with them.

Chen Shi shook his head and politely declined, saying, "I still have to go find Chen Tang."

He was about to leave with Sun Yisheng when the voice of the prefect of Gongtian Prefecture came: "Chen Jieyuan, stay."

Chen Shi stopped walking. The prefect of Gongtian looked at him with a gentle expression and said with a smile, "Chen Jieyuan, you don't know that Xijing is not like Xinxiang. In Xinxiang, the emperor is far away and there will be people to help you settle the matter if you commit a crime. But Xijing is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. The fierce dragons in other places will be worse than worms in Xijing. They have to coil up, otherwise there will be disasters."

Sun Yisheng felt a chill in his heart.

There was something else in Gongtian Prefecture Yin's words, which was clearly a warning to Chen Shi. In Xinxiang, he, Chen Shi, was a powerful dragon, but in Xijing, he was no better than a snake, so it was best not to cause trouble!
Along the way, Sun Yisheng came to understand Chen Shi's temper. He had a strong character and lacked tact, so he couldn't help but worry that he would cause trouble.

Chen Shi's face was solemn, and he said, "I will keep the prefect's teachings in mind."

Sun Yisheng was stunned: "He didn't talk back?"

Gongtian Prefecture Governor was quite satisfied and said, "Go ahead. But don't commit any crime. If you do commit any crime, I won't let you off if you fall into my hands."

Chen Shi said yes.

Sun Yisheng thought to himself, "The prefect of Gongtian Prefecture is also very generous. He knows that many governors have died because of Young Master Chen, but he still dares to say such tough words in front of Young Master Chen. It's really amazing."

Chen Shi was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and said, "I don't even know your name."

The prefect of Gongtian Prefecture said, "This prefecture's Xia Jiuge."

Chen Shi praised: "Master Xia has a good name. Are Master Xia, Xia Weiyin, and Xia Chuli relatives?"

Xia Jiuge, the governor of Gongtian Prefecture, looked unhappy. Xia Weiyin and Xia Chuli were already dead.

"It's our family." His face darkened.

Chen Shi praised: "Sir, this is a really good name." After that, he followed Sun Yisheng away.

Xia Jiuge, the governor of Gongtian Prefecture, watched him leave and felt that Chen Shi's dog looked at him twice more.

Under the guidance of Sun Yisheng, Chen Shi brought the black pot and the wooden cart to the inner city of Xijing.

Xijing was divided into the inner city and the outer city. The inner city was mostly the official residences and imperial palaces of Xijing officials, while the outer city was where officials and common people who came to the capital lived. There was a distinction between the inside and the outside.

Chen Tang was a third-rank official, and he had a mansion with more than ten rooms in Xijing. If his official rank was lower, he would not be a high-ranking official, and he would be driven out of the inner city and have to settle in the outer city.

After Chen Shi followed Sun Yisheng to the inner city, he felt that the inner city was much quieter. Although there were many carriages and horses coming and going, they just passed each other and it was not crowded.

Even if it is crowded, they will stop and wait quietly for the vehicles in front to pass.

In the outer city, if there is congestion, it will be much noisier and sometimes even fights will break out.

Not long after, they arrived in front of a house, and Sun Yisheng said, "Master Chen, we're here."

Chen Shi's body was a little stiff. He stopped and looked around the house. He felt a little uneasy, but pretended to be indifferent.

The house has a main gate and a side door next to it. There are two bookcase stones on the left and right in front of the door, indicating that the owner is a civil servant.

There was a clear space in front of the door, which was a place to park the horses. The wooden cart drove over and parked itself there.

At this time, some raindrops fell from the sky, and the wooden cart opened the canopy to protect itself from the rain.

Hei Guo ran under the car to avoid the rain.

Sun Yisheng, leaning on a crutch, climbed three stone steps, came to the door and knocked.

Chen Shi followed him and rubbed his hands together until his joints turned white.

"take it easy."

Sun Yisheng said, "You were very calm along the way."

"I'm not nervous." Chen Shi said nervously, his neck a little stiff.

At this time, the door opened.

The person who opened the door was a servant, about thirty or forty years old. He recognized Sun Yisheng and quickly invited him in.

"Master Sun, is this the young master?" the servant wearing a black hat asked.

Sun Yisheng said, "Call me Young Master."

"Master." said the servant.

Chen Shi nodded, wondering whether he should step in with his left foot or his right foot first when entering the door.

Sun Yisheng turned around and said in surprise: "Master, come in."

Chen Shi responded and tried to move his legs, but unexpectedly both feet moved at the same time and he jumped over the threshold.

"I was so nervous."

Chen Shi was a little annoyed and thought, "I shouldn't be so nervous. Chen Tang doesn't recognize me, and I don't recognize him either. I'll just leave after seeing him and go live in the Xinxiang Guild Hall."

The servant looked back in surprise, not knowing why he jumped into the house. Sun Yisheng whispered, "It's the rule in my hometown of Xinxiang that you have to walk in with both feet when you first enter the house."

The servant had never been to Xinxiang, so he believed it. Chen Shi almost stumbled forward, and quickly stopped, calmed himself, and then resumed his normal walking posture.

He looked around to distract himself, and indeed he felt much better.

The yard is not big, with two entrances. The front yard is the guest room and reception area, and there are two kitchen utility rooms. The back yard should be the resting place for the owner's family. However, although it is small, it has everything. There are wind and rain corridors in the front and back yards, the yard is landscaped, and there is a rockery and fish pond in the back yard, and several pine trees and crape myrtles are planted.

There were not many people in the yard. Chen Shi saw two or three maids and servants.

Sun Yisheng, leaning on a crutch, took Chen Shi to the main hall in the backyard and sat down, saying, "Sit for a while. I'll go talk to Master Chen."

Chen Shi nodded slightly and sat on the cold chair. He moved his butt and looked at the layout of the main hall.

The main hall is not a place for receiving guests, but a space for family members to have meals, worship Buddha and offer sacrifices to their ancestors. There is a square table and several round stools. Behind the table is a long table, which is seven feet long. In the center of the table is a spirit tablet with words written on it such as "The late father Chen Gong, whose name was Yindu Fujun, was reincarnated in the Western Lotus Seat".

There is a small incense burner in front of the spirit tablet, which is full of incense ash.

Chen Shi looked away. There were still offerings on the table. The fruits had just been placed there and were still very fresh.

On the other side of the table there was a sword and an incense burner with incense burning in it. The scent of the incense floated towards the sword.

The sword exudes a strong and extraordinary power, and it must have been used for many years.

There was a landscape painting hanging behind the table. The landscape in the painting should be Qianyang Mountain. It was painted in great detail. Chen Shi also saw a giant snake Xuanshan coiled on top of a mountain.

He calmed down his nervousness, moved closer, and searched for the location of Huangpo Village. As expected, he found it quickly. The village was actually drawn in the painting, and there was an old crooked willow tree on the loess slope next to it.

The most peculiar thing is that there is a hanged ghost hanging on the tree!

"Chen Tang has also met Zhu Xiucai!" Chen Shi was very surprised.

What surprised him most was that there was someone under the tree. A man who looked like a scholar, with his head tilted up, as if he was talking to a hanged ghost!
"Who is this person?" he asked in confusion.

grandfather?

Or is it Creator Xiaowu?

Or maybe... Chen Tang!
Sun Yisheng was waiting quietly in the front hall. The servant had already run to the Ministry of Revenue to look for Chen Tang. The servant was also a cultivator, and with the help of the Jia Ma Talisman, he should have seen Chen Tang.

He waited for another stick of incense, and then he heard footsteps outside the door.

Sun Yisheng turned around and saw a middle-aged official walking in. He was wearing a red official robe and hat, and he bowed and said, "Master Chen, I have fulfilled my mission and brought the young master back!"

Chen Tang walked over quickly, supported him, helped him sit down, checked his injuries first, and found that Sun Yisheng was fine. He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Yisheng, you've worked so hard this time! If it weren't for you, Chen Shi would have died on the way! Tang has no way to repay you!"

He stood up and bowed deeply to the ground.

Sun Yisheng quickly returned the greeting and said with a wry smile: "Don't thank me. Even without me, your son would have been able to come to Xijing alive, and maybe even faster. I don't think I contributed much along the way..."

He looked strange. Apart from the injuries he suffered during the journey, and the treatment provided by Chen Shi and Hei Guo, he seemed to have been eating and drinking every day. There were also a lot of scholars surrounding him, checking his injuries every day and begging him not to die.

Chen Tang was surprised and didn't understand why he said that.

Sun Yisheng smiled and said, "Your son is still waiting in the main hall. We have plenty of time to chat. Hurry up and go over!"

Chen Tang said calmly: "He is not my son, my son is dead...Yisheng, what kind of person is he?"

Sun Yisheng hesitated for a moment, then told the truth, "He's an honest child, steady, mature, generous, decent, kind, and righteous. I can't find any fault with him. It's just that..."

He looked embarrassed and hesitant.

He felt that Chen Shi was deliberately behaving like this in front of him.

"Just what?" Chen Tang asked.

Sun Yisheng pushed him out and said with a smile: "Go quickly! Go quickly! Don't make him wait anxiously!"

Chen Tang walked out of the front hall, and Sun Yisheng watched him walk towards the backyard. As Chen Tang walked, his steps became awkward, and he walked forward with his hands and feet together.

Sun Yisheng coughed, and Chen Tang also noticed that he was a little nervous. He calmed himself down and then returned to normal.

"Please ask the madam to come in." He stopped a maid and said.

The maid went there quickly.

Chen Tang came to the main hall, stood there for a moment, and then walked in.

Chen Shi turned around and saw a tall middle-aged man in official uniform standing at the entrance of the main hall. He had an upright posture and a dignified appearance, and looked somewhat like his grandfather. If his grandfather were a few decades younger, he might have looked like this.

He looked at Chen Shi with complicated eyes and was silent for a while.

Chen Shi had imagined the scene of meeting Chen Tang many times in his mind, and deduced many possibilities, even scenes of exchanging harsh words and killing Chen Tang. But when he really met Chen Tang, he suddenly felt at peace, and all the scenes he had imagined before disappeared.

He was a child raised by his grandfather and longed for some father-son warmth.

No matter what Chen Tang said or did before, as long as he acknowledged him as his son, he would be willing to stay and call Chen Tang father.

Chen Tang came to the chair by the wall, sat down and said, "Sit down."

Chen Shi sat down and rubbed his hands again, until his knuckles turned white.

"Xijing is too far away, and you have suffered a lot. I am very happy that you can come to Xijing safely."

Chen Tang looked at his hand and said to himself, "When your grandfather passed away, I couldn't go back. It's too far from Xijing to Qianyang Mountain, and I didn't have time to get back. After he left, I thought a lot. Although he was paranoid, I was not much better. I was also wrong..."

Chen Shi felt like a piece of ice in his heart was melting. He stopped rubbing his hands and just pinched his fingers without saying anything.

Chen Tang was silent for a moment, then said, "You can stay here for as long as you want, but... I still won't acknowledge you as my son."

Chen Shi clenched his fists tightly, his heart freezing rapidly.

Chen Tang said: "I won't recognize you. My little Shi is dead. I put him in the coffin with my own hands. His body was small and weighed only a few dozen kilograms. My little Shi died eleven years ago... I don't know who you are, but I will treat you as my son..."

"I don't care!"

Chen Shi stood up and slammed the table. The table between them broke with a crash. "It's uncomfortable to live here. I'm going back to live in Xinxiang Guild Hall!"

Chen Tang was also filled with a surge of karmic anger and wanted to slam the table, but the table had already been smashed to pieces by Chen Shi. He suddenly stood up and shouted, "You call me Laozi in front of me? Is that what Chen Yindu taught you? You are lawless!"

Chen Shi angrily said, "You are allowed to call me Chen Yindu? You have to call me daddy!"

"Bastard!"

Chen Tang was so angry that his hands were shaking. He wanted to raise his hand to hit him, but he held himself back.

The two men glared at each other, their bodies almost touching, and each clenched his fists.

Chen Shi snorted, walked past him, and was about to leave the Chen Mansion.

He had just walked out of the main hall when a maid came over along the corridor pushing a wooden wheelchair. In the wheelchair sat a woman, who was neatly dressed with her hands on her knees.

Chen Shi's body trembled and he froze in place.

This woman is on the family portrait placed in the treasure chest of Old Chen’s family in Huangpo Village.

At that time, the child Chen Shi was sitting on his grandfather's lap, and the woman and Chen Tang were standing behind his grandfather.

At that time, she had a smile on her face.

But now, the woman in the wheelchair looks dazed and her eyes are dull.

Her soul seemed to be lost, and had been lost for a long time.

Only the body is alive.

Chen Tang walked out of the main hall, walked quickly to her side, squatted beside the wheelchair, held the woman's hands, and a rare smile appeared on his face.

"Ayu, my son is back."

There was no harshness in his voice, only tenderness, "Look, is your son back? A-Yu, look, it's Xiao Shi, the same Xiao Shi as before."

——It’s the middle of the month, please give me a monthly ticket!!!
(End of this chapter)