Aspirations

Chapter 17 Happy Forest

"Thank you Xia Langjun for your righteous words." Cao Shujun realized at this time that the conversation between Xia Xiang and his father just now was about Tao Yuanming's return to seclusion, but in fact he was debating about his affairs. While he was grateful, he said: He was convinced by Xia Xiang's plan to move flowers and connect trees, "Listening to Xia Langjun's words is really better than reading ten years of books. If I had known Xia Langjun for a few years earlier, I might have already learned something."

"What Mr. Xia Lang said...is not unreasonable." Cao Shuli has always opposed Cao Shujun's learning of Taoism, but Xia Xiang's words just now are reasonable and impassioned. Her mind was agitated for a while, and she felt suddenly enlightened. What does daddy want?"

Cao Yongguo sat back in his seat, picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and after a long while, he was silent.

After a long time, he got up again, looked up at the Yuanming Gui Yin picture on the front wall, suddenly shook his head and sighed, trying to say something, and a sudden violent cough made him unable to straighten up.

The housekeeper Cao Lin hurried in from outside the door and helped Cao Yongguo with Cao Shuli.Cao Lin patted Cao Yongguo on the back, and gave Xia Xiang a reproachful look: "Xia Langjun has provoked the family's initiative again? Madam and Saburo are also, the family head is ill and can't be angry. It's not that you don't know it."

"It's okay, it's okay." Cao Yongguo waved his hand, shook his head and said, "I don't blame them, it's just the recurrence of an old disease, and I can't blame Xia Langjun."

Even though Cao Yongguo said so, Xia Xiang felt sorry, and seeing that it was getting late, he offered to leave.

"Wait, Xia Langjun." Cao Lin took out a letter and handed it over. "Just now, the concierge sent a letter, saying that it was sent by the old man at the wonton stall in the night market."

Wonton stall old man?Xia Xiang was very puzzled. He took the letter, and even before he opened it, he even claimed that he was surprised: "What an elegant regular script. I can't imagine that there are such people in the market, Da Xia Chongwen, and the popularity of folk reading is really good... , how could this be?"

In the middle of speaking, Xia Xiang's expression suddenly changed.

"What happened?" Cao Shujun now regards Xia Xiang as a confidant, and seeing Xia Xiang's face changed drastically, he immediately asked, "Mr. Xia Lang, if there is a need, I will come forward."

Xia Xiang regained his composure in a moment, put the letter away, and smiled easily: "It's nothing, the stall owner's surname is Ma, and old man Ma is also interesting. He said that he just frightened the horse. I saved his life, and he took my copper coins." , Feeling very sorry, I wrote a letter asking me to have another bowl. Haha, interesting, really interesting.”

Cao Shujun believed it to be true, and laughed too.However, Cao Shuli's eyes flickered, and she quietly looked at Xia Xiang, with a hint of doubt and anxiety in her eyes.

"Cao Gong take care of your health, I will take your leave." Xia Xiang cupped his hands and saluted, "Although the weather is hot now, but cold disease and fever can be cured, Cao Gong must not be careless, and the best way is to seek medical treatment in time."

Cao Yongguo returned the salute and watched Xia Xiang and Xiao Wu step out of the living room door. Then he remembered something, and asked suddenly, "Li'er, have you ever told Xia Langjun that I have a cold?"

Cao Shujun went to see Xia Xiang, and Cao Shuli stayed by Cao Yongguo's side. When asked by Cao Yongguo, she hurriedly retracted her gaze from Xia Xiang's back and said, "No, Xia Langjun and I didn't say a few words altogether. , how can you talk about Daddy's condition? Why does Daddy ask this question... ah, no, how could Xia Langjun know that Daddy has a cold disease? Could it be that he also knows medical skills?"

Cao Yongguo looked outside with deep eyes, and said thoughtfully, "This Xia Xiang is afraid that he has a lot of background... He is very knowledgeable, and he has learned a lot, and he is very similar to a person."

"Li Dingshan?"

"No, it's Song Chaodu!"

At this time, it was already dark, and most of the night markets had dispersed. The wonton stall facing Cao’s residence had also closed, and the stall owner and his wife had disappeared.Standing at the entrance of Cao Mansion and taking a deep breath of the cool breath brought by the tranquil river, Xia Xiang was in a good mood.

"Xia Langjun, the money will lead you and keep it." Cao Shujun sent it to the door of Cao's house, and his intention to befriend Xia Xiang became stronger and stronger. Although Xia Xiang had not persuaded his father yet, he was already convinced by Xia Xiang's talent and gave the money to him. He asked again, "Where are you staying? I'll visit you another day."

"Quanyou inn." Xia Xiang was not polite, took the money and put it in his sleeve, and laughed, "Cao Sanlang, write it down, I will charge you fifty thousand coins for money, and I will return you fifty thousand in the future 50 guan."

"Haha, Xia Langjun, I admire your self-confidence and courage the most." Cao Shujun laughed strangely and suddenly lowered his voice, "Wait after you become a scholar in high school, come to my house to propose marriage, my sister is not married yet, after you marry her , we are a family."

Xia Xiang was stunned for one, then smiled: "Little lady Cao is gentle and graceful, as beautiful and delicate as a short-lived flower, I yearn for it. If it comes to marriage matters, I still have to be careful. Don't say it, don't say it. , I was looking forward to Cao Saburo coming at Quanyou Inn, there is a great thing that can happen to you."

"What's the matter? Tell me quickly." Cao Shujun couldn't hold back anymore, he wanted to know clearly now.

Xia Xiang was very calm, he laughed, waved at Cao Shujun, turned around and walked away.Quick steps like flying, sleeves like the wind, free and easy and elegant.

Cao Shujun was stunned for a while, then suddenly clapped his hands and said loudly: "Come here, come here, prepare good grass and feed, I want to feed the horses myself, and treat my BMW Fuma well."

A round of bright moon hangs high in the night sky, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse. Occasionally, a few white clouds drift by, as thin as veil, which can hardly conceal the youth and brightness of the bright moon.

"Sir, Mrs. Cao was born dignified and beautiful, behaved gracefully, and she is not yet married. She is really a good match."

"Sir, I have been busy for half a night and earned fifty pennies. This business is really well done."

"Sir, although Cao Sanlang has a frivolous attitude, he is not a frivolous person. It is worth handing over. But you promised to pay him back 50 guan in the future, which is too scary. His 51 guan money is a gift, not a loan, and it is not necessary. Pay him back. Take ten thousand steps back, even if you want to pay him back, at most you can pay him 50 guan, how can you just say [-] guan? What if you fall into his pretext and you can’t afford to pay it back?”

"By the way sir, why did Ma Xiaosan send you a letter? What did the letter say?"

As soon as he left the Cao Mansion, Xiao Wu regained his youthful spirit. He looked similar in age to Xia Xiang, but his temperament was completely different from Xia Xiang's calmness and calmness. He kept asking questions along the way. Xiang answered, and the latter question popped up again.

Xia Xiang ignored him and just walked with his head buried in his head. He seemed calm on the surface, but he was fluctuating in his heart.Ma Xiaosan's letter was only a hundred words, but it revealed amazing news.

Because Ma Xiaosan only listened to Dong Si and Dong Qiniang's words, and did not know the real cause and effect of the matter, so the words in the letter were vague, and only briefly said, reminding Xia Xiang to be careful.However, Xia Xiang still felt the ups and downs in the capital. Because the emperor was seriously ill, he was putting on a show of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea and showing their magical powers.

It turns out that besides the third prince, there is another prince who is looking for the whereabouts of the husband. Which prince is it?Xia Xiang became more and more interested in Li Dingshan's origin.

What Xia Xiang didn't know was that when Ma Xiaosan wrote the letter, he was in a hurry and in a hurry. He forgot to write down two important things. Xia Xiang's mother wanted to find out his whereabouts from Xia Xiang's mother.The second is that Xia Lai Xia went to survive a catastrophe, and now one person goes north and the other goes south.

"Sir, Qianjiang has water and Qianjiangyue, so the bright moon above your head, when it shines on the Anding River at this moment, will also shine on the Hutuo River?" Xiao Wu didn't know what Xia Xiang was thinking, but he kept talking with great interest. "Will the water of the Anding River and the water of the Hutuo River finally merge into one place and flow into the sea?"

It is common knowledge that hundreds of rivers return to the sea. Originally, Xiao Wu’s words were not out of the ordinary, but his words woke the dreamer. Xia Xiang stopped abruptly, looked up at the bright moon in the night sky, and muttered to himself: “Baichuan returns. The sea, all states come to the dynasty, whether it is the three princes, or several princes, whether Mr. Li Dingshan, Mr. Cao, or Song Chaodu, Song Shilang, well, plus a mysterious and unpredictable good situation always exists, all point to the same person... …”

"Who?" Xiao Wu's eyes widened, curious and ignorant.

"Who else is there? Of course it is the current emperor." Xia Xiang rolled his eyes, thinking so in his heart, but said, "No one, go back quickly, rest early, and get up early tomorrow morning."

"Why do you have to get up early? There will be no exam tomorrow." Xiao Wu was immediately taken off topic by Xia Xiang.

"Because something important will happen tomorrow morning." Xia Xiang said casually.

"What's the big deal?"

"You'll know tomorrow morning."

"Sir, let me tell you one or two now, or I won't be able to sleep..."

"Sir, sir, wait for me."

Xia Xiang laughed heartily, and kept on stepping, striding forward.

The bright moon is silent, loneliness and eternity shining on the earth.The prosperous and grand Shangjing is all shrouded in the brilliance of the bright moon.In the palace under the moonlight, outside the Wende Hall, several eunuchs were whispering, and in the Funing Palace, several maids were taking a nap with lanterns.Outside the palace, the Imperial Guard lined up to patrol.

In a house thirty miles south of the palace, there were voices of parents scolding their children.Thirty miles to the south, the houses are low and dilapidated, already on the outskirts of Shangjing. From time to time, the sound of dogs barking can be heard from far and near, echoing deep in the alleys.

Thirty miles further south, we left Shangjing.Not far from the city, there is a forest.The forest is not big, with a radius of less than ten miles. They are all big trees that are common in the north, such as elms, willows, locust trees, and pine trees. They are not rare trees, but they provide a place for pedestrians to rest.There are countless open spaces secluded in the forest. If it is daytime, there will be many teahouses, taverns, cold drink vendors in the open spaces, and there are also simple inns for accommodation.Most of the people who stayed here were guest officials who came to Shangjing. It happened that it was getting late when they passed by here, and it took them [-] miles to reach Shangjing. If they were too tired to travel overnight, it would be a good thing to spend the night here and leave early tomorrow morning.Therefore, there are more than a dozen inns in the forest, most of the time they are full.

Because there are everything in this forest, after working hard, there is such a treasure place for eating, drinking, enjoying the cool and resting, which is a great joy in life, and those who have good deeds call this forest a happy forest.

In Happy Forest at four o'clock, pedestrians have already fallen asleep peacefully, only a few breakfast stall owners who got up early just got up, set up the stove and lit the charcoal fire, preparing breakfast for the coming guests.There are no less than thousands of passers-by passing by on their way to Shangjing every day. As long as there are dozens of people eating, it is enough to support the family.

Li Guanyu has been selling breakfast in Happy Forest for ten years. He starts to work at five o'clock every day, and closes the stall at noon. After half a day, it is common to earn two hundred cents.Although two hundred wen is not much, it is enough for him to drink a little wine every day and cut pork.Sometimes when he encounters a generous guest official again, he will reward him with more than ten articles, and he will save it so that he can ask for a concubine in the future.

This year is the year of the big test, and now the big test is approaching. Among the guest officials who come to Beijing, there are many more scholars.Not all scholars are poor, but there are also scholars from wealthy families who are extremely generous. Li Guanyu still remembers that yesterday, there was a student named Shen Bao, who had ten Wen breakfast and chatted with him about some people who went to Beijing. Due to local customs and interests, he raised his hand and rewarded him with a tael of silver.

A tael of silver was equivalent to a thousand pennies, and he was so happy that he almost didn't jump up.This event became the cornerstone that inspired him to fulfill his dream of concubinage.

It would be great if I could meet a guest officer like Shen Bao again today. Li Guanyu set up a stall while dreaming a sweet dream.His breakfast is fried dough sticks, bean curd brain, pickles and homemade spicy dishes, as well as his best secret weapon - Lee's spicy sauce.Lee's Chili Sauce is a special side dish prepared by him personally.

As soon as the pot was set up to boil the oil, two fast horses arrived before the first fried dough stick was put into the pot.Immediately there were two people, one black and one white, one fat and one thin, exactly like black and white impermanence.Both of them were smartly dressed, with knives on their waists, their eyes were shining brightly, and their expressions were awe-inspiring.

The two tied the horse to the tree, and the big horse sat down with a golden knife. Hei Pang slapped the table and said, "One catty of fried dough sticks, two bowls of tofu nao, salty ones, not sweet ones. A bowl of hot sauce, big ones." Bowls, no small plates. Hurry up, shopkeeper, and hurry up.”

Li Guanyu has seen countless people, and at a glance, he can tell that the two are official servants. They have official orders, and they dare not neglect. I have half a point of reward in my heart.

Hei Fatty took a bite of the fried dough stick and said indignantly: "Mu En, Taiwei Yan Hao Yan sent my two brothers to Zhongshan Village in Lingshou County overnight to find out the origin of an unknown junior, and how many important things are going on in Beijing. Do, he insisted that the two of me do such a big thing. It is obviously an excuse to let the two of me go out of Beijing, and it is too bullying. The two of me are not under his jurisdiction, so why send the two of me? Why not? Send the Zhou brothers?"

Mu En waved his hands and smiled: "Huaguan, don't have such thoughts. Taiwei Yan is the benefactor of both of us, and he has the grace to save our lives. It is only natural to do things for him. He doesn't send his men, I also don't want things to leak out, it's because of my trust in the two of us. Although Zhongshan Village is located in a remote place, it is the place where Li Dingshan has been dormant for three years. Going to Zhongshan Village will definitely yield a lot. What important news will we really find out by then? If you can get into the ears of the Third Prince, the two of us will have a bright future."

"That's what I said, I'm afraid it's a waste of work if I don't get anything. When I really get something, the hard work will belong to the two of us, and the credit goes to Yan Taiwei alone." Huaguan finished eating fried dough sticks in three mouthfuls. He patted the table, "Shopkeeper, another catty of fried dough sticks."

Li Guanyu had long expected that a pound of fried dough sticks would not be enough for the two of them, and while the two were talking, another pound was fried.Listening to Huaguan's instructions, I hurriedly delivered it.

Without further ado, Huaguan picked up a deep-fried dough stick and took a bite, his face changed, and he spit it out: "Bah, what is it? It's bitter and astringent, shopkeeper, are you running a black shop?"

Li Guanyu was so frightened that his face was pale, and he took a bite of the remaining fried dough sticks, and said with a sad face, "Keguan, the same noodles and the same oil, why is it bitter and astringent?"

"Did my mouth fade out? Or did you eat feces in your mouth?" Huaguan was furious, put the knife on the table, stepped on the stool with one foot, and opened his eyes wide, "Take another bite Try it, if you dare to stare and talk nonsense, believe it or not, I will kill you with one knife!"

Of course Li Guanyu doesn't believe it, in broad daylight, no, even though the sky is not bright at this time, the east has already turned white, the world is bright and peaceful, and it is a peaceful and prosperous age, who would dare to kill in public?His fried dough sticks are delicious, and everyone in Happy Lin knows that Huaguan not only ruined his reputation, but also uttered wild words, how could he stand it, and immediately patted the table.

"No need to bite, I know very well what my fried dough sticks are. But I don't know what kind of you are, the guest. The blood spurts out of nothing. It's nothing more than wanting to eat Bawang's meal. Two bowls of fried dough sticks and bean curd, I can still afford it!" Li Guanyu retorted, not to be outdone.He believes that he has a lot of knowledge and has seen all kinds of things. It is not without officials who are more arrogant and arrogant than Huaguan. In the end, he lost to his three-inch incorrupt tongue. He believes that Huaguan will not dare to make trouble. Daxia's laws are complete, and there are constraints on officials.

At first, Mu En wanted to persuade Huaguan to stop, but he didn't want Li Guanyu, a small breakfast stall owner, to dare to be so arrogant.Although he persuaded Huaguan not to complain about Yan Hao's order, he was quite complaining about this arrangement, but he didn't want to say more, after all, it was useless to say, and he could only obey the order.But I didn't think that, eating breakfast can also be full of gas.He usually restrains his emotions and does not get angry easily, but when he does, it will be a fire.

Hua Guan was furious, rolled up his sleeves, raised his hand and slapped Li Guanyu, "I'm against you, think I want to eat the overlord's meal? Do you think I have no money? I have money, but I just don't like you and think your fried dough sticks are not good. Eat like shit, don’t eat for nothing, and still want money? A slap in the face is a kindness to you.”

Li Guanyu was slapped unexpectedly, and half of his face was swollen. When he saw that the other party was serious, he immediately softened. He didn't want to argue with his three-inch tongue anymore, so he bent down and bowed: "Is that right?" It's the little one's fault to live as a guest officer, the little one doesn't dare, never dare again..."

(End of this chapter)