The next day, Zhang Shi washed up early in the morning and prepared to go out. Yu asked Zhang Shi and he said he needed to go out on errands.
Zhang Yue wondered why Zhang Shi still had something to do when Baihang was out of business.
Zhang Shi said something vaguely, there was something going on in Shopkeeper Xu's shop, and Yu didn't think much about it. Shopkeeper Xu was Xu Dutou's cousin, maybe there was something wrong with the Yamen.
Zhang Yue also had some doubts, and Yu revealed that his eldest brother had been coming back very late these days.
So Zhang Yue said: "Brother, I am also going to the city. Can you take me with you?"
Zhang Shi smiled and said, "It's okay, maybe our brothers haven't been to the city for a long time."
Immediately, Zhang Shi and Zhang Yue had breakfast together and headed into the city.
After passing Nanpu Bridge along the way, Zhang Shi bought a piece of cooking cake, and the two brothers ate it while walking. Zhang Yue was gnawing on the pancake and saw Zhang Shi going to Shopkeeper Xu's tea restaurant. He really had something to do.
Zhang Yue cleared up his doubts and was about to leave when Zhang Shi went out again and said, "Third brother, come in and have something to eat before leaving."
"Okay!" Zhang Yue responded happily.
Zhang Yue entered the tea restaurant, but saw that there was no one there, not to mention the diners, even the usual casual crowd was gone.
Zhang Shi wiped the table for Zhang Yue with a rag and said, "I have asked the kitchen to cook a bowl of mutton noodle soup for you."
Lamb noodle soup!
Zhang Yue was filled with happiness after hearing this, but then he thought about it. In Bianjing, mutton costs 1350 Wen per catty, and in Pucheng in the south, it costs more than 200 Wen per catty. Even if the mutton is included in the mutton soup noodles It can be cut as thin as cicada wings, but it is not cheap, and my brother spends money randomly.
Zhang Yue immediately said: "Brother, the mutton soup noodles are too expensive! Let's order something else!"
Zhang Shi chuckled and said in a low voice: "Let's eat from the boss, it's not expensive at all."
Hearing this, Zhang Yue looked around, and Zhang Shi laughed and said, "My boss has gone to buy new year's goods. It's just me and the cook in the store today. Didn't you see that I'm also the uncle? I don't do this on weekdays."
In the Song Dynasty, all waiters in charge of the waiter were called "Uncle".
Zhang Yue felt a little relieved and thought to himself, just as his sister-in-law said, my brother is now running errands and doing odd jobs.
Zhang Shi continued to clean the table and said, "Third brother, if you want to eat anything else, just tell me."
"A bowl of mutton noodle soup will be enough. Brother, my boss has always been shrewd since ancient times. You should be more worried."
Zhang Shi smiled and said, "I'm just treating my brother to a bowl of mutton noodle soup. Even if my boss finds out, he won't say anything. I'll give you two pieces of mutton fat cakes."
Zhang Yue felt relieved. Although it was a bit unauthentic to eat from the host, he was still looking forward to the mutton soup noodles.
Zhang Shi put the rag on his shoulder and walked into the kitchen. At this time, two or three people in short jackets occupied a seat and called out: "Uncle, sift a few bowls of wine!"
"We don't sell alcohol here. What kind of food do you want?"
After saying a few words, Zhang Shi hurriedly brought the dishes. Zhang Yue felt a little sad when he saw this scene.
It was still early for lunch at this time, and there was no one in the shop, but the kitchen in the back was already busy. The smoke from the kitchen was steaming out the window and drifted to the street, and the smell of mutton soup came.
Zhang Yue had finished digesting the pancakes in his belly early. He was looking forward to it, but also bored, sitting at the table watching the people coming and going on the street.
"Hey, isn't this Saburo?"
Zhang Yue looked around and saw that it was Zhang Cai and another disciple of his clan school.
"Xuelu is me."
"Haha," Zhang Cai laughed, "I was planning to go to your house to look for you during the Chinese New Year, but I didn't expect to meet you here."
"It's just a clear song that fills the bottle with wine. We meet each other everywhere in life." Zhang Yue said with a smile.
"Wonderful, this is Dayan's word."
The three of them laughed together.
"Let's go inside and talk!" Zhang Caiyan said.
Another person glanced at a few people eating in shorts and said: "Why don't you go somewhere else? There isn't even a pavilion here. I'll be the host!"
Zhang Cai glanced at Zhang Yue and said immediately: "If you want to be the master of the East, you will get the Seventeenth Lang, but it's better to just bump into him here."
Zhang Yue hesitated and nodded: "That's fine."
The three of them sat down together and said a few words about not coming. Seventeenth Lang said: "Uncle, let's have tea!"
At this time, the elder brother wearing a short shirt and no headscarf came from the back kitchen carrying mutton cakes.
"Third brother, the noodles are still in the pot, eat these first." Zhang Shi put the bowl on the table. When they saw Zhang Cai, they were stunned and said, "Is he your classmate?"
Zhang Yue hesitated and said: "Yes."
Another classmate asked with a smile: "What's wrong, Sanlang, are you familiar with this uncle here?"
Zhang Cai also smiled and looked at Zhang Shi.
Zhang Shi thought that Saburo's two classmates both wore turbans and student shirts, but as Zhang Yue's brother, he couldn't help but be humble.
Zhang Shi said hurriedly: "No..."
Zhang Yue rushed over and said, "This uncle is my eldest brother."
Zhang Cai and the classmate were both taken aback, and stood up and saluted: "Hello, Mr. Da Lang!"
Zhang Yue said: "Brother, this is Xue Lu and Shi Qi Lang, whom I met at Nanfeng Academy. We met here by chance today."
"Okay, okay," Zhang Shi's eyes were filled with tears, and then he patted his chest and said, "Friends of Nanfeng Yuan are also brothers of our Zhang family. Call me Da Langjun. I have to treat you to a good meal and drink today. Let's cut it first. Here are three kilograms of mutton!”
"I can't do it!" the two of them said hurriedly.
Zhang Yue said: "Brother, please give each of us a bowl of mutton noodle soup!"
"Okay! You're just being polite."
The three of them had eaten mutton soup noodles, but they saw that the mutton noodles were full of mutton. It turned out that all three kilograms of mutton were in the noodles. This is not a mutton soup noodle, but a generous portion of mutton noodles.
"It's not enough, add more!" Zhang Shi said enthusiastically.
Zhang Cai came to pay for the money, but Zhang Shijian refused to accept it. I don’t know what method Zhang adopted, but he still forced money to pay the bill.
The three of them went out and Zhang Cai said: "Sanlang, we are going to visit Mr. Sanlang in the afternoon. You can go with us too!"
Zhang Yue said: "This..."
Zhang Cai smiled and said: "I know you don't want to come to the house empty-handed, right? Seventeen Lang and I have just prepared a portion. Let's share some with you. How about we come together?"
"How about this..." Zhang Yue was about to refuse.
The classmate on the side laughed and said: "How can this be done? Saburo will be our classmate sooner or later, that's it."
Zhang Yue cupped his fists and said: "Xuelu, Sanlang has written down Seventeenth Lang's feelings today...but I will definitely give the money to you two in the future. If you two don't agree, then please forgive me that I can't go."
…
Zhang Yue, Zhang Cai, and the Seventeenth Lang came to Professor Zhang Youzhi's house with gifts.
Before he even entered the door, there was an endless stream of people coming to visit Zhang Youzhi. There are officials and famous Confucians, local sages and scholars, as well as scholars who simply admire them.
Zhang Yue only saw a green brick wall and two black painted doors with carved lintels. At this moment, the door was crowded with guests. It is said that there are great scholars talking and laughing, but there are no white people coming and going. This is exactly what happened.
After a servant took him aside and sat for a while, someone was sitting and talking.
"I heard that today's officials are slow to decide on a reserve position, and the civil and military officials of the entire dynasty are worried about this."
"Several prime ministers are working hard for this, and I am just sitting here in a hurry."
When Zhang Yue heard this, he was really full of character. After taking a closer look at the few fledgling scholars, he immediately smiled.
"Brother Cunru!"
A young man in his twenties came over. Zhang Cai and Shi Qilang both saluted, and Zhang Yue also saluted beside him.
"Who am I? It turns out to be Zhang Cai, Shi Qi, this one is a bit unfamiliar!" The young man said with a smile.
Zhang Cai said: "Sanlang, this is the eldest son of Mr.'s family."
"Just call me Cunru."
Zhang Yue said: "I have met Brother Cunru. I was working as a clerk in the courtyard. Mr. Meng promoted me to listen in the Zhoujin Hall..."
The young man laughed loudly, patted Zhang Yue on the shoulder and said: "Your name should be Zhang Yue! I heard my father mentioned your name. My father once said that he was afraid that his seal skills would not be passed down. Don't let him down." "
Zhang Yue said: "It's the gentleman who looks down on the boy."
"Don't be humble. Your modesty means that my father has a bad eye for people." As he said this, the other party picked up the gift list for the three of them and read it over.
The other party shook his head and said: "Zhang Cai, Shi Qi, you are just here to bring gifts. Why did San Lang, the messenger, come to the door with such a heavy gift? This can't be done. It's not his intention, San Lang. You are employed in the academy to support your family. We How can I accept such a heavy gift from you? If I accept it, my father will definitely blame me and I will be sorry."
Zhang Cai and Shi Qi were stunned, but this time their good intentions did not help.
Zhang Yue didn't know what to say at this moment.
Soon the three of them were led to where the professor was meeting his guests. The three of them stood outside the hall for a while. Watching the professor and several old men in the hall talking about calligraphy, painting and calligraphy.
When the professor finished talking about calligraphy and painting, he saw the three of them and immediately smiled and said: "You must have been waiting for a long time, come in!"
The three of them quickly went inside to pay homage.
Zhang You smiled and said, "All three of you are serious."
Having said this, Zhang Youzhi said to several people: "Guys, I will introduce three disciples to you."
Zhang Yue was stunned after hearing this. He had not yet become a disciple. Why did Zhang Youzhi say that he was his disciple?
These people all said it without any doubt.
"Brother Boyi's talent must be extraordinary."
"They are all young talents, and they are all talented!"
The three of them saluted together.
Zhang Youzhi smiled very proudly and said: "You usually say that I have no way to learn seal writing. I am not telling the truth, but this Saburo has done it."
"Oh? Are you serious about this? You need to see it first."
"I have never known the true face of Mount Lu, but today I want to open my eyes."
Zhang You laughed and said, "Am I capable of deceiving others? Although I am a student from a poor family, I have to pay for my studies with books, but I am able to work hard, which is really commendable!"
"Oh, I wonder which of the three is more important?" Several people asked with a smile.
Zhang Youzhi smiled and nodded and said to Zhang Yueyan: "Sanlang, these are all local sages. You should write down here everything I teach you. Don't show your cowardice and make others laugh at you as your teacher."
Zhang Youzhi's words were full of intimacy, changing his usual indifferent and solemn attitude toward himself.
Zhang Yue was stunned at this moment, but he heard Zhang Cai remind him in a low voice: "The teacher has already given instructions, what are you doing standing still? Hurry up!"
Zhang Yue came back to his senses and said: "It's sir, then the student is showing off his embarrassment!"
Zhang Yue stretched out his body and bowed, making Zhang You nod like the old men. This man is very knowledgeable about etiquette.
Zhang Yue immediately walked to the case, but when he saw paper laid on it, he calmed down the turbulent mood in his chest the moment he picked up the pen.
Random Zhang became more focused on writing, and his pen moved like a dragon and a snake, just like he was always in the library, practicing calligraphy in his dreams, completely forgetful of himself.
Zhang Yue was unaware of the words of the people beside him, and only heard a few words intermittently...
"How long has this son been studying with Brother Boyi?"
"Brother Boyi, this method is really true..."
"It's rare that this period of time can always be like this... rare, rare."
"Every stroke is exactly the same. It took a lot of hard work."
"Yes, a poor family can produce a noble son!"
