Walking further along the rugged Yangchang path, we arrived at Lejiazhai after several turns.
There is a small stream winding beside the village.
At this time, the sun has already risen high in the sky.
Le Zhidan's home is a courtyard house, surrounded by a bamboo fence in front of the door, covered with brightly blooming golden firecrackers in clusters. There is a vigorous purple magnolia tree in the middle of the yard. The locals call the purple magnolia Yutangchun. It seems that the tree is hundreds of years old. There are purple-red flowers as big as fists blooming on the tree, which is really beautiful.
Le Zhidan led Zhang Shaofei into the courtyard. At this time, a man and a woman were busy in the yard.
There are several camphor wooden pillars under the purple magnolia tree in the yard. A middle-aged man is sitting on the wooden pillars, holding a golden water pipe in his hand. He is lighting the tobacco in the water pipe and puffing on the clouds. .
Le Zhidan pointed at the man and woman and introduced them: The one smoking is my father, the one chopping firewood is my second brother Le Zhicheng, and the one feeding the chicken is my younger sister Le Zhifeng.
Le Zhiyan's father, Le Jinghui, is the head of Lejiazhai. He is over fifty years old and enjoys high prestige in the village.
Le Jinghui's ancestors migrated from the north to Fengshan Village in Tianlu Mountain. Later, when the group of people who migrated from the north gradually became stronger, they separated from Fengshan Village and named it Lejiazhai.
Le Jinghui's parents were hard-working and shrewd. Soon after they moved to Fengshan Village, they understood the principle of "no business, no wealth". In addition to going up the mountain to pick fungus, mushrooms and other wild products, the family also bought delicacies from the mountains and brought them to Tiantangweiping. They exchanged them with vendors outside the mountains for seafood, salt and other products, and then resold them to people in the mountains.
After years of accumulation, the head family of Lezhai has become a famous wealthy family in the Tianlu Mountain area.
After Le Zhidan introduced her family to Zhang Shaofei, she introduced her father with gratitude: "Dad, his name is Zhang Shaofei. This morning, I went up the mountain to pick mountain berries. I encountered a tiger at the entrance of the cliff. I was scared to death. I ran away, but the tiger was chasing me, and it was Brother Afei who saved me from the tiger's mouth."
"It just happened by chance, and it was also a misunderstanding. At that time, I thought the person being chased by the tiger was my unmarried wife." Zhang Shaofei said this and smiled shyly.
Le Jinghui lit up the cigarette and took a puff. He looked up and saw Le Zhidan coming back with a strange man, and asked: "Third sister, this person is..."
After listening to his daughter's story, Le Jinghui gratefully said to Zhang Shaofei: "A Fei, you saved my little daughter's life. Please pay your respects to Jinghui."
Zhang Shaofei hurriedly stopped him and said, "Master Lezhai, this is impossible. I believe that if you encounter this kind of situation, you will do the same thing as me."
At this time, Le Zhidan brewed tea, brought it to Zhang Shaofei, and offered tea to Zhang Shaofei: "Brother A Fei, please drink tea."
Zhang Shaofei hurriedly returned the gift: "Thank you very much, Sister Adan."
When Le Zhicheng heard this, he laughed and said: "Since you are all called brothers and sisters, then you and I..." When Le Zhicheng said this, he rolled his eyes, his eyes stopped on Zhang Shaofei's face, and then said , "Can we become brothers?"
"This..." Zhang Shaofei looked at Le Jinghui and his son with a bit of embarrassment, "I am a criminal sent by the imperial court. I really don't dare to reach high places."
"Oh, how do you say this?" Le Jinghui looked at Zhang Shaofei and asked in confusion.
"Alas -" Zhang Shaofei looked up to the sky and sighed, glanced at Le Zhidan, and stopped talking.
Le Zhidan wisely picked up the saucer and left the hall.
Zhang Shaofei picked up the fragrant cup of Longshan tea, took a sip, and then told Le Jinghui and his son how he was sent down by the imperial court...
Just like that, I came here.
Le Jinghui is a considerate person who has seen big events. Hearing what Zhang Shaofei said, he understood something: "Tianlu Mountain is high in mountains and densely forested, sparsely populated, but we can live and settle down. Our ancestral home is also in the north. We Lejiazhai is also separated from Fengshan Village, and Lejiazhai is Fengshan Village." Le Jinghui held his chin, thought for a while, and said, "My great benefactor, if you don't dislike it, you can live in my house."
Zhang Shaofei waved his hand and declined: "Uncle Ah Hui, there's no need to be polite."
Le Jinghui: "Why?"
Zhang Shaofei: "I don't want to cause any trouble to your family."
Hearing what Zhang Shaofei said, Le Jinghui raised his eyebrows, his face sank, and he said unhappily: "Oh, so you have misjudged me, Le Jinghui. You saved my life today." Your kindness is as great as the sky. If I don’t repay you, I will be struck by lightning from heaven!”
Zhang Shaofei was still hesitating: "This..."
Le Jinghui knew that Zhang Shaofei was moved, so he came up with a reason: "I hope you can live in my house and collect some mountain herbs to treat my daughter so that she will not have any sequelae."
Le Jinghui's move was so effective that Zhang Shaofei had nothing to say.
Zhang Shaofei thought for a while and said to Le Jinghui: "Uncle Ah Hui, since you have invited me so kindly, then I would rather obey your orders."
Le Jinghui clapped his hands and said loudly: "Okay, it's settled!"
Zhang Shaofei looked at Le Jinghui gratefully and said, "Thank you so much, Uncle Hui."
"Don't say anything to outsiders." Le Jinghui pointed to a few hunting forks placed in a corner of the compound and said loudly, "With our family here, no one can touch a hair on your head in Lejiazhai!"
"Whoever tries to do something evil in our area will never come back!" Le Zhicheng followed his father's words.
Le Zhidan waved his fists and said in an passionate voice: "Although I am a woman, I will not let them off easily!"
Zhang Shaofei said gratefully: "It's too disturbing to your whole family."
"Afei, our whole family is very happy that you are here. Please rest assured that you are safe and sound." Le Jinghui said, patting his chest.
Le Zhicheng said loudly: "A Fei, if you have anything to say, just tell me."
Le Zhidan showed the unique enthusiasm of mountain people, and a smile broke out on his oval face: "Brother A Fei, just treat this place as your home, don't be polite. We will take care of all the rough and detailed work at home."
Le Jinghui told brother and sister Le Zhicheng: "Ah Cheng, take Ah Fei to live in the room on the west side first. Ah Dan, now go to your grandpa's house and ask your mother and elder sister to come back. I'll help you and Ah Fei tonight." Shocking."
"Okay." After Le Zhicheng responded, he took Zhang Shaofei to the west room. Le Zhidan took her sister and jumped out of the compound.
Le Zhidan and her sister had just walked out of the house when shouts of "Good wine! Good wine!" came from outside. Immediately, a short, fat and sturdy man nearly fifty years old came in with a staggering step holding a wine bottle. Come into the courtyard.
When Le Jinghui saw the person coming, he said to himself first: "Jingfu brother, you drank too much again."
The visitor's name is Le Jingfu, he is Le Jinghui's neighbor, and in terms of seniority, he is also his cousin.
Le Jingfu raised the wine bottle in his hand with a graceful step and said excitedly: "I made a fortune again today."
"Did you gamble again today?" Le Jinghui knew that he was a gambler, so he looked at Le Jingfu and asked.
"Yes! I placed a big bet on crabs at Lidongwei today, and sure enough, I won. I won three taels of silver in one fell swoop. Ha, ha! This is enough for me to buy wine for many days." Le Jingfu Taking advantage of the drunkenness, he said with joy.
It turned out that Le Jingfu went hunting in the mountains yesterday and caught a wild boar, so he took it to Lidongwei at the foot of Tianlu Mountain to sell it. He saw someone setting up a "fish, shrimp and crab" gambling game under the big banyan tree at the top of the Wedong. He would sell it. All the money he got from the wild boar was bet on "crabs", and he actually won a lot of money. After returning to his home in Lejiazhai, he drank happily. When his ears were warm from the wine, he came over to tell Le Jing the "good news" Hui.
Seeing his complacent look, Le Jinghui kindly persuaded him: "Bless me, brother, don't get carried away when you win. As the saying goes, nine out of ten bets will result in losses. I advise you to keep your mind on the right path."
Le Jingfu didn't take it seriously, but turned to persuade Le Jinghui: "I have auspicious stars, good luck, and I should be blessed. Brother Jinghui, it seems like you make money by doing good business, how hard and tiring must it be?" "
Zhang Shaofei followed Le Zhicheng to the west room and packed the bed with the simple luggage he brought with him. When he came out, he heard the conversation between Le Jinghui and Le Jingfu, so he started talking to him: "I think it's better to be an honest person." .”
Le Jingfu turned around when he heard the sound and saw a strange man. He blinked and asked Le Jinghui, "Who is he?"
Le Jinghui was so impatient that he pointed at Zhang Shaofei and introduced, "This is a distant relative of my wife's side."
"Ah, no wonder I've never seen him." The red-faced Le Jingfu murmured, then picked up the bottle and poured it into his mouth, then staggered out of the compound.
After Le Jingfu left, Le Jinghui said to Le Zhicheng: "Ah Cheng, Ah Fei is a great benefactor to our family. Go to Luodong Village and ask Chef Liang to come over and cook some good dishes and greet Ah Fei well." I feel relieved for him and Ayan."
Le Zhicheng nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go right away."
Not long after Le Zhicheng left, Le Zhidan and her sister came back with their mother and elder sister.
Le Zhidan's mother's name is Shi Jinying. She is six years younger than her father Le Jinghui, but she is much taller than him. She has willow eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and a melon-seed face. She is upright and kind-hearted. When she was not married, she was a famous tree within ten miles of Tianlu Mountain. flower.
Le Zhidan and her elder sister Le Zhihua became more and more like her as they grew older. People in the village said they looked like they were printed from the same model. Time has failed to leave any trace on Shi Jinying. Walking together with her daughter, how could she look like mother and daughter? People who don't know the details think they are sisters.
Shi Jinying endured the itch, looked at the handsome guy in front of her calmly, and asked with a smile: "You are the one who saved my daughter, right?"
Zhang Shaofei said modestly: "It's just a coincidence."
"Hey, how handsome and handsome he is." Shi Jinying looked at Zhang Shaofei intently, as if the mother-in-law saw her son-in-law, she would like him even more.
Le Zhidan quickly introduced to Zhang Shaofei: "This is my mother, my elder sister."
Zhang Shaofei introduced himself politely: "My surname is Zhang and my first name is Shaofei."
"Yeah." Zhang Shaofei only heard a heavenly sound ringing in his ears.
Following the sound, he saw a woman with a fairy-like appearance standing in front of him, but her autumn eyes were full of melancholy.
"Mom, I'm going back to my room first." Le Zhihua left the compound with deep thoughts.
During the conversation, Le Zhidan felt a little embarrassed when she saw her mother looking at Zhang Shaofei intently and scratching her body with her hands from time to time. She quickly found a topic, leaned over and said with concern: "Ah Mom, let’s go back to the room and rest first.”
"Okay, okay." At this time, Shi Jinying was also itching unbearably. As she spoke, she and Le Zhidan went into her bedroom.
Le Zhicheng invited a famous chef from ten miles around, and after a long time of planning, a sumptuous dinner was finally completed.
Le Jinghui is a man who repays kindness. He said to Zhang Shaofei with gratitude: "Ah Fei, thanks to your second rescue, my little girl saved her life. As the saying goes, you should repay a favor. I put it at home today. I'll sit at the table to calm you and my daughter's shock, and to express my gratitude, I'll have a few drinks with you until I get drunk."
"We still have a can of glutinous rice wine at home that has been brewed for several years. Dad has been reluctant to open it and drink it. It comes in handy today." Le Zhicheng said excitedly.
"It's just what I want. Ah Cheng, go get the jar of glutinous rice wine first," Le Jinghui said, turning to Zhidan, "Anu, go and ask your mother and eldest sister to come out and sit on the stage."
After a while, Le Zhidan, her mother and eldest sister came out. Le Jinghui was about to say bring some wine, but found that Le Zhicheng had not returned from getting the jar of glutinous rice wine, so he turned to Le Zhiyan and said: " Auntie, go urge your brother."
"Dad, there's no need to hurry." Le Zhicheng appeared at the door of the compound carrying a can of rice wine.
"A Cheng, didn't you go to the underground kiln to get the jar of glutinous rice wine? Why did you run outside?" Le Jinghui asked in confusion.
"I'm afraid that the jar of glutinous rice wine at home is not enough, so I went to my grandpa's house in Fengshan Village to get another jar of rice wine, so I can drink enough tonight." Le Zhicheng gasped.
Le Jinghui looked at Le Zhicheng and said, "Ah Cheng, go to the underground kiln to get the jar of glutinous rice wine." He turned to Le Zhihua and said, Sister, go to the kitchen and bring the soup out. "
"Yeah." Le Zhihua responded and left.
After a while, Le Zhihua came out with the soup and opened the lid. The fragrant smell of the old fire soup hit his nose.
Zhang Shaofei took the bowl of soup handed over by Le Zhihua, took a sip, and said with a pun, "Beautiful! So beautiful!" After complimenting him, he couldn't help but said to Shi Jinying, "Sister-in-law, with such a beautiful woman at home, I must have Those who come to propose marriage must have even lowered the threshold a few inches."
