"Is there anyone?"
Kou Zhong entered the village with Ye Yongjia. He dismounted and looked into the wall. He walked to a house with a lamp still burning and asked.
"There's someone." As soon as he finished speaking, a person appeared from the door. He was about fifty or sixty years old, with a thin face and small eyes. Most of his head was covered by white hair, except for some small black hair on the temples.
"I'm sorry," Kou Zhong bowed and said with a smile, "If you don't mind, can we stay overnight for a day? I'll give you more money of course. We'll leave tomorrow morning." Behind him, Ye Yongjia had just arrived.
"We don't see outsiders here on weekdays, so I really wish someone would come over and say a few words!" the old man laughed.
Kou Zhong now felt more relieved. He turned around and saw Ye Yongjia dismounting his horse, and nodded and smiled at him.
"Then I won't bother you all night." Ye Yongjia stepped forward and bowed to the old man.
"Don't be polite, just go in."
Ye Yongjia pulled the horse and found a shed in the yard for the livestock. Although the roof of the shed was still leaky, it was suitable. He tied the reins tightly and bent down while holding the trough.
"Where are you from?" The old man looked at Ye Yongjia who came out of the shed and asked.
While brushing the dust off his body, he said: "We from Jinan are all scholars. We have admired Nanjing's name for a long time and wanted to come here to appreciate the local customs and characters."
"I, a native of Nanjing, have seen a lot of scholars like you who came here after hearing the news. May I ask your name?"
"My name is Ye Yongjia, and his name is Kou Zhong."
"The names are all good."
"May I ask the old man's name?" Kou Zhong asked respectfully.
"My name is Zhuo Gaoyi. I went to private school for a few years, but I can't say he's very talented. I'm getting old now, and I've probably forgotten all I learned." He smiled calmly.
"Is there anyone else at home?" Ye Yongjia asked casually when he saw a room with a closed door over there.
"Oh, we still have my wife and daughter at home. I told them to go to bed early. I have to ask Zhuo Jing to cook you a meal tomorrow to show our friendship!" He said enthusiastically.
"What's the use? It's causing trouble for the elderly." Ye Yongjia said with a slightly apologetic smile.
After a few people said this, seeing that it was getting late, they all got up to say goodbye. Ye and Kou then moved into the east room, made beds, and managed to squeeze in and sleep.
Early the next morning, the two woke up and went out of the house. They saw Zhuo Gaoyi coming out of the firewood shed, holding a small bundle of firewood. He greeted them and started.
He entered the kitchen house; after a while he came out empty-handed. He approached and said to each other: "Get up early! Madam and the little girl are preparing a meal. It won't be too late to leave after eating. Don't let this old man's wishes go to waste!"
Before the two of them could speak, he immediately shouted to the kitchen: "Leng Ping, pour a pot of water for the two guests!"
"That's not necessary..." Kou Zhongzheng was saying, when he saw a girl coming out of the stove room, carrying a pot, wearing a green jacket on her upper body and an apricot-yellow Su Luo skirt on her lower body. Her face was more upright, but she was a little hairy. The yellow color may be due to the smoke and fire all day long; but the figure looks delicate, and at first glance, she does not look like the kind of woman who lives a hard life and does menial work. Although he is not very dazzling, his eyes are clear and watery, almost as pure as a mountain spring.
She walked over, but immediately lowered her head, put the rag aside, poured water for the two of them, took the pot away, and walked back into the house step by step. Kou Zhong slowly picked up the water and looked back at Ye Yongjia. He had left the water without drinking. He was looking blankly at the door of the kitchen, as if he was lost in thought. Kou Zhongsui turned his head, looked at the water in the bowl and smiled.
Zhuo Gaoyi pointed at the direction: "The little girl who came out just now is called Leng Ping. She is over seventeen years old. Although she looks quiet, she is actually very smart. I wanted to teach her to read some books, but unfortunately I don't have the ability. Knowledge is just a rough understanding of words."
"It's a pity..." Ye Yongjia was still lost in thought, and when he spoke, he seemed to be talking to himself.
After a while, Mrs. Zhuo brought the rice. Kou Zhong ate quite a bit, while his master ate only a few. After breakfast, the two of them went to the shed to pull horses together. At first they wanted to pay for the house, but they were refused by his wife, so they had to say goodbye.
Ye Yongjia flicked his whip and the horse quickly left the village; but he was extremely reluctant to let go. He pulled the horse slowly and looked back several times. Sometimes he suddenly stopped and looked back, refusing to move, and was patted on the shoulder by Kou Zhong:
"We only met this woman once, and my master doesn't know what her feelings are. If I see the truth, I'm afraid I'll be disappointed. There's so much going on, why linger on? It's better for my master to go to Nanjing first and settle down."
"She has something connected with me. Maybe...the end of this connection cannot bring happiness." He left these incomprehensible words and walked towards the majestic Urn City in Nanjing.
There is a wide moat outside the city of Nanjing. When you enter along the road, you will see the huge city wall towering down, as if it is about to swallow people up in one fell swoop. There were a lot of people coming and going, and the sounds and sounds filled the ears and eyes. There is also the Qinhuai River, which is ten miles long, running straight from east to west. There are boats and boats swimming on the river, and several groups of boats are moored on the shore in a clear order; not to mention the vermilion towers, row upon row, blending with the plain white river houses. In one piece, it is more pleasing to the eye than Jinan's green tiles and gray bricks, and it has more than five colors!
In the past, Ye Yongjia, the heir of Ye Mansion, rested here. Every day, he looked up at the clear sky and watched the boat rides. It can be said that the water and the sky are the same color.
"Master, I've had a great time here these days!" Kou Zhong walked over with a big smile.
"Yes," Ye Yongjia looked moisturized, "You have been out for the past few days, have you found any information?"
"Master, you have come to the right place in Nanjing!" Kou Zhong said and sat down. "There is a great actor here. His surname is Cai, his name is Xianqing, and his name is Xingchang. He is forty-five years old. Because he was in Nanjing when he was young. His singing was very popular, and he was in favor with Wang Wan Heshun of Jiankang County. As a result, he opened a theater troupe in Nanjing, which spread all over the region. The knowledgeable troupe left Nanjing early, and he became even bigger."
He held the tea, moistened his throat first, and then said: "It is said that this person is willing to accept bribes to help with things."
Ye Yongjia rubbed his eyebrows and pondered for a long time.
"You mean..."
"Ask him to go to the prince to clear your grievances and make you a Jinshi."
The two pairs of eyes suddenly touched each other.
