"Boy, what is your relationship with the Lu family?"
Inside Lu's shop, the old man took a breath and looked at Shui Yan in confusion.
Seeing that the clothes on Shui Yan's face were all made of coarse cloth, and there were two swords wrapped around his body, he didn't look like a noble child, but more like a commoner's son.
But where did you get that jade pendant? It doesn't look like it was stolen. Besides, if it was stolen, how could you dare to come to Lu's shop and take it out in person.
I can’t understand, I can’t understand!
At this moment, the old man looked at the young man in front of him, becoming more and more curious.
"Why do you ask?"
Shui Yan looked at the old man warily, as if to say, 'Don't think about the jade pendant.'
Although the old man didn't know what Shui Yan was thinking, he couldn't laugh or cry when he saw Shui Yan's vigilant face.
"You kid! Alas~"
The old man suppressed these words and was too lazy to pay attention to Shui Yan.
At this time, the shopkeeper hurriedly came to the counter.
"May I ask who owns this thing?"
The shopkeeper looked at the old man and young man in front of him and asked while holding the jade pendant.
"he!"
At this time, the old man snorted coldly.
Obviously he wanted to take a look. Shui Yan suddenly took out a beautiful jade pendant and went to Lu's shop to find out why.
"What's the matter?"
The shopkeeper returned the jade pendant to Shui Yan and asked respectfully, not showing any contempt because of the shabby appearance of the young man in front of him.
The shopkeeper's expression obviously made the old man stunned. He looked very angry just now, but now he looked at Shui Yan with curiosity.
"Excuse me, shopkeeper, and give this to Tian Feiyan!"
Shui Yan said, and then took out a dozen bamboo slips from his package.
These were all carved by him in his spare time at night by the fire.
Now I just happened to find Lu's store, so I followed the little Loli's instructions and asked them to help transfer it to the little Loli.
One is to fulfill his promise, and the other is to tell little Loli that he has arrived at Zhuohe River.
"good!"
The shopkeeper looked at the dozen bamboo slips in front of him without asking anything else. After nodding, he carefully picked up the bamboo slips.
At this time, the old man who seemed to be thinking about something muttered.
"Tian Ding's daughter, Tian Feiyan!"
The old man smacked his lips, his face looking a little more serious than usual.
After putting away the jade pendant, Shui Yan, who was about to leave, looked at the old man with confusion when he heard what the old man said.
Does this old man know little Loli?
As if sensing Shui Yan's gaze, the old man rolled his eyes at Shui Yan and turned to look at the shopkeeper.
"Shopkeeper, this guy is going to Qin. Can you give him a horse?"
The old man asked calmly.
As soon as these words came out, Shui Yan was a little stunned.
Just when he looked embarrassed and was about to tell the shopkeeper that there was something wrong with his old mind.
"I will order people to prepare now, please wait a moment!"
The shopkeeper glanced at Shui Yan, nodded and said. After saying that, he left and ordered his servants to find a good horse.
Seeing this scene, Shui Yan was stunned.
When he saw the old man, his eyes were completely different. No matter how stupid he was, he knew that the old man in front of him was obviously extraordinary.
"If I remember correctly, Tian Ding's wife is a stunning beauty. Tian Ding killed many powerful children for that woman."
The old man stroked his long beard with a proud look in his eyes.
"Although I didn't go to Tian's house again, let's count the time. If my prediction is correct, Tian Ding's daughter is not much younger than you! And the daughter born to Tian Ding and that stunning beauty will definitely not be worse than her biological mother in the future. .”
When he said this, the corners of the old man's mouth slowly raised and he looked at Shui Yan out of the corner of his eye.
"You kid, why don't you think again and stay as my disciple?"
As he spoke, the old man sounded very contented: "Maybe in the future, there will be a chance to become Tian's son-in-law."
Although he didn't know how Shui Yan got the jade pendant, the old man was sure that Shui Yan must have met Tian Ding's daughter.
Therefore, he spoke now and asked Shui Yan to think carefully. As long as he became his disciple, he would go to Qin State. After Shui Yan completed his studies, he might become the son-in-law of Tian Ding of the Tian family.
Just when the old man looked proud, just when the old man's eyes were full of determination.
"No."
Shui Yan refused without hesitation. He could already tell that the old man in front of him might not be an ordinary person after all.
Shui Yan's answer also completely confused the old man.
"Why is this kid working so hard and walking all the way to Qin? Isn't it for fame and wealth? Do you know who Tian Ding is? What if you become his son-in-law!"
The old man asked with a puzzled look on his face. He didn't say the rest. He wanted Shui Yan to imagine the scene for himself.
The young man in front of me seems to be of low status, but after a few days of observation, he has a low status. The young man went to Qin State to have some adventure.
Since it is a journey, it is nothing more than success, fame, and profit.
Since ancient times, talented and virtuous people in the world have been running towards these three words throughout their lives.
At the moment, he promises that as long as the young man follows him, he will be famous within ten years. And if you want to have "merit and benefit" and have a reputation, you can freely take advantage of it.
Why does the young man still want to go to Qin?
Wouldn't it be nice to be his apprentice? Isn’t Tian Ding’s daughter beautiful? Isn't Tian's son-in-law of high status?
Why are you so determined to go to Qin? What’s good about Qin?
However, just when the old man thought that the young man was thinking, he suddenly saw the young man smiling.
"Not only did the boy know Lord Tian, but he was also ordered by Lord Tian to be driven out of Qi State!"
Shui Yan said to the old man helplessly.
As for Lord Tian’s son-in-law, he was kicked out of Qi State by Lord Tian!
After Shui Yan finished speaking, the old man's eyes widened and he looked at Shui Yan in disbelief.
Only then did the old man realize that it was no wonder that the young man in front of him, who was cold-faced and warm-hearted, with excellent conduct, had no leeway when it came to whether to stay or leave.
The old man was about to continue saying something, but the shopkeeper had already walked over.
"The horses are ready, please!"
The shopkeeper said, motioning Shui Yan to follow him.
"Thank you!"
Shui Yan gratefully bowed his hand to the shopkeeper as a gift, knowing in his heart that he unintentionally owed little Loli a favor.
.......
Beside the Zhuo River.
Shui Yan held his horse and looked at the old man.
At this time, the old man also knew that he could not keep Shui Yan, so he did not ask for him to stay.
It's just a pity that he is more curious.
"Since you don't want to mention the past, I won't say anything more, but can you tell me why you took the trouble to enter Qin and did not want to follow me to learn. The world is not as big as Qi and Qin."
The old man thought for a moment and then asked.
This was also his last question. This was also the doubt he had been having with the boy for five days.
Just now, because the shopkeeper was there, he didn't continue to ask. Now he was about to leave. The old man really wanted the young man to tell him in person why he was so determined to enter Qin.
Although I don’t understand why Tian Ding drove the young man in front of him out of Qi State.
But young people can learn from him, and in the future they can live in Wei, Han, Zhao, Yan, and Chu. It's not a bad idea to even want to return to Qi.
Shui Yan glanced at the old man.
Perhaps he thought that the old man would not follow him anymore, and they would never meet again in the future. Or maybe they think about their uncertain fate in the future, and they don’t know whether they will live or die.
It was only when the old man helped him speak that he got a horse.
"For fame and wealth, I join the Qin Dynasty to seek 'merit'!"
Shui Yan said.
He does not seek fame or fortune, he only seeks the word "merit".
And the "merits" of the seven and six kingdoms in the world are nothing more than hereditary inheritance and the things of the powerful.
"It can't be done without Qin Gong?"
After hearing this, the old man stroked his long beard and nodded, but he seemed a little unwilling to do so.
Shui Yan shook his head at the old man.
Then Shui Yan looked at the turbid river in front of him, which was also called the Yellow River in his memory.
"In Yan's heart, there is only Qin Gong in the world today!"
When Shui Yan said this, he turned to look at the old man and said with a smile: "I bet that Qin will beat the six countries!"
"That's it! Enter Qin to seek merit."
The old man nodded and murmured, a look of relief appearing in his eyes.
If he talked about fame and wealth, he might be able to persuade the young man, but the young man went to Qin to seek "merit". But it made him a little helpless.
The old man understood that the merit mentioned by the young man could not be given by any of the six countries!
What's more, the young people bluntly said that Qin is better than the six countries! No matter how much he said, it was all in vain.
At this time, the boat was about to set off. Seeing this, Shui Yan took the horse and started to leave. But it suddenly occurred to him that he told the old man the reason why he went to Qin. But the old man hasn't told him what his name is yet.
"Now should you also tell me what your name is?"
Shui Yan frowned and asked curiously.
The old man had always been mysterious before, and he would only tell him his name after he became a disciple.
I thought he was a bad old man who deceived people, but now it is obvious that the old man has an unusual identity. So I became a little curious.
The old man couldn't laugh or cry when he heard Shui Yan's transactional tone.
"You have decided to join the Qin Dynasty. Knowing my surname is likely to be a disaster for you! But others call me the old man in the village!"
The old man smiled.
Shui Yan murmured the name 'Old Man Shang', which seemed a bit familiar. He seemed to have heard it before, but he seemed not to have heard of it before.
"Farewell, see you later!"
Shui Yan couldn't figure it out and decided not to think about it any more. After saying something to the old man, he turned around gracefully.
The old man listened to "We will never see each other again", and smiled helplessly on his old cheeks again. He said nothing more and nodded.
But the old man looked at Shui Yan's leaving figure with a smile in his eyes.
He had a hunch that maybe he would meet this young man again in the future.
Half an hour later.
After watching the boy get on the boat, he gradually disappeared from sight as the boat slid.
The old man sighed melancholy, thinking of the conversations he had with the young man in the past few days, and of his mature and reserved character beneath his youthful appearance. And the calluses on those hands.
The old man murmured softly.
"Tian Ding, Tian Ding, you have worked hard for Qi State all your life, and you regard Qin as a tiger. Why do you want to drive this young man out of Qi State!"
