A gray magpie flew up to the flower branch, looked at its head and combed its feathers with its long beak, then spread its wings and flew away. The branches swayed, and a few petals of peach blossoms scattered. The petals drifted with the wind and fell in the long and clear stream, causing ripples in circles, like a pink boat going down the river.
The creek meanders and eventually flows into the Han River in the south. Here, there are many streets and chickens and dogs can hear each other. A few farmers are working in the fields, and the big yellow cattle are grazing with their tails wagging slightly. In the distance, the mountains are green and lush, with smoke curling from the kitchens at the foot of the mountains, and the houses are in full shape. The scenery is beautiful.
This is Shuimotou Village, a small village to the west of Chuzhou in the Dachen Empire. It is bordered by the Han River to the north and Jinping Mountain to the south. Due to traffic congestion over the years, it has been spared from countless wars. It is like a paradise.
Now is the spring equinox, and several peach trees at the entrance of the village are in bloom. Pink and white peach blossoms are clustered on the branches, attracting countless bees and butterflies to fly gracefully among the flowers. In this peach and plum spring breeze, the sound of reading can be heard...
"The way of a university lies in being virtuous, being close to the people, and striving for perfection..."
Under a lush willow tree, a bamboo fence is circled. The yard is full of mustard greens, lettuce, and spicy melons. There is a passage paved with cobblestones in the middle. There are three brick houses in the middle. These are the houses of the virtuous and wealthy gentry in the nearby countryside. A private school built by raising funds.
There are four or five teachers in the school, and most of them teach students some "Li", "Music", "Poetry", and "Jing". One teacher Fang from Luoyang Zhixingyuan in Kyoto also teaches some simple arithmetic and martial arts.
There are more than twenty young people in the school sitting neatly, all with their little faces raised and reciting "Book of Rites·University" diligently. The oldest of these children was only fourteen or fifteen years old. An old man with a goatee sat upright on the podium.
It is said that this teacher was once the imperial minister of Daliang Kingdom in the former dynasty. He was proficient in the six arts, read poetry and books, and wrote splendid articles. The new emperor of the Chen Empire ascended the throne and returned to his hometown as an official. Because of his old and virtuous character, he was respectfully called the Old Master by everyone.
The old master wore a Dongpo scarf and a black straight gown. He narrowed his eyes slightly and shook his head as the schoolchildren recited. After a long while, after the children had finished reading, he explained with a smile while stroking his goatee: "To stop, one must have the intention to do what is right and not to interfere; to be the best, it is the most logical thing to do. To speak clearly, to be virtuous, and to be close to the people should be done to the best." A good place will never move..." After saying that, he held the ruler in his right hand and patted it gently on the palm of his left hand, pointing at a schoolchild sitting in the front row: "Do you understand?"
The child looked confused and seemed to understand but the old master pointed his ruler at him, feeling even more guilty and couldn't help but lower his head. The old master rolled his eyes, stood up, looked around, and called out: "He An, do you understand?"
The child whose name was called had a handsome face. When he heard the teacher calling him, he quickly stood up from the table and saluted respectfully: "Teacher, I understand, "stop at the highest good" means that the teacher requires the disciples to pursue the highest good. Start with small things, add up to something, and develop the habit of self-reflection..."
The child named He An was not in a hurry, finished his answer calmly, and then bowed to the teacher.
"Hmm... Okay, okay, okay!" The old master nodded with satisfaction, stroking his goatee, and wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes. He said "good" three times in a row, motioned He An to sit down, glanced to the side, and the smile on his face disappeared instantly.
The old master walked down the stage with a ruler in his hand. The schoolchildren followed the teacher's gaze curiously and saw a student by the south window leaning on the desk, sleeping soundly.
This schoolboy is about twelve or thirteen years old. He wears a square scarf on his head, his hands are folded on the desk, a fat face is resting on his pillow, his lips are half-opened due to pressure, and the back of his hands is wet with saliva.
"It's unreasonable. Learning without thinking is useless. You actually snore and fall asleep in class..." The old master rapped on the desk with his ruler and yelled angrily: "Fan Dazhi, if this goes on for a long time, your studies will be neglected. How can you bear this?"
The student named Fan Dazhi squirmed and slowly raised his head with sleepy eyes. There were two palm prints on his cheeks, and there was still a trace of saliva at the corner of his mouth. When he saw the furious old master in front of him, he suddenly became excited and woke up instantly.
"Oh...Teacher, the student just...was fascinated by what the teacher said, and unknowingly...just...fell asleep..." Fan Dazhi raised his fat face and spoke in a very sincere tone. After speaking, he looked again Looking at the old man with a raised goatee, he lowered his head.
The old master held the ruler in his hand and laughed in anger: "Fan Dazhi, let me ask you, can you recite the gentleman's shendu essay taught yesterday?"
Fan Dazhi glanced at the ruler in the old master's hand and said timidly: "Teacher, I...I...can memorize it, so you won't hit me, right?"
The old master raised his eyelids and said expressionlessly: "Recite to me."
"Yes, my disciple recited something wrong, please correct me..." Fan Dazhi thought for a moment and recited slowly: "Destiny is called nature, nature is called Tao, and cultivating the Tao is called teaching. The Tao is something that cannot be separated from for a moment. , can be separated, it is not the way. Therefore, a gentleman should be careful about what he does not see, and be afraid of what he does not hear. Do not see what is hidden, do not show what is insignificant, so a gentleman should be careful about what he alone..."
He recited a little slowly at first, and then his speech speed became faster and faster, and his enunciation was clear and coherent, without any stagnation in the middle. It was obvious that he had already memorized everything by heart.
The old master was quite surprised when he heard that he recited it accurately. He couldn't help but look at the student in front of him carefully.
I saw that this child had a square face and big ears, a wide forehead and thick eyebrows, and slightly fat cheeks. Except for a pair of unusually clear eyes, his appearance was extremely ordinary. Wearing a cross-collared shirt, it was wrinkled and smelled faintly of wine lees. I couldn't help but frown...
After Fan Dazhi finished reciting, he saw the old master stroking his beard and pondering without comment. He looked around secretly, but saw He An looking at him with concern. The two met their eyes. He An secretly winked at him and gave him a thumbs up.
The old master saw the two people's actions and secretly thought that Fan Dazhi was very taciturn in class on weekdays. He was usually the one who would fight against injustices among the students when they were playing around and bullying him. This person looks dull, but unexpectedly he is a bit wise and foolish.
Then he coughed and pretended to be still angry and said: "Yeah - you can memorize it quite well. So, you can also memorize the chapter on the way of a gentleman that I taught you the day before yesterday? Recite it to me."
Fan Dazhi had no choice but to stretch out a fat hand and wipe his face, and then recited the lesson taught by the teacher the day before yesterday. He actually recited it backwards and forwards, and it was not wrong at all.
The old master twitched the corner of his mouth, snorted, and said: "Even if you can recite it, this is not the reason for you to snore in class. Stretch out your hand!"
When Fan Dazhi heard this, he couldn't help but shrugged his eyebrows, and reluctantly spread a hand with a sad face. His palms were thicker than those of ordinary people, and there were several fleshy pits on the backs of them. The old master asked him to turn his palms over, raise his ruler, and hit him three times with a "papapapa" sound.
Fan Dazhi retracted the beaten palm into his sleeve. He felt that it was less painful than before. He secretly looked at the old master's back, made a face and stuck out his tongue.
Several schoolchildren nearby burst out laughing when they saw it. The old master turned around in astonishment. Fan Dazhi immediately sat upright, looking at his nose and heart, just like an old monk in meditation...
The sun slowly set in the west, half covered by Jinping Mountain in the distance. The mountain seemed to be rimmed with gold. A whistle sounded under the willow tree, and the children in the private school were dismissed from school.
He An and Fan Dazhi walked in tandem. Fan Dazhi lowered his head and walked quickly. He An took two steps to catch up with him and gently lifted Fan Dazhi's shoulder with his shoulder: "Dazhi, why are you still angry with me?"
Fan Dazhi twisted his fat face and said angrily: "I still think you are a good brother. I fell asleep and the teacher found me. Why didn't you wake me up quickly?"
He An laughed dumbly and said: "So many pairs of eyes were looking at you at that time, and I was too late. Okay, okay, it's not worth it to be angry about this. Next time...next time I promise to protect you in time." After saying that, he put his arms around Fan Dazhi's shoulders affectionately.
"Don't tell my dad that I'm going to get beaten up." Fan Dazhi said again.
"Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret for you..." He An patted his chest.
Only then did Fan Dazhi smile with satisfaction.
…………
He An has been living here with his disabled uncle He Kui for as long as he can remember. He Kui is addicted to alcohol. Whenever the family has extra money, He An is asked to go to the tavern under the big locust tree at the head of the village to drink.
He An and Fan Dazhi, the son of the tavern owner Fan Youfu, are of the same age and both go to private schools. The two gradually become good friends who talk about everything.
Fan Youfu was originally from Yangzhou County. Five years ago, the governor of Yangzhou County founded the country. He was afraid that the Chen Empire would send troops to suppress it. The war between the two armies inevitably led to loss of life. To avoid the disaster of war, he took his wife and children with his neighbors and fled up the Han River. Within the territory of Dachen Kingdom. During this journey of escaping, he traveled through mountains and rivers, slept in the open air, and suffered endless hardships.
After arriving at this small village called Shuimotou, the journey was bumpy and bumpy. His wife, Fan Yang, contracted a cold, so he settled down and asked a doctor to treat her. However, his wife suffered an old illness and passed away. Fan Youfu took his son Fan Dazhi alone and settled down in the village by relying on his wine-making skills.
He An and Fan Dazhi were muttering something as they walked, and Fan Dazhi smiled from time to time. At the entrance of the village, the two parted ways, and He An went straight to the intersection of the ancestral hall in the village alone.
Many years ago, the villagers raised funds to build an ancestral hall here. Except for worshiping during festivals, the black painted door is always hung with a copper lock, so no one usually comes.
There are several large willow trees at the entrance of the ancestral hall, with dense branches and long willow branches hanging straight to the ground, fluttering gently in the wind. He An was sitting under the tree, looking around boredly. He lowered his head and found a nest of black ants dragging a fat white insect. The dying insect was still twisting its body from time to time. He An saw it interestingly and fiddled with the insect with a grass stem. The ants scattered in shock...
Soon, He An found a square-headed black cricket in the cracks in the grass and rocks. Just as he moved the stone away, Fan Dazhi ran over panting, and the setting sun made the shadow behind him grow slantingly.
He An was overjoyed. He clapped his hands and stood up to greet him and asked, "Are everything ready?" Fan Dazhi nodded with a blushing face, took out a bundle of ropes and a sheathed knife from his bulging arms, and touched it from behind. Take out a hatchet.
He An rolled up his sleeves, spit into the palm of his hand, hugged the willow trunk and climbed up. Fan Dazhi stood on tiptoe and handed him the hatchet. He An sat on the tree and chopped branches as thick as his forearm. .
Fan Dazhi stood under the tree with his fat face raised, watching He An swiftly and continuously swinging the knife, the willow branches kept falling, and soon there was a small pile under the tree.
He An jumped off the tree trunk, and the two of them sat at the door of the ancestral hall. Fan Dazhi pulled out the sharp knife, picked out a branch as thick as his thumb, cut off the branches, cut them to equal lengths, and then clamped them between his hands. The legs are fixed well, overlapped, tied and interspersed.
Willow branches in spring are soft and tough. Fan Dazhi's chubby hands are extremely dexterous, constantly hooking, pulling, threading, picking and twisting. The willow branches slowly weave into a basket shape with a narrow mouth and a wide belly in his hands.
He An couldn't help but praise: "Dazhi, I really can't believe that you know this skill, but... can this fish basket really catch fish?"
Fan Dazhi grinned proudly: "What does this mean? My father made the wine dregs basket and the black coir raincoat that are beautiful. If you see these things a lot, you will know how to do it. I will make this golden urn basket to ensure that the fish can't get out as long as they come in. Go ahead and wait to eat the fish!”
After saying that, he sharpened the willow branch reserved at the narrow mouth of the fish basket and tried to stuff his fist into it. When he took it out again, the sharp willow branch was just against his fist. Fan Dazhi nodded with satisfaction and followed the same pattern. Made another fish basket.
He An and Fan Dazhi each carried a fish basket and sneaked to the bank of Hanshui River in the south of the village while it was still early. The grass in this area is lush and the water flow is gentle. There are a few reeds growing on the riverside that are fluttering in the wind, and a few black-haired green-necked wild ducks are cruising leisurely. The footsteps of the two people sounded, and the wild duck flapped its wings and flew away...
Fan Dazhi took out an oil paper bag from his arms and opened it to find half a roast chicken and a few slices of soy sauce beef. The guy first put his nose close, took a deep sniff intoxicatedly, pulled off a chicken leg and handed it to He An, buried his face in the oil paper bag and wolfed it down. In an instant, all that was left in Fengjuan Canyun was the chicken bones.
He An just took a bite of the chicken leg, then wrapped a few reed leaves and put them in his arms. Fan Dazhi puffed up his cheeks and asked: "You... why don't you eat?" He An smiled, a little embarrassed and said: "Take it back and serve it to my uncle.
Fan Dazhi often goes to He An's house to play, and He An's uncle He Kui also likes this fat boy very much. In his spare time, he often takes care of his two children's studies and teaches them how to cultivate their energy and martial arts.
Fan Dazhi suddenly trembled when he thought of He Kui's stern face and stopped talking. I found two stones and put them in the fish basket, threw the leftover chicken bones inside, opened the oil paper bag, hurriedly grabbed two pieces of soy beef and stuffed it into my mouth, and then threw two pieces in each of the two fish baskets. piece.
There were only three pieces of meat left in the oil-paper bag, so he grabbed two more pieces and stuffed them into his mouth, then threw the paper and the remaining piece of meat into a basket. After a pause, he took out another piece of soy beef from his mouth, threw it reluctantly into another basket, and said with a click: "It's done, it's done, He An, you can take a look at it tomorrow!"
After Fan Dazhi finished speaking, he tied the ropes to the fish baskets, and together they threw the two fish baskets into the river in different places. Watching them sinking into the river, tying the tether to the roots of the trees by the river... After doing all this, it was already dark...
The two people lived not far from each other. They turned around the ancestral hall and walked under the big locust tree at the head of the village. In the night, there were three short houses facing the street with a wine table. This was Fan Dazhi's house.
The two said goodbye at the door. He An had just taken a few steps when he heard Fan's father howling sharply in the room: "You bastard, you ate half of the roast chicken in the kitchen again," followed by the crisp dishes falling to the floor and shattering. Voice……
