The young man let Xiao Yiran and his party into the house, and knew that a few people must not have eaten dinner, so he went to the kitchen, made two dishes very quickly, and served some dry food.

A few people were indeed hungry, but they were not polite to the young man, and they ate with their heads bored. During this period, the young man swept his eyes over Xiao Yiran and Qingwen Musk Yue from time to time, because the other party was young, Xiao Yiran's three daughters didn't take it seriously. After the meal, the boy asked:

"Why are you dressed as men?"

"It's not very convenient for girls to walk outside, so they dress up as men."

Xiao Yiran only then knew why the teenager always peeked at them just now.

"What's your name? Why are there only you and Lao Hei in the house? ”

"My name is Yan Duan, my father and mother have passed away, and only me and Lao Hei are left in the family."

During the conversation, Xiao Yiran learned that Yan Duan was a native. The ancestors have a small income, but the people are not prosperous. When he was two years old, his mother died of illness, and when he was ten years old, his father fell ill and died.

"How old are you?"

"At the age of thirteen, because I was born on the Dragon Boat Festival, my father named me Duan."

is the same age as Xiao Yiran, but his birthday is a few days younger. Xiao Yiran saw that there were pen, ink, paper, inkstones, and many books on the table on the side, so he asked:

"Is that the book you read?"

"When Daddy was here, he taught me a few words. It's just that after my father died, it was relatively remote, there were few scholars, and the people in the village were poor, so I couldn't afford to hire a gentleman. ”

There was no sadness in the boy's tone, and from beginning to end, it was very flat.

"Where are you from, and why are you here?"

Yan Duan is very talkative, perhaps because there are few guests at home.

"We came from Pingliang City and wanted to go to Yan'an Mansion, so we passed by here."

Yan Duan is young, but he is very old-fashioned, and he doesn't get to the bottom of it, including the words that asked Xiao Qing at the gate just now whether it was a man or a woman, you can hear Yan Duan's caution.

"Since there is no gentleman here, and there is no one at home, why don't you go out to study?"

Xiao Yiran also asked without words.

"I went out this spring, but I was just thinking about Lao Hei and didn't dare to go far. I want to wait for the spring of next year to go out with Lao Hei. ”

"Where are you going to go?"

"Let's go to Xi'an first, it's not far south from here."

Yan Duan's house still has quite a lot, enough for Xiao Yiran and a few people to live. After resting overnight at Yan Duan's house, and having breakfast the next day, Xiao Yiran asked Xiao Qing to leave five taels of silver for Yan Duan, which should be the meal fee. I don't want to, Yan Duan said that he wouldn't accept anything.

"In the future, I will also go out for a walk, and there will be people who go out on their backs. Just stayed for one night and the meals weren't worth much. Don't be polite to me. ”

Yan Duan, who was young and old, sent the carriage of Xiao Yiran and his party to the entrance of the village, and when they were leaving, Xiao Yiran said to Yan Duan:

"If you arrive in the capital one day, you can go to Xiao Mansion to find me, remember, my name is Ran'er. If I'm not at home, find a big brother who teaches Li Cai, and tell him that he will let you come. ”

Xiao Yiran didn't dare to say his full name, only said that his name was "Ran'er".

Leaving the small village where Yan Duan is located, we continued to the north and came to Huangling in the afternoon. Xiao Yiran knew that this was the burial place of the ancestor of Yanhuang and Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum was built on Qiao Mountain in the north of Huangling County, since he passed by, he went in to worship, Xiao Yiran instructed Xiao Qing:

"Let's stay here today, and after going to the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum early tomorrow morning, we will set off on the road."

The Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor, also known as the Bridge Mausoleum. It is because the water of the Fu River flows from west to east, goes around the mountain, stands on the top of the mountain and looks down, it seems that the water flows through the mountain, so it is named Qiaoshan, and the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum is also called Qiaoling.

After two rebirths, and met Xu Ying and Bai Yang, two people who saw the head and the end, and twice in a row in the Xuannu Niangniang Temple, Xiao Yiran, who got the revelation in his dream, is no longer the materialist of his life when he was in college. After dinner, bathing and changing clothes, as usual and Zheng Xinxin's soul bathed in the golden light of the Buddha beads to meditate, a little rest, because the summer dawn early, get up early, dress up again, change back into women's clothes, leave Xiao Qing in the inn to guard the luggage horses, with Qingwen Musk Yue, Xiaoxi also led Xiao Yuesheng, together to the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum in the north of the city.

Although it is not a festival, in the main hall in front of the Yellow Emperor's mausoleum, there are still many men and women who come to worship the ancestors of Xuanyuan. Threes, threes, twos, twos, men, women, and children.

After burning incense, several people lined up at the door of the main hall, waiting to go in and bow to the statue of Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor.

"Miss, are we really all descendants of the Yellow Emperor?"

"How can they all be descendants of the Yellow Emperor? The reason why Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor is the ancestor of the sons and daughters of China is mainly to say that the Chinese nation was unified in the hands of Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor and led our ancestors to civilization step by step. ”

"Miss, what is civilization?"

Xiao Yiran inadvertently said the noun of the first life, and in the face of Qingwen and Musk Yue's questions, he thought carefully about the wording before explaining:

"The so-called text refers to modification. It is used to describe people who start dressing up. Ming refers to light, and by extension, it means clear reason and clear things. Because the writing was also made by the Yellow Emperor's order Cangjie, only when the text appeared, future generations could read and write, and could distinguish between right and wrong. ”

"Auntie, I also want to study and be reasonable."

Xiao Yuesheng on the side suddenly said, Xiao Yiran reached out and touched his little head, and encouraged:

"Yuesheng is already a big child, and it's time to read and write, and when you return to Yanshan Mansion, let your mother teach you to read, okay?"

"Hmm."

Xiao Yuesheng nodded vigorously.

Xiaoxi has followed Xiao Yiran for many years, and has learned to read with Xiao Yiran from the beginning, especially in the years in Taicang, Xiaoxi almost accompanied Xiao Yiran to read the Four Books and Five Classics.

"Mother, will you teach me to read when you get home?"

"Okay, my mother will teach you when you go home."

Look at Xiao Yiran's turn, Xiao Yiran straightened his sleeves, walked slowly into the main hall, knelt on the futon, and respectfully bowed to the statue of the Yellow Emperor three times and bowed nine times. After that, Qingwen and Musk Yue, and then, Xiaoxi also took Xiao Yuesheng and bowed. The group wandered around the main hall.

"Miss, shall we go to the mountain behind us?"

Xiao Yiran saw that it was still early, and said:

"Okay, stay here for a day today."

Qingwen was in front, Musk Moon was behind, Xiao Yiran and Xiaoxi led Xiao Yuesheng in the middle, and the group climbed along the mountain road towards Qiaoshan. As soon as I climbed to the top of the mountain, before I had time to visit, I heard Qingwen shout:

"Miss, look, why do I think that running dog looks like an old black?"

When Xiao Yiran turned around, Lao Hei had already stopped not far in front of them, his long tongue sticking out, and he kept flowing. Xiao Yiran crossed the old black and saw a young man running behind him, and when he looked closely, it turned out to be really Yan Duan. When Yan Duan ran close to Lao Hei, he didn't notice Xiao Yiran and the others on the mountain. Just listen to Yan Duan complaining about the old ****:

"Old Black, are you crazy? Why are you running so fast? ”

Seeing Lao Hei looking straight up the mountain, Yan Duan raised his head, and at a glance saw Xiao Yiran and a few people not far away, and couldn't help grinning.

"Is that you? No wonder the old black ran straight here. ”

"Yan Duan, why are you here?"

Qingwen asked loudly.

Yan Duan walked over and said to a few people:

"After you left yesterday morning, I thought about it, why do you have to wait until the beginning of spring next year to go out to study, it's better to go out for a walk now, there is nothing to do at home anyway."

When Yan Duan stood in front of Xiao Yiran, Xu was attracted by the beauty of Xiao Yiran in women's clothes, and looked at Xiao Yiran in a daze, and didn't move his eyes for a long time.

Xiao Yiran saw Yan Duan running over so quickly, his face was not red, his mouth was not panting, just like the person who ran just now was not him. didn't care about Yan Duan's eyes on himself, but asked:

"Yan Duan, I saw you running for so long just now, why are you like no one?"

"Oh, that's right."

Hearing Xiao Yiran's question, Yan Duan reacted, hurriedly looked away, looked behind Xiao Yiran and said:

"I've been playing with Lao Hei since I was a child, and I'm used to running."

"Then have you ever thought about practicing martial arts?"

"I thought about it, but I just couldn't find the master."

Xiao Yiran was talking to Yan Duan while strolling on the top of the mountain. Xiao Yiran thought about it, although Yan Duan is young, he is old and serious, Mr. Kou and his wife are in Xiabang, and the senior brother is an official outside all the year round, if Yan Duan is introduced to Mr., with Mr.'s connections, even if Yan Duan can't study, it will not be difficult to ask the old man to introduce a martial artist to practice martial arts. After thinking about it in his heart, he said to Yan Duan:

"Yan Duan, I know a gentleman who is the champion of the previous dynasty. Now that you are in seclusion at home, do you want to worship his old man as a teacher? ”

After Yan Duan listened to Xiao Yiran's words, his eyes shone brightly, revealing a look of yearning.

"I'm afraid that Mr. won't look down on me."

"As long as you are willing to learn, how can you look down on you? The old gentleman is not only knowledgeable, but also knows many people. If you can't learn literature, you can also ask the old gentleman to introduce you to learn martial arts with others. ”

"Sister Ran'er, is it really possible?"

This is the first time Yan Duan has called Xiao Yiran his sister.

"Absolutely. In this way, we will stay at the Donglaishun Inn in Huangling City, and in the evening, you will come to the inn to find me, and I will write a letter to the old gentleman. ”

"Thank you, Sister Ran'er."

As he spoke, Yan Duan solemnly gave Xiao Yiran a deep salute.

"Yan Duan, the day before yesterday you said you were going to Xi'an to study, why did you come to Huangling?"

Qingwen's question is also what Xiao Yiran wants to ask.

"To go to Xi'an, there is an official road only from Huangling. Take the official road, and if you are lucky, you can catch a carriage along the way. ”

"I didn't expect you to be young, but you have a lot of eyes."

Yan Duan smiled, and then said:

"When my father was alive, he warned me that when I went out, try to take the big road, and don't try to save trouble and take the inaccessible path, it is not safe."

Several people walked around the bridge mountain until noon, and then returned to Huangling City together, because Yan Duan had not yet lived, Xiao Yiran asked Xiao Qing to find the shopkeeper and opened a room for Yan Duan. Yan Duan wanted to return the money to Xiao Yiran, but was teased by Qingwen:

"We can live in your house for nothing, and you have to pay for living in our house?"