Although Uncle Zhou Qi drank a lot of wine last night, he came over with Yan Zhong before dawn. He hurriedly said hello and went home to feed the pigs or something. Yan Zhong watched Xiao Yucheng and Xiao Yu practice martial arts in the courtyard as usual.

"Your sword is wrong, so you have to think of it."

Xiao Yu was practicing boxing, and when he looked up, he saw Xiao Yucheng put away his sword, and arched his hand to Yan Zhong and said, "Please ask Uncle Zhong for advice." ”

Yan Zhong groaned slightly, and seeing that Xiao Yucheng's attitude was sincere, he sincerely asked for advice, so he took a few steps forward and took the long sword in his hand.

Xiao Yu saw the sword flowers blooming, the light flashed, it was neat and natural, coming and going quickly and without hearing the sound of breaking the sky, knowing that he had met a master, he was overjoyed, and made up his mind to let Xiao Yucheng apprentice.

"Can you see clearly?" Yan Zhong asked.

Xiao Yucheng was impressed by his swordsmanship, and became even more humble: "Thank you, Uncle Zhong." The kid is dull, but a little bit or two. ”

Yan Zhong returned the long sword to Xiao Yucheng and asked him to try again. Xiao Yucheng stood still for a moment, went over what he had just seen in his heart again, and felt it carefully before swinging his sword and dancing.

"Yes, it's a lot better than that." Yan Zhongdao.

Xiao Yucheng showed joy, bowed and said, "Please also ask Zhong Boduo for advice." ”

Yan Zhong asked, "Who taught you your martial arts?" ”

Xiao Yu said embarrassedly from the side: "I taught it." My swordsmanship was passed down to my father, but I only learned a little bit of it. Teaching Yu Yucheng was just a thought of strengthening his body, which made Uncle Zhong smile. ”

"This swordsmanship is extremely exquisite, and the girl does not need to be too humble. But this kid also has a talent for martial arts. Yan Zhong shook his head, beckoned Xiao Yucheng to come over, patted him a few times, and let him learn a few moves, and said, "The muscles and bones are also good." ”

Is this the heart of love?

Xiao Yu glanced at Xiao Yucheng happily.

Xiao Yucheng made a big salute to Yan Zhong and said earnestly: "Uncle Zhong's swordsmanship is superb, Yucheng admires it so much, please accept me as an apprentice." ”

Yan Zhong touched his beard and groaned for a long time. In the past few days, I have heard people in the village talk about the Xiao family, and they are all full of praise. Looking at the actions of the three of them, the sisters and brothers are also benevolent. And he is alone, and martial arts cannot be inherited without one.

"Are you terrible?"

Xiao Yucheng said: "I'm not afraid. Hardship and hardship, Yuru is successful. This is what my father told me, and I keep it in my heart all the time. If I can learn martial arts from Uncle Zhong, I will definitely study and practice hard, and I dare not live up to my master's expectations. ”

"Okay." Yan Zhong said loudly, "In this way, I will accept you as an apprentice." ”

Xiao Yu was overjoyed and said, "I'll tell Sister A, get ready to apprentice." Uncle Zhong doesn't have to lay bricks anymore, just watch from the sidelines. ”

Yan Zhong waved his hand and refused, had breakfast with a few people, and still went to the construction site as before.

Artisans lay bricks with a mortar mixed with lime sand and clay and water. They pulled the wall line, picked the mortar with a trowel and placed it on the brick surface, laid the green bricks flat and aligned, and tapped a few times, with dexterous and skillful movements.

In the afternoon, Xiao Yu saw the walls that had begun to take shape, and said, "This house is being built quickly." ”

Xiao Pei smiled: "Of course, you don't have to pay much for it." ”

Several people had already agreed to worship the teacher in the evening, so Xiao Pei prepared the necessary things early and rearranged the hall. Xiao Yu also went to the General's Mansion to call Hao Jun over.

Ling Yi learned that it was Yan Lao who accepted the apprentice, and he also prepared a generous gift for Hao Jun to bring over.

After eating, Xiao Yu left Uncle Zhou's family to watch the ceremony.

Yan Zhong first set up a tablet and took Xiao Yucheng to worship the ancestor and congratulate him, and then Yan Zhong sat down on the upper seat.

Xiao Yucheng offered six gifts of dried meat, bitter celery, red beans, longan, lotus seeds and jujubes, and Yan Zhong accepted it; Xiao Yucheng read out the apprenticeship post and presented it; Then he knelt down to the master and offered tea.

Yan Zhong admonished a few words, and finally said: "You have to remember that martial arts are more important than martial arts. Get up. ”

"Disciple must remember Master's teachings!" Xiao Yucheng bowed and stood up.

"The edge of the sword is sharpened. This time, I never thought that I would accept apprentices, but I only brought this short sword that I got in my early years as a teacher, and I gave it to you as a gift, hoping that you will succeed in your studies. ”

Yan Zhong took out a short sword from his waist and handed it over. Xiao Yucheng hurriedly took it with both hands.

After the apprenticeship, Xiao Yucheng was on the side, Yan Zhong and Hao Jun, Zhou Qishu and a few others had a few glasses of wine, and still went back to the shed on the construction site to rest.

Xiao Yucheng had time to take out the short sword and take a closer look. As soon as the sword came out of its sheath, the cold light was pressing. He reached out and touched the blade of the sword slightly, but he felt a tingling pain in his fingertips, and when he looked at it again, it had been cut, but it was very sharp. He slashed his sword on the wooden pier again, and without much force, it was deeply embedded.

"Good sword!" Xiao Yucheng secretly admired and put it away.

After Yan Zhong accepted the apprentices, he still built the wall as usual, and only taught Xiao Yucheng martial arts in the early morning and evening. Xiao Yucheng received the guidance of a famous teacher, practiced hard, and his martial arts improved by leaps and bounds.

The wall was quickly laid, but the auspicious day for tiling was as early as mid-October. At this time, it was also the autumn harvest season, and the craftsmen all went back to cut the grain and work, but Yan Zhong still stayed.

The Xiao family still hires people to harvest rice.

After practicing martial arts early this morning, Yan Zhong said to Xiao Yucheng: "I will return to my hometown when the house is completed, if you have any doubts, go to me." ”

Xiao Yu said: "I have discussed with Sister A, and when Yucheng is also on vacation, let him return to his hometown with Uncle Zhong, so that he can better practice martial arts and be filial to his master when he comes." ”

At present, the opening and closing times of various colleges and schools are different. The reason why Xiangshan Academy took a vacation so early and did not open until the spring of the following year was because the mountain chief lived in Yong'an County and returned to his hometown in Yanzhou, Nanhai at the end of October every year.

Xiao Yucheng also saluted when he heard this: "The disciple will definitely concentrate on learning martial arts and serving the master." ”

Yan Zhong thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

When it was time to go up the tiles, the craftsmen came early. As usual, after the sacrifice to heaven and earth, the masons laid the rafters and lookout boards on the purlins, applied mortar, and began to lay the tiles.

The rest of the helpers do some finishing touches.

At the end of the night, the house was completed, and Xiao Yucheng sent a red envelope according to Shangliang. Xiao Pei and Aunt Qi prepared a sumptuous dinner to reward the craftsmen, and said with a straight smile: "It's hard work, just let go of your arms." ”

After everyone left with a full meal and drink, Xiao Yu and the others had time to look at their new home.

This is a two-entry courtyard, the entrance is the patio, there is water communication to the culvert to drain the drain, there are halls and two rooms on both sides, between the inner and outer courtyards is the kitchen and bathroom, and there are six rooms on three sides of the courtyard. Several thatched huts were built with adobe bricks on the side of the house to serve as firewood, toilets and utility rooms.

The three of them walked in and took a look.

Xiao Yu said while watching: "The outer main room is still Yucheng's residence, and the two sides are used as study rooms and guest rooms; My sister and I live on the east side of the inner courtyard; There is a medicine room and a granary in it. ”

Xiao Yucheng and Xiao Pei nodded repeatedly. This courtyard is blue bricks and tiles, spacious and bright, and the more I look at it, the happier I become. The small courtyard with two entrances is an excellent house in the village.

A few days is the Xia Yuan Festival, all Taoist temples are open altars to fast, the people are to worship the ancestors, and go to the incense to worship the gods, praying for the Xia Yuan water officials to solve their own problems. Xiao Yu's birthday passed quietly like last year. Xiangshan Academy was on holiday, and Xiao Yucheng cleaned up a little and returned to his hometown with his master Yan Zhong.

Yan Zhong's family lives in a small village far away from the county seat in Qinghe County, which is not too far away. But there are indeed only two sisters Xiao Pei and Xiao Yu left in the family.