The meandering ancient canal, which flows slowly under the ancient city of Yangzhou, has remained unchanged for thousands of years.

When the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal goes south to Zhuyu Bay in the north of Yangzhou, it is divided into two at the head of the bay, and the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal is on one side, which goes straight south and flows into the Yangtze River. On the other side is the ancient canal left by the Sui Dynasty, after several bends, it flows down from the east of Yangzhou to the south, turns west at Kangshan in the southeast corner of Yangzhou, and then turns to the south at the South Gate Wharf, and flows into the Yangtze River in Guazhou Town.

And wrapped in the ancient canal, is the ancient city of Yangzhou, there is another filament-like river in Yangzhou city, the Yangzhou city is divided into two, Yangzhou people have always admired the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River, then borrowed the name of the Qinhuai River in Nanjing, called it the small Qinhuai. The west of Xiaoqinhuai is the old city of Yangzhou, which was built in the early Ming Dynasty. Later, due to the gradual increase in population, the city was narrow, and it was worth the middle of the Ming Dynasty in the south of the Yangtze River, and the city defense was insufficient, so a new city was built in the east of the small Qinhuai. The old and new cities of Yangzhou are about five miles from east to west, three miles from north to south, and Jiangsu is the most prosperous from Jiangning and Suzhou.

It was in the middle of Qianlong, which was the heyday of Yangzhou. Yangzhou is prosperous, one is because of Cao Yun, and the other is by the salt administration. The ancient canal twists and turns, the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal are linked in one, for a time on the small Qinhuai, the business travel is divergent, the river is not smooth for a few days. Yangzhou is also the two Huai salt transport envoys stationed, the two rivers and lakes are wide provinces, the salt is mostly from Yangzhou, many salt merchants in the south of the Yangtze River have migrated to Yang for convenience, showing luxury. Some salt merchants even overhauled their gardens for their own pleasure. Yangzhou people are also proud of this, and Yangzhou garden is the first in the world.

Yangzhou gardens, most of them are in the new city, this is because the old city is close to the small Qinhuai, there is a city wall to separate, and the new city is not. Therefore, looking at the old city, there is a sense of crampedness and crampedness. The old city is also where the government is located, and the yamen of the prefecture and county, the ancestral hall of the school, occupy a large area of land. If the garden is repaired in the old city, the land is more expensive than secondary, and the land is small and insufficient, which is more likely to discourage these vassal and elegant merchants. Most of them settled in the old city, or some local officials, or near the homes of state and county officials, admired the scenery of Yangzhou, and migrated here.

Despite this, the old city and the new city of Yangzhou are by no means incompatible. On the contrary, between officials and businessmen, mutual marriage, Yangzhou people have become commonplace. If you ask some elderly people, most of them will remember that in the early years of Yongzheng, a daughter of the Jiang family, a big salt merchant, and a new branch martial arts jinshi, a guard surnamed Ruan, tied the knot. It is said that the Ruan guards were not only heroic, but also diligent and capable, and the Jiang family not only married the Ruan family, but also spread it out in a big way, sending relatives to fight, and it was prosperous for a while.

If passers-by first arrive in Yangzhou and ask about the elderly people in Xicheng, they will probably answer like this:

"On that day, the people of Jiangfu went out of Guangchun Gate, crossed the Kaiming Bridge, and turned south, and went to Baiwa Lane in Xicheng, I was at the gate of the county school, and I saw that the Ruan guards rode horses and personally greeted Miss Jiang to this Xicheng. I heard that the Ruan guards have entered the alley, and the Jiang family's honor guard has not been able to cross the Enlightened Bridge...... I haven't seen much of that in my life. ”

"I saw with my own eyes that the Ruan guard, who was only in his twenties at the time, was really a heroic and humble man. I greeted him and he saluted me back. At such a young age, he was admitted to the Wujin Shi and became a guard, so isn't that a promising future? ”

In this way, Ruan Shouwei and his wife can be described as a fairy couple. But when it comes to what happened to the guards surnamed Ruan, the old people are a little vague.

"Ruan Guards was an official in the capital, and he returned to the capital a few days after getting married, and later ...... It seems that he has become a general, I don't know. ”

"I remember that in the years when the Holy Lord ascended the throne today, when we talked about Baiwa Lane in Xicheng, we all talked about General Ruan. But one day, somehow, General Ruan came back, and the official didn't do it, I don't know why. ”

"It must be that there are traitors in the court who can't see General Ruan's good, and General Ruan is angry."

"I haven't been to Xicheng for several years, about four or five years ago, I passed by Xicheng, it seems to be the alley south of the county school, I heard someone crying, there are still a lot of people...... It is said that an official died, and the coffin only came back from Lingnan the day before yesterday, isn't it General Ruan you said? It's been many years, and I haven't heard of a person surnamed Ruan in Yangzhou, I can't remember. ”

When asked about the story of this Ruan guard, that's all the old man can say. If you ask Ruan Shouwei's family how it is and whether he has children, even the old man is vague and has few words to hear.

"I heard that Ruan Guard has a son, and he is not an official, so he must be a loser, otherwise, why don't we know each other?"

"You say Xicheng? I heard that in the alley over there, there is a family that loves to raise horses, but it is not a big family. ”

"The Jiang family has been prosperous over the years, the Ruan family? Haven't heard of it. ”

"It is said that there are no more than three generations of wealth, and the wedding has passed for thirty ...... It's been almost forty years, so I guess it's already fallen. An old man looked at the quiet white-tiled alley and couldn't help but feel that time had passed. At the mouth of the alley, there seems to be a house, but no one cares.

It seems that for the old people, it doesn't matter what the descendants of Ruan's guards are, and even whether there is a family surnamed Ruan in Yangzhou.

But for the people in that house, the Ruan family in Baiwa Lane is everything to them.

The nineteenth day of the first month of the twenty-ninth year of Qianlong, a very ordinary day.

For Yangzhou people, how they lived yesterday will be how they live today, and they don't need to change anything. And the white-tiled alley that the old people talked about, as always, during the day, did not see anything abnormal.

A tall middle-aged man walked out of the alley and returned to the alley not long after. The road he walked was exactly the same as what the old people said, and the route of the Jiangfu to send the honor guard back then.

This middle-aged man is Ruan Chengxin, the owner of the Ruan family in Baiwa Lane. For him, this is just an ordinary day, the only difference is that his wife Lin is about to be pregnant for ten months, and these days are especially tired. Ruan Cheng believed in his wife, and he had no intention of taking a walk that day, and returned home after walking for a while, and saw that his wife was fine, and after comforting his wife for a few words, he picked out a volume of "Zuo Chuan" and went to the study to read the book.

Studying to live, this is Ruan Chengxin's usual life. His father, Ruan Yutang, was a general of Weihui and a guerrilla in Qinzhou, and he was a military attache of the third rank. Ruan Chengxin was blessed by his father Yin You, and he got the title of a national student, but he didn't want to go to Beijing to enroll, but just studied at home, so that there was no difference between ordinary people.

Ruan Chengxin loved to read "Zuo Chuan" since he was a child, and there was no major event in the afternoon of this day, so he read the matter of Qi Huan and Jin Wen again, and saw that during the seventeenth and eighteenth years of the Duke of Qi, the public reserve of Qi Huan was improper, so that the Qi State was in chaos, and finally led to the rise of the Chu State. I couldn't help but sigh a few more words. Seeing that the day was already dusk and the shadow of the book was getting darker, I thought that my wife was unwell, and I had no intention of eating, so I only used some snacks and went to the court to walk again.

Gradually the sound of the change started, it was already a change of weather, Ruan Chengxin felt that the day had passed, and he was about to go back to the room to rest, when he suddenly heard the voice of his wife, and after a few sounds, it was getting louder and louder, and it was difficult to stop. Ruan Chengxin knows that his wife is also from a scholarly family, and she has been practicing poetry since she was a child, if it is not for the unbearable pain, how can this be? Hurriedly rushed back to the room, looking at the situation of the lady, it seemed that the child was about to be born.

Ruan Chengxin is both happy and worried, happy that he is in his thirties and will finally become a father, and worried that it is already night, where will he find someone to deliver the baby? But seeing the situation of his wife, it was difficult to drag it out any longer, so he hurriedly called one of the most trusted servants in the family and asked him to go to the neighborhood and the hospital to ask, and be sure to find the stable woman and other helpers who delivered the baby.

The servant's name was Yang Lugao, who was originally an orphan, and when Ruan Chengxin's father, Ruan Yutang, was an official abroad, he was sorry for his family because of one thing, so he adopted him until he became an adult. Yang Lugao is also a person who knows how to repay his kindness, after Ruan Yutang's death, the family became increasingly poor, and many servants were dismissed, but he insisted on staying, and he didn't ask for much money, so he just took care of the housework for the Ruan family, and never complained.

There will be a happy event in the Ruan family, Ruan Chengxin has naturally been prepared, and has already contacted several stable women, but this day is already a watch, several stable women are tired, and they are reluctant to come, Yang Lugao ran several houses, and only one was willing to come. I found a few familiar neighbors to help boil water and deliver things, although everyone was neighbors, but it was late at night, Ruan Chengxin was embarrassed, and he couldn't help but spend more silver.

Although there are not many people who come to the Ruan family to help, with the original servants of the Ruan family, there are enough people, and everything will be ready for delivery soon. Ruan Chengxin was busy thanking himself, and when he heard the sound of his wife's labor pains gradually slowing down, he knew that there would not be too much danger, so he also paced in the front hall, still in a cold sweat in his hands.

In the blink of an eye, a change has passed, and when the time came, Mrs. gradually cried out in pain, Ruan Chengxin had heard that the pain when the child was born was the most painful in the world, and he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Mrs. When he was forcibly calming down and hesitating, Yang Lugao suddenly walked in the door: "Dezhong, Li Yuan from Zhenhuaimen is coming from outside and is outside, do you want to see it?" Ruan Chengxin is in the right word, Yang Lugao has been raised in Ruan's Mansion since he was a child, and he is close to him, so he also calls him a word, not an ordinary master and servant.

When Ruan Chengxin heard this, he couldn't help but hesitate a little, Li Yuan was doing business abroad, and his family was quite wealthy. After his father's death, the family had no other income except for the ancestral property, and the price of goods in Yangzhou was increasing day by day, so it was inevitable to borrow money from outsiders to help the family. But he was only born in the country, his family background was mediocre, and he was afraid that big businessmen would look down on him, so he had to find some people whose family background was slightly better than his own, and Li Yuanwai was one of the few people who was willing to borrow money. After a few years like this, if you think about it, you can see that there are quite a few arrears. But after thinking about it, how can I be embarrassed to turn people away for the sake of arrears? Then he said to Yang Lugao: "It's okay, let him come in." ”

Before the words fell, a person had already hurriedly walked up to the main hall, it was Li Yuanwai mentioned by Yang Lugao. Ruan Chengxin looked at it and was taken aback first, Li Yuanwai has been in business for more than ten years, and he can be regarded as calm and peaceful on weekdays, but when he looks at it today, he looks panicked and unfocused. Ruan Chengxin was about to ask what was going on, but Li Yuanwai hurriedly walked up and fell to the ground: "Ask Brother Ruan Xian to save the foolish brother!" ”

Ruan Chengxin hurriedly asked him why he came to Ruan's house late at night, and Li Yuanwai hurriedly told him what had happened. It turned out that Li Yuanwai was only doing business in Liangjiang, and a few years ago, he saw that there were a lot of businessmen in the Huguang area, so he borrowed some capital, and bought goods to go to Huguang to make a profit. Li Yuanwaiyuan is just a middle-class family, and his savings are mostly on commercial goods, and he can't afford to pay back the money for this accident.

"If you don't have much savings on weekdays, you can pay it back, and my younger brother, who is not successful, takes money to gamble every day. I ...... the money for this shipment I can't get on it yet. Brother Ruan Xian, you are generous, in this Yangzhou city, the person I trust the most is you, Brother Xian will help the foolish brother this time, and the foolish brother will ...... next time Next time, I will definitely come to the door to thank you. Li Yuanwai said in a hurry, only caring about the next time he "came to the door to thank him", but he didn't know that this time he had already "come to the door to ask for help".

Ruan Chengxin listened to his complaints, looked at his appearance, and didn't seem to be lying, so he said, "Brother Li, you also know that my family is not rich, and I have borrowed money from you several times, how can I ......?"

"That's it!" Li Yuanwai listened to Ruan Chengxin's words, but there was a glimmer of light in his eyes: "Brother Xian, you owe me money several times, if you can pay it back sooner, I can make up for it here, I don't want to sell some family property anymore, I think it's enough." ”

It turned out that Li Yuanwai came to visit late at night, and he actually came to ask for debts! Ruan Chengxin couldn't help but be a little angry, but because of his identity, he hadn't flareed up yet. Yang Lugao had already spoken: "Brother Li should also see it, today my wife is in labor, and it has been an hour, and it is too ...... for Brother Li to come to the master to repay the money" Li Yuanwai is an outsider after all, and he has a lot of debts with the Ruan family, so Yang Lugao is inconvenient to be too close to Ruan Chengxin, so he changed his words.

"If I had a choice, I wouldn't have come here late at night." Li Yuanwai said, and couldn't help but sigh: "The Hu family, who I owe money, is well-known in this area, and I also think that the goods can be repaid when they arrive, and I only borrowed it for three months, and it should be repaid the day before yesterday." At that time this afternoon, the Hu family came over and said that if they did not give an answer tomorrow, they would report to the official...... I'm like this now, even if I sell the house, it's not enough! Speaking of this, Li Yuanwai was gradually crying. Ruan Chengxin is cautious on weekdays, never borrows from usury, and does not know any Hu family, but he pays a lot of attention to his observation of words and expressions on weekdays, and seeing that Li Yuanwai looks anxious, he is definitely not lying, and he can't help but feel a little uncomfortable.

"I know about Brother Li, but in the past few days, I have no money to repay, Brother Li is usually busy, I can't think of the younger brother, but if the younger brother has extra money, how can there be any reason not to pay it back?" Ruan Chengxin shirked this, but then again, this is also true.

"Brother Xian, my brother usually treats you well, the year before last you said that the family had no money to send to the servants, and the lady cut her nails and had to wash her own clothes. At that time, I borrowed your money and settled my family's wages, but I didn't ask you to pay it back. Li Yuanwai heard Yang Lugao mention that the Lin family was going to give birth, and he didn't care about any happy day, so he directly told the old story.

"Why don't I want to pay back the money, but now I don't have a lot of money, and Brother Li can't let me make some money out of thin air, right?" Ruan Chengxin replied helplessly.

"If the virtuous brother insists on refusing to save me, the foolish brother is afraid that he will not survive tomorrow!" Li Yuanwai saw that the persuasion was ineffective, so he had to give it a go; "Then the Hu family will report to the official tomorrow, and then my family will have no money to repay, but I am afraid that Jiangdu County will confiscate the family property!" This sounded like a complaint, but when Ruan Chengxin heard it, he couldn't help but be shocked.

He said that once the money is not repaid, the family property will be confiscated and repaid, which should be true. But I owe him money, and if he is really forced to make a living, regardless of it, he takes my property and confiscates it, what is good? Ruan Chengxin couldn't help but think that if the Ruan family really had that day, then he would completely become an unworthy descendant of a dignified three-grade general. I thought again: "It's okay if you just copy this house, but there are many books in the family, and many of them are Song books, how can ordinary officials know the value?" If it is sold as waste paper one day, then the Ruan family will be completely finished......"

The Ruan family has migrated since the end of the Ming Dynasty, and with the change of dynasties, it has gone through several generations, although the family is not rich, it is also a solid family. In the middle of Qianlong, the study of the basis was prosperous, and the ancient scriptures were worth twice as much as the regular books. On the day when Ruan Yutang became an official, he came across a set of Song Ben's "Commentary on the Thirteen Classics", and he was overjoyed, so he spent several times the amount of money in the regular book to buy it. For decades, the Ruan family has been taking this set of Song books as a treasure, and at this time, thinking that if the family property is confiscated and the ancient books are gone, Ruan Chengxin is naturally heartbroken and can't bear to think about it.

At this time, the voice of the lady gradually came from behind, and it seemed that it was time to give birth. Ruan Chengxin was worried about his wife, and he was also worried about the child who was about to be born, his heart was in turmoil, and he didn't want to delay any longer, so he simply gritted his teeth and said to Li Yuanwai, "If Brother Li is really so anxious, junior brother...... The younger brother will give this house to Brother Li, and it can also solve your urgent needs. ”

When Li Yuanwai heard this, he was overjoyed, but when he thought of the Ruan family's former residence in Baiwa Lane, he was afraid that he would not easily give up this house, so he retreated and advanced, and said: "Brother Ruan Xian is so kind, I can't afford to be a brother, and Brother Ruan Xian's previous debts are not so much ......."

"Brother Li doesn't need to say any more, I'll choose a new home." Although Ruan Chengxin felt quite lost, but at this time, he was in a hurry, and he had no other way, and added: "If Brother Li is still not at ease, the younger brother will sign the note, and tomorrow Brother Li will only take this note to the Hu family, thinking that his family may not be in urgent need of cash, and there is no need to worry about this house as a guarantee." ”

Li Yuanwai hurriedly thanked Ruan Chengxin, Yang Lugao took a pen and paper, Ruan Chengxin heard his wife's voice in his ears, and he had no intention of entanglement with Li Yuanwai. Li Yuanwai thanked him repeatedly, turned around and retreated.

Ruan Chengxin said goodbye to Li Yuanwai, and hurried to the backyard, he knew that his wife's body had always been weak, and if the child could not be born for a long time, he would definitely not be able to support it. As soon as I arrived in the back hall, I heard the sound of a baby crying from the back room.

Ruan Chengxin was overjoyed, but he couldn't help but feel a little sour in his heart, he was over thirty years old and finally had a child, but what could he give his child? If the old mansion in Baiwa Lane really arrives, what will happen to this child's future life?

Ruan Chengxin stayed in the outer hall for a long time, and the child was born on the twentieth day of the first month. After the child is born, it is inevitable that he will also be busy. By the time Ruan Chengxin saw his wife again, it was already the fourth watch.

Ruan Chengxin returned to the bedroom, and saw that the newborn child had already slept, and his wife should have just been breastfeeding, and was lying on his side, watching Ruan Chengxin come back, he smiled and said, "Master has also worked hard today." ”

Ruan Cheng was quite sad in his confidence, it was his wife who gave birth to the child, but he was about to lose the old mansion. hurriedly stepped forward, gently hugged his wife and said, "The person who should say this is me, and it is really not easy for Mrs. to come down this day." "Mrs. Lin has been knowledgeable since childhood, and she and Ruan Chengxin also exchange a lot of poetry and books on weekdays, and their feelings are deeper than ordinary people. Ruan Chengxin knew that his wife was not in good health on weekdays, and he often took care of the housework himself, and after giving birth, he was afraid that he would not be able to recover for several months, and he almost shed tears.

"The master has what the master should do, and the lady has what the wife should do, and the master does not have to blame himself." Although Lin was a little haggard, he still looked at Ruan Chengxin gently, and said, "Look at this child, he used to look at other people's families, but this time it's his own, how cute." ”

"yes." Ruan Chengxin said with a smile: "The child we gave birth to is not only cute, but also smart in the future." Today is the twentieth day of the first lunar month, and I remember that I have read in the book before, Bai Shaofu of the Tang Dynasty was also born on this day. "Young Master Bai is Bai Juyi, who once said that his birthday was the twentieth day of the first month.

"If you are born on the same day, you can have the same fate, then there are so many celebrities in the world, isn't there a talent born every day." Lin said with a smile: "That Young Master Bai's poetry is the best in the world, how can this child get it?" If you can live your life in peace, you will be content. I think it's a little unpleasant for you to look like this today, isn't it? ”

Ruan Chengxin nodded, but then thought that he couldn't make his wife sad at this time, so he added: "It doesn't matter, after all, our family has been doing these decades, and if we don't do those things that are ruined, we can always pass." Looking at the sleeping child, thinking that there is no fixed place to live in the future, I also secretly vowed that as long as the child is healthy and can study and study, I will do my best to cultivate him to become a talent.

"If he is wise enough to read, teach him. If you are stupid by nature, or if you are not in good health, then forget it. You and I have been together for so many years, and what have I forced you to do? Lin was afraid that Ruan Chengxin would want his son Jackie Chan to be heartfelt, but he would mistake the child, so he comforted. Remembering that it had been nearly two hours since the child was born, and he had not yet named him, he asked Ruan Chengxin: "I don't know what to call him in the future, does the master have a name?" ”

"Madame is right, the child has just been born, and it is difficult for him to force him to do anything." Ruan Chengxin replied. Looking at the child's sleeping little face, it is quite simple, and he feels that he should be a kind-hearted child. But now the world is not ancient, there are very few people who can be indifferent to fame and fortune, and I don't know what will happen to my children in the future. He said: "When I was studying, people said that the innocence of children is the most rare. Innocence is the beginning of man, and at the beginning of all things, the ancients were mostly known for the word 'yuan'. gave him the word 'yuan', hoping that in the future, he can maintain this innocence and be a kind person. ”

"Your surname is Ruan, so you will divide it in half, and call him Ruan Yuan, it's too simple, right?" Lin couldn't help but joke, looking at the child's sleeping appearance, thinking that no matter what the child's name is, he must always grow up safely before he can take care of anything else, and said: "At the beginning of all things, it is also the most powerful time, since this child has two yuan characters in his name, he will grow up well in the future." ”

The sleeping child doesn't seem to be quite adapted to the new world and doesn't want to wake up, and he won't know that the name Ruan Yuan will accompany him for the rest of his life.

After Ruan Chengxin arrived at the old house, he had no extra money to pay back Li Yuanwai, but he was always nostalgic for the old and was reluctant to move out. Although Li Yuanwai got the note, and his loan was okay for a while, he couldn't help but be anxious, and often asked Ruan Chengxin to urge. By the time Ruan Chengxin was ready to move, it was already the beginning of the summer of the second year.

The Ruan family's new residence is set in the west of Taipingqiao, southwest of the palace, where the housing prices are not expensive, and the Ruan family can afford it. Although the road is still close, the Wenjin Bridge and Tongsi Bridge in the middle are lined with government offices, and if you want to move, you will inevitably have to go around in a circle, so you have to hire a car. Li Yuanwai was also polite, and took the initiative to help Ruan Chengxin hire a few cars to compensate for the loss of his old house.

Ruan Chengxin watched several cars come and go, and in a blink of an eye, the old mansion of the Ruan family will no longer be its own, the previous generation of the Ruan family was still an official eunuch, but he fell into such a situation, he couldn't help but feel sad, and couldn't bear to look up at the car. Lin also hugged Ruan Yuan and came to comfort Ruan Chengxin.

"It is not easy to live in the city, and prices have risen rapidly in recent years, and it is not the master's fault that the master is diligent and thrifty on weekdays, but it is not enough." Lin said: "The master usually reads a lot, but he can't read the accounts, I often stare at it, and I know that it is not a problem at home. ”

"If that's the case, I'm afraid I'll have to go back to the countryside in a few years." Ruan Chengxin grew up in Yangzhou since he was a child, and he was reluctant to live in this prosperous place. "When my father was there, he was reluctant to add new land, saying that since the Ruan family had become an official, they should not compete with the people for profit. But the family has lived for these generations, and there is not much left behind. But having said that, now that Ruan Chengxin is going to buy new land, there is no money left.

"Our family is different from others, you read this book." Lin pointed to the place where the car was being loaded, a large box was being carried in, and another box was being carried out by two people. Ruan Chengxin's family has a mountain of books, even if they are packed in boxes, they are not enough, so they have to take two boxes and use them repeatedly, and when they are finished in their new home, they put the books aside, and then take the empty boxes back to pack new ones. "Sometimes I can't help but think about how good it would be if I could make money by studying." Lin is not a greedy person for money, but in recent years, life has become increasingly poor, and he has to think more.

"How could I not know? But I really have no talent for this money exchange. Since you can't ask for wealth, you should read more books and be an innocent person. Ruan Chengxin said.

Lin also knew that these things could not be forced, so he didn't say more. Only hugged Ruan Yuan, looked at the carriage that was about to leave, and said, "Actually, if Yuan'er can be a scholar, I will also feel at ease." I just don't know, will Yuan'er be interested? ”

Ruan Yuan's small eyes looked at the carriage moving slowly, after all, he was only two years old, and he didn't understand what was loaded in the carriage, and it was so difficult to walk.

God did not take care of Nguyen Chengxin because of the move.

At the turn of the summer and autumn of the 32nd year of Qianlong, Yangzhou suddenly rained and could not be cleared for several days. The ancient canal, the small Qinhuai, the moat, and the Cao River were all flooded by the sudden rainstorm, and Yangzhou became a Ze country. At this time, except for a place like Kangshanjiang Mansion, where the terrain is on the high side, there is no big problem, and the others can only watch the rain flood their calves, helpless.

The Ruan family had no choice but to close the door and eat some dry food in the house to satisfy their hunger. Ruan Chengxin and Lin saw that the rain outside was not abated at all, and they didn't say a word, while Ruan Yuan found a slightly higher place, held a few toy Trojan horses, and set up a formation of two in the front and three in the back. The Ruan family was a military attache in the past, and there were horses at home, and Ruan Chengxin was good at horses, so he often took Ruan Yuan to see them, so although Ruan Yuan was only four years old, he was no stranger to horses.

"Like you, I haven't even seen a soldier, so I want to study the art of war." Lin said with a smile. Although Ruan Chengxin has no official or position, he has always loved to read "Zizhi Tongjian", and often told Lin some allusions to the use of soldiers by famous generals in ancient times. Lin naturally didn't understand, but he felt that Ruan Chengxin was just talking on paper, so he often teased him. looked back at Ruan Yuan, and said, "It's just that his body doesn't seem to be as strong as yours." ”

Although Ruan Yuan was born for only four years, he has been sick several times, although he has successfully persevered every time, but his figure is obviously in the child, and he is also on the thin side. Ruan Chengxin didn't care much about it, so he said: "It's better to go to study, in this peaceful day, it is difficult to learn martial arts for a lifetime." ”

"Books at home are out of the way, right?" Lin asked.

"It should be fine." Ruan Chengxin replied casually, "You forgot? The books at home are all in high places, and there has been such heavy rain before, so it has never been fine. ”

"But Master...... You're talking about White Tile Lane......"

"Not good!" Hearing Mrs. 's words, Ruan Chengxin woke up like a dream, the old house in Baiwa Lane was in Xichengtou, and when the Ruan family settled in the early years, they deliberately increased the height of the house, so that although there was a rainy season, books were not hindered. But the new home is located in the southwest of the government, and in order to show the style, the government has deliberately increased the size and pressed the surrounding land down by a section.

In other words, the location of the Ruan family's new home is not only not a highland, but also the most easily submerged place!

Ruan Chengxin couldn't hesitate anymore, and hurriedly rushed out, although the water was huge, but fortunately the study was not far away, and he barely walked a few steps, and he arrived. As soon as I opened the door, I felt that it was dark in front of me, and most of the table in the study was already submerged in water, and the books placed below had been completely deformed. The water was swept away by the opening of the door, and the books on it fell into the water.

After Ruan Chengxin moved to a new house, he couldn't afford to buy more shelves, so he had to pile up many books everywhere, and he didn't read them on weekdays, so he didn't move, and he didn't think about the flood at all, and he didn't want to move for a year, but he encountered such a catastrophe. Seeing that the few books at his feet had been soaked in water and deformed, and when he touched it, he shrank into a ball, although Ruan Chengxin was tall and burly, he gradually shed tears.

"This ...... This is the "Old Tang Book". Ruan Chengxin looked at a book with a slightly rough workmanship in his hand, and couldn't hold back anymore. Although the "Old Tang Book" has been included in the official history in the Qing Dynasty, but there are few readers, the number of engraving and publishing is far less than the "New Tang Book", Ruan Yutang happened to see one at the Lu family of the salt transport envoy, spent twenty taels of silver, and invited more than a dozen people to copy the book overnight to get this banknote.

"Daddy Chinese New Year's Eve copied this book day and day, and today ...... It's going to be ruined by my son today......" Ruan Chengxin cried bitterly, knelt down in the rain, looked at the banknote in his hand, and with a little force, dozens of pages of soaking and unformed books were torn off, and it was difficult to continue. "It's the son who is not filial, the son is not filial......"

Seeing that Ruan Chengxin's expression was wrong, Lin hurriedly changed into a rain suit and walked to the front of the study. Ruan Yuanzheng was having a good time, seeing his parents suddenly running out, he didn't know what was happening, and he also walked to the door and looked at the back of his parents.

Ruan Chengxin looked at the other banknotes, most of them were already soaked, and the handwritten handwriting began to gradually blur, that is, some engraved books, and the handwriting had also been deformed. ""Chronicles of the Domain" and "General Essentials of the Martial Arts" ...... "Ruan Yutang is both civil and military, and has a rich collection of books on geography and the art of war, many of which are rarely engraved in the market.

"No!" Ruan Chengxin looked at a banknote, and his eyes gradually faded. The banknote has not yet been fully soaked, and there are a few words written on the back of the paper: Zhuhu Thatched Cottage Poetry Collection.

This is a collection of poems by his father Ruan Yutang, and he can't keep it.

Ruan Chengxin saw that most of the books in the collection would be turned into waste paper, and it was difficult to suppress it, so he scooped back the water like crazy, trying to rescue the books in the study. But with such a water potential, how can Ruan Chengxin save it? I had to lick the water and cry at the same time: "Dad...... The son was wrong...... My son shouldn't, shouldn't let the Ruan family become like this......"

Seeing her husband like this, Lin also had the same heart, but she knew that if Ruan Chengxin couldn't control it like this, he might instead shake the books from the top to the bottom, and then he wouldn't be able to keep it at all. He hurriedly stepped forward, desperately grabbed Ruan Chengxin's arm, and said, "Master, it's not wrong, who would have thought that it would rain so hard?" Stop, Master, or wouldn't it be worse if the book on it fell? Pedant...... Master, don't do this again! ”

Lin has always had a soft tone and elegant demeanor, but seeing that Ruan Chengxin was gradually difficult to control, he knew that if he couldn't stop quickly, he was afraid that the consequences would be unpredictable, so the last sentence was already shouted. She didn't have such a posture except when she gave birth to Ruan Yuan on weekdays, and as soon as her voice fell, she couldn't help crying.

Ruan Chengxin listened to his wife's words, and gradually softened, and sat in the rain. It took Lin a while to pull him out of the study. Yang Lugao listened to the movement in the study and rushed over to help, before pulling Ruan Chengxin back into the house. Lin instructed Yang Lugao to lock the study, and wait for the rain to stop before opening the door, the Ruan family has a lot of books, even if the books on the lower floor can't be saved, as long as they are left alone, at least some of the books on the upper floor can be saved.

It wasn't until late at night that Nguyen Chengxin gradually gained some spirits, but fortunately, the rain gradually stopped, so as not to add to the disaster. Ruan Chengxin looked outside, thinking that the situation at home had deteriorated day by day in recent years, and he couldn't help but lower his head.

"Master, I put those ancient books in the upper position, the roof tiles are unharmed, and the water is the door from below, and the ancient books should still be kept." Lin saw that Ruan Chengxin was sullen, so he had to comfort him. The rare books of the Ruan family, one is the banknote, the other is the ancient book, especially a set of Song book of the thirteen classics commentary, which is difficult to obtain. Ruan Chengxin thought that there were still a lot of books to stay, and he was a little relieved.

"Mother, are those books really that important?" Ruan Yuan held a few pages of scraps of his grandfather's poetry collection and asked his mother as he fiddled with them.

"Yes, the most cherished thing in your father's life, apart from our family, is those books."

"But." Ruan Yuan saw that his father's expression was not good, so he pulled Lin to the side, took out a Qianlong Tongbao that Lin gave him to spare on weekdays, and asked in a low voice: "It should be more important, I see that they buy cakes to eat, and they all use this, but no one uses books." ”

Lin knew that his son was only four years old, and he was afraid that he couldn't understand how important it was to talk to him, so he also replied in a low voice: "If you haven't seen it, you naturally don't think it's important." But if you really like it, you can exchange it for 10,000 tongbao, and you don't want to. ”

Ruan Yuan still didn't quite understand, so he played with a few more pages of scraps of paper for a while, and then went to sleep.

Ruan Chengxin looked at the few pages left by Ruan Yuan, he thought that the child was fun and there was nothing special, but when he looked closely, he faintly found that something was wrong with a few pages.

"This, these are spring poems...... Ruan Chengxin looked at it in surprise, "This is "Spring Grass", that is "Spring Nine Streams", and that is "Early Spring Weihui Camp"...... This kid isn't literate yet, huh? ”

When Lin heard this, he hurriedly came over to take a look, and pondered: "These poems all have the word spring, and it is not difficult to understand when you put them together. But a child of this age can see this...... Maybe he's really talented? ”

"Whether you have talent or not, teach him to read some books, and you will know if you can read some words." Ruan Chengxin said.

"It's just that he is only four years old, so he can read so early, it's hard for him." Lin knows that children should not be taught too early, otherwise it may backfire. He also said: "Let's get through this rain first, and wait until next year, and then it's not too late to teach him." Ruan Chengxin had roughly the same idea of the enlightenment time as his wife, so he nodded.

A year later, the Nguyen family moved out of the old city and chose another place to live in the new town. After this heavy rain, most of the Ruan family's books were destroyed, but fortunately, they had a lot of savings and still had a lot of books to read. Ruan Chengxin also saved money and bought some more, at least for five-year-old Ruan Yuan, the books at home were enough to read.