In the first year of Xianfeng, on the second day of September, it is advisable to marry and travel, and avoid breaking the ground for burial, which is also the day of the rush to the horse gang.

Zoumagang is the only place to pass through Ba County to Chengdu Mansion, is an important post station on the Chengdu-Chongqing Post Road, belongs to Cili Jiujia under the rule of Ba County, because the mountain resembles a horse and gets the name, and because it is adjacent to Bishan in the west and Jiangjin in the south, it is known as "one foot on three counties".

Whenever there is a rush, the inside and outside of the mountain gate and the three-mile long street are crowded with people.

The villagers of ten miles and eight towns either carry their own fruits and vegetables, or carry a basket of eggs laid by their old hens in exchange for a few pennies, or grab medicine, or pull a few feet of cloth, or come to the pawnshop on the post to do something to solve their urgent needs...... Some villagers and merchants who came late couldn't squeeze in, so they could only squat outside the mountain gate and watch their own baskets and sell them.

The streets are crowded with people, the cries of hawkers, the clanging of blacksmith shops, the shouts of Liu Huzi dumplings and soup pot guys at the three gates, and the chasing and fighting of children one after another, endlessly, and lively.

A two-entry small courtyard behind Taihe Silk Village is particularly deserted, and when you look at the white couplet on the door, you know that this family has just finished the funeral.

In the first courtyard, there is a yellow cypress tree planted in an unknown year, tall and vigorous, hanging roots and dewed claws, winding and staggered, dense branches, green and bright leaves, and the sun shines through the leaves on the two teenagers under the tree.

They are not very old, but they are not small!

The villagers on the post almost all recognized that the tall boy who looked like a scholar in a long shirt was Han Xiufeng, a scribe who helped out in the county ya's house, and the short and chubby boy was Ding Zhu, the student of the county government.

"Fourth brother, don't bother, I really can't do it." Ding Zhu put the book on the stone bench and squatted under the tree with a sad face to pull the roots.

Han Xiufeng picked up the "Collection of Grievances" he put down and flipped through it casually, and said seductively: "Zhuzi, I have inquired, it is not difficult to take the test, and you don't even need to write it." ”

Ding Zhu raised his head and asked, "How to take the test?" ”

"Futai sat in the hall, flipped through the book like this, and picked a random paragraph and asked what you mean. You can memorize the song when you are six years old, you will memorize this book backwards, you will say what you say in the book, and it is not for you to go to the essay test to show talent, what is so difficult about this. Han Xiufeng patted him on the shoulder, and said earnestly: "There are only three taels a year to study, if you can pass the examination of Futai this time, you will be able to overcome this shortage, and in the future, there will be twelve taels of silver every year, this bowl of rice can not only be eaten for a lifetime, but also passed on to future generations." ”

"I know how to memorize, and I know what it means, but I can't say it." Ding Zhu suddenly pulled off the roots of the yellow cypress tree, and said with a bitter face: "Fourth brother, you know, when I see the eldest master, my legs are weak, so I can't speak, let alone go to see the prefect." ”

Han Xiufeng was anxious, pointed at him and hated iron and steel, and said: "You are still a fool, you are not afraid of the dead, what are you afraid of the living?" Besides, it's not that you haven't seen the world, if you hadn't helped Zhang Luo, my uncle doesn't know what the funeral will be, and even if it can be done properly, I don't know how much money it will cost. ”

"Doing a funeral is not the same thing as meeting the prefect." The pillar threw down the roots of the yellow cypress tree, thought about it and muttered: "If you want to say that you can memorize and wash the injustices, you will also be the fourth brother, not only can you memorize but also write, or you will forget it." You do a good job, and you take the twelve taels of food and silver. ”

It's a cheap business!

Although this bowl of rice is not so delicious, as long as it is served, almost no one will rob you, but anyone who has a way will not eat this bowl of dead man's rice.

The tall boy was made to cry and laugh, and he didn't want his good brother who had played since he was a child to feel like he looked down on him, so he got up and walked to the door of the hall, pointing to a spiritual position in front of the god seat of the Heaven and Earth Monarch inside: "What's wrong with doing it, others will not starve to death, and you won't be hungry if you don't know about my uncle's business, relying on that little bit of work and food, I won't be able to help my uncle pay off his debts until the Year of the Monkey, even if I want to pay it off slowly, I won't agree." ”

"That's right, two thousand taels, it's scary to think about it, I've never seen so much silver in my life." The pillar thought so, and even looked at the tall boy with infinite sympathy in his eyes.

"The debts of people are not paid, and the debts owed by my uncle can only be paid by me." The tall boy picked up the book and sat down on the wicker chair again.

"That's two thousand taels, do you have that much silver?"

"No, don't say two thousand taels, I don't even have two hundred taels."

"That's it, the debt collector will come to the door in the afternoon, what are you going to do with this pass?"

"The road to the bridge is naturally straight, there will always be a way."

As soon as Han Xiufeng's words fell, a familiar loud voice came from outside: "Four babies, pillars, are you there?" ”

"Why is Uncle Guan here!" The pillar immediately smiled, and hurriedly ran over to open the door: "It's coming!" Here it is! ”

The door creaked open, and a burly servant in his thirties limped in with a water and fire stick, looking at Huang Jushu and muttering as he walked: "Four children, I told your uncle a long time ago that this is a feng shui tree, which can only be planted in the temple, and we can't hold it in a small household." Your uncle didn't believe it, and he finally saved some money to buy this house, and he didn't remove the tree after buying it, and now it's come true, right? ”

There is a saying in the countryside that it is not suitable to plant yellow cypress trees at home, but in Han Xiufeng's impression, the one who just came in never seemed to have told the second uncle that it was not good to have this tree in the yard, not only did he not say it, but he asked Han Xiufeng, who often came back from the county seat to send things to his aunt, to pull more roots and pick more leaves to bring back. Because in summer, the roots of the yellow cypress tree are used to make tea and drink a few sips, which can clear heat and detoxify. If you fall somewhere, wash a few yellow cypress leaves and apply it to the wound to reduce swelling and relieve pain. It is said that bathing with the bark of the yellow cypress tree can also relieve itching and cure skin diseases.

However, for Han Xiufeng, in addition to the roots and leaves of this yellow cypress tree, there are many childhood memories.

When I was a child, every time I came back from the city with my second uncle, I would play under the tree with my two cousins who had already been married, and until today I remember the nursery rhyme that my cousins sang when they ran around the yellow cypress tree: Yellow cypress tree, yellow cypress tree, under the yellow cypress tree is my home, and there is a tooth missing on the yellow cypress tree......

But now is not the time to touch the scene, seeing Guan Zhu's head limping, he hurriedly stepped forward to help. Zhuzi also realized that something was wrong, and asked eagerly, "Uncle Guan, what's wrong with you?" ”

Guan Zhutou's buttocks hurt hotly, he didn't dare to sit and could only lie on the rattan chair, took the tea brought by Han Xiufeng and drank a big sip, and gritted his teeth and said without even bothering to wipe his mouth: "I don't know which turtle son ate the bear's heart and leopard gall and dared to steal the money ticket of the son of the Tai family." Lao Tzu was also unlucky, he happened to be on duty that day, and the eldest lord limited me to seven days to find out. ”

"Didn't take the turtle son?" The pillar asked subconsciously.

"If you can get someone, your uncle and I can get this board?" Guan Zhutou accidentally touched the wound and grinned in pain.

………

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