In the spring of March, the mountains and flowers are all over the field, the willows are still around, and the river is murmuring, which is a good time to go out of the city.

A boat squeezed for a long time and finally leaned to the edge of the Ciqikou wharf, the sweaty boatman just set up the springboard, an old man walked ashore cautiously under the support of a family member, the old man Sun who had been waiting for a long time by the dock smiled and greeted him, and waited for the porter to carry the basket on the boat ashore, and the two old men talked and laughed and walked up the stairs.

One door and three lifts, five miles and two Hanlin!

Ciqikou Sun's family not only has three lifters, but the Sun family's family school also has two Hanlin masters with foreign surnames, and even the neighbors in the town are proud. Seeing that Mr. Sun's house was visiting, the pedestrians along the way bowed and avoided it, for fear that the guests would think that the people at Ciqikou did not understand the etiquette and rules.

Looking at the simple smiling faces, looking at the babies chasing and playing, and then looking at the familiar and somewhat unfamiliar stilted buildings around him, Duan Dazhang was full of emotion and couldn't help sighing: "It's been more than 20 years in a blink of an eye. ”

Sun Juren didn't go to Beijing to take the exam, and he has never been an official, he has been teaching at home for decades, not only cheerful but also likes to joke, and can't help but laugh and scold: "Someone returned to his hometown last year, and he didn't come until today, and he was embarrassed to mention to me what a young man left home and went back!" ”

"Can I compare to you old urchin, I can't help myself."

"With long legs on you, who can stop you wherever you want to go, and who dares to stop you?"

"It's not as simple as you think."

Duan Dazhang followed him into an inconspicuous deep alley not far from the archway, stroked the moss-covered green bricks on the gable, and said with a wry smile helplessly: "Do you think that Cao Shuzhong and Du Xingyuan ran to my house twice in three days, really looking for me to talk about the friendship of the same year, and really looking for me to chant poetry?" ”

"And what are they looking for you for?" Sun Juren asked curiously.

"They are going to see what I am doing, so that they can report to the court whether my Duan Dazhang is really sick or fake, and whether he is safe in his hometown."

"No, it won't."

"Why not, don't talk about this, what about the fifth, is the fifth back?"

"I'm back early, what do you mean it's rare for you to come back, I have to hurry up and prepare a gift for you."

"What should I get?" Duan Dazhang couldn't help but ask with a smile.

"You'll know when you go in."

As he was talking, the sound of Langlang books came from the courtyard in front of him.

Duan Dazhang couldn't help but push the door and walked in, standing in the courtyard and watching the children who were working hard lose their minds. Sun Juren smiled and pushed his arm, and led him through a carved door to a square patio with blue bricks and tiles.

There is a small moon worship platform in the courtyard, there is a copper kettle and a few tea bowls on the platform, and three bamboo reclining chairs are placed on the side, Duan Dazhang looked back at another gray-haired Confucian student who followed him, and asked with a smile: "Old Five, I heard that the eldest brother said that you want to prepare a gift for me?" ”

Sun Wuye took a large white piece of paper from the hand of the junior standing outside the carved door, greeted him and said with a smile: "Look, what is this gift, I took a long time to turn it over!" ”

Sun Juren leaned over to take a look, and couldn't help but say, "Crooked, what is it written?" ”

Duan Dazhang reacted, pointed at Sun Wuye and said with a smile: "Old Five, you can tell that it is Huang Yonghuan's handwriting at this glance, you must have made a mistake!" ”

"No, that's what you wrote when you first came to my house."

Sun Wuye carefully folded the big characters, stuffed them into his sleeves, and said proudly: "I originally planned to return the things to the original owner and give them to you as a gift." Now that I think about it, it's better to stay, I have to bring this painting to those babies in Dongchuan Academy to take a look, and tell those babies that Lord Duan's handwriting was not as good as theirs back then, so that they know that it is not an overnight thing, so that those who plan to give up on themselves should not be discouraged. ”

"You're planning to ruin my reputation and ruin my reputation!"

"It's so old, if it's famous, come and come, use tea first."

"Tea later, you give me the words first."

"Didn't you say you didn't write it?"

"Bring it first, let me take a closer look."

……

The sound of books outside, the fragrance of tea overflowing in the patio, facing the former classmates and playmates, what the years can't take away is the endless fireworks in the world and the memories of the old days, whether it is tea or pot, it is the old taste.

Revisiting his hometown after several decades, Duan Dazhang was full of emotion, and his poems flourished, and under the persuasion of Sun Juren and Sun Wuye, he wrote three poems in a row, leaving three ink treasures.

After composing poems, writing good words, I began to eat and drink, and reminisced while eating.

After chatting for a while, Huang Zhongyin, who was still doing imperial history in the capital, Sun Wuye, who was also born and taught at Dongchuan Academy in the city, asked curiously: "Zhuoyun, I heard that Duan Jiqing's Chenglong fast son-in-law Han Xiufeng has an unusual relationship with you, is there such a thing?" ”

"It's true, but it's not as exaggerated as it goes." Duan Dazhang put down his wine glass, looked at him with a smile and asked, "Fifth brother, you and your eldest brother are hidden in the city, and they are as comfortable as idle clouds and wild cranes on weekdays, how can you ask about this." ”

"I don't want to ask, but some time ago, almost all of those babies in the academy were tricked by Cui Huanzhang and Yang Yiqing to go to the business to do some group training. If you don't work hard and clean up these crooked ways, do you think I can be in a hurry? ”

"I heard that Gong Ying is not idle, and she is also following along." Sun Juren couldn't help but laugh.

Gong Ying is a 20-year jinshi of Daoguang, and after the title of the gold list, he was not selected as a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, and he felt that he had no future in the six departments to learn and walk, so he simply returned to his hometown. A few years ago, he was very close to Gu Zhongzheng, and he advocated the county chronicles, and he advocated the revision of the government chronicles, and the Chongqing Hall in the capital was short of money for renovation, and Gong Ying also helped raise funds and contribute back then.

Thinking that after Gu Zhongzheng died, Gong Ying became the head of the gentry in Ba County, Cui Huanzhang and Yang Yiqing and other Ba County lifters, talents and prisoners no matter what they wanted to do, they naturally asked Gong Ying, who was in the township, to help take the lead, Duan Dazhang couldn't help but sigh: "The world is bustling, all for profit; The world is crowded, all for profit! ”

"Zhuoyun, did they go to look for you?" Sun Wuye asked curiously.

"No, it's useless to go to me even if you look for me, after all, I'm not from Ba County now."

"But as far as I know, the imperial court asked your nephew to return to his hometown to help organize the regimental training of the states and counties of Chongqing Prefecture, although you are not from Ba County, but the Jiangbei Hall is also under the rule of Chongqing Mansion!"

In the lunar month of last year and the first month of this year, Cui Huanzhang and Yang Yanqing and others made a lot of trouble. Cao Shuzhong of East Sichuan Province and Ba County Zhengtang Xiangqing have been forbearing, while Du Xingyuan, the prefect of Chongqing, has an ambiguous attitude, and he does not mean to take advantage of the fisherman.

Duan Dazhang didn't want to get involved in these things that were fighting for power and profit, and he didn't want to be impeached because of these bad things, not only closed the door, but also locked his unstable son at home and didn't allow him to go out. ”

"It's long gone."

"Dead down?"

"The reason why they dare to make trouble is because your nephew is about to return to his hometown to help organize a group practice, otherwise the teacher will be unknown. As a result, your nephew has not returned to this day. There are rumors that 'seizing love', the emperor ordered your nephew to return to Beijing to guard the system. There are rumors that the imperial court is going to investigate which place the senior officials are, and they are worried about startling the snake, so they let your nephew of the 'little military plane' go out of Beijing in the name of returning to his hometown and helping to organize group training at the same time, but in fact he did not come back but went on an errand. ”

Sun Wuye is teaching in the city, and he is the most well-informed, he ate a few bites of food, and said with a smile: "Some people say that your nephew-in-law relied on military merits to make a 'little military machine', otherwise the emperor would not have given Batulu Yong, saying that your nephew-in-law was transferred by the emperor to another place on the way back to his hometown to quell the chaos." In short, Cui Huanzhang and Yang Yanqing are ready for everything and only owe the east wind, but they haven't waited for the east wind until now, so naturally they can't toss it anymore. ”

Duan Dazhang pondered for a moment and muttered: "Zhixing's father died in mid-October last year, and Duan Jiqing asked 'Rishengchang' to help Zhixing carry a letter to his family, and this letter will wait for a month and a half on the road, which means that Zhixing can also receive a letter from home at the beginning of the month of Lunar New Year at the latest. Running for a funeral is nothing else, no matter how bad the road is, you can get home for two months, but today it is the sixth day of the first month of March, and he has not yet arrived home, so it is a little strange to think about it. ”

"So maybe your nephew won't come back?"

"Even if I don't come back, I have to send a letter to my family, but there is no news at all today, and I guess it should be because of something delayed on the road."

"There's no news at all, what Duan Jiqing said?" Sun Wuye asked.

"If there is news of ambition, Duan Jiqing will definitely send someone to tell me."

"As far as I know, he doesn't necessarily have to care about it now."

"What do you mean by that?"

Sun Wuye helped Duan Dazhang pour a full wine, put down the wine jug and said in a colorful voice: "It is said that Han Zhixing's father, Han Yugui, gave Han Zhixing a dream for his mother, saying that he was not used to staying in the west of the city and wanted to go back to his hometown in Zoumagang. After Duan Jiqing knew about it, he hurriedly took Han Zhixing's two elder brothers to the grave to burn, and he also went to find the goddess. As a result, not only did Han Yugui possess the body of the goddess, but even Han Zhixing's uncle Han Yucai used the mouth of the goddess to say that his homeland was difficult to leave, saying that the roots of the Han family were in the countryside.

Duan Jiqing was remorseful, and felt that he had done something wrong with good intentions, so he first asked the monk and Taoist priest to do the water and land dojo for seven days, and then asked Mr. Yin Yang to help calculate the day, and moved Han Yugui's coffin back to the countryside of Zoumagang. I heard that the old woman went back, and Han Zhixing's aunt also went back. ”

Duan Dazhang really didn't know this, he was taken aback, thought for a while and couldn't help but say: "I think Duan Jiqing's remorse is true, and Han Yugui and Han Yucai's brother dream is fake!" ”

Sun Juren subconsciously asked: "Zhuoyun, are you saying that Duan Jiqing doesn't want your nephew to be entangled by Cui Huanzhang and them, so he came up with these gods and ghosts, and buried Han Yugui back in Zouma, and when your nephew comes back, he can guard his filial piety in Zouma?" ”

"Ten of you."

Duan Dazhang put down his chopsticks and said in a deep voice: "At this time and that time, the reason why Duan Jiqing originally made the decision to bury Han Yugui in Wujiaba was that he wanted Zhixing to be able to keep filial piety in the county seat after he came back, and secondly, he wanted to help Zhixing take a close look at the old lady and other family members. As a result, before Zhixing arrived home, the emperor's edict to help organize the group training arrived first, and Cui Huanzhang and others felt that this was an opportunity for the 'Sanli gentry' to raise their eyebrows and start tossing.

If Zhixing didn't support them after he came back, the gentry such as Cui Huanzhang and Yang Yiqing would definitely feel that Zhixing had forgotten his roots; If Zhixing supports them after he returns, if he helps them get involved in the Lijin Bureau and the Baojia Bureau, not only will the businessmen of the eight provinces not agree, but even Cao Shuzhong will not agree, and if it is not good, he will even be impeached by local officials.

Although moving Han Yugui back to the countryside can't solve a big problem, it can make Zhixing hide quietly after he returns. After all, the horse is so far away from the county seat, and it takes three or four days to go back and forth, Cui Huanzhang and Yang Yiqing and others can run once or twice, is it possible that they can not do anything else, just run back and forth between the horse town and the county seat? ”

Sun Juren reacted and couldn't help laughing: "I didn't expect this Duan Jiqing to be so shrewd!" ”

"He has been in the government for so many years, and he is an old man. Not to mention that Cui Huanzhang and Yang Yiqing can't be compared, even Gong Ying can't compare. Duan Dazhang thought for a while, and sighed again: "It's just that this disturbs Han Yugui's soul, as far as I know, Han Yugui has never gone far away before his death, and he has never entered the city. I never thought that after I died, I went out of the gate and entered the city once! ”

"I think if Han Yugui really has a spirit in the sky, he shouldn't blame Duan Jiqing." Sun Wuye muttered.

"This is natural, after all, Duan Jiqing is also doing this for their Han family." Duan Dazhang sighed lightly, and then changed his words: "Big brother and fifth brother, since the two of you mentioned Han Zhixing and know that Han Zhixing is my nephew, I will take this opportunity to ask you for a favor." ”

"No kidding, you still need our help?"

"yes, besides, our brother can help you!"

"No kidding," Duan Dazhang pointed to the Lishi School next door, and looked at the two of them with a smile: "Don't look at my nephew who is already from the top of the fourth grade, and he has also been a 'little military aircraft', but he is not very concerned about his own career, and his wish in this life is to let his family live a good life and send the baby here to study." ”

Sun Juren asked suspiciously: "He wants to send the baby to me here?" ”

"This can still be fake, give a happy word, whether this favor will help or not!"

"Isn't this nonsense, you have spoken, I have to accept it if I don't accept it."

"Thank you, I'll give you a glass on behalf of Zhixing." Duan Dazhang smiled and picked up the wine glass and drank it all.

After drinking the wine in the cup, Sun Wuye couldn't help but joke: "Don't be in a hurry to thank you first, my eldest brother only collects and disciplines, but whether the Han family's baby can become successful in the future, my Sun family doesn't dare to guarantee the ticket." If the Han family's baby is as stubborn as your family's Xiaoshan, let alone sending it to my family, even if it is sent to the country's prison, it is useless. ”

How could Duan Dazhang not know that the childhood playmate in front of him was deliberate, and pretended to be unhappy and said: "I'll be angry when I mention that rebel, old five, what do you mean by not opening a pot?" ”

"It's just to make you angry, who made you and Huang Yongzhuan better than us, Zhongjin Shi Lahanlin was also a big official, and our brother was scolded by my father almost every day back then."