Du Si led the little third son to walk in an alley in the north of the city, the sewage in the alley flowed sideways, Xu was the heavy rain that had fallen for more than ten days before, the loess on the ground mixed with horse manure, dog feces, cat urine, has become a fertile black soil, the sun has risen to the old high, the sun shines, so that the smell of the alley and its prosperity, to become a paradise for flies.

"Fourth uncle, why is it so stinky, it smells better than the big dung pit in our countryside."

"It has rained for more than ten days, and the people who collect dung don't go into the city anymore, and all the feces and urine around them are poured into the alley, lacking morality" After speaking, he turned around a street and came to a small courtyard with two old wooden doors closed

"Bang bang bang, bang", Du Si slapped the door hard

"Who", a woman's voice came from inside the courtyard

"I'm back"

Squeak, the old wooden door opened, and a thin woman wearing homespun clothes and a wooden hairpin appeared in front of the little third son

"You don't know, Zhiyuan is doing his homework."

"Fourth Aunt"

"Little San'er is here, come in quickly," after speaking, he went out the door to get the quilt that Xiao Sanzi was carrying.

"Why didn't Zhiyuan go to Mr.'s place, is it itchy again?"

"My husband is sick, he has been sick for three days, let himself review his homework at home"

"Then I have to go and see, come to Xiaosan, come here to wash, Zhiyuan, Zhiyuan" Du Si scooped the water in the water tank and shouted to the house, "Your third brother has come to see you." ”

The curtain of the side room was raised, and out came a sturdy child, black and strong, wearing a white short hexagram, with braids coiled on the top of his head, which looked a little funny.

Looking at Du Si, he called "Dad" weakly, and ran to the little third son, and said with some excitement, "Third brother, why are you here?" Don't have yellow eels? ”

Xiao Sanzi washed his face with the water in the tank, and said to Zhiyuan, "Dog, you are growing taller again, you are about to catch me, I didn't bring the yellow eel, and I will catch it when you return to your hometown in the future."

"Zhiyuan, where is your sister?" , Du Si asked after washing his face and seeing that there was no one in the room

"Sister went to the laundry room by the river."

"Oh, you take the three of you around, I'll go see your husband, and then go to work." He also said to the little third son, "San'er, let Zhiyuan take him around the city today and open his eyes."

After speaking, he took out a few copper plates and gave them to Zhiyuan, "Save flowers." ”

Du Si originally had two sons and a daughter, but unfortunately one son died before he reached the age of one, and he looked at the only son very closely, and in order to make a good living when he was in the countryside, he took the cheap name of a dog. Later, he went to the city to make money, but he was reluctant to eat and wear, and he gave it to this son, and a few years ago he had some savings and set up a small courtyard in the city, and took the family into the city, and invited Mr. Yu Hutchison, the most literate account man, to give a Zhiyuan name, which means that he is wise and knowledgeable, don't be like himself, he doesn't know a few big words, and he can't hold the opportunity when he comes, and he gritted his teeth and sent his son to a private school in the north of the city to learn culture.

It's a pity that Du Zhiyuan seems to have inherited Du Si's strong temperament, and he was dizzy when he saw the words, and now he can barely recognize a few words and memorize a few Tang poems. His only hobby is eating, and he was ridiculed by his classmates as a "stomach injustice".

Du Zhiyuan led the little third son out of the door, thinking that it would be good to have relatives come every day, so that he could put aside those annoying homework and enjoy the free air and bright sunshine on the street. The two wandered all the way, and when they were about to leave the alley in the north of the city, they heard someone behind them shouting, "Stomach grievance, stomach grievance, where are you going?" ”。

The two looked back and saw a child lying on the yellow mud wall, only revealing a big and bright head, which turned out to be Zhiyuan's classmate, surnamed Wu and Mingwen. is also a child who gets dizzy when he reads a book and can memorize a few Tang poems.

"Wuwen money, come down quickly, let's go to Nancheng to see the big mansion, will you go?"

"I don't, if I go out, when my dad comes back, he'll spank me."

"What are you afraid of, when he fights, won't it be over if you cry twice, see it, there is money." After speaking, he spread out his hands, and in the black hands of the flesh, there were a few copper plates, shining in the sun.

"Wait" I only heard the sound of landing, and then the courtyard door opened and closed, and a big-headed child ran out, his body was a little thin, and his body was slightly shorter than Zhiyuan's "Stomach is wrong, go quickly, and my mother will find out later, and she won't be able to go."

The three of them went to the south of the city together.

Shopkeeper He had breakfast, went to Yu Hutchison Tea House to deal with affairs, and at noon, he thought about it, instructed his men to take care of the store, walked out, and came to his wife's brother Zhang Juren's house. The main door of Zhang Ju's house is wide open, and he is sending guests out, and the guest is a literati in a green shirt.

"Brother Desheng, stay and stay, I hope you will bother a lot about this matter."

"Senior brother, you can rest assured, this matter is easy."

The portrait of the literati in green shirts is Zhang Juren to "stay in the step, stay in the step"

Zhang Juren bowed his hand and saluted, "Goodbye, goodbye."

When the literati in green shirts were far away, Zhang Jucai saw the shopkeeper Zhang next to the door, and hurriedly said, "Brother-in-law, why are you here?"

"Desheng, who is it just now?".

"It's my original classmate, Yan Jixue, brother-in-law, let's enter the hospital." After speaking, he greeted the shopkeeper He and entered the small courtyard.

Zhang Juren's real name is Zhang Jin, he lost his father since he was a child, and was raised by his mother and sister. Later, Mr. Yide of Jingning Mansion was taken as a teacher, and the table word was taken as Desheng, which was taken from "Yi. There is a passage in the "Dictionaries" that "the great virtue of heaven and earth is born", and his teacher hopes that he will be a person of high moral character in the future.

Zhang Juren did not live up to the teacher's expectations, after years of hard study, finally three years ago, at the age of thirty-nine, in the township style of Changsha Mansion, in one fell swoop, the examination as a subject of the Juren, a sensation in the entire Jingning Mansion, since then the fish jumped into the dragon gate, from a poor scholar who is useless, to become a candidate official of the imperial court, enjoying many privileges. In addition to being a little cowardly, he is honest and kind, and when he was a showman, he often helped the poor people in Jingning Mansion to write documents, paper, and did not take a penny, even if he did not get carried away after the lift, he respected his brother-in-law who used to often help him, but he was different from his sister in the city association.

Shopkeeper He entered the house and told Zhang Desheng about the matter of the third son, Zhang Desheng thought about it slightly, and asked the shopkeeper He to take someone to see it tomorrow, one is more than 3,000 miles from Jingning Mansion to the capital, and there is a long entourage to help with some chores, so that he can concentrate on studying and preparing for the exam, saving a lot of trouble. The two are not very safe to go to the border of Henan, and they often need to travel together, and many people have more strength. Three, the third son is a sixteen-year-old rural boy, and the shopkeeper knows that he is heeling, Zhang Desheng is still more assured, more than 3,000 miles, accidents may occur at any time, better than people who do not know their origin and character.