After the valley rain, there were two rains in succession. As the saying goes, "there is rain in the valley, and there is more than a hundred grains", seeing these two rains, the hearts of the farmers who have been hanging up since the beginning of spring can finally fall into their stomachs safely. The rest of the day became quiet. The men who have been busy for a long time can sleep until almost noon when they lie down at night, get up and shave some food, and if there is no urgency at home to burn their buttocks, they will happily go to the threshing floor at the head of the village; The place is spacious, and when the fields are not busy, the farmers like to gather there and talk nonsense. At this time, it is generally possible to see the proximity of the dealers according to the "small group" they gathered, and usually, the relationship between those who can pull the words together is mostly better. If there are times when a topic is of interest, several small groups can come together into one large group. There are also times when the topic is very different, and the dealers will inevitably fight to understand, then it is necessary to compare whose voice is higher, and the guys who disagree with each other are all blushing and thick-necked, and saliva is sprayed everywhere; If you can't win or lose and there is no authoritative person to persuade peace, then it is very likely that you will reason with your fists. Most of the time, this kind of inconclusive heated argument will always lead to a split in a small group, or even a separation between two families...... While the men were talking, the mothers-in-law and aunts occupied the other side of the grain field. They sat on a small wooden stool under their buttocks, with a dustpan for their clothes at their feet, and were busy with needlework in their hands, and they talked about the east and the west; Sometimes a few mothers-in-law can make the little girl's new daughter-in-law blush, and she can't even take care of the front dustpan and leave in a hurry, and then the victorious women laugh proudly like a victorious general...... While the adults were talking, the snot babies were playing games next to them, either eagles catching chickens or officers and soldiers catching thieves, screaming and shouting and running around the threshing floor.

However, not all of us are able to enjoy this leisure time.

On this day, when noon was about to pass, with a prolonged pitched shout "noon is coming" from afar, several helpers who were under the bright sun silently put down their livelihoods, dragged their tired steps, and slowly moved to the edge of the bamboo forest.

There is a small wooden bucket beside the bamboo forest, and in the bucket is a vegetable soup sprinkled with salt; There was also a large dustpan on the ground next to it, on which were a bun of black buns, a few pieces of salt cabbage gnocchi, and a few black pottery bowls.

Although this lunch was not sumptuous in any way, after a few people with dull expressions came over, they still did not grab the black buns in the dustpan. They arranged the pieces of linen on their bodies, stood in two rows around the beard in the middle, and lowered their heads and shoulders, and their arms naturally hung down, and their palms were facing up in front of them. The bearded look of the leader ** one by one, but unfortunately the dust on his face and the outfit made his serious expression look very funny - he closed his eyes one by one, and muttered nonsense in his mouth that no one could understand...... The two men standing behind him bowed deeply to his back, then walked over and picked up the dustpan and the soup bucket, and began to distribute food to everyone; Each person first divided two pieces of black flour bun and a bowl of soup, no one is too much, no one is too much. But the man who had received the bun and soup stood still until the bearded man turned around after muttering nonsense, stretched out a bony arm, and made a false cross at them, and they responded in unison:

“Ame

(Latin: Yes, Lord). ”

For such a scene, the steward of Zhuangzi has long been accustomed to it. He chewed on the yellow bun and said to the servant who delivered the meal indistinctly: "What do you mean by saying that these beards have to be recited every meal?" ”

The servant sat down on the pole, crushed a piece of dirt, and said with a smile, "How do I know what they are talking about?" But it's still good, especially the last sentence that everyone reads together. Uh-huh-one-one" He coughed and cleared his throat, learning the emphasis of the few Hu people, and said, "One by one, the babies (children)." ”

As soon as the steward was in charge, a mouthful of steamed buns sprayed everywhere, and most of the broth in his hand was sprinkled. He laughed and kicked the servant: "Get out! Don't you see me eating? ”

The servant jumped out a few steps, rubbed his buttocks and laughed, and was about to say something, when he suddenly saw a carriage coming on the dirt road in the bamboo forest, followed by a few horses, and asked, "From there, it seems to be our marquis, right?" ”

The steward also saw Shang Cheng. He didn't care to speak, he shoved the things in his hand into the hands of the servants, grabbed them in two or three steps, and shouted at the few bearded people: "You uneducated beards, you don't have any ideas? Hou Ye travels, hurry up and get out of the way, don't get in the way! As he spoke, he pulled out the whip pinned to his waist and whipped it at a few ignorant Hu people. Hurry up and give way! ”

He dragged and kicked people here, and the chariots and horses were already approaching.

Seeing that he had already walked to the edge of the boundary stone, Shang Cheng restrained the horse and said to Duan Si with a smile: "I'll send it here." You see, I'll let you stay in Zhuangzi for a few days, you have to go......" He nodded at Aunt Duan Si, who had half her face poking out from the carriage, and said to Duan Si, "I probably won't be in the city recently." Again, read a few more books if you have nothing to do. Think about Shao Chuan's experience, and you can understand what the result of not reading will be. ”

Duan Si stopped his horse and listened intently with a solemn expression. Shang Cheng had already told him these words a few times today, and he could almost memorize them. It was precisely because Shang Cheng repeatedly mentioned the matter of reading that he paid more and more attention to these words. Thinking of Shang Cheng's strict order that he was not allowed to inquire about the rights and wrongs of the Tai Hospital earlier, and then to the people who witnessed the forbidden army going door to door to Sonatai Hospital that day, and the rumors that there are rumors in the capital these days that the prince did not die of fever, Shang Cheng's words obviously have another meaning...... He said: "I must always remember your words: read more and go out less." ”

Shang Cheng added another sentence for him: "This is not enough. And do not ask, do not listen, do not believe, do not preach. ”

Duan Si pondered for a moment and grinned: "I'll find someone to frame the eight words you said when I go back." This is the family motto of my old Duan family from now on. ”

Shang Cheng laughed and said, "It seems that there are still benefits to starting a family, at least you know how to pat yourself on the back of your hand." After laughing, he added, "There is also military learning, and we can't leave it behind." You have never really led troops before, and you know a lot about military affairs, so you just take this opportunity to become more familiar with it. Don't be a general, if you don't understand something, you can ask Su Po and Hou Ding for advice. They have their own knowledge, the guidance of their elders, and practical experience, and they will definitely be able to help you. If there's something you really don't understand, come to me. ”

"Okay!" Duan Si didn't say anything more, and made an official salute on horseback, "Then I'll go back." ”

Shang Cheng shook his hand and said, "Remember: read more and go out less." ”

"Yes, I remember!" Duan Si agreed.

Watching him walk away, Shang Chengcai turned his head.

He only realized now that while he was talking to Duan Si, there were several people on the side of the dirt road who were watching him. He knew the leader, who was a steward in the family; There is also a familiar face, who helps on the stove in the front yard. I don't know the others. Looking at the clothes of these people, it seems that they are hired odd jobs, all covered in mud and dirt, standing on the ground with dull faces and looking at him stupidly. Is that the clothes that these people are wearing? How did he think he had cut four holes in a sack? And the appearance of these people is not seen, and their faces are swarthy as if they have never been washed; And the hair of these guys is so long that it is scattered under the shoulder blades, not to mention combing it, even the soil with leaves and grass barley, how to look at it, it feels dirty and pickled. There was also a guy with a very chic beard, which looked a bit like the beard of the Jewish clergy.

After a few images crossed his mind, he suddenly felt that maybe these people were really Jewish priests. But he observed a few people attentively, and he couldn't see them at all, with black hair and black eyes......

He beckoned to the steward and asked, "Who are these?" ”

"If you go back to the Hou Ye, it's all beards." The steward said.

"Beard?" Shang Chengleng paused for a moment, and only after a while did he react, this was a contemptuous term for the Hu people. "Where did the Hu people come from?"

"I don't know." The steward said helplessly, "These beards have neither a guide nor a script, and they can't speak our Central Plains Chinese, so the ghost knows where they came from." If it weren't for Zhuang Shang's kindness to take them in, they would have starved to death sooner or later. ”

Shang Cheng nodded, very much in recognition of the steward's judgment. Not to mention the Hu people, they are Han people, if they have no way to guide them and are caught by the government, even if they don't die, they have to peel off their skins; If you are lucky enough to survive, you will definitely end up in exile for 3,000 miles. What's more, these Hu people can't speak Chinese, and they can't even explain their origins clearly, so they may be beaten to death on the spot. In that respect, they did a good thing.

He asked again, "Why don't you give them a shower and change into clean clothes or something?" He didn't ask out of humanitarian concern. The point is that these people are building roads for the village, and they are even hired hands on the village; They were dressed in tatters, wasn't that smearing him in the face? It's as if he was a big landlord, and he didn't even have the kindness of the day workers in old clothes.

The steward said with a bitter face, "Where are you not letting them wash up?" But these fellows would rather die than bathe, and the whips and sticks were used, and they had to fight to get out if they were thrown into the water. He glared hatefully at the beards, sighed, and said, "And the clothes." Zhuang Shang also brought them new clothes, but these bastards only wore such sacks of burlap, what can we do? ”

Shang Cheng laughed when he heard this. These Hu people are a bit interesting, and they would rather suffer than change themselves, which is very similar to the ascetic head of the Buddhist monastery. He asked again, "They didn't say why they were reluctant to take a shower and change clothes?" As soon as the words came out, he knew that he was asking too much. The steward has said that these guys can't speak Chinese, and if they ask, they ask in vain. I don't know Chinese, and I have asceticism, so who are these guys? There are only two kinds of ascetic Hu people, one is the Hindu dervish monk, and the other is the Christian monastic monk; And then contact the color of the hair and eyes of these people, don't ask, these are Christians.

After thinking about the joints, he also understood why these people didn't take a shower or change their clothes. He remembers that when he was still a graduate student, he once read an article in which it was mentioned that some sects in Christianity that advocated hermitage believed that bathers were unholy, so they strictly forbade monks and believers to bathe. As for using burlap pockets as clothes, it's a pity that I want to make my will stronger; Of course, it is also possible to experience the suffering that Jesus had endured—Jesus was draped in linen when he first served as a missionary in Palestine......

Since these people are Christian ascetics, it is not surprising that they are doing anything odd. He said to the steward, "Don't be too hard for them. These people are ascetics among the Hu people, almost equivalent to the monks in our monasteries and Taoist priests in Taoist temples. ”

The steward was startled, and said with a bitter face: "Are they monks? That, that...... Master Hou, let's drag these monks to build the road, it will be fine, right? ”

Shang Cheng said, "It's okay. They are ascetics, and they come to endure hardships, and the more they endure hardships, the more happy they feel. Of course you don't detain them; People are doing penance, but they don't come to us to seek death. ”

And without waiting for the steward to speak, he rode away......