Chapter 1: Mountain Dwelling (Part 2)

There is hope in the heart, and people are full of energy. The next day, the old hunter Mongol chicken crawled up early, bundled all kinds of leather goods accumulated last winter, put them on the back of a blue and white mule, and led them out of Longquan Village.

Although Old Man Meng and his son-in-law hunted with rifles, it was no secret to the villagers in the same village. However, in order to reduce unnecessary trouble, the wounds on all the large animal skins were carefully treated by Monsan's father and daughter with knives. Now, even if an expert looks at it with a magnifying glass in his hand, he can't tell what kind of weapon the wound on the hide was caused. Although this will affect the quality of the leather goods, the loss is negligible compared to the revenue that a good gun may bring back.

Meng Xiaoyu and Zhang Songling sent the old Mengshan to the entrance of the village side by side, and before parting, the "little couple" cordially advised: "Uncle, be careful on your old road!" "I'll come back early when I'm done buying the leather goods!" "Don't drink with outsiders! Don't be angry with people who don't have anything to do with it! ”

"Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" , Lao Mengshan agreed again and again, his voice was full of happiness. "You two don't just go out to study, you should go out and bask in the sun. Especially the fat man, you are deficient in blood and usually walk around ......! ”

"Got it!" Meng Xiaoyu suddenly felt a little hot on his face, and interrupted loudly, "You go quickly, don't look at it, buy me white paper and brushes!" ”

In the past, when she went to sell leather goods outside the mountain, she followed her father together. But this time, thinking that if he wasn't at home, the dead fat man would have to eat cold rice at noon, Meng Xiaoyu took the initiative to stay last night under the pretext of "continuing to learn to read and write with the little fat man during the day". And Meng Laohan also hopes that his daughter can learn to read and write as soon as possible, so as to shorten the cultural distance between her and her prospective son-in-law. So I didn't think about it, so I smiled and agreed.

If you want to learn to write, you have to buy another set of pen and paper. The original set at home was specially purchased for the son-in-law last winter, and now the brush has been worn bald, and it looks more like a broken brush. The blank paper has already been told a long time ago, and even the few letters that Zhang Songling wrote last night were "borrowed" from a Lang Zhong family surnamed Liu in the village at the cost of half a deer leg.

Niangziguan is a mountainous area, and all the goods shipped from outside are ridiculously expensive. In particular, books, pen and ink, which have very small sales, are simply a small knife specially designed to kill people. But for the sake of his daughter's happiness, Meng Laohan had already decided to let go. As long as she marries into Lao Zhang's family in the future and is not bullied, what is it to spend such a little extra money at this moment?

"I'll buy you two brushes, one to learn to write, and one to replace!" Thinking of the happiness of the family in the future, Lao Mengshan assured Meng Xiaoyu with a somewhat proud tone, "Buy two for the fat man, and the original one should also be thrown away!" ”

"No, no, my one can make do for a few days!" Understanding that the old Mengshan life was not easy, Zhang Songling hurriedly waved his hand again and again, "You still have to save some money and keep it for the future as the principal." After all, opening a shop is not a trivial matter, and the more prepared you are, the easier it will be to deal with it when the time comes! ”

"That's not enough for two brushes!" Meng Laohan waved his hand generously, "Your uncle and I will go to the mountain one more time, and we will have everything." By the way, apart from paper and pen, are there any other things you two need me to buy? Hurry up and say, otherwise, after this village, there will be no such shop! ”

"It's gone! Just drink less! Meng Xiaoyu shook his head and shouted again.

Zhang Songling thought about it and said with a smile: "If, if you can always read the newspaper, whether it is new or old, please find me a few more copies to come back!" ”

This request made Lao Mengshan a little nervous. But on second thought, it's not a matter of locking your son-in-law in the mountains for the rest of your life! Anyway, the Nationalist Government is said to have lost Nanjing, and Zhang Xiaofatzi's old troops may have withdrawn thousands of miles away, and it is difficult to find their traces in a short time. So he nodded and agreed with a smile: "Zhong, I remember that at the Xiapanshi Railway Station, there are always waste newspapers for sale." In the past, there were people in the village who bought it to paste the wall, and it was a big stack for five cents, which was much cheaper than straw paper, and it was strong. I just don't know, there are still any ones for sale! ”

"Try to take a look, as long as it's this year, it doesn't matter who comes out!" Zhang Songling nodded and added in a low voice.

Although the villagers are now rumoring that most of China has fallen into the hands of the Japanese invaders. However, in a short period of time, the Japanese will not be able to order all newspapers to change to Japanese characters. As long as Lao Mengshan can get the newspaper back, even if it is from the traitors, through those sycophantic articles that help the devil show off his achievements, he can also piece together the real situation of the outside world at the moment. As long as he could confirm the location of Senior Commander Feng and Brigade Commander Ji, he could start to prepare for leaving here, and after settling the Meng father and daughter, he would immediately go to chase after the team.

"Stew a piece of yesterday's venison, smear the rest with chili peppers and salt, and hang it outside to dry!" Glancing at his daughter and son-in-law like a golden boy and a jade girl, Lao Mengshan turned around and moved his legs while assigning tasks, "When I come back in the evening, I will invite Dr. Liu from the west of the village to dinner." By the way, let him check the fat man's pulse again and see what medicine he needs to use to continue conditioning! ”

"Please also invite him, he doesn't always fool us with the same prescription every time!" Meng Xiaoyu twisted her nose and protested in a low voice. But in addition to letting the greedy Liu Langzhong continue to take advantage, within a radius of 100 miles, she really couldn't find a second doctor who could take Zhang Songling's pulse. I had to snort angrily at the dead fat man, and then watched my father's back disappear into the woods outside the village.

In the spring season, the morning breeze in the mountains is still a little penetrating. Meng Xiaoyu didn't dare to let Zhang Songling blow in the cold wind for too long, and listened to the sound of the mule's bell gradually going away, so he pulled the other party's arm and ordered in a low voice: "Go, go home!" I also steamed a bowl of goat's milk for you on the stove over low heat, and drank it while it was hot, so as not to get dizzy again for a while! ”

"Let's go!" Zhang Songling tightened the roe deer skin on his back and agreed in a low voice. Due to the loss of too much blood from his last injury and the fact that he has not been properly treated since then, his current physique is far less than it used to be. Almost as soon as you get cold, you will lie down with a fever, and you may even fall into a coma again.

"I memorize the ten numbers you taught me last night, both uppercase and lowercase. I rewrote it this morning in the open space by the stove. You can help me to see if it's written wrong! Walking beside Zhang Songling in great strides, Meng Xiaoyu reported in a low voice.

It's a bit like showing off, but it's more about expecting the other party's affirmation and praise. It's a pity that Zhang Songling didn't feel the expectation in her eyes at all, nodded, and responded very blandly: "Okay, I'll help you check it later." If you make a good mistake, go ahead and learn addition and subtraction within a hundred! ”，

Last night, he taught Meng Xiaoyu how to write her own name, as well as the usual way to write Arabic numerals from one to ten or ten, as well as Chinese ones. These are all necessary to use when managing accounts in the future, and after Meng Xiaoyu learns it, she can just help her father, Uncle Meng Shan.

"From now on, I want to learn twenty words during the day, and after cleaning up the table at night, I will learn another ten!" Meng Xiaoyu was slightly disappointed in her heart, but she still tried her best to attract the attention of the other party.

Twenty words during the day, ten words at night, and thirty words at the end of the day. After three months, I guess I can almost read the newspaper to my father. Although it is not as good as those foreign students in the city, at least when the dead fat man takes himself to meet outsiders in the future, he will not feel too ashamed.

Learning 30 words a day, even for a "little prodigy" like Zhang Songling, it was impossible to do it back then. However, he didn't want to discourage Meng Xiaoyu's enthusiasm too much, hesitated for a moment, and responded with a smile, "Okay!" I'll start with the simplest teaching, remember as much as you can. If you can't remember it, don't force it. You know, fat people don't eat it in a day! ”

As he spoke, he stretched out his right hand and gently pinched his left arm. This body is weak and weak now, but the fat is not less than before. Just cut a piece and put it on the fire to roast, and you can bake half a catty of oil.

"Poof!" Meng Xiaoyu was amused by Zhang Songling's antics and smiled, her white teeth were like braided shells, "You are a strange person, and you can still get fat when you drink cold water." It's not like the big cows at all, they don't grow meat just by eating! ”

Da Niu is Meng Xiaoyu's neighbor and a small follower, since the Meng father and daughter picked up Zhang Songling from the battlefield, this person's status in the Meng family has plummeted. However, he was not discouraged at all, and he would run over to help chop wood and carry water in three days, and Meng Xiaoyu couldn't beat him away with a broomstick.

"What have you been doing in the past two days? I haven't seen him in a long time! Zhang Songling was not jealous at all, and asked casually.

"Who cares about him!" Meng Xiaoyu played a little clever trick in vain, her heart became more and more lost, and her tone became very unfriendly, "Anyway, I'm almost annoyed by him, he can't come, just want to be quiet!" ”

"Oh!" Zhang Songling didn't know why Meng Xiaoyu suddenly got angry, and nodded cautiously in agreement. "That's right, he won't be able to help you much anyway!"

"I don't want to use him if I can help!" Meng Xiaoyu was completely enraged, and her willow eyebrows were raised, "Are you annoying, why do you keep mentioning him?!" ”

"Didn't you mention it first?" Zhang Songling was so counted that the second monk couldn't figure it out, and muttered a response. Then he closed his mouth and no longer dared to provoke Meng Xiaoyu, who was already on the verge of madness.

"When I brought it up, you answered the conversation endlessly! Other things, why haven't I seen you so clever!" Meng Xiaoyu wiped away her tears fiercely and roared loudly.

Women are animals that can never be reasoned with in Zhang Songling's eyes. Especially the current Meng Xiaoyu, he is simply messing around. As a big man, a big man who has received a lot of favors from others, he doesn't want to argue with the other party about who is right and who is wrong. endured it, bowed his head and continued to walk home.

"You, dead fatty, what are you doing so fast, I won't invite you like this! We want to throw me off right away when we walk together! Meng Xiaoyu cried and stomped his feet hard.

Zhang Songling stopped, turned his head in a sneer, and looked at the other party with an innocent face. This helpless appearance made Meng Xiaoyu eager to rush over and slap him a few times. He bit his teeth again and again, but in the end, he didn't have to be ruthless, wiped his tears, stepped forward to hold Zhang Songling's hand, and ordered in a very low voice, "Let's go, it's cold!" ”

"What?" Zhang Songling didn't react for a while, and instinctively asked.

"I said it's cold, I'll freeze you to death!" Meng Xiaoyu roared again, pulled Zhang Songling's fat hand hard, and strode towards home.

Her hands were full of tears, cold and wet, which made Zhang Songling's palms quickly cold. There is a wet feeling, through the skin meridians, little by little to drill into the heart. I wanted to stop a few times, moved over Meng Xiaoyu's thin shoulders that were tired from taking care of herself, and hugged her to express comfort. But thinking of his fate like a lone star that day, he still buried this impulse deep in his heart.

Half a year ago, everyone who was close to him didn't end well. Zhou Jue, Tian Qingyu, Peng Weiwei, the old military division, as well as Liao Wenhua and Battalion Commander Gou, disappeared from him one after another, and the better the relationship with him, the more desolate he became. Although Zhang Songling doesn't believe in ghosts and gods, the same tragedy is repeated again and again in front of him, which also makes him feel a shadow in his heart. I always feel that I am being targeted by bad luck, which will inevitably bring disaster to those close to me.

He didn't want to drag Meng Xiaoyu down, and he didn't want Meng Xiaoyu to receive a death notice a few days after following him. That's unfair to Meng Xiaoyu, and it's not fair to old Mengshan. They should have continued to stay in the mountainous area of the Peach Blossom Spring, and continue to live a happy life without knowing the Wei and Jin dynasties.

The two young men went home with their hearts in their hearts. For a whole day, there was no smile on their faces. But this did not affect Meng Xiaoyu's learning results, she only took one morning to master the twenty simplest Chinese characters and the addition and subtraction of single digits. I was doing housework and reviewing for another afternoon, and in the evening, I was already able to demonstrate it to Zhang Songling at all.

This rare learning ability finally shocked Zhang Songling. "How did you do that?!" With a bit of appreciation, he narrowed his eyes and asked, "I was in elementary school back then, and this is a one-month course!" ”

"You think everyone is as stupid as you!" Meng Xiaoyu rolled her eyes, and her anger did not subside. "I just don't have the opportunity to study, otherwise, I would be able to go to primary and secondary school like you. When I finish high school, I go straight to university and study as a model student! After graduating from university, it's a model! I remember you telling me about it! ”

"It's the Doctor! There's also a master's degree in between! After completing a master's degree, you are a doctorate! Zhang Songling smiled and corrected Meng Xiaoyu's pronunciation mistakes in a low voice.

"And what about the Doctor's graduation?!" It was rare to show his face in front of his sweetheart, and Meng Xiaoyu asked with great interest.

"After graduating with a PhD, there was no more. Then it's time for you to teach someone else to read! Zhang Songling did not doubt that Meng Xiaoyu had the intellectual level to study for a doctorate, and responded with a smile.

"Ahh And that's the end of it? Meng Xiaoyu was a little unwilling, staring at the big flickering eyes for confirmation.

"Elementary school and high school combined, it takes 10 years. Three years for a master's degree and at least two years for a doctorate, when do you still want to study?! Finally saw a faint smile on the other party's face, Zhang Songling suddenly felt very happy in his heart, and teased with a smile.

"Ten plus three plus two, equals fifteen. I'm sixteen, sixteen plus fifteen, and oh my god, I'm going to be thirty-one! Meng Xiaoyu jumped up exaggeratedly and said loudly. That's not going to work, then I'll be an old girl! I ......"

Suddenly, she realized that it seemed a little inappropriate for her to worry about how to marry in front of a young man. Covering his face with his hands, he lowered his head and walked outside the house, "I'll go, I'll go to the entrance of the village to see, why hasn't Dad come back yet?!" ”

"I'll go with you!" Zhang Songling stood up and raised his hand to grab the roe deer skin hanging on the wall. Before he could clean himself up, the anxious voice of the neighbor's big cow suddenly came from the gate of the courtyard, "Xiaoyu, Brother Zhang, you run quickly, run quickly." Devil, devil came into the mountain to catch Brother Zhang! ”