Chapter 12 Wenhui (1)

After sitting for a long time, Xiaohong brought over the fruit to eat, and the topic gradually turned to the article and poetry. At the beginning, Zhang Linlin and Yang Cheng interjected, but later, they could only listen to Xu Qing and Shangguanyi come and go to confirm each other.

The two of them were bored, secretly took the plate of Qiaoguo, ran out to talk to Xiaohong, and were happy outside.

While chatting, Shangguan Yi suddenly remembered something, and said with a smile: "Coincidentally, there will be a literary meeting in West Lake tomorrow, and Brother Xu, as a master of the literary world, might as well go over and have a look?" ”

Xu Qing's old face was slightly red, and he was the only one who copied the text.

So Xu Qing opened his mouth and said: "Shangguan, I only know some poems, not any articles?" ”

Shangguan Yi couldn't help sneering and returned: "Do you think that Yuhang Cangzhou is thousands of miles away, and I can't read what you wrote?" Hmph, your "Book of Persuasion to Farmers" can be described as a masterpiece, and I have long memorized it by heart. ”

"Huh? How did you get this kind of thing? Xu Qing remembered the letter of persuasion, but it was posted on the bulletin board in Cangzhou City, and he didn't take it everywhere to install .b.

Shangguan Yi didn't answer where to find the book, but said: "Your "Book of Persuading Farmers" reads differently from other articles, it is very concise, it can almost be said that it cannot be added or subtracted, it reads naturally and frankly, and it is thought-provoking, this is a good article."

"One day, the words of the "Book of Persuading Farmers" were ordinary, and I read it to the peasants, but no one understood it. is so literary and so practical, what is Brother Xu still modest? ”

Xu Qing was silent, and Shangguan Yi said again:

It's a pity that today's literati don't understand the beauty of such articles, and only know that they blindly worship the ancient, and those articles seem to be like old people staggering, what's the point? What kind of literary style is it? ”

Shangguan Yi continued to breathe:

"The literary meeting I just mentioned was organized by that group of ignorant people, and I was invited to write a paper and talk about poetry several times, but I refused, if Brother Xu is free, go with me to see how I slap these people in the face."

Speaking of literary meetings, since Xu Qing came to the Tang Dynasty, he can be said to have seen a lot, either it is a place where many literary and artistic young people cheat to eat and drink, or some young people are moaning without illness. Groaning, sad spring and sad autumn. Anyway, it's very boring, and the key thing is that you can't eat things on the table, otherwise it will be indecent, and you can only brag and fart together.

Most of the so-called literary clubs are organized by boring people, who praise each other and praise each other's stinky feet, and use this to make a name for themselves. Otherwise, the magistrate used it as a cover to win over the local scholars.

Therefore, Xu Qing is not interested in this kind of literary meeting at all, but Shangguanyi said so, and it is not easy to say it. Laugh a few times, what good reason to refuse?

Shangguan Yi saw Xu Qing like this, so he smiled and said: "Brother Xu doesn't know, today's article doesn't have to be too long, in the past, Wang Youjun went to Lanting to repair, and he was a famous person through the ages." ”

Xu Qingdao: "So that's the case, the Lanting preface is the preface, and it is within the scope of the essay, will this essay be a test essay?" ”

Shangguan Yi said with a smile: "It can be said that the length of the essay is limited to one foot, and I happen to have a manuscript, which is written according to the style of the eldest brother." ”

The edicts of the Han Dynasty were all written on a one-foot-one-inch book plate, so short articles were also called ruler articles. That's what Shangguan Yi said.

The short article can be called a ruler, and as for the essay that Xu Qing said, it is even shorter than the ruler.

The word essay comes from Buddhism and refers to an abridged version of a Buddhist scripture. The small piece is for the big product, and the big product refers to the whole Buddhist scripture. Later, the essay became a term that specifically refers to short articles, such as travelogues, diaries, prefaces and other articles can be regarded as a kind of essays.

If the Wenhui talks about poetry, Xu Qing alone can beat the invincible opponents of the Tang Dynasty, but when it comes to articles, just with Xu Qing's stinky words, there is nothing to see.

Xu Qing listened to the moment and said: "This essay is not suitable for discussion and reasoning, nor is it easy to describe the preaching, it is just a small skill, a small way, the Ming Dao sect is the great cause of the country, Shangguan, don't give up the great cause for fun." ”

Xu Qing's words can be described as magnificent, and any great cause of the country is to refuse Shangguanyi. Indeed, among the orthodox literati, the intellectual talent is still in the four or six prose, and other things, no matter how well they are written, are all small ways.

But Xu Qing forgot that under his influence, Shangguan Yi had long been an unruly person. After listening to Xu Qing's argument, Shangguan Yi couldn't help but say: "Brother Xu, this is a bad word, Mr. Wuliu's and Zi Yan are all catchy, and every word is read with lips and teeth." Are these articles trivia? Trail? ”

Xu Qing also nodded and said: "Shangguan, what you said is also reasonable, moss flowers are as small as rice grains, and they also learn to bloom peonies." ”

"So, did Brother Xu agree to go with me?" Shangguan Yi asked proudly.

"Alas, okay, go with you on this trip......" Xu Qing spread his hands and expressed his surrender: "Anyway, I won't write, and I will only eat banquets when the time comes, don't blame me for hurting your face." ”

Shangguan Yi knew that Xu Qing would do what he said, and said with a sigh: "Brother Xu, don't be presumptuous, this time the people who came and went in and out of the Wenhui were all famous talents in Suzhou and Hangzhou, even if they went to take a look, it would be an eye-opener." ”

"Okay, okay, all listen to your ......"

Xu Qing's voice was undecided, and there was a sound of water outside, and then someone said: "Someone is boiling water, someone is boiling water!" ”

Flooding is a southern term for suicide by throwing yourself into the water.

Shangguan Yi immediately got up and said to Xu Qing: "Go out and have a look!" ”

As soon as the door was opened, Xiaohong and Zhang Linlin came and said that the owner of the boat had jumped into the river just now, and Yang Cheng had already jumped down to save him. Seeing each other is fate, Yang Cheng and them were also poor before, and he could understand the embarrassment and despair of the old boatman.

When Xu Qing and the others stood by the boat, Yang Cheng had already dragged the people to the shore. The lake was cold to the bone, and the owner of the boat was still tied to a big stone, but Yang Chengkai dragged him to the shore with one hand and a single stroke with the other.

Xu Qing and the others hurriedly took the mattress blanket and went down to wrap Yang Cheng. Fortunately, it was saved in time, and the boatman was still conscious, but he poured a lot of water into his nasal cavity.

After vomiting for a long time, the boatman sat on the ground, brushed his snow-white beard without expression, howled loudly, and sang willingly:

Lived in this ancient crossing for the first sixty years.

Regardless of the earth, it does not matter the sky!

Eat with your conscience and make money with your strength!

Rich people don't love, and people without money don't pity!

At this time, the sun shot at a low angle, reflecting on the water surface of the endless West Lake, and the tattered old ferryboat lay motionless under the dead poplars.

The old boatman sat on the ground, his wet clothes, motionless, and did not seem to be cold at all.

Xu Qing was also helpless, sighed, and asked Zhang Forestry to put clothes on him. He pulled it to a sheltered place on the shore and lit a fire.

The fire burned brightly, and everyone's faces were flushed.

Saving people, if not for anything else, is for respect for life.

"Alas, old man, where is your son?" Xu Qing asked.

"I, I have a son." The old boatman looked up at Xu Qing: "Do you know? My son, he is much older than you! You're afraid you don't know him, right? Stranger...... At that time, my father and son were driving the same boat. I took a daughter-in-law for him......"

"What about them?" Xu Qing asked again, thinking that since he had a son, how could he let the old man wander by the lake like this.

"They? That year, there was a lot of bandits in the lake, and many people died, and some people accused my son of being a bandit. Alas, where did he dare to collaborate with bandits? But the government wanted to arrest him to take the blame, but my son refused to go, and he punched him in the face! I, I won't, a kick in the stomach! Young man, have you ever encountered these things that turn black and white upside down? ”

Xu Qing looked at Shangguan Yi, and Shangguan Yi waved his hand, indicating that he didn't know about it. It seems that it was a long time ago, maybe it was at the end of the Sui Dynasty.

"Young man! I waited for the sky to open my eyes, you see, I waited for a year, I waited for another two years, three years...... My daughter-in-law has remarried to a yellow-bearded man who sells meat, and my grandson has grown up. But they wouldn't give me their grandson! They said, "When you have the money, we will send your grandson back to you." ”

"So, young man, for the sake of my grandson, for the sake of the future, I have to be rich!

"In the winter it freezes and snows, and I have to cross the lake; In the summer, it was windy and rainy, and I had to cross the lake......

"When there was a famine, there were many people in the lake and few people crossing the lake, but I still had to find money. I live in the boat and eat in the boat......"

"The son is gone, the daughter-in-law is gone, and the grandson is not coming back," the old boatman suddenly became excited: "Now, now, the boat is gone!" ”

The old boatman said, everyone listened, and every word of the old boatman turned into a heavy punch on Xu Qing's heart.

Starting a family and starting a business, this is the pursuit of ordinary people's lives, but these two things of the old boatman are torn apart by reality little by little. Even if he sacrificed his life to work, he couldn't get back a little.

"Where's your money?" Yang Cheng suddenly asked: "After a few years of ferrying, you always have to have some savings, the boat is leaking, and you don't even have the money to replenish the boat?" ”

"That's right, the boat isn't all gone, and it can be used to make up for it."

"I have to send food to the prison every month, quilts in winter, and a cut from the head of the cell, all of which cost money, and I am old again, and the guests do not want to take my boat......"

When everyone heard this, they sighed again, and Xiaohong tugged at Shangguanyi's sleeve and said, "Childe, do you want to hire him on our ship?" ”

Shangguan Yi shook his head and looked at Xu Qing, which means that you are much more capable than me.

"Okay, old man, I'll arrange it for you......"

"No, no, no, I'm a ferryman, I don't owe favors, I don't sell favors."

"Old man, listen to me, I am a court official, and it is right to ask for the people's life," Xu Qing said: "I will investigate your son's matter, and you will go to Qiantang City first, and I will arrange an errand for you." Wait,"

"What? You, you, you, you're an official?! ”

Seeing the boatman hurriedly kneeling down to say goodbye, his expression was the same as that of a pious pilgrim in the temple. In Xu Qing's heart, he once again felt the responsibility of being an official, even if he didn't want to be an official.

Helped up the old boatman, agreed with Shangguanyi to go to the Wenhui, returned to Qiantang, and arranged the old boatman to his own boat to be an auxiliary helmsman.

- There was a problem in the background, a little later