In the early morning of the first day of August, a canopy boat quietly sailed from the West Water Gate of Shanyin City to the side of the Bashi Bridge, and floated quietly on the water surface of the Miao River, but no one had left the boat to land for a long time.

The morning sun has not yet risen, the morning breeze is cool, the Demo River bypasses the Fuxue Palace and meets the Temple River here, the autumn water is clear and clean, the water surface is rippling with a thin green mist, blurred like twilight, the few red leaves on the bank are like clusters of flames burning in silence, pedestrians pass by the bridge, laughter is getting louder, the shops on both sides of the river bank are also open for business one by one, and the day of Sanyin Castle begins.

Wang Binglin bent out of the canopy cabin, followed by a servant who picked up a gift box, the bow of the boat laid the pedal, let the master and servant go ashore, Wang Binglin walked up to the bridge, looked back at the canopy boat, sighed lightly, turned around and went to the Fuxue Palace.

Far away the two vermilion lacquer flagpoles stand tall, two flags in the wind, one flag embroidered with "the beauty of the benevolence" four big characters, the other side embroidered with the "five yuan and first" four words, its is the East Zhang Zhuangyuan archway, last year Zhang Yuan Xizhong Zhejiang Township tried to solve the Yuan county had funded in front of Zhang Yuan's house to build a wooden solution Yuan archway, this year Zhang Yuan and the first champion, this is the Sanyin City 30 years has not had a great joy, by the government, the county two levels of the yamen silver to build a tall stone archway, finely carved, extremely exquisite and magnificent—— At this time, the champion archway is crowded, because today the champion wife Shang will take her son to Beijing to reunite with Zhang Zhuangyuan, in addition to the relatives and friends and neighbors who saw off, as well as the members of the Han Society who came from hundreds of miles away, there are gifts and letters to send, between the two arches are the people who see off, Wang Binglin simply can't squeeze in, or Zhou Menong, who accompanied Zhang Ruiyang to socialize, saw Wang Binglin, and let the two servants squeeze over to pick up Wang Binglin, Zhang Ruiyang bowed his hand to Wang Binglin and asked about Wang Siren's recent situation, Wang Binglin said: " After a few days, the little nephew will send Jiaci and his sister-in-law to Yuanzhou to get together with Jiayan. ”

Zhang Ruiyang hurriedly said: "Which one, please let me know first, I will also prepare a thin gift to give away, Zhang Yuan can have today, all thanks to Mr. Yan'an's careful teaching back then." The heart said: "Mr. Chen'an's young daughter has not been married so far, it is really the original child who delayed the family, and now Mr. Chen'an wants to take his wife and daughter to Yuanzhou, presumably to find a good son-in-law in Yuanzhou." ”

Wang Binglin said with a smile: "Jia Yan said a long time ago that the main reason for being the champion of Jie Zi is his own talent and hard work, and Jia Yan does not dare to take credit, that is, like a little nephew, is Jia Yan still unwilling to teach me, but he is a name and returned from Sun Mountain." ”

Zhou Menong said: "I am also a famous grandson, who do I blame." ”

Zhang Cao squeezed over and said loudly: "The two masters are here to show off, right, bully me and wait for Bai Ding." ”

Zhou Menong was also good at sarcastic, pretending to be taken aback and said: "There are two champions in the east and west, my generation dares to show off here, it is really a class axe, which makes people laugh off their big teeth." ”

Everyone laughed.

Zhang Ruiyang did not expect that there would be so many congratulatory guests for the mother and son to enter Beijing, even the prefect of Shaoxing and the county of Shanyin and Huiji counties also sent people to send gifts, Zhang Ruiyang was not prepared enough, did not set up a shed in front of the door to entertain guests, and the hall of the house could not accommodate so many guests, he only stood under the archway in front of the door and greeted the guests, and there was the old squire said: "Quan Weng, the noble house now seems to be a little cramped, and the champion archway does not match, so Lang is now the official residence of the six words Lin Guan, if the time comes, it is not difficult to enter the cabinet to worship the prime minister, It's long overdue for this mansion to be expanded. ”

Zhang Yuan's letter to the family also mentioned that Mo accepted the slave who relied on him, Mo expanded the house, and Mo entered and exited the public gate, Zhang Ruiyang said in his heart: "This is really a son teaching Lao Tzu, but what, the son is so promising, it makes sense, Lao Tzu has to listen to his son." He smiled and said: "Children and grandchildren have their own children and grandchildren, Zhang Yuan is Zhang Yuan's business to be an official, I Zhang Ruiyang is just an old child, how dare I trespass, now my daughter-in-law and grandson are also going to Beijing, and in the future, my old couple will be lonely, and they want to do so much in such a big house." ”

Wang Binglin said: "Shibo, the little nephew wants to see Xiao Hongji, but he hasn't seen it yet, this time I say goodbye, and the next time I see him will be three years later." ”

Zhang Ruiyang said: "Okay, good." Turning his head and seeing his grandson Lu Chun, he said: "Lu Chun, lead Uncle Wang Shi in, Uncle Wang Shi wants to see Hong Yan." ”

Lu Chun is nine years old this year, very politely came over to ask Wang Binglin to follow him into the front hall, Zong Yishan is instructing the servants and porters to move the luggage and utensils to the Siming tile white canopy boat by the Tou Mo River, Shang Zhoude is also there, see Wang Binglin come in, greet each other, Lu Chun went into the inner courtyard to see his uncle Shang Ran, said that Uncle Wang Shi of the Hui Ji wanted to see Xiao Hongji, Shang Xianran knew that it was Wang Binglin, the son of Wang Siren, so he asked the nurse Zhou Ma to hold the swaddling Hong gradually out to show Wang Binglin, Yunjin, Rabbit Pavilion, and the two brothers of Luchun and Lujie also came out.

The four-month-old Xiaohong gradually woke up, with dark eyes, not afraid of people, sucking his thumb, leisurely, and the escort on the side said: "Don't suck your fingers, what my aunt said, don't suck." Taking Hongji's little hand away from his mouth, the little baby suddenly cried "wow", scared the seven-year-old Lu Jie quickly let go, and the little baby only cried, still "let's da, da" sucking his thumb with taste - Wang Binglin smiled: "Great, the cry is loud, and the spirit is vigorous." Touching Hongji's little face, he said to Zong Yishan: "This nose and mouth are very similar to meson, and the forehead and eyebrows are not alike, and these eyebrows are better than meson." ”

Lu Jie said quickly: "My grandfather and grandmother all said that Xiao Hongji's eyebrows are like my aunt, and his nose and mouth are like my uncle. ”

Wang Binglin hung a piece of five-colored jade pei around Xiao Hongji's neck and said, "This is a meeting gift, okay, hug it in, Hongjian Xian's nephew, and we will meet in Beijing in three years." ”

Zhang Rulin prepared a feast in Xizhang, and invited Wang Binglin and a group of guests to go to drink, here Shang Ran ate a bowl of porridge, and gradually fed Xiaohong with milk, and brought the nurse Zhou Ma, Yunjin, Yumei, two maids, and a small maid named Baima, these people are going to follow her to the capital, Zhang Ruiyang let his old servant Fu Cheng also go to wait, Fu Cheng has been following Zhang Ruiyang in Kaifeng Zhou Wangfu a few years ago, well-informed, quick to do things, although he is nearly sixty years old, but the body is still very healthy, this long journey, It is true that such an old and capable loyal servant is needed, Fu Cheng's son Fu Dagong has become a family and stayed in Shanyin - a group of people from the backyard door to the side of the Tou Mo River on the four Ming tile white canopy boat, this boat is Xizhang's, Shang Ran and Zhang Dai's wife Liu Shi ride, there is another Sanming tile boat, by Zhang Dai's father Zhang Yaofang and the servants to ride, Zhang Yaofang has to be sent to the capital, this Mash River was originally shallow and could not be sailed, this spring Zhang Rulin hired three hundred people to dredge the Erli River, and now Zhang's boat can already enter the Temple River through this.

Zhang's mother Lu was carried by Rabbit Pavilion and Cui Gu to the side of the Tou Mo River, the big-bellied Yi Ting followed, Shang Ran saw Aunt Tearful on the boat, and quickly hugged Aunt Zhou, she went ashore and hugged Aunt Lu and said: "Auntie, why did you come out again, didn't you already say not to come out to send it before——"

Zhang's mother Lu waved to the boat: "Hold it down, hold it down, be careful." Of course, this is to hug her good Sun Honggradually down.

Zhou's mother hugged Hongjian off the boat, Zhang's mother Lu Shi took Hongji's fleshy little hand, calling "good grandson" Buyi, tears wet the swaddling clothes, and the swaddling little Hong gradually grinned.

Shang Yanran was afraid that Auntie would be too sad to give up, so he deliberately said: "Auntie, then Hong and I won't leave today, let's leave in two days, and we can accompany Auntie a lot." ”

As soon as he heard this, Zhang's mother Lu hurriedly put away her tears and said: "How can this work, today is a good day to go out, and I turned over the "Jade Box", and the letter to Yuan'er also said that your mother and son will leave today, and Yuan'er will wait in Beijing, if he goes late, he will not be anxious." As he spoke, he wiped his tears with a silk handkerchief, and said to Xiao Hong with a smile: "Good grandson, go to Beijing to see your father, he hasn't seen you yet, see so cute, you know how happy you are." He kissed Xiao Hong left and right, and then said, "You guys go on the boat, I'm here to watch." "I don't know what I should have told me dozens of times these days, and when I parted, I didn't have much to say.

Shang Ran said softly to Yi Ting: "Sister Yi Ting, after Hong and I leave, you can move over and live in a hurry, accompany your aunt more, and don't let her worry too much." ”

Yiting said: "I know, you can go with confidence, take care of Xiao Hongjian on the way, and write a letter to my mother to report safety when I get to Beijing." ”

Shang Tanran got on the boat, and at this time Zhang Dai's wife Liu also brought a group of servants on the boat, and Liu brought seven maids and maids into Beijing this time, as well as two small servants and two old servants.

After a while, Zhang Rulin and others sent Zhang Yaofang out, Zhang Yaofang's wife Tao also came to see off, crossed the bridge to talk to Zhang's mother Lu, watched the two boats sail away, Zhang Rulin, Zhang Ruiyang, Zhang Bingfang, Zhang Cao and others sent a ride with the boat, Lu and Tao, these female dependents only stayed in place with tears in their eyes, Tao was better, Tao was not a good grandson, Zhang's mother Lu was extremely reluctant, and said: "I don't know when I will see you again!" ”

Many Jinshi have become Beijing officials, often only after the death of their parents to return to their hometowns - two boats to the Bashi bridgehead, the bridgehead waiting for a lot of farewell people, of course, have to stop the boat to say goodbye, Zhang Yaofang on the Sanmingwa boat wears myopia glasses and stands at the bow of the boat to see off the guests, the Simingwa boat is moored to the side and waits, there is a slightly smaller canopy boat and the Simingwa boat on the side of the bridge are moored together, Shang Ran didn't care at first, her current mood is up and down, both the desire to go to Beijing to get together with her husband, and the melancholy of leaving her hometown, Hearing Xiao Hong in his arms, he gradually laughed, Shang Xianran looked out the window, but saw a clear-eyed woman leaning against the bamboo window on the canopy boat opposite and smiling at her - Shang Xianran was taken aback: Isn't this Miss Yingzi of the Huiji Wang family?

(To be continued)