Chapter 2 Out of the Plug (2 II)

After laughing, the estrangement between the two faded. Seeing that it was still early, he was not in a hurry to report back to Liu Laozhuang, so he simply found a tavern that looked cleaner on the side of the official road, gave the reins of the horse to Xiao Er, and walked in.

The shopkeeper was worried that the door was so clean that the birds had already built a nest, and when he saw two young young students who were full of books and spirits walking in, how could he not work hard to entertain them. After a while, a few local specialties and half a jar of rice wine were placed on the table, Xu Dayan and Li Xu put the two low tables together and chatted while eating, the more they talked, the more speculative they became.

After talking about it, Li Xu realized that it was not easy to be the child of a big family. Since childhood, he has been restrained like a prisoner, and there are many rules on how to walk and how to eat. As for reading, practicing martial arts, writing, reciting poetry, and other things that Li Xu feels enjoyed, it is a daily drudgery for Xu Dayan. The rest of them observe the world's major events, participate in family affairs, and interact with other families, which is even more annoying.

And Xu Dayan is quite curious about Li Xu's daily life. Cuddling grass, catching rabbits, playing with mud, and fighting in groups are all games he never dreamed of. As for taking thatch to block people's chimneys, throwing lit wild peppercorns into the livestock pen, and all kinds of "evil deeds" that can be the same crime as "going to the house and revealing the tiles"! It is even more unheard of. How happy and exciting it is, Xu Dayan can't imagine it.

The wine in this tavern is as tasteless as white water compared to Uncle Zhang's private brew, but Xu Dayan and Li Xu still feel that the most enjoyable drink in their lives is today. As they spoke, the two talked about the most proud thing in their lives.

"That kid is also very tough, knowing that he has fallen into the trap I set in advance, he didn't frown and went to my rice shop to carry a sack for an afternoon. Although he was beaten half to death by his father after returning home, he still came to school the next day and met with everyone, and he was still so arrogant! Xu took a glass of wine with wide eyes and introduced proudly.

His proudest feat occurred last year. Fifteen-year-old Xu Dayan set a trap to make a child surnamed Hou, who looked down on him, lose the gamble, and volunteered to be a young man in Xu's rice shop for half a day. Although he was beaten by his parents afterwards and ordered to come to the door to apologize, all that he remembers is proud.

"Then, is that family surnamed Hou more than your family's property?" Li Xu asked in surprise. During the conversation, he learned that Xu Dayan's family has hundreds of acres of grain fields and more than 40 shops under his name, all over the surrounding counties. In Li Xu's memory, such a big family business is almost unmatched by almost no one near Shanggu. How did he get to Xu Dayan's hometown, and there were still people who looked down on him.

"It's not because of family wealth. In terms of family wealth, the Xu family is not a small household. In terms of face, it is a real poor family, and the number of good days is only fifty years. And the Hou family, since the time of the Han Dynasty, has been a wang family, stretching for more than ten generations. So, I can't even get close to their door! When he got closer, he was scolded by his family. Although I went to apologize that time, I went straight in, and no one dared to stop me! Xu Dayan was full of alcohol, and he bit the word Hanmen sonorously. His family will not be able to get this façade back if he does not receive my apologies. Let me go in and apologize, I can't say that I have never had anything to do with a poor disciple of me. On that day, their old lady's face was better than a monkey's ass! ”

In the counties of Hedong, there are some big families, such as Yingji Liu, Qinghe Zhang, Song, Bingzhou Wang, Puyang Hou family, and some such as Xiao, Liang, Li, Zheng, Hao and other wealthy families with the blood of emperors and generals. In the eyes of these big clans, there is only Haoyou, who has a long history with their own family, and they don't look down on the Xu family, a newly rising explosive household. Even the current emperor, because he used to have the surname Puliuru, they are reluctant to marry him. On the contrary, because of the noble blood and large population of these people, the imperial court of successive dynasties had to award high-ranking officials to appease. (Note 1)

Therefore, Xu Dayan was also full of disgust with wealthy families like Li Xu back then, but as he grew older, his mentality gradually calmed down. I don't want to trouble these people anymore, I just hope that my family will one day become stronger than those hereditary wealthy, so that all those who have despised me will regret it.

"It's man-made, the so-called wealthy family is just a chance meeting, and there are a few heroes. I don't believe it, ten years of hard work can't get me a proud foundation. What about Brother Xian, what is the happiest thing for you, can you say that you have a drink with Brother Fool? Xu Dayan dried a lamp, poured another one for himself, and held it high, showing his youthful and arrogant state.

"Me?" Li Xu was speechless again. Since he became sensible, in addition to studying and playing, he has helped his mother tidy up the housework every day. More than ten years of memories are full of daily trivialities. With a bit of warmth, but also with a bit of bitterness. In the cold night, it is okay to slowly reminisce about it, but if you take it out and share it with others, it will become tasteless.

"Yes, hasn't Brother Xian ever done anything out of the ordinary and proud?" Xu's wide-eyed eyes were wide enough to stuff a bun, and he asked expectantly. Chatting with Li Xu today, he saw a completely different side of his life, curious, fresh, and made up for the shortcomings of never having fun playing since he was a child. I always regarded the story of Li Xu's youth as my own, and imagined how I would be naughty and mischievous if I were Li Xu, catching cats and teasing dogs.

"Just last month, I fought a wolf on my own, and it's so big!" Li Xu's hand turned to the front and compared it on the two small tables in one place, and said proudly. This was already the proudest thing he could remember in his life, although he was almost scared by the she-wolf to pee his pants at that time.

"And then you took out other people's cubs and named them Ganluo, right?" Xu asked with a big smile. In his eyes, although Li Xu is wooden and has little knowledge, he can be regarded as a young talent. When he was young and dared to go up the mountain alone to fight wolves, he was also worthy of his own friendship with this courage.

"Well, they say the little wolf is a scourge, so I call it Ganluo!" Li Xu nodded, his face a little gloomy. On the night he got the wolf cub, his father ordered him to drop out of school to evade military service, and all his original ideas about life were overturned. Until now, when I think about these things, I still feel faintly regretful in my heart.

"Name a beast Ganro, it's yours!" Xu laughed and raised his eyebrows, "Come on, do this." For my brother, I admire your courage, two years ago, I said that I chased and killed a lone wolf, and I never went out! ”

"Where is the pursuit, I was almost eaten by it!" Li Xu was a little embarrassed to be praised, took a sip of wine, and said. Looking at Xu Dayan's puzzled look, he had to briefly describe how he met the wolf, how he was almost killed by the "treasure bow" that was "worth three hanging dollars", how he shot the she-wolf with his eyes closed, and how he chased the little wolf with blood.

Listening to him finish his words word for word, Xu Dayan thought for a while and reminded: "Brother Zhong Jianxian, your bow may really be worth three yuan." According to the length and strength you said, it should be our Da Sui's riding bow, a good thing that you can't see on the market at all. ”

"After hearing what you said about the horse lance, I thought so too. May I ask Brother Xu, is there any difference between this riding bow and a stepping bow? Li Xu nodded and asked. He had always had a love-hate relationship with his uncle's bow that had been good and bad. Transfer it to someone else, and I am very reluctant to do so. Keep it for yourself, but I don't know when Uncle Gong lost his temper and gave his life in vain.

"The riding bow is short, but the strength is not necessarily weaker than the foot bow." Xu Dayan slapped the small table in front of him and sang the secret of bow management in a low voice. "Winter treatment of the bow stem, spring treatment of the corner, summer treatment of tendons, autumn of all materials, cold repair appearance, wine steaming, fire section, clamping, hand tearing, slow smelting. Silk knots, dry glue, lacquered, stringed, re-tamed...... This is something Li Xu has never heard of, his eyes widened, like a toddler who craves food, desperately absorbing the nutrients in the song.

"The art of riding and archery originated from King Zhao Wuling. But the method of controlling the bow is a unique skill that has been passed down for hundreds of years in my Central Plains. Making a good bow is the same as making a good lance, and it requires the selection of materials, glue, etc., and each step is said to be very strict. It usually takes four years to get a good bow, and in my Great Sui year, in order to conquer the south, I gathered the archers of the country, but I only made more than 10,000 such good bows. Later, the new emperor ascended the throne and used all the money for fun, and the good bows and craftsmen were extinct. Hehe, your bow, don't say three hangs, sell it to the infantry captain, and he will be willing to pay for thirteen hangs! ”

"Poof!" Li Xu didn't swallow a sip of wine, and choked out all at once. Thirteen hanging ?!! Thirteen thousand dollars?!! Grandma, this is a big number that he has never heard of when he is so old. With so much money, it is enough to open a shop, so why bother to go back and forth and suffer.

As he was calculating, he heard Xu Dayan say: "However, when fighting, the generals all wear heavy armor, and it is difficult to really hurt the other party with a bow." That's why Luo Gong can weigh many arrows without dying. If it weren't for the iron armor of my Great Sui, if you don't have many arrows, one arrow will be shot through!"

"That's nature, Brother Xu knows how to ride and shoot!" Li Xu picked up his wine glass and humbly asked for advice.

"Not so clear! When I was learning to bow with a bow, Master always said that if you shoot a few more times, you will naturally become familiar with your hands. I don't have that much time to shoot archery, and when I think about it, people ride war horses and wear heavy armor, and they are not so easy to be shot by me! Xu shook his head, offering a disappointing answer.

Seeing that the sky was already dark, Xu Dayan took out more than a dozen copper coins and settled the account. followed Li Xuxiang back to Liu Laozhuang. Autumn is high, and it is ten minutes of the full moon, and the ground is very bright. You don't need to light up the lights to see the person on the other side.

The two of them tied up their horses, and before they could catch their breath, they heard someone say in a strange way: "The two heroes are back, do you see General Luo?" Did he give you some copper coins to thank you for your courage in the afternoon! ”

Li Xu looked up and saw Sun Jiu, Zhang San, Wang Mazi and several other older businessmen looking at him in the moonlight, looking at the situation, everyone had been waiting in the courtyard for a long time.

Just as he was pondering how to answer, Xu Dayan stepped forward and said first: "General Luo is such a person, how can he pay attention to this little matter." It's just that the infantry captain under his account praised me for waiting for righteousness, and I have been eating and drinking until now. He also promised that if the caravan had something to do in Zhuozhou, Yuyang, and Anle in the future, he would report his name! As he spoke, while others were not paying attention, he gently kicked Li Xu's calf with his back heel.

"Yes, it's Captain Luo's enthusiasm, and the two of us were pulled and couldn't leave, so we came back late!" Li Xu, who had never lied, stammered, and in his chest, he felt that a deer was jumping all the time.

"Hmm!" Zhang San, the deputy leader of the caravan who originally wanted to make a difference, lost his temper, and scolded with a blue face: "The smile of the businessman welcomes the Quartet, when will it be our turn to report the injustice." Once you get to the ground of other people's houses....... "Halfway through the scolding, think about it is still the boundary of Zhuozhou, and if you offend the government, there is no good fruit to eat." He spat thick phlegm on the ground, stomped a few times with straw sandals, and walked away.

Wang Er Mazi saw that the deputy leader stopped talking, and he also ran out of words. During the day, he, Lao Du and others saw with their own eyes that the captain surnamed Bu sent Xu and Li out of the city with a smile. Although this person is only a six-rank captain, but in various places in the border area, the captain of the Tiger Ben Iron Cavalry is more majestic than the head of a county. In case he loses face with the Tiger Ben Iron Ride, he will not want to pass through Zhuozhou again in the future.

"Be careful in the future, and leave the idle things you can alone. Once you are hurt by two beards, I can't explain to your family! Seeing that his companions had walked away, Sun Jiu shook his head and sighed to advise. Looking at the reddened faces of the two teenagers, he lowered his voice a little and said, "They lost money in the afternoon gambling, and they were not happy. So you two don't mess with them. The traders who were rescued by you in the afternoon were from Yangzhou, and they came to the door and sent you two large pieces of Suzhou silk as a thank you gift. I've stuffed you under the covers, so take it alive! It should be worth a lot of money! ”

"Thank you, Uncle Nine!" Li Xu and Xu Dayan saluted at the same time. The temperament of the caravan leader Sun Jiu is completely different from that of several other old rivers and lakes, open-minded, generous, and knows how to cherish the younger generation.

"Go to bed early, wake up early tomorrow!" Sun Jiu smiled kindly and turned to leave.

A sudden turmoil disappeared without a trace with Xu Dayan's calm response, and the two teenagers stuck out their tongues opposite each other and followed Sun Jiu to their respective bedrooms.

The so-called bedrooms are just two large rooms facing each other. In each room, two wooden planks were laid opposite each other, and straw was laid on top for the merchants to rest. Although it is a bit simple, this is already a high-end private room compared to sleeping in the wilderness. So at this time in the house, there were already snoring sounds one after another.

Li Xu tiptoed into the house, and found his bunk according to Sun Jiu's prior instructions. The quilt roll has been unfolded, and judging from the neat creases at the corners, it was Uncle Jiu's own help. Li Xu was grateful, nodded vigorously at the figure outside the window, and reached out to touch his bed.

A soft sensation like warm water immediately slid down his fingertips to his chest. It is high-quality Suzhou silk, no wonder several old traders who have lost money in gambling are looking red. Li Xu picked up the silk surface by the moonlight shining in from the window, and saw the cloud-like color of the blue sky. This is the favorite color of a large family of readers, Xu Dayan wears such a one, and Zhang Xiaowu also has a similar straight jacket, but he is reluctant to wear it all the time, and he only wears it on important days to show off.

Thinking about what happened during the day, Li Xu couldn't sleep. The appearance of the captain riding a horse and holding a lance was imprinted in his mind like a knife carving, and as soon as he closed his eyes, his heart was full of the image of that heroic man. Compared with this clear heroic image, the appearance of General Luo, who was admired by the infantry captain, was a little blurred. Although General Luo is a big hero, his story is exciting.

After turning back and forth a few times, Li Xu still couldn't sleep. knew that he was destined to have no chance with Ma Lance in his life, and he didn't have the opportunity to do a six-rank martial arts job at such a young age like a foot captain. When chatting with Xu Dayan during the day, he learned that even if he joined the army, it was difficult for ordinary soldiers to get ahead. The children of the family are harder than themselves, their martial arts skills are higher than their own, and they naturally rise faster than themselves. The children of small families like themselves are usually only qualified to carry baggage, or to carry firewood and grass to fill the trenches during the siege. After death, there will be no horse leather shroud, but a random burial, and within a few days, the belly of a wild wolf and vulture will be cheapened.

Thinking of the wild wolf, Li Xu thought of Ganluo who was placed in a corner of the stable. This master is not liked by everyone, and Ganluo is estimated to have no one to take care of him. Climbed down from the bunk, and then Moonlight took out a large piece of jerky from his bag, and Li Xu crept into the moonlight.

The moonlight poured like water on the yard full of donkey feces and horse dung, and the whole ground seemed to be stained with a layer of frost, soft and beautiful. It was very quiet in the four fields, and occasionally the cricket cries came from the corner of the yard, astringently, as if the throat was blown by the autumn wind. Li Xu remembered that before he left, his uncle always coughed. I don't know how his throat is now, if he has eaten the herbs he dug up and is better. Mother, in such moonlight, she should sit in the yard and step on the loom by the moonlight. My mother, who had been weaving linen for three days, seemed to rarely wear new clothes, and in my memory, every piece of her dress was patched.

After only a few days away from home, Li Xu found that he was already very, very homesick. The joy of wandering before leaving is gone, and what is hidden in the depths of my heart at this moment is only the deep longing for my parents. However, he can't go back to that home in a short time, and the conscription is imminent, according to Xu Dayan's analysis, once the government is in a hurry, the children of any family will be forced. If you want to use money to buy off the relationship, you have to see if the old man can keep the official hat on his head first.

A little light caught his attention, it was the small room that the master had opened for the caravan leader. In the entire caravan, only Sun Jiu was qualified to live. Thinking about the old man's care for himself along the way, Li Xu slipped back to the house, grabbed the piece of Su silk, and touched it towards Sun Jiu's bedroom.

The moment he stepped into the courtyard again, he heard several noises rushing out of the window of Sun Jiu's room.

"You always protected him, and today he dares to meddle in the affairs of the Turks. Out of the plug, he dares to meddle in other people's affairs, and once he causes trouble for the caravan, everyone will go bankrupt! This is Uncle Zhang's voice, sharp and anxious. In plain life, he always smiled and called Li Xu to help him do things.

"Yes, Brother Jiu. That kid is not a material for trading at all, and he has no eyesight, and his temper is stubborn. Everything has to be taught, and it's easy to cause trouble. With him, there will definitely be countless troubles in the future! It was Wang Mazi who said this, and Li Xu clearly remembered the disgusting yellow teeth in his mouth when he spoke.

"And the little wolf, which is getting bigger and bigger. Brother Jiu, you have to have an idea. Everyone trusts you, but you can't let him mess around. We can't afford to mess with the surname Xu, Li Damu is a guy who can't kick a fart with three feet, are we still afraid of him? "It was Du Scar who said this. Li Xu knew that from the first day he left home, this person had been talking about the food he ate at an inn, and he had paid twice the price of eating at another house. But that day, Li Xu clearly remembered that the meeting gift this person gave him was only a blank coin, and half a corner was missing on it.

In an instant, the invisible moonlight in the sky turned into tangible cold water, pouring directly on Li Xu. He felt that his whole body was cold and cold, and his flesh and blood were frozen in one place. This is the "friend" who patted his chest in front of his parents and said that he would take care of his safety all the way. This is the elder who once touched his head and had a loving face. They were going to drive themselves away for the sake of a possible danger, and last night, when they were helping them to feed their animals, they said it was a blessing to take them with them!

What you see with your own eyes may not be the truth. What you hear with your own ears is not necessarily the truth. Li Xu remembered Old Master Yang's parting words, and a flame slowly ignited in his eyes.

"Have you made enough trouble, are you going to stand at the head of Xu Qi's bed and tell him this in person!" Sun Jiu's voice slowly came out through the coarse paper window. Not tall, but firm and powerful. Li Xu saw Uncle Nine stand up, and the light cast his figure on the paper window, looking as majestic as a mountain.

"I understand what you're forcing me to do. I, Sun Jiu, also said this sentence today, and now in Jixian County, I am not the only caravan ready to leave. Whoever plans to dismantle the fire and join other caravans, don't get up tomorrow morning, and I, Sun Jiu, will never stop me. But whoever wants to throw Xu Qi down, there is no door. I'll say it again, everyone. Tonight, you shout casually, out of Zhuozhou, if anyone has a crooked mind about Xuzi, don't blame me Sun Jiu for not treating him as a friend! With that, he untied something from his waist and slammed it heavily on the table.

Zhang San, Du Scar, Wang Mazi and others were all shocked. No one thought that Sun Jiu would get angry with a few old partners for a little hairy child. A few people muttered, not daring to say more. Seeing that everyone was unconvinced, Sun Jiu stroked the short knife and sat down, and said in a low voice: "That kid is a little reckless, but he is not bad-hearted." Along the way, which of you didn't help him?. He has never been far away, and he has been taught everything. But did he use you to teach a second time? Don't you feel ashamed of a child who has read books, is warm-hearted, and knows warmth and coldness? I also know that you are bullying his father Li Mao to be honest, but brother, let's not just focus on the present. There is an old saying, don't bully young people into being poor......."

Li Xu wiped the tears on his face, held the cold Su silk, and slowly retreated. He didn't want to listen to it anymore, maybe the world was like this, he could step on horse manure or pick up mushrooms. Nothing is born perfect, and it won't be that all people appreciate you and understand your efforts.

That night, Li Xu had a dream. In the dream, he saw himself riding a horse and holding a lance, charging and killing on the field. And around the battlefield, countless unfamiliar or familiar faces were cheering loudly.

Man is not an animal and does not need blood. When he woke up, he firmly remembered the words of General Luo Yi.

Note: Pu Liuru, Yang Jian's Xianbei surname. His father made great contributions to the Xianbei people's war and was given the surname Puliuru.

Alcoholic: It's the second shift, let's vote.