On the city wall, a few soldiers guarding the city stood there neatly, like a guardian saint, guarding the ancient city, and there were also a few soldiers who had just been rotated off work, getting together, sometimes talking and laughing at those winds and snows in the city, and there was a famous horn, fascinated and embarrassed, after all, their meager salary, even if a few people got together, they couldn't let the horn pour them a glass of wine, smiled helplessly, and the laughter that came out was full of passion and yearning.

Under the city gates, the surging crowd seems to never stop, making this ancient town full of vitality, but when the neighing of horses and the sound of whips are heard, many people look sideways.

Although it was evening, the summer heat was still pervasive, and if you wanted to turn the entire ancient city into a steamer, the people in the city would ...... Steamed bread!

There was no wind, no rain, just impatient heat.

Walking into the ancient city, this city is not very big, two streets are vertical and vertical, and there are residents sitting on the side of the street, enjoying the cool and chatting, and the pu fan in the hand is the whirring sound of the fan.

If you say that in the ancient city, the most lively is the teahouse, in which there is an ice cellar to store the ice left over from winter.

A bowl of tea and a few pieces of ice are enough to dispel the heat, and that kind of enjoyment is not exchanged even for an emperor.

In the teahouse, people get together and talk about the north and the south, and there seems to be a never-ending topic, like whose dog gave birth to a cub, whose baby went to the parent, and whose aunt brought a hat to her husband, in short, these things, in the teahouse, are things that are talked about.

The owner of the teahouse is a handsome descendant, it is said that his father and mother died early, and then he took over the stall, this posterity is only seventeen or eighteen, a handsome and handsome face, I don't know how many beautiful girls' hearts have been fascinated, even those young women, they can't help but look at a few glances when they pass by, and the matchmaker in the city has broken the threshold of the teahouse, but the latter has not agreed.

This posterity is called Wang Chen, he disdains to run a teahouse, if he doesn't need enough entanglement, he will never stay here, the young man is ambitious, he has a big dream in his heart, to participate in the scientific examination, to become a good official who dedicates himself to the people.

On this day, he got up early in the morning, took out the wooden board that had been prepared several years ago, picked up the brush, and wrote a few big characters without the slightest hesitation.

"The teahouse is closed. ”

After hanging the plank out of the door, Wang Chen led the donkey raised in the backyard, put on his backpack, and left.

"Yo, Xiao Chenzi is planning to go far away. ”

"Xiao Chenzi shouldn't be the girl from which family she falls in love with, and she is going to be the aunt who comes to the door. ”

"Xiao Chenzi, you can come back early, if there is no ice cellar at your house, when will this damn summer be a head. ”

Many of the regulars in the teahouse I met on the road greeted them with a smile, in their opinion, running a teahouse with a good business is fragrant and sweet, and only if the brain is kicked by a donkey, they will let it go.

But it wasn't until January, a year, or two years that the teahouse in the ancient city never opened again, that they realized that Xiao Chenzi might not really come back.

In the mountains, a scholar, holding a book and riding a donkey, wandered among the mountains and rivers, at ease.

"Heaven and earth are unkind, all things are dogs, saints are unkind, people are dogs, between heaven and earth, they are still vain and unyielding, moving and out. It's better to keep the middle ...... than to talk too much."

"If I am promoted this time, I must be a good official, a good official who will establish his heart for heaven and earth and the people. Wang Chen shook his head and said, thinking back to his scientific examination a year ago, and I don't know if he was selected, this time he is going back to Tang City to check the list, and the day of the list is tomorrow.

Tang City, but it is countless times larger than the ancient city, and the prosperity of the city is like a fairyland on earth, and the kingdom on earth.

In Tang City, there is a palace, which is a place where countless talented people in the world are fascinated.

As long as you enter the palace, you will have the opportunity to show your talents.

On this day, it was the day of the list, Wang Chen came to Tang City, and it took a lot of effort to squeeze his thin body in front of the notice.

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th......

The originally excited heart, as he saw the last name, the whole person was like five thunderbolts, and his mind was blank.

He was unexpectedly defeated.

Decadently walking out of the crowd, Wang Chen led the donkey and left Tang City, it seemed that the sound of talking and laughter in his ears was counting that he was not selected.

"Is it really my fate that I will not be able to go to court? If so, then where should I go?"

Wang Chen walked into the mountains and forests step by step, walked to the edge of a cliff, and finally couldn't help it, he cried bitterly, he was unwilling, he was confident that with his talent, he would definitely be selected, but why did he fall off the list, could it be said that the path he chose was wrong?

At this time, black clouds rolled in the sky, covering the whole sky, and in a short time, bean-sized raindrops fell on the earth, rendering the whole world into a land of water.

Above the sky, the silver dragon was raging, the explosion thunder was deafening, and the sound of rain falling on the ground resounded through the mountains.

Wang Chen turned over and got up, letting the rain hit his face mercilessly, he looked at the sky, as if he wanted to see through the sky, but his line of sight was hazy.

"Perhaps, the ancient city is my only way out......"

As if the rain had woken him, he led the donkey and walked down the hill in despair, towards the ancient city.

Along the way, the donkey seemed unwilling to return to the ancient city, and fought with Wang Chen again and again.

Wang Chen stretched out his hand and patted the donkey: "Brother Donkey, why should you, the world is so big, how can there be no place for me Wang Chen, the imperial examination is a dream, but everything is in the destiny of heaven, you and I can't escape after all." ”

The donkey barked, and walked with Wang Chen very reluctantly.

Wang Chen was helpless in his heart, but he couldn't tell a donkey about his unwillingness.

Back in the ancient city, Wang Chen looked at the wooden board he had written, gently removed it, and returned to his home.

The next day, the teahouse reopened, and those tea customers flocked to it, asking Wang Chen what he had experienced over the years.

Wang Chen smiled, silently grinding ice and making tea, day after day, year after year......

One day, when he was old enough to grind the ice any longer, he lay on the bed, holding the wooden board that said the end of the teahouse in his hand, and closed his eyes.

......

In the fairy spirit tower, Wang Chen opened his eyes suddenly, panting heavily, layers of sweat poured out of his forehead, and the whole person sat there in a daze, unable to calm down for a long time.

(End of chapter)