Lingbei Village is a small mountain village more than 40 miles northwest of Linfeng Town, backed by a large mountain range called Mengzhu Ridge.

The mountains run east-west, stretching for hundreds of miles, and the other four similar mountains are connected together, and the south of these five ridges is collectively called Lingnan.

Dozens of families in the village all make a living by hunting and picking mountain delicacies.

Leaving in the early hours of the morning, a car sent Buru and the little scholar to walk more than ten miles, and then the ox cart was impassable, he got out of the car and walked more than 20 miles of rugged mountain roads, and arrived at the entrance of the village when it was almost noon.

In order to facilitate self-protection, dozens of families gathered together to form three or four streets.

Entering the village, some black and white dogs rushed out of the low-rise houses, barking with their teeth.

On the side of the road, I saw many children under the age of seven or eight, wearing two or three thin clothes in the cold weather, and some even playing in the mud on the side of the road with bare feet.

After asking all the way, I came to the village chief's house in the middle of the village.

This is the best building in the village, two timber buildings divided into two floors, the lower floor is a cow and pig house, a chicken house and a stack of firewood.

The upper floors are connected together, and the connected parts form a sky garden, on which some flowers and plants are planted, and if they bloom in spring, summer and autumn, it must be beautiful.

"May I ask this uncle, does Pan Wenhai live here?"

On the sill of one of the taller, larger houses sat a man who looked to be fifty or sixty years old, sturdy and slightly old, and was now holding a firewood knife and breaking a bamboo stick.

The four or five meters long section of bamboo is divided into eight petals, and then the bamboo bag is cut off, and then subdivided into more than 30 small strips two or three millimeters wide and thin.

As a Buru who grew up in the countryside, he knew at a glance that it was used to weave a dustpan.

The man looked up and found Bu Ru, immediately put down the knife and stood up, looking a little helpless, and smiled; "Are you looking for Ahai? Are you his classmate? He's living here, you go into the house and sit down......"

A person in a mountain village can say these words to entertain guests who come to the door, which is already more polite.

As he spoke, he parted the bamboo strip in front of the door with his foot, and shouted to the smaller house as he invited the step inside; "Ah Hai, come out quickly, there are guests coming."

Entering a simple living room in the house, just as he sat down, a tall and thin figure flashed in, and when he saw him, he said very unexpectedly; "Xiaobu, why are you here?"

This guy is the friend who drank together in the restaurant last time, when he heard that he had to go to the county to live in the county for a month to prepare for the exam, and he was worried that he would have no money.

Indeed, if you live in the county for a month, even if you rent the worst inferior house, I am afraid that it will cost ten copper a day, and if you add another ten copper for food, it will cost at least six hundred copper a month.

And there are other expenses, such as the oil money for the lamp, for long-term tenants, the store does not pack lamp oil, only give you a lampstand, and the burning oil customers buy it themselves, and it costs at least dozens of copper a month here.

No matter how much social entertainment is saved, it will cost about 100 copper, and there is an application fee.

Money is needed everywhere, and it is indeed difficult for candidates from poor points not to take it out.

Bu Ru smiled and said; "In recent days, I have been reading "Spring and Autumn", and there are a few things I don't understand that I can't solve, so I want to come out and relax, and ask Brother Pan for advice by the way."

As he spoke, he took out the gift he had brought; There were two boxes of pastries, a large bag of salt and a bag of sugar, a pound of tea and a piece of pork of two or three pounds.

These gifts are generous in a small mountain village.

The man took it and took it to the kitchen.

Pan Wenhai sat down next to him; "Hey, what do you say, please ask, although I was two or three years ahead of you, but the level may not be as high as yours, and your opinions are much better than mine in many places." Although he said modestly, his face was smiling.

Bu Ru Dao; "You are the ruler of "Spring and Autumn", and your understanding of this book must be better than mine, so I don't ask who you can consult."

"Hahaha too, you know better than me in "Shangshu", and I will take it when it comes to "Spring and Autumn"...... Sit down, I'll boil some water to make tea. ”

"You just sit and accompany the study, and I'll burn it." The man who came out of the kitchen said to Pan Wenhai.

"This is my father." Pan Wenhai introduced it by the way.

Bu Ru stood up and said that Shibo made another big salute.

was saluted by a scholar, and ordinary people were still very useful in their hearts, and Pan's father hurriedly said that he was not welcome.

After Pan's father went out, the two chatted happily while discussing the things in the book.

After a while, Pan's father killed a chicken, and Pan's wife also came out to help, cooked rice, fried a piece of bacon, and served a cup of home-brewed wine.

After eating, he followed Pan Wenhai to his study, which was a slightly smaller house, and the two continued to talk.

"Actually, if you don't come today, I'm going to go and play with you in the next two days, your snail noodles are so delicious."

Bu Ru; "Oh?! Then you are welcome to come and eat at any time. ”

"I want to take someone to taste it, but she hasn't eaten it yet, but when she heard me, her saliva came out, hahaha."

Speaking of which, he looked out and teased; "Let the insiders hear it, I'm going to sleep in the study tonight."

Bu Ru couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"But seriously, if you don't charge any more money, I really don't want to eat, my dad said, doing business is doing business, treating guests is treating, just treat once or twice, you can't eat every day and let you please every day, right."

"Hahaha, okay, I can't take your money next time." Bu Ru laughed, and then asked again; "Haven't you found anyone to associate with? When do you plan to go to the county seat to sign up? ”

Pan Wenhai's eyes darkened; "Well, I may not be able to get out of the exam room this time."

"Why? With your literary talent, there is a great chance of passing the test. ”

"You just saw it, my mother has been bedridden for a long time, and she has to bring her meals in. Moreover, my father-in-law broke his leg when he went up the mountain at the beginning of last year, and he often relied on my family for help. ”

Pan Wenhai spread his hands and continued; "And my family's only income is that my father collects some furs from the village and takes them to the town to buy."

Bu Ru didn't speak, just sipped the tea gently.

"Ordinary people can make a lot of money as a leather merchant, but my father is too ...... There are twenty copper rabbit skins in the town, and he collects nineteen copper in the village, hahaha, and said that they are all from the villagers, and he can't make too much money, otherwise he won't be kind! ”

"A batch of goods earned thirty or fifty copper, and they often helped others...... Although the Son does not say anything about the Father, I do not mean that he is bad. Pan Wenhai said with a smile throughout the whole process, which shows that he does not have an opinion on his father.

Speaking of this, he came forward and lowered his voice slightly; "Believe it or not, he will definitely not be able to keep the salt, tea and sugar you just brought, and he will give it all away......"

As soon as he finished speaking, Bu Ru happened to look through the window and saw Pan's father walking out excitedly carrying three bags of things.

A seventeen or eighteen-year-old woman with a baby in her arms chased her out and shouted; "Father-in-law, why don't you leave some sugar for your mother-in-law to make up, and your grandson should also drink a little."

The man laughed, turned back, and said; "Save some sugar, then."

"The salt at home is running out......"

"It's okay, I'll buy ...... in two days"

Pan Wenhai's position couldn't see the situation outside, but he could hear those words, and at this time, he showed a smug look like 'I was really said by me', and laughed out loud.

Bu Ru also laughed.

Because he is in his own home, Pan Wenhai, who usually doesn't talk much, is more open, and Bu Ru only now knows that this friend is such an interesting person.

"You say, what money can my family come up with? What's more, if you pass the county exam, you have to go to the government to take the government exam and the hospital exam, right, don't look at my father as the village head, and the village head's family has no surplus food. ”

Buru didn't speak, and the two fell into a brief silence.

For a moment, Pan Wenhai sighed softly and said; "Actually, I also want to take the exam, not that I value the fame of this talent, but I just want to confirm how much I have learned, and there has never been a scholar in our village, I want to fight for my village.

Buru nodded.

"Moreover, if I pass the exam, I can also set up a private school in the village to teach the children in the village who want to study......"

Da Yongchao wants to run a private school, and the minimum condition is to be a child or above, not to say that he has read a few books and can do it if he wants to.

"Actually, I know what you're here for, and I've thought about marrying you, but if you can't get five people, it's useless to tie up with you, right? Besides, I've figured it out in the past few days, I don't plan to take the exam this year, I decided to study for another three years, save some money and go back then, anyway, I still have a lot of time. Speaking of this, he showed a look of nonchalance.

Bu Ru said gratefully; "Brother Pan has this heart, I am very moved, but we boys should be determined to be at the moment, what should be done at present, not to be postponed until tomorrow, you must know that tomorrow will be tomorrow, three years after three years, what if nothing is achieved in the end? Have you ever heard of "Tomorrow's Song"? ”

When Pan Wenhai heard this, he put away the look that he just didn't care.

Bu Ru gently hummed the song of tomorrow, the song was clear, and the lyrics were far-reaching, lingering in the small study room where a dozen books were hidden in the wooden house of the mountain village.

After finishing the song, Pan Wenhai straightened his clothes, stood up and said solemnly; "The foolish brother has been taught."

"Even if I bring a hundred coppers, I'm going to take this test!"

Bu Ru Dao; "Actually, let's get married, I already have four people here, so I'll leave you."

"Really?"

"What are you lying about, you come down the mountain tomorrow, let's go to the county seat together, today I have asked people to book a house in the county, I will be responsible for the food, and we will live together then."

Pan Wenhai stroked his palm; "It's so good, with your east wind, I'm sorry for you as a step boss if you don't take it. If you don't win this time, if you do, I owe you a personal favor. ”

Seeing that the discussion had been decided, Bu Ru rejoiced in his heart and said; "Don't say that, you are willing to risk offending the scholars in the county and marry me, you should say that I owe you a personal favor."

Panwen Haidao; "I don't study to intrigue with others, and even if I am the enemy of the whole county's readers? If I fail the exam, I go back to my small mountain village to study behind closed doors, so they want to come to my door and quarrel with me? ”

After a pause, he pretended to exaggerate; "If there is really such a persistent person who climbs more than 20 miles of mountain roads to come here, then I won't let the dog bite him, and I won't let the child scorn him, so why quarrel with him."

It was only for a moment that he was serious, and he was not serious.

Buru laughed.