The years go by, and in a blink of an eye, it is the end of the autumn of the year.

After the swordsmen Li Zhiyu and Li Zhien failed to protect the son-in-law of the acting king at Liming Pass, the two of them fled all the way south, and finally reached the border of Zhou, which was only a hundred miles away from the imperial capital.

When Li Zhien traveled here, he was immediately attracted by the local customs and was reluctant to continue on.

Although the imperial capital was in front of them, the two stopped there, and made a private lifelong agreement in the Pinghu Town Inn on the border of the Zhou State and became husband and wife.

Bumpy all the way, Li Zhien's face was a lot more weathered.

Li Zhiyu is no longer the suave white-clothed swordsman. His face darkened, and his shoulders began to tilt habitually.

Love may be just a storm, but life must have firewood, rice, oil and salt.

Li Zhiyu and Li Zhien lived in Pinghu Town for more than a month and spent all their savings. In order to make a living, Li Zhiyu tried all kinds of ways to seek an errand, but he couldn't do it.

Because of the flourishing literary style of the Zhou Kingdom, the Chinese people did not like to dance with knives and sticks, and Li Zhi, as a samurai, encountered it at this time and found that what he had learned was useless in the Zhou Kingdom.

At a time when life was in danger, Li Zhien was pregnant again, and when he heard the news, Li Zhiyu was happy and felt uneasy in his heart. He was worried that he would not be able to support his wife and children, so he decided to go to the imperial capital to seek an errand as a caretaker.

After he told Li Zhien what he thought in his heart, although Li Zhien was reluctant to leave Zhou, she felt that since she was married to Li Zhiyu, she should follow her husband.

Li Zhi met Li Zhien so considerate of himself, he was moved and felt ashamed in his heart.

On this day, the husband and wife packed their bags and left Pinghu Town, preparing to go to the imperial capital.

They walked straight east along the boulevard on the shore of Pinghu Lake, and the way to customs clearance happened to pass by the Beilu Academy. On the display board outside the gate of the Beilu Academy, there is a list of recruiting painters.

The Zhou State was only a small country, and although the literary style in the territory was prosperous, there were often painters staying here. However, the requirements of the academy for painters are too high, and the master's requirements for the painters of the academy are almost harsh, and the remuneration he pays to the painters is pitiful.

In the adjacent imperial capital, the income of an ordinary painter can exceed that of a painter in the academy several times.

When everyone heard that the academy was recruiting painters, laymen came to see the excitement, but people in the industry scoffed at it and didn't care about it at all.

At this time, the weather was approaching early winter and October, and the climate in Wanzhou was gradually beginning to turn colder, and Li Zhiyu was still wearing a thin blue cloth gown.

Li Zhien is slightly better than that, but he is also a little down.

When the two of them saw the recruitment notice in front of the college, they stopped together to check it.

Li Zhien has been fascinated by the academy before, but he has never had the right opportunity to visit the academy.

Now that she saw the college's recruitment list, she couldn't help but be moved.

However, since she was a child, she has mainly practiced martial arts in the sect, and has only practiced some piano skills, and only knows some introductory skills for painting skills, so she cannot become a painter in the academy at all.

On a wicker chair outside the gate of the academy sat a teacher in his thirties.

This teacher's surname is Liu, and he has no homework arrangements today, so he was sent by the dean to be on duty in front of the recruitment notice.

Liu Jiaoxi is not tall, with a white face, triangular eyes, a small nose, and a smile on his face.

When he saw Li Zhiyu and Li Zhien stopping to check in front of the list, he asked, "Sir, but you're a painter?" ”

Li Zhiyu only knew how to use a sword but didn't know anything about painting, and when he heard Liu Jiaoxi's inquiry, he quickly shook his head and denied it.

Seeing this, Liu Jiaoxi put away his smiling face, and said with a displeased face: "Since you are not a painter, please dodge some, don't delay the people behind you to read the list text." ”

Li Zhiyu is a person with strong self-esteem, and at this time, he and Li Zhien are in trouble so far, and his heart is even more sensitive.

He saw Liu Jiaoxi's contemptuous tone, and the anger in his heart was instantly ignited: "Will you talk well, opening your mouth is like biting, are you a dog?" ”

Like Li Zhiyu, who is so angry and angry, this is a bloody battle if he disagrees in the Wu Kingdom, but few people in the Zhou Kingdom will be exaggerated by his anger.

When Liu Jiaoxi saw that Li Zhiyu was angry, he lowered his posture and said, "Why are you arguing so loudly?" Do you want to attract someone's girl to take a look at you? If you want to see it, please stand aside and don't talk much!"

Li Zhien saw that Li Zhiyu was angry, she quickly grabbed the corner of his clothes and said, "Be quiet, don't be rude to the teaching, this is the academy." ”

Li Zhiyu said: "I just don't speak!" Aren't I allowed to watch? What kind of truth is this, isn't the academy the most reasonable place, can you tell me what kind of truth this is? ”

Liu Jiaoxi looked up left and right, and when he saw that no one was passing by, he said to Li Zhiyu: "Have you eaten?" ”

Li Zhiyu didn't understand why Liu Jiaoxi suddenly asked, in some places in the Central Plains Empire, "Have you eaten?" This phrase is a greeting.

Liu Jiaoxi said: "It's noon, everyone is lunch, otherwise my colleagues don't know how to laugh at me when they see me arguing with you as a rough man in the countryside!" ”

Li Zhiyu's anger that he had just suppressed surged up again: "You are really a teacher in vain, our husband and wife just passed by and glanced at the list on the notice board, and you were counted down for no reason, do I really dare not slap you?" ”

Li Zhien saw that Li Zhiyu was angry again, and hurriedly persuaded him: "Senior brother, don't be angry!" ”

Liu Jiaoxi was also angry when he was confronted by Li Zhiyu's words. In fact, he was kind-hearted, but he was used to speaking in a stern tone to the students in the academy, so he accidentally collided with Li Zhiyu with his words.

After all, he is a cultivated teacher, otherwise he would not be able to teach at Beilu Academy.

Seeing that Li Zhiyu was so angry, Liu Jiaoxi first reflected on his mistakes, held back his anger and got up and bowed to apologize to Li Zhiyu: "Shicai is indeed making inappropriate words, and he also invited his brother Tai Haihan." ”

Li Zhiyu is also a person with a pure nature, he eats soft and does not eat hard, seeing Liu Jiaoxi apologize softly, he also clenched his fists embarrassedly and said: "Where, where!" It was my rudeness just now, and Li should make amends to Mr. ”

Li Zhien saw that the short-tempered Li Zhiyu suddenly gave in to the academy teacher, and she smiled knowingly: "Okay, okay, it's time for us to go on the road!" ”

Li Zhiyu turned around and looked at Li Zhien with tender eyes and said, "Okay! When we are developed in the future, and then return to Pinghu Town, Zhou Guo, we must go to Beilu Academy to have a look. ”

When Liu Jiaoxi heard that they were going to the imperial capital, he stretched out his hand to stop Li Zhiyu and said, "You are going to the imperial capital!" But this place is still a hundred miles away from the imperial capital, and you can't reach it for a day on foot! ”

Li Zhiyu said: "I am a person who practices martial arts, and I am not afraid of hurrying!" ”

Liu Jiaoxi pointed at Li Zhien and said, "I see that this lady has a haggard face and seems to be unwell, can she accompany you so far?" ”

Li Zhiyu was said by Liu Jiaoxi, and bitterness swelled up in his heart: "My lady is pregnant with Liujia, and she has suffered a lot with me, a useless person. I'm not afraid of Mr. jokes, we haven't had a full meal in three days! ”

Li Zhien smiled indifferently and said to Li Zhiyu: "Senior brother, what are you talking to Jiao Xi about?" Could it be that you still want to beg for food at the gate of the academy? The grace can be content by your side, and I don't care about the cold, warmth, hunger, and hunger! ”

Liu Jiaoxi saw that Li Zhien was born beautiful and knowledgeable, and the most commendable thing was that she would rather endure hunger than embarrass her husband.

Liu Jiaoxi thought that his wife at home was simply a tigress, and every time he called him, he was like a lion roaring in Hedong.

He had no prestige in front of his wife, and he lived a miserable life.

touched the scene, and he actually had a good impression of Li Zhiyu and his wife.

Liu Jiaoxi pulled Li Zhiyu and said, "Brother, don't leave in a hurry, go to the academy to rest for a while, and it's not too late to finish lunch and then go on the road." ”

Li Zhiyu shirked it at first, but Liu Jiaoxi was embarrassed, so he had to tell the truth: "Don't hide it, brother, I am now penniless, and it is precisely because I am desperate that I want to take my wife to the imperial capital to mix a bowl of rice." ”

Liu Jiaoxi said: "I think my brother is extraordinary, it must be just a temporary disaster, and there will be a time when it will soar in the future, if you don't give up, I will invite this meal today." When you are developed in the future, you must come back! ”

Li Zhiyu heard Liu Jiaoxi say this, and he was very moved.

Liu Jiaoxi clearly took pity on the husband and wife for traveling long distances hungry, and made excuses to compliment themselves.

The imperial capital is the largest city in the world, full of flowers and talents, and it is not easy to get ahead.

If Li Zhiyu was alone, he would definitely refuse Liu Jiaoxi's kindness. But now that Li Zhien is pregnant, he has been hungry for a few days in a row and has become sick, he can no longer bear to let his wife suffer, so he simply put down his face and agreed to follow Liu Jiaoxi into the academy to eat.

Although Liu Jiaoxi has an obscene face, he is a real person. After he invited Li Zhiyu and Li Zhien into the academy, he used his private money to buy a few side dishes, asked the cook to stew a chicken, and secretly took out a bottle of sake and pretended to be tea to entertain Li Zhiyu.

Li Zhiyu was warmly entertained, and his gratitude was indescribable, and he immediately became friends with Liu Jiaoxi.

Liu Jiaoxi did not drink well, and he was slightly drunk after only a few glasses, and he and Li Zhiyu married Jin Lan in the plum garden on the hillside behind the academy to become brothers of the opposite sex.

After they bowed, they continued to drink and talk happily, and talked about the evening, and they both had the intention of seeing each other and hating the evening.

There are few thousand cups of wine for confidants, and Liu Jiaoxi treats Li Zhiyu sincerely.

He and Li Zhiyu can be said to be like each other, and regard Li Zhiyu as a close friend. It was already dark, of course he wouldn't let Li Zhiyu and Li Zhien go on the road like this.

So he invited Li Zhiyu and Li Zhien to his villa in Pinghu Town.

Liu Jiaoxi's home was in Gaocheng, the capital of the Zhou State, and it was also a small wealthy family. His family has more than 100 acres of vegetable gardens outside Pinghu Town, and the vegetables grown are not only eaten at home, but the rest will be sold to the academy.

In order to take care of the vegetable garden, Liu Jiaoxi built a simple villa with bamboo and wood on the edge of Pinghu Town.

His villa is a small two-story building, and the front and back yards are fenced off to prevent livestock from entering and trampling on his carefully planted flower beds.

Liu Jiaoxi asked Li Zhiyu and Li Zhien to live in a bamboo villa, which is usually uninhabited and very quiet.

The west window of the bamboo building can see the entire Shiliping Lake, and the scenery is pleasant.

Li Zhiyu took Li Zhien around, and only today did he find a secluded place to rest quietly for a night, and both of them were full of gratitude to the newly married eldest brother.

When night came, Liu Jiaoxi went back to the academy with a lantern. He still has classes to teach tomorrow morning, so it is inconvenient to spend the night in the bamboo building.

Li Zhien felt tired during the day, and she went to bed early after seeing Liu Jiaoxi away.

Li Zhiyu looked at Li Zhien's tired and beautiful face under the oil lamp, tossing and turning, thinking about what to do tomorrow.