I have lived in Luoyang for six or seven years, during which my father has always been famous as a clean official, but fortunately he has not been affected by the filthy atmosphere, and my father has accumulated a lot of fame for him in Zhuo County, so many officials have come to visit him at my house. My father always greeted the guests with humility and joy, but he would teach me in private: "Don't be lazy in dealing with people." After getting along for a long time, you will be able to know everyone's temperament, and the traitor and evil person cannot have a deep friendship with him, so as not to be framed by him in the future; Those who are highly respected will learn from him in order to improve their own connotation and cultivation. ”

One day, an official surnamed Huang came to my house as a guest, and he said to my father indignantly: "Emperor Yang of Sui is simply too confused! He dreamed of a very beautiful flower at night, after waking up, he ordered someone to draw the flower in the dream into a figure and sent people to look around, Wang Shichong said to Emperor Yang of Sui, the flower painted on the picture is called Qionghua, born in Yangzhou, Emperor Yang of Sui listened to it, he wanted to go to the south of the Yangtze River to see the beauty of Qionghua, and now he is ready to build the Grand Canal. ”

"Brother Huang, don't be impatient, Emperor Yang of Sui's construction of the Grand Canal may be just a rumor or just a whim of him, such a huge project, presumably he will soon dispel this idea."

"I hope so, the construction of the Grand Canal is much bigger than we imagined, and when the time comes, he will definitely forcibly recruit men throughout the country, and I don't know how many lives will be buried under the Grand Canal, I estimate that it is no less than when Qin Shi Huang built the Great Wall."

……

I remember that day, my father and Huang officials had a long discussion on this topic, but they couldn't be sure whether Emperor Yang of Sui's construction of the Grand Canal was true.

It didn't take long for Emperor Yang of Sui to send someone to invite his father to the palace to discuss important matters, and when my father returned, I saw that his eyes were full of disappointment.

The mother asked her father: "Why are you unhappy, what did Emperor Yang of Sui tell you?" ”

Daddy angrily slapped his slap on the armrest of the chair, making a muffled sound, he gritted his teeth and said: "As Brother Huang said, Emperor Yang of Sui is going to build the Grand Canal, and let me be responsible for the repair of the Zhuojun area, and what is even more hateful is that Emperor Yang of Sui also clearly said that the Grand Canal was built just to see Qionghua's face, what do you listen to?" Is this what a king of a country should say? ”

"Then repair, what are you angry about?" My mother was puzzled.

"Oh, you don't know how big this project is, you have to forcibly recruit men all over the country, and you don't know how many people will die after the Grand Canal is built, which is the construction of the canal, this is clearly an evil road for him to have fun with flesh and blood!" Dad sighed, "It's really a mediocre gentleman!" ”

In the first year of the Great Cause (605 AD), Emperor Yang of Sui ordered the Grand Canal to be dug. On March 21, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty ordered Shangshu Youcheng to discuss more than 2 million people in Henan and Huaibei counties, and opened Jiliang, "leading valleys from Xiyuan, Luoshui to the river, and leading the river from Banzhu to Huai", the whole journey is more than 1,000 kilometers long, communicating Luoshui, the Yellow River and the Huai River.

In February of the fourth year of the Great Cause (608 AD), Emperor Yang of Sui issued an edict to send millions of soldiers and civilians in Hebei to dig the Yongji Canal, communicate the Qin River, Qishui and Wei River, and navigate to Tianjin, and then, along the Yongding River, Tongzhuo County.

Since my father was in charge of the project, I was able to have the opportunity to go back to Zhuo County to visit Xin'er, and I brought Xin'er the most beautiful jewelry and delicious food in Luoyang.

As soon as I returned to Zhuo County, I came to Xin'er's house with a familiar car, Xin'er was making a female celebrity in the room with her mother, and she looked very good-looking.

"Xin'er." I called softly.

Xin'er looked up at me with a surprised and bright smile, Xin'er stood up and looked at her mother, who smiled and nodded for her to go out with me.

Xin'er and I chatted all the way, and our mouths didn't stop for a moment, as if we couldn't finish talking.

Time flies so fast, Xin'er and I haven't seen each other for almost eight years, and Xin'er has grown up and has already performed the ritual - she has coiled her hair up with a hairpin, and she has become more and more delicate and dignified.

I gave the jewelry and food to Xin'er, who happily wore the jewelry and said with a happy smile: "Brother Xiao Sheng, your vision is really good, these jewelry are so beautiful!" ”

"Xin'er is more beautiful than these jewelry!" I stared intently at Xin'er and said. Xin'er's face flushed, and her shy appearance made me so happy.

During the period when my father was in charge of the construction of the Grand Canal in the Zhuojun area, Xin'er and I spent the happiest two years, as if we had returned to the inseparable days of childhood.

In the sixth year of the Great Cause (610 AD), the basic construction of the Grand Canal was completed, and a total of more than 5 million migrant workers were requisitioned, which took six years and the whole line was more than 2,700 kilometers long.

The Grand Canal connects the five major rivers of Haihe, Yellow River, Zhun River, Yangtze River and Qiantang River, with Luoyang in the east as the center, Guanzhong Basin in the west, North China Plain in the north, and Taihu Lake Basin in the south.

After the construction of the Grand Canal was completed, I returned to Luoyang with my father and mother again, and said goodbye to Xin'er again, not knowing when the next time we met.