Evian Town, an inconspicuous town at the junction of Hubei, Henan and Anhui provinces.

It is embedded in the undulating peaks of the Dabie Mountains, just like a pearl at the bottom of the bowl, crystal clear. The jade-like white jade river runs through the town from south to north.

Evian Town, which used to be full of businessmen, began to decline in the early years of the Republic of China, but compared with the county seat of Huangjiang County, where it is located, it is even better than the size of the population and the circulation of materials.

In the autumn of 1927, Evian Town, which had been silent for a long time in the long river of history, suddenly stood out from the fog of the years, like a bright light in the valley of a thousand years.

The centuries-old White Jade Academy is located in the northwest corner of Evian Town.

The academy is built next to the river and has dozens of blue-tiled houses of all sizes. The courtyard is paved with green bricks, the trees are green, and the bamboo shadows are abundant.

The sun was about to set, and the town of Evian had been abandoned by the sun, with only a ray of afterglow on the hill to the northeast.

In a small room on the west side of the back garden of Baiyu Academy, the young Su Yu pulled his sister Su Lan's clothes and said, "Third sister, you disguised yourself as a man and deceived many people, right?" ”

Su Lan patted her brother's head and said, "Of course, your sister didn't grow up as a vegetarian. When he first entered the door, Steward He didn't recognize him. ”

Su Yu's mother, Su Zixuan, the dean of Baiyu Academy, sat next to the Eight Immortals table and asked with a solemn expression, "The Nanchang Uprising failed so much?" What about your second sister? ”

"It can't be said that the uprising failed, after all, the first shot was fired." Su Lan's face still had a look of exhaustion, "Second sister followed the team to the south. ”

Su Yu said: "Sister, you are hungry, I'll ask the kitchen to get you something to eat." ”

"Don't rush to eat yet." Su Zixuan patted the table lightly and said, "The situation has changed now. The new magistrate of Huangjiang County, He, was once the regimental commander of the Kuomintang army, and this person was insidious and cunning, ruthless, and could not be left unguarded. ”

Su Lan said, "Mom, you're too worried. The sparks of revolution have been ignited everywhere, and they cannot be stopped. ”

"I heard that there was also a peasant revolt in Hunan. However, it also failed. Su Zixuan's tone was not worried.

"I said a long time ago that riots don't work." Su Yu said with a folding fan in his hand.

"Milky hairy child, what do you know!" Su Zixuan glared at his son.

Su Yu lowered his head and said no more. This fourteen-year-old boy couldn't understand why his mother was so good in front of others, but she was always fierce and cold to herself.

Su Zixuan stood up, paced and said, "Lan, don't go out these days, wait for the wind to pass, and then you can come out and walk around." ”

Su Lan nodded.

Suddenly, there was a "click" sound outside the window, like a tree branch being broken.

"Who?" Su Lan shouted, and then opened the door.

I saw a short figure instantly float through the corridor of the south wing and flash into the south courtyard.

Su Zixuan pointed to the figure and said eagerly: "Xiaoyu, hurry up and call someone to chase after you, you must catch the thief." ”

Su Lan pulled out his pistol and was about to rush out. Su Zixuan stopped her: "You still don't show up." ”

Su Yu rushed out with an arrow.

At this time, He Hongdao, the housekeeper of the academy, happened to come from outside the courtyard. Su Yu shouted: "Uncle He, chase that thief." ”

Steward He was stunned for a moment, but suddenly understood and chased after the figure.

Su Yu saw from a distance that the man was not tall and was carrying a bag of things in his hand.

The man ran through the south courtyard to the round stone arch at the east end, and turned and burrowed into a narrow alley.

Su Yu and Steward He followed closely and ran over.

The man ran to the end of the alley and found that the "Iron General" had locked the door and could not get out. I had to stop, turn around and hold the burden on my chest.

Su Yu chased after him in a few big steps. In front of him was a young man in a short coat, about twelve or thirteen years old.

Su Yu smiled proudly: "Run, see where you're still running?" ”

The boy looked back and forth, left and right, and there was nowhere to run.

Su Yu and Steward He approached the boy step by step. Suddenly, the boy stuffed the burden into his mouth, bit it with his teeth, and jumped up slightly, like a spider with a web, using his hands and feet together, "poof, pong", and climbed up the wall.

"Hey," he said, turning his head and throwing a wicked smile, jumping out of the wall.

With a "poof", the boy landed on the soft ground. He thought he had fled to the outside of the courtyard, but when his feet hit the ground, he realized that it was a garden.

The flower beds in the garden are neatly trimmed, some are square, some are round, the chrysanthemums have bloomed, yellow, white, purple, and the walls of the courtyard are painted with portraits of ancient people.

There is a small pond in the middle of the yard with lotus flowers, which have fallen away, leaving only the remaining leaves.

The boy looked around and saw a door in the northeast corner of the garden, and he ran through it in three steps and two steps.

Because he rushed too fast, he didn't pay attention to his feet, and as soon as he pushed the door out, he tripped over something and fell and ate.

When he picked up the burden and got up, Su Yu was already standing behind the door, holding a paper fan in his right hand and gently patting his left palm: "Run, why don't you run?" ”

As soon as the young man turned around, he wanted to run again, but He Hongdao picked him up with his collar: "Little thief, what are you doing in the academy?" ”

The boy struggled and said, "I'm not a thief. ”

Su Yu smiled and said, "Uncle He, put him down." ”

He Hongdao put down the boy and said, "It's not a thief, what are you doing secretly?" ”

"I came to find my brother, and he is studying in the White Jade Academy."

Su Yu asked, "What's your brother's name?" ”

"My brother's name is Shi Dongliang."

"Oh, it's a pillar. Know. Su Yu said, "What are you looking for your brother for?" ”

"It's cold, my mom asked me to send him some clothes."

He Hongdao asked: "Since you are sending clothes, you will come in generously, why are you sneaky and run away when you see people." ”

The young man paused and quibbled, "I ran because you were chasing me." ”

"." Su Yu smiled again, this young man was really interesting, "How did you get in?" ”

The young man turned his head and glanced at the courtyard wall: "This wall is not high. ”

"This kid is not honest at first glance." Steward He said, "Thief's eyebrows." ”

The young man blinked his dark, small, and clever eyes and said, "You are a thief and a rat?" ”

Steward He pointed to the young man's shirt and asked, "What do you have in your pocket?" bulging. ”

The young man subconsciously covered his pocket: "I didn't steal it, but I just picked up a few dates." I haven't eaten yet? If you want it, then take it back, big families are stingy. ”

Steward He said, "Hehe, it's still hard-mouthed." The dates on the ground are picked up every day, so it's your turn. ”

"I only touched the date on the tree, and it fell to the ground, and I picked it up from the ground, and it was not stolen."

Hearing him say this, Su Yu was not only angry, but even happier: "This kid, interesting, what's your name?" ”

"Shaoxia, I don't change my name, I don't change my surname, my name is Shi Xiaoshu. My friends all call me Shi Shaoxia. Why, ask my name, are you ready to sue the officer? ”

Su Yu held the folding fan and arched his hand and said: "Fortunately, Shi Daxia, in Su Yu, let's make friends." ”

"Make friends, hum, don't." The boy took the burden in his arms and said, "We are not people on the same road. Or do they go their own way? With that, he turned around and was about to walk out.

"Alas, I thought you were a hero, but it turned out that you were just a thief, and you didn't even have the guts to make friends?" Su Yu turned to Steward He and said, "Forget it, Uncle He, let's go, let this little hairy boy go." ”

"Just hand it over, what's the big deal, who's afraid of whom." Shi Xiaoshu was angered by Su Yu's words, and he was barefoot and not afraid to wear shoes.

"Let's give this rabbit cub to the dean." He Hongdao twisted Shi Xiaoshu's arm and led him to the back garden.

At this time, Su Zixuan had already walked out of the hut and walked slowly on the garden path.

"Dean, it was this kid who ran away just now." Steward He pushed Shi Xiaoshu in front of Su Zixuan, "He said that he was Shi Dongliang's younger brother and came to deliver clothes." ”

When Su Zixuan saw Shi Xiaoshu, the expression on his face soothed a lot: "Boy, were you eavesdropping on us just now?" ”

"Shi Shaoxia has always been above board, and he will never do anything like stealing chickens and touching dogs, how can he lie on the window?" Shi Xiaoshu looked righteous and awe-inspiring.

Hearing him say this, Su Zixuan smiled faintly: "Lao He, take this kid to see his brother." ”

"Yes, Dean." Steward He was just about to leave, and remembered something again: "Dean, there is a flower drum show in Shun'an tonight, and Boss Wu sent an invitation, ...... you see?"

Su Zixuan thought for a while and said, "You can accompany Xiao Yu and let him also increase his knowledge." ”

"Yes." He Hongdao took Su Yu and Shi Xiaoshu out of the back garden and came to the south courtyard wing. The students of Baiyu Academy all went to practice rowing by the Baiyu River, and there was no one in the classroom at this time.

Su Yu said to the housekeeper, "Uncle He, you transfer his burden to Shi Dongliang." I'm going to take this new friend Shi Daxia to the theater. ”

"You don't have to call me a hero, just call me a young hero." Shi Xiaoshu arched his hand.

"Yes." Steward He took Shi Xiaoshu's burden, "Childe, wait a minute, I'll put down the burden, and I'll accompany you." ”

Su Yu waved his hand and said, "You are busy with yours, I will go with Shaoxia." ”

He Hongdao seemed a little worried: "This? ”

"What's this, the theater is not far from home."

"Well, the carriage is ready outside the door. When the play is almost over, I will pick up Childe. He Hongdao took the baggage and left.

"Let's go, let's go to the play." Su Yu tugged at Shi Xiaoshu's sleeve.

"Me?" Shi Xiaoshu's mind couldn't turn for a while, he was here to deliver clothes to the second brother, why did he suddenly have to follow the young master of the Su family to the theater and take a carriage.

Although Shi Xiaoshu was a little weak-hearted, he still warned himself to be calm, since he wanted to be a young man, he had to exercise his courage. Let's go, go to the theater and not watch the killing of cows, what's so scary.

Su Yu took Shi Xiaoshu into the carriage at the door. The two sat facing each other.

Su Yu was wearing a navy blue robe, and a folding fan never left his hand, quite a Jiangnan genius. He has clear eyebrows and beautiful eyes, and his eyes are clear and bright. It's just that under the strict requirements of his mother, his heart is a little cowardly.

Shi Xiaoshu wore a gray cloth short coat that had been washed countless times and had turned white, and it was still patched. The cloth shoes on the feet, the big toes are exposed.

Su Yu asked, "Are you literate?" ”

Shi Xiaoshu said: "I know a few, and the second brother Dongliang sometimes teaches me." ”

"Do you want to come to the academy to study?" Su Yu felt that as the son of the dean of Baiyu Academy, he could completely help this poor boy fulfill his desire to study.

"I don't want to go to school." Shi Xiaoshu blurted out without hesitation.

"Why?" Su Yu didn't expect Xiaoshu to answer like this.

"What's so good about studying, you can't eat it as food, and it costs money."

"There is Yan Ruyu in the book, there is a golden house in the book, and there is a thousand Zhongsu in the book." Su Yu said very seriously, "Have you heard these words? ”

"My dad said that those are deceptive nonsense, and honestly learning a craft is better than reading as many books as you want."

"Then why did your father send your second brother to study?"

"My second brother is too stupid to learn to be a carpenter with my father, so my father had to promise him to study, recognize a few more words, and not be deceived when he goes out, I didn't expect him to take the test and lift people."

The carriage slowly moved along the bluestone-paved streets. Suddenly, there was a shout from the back of the car: "Childe, wait a minute." ”