A gray magpie fluttered on the branches, brushed its feathers with its long beak and spread its wings and flew away. The branches swayed, sprinkling a few peach blossoms, and the petals drifted away with the wind and fell in the clear water, creating a circle of ripples, like a pink boat flowing down the river.

The creek meanders and eventually flows into the Han River in the south, where chickens and dogs smell each other. A few peasants are working in the fields, the big yellow ox is grazing with its tail wagging its head lightly, the mountains in the distance are verdant, the smoke curling at the foot of the mountain, the houses are like this, and the scenery is beautiful.

This is Shuimotou Village, a small village west of Chuzhou in the Great Chen Empire, with the Han River in the north and Jinping Mountain in the south.

Now it is the spring equinox, a few peach trees at the entrance of the village are blooming brilliantly, and the pink and white peach blossoms are clustered all over the branches, attracting countless bees and butterflies to fly in the flowers......

"The way of the university is in Mingmingde, in being close to the people, and in stopping at perfection ......"

Under a lush willow tree, a bamboo fence is set up, the yard is planted with mustard greens, lettuce, spicy melons, and a passage is paved with pebbles in the middle, and in the middle are three brick houses, which are private schools built by the wealthy gentry of the nearby villages.

There are four or five teachers in the school, and they teach students some "rites", "music", "poems", and "scriptures".

More than 20 teenagers in the school hall sat neatly, all with their little faces on their backs, and they were reciting "The Book of Rites and the University" diligently. The oldest of these children was no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, and an old man with a goatee sat upright on the podium.

This teacher is said to have been the prince of the Great Liang State in the previous dynasty, who was proficient in the six arts, read poetry and books, and made beautiful articles. The new emperor of the Great Chen Empire returned to his hometown when he ascended the throne, and because of his old age, he was respected by everyone as the old master.

The old master wore a Dongpo scarf on his head, a black straight robe, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he shook his head as the schoolchildren recited. After a while, when the children finished reading, they stroked their goatee and explained with a smile: "Those who stop will be yes and not involved; If you are the best, then of course things are extremely reasonable. Words are clear and virtuous, close to the people, and they should not ......move to the best place" After speaking, he held the ring ruler in his right hand and patted it lightly in the palm of his left hand, pointing to a schoolchild sitting in the front row: "You, do you understand?"

The child looked confused, he didn't seem to understand, and the old master pointed at the ruler, and his heart was even weaker, so he couldn't help but lower his head. The old master rolled his eyes, stood up, looked around, and said by name: "He An, do you understand?"

When the child whose name was named was clear-eyed, he heard the teacher calling him, so he hurriedly stood up and saluted respectfully: "Teacher, the disciple understands, "stop at the best" means that the teacher requires the disciple to have the pursuit of the best, start from small things, accumulate a lot, and develop the habit of self-reflection......"

The child named He An was not in a hurry, calmly answered, and gave a salute to the teacher.

"Hmm...... Good, good, good! The old master nodded with satisfaction, stroked his goatee, wrinkled with laughter at the corners of his eyes, said three good words in a row, motioned He An to sit down, glanced to the side, and the smile on his face disappeared instantly.

The old master walked off the stage with a ruler in his hand, and the schoolchildren looked curiously at the teacher's gaze, only to see a student lying on the desk by the south window, sleeping.

The schoolboy was about twelve or thirteen years old, wearing a square scarf on his head, his hands wrapped around the bookcase, a fat face on his pillow, his oppressed lips half open, and the back of his saliva sluggling hand.

"How can this be reasonable, you are reckless if you learn without thinking, you actually snore and ......sleep in class" The old master struck the book case with a ring ruler Bangbangbang, and scolded angrily: "Fan Dazhi, if you have been abandoning your studies for a long time, how can you be embarrassed?"

The body of the student named Fan Dazhi squirmed, and he slowly raised his head with sleepy eyes. There were two palm prints on his cheeks, and there was a trace of saliva at the corners of his mouth, and when he saw the angry old master in front of him, he suddenly became agitated and instantly sober.

"Oh...... Teacher, student just ...... Listening to the teacher's fascination, I ...... before I know it Only...... fell asleep ......", Fan Dazhi raised a fat face, his tone was very sincere, and after speaking, he glanced at the old master with a goatee upturned, and lowered his head.

The old master held the ring ruler in his hand, and laughed angrily: "Fan Dazhi, let me ask you, can you memorize the gentleman Shen Du article taught yesterday?"

Fan Dazhi glanced at the ring ruler in the old master's hand, and said timidly: "Teacher, I'...... I...... If you memorize it, you won't hit me, right? ”

The old master's eyelids twitched, and he said expressionlessly: "Recite it to me."

"Yes, the disciple is not right, please correct the ......teacher" Fan Dazhi thought for a while, and slowly recited: "The predicate of the mandate of heaven is sex, the recklessness is the Tao, and the cultivation is the teaching." Those who are in the Tao must not be separated from it, but they can be separated, and they are not Taoists. Therefore, a gentleman is cautious of what he does not see, and fearful of what he does not hear. Don't see it, don't show it, so the gentleman is cautious and ......"

He began to recite a little slowly, but then he spoke faster and faster, and he pronounced the words clearly and in one go, without the slightest pause in between, and he had obviously remembered that he had already memorized the ripeness.

The old master was quite surprised to hear him recite without any mistakes, and couldn't help but look carefully at the student in front of him.

I saw that the child had big ears, a wide forehead and thick eyebrows, and his cheeks were slightly obese, except for a pair of eyes that were clear and abnormal, and his appearance was extremely ordinary. Wearing a cross-collared Luo shirt on his body, he was wrinkled, and there was a faint smell of wine lees, and he couldn't help frowning......

After Fan Dazhi finished reciting, he saw that the old master was holding his beard and groaning noncommittally, and secretly looked around, but saw He An also looking at him with concern, the two looked at each other, and He An secretly winked at him and gave him a thumbs up.

The old master saw the actions of the two in his eyes, and secretly thought in his heart that Fan Dazhi was silent in class on weekdays, and some people bullied him when they frolicked and fought among students, and it was mostly He An who fought for him. This person seems to be reckless, but he can't think of it, but he is a little wise and foolish.

At the moment, he coughed, and pretended to be angry, and said: "Well-the back is acceptable, so in this way, you also memorized the way of the gentleman I taught the day before yesterday?" Recite it to me. ”

Fan Dazhi was helpless, stretched out a fat hand to wipe his face, and recited the course taught by the teacher the day before yesterday, but he was reciting it backwards again, which was not bad at all.

The old master twitched the corner of his mouth, snorted, and said, "Even if you can recite, this is not a reason for you to snore in class, stretch out your hand!"

When Fan Dazhi heard this, he couldn't help but shrug his eyebrows, and his face was very reluctant to spread out one hand. His palms were thicker than ordinary people, and there were several meat sockets on the back of his hands, so the old master asked him to flip his palms, raise the ring ruler, and hit him lightly three times.

Fan Dazhi retracted the palm of the beaten hand into his sleeve, feeling as if he was not as painful as he had been beaten before, and secretly grimaced at the back of the old master and stuck out his tongue.

A few schoolchildren next to him laughed when they saw it, the old master turned around in amazement, and Fan Dazhi immediately sat upright, looking at his nose and nose, like an old monk in his ......

The sun slowly set in the west, half covered by Jinping Mountain in the distance, the mountain seemed to be inlaid with a layer of gold, a whistle under the willow tree, and the children of the private school were out of school.

He An and Fan Dazhi walked one after the other, Fan Dazhi lowered his head and walked quickly. He An took two steps to catch up with him, and gently hugged Fan Dazhi's shoulder with his shoulder: "Dazhi, why are you still angry with me?"

Fan Dazhi twisted his fat face and said angrily: "I still think you are a good brother, I fell asleep and was discovered by the teacher, why didn't you wake me up quickly?"

He An smiled dumbly and said, "At that time, so many pairs of eyes were looking at you, and I was too late to say it." Okay, okay, it's not worth it to be angry about this, next time...... Next time, I promise to escort you in time. After speaking, he hugged Fan Dazhi's shoulders affectionately.

"Don't tell my dad I'm going to be boarded." Fan Dazhi said again.

"Don't worry, I'll keep it secret for you......" He An patted his small chest.

Fan Dazhi smiled with satisfaction.

…………

He An has lived here with his disabled uncle He Kui for as long as he can remember, He Kui is addicted to alcohol, and whenever the family has spare money, He An will go to the tavern under the big locust tree at the head of the village to drink.

He An and Fan Dazhi, the son of the tavern owner Fan Youfu, are of the same age, and they both went to school in a private school, and slowly the two became good friends who talked about everything.

Fan Youfu was originally a native of Yangzhou County, five years ago Yangzhou County was too guarded to build the country, because of the fear that the Dachen Empire would send troops to suppress it, the two armies fought, and it was inevitable that the lives would be ruined. Along the way, he fled and waded through mountains and rivers, slept in the open air, and suffered endless hardships.

When I arrived at this small village called Shuimotou, I was displaced along the way, and my wife Fan Yang contracted a cold, so I settled down and asked my wife to ask Lang Zhong for treatment. However, his wife had an attack of old diseases and died of illness, and Fan Youfu took his son Fan Dazhi alone and settled in the village by relying on his own wine-making skills.

He An and Fan Dazhi were muttering something while walking, and Fan Dazhi smiled from time to time. At the entrance of the village, the two parted ways, and He An went straight to the intersection of the ancestral hall in the village alone.

Many years ago, the villagers raised funds to build an ancestral hall here, except for the festival sacrifices, the black lacquer gate is always hung with copper locks, and no one usually comes.

There are several large willow trees at the entrance of the ancestral hall, the branches are very dense, and the long willow sticks hang straight to the ground, fluttering gently in the wind. He An sat under the tree, looking around boredly, and looked down to find a nest of black pressed ants dragging a fat white bug. The insect was dying and writhed its body from time to time, He An looked interesting, and used the grass stalk to pluck the insect, and the ants scattered in a hurry......

Soon, He An found a square-headed black cricket in the crack of the grass and stones, and just moved the stone away, Fan Dazhi was already panting and trotting over, and the shadow behind him was long and long as the setting sun shone on him.

He An was overjoyed, clapped his hands and stood up to greet him and asked, "Are things ready?" Fan Dazhi blushed and nodded, took out a bundle of ropes, a sheathed knife from his bulging arms, and a firewood knife from his back.

He An rolled up his sleeves, spat at the palm of his hand, hugged the willow trunk and climbed up, Fan Dazhi tiptoed to hand him the firewood knife, and He An sat on the tree to chop the branches of the thickness of his forearm.

Fan Dazhi stood under the tree with his fat face up, watching He Anmali keep swinging the knife, the willow branches kept falling with a click, and the tree was piled up into a small hill after a while.

He An climbed the trunk and jumped down, the two sat at the door of the ancestral hall, Fan Dazhi pulled out the sharp knife, picked out the thumb thickness, cut off a branch, cut them one by one, and then clamped them between his legs and fixed them, overlapping and tying them interspersed.

The willow branches in spring are soft and tough, and Fan Dazhi's fat hands are extremely dexterous, constantly hooking, pulling, wearing, picking, and twisting, and the willow branches are slowly woven into a narrow-mouthed and broad-bellied basket in his hands.

He An couldn't help but praise: "Dazhi, I really can't see that you still know this craft, but ...... Can this basket really catch fish? ”

Fan Dazhi grinned proudly: "What is this, my father is beautiful when he weaves wine lees baskets and black meng clothes." I make this golden urn basket to ensure that as long as the fish come in, they won't be able to get out, so you just wait to eat the fish! ”

After speaking, he sharpened the willow branches reserved for the branches at the narrow mouth of the fish basket, tried to stuff his fist in, and when he took it out again, the sharp willow branches were just against the fist, Fan Dazhi nodded with satisfaction, and made another fish basket in the same way.

He An and Fan Dazhi carried a fish basket and slipped to the bank of the Hanshui River in the south of the village while it was still early. The grass is lush in this area, the water flow is gentle, a few reeds grow by the river, and a few wild ducks with black fur and green necks are swimming leisurely. The footsteps of the two sounded, and the wild ducks flapped their wings and flew away......

Fan Dazhi took out an oiled paper bag from his arms, but when he opened it, it was half a roast chicken and a few slices of sauced beef. This thing first approached his nose, sniffed deeply intoxicated, tore off a chicken leg and handed it to He An, buried his face in the oiled paper bag and devoured it, and in an instant, only chicken bones were left to eat.

He An just took a bite of the chicken leg, and then dragged a few reed leaves and wrapped them in his arms. Fan Dazhi puffed out his cheeks and asked, "Are you ...... Why don't you eat it? He An smiled and said a little embarrassed: "Take it back and give it to my uncle as a snack."

Fan Dazhi often goes to He An's house to play, and He An's uncle He Kui also likes this fat boy very much. In his spare time, he often thinks about the two children's studies, and also teaches them the kung fu of qi cultivation and martial arts.

Fan Dazhi thought of He Kui's stern face, and immediately shook his head and stopped talking. I found two stones and pressed them in the fish basket, threw the leftover chicken bones in it, opened the oil paper bag, hurriedly grabbed two slices of sauce beef and stuffed them into my mouth, and then threw two slices in each of the two fish baskets.

There were only three slices of meat left in the oily paper bag, so he grabbed two more and stuffed them into his mouth, throwing the paper and the remaining pieces of meat into a basket. After a pause, he took out a piece of sauced beef from his mouth, threw it in another basket reluctantly, and said with a smack: "It's okay, it's okay, He An, you'll see it tomorrow!"

After Fan Dazhi finished speaking, he tied a rope to the fish basket, and the two of them threw the two fish baskets into the river in different places. Watch them sink into the river with a thud and tie the tether to the roots of the trees by the river...... By the time all this was done, it was already dark......

The place where the two people live is not far apart, turn around the ancestral hall and walk to the big locust tree at the head of the village, and the three low houses facing the street in the night are holding a wine banner, which is Fan Dazhi's house.

The two said goodbye at the door, and as soon as He An took a few steps, he heard Father Fan howling in the house: "Rabbit cub, half of the roast chicken in the kitchen, you have eaten it again", followed by the crisp sound of dishes falling to the ground and cracking......